text
stringlengths 174
640k
| id
stringlengths 47
47
| dump
stringclasses 17
values | url
stringlengths 14
1.94k
| file_path
stringlengths 125
142
| language
stringclasses 1
value | language_score
float64 0.65
1
| token_count
int64 43
156k
| score
float64 2.52
5.34
| int_score
int64 3
5
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
At Centegra Hospital – McHenry, highly trained specialists perform electrophysiology procedures (EP) in a specially designed EP lab with the most advanced technology and equipment. EP procedures diagnose the source of arrhythmias, or heart rhythm disturbances. The EP lab is also used for the implantation of pacemakers, evaluation of certain heart rhythm medications and prediction of the risk of a future cardiac event.
What is an electrophysiology procedure study (EP study)?
An electrophysiology procedure study is recommended for patients with heart rhythm disorders or who may be at risk for sudden cardiac death.
During an EP study, an electrophysiologist may provoke arrhythmia events and collect data about the flow of electricity during actual events. As a result, EP studies help to locate the specific areas of heart tissue that give rise to the abnormal electrical impulses that cause arrhythmias.
How is an EP study performed?
After being given medication to help you relax, a small area in either the groin or neck will be numbed and a small catheter will be inserted.
Once the catheter reaches the heart, electrodes at the tip of the catheter gather data and several electrical measurements are made. These measurements help to pinpoint the location of the faulty electrical site. At this time, the electrophysiologist may induce the arrhythmia, which is necessary to ensure the precise location of the problematic tissue. After the damaged area is confirmed, the electrophysiologist may give different medications or electrical impulses to determine their ability to stop the arrhythmia and restore the normal heart rhythm.
Based on the data from the EP study and information given before the study begins, the electrophysiologist may choose to implant a pacemaker (implantable cardioverter device -ICD).
What should I expect?
The procedure generally is not painful, although you may feel some pressure as the catheter is inserted. For many, the most difficult part of the procedure is having to lie still for a long time.
How long does an EP study procedure usually take?
A complete EP study procedure usually takes about two hours.
How should I prepare for an EP study?
- Generally, you will be asked not to eat or drink anything for six to eight hours before the procedure.
- You may be asked to stop some medications before the procedure. Please ask your electrophysiologist if you are to stop any medication.
- Make arrangements with a friend or family member to drive you to and from the hospital. You will not be able to drive home after the procedure.
- Pack a small bag in case your electrophysiologist decides to keep you in the hospital overnight.
- Bring a list of the names and dosages of all the medications you are taking.
Centegra Electrophysiology Lab Location
Centegra Hospital – McHenry
4201 Medical Center Dr.
McHenry, IL 60050
|
<urn:uuid:17ee15b8-c51a-48b0-b312-8ecf368f5e96>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://centegra.org/clinical-services/heart-services/electrophysiology-lab/
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.903663
| 607
| 3.171875
| 3
|
Whoops! I promised I would post the remainder of Tess Dingle’s ND informative article about sunscreens and haven’t until now. The second half of this article really gets into the nitty-gritty of sunscreen ingredients. This means that you will know what you are looking at when you read the chemical names on the back of a sunscreen bottle and more importantly which of those are good, bad or downright ugly! Useful information indeed!
The second half of this article looks at some sunscreen agents commonly in use:
Octyl Methoxycinnamate and other cinnamates cause photo and contact allergy and do not effectively block UVA. We must ask, what is the point of using a sunscreen agent that causes allergy in the presence of sunlight?
Benzophenones/oxybenzone/benzoylmethanes do absorb some UVA radiation but have been found to cause photo/contact allergy and most significantly, they tend to imitate and therefore exacerbate existing skin disease (including acne).
Titanium dioxide effectively blocks out UVA radiation and therefore protects against skin cancer. Although this is also a photon scattering agent (UV reflector), it does absorb UV radiation which produces free radicals in the presence of water. Many manufacturers use different methods to “coat” the particles, making them less reactive.
Salicylates commonly cause photo allergy.
PABA (Paramino benzoic acid) is part of the B group of vitamins. Taken internally, it can help prevent UV damage. Used externally, it causes phototoxicity and sensitisation. PABA generates free radicals when exposed to sunlight, predisposing the skin to cancer. It does not effectively block UVA radiation. It is banned as a sunscreen agent in Australia.
Zinc oxide effectively blocks out UVA radiation, has the benefit of being inert on the skin (it does not absorb UV radiation) and has skin healing properties. It does, however, contain large particles and can form a paste when applied to the skin. The finer the zinc particles, the less visible they are on the skin. Micronised superfine zinc is the best choice for minimizing the “paste-effect” without resorting to nanoparticles.
Iron oxide is found naturally in mineral clays, which have an ochre colour due to the ferrous (iron) content. Due to the large particle size, iron oxide also acts as a UV reflector and is inert in the sun (does not produce free radicals). Natural mineral clays also contain varying proportions of other UV protectors such as titania.
It must also be noted that this discussion of the active constituents in sunscreens is academic without paying respect to the ingredients in the carrier or base formulation. Do they cause free radical damage themselves and in particular, how well do they stand up to sun exposure?
There are instances of people using sunscreens who have reacted to the excipients (base materials/carriers) included in the formulation, such as preservatives, fragrances and emulsifiers, which have caused contact allergies. So there is cause for concern not only about the active ingredients in sunscreens, but about the inert ingredients as well. Ed note: I don’t know about anyone else but standard sunscreens make my eyes sting and water particularly after swimming in the surf. I worked out that for me, it is probably the product fragrance that is causing this effect. In any case, it has been a long time since I have used a conventional sunscreen as I prefer to stick to zinc oxide based products.
There are a number of base ingredients to look for such as antioxidant vitamins C and E at effective concentrations. Vitamins C and E (tocopherol) are known to protect against skin cancer, particularly when applied topically as they prevent free radical damage from UV radiation. Certified organic shea butter, sesame and avocado oils have natural UV protective qualities, primarily due to their vitamin A and E content. Shea butter also protects against burning (UVB radiation) and is an excellent emollient, softening the skin and preventing the formation of wrinkles. Aloe vera, a plant which has been shown to prevent DNA damage to the skin following sun exposure and its use in treating burns of all descriptions is well-known and an excellent inclusion as a base ingredient. Antioxidant medicinal strength herbal extracts of ginkgo biloba, green tea and pomegranate are also excellent for their ability to protect against DNA damage from UV radiation.
Is your skin ready for summer? Summer is a time for sun, increased exercise and outdoor activity. After months of jackets and long pants, our skin needs a little bit of care before exposure to the Australian Summer sun. Advance preparation is a good idea before you pull out your summer clothing and expose your skin. Follow these guidelines so you are ready to smartly and safely enjoy the sun and make the most of your skin this season.
It is important to remember that skin behaves differently from season to season and so your skin care routine should change to suit the difference in weather. In many parts of Australia there are effectively only 2 seasons: dry and humid. Our skin reacts dramatically to changes in humidity and so using the same skin care routine all year round will not help maintain well hydrated skin.
As the humidity rises in summer so does the moisture content in our skin. This is great for those who tend to dry or dehydrated skin types. Skin will feel more supple and hydrated. For those with normal to oily skin, you will notice that oil production increases in the warmer months and if not careful, skin congestion may increase.
During the summer months all skin types require lighter moisturisers. It is best to avoid moisturisers rich in waxes and butters and favour lighter lotions as these will provide adequate moisture content without causing congestion. Depending on skin type, it is also a good idea to change your cleanser from a cream cleanser to a light foaming cleanser or gel (avoid cleansers containing sodium laurel suphate) as they tend to more effective for removing built up sebum (oil) as well as daily grime and pollution.
For those with normal to oily skin, use cleansing masks and gentle exfoliation to reduce the likelihood of blocked pores and congestion. For those with dehydrated skin use a night oil based serum followed by a lighter day moisturiser. This will ensure adequate skin hydration without resorting to heavy creams more suited to the cooler, drier months.
Remember, part of an effective skin care routine includes changing to suit the seasons.
In winter, our skin is largely covered up and so we tend to give it less care and attention. For this reason, summer skin preparation should always include full body exfoliation. Our bodies shed dead skin cells constantly which his results in a layer of dead skin cells. This layer of cells leaves your skin looking dull, dry and sometimes scaly. Applying moisturisers won’t help create glowing skin unless you remove the dead top layer and in fact, moisturisers won’t even penetrate the skin effectively until the dead cells are removed.
To exfoliate your skin effectively you can use an exfoliation mitt in the shower, a dry skin brush or a body scrub. Use a gentle circular motion on your entire body from the shoulders down and once complete, rinse clean (use a specific face exfoliator for your face and neck). Follow with moisturiser. Continue once or twice a week throughout the summer season and it will help maintain fresh, glowing skin.
The best anti-aging advice you will ever hear is to wear sunscreen. And yet, on any summer’s day at the beach you will still see Australians baking themselves under the harsh midday sun. If you want a glowing tan during summer there are alternative ways to achieve this look without damaging your skin. We will look at these options below. Firstly, when it comes to preventing sun damage there are some important things to remember:
A glowing tan is something that many Australians aspire to but in reality you are best to learn to love the colour of skin you were born with. There is no such thing as healthy tanning, however, if you plan to be out in the sun this summer, slowly introducing your skin to the sun is a good idea. Sun exposure in the early mornings and late afternoons allows your skin to gradually build up some colour without burning. Twenty minutes is enough time. Remember by the time your skin starts to feel hot, it is already burnt.
Faking it! If you decide to use fake tan, choose a natural one. In the last few years a number of all natural fake tanning lotions have emerged on the market and provide a healthier skin choice than synthetic chemical products. If you choose to fake tan, remember that you still need to apply sunscreen!
Water is essential for not only providing hydration to our internal organs but also for maintaining skin hydration. Increased sweating, exercise and outdoor activities mean that in the warmer months we can dehydrate quite quickly. By the time you register that you feel thirst, it is likely that you are already slightly dehydrated. The best way to avoid this is to sip water throughout the day ensuring your fluid levels are being continuously topped up. Invest in a good quality water bottle (avoid soft plastic as it leaches chemicals into the water) and take it with you so that you always have water on hand. Adequate hydration is an essential way to maintain skin vitality.
During the warmer months, we tend to want less hot, stodgy food and prefer lighter meals such as fresh fruit, salads, wraps, juices. When we eat, our body temperature increases and warm food will add to this effect. Raw and fresh foods will help keep us cooler during the summer months. Concentrate on colourful fruit and vegetables, lean protein and good oils as the basis of your summer eating. Not only are these foods ideal for the skin, supplying essential antioxidants and reducing inflammation, they are also sources of essential nutrition for the rest of your body.
There are a number of supplements that help provide optimal nutrition and maintain skin health year around…and not just during the summer months!
Beta-carotene – is the orange pigment found in carrots and green leafy vegetables. It is a powerful antioxidant and research has shown that it can help minimise the effect of certain free radicals induced by UV radiation from sunlight. Regular consumption of beta-carotene or beta-carotene rich foods can help to reduce skin aging from sun exposure. Dosage recommendation: 30mg Beta-carotene or mixed carotenoids per day.
Zinc – a deficiency of zinc can lead to skin problems and delayed wound healing. Zinc is essential for the cell division and protein synthesis so helps maintain skin integrity and resilience. Unless you have a skin condition or have low zinc levels, the zinc provided in an everyday multivitamin should be enough to support skin health (about 5-10mg per day)
Fish Oil – helps to maintain skin suppleness and elasticity as well as keeping a check on inflammatory processes. It is particularly useful to help manage inflammatory skin conditions such as psoriasis, eczema, dermatitis and dry skin in general. For skin conditions 4-6g of fish oil per day is required. For maintenance and to help minimise dry skin, 1-2g per day is sufficient.
Grapeseed Extract – another powerful skin antioxidant, research shows that grapeseed extract enhances capillary strength and vascular function, reduces allergic and inflammatory responses in the skin and also reduces skin aging and the loss of elasticity. Dosage recommendation is 6-12g of Grapeseed extract per day.
Vitamin C – is an important antioxidant, quenching free radicals that cause skin aging. Vitamin C is also essential for collagen synthesis. Collagen provides the foundation matrix for cartilage, epethielial skin cells and connective tissue. When applied to the skin, Vitamin C stimulates cell renewal, collagen and elastin production and increases healthy circulation. Suggested dosage: 1000mg per day or as a topical application.
Summer is a time for fun in the sun. You can stay sun smart this summer and with these tips you can maintain healthy skin throughout the season.Twitter It!
In the last 2 week I have had numerous queries about the use of nanoparticles in sunscreens. Nanoparticle is a general term that is used to describe substances and process that are smaller than 100 nanometers (nm). The nanoparticles used in sunscreens are from 20 to 30 nm making the zinc oxide or titanium dioxide invisible to the naked eye. Unlike traditional zinc oxide products which can leave an opaque white coat on the surface of the skin, nanoparticles rub in clear.
The issue with the use of nanoparticles in sunscreens is that when exposed to
UV light (sunlight) the ingredients produce dangerous free radicals, cause DNA damage and cell toxicity. In addition, research suggests that the penetration of nanoparticles is greater when skin is damaged or thinner eg. eczema, acne, sunburnt skin, babies and the elderly. While is no clear outcome as to what this means for human skin however, the likely outcome is ongoing damage.
Research is ongoing, however the above information does suggest we should treat nano-sunscreens with extreme caution until we know they’re safe. At this stage no labeling is required for nanoparticles in cosmetics. To set your mind at rest, our Third Stone Botanicals and Devita products with sun protection use micro particles of zinc oxide or titanium dioxide. Micro particles are considered safe as they do not penetrate the skin surface.
See the video blog below for more information about the difference between nano and micro particles and how to avoid nanoparticles in your cosmetics.
For more information and a full report go to Friends of the Earth.Twitter It!
Free eBook for clear skin:
Receive this free eBook by clicking on this link: Glowing Skin
|
<urn:uuid:766952ee-8f55-4207-9e64-a4905b540a7e>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://vitaleblog.org/tag/sunscreen
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.936052
| 2,884
| 2.984375
| 3
|
March 20, 2012
What We’ve Lost With the Demise of Print Encyclopedias
It might be argued that mapping out human knowledge has always, necessarily, been a quixotic project, akin to Casaubon’s “Key to All Mythologies.” It is very likely that few readers ever actually delved very deeply into the “Propaedia,” or made much use of Diderot and d’Alembert’s “map” to navigate the wilds of the 32 individual volumes. The vast majority of people who actually consulted these encyclopedias most likely turned straight to the alphabetical articles, to hunt down specific pieces of information. Today, we use the online resources in the same way. But the ambition mattered. It mattered that one could look at a stack of volumes and say: Here are vast libraries, distilled down into an essence of human knowledge, and organized in a logical order. The books testified to the hope that, ultimately, human beings had at least a measure of control over the overpowering torrents of facts and ideas that they collectively produce. Perhaps no single human being could truly have control—what more quixotic enterprise is there than reading through an encyclopedia from cover to cover? But at least the existence of the books gave us the sense that some points of dry land remained amidst the floods, some fragments shored against our ruins. The disappearance of these grand printed volumes, while inevitable, is yet another depressing sign of just how much we are now adrift in the limitless oceans of information.more from David Bell at The New Republic here.
Posted by Morgan Meis at 02:10 AM | Permalink
|
<urn:uuid:01457b16-3856-4e07-a529-ccf0bba5d950>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://www.3quarksdaily.com/3quarksdaily/2012/03/what-weve-lost-with-the-demise-of-print-encyclopedias.html
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.943316
| 351
| 2.546875
| 3
|
Replica of Ayurvedic surgical instrument representing a curlew, India, 1901-1930
Ancient instrument designs incorporated the heads of animals. This replica example represents a bird, possibly a curlew or a crane. The original was likely used within Ayurvedic medicine. This ancient medical tradition has its roots in the Indian subcontinent. The name Ayurveda comes from ayus (‘life’) and veda (‘knowledge or science’). This indicates Ayurveda incorporates a whole way of living. Surgery (Shalya-chikitsa) is one of the eight ancient branches of Ayurvedic medicine. However, surgery has no clear identity today. The Susrata Samhita is a classic text of Ayurvedic medicine. It describes a range of surgical practices. It was written by Hindu surgeon Susrata who practiced from about 500BCE.
Related Themes and Topics
There are 438 related objects. View all related objects
An Indian medical tradition. Literally translated it means ‘Life Science’ and promotes mental and physical health through balancing biological elements. Ayurveda focuses on exercise, massage, yoga and meditation.
Use for precise reproductions of valued objects, usually in the same dimensions as the original. For reproductions of an image alone, use "reproductions" or "facsimiles." Use also when more than one similar object is produced by the same artist, craftsman, or studio, with little or no variation between them; if variation is apparent, use "versions." Distinct from "forgeries" and "counterfeits," which are produced with the intent to deceive.
trial term S&H
Glossary: surgical instrument
|
<urn:uuid:c6eea3b4-7087-4b47-824a-a312dcc74da3>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/broughttolife/objects/display.aspx?id=92607
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.911266
| 363
| 3.09375
| 3
|
When did universities start making teaching students do student teaching?
Teacher training did not begin at the university level. In fact, for the first several decades of American history, teachers received no formal training at all. And while some made careers of teaching, many were college students putting themselves through school, or recent graduates passing time while searching for better-paying work. Many teachers had no more than a secondary-level education, and returned to teach at schools where they had once been students. Consequently, a number of reformers—nation-builders like Horace Mann—began to argue in the first decades of the 19th century that teachers were unprepared for their work. Pointing to the example of places like Prussia, where teachers were trained and certified by the state, instructed for two or three years in both content matter and pedagogy, and given the chance to practice teaching in laboratory schools, they called for an overhaul of teacher education.
In 1838, Massachusetts paved the way for the creation of four state "normal schools" ("normal" because they were designed to establish teaching norms) and the first opened in Lexington in 1839. Such schools, which began cropping up in other states, were roughly equivalent to high schools, offering instruction in pedagogy, as well as what were then the basics: spelling, reading, writing, grammar, geography, and arithmetic. Additionally, some schools created laboratory schools in which would-be teachers could practice their craft. Others established partnerships with local grammar schools. On the whole, however, practice teaching made up a small part of training, often lasting no more than a week or so. For some, it was a dreaded rite of passage.
However, most teachers did not attend normal schools. In rural areas, for instance, local school boards ran teacher institutes, where their teachers could brush up on academic and pedagogical subjects. Some large school districts, like New York City, organized their own teacher-training programs, led by experienced teachers, well into the 1930s. Even graduates of normal schools, however, did not always have practice teaching opportunities. As former Maryland state superintendent of education M.E. Newell wrote in 1891 some teacher training schools had established relationships with lab schools, "some schools have made the attempt and have abandoned it; some have accomplished the feat—on paper."
By the 1930s, though, a standard was emerging. As normal schools transformed into state colleges and universities, as higher education enrollments grew, and as more states created educational requirements for licensure, more and more teachers received formal training in a school or department of education. A standard course of study included general education, courses in educational foundations and pedagogy, and a practice teaching component. Still, such matters varied on a school-by-school basis. According to a 1927 survey, some schools required 0–50 hours of student teaching, while some required upwards of 500–600.
Extended clinical experiences became more common in the 1950s and 1960s as states strengthened licensure requirements. Some, like Maine and Oregon, still did not require student teaching. Others, like Rhode Island, mandated a minimum of 200 hours of student teaching for licensure. By the 1970s and '80s, most states had established standards for student teaching; yet variance remained the norm, ranging from four to 18 weeks.
Today, most states require a BA from an accredited college or university and between 12 and 16 weeks of student teaching. There are, of course, alternate routes into public school classrooms that, in a sense, turn back the clock.
In our blog, George Mason University social studies/history education assistant professor Anthony Pellegrino looks at the challenges of modern teacher training.
|
<urn:uuid:f99c3832-4ed5-4874-ba13-e108cdf7fbef>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://www.teachinghistory.org/history-content/ask-a-historian/24553
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.983914
| 759
| 2.984375
| 3
|
Battery Chargers and External Power Supplies
The Department of Energy (DOE) does not currently regulate battery chargers. Energy conservation standards have been in place for external power supplies since 2007. Battery chargers charge batteries for consumer products, including battery chargers embedded in other consumer products. Examples of this product include chargers for cell phone or computer batteries. External power supplies convert household electric current into direct current or lower-voltage alternating current to operate a consumer product such as a computer or computer monitor. Currently only Class A external power supplies are covered by standards.
The current standard will save approximately 3.8 quads of energy and result in approximately $42.4 billion in energy bill savings for products shipped from 2008-2032. The standard will avoid about 198.5 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions, equivalent to the annual greenhouse gas emissions of about 39 million automobiles.
The Standards and Test Procedures for this product are related to Rulemaking for Battery Chargers and External Power Supplies Energy Conservation Standard.
Recent Updates | Standards | Test Procedures | Waiver, Exception, and Exemption Information | Statutory Authority | Historical Information | Contact Information
DOE has published a notice of proposed rulemaking regarding energy conservation standards for battery chargers and external power supplies. 77 FR 18478 (March 27, 2012). This proposal would establish energy conservation standards for battery chargers and non-Class A external power supplies. It also proposes to amend the standards that are currently in place for Class A External Power Supplies and to establish new labeling requirements for battery chargers and EPSs.
DOE published a request for information regarding energy conservation standards for battery chargers and external power supplies. 78 FR 18253 (March 26, 2013). The comment deadline is May 28, 2013. For more information, please see the rulemaking page.
Standards for Battery Chargers and External Power Supplies
The following content summarizes the energy conservation standards for Class A external power supplies. The text is not an official reproduction of the Code of Federal Regulations and should not be used for legal research or citation.
There are currently only energy conservation standards for Class A external power supplies. There are no energy conservation standards in place for non-Class A external power supplies nor for battery chargers. Class A external power supplies manufactured and distributed in commerce, as defined by 42 U.S.C. 6291 (16), on or after July 1, 2008 must meet the energy conservation standards specified in the Code of Federal Regulations, 10 CFR 430.32(w). This information is also available in the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations.
The term "class A external power supply" means a device that—
- is designed to convert line voltage AC input into lower voltage AC or DC output;
- is able to convert to only 1 AC or DC output voltage at a time;
- is sold with, or intended to be used with, a separate end-use product that constitutes the primary load;
- is contained in a separate physical enclosure from the end-use product;
- is connected to the end-use product via a removable or hard-wired male/female electrical connection, cable, cord, or other wiring; and
- has nameplate output power that is less than or equal to 250 watts.
The term "class A external power supply" does not include any device that—
- requires Federal Food and Drug Administration listing and approval as a medical device in accordance with section 360c of title 21; or
- powers the charger of a detachable battery pack or charges the battery of a product that is fully or primarily motor operated.
Table 1. Energy Conservation Standards for Class A External Power Supplies
||Minimum Efficiency (decimal equivalent of a percentage)
||0.5 times the nameplate output
|1 to not more than 51 Watts
||The sum of 0.09 times the natural logarithm of the nameplate output and 0.5
|Not more than 250 Watts
For further guidance or to submit questions related to the implementation of this standard, visit the Guidance and Frequently Asked Questions page.
Current Test Procedure
To determine compliance with DOE standards, manufacturers must follow the test procedures specified at 10 CFR 430.23(aa) for battery chargers and external power supplies 10 CFR 430.23(bb). The methods to conduct the test procedure for battery chargers are further specified in 10 CFR Part 430 Appendix Y to Subpart B, and the methods to conduct the test procedure for external power supplies are further specified in 10 CFR Part 430 Appendix Z to Subpart B. These are also in the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations.
For further guidance or to submit questions related to the implementation of this test procedure, visit the Guidance and Frequently Asked Questions page.
Test procedure waivers have not been issued for battery chargers or for external power supplies.
For information about obtaining test procedure waivers, see 10 CFR section 430.27.
DOE's Office of Hearings and Appeals has not authorized exception relief for battery chargers nor for external power supplies.
For information about obtaining exception relief, see 10 CFR part 1003.
State Exemptions to Federal Pre-emption
DOE has not exempted any state from this energy conservation standard. States may petition DOE to exempt a state regulation from preemption by the Federal energy conservation standard. States may also petition DOE to withdraw such exemptions. For details, see 10 CFR part 430, subpart D.
Small Business Exemptions
Any manufacturer of a covered product with annual gross revenues that do not exceed $8,000,000 from all its operations and meets certain other conditions may apply for an exemption to the energy conservation standard. For details, see 10 CFR part 430, subpart E.
Congressionally Mandated Exemptions
Certain external power supplies used in security and life safety alarms and surveillance systems are exempt from the no-load mode power requirements that apply generally to Class A external power supplies. This exemption took effect on October 19, 2011. For details, see 76 FR 57897 (September 19, 2011).
The Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA) also provides an exemption from standards for any Class A external power supply manufactured between July 1, 2008 and June 30, 2015 that is made available as a service part or a spare part (replacement part) for an end-use product manufactured before July 1, 2008 is excepted from the energy conservation standards. For details, see 76 FR 57897; 57899-57900.
The current energy conservation standards for battery chargers and external power supplies are mandated by Part A, the ‘‘Energy Conservation Program for Consumer Products Other Than Automobiles’’ of Title III of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA), as amended. (42 U.S.C. § 6291–6309) These appliances are treated as covered products’ under Part A. (42 U.S.C. 6295(u))
The Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPACT 2005) and the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA 2007) amended EPCA with regard to the energy conservation program for battery chargers and external power supplies.
EPCA, as amended by EPACT 2005 and EISA 2007, sets efficiency standards for Class A external power supplies and mandates various rulemaking activities. (42 U.S.C. 6295(u)(3))
The statute also requires DOE to issue a final rule prescribing energy conservation standards for battery chargers (42 U.S.C. 6295(u)(1)(E)(i)(II) as well as perform a determination analysis for external power supplies excluded from the July 1, 2008, standard. (42 U.S.C. 6295(u)(1)(E)(i)(I) These rulemakings will be bundled with the rulemaking for Class A electronic power supplies, as the products are closely related.
Previous Test Procedures
2009 Final Rule
2006 Final Rule
Helpful Links and Contact Information
Find tips and guidance for making your home, workplace, or vehicle more energy efficient visit EnergySavers.gov.
DOE supports the testing and verification of ENERGY STAR® products in close collaboration with the Environmental Protection Agency. ENERGY STAR qualified battery chargers are on average 35 percent more energy efficient than standard models.
For more information related to the regulation of this product, please email:
|
<urn:uuid:2e491092-f200-4147-b86a-93b46401b5f5>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/appliance_standards/product.aspx/productid/23
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.896609
| 1,736
| 3.078125
| 3
|
The teacher will introduce and discuss the system of classifying living things. Students will then research various flora and fauna found at our national sites and the student will classify them as a "taxonomist" using the seven steps of the classification system. Students will show their findings and results through a project of their choice.
The students will identify and classify living things. Students will understand the different properties of various types of flora and fauna. Students will create a product to demonstrate knowledge of the classification system and kingdoms of living things.
- Introduce the students to the America the Beautiful Quarters® Program. The program is described at www.usmint.gov/mint_programs/atb/. Tell the students that the back of a coin is called the reverse, and "obverse" is another name for the front. With the students, examine each of the five 2011 quarter designs. Locate each of the 2011 sites on a class map. Answer any student questions.
- Ask the students what they know about national parks such as Gettysburg National Military Park, Glacier National Park, Olympic National Park, Vicksburg National Military Park, and Chickasaw National Recreational Area. Ask them to identify where these are sites located.
- With the students, discuss various flora and fauna that can be found at our national parks (such as the bat, coyote, opossum, glacier lilies, purple asters) and where they may be found.
- Tell the students they will be researching to classify various flora and fauna found in the national parks. Complete the" Properties are Shaping Up!" page with the students. Remind the students that when they classify an object, they are comparing and contrasting the properties of the object. Discuss how different items have properties specific to their group.
- Discuss the "It's Classified!" worksheet with the students. Using chart paper, review the seven levels of the classification system, the six kingdoms of living things, and examples of each. Discuss mnemonic devices and how they can be a helpful learning tool. (Kangaroos Playing Cards On Fat Green Snakes). Have the students identify classifications for plants and animals from your region.
- Using available text and Internet resources, allow the students time to research various flora and fauna found at the national parks. Have the students record their findings on the "Trying Taxonomy" worksheet.
- Have the students discuss the results from the worksheets with each other and then decide which project to complete on classification and kingdoms. Have the students work independently on their selected projects from the Project Guide and present the finished projects to the class.
- Take anecdotal notes about the students' participation in class discussions.
- Evaluate the students' worksheets and projects to see whether they have met the lesson objectives.
- Use the rubric to evaluate the final product.
- Allow students to work in pairs or small groups.
- Allow students to use a scribe to complete their worksheets.
Connection to www.usmint.gov/kids
- Have students learn more about animals and how they fit into the food web by using the Montana quarter 4 through 6 lesson plan at www.usmint.gov/kids/teachers/lessonPlans/50sq/2007/0406-1.pdf.
- Have students learn more about the occupations of national sites by visiting the 2010 America the Beautiful Quarters® Program lesson plans for grades 4 through 6 at www.usmint.gov/kids/teachers/lessonPlans/atb/view.cfm?id=1007.
Worksheets associated with this lesson plan
- Properties Are Shaping Up
- It's Classified! Project Guide
- Trying Taxonomy
- It's Classified! Project Guide
You will identify and classify living things. You will take on the role of a taxonomist to research and classify flora and fauna found in our national parks and complete a project.
- After your teacher introduces your class to national sites and the America the Beautiful Quarters® Program, research national sites like Gettysburg National Military Park, Glacier National Park, Olympic National Park, Vicksburg National Military Park, and Chickasaw National Recreation Area. Use the links on www.nps.gov to learn more about the national parks. Think about the following questions as you research:
- Where are these sites located?
- What do you think you would see at these sites?
- You may notice a variety of flora and fauna like the bat, coyote, opossum, glacier lilies, and purple asters. Think about what you know about the classification system used to classify living things. Where might these fit into the chart?
- Students adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language e.g., conventions, style, vocabulary) to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes.
- Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process elements appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes.
- Students conduct research on issues and interests by generating ideas and questions, and by posing problems They gather, evaluate, and synthesize data from a variety of sources (e.g., print and non-print texts, artifacts, people) to communicate their discoveries in ways that suit their purpose and audience.
- Students use a variety of technological and information resources (e.g., libraries, databases, computer networks, video) to gather and synthesize information and to create and communicate knowledge.
- International Society for Technology in Education (www.iste.org)
- Research and Informational Fluency: Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information.
- Understanding of scientific concepts.
- Understanding of classification.
- An appreciation of "how we know" what we know in science.
- Understanding of the nature of science.
- Skills necessary to become independent inquirers about the natural world.
- The dispositions to use the skills, abilities, and attitudes associated with science.
- National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (www.nctm.org)
- Describing shapes and analyzing their properties.
Four 45- to 60-minute sessions
- 1 overhead transparency (or photocopy) of the "Properties Are Shaping Up" worksheet
- 1 photocopy of the following worksheets:
- "Properties Are Shaping Up" answer sheet
- "It's Classified!" worksheet
- "Trying Taxonomy" worksheet
- Images of the five 2011 quarters
- 1 class map of the United States
- Copies of texts that give information about classification and kingdoms of various plants and animals, such as:
- Centipedes, Millipedes, Scorpions & Spiders by Daniel Gilpin (animal kingdom classification)
- Molds, Mushrooms & Other Fungi by Steve Parker (kingdom classifications)
- Protozoans, Algae & Other Protists by Steve Parker (kingdom classifications)
- Redwoods, Hemlocks & Other Cone-Bearing Plants by Steve Parker (kingdom classifications)
- Sunflowers, Magnolia Trees & Other Flowering Plants by Steve Parker (kingdom classifications)
- Chart paper
- Writing and drawing materials
- Mnemonic device
- Have large shapes available to use as manipulatives for the "Properties are Shaping Up" worksheet. Make sure to model how to complete the classification charts.
- Provide a variety of plant and animal examples of the classification system and kingdoms, either on the overhead or on chart paper, for later reference.
- Review the completed worksheets with the students, either on the overhead or on chart paper, for later reference.
- Review the meaning of the word "taxonomy" with the students to help them "play the part."
- Address and highlight any unfamiliar or new vocabulary and record it on chart paper.
- Make copies of necessary materials (such as worksheets).
- Bookmark assorted Web sites with photos of flora and fauna and guide the students to where you want them to research.
- Use this lesson after teaching an introductory lesson in classification.
Student Side Box
What You Need
- "Print Me" worksheets
- Internet access
- Properties Are Shaping Up (worksheet)
- It's Classified! (worksheet)
- Trying Taxonomy (worksheet)
- It's Classified! Project Guide
|
<urn:uuid:27c7b126-3ae4-4661-a897-9f8479e458b6>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://usmint.gov/kids/teachers/lessonPlans/atb/view.cfm?id=1107
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.881035
| 1,772
| 4.25
| 4
|
E. Belfort Bax, On Immortality, To-day, April 1888, pp.138-142.
Republished in The Ethics of Socialism, pp.180-188, in slightly modified form.
Transcribed by Ted Crawford.
Marked up by Einde O’Callaghan for the Marxists’ Internet Archive.
What is it we understand by immortality or the “immortality of the soul?” Unless we clearly define this we are merely beating the air in discussing the subject. By immortality, then, we mean the popular conception of a continuance of that object of consciousness we term myself, what Kant calls the object of the internal sense, which philosophers generally call the empirical ego, after death, i.e., after the definitive dissolution of the organic system or animal body with which it is apparently correlated. Now it should be noted that this conception practically denies the fact of the correlation of the mental phenomenon with the material, and affirms their independence. But what is the mental object or phenomenon we call “myself?” When we come to examine it, we find it is primarily nothing but a memory-synthesis, that is, a succession of perceptions and thoughts held together by memory and categorised by the active, outlooking, or pure consciousness, subject, or ego, as substance like other substances.
To drop the technical language of philosophy, I wish to emphasise this fact of memory as being the primary condition of the possibility of the particular personality or individuality. That the principle of Selfhood or Iness which is the condition of all possible consciousness, for which time is, and therefore which is eternal, i.e., apart from time, is not incidental to or bound up with the object-ego is clear enough when pointed out, but in most minds there is much confusion as to this, a confusion greatly helped by the popular psychological distinction of subject and object, the “subject” referred to being really object (Kant’s object of the internal sense) and not subject at all. Now the question of personal immortality clearly turns on this object, this memory-synthesis, myself, A.B., as distinct from you, C.D. This psychical object is in many points unique. Though it recognises itself as object among other objects, it is nevertheless like the world (universe) an absolute totality within itself. As with the world-object, no definite limits can be assigned to it in space and time, so with the soul-object no definite limits can apparently be assigned to it in time. “Myself” is therefore a cognised object, i.e., an object in consciousness. But as object, it has in it an element of particularity which as particularity is unstable and evanescent, since every particular comes and passes away.
The great question, therefore, remains; is the memory-synthesis which is the primary condition of the personality or individuality of the nature of the particular or not. If it is not, then there is ground for a belief in this personal immortality we are enquiring into, if it is, there is not only no such ground, but we are forced to make the contrary assumption. To my thinking this question is very easily decided. For it resolves itself substantially into this, did memory or the memory-synthesis arise in time? If it did we must assume that it will pass away in time, since a coming necessarily implies a going.
Now, as I take it, it cannot be denied that this object-self held together by memory, as distinguished from the pure consciousness which knows it, which distinguishes it as such, did arise in time, since there is a time before which memory is silent. It begins on the hither side of the genesis of this body. This thread of memory which constitutes that sense of personal identity expressed in the phrase “myself,” I can trace back and back in time until I arrive at a period about which it is lost. There is a time therefore, when, speaking popularly, memory may be said to arise and hence I argue a time when again speaking popularly, it may be said to cease. In the one case we know that it is correlated with the development of the organic synthesis or animal body, in the other we have every analogical reason to think it is equally correlated with the dissolution of that synthesis. This is as much as to say, the memory-synthesis of personal identity as expressed in any given individual belongs to the particular or singular element in his essence.
Now, let us examine some of the most plausible arguments in favour of the limitless continuance of particular memory, or of “personal identity.” We cannot, strictly speaking it is said, assign a time when memory begins, and, therefore, it is argued, plausibly enough, we have no right to assign a time when it ends. Here, I think we have a confusion between memory, as a sensible, individual particular fact, and memory as the universal condition of individual consciousness. That in this latter plane, memory, personal identity, has neither beginning nor ending may be perfectly true, but that does not affect our present question which concerns this particular individual on the time-plane. We are discussing a fact, sub specie temporis, not sub specie aeternitatis. “Myself” now speaking is a fact in time. Though concrete consciousness may always involve a memory-synthesis, as it always involve time, it nevertheless does not, per se, involve this memory-synthesis here and now, this only accrues to it per accidens. I, to be concrete, must always have an object-self, but not this particular object-self. I think, therefore, we may say that this memory-synthesis, the foundation of particular personal identity, of the soul or object-self, does arise in time since it carries us back a certain way and then vanishes. The impossibility of assigning the moment of its beginning or ending is merely an instance of the irrationality of the phenomenon or the particular, generally, like the Zeno-problems of the impossibility of assigning the moment when motion ceases, or of the extension or intension of space, or the precise moment of going to sleep or waking.
The attempt to find an analogy between the temporary break in the memory-synthesis in sleep, swoons, and anaesthesia and the change from infancy to childhood, from life to death, is inept for two or three reasons. Firstly, it may fairly be doubted whether the break is ever complete in these cases. In sleep my observations distinctly traverse this assertion. Even under the influence of an anaesthetic, I have traced the memory-thread of personal identity, gone very thin it is true but still there. Now nobody will allege this of pre-existence. But the real gist of the matter lies in the fact that in the one case the break in memory or personal identity (if such) is only a break, in the other it is a complete lapse. Behind my soundest sleep lies my past life known to me as mine. Behind my present life lies no life known to me as mine. My personal identity begins with a certain year. Beyond that I have no personal identity. Behind that there is no “myself” i.e., no this “myself” that is now speaking, and with any other “myself” we have nothing to do. This memory-synthesis or personal identity carries me back through all the changes in my mental life etc., up to this year but there it ends. “There is nothing that comes into being but it ceases to be” said Herakleitos. Were I conscious of the pre-existence (as regards life) of my particular personality, I could believe in the possibility at least of its post-existence. Did I become conscious, however dimly, however transiently, of “myself” as having lived and played a part amid the life of any past age, then I could believe in a continuance in the future. But I cannot find “myself” in the London of Dr. Johnson, nor in the old English country house, nor in the salons of Paris, nor amid the workmen of the Faubourg St. Antoine, nor anywhere in the eighteenth century world. As little can I trace “myself” amid the monasteries, castles, burgs of the Middle Ages, nor with the decaying world of antiquity around me. My particular self, the object of memory, in short, then, has no pre-existence. It is up to date, correlated with the organic synthesis, viz., body. The body is its wedding garment, and hence I argue the body is its shroud.
The memory-synthesis, personal identity, “myself,” is, if this be true, one of the infinitude of evanescent particulars, or individuals of which all sensible reality is made up. It is one of those ripples which come and which go as they come, leaving the sea, indeed, but made up of other ripples. The meaning of human life is not to be sought for in this particular person, but rather in the universal principles which it embodies, or to which, maybe, it gives voice. Why should men strive to believe in a continuity of memory after death which they know does not obtain before birth? Because they refuse to recognise themselves as essentially unimportant and as only the temporary illustrations of universal notions. I am not saying this by way of reproach at all, since the feeling is perfectly natural. But the truth remains that our thoughts, deeds, friendships, and loves, which are merely the momentary and particular manifestations of certain human traits, we are accustomed to regard as though they were the one fact of the universe. We forget that every object of our affection consists of a matter, human nature, and a form, certain particular traits, and that these traits will continue, as they have done, to manifest themselves in other particulars or individuals. Of course it may be objected, this does not concern me; I am concerned only with my particular memory-synthesis, and with what falls within it – be it persons or things – “I” has been saying this ever since the rise of the introspective spirit, i.e., since man first learnt to distinguish himself as individual from his clan or tribe. And “I” says it still. The objection must be allowed, of course, up to a certain point. I thus individually can never be fully compensated for the loss of a dear friend or child, so long as I, i.e., my object-self the memory-synthesis which includes the friend or child, subsists. But it is surely some consolation to recognise that this synthesis itself is transient no less than its content – that “I” as universal individual in other divisions of time, past and future, with another object-self, another memory-synthesis, present to it, will have also the same qualities otherwise presented, embodied that is, in other friends and children.
If it be objected that it is only actual living individuals or those we have known when living that we can care for, I answer this entirely overthrows the notion of any duty towards, or concern for an unborn posterity. If any one recognises a duty towards a being unborn or even unconceived (if for instance he admits an obligation not to procreate a child to conditions of certain misery) he perforce admits that the concrete, real, actual, is not the sole object of his solicitude, but that he can also care for human nature as yet purely potential (nay, abstract in a sense) and unrealised in any particular individual. How many lives, how many “myselves” have not perceived on this very spot? Do we feel acutely the sorrows of the myriads of nameless individuals, memory-syntheses, myselves, who have thought, acted, loved and hated in medieval London, or during those four centuries of Roman London, whose remains are beneath our feet and whose history and manner of life are now for ever a total blank? Why then do we trouble ourselves about this particularity attached to this animal body? This universal individual realised in and through an infinitude of particulars in space and time, must again and again and yet again present the same combination of universal attributes which we present here now. They belong to the substance of humanity, ourselves as particular individuals are its mere temporary accidents. The words “individual” or “person” as commonly used are a little ambiguous for the reason that their derivatives, “individuality” and “personality” are employed to connote that side of the individual which is universal, while the words in their simple form are more often used as synonymous with the “particular” or the “singular.” Thus a man is said to have an “individuality” or a “personality,” who has a well-marked and decided character, that is, who embodies prominently certain universal attributes which distinguish Human Nature. The man has no special character, he is a common-place man, who embodies merely animal characteristics or the ordinary human characteristics which are common to his race, his class, his age, or his immediate surroundings. It is these immediate surroundings (race, class, age) which the man of character lifts himself above, and the lifting above is the sign of his character. The universal principle or attribute which he embodies is eternal, it is only himself, its particular embodiment, which is transient, and since the memory-synthesis correlated with his animal organism is undeniably part of this particular embodiment, I repeat we have no reason for believing it, i.e., this focussing of consciousness, here and now, to have any significance or any permanence apart from its material accompaniment.
Last updated on 14.1.2006
|
<urn:uuid:f9da48e9-9056-4ac9-a6e2-a5d219b0afa9>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://www.marxists.org/archive/bax/1888/04/immortality.htm
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.956705
| 2,915
| 2.546875
| 3
|
The Probability of Long Runs
Suppose you’ve written a program that randomly assigns test subjects to one of two treatments, A or B, with equal probability. The researcher using your program calls you to tell you that your software is broken because it has assigned treatment A to seven subjects in a row.
You might argue that the probability of seven A’s in a row is 1/2^7 or about 0.008. Not impossible, but pretty small. Maybe the software is broken.
But this line of reasoning grossly underestimates the probability of a run of 7 identical assignments. If someone asked the probability that the next 7 assignments would all be A’s, then 1/2^7 would be the right answer. But that’s not the same as asking whether an experiment is likely to see a run of length 7 because run could start any time, not just on the next assignment. Also, the phone didn’t ring out of the blue: it rang precisely because there had just been a run.
Suppose you have a coin that has probability of heads p and you flip this coin n times. A rule of thumb says that the expected length of the longest run of heads is about
provided that n(1-p) is much larger than 1.
So in a trial of n = 200 subjects with p = 0.5, you’d expect the longest run of heads to be about seven in a row. When p is larger than 0.5, the longest expected run will be longer. For example, if p = 0.6, you’d expect a run of about 9.
The standard deviation of the longest run length is roughly 1/log(1/p), independent of n. For coin flips with equal probability of heads or tails, this says an approximate 95% confidence interval would be about 3 either side of the point estimate. So for 200 tosses of a fair coin, you’d expect the longest run of heads to be about 7 ± 3, or between 4 and 10.
The following Python code gives an estimate of the probability that the longest run is between a and b inclusive, based on an extreme value distribution.
def prob(a, b, n, p): r = -log(n*(1-p))/log(p) cdf = lambda x: exp(- p**x ) return cdf(b + 1 - r) - cdf(a - r)
What if you were interested in the longest run of head or tails? With a fair coin, this just adds 1 to the estimates above. To see this, consider a success to be when consecutive coins turn up the same way. This new sequence has the same expected run lengths, but a run of length m in this sequence corresponds to a run of length m + 1 in the original sequence.
For more details, see “The Surprising Predictability of Long Runs” by Mark F. Schilling, Mathematics Magazine 85 (2012), number 2, pages 141–149.
(Note: Opinions expressed in this article and its replies are the opinions of their respective authors and not those of DZone, Inc.)
|
<urn:uuid:388c8ed8-7f13-4039-a025-3597e4283d17>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://architects.dzone.com/articles/probability-long-runs
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.940589
| 663
| 3.015625
| 3
|
Conceiving a new use for existing technology can have as big an impact as inventing a novel technology itself.
Witness the OncoMap program in Dana-Farber's Center for Cancer Genome Discovery (CCGD), which helps scientists tap information in tumor samples, some of them decades old, to advance understanding of adult and childhood cancers.
For several years, scientists had used mass spectrometers and high-speed DNA dispensers to find "point mutations" – misspellings in a single letter of genetic code – in people with an inherited risk for various kinds of cancer. One advantage of the technique is that it can read DNA in tissue preserved in formalin and paraffin, a commonly used storage method that renders DNA invisible to most scanning devices.
In 2005, Dana-Farber's Levi Garraway, MD, PhD, and Matthew Meyerson, MD, PhD, envisioned another, especially relevant use for the technology: scanning actual tumor samples for point mutations that can be targeted by existing therapies.
At a stroke, the investigators converted a research technology whose practical benefits may have been years away to one with more immediate impact.
"We realized, in principle, that we could adapt mass spectrometric screening of cell genes to extract highly relevant information from tumors that might guide therapy choices and yet cost only pennies per genetic variant," says Garraway, who directs the OncoMap program.
To determine whether the approach could deliver on its promise, Garraway, Meyerson, and their colleagues used the technology to probe cancer DNA for 238 known mutations in 17 cancer-causing genes. "We observed mutations in tumor types that we would never have expected at the start," Garraway says.
Word quickly spread that OncoMap could help cancer researchers identify different patterns of gene mutations within particular types of cancer, or enable them to discover which of nearly 1,000 known mutations are in a set of tumor tissue samples. Such research would go hand-in-hand with personalized medicine, which matches therapy to the unique set of genetic abnormalities in patients' tumors.
Among the first to realize the potential of the technology were scientists at Dana-Farber. The CCGD's director, William Hahn, MD, PhD, and associate director, Laura MacConaill, PhD, have been closely involved with much of this research. Two teams, in particular, have used OncoMap to scientific advantage so far:
Mark Kieran, MD, PhD, of Pediatric Oncology and Charles Stiles, PhD, co-chair of Cancer Biology, have brought a unique collection of minds and machinery to bear on the problem of pediatric low-grade astrocytoma (PLGA), a relentless form of childhood brain cancer without effective treatment. Along with colleagues at the Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center and Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, they amassed hundreds of PLGA samples encased in paraffin and surveyed their DNA with OncoMap. In more than half the samples, they found mutations in the gene BRAF. Researchers are now testing drugs that target this mutation in animal cells.
For Chief Scientific Officer Barrett Rollins, MD, PhD, and colleagues, OncoMap has shown the way to a potential treatment advance for Langerhans cell histiocytosis, a rare disease in which too many Langerhans cells (a type of white blood cell) grow in certain tissues and organs, often the skin and bones. The rarity of the disease and scarcity of banked tissue has made it difficult to study, but Rollins and his associates found 60 samples, most stored in the tissue archives at partnering Boston Children's Hospital and Brigham and Women's Hospital. When they analyzed the specimens with OncoMap, they found nearly 60 percent had the same genetic mutation - an abnormality for which a drug is already available. The research also helped settle a longstanding question about Langerhans: Is it truly a form of cancer? The discovery of a cancer-causing gene in so many samples indicates that it is.
Search by last name:
Browse directory of
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 450 Brookline Avenue, Boston, MA 02215 | Call us toll-free:
(866) 408-DFCI (3324)
|
<urn:uuid:fa28bc6e-d991-45b2-8901-2674c514aaa0>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://www.dana-farber.org/Research/Research-Advances/OncoMap-guides-search-for-patterns-in-tumors.aspx?sfilter=L
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.933686
| 881
| 3.34375
| 3
|
Beer Waste to Energy: Anheuser-Busch's BERS System
While St. Louis-based brewing giant Anheuser-Busch has only jumped into organic brewing relatively recently, according to this morning's Post-Dispatch, the company has been involved in alternative energy development for over two decades. BERS is a very appropriate acronym for the company's "bio-energy recovery systems," which not only pretreat wastewater from 9 of the company's breweries worldwide, but also extract methane from anaerobic bacteria that break down organic matter in the wastewater.
According to P-D writer Jeremiah McWilliams,
In St. Louis, the process starts when wastewater runs in pipes from the brewery to the BERS facility, which is wedged into a complex next to an old locomotive repair shop near the Mississippi River.Employing this process creates multiple benefits. First, the methane created by the closed-loop system can supply between 10 and 15 percent of the energy needed for the breweries that use it. In St. Louis, the system's success at treating wastewater has allowed the local sewer district to close down an aeration facility, saving $250,000 a year in energy costs (not to mention CO2 emissions). Finally, BERS produces another product for A-B to sell: "Over the last two years, the company has sold about 4 million gallons of the "biomass" created in the BERS process to other companies so they can replenish their own energy-capturing systems."
Screens snag large solids such as pieces of spent grain. The filtered water is collected in 1.2-million-gallon equalizer tanks, where temperature and acidity are kept within acceptable ranges.
The wastewater is then sent to airtight reactor tanks. There, anaerobic bacteria — microscopic "bugs" that live without oxygen — swarm around the small organic particles still in the water. The bacteria munch on the organic materials, forming millions of flakes of sludge — or biomass — a few millimeters wide.
The idea is to "make sure (the bacteria) are nice and healthy so they can do their business," said Jeff Pitts, the brewery's manager, during a recent tour of the BERS facility. "All of this … is about happy bugs."
As the bacteria — "the guys," as Pitts calls them — digest the material, they produce methane. The gas is siphoned out of the tanks and back into the brewery, where it helps to fire the boilers that drive the facility's machinery. The newly processed wastewater is sent to the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District.
A-B processes an average of 5.5 million gallons of wastewater every day at the St. Louis brewery, its largest. The company says BERS reduces organic waste from its breweries by more than 80 percent. That, in turn, cuts the strain on sewage treatment systems.
While one can definitely argue over whether A-B produces the best beers in town (I prefer Schlafly's myself), there's no doubt that the maker of Budweiser and Busch deserves raised glasses for this innovation in industrial ecology. ::St. Louis Post-Dispatch
|
<urn:uuid:a942f255-642c-499d-826f-79a4d96f90ea>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://www.treehugger.com/renewable-energy/beer-waste-to-energy-anheuser-buschs-bers-system.html
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.948618
| 651
| 2.8125
| 3
|
Sedimentary and Related Minerals
This activity was selected for the On the Cutting Edge Reviewed Teaching Collection
This activity has received positive reviews in a peer review process involving five review categories. The five categories included in the process are
- Scientific Accuracy
- Alignment of Learning Goals, Activities, and Assessments
- Pedagogic Effectiveness
- Robustness (usability and dependability of all components)
- Completeness of the ActivitySheet web page
For more information about the peer review process itself, please see http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/review.html.
This page first made public: Aug 7, 2006
This exercise is an introduction to sedimentary minerals and rocks.
This exercise is designed for a mid/upper-level undergraduate geology course on the principles of mineralogy.
Skills and concepts that students must have mastered
Students should have knowledge of basic chemistry and of minerals equivalent to what they would learn in an introductory geology class.
How the activity is situated in the course
This activity is the 15th of 36 mineralogy exercises and is used around the middle of the course.
Content/concepts goals for this activity
- Learn to identify the most important sedimentary minerals in hand specimen and in thin section.
Higher order thinking skills goals for this activity
- Identify key properties useful for mineral identification.
Other skills goals for this activity
Description of the activity/assignment
In this three-part exercise, students study hand samples and thin sections of sedimentary minerals and rocks.
- Part one - Box of Rocks: Students examine a tray of Halides, Carbonates, Borates, and Clays and record their physical properties, composition, habit, and occurence. They note chemical and physical similarities and differences of the minerals.
- Part two - Definitions: Define a list of terms relevent to the lab.
- Part three - Minerals in Thin Section: Observe sedimentary minerals in thin section and answer questions about them.
|
<urn:uuid:5986b5ac-b851-4157-8cb2-bfe1e4b85346>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/mineralogy/activities/MinEx15SedRelatedMins.html
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.897294
| 425
| 4.09375
| 4
|
PsycBOOKS, from the American Psychological Association (APA), is a database of more than 24,000 chapters in PDF from over 1,500 books published by APA and other distinguished publishers. It also includes over 800 classic books of landmark historical impact in psychology dating from 1806, 1,500 authored entries from the APA/Oxford University Press Encyclopedia of Psychology. Furthermore, digitization of the content from the Archives of the History of American Psychology (AHAP) collection will add upwards of 2,500 works of historical significance. PsycBOOKS is indexed with controlled vocabulary from APA's Thesaurus of Psychological Index Terms®.
Express Link (bookmark): http://www.galileo.usg.edu/express?link=pscb-geo1
|
<urn:uuid:6c319485-c2c2-4346-a1d8-bd4871f7e15b>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://www.galileo.usg.edu/scholar/gcsu/databases/pscb-geo1/
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.848871
| 162
| 2.53125
| 3
|
Human, common name given to any individual of the species Homo sapiens and, by extension, to the entire species. The term is also applied to certain species that were the evolutionary forerunners of Homo sapiens (see Human Evolution). Scientists consider all living people members of a single species.
Homo sapiens is identified, for purposes of classification, as an animal (kingdom Animalia) with a backbone (phylum Chordata) and segmented spinal cord (subphylum Vertebrata) that suckles its young (class Mammalia); that gestates its young with the aid of a placenta (subclass Eutheria); that is equipped with five-digited extremities, a collarbone, and a single pair of mammary glands on the chest (order Primates); and that has eyes at the front of the head, stereoscopic vision, and a proportionately large brain (suborder Anthropoidea). The species belongs to the family Hominidae, the general characteristics of which are discussed below.
III. Structure and Physiology
The details of skeletal structure distinguishing Homo sapiens from the nearest primate relatives - the gorilla, chimpanzee, and orangutan - stem largely from a very early adaptation to a completely erect posture and a two-footed striding walk (bipedalism). The uniquely S-shaped spinal column places the center of gravity of the human body directly over the area of support provided by the feet, thus giving stability and balance in the upright position. Other mechanical modifications for bipedalism include a broad pelvis, a locking knee joint, an elongated heel bone, and a lengthened and aligned big toe. Although varying degrees of bipedalism are seen in other anthropoids, all have straight or bowed spines, bent knees, and grasping (prehensile) feet, and all use the hands to bear part of the body weight when moving about.
Complete bipedalism in the human freed the hand to become a supremely sensitive instrument for precise manipulation and grasping. The most important structural detail in this refinement is the elongated human thumb, which can rotate freely and is fully opposable to the other fingers. The physiological requirements for speech were secondarily established by erect posture, which positions the vocal cords for controlled breathing, and by the skilled use of the hands. The latter development occurs in association with the enlargement and specialization of a brain area (Broca's convolution) that is a prerequisite for refined control of the lips and tongue.
The large (averaging 1400 cc/85.4 cu in) brain of Homo sapiens is approximately double that of early human toolmakers. This great increase in size in only 2 million years was achieved by a process called neoteny, which is the prolongation of retention of immature characteristics. The juvenile stage of brain and skull development is prolonged so that they grow for a longer period of time in relation to the time required to reach sexual maturity. Unlike the early human adult skull, with its sloping forehead and prominent jaw, the modern human skull - with biologically insignificant variations - retains into maturity a proportionately large size, in relation to the rest of the body, a high-rounded dome, straight-planed face, and reduced jaw size, all closely resembling the characteristics of the skull in the juvenile chimpanzee. Its enlarged dimensions required adaptations for passage through the birth canal; consequently, the human female pelvis widens at maturity (with some sacrifice in swiftness of locomotion), and the human infant is born prematurely. Chimpanzees are born with 65 percent of their adult brain capacity; Australopithecine, an erect, tool-using near-human of 3 million years ago, was born with about 50 percent; modern human newborns have only 25 percent of adult brain capacity, resulting in an extended period of helplessness. The many neurological pathways to the rapidly growing brain must be organized and coordinated during a prolonged period of dependency on and stimulation by adults; lacking this close external bond in the early years of life, development of the modern brain remains incomplete.
The physiological adaptations that made humans more flexible than other primates allowed for the development of a wide range of abilities and an unparalleled versatility in behavior. The brain's great size, complexity, and slow maturation, with neural connections being added through at least the first 12 years of life, meant that learned behavior could largely modify stereotyped, instinctive responses. New environmental demands could be met by rapid adjustments rather than by slow genetic selection; thus, survival in a wide range of habitats and under extreme conditions eventually became possible without further species differentiation. Each new infant, however, with relatively few innate traits yet with a vast number of potential behaviors, must be taught to achieve its biological potential as a human.
V. Cultural Attributes
The human species has a unique capability for culture in the sense of conscious thinking and planning, transmission of skills and systems of social relationships, and creative modification of the environment. The integrated patterns of behavior required for planning and fashioning tools were accomplished at least 2.5 million years ago, and some form of advanced code for vocal communication may also have existed at this time. By 350,000 years ago planned hunting, firemaking, and the wearing of clothing were well established, as was possibly ritualized disposal of the dead. Evidence of religion, recorded events, and art date from 30,000 to 40,000 years ago and imply advanced language and ethics for the complex ordering of social groups required for such activities. From about that time the genus Homo began to stabilize into the one generalized species of Homo sapiens.
VI. Other Definitions
The preceding description rests on anatomical observation (see Anatomy) and current scientific theory on the origin of the Homo species. Humankind itself and the essence of being human are also defined in many other ways - religious, social, moral, and legal.
John Tyler Bonner, M.A., Ph.D., D.Sc.
George M. Moffett Professor of Biology, Princeton University. Author of Cells and Societies, On Development: The Biology of Form, and other books.
"Human," Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2003
http://encarta.msn.com © 1997-2003 Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
© 1993-2003 Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
|
<urn:uuid:54cb6eef-a820-4fb8-9bac-50adfbfe23c7>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://www.lj-smith.com/nyx/species_human.php
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.938533
| 1,297
| 3.765625
| 4
|
1.1 This specification covers castings made of ductile iron, also known as spheroidal or nodular iron, that is described as cast iron with the graphite substantially spheroidal in shape and essentially free of other forms of graphite, as defined in Terminology A 644.
1.2 The values stated in inch-pound units are to be regarded as the standard.
1.3 No precise quantitative relationship can be stated between the properties of the iron in various locations of the same casting or between the properties of castings and those of a test specimen cast from the same iron (see Appendix X1).
2. Referenced Documents (purchase separately) The documents listed below are referenced within the subject standard but are not provided as part of the standard.
A370 Test Methods and Definitions for Mechanical Testing of Steel Products
A644 Terminology Relating to Iron Castings
A732/A732M Specification for Castings, Investment, Carbon and Low Alloy Steel for General Application, and Cobalt Alloy for High Strength at Elevated Temperatures
E8 Test Methods for Tension Testing of Metallic Materials
MIL-STD-129 Marking for Shipment and Storage
casting; ductile iron; nodular iron; spheroidal graphite; Ductile iron castings--specifications;
ICS Number Code 77.140.80 (Iron and steel castings)
ASTM International is a member of CrossRef.
Citing ASTM Standards
[Back to Top]
|
<urn:uuid:287f5515-798a-44a5-bccf-7ab74431eff3>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://www.astm.org/DATABASE.CART/HISTORICAL/A536-84R04.htm
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.914086
| 316
| 2.65625
| 3
|
ZhaoArticle Free Pass
Zhao, Wade-Giles romanization Chao, ancient Chinese feudal state, one of the seven powers that achieved ascendancy during the Warring States (Zhanguo) period (475–221 bce) of Chinese history. In 403 bce Zhao Ji, the founder of Zhao, and the leaders of the states of Wei and Han partitioned the state of Jin. The state of Zhao extended through northeastern and central Shanxi and southwestern Hebei. The state prospered for a time, seizing large areas of land within the territories of the states of Qi and Wei. It eventually became the strongest contender against the state of Qin, but its military strength was utterly destroyed by Qin in 260 bce; some 50,000 men were killed in battle, and most of the approximately 400,000 men who surrendered were slaughtered. The state of Zhao was finally annexed by Qin in 222 bce.
What made you want to look up "Zhao"? Please share what surprised you most...
|
<urn:uuid:0a04823d-28f1-4c85-afb4-b8f7a75e9e00>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/105928/Zhao
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.974266
| 209
| 3.734375
| 4
|
A biomaterial is any matter, surface, or construct that interacts with biological systems. As a science, biomaterials is about fifty years old. The study of biomaterials is called biomaterials science. It has experienced steady and strong growth over its history, with many companies investing large amounts of money into the development of new products. Biomaterials science encompasses elements of medicine, biology, chemistry, tissue engineering and materials science.
Biomaterials can be derived either from nature or synthesized in the laboratory using a variety of chemical approaches utilizing metallic components, polymers, ceramics or composite materials. They are often used and/or adapted for a medical application, and thus comprises whole or part of a living structure or biomedical device which performs, augments, or replaces a natural function. Such functions may be benign, like being used for a heart valve, or may be bioactive with a more interactive functionality such as hydroxy-apatite coated hip implants. Biomaterials are also used every day in dental applications, surgery, and drug delivery. For example, a construct with impregnated pharmaceutical products can be placed into the body, which permits the prolonged release of a drug over an extended period of time. A biomaterial may also be an autograft, allograft or xenograft used as a transplant material.
Materials scientists are currently paying more and more attention to the process inorganic crystallization within a largely organic matrix of naturally occurring compounds. This process typically occurs at ambient temperature and pressure. Interestingly, the vital organisms through which these crystalline minerals form are capable of consistently producing intricately complex structures. Understanding the processes in which living organisms are capable of regulating the growth of crystalline minerals such as silica could lead to significant scientific advances and novel synthesis techniques for nanoscale composite materials—or nanocomposites.
Self-assembly is the most common term in use in the modern scientific community to describe the spontaneous aggregation of particles (atoms, molecules, colloids, micelles, etc.) without the influence of any external forces. Large groups of such particles are known to assemble themselves into thermodynamically stable, structurally well-defined arrays, quite reminiscent of one of the 7 crystal systems found in metallurgy and mineralogy (e.g. face-centered cubic, body-centered cubic, etc.). The fundamental difference in equilibrium structure is in the spatial scale of the unit cell (or lattice parameter) in each particular case.
Molecular self-assembly is found widely in biological systems and provides the basis of a wide variety of complex biological structures. This includes an emerging class of mechanically superior biomaterials based on microstructural features and designs found in nature. Thus, self-assembly is also emerging as a new strategy in chemical synthesis and nanotechnology. Molecular crystals, liquid crystals, colloids, micelles, emulsions, phase-separated polymers, thin films and self-assembled monolayers all represent examples of the types of highly ordered structures which are obtained using these techniques. The distinguishing feature of these methods is self-organization.
Structural hierarchy
Nearly all materials could be seen as hierarchically structured, especially since the changes in spatial scale bring about different mechanisms of deformation and damage. However, in biological materials this hierarchical organization is inherent to the microstructure. One of the first examples of this, in the history of structural biology, is the early X-Ray scattering work on the hierarchical structure of hair and wool by Astbury and Woods. In bone, for example, collagen is the building block of the organic matrix—a triple helix with diameter of 1.5 nm. These tropocollagen molecules are intercalated with the mineral phase (hydroxyapatite, a calcium phosphate) forming fibrils that curl into helicoids of alternating directions. These "osteons" are the basic building blocks of bones, with the volume fraction distribution between organic and mineral phase being about 60/40. In another level of complexity, the hydroxyapatite crystals are platelets that have a diameter of approximately 70–100 nm and thickness of 1 nm. They originally nucleate at the gaps between collagen fibrils.
Similarly, the hierarchy of abalone shell begins at the nanolevel, with an organic layer having a thickness of 20–30 nm. This layer proceeds with single crystals of aragonite (a polymorph of CaCO3) consisting of "bricks" with dimensions of 0.5 and finishing with layers approximately 0.3 mm (mesostructure).
Crabs are arthropods whose carapace is made of a mineralized hard component (which exhibits brittle fracture) and a softer organic component composed primarily of chitin. The brittle component is arranged in a helical pattern. Each of these mineral ‘rods’ ( 1 μm diameter) contains chitin–protein fibrils with approximately 60 nm diameter. These fibrils are made of 3 nm diameter canals which link the interior and exterior of the shell.
Biomaterials are used in:
- Joint replacements
- Bone plates
- Bone cement
- Artificial ligaments and tendons
- Dental implants for tooth fixation
- Blood vessel prostheses
- Heart valves
- Skin repair devices (artificial tissue)
- Cochlear replacements
- Contact lenses
- Breast implants
Biomaterials must be compatible with the body, and there are often issues of biocompatibility which must be resolved before a product can be placed on the market and used in a clinical setting. Because of this, biomaterials are usually subjected to the same requirements as those undergone by new drug therapies.
All manufacturing companies are also required to ensure traceability of all of their products so that if a defective product is discovered, others in the same batch may be traced.
Heart valves
In the United States, 45% of the 250,000 valve replacement procedures performed annually involve a mechanical valve implant. The most widely used valve is a bileaflet disc heart valve, or St. Jude valve. The mechanics involve two semicircular discs moving back and forth, with both allowing the flow of blood as well as the ability to form a seal against backflow. The valve is coated with pyrolytic carbon, and secured to the surrounding tissue with a mesh of woven fabric called DacronTM (du Pont's trade name for polyethylene terephthalate). The mesh allows for the body's tissue to grow while incorporating the valve.
Skin repair
- main article Tissue Engineering
Most of the time "artificial" tissue is grown from the patient's own cells. However, when the damage is so extreme that it is impossible to use the patient's own cells, artificial tissue cells are grown. The difficulty is in finding a scaffold that the cells can grow and organize on. The characteristics of the scaffold must be that it is biocompatible, cells can adhere to the scaffold, mechanically strong and biodegradable. One successful scaffold is a copolymer of lactic acid and glycolic acid.
Biocompatibility is related to the behavior of biomaterials in various environments under various chemical and physical conditions. The term may refer to specific properties of a material without specifying where or how the material is to be used. For example, a material may elicit little or no immune response in a given organism, and may or may not able to integrate with a particular cell type or tissue). The ambiguity of the term reflects the ongoing development of insights into how biomaterials interact with the human body and eventually how those interactions determine the clinical success of a medical device (such as pacemaker or hip replacement). Modern medical devices and prostheses are often made of more than one material—so it might not always be sufficient to talk about the biocompatibility of a specific material.
Also, a material should not be toxic unless specifically engineered to be so—like "smart" drug delivery systems that target cancer cells and destroy them. Understanding of the anatomy and physiology of the action site is essential for a biomaterial to be effective. An additional factor is the dependence on specific anatomical sites of implantation. It is thus important, during design, to ensure that the implement will fit complementarily and have a beneficial effect with the specific anatomical area of action.
Biopolymers are polymers produced by living organisms. Cellulose and starch, proteins and peptides, and DNA and RNA are all examples of biopolymers, in which the monomeric units, respectively, are sugars, amino acids, and nucleotides. Cellulose is both the most common biopolymer and the most common organic compound on Earth. About 33% of all plant matter is cellulose.
Some biopolymers are biodegradable. That is, they are broken down into CO2 and water by microorganisms. In addition, some of these biodegradable biopolymers are compostable. That is, they can be put into an industrial composting process and will break down by 90% within 6 months. Biopolymers that do this can be marked with a 'compostable' symbol, under European Standard EN 13432 (2000). Packaging marked with this symbol can be put into industrial composting processes and will break down within 6 months (or less). An example of a compostable polymer is PLA film under 20 μm thick: films which are thicker than that do not qualify as compostable, even though they are biodegradable. A home composting logo may soon be established: this will enable consumers to dispose of packaging directly onto their own compost heap.
See also
- Synthetic biodegradable polymer
- Protein Surface Modification of Biomaterials
- Functionalization of Polymeric Surfaces
- Whitesides, G.M., et al. (1991). "Molecular Self-Assembly and Nanochemistry: A Chemical Strategy for the Synthesis of Nanostructures". Science 254 (5036): 1312–9. Bibcode:1991Sci...254.1312W. doi:10.1126/science.1962191. PMID 1962191.
- Dabbs, D. M and Aksay, I.A. (2000). "Self-Assembled Ceramics". Ann. Rev. Phys. Chem. 51: 601–22. Bibcode:2000ARPC...51..601D. doi:10.1146/annurev.physchem.51.1.601. PMID 11031294.
- Ariga, K., et al., Challenges and breakthroughs in recent research on self-assembly, Sci. Technol. Adv. Mater., Vol. 9, p. 14109 (2008)
- Thoru Pederson, Present at the Flood: How Structural Molecular Biology Came About, FASEB J. 20: 809-810.
- Lin, A., Meyers, M.A., et al., Biological Materials: Structure & Mechanical Properties, Prog. Mat. Sci., Vol. 53 (2008)
- H.D. Espinosa, J.E. Rim, F. Barthelat, M.J. Buehler, Merger of Structure and Material in Nacre and Bone - Perspectives on de novo Biomimetic Materials, Prog. Mat. Sci., Vol. 54, p. 1059-1100 (2009)
- Brown, Theodore L.; LeMay, H. Eugene; Bursten, Bruce E. (2000). Chemistry The Central Science. Prentice-Hall, Inc. pp. 451–452. ISBN 0-13-084090-4.
- Considerations for the Biocompatibility Evaluation of Medical Devices, Kammula and Morris, Medical Device & Diagnostic Industry, May 2001
- M.J. Buehler, Y. Yung, Deformation and failure of protein materials in extreme conditions and disease, Nature Materials, Vol. 8(3), pp. 175-188 (2009)
- Stupp, S.I and Braun, P.V., "Role of Proteins in Microstructural Control: Biomaterials, Ceramics & Semiconductors", Science, Vol. 277, p. 1242 (1997)
- Klemm, D., Heublein, B., Fink, H., and Bohn, A., "Cellulose: Fascinating Biopolymer / Sustainable Raw Material", Ang. Chemie (Intl. Edn.) Vol. 44, p. 3358 (2004)
- Chandra, R., and Rustgi, R., "Biodegradable Polymers", Progress in Polymer Science, Vol. 23, p. 1273 (1998)
- Meyers, M.A., et al., "Biological Materials: Structure & Mechanical Properties", Progress in Materials Science, Vol. 53, p. 1 (2008)
- Kumar, A., et al., "Smart Polymers: Physical Forms & Bioengineering Applications", Progress in Polymer Science, Vol. 32, p.1205 (2007)
Further reading
- Berg, Jeremy M. also; John L. Tymoczko, and Lubert Stryer (December 2008). Biochemistry (Looseleaf) (6th edition - textbook). New York, N.Y.: Freeman, W. H. & Company. ISBN 1-4292-3502-0. - 1,026 pages
|
<urn:uuid:62dc79fc-b16e-4a86-983a-0f74df4c945c>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biomaterial
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.885055
| 2,820
| 3.4375
| 3
|
When you see words in a different color from the rest of the text and underlined, click on them to go to the page on the WWW that they identify. Use the "Back" key of your browser to return to this page.
In English 500 you will do two major projects, the Group Project and the Term Paper. The paper is a traditional critical paper which includes no graphics. It demonstrates that you can write effectively in the traditional academic manner.
However, the world is changing, and what is expected of teachers, technical writers, and others attempting to present their ideas to the public is changing as well. Often, people are asked to work in groups rather than as individuals, and to present their work in a new way. Graphics, color, video, sound bites--these are the wave of the future whether we approve or not. Hence the group project for this course.
Students will work in groups of three, decided by lottery. One of Chaucers lesser works will be assigned to your group: you will be required to introduce it and explain to the class, who will have read but not researched it, what it is--a dream vision, a beast fable, an elegy, what?--and then critique it from an appropriate analytical viewpoint. As the instructor will base lecture references and quiz and examination questions on your work, you have a major responsibility to contribute to the content of this course.
Along with your topic, you will also receive the date that your presentation is due. How you present your project on that day is up to you, but you must have the equivalent of a twenty-minute oral presentation, which is also the equivalent of a ten-page double-spaced paper.
However, you are not to turn in an ordinary paper--you will do that for the Term Paper later in the course. This assignment requires considerably more imagination. The group project is a presentation. It requires words, but it also requires graphics: pictures, charts, maps, video, slides, a Power Point presentation, animation--whatever will heighten interest in your topic. If you are presenting orally, show-and-tell with costumes, implements, etc. is also acceptable--or photographs of these items may be part of either other method of presentation.
Here are the three methods of presentation from which you may choose, listed from hardest to easiest:
A paper with graphics. Your group will write a paper about your topic, illustrating it with pictures, charts, maps, and other appropriate graphic material. It is your responsibility to prepare a copy for every member of the class. This is the hardest method because it eliminates sound entirely and makes the use of color difficult and expensive. It also eliminates the most effective use of the personalities of group members.
An oral presentation. One, two, or all three members present the group's project in approximately twenty minutes. All audio-visual aids are your responsibility--check out availability in advance. You may use audio, video, slides, handouts, charts, maps--whatever you need. This method provides the widest range of possibilities. You may demonstrate a dance, sing a Gregorian chant, draw charts on the board--whatever it takes. While this is almost certain to be a popular option, because its fun, it is not the easiest.
A website. Not only is this the easiest option, but it is also the one most likely to enhance your marketability in the future! I suggest that you build your site at Geocities or one of the other sites on the WorldWideWeb that offer free websites, rather than on the Murray State Server (Geocities' file manager/editor is superior to MSU's upload/download system). When you are ready to search for a job, you can claim HTML as one of your skills. After you graduate, your Geocities or similar site will stay put on the WWW as an example of your skills.
HTML is the easiest way of building something impressive ever invented! If you do not already have a favorite HTML program, I recommend the free program Arachnophilia. If anyone in your group is already web-savvy, that person will tell you how astonishingly easy it is to find and import or link to material you need, to use color, animation, and even sound files on your site. However, you must have original content! A site that is nothing but imported material and links to other sites will not fare well. As with all of these projects, you have the responsibility to provide the class with solid information about your topic. Just as if you were writing a paper, you will have to think through content, organization, and yes, mechanics. Website text full of mechanical errors is not impressive, and a site that cannot be negotiated easily is a disaster. In fact, designing a website is a great way to learn to organize your thoughts!
So there are your choices. Meet with your partners and decide on both an approach to your topic and a method of presentation. The Group Project is one-fourth of your grade for the course. It's worth putting forth some effort to do it right.
Here is something I dont want to say, because it ought to be self-evident. Nevertheless, I am forced to mention it by a bad experience with one recent set of group projects, because, by the luck of the draw, the first group in a particular class provided a perfect example of what not to do. They chose an oral presentation because it seemed easy, and then did not prepare. They did not practice reading the passages they chose and therefore stumbled all over themselves, they did not search for appropriate graphics but instead--for a university-level course--drew stick figures. Content was nothing but retelling plots the class had already read--no analysis.
I am prevented by privacy rules from telling students in front of the entire class that they have done a terrible job (I write out my critique and hand it to only the participants). Apparently either the rest of the class couldnt tell, or they decided that if I didnt say it was dreadful that first project must have been good enough. Most other groups lived down to the low standard set by the first presenters. Three other groups, however, had the pride in their own work to do a fine job, living up to their own high standards. I hope all of you will take pride in your work, too. Ideally, there wont be any bad examples to emulate.
You will find links to many websites with information on Chaucer and the medieval period on the class website. Click on English 500. If you cannot reach my MSU website, try going directly to Chaucer page.
This page created with Arachnophilia.
[an error occurred while processing this directive]
|
<urn:uuid:222f8c0a-c303-4b1b-ac89-284238a91d03>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://www.simegen.com/jean/500group.html
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.955173
| 1,383
| 3.34375
| 3
|
Food products on display in the market
Experts on food matters have proffered vital tips to enhance the food system in 2013, ranging from growing the cities to engaging youths and preventing waste across the globe.
In a detailed release, the Co-Founder, Food Tank, Danielle Nierenberg, said a broader collection of farmers, policy-makers, and eaters need new, bigger resolutions for fixing the food system--real changes with long-term impacts in fields, boardrooms, and on plates all over the world.
“As we start 2013, many people will be thinking about plans and promises to improve their diets and health. These are resolutions that the world can’t afford to break with nearly one billion still hungry and more than one billion suffering from the effects of being overweight and obese. We have the tools—let’s use them in 2013”, she added.
The organisation proffered 13 resolutions to change the food system in 2013. These include: growing the cities: Food production doesn’t only happen in fields or factories. Nearly one billion people worldwide produce food in cities. In Kibera, the largest slum in Africa, farmers are growing seeds of indigenous vegetables and selling them to rural farmers.
Food Tank also sought the creation of better access, where mobile grocery stores give low-income consumers opportunities to make healthy food choices, and instead of chips and soda, they provide customers with affordable organic produce, not typically available in their communities.
Another resolution is that of eaters demanding healthier food, with consumers urged to try eating more fruits, vegetables, and whole foods without preservatives and other additives, and cooking more, where young people, who lack basic cooking skills are taught how to cook healthy, nutritious foods in schools.
Creating conviviality was also put forward where sharing a meal with family and friends can foster community and conversation, and recent studies suggest that children who eat meals with their families are typically happier and more stable than those who do not.
Another resolution called for focus on vegetables, where the organisation noted that nearly two billion people suffer from micronutrient deficiencies worldwide, leading to poor development. The World Vegetable Centre, however, is helping farmers grow high-value, nutrient rich vegetables in Africa and Asia, improving health and increasing incomes.
Preventing waste as a resolution noted that roughly one-third of all food is wasted - in fields, during transport, in storage, and in homes. But there are easy, inexpensive ways to prevent waste. Initiatives like Love Food, Hate Waste offer consumers tips about portion control and recipes for leftovers, while farmers in Bolivia are using solar-powered driers to preserve foods.
Food Tank also called for engaging of youth, where making farming both intellectually and economically stimulating will help make the food system an attractive career option for youth. “Across sub-Saharan Africa, cell phones and the internet are connecting farmers to information about weather and markets; in the US, Food Corps is teaching students how to grow and cook food, preparing them for a lifetime of healthy eating”, it noted.
Protecting workers was also suggested as a resolution, and the Chicago, Illinois, USA-based organisation noted that farm and food workers across the world are fighting for better pay and working conditions. In Zimbabwe, the General Agricultural and Plantation Workers Union of Zimbabwe (GAPWUZ), protects labourers from abuse.
It called for the acknowledgment of the importance of farmers. “Farmers aren’t just farmers; they’re business-women and men, stewards of the land, and educators, sharing knowledge in their communities. Slow Food International works with farmers all over the world, helping recognise their importance to preserve biodiversity and culture.
“Recognising the role of governments in which case nations must implement policies that give everyone access to safe, affordable, healthy food. In Ghana and Brazil, government action, including national school feeding programmes and increased support for sustainable agricultural production, greatly reduced the number of hungry people”, Food Tank added.
It also canvassed changing of the Metrics: “Governments, NGOs, and funders have focused on increasing production and improving yields, rather than improving nutrition and protecting the environment. Changing the metrics, and focusing more on quality, will improve public and environmental health, and livelihoods.”
To the organisation, fixing the broken food system would also help greatly in 2013. “Agriculture can be the solution to some of the world’s most pressing challenges - including unemployment, obesity, and climate change. These innovations simply need more research, more investment, and ultimately more funding. We can do it---together!
|
<urn:uuid:0dcc928d-055c-4eb3-b3af-29e5aa5b507b>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/experts-proffer-tips-on-food-system-for-2013/135264/
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.952165
| 965
| 3.21875
| 3
|
Environmental Racism PCB Landfill Finally Remedied
But No Reparations for Residents
By Robert D. Bullard
January 12, 2004 - After waiting more than two decades, an environmental justice victory finally came to the residents of predominately black Warren County, North Carolina. Since 1982, county residents lived with the legacy of a 142-acre toxic waste dump. Detoxification work began on the dump in June 2001 and the last clean-up work was slated to end the latter part of December 2003. State and federal sources spent $18 million to detoxify or neutralize contaminated soil stored at the Warren County PCB landfill. A private contractor hired by the state dug up and burned 81,500 tons of oil-laced soil in a kiln that reached more than 800-degrees Fahrenheit to remove the PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls). The soil was put back in a football-size pit, re-covered to form a mound, graded, and seeded with grass.
Local Warren County environmental justice leaders and their
allies across the state deserve a gold medal for not giving up the long fight
and pressuring government officials to keep their promise and clean up the
mess they created. This was no small feat given state deficits, budget cuts,
and past broken promises. Residents and officials now must grapple with what
to do with the site. This decision will not be an easy one to make nor is
it likely to be absent of controversy.
Justice Delayed and Justice Denied
The sign at the entrance to the Warren County PCB landfill reads, "PCB Landfill -- No Trespassing." Clearly, the phrase "Justice Delayed is Justice Denied" might be more appropriate for a new sign at the entrance to the landfill. The landfill was constructed to contain 40,000 cubic yards (or 60,000 tons) of highly PCB-contaminated soil that was scraped up from 210 miles of roadside shoulders in North Carolina. The PCBs originated from the Raleigh-based Ward Transfer Company. A Jamestown, New York, trucking operation owned by Robert J., Burns obtained PCB-laced oil from the Ward Transfer Company for resale. Faced with economic loss as a result of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ban on resale of the toxic oil, the waste hauler chose the cheap way out by illegally dumping it along North Carolina roadways.
Between June 1978 and August 1978, over 30,000 gallons of waste transformer oil contaminated with PCBs were illegally discharged on roadside in fourteen counties. The PCBs resulted in the U.S. EPA designating the roadsides as a superfund site to protect public health. The controversial PCB landfill is owned by the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and is located about 60 miles northeast of Raleigh off North Carolina SR 1604 and U.S Highway 401. The toxic-waste dump was forced on the tiny Afton community-more than 84 percent of the community was black in 1982-helping trigger the national environmental justice movement. While the mid-night dumpers" were fined and jailed, the innocent Afton community was handed a 20-year sentence of living in a toxic-waste prison.
Symbol of a National Movement
After months of deliberations and a questionable site selection exercise, North Carolina Governor James B. Hunt decided to bury the contaminated soil in the community of Afton located in Warren County. This rural county might seem an unlikely spot to give birth to a global movement. Local citizens later tagged the landfill "Hunts Dump." Warren County put environmental racism on the map. The PCB landfill later became the most recognized symbol in the county. Despite the stigma, Warren County also became a symbol of the environmental justice movement.
Warren County residents did not take kindly of having toxic waste dumped on them. It is here where a cross-section of America waged a frontal assault against state-sponsored environmental racism. Local county residents organized themselves into a fighting force that was later joined by national civil rights leaders, church leaders, black elected officials, environmental activists, labor leaders, and youth. The state began hauling more than 6,000 truckloads of the PCB-contaminated soil to the landfill in mid-September of 1982. Just two weeks later, more than 414 protesters had been arrested. In the end, over 500 protesters were arrested.
Although the protests did not stop the trucks from rolling in and dumping their toxic loads, the marches, demonstrations, and jailings focused the national media spotlight on Warren County. The protests prompted the Congressional Black Caucus to request the U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO) to investigate hazardous waste landfill siting and the racial composition of the host communities. The 1983 GAO study reported that blacks made up a majority in three of the four communities with hazardous waste landfills in EPA Region IV (eight southern states) and at least 26 percent of the population in all four communities had incomes below the poverty level and most of this population was black.
The Warren County struggle was the impetus behind the United Church of Christ Commission for Racial Justice 1987 "Toxic Waste and Race" report. The protests also galvanized environmental justice as a national civil rights and human rights issue. They also ushered in a new era of national black leadership around the environment. No longer would environmentalism be viewed as the sole domain of elites and the white middle-class. Environment was redefined as "where we live, work, play, worship, go to school, as well as the physical and natural world." This new definition took hold among community based organizations, grassroots activists, analysts, and academics all across the United States-and in the last two decades spread around the globe from the 1992 Rio Earth Summit to the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) held in Johannesburg in 2002.
Political Science-Not Rocket Science
North Carolina state officials surveyed 93 sites in 13 counties and settled on Warren County. The landfill was permitted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under the Toxic Substances Control Act. The Warren County PCB landfill site was not scientifically the most suitable because the water table at the landfill is very shallow, only 5-10 feet below the surface and where the residents of the community get all of their drinking water from local wells. Selecting a landfill site is not rocket science. The Warren County decision made more political sense than environmental sense. In the end, the decision was less about the science of toxicology or hydrology and more about political science.
Much of the "objective" science surrounding waste facility siting masks built-in land-use discrimination. The environmental justice framework unmasks the ugly face of racism. There is nothing inherent about black communities that make them more suitable land uses for dumps and other locally unwanted land uses or LULUs. Yet, a preponderance of LULUs somehow find their way to black and other people of color communities from New York to California.
Warren County residents pleaded for a more permanent solution, rather than a cheap "quick-fix" that would eventually end up with the PCBs leaking into the groundwater and wells. Their voices fell on deaf ears. State and federal officials chose landfilling, the cheap way out. By 1993 the landfill was failing, and for a decade community leaders pressed the state to decontaminate the site.
Residents of Warren County were searching for guarantees the government was not creating a future "superfund" site that would threaten nearby residents. North Carolina state officials and federal EPA officials could give no guarantees since there is no such thing as a 100-percent safe hazardous waste landfill, one that will not eventually leak. It all boiled down to trust. Can communities really trust government (state and federal) to do the right thing? Recent history and hundreds of books are filled with case studies of government deception and "white-washing" real threats to public health. A "healthy paranoia" pervades many communities beset by environmental racism, guarding them from falling victim to a false sense of safety and government protection. Many people of color activists have long held the belief, and with ample cause, that some residents "have the wrong complexion for protection."
In reality, all landfills inevitably leak. The Warren County PCB-landfill is no exception. The question is not if the facility will leak but when the facility will leak PCB into the environment. Rules were bent and broken at the very beginning of the construction of the landfill. The landfill was technically designed to be a "dry-tomb" landfill, but was capped with a million gallons of water in it. Again, this is not rocket science.
Even after detoxification, some Warren County residents are still questioning the completeness of the clean-up, especially contamination that may have migrated beyond the 3-acre landfill site-into the 137-acre buffer zone that surrounds the landfill and the nearby creek and outlet basin. PCBs are persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic pollutants (PBTs). That is, they are highly toxic, long-lasting substances that can build up in the food chain to levels that are harmful to human and ecosystem health. PCBs are not something most Americans would want as a next-door neighbor. PCBs are probable human carcinogens. They also cause developmental effects such as low birth weight and they disrupt hormone function.
A Quadruple Whammy
Warren County is located in Eastern North Carolina. The 29 counties located "Down East" are noticeably different from the rest of North Carolina. According to 2000 census, whites comprised 62 percent of the population in Eastern North Carolina and 72 percent statewide. Blacks are concentrated in the northeastern and the central parts of the region. Warren County is one of six counties in the region where blacks comprised a majority of the population in 2000: Bertie County (62.3%), Hertford (59.6%), Northhampton (59.4), Edgecombe (57.5%), Warren (54.5%), and Halifax (52.6%). Eastern North Carolina is also significantly poorer than the rest of the state. In 1999, per capita income in North Carolina was $26,463, but in the eastern region it was only $18,550.
Warren County is vulnerable to a "quadruple whammy" of being mostly black, poor, rural, and politically powerless. The county had a population of 16,232 in 1980. Blacks comprised 63.7 percent of the county population and 24.2 percent of the state population in 1980. The county continues to be economically worse off than the state as a whole on all major social indicators. Per capita income for Warren County residents was $6,984 in 1982 compared with $9,283 for the state. Warren County residents earned about 75 percent of the state per capita income. The county ranked 92nd out of 100 counties in median family income in 1980.
Warren County population increased to nearly 20,000 in 2000. Infrastructure development in this part of North Carolina diverted traffic and economic development away from Warren County. Generally, development often follows along major highways. For example, Interstates 85 and 95 run along either side (not through) Warrenton, the county seat. Economic development bypassed much of the county.
Over 19.4 percent of Warren County residents compared with 12.3 percent of the state residents lived below the poverty level in 1999. Warren County has failed to attract new business. The 1999 North Economic Development Scan gave Warren County a score of 2 (scores range from 1 to 100 with 1 being the lowest and 100 being the highest) in terms of new business rate.
The economic gap between Warren County and the rest of the state actually widened over the past decade. Warren County per capita income ranked 98th in 1990 and 99th in 2001. One fourth of Warren County children live in poverty compared with the states 15.7 percent children poverty rate.
A Case for Reparations
It is important that the state finally detoxified the Warren County PCB landfill-a problem it created for local residents. This is a major victory for local residents and the environmental justice movement. However, it is also important that the surrounding land area and local community be made environmentally whole. Detoxifying the landfill does not bring the community back to its pre-1982 PCB-free environmental condition. Soil still containing small PCBs levels is buried at least 15 feet below the surface in the dump.
Government officials say the site is safe and suitable for reuse. While there remains some question about suitable reuse of the site, there is no evidence that the land has been brought back to its pre-1982 condition-where homes with deep basements could have been built and occupied and backyard vegetables gardens grown with little worry about toxic contamination or safety.
The siting of the PCB landfill in Afton is a textbook case of environmental racism. Around the world, environmental racism is defined as a human rights violation. Strong and persuasive arguments have been made for reparations as a remedy for serious human rights abuse. Under traditional human rights law and policy, we expect governments that practice or tolerate racial discrimination to acknowledge and end this human rights violation and compensate the victims. Environmental remediation is not reparations. No reparations have been paid for the two decades of economic loss, psychological damage, and mental anguish suffered by the Warren County residents.
Justice will not be complete until the 20,000 Warren County residents receive a public apology and some form of financial reparations from the perpetrators of environmental racism against the local citizens. How much reparations should be paid is problematic since it is difficult for anyone to put a price tag on peace of mind. At minimum, Warren County residents should be paid reparations equal to the cost of detoxifying the landfill site or $18 million. Another reparations formula might include payment of a minimum of $1 million a year for every year the mostly black Afton community hosted the PCB-landfill or $21 million.
It probably would not be difficult for a county that lacks a
hospital to spend $18-$21 million. The nearest hospitals from Afton are located
in neighboring Vance County (15 miles away) and across the state line in South
Hill, Virginia (33 miles away). Some people may think the idea of paying reparations
or monetary damages a bit farfetched. However, until the impacted community
is made whole, the PCB-landfill detoxification victory won by the tenacity
and perseverance of local Warren County residents will remain incomplete.
Robert D. Bullard directs the Environmental Justice Resource Center at Clark Atlanta University. His most recent book is entitled Highway Robbery: Transportation Racism and New Routes to Equity (South End Press, 2004).
|
<urn:uuid:96b08507-f16d-478d-b871-456f0d0895c8>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://www.ejrc.cau.edu/warren%20county%20rdb.htm
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.951295
| 3,007
| 2.65625
| 3
|
The Palais Garnier is a grand landmark at the northern end of the Avenue de l'Opera in Paris, France. It is regarded as one of the architectural masterpieces of its time. Built in the Neo-Baroque style, it is the thirteenth theatre to house the Paris Opera since it was founded by Louis XIV in 1669.
It was built on the orders of Napoleon III as part of the great Parisian reconstruction project carried out by Baron Haussmann. The project was put out to competition and was won by Charles Garnier (1825-1898), a then unknown 35-year-old architect. He would go on to also build the Opera Garnier de Monte-Carlo in Monaco.
Building work, which began in 1857 and finished in 1874, was interrupted by numerous incidents, including the Franco-Prussian War, the fall of the Empire and the Paris Commune. Another problem was the discovery of an underground lake beneath the site. This required the construction of an underground reservoir below the building. This lake later inspired The Phantom of the Opera's lair. The Palais Garnier was formally inaugurated on January 15, 1875.
The large building has a total area of 11,000 square meters (118,404 square feet) and a huge stage with room to accommodate up to 450 artists. An ornate building, the style is monumental, opulently decorated with elaborate multicolored marble friezes, columns, and lavish statuary. The interior too is rich with velvet, gold leaf, and cherubs and nymphs. The auditorium's central chandelier weighs over six tons, and its ceiling was painted in 1964 by Marc Chagall.
Legend has it that the Empress Eugénie asked Garnier whether the building was to be in Greek or Roman style to which he replied: It is in the Napoléon III style Madame!
|
<urn:uuid:59329231-52a4-44c0-86c8-17efd742be26>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://www.encyclopedia4u.com/p/paris-opera.html
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.970979
| 393
| 2.59375
| 3
|
Five clever ways to help your child learn the value of money
Transform your child from spontaneous spendthrift into prudent piggy-banker
Young children love to imitate adults with imaginative games, providing an opportunity for smart parents to impart some simple life skills. When your child sets up shop in your kitchen and offers to sell you the contents of your refrigerator, try introducing some plastic coins or real pennies into the game. Teaching very young children about what money is for and how it changes hands will lay the foundations for more complex shop games involving change giving and basic numeracy skills.
Whilst you may envy your impulsive child’s ability to live in the moment, a little bit of future planning is a wonderful thing for keeping financial matters in check. Introduce your child to the concept of saving in its simplest form by encouraging her to squirrel away her pennies in a piggy bank. As the pile of money grows before her eyes so will her delight and her appreciation of the power of not spending.
As your child’s most influential role model it is important that she sees you spending money in a responsible way, which probably does not include ignoring bills and putting a new pair of Louboutins on plastic instead. Ask your child to help you write shopping lists, discuss the difference between essential items and luxuries and stress the importance of budgeting. Being a parent and trying to set a good example can bring out the best in you and is the perfect time to iron out any bad spending habits of your own.
Try to resist the temptation to micro-manage your child’s spending. If you have told her she is allowed one treat on shopping trip, respect her decision to have a novelty mug from a cards r us rather than a lovely new doll from a luxury toy shop. As a parent your job is to offer wisdom and guidance, but when it comes to headstrong children the old cliché very much applies – let her learn from her own mistakes.
Another cash concerned cliché which should be stressed to little ones is the old adage, money isn’t everything. Try not to use money as a tool for reward or punishment or to obsess over rich celebrities and lottery fantasies; this will give out the message that money equates to happiness. It is important to teach your child the uses and value of money when utilised properly yet it is equally important that she understands that happiness and fulfillment can not be found through material things.
Discuss this story
|
<urn:uuid:8add2927-a2a3-4be7-ad3a-8b2adfb4074f>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://www.juniormagazine.co.uk/parent-skills/five-clever-ways-to-help-your-child-learn-the-value-of-money/8848.html
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.946228
| 504
| 3.296875
| 3
|
About one of every two laptop users, according to a new survey, is unaware of the possibility that a hacker can remotely access and control web camera technology – allowing cybercriminals to secretly watch and record activities near a user’s machine.
“It is alarming that high numbers of women (who are the primary caregivers of children) and young people (who spend a significant amount of time using their laptops) do not know their webcams can be easily hacked,” said Dr. Ruby A. Rouse, who conducted the study. More than 6 in 10 women were unaware of the risk, compared to 40% of men. Additionally, 57% of Generation Y study participants were unaware of the risk, she said.
The study focused primarily on consumers, but the implications carry over to those who rely on laptops for work.
According to the study, 62% of laptop owners use their machines in their living rooms; 58% use them in their home office; 44% in their bedrooms; 39% in their kitchen; and 8% in the bathroom. “With webcam-enabled devices increasingly used in private settings,” Rouse said, “hackers have limitless opportunities for cybercrime.”
The study’s conclusions suggest users of webcam technology:
· Keep Informed– Learn more about webcam hacking to better understand the risks.
· Stay Alert– Watch your webcam light so you know it’s been activated; and diligently maintain virus protection software.
· Get Covered– When it is not in use, cover the lens of your webcam; doing so physically stops hackers from watching and recording laptop activities.
The study was sponsored by the CamPatch Academy, a nonprofit organization that provides information about web camera risks as well as tools and techniques about how people can protect themselves, and Organizational Troubleshooter, LLC, a business consulting and research firm that works with organizations to improve their performance.
“Experienced hackers can access a webcam in less than a minute,” said Parham Eftekhari, president and founder of CamPatch, which makes webcam covers and supports public education on webcam abuses. Eftekhari also leads research efforts for the non-profit Government Technology Research Alliance. (Breaking Gov and GTRA have a content and promotional sharing arrangement.)
|
<urn:uuid:7fe80b06-69c9-4502-a890-a08dcccc7f91>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://breakinggov.com/2012/06/05/are-hackers-peering-through-your-laptop-webcam/?ncid=txtlnkusaolp00000058?test=latestnews
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.952097
| 474
| 2.640625
| 3
|
What is THE TORNADO SEASON FOR KANSAS?
Best Answer: In Kansas: Peak Months of April, May, and June, but tornados can occur anytime w/ bad weather. ... tornado season is from march to june; usually the spring. You ...
Local meteorologists are anticipating a potentially active tornado season in Kansas this spring.
In the U.S., tornado season tends to move northward from late winter to mid-summer. ... Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, the eastern edge of Colorado, southwest tip of South Dakota and the southern edge of Minnesota.
Best Answer: 1- Around April 2- Can't really forecast tornadoes but since it is a La Nina period, the southern half of the US may see a less active tornado season. The area ...
For the current tornado season, see Tornadoes of 2013. ... A tornado which affected Great Bend, Kansas, in November 1915, was an extreme case, where a "rain of debris" occurred 80 miles (130 km) from the town, a sack of flour was found 110 miles ...
At least one tornado touched down briefly near the Oklahoma border in Cowley County on Sunday, and there may have been more. “I’m not sure yet,” said Chance Hayes, warning coordination meteorologist for the Wichita branch of the National Weather Service. “I’m still sorting that out.” The
It’s tornado season again in Kansas. Everyone who has lived here for any period of time knows the drill. Keep an eye to the sky, watch for any storm development and keep your weather radio handy. Check out weather.com occasionally, or your favorite weatherman. Kansas has a legacy of bad storms
When is tornado season over in Wichita kansas? if it is not tornado season, there can still be tornadoes. Is there a tornado season? Yes. Tornado season typically occurs in the spring. When is tornado season? in late winter ...
It’s been such a quiet year for tornadoes so far that AccuWeather recently headlined a story “Tornado Season Delayed, Not Canceled.” And punsters could joke that it makes sense tornado season hasn’t really gotten started, because weather patterns are in a “neutral” phase — meaning the
Tornado seasons 2010 ... One EF4 tornado was confirmed in Kansas on April 14, where it stripped trees of bark and destroyed a farmstead. On April 30, several tornadoes swept across Oklahoma and Kansas.
The 2011 ―tornado season‖ in Kansas was essentially compressed into a five-week period, starting May 19th and ending June 20th. The number of tornadoes occurring during this period represents 80% of the state total. KANSAS SEVERE WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK
The unusually quiet tornado season of 2012 and the active first month of the new year may be a sign of things to come as global warming tightens its grip on Tornado Alley, a prominent weather official said at a national storm chasers convention Saturday.
Good Morning, Kansas City Yelpers!It's that time of year...Does anyone have any good stories about getting caught out in a tornado? I have these horrid visions of driving on the highway and not having any time to seek shelter. Maybe I'm neurotic,…
Best Answer: Some of these are hard to answer but... 2. The landscape throughout Kansas is wide open and flat. This landscape is one of the factors that aides tornado ...
DENVER — The unusually quiet tornado season of 2012 and the active first month of the new year may be a sign of things to come as global warming tightens its grip on Tornado Alley, a prominent weather official said at a national storm chasers convention Saturday. Tornado season essentially flat
On 17 Jun 1978, the tour boat Whippoorwill, on Pomona Lake KS, was capsized by a tornado, killing 16. BACK UP TO THE TOP. ... Tornado season usually means the peak period for historical tornado reports in an area, when averaged over the history of reports.
How many Kansas tornadoes have occurred each year since official tornado records began in 1950? What time of the day is historically the most active tornado-wise? What is a tornado-day? Finally, how does Kansas rank nationwide regarding tornado numbers?
The Wizard of Oz movie in 1939 helped Kansas and the Great Plains become known as part of "Tornado Alley" - the region of the United States often visited in late spring and early summer by dangerous, sometimes violent, tornadoes. Part of the reason why is that the "dryline" -- a front ...
Hey y'all I'm travelling to Kansas City next month March and I want to know when the tornado season is, if there is one at all? I've never been to Kansas before.
Will 2013 tornado season be as subdued as last year? | wichita eagle, Will 2013 tornado season be as subdued as last year? by stan finger; the wichita eagle; published saturday, feb. 16, 2013, at 10:43 p.m. updated thursday, june 6.
Yes, I live in Kansas. Actually the burb's of Kansas City, KS not to far from the Missouri State line. I'm a mother, a grandmother, a business owner, a wife, an activist and a dog owner.
It actually varies with region, with the deep south and down toward Florida getting their season in late winter/early Spring, while the upper Midwest has their tornado season ...
Severe weather was forecast for the week-end! Well this typhoon-like weather has left a violent trail of destruction through the Midwest and South, bringing high winds, heavy rains and tornadoes.
In Kansas, a twister also churned through parts of Wichita, the state's second-largest metropolitan area after the Kansas City metro area. Storm chaser Brandon Redmond, a meteorologist with the Severe Weather Alert Team, ... EARLY TORNADO SEASON
In mid-May, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas are at the midpoint of the peak tornado season (April-June) on the south plains — though, of course, tornadoes may occur at any time of year.
Coming off the heels of a record-setting 2011 storm season, this year has certainly picked up where last year left off. ... Which state has the most F5 tornadoes? Oklahoma? Kansas? Texas? 60 years of data show which state is the biggest target for the deadliest beasts in nature.
The tornado season picked up late Saturday, however. ... that even though we're part of "tornado alley"..Kansas and Missouri has surprisingly dodged the bullets on tornadoes last year and this...compared to how many we usually have. Now ...
On May 24, 2011, deadly tornadoes claimed 18 lives in Oklahoma (10), Kansas (2), and Arkansas (6). Before and after aerial photos of St. John's Hospital in Joplin, Mo. (Credit: NOAA) ... The NOAA NWS Storm Prediction Center, ...
This year's tornado season is expected to shift farther eastward into the Midwest and become more active in late April through June. The greatest concentration of tornadoes is reported between March and August each year in "Tornado Alley," which includes portions of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska
6News meteorologist Tim Reith said tornadoes can occur any time between late April and mid-September. But generally, early May to June is the peak time for tornadoes in Kansas because of the fluctuation in the atmosphere with the Polar air mass moving to the north and the Maritime air mass to the
A video I shot during a quick and dirty storm at my house, just West of the Kansas City, KS/Kansas City, MO state line. This is tornado season in the Midwest! I…
April through June is tornado season across most of the United States. ... Top Related Searches central plains states kansas tornadoes tornadoes strike dark gray color warm moist air uninhabited areas. Explore Geography. Must Reads. World Atlas & Maps;
It’s getting into the peak of tornado season. The outbreak today is looking like a textbook case. ... eastern Kansas, maybe north Texas. That’s the nation’s infamous tornado alley where big tornadoes hit every spring.
this is a Natural Disaster Film Footage Video Clip for this year 2013 Tornado Season in USA Kansas and Oklahoma State. Visit our Natural Disaster Films Archives : http://www ...
The National Weather Service (NWS) offices in Missouri and in the Wichita/Topeka, Kansas area will soon implement an experiment – a new three-tiered system – for how they issue tornado warnings to the public. They’ll try to test out the new warning system for this upcoming severe weather
Tornado season about to roar after slow start ... The center says that the cities of Dallas, Oklahoma City and Kansas City, Mo., are most at risk Tuesday, and that St. Louis and Memphis are at greatest risk for severe thunderstorms on Wednesday.
Tornado season and the time of day when most tornadoes occur is explained.
Tornado Safety in Wichita, Kansas. Wichita, Kansas, is located in the heart of "Tornado Alley." The city was struck by an F5 tornado in April 1991, and in May 1999 an F4 tornado left six people dead, 150 injured and caused over $150 million worth of damage. March to June is the main tornado season.
The Four Seasons of Kansas Revised Edition Daniel D. Dancer Introduction by William Least Heat-Moon. October 2001 128 pages, 105 color photographs, 8-1/2 x 11-5/8 ... greenish light of a summer storm, a nighttime prairie fire, and a ...
Tornado Season: Are You Ready? Eric Evans Emergency Management Specialist Fire and Rescue Training Institute. ... A "Tornado Warning" is issued when a tornado has been sighted or indicated by weather radar. Move to your pre-designated place of safety.
During the extremely active severe weather season of 2011, many tornadoes touched down east of the typical “Tornado Alley,” which stretches from Texas to Kansas. Twisters frequently hit Texas to Kansas during the spring as warm, ...
Tornado season: monster tornadoes devastate wilkinson kansas and, A blog on amazing, awesome, strange and unexpected things around the world. be curious!.
Because a tornado may occur at any time of the day or year somewhere in the U.S., there really is no national tornado "season" (as there is with Atlantic hurricanes). ... TX, KS, OK : 970 (181) Tornado Project Page: 7: May 22, 2011: EF5: MO : 1,000 (158) Hit Joplin, MO NWS Summary: 8: April 24 ...
Storm Season in Kansas- are you prepared? Children, Weight, Exercise and Nutrition; Kansas Budget for 2010 and beyond; Kansas Sales Tax Information; Death Penalty Laws in Kansas; Government regulation of insurance; Gov. Sebelius nominated to U.S. Cabinet Post
Last night, a system of devastating storms swept through the Plains states, leaving trails of destruction in Missouri, Illinois and Kansas. Take a look at some storm-related video that's come in from the region, including one of a tornado touching down in one Kansas county. Storm chasers
As part of our off-season travel special, Matt Carroll tries out some storm chasing in Kansas
The State Hardest Hit by the Midwest Tornado Season So Far is Kansas. The town of Harveyville, Kansas has been hit the hardest hit so far. Kansas Governor Sam Brownback has declared the area a State of Emergency after the storm closed highways and downed power lines.
Tornado in Kansas on May 22, 2008. High resolution ... The tornadoes this season are also touching down in highly populated areas, thus increasing both the number of fatalities and the number of eyewitness reports of each tornado.
Tornado maps and statistics for all tornadoes in Kansas.
In the southern states, peak tornado season is from March through May. ... More than 500 tornadoes typically occur in this area every year and is why it is commonly known as "Tornado Alley". Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, Iowa, Missouri ...
If you didn't find what you were looking for you can always try Google Search
Add this page to your blog, web, or forum. This will help people know what is What is THE TORNADO SEASON FOR KANSAS
|
<urn:uuid:86ae29f3-c54f-48b0-84c5-67cac741751c>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://mrwhatis.net/the-tornado-season-for-kansas.html
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.899371
| 2,617
| 2.9375
| 3
|
Mankato — Contrary to popular notions, the U.S. space program didn’t end with the mothballing of the space shuttle. While Discovery remains confined to history, Curiosity reminds us that America’s fascination with worlds beyond our world is alive and well.
On Nov. 26, earth’s biggest extraterrestrial explorer, NASA’s Curiosity rover, careened on a course toward Mars with the express purpose of searching for evidence that the red planet may once have supported life. The mission is not small. It costs $2.5 billion. It’s not short. Curiosity will need more than eight months to reach Mars.
This is not like any other Mars mission. Said Peter Theisinger, Mars Science Lab project manager with Lockheed-Martin, “This is the most complicated mission we have attempted on the surface of Mars.”
Not only are billions at stake. So is science. So is prestige. More than three dozen missions have attempted to reach Mars for scientific purposes, yet less than half of them have made it. . . .
Much grumbling has been heard over the past year about the shrinking of NASA’s budget, tied in part to the occasion of the space shuttle’s final mission in March of this year. . .. .
Even so, while the shuttle business remains to be sorted out, Curiosity rises as proof that America still has a grand vision for space. Certainly some can second-guess the wisdom of plunking down $2.5 billion in this era of economic stress, but others who criticize the U.S. for being chintzy in regard to its stalled shuttle program cannot say that we’ve lost our will to explore. . . .
The Free Press
|
<urn:uuid:8b9d0b2d-d437-4062-bdd2-012f98e621ab>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://washtimesherald.com/opinion/x1760887451/Curiosity-rockets-toward-Mars/print
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.928912
| 364
| 3.078125
| 3
|
Antisocial Personality Disorder
Antisocial personality disorder is a mental illness that involves a pattern of disregard for or violation of the rights of others. Deceit and manipulation to gain personal profit or pleasure are common behaviors by people with this disorder.
A person with antisocial personality disorder fails to conform to social norms and may repeatedly participate in destructive, illegal activity, such as property damage, cruelty to animals, setting fires, or harassing others. Important decisions, such as ending a relationship or changing a job, may be made suddenly and without much consideration about the consequences.
Those with antisocial personality disorder tend to be irritable and aggressive and may repeatedly get into physical fights or physically or verbally abuse another person such as a spouse or child. Irresponsible work behavior and financial habits are common. Little remorse is shown for harmful behaviors.
Antisocial personality disorder usually develops during childhood or early adolescence and continues into adulthood.
eMedicineHealth Medical Reference from Healthwise
To learn more visit Healthwise.org
Find out what women really need.
Most Popular Topics
Pill Identifier on RxList
- quick, easy,
Find a Local Pharmacy
- including 24 hour, pharmacies
|
<urn:uuid:12230896-67f7-4270-8486-c203f6a8e6ce>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://www.emedicinehealth.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=136775&ref=136774
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.921288
| 244
| 3.265625
| 3
|
Inspiring stories about increasing energy, positivity and upgrading your lifestyle. more
Warts are small, flesh-coloured bumps that grow on the skin. They are caused by a virus. Kids can make warts spread by scratching them or they can spread them to other people. Warts are not serious but they might be embarrassing. Anyone can get warts, but kids from age 12-16 are most commonly affected.
What causes warts?
Warts are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). There are more than 100 types of HPV viruses and they can each cause a different kind of wart. The virus that causes warts is contagious, but not extremely so, and can be spread to other parts of the body or to other people.
Are warts serious?
Warts aren't serious, and more than 60% of them go away on their own with little or no treatment. Common warts, the ones that appear on your child's hands and knees, are more embarrassing than serious.
Can I prevent warts?
To prevent warts, you need to teach your child to avoid the virus that causes them. Teach her to wash her hands frequently and thoroughly. Teach her to not bite her nails or scratch a wart if she does get one.
How do I know if my child has warts?
A case of warts can be pretty obvious to see. They often appear on the hands, knees, feet, and sometimes on the face. They look like small, raised, rough bumps. Some people think they look like moles, but warts and moles are not the same thing. They can be very small, or somewhat large. They can even appear in clusters.
How do I treat warts?
There are several remedies you can try at home if your child gets a wart. Many warts disappear by themselves. If you do need to treat them, try using some of the over-the-counter topical treatments available from the chemist. Warts that are very serious or that won't go away with home treatment may need to be treated by a dermatologist. There are drugs, injections, and surgeries that will remove the warts. Some warts can be removed with cryotherapy (freezing), laser treatment, or electrosurgery, but some of these treatments can cause scarring. Even with treatment, some warts will reappear.
Should I call the doctor?
Warts are not an emergency, and you can try treating them at home before you call the doctor. However, if a large cluster of warts appears, if the wart has been there for a while, or if the warts don't go away with home treatment, make an appointment with the doctor for further advice.
What you need to know about warts
- Warts are caused by the HPV virus.
- Most warts go away by themselves.
- There are several over-the-counter treatments for warts.
- Warts that don't go away with home treatment may need medical treatment.
Find more relevant articles and information about warts:
- Find more about bacterial and viral infections
- What are cold sores?
- What is the best way to take a temperature?
- Know more about fever?
Written by Rebecca Stigall for Kidspot, Australia's parenting resource for family health. Sources include Better Health Channel, NSW Health and Health Insite.
Last revised: Monday, 18 January 2010
This article contains general information only and is not intended to replace advice from a qualified health professional.
|
<urn:uuid:676316aa-b1f4-45ca-b2b5-fce1d3554d0d>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://www.kidspot.com.au/familyhealth/%20http:/www.kidspot.com.au/Infections-and-Diseases-Bacterial-and-Viral-Warts+2409+196+article.htm
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.961314
| 738
| 2.875
| 3
|
Narrator: This is Science Today. The first compact proton therapy machine for cancer treatment is in the development stage. Proton therapy is considered the most advanced form of radiation therapy available, but its enormous size and high cost of over 100 million dollars has limited the technology's use to only six cancer centers nationwide.
Matthews: Our goal was to come up with a proton facility that could be in the ten million dollar range.
Narrator: Dennis Matthews, an associate director of the University of California, Davis Cancer Center and a physicist at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, says the campus and lab have combined their expertise and technology to reach this goal.
Matthews: We've proven the feasibility of it, which means that we've taken the components of it and proved out the physics of them and now we're engineering those components and putting together a prototype of this.
Narrator: Proton therapy for cancer offers patients survival rates comparable to those of surgery or conventional radiation, but with minimal to no side effects. For Science Today, I'm Larissa Branin.
|
<urn:uuid:faa67904-1f1f-41c0-932a-67126c15f30f>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://www.ucop.edu/sciencetoday/article/17102
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.948438
| 219
| 3.203125
| 3
|
This week we will be holding an information evening for parents of students who will be receiving tablets for the first time next year. That’s a total of four grade levels: next year’s Grade 5, 6, 7 and 8 will all be getting their hands on the magic next year! This is the third time we’ve run one of these sessions in the Middle School/High School — our rollout has been pretty gradual: grades 10 and 11 the first year, then grades 8, 9 and 10 (plus 11 and 12 from the previous year) and now the entire MSHS.
For this group of parents, I have been tasked with talking about some of the specifics of the 1:1 program and how it will affect their children and themselves. Along with some of the usual big themes – How are we going to support the students?; How are we going to support the parents? – I thought I would use the IB Learner Profile to put the rationale into perspective. As stated by the IBO, “The IB learner profile is the IB mission statement translated into a set of learning outcomes for the 21st century.” Our move to a 1:1 program is an extension of what we have always been doing!
The following images and descriptions are in draft mode. I would appreciate any feedback (positive or negative!) or suggestions to improve them in the comments below. All images are taken from Flickr under a Creative Commons license except where noted.
Inquirers - Students will have the ability to access meaningful, up-to-date and relevant information whenever they need it. Learning environments can be set up to encourage inquiry and discovery.
Knowledgeable - Students will have the ability to reference facts, skills and resources like never before. Their notes will be searchable and easily organized. Gives an opportunity to show their knowledge in different and authentic ways.
Thinkers - Critical thinking skills become increasingly important, due to the flood of information available. Students need to analyze and evaluate information.
Communicators - Allows our students to communicate and collaborate with others, either in our school or across the world.
Two to choose from! Which do you prefer?
Principled - Students and teachers must examine what it means to be a principled member of society in a technology-rich world. This is not something we can bury our heads in the sand about. If we (schools and parents) do not teach them, who will?
Open Minded - Nothing yet… Suggestions?
Caring - Increasingly, interaction is taking place between individuals or groups online. It is important for students to understand the consequences of cyberbullying as well as how to be an effective member of digital communities.
I’m not sure how I feel about this image. It seems to show the opposite of caring…
Note: This image is from the University of Alabama and used based on the permission given there.
Risk Takers - Students, teachers and parents at UNIS are at the leading edge of technological adoption. In a recent survey conducted by Triple A Learning of MYP schools worldwide, less than 1 in 8 schools identified themselves as 1:1.
Balanced - A balanced education is one that takes into account all appropriate learning opportunities. By adopting a 1:1 program, we are not abandoning non-technological modes of learning. We are, however, giving our students that ability to experience learning in a way that is more representative to how students today and tomorrow will live their lives. I’m trying to figure out how to encapsulate Will Richardson’s sentiment…
Reflective - A 1:1 program gives students a wide range of tools that can be used to reflect upon their learning and thus improve the metacognitive abilities of those students. Because of their archive of work, it will allow students to compare their learning from year to year.
Again, your thoughts and feedback are encouraged!
|
<urn:uuid:a5fc25bc-5764-4664-aaed-e70b7c65bbb3>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://blog.misterhamada.com/tag/creative-commons/
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.937024
| 806
| 2.78125
| 3
|
Calumet Environmental Education Program
Photo: Kirk Anne Taylor
The Division of Environment Culture and Conservation's Calumet Environmental Education Program (CEEP) translates science into action for students and educators in the Calumet region. Students participate in a consecutive ladder of conservation education programs, linking and building skills and knowledge grade level upon grade level. The three conservation education programs, Mighty Acorns (grades 4-6), Earth Force (grades 7-8), and Calumet Is My Back Yard (grades 9-12), engage young people in scientific, hands-on learning about biodiversity and conservation, resulting in action projects in their own community.
|Mighty Acorns helps students develop a personal connection to natural areas in their community. Mighty Acorns students visit a local natural area three times a year, participating in exploration of biodiversity, educational activities that illustrate basic ecological concepts, and stewardship activities, such as removing invasive species and spreading native seeds.|
Earth Force students develop the skills needed to create long-term solutions to environmental issues in their community. Using a six-step problem-solving curriculum, students choose a local environmental issue — such as toxic cleaning solutions in schools or air pollution — and implement a conservation-action project to address it.
|CIMBY builds scientific and leadership skills for high school students. CIMBY students participate in a variety of difference activties throughout the school year, from ecological restoration at an adopted natural area to classroom activities and leadership training workshops that help students to take action to protect local natural areas.|
Visit the CEEP Newsletter Archive
To learn more about ECCo's conservation work click here.
|
<urn:uuid:8fdd62af-a946-4331-b1fd-cd692c3229d7>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://fieldmuseum.org/explore/department/ecco/CEEP
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.911187
| 335
| 3.25
| 3
|
Dr. Scott Petrie, Long Point Waterfowl Executive Director
Dr. Jack Millar, University of Western Ontario
Dr. Michael Schummer, Long Point Waterfowl Scientist
Sandhill Cranes (Grus canadensis) are the most numerous species of crane in the world. Migratory populations have broad breeding, migratory, and wintering ranges throughout North America that extend into Siberia, Russia (FIG. 1). There are six migratory populations of Sandhill Crane, including: the Pacific Flyway Population (Lesser subspecies [G. c. canadensis]), the Central Valley Population (Greater subspecies [G. c. tabida]), the Lower Colorado River Valley Population (Greater subspecies; Central Valley Population), the Rocky Mountain Population (Greater subspecies), the Eastern Population (Greater subspecies), and the Mid-Continent Population (Lesser, Greater and Canadian subspecies [G. c. rowanii]; Mid-Continent Population).
Figure 1. From Case & Sanders 2009: Approximate nesting, wintering, and primary migration and staging areas of the six migratory Sandhill Crane populations (compiled from information in Lewis 1977, Drewien and Lewis 1987, Sharp et al. 2000, Tacha et al. 1994, and data from radio-telemetered birds provided by G. Krapu, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, Jamestown, ND).
The Eastern Population traditionally breeds primarily throughout the Great Lakes region (including Wisconsin, Michigan, and Ontario) and winters in Florida and parts of southern Georgia. During both spring and autumn migration, Eastern Population cranes stage throughout the east-central United States including Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Alabama, and, to the north, along the North Shore of Lake Huron, Ontario, including Manitoulin and St. Joseph Islands. The Eastern Population has been expanding in population size and breeding range; however, researchers are still seeking a precise estimate of the current extent of the Eastern Population throughout the annual cycle.
At present, the Eastern Population’s population status is monitored by the Fall Sandhill Crane Survey coordinated by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. The fall survey is a long-term annual survey, first initiated in 1979. The survey is conducted by volunteers and state/federal agency officials from the Atlantic and Mississippi Flyways (Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana, Tennessee, Georgia, and Florida). The primary objective of the survey is to count Eastern Population cranes that concentrate (staging and migrating) in Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Results from 2009 suggest that the population index is approaching 60,000 cranes with a five-year average (2005-2009) of approximately 40,000 ± 4968.4 cranes (See graph on right - Fall Sandhill Crane Survey numbers from 1979 to 2009).
Researchers and biologists are working to adapt survey methodology to provide more statistically robust data by reducing within and between year variation resulting from surveyor bias. To assist in this effort, researchers from Long Point Waterfowl partnered with the Canadian Wildlife Service and the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources to collect the first minimum provincial population estimate.
Figure 3. Sandhill Crane being released immediately after being outfitted with a solar-powered GPS transmitter mounted on a PVC leg-band after being captured in early August 2010 on Manitoulin Island, Ontario.
With additional assistance from countless volunteers from the public, observers followed crane numbers at more than 20 roost sites from Sault Ste. Marie, ON. to Espanola, ON. along the north shore including Manitoulin and St. Joseph Islands to the south and counted nearly 9,000 cranes over two days in autumn 2009.
As an integral component of Long Point Waterfowl student Everett Hanna’s M.Sc. thesis at the University of Western Ontario, a team of researchers from Long Point Waterfowl headed back into the field on Manitoulin Island to collect additional information relating to EP migratory ecology during summer and autumn, 2010. During July and August, cranes were captured (n = 17) using rocket nets at baited sites throughout central Manitoulin Island. Select cranes (n = 9) were outfitted with solar-powered GPS tracking units mounted on leg-bands (FIG. 3). Tracking units are programmed to acquire GPS fixes every six hours for 3-5 years.
The primary application of these data is to compare migration chronology between local (cranes that likely breed and spend the summer on Manitoulin) and migrant (cranes that likely breed and spend the summer elsewhere and migrate to Manitoulin from the mainland during late summer or early autumn). Cranes that were captured and banded in 2010 were assumed to be local because of timing of capture (i.e., during summer before staging and migration commence). Population surveys (roost counts) were conducted throughout autumn migration in 2010 to investigate migration chronology of non-marked cranes whereas remotely collected tracking data were used to calculate departure of marked cranes. Seven of nine marked cranes departed the study area prior to recording peak numbers at the study site (FIG. 4).
Figure 4. Location of first stopovers made by Sandhill Cranes marked on Manitoulin Island, Ontario during autumn migration 2010. Dates of first GPS fix are displayed in white. Red arrows denote cranes that departed the study are before peak number of autumn migrants was recorded.
These findings suggest that local cranes depart the study site before migrants. This behaviour is likely a result of earlier nest initiation dates at lower latitudes and proximity to high quality food sources (i.e., agricultural grain fields). These factors have disparate implications for adult and juvenile age groups (e.g., juveniles continue structural growth during migration whereas adults are no longer growing). Therefore, migration may be linked to age-specific factors, particularly because cranes remain in tightly-knit family groups during autumn migration. To investigate family group migration, a new research programme was developed and proposed to transfer the project from the Master’s to Doctoral program at UWO. The proposed programme is entitled “Physiology, behaviour, and habitat use of Sandhill Crane family groups during autumn migration”. Thus, the proposed study is an evaluation of nutrient reserves and migratory chronology of family groups of EP cranes a key staging area in Ontario using data relating to lipid reserves, foraging behaviour, and food density that will be collected during autumn migration 2011 and 2012.
During autumn, Eastern Population cranes acquire lipids to fuel migration by eating agricultural grains at staging areas along their migratory route to wintering areas in southeastern North America. In Ontario, cranes primarily eat barley and corn during staging and migration. Although estimates of food availability and depletion exist for some staging areas for the Mid-Continent Population, no data have been collected at Eastern Population staging areas. Density of food resources at staging areas may influence lipid acquisition rates and subsequent timing of migratory departure during autumn. Therefore, timing of migratory departure in cranes could depend on lipid levels in adults, juveniles, or some combination of these or other physiological (e.g., structural growth) or environmental (e.g., weather patterns) factors. Migration
chronology has been studied in birds with substantial parental investment (e.g., post-fledging care), but no studies have compared within-family physiological condition of adults or juveniles to determine which most influences migratory chronology/timing. Understanding factors that prompt or inhibit autumn migration in Sandhill Crane family groups represents original scientific information that has not been studied in other species. This study will evaluate various physiological and environmental factors known to influence autumn migration in avian species that migrate as family groups. This research will also enable managers to identify habitat needs for use in landscape-level conservation efforts.
The central hypothesis to be addressed is that the relationship between nutrient (lipid and protein) levels of parents and their offspring within family groups is related to proximity to peak departure. Specifically, we predict that, if family group emigration is limited by juveniles, then adult crane lipid levels will reach an asymptote prior to peak departure but juvenile lipid levels will continue to increase until departure (i.e., show no asymptote). Family groups remaining after peak departure will show the greatest disparity in within-family lipid levels (i.e., greatest spread between juveniles and adults) because they missed the optimal migratory period (i.e., peak migration). To provide further support to this central question, concurrent field observations will be made to measure foraging behaviour to estimate rates of energy expenditure using metabolic cost coefficients. In addition, agricultural grain density will be estimated at regular intervals from harvest through peak departure from the study area to estimate change in available energy. By estimating food density, this research will be able to offer a more comprehensive explanation of patterns in behaviour and lipid levels within family groups.
Sandhill Cranes: Movement Maps
Past Movement Maps
Spring migration routes of Sandhill Cranes (n = 9) marked on Manitoulin Island, Ontario, Canada during July and August 2010. Eight of the nine marked cranes wintered in southern Georgia or Florida, USA; the remaining crane wintered in northwestern Tennessee, USA. All marked cranes returned to Manitoulin Island during April and May 2011.
Summer locations (June – August) of Sandhill Cranes (n = 9) marked on Manitoulin Island, Ontario, Canada during July and August 2010. One of nine transmitters failed (and subsequently went offline) in early June 2011. The remaining eight marked cranes followed traditional habitat use patterns targeting pastures and hay fields until the grain harvest started in mid-August. Traditional roost sites were also used throughout the summer months.
Fall migration routes of Sandhill Cranes (n = 8 ) marked on Manitoulin Island, Ontario, Canada during July and August 2010. Six of the remaining eight marked cranes departed Manitoulin Island between October 01 – 04, 2011. The final two cranes departed on October 22 and 26, 2011. Marked cranes followed traditional migratory pathways northwest along Manitoulin Island and south through upper Michigan, USA, subsequently stopping at staging areas in central Michigan and northwestern Indiana, USA where they remain at present.
Project Sponsors and Partners
Canadian Wildlife Service
Long Point Waterfowl
Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources
Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters
The University of Western Ontario
Wildlife Habitat Canada
Webless Migratory Game Bird Fund
|
<urn:uuid:2273f85a-749c-4bae-8626-a0bcd73b2945>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://longpointwaterfowl.org/research/student/current-student-research/sandhill-cranes-staging-and-migrating/
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.928621
| 2,163
| 3.359375
| 3
|
Normally, every woman experiences her menstruation after a span of twenty three to twenty four days. However, in some cases, women may undergo mild spotting after period which may be anywhere between the hues of light red to dark-brownish-red. Every period is significant of the end and at the same time, commencement of a new reproductive cycle. Spotting after period can leave every woman in a tizzy, wondering what is wrong with her body. Mild anxiety among women is justified as the condition must not be taken lightly and be immediately reported to the health care practitioner.
Abnormal spotting, after the completion of menstrual cycle is indicative that the uterus is pushing the stream of old blood out of the body which for some reasons it could not get rid-off during the normal period cycle. In normal cases, the spotting is only mild and detected when a woman cleans or wipes. The color of the blood may be mild red or darkish brown, in rare cases. As per doctors, if the spotting discontinues after a day or so, there is no serious cause for concern. However, if a woman is experiencing the same after the end of every cycle, immediate medical interventions must be sought.
When To Seek Medical Intervention!
A woman must bring the matter to the knowledge of the doctor when:
- She experiences bright red colored spotting after her periods.
- She experiences mild to extreme pelvic pain at the time of spotting.
- She experiences spotting soon after indulging into an unprotected sex.
- Spotting during ovulation days.
Possible Reasons For Abnormal Spotting After Period
- One of major causes of experiencing abnormal spotting after period is the incapacity of the uterus to expel the entire stream of blood out of vagina during the menstrual cycle.
- Another possible reason for this condition is the extreme hormonal imbalances during / after sexual intimacy or at the time of puberty.
- A woman who takes medications like birth control pills or estrogen supplements is likely to spot occasionally.
- Health conditions like diabetes, thyroid, cancer etc could be other causes of unusual spotting after periods.
- Presence of a uterine cyst is detected as another potent reason for the condition.
Besides above causes, medical conditions like pregnancy, miscarriage, abortion, ovulation, menopause, ectopic pregnancy and more could be other blamable factors for causing spotting after periods.
Diagnostic Tests To Detect Abnormal Vaginal Spotting
- Pelvic ultrasound is the first test conducted on women complaining of spotting. Through this test, the doctor checks for the presence of cervical polyps.
- Pregnancy tests.
- Pap smear test to detect the progression of cervical cancer.
- Blood count test.
- Thyroid and liver tests.
- A blood test to detect the progesterone level in the body.
Treatment / Remedies
The treatment prescribed for spotting after period is decided only once the cause of the condition is detected.
- If a woman is detected with low level of progesterone, she is given progesterone supplements.
- If any of the conditions like thyroid, blood clotting or liver malfunctions are detected, she is given medications meant for the treatment of the same.
- If the cause is the development of polyps or cysts, she may undergo a surgical treatment to eliminate them.
- If an infection is detected as the probable cause of spotting after period, she is administered antibiotics for the same.
- In case the bleeding is due to miscarriage, she may undergo a surgical procedure called dilation and curettage.
- In case progesterone medications fail to curb the condition, she may undergo a medical procedure called hysterectomy.
|
<urn:uuid:1981965f-c63b-4a83-8c9b-6e6f1aeb8f0b>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://www.glamcheck.com/health/2011/07/31/spotting-after-period-symptoms-causes-remedies/
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.915148
| 761
| 2.578125
| 3
|
“Ayurveda medicines were integrated thousands of years ago into the human diet.”
Ayurveda medicines are considered as an alternative medicinal approach by Western medicine standards. Western standards consider Ayurveda medicines to be complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in its holistic approach to treating the body. The philosophy of Ayurveda medicine offers the ancient Ayurveda medicine science concept of body/mind balance. Ayurveda medicine treatment consists of Ayurvedic herbs introduced into the body through a balanced Ayurveda medicine diet, herbal supplements, massage and steam therapy.
Myth #1: Products prepared from herbal extracts or concentrates are superior
Herbal extracts and concentrates can actually cause unwanted side effects in the same way that western pharmaceutical drugs. This is because the natural balance of the whole herb is lost when extracted or concentrated.
Myth #2: Higher Potency is more effective
Indian Ayurvedic herbs are sourced more than 1100 medicinal plants. Most of these Ayurvedic herbs are harvested from the wild for maximum potency. Ayurvedic medical science also describe the need for different dosages based on the age of the patient. The ancient Vedic texts state that an individual from birth to sixteen years of age is in Bal (child) state, sixteen to the age of seventy as Madhya ( middle age). In all, there are seven basic bodily stages that dictate the dosages of Ayurvedic herbs. Medicinal plants used in Ayurveda treatments are based on individual characteristics and emphasize that each individual is different and needs different dosages of herbal treatments. It is also a science based on frequency and consistency in an Ayurvedic medicine diet.
Myth #3: Growing conditions of the herbs does not matter
Climate and geography, as well as the method of growing does affect the potency of medicinal plants used in Ayurveda. Many Ayurvedic herbs are found to be indigenous to India and are treasured for their healing properties. The highest quality Ayurveda products are herbal compositions which are made up from organic herbs, flowers, stem and leaves, roots and fruits, which are grown organically without the use of chemicals or pesticides.
Myth #4: Testing for contamination is not necessary
Ayurveda Medicines should follow closely the ancient processing method described in the Vedic texts for making Ayurvedic herbs. The Ayurvedic herbs, fruits, leaves, spices, oils flowers are composites are used to create natural formulations with no artificial properties. These Ayurvedic medicines contain natural binders like gum acacia. The highest quality Ayurveda medicines are tested for the presence of heavy metals, microbial content and aflatoxin prior to shipment. This is to ensure Ayurveda products only consist of property identified Ayurvedic herbs of the highest quality in order to meet the increasing demand for Ayurveda products. Ayurveda products are monitored with a quality control process at every step of production, from the actual procurement and identification of these indigenous herbs, to their final destination.
Myth #5: Plant identification is not necessary
Plant identification is extremely important in all areas of Ayurvedic medicine science. These Ayurveda products are processed and sold as dietary supplements and as ethnic traditional medicines used in the philosophy of Ayurveda medicine. Each of the herbs, roots, oils, leaves and flowers of these Indian plants are required to be identified using an HPLC chromatographic process. Medicinal plants used in Ayurveda are Ayurvedic herbs, oils, plant extracts and other botanical properties found in ayurveda products. To insure their potency and effectiveness, it is vitally important that all medicinal plants used in ayurveda herbal products are grown properly, processed according to ancient traditions and properly tested, manufactured and packaged.
Living Shanti offers Sri Sri Ayurvedic medicines and Ayurveda products that assist in maintaining healthy digestion, elimination, immunity, cardiac function, mental clarity, bronchial function, liver function and vitality. To know more about Ayurveda supplements and herbal Ayurveda remedies, visit http://www.LivingShanti.com
|
<urn:uuid:1c773a95-2877-4e59-9531-38c75c799032>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://www.livingshanti.com/author/admin
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.924359
| 868
| 3.109375
| 3
|
Creating flexible, “wearable electronics” is the goal of Professor Ana Claudia Arias.
Professor Arias joined the University of California, Berkeley in January 2011.
“Flexible electronics are thin, lightweight, and conformal, and can allow new form factors not currently available with established technologies,” she explained.
Professor Arias hopes to soon have information-providing flexible, electronic displays woven into our clothing.
Before coming to Berkeley, Professor Arias led the semiconductor group at Plastic Logic in Cambridge, UK, where she focused her research on the development and use of flexible, printed organic electronic materials.
Professor Arias also spent eight years at the Palo Alto Research Center (PARC), where she used inkjet-printing techniques to produce organic, active-matrix display backplanes for paper-thin displays and flexible sensors.
Professor Arias Berkeley lab group is working on finding a way to use printed electronics for flexible displays, wearable memory, and electronic sensors as thin as a piece of tape.
Using organic electronic materials has its advantages: They can be produced at a low cost, and require minimal power to operate.
Professor Arias is working to directly “print” the organic electronics onto various substrates which would produce the desired chemical reaction and then layer them onto surface materials such as clothing.
Developing systems to directly print electronics is formidable, from an engineering perspective.
Today, we have a variety of flexible electronics; from ultra-lightweight, flexible, plastic color displays as thin as a sheet of paper, to disposable electronic Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags.
Professor Arias group at Berkeley has developed an organic, inkjet-printing technique to produce flexible, small-area electronic displays that make use of positively-and negatively-charged electrical particles suspended in a liquid somewhat similar to e-ink technology.
Most electronic circuits contain a transistor component, which is a solid-state switching device, containing three electrical contacts (base, collector, and emitter), that controls the electrical current passing through it. A negative or positive voltage can trigger this component.
Creation of complex circuitry was achieved by Arias’s group by combining both positive and negative voltage-enabled switching components.
Arias research produced special sensors which are able to detect surrounding ambient light through photosensitive inks and pressure.
These special sensors use a slice of an organic polymer (molecule compound) between two electrical conductors, which change their electrical characteristics when various pressures are applied to the said organic polymer. Similar sensors can be found in car airbags.
Altering the thickness of the polymers and the materials used, changes pressure sensitivity. One use for this type of sensor is a wearable electronic device that detects shocks and stores its informational data; it is called a blast dosimeter.
The PARC website describes the military use of a blast dosimeter as a printable, polymer pressure sensor. PARC went on to say the blast dosimeter senses “. . . blast events due to improvised explosive devices (IEDs) [which] are a major cause of traumatic brain injury (TBI) in the battlefield. The tape-like blast dosimeter is designed to measure and record the severity and the number of [blast] events during one week in order to enable early administration of medical care.”
Recognizing the power of these blasts provides a much better understanding of the causes of TBI, and allows for earlier diagnosis and treatment.
Printed with electronic memory processors, sensors, and thin-film batteries, the disposable blast dosimeter can be affixed (like tape) to a soldier’s helmet.
Professor Arias group was able to construct a type of flexible electrophoretic informational display that creates visible images.
Electrophoretic displays are regarded as examples under the electronic paper classification because of their low power consumption, and thin, paper-like look.
High-resolution, active-matrix displays used in today’s popular e-book readers are a type of electrophoretic display.
These special displays need memory to store their information, and so, Arias lab created a special processing technique to hold their non-volatile memory.
As with most computers, a continuous trickle of electricity is needed to keep its current memory state constant. However, Professor Arias organic material maintains previous memory states, using no power. This is achieved by using components that rely on magnetism (not electricity) to store its data. Although the memory is retained for just eight hours using this method, the technology could be used in applications which require intermittent changes on a display screen.
Professor Arias is currently in the process of adapting wearable electronics to include a variety of uses such as wearable medical sensors.
“This is just the beginning; wearable sensors that measure environmental and biological signals can open up many applications for people who play sports, are in the hospital, or just want to monitor their daily health,” said Professor Arias.
In addition to her current project, biosensors and wearable medical devices, Professor Arias is also involved with flexible photovoltaics, and printed flexible magnetic resonance Imaging (MRI) Coils.
In the not-too-distant future, many of us may be sporting a personal health monitoring sensor, or an environmental measuring device, or an entertainment or social media interface, or some other type of application on a flexible, organic, electronic video display screen wearable or interwoven onto our clothing.
|
<urn:uuid:f344c679-b329-44ed-a7ca-dde3e85fcc53>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://herald-journal.com/archives/2012/columns/mo060412.html
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.916345
| 1,133
| 3.453125
| 3
|
Back to Wildlife Info
Did you find a baby bird? Click here
Understanding Baby Mammals
By Elena Fox, Licensed Wildlife Rehabilitator
Baby mammals should be regarded in much the same way as birds -- remember
that mammal moms can leave their nests unattended for many hours.
Unless you see obvious injuries or know for a fact that a nest of
baby bunnies, or squirrels, or other small mammals has been orphaned,
leave them undisturbed. Their best chance of survival is to be cared
for by their mother. If their nest has been destroyed, place the babies
in a box in a safe place near where they were found and let their
mother find them. You may never see her, but check on them in 24 hours
and if they are warm and plump, she is doing her job. Remember, their
mother's milk is vastly different than anything we can use to substitute,
and it changes composition each day, as the babies get older. A mother
hare can feed her young once in 12 hours, but we must feed orphans
every 45 minutes around the clock to approximate her rich milk.
very special cases cause a great deal of confusion in the spring --
fawns and seal pups. In nearly all cases both should be left alone.
Both species of babies are routinely left unattended for 6, 10, even
15 hours at a time. A fawn may lie for hours beside a busy road and
even fail to respond to your approach. This is completely normal.
The mother is likely nearby watching for you to leave.
The same applies to seal pups; a pup alone in a small tidal pool for
a day could appear to be cause for concern. The pup may even seem
lethargic or "sick," but, as with the fawn, this is normal behavior
and the mom will likely return to care for her baby. With seals, an
added incentive to help you resist interfering is the law. Marine
mammals are protected and individuals can be fined into the many thousands
of dollars for "molesting" them, which can mean coming within 100
YARDS. Give them a wide berth for both your sakes.
You can help most by educating other people. You can also help keep
dogs and children away from the area, and you can talk yourself into
staying away too. Your attentions can place the baby in danger by
frightening the mother and attracting predators. It is hard to do
nothing when we suspect an animal needs help. But, we should err on
the side of caution when a misread of the situation could put us between
a wild mother and her baby.
If you have concerns or questions -- If you find a baby and you aren't
sure if you should do something, call us for assistance. We care about
them too, and together we can give wildlife the greatest chance of
living a free and vigorous life.
View a PDF of this page.
|
<urn:uuid:4836703f-255c-452c-afc2-88fb615cb155>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://www.westsoundwildlife.org/wildlife/Coexisting/CO_BabyMammal.html
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.955584
| 627
| 3.15625
| 3
|
By Eugene E. García
As a typical teacher looks at the students in her classroom, she sees a picture much different from the classroom of her childhood. Today 1 in 3 children nationwide is from an ethnic or racial minority group, 1 in 7 speaks a language other than English at home, and 1 in 15 is born outside the US. The linguistic and culture diversity of America's schools population has increased dramatically during the past decade, and is expected to increase even more in the future. These students are the universities' future consumers. Educating children from diverse families is a major concern of school systems across the country. For many of these children, American education has not been and continues not to be a successful experience. While one-tenth of non-Hispanic White students leave school without a diploma, one-fourth of African-Americans, one-third of Hispanics, one half of Native Americans, and two thirds of immigrant students drop out of school.
Confronted with this dismal reality, administrators, teachers, parents and policy makers urge each other to do something different—change teaching methods, adopt new curricula, allocate more funding. Such actions might be needed, but will not be meaningful unless we begin to think differently about these students. In order to educate them, we must first educate ourselves about who they are and what they need to succeed. Thinking differently involves viewing these students in new ways that may contradict conventional notions, and coming to a new set of realizations.
During my recent assignment in Washington, D.C. as the Director of the Office of Bilingual Education and Minority Languages Affairs in the US Department of Education, I attempted to address the challenge of engaging my professional experience and expertise as an educational researcher and my personal cultural linguistic experiences to the tasks of addressing national educational policy. The professional in me was and continues to be nurtured in some of the best educational institutions of this country and the non-professional in me was and continues to be in a large, rural, Mexican American family—all speaking Spanish as our native language, all born in the United States like our parents, grandparents and great grandparents, one of ten children, five of whom graduated from high school, only one graduating from college. I found bringing these personas (the Spanish term for "persons") together not as difficult as I might have expected and even came to conclude that this intersection was quite helpful to me, my colleagues and the wide variety of audiences that I interacted with in this national role. In fact, I found by bringing together these personas, I was able to communicate to individuals in ways that were not possible if I only spoke with one or separate voices. The present discussion is my attempt to put into writing these intersecting but distinct voices and to help further our understanding of living in a diverse society. I will emphasize the role of educational institutions who strive to serve a diverse population today and will need to serve them better in the future. For the historical pattern of the education of these populations in the U.S. is a continuous story of underachievement. It need not be that way and the research university has a unique role to play in this future.
University outreach efforts have expanded markedly in scope and number over the course of the last 25 years. Although some attempts have been made to coordinate among efforts for a single or unified goal, and some successes have been achieved, the increase in energy and potential impact usually obtained from a focused strategic approach to a problem is lacking on a systemwide or even campus wide basis. Too often, multiple programs, sometimes sponsored by the same campus, operate in individual schools without knowledge of one another and often without coordination of efforts or goals. This fragmentation no doubt leads to some level of duplication of effort and lack of systematic advancement.
To raise the number of diverse students, we must help in developing and increasing the size of this pool of eligible and competitive students among these groups AND we must enroll a considerably larger number of those currently achieving basic eligibility and doing so at competitive levels.
Thus, in order to enroll a diverse population of students, universities must bring the proportion of minority and disadvantaged students closer to the levels achieved by others, must enroll at a high level those achieving, and must assure that more minority and disadvantaged students are competitive, positioning them for possible enrollment in programs and on campuses where competition for admission is high. The differences in achievement patterns among groups must narrow.
Achieving such a goal would require a more ambitious effort than has yet been organized. Rather than selecting out promising individual minority students and providing traditional outreach services such as tutoring, motivation, college preparation advice and counseling, the University must also identify a strategic set of communities and schools where achievement levels and opportunities to learn, as measured on a variety of standards, such as average scores on standardized tests, honors courses offered, college-going rates, etc., fall below average. It must then direct its multiple resources in these domains in ways to achieve and sustain this new, but already developing outreach goal.
The University has a major role to play in supporting K-12 education. It has a significant self-interest in strengthening this role. Like leaders in the private sector, University faculty are concerned about where the next generation of scientists, scholars, technicians, and leaders is coming from. Yet the University is only a partner in this process. Pre/K-12 teachers, the practitioners in the field, are key in dealing directly with the enormity of problems and potentials inherent in the state's increasingly diverse student population. Although teacher preparation programs in the past have on the whole inadequately prepared the teachers for the kinds of classes they will face, many teachers are exemplary in responding to the nations's changing student population. One key role for the University is tapping the existing knowledge and expertise of effective teachers, especially teachers of students from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds, and disseminating their knowledge to others, whether new teachers or more experienced teachers now facing an increasingly complex school environment. Research on effective teachers' practices, on effective teacher-student communication, on involving parents in schools are among the areas where university research in schools offers useful contributions. Also crucial are faculty and staff initiatives, such as UCLA's LAPTAG (Los Angeles Physics Teachers' Alliance Group) and UC Berkeley's Interactive University, working directly with teachers to develop new curricular approaches and inquiry-based instructional strategies.
The University has a broader "outreach" mission as part of its public service role to engage with and assist in the improvement of the quality of the pre/K-12 education generally, particularly in underrepresented communities. The mission of such outreach is not only to improve rates of eligibility and competitiveness for the small number of minority students who may eventually attend the University, but also to help address the systemic problems that create such differences in academic preparation. The traditional, "University-centered" mission of outreach which has supported primarily "student-centered" programs must now recognize the need to expand and integrate outreach efforts to "school-centered" programs. To give importance to "school-centered" programs is not, in the final analysis, a question of strategy, but a question of the fundamental values and goals the University wishes to achieve. The present challenge related to diversity facing us, with or without the use of our past diversification tool, affirmative action, is to address this issue head-on by calling for a broadening of the very mission of University collaboration and outreach.
Back to Table of Contents
© 1998 by the Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute
|
<urn:uuid:a671c8ae-0c28-41b5-9c8b-b09284c2db26>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://www.yale.edu/ynhti/pubs/A21/garcia.html
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.964614
| 1,520
| 2.84375
| 3
|
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Apopompē and Epipompē in Euripides' Ion
But look!Michael Lloyd, "Divine and Human Action in Euripides' Ion," Antike und Abendland 32 (1986) 33-45 (at p. 36, n. 18):
They are coming, the birds, leaving
their nests on Parnassus!
Do not come near the coping stones
or the golden temple of Apollo!
My bow will bring you down, herald
of Zeus, although your beak
routs the strength of other birds!
Here toward the temple wings another,
a swan! Take your feet that show red against your belly
and go elsewhere!
The lyre of Apollo
that accompanies your song cannot save you from my bow!
Fly off to somewhere else!
Alight upon the lake at Delos!
Your tuneful song will change
to shrieks of pain if you do not obey!
What strange bird is this that comes?
Does he mean to make under the gable
a nest of straw for his young?
The twang of my bowstring will prevent you!
Obey! Go to the eddies
of the Alpheus to hatch your brood,
or the groves of the Isthmus!
Thus the offerings and the <fair-gabled>
temple of Phoebus will remain unfouled.
Yet I hesitate to kill you,
who convey the gods' words
to mortals. But I shall duly perform
the tasks I am devoted to for Phoebus and never cease
serving him who feeds me.
It has sometimes been found surprising that when Ion scares birds away from the temple he encourages them to go to some other holy place (164, 174–7): 'the ministrant of Apollo does not seem to mind if the shrines of other gods are defiled by the birds, nor even what happens in Apollo’s own shrine in Delos' (Owen on 174–5). But Ion is in fact alluding wittily to the formulae of the ἀποπομπή (sending way) of a malevolent power: 'if he is to spare his intended victim, another (or others) must be shown him on which he can wreak his will ... by no means necessarily ... the person or property of an enemy of the man who makes the prayer' (Fraenkel on Aesch. Ag. 1573, comparing Theognis 351–4, Eur. Hel. 360–1). We thus have an Ion capable of sophisticated humour, rather than another Hippolytus, obsessed with his own cult to the exclusion of others.More accurately, when Ion tells the birds simply to go away ("go elsewhere," "fly off to somewhere else"), it is apopompē; when he tells them to go away to some specific place ("the lake at Delos," "the eddies of the Alpheus," "the groves of the Isthmus"), it is epipompē.
Richard Wünsch first used the terms apopompē and epipompē to describe these two different ways of banishing evil in "Zur Geisterbannung im Altertum," Festschrift zur Jahrhundertfeier der Universität zu Breslau = Mitteilungen der Schlesischen Gesellschaft für Volkskunde 13-14 (1911) 9-32. Wünsch used apopompē to mean simply driving away evil, epipompē to mean driving away evil onto someone or something else. More here.
|
<urn:uuid:a90c696e-d3bf-4c4c-ba74-c14078a202cf>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://laudatortemporisacti.blogspot.com/2011/06/apopompe-and-epipompe-in-euripides-ion.html
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.885476
| 780
| 2.53125
| 3
|
Tiglath-pileser IIIArticle Free Pass
Tiglath-pileser III, (flourished 8th century bc), king of Assyria (745–727 bc) who inaugurated the last and greatest phase of Assyrian expansion. He subjected Syria and Palestine to his rule, and later (729 or 728) he merged the kingdoms of Assyria and Babylonia.
Rise to power.
Since the days of Adad-nirari III (reigned 810–783 bc) Assyria had been politically and militarily weak, for its northern neighbour, Urartu, dominated the states controlling its principal trade routes to the Mediterranean and to the Iranian plateau. Some portions of the empire had ceased to pay the tribute required by treaties. In the spring of 745 bc a rebellion against the weak king Ashur-nirari V, a son of Adad-nirari III, brought a new ruler, who was then governor of Calah, to power. This new ruler assumed the throne name of Tiglath-pileser in what may have been a deliberate reference to an illustrious forebear, Tiglath-pileser I (reigned c. 1115–c. 1077 bc).
As king, Tiglath-pileser III, an intelligent and vigorous man, acted swiftly. He rearranged territorial governorships by subdividing the larger provinces that had tended to strive for independence from the central power. Outside the immediate home territory he appointed Assyrian officials to be directly responsible to him as well as to support their local ruler. By 738 there were 80 such provinces. The Assyrians had to report directly to the king, who thus was able to check continuously on the loyalty and efficiency of all of his civil servants. They were responsible for local taxation, the storage of military supplies, and the calling up of local forces to support the new Assyrian army, now a skilled professional force compared with its predecessor, which had relied on somewhat haphazard conscription. A new intelligence system, using reports transmitted by staging posts, was also created.
Tiglath-pileser was thus prepared to break the stranglehold of the surrounding tribes. He first moved eastward against Zamua (modern Sulaymānīyah), then north against the Medes. Both were brought back under control of the adjacent provincial governors. The tribal lands of Puqudu, northeast of Baghdad, were joined to the Arrapkha (Kirkūk) province, thereby holding the Aramaean tribes in check. This and contiguous operations strengthened the hands of Nabonassar, the native king of Babylonia, who maintained peace until his death in 734. All this was facilitated by Tiglath-pileser’s policy of mass resettlement. Groups whose loyalty was assured, since they were now dependent on the king for protection in a foreign environment, were settled in troublesome border regions. In 742–741 alone, tens of thousands were thus resettled.
Tiglath-pileser next attacked the Urartian ruler Sarduri II and his neo-Hittite and Aramaean allies, whom he defeated in 743 bc. Advance westward was, however, barred by the capital of Arpad, which had to be besieged for three years—a technique now feasible to a standing army. The victory in 741 was far-reaching, as noted in the Bible (Isaiah 37:13), and was to stem the barbarian pressures from the north that, after Tiglath-pileser, were to threaten civilizations throughout the area. Tribute was brought to him at Arpad from Damascus, Tyre, Cilicia, and other cities and regions.
The Assyrian king’s skill is best seen in his handling of affairs in Syria and Palestine. From an independent military headquarters he bypassed the rebels’ ringleader at Damascus, won over most coastal cities, cut off supplies of timber from Egypt, and sent a force to Ashkelon and Gaza. In 734 the border with Egypt was sealed. The tribes of Ammon, Edom, and Moab, who, with Israel, had attacked Ahaz of Judah—a vassal of Assyria—now had to pay tribute. Over the next two years Tiglath-pileser systematically broke the power of Damascus. Israel was made subject through the assassination of Pekah (Pakaha) and his replacement by a pro-Assyrian vassal Hoshea (Ausi). Galilee was made part of an adjacent province.
The Assyrian sensed that these rebels were encouraged by Ukin-zer, the Chaldean chief who, in 734, had seized the throne of Babylon. Using consummate diplomacy, Tiglath-pileser sowed discord among other Aramaean tribes, one of whose chiefs he won over. His strategy now paid off. He could move the Assyrian army through areas held by loyal governors or vassals east of the Tigris. One force seized Babylon and another the rebel stronghold of Sapia. It proved a fitting culmination that in 729–728 Tiglath-pileser himself took over the throne of Babylon using his personal (or perhaps Babylonian) name of Pulu (II Kings 15:19; I Chronicles 5:26). He died soon afterward, having set Assyria on the road it was to follow to its end.
What made you want to look up "Tiglath-pileser III"? Please share what surprised you most...
|
<urn:uuid:a8200f29-d629-4b59-af0c-ec491f03d20a>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/595535/Tiglath-pileser-III
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.974597
| 1,154
| 3.34375
| 3
|
South Korea To Build 10 More Nuclear Plants by 2030.......
Nuclear power has advantage in many areas like the fact that it avoids the wide variety of environmental problems arising from burning scarce fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas.
Due to these reasons, South Korea is now looking for 10 more nuclear power plants by 2030 to increase its renewable energy resources as part of a 100-billion dollar plan to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels.
South Korea is a highly industrialized nation with few natural energy sources. These nuclear plants will generate nearly 60 percent of their energy.
Through this way, South Korea will create more renewable energy resources to meet the country's growing power needs and protect the environment.
The NEC (National Energy Committee) called for a dramatic increase in the amount of energy South Korea gets from renewable sources including solar and wind power and biofuels from 2.4 percent of total consumption today to 11 percent by 2030.
If the plan is going well, it would save the country 34.4 billion dollars in energy import bills by the target year and help create 950,000 new jobs.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
|
<urn:uuid:146c9087-2529-4acf-a6be-6d6e52277692>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://www.groundreport.com/Business/South-Korea-to-build-10-more-nuclear-plants-by-203/2868234
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.932324
| 237
| 3.125
| 3
|
There has been significant growth in Chinese language programs over the past five years. Indeed, demand seems likely to continue to increase. The most significant barrier to meeting student demand to learn Chinese is the lack of trained and certified teachers.
For programs to be vital and sustainable, teachers must be able to engage and to motivate students over the long term, incorporate best practices in the teaching and learning of world languages, and to connect the Chinese language program to other academic subject areas and aspects of school life and community.
In February of 2010, Asia Society convened an experts meeting on Chinese language teacher preparation and certification in the U.S., to address the urgent need for a long-term supply of effective Chinese language teachers. The meeting brought together 50 leaders from the United States and China to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing the field of Chinese language teaching and learning. The outcome was a set of targeted recommendations for the field going forward.
See the new Asia Society report, Meeting the Challenge: Preparing Chinese Language Teachers for American Schools, to learn about the recommendations. The report analyzes the current status of, and demand for, Chinese language programs. it proposes ways to expand and enhance the supply of Chinese language teachers, increase their effectiveness, and produce teachers for new innovations in elementary and online language programs.
To accomplish these tasks will require vision and partnerships between all the critical stakeholders—schools, colleges and universities, and state and federal government. Much is already happening in terms of both quantity and quality. Lessons have been learned, new programs have been created, and new pools of potential teachers are being developed. But much more needs to be done in order to meet the challenge of Jon Huntsman Jr., U.S. Ambassador to China: Young people today "need to be able to build bridges across the Pacific Ocean that speak to world peace, that speak to prosperity, that speak to economic development. . . . And I know of no other way of doing that . . . building those bridges . . . and making the cultures on both sides of the Pacific comprehensible, other than through language study."
|
<urn:uuid:3b3b3384-7088-417b-ae75-8d73864ff7b3>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://asiasociety.org/education/chinese-language-initiatives/how-meet-high-demand-chinese-teachers
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.947345
| 422
| 2.703125
| 3
|
The students count to 10 or 20 by making Cheerios necklaces. This is also a good activity for developing fine motor skills.
To learn to count to 10 (preschool) or 20 (Kindergarten).
- Book: The Cheerios Counting Book
- construction paper squares numbered 1-10 or 1-20
Read the book The Cheerios Counting Book. Discuss the numbers and count in the book the number of cheerios shown on each page.
Discuss with the children how old they are and have them show you their age using their fingers.
Have the number cards on the table – one for each child in your class. Have the children sit down and then give each child a handful of cheerios. Have the children take their square and put the right amount of cheerios on it. Talk to the children about what each number is as they put the cheerios on. Let them eat the extra cheerios while you talk about the numbers.
Give the children more cheerios. Use the yarn to make cheerios necklaces with the kids. Have them count their Cheerios as they put them on their necklace. If you are teaching preschoolers, use 10 as the number. If you are doing this with kindergartners, let them put 20 cheerios on their necklaces.
You could also have Cheerios for snack that day, if you wish.
By: Debbie Haren, Preschool Teacher
Related lesson plans:
- M & M Counting Chart Share/BookmarkChildren graph the M&Ms by color, graph their favorite color M and M as a class. Objectives: To learn how to count and to help reinforce colors. Materials: A small graph with the different colors of M and M’s Try...
- How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World Snack Activity Share/BookmarkStudents will love this book and activity. Map skills, counting, and following directions are reinforced. Materials: How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World one refrigerator biscuit per child a can of apple pie filling cinnamon sugar Lesson...
- Yummy Pumpkin Treats Snack Activity Share/BookmarkObjectives: After reading Pumpkin, Pumpkin by Jeanne Titherington we make Yummy Pumpkin Treats. This activity enhances math with counting and following directions. You will need: Pumpkin Pumpkin by Jeanne Titherington a pumpkin cookie cutter bread cream cheese raisins candy corn...
- The Cheeto Walk Learning Game Share/BookmarkStudents learn number recognition, following simple rules, and listening skills. Objectives: Number recognition, following simple rules, and listening skills Materials: number cards made out of construction paper tape music tape recorder cheetos (or other edibles) small pieces of paper with...
- 10 Apples Up On Top Class Book Activity Share/BookmarkMake class books as a follow-up activity to this great Dr. Seuss book. Materials: Ten Apples Up On Top! by Theo. LeSieg (Dr. Seuss) tagboard apple cutouts pictures of students Lesson Plan: To make the pages, I cut 11 x...
|
<urn:uuid:5fb23eb4-b12f-4863-9956-bcb423b57015>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://lessons.atozteacherstuff.com/306/counting-make-a-cheerios-necklace/
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.898117
| 648
| 3.984375
| 4
|
Developing Prospective Teachers' Questioning Skills through Interaction with a Virtual Interview Subjects
Sandy Spitzer (Math), Suranjan Chakraborty (Computer and Information Science), Yuanqiong Wang (Computer and Information Science) & Josh Dehlinger (Computer and Information Science)
This project investigates the effectiveness of a simulated field experience on prospective elementary mathematics teachers’ questioning skills. We are developing and evaluating a prototype of a “Virtual Interview Subject” (VIS) which prospective teachers can interact in a low-risk, sustained way to improve their questioning skills before working with students in a live field placement. Programmed with a knowledge base of theoretically and empirically determined student responses to interviews about geometry, the VIS uses a question-answer approach to respond in real time to prospective teachers’ questions, providing a unique setting for prospective elementary teachers to experiment with different questioning techniques as well as a context for analysis of student thinking.
Bringing together the expertise of computer and information scientists and mathematics teacher educators, this project has the potential to expand our understanding of how technology can be used in teacher education. Although conversational agents have been used in the past for teaching and research and as a way to motivate students to learn, this project proposes a unique use of this emerging technology. Most previous efforts using the conversational agents have utilized them as tutors, whereas this project tries to present a new way of using the conversational agent by programming it as virtual students to present a simulated teaching task. Currently, while technology is often used to support live or vicarious field experiences (e.g., through discussion boards or video), technology providing simulated experiences is extremely rare. This is an open area for potential research and technological design, and the experience and expertise of our team is well-suited for exploring it.
Impact on Students
This project impacts the undergraduate teacher education program at TU by developing
a technological tool which would allow prospective teachers to practice and hone
their questioning skills in a low-risk environment. The results of this project
include a technological tool and a curricular innovation that will be used
in a variety of undergraduate courses aimed at prospective elementary and middle
school teachers, including Math 255, Math 323 and Math 251. The enrollment in these courses is high, so this project has the potential to impact a large number of TU undergraduates
|
<urn:uuid:2ab9e893-ee88-4405-b2df-8964edafd075>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://www.towson.edu/set/Projects/VirtualStudent.asp
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.931079
| 481
| 2.5625
| 3
|
Miss K's Circle Time theme for this week is apples, and it's all apples, all the time around here, starting with the apples and apple cider we enjoyed during yesterday's field trip.
This morning, Miss K told the kids the story of Johnny Appleseed, and she and the kids cut open an apple, examined its core, and then discussed how seeds grow into trees that produce more apples.
On the playroom side, where Miss D manages the two-year-olds, she kept them busy with this fun apple tree activity:
How cute is that?
Our work time went so, so well today! Over the weekend, I set up the /r a m f b i t g/ portion of the language area that Laura at My Montessori Journey uses in her classroom. (Again, have I said thank you? Thank you!!)
I sat down with all of the kids (minus Miss C's son, whose brother was at home sick with a very high fever - get well soon, little guy!), and we started by playing "I Spy" again. I showed them some clipart images that I laminated (rocket, apple, monkey, fire truck) and said, "I spy something that begins with the sound /r/," etc. Then I introduced the sandpaper letter r and explained, "This is how we write the sound /r/," or, "This is the sound /r/." The kids flew through this, so I introduced a, m, and f, and then we sorted all of the laminated clipart pieces under their appropriate beginning sound:
I still haven't had time to figure out how to upload documents here, but I'll be happy to make these clipart collections available for download if anyone's interested.
Next we made red sound books for each child and glued r, a, m, and f into their books. Tomorrow I'll introduce b, i, t, and g.
Next, Miss D's son wanted to try the rice tray to practice writing the letters. (Today I switched cornmeal out for rice - I'm still trying to find the right material for this activity. The cornmeal was dusty, and no one seemed to like it. Our sandbox sand is similarly fine and dusty. The rice was OK today - I'll continue to monitor it and see what the kids' reaction to it is.) As with everything else in a small classroom such as ours, his enthusiasm was contagious, and all of the kids wanted to take turns writing letters. I was thrilled that Miss D's son wanted to try this activity, though; he's a big guy - like future-football-player big - and he has these big bear paws for hands. He tends to shy away from writing, so if he takes to this activity, I think it will be a real confidence booster for him.
Next the kids took a break for snack (including the apple they cut up during Circle Time), and then my daughter and Miss D's son worked on last week's cutting activity while Miss K's daughter worked on the numbers and counters:
Miss D's son working so hard at making very fine blades of grass
Miss K's daughter working with the numbers and counters
As I've mentioned before, Miss K's daughter is a real builder. She took this activity out because she wanted to make towers. I told her she could make towers as soon as she was finished finding the right number of "friends" for each of the numbers. She loved it, and I was able to brag on her and use her beautiful work to give everyone a lesson on odd and even numbers.
Here she is putting her work away so she can build towers
When she started stacking the counters to make towers, it occurred to me that she might want to try building towers with the knobless cylinders. She was eager to try it, so we put the numbers and counters away and got the knobless cylinders out. No go. I had mentioned the word "cylinder," and I think she thought I was talking about the wooden cylinder blocks. She walked over to them and said, "I want to build a farm."
Here's her beautiful farm. She does all four blocks with ease now.
While Miss K's daughter was building her farm :), my daughter and Miss D's son finished the hundred board that he set aside last week. They worked together very well and finished the board quickly. This is an area where Miss D's son excels (I've mentioned before that he has a real head for numbers) but in which my daughter needs practice.
Uh oh, I see a problem...
It was so hard not to say anything! They filled in all 100 spaces before they noticed their error. Two numbers ended up switched, and much to my delight, my daughter knew very quickly how she could fix the problem! That showed me real advancement.
Next up, Miss D led Music Time. She taught the kids a song about apples, of course, and they also used instruments and movement in about 5 other songs - she does a wonderful job with this!
Finally, we introduced our Bible Verse and story for the week, "E" from My ABC Bible Verses: "Even a child is known by his deeds," Proverbs 20:11.
This was by far our best day yet!
|
<urn:uuid:67b353b9-4fc9-4138-9e0b-1c4d0b8ba3dd>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://montessoristory.blogspot.com/2008/09/apples-apples-everywhere.html
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.98551
| 1,097
| 2.6875
| 3
|
Z Goes Home, by Jon Agee
Follows the letter Z on its way home from the zoo as it passes a bridge, gargoyles, rocks, and woodpiles, illustrating the letters of the alphabet along the way.
Read Anything Good Lately? by Susan Allen
An alphabetical look at some different places and things to read, from an atlas at the airport to a zodiac at the zoo.
K Is For Kissing A Cool Kangaroo, by Giles Andreae
Illustrations and a simple rhyme introduce all the letters of the alphabet, and the word list that follows challenges the reader to go back and find more examples of words that begin with each letter.
Naughty Little Monkeys, by Jim Aylesworth
Mom thinks all twenty-six of her monkeys are angelic, but from Andy's wayward airplane to Zelda's trip to the zoo, these little ones find a way to get into mischief for each letter of the alphabet.
Matthew A.B.C, by Peter Catalanoto
A new boy named Matthew joins Mrs. Tuttle's class, which already has twenty-five students whose first names are Matthew and whose last names begin with every letter except Z.
Alphaboat, by Michael Chesworth
Rhyming text full of puns tells the story of the letters of the alphabet sailing off to look for a buried treasure.
What Do Animals Do On The Weekend? : Adventures From A To Z, by Lauren Faulkenberry
Recounts the leisure time activities of a variety of creatures, from ants admiring paintings in an art gallery to zebras looking at New Zealand from their zeppelin.
Ellsworth's Extraordinary Electric Ears And Other Amazing Alphabet Anecdotes, by Valorie Gisher
Photographs depict twenty-six scenes, one for each letter of the alphabet.
Alphabet Under Construction, by Denise Fleming
A mouse works his way through the alphabet as he folds the "F," measures the "M," and rolls the "R."
The Racecar Alphabet, by Brian Floca
An exciting day at the races highlights the letters of the alphabet as a variety of automobiles burn fuel speeding through the curves of the track.
My Beastie Book Of ABC : Rhymes And Woodcuts, by David Frampton
Illustrations and brief rhymes present an alphabet of animals from alligator and hippo to parrot and zebra.
Appaloosa Zebra : A Horse Lover's Alphabet, by Jessie Haas
Moving through the alphabet, a girl ponders the many different kinds of horses she will have when she gets older, from Appaloosa to zebra.
Toot & Puddle : Puddle's Abc, by Holly Hobbie
Puddle teaches his friend Otto the letters of the alphabet so that Otto can write his name.
Zoo Flakes : ABC, by Will C. Howell
Snowflake-style cutouts present a different animal for each letter of the alphabet. Includes instructions.
On Your Toes : A Ballet ABC, by Rachel Isadora
Each letter of the alphabet is represented by an illustration of a ballet-related word. 2003
A Cow's Alfalfa-BeT, by Woody Jackson
Objects that make up life on a farm are depicted from A to Z.
ABC: A Child's First Alphabet, by Alison Jay
In this alphabet book, a is for apple and z is for zoo.
The Artful Alphabet, by Martina Jirankova-Limbrick
The artful alphabet Illustrations representing each letter of the alphabet reveal a variety of objects for the reader to identify.
K Is For Kitten, by Nikia Speliakos Clark Leopold
A rhyming alphabet book which follows a kitten named Rosie from the alley in which she is found to the "ZZzzs" she enjoys with the family that gives her a home.
Jeepers Creepers: A Monstrous ABC, by Laura Leuck
Twenty-six monsters go to school and learn their letters as each one's name starts with another letter of the alphabet.
Achoo! Bang! Crash! : A Noisy Alphabet, by Ross Macdonald
Words about sound and noise illustrate the letters of the alphabet.
Baby's Alphabet, by Jean Marzollo
An alphabetical presentation of babies as they clap, hug, jump, kiss, laugh, yawn, and more.
Alphabet Fiesta : An English/Spanish Alphabet Story, by Anne Miranda
SP - E Miranda (Sp-E Miranda Foreign Language section)
In a story written in English and Spanish, all the animals receive invitations in alphabetical order to attend Zelda's surprise party, and come bringing presents, goodies, and food.
ABCD : An Alphabet Book Of Cats And Dogs, by Sheila Moxley
Presents photographs, mixed with paintings, of dogs and cats and such alliterative text as "Freddie fishes for flounder" and "Victoria vacations in Venice" for eash letter of the alphabet.
The Alphabet Keeper, by Mary Murphy
The Alphabet Keeper keeps all the letters caged in the dark, but one day they escape and use clever word play to outwit the keeper.
Museum ABC, by the Metropolitan Museum of Art
Images from paintings housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art represent letters of the alphabet, such as "A" for apple, "I" for insect, and "R" for rose.
G Is For Goat, by Patricia Polacco
A rhyming celebration of goats and their antics, from A to Z.
Talk To Me About The Alphabet, by Christopher Raschka
Illustrations and simple text for each letter of the alphabet demonstrate the sounds made by that letter. 2003
Agent A to Agent Z, by Andy Rash
A spy named Agent A inspects his fellow spies, all similarly named after letters of the alphabet.
Kindergarten ABC, by Jacqueline Rogers
Presents the special activities of a kindergarten class on the day devoted to each letter of the alphabet, from finding acorns outside on A day to zero more letters and a trip to the zoo on Z day.
Penguins A-B-C, by Keven Schafer
Labeled photographs present words related to penguins from "Antarctica" and "Dive" to "Ocean" and "Waddle".
Miss Bindergarten Takes A Field Trip With Kindergarten, by Josheph Slate
Introduces the letters of the alphabet as Miss Bindergarten and her students visit interesting places around town.
B Is For Bulldozer : A Construction ABC, by June Sobel
As children watch over the course of a year, builders construct a rollercoaster using tools and materials that begin with each letter of the alphabet.
Alphabet Adventure, by Audrey Wood
On their way to school, the little letters of the alphabet have to rescue little "i" and then find his dot before they can proceed.
Alphabet Mystery, by Audrey Wood
Little x is missing from Charley's Alphabet, and the other lowercase letters go off to solve the mystery of his disappearance, learning in the end how valuable a little x can be.
|
<urn:uuid:721f2a79-ab01-402d-9675-79c48389110e>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://tcpl.org/kids/booklists-alphabet.php
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.905779
| 1,498
| 2.578125
| 3
|
You wanted to know
“What is chemotherapy all about?” asked students in Elise Diaz’s fifth-grade class at O’Plaine School in Gurnee.
Chemotherapy, also called chemo, is a medical treatment that uses a combination of chemicals to combat illnesses. Chemo is used mostly to treat cancer and autoimmune diseases.
Cancer occurs when healthy cells change and grow irregularly.
“Cancer cells are cells that have gone awry and don’t die when they are supposed to,” said Dr. Elaine Lee Wade at NorthShore University HealthSystem’s Glenbrook Hospital in Glenview.
Doctors also use chemo to treat patients with immune system illnesses.
“Giving chemo poisons the cells, or stops them from reproducing. It doesn’t kill the healthy cells, which can rebound,” Dr. Wade said. “We think cancer cells are affected because they divide so quickly. Chemo hurts rapidly growing cells. Many, many different kinds of drugs are used that are designed to interfere with some cell division. Some are false building blocks for DNA that stop the cells from dividing.”
During world wars I and II, the Germans launched rockets that contained chemicals called mustard gas that would explode near Allied soldiers.
At first, soldiers exposed to the gas had no symptoms. Hours later, harmful blisters would form. Doctors noticed that patients exposed to the mustard gas chemicals had lower white blood cell counts. People with cancer or altered immune systems improved when these types of chemicals were administered in controlled doses.
“For patients with rheumatoid arthritis or lupus, chemical treatment is designed to calm the immune system,” Dr. Wade said. “Chemo can cure certain kinds of cancer tumors, like testicular cancer and Hodgkin’s disease.”
Wade said chemo can be used in patients whose cancer re-emerges after being eliminated in a prior illness. The chemo keeps the cancer in check instead of allowing it to take control.
Like most medical treatments, there can be a downside to using chemo. Because the chemicals injure the body’s fastest growing cells, there can be hair loss, but healthy cells and hair will bounce back when the treatments are complete.
Chemo also can cause a loss of appetite, fatigue and nausea. Doctors can prescribe medicines to comfort patients being treated with chemotherapy.
“Chemo can be administered in a pill, intravenously or in a topical cream,” Dr. Wade said. “Many, many more people have survived because of the benefits of using chemotherapy.”Copyright © 2013 Paddock Publications, Inc. All rights reserved.
|
<urn:uuid:b826cbe8-6978-4a09-b879-1d977d6de998>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20110328/news/703289946/print/
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.950398
| 562
| 3.5625
| 4
|
Langston Hughes, whose literary legacy is enormous and varied, was closeted, but homosexuality was an important influence on his literary imagination, and many of his poems may be read as gay texts.
The writers of the Beat Generation, many of whom were gay or bisexual, endorsed gay rights as a part of their rebellion against inhibition and self-censorship.
The Comedy of Manners, which flourished on the Restoration stage, has been particularly amenable to twentieth-century gay male writers as a vehicle for social satire in both dramatic and nondramatic works.
Using his and his family's experiences, particularly his childhood in Raleigh, North Carolina, and his own wacky perspective on life, David Sedaris has become a world-famous humorist, comedian, writer, playwright, and radio personality.
From the great modernist writers of the 1920s and 1930s to the pulp writers of the 1950s to the lesbian writers of today, lesbian novelists have had a powerful impact on the lesbian community.
From its beginning, the nineteenth century in England had a purposeful homosexual literature of considerable bulk, both male and female, though it was fettered by oppression.
Persecuted for his homosexuality by the Castro government he had once championed, Cuban novelist, essayist, and poet Reinaldo Arenas challenged all types of ideological dogmatism.
Baudelaire was among the first French poets to include lesbians as subjects.
Dustin Lance Black.
On September 19, U.S. District Judge James Ware ruled that the video recording of the Proposition 8 trial should be unsealed and made available to the public. The ruling came on the day that Dustin Lance Black's play 8, based on transcripts of the Prop 8 trial, premiered on Broadway in a one-performance-only staged reading to benefit the American Foundation for Equal Rights, the organization formed in order to support the lawsuit seeking to have Proposition 8 nullified as unconstitutional.
Judge Ware concluded that "no compelling reasons exist for continued sealing of the digital recording of the trial." He rejected all the arguments made by the proponents of Proposition 8 to maintain the seal, including the contention that "public dissemination of the [digital recording] could have a chilling effect on . . . expert witnesses" willingness "to cooperate in any future proceeding."
Judge Ware stayed his order to release the video recording of the trial until September 30 to allow the proponents of Proposition 8 to appeal the ruling. They almost certainly will do so, and the issue may be tied up in court for years before it is finally decided.
Black, who won an Academy Award for his screenplay of Gus Van Sant's Milk, decided to dramatize the Proposition 8 trial precisely because the proponents of Proposition 8 have been so determined to prevent the video recording from being released.
He told the Associated Press that the trial "was the first time I've ever seen our case argued by the most capable lawyers in the world, in a court of law where the other side had to raise their right hand and swear to tell the truth. . . . It killed me to think that this would only live inside this courtroom for the dozens to see and not the country to see, and I think it killed all of us in the room. We immediately started trying to figure out, 'How do we get this truth out there?'"
In addition to the transcripts, Black used his firsthand observations of the trial and interviews with the plaintiffs and their families to craft the script for the play.
The staged reading on September 19 featured a star-studded cast, including Ellen Barkin, Matt Bomer, Morgan Freeman, Cheyenne Jackson, Larry Kramer, Christine Lahti, John Lithgow, Rob Reiner, Kate Shindle, Stephen Spinella, and Bradley Whitford. It was directed by Tony Award-winner Joe Mantello.
Following the September 19 performance, the American Foundation for Equal Rights and Broadway Impact will license 8 to schools and community organizations nationwide in order to educate the general public about the Proposition 8 trial.
|
<urn:uuid:94fe0efb-7be6-4a67-ad98-cf2b8d5a7794>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://www.glbtq.com/blogs/premiere_of_ii_judge_rules_that_video_of_prop__trial_should_be_released.html
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.973728
| 822
| 2.828125
| 3
|
The education ministry plans to introduce an “early graduation system” that will shave off six to 12 months from the three years it now takes senior high school students to graduate.
Students who have achieved certain levels of academic performance will be qualified for the system on the premise that they go on to universities.
By making it possible for students to enter universities earlier, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology hopes to develop a pool of talented people who can play active roles in Japan and the world.
To implement the system, the ministry plans to revise the School Education Law that stipulates that three years of learning are required to graduate senior high schools.
If the system is introduced, students can go on to universities after graduating from senior high schools in two years. They can also advance to overseas universities, whose admission season is mainly in autumn, after graduating from senior high schools in two and a half years.
Currently, domestic universities, including the University of Tokyo, are considering changing the admission season from spring to autumn. With high school graduations in Japan typically in March, one drawback to starting the university admission season in autumn would be the half-year gap between high school graduation and the start of college semesters in fall.
However, the problem of the half-year gap would be solved if the early graduation system is introduced.
In Japan, an early admission system to universities was approved in the revisions to the School Education Law in 1997. The early admission system enables students to skip their third year of senior high school and jump straight to college or university.
In fiscal 1998, Chiba University introduced the early admission system for the first time. Currently, six universities have accepted students under the system, although it has drawbacks.
According to the education ministry, only 101 students have gone on to universities with the system by this fiscal year.
Under the current Japanese education system, students who advanced to universities with the early admission system are recorded as those who "dropped out of senior high schools." Therefore, if they drop out of universities, their final academic records become "graduates of junior high schools."
That is said to be the main reason the number of students who use the early admission system does not increase drastically.
The ministry expects that if the students were recorded as "graduates of senior high schools," even if they spent only two years in senior high schools, the number of students who would try to use the early admission system or the number of universities that would accept those students would increase.
The education ministry plans to iron out the details of the early graduation system by the end of fiscal 2013 after holding meetings of experts or those attached to the Central Council for Education.
Meanwhile, officials of senior high schools fear that the early graduation system will lead to trivializing senior high school education. Therefore, the ministry plans to require that only students with stellar academic performances be eligible for the early graduation system.
- « Prev
- Next »
|
<urn:uuid:b26c2f18-ad76-4d59-b593-4115fb0615b8>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/social_affairs/AJ201206060001
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.96874
| 603
| 2.796875
| 3
|
Facts About Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America, which is situated between the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean. Guatemala is mostly mountainous, except for the South coastal area and the vast lowlands of the Peten, in the north. The country has a hot tropical climate, more temperate in the highlands and drier in the easternmost areas. Guatemala experiences a variation in temperatures, owing to the differences in altitudes. The major cities are situated in the southern part of the country. The significant cities of Guatemala constitute of the capital Guatemala City, Quetzaltenango and Escuintla. The largest lake in the country is Lago de Izabal, which is situated close to the Caribbean coast. For some more interesting facts about Guatemala, read on.
Interesting Facts About Guatemala
- The official name of the country is Republic of Guatemala.
- The name Guatemala means ‘Land of the Trees’ in the Maya-Toltec language.
- The country has a total area of 110,000 square km. The capital of the state is Guatemala City.
- Administratively, the country is divided into 22 departments and subdivided into 332 municipalities.
- The official language of the country is Spanish, while the currency is Quetzal.
- Twenty-one distinct Mayan languages as well as several non-Mayan Amerindian languages are spoken here, especially in the rural areas.
- Majority of the population in Guatemala is Ladino, also called the Mestiso, apart from the Whites. Ladino consists of the mixed Amerindian and Spanish people, whereas the Whites comprise of people of Spanish, British, German, Italian and Scandinavian descent.
- Tajumulco Volcano is the highest point in Guatemala, with an altitude of 4,220 meters/ 13,845 ft. above sea level.
- According to The Economist World, Guatemala was ranked as having the 2nd highest concentration of ozone in the world, in 2007.
- There are three UNESCO World Heritage sites, namely, Antigua Guatemala, Archeoligical Park and Ruins of Quirigua and Tikal National Park.
- The national flag of Guatemala has two blue strips on its sides, with a coat of arms in the center. The two blue strips represent the two water bodies.
- Guatemala has 14 eco regions, which range from Mangrove forests to the ocean littorals.
- There are 252 listed wetlands in Guatemala. The country is recorded to have 100 rivers, 61 lagoons, 5 lakes and 3 swamps.
- The main rivers draining the land are Motagua, Dulce, Sarstun, Polochic abd Usumcinta.
- The country has a distinct fauna of its own and has about 1246 known species inhabiting it.
- As per the CIA World Factbook, Guatemala is recorded as having a per capita GDP (PPP) of US$ 5,000. The country is ranked one among the 10 poorest countries in Latin America.
- Agriculture contributes as one-fourth of the country’s GDP. Coffee, bananas and sugar are the main products of the land.
- Guatemala is a storehouse of a number of libraries and museums. Some of the important names in this list are the National Library, the National Archives, the Museum of Archeology and Ethnology.
- Constitutional Court or Corte de Constitutctionalidad is the highest court of the land in Guatemala.
How to Cite
|
<urn:uuid:e223bcf4-d8ac-4fb7-88ec-e253530096f8>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://lifestyle.iloveindia.com/lounge/facts-about-guatemala-2322.html
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.904245
| 731
| 3.21875
| 3
|
The cereal economy across most of Europe in the 1930s resembled that of Britain in the late 17th and early 18th centuries, in that wheat was still milled close to where it was grown, white bread was predominantly the food of the rich and the city dwellers, and wholemeal the food of the poor and the country households, and both rye and barley were still commonly eaten. In Britain, however, changes in agriculture and technology that began 200 years earlier had hustled British baking on to a path at odds with the rest of Europe.
The British agrarian revolution of the 18th century stirred the most defining change in the way farmland was managed, and the way grains like wheat and barley were grown and harvested. During this time, the older style of subsistence farming practised for hundreds of years was replaced, through enclosures that took the strips of land away from the rural poor and united them in larger, more efficient estates under the direct control of increasingly wealthy landowners. This, in turn, made it possible to introduce the new farming equipment invented at that time such as Jethro Tull's horse-drawn hoe, and his drill that planted seeds low enough to stop the rain washing them away.
Initially, these changes ensured that the first half of the 18th century was a period of relative prosperity. Wheat and barley harvests grew in both acreage and yield; increased yields and more animals to feed meant that more bran could be sold for animal feed, and a more refined, whiter flour could be marketed; and this became the dominant flour for bread-making. In 1700, rye flour accounted for about 40% of the bread of the common people; by 1800 it accounted for only 5%.
The regulations for the sale price and quality of bread, known as the 'Assize of Bread', defined loaves according to the coarseness of the flour used, typically 'white' (the most expensive), 'wheaten' and 'household' (the least expensive). This, in effect, reduced the quality of household brown bread and increased the popularity of white. The prices set by the assize made it very difficult to sell brown bread at anything other than a loss, and some critics suspected that bakers made a poorer quality of household bread to promote higher-value white wheaten bread.
The system of bread-making used in homes and bakeries at that time was a simple process that used a fermenting liquid, commonly called barm and usually made from the liquor extracted from soaked malted grains and boiled hops. The hops acted as an antibacterial addition and stopped the yeast liquid turning sour too quickly. A simple dough would be made, quite firm with a very small quantity of barm, and left for many hours to rise, after which it would be divided, shaped and baked. In France by comparison, during the same period, the dough mixing process was more complex, as hops and malt weren't used to speed the fermentation and inhibit excess acidity: instead, the volume of the dough was increased in stages, as this kept the fermentation brisk and controlled the acidity. It wasn't until the early 1800s in both Britain and France that a liquid ferment, what British bakers called a 'sponge', became commonly used, a method believed to have been introduced to both countries by Viennese bakers.
Sourness wasn't avoided by all bakers. In Scotland, Wales, Cumbria and Lancashire, the practice of sowens-making where the husks of oats were left in a wooden bowl to ferment, and the liquid heated until it thickened slightly into a sour 'soup' was common, and a flat oatmeal bread, known as sowens cakes, and later simply oatcakes, had left the locals with a taste for sour bread. If malted barley wasn't available to speed the fermentation, then cooked potatoes were added, and this became typical of bakers in the Midlands. For the southern English, however, any trace of acidity or potato was frowned upon.
A succession of poor wheat harvests after 1770, together with a rapidly rising population, led merchants to import grain from Europe. During the war with France (1793-1815), importation of grain from Europe became impossible, inflating grain prices in Britain and securing major landowners even more wealth.
This situation unwound with the fall of Napoleon; cheap imported grain began to flood into the British market, almost halving the price within a matter of months, and Lord Liverpool and his government, the party of the landowners, sought ways to stop this. The 1815 Corn Laws were trade tariffs, which protected domestic grain from cheaper foreign imports; however, the British market was opened up again by their repeal in 1846, whereas the rest of Europe (apart from Belgium) retained tariffs on grain imports until at least the 1930s.
At first, the introduction of imported, mainly European wheat worked in sympathy with the old style of British baking and complemented local wheat characteristics when used in small-scale bakeries with hand-mixing. But later on, a new kind of milling and dough mixing evolved that would enable the manufacture of bread in factories, and the whitest, softest and cheapest bread British workers had ever had access to.
From the 1870s onwards, the importation into Britain of roller-milled flour from the US and Hungary changed the style of bread that could be made and slowly starved, and effectively closed, the traditional wind- and watermills of Britain. The flour was ultra-white and fine, due to the use of silk bolting cloths, and it was milled from new varieties of hard wheat, rich in gluten. This flour produced dough that was more resilient and extensible than that made with local grain, and though it lacked the same rich sweet flavour of native British wheat, it performed better when used in high-powered dough mixing machines, and became essential for the early plant baking industry that would dominate British bread-making during the 20th century. High tariffs protected the rest of Europe from importation of wheat and flour well into the 20th century, and this helped to protect the local milling and baking traditions.
From this point on, the characteristics traditionally found in British regional bread-making the curious use of an ale-barm, the single long fermentation of a firm dough and the inevitable backnote of bitterness from the hops, the cream grey stone-milled flour, the use of rye, barley and oatmeal together with wholemeal wheat flour to make a maslin mixture began to vanish. Though the shapes of the loaves remained, the heart of the crumb and crust was lost. A small amount of home-baking continued, but given the higher number of women who were in full-time employment, compared to the rest of Europe, there was limited time and resources to bake at home.
Effectively, a quest for wealth and modernity destroyed the traditions in British baking. Though the 20th century brought innovations, such as the Chorleywood Bread Process, electric ovens and refrigeration, the traditional methods and techniques once used to make British breads were already a faint memory by then. Today, young bakers are gradually unearthing and restoring the older techniques used in the 1800s, restarting old barm-making processes and working with farmers to grow forgotten, but once local varieties of wheat.
Perhaps the legacy that British baking leaves the world at this point is the sobering thought that no matter how common and ordinary local skills and old ways seem next to the alluring gloss and promise of modern discoveries, it is only with hindsight that we can ever appreciate the benefits of the knowledge and skills used by other generations.
l This is an extract from Dan Lepard's chapter on British baking in the Dictionnaire Universel du Pain, edited by Jean-Philippe de Tonnac, published this month by Robert Laffont. The book is a country-by-country exploration of the history of bread-baking and is currently available only in French.
Maslin barm bread
The combination of a maslin flour mixture with an ale barm is a typical style used in Georgian and early Victorian bread-making. This would be made with the sieving from the milled wheat after most (or sometimes all) of the white flour had been removed, then mixed or ground again with rye, barley and oats. In medieval times, the labourer would have been given a mixture of these grains to eat and these could be milled together into flour. The combination gave the loaves an earthy strong flavour.
The proportions of grains used varied according to the season and harvest. Prior to the early 1800s, much of the wheat grown in southern Britain resembled wheat grown in France. Seeds were exchanged and sold between both countries, so today's French flour is arguably closer in performance to old British flour than the modern imported hybrids used in the UK. The amount of barm varied according to the time available for bread-making, but I prefer a high level to accentuate the flavour of hops and malted barley.
1. The 24-48 hour beer barm
Optional: rye levain3g
One or two days before baking, whisk the ale and flour in a saucepan and bring just to the boil, no more. Then remove from the heat, spoon into a bowl and leave until absolutely cold. Stir in the yeast (and leaven, if using), cover the bowl, leave for 4 hours, then beat again and leave at 17C-23C for at least 24 hours.
2. For the dough:
The barm from above (550g), plus the flour mixture as follows:
Strong white flour or type T55550g
Fine-ground oatmeal75gFine salt 15g
Final temperature 20C - 23C.
1. Mix the barm, flour and water to make a soft dough. Mix on 1st speed for 2 minutes, then leave 30 minutes.
2. Add salt and mix on 2nd speed for 8 minutes. Leave dough until risen by 50%, approximately 2 hours at 21C, giving the dough one fold after an hour. A longer fermentation at a lower temperature, 16C, is preferable but not essential.
3. Shape dough into a ball, leave to rise on a floured board until risen by 50-75%.
4. Cut a cross in the centre and bake with steam at 225°C for 20 minutes, then remove steam and bake for a further 15-20 minutes. Traditionally the loaves would be "batch baked" in wooden frames, so that each loaf firmly pushes up against the loaves around it as it bakes, and can be torn apart once cool.
Sometimes just known as 'ale' or 'yeast', this could either be yeast skimmed off the top of a wooden vat of dark beer or it could be made in the bakehouse using a gelatinised mixture of wheat flour and water enriched with malt and hops, then seeded with a spoonful of old ale yeast. This latter method kept better and grew popular during the early 1800s.
The earliest recipes for a white loaf, farmhouse or tin used locally milled white flour, typically high in natural sugars (maltose) and modest amounts of gluten. A spoonful of ale barm would be mixed with water and all of the flour into a firm dough and this would be left for 6-8 hours to rise before shaping, left to rise once more and then baked. The farmhouse baking tin, a deep-sided, oblong tin made in 1lb to 5lb lengths, appeared in the early 1800s and enabled more bread to be baked, as it reduced the floor space each loaf took. As ovens were kept hot, the upper crust tended to burn while the protected sides stayed pale, and this became a characteristic.
|
<urn:uuid:5d491417-cd58-4767-a5c2-3077ee7b3679>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://www.bakeryinfo.co.uk/news/archivestory.php/aid/7596/Barmy_days_for_bread.html
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.968896
| 2,448
| 4.0625
| 4
|
Dating Violence: Fast FactsVictim Services 561-297-0500
- According to the National Center for Victims of Crime, Dating Violence is defined as "controlling, abusive, and aggressive behavior in a romantic relationship. It occurs in both heterosexual and homosexual relationships and can include verbal, emotional, physical, or sexual abuse, or a combination of these."
- Approximately one out of every three high school and college students has experienced some form of violence in dating relationships.
- According to the U.S. Department of Justice, 95 percent of the reported incidents of assault in relationships are committed by males. However, in junior high or middle school people who use violence are equally male and female.
- Often abuse occurs in a cycle:
- Phase 1: Tension
- Phase 2: Explosion
- Phase 3: Honeymoon
What are some early warning signs of dating violence?
- Your dating partner is jealous or possessive
- You receive lots of negative teasing from your partner, even in front of friends.
- You feel like it is your responsibility to make the relationship work, and you are expected to change your behavior to suit the other person.
- You are afraid of what your partner might do when s/he is angry.
- You are afraid to end the relationship.
How can I help a friend who is in a violent relationship?
- Tell your friend that you are worried about them. Listen to what s/he has to say without being judgmental.
- Suggest to your friend that s/he talk to a trusted adult -- maybe a teacher at your school, a coach from your soccer team, the grown-up sibling of a friend.
- Remind your friend about all the good things they have going for them. Many people in abusive relationships are no longer able to see their own abilities and gifts.
- Call the police if you witness an assault. Tell an adult if you suspect the abuse but haven't witnessed it first-hand.
For more help and information:
|
<urn:uuid:50289bf7-24ce-43ac-9623-a7ba307660a1>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://www.fau.edu/police/victimservices/dating_violence_fast_facts.php
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.958644
| 416
| 3.15625
| 3
|
More proof that the mainstream media is lying in their attempt to prop up the global warming myth. Just ask yourself who made the CO2 in the 1930's or the medieval warming period or when the dinosaurs roamed.
Even the UN IPCC whose report is the basis for most shrill cries of warming has admitted that their report is junk. See "IPCC Admits Its Past Climate Reports Were Junk" at our site. See the video "Carbon Dioxide in Perspective"
Dr. John Christy, Alabama's State Climatologist, Professor of Atmospheric Science and Director of the Earth System Science Center at the University of Alabama in Huntsville testified before the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works hearing on global warming and stated:
"During the heat wave of late June and early July, high temperature extremes became newsworthy. Claims that there were thousands of records broken each day and that "this is what global warming looks like" got a lot of attention.
However, these headlines were not based on climate science. As shown in Figure 1.3 of my testimony it is scientifically more accurate to say that this is what Mother Nature looks like, since events even worse than these have happened in the past before greenhouse gases were increasing like they are today.
Now, it gives some people great comfort to offer a quick and easy answer when the weather strays from the average rather than to struggle with the real truth, which is, we don't know enough about the climate to even predict events like this.
A climatologist looking at this heat wave would not be alarmed because the number of daily high temperature records set in the most recent decade was only about half the number set in the 1930s as shown in my written testimony. I suppose most people have forgotten that Oklahoma set a new record low temperature just last year of 31 below. And in the past two years, towns from Alaska to my home state of California established records for snowfall. The recent anomalous weather can't be blamed on carbon dioxide.
|Liveleak on Facebook|
|
<urn:uuid:6399cb17-f185-4a83-8824-8f362e94bd51>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=f9a_1343917979
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.95898
| 413
| 2.9375
| 3
|
May 3, 2010 Increases in opioid prescriptions, leading to increased misuse, serious injuries, and overdose deaths have spurred Canadian colleges of physicians and surgeons to create a new guideline for opioid use with chronic non-cancer pain, states an article in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).
Opioid use in Canada has increased significantly, with a 50% increase in recorded prescription-opioid consumption between 2000 and 2004. Canada is now the world's third-largest opioid consumer per capita.
In November 2007, Canadian medical regulators formed the National Opioid Use Guideline Group (NOUGG) and created the Canadian Guideline. Their goal was to help develop and implement a guidelineto provide physicians with information to prescribe opioids safely and effectively to patients with chronic non-cancer pain.
"The Canadian Guideline is intended to assist physicians with decisions to initiate appropriate trials of opioid therapy for patients with chronic non-cancer pain, to monitor long-term opioid therapy, and to detect and respond appropriately to situations of opioid misuse including addiction," write Clarence Weppler, Co-chair of the National Opioid Use Guideline Group and coauthors. "It was not designed to serve as a standard of care nor as a training manual."
The Canadian Guideline targets primary-care physicians and medical and surgical specialists who manage patients with chronic non-cancer pain. Pharmacists, nurses and dentists may also find it useful. The Guideline does not discuss treatment of chronic pain with non-opioids.
In a related commentary Dr. Roger Chou writes that more studies of high-risk populations with long-term follow-up are needed, as are studies on optimal methods for risk stratification, patient selection, opioid initiation, dose titration, monitoring and discontinuation of therapy. "Until these studies are completed, the new Canadian guideline offers clinically sound recommendations for making decisions regarding the use of opioids for treating non-cancer pain," writes Dr. Chou.
Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
|
<urn:uuid:93d7a852-4b61-4ad5-99c6-2d080c13e307>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100503135426.htm
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.940321
| 423
| 2.53125
| 3
|
Love Emerson Transcendentalist
The broken-hearted can only be mended by love just as only love can change a man's heart; enemies can become friends only through love just as only love can soften the hardest of hearts. In this way, Emerson, as a transcendentalist, portrays love as being a necessity in life; every man wishes, desires, to be loved. For this reason, the world would benefit from showing love to everyone as it causes mankind to care for others, to encourage joy in others. It is something that comes from deep within the soul and if the world experienced more love, humanity would be willing to expand their mind to accept the differences in others.
No matter how humans differ from each other, whether by color of skin, religion, or social status, they all deserve love. In “The Transcendentalist,” Emerson writes that human beings have a “great wish to be loved” (3). Every person wishes to be loved; they want to be desired and cared for. Erich Fromm describes love as the “only sane and satisfactory answer to the problem of human existence.” If everyone felt loved and also gave that love to everyone else, the world would be crime-free. Hate crimes, thefts, murders, and even suicides would not occur; it would be ridiculous to hurt the ones we love. People would see each other as equals—black, white, brown, red and yellow would be seen all the same as they are loved. There would be no need to prosecute those with different belief systems—the world would be willing to understand them because of the love they share; burglaries would not occur because the affluent would care enough to give those less fortunate the money they needed; there would be no killing because no one wants to kill the ones they love; and there would be no suicides because they would be loved—and to be loved is a feeling that suppresses all depressed and melancholy feelings. Without love, the existence of humanity would be pointless, as “a life without love” (Emerson 4) is “an activity without an aim” (Emerson 4). Old or young, poor or rich, all mankind deserves to be loved.
Love pours out from our spirits causing others to feel the happiness we bestow upon them. However this love only works if we love everyone and accept their differences. “When it [the soul] flows through his affection, it is love” (Over-soul 2). If the world allowed their souls to show, love would flow and affections would be shown. However, we cannot allow ourselves to get caught up with the differences of others but accept them for who they are. Emerson writes, “if you can love me for what I am, we shall be the happier” (Self-Reliance 6). If the world loved everyone for whom they are, color and religion pushed aside, happiness would come forth, bringing about even more feelings of affection. The world needs this love because everyone should have the opportunity to feel loved and to feel joy. If we let this love flow from within us, we have allowed others to be shown the love we feel for them. This causes them to feel pleasure at being loved, and makes them forget about their race and their religion.
Without love humanity is nothing; we feel nothing and care about nothing. Even though in the world, there is love, it is important to show our love to others; we need to increase the amount of love in the world so that others feel accepted and welcomed. Transcendentalists believe in individuality and originality—instead of treating others differently because everyone else does, the world needs to rise above and love them just as they love themselves. This way we can treat everyone with the same respect and give them the love they deserve; the love that every man desires. Through love, we can change the world.
Need an essay? You can buy essay help from us today!
|
<urn:uuid:4b65bd39-5637-4da1-ac3e-7639461c01a0>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://www.ukessays.com/essays/english/love-emerson-transcendentalist.php
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.959951
| 819
| 3.15625
| 3
|
Healthy Food and Nutrition Publications
- Another Look at Fats and Heart Disease
- Another Look at Soy
- Are Fats Our Friends Now?
- Eat Your Greens!
- Healthy Root Vegetables for Fall
- How Sweet It Is
- Increasing Health and Immunity with Tropical Oils
- Legumes Pack a Hearty Nutritional Punch
- Putting It All Together
- Red Meat - Rich in Minerals and Essential Fatty Acids
- Summer's Bounty: Zucchini, Summer Squash, Sunburst and Patty Pan Squashes
- The Wonderful World of Brassica Vegetables
- Trouble Brewing: The Health risks of Caffeine
- What is Natural Food?
- Brain-Boosting B12
- Food Waste
- My Vegan Challenge to Oprah
Summer's Bounty: Zucchini, Summer Squash, Sunburst and Patty Pan Squashes
By Jennette Turner
"Zucchini and summer squash are kind of like the rabbits of the vegetable world: once they start reproducing, there’s no turning back." – Farmer John Peterson, Farmer John’s Cookbook
Imagine the scene: It’s a beautiful summer evening, and you’re eating fresh, local zucchini, sautéed in butter and lightly salted. It’s tender; you’ve cooked it long enough to evaporate some of it’s water and concentrate its subtle squash flavor. The creamy texture (enhanced by the butter) is both light and comforting at the same time. Ah. Summer.
Zucchini, summer squash (also called yellow crookneck, or gooseneck squash), sunburst and patty pan squashes are delicious, nutritious, inexpensive, and versatile vegetables. They’re a good source of a variety of nutrients, including vitamin C, B vitamins (especially folate and riboflavin), magnesium, potassium, phosphorous, manganese, carotenoid anti-oxidants, and other disease-preventing phytochemicals. They also contain important dietary fiber, and have very few calories.
When shopping, look for zucchini and other summer squashes, that are heavy for their size, firm, and have shiny skin. Pick ones that are of average size; the largest ones are usually overly fibrous with hard seeds. Store them unwashed in plastic bags in the refrigerator; they should last at least a week that way.
You can use zucchini, summer squash, sunburst and patty pan squashes in main-dish stir-fries, steam them for a light side-dish, grate them raw in salads, and even add them to baked goods. They also provide a great texture for soups, especially when pureed. And they freeze well, too, so you can use them all year: lightly blanch or steam the sliced squash until just tender, then transfer to storage containers. When it’s January and you are enjoying local zucchini in your soup you can think back to summertime and relish the bounty!
Jennette’s South of the Border Scrambler
Vegetables for breakfast are a great way to start the day! Simply omit the cheese for a dairy-free meal.
1 medium sunburst or patty pan, diced
½ yellow onion. diced
8 eggs, beaten
2 T. butter OR olive oil
2-4 oz. Colby or Jack-style cheese, grated
OPTION: ½ c. frozen OR fresh sweet corn
OPTION: ½ green OR red bell pepper, diced
- Warm butter OR oil in a very large skillet. Add onions and a pinch of salt, and sauté for 3-4 minutes, until glistening and just tender.
- Add the sunburst or patty pan squash to the cooking onions. Continue cooking for another 3-4 minutes, until tender. If you are using sweet corn &/OR bell pepper, add them a couple minutes after the squash.
- Move the cooked vegetables to the outside edges of the pan. Add the beaten eggs to the center. Scramble.
- When the eggs are just about done, stir the vegetables into the eggs, add the cheese and cover the pan. Let it sit for a minute to melt the cheese. Serve with salsa.
Makes 4 servings
Grilled Summer Squash
Zucchini can be prepared for the grill in the same way. Try a combination of the two for a colorful side dish.
3-4 medium summer squash
- Make sure your grill is medium-hot; test it by holding your hand about 5 inches over the grate. If you can only hold your hand there for a few seconds, it’s ready.
- Slice the summer squash lengthwise into ½ inch thick strips. Lightly brush each strip with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt.
- Place strips perpendicularly over the grate. Grill 8-10 minutes, turning once with tongs.
Makes 4 servings
Print this publication
Jennette turner is a Natural Foods Educator in Minneapolis. She Teaches public and private classes, and offers individual nutrition consultations. Jennette launced Dinner with Jennette (www.jennette-turner/dinner.com), to make it easier to incorporate natural foods into their diets. She can be reached at jennette-turner.com / 612-374-6039.
|
<urn:uuid:90560e73-9f8b-42f3-beec-f00ec0721e1c>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://jennette-turner.com/publications.cfm?id=11
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.877102
| 1,137
| 2.640625
| 3
|
August 7th, 2004 12:57 AM
Getting Started with Linux
Getting started with Linux.
I. What is Linux?
II. Trying it out
IV. What to do now
V. The Console
This tutorial is written with the total Linux n00b in mind.
I've seen too many n00bs get totally left in the dark by asking what the best distro is. They seem to only get flooded with too many answers in so short a time. I'm a little bit of a n00b too, so I know how it feels. I will cover a grand total of two basic distros. You may learn to strongly prefer other ones (I do!) but this is just to get you started. I touch on a number of topics that would be impossible to go into in depth in one tutorial, so I encourage you to actively seek out more about the concepts I make reference to.
I. What is Linux?
Linux is basically an operating system (OS for short). The Windows machine you're (probably) using now uses the Microsoft Windows operating system.
Ok, so what's so different about Linux?
Linux is part of a revolutionary movement called the open-source movement. The history and intricacies of that movement are well beyond the scope of this tutorial, but I'll try and explain it simply. Open source means that the developers release the source code for all their customers to view and alter to fit what they need the software to do, what they want the software to do, and what they feel software should do. Linux is a programmer’s dream come true, it has the best compilers, libraries, and tools in addition to its being open-source. A programmer's only limit then, is his knowledge, skill, time, and resolve.
What is a distro?
A distro is short for a distribution. It's someone's personal modification or recreation of Linux.
What do you mean by distros? I just want Linux!
Since Linux is open source, every developer can write his own version. Most of those developers release their modifications, or entire creations as free and open source. A few don't and try to profit from their product, which is a topic of moral debate in the Linux world. The actual Linux is just a kernel that serves as a node of communication between various points of the system (such as the CPU, the mouse, the hard drive etc.). In order to use this kernel, we must find a way to communicate with it. The way we communicate is with a shell. Shells will let us enter commands in ways that make sense to us, and send those commands to the kernel in ways that makes sense to it. The shell most Linux's use it the BASH shell (Bourne Again SHell). The kernel by itself will not do, and just a shell on top of the kernel won’t either for most users; we are then forced to use a distribution.
What distro is best?
This is not the question you want to ask a large number of people at one time. This is very much like asking what kind of shoe is best, you'll get answers anywhere from running shoes, hiking boots, cleats, to wingtips. You need to be specific about what you plan on using Linux for, what system you want to use it on, and many other things. I will cover two that are quick and easy to get running. They may not be the best, or the quickest, or the easiest, or the most powerful, but this is a guide for getting started, and everyone has to start somewhere.
How much does it cost?
computer + electricity + internet + CD burner and CDs = Linux
I'll let you do your own math.
Note however that a few do charge for their distros, but they aren't all that common, and can be worked around. Also, if you lack internet access or a CD burner or CDs or you just want to, you can normally order CDs of the distro for a few dollars apiece.
II. Trying it out.
Wouldn't it stink if you decide to wipe out your hard drive and install Linux as the sole operating system only to learn that you don't know how to do anything and hate it? Wouldn’t it be better to take a test drive? 95 out of a 100 of you know where I'm heading with this section and can therefore skip it. For those of you who don't know, read on.
There are many distros, and most distros try to have something that makes them stand out. Knoppix was the first live-CD distro. Although most of the other main distros have formed their own live-CDs, Knoppix is still the most famous and I will be covering how to acquire it.
A live-CD distro is a distribution of Linux in which the entire OS can be run off of the CD-ROM and your RAM. This means that no installation is required and the distro will not touch your hard disk or current OS (unless you tell it to). On bootup, the CD will automatically detect your hardware and launch you into Linux. To get back to Windows, just reboot and take the CD out.
Go to the Knoppix website (www.knoppix.com). Look around some to get more of an idea on what Knoppix is. When you're ready, click Download. You'll be presented with a large amount of mirrors, some of which have ftp and some of which have http also.
note: the speed of the mirrors vary greatly, and you may want to change mirrors should your download be significantly slow.
Choose a mirror. Read the agreement and choose accept. You'll probably want to download the newest version and in your native language (I'll assume English in this tutorial). So choose the newest file ending in -EN.iso
note: you might want to also verify the md5 checksums after the download, if you don't understand this, don't worry too much. You just might have to download it again should the file get corrupted (you'll have to anyway with the md5). Also, a lot of times a burn can be botched for who-knows what reason. If the disk doesn’t work at all, try a reburn.
Once the .iso file is done downloading, fire up your favorite CD-burning software. Find the option to burn a CD image (for Nero, this is under copy and backup) and burn it to a disk. Make sure you don't just copy the .iso, you have to burn the image, which will unpack all the files onto the CD.
Once the disk is done, put it in the CD-ROM drive and reboot the computer. While your computer is booting, enter CMOS (how to get to CMOS varies for each computer, some get to it by F1 or F2 or F3, etc.) Go to the bootup configuration and place CD-ROM above hard disk. Save changes and exit. Now, Knoppix will automatically start. You will be presented with a boot prompt. Here you can input specific boot parameters (called cheatcodes), or just wait and let it boot up using the default.
note: Sometimes USB keyboards do not work until the OS has somewhat booted up. Once you’re actually in Knoppix, your USB keyboard should work, but you may not be able to use cheatcodes. If you need to, attack a PS/2 keyboard temporarily. Also, if a particular aspect of hardware detection does not work, look for a cheatcode to disable it. Cheatcodes can be found on the Knoppix website in text format (or in HTML at www.knoppix.net/docs/index.php/CheatCodes).
Upon entering the KDE desktop environment, spend some time exploring around. Surf the web, get on IM, play some games, explore the filesystem, and whatever else seems interesting. When your done, open up the console (also called terminal, xterm, konsole, or even shell) and get ready for the real Linux. See section V for what to do from here.
note: to function as root (or the superuser) type su.
It's not entirely necessary that you are a console wizard at this point (although you will need to be sooner or later), but a little messing around wont hurt.
Just as there are many Linux distros, so there are also many types of Knoppix. I won’t go into using any of them, but they should all be somewhat similar. Some of them include: Gnoppix, Knoppix STD, Morphix, and PHLAK. Other distros also have live-CDs.
I will guide you through the installation of Fedora Core 2. The reason I chose Fedora is because it contains the Anaconda installer, which is a very easy installer.
Download the discs from here:
If the link doesn’t work, then go to www.redhat.com and navigate your way to downloading Fedora (odds are your architecture is i386).
You will want to download the FC2-i386-disc1.iso and burn it using the method for Knoppix. Do the same for all the discs.
Note: do NOT download the FC2-i386-SRPMS-disc1.iso files.
Now, once you’re ready, insert disc 1 into the drive and reboot.
The installer should come up automatically (if not, then see the Knoppix section on CMOS).
Note: installer may vary depending on version. Follow directions best you can using your best judgement.
1. Language: choose English and hit enter
2. Keyboard: choose us (probably) and hit enter
3. Installation media: choose local CDROM (probably) and hit enter
4. CD test: you can choose to test or skip
5. Intro: click next
6. Monitor: choose your monitor to the best of your ability, if you’re unsure, choose on of the generic ones
7. Installation type: choose which ever you want (default should be fine)
8. Partition: choose to automatically partition (unless you know what you’re doing)
9. Partition: the default partitions should suffice
10. Boot loader: choose your boot loader (grub for default)
11. Network settings: choose the correct settings for your network (generally, don’t mess with anything unless you know what you’re doing)
12. Firewall: you can choose a firewall if you want to
13. Language support: choose any additional language support you want
14. Time zone: pick your time zone
15. Root password: set your root password (root is the admin, or superuser; you want it to be very secure)
16. Packages: choose which packages you want to install. For hard drives over 10 gigs, you can go ahead and choose all packages (depending on how much disk space you plan on taking up later, note that most everything you’ll need is a package: the exception being large media files). You will generally want to install all the packages you think you’ll ever need. Two desktop environments aren’t necessary. Make sure you have at least one and the X window system! (if you want a GUI that is). I suggest you get all the servers too.
Note: Knoppix uses the KDE Desktop environment
17. Make sure everything is all right, and install
18. You can create a boot disk if you want
Note: Desktop environments might have a set-up once you enter them
IV What to do now
Now that you have a Linux set-up and running, there are many paths you can head down. First, you should explore your GUI and menus. Browse the web with Mozilla, get on IM with GAIM, play games, add/delete users, check out OpenOffice, and anything else that might be part of your daily use. Also, set up a few servers on your computer to play around with, specifically SMTP (*wink*wink*), FTP (vsftp is a good one), and either telnet or SSH (OpenSSH is a good one). The setup and use of these are beyond the scope of this tutorial, but researching them could prove to be very educational.
The Linux (and Unix) filesystem is different from the normal Windows that you’re used to. In Windows, your hard drive is denoted “C:\” (or whatever). In Linux, it is called the root directory and is denoted “/”. In the / directory, there are several default folders, including dev (device drivers) mnt (mount) bin (binaries) usr (Unix System Resources) home, etc, and others. I encourage you to explore around the whole file system (see section V) and research more.
Once you are well situated, it’s time to get into the heart and power of Linux: the console. The next session will guide you through it and set you on the path to finding out how to do stuff for yourself. You will (probably) want to start learning to rely less and less on the GUI and figure out how to do everything through the console (try launching all your programs from the console, for example).
V. The Console
The Console might look familiar to DOS if you’ve ever used it. The prompt should look something like the following:
With the blinking _ following it. This can vary greatly as it is fully customizable. Let’s get started with the commands.
First, let’s explore the file system. The command ls will “list” the files in the current directory. Here’s an example:
AvatharTri@localhost avathartri$ ls
It should then display the contents of the current directory if there are any. Almost all commands have options attached to them. For example, using the –l option, which is short for “long” will display more information about the files listed.
AvatharTri@localhost avathartri$ ls –l
We will get into how to find out the options for commands and what they do later.
The second command to learn will be the cd command, or “change directory”. To use it, you type cd followed by a space and the directory name you wish to go into. In Linux, the top directory is / (as opposed to C:\ in Windows). Let’s get there by using this command:
AvatharTri@localhost avathartri$ cd /
Now, we are in the top directory. Use the ls command you learned earlier to see everything that’s here. You should see several items, which are directories. Now, let’s go into the home directory:
AvatharTri@localhost /$ cd home
And you can now ls and see what’s around. In Linux there are some special symbol shortcuts for specific folders. You can use these symbols with cd, ls, or several other commands. The symbol ~ stands for your home folder. One period . represents the directory your currently in. Two periods .. represent the directory immediately above your own. Here’s an example of the commands:
AvatharTri@localhost home$ cd ~
This moved us to our user’s personal directory.
AvatharTri@localhost avathartri$ cd .
AvatharTri@localhost avathartri$ cd ..
The cd .. moved us up to the home directory.
As you’ve probably noticed by now, the section behind the prompt changes as you change folders, although it might not always be the case as it’s up to the personal configuration.
You can use these symbols with the ls command also to view what is in different folders:
AvatharTri@localhost home$ ls ~
AvatharTri@localhost home$ ls ..
And you can view what is in a folder by specifying its path:
AvatharTri@localhost home$ ls /
AvatharTri@localhost home$ ls /home
The last command we will cover as far as finding your way around the filesystem is the cat command. The cat command will show the contents of a file. Find a file by using the cd and ls commands and then view its contents with the cat command.
AvatharTri@localhost home$ cd [directory]
AvatharTri@localhost [directory]$ ls
AvatharTri@localhost [directory]$ cat [filename]
Where [directory] is the directory you want to view and [filename] is the name of the file you want to view. Omit the brackets. Now, if the file you viewed was a text file, you should see text, but if it wasn’t, you might just see jumbled garbage, but this is ok. If the file goes by too fast and goes off the screen, don’t worry, we will get to how to scroll through it later.
One of the most useful commands is the man command, which displays the “manual” for the command you want to know more about. To learn more about the ls command:
AvatharTri@localhost home$ man ls
And you will see the manual page for ls. It displays the syntax, a description, options, and other useful tidbits of information. Use the up and down arrows to scroll and press q to exit. You can view the manual pages for any command that has one (most commands do). Try this out with all the commands that you know so far:
AvatharTri@localhost home$ man cd
AvatharTri@localhost home$ man cat
AvatharTri@localhost home$ man man
One very crucial option to the man command is the –k option. This will search the descriptions of manual pages for the word you specify. You can use this to find out what command to do what you need to do. For example, let’s say we want to use a text editor:
AvatharTri@localhost home$ man –k editor
And you should see a list of apps with a short description and the word “editor” in the description.
With a blank prompt, you can hit tab twice for Linux to display all the possible commands. For Linux to display all the commands beginning with a certain letter or series of letters, type those letters and hit tab twice.
Note: This is actually a function of BASH and not Linux, but BASH is the default Linux shell.
Now that you know a little about moving around the filesystem and viewing manual pages, there is one more trick that we will cover to help you out. Remember how the man pages were scrollable as in you could use the arrow keys to scroll up and down? That is because the man pages use something called the less pager. We’re not going to go into what this does exactly and how it works, but that’s definitely something that you will want to look up. Here’s how to use the less pager with a file:
AvatharTri@localhost home$ cat [filename] | less
That uses something called a pipe. The line is the vertical line above enter on your keyboard. Briefly, what this does is take the output from the cat command, and stick it in the less pager. By doing this, you can view files that would normally run off the screen and scroll up and down.
Some final commands to check out:
mkdir – make directories
cp – copy file
mv – move file
rm – remove file
rmdir – remove directory
grep – search a file for a keyword
pwd – display current working directory
top – display system resources usage (kill the program with control + c)
|
<urn:uuid:406357e2-eba8-47d7-ab20-02660038ba4f>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://www.antionline.com/showthread.php?258264-Getting-Started-with-Linux&p=777484
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.919476
| 4,206
| 2.703125
| 3
|
High-Risk Pregnancy - Fetal Movement Counting
What is fetal movement counting?
Fetal movement counting, often called kick counting, is a way a mother can help monitor the movements of her unborn baby by counting the number of kicks in a certain time period.
By 20 weeks gestation, most women are able to feel their baby's movements. But, movements vary in frequency, strength, and patterns depending on the maturity of the fetus. Generally, most fetuses have circadian (biologically timed) activity rhythms and tend to be more active in the evening hours, beginning as early as the second trimester. Hiccups are quite common, and a fetus may be more active about an hour after the mother eats due to the increase in blood glucose (sugar) in the mother's blood.
Fetal movement is one indicator of fetal health. Contrary to a common myth, it is not normal for a fetus to stop moving with the onset of labor. Although the average number of kicks is about four to six per hour, each fetus and mother are different. Each woman should find the usual pattern and number of movements for her individual pregnancy. A change in the normal pattern or number of fetal movements may indicate the fetus is under stress.
How is fetal movement counting done?
Consult your physician about the importance of fetal movement counting for your individual pregnancy.
Set aside the same time each day to do the counting. After a meal is often a good time.
Write down the number of times you feel the baby kick or move in one hour. After several days, you may find the baby usually moves about the same number of times per hour - this becomes your baseline number.
If your baby is not moving as much as usual, or takes longer to move in the usual length of time, or has stopped moving, call your physician right away. Other testing can be done to check the condition of the baby.
Click here to view the
Online Resources of Pregnancy, Birth, and Baby Center
Disclaimer - This content is reviewed periodically and is subject to change as new health information becomes available. The information provided is intended to be informative and educational and is not a replacement for professional evaluation, advice, diagnosis or treatment by a healthcare professional. © 2009 Staywell Custom Communications.
|
<urn:uuid:d9dfed84-7167-4e4f-9cc4-b8d364ad2ad2>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://www.reshealth.org/yourhealth/healthinfo/default.cfm?pageID=P06901
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.946749
| 468
| 3.1875
| 3
|
WHAT WE KNOW
Characteristics of Bullies
- Kids who bully seem to have a need to feel powerful and
- They derive pleasure from inflicting misery and suffering on their victims and show little empathy for the people they hurt.
- Most bullies not only fail to connect a victim's pain with their own behavior, but also will actually claim that a victim provoked the attack.
- Studies suggest that kids who bully are likely to have been raised in a home in which physical punishment is used as discipline.
- Students who bully in school are generally defiant, oppositional to teachers and administrators, and antisocial with their peers.
- In contrast to prevailing "bully mythology," bullies are shown to possess a high, even delusional, sense of self-worth.
- Despite what most of us grew up believing, there is little evidence to support the contention that bullies victimize others because they feel bad about themselves.
Characteristics of Bullying Victims
- Kids who typify victims of bullying appear to be anxious, self-doubting, and insecure.
- Bullying victims frequently report very low levels of self-esteem and a lack of confidence.
- Victims rarely stand up for themselves when confronted face-to-face by bullies.
- Bullying victims may lack social skills and friends and are often raised in overprotective households.
- Victims often are physically undersized and weaker than their peers.
- Contrary to popular belief, physical characteristics such as obesity, dress, or wearing eyeglasses have not been shown to be factors that correlate with victimization.
Bullying affects not only the bully and the victim, but also those who observe the behavior. Bullying causes a negative impact on the overall school atmosphere by creating a climate of fear.
"The impact of bullying on a school climate can be toxic," says National Crime Prevention Council member and former school administrator James E. Copple. "Bullies and victims suffer well-documented damage, sometimes long-lasting. We've been overlooking the fact that bystanders experience fear, discomfort, guilt, and helplessness that poison the learning atmosphere even more extensively. The level of bystander exposure is far beyond what many of us expected, especially in the upper grade levels, and its growth is nothing short of terrifying."
- Students who observe bullying report feeling unsafe, anxious, and less satisfied with school than do students who are not exposed to bullying.
- Bystanders and peers of victims can be distracted from learning as frequently as victims themselves are. Students who attend schools with frequent bullying are themselves likely to become more aggressive and less tolerant.
Bystanders may also experience the following feelings.
- Being afraid to associate with the victim for fear of lowering their own status, which sometimes happens when bystanders are afraid of retribution from the bully and of becoming victims themselves.
- Fear of reporting bullying incidents because they do not want to be called a "snitch" or "tattletale"
- Guilt or helplessness for not standing up to the bully on behalf of their classmate
- Being drawn into bullying behavior by group pressure
- Inability to take action or feeling unsafe or a loss of control
Scandinavian studies have reported that kids who bully other students during their school years are likely to have criminal problems as adults.
- Bullying behavior has been linked to vandalism, shoplifting, skipping and dropping out of school, fighting, and the abuse of drugs and alcohol.
- A child bully is very likely to grow into an adult who has difficulty developing good relationships.
Victims suffer long-term consequences .
- Students who are bullied often see school as an unsafe and unhappy place. Seven percent of American eighth graders will stay home from school at least once a month because of bullying.
- Students who are already social outcasts may find themselves even lonelier when they become victims of bullying.
- Being a victim of bullying brings consequences that can follow an individual well into adulthood, including depression, low self-esteem, other mental health disorders, and, in rare cases, even suicide.
- Studies have found that victims who were bullied as children are more likely to be bullied as teenagers and adults.
Ten Myths about Bullying
Excerpted from "Sticks and Stones and Names Can Hurt You: De-Myth-tifying the Classroom Bully!" from Education World. Retrieved May 2004 from www.educationworld.com/a_issues/issues102.shtml.
- THE MYTH: Bullies suffer from insecurity and low self-esteem. They pick on others to make themselves feel more important .
THE RESEARCH: Most bullies have average or above average self-esteem. They may instead experience aggressive temperaments, a lack of empathy, and poor parenting.
- THE MYTH: Bullies are looking for attention. Ignore them and the bullying will stop .
THE RESEARCH: Bullies are looking for control, and they rarely stop if their behavior is ignored. The level of bullying usually increases if the bullying is not addressed by adults.
- THE MYTH: Boys will be boys .
THE RESEARCH: Bullying is seldom outgrown; it's simply redirected. About 60% of boys identified as bullies in middle school commit at least one crime by the time they are 24.
- THE MYTH: Kids can be cruel about differences .
THE RESEARCH: Physical differences play only a small role in bullying situations. Most victims are chosen because they are sensitive, anxious, and unable to retaliate.
- THE MYTH: Victims of bullies need to learn to stand up for themselves and deal with the situation .
THE RESEARCH: Victims of bullies are usually younger or physically weaker than their attackers. They also may lack the social skills to develop supportive friendships and cannot deal with the situation alone.
- THE MYTH: Large schools or classes are conducive to bullying .
THE RESEARCH: No correlation has been established between class or school size and bullying. In fact, there is some evidence that bullying may be less prevalent in larger schools, where potential victims have increased opportunities to find supportive friends.
- THE MYTH: Most bullying occurs off school grounds .
THE RESEARCH: Although some bullying occurs outside of school or on the way to or from school, most bullying occurs on school grounds: in classrooms, in hallways, and on playgrounds.
- THE MYTH: Bullying affects only a small number of students .
THE RESEARCH: At any given time, about 25% of U.S. students are the victims of bullies and about 20% are perpetrators. The National Association of School Psychologists estimates that 160,000 children stay home from school every day because they are afraid of being bullied.
- THE MYTH: Teachers know if bullying is a problem in their classes .
THE RESEARCH: Bullying behavior usually takes place out of sight of teachers. Most victims are reluctant to report the bullying for fear of embarrassment or retaliation, and most bullies deny or justify their behavior.
- THE MYTH: Victims of bullying need to follow the adage "Sticks and stones will break your bones but names can never hurt you."
THE RESEARCH: Victims of bullying often suffer lifelong problems with low self-esteem. They are prone throughout their lives to depression and other mental health problems and even to suicide.
Back to top
Back to Issues page
|
<urn:uuid:058a4bf5-101d-4309-b63a-7382d1ef2948>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://www.sadd.org/issues_bullying_know.htm
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.961254
| 1,525
| 4.03125
| 4
|
I. The Names. It is called in Greek, ****; à floris Cyaneo, vel Coeruleo colore: In Latin, Cyanus: and in English, Blew-bottle, or Cornflower.
II. The Kinds. It is twofold:
- 1. Single-flowred, of which in this Chapter.
- 2. Double-flowred, of which in the next.
The single flowred is also
- 1. Cyanus magnus, vel Cyanus major vulgaris, Cyanus hortensis, The greater Common Blew-bottle, or Garden Blew-bottle. This some call Cyanus montanus; Hermolaus takes it to be the Leucoium Dioscoridis; Caesalpinus to be a kind of Struthium Theophrasti: Fabius Columna, thinks it to be Papaver Heracleum Theophrasti; and Lobel questions whether it be not a Species of Chondrilla. (Centaurea montana. -Henriette.)
- 2. Cyanus minor vulgaris, Cyanus segetum, The lesser Common Blew, or Field Blew-bottle: It is called by some flos Frumenti, Corn-flower: Battisecula (as Ray has it) and Baptisecula, or Blaptisecula, from its turning the Edges of Sickles in cutting down Corn; Secula, i. e. Falx, à fecundo dicta, being taken for a Sickle in Ancient times. (Centaurea cyanus. -Henriette.)
III. The Description. The Greater or Garden Blew-bottle has a Root which creeps under ground, spreading it self divers ways, so that its heads with green Leaves will abide all the Winter, (which in the other sorts do not so, but perish wholly after Seed time, rising again of their own Sowing before Winter) and grows Yearly into new shoots and springs, by which it very much increases: from this Root rises up a crested or rather winged Stalk, of a whitish green color, about two or three feet high, on which are set divers Leaves, something long and broad, without any division, or denting in about the edges; green on the upper side, and grayish underneath, each of of them encompassing the Stalk about, at the lower ends, which is divided at the top into a few Branches, bearing somewhat large, scaly, green heads, with white or Silver-like edges; from the midst of which comes forth a larger flower than in the smaller Kind, thinly set, and of a deeper Violet-blew color: in which Heads, after the flowers are past, there is found a Down, containing some few white Seeds, like those of the lesser Kind, but a little larger, and flatter.
IV. The lesser Common, or Field Blew-bottle, or Corn-flower, has Roots somewhat long and large, which Perish every Year, but are Annually renewed by its own sowing; rising or springing up before Winter, and abiding green all the Winter Season, until the next Spring and Summer, when it flowers, Seeds, and perishes again. The Leaves are long and narrower than the former, of a whitish green color, deeply cut in on the Edges in some places, but some more than others, something like unto Scabious leaves. The Stalks are -two or three feet high, according to the goodness and fertility of the Ground, set with such like Leaves, but smaller, and little or nothing cut in on the Edges: the tops are spread forth into Several Branches, bearing many small green, scaly Heads, out of which rise flowers, consisting of five or six, or more, long and hollow Leaves, small at the bottom, and opening wider and larger at the brims, notched, dented or cut in on the Edges, and standing round about many small threads in the middle. The colors of these flowers are manifold, and very variable; for some are wholly Blew, or White, or blush, or of a sad or light Purple, or of a light or deep Red or of an over-worn Purple color, or else mixed of these colors, in some, the edges White, and the rest Blue or Purple; or the edges Blew or Purple and the rest of the flower White, or Striped, Spotted or halved, the one part of one color, the other of another, and the Threads also in the middle varying in many of them; for in some the said middle Thread will be of a deeper Purple than the outward Leaves, some will have it Reddish, deeper, or paler, whilst the Leaves are White, or blush. The flowers being past the heads, or bottles contain a Down, in which the Seed is wrapped, which is small, hard, white and shining. Note, That the flower of that which grows Wild in the fields, is for the most part only Blew.
V. The Places. The first grows Wild in Germany upon Sandy Hills, but with us it is nourished up in Gardens: The other With Blew Flowers grows Wild, in many Com Fields throughout our Kingdom: It is found in Fields of Wheat, Rye and Barley; but is also Sown in Gardens, which the skilful Artist, by looking after, makes to become of other colors, as in the description thereof is declared.
VI. The Times. They flower from the beginning of May, to the end of Harvest, and their Seed comes to ripeness in the mean season.
VII. The Qualities. They are temperate in respect to heat or cold, and dry in the first Degree: But Schroder says, they are cold and dry in the second Degree: They are astringent, Ophthalmick, Cardiack, Alterative, and Alexipharmick.
VIII. The Specification. They have a peculiar faculty for the curing of sore and bleared Eyes, and resisting the force of Poison.
IX. The Preparations. In the Shops are:
- 1. The Flowers.
- 2. A Pouder of the dried Leaves.
- 3. An Essence of the Juice with Spirit of Wine.
- 4. A Collyrium of the flowers.
- 5. A Distilled Water of the Flowers.
- 6. A Spirituous Tincture of the Flowers.
- 7. A Cataplasm of the Flowers.
- 8. A Juice
- 9. A Distilled Water of the Herb.
X. The flowers. They are cold and dry in 1 degree: are Styptick, and good to takeaway Redness and Inflammations of the Eyes, and pains thereof: they cool in Fevers, resist Poison, and help in Dropsies. You may make an Acid Tincture of them with Spirit of Wine, mixed with a half part of Spirit of Salt, which in Fevers, Plague, &c. may be given from 20 to 40 Drops, in any fit Vehicle.
XI. The Pouder of the dried Leaves. It is taken in Tent to one dram, for the curing of inward bruises, and to heal a Rupture of the Veins, &c. whereby they void much Blood at Mouth. Give it in Plantane, Comfrey, or Horse-tail water, acuated with a little White Wine Vinegar.
XII. The Essence of the Juice of the Leaves and flowers. It has all the former Virtues both of the Acid Tincture and Pouder: It helps in the Dropsie, resists all manner of Venoms and Poisons, and is peculiar against that of the Scorpion, Phalangium, Viper, Mad-Dog, and Plague, as also all other Pestilential Fevers, and Infectious Diseases: being dropt into the Eyes, it takes away their heat, inflammation and pain.
XIII. The Collyrium, or Eye-Water, Rx of the Blew-flowers as many as you please: put them into Rye Dough or Paste, bake them in the Oven with house hold Bread, then taking it forth, distil all, viz. Flowers and Rye Paste, in a Glass Body, in B.M. and keep the Water for use. With this the Eyes are to be washt three or four times a day. It is admirable for the cure of most Infirmities of the Eyes, especially Heat, Inflammation, Pain, Blood-shot, &c. It clears, strengthens and preserves the Eye-sight especially of old People, for which reason some are pleased to call it Break-Spectacle-Water: for that those that use it, need never come to the use of Spectacles: If the Distemper is inveterate or stubborn, use it five or six times a day.
XIV. The Distilled Water of the flowers. Aqua florum Cyani, Blew-bottle-flower-water. Rx flowers ...
Botanologia, or The English Herbal, was written by William Salmon, M.D., in 1710.
The start of this chapter has been proofread by Nick Jones.
The rest of this chapter hasn't been proofread yet.
|
<urn:uuid:9efe64ad-e29a-4e40-90a2-8afca5fc4e9f>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://www.henriettesherbal.com/eclectic/salmon/blew-bottle.html
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.927645
| 1,962
| 2.890625
| 3
|
1. Sodium Nitrite and its closely related Sodium Nitrate are food preservatives used primarily in prepared meat and fish such as ham, bacon, hot dogs, corned beef (spam), luncheon meats, and smoked fish.
2. Sodium Nitrite helps preserve the pink / red color of the meat which should have been grayish having been precooked. It also adds a characteristic flavor.
3. It also wards off against clostridium botulinum, the bacteria responsible for botulism, a dangerous disease causing respiratory and muscular paralysis.
4. Unfortunately, when cooked or broken down in the stomach, nitrites form nitrosamines (also called N-Nitroso Compund), which can cause cancer in young children and pregnant women.
5. Adding ascorbic acid (vitamin C) to the food product greatly reduces the formation of nitrosamines.
6. USDA Meat Inspection Regulations have limited the use of nitrite to 200 ppm.
7. Spinach, beets, lettuce, celery, parsley, and cabbages are among vegetables with high concentrations of nitrates. The amount is determined by the plant’s genetics, age, and the amount of nitrate in the soil, which have shot up because of increased use of nitrate fertilizers. But don’t stop eating these veggies, many of them also contain vitamin C, naturally limiting the formation of the toxic nitrosamines.
What you need to know:
While botulism is dangerous and nasty it is also very rare, therefore using botulism prevention as a reason to pump meats with nitrites is not acceptable. Proper refrigeration reduce the risk of clostridium botulinum bacteria as well. While the amount of nitrates has been reduced substantially over the years, why not get rid of them completely?
What to do at the supermarket:
Check the ingredient label next time you buy some deli style meats. If you want to avoid nitrates, your chances are higher with organic products.
Help us test our new food comparison tool: alpha.fooducate.com
|
<urn:uuid:62f119df-ac40-4d0c-aeaa-1fd0b0a10619>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://blog.fooducate.com/2009/03/16/7-thing-to-know-about-nitrites-in-your-luncheon-meats/
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.932797
| 436
| 2.9375
| 3
|
Beam-powered propulsion is a class of aircraft or spacecraft propulsion mechanisms that uses energy beamed to the spacecraft from a remote power plant to provide energy. Most designs are thermal rockets where the energy is provided by the beam, and is used to superheat propellant that then provides propulsion, although some obtain propulsion directly from light pressure acting on a light sail structure, and at low altitude heating air gives extra thrust.
The beam would typically either be a beam of microwaves or a laser. Lasers are subdivided into either pulsed or continuous beamed.
The rule of thumb that is usually quoted is that it takes a megawatt of power beamed to a vehicle per kg of payload while it is being accelerated to permit it to reach low earth orbit.
Other than launching to orbit, applications for moving around the world quickly have also been proposed.
Rockets are momentum machines; they use mass ejected from the rocket to provide momentum to the rocket. Momentum is the product of mass and velocity, so rockets generally attempt to put as much velocity into their working mass as possible, thereby minimizing the amount of working mass that is needed. In order to accelerate the working mass, energy is required. In a conventional rocket, the fuel is chemically combined to provide the energy, and the resulting fuel products, the ash or exhaust, are used as the working mass.
There is no particular reason why the same fuel has to be used for both energy and momentum. In the jet engine, for instance, the fuel is used only to produce energy, the working mass is provided from the air that the jet aircraft flies through. In modern jet engines, the amount of air propelled is much greater than the amount of air used for energy. This is not a solution for the rocket, however, as they quickly climb to altitudes where the air is too thin to be useful as a source of working mass.
Rockets can, however, carry their working mass and use some other source of energy. The problem is finding an energy source with a power-to-weight ratio that competes with chemical fuels. Small nuclear reactors can compete in this regard, and considerable work on nuclear thermal propulsion was carried out in the 1960s, but environmental concerns and rising costs led to the ending of most of these programs.
A further improvement can be made by removing the energy creation from the spacecraft. If the nuclear reactor is left on the ground and its energy transmitted to the spacecraft, the weight of the reactor is removed as well. The issue then is to get the energy into the spacecraft. This is the idea behind beamed power.
With beamed propulsion one can leave the power-source stationary on the ground, and directly (or via a heat exchanger) heat propellant on the spacecraft with a maser or a laser beam from a fixed installation. This permits the spacecraft to leave its power-source at home, saving significant amounts of mass, greatly improving performance.
Laser propulsion
Since a laser can heat propellant to extremely high temperatures, this potentially greatly improves the efficiency of a rocket, as exhaust velocity is proportional to the square root of the temperature. Normal chemical rockets have an exhaust speed limited by the fixed amount of energy in the propellants, but beamed propulsion systems have no particular theoretical limit (although in practice there are temperature limits).
Microwave propulsion
In addition, microwaves can be used to heat a suitable heat exchanger, which in turn heats a propellant (very typically hydrogen). This can give a combination of high specific impulse (700–900 seconds) as well as good thrust/weight ratio (50-150).
A variation, developed by brothers James Benford and Gregory Benford, is to use thermal desorption of propellant trapped in the material of a very large microwave-sail. This produces a very high acceleration compared to microwave pushed sails alone.
Electric propulsion
Some proposed spacecraft propulsion mechanisms use power in the form of electricity. Usually these schemes assume either solar panels, or an on-board reactor. However, both power sources are heavy.
Beamed propulsion in the form of laser can be used to send power to a photovoltaic panel, for Laser electric propulsion. In this system, careful design of the panels is necessary as the extra power tends to cause a fall-off of the conversion efficiency due to heating effects.
A microwave beam could be used to send power to a rectenna, for microwave electric propulsion. Microwave broadcast power has been practically demonstrated several times (e.g. Goldstone, California in 1974), rectennas are potentially lightweight and can handle high power at high conversion efficiency. However, rectennas tend to need to be very large for a significant amount of power to be captured.
Direct impulse
A beam could also be used to provide impulse by directly "pushing" on the sail.
One example of this would be using a solar sail to reflect a laser beam. This concept, called a laser-pushed lightsail, was analyzed by physicist Robert L. Forward in 1989 as a method of Interstellar travel that would avoid extremely high mass ratios by not carrying fuel. His work elaborated on a proposal initially made by Marx. Further analysis of the concept was done by Landis, Mallove and Matloff, Andrews and others.
In a later paper, Forward proposed pushing a sail with a microwave beam. This has the advantage that the sail need not be a continuous surface. Forward tagged his proposal for an ultralight sail "Starwisp". A later analysis by Landis suggested that the Starwisp concept as originally proposed by Forward would not work, but variations on the proposal continue to be proposed.
The beam has to have a large diameter so that only a small portion of the beam misses the sail due to diffraction and the laser or microwave antenna has to have a good pointing stability so that the craft can tilt its sails fast enough to follow the center of the beam. This gets more important when going from interplanetary travel to interstellar travel, and when going from a fly-by mission, to a landing mission, to a return mission. The laser or the microwave sender would probably be a large phased array of small devices, which get their energy directly from solar radiation. The size of the array obsoletes any lens or mirror.
Another beam-pushed concept would be to use a magnetic sail or MMPP sail to divert a beam of charged particles from a particle accelerator or plasma jet. Jordin Kare has proposed a variant to this whereby a "beam" of small laser accelerated light sails would transfer momentum to a magsail vehicle.
Another beam-pushed concept uses ordinary matter and works in vacuum. The matter from a stationary mass-driver is "reflected" by the spacecraft, cf. mass driver. The spacecraft neither needs energy nor reaction mass for propulsion of its own.
Proposed systems
The laser shines on a parabolic reflector on the underside of the vehicle that concentrates the light to produce a region of extremely high temperature. The air in this region is heated and expands violently, producing thrust with each pulse of laser light. In space, a lightcraft would need to provide this gas itself from onboard tanks or from an ablative solid. By leaving the vehicle's power source on the ground and by using ambient atmosphere as reaction mass for much of its ascent, a lightcraft would be capable of delivering a very large percentage of its launch mass to orbit. It could also potentially be very cheap to manufacture.
Early in the morning of 2 October 2000 at the High Energy Laser Systems Test Facility (HELSTF), Lightcraft Technologies, Inc. (LTI) with the help of Franklin B. Mead of the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory and Leik Myrabo set a new world's altitude record of 233 feet (71 m) for its 4.8 inch (12.2 cm) diameter, 1.8-ounce (51 g), laser-boosted rocket in a flight lasting 12.7 seconds. Although much of the 8:35 am flight was spent hovering at 230+ feet, the Lightcraft earned a world record for the longest ever laser-powered free flight and the greatest "air time" (i.e., launch-to-landing/recovery) from a light-propelled object. This is comparable to Robert Goddard's first test flight of his rocket design. Increasing the laser power to 100 kilowatts will enable flights up to a 30-kilometer altitude. Their goal is to accelerate a one-kilogram microsatellite into low Earth orbit using a custom-built, one megawatt ground-based laser. Such a system would use just about 20 dollars' worth of electricity, placing launch costs per kilogram to many times less than current launch costs (which are measured in thousands of dollars).
Myrabo's "lightcraft" design is a reflective funnel-shaped craft that channels heat from the laser, towards the center, using a reflective parabolic surface causing the laser to literally explode the air underneath it, generating lift. Reflective surfaces in the craft focus the beam into a ring, where it heats air to a temperature nearly five times hotter than the surface of the sun, causing the air to expand explosively for thrust.
Jordin Kare's heat exchanger system
Jordin Kare has proposed a simpler, nearer term concept which has a rocket containing liquid hydrogen and water. The propellant is heated in a heat exchanger that the laser beam shines on before leaving the vehicle via a conventional nozzle. This concept can use continuous beam lasers, and the semiconductor lasers are now cost effective for this application.
Non-spacecraft applications
In 1964 William C. Brown demonstrated a miniature helicopter equipped with a combination antenna and rectifier device called a rectenna. The rectenna converted microwave power into electricity, allowing the helicopter to fly.
In 2002 a Japanese group propelled a tiny aluminium airplane by using a laser to vaporize a water droplet clinging to it, and in 2003 NASA researchers flew an 11 ounce (312 g) model airplane with a propeller powered with solar panels illuminated by a laser. It is possible that such beam-powered propulsion could be useful for long-duration high altitude unmanned aircraft or balloons, perhaps designed to serve as communication relays or surveillance platforms.
A "laser broom" has been proposed to sweep space debris from Earth orbit. This is another proposed use of beam-powered propulsion, used on objects that were not designed to be propelled by it, for example small pieces of scrap knocked off ("spalled") satellites. The technique works since the laser power ablates one side of the object, giving an impulse that changes the eccentricity of the object's orbit. The orbit would then intersect the atmosphere and burn up.
See also
- Beam Power Challenge — one of the NASA Centennial Challenges
- Spacecraft propulsion
- Thinned-array curse
- List of laser articles
- List of plasma (physics) articles
- http://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechETD:etd-06022006-160023 Kevin Parkin's PhD thesis on microwave/thermal propulsion "The microwave thermal thruster and its application to the launch problem"
- R. L. Forward, "Roundtrip Interstellar Travel Using Laser-Pushed lightsails," J. Spacecraft and Rockets, Vol. 21, pp 187-195 (Mar-Apr. 1989)
- G. Marx, "Interstellar Vehicle Propelled by Laser Beam," Nature, Vol. 211, July 1966, pp. 22-23.
- G. A. Landis, "Optics and Materials Considerations for a Laser-Propelled Lightsail", paper IAA-89-664 (text)
- G. A. Landis, "Small Laser-Pushed Lightsail Interstellar Probe: A Study of Parameter Variations", J. British Interplanetary Society, Vol. 50, No. 4, pp. 149-154 (1997); Paper IAA-95-4.1.1.02,
- Eugene Mallove and Gregory Matloff (1989). The Starflight Handbook. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. ISBN 0-471-61912-4.
- D. G. Andrews, "Cost Considerations for Interstellar Missions," paper IAA-93-706
- R. L. Forward, "Starwisp: an Ultra-light Interstellar Probe," J. Spacecraft and Rockets, Vol. 21, pp. 345-350, May–June 1985)
- G. A. Landis, "Microwave Pushed Interstellar Sail: Starwisp Revisited," paper AIAA-2000-3337, 36th Joint Propulsion Conference, Huntsville AL, July 17–19, 2000.
- G. Landis, "Interstellar Flight by Particle Beam," Acta Astronautica. Vol 55, No. 11, 931-934 (Dec. 2004).
- "NASA Exploring Laser Beams to Zap Rockets Into Outer Space". Fox News. 25 January 2011.
- EXPERIMENTAL AIRBORNE MICROWAVE SUPPORTED PLATFORM Descriptive Note : Final rept. Jun 64-Apr 65
|
<urn:uuid:2f0c401b-071c-43cc-89be-a0a1e88c7765>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beam-powered_propulsion
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.92666
| 2,740
| 4.3125
| 4
|
Olympics 1964 to 1980
The first Olympic Games to be held in Asia were in Tokyo in 1964. The city had been selected to host the 1940 Games, but World War II had intervened. Yoshinori Sakai, an athlete born not far from Hiroshima on 6th August 1945 - the day the first atomic bomb was released - lit the Olympic flame in honour of the victims. A global audience watched the first worldwide television broadcasts via satellite, and a colossal budget of two billion dollars ensured the organisation was flawless.
In the pool, Australian Dawn Fraser won the 100metres freestyle for the third consecutive Games, taking gold in 59.5seconds less than seven weeks after a car crash that killed her mother and left her in a neck brace. American Don Schollander won an unprecedented four gold medals - the 100m freestyle (53.4secs), 400m freestyle (4:12.2), 4x100m freestyle and 4x200m freestyle.
On the track, Kiwi Peter Snell retained the 800m title he won in Rome and added the 1500m crown, while American Bob Hayes clocked a wind-assisted 9.9secs - the first run under 10secs - in the semi-final of the 100m and went on to clinch gold.
Mexico 1968The introduction of a synthetic track and a Games held at an altitude of 2,240m led to a plethora of records at Mexico in 1968. Most remarkable of them all was, without doubt, the winning leap of 8.90m by Bob Beamon in the long jump. It demolished the world record by 55 centimetres.
Another American, Dick Fosbury, reinvented the high jump and won gold with the Fosbury Flop (2.24m), while countryman Al Oerter clinched an unprecedented fourth consecutive discus title in Mexico.
Tommie Smith, winner of the 200m, and bronze medallist John Carlos, used their medal ceremony to protest against the conditions endured by black people in the USA. They raised gloved fists into the air as the American national anthem played and looked down instead of up at the US flag. The pair were later expelled from the Olympic Village by the Mexican Olympic Committee.
For the first time, winners had to undergo drugs tests and Swedish modern pentathlete Hans-Gunnar Liljenwall became the first drugs disqualification when he tested positive for excessive alcohol.
Munich 1972On Tuesday 5th September 1972, masked Palestinian gunmen forced their way into the Olympic Village in Munich. In the building housing the Israeli delegation, the gunmen took athletes and officials hostage and murdered two in cold blood. The terror culminated in a shootout at the airport, where the Palestinians had planned to escape with their hostages. Nine more Israelis, five Palestinians and a police officer were killed.
Sport paled into insignificance, but the Games went on and the achievement of swimmer Mark Spitz was considerable and unique. The American won seven gold medals and set world records in each of the seven events - 100m butterfly (54.27secs), 200m butterfly (2:00.70), 100m freestyle (51.22), 200m freestyle (1:52.78), 4x100m freestyle (3:26.42), 4x200m freestyle (7:35.78) and 4x100m medley (3:48.16).
Montreal 1976The African nations wanted New Zealand excluded from the Montreal Olympics in 1976 because the All Blacks rugby union team had toured South Africa, banned from the Games because of apartheid. When the International Olympic Committee refused, 27 African nations withdrew. The Canadian government revoked the visas of the Taiwanese to appease China, but the Chinese boycotted anyway in protest at the IOC admitting Taiwan.
Romanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci was the darling of the Games, even outshining queen of the Munich Games Olga Korbut. Comaneci achieved a perfect score of 10 on seven occasions and stuck gold in the individual all-round, asymmetric bars and balance beam, bronze in floor exercises and team silver.
Cuban Alberto Juantorena achieved an unprecedented double of 400m and 800m gold, the latter in a world record 1:43.50, while Finn Lasse Viren repeated the 5,000m and 10,000m double he had achieved in Munich.
American swimmer Jim Montgomery became the first to swim under 50secs for the 100m freestyle, winning gold in 49.99, while East German Kornelia Ender achieved unprecedented success by winning two consecutive finals - the 100m butterfly (1:00.13) and 200m freestyle. She set four world records and also struck gold in the 100m freestyle (55.65)and 4x100m medley relay (4:07.95).
Moscow 1980Most of the capitalist world boycotted the first Olympics to be held in a socialist country, the 1980 Games in Moscow, following the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Only 81 countries took part - the lowest number since 1954.
Britain's Steve Ovett shocked race favourite and countryman Sebastian Coe in the 800m, but Coe gained revenge in the 1500m. Ethiopian Miruts Yifter won the 5,000m and 10,000m, and Poland's Wladyslaw Kozakiewicz set a world record 5.78m in winning the pole vault.
Legendary Cuban heavyweight Teófilo Stevenson won a third consecutive boxing title, and Soviet Vladimir Salnikov became the first swimmer to break 15 minutes for the 1500m freestyle, winning gold in 14:58.27.
|
<urn:uuid:3c3cf674-a284-4294-9e97-a4abdd748c39>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://www.aboutolympics.co.uk/olympics-to-nineteen-eighty.html
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.944301
| 1,174
| 2.875
| 3
|
stony (Heb. marg. "Amanah," perennial), the chief river of Damascus ( 2 Kings 5:12 ). Its modern name is Barada, the Chrysorrhoas, or "golden stream," of the Greeks. It rises in a cleft of the Anti-Lebanon range, about 23 miles north-west of Damascus, and after flowing southward for a little way parts into three smaller streams, the central one flowing through Damascus, and the other two on each side of the city, diffusing beauty and fertility where otherwise there would be barrenness.
|
<urn:uuid:a4f870dd-f444-4cf9-b141-40e95d9c5d12>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionaries/eastons-bible-dictionary/abana.html
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.935476
| 120
| 2.953125
| 3
|
Wed, Jun 27, 2012 -- 10:00 AM
'Zoobiquity'Download audio (MP3)
After consulting at the Los Angeles Zoo on a monkey with heart failure, Dr. Barbara Natterson-Horowitz discovered that animals experience many of the same health problems as humans -- from obesity and breast cancer to substance abuse and depression. She collaborated with science writer Kathryn Bowers to learn more. What can animals teach us about our health?
Host: Michael Krasny
- Barbara Natterson-Horowitz, co-author of "Zoobiquity" and faculty cardiologist at UCLA Medical Center
- Kathryn Bowers, co-author of "Zoobiquity" and writing lecturer at UCLA
On the paleo-fantasy:
"One of the assumptions I had, I have to say, before this project was what others have called the paleo-fantasy -- that in the past and in nature things were disease-free and animals died of predation. But of course with a little closer thought, disease occurs everywhere."
-- Barbara Natterson-Horowitz
"We had the chance to visit some otters in the Monterey Bay area. There'a an area off the coast not from here called the triangle of death and its an area that has lots of great white sharks. There's not very many protective kelp beds underneath. There's really rough riptides out there. And adult male otters never go to this area, neither do female otters, but there's one group that will go into the triangle of death and it's the adolescent males -- the dare devils of the otter world. And what we learned is that risk-taking and sensation-seeking, although we think of it as a being abig, dangerous thing for our own human teens, is actually species-spanning and it can be found in other animals."
- Kathryn Bowers
"The question is what is amplified by captivity and what is created by captivity. Our premise is that nothing can be created by captivity but that certain behaviors and diseases can be amplified."
Also, please note that your comments could be read on air. We may edit them for clarity or brevity, and we will use only your first name to identify you on the air.
|
<urn:uuid:4abf4222-83a9-445c-9ed1-81fd4fc78117>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://www.kqed.org/a/forum/R201206271000
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.954736
| 470
| 2.90625
| 3
|
In the OT marriage is assumed to be a normal relationship, ordained by the Creator (Gen. 1: 26 f.) though the initial period of innocence and joy gave way to ‘hardness of heart’ (Matt. 19: 8). Then rules became necessary, though there are many references in the OT to happiness in marriage (e.g. Prov. 5: 18 f.; the S. of S.; Tobit 7: 8–10: 13), and the means of ensuring posterity—even sometimes a marriage within what were later to be forbidden degrees of kinship (Gen. 24: cf. Lev. 18: 6–18). Marriage with foreigners became forbidden after the Return from Exile (Ezra 9–10), but numerous wives and concubines had been available for kings in the period of the monarchy (1 Kgs. 11: 3). Husbands were allowed to divorce a wife (Deut. 24: 1–4) and were in general allowed more licence in relationships than women, but there was also a strong strain of objection to the idea of divorce (Mal. 2: 14 ff.), based on the analogous relationship of the covenant between God and Israel—human marriage being a reflection of that bond.
In the NT there is a similar theme of the covenant relationship, but the parallel is now that of Christ and his Church (Eph. 5: 22–33). That marriage is the normal form of adult life is endorsed by Jesus' presence as a guest at the wedding in Cana (John 2: 1–12), and some if not all of the twelve apostles whom he chose were married (1 Cor. 9: 5). The sayings of Jesus about marriage that are recorded do not imply that a marriage is indissoluble in the sense that a relationship has been created by God which cannot be terminated by human action, though he warns couples of the great human responsibility they undertake under God's general provision for marriage (Mark 10: 6–9). It is characteristic of Jesus' ethical teaching not to lay down precise rules but to indicate qualities of behaviour: anger is as bad as murder; absolute non‐resistance is preferable to retaliation. Lifelong marriage is better than divorce—but divorce is not inherently impossible, and perhaps sometimes (as in the case of a Christian married to an un‐believer) it could be desirable (1 Cor. 7: 15), and the divorcee is no longer ‘bound’, that is, he or she is free to remarry.
In the time of Jesus a marriage was initiated by two families who negotiated a betrothal between their offspring which was a more solemn and binding commitment than our engagements, even though the bride and bridegroom were much younger than is usual in modern western countries. The marriage was finalized, sooner or later after betrothal, when the man led his wife from her parents' home to his own. Joseph was disconcerted according to Matt. 1: 18–19 when Mary was found to be pregnant after betrothal but before they were cohabiting and, in accordance with Jewish law (Deut. 24: 1), he resolved to terminate the contract. But being of a generous disposition his intention was to act without attracting any publicity.
The two stages of contracting marriage survived in the Church, where it was not uncommon for bride and bridegroom to live together before a church ceremony had taken place: the parties are themselves ministers of the sacrament; the priest in church blesses the union. In Britain it was not until Lord Hardwycke's Act of 1753, in attempting to eliminate the scandals of clandestine weddings, established the public service of holy matrimony in the Book of Common Prayer as the sole legitimization of marriage. From that date prenuptial cohabitation attracted social and religious disapproval.
|
<urn:uuid:c9533392-84b7-4cd9-a0b6-5c7ca1899b82>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://www.oxfordbiblicalstudies.com/article/opr/t94/e1207
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.979519
| 785
| 2.71875
| 3
|
You are currently browsing the tag archive for the ‘Nakba Bill’ tag.
The Mondoweiss website has published some interesting articles on the way the Zionist state of Israel discriminates against Palestinians. Anyone reading the Old Testament will see that among the many things that God has forbidden the Jewish people to do in Israel, is hold another people captive and persecute them just as the ancient Hebrews had been held captive and persecuted by the Egyptian nation in the time of Moses. God continually reminds the Children of Israel to be merciful to non-Jews in the promised land and treat them as if they were one of their own as a matter of justice. The following excerpts from Mondoweiss by Ilan Pappe and the Institute for Middle East Understanding are extremely illuminating and sound a warning to those who teach others that the Zionist State of Israel should be unconditionally supported as mandated by God (so they say).
- There are more than 30 laws that discriminate against Palestinian citizens of Israel. directly or indirectly, based solely on their ethnicity, rendering them second or third class citizens in their own homeland.
- 93% of the land in Israel is owned either by the state or by quasi-governmental agencies, such as the Jewish National Fund, that discriminate against non-Jews. Palestinian citizens of Israel face significant legal obstacles in gaining access to this land for agriculture, residence, or commercial development.
- More than seventy Palestinian villages and communities in Israel, some of which pre-date the establishment of the state, are unrecognized by the government, receive no services, and are not even listed on official maps. Many other towns with a majority Palestinian population lack basic services and receive significantly less government funding than do majority-Jewish towns.
- Since Israel’s founding in 1948, more than 600 Jewish municipalities have been established, while not a single new Arab town or community has been recognized by the state.
- Israeli government resources are disproportionately directed to Jews and not to Arabs, one factor in causing the Palestinians of Israel to suffer the lowest living standards in Israeli society by all socio-economic indicators.
- Government funding for Arab schools is far below that of Jewish schools. According to data published in 2004, the government provides three times as much funding to Jewish students than it does to Arab students.
- According to the 2009 US State Department International Religious Freedom Report, “Many of the national and municipal policies in Jerusalem were designed to limit or diminish the non-Jewish population of Jerusalem.”
- In October 2010, the Knesset approved a bill allowing smaller Israeli towns to reject residents who do not suit “the community’s fundamental outlook”, based on sex, religion, and socioeconomic status. Critics slammed the move as an attempt to allow Jewish towns to keep Arabs and other non-Jews out.
- The so-called “Nakba Bill” bans state funding for groups that commemorate the tragedy that befell Palestinians during Israel’s creation in 1948, when approx. 725,000 Palestinian Arabs were ethnically cleansed to make way for a Jewish majority state.
Ilan Pappe talks about why Palestinians are second class citizens of Israel at best:
“MY BOOK The Forgotten Palestinians: A History of the Palestinians in Israel examines this at length, but there are three levels of discrimination.
First, there’s the legal level. And in Israel, this is carried out by separating the community into two kinds–those who serve in the army and those who don’t serve in the army. By law, those who don’t serve in the army don’t have the same property rights, the same rights in terms of national security, insurance, welfare benefits, accommodation in universities and so forth.
Now, you can say it’s not racist because it’s not based on national identity, but Jews who do not serve in the army are not affected by this law. So in practice, these laws only apply to the Arab citizens of Israel–who, by a tacit agreement with the government, don’t serve in the army. So that’s a very legal basis, very clear legislation.
Then there is the semi-legalistic, more-gray area of regulations. Israel still has intact a set of mandatory emergency regulations that can be enacted at any given moment. These regulations are enacted every now and then, and then only against the Palestinian community, which gives a military government absolute control over the lives of people.
You can be arrested without trial, you can be distanced by force from your home, you can be expelled, your home can be demolished, the area in which you live can be cordoned off and declared a “militarily closed area” without any outside world intervention. And there, the military government can do whatever it wants.
The last time Israelis used these emergency regulations was when they implemented a newly passed law that Palestinians from Israel who married Palestinians from the West Bank could not live in Israel, they had to live in the West Bank. So they expelled these couples by force by declaring certain Arab villages in the center of Israel literally closed areas. And they used that to remove them.
The third level is the one that regulates daily contact between Palestinian citizens and Israeli authorities–the tax collector, the policeman, the judge. I will just give you one example, but there are many others. Even Israeli research shows that when Palestinians and Jews are brought before a court, Palestinian defendants who committed the same offense as a Jewish defendant will always get a stiffer sentence.
There are hardly any Jews who have ever been shot by the police as petty criminals, but quite a few Palestinians. When it comes to Palestinians, there is a very different posture taken by those who represent the establishment and the government. The most notable circumstance has to do with the airport, public transportation, railways and so on, where Palestinians are subjected to very humiliating searches, and sometimes are not allowed even to board a train or a domestic flight, let alone an international flight, just because they are Palestinian.”
|
<urn:uuid:c2c061d9-6958-4ea3-a250-58f3cb04f3ae>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://craignielsen.wordpress.com/tag/nakba-bill/
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.960313
| 1,248
| 2.609375
| 3
|
What is a Cookie?
Cookies are small files that may be placed by a web site on a users PC. They are used to store information that may be needed while browsing the site, or on a future visit. This may include personal data, or anonymous information such as previously visited pages or items stored in the shopping cart.
What Cookies do we use?
Don't Want Cookies?
Most web browsers allow some control of most cookies through the browser settings. To find out more about cookies, including how to see what cookies have been set and how to manage and delete them, visit www.allaboutcookies.org
|
<urn:uuid:48f1280f-99fe-432e-ab32-6a86e8d81ebb>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://dandybooksellers.com/acatalog/Cookies.html
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.931646
| 128
| 2.609375
| 3
|
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. June 21, 2012 Regenerative medicine researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center have reached an early milestone in a long-term project that aims to build replacement kidneys in the lab to help solve the shortage of donor organs.
In proof-of-concept research published online ahead of print in Annals of Surgery, the team successfully used pig kidneys to make "scaffolds" or support structures that could potentially one day be used to build new kidneys for human patients. The idea is to remove all animal cells leaving only the organ structure or "skeleton." A patient's own cells would then be placed on the scaffold, making an organ that the patient theoretically would not reject.
While this is one of the first studies to assess the possibility of using whole pig kidneys to engineer replacement organs, the idea of using organ structures from pigs to help human patients is not new. Pig heart valves removed of cells have been used for more than three decades to provide heart valve replacements in human patients.
"It is important to identify new sources of transplantable organs because of the critical shortage of donor organs," said lead author Giuseppe Orlando, M.D., an instructor in surgery and regenerative medicine at Wake Forest Baptist. "These kidneys maintain their innate three-dimensional architecture, as well as their vascular system, and may represent the ideal platform for kidney engineering."
For the research, pig kidneys were soaked in a detergent to remove all cells, leaving behind the organ's "skeleton," including its system of blood vessels. In addition, the structure of the nephron the kidney's functional unit was maintained. The scaffolds were implanted in animals, where they were re-filled with blood and were able to maintain normal blood pressure, proving that the process of removing cells doesn't affect the mechanical strength of the vessels.
"There are many chall
|Contact: Karen Richardson|
Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center
|
<urn:uuid:dda7879a-8eb8-4e98-9f91-2f1b4da05b30>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://www.bio-medicine.org/biology-news-1/Lab-engineered-kidney-project-reaches-early-milestone-25453-1/
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.960195
| 398
| 3.390625
| 3
|
Legislation applicable until 12 December 2014
EU legislation on food labelling covers:
- General rules on food labelling
- Rules for specific foods e.g. beef or chocolate.
Directive 2000/13/EC on labelling, presentation and advertising of foods is the main EU legislation on the subject.
Key points of Directive 2000/13/EC
- Consumers get all the essential information on composition, manufacturer, storage methods and preparation, etc.
- Applies to foods delivered as such to the consumer or to restaurants, hospitals, canteens and other mass caterers.
- Food labels must be indelible and easy to see, understand and read, with some particulars appearing in the same field of vision.
- Substances known as allergens must always be indicated on the label. (EU list of allergens or substances causing intolerances - Annex IIIa).
- Labels must indicate the quantity of certain ingredients as a percentage of the final product (Quantitative Ingredients Declaration - QUID).
- Producers and manufacturers can give additional labelling information, if it is accurate and does not mislead the consumer.
- Prohibits claims on any food that it prevents, treats or cures a human disease.
|
<urn:uuid:3215a3b9-ae6e-47c9-a7e6-a6b71e2eff58>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://ec.europa.eu/food/food/labellingnutrition/foodlabelling/index_en.htm
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.879311
| 255
| 2.84375
| 3
|
Lunder Conservation Center
The Lunder Conservation Center is the first art conservation facility that allows the public permanent behind-the-scenes views of essential preservation work. Conservation staff for both the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the National Portrait Gallery are visible to the public through floor-to-ceiling glass walls that allow visitors to see firsthand all the techniques that conservators use to examine, treat and preserve artworks. The center has five state-of-the-art laboratories and studios equipped to treat paintings, prints, drawings, photographs, sculptures, folk art objects, contemporary crafts, decorative arts and frames. In addition to providing expanded space for conservation projects, the center is a destination for learning about conservation science and techniques through educational kiosks, videos, public programs and outreach initiatives. More than 35 conservators from across the country participated in creating these educational components. A 40-foot media wall on the 4th floor features interviews with many of these experts.
|
<urn:uuid:b94a0ce6-d2bb-4867-86bf-66187385fe8c>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://www.americanart.si.edu/visit/about/architecture/lunder/
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.910278
| 192
| 2.78125
| 3
|
Alcmaeonid FamilyArticle Free Pass
Alcmaeonid Family, a powerful Athenian family, claiming descent from the legendary Alcmaeon, that was important in 5th- and 6th-century-bc politics. During the archonship of one of its members, Megacles (632? bc), a certain Cylon failed in an attempt to make himself tyrant, and his followers were slain at an altar sanctuary. Accused of sacrilege and murder, the Alcmaeonids incurred the bloodguilt that was to be used against them in political struggles for more than two centuries. The family was banished for the murder but returned during the ascendancy of Solon (early 6th century) to lead a party in Athens, which accepted Solon’s reforms.
After Peisistratus became tyrant in 561–560, the Alcmaeonids, allied with the more conservative aristocrats, twice drove him from the city before he managed to have the family exiled. They were recalled later, and one of their members, Cleisthenes, was made archon for 525/524. Upon the murder of Peisistratus’ son Hipparchus in 514, they were exiled once more by the tyrant Hippias. In 513 Cleisthenes led the Alcmaeonids in an unsuccessful invasion of Attica from their base in Boeotia. The family was rewarded for rebuilding the fire-damaged temple of Apollo at Delphi when the Spartans, largely at the insistence of the Delphic oracle, finally drove out the Peisistratids in 510. Two years later Cleisthenes introduced a program of constitutional reforms that greatly furthered the development of Athenian democracy.
The policy followed by this opportunistic family during the next generation is obscure. They were suspected of collusion with the Persians at the Battle of Marathon (490), but the direct-line descendants were considerably less prominent after the Persian Wars. Both Alcibiades and Pericles, however, were descended from the family through their mothers. Spartan demands at the beginning of the Peloponnesian War for the expulsion of the Alcmaeonids were provocations directed at Pericles.
What made you want to look up "Alcmaeonid Family"? Please share what surprised you most...
|
<urn:uuid:242dbfdd-23bc-48ed-a142-105b60290eea>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/13336/Alcmaeonid-Family
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.977904
| 479
| 2.890625
| 3
|
As those of us who live in British Commonwealth countries commemorate Remembrance Day, I want to reflect about what this day means to me, especially in the context of the eurozone crisis today.
Our story begins at the close of World War II. As that war drew to a close in 1945, the leaders of Western Europe came together and surveyed the wreckage. For centuries Europe had been racked by conflict, centered mainly between France and Germany. As an example of the level of carnage, consider that the French and Germans lost over 800,000 men (dead, wounded, missing and captured) in one single battle – the multi-year Battle of Verdun in World War I. By way of comparison, the Verdun casualties were double that of American loss in Vietnam dwarf American casualties in either the Korean Conflict.
The Europeans said “never again!” Thus the EU was born. In 1957, the European Economic Community (EEC), also known as the Common Market, was formed. The intent was not purely trade liberalization, but to bind Germany to Europe so tightly that major European conflicts could never happen again. The EEC later became the European Union (EU). Further economic integration occurred in December 1995 when many EU countries adopted the euro as a common currency.
This strategy of peace through economic integration has largely succeeded. If the Germans were to mobilize the Bundeswehr today and announced to the troops that they were going to war with France, the men would all laugh and go home.
That is the miracle of Europe.
As players on the European stage manoeuvre for advantage, we must not forget the Big Reason for the formation the European Union. Also don't forget the terrible price that could be paid by future generations should the current crop of leaders fail.
Lest we forget.
Cam Hui is a portfolio manager at Qwest Investment Fund Management Ltd. ("Qwest"). This article is prepared by Mr. Hui as an outside business activity. As such, Qwest does not review or approve materials presented herein. The opinions and any recommendations expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not reflect the opinions or recommendations of Qwest.
None of the information or opinions expressed in this blog constitutes a solicitation for the purchase or sale of any security or other instrument. Nothing in this article constitutes investment advice and any recommendations that may be contained herein have not been based upon a consideration of the investment objectives, financial situation or particular needs of any specific recipient. Any purchase or sale activity in any securities or other instrument should be based upon your own analysis and conclusions. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Either Qwest or Mr. Hui may hold or control long or short positions in the securities or instruments mentioned.
|
<urn:uuid:026ee0dd-63b5-4f8a-9971-b1c664365dd2>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://www.humblestudentofthemarkets.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/remembrance-day-in-eurozone.html
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.95747
| 554
| 2.71875
| 3
|
This blog did not yet exist when the Skin exhibition was held in London as an invitation to reflect on our most overlooked organ. Our skin protects us from external aggressions, enables us to feel and transmits cultural characteristics.
Skin is a philosophical journey to the skin through images, the earliest anatomical illustrations, works by contemporary artists (e.g., biological jewellery made from epithelial cells) and scarifying, tattoos and other cultural expressions. The exhibition also explains how dermatology came into being as a medical specialty in the 19th century. The curator of the exhibition, which, fortunately, can still be visited online, was Javier Moscoso, a science historian and philosopher with the Spanish Advanced Research Council (CSIC). Although readers may find some of the images very graphic, we strongly recommend a visit to the exhibition website.
Deodorants and antiperspirants have become indispensable in the daily hygiene of both men and women. How do components like aluminium chlorohydrate and alum stone (potassium alum) act to eliminate the odours caused by sweat?
Aluminium chlorohydrate essentially reduces perspiration by plugging the pores of the skin with astringent salts that make it difficult for the odour-causing bacteria to multiply. Alum stone, on the other hand, exerts a powerful bactericidal action but, since the pores are not obstructed, the skin perspires as normal. Read more
We tend to associate dry skin with heat and with typical summer activities. But the skin is no better hydrated in winter, as the colder air is also drier. Our face and hands suffer the consequences.
Sunbathing and swimming in the sea and the swimming pool are normal summer activities, and we are fully aware that we need to protect and hydrate our skin. But what about winter? We should be careful not to drop our guard, because low humidity in winter causes one of the most common skin disorders: dry skin. This disorder does not distinguish between ages or sexes, as it is based on a particular feature of winter weather. Read more
|
<urn:uuid:cf0009c8-f717-4973-8662-6cd98906ea14>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://www.thehealthyskinblog.org/2011/12/
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.946887
| 419
| 3.25
| 3
|
The Roman Empire would eventually decay and fall apart. Under Byzantine Emperor Justinian, a short-lived attempt to re-constitute the Roman Empire was briefly successful but that was the last time. From that point forward Europe would be fragmented except for very brief periods of a single dominant political entity such as the Carolingian Empire but this would be the exception.
Roughly around the same time that the Roman Empire was falling apart, the Han Dynasty Empire also started to fall apart. But in Eastern Asia, it seems that while there were periods of disunity (such as three kingdoms, etc), there were the exception and for the most part, Eastern Asia was mostly unified under as one large political entity based on Chinese culture.
Someone would eventually unify the Chinese peoples into mainly one political entity. But when the Roman Empire fell, no one was able to do it. Why is it that Europe was mostly fragemented while China was mostly unified?
Some possible reasons:
1) Geography - Chinese geography was simply more conducive to unity than European geography. This is a very plausible possibility. Note that I include in geography also "political geography" in the sense of the situation of the Romans vis-a-vis neighboring cultures that were never part of the Roman Empire (such as Germanic peoples, Arabs/Muslims, Ottomans, etc). Perhaps the "barbarians" surrounding the Roman peoples were just more powerful than the Chinese "barbarians" surrounding the Chinese peoples and the situation made unifying Europe much more difficult?
2) Culture - Chinese culture (including language, religion, etc) was simply more conducive to unity than Latin culture. This is possibly but I don't see how. The core Latin culture was about as unified as the core Chinese culture, I think. Perhaps aspects of Latin culture, especially Christianity, made disunity more likely?
3) Luck - Its just the luck of the draw. Changes in certain key moments in history could have led to very different outcomes. If we could replay history from 1CE forward a thousand times, we would see that many times China would have fragmented like real-life Europe while Europe might have more or less consistently reunified itself like real-life China.
What do some experts here think?
Edited by AmateurHistorian, 14 September 2010 - 08:53 PM.
|
<urn:uuid:760e01c4-3b03-468d-92e7-5615501fd187>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://www.chinahistoryforum.com/index.php?/topic/34579-chinese-unity-vs-european-disunity/
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.981975
| 477
| 3.46875
| 3
|
Geography is not destiny but it is a good rule of thumb. With borders like this Palestine would struggle to keep a status quo out of war with Israel or at the very least a return to the Hamas-Fatah Civil War. The reasons for Palestine's geographic strikes against it are that the population sizes of the West Bank and Gaza Strip and their separation from each other by internationally-recognized Israel. A quick examination of excalves shows that having a Gaza Strip-exclave shows that the status quo as envisioned by the United Nations is undoable.
Exclaves are usually not causes of instability. In most cases open border travel, similar ethnic/national makeup, and the limited population size of exclaves help ensure peace by making state geographic unity unnecessary. For example, let us examine quickly exclaves that existed peacefully and some that failed.
- Alaska-United States: Open borders and friendly relations with Canada, same ethnic/national groups as in the United States. 17% of the United States' landmass but only 0.2% of the total population.
- European and former Soviet exclaves such as those in the Low Countries and even Kaliningrad: Open borders or custom unions which allow for easy travel. Very minimal in physical and population size (>.01)
- Calbinda-Angola: Semi-open borders with varying relationship with Zaire/Congo, different ethnic/national groups. 1.9% of Angola's total population and 0.6% of the total landmass.
- East Pakistan-Republic of Pakistan: In 1971 closed borders due to hostile relations with India. Very different ethnic/national groups between the exclave (Bangladesh) and present-day Pakistan. 18.5% of the country's landmass but 55% of the total population.
- East Prussia-Nazi Germany: In 1939 closed borders due to Polish corridor and Polish fears of Nazi invasion. Same ethnic majority. 3.1% of Germany's population and 6.1% of Germany's landmass.
Both the Gaza Strip and West Bank are demographically the same. This will help reduce internal strife. Another Hamas-Fatah conflict is still possible but both populations will view themselves as one Palestinian nation which should remain in one state.
The trouble for Palestine concerns size and access. The long running tension between Israel and Palestinians is likely to keep borders closed. The critical blow to long term viability is in population size. The Gaza Strip only makes up 6.1% of United Nations-declared Palestine but comprises 44.5% of its total population.
Something like Palestine as recognized by the United Nations has never been done before. The only thing similar was East and West Pakistan, the difference being the separate ethnic groups, and that ended in monumental failure. Under a United Nations-envisioned Palestine, Palestinians would be one people separated nearly evenly with a hostile country in between. As such a permanent split between the Gaza Strip and West Bank is unlikely, though the lack of access between the two may drive some in Palestine to push for a war for geographic unity against Israel. Geography is not destiny, as I stated before, but the United Nations defined Palestine has been set upon an unknown and dangerous course.
|
<urn:uuid:b05be759-055d-41a2-9606-de23695a4b2e>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://www.geographictravels.com/2012/12/is-state-of-palestine-geographic.html?showComment=1354864368666
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.940977
| 662
| 3.25
| 3
|
“Why am I always hungry?” Is that a question you often ask yourself, even after meals? If so, you could have leptin resistance. Leptin, a hormone produced by body fat, controls whether or not you feel full after eating.
Someone with normal leptin function will feel satisfied after eating until it’s time for the next meal. This is because the body secretes leptin when you’ve had enough to eat and tells your brain you’re full.
Leptin Resistance Causes Hunger in Overweight Individuals
Because adipose (fat) cells secrete leptin, you would think that a person who is overweight would have plenty of leptin and hence never feel hungry. Unfortunately, this is not true. Excess fat tissue in the body creates excess leptin and leads to leptin resistance, which causes feelings of hunger, even if a person has already had enough to eat. In other words, there is too much leptin circulating in the bloodstream, which overwhelms the body’s cells. In order to protect themselves, the cells shut down their receptors for leptin, thus causing leptin resistance. With no leptin getting into cells, the brain never receives the message it is full, and a person is prone to overeating. In addition to increasing appetite, leptin serves a double whammy by promoting more fat storage. It’s a vicious roller-coaster that makes successful weight loss very difficult!
Leptin is also important for fertility, libido, and puberty, making proper diet and leptin sensitivity important for developing children. In fact, leptin resistance could explain why obese girls are 80 percent more likely to start puberty earlier than normal.
Overeating Caused By High Triglycerides
Leptin resistance isn’t the only battle in the fight against overeating. High triglycerides have been shown to block leptin’s ability to cross the blood-brain barrier (a thin lining that protects the brain) to deliver its satiety signal to the brain. Sugars and carbohydrate-rich foods, such as breads, pasta, rice, and potatoes, raise triglycerides considerably, thus blocking leptin’s ability to tell your brain you’re full.
Diet Can Reverse Feelings of Hunger
If you’ve asked yourself, “Why am I always hungry?”, the first step you can take to normalize your leptin levels is to change your diet. Overeating and eating too many sweets and starchy foods lead to leptin resistance, high triglycerides, and hence the feelings of hunger and intense food cravings. Therefore, the key to unwinding leptin resistance is to adopt a leptin-sensitivity diet that can also help you shed unwanted pounds.
What is a Leptin-Sensitivity Diet?
If you want to overcome leptin resistance and never again ask yourself, “Why am I always hungry?”, consider these leptin-lowering facts:
- Ditch the sweets and sodas. Sugar and corn syrup has been shown to directly make the brain resistant to leptin. Sweets also raise triglycerides so leptin can’t reach the brain.
- Eat a lower-carb diet. Starchy foods (pasta, rice, breads, potatoes, corn, pastries, etc.) spike blood sugar and insulin levels. This in turn increases leptin.
- Consume healthy fats such as coconut oil, butter, ghee, uncooked olive oil, avocado, salmon, etc. Adequate, healthy fats turn on leptin’s satiety switch.
- Consider taking a fish or krill oil supplement. Omega-3 fatty acids modulate leptin.
Remember that overeating causes leptin resistance, which promotes food cravings. Cutting sodas, sweets, high-carb and processed foods, in addition to adding healthy fats will help curb these cravings. Also, don’t forget to exercise regularly. Exercise, particularly strength training and interval training, helps lower leptin.
Childhood obesity brings early puberty for girls. By Phil McKenna. New Scientist. March 5, 2007.
Triglycerides induce leptin resistance at the blood-brain barrier. Diabetes. 2004 May;53(5):1253-60.
Mastering Leptin: Your Guide to Permanent Weight Loss and Optimum Health. Richard and Mary Guignon Richards. Wellness Resources, May 2009.
|
<urn:uuid:17472144-793d-4fbd-8d14-779a1a864383>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://www.naturalhealthadvisory.com/daily/natural-health-101/why-am-i-always-hungry-even-after-i-eat/
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.915663
| 895
| 2.8125
| 3
|
MAHABHARATA. [Source: Dowson's Classical Dictionary of Hindu Mythology] 'The great (war of the) Bharatas.' The great epic poem of the Hindus, probably the longest in the world. It is divided into eighteen parvas or books, and contains about 220,000 lines. The poem has been subjected to much modification and has received numerous comparatively modern additions, but many of its legends and stories are of Vedic character and of great antiquity. They seem to have long existed in a scattered state, and to have been brought together at different times. Upon them have been founded many of the poems and dramas of later days, and among them is the story of Rama, upon which the Ramayana itself may have been based.
According to Hindu authorities, they were finally arranged and reduced to writing by a Brahman or Brahmans. There is a good deal of mystery about this, for the poem is attributed to a divine source. The reputed author was Krishna Dwaipayana, the Vyasa, or arranger, of the Vedas. He is said to have taught the poem to his pupil Vaisampayana, who afterwards recited it at a festival to King Janamejaya.
The leading subject of the poem is the great war between the Kauravas and Pandavas, who were descendants, through Bharata, from Puru, the great ancestor of one branch of the Lunar race. The object of the great struggle was the kingdom whose capital was Hastinapura (elephant city), the ruins of which are traceable fifty-seven miles north-east of Delhi, on an old bed of the Ganges.
Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa is not only the author of the poem, but the source from whom the chief actors sprung. He was the son of the Rishi Parasara by a nymph named Satyavati, who had a son called Santavana, better known as Bhishma. In his old age Santanu wished to marry again, but the hereditary rights of the Bhishma were an obstacle to his obtaining a desirable match. To gratify his father's desire, Bhishma divested himself of all rights of succession, and Santanu then married Satyavati. She bore him two sons, the elder of whom, Chitrangada, succeeded to the throne, but was soon killed in battle by a Gandharva king who bore the same name. Vichitravirya, the younger, succeeded, but died childless, leaving two widows, named Ambika and Ambalika, daughters of a king of Kasi.
Satyavati then called on Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa to fulfill the law, and raise up seed to his half-brother. Vyasa had lived the life of an anchorite in the woods, and his severe austerities had made him terrible in appearance. The two widows were so frightened at him that the elder one closed her eyes, and so gave birth to a blind son, who received the name of Dhritarashtra; and the younger turned so pale that her son was called Pandu, 'the pale.' Satyavati wished for a child without blemish, but the elder widow shrank from a second association with Vyasa, and made a slave girl take her place. From this girl was born a son who was named Vidura.
These children were brought up by their uncle Bhishma, who acted as regent. When they became of age, Dhritarashtra was deemed incapable of reigning in consequence of his blindness, and Pandu came to the throne. The name Pandu has suggested a suspicion of leprosy, and either through that, or in consequence of a curse, as the poem states, he retired to the forest, and Dhritarashtra became king.
Pandu had two wives, Kunti or Pritha, daughter of Sura, king of the Surasenas, and Madri, sister of the king of the Madras ; but either through disease or the curse passed upon him, he did not consort with his wives. He retired into solitude in the Himalaya mountains, and there he died; his wives, who accompanied him having borne five sons. The paternity of these children is attributed to different gods, but Pandu acknowledged them, and they received their patronymic of Pandava. Kunti was the mother of the three elder sons, and Madri of the two younger. Yudhishthira (firm in flight), the eldest, was son of Dharma, the judge of the dead, and is considered a pattern of manly firmness, justice, and integrity. Bhima or Bhimasena (the terrible), the second, was son of Vayu, the god of the wind. He was noted for his strength, daring, and brute courage; but he was coarse, choleric, and given to vaunting. He was such a great eater that he was called Vrikodara, 'wolf's belly.' Arjuna (the bright or silvery), the third, was son of Indra, the god of the sky. He is the most prominent character, if not the hero, of the poem. He was brave as the bravest, high-minded, generous, tender-hearted, and chivalric in his notions of honour. Nakula and Sahadeva, the fourth and fifth sons, were the twin children of Madri by the Aswini Kumaras, the twin sons of Surya, the sun. They were brave, spirited, and amiable, but they do not occupy such prominent positions as their elder brothers.
Dhritarashtra, who reigned at Hastinapura, was blind. By his wife Gandhari he had a hundred sons, and one daughter named Duhsala. This numerous offspring was owing to a blessing from Vyasa, and was produced in a marvelous way. From their ancestor Kuru these princes were known as the Kauravas. The eldest of them, Duryodhana (hard to subdue), was their leader, and was a bold, crafty, malicious man, an embodiment of all that is bad in a prince.
While the Pandu princes were yet children, they, on the death of their father, were brought to Dhritarashtra, and presented to him as his nephews. He took charge of them, showed them great kindness, and had them educated with his own sons. Differences and dislikes soon arose, and the juvenile emulation and rivalry of the princes ripened into bitter hatred on the part of the Kauravas. This broke into an open flame when Dhritarashtra nominated Yudhishthira as his Yuvaraja or heir-apparent.
The jealousy and the opposition of his sons to this act was so great that Dhritarashtra sent the Pandavas away to Varanavata, where they dwelt in retirement. While they were living there Duryodhana plotted to destroy his cousins by setting fire to their house, which he had caused to be made very combustible. All the five brothers were for a time supposed to have perished in the fire, but they had received timely warning from Vidura, and they escaped to the forest, where they dressed and lived in disguise as Brahmans upon alms.
While the Pandavas were living in the forest they heard that Draupada, king of the Panchalas, had proclaimed a swayamvara, at which his daughter Draupadi was to select her husband from among the princely and warlike suitors. They went there, still disguised as Brahmans. Arjuna bent the mighty bow which had defied the strength of the Kauravas and all other competitors, and the Pandavas were victorious over every opponent. They threw off their disguise, and Draupadi was won by Arjuna. The brothers then conducted Draupadi to their home. On their arrival they told their mother Kunti that they had made a great acquisition, and she unwittingly directed them to share it among them. The mother's command could not be evaded, and Vyasa confirmed her direction; so Draupadi became the wife in common of the five brothers, and it was arranged that she should dwell for two days in the house of each of the five brothers in succession. This marriage has been justified by a piece of special pleading, which contends that the five princes were all portions of one deity, and therefore only one distinct person, to whom a woman might lawfully be married.
This public appearance made known the existence of the Pandavas. Their uncle Dhritarashtra recalled them to his court and divided his kingdom between his own sons and them. His sons received Hastinpura, and the chief city given to his nephews was Indraprastha on the river Yamuna, close to the modern Delhi , where the name still survives. The close proximity of Hastinapura and Indraprastha shows that the territory of Dhritarashtra must have been of very moderate extent.
The reign of Yudhishthira was a pattern of justice and wisdom. Having conquered many countries, he announced his intention of performing the Rajasuya sacrifice, thus setting up a claim to universal dominion, or at least to be a king over kings. This excited still more the hatred and envy of the sons of Dhritarashtra, who induced their father to invite the Pandavas to Hastinapura.
The Kauravas had laid their plot, and insidiously prevailed upon Yudhishthira to gamble. His opponent was Sakuni, uncle of the Kaurava princes, a great gambler and a cheat. Yudhishthira lost his all: his wealth, his palace, his kingdom, his brothers, himself, and last of all, their wife. Draupadi was brought into the assembly as a slave, and when she rushed out she was dragged back again by her hair by Duhsasana, an insult for which Bhima vowed to drink his blood. Duryodhana also insulted her by seating her upon his thigh, and Bhima vowed that he would smash that thigh. Both these vows he afterwards performed.
Through the interference and commands of Dhritarashtra the possessions of Yudhishthira were restored to him. But he was once more tempted to play, upon the condition that if he lost he and his brothers should pass twelve years in the forest, and should remain incognito during the thirteenth year. He was again the loser, and retired with his brothers and wife into exile.
In the thirteenth year they entered the service of the king of Virata in disguise - Yudhishthira as a Brahman skillful as a gamester; Bhima as a cook; Arjuna as a eunuch and teacher of music and dancing; Nakula as a horse-trainer; and Sahadeva as a herdsman. Draupadi also took service as an attendant and needlewoman of the queen, Sudeshna. The five princes each assumed two names, one for use among themselves and one for public use. Yudhishthira was Jaya in private, Kanka in public; Bhima was Jayanta and Ballava; Arjuna was Vijaya and Brihannala; Nakula was Jayasena and Granthika; Sahadeva was Jayadbala and Arishtanemi, a Vaisya. The beauty of Draupadi attracted Kichaka, brother of the queen, and the chief man in the kingdom. He endeavoured to seduce her, and Bhima killed him. The relatives of Kichaka were about to burn Draupadi on his funeral pile, but Bhima appeared as a wild Gandharva to rescue her.
The brothers grew in favour, and rendered great assistance to the king of Trigartta and the Kauravas. The time of exile being expired, the princes made themselves known, and Abhimanyu, son of Arjuna, received Uttara, the king's daughter, in marriage.
The Pandavas now determined to attempt the recovery of their kingdom. The king of Virata became their firm ally, and preparations for war began. Allies were sought on all sides. Krishna and Balarama, being relatives of both parties, were reluctant to fight. Krishna conceded to Arjuna and Duryodhana the choice of himself unarmed or of a large army. Arjuna chose Krishna and Duryodhana joyfully accepted the army. Krishna agreed to act as charioteer of his especial friend Arjuna. It was in this capacity that he is represented to have spoken the divine song Bhagavad-gita, when the rival armies were drawn up for battle at Kurukshetra, a plain north of Delhi.
Many battles follow. The army of Duryodhana is commanded in succession by his great-uncle Bhishma, Drona his military preceptor, Karna, king of Anga, and Salya, king of Madra and brother of Madri. Bhishma was wounded by Arjuna, but survived for a time. All the others fell in succession, and at length only three of the Kuru warriors - Kripa, Aswatthaman, and Kritavarma - were left alive with Duryodhana. Bhima and Duryodhana fought in single combat with maces, and Duryodhana had his thigh broken and was mortally wounded.
The three surviving Kauravas fell by night upon the camp of the Pandavas and destroyed five children of the Pandavas, and all the army except the five brothers themselves. These five boys were sons of Draupadi, one by each of the five brothers. Yudhishthira's son was Prativindhya, Bhima's was Srutasoma, Arjuna's was Srutakirtti, Nakula's was Satanika, and Sahadeva's was Srutakarman.
Yudhishthira and his brothers then went to Hastinapura, and after a reconciliation with Dhritarashtra, Yudhishthira was crowned there. But he was greatly depressed and troubled at the loss of kindred and friends. Soon after he was seated on the throne, the Aswamedha sacrifice was performed with great ceremony, and the Pandavas lived in peace and prosperity.
The old blind king Dhritarashtra could not forget or forgive the loss of his sons, and mourned especially for Duryodhana. Bitter reproaches and taunts passed between him and Bhima; at length he, with his wife Gandhari, with Kunti, mother of the Pandavas, and with some of his ministers, retired to a hermitage in the woods, where, after two years' residence, they perished in a forest fire.
Deep sorrow and remorse seized upon the Pandavas, and after a while Yudhishthira abdicated his throne and departed with his brothers to the Himalayas, in order to reach the heaven of Indra on Mount Meru. A dog followed them from Hastinapura.
The story of this journey is full of grandeur and tenderness, and has been most effectively rendered into English by Professor Goldstucker. Sins and moral defects now prove fatal to the pilgrims. First fell Draupadi: "too great was her love for Arjuna." Next Sahadeva: "he esteemed none equal to himself." Then Nakula: "ever was the thought in his heart, There is none equal in beauty to me." Arjuna's turn came next: "In one day I could destroy all my enemies." "Such was Arjuna's boast, and he falls, for he fulfilled it not." When Bhima fell he inquired the reason of his fall, and he was told, "When thou gazedst on thy foe, thou hast cursed him with thy breath; therefore thou fallest today."
Yudishthira went on alone with the dog until he reached the gate of heaven. He was invited by Indra to enter, but he refused unless his brothers and Draupadi were also received. "Not even into thy heaven would I enter if they were not there." He is assured that they were already there, and is again told to enter "wearing his body of flesh." He again refuses unless, in the words of Pope, "admitted to that equal sky, his faithful dog should bear him company." Indra expostulates in vain. "Never, come weal or come woe, will I abandon yon faithful dog."
He is at length admitted, but to his dismay he finds there Duryodhana and his enemies, but not his brothers or Draupadi. He refuses to remain in heaven without them, and is conducted to the jaws of hell, where he beholds terrific sights and hears wailings of grief and anguish. He recoils, but well-known voices implore him to remain and assuage their sufferings. He triumphs in this crowning trial, and resolves to share the fate of his friends in hell rather than abide with their foes in heaven. Having endured this supreme test, the whole is shown to be the effect of maya or illusion, and he and his brothers and friends dwell with Indra in full content of heart forever.
List of books with contents:
1. Adiparva, 'Introductory book.' Describes the genealogy of the two families, the birth and nurture of Dhritarashtra and Pandu, their marriages, the births of the hundred sons of the former and the five of the latter, the enmity and rivalry between the young princes of the two branches, and the winning of Draupadi at the swayamvara.
2. Sabhaparva, 'Assembly book.' The assembly of the princes at Hastinapura when Yudhishthira lost his kingdom and the Pandavas had to retire into exile.
3. Vanaparva, ' Forest chapter.' The life of the Pandavas in the Kamyaka forest. This book is one of the longest and contains many episodes: among them the story of Nala, and an outline of the story of the Ramayana.
4. Virataparva, 'Virata chapter.' Adventures of the Pandavas in the thirteenth year of their exile, while they were in the service of King Virata.
5. Udyogaparva, 'Effort book.' The preparations of both sides for war.
6. Bhishmaparva, 'Book of Bhishma.' The battles fought while Bhishma commanded the Kaurava army.
7. Dronaparva, 'The Book of Drona.' Drona's command of the Kaurava army.
8. Karnaparva, 'Book of Karna.' Karna's command and his death at the hand of Arjuna.
9. Salyaparva, 'Salya's command, in which Duryodhana is mortally wounded and only three Kauravas are left alive.
10. Sauptikaparva, 'Nocturnal book.' The night attack of the three surviving Kauravas on the Pandava camp.
11. Striparva, 'Book of the women.' The lamentations of Queen Gandhari and the women over the slain.
12. Santiparva, 'Book of consolation.' A long and diffuse didactic discourse by Bhisma on the morals and duties of kings, intended to assuage the grief of Yudhishthira.
13. Anusasanaparva, 'Book of precepts.' A continuation of Bhishma's discourses and his death.
14. Aswamedhikaparva, 'Book of the Aswamedha.' Yudhishthira's performance of the horse sacrifice.
15. Asramaparva, 'Book of the hermitage.' The retirement of Dhritarashtra, Gandhari, and Kunti to a hermitage in the woods, and their death in a forest fire.
16. Mausalparva, 'Book of the clubs.' The death of Krishna and Balarama, the submersion of Dwaraka by the sea, and the mutual destruction of the Yadavas in a fight with clubs (musala) of miraculous origin.
17. Mahaprasthanikaparva, 'Book of the great journey.' Yudishthira's abdication of the throne, and his departure with his brothers towards the Himalayas on their way to Indra's heaven on Mount Meru.
18. Swargarohanaparva, 'Book of the ascent to heaven.' Entrance into heaven of Yudishthira and his brothers, and of their wife Draupadi.
Modern Languages MLLL-4993. Indian Epics. Laura Gibbs, Ph.D. The textual material made available at this website is licensed under a Creative Commons License. You must give the original author credit. You may not use this work for commercial purposes. If you alter, transform, or build upon this work, you may distribute the resulting work only under a license identical to this one. No claims are made regarding the status of images used at this website; if you own the copyright privileges to any of these images and believe your copyright privileges have been violated, please contact the webmaster. Page last updated: October 16, 2007 12:22 PM
|
<urn:uuid:82a2716e-bb7c-4f80-b244-bf3117ff1041>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://mythfolklore.net/india/encyclopedia/mahabharata.htm
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.984348
| 4,555
| 3.28125
| 3
|
Drought may be new norm for UK, thanks to Climate Change
Other stories below: U.S. economists back EU emissions plan; Could cherry blossoms bloom in the winter one day?
The reduction in Arctic sea ice caused by climate change is playing a role in the UK’s recent colder and drier winter weather, according to the Met Office.
Speaking to MPs on the influential environmental audit committee about the state of the warming Arctic, Julia Slingo, the chief scientist at the Met Office, said that decreasing amounts of ice in the far north was contributing to colder winters in the UK and northern Europe as well as to drought. But she stressed that while it was one factor and not the “dominant driver” in the UK.
The south-east and other parts of England are experiencing especially dry conditions after months of below-average rainfall, with some water companies pledging on Monday to introduce hosepipe bans to conserve water….
Slingo told the MPs that there is “increasing evidence in the last few months of that depletion of ice, in particular in the Bering and Kara seas, can plausibly impact on our winter weather and lead to colder winters over northern Europe”.
She added that more cold winters mean less water, and could exacerbate future droughts. “The replenishment of aquifers generally happens in winter and spring … a wet summer does not replenish aquifers. So we are concerned if we have a sequence of cold winters that could be much more damaging,” she told the committee.
Last month the environment secretary, Caroline Spelman, warned farmers that drought might become “the new normal” for the UK, because of climate change.
When Hurricane Irene neared New York at the end of August, the city took the unprecedented step of shutting down the entire transit system—buses, subways and commuter trains in the largest city in America. The danger was that heavy rains from Irene could cause flooding that would swamp tunnels and tracks, causing lasting damage to the most important public transit system in the country. Fortunately, that didn’t happen—Irene weakened as it reached the city, and the catastrophe officials feared never materialized. But it was close. The Metropolitan Transit Authority lost the Port Jervis line for months at the cost of nearly $40 million. And had the storm surge from Irene been just a foot higher, it would have flooded the subways, causing billions of dollars in damages and making transportation around New York impossible.
Irene could just be a preview of what the entire country will be facing in a warmer world. According to new research by the nonprofit group Climate Central—which employs TIME contributor Michael Lemonick—about 3.7 million people live within a few feet of high tide and are in danger of being hit by more frequent coastal flooding in the future because of sea level rise caused by climate change. And if sea level rise accelerates because of rapid warming—as seems likely to happen barring major reductions in greenhouse gas emissions—major coastal floods that are now rare could become a much more frequent occurrence. “The sea level rise from global warming has already doubled the risk of extreme coastal floods,” says Benjamin Strauss, one of the co-authors of the two papers that outline the new research. “We hope this research can help everyone prepare for this.”
Washington’s cherry blossoms are busting out early this year, with buds popping so fast that a government work crew this week watched them unfurl on one tree in a single day.The U.S. National Park Service had predicted an early bloom for the centennial year of the hallowed trees. But it has moved up the forecast twice, with temperatures in the 80s and more of the same expected.
Now comes a team of scientists theorizing that with drastic warming of the globe, future decades could see blossom times not just a few days early but advanced by almost a month.
That could mean a bloom process that begins in January, rather than February, a blooming period in February instead of March, and a peak bloom in early March, instead of early April, the research suggests.
The ideas are contained in a scholarly paper published by experts at the University of Washington who studied data on the Tidal Basin’s blossoms, as “ideal indicators of the impacts of climate change.”
One of the odd features of U.S. transportation policy is that, by and large, there isn’t an overarching national policy. States generally get money according to a set formula. Congress tends not to prioritize those projects that advance key economic or environmental goals.
But on Wednesday, the Senate passed a two-year, $109 billion transportation bill that tries to change all that — at least in a few modest ways. The bill itself is critical because funding for roads, bridges and transit is set to run out on March 31. But there are a few notable reforms tucked away in the legislation itself. For one, the Senate bill actually articulates major national goals for U.S. transportation policy — things like managing congestion, improving road conditions, reducing environmental impacts, improving the reliability of freight, and increasing access to transit. These goals don’t really affect the way funding is handed out, but at least they finally exist.
In the debate pitting photovoltaic power stations against agriculture, all eyes have been on Fresno County, where the abundance of sunshine that make it the No. 1 agriculture-producing county in the nation also make it ideal for solar arrays.
This week Fresno County, with 29 projects on 11,000 acres in the pipeline, approved its plan to balance food security with green energy with a decision that falls short of what both sides wanted.
Under the new regulations, authorities will consider the prior agricultural productivity of farmland in deciding whether to issue conditional use permits for projects on that land, but they will not automatically direct development to marginal and retired land lacking adequate water supplies, as farm organizations had wanted.
“Let’s not just give away the store,” said Chris Scheuring, attorney with the California Farm Bureau Federation, who compares it to the historic loss of fisheries. “We did that with salmon 50 years ago when we built those dams. Farmland today is salmon to me.”
The irrigation of Chinese farm fields with more water pumped from ever deeper underground is responsible for 33m tonnes of carbon dioxide per year – equivalent to the entire emissions of New Zealand – a new study revealed on Wednesday.
The research, carried out by a team of UK and Chinese scientists, highlights the rising but often overlooked energy and climate costs of irrigating crops in drought-plagued northern China, where farmers have to mine aquifers because surface rivers and lakes are increasingly polluted and over-exploited by factories and cities.
The authors found that groundwater used for crop irrigation in China has grown from 10bn cubic metres in 1950 to more than 100bn today. The country is now second only to India in tapping largely unreplenishable aquifers.
A group of U.S. economists has written a letter to President Barack Obama backing the European Union’s emissions-trading system for the global airline industry.
The economists call on the U.S. to support the EU’s “innovative efforts” to price carbon and limit aviation emissions, according to a copy reviewed by The Wall Street Journal.
“Your administration should endorse the EU’s efforts, not oppose them,” the 26 economists wrote in the letter, which was dated Tuesday.
The signatories include five Nobel laureates, among them Thomas Sargent, winner of last year’s prize in economics and a professor at New York University.
The decision by a parliamentary committee to review British government policies on the Arctic on Wednesday comes amid a surge of global economic and political interest in the far north.
British-based oil companies, Shell and Cairn Energy, are at the centre of a new commercial drive into the region where melting ice caps are endangering the polar bear but making drilling more easy.
The environmental audit committee makes clear the UK has a “strong environmental, political, economic and scientific interests in the region” while individual committee members, such as the Green MP Caroline Lucas, point out it is a critical area surrounding all aspects of climate change.
|
<urn:uuid:8c58a12e-9ef5-4a0b-bafa-f138514486b5>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2012/03/15/444922/arctic-sea-ice-fueling-europes-colder-weather-uk-met-office/?mobile=nc
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.95514
| 1,735
| 3.1875
| 3
|
View 3 photos, or upload your photo.
Fang’s Ancestral Hall, located in Hetian Village in Houjie Town of Dongguan in Guangdong Province, ranks as the remarkable architecture among ancient ancestral halls in South China and one of the biggest ancestral halls in Dongguan. With a history of over 600 years, Fang’s Ancestral Hall was originally built in 1399 of the Ming Dynasty and was rebuilt in 1855 of the Qing Dynasty, which is the cultural relic under provincial-level protection. In the ancestral hall, there are a number of ancient cultural relics. According to the textual research of relevant experts and scholars, Fang’s Ancestral Hall boasts great historical, artistic and scientific value. After the overall renovation between 2007 and 2008, Fang’s Ancestral Hall has become a characteristic tourist attraction with natural beauty as well as rich history and culture.
Fang’s Ancestral Hall is 66.6 meters long and 18.8 meters wide, covering an area of about 1,238 square meters. It consists of 5 contiguous houses which look rather magnificent. The tiling of the houses is made of lime tile barrels and the roofs are inlayed with ceramic painted sculptures exquisitely. Below the roofs, there are very vivid and lifelike traditional Chinese paintings and famous poets of the Tang and Song dynasties.
The first house is a square and the gate. In front of the square, there is a stone balustrade with the height of about 1.5 meters. On both sides of the central square, there are two large gallant stone lions. You can also see a number of solid color paintings looking very graceful. On the upper part of the gate, there is a big xylographic horizontal inscribed board with four regular script characters writing“方氏宗祠 (Fang’s Ancestral Hall)”. The main hall is the third house where the Fang’s ancestral memorial tablets are worshipped.
Legend of Fang’s Ancestral Hall
According to legend, the remote ancestors of Hetian Village used to live in Putian of Fujian. At that time, there were six brothers with the family name of Fang. During the reign of Emperor Zhaozong of the Tang Dynasty, the six brothers took imperial competitive examination and they succeeded successively. In 1229, Fang Bangrong moved to Hetian from Putian and inhabited there and became the first ancestor of Hetian. The later generations in Hetian made a plaque in order to memorize and chant the praise of the six brothers, aiming to encouraging their children.
Tailor-make a Tour to Fang’s Ancestral Hall
If you’d like to visit Fang’s Ancestral Hall while traveling to China, China Travel can tailor-make a tour to Fang’s Ancestral Hall in Dongguan, which can save your time and money and trouble-free. Please feel free to tell us your idea!
|
<urn:uuid:18b6a3b1-392f-4108-b3b8-6543c88974e2>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://www.chinatravel.com/dongguan-attraction/fangs-ancestral-hall/
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.955199
| 627
| 2.671875
| 3
|
Common Core Standards
Learn more about the Common Core State Standards and how they will shift English Language Arts teaching and learning, and discover links to classroom and professional development resources for K–3 teachers. You'll also find information for parents about the Common Core and and what parents need to know to support their children's learning.
Key resources for teachers
- The Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts: The official site for the Common Core State Standards. Find detailed information about the specific standards for K–3 reading, writing, speaking & listening, language, and more.
- Achieve the Core: Free resources from Student Achievement Partners, a nonprofit organization founded by three of the contributing authors to the CCSS. Find professional development modules, implementation tools, and more.
- Share My Lesson: From the American Federation of Teachers, find aligned curricula and lesson plans, the latest news on the Common Core, videos, a community forum, and links to additional resources.
- The Teaching Channel: Browse more than 100 videos of real teachers in real classrooms. Watch lesson plans and best practices in action.
- English Language Learners and the Common Core: From our sister site, Colorín Colorado, learn about how the Common Core will impact English language learners and their educators, families, and districts. Also see Common Core in the Classroom, a multimedia professional development project featuring in-classroom video, conversations with experts and teachers, and lesson plans.
In our blogs
Sound It Out
- Using primary sources in the classroom
- Questions and answers about the Common Core
- A reader's confession (AKA the need to read widely)
- Matching media to the curriculum
- Text complexity: create connections
Page by Page
- Informational picture books in preK
- Is childhood being hijacked?
- What's a picture worth?
- Strong, vivid narratives inspire, in nonfiction, too!
The Common Core Classroom
- Key Shifts of the Common Core Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy
- A Primary Grade Science Unit Using the Language Arts/Literacy Common Core State Standards
- Literacy Implementation Guidance for the ELA
- Planning Curriculum to Meet the Common Core State Standards
- What Teachers Need to Know About the Common Core State Standards
Download and print
- Getting the Most Out of Nonfiction Reading Time
- Preparing 21st Century Learners
- The Vocabulary of Science
- How to Read Nonfiction Text
- Share What You Discover! Publishing Your Work
Resources for parents
- Parent Roadmaps to the Common Core: From the Council of Great City Schools, these grade-specific K-3 guides explain what your child will be learning in ELA and literacy and offer tips on communicating with teachers about your child's work and how to support learning at home. (In English and Spanish)
- Parents' Guide to Student Success: From the National PTA, these two-page guides for each grade explain what parents should expect their child to learn in their English language arts and math classes, and suggest at-home activities to help reinforce school lessons. (In English and Spanish)
- A Parent's Guide to the Common Core Standards: A clear, simple two-page overview from Education.com. Also includes specific tips on how to support your child's learning. For example: As you read with your child, ask her in-depth why and how questions that encourage her to analyze and synthesize texts.
- Beyond Comprehension: We Have Yet to Adopt a Common Core Curriculum That Builds Knowledge Grade by Grade, But We Need To
- Advancing Our Students' Language and Literacy: The Challenge of Complex Texts
- 3.6 Minutes Per Day: The Scarcity of Informational Texts in First Grade
|
<urn:uuid:86f549be-b558-4cc8-99f7-29748d443d88>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://www.readingrockets.org/atoz/common_core/
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.8977
| 781
| 3.921875
| 4
|
Mary Jo McCabe's
Exercises for the Week
You can do this exercise with your eyes open by following your imagination. Imagine that you are holding a piece of construction paper. What is the color of the construction paper? The color of the paper symbolizes your attitude at this time.
Dark color - You wallow too much in your regrets. Not only does this make you feel unhappy with you, it robs you of wanting to create new people and interests in your life. In order to change your attitude, work to focus on seeing something good in everyone and everything. There’s a message for you about you in all faces and all things. For just one day, focus on that truth.
Light color – You have a hard time facing reality, seeing and accepting life as it truly is. You work so hard to keep your attitude positive and upbeat; you sometimes live in a dream world. This is why you keep asking yourself, “How did that happen?” Or, “I didn’t see that coming.” Know there’s nothing wrong in living life in an upbeat attitude; however, don’t become blind to reality. Work to hear what others tell you about them even if you don’t agree with them. There’s truth in all of life’s messages.
Exercise 2: What you need from life.
Imagine that you are given four different things you could become. You could become a waterfall, a large tree, a river, or a mountain. Which one of these four, would you want to become?
Tree – You need freedom, flexibility, and for life to be more simplistic.
Waterfall - You need structure, but you need the tools in order to help you build the foundation.
Tower – You need a purpose. You feel lost.
River – No more conflict, just someone or somewhere to escape in order for you to regroup and reenergize.
Mountain – You want peace, safety, and no more obstacles or hurdles for you to overcome.
|
<urn:uuid:24e5f584-57f3-4225-bc11-9107c5b83921>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://friendscommunities.org/showthread.php?15965-Mary-Jo-McCabe-s-Exercises-for-the-week
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.946905
| 430
| 2.921875
| 3
|
If your child has been diagnosed with H1N1 influenza (swine flu) you might be worried about how to provide home care. The truth is, there isn't much difference between caring for a child with the H1N1 flu versus one with the seasonal flu.
The H1N1 flu is still a flu virus — so rest, relaxation, and drinking plenty of fluids should be at the top of the treatment list.
Still, parents should be aware of some special considerations when it comes to this new flu strain:
- Younger kids and those with chronic conditions are more at risk for problems. Ask your doctor about antiviral medicines (which can prevent symptoms from worsening) for kids 5 years old or younger or who have a chronic condition like heart disease, asthma, or diabetes. For the maximum benefit, these should be given as early as possible.
- H1N1 flu passes easily from person-to-person. Since relatively few people are currently vaccinated against the virus, it's important to follow care measures that limit the spread of the illness in the home and community.
Fortunately, most kids who get this flu virus will do just fine and get better on their own within a couple weeks.
To keep your child as comfortable as possible during this time, while also limiting the spread of flu germs to others, here are some guidelines:
When to Keep Kids Home
Kids who start to have flu-like symptoms should kept out of school or childcare. Symptoms of the H1N1 flu are fever (100º F or 37.8º C or above) plus any one or more of the following:
- sore throat
- runny or stuffy nose
- body aches
Keep your child home at the first sign of illness and call your doctor to see if an office visit is necessary. To prevent the spread of the virus, your child should only leave the house for medical care or other necessities.
Caretakers, siblings, and other family members of kids with flu-like symptoms can continue to go to work or school, but it's especially important for them to avoid germs by washing their hands often and avoiding face-to-face contact with the infected person.
Some schools and employers may request that family members stay home for a couple of days.
When to Go to the ER
Having symptoms of the H1N1 flu or the seasonal flu is not a reason to go to the emergency room. If your child has flu-like symptoms, consult your doctor for treatment advice.
However, if your child is in medical distress, immediate medical care is needed. Go to the ER or dial 911 if your child:
- has fast breathing or trouble breathing
- has bluish skin color
- is not drinking enough fluids
- is very sleepy or lethargic
- is a baby, and is so irritable that he/she doesn't want to be held
- has fever with a rash
- has flu-like symptoms that improve, then return with fever and a worse cough
Kids without chronic health conditions usually tolerate infection with the H1N1 flu virus fairly well and get better on their own without medical treatment.
Those who have developed a serious illness and require hospitalization or who are at risk for complications from the flu (including kids younger than age 5 and those with chronic conditions like heart disease, diabetes, asthma, and other lung problems) may be given antiviral medicines to ease symptoms, shorten the duration of the illness, and prevent complications.
When caring for a sick child at home, make sure to:
- Offer plenty of fluids (fever, which can be associated with the flu, can lead to dehydration). Offer water, sports drinks, juice, and soft drinks, but you can also try ice pops, icy drinks mixed in a blender, and flavored gelatin to maintain hydration.
- Encourage your child to rest in bed or on the couch, with a supply of magazines, books, quiet music, and perhaps a favorite movie.
- Give acetaminophen or ibuprofen for aches and pains (but do not give aspirin because of the risk of Reye syndrome).
- Don't give kids younger than age 2 over-the-counter cold medicines without speaking to your doctor first.
- Dress your child in layers so you can add and remove layers during bouts of chills or fever.
If your child has a chronic condition, like asthma, make sure to check with your doctor to help ensure the condition is under control.
Remember to call your doctor if your child seems to get better, then feels worse, develops a high fever, has any trouble breathing, or seems confused.
Preventing the Spread of Infection
Part of caring for a child with the H1N1 flu is trying to make sure that other family members do not get infected with the virus.
There's no surefire way to completely stop the spread of germs, but you can reduce the chances that others will become sick with these steps:
- Get family members vaccinated. People can avoid catching the flu by getting vaccinated against the seasonal flu now and against the H1N1 flu when that vaccine becomes available in October.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) specifically recommends the H1N1 flu vaccine for:
- pregnant women
- people who live with (or care for) kids younger than 6 months old
- children and young people between the ages of 6 months and 24 years old
- people ages 25 to 64 with chronic health conditions or compromised immune systems
- health care and emergency services personnel
- Keep infected persons away from others. Have kids with the flu stay in a separate room away from common areas and, if possible, use a separate bathroom that they don't share with other family members. If possible, have only one adult care for a sick child. Limit close, face-to-face contact with family members as much as possible, especially those who are at risk of catching the flu or having complications from it (like other kids, those with chronic illnesses, and pregnant women).
Those in at-risk groups should maintain a distance of 6 feet when around anyone with H1N1 flu, and — if at all possible — they should not be the primary caretakers of someone with the H1N1 flu. If you're a caretaker and are pregnant or have a chronic condition, wear a facemask when caring for your child and wash your hands frequently.
Kids with H1N1 flu who can tolerate wearing a facemask should wear it when in common areas of the house or when leaving the house for medical care or other necessities.
- Teach family members to avoid contact with germs. Encourage those in your household to:
- cover their noses and mouths with a tissue when sneezing or coughing, and put used tissues in the trash
- cough or sneeze into an upper arm sleeve (not their hands) if a tissue is not available
- clean hands after coughing or sneezing — wash with soap and water or use alcohol-based hand cleaner
- avoid touching their eyes, nose, and mouth
Combating Germs at Home
H1N1 spreads in the same way that other flu viruses do — through the air when someone who has the virus sneezes, coughs, or speaks. People also can catch the virus after touching a contaminated surface of an object that someone with the virus touched, sneezed, or coughed on.
Germs can survive on tabletops, kitchen counters, toys, and doorknobs for up to 8 hours after being deposited there, so it's important to sanitize these areas throughout the course of a day. Use a household disinfectant to wipe areas clean.
Linens, dishes, and eating utensils should not be shared with a sick person, but can be used by other family members after a thorough cleaning. Kitchen items can be washed by hand with soap and water or in the dishwasher with detergent. Wash linens with laundry soap and tumble dry on "hot" — and try to limit touching the laundry prior to washing it (for instance, carry it to the washer in a basket, not in your arms).
Whenever possible, air out common areas by opening windows.
Sending Kids Back to School
Kids are no longer considered contagious and can return to school after their fever is gone for at least 24 hours without the aid of fever-reducing medicines. Some kids might need to stay home longer, depending on how they feel. If you have questions or concerns, check with your doctor.
Reviewed by: Mary L. Gavin, MD
Date reviewed: September 2009
|
<urn:uuid:b36e7081-fe6f-48c8-b28f-c0fa8a44b1fe>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://www.childrenscolorado.org/wellness/info/parents/73505.aspx
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.956721
| 1,793
| 3.109375
| 3
|
- Legumes are rich in folic acid, calcium, iron, potassium, zinc and antioxidants.
- Their high protein and complex carbohydrates provide steady energy that lasts for hours.
- They are especially high in soluble fiber, and a daily serving of cooked beans may lower blood cholesterol by as much as 18 percent, decreasing the risk of heart disease.
- Most legumes also contain protease inhibitors, compounds thought to suppress cancer cells and slow tumor growth.
- And then there are the prebiotics in beans, substances that aid in beneficial bacteria growth in the intestine.
- All legumes, and especially soy, are important in vegetarian diets for their high protein content.
But best of all, beans taste great. Dried beans have a superior taste and texture but they take longer to cook. Canned beans offer a quick alternative and most of the same health benefits. Rinse canned beans with water before cooking and you'll remove as much as 40 percent of the sodium used in processing.
Recipes to try
|
<urn:uuid:84f5d163-4b1d-43eb-9017-60ccb8fc9dd4>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://www.foodnetwork.com/healthy-eating/the-health-benefits-of-legumes/index.html
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.929816
| 208
| 3.015625
| 3
|
Bradley Lehman is a proponent of the clavichord, and
here has produced and recorded two CDs on this unique instrument. As
he says in his liner notes, "The clavichord is the simplest keyboard
instrument, dating from as early as the 14th Century. Its expression
ranges from gentle delicacy to fiery abruptness. It is well suited to
most of the keyboard literature without pedal, and (as demonstrated
here) to music borrowed from other instruments. Its most popular use
historically has been as a home instrument, especially for practice
by organists and harpsichordists."
Indeed, Bach is said to have used clavichords to practice
at home, and organists often practiced on clavichords as well, since
an organ is not something you could play outside of a church. The clavichord
has a unique sound, somewhere between a steel-stringed guitar and a
harpsichord. Yet it a very soft instrument, because the strings are
struck rather than plucked. As Lehman points out, "For an accurate
representation of the clavichord's tone, please set your volume controls
VERY LOW. The clavichord is an especially quiet instrument, producing
barely a whisper of sound. If the playback volume is too high, some
of these performances sound far more intense than they are in real life!"
The first disc, On a Tangent, presents a selection
of pieces from 1200 - 1599. Not all of these pieces were intended to
be played on the clavichord; actually, very little music was expressly
written for this instrument. At the time, it was sufficient to say that
a given piece was written for the keyboard, and those playing it could
use a harpsichord, clavichord, spinet, virginal or other instrument.
Some of the works on this disc are lively, such as
the admirable Quando claro, a brief, rapid improvised dance piece. You
can almost imagine the characters of a Breughel painting spinning around
in joy to this music, or to other dance pieces, such as Holloyne pardye,
which, according to the liner notes, is 16th century rough-and-ready
Halloween party music. These pieces give the disc a lively, festive
atmosphere. In fact, it sounds as though Lehman searches above all to
create an atmosphere - the sequence and choice of pieces is intended
to act as a more global discourse presenting a variety of music.
Some of the works are slower, more delicate, such as
Guardame las vacas, a series of variations on a folk song, which has
the tone of much Elizabethan lute music, or the Ricercar (Fantasia)
3 in G, by Luys Milan, which recalls some of Byrd's keyboard music.
The second disc, On a Cotangent, contains a wider variety
of pieces. It stretches from 1600 to 1999, and ranges from a piece by
Orlando Gibbons to traditional Irish songs, to compositions by Lehman
himself. The long set of variations by Georg Böhm, Wer nur den
lieben Gott lässt walten, is a fine example of how baroque music
can fit the clavichord perfectly. The dynamics and texture of the piece
make it sound as though it was truly written for this instrument.
O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden is an arrangement of three
settings of the same text: a four-part vocal version from Bach's Christmas
Oratorio, an organ prelude by Johann Pachelbel, and an organ harmonization
from Samuel Scheidt's Görlitzer Tabulaturbuch (1650). This is a
beautiful arrangement, showing the variety of manners in which the same
text was approached in the baroque period.
There are familiar pieces, such as the Minuets in G
and G Minor from Anna Magdalena Bach's keyboard book (written by Christian
Petzold). Most students of keyboard music have played these pieces,
and, on the clavichord, they take on a much more homey sound, which
is probably similar to that heard in Bach's house.
The Three Polonaises by Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach are
works by Bach's best-known son, who was a proponent of the clavichord,
and who wrote a great deal of music expressly for this instrument.
There are other more contemporary pieces, showing the
full range of the clavichord - a traditional Irish song, The Foggy Morn,
a traditional Japanese song, Sakura canons, arranged by Lehman, and
a rag by Debussy, Le petit nègre.
All in all, these two discs are fine examples of the
little-known instrument, the clavichord. Its unique sound is indeed
something that all music-lovers should discover. Bradley Lehman gives
two wonderful anthologies of music for this instrument, which are delightful
in both melody and sound. These self-produced discs also show the excellent
quality that can be obtained by individuals with talent and appropriate
technical conditions. I give these discs a very high recommendation,
and hope that more listeners will discover this instrument.
|
<urn:uuid:a1e4b3d7-9ad4-459c-96f8-7baab93b2a26>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2001/Nov01/tangent.htm
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.938735
| 1,133
| 2.765625
| 3
|
Arbor Day is coming up. According to the National Arbor Day Foundation, National Arbor Day is the last Friday in April, but many states observe it on different dates according to their best tree-planting times. Colorado’s date is the third Friday in April.
Celebrations in Colorado take place the entire week especially in the Denver area. If you would like to celebrate by planting a tree, our library has many resources to help select an appropriate tree. A search of “trees” in our online catalog turns up 125 items covering such varieties as evergreen, deciduous, mountain trees, natives; topics such as how to plant trees; xeriscaping; pests, diseases, and more. Most of these resources are from the Colorado State University Cooperative Extension.
|
<urn:uuid:7eb167a2-b63a-44f7-8382-f410e4dd9da2>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://cospl.blogspot.com/2007/04/arbor-day.html
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.952503
| 161
| 2.59375
| 3
|
Mud Creepers are a common sight on the tidal mud flats at Cairns in Queensland, Australia. Also called Telescope Shells, Mudwhelks, Telescopic Creepers, or Mangrove Mud Whelk. The Latin name is Telescopium telescopium L. They are so emblematic of the place that they have been glorified by a fantastic piece of sculpture by Dominic Johns on the Esplanade.
The reality, however, is that this large gastropod marine mollusc – living on the glutinous muds exposed by the ebbing tide – is not the most attractive of seashore creatures, in fact, a bit creepy. It is dark in colour, about 6 inches long, and the shell is very thick and heavy, The protruding muscular foot and tubular siphon of the animal are hard to distinguish from the mud itself but I believe the flesh is edible.
This sea snail seems to struggle as it drags its weighty shell across the mud in strange irregular movements without the supporting medium of water. The furrows incidentally ploughed by the shells leave networks of trails on the mud. In life the shells are often caked with mud but empty shells washed up on the beach show there is actually a great striped pattern.
COPYRIGHT JESSICA WINDER 2013
All Rights Reserved
|
<urn:uuid:f6748ce9-1c80-49c7-a586-492a505932ce>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://natureinfocus.wordpress.com/tag/cairns-mud-creepers/
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.945241
| 276
| 2.65625
| 3
|
Welcome to the
discussion forum. In this forum, you may ask questions, start new discussions, and view existing posts. Click
to create a discussion account.
Click on the
button to receive email notifications each time a new discussion is added to this forum.
I am looking for some idea as to the ascent rate of carbonatite magma and the depth from which carbonatite magma might originate.
Largest underground magma formations are what which can forms large hills?
The largest underground magma formatoins are_whiuch can form large hills?
How does an increase in temperature cause rock to form into magma
|
<urn:uuid:a55e58f6-64f4-498c-9bb7-90f1144c59b1>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/discussion/Magma
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.794752
| 135
| 2.53125
| 3
|
Local legend says that Colmcille stood on this hill - Cnoc na Naomh - with his companions Saints Fionán, Dubthach and Begley.
As they stood here above Magheraroarty, they discussed who would have the task of converting the Tory islanders to Christianity.
They decided to answer the question by throwing their croziers. Whoever threw his crozier as far as the island would carry out the conversion.
Two landed near Falcarragh, another on Inis Dubthaigh (Inishdooey Island) and Colmcille’s crozier landed on Tory, winning him the reward of converting the islanders. His crozier is said to have formed a crater on Tory’s northeast cliffs.
Cnoc na Naomh translates as hill of the saints.
|
<urn:uuid:1632a887-1f8f-44eb-b38c-cea2d51bd351>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://www.colmcille.org/torry/2-08
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.967762
| 177
| 2.828125
| 3
|
A powerful laser developed at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory could improve the manufacturing of some airplane components, hip implants, and other metal products. The Lab and Metal Improvement Co. Inc. have signed a license agreement and cooperative research deal to adapt the laser technology to peen, or surface treat, metal. Historically, metals have been peened by bombarding the material with metal balls as small as salt or pepper grains to induce compressive stress that prevents metal fatigue and reduces corrosion. Metal Improvement has found that while conventional peening reaches a depth of about 1/100 of an inch to instill compressive strength, the laser peening method extends some four times deeper. "Laser peening was developed in the 1980s, but never went into production because of high cost and slow lasers," says Jim Daly, senior vice president for Metal Improvement. Livermore's neodymium-doped glass laser achieves 600 watts of average power and is capable of firing 10 pulses per second, compared with one pulse every two seconds from the best commercial lasers. One of the first industries where Daly sees the new laser having an impact is the aviation industry, for peening jet engine components like rotors, disks, blades and shafts. Aviation industry studies have shown that engine blades, which can cost $30,000 to $40,000 apiece, last three to five times longer when treated with the laser peening process. Another plus of the laser peening technique is that it has the potential to increase the resistance of airplane blades to objects like birds, ice, or stones that can damage the edge of a blade. Another use of laser peening beyond safer aircraft could be in the medical industry, for example, in the treatment of the surface of hip joint implants. Other industrial applications foreseen are: oil tools, such as drill collars and mud pumps; marine engines and shafts; rocket engine parts; and the chemical and power-generation industries. Commercial products manufactured with the laser peening process are expected to be two to four years away from introduction. For more information, contact Stephen Wampler, LLNL, at (510) 423-3107.
A quick look into the merger of two powerhouse 3D printing OEMs and the new leader in rapid prototyping solutions, Stratasys. The industrial revolution is now led by 3D printing and engineers are given the opportunity to fully maximize their design capabilities, reduce their time-to-market and functionally test prototypes cheaper, faster and easier. Bruce Bradshaw, Director of Marketing in North America, will explore the large product offering and variety of materials that will help CAD designers articulate their product design with actual, physical prototypes. This broadcast will dive deep into technical information including application specific stories from real world customers and their experiences with 3D printing. 3D Printing is
|
<urn:uuid:7b45e251-94d7-47cc-9a46-dab585ec2fda>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://www.designnews.com/author.asp?section_id=1386&doc_id=222441
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.937877
| 567
| 3.09375
| 3
|
Source code: Lib/types.py
This module defines names for some object types that are used by the standard Python interpreter, but not exposed as builtins like int or str are. Also, it does not include some of the types that arise transparently during processing such as the listiterator type.
The module defines the following names:
The type of user-defined functions and functions created by lambda expressions.
The type of generator-iterator objects, produced by calling a generator function.
The type of methods of user-defined class instances.
The type of modules.
The type of traceback objects such as found in sys.exc_info().
The type of frame objects such as found in tb.tb_frame if tb is a traceback object.
The type of objects defined in extension modules with PyGetSetDef, such as FrameType.f_locals or array.array.typecode. This type is used as descriptor for object attributes; it has the same purpose as the property type, but for classes defined in extension modules.
The type of objects defined in extension modules with PyMemberDef, such as datetime.timedelta.days. This type is used as descriptor for simple C data members which use standard conversion functions; it has the same purpose as the property type, but for classes defined in extension modules.
CPython implementation detail: In other implementations of Python, this type may be identical to GetSetDescriptorType.
|
<urn:uuid:15c0bf54-89ee-4efe-b38d-ec2ae183a454>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://docs.python.org/3.2/library/types.html
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.886757
| 306
| 2.640625
| 3
|
Science Fair Project Encyclopedia
Intel's i960 (or 80960) was a RISC-based microprocessor design that became quite popular during the early 1990s as an embedded microcontroller, for some time likely the best-selling CPU in that field, pushing the AMD 29000 from that spot. In spite of its success, Intel formally dropped i960 marketing in the late 1990s as a side effect of a lawsuit with DEC, in which Intel received the rights to produce the StrongARM CPU.
The i960 design was started as a response to the failure of Intel's i432 design of the early 1980s. The i432 was intended to directly support high-level languages that supported tagged, protected, garbage-collected memory -- such as Ada and Lisp -- in hardware. Because of its instruction-set complexity, its multi-chip implementation, and other design flaws, the i432 was very slow in comparison to other processors of its time.
In 1984 Intel and Siemens started a joint project, ultimately called BiiN, to create a high-end fault-tolerant object-oriented computer system programmed entirely in Ada. Many of the original i432 team members joined this project, though a new lead architect was brought in from IBM, Glenford Myers. The intended market for the BiiN systems were high-reliability computer users such as banks, industrial systems and nuclear power plants, and the protected-memory concepts from the i432 influenced the design of the BiiN system.
To avoid the performance issues that plagued the i432, the central i960 instruction-set architecture was a RISC design, and the memory subsystem was made 33-bits wide -- for a 32-bit word and a "tag" bit to indicate protected memory. In many other ways the i960 followed the original Berkeley RISC design, notably in its use of register windows, an implementation-specific number of caches for the per-subroutine registers, allowing for fast routine calls. The competing Stanford University design, commercialized as MIPS did not use this system, relying on the compiler to generate optimal subroutine call and return code instead. Unlike the i386, but in common with most 32-bit designs, the i960 has a flat 32-bit memory space, with no memory segmentation. The i960 architecture also anticipated a superscalar implementation, with instructions being simultaneously dispatched to more than one unit within the processor.
The first 960 processors "taped-out" in October 1985 and were sent to manufacturing that month, with the first working chips arriving in late 1985 and early 1986. The BiiN effort eventually failed, due to market forces, and the 960MC was left without a use. Myers attempted to save the design by outlining several subsets of the full capability architecture created for the BiiN system. Myers tried to convince Intel management to market the i960 (then still known as the "P7") as a general-purpose processor, both in place of the Intel 80286 and i386 (which "taped-out the same month as the first 960), as well as the emerging RISC market for Unix systems, including a pitch to Steve Jobs's for use in the NeXT system. Competition within and outside of Intel came not only from the i386 camp, but also from the i860 processor, yet another RISC processor design emerging within Intel at the time.
Myers was unsuccessful at convincing Intel management to support the i960 as a general-purpose or Unix processor, but the chip found a ready market in early high-performance 32-bit embedded systems. The protected-memory architecture was considered proprietary to BiiN and wasn't mentioned in the product literature, leading many to wonder why the i960MC was so large and had so many pins labeled "no connect". A version of the RISC core without memory management or an FPU became the i960KA, and the RISC core with the FPU became the i960KB. The versions were, however, all identical internally -- only the labelling was different.
The "full" 960MC was never released for the non-military market, but the i960KA became successful as a low-cost 32-bit processor for the laser-printer market, as well as for early graphics terminals and other embedded applications. Its success paid for future generations. which removed the complex memory sub-system. The first pure RISC implementation was the i960CA, which used a newly-designed superscalar RISC core and added an unusual addressable on-chip cache. The i960CA is widely considered to have been the first single-chip superscalar RISC implementation. The C-series only included one ALU, but could dispatch an arithmetic instruction, a memory reference, and a branch instruction at the same time. Later, the i960CF included a floating-point unit, but continued to omit an MMU.
Intel attempted to bolster the i960 in the I/O device controller market with the I2O standard, but this had little success and the design work was eventually ended. By the mid-90's its price/performance ratio had fallen behind competing chips of more recent design, and Intel never produced a reduced power-consumption version that could be used in battery-powered systems.
In 1990 the i960 team was redirected to be the "second team" working in parallel on future i386 implementations -- specifically the P6 processor, which later became the Pentium Pro. The i960 project was sent to another, smaller development team, essentially ensuring its ultimate demise.
The contents of this article is licensed from www.wikipedia.org under the GNU Free Documentation License. Click here to see the transparent copy and copyright details
|
<urn:uuid:65e9ceaa-287f-4772-a7c5-fd4c41201dc1>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://www.all-science-fair-projects.com/science_fair_projects_encyclopedia/Intel_i960
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.968934
| 1,176
| 3.46875
| 3
|
Time to Pray
Daily prayer. Many of us aspire to it although we don’t all succeed. For Muslim faithful, the athan, or call to prayer, comes five times each day.
Time to Pray is the story of Yasmin’s visit with her beloved Tata, her Grandmother. Her first night with Tata, Yasmin is awakened by the athan as the muezzin at the nearby mosque calls the faithful to prayer. How can Tata arise so early, perform the necessary washing up and pray in the middle of the night? Wondering at her grandmother’s devotion, Yasmin falls back to sleep.
In the morning, Tata assures Yasmin that one day she too will achieve the five daily prayers. Tata and Yasmin go shopping for a prayer rug and Tata makes her granddaughter prayer clothes as well. Tata and Yasmin pray at home. They pray at the mosque.
Yasmin loves this time of devotion, but still she worries. How will she remember to pray at home without the muezzin and the athan? When she returns home, the solution is wrapped up in her suitcase, a gift from her Grandmother.
The love between Yasmin and Tata is as obvious as Yasmin’s desire to live a faith-filled life. Young as she is, Yasmin understands that there are many challenges to doing this, especially when she is not near a mosque.
This story is loosely based on the author’s childhood. Addasi grew up in Kuwait but far enough from the mosque that she could very seldom hear the athan. Her grandmother, on the other hand, lived across the street from the mosque and could hear the call clearly, day or night.
Graceful Arabic script, the translation provided by Nuha Albitar, flows across each spread of this picture book as do the warm colors and bold patterns of the Middle East. Just where Tata lives is never mentioned; it is important to know only that she lives somewhere very different from Yasmin yet Yasmin can live among the Faithful in either place.
This simple book taught me more about Muslim prayer than any other single work I’ve read. Share it with the young reader in your life who is Muslim living in the West or who has Muslim friends. My son came away from this book with a better understanding of his classmate’s religion and how she offers her prayers up to our common God. The story is also encouraging for the faithful of any particular religion who are struggling to create a practice of daily prayer.
Interested in writing something like this for Prayables? Click !
Copy of Writers Wanted
WRITERS WANTED Prayables is now accepting original prayers for our website. We’re looking for the best inspirational prayers
Women of All Faiths
posted by Susan DiamondThe word DOG is GOD spelled backward. My dog Orchid is God-like. She is loving, wise and protective. Orchid is like a flower—feminine and beautiful! She is a 40-pound soft-coated longhaired Wheaton Terrier. Most owners of Wheatons cut their dog’s coat. We decided to keep Orchid au natural as she ...
Previous Posts: Gramma Good’s Tributes to Mothers | Finding a Soul Mate
Fear is not my partner in life. I ask the angels to come closer and guide me beyond fear to a deeper knowing. Courage warms my soul and lights the darkness. Nothing can stop the light.
|
<urn:uuid:84c2c95c-2ee3-46c3-b184-d8c986e064df>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://www.beliefnet.com/Prayables/features/sues-reviews/review-of-time-to-pray-by-maha-addasi.aspx
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.949314
| 727
| 2.546875
| 3
|
It’s easy to detect the differences in air quality using some senses: like downtown core quality dirtied up with gasoline and cigarettes versus the smells of fresh cut grass and laid fertilizer way out where it’s rural, and smog is visible between buildings in dense urban areas whereas a million more stars appear in skies far enough away from city limits.
Now, scientists have created sound samples from chemicals in the air in different natural and urban environments in California, allowing us to for the first time hear the sounds of pollution.
The Atlantic reported that Aaron Rueben and Gabriel Isaacman used data pulled from sampling air in car tunnels in Oakland, and then in dense forests in the High Sierras, to demonstrate contrasts in soundscapes representing the presence of airborne chemicals in these areas. Diesel hydrocarbons and carcinogenic particulate matter mapped by “gas chromatography” and “mass spectrometry” were given specific tones based on their chemical structures in order to create these unique sound spectrums audible to the human ear.
The result is an eerie mixture of highly unsaturated compounds called “polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons” (those distinct chirps at the beginning) and complex, saturated heavy hydrocarbons (the long, low droning chords at the end). Both of these result from burning fossil fuels—and many are dangerous carcinogens, mutagens, and teratogens, linked to cancers, gene mutations, and birth and developmental defects. (The Atlantic)
Audio 1: Caldecott Tunnel Oakland, California
Audio 2: Remote forest in the High Sierras
The Dangers of Noise Pollution
What we normally think of as ‘noise pollution’, a more audible aspect of sound smog, affects both human and animal life.
Khaleej Times reports that during Mumbai’s annual 10-day Ganesh Festival, 2012 noise levels have peaked at 115 decibels, just a notch below the threshold when irreversible ear damage can occur. Even without reaching these noxious levels, noise pollution in both urban and suburban environments can have a negative impact on your health. Because sound pollution can trigger the body’s stress response, it can result in chronic stress—a condition that comes with the high presence of a number of harmful hormones that have been linked to health issues such as heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, musculoskeletal problems, sore bones and joints, disrupted sleep cycles and weakened immune systems.
In the animal kingdom, noise pollution is of most concern in the skies for the complex system of bird migration and underwater, for marine life. The oceans, once referred to as the “The Silent World” by Jacques Cousteau, have become increasingly noisier since the Industrial Age. Whales are particularly affected by human-caused noise pollution, as much of our underwater noise is carried out at the same frequency at which whales communicate (1000 Hertz). It is reported that man-made sounds are drowning out the calls of mates, calves and other pods, and causing species to deviate from their migration paths, with deviations growing wider as sound interruption increases.
It is estimated that the ambient ocean noise increased ten decibels (ten times increase in sound) between 1950 and 1975. (See the Sea.org)
|
<urn:uuid:32cf2e1c-dbb6-4b50-a1d3-fd0ea4d0c3f9>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://www.greenerideal.com/lifestyle/health/1001-the-sounds-of-science/
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.922368
| 683
| 3.828125
| 4
|
We are so pleased to have the amazing Jennifer Serravallo back as a guest blogger this week sharing her expertise on reading comprehension with all of us. Jen is the author of the Independent Reading Assessment for grades 3, 4, and 5 in Fiction and Nonfiction (Scholastic, 2012, 2013) and of the Heinemann titles Teaching Reading in Small Groups (2010) and Conferring with Readers (2007). She’s a speaker and independent literacy consultant who worked for 8 years at the TCRWP. You can find her at http://www.jenniferserravallo.com or follow her @jserravallo. This week you can find her right here on chartchums! Welcome Jen!
So your students are starting to read chapter books!…
(But although it looks like reading, are they really getting it?)
It’s that time of year in many primary classrooms. The time when readers go from reading and re-reading stacks of short books at lower levels…and start reading (drumroll please) **chapter books!**
Kids wear this chapter book reading identity like a badge of honor. Teachers marvel at how many levels the students have progressed. Every line of students’ reading logs are filled with a single series being read at school and at home. And parents, with pride, buy their kid every book in the entire series he or she is obsessed with.
BUT…. But now our conferences get trickier. We sit down, say “how’s it going?” and find that it’s harder to know – really know – if the student is getting it. In fact, what does getting it even mean now?
In this post, I’ll offer you a few tips to make sure that you’re supporting students’ comprehension in chapter books. Having a May and June of engaged readers and a summer of self-directed reading depends on it! (check out my friend Chris Lehman’s May 11 post on summer reading: http://christopherlehman.wordpress.com/)
1. Make sure you are looking at whole book comprehension
Those running records you did at pre-chapter book levels meant kids were reading the whole book before retelling and/or answering some comprehension questions. But now that they’re in chapter book-land, they’re likely only reading an excerpt or a constructed passage for a running record. Comprehension questions don’t look at what happens across 60 pages – so now you need a new way to do that.
Consider planting sticky notes inside of chapter books that ask children to reach back into earlier pages to demonstrate how well a reader is able to accumulate information from across many pages, synthesize that information, and make meaning. You can create a chart to share these questions with students as tools for them to self-monitor their own comprehension, too!
- What is happening now? What caused this to happen?
- Why is ______ acting like this?
- How has the character changed from the beginning of the story until now?
- What is a lesson you learned after reading the whole book?
2. Make sure you know your library well enough to pull off your conferences
It’s impossible to expect that you’ll know every single book in your entire library. But the good news about early chapter books is that you don’t have to. Try to aim to know popular series and levels.
If you’ve read one Magic Tree House, you’ve read them all (sorry, Mary Pope Osborne). Early chapter book series are predictable on purpose: They are meant to support children new to stories of this length with characters they know and plots that feel startlingly similar one to the next. Try to read at least one book from of each of the popular series and you’ll feel like you know a whole section of your library.
Second, try to have a two-book-per-level touchstone text. Know two titles from each level and think about what makes that level more challenging than the one before it. I find it helpful to think in terms of four categories:
- Plot and Setting – what’s new in this level about how many events happen within and across chapters? Is the plot linear? How familiar are the settings and how much support is there to know the settings?
- Character – how well-developed are the characters at this level as compared to the prior level? What changes do the characters go through? How important are secondary characters?
- Vocabulary and Figurative Language – how frequently will a reader encounter challenging words or phrases? How much support is there in the text to figure out their meaning?
- Themes and Ideas – What are the messages and lessons a reader should take away from the text? How clearly does the reader understand these?
3. Make sure your students have an image of what it means to really understand whole books.
The intersection between text complexity (what’s hard about the book) and a reader’s skill lies in what it looks like for the reader to truly understand. I meet fifth graders every week who describe a character in a book at level U as “nice.” To me, that’s level K work in a level U text. And that equates to not really getting the book.
We need to hold students to the expectation that they have to demonstrate their comprehension (whether written or oral) that shows they’re making meaning equivalent to the meaning that can be made given the level. For example, you can’t expect a reader to explain character change at level K where characters don’t really change. But if a reader at level N can’t articulate how the character’s changed, then he’s missing out on some meaning.
Consider describing for students what it looks like to really be “getting it” and then showing an example. You might read aloud a book such as Judy Moody, and co-create rubrics that show varying levels of understanding. Kids can then monitor, and mentor, responses to their own books to those on the charts.
Here’s one for Plot and Setting:
One for Character:
An example for Vocabulary and Figurative Language:
And Themes and Ideas:
Here’s to deeper comprehension, you chapter book readers!
Marjorie and Kristi
Chartchums is usually written by Kristi Mraz and Marjorie Martinelli and represents our two voices, and the voices of the teachers we work with. Today a third voice is joining the chorus: Christine Hertz. Christine is an exemplary teacher, and a recent graduate of the Literacy Specialist Program at Columbia University. Christine worked with Kristi in her kindergarten classroom this year, and the post below is a result of their joint collaboration around increasing metacognition, independence, and student ownership in the classroom. The “we” voice will be used to represent the voice of Christine and Kristi.
We are on our third try at the opening paragraph of this post, and the proper beginning still remains elusive. Instead of a clear starting point to the work we did in kindergarten this year, its seems like it started in a million places, like strands of hair, before it gathered into the braid of the post below. So perhaps the best way to start, is with the strands first.
We, as educators and lifelong learners, were worried. New standards, new tests, new materials, new initiatives, new everything it seemed! As we looked between the standards and the children in front of us, some clear areas of need arose. Our children needed increased independence, the ability to think about their thinking, and above all the ownership of their process if they were to navigate their way through increasing sophisticated standards. We knew what we wanted, but as we watched these four and five year olds make meaning in writing, knock over blocks and build them again, and be entranced by a window washer during a particulary well planned standards based lesson, we got even more worried. How does one achieve rigor responsibly? How does one make sure children meet standards joyfully? How do you help children achieve all that they can, all that is asked, without sacrificing the fact they are children?
The standards are here, and children are going to always be children. How do we reconcile seemingly disparate ideas? We cannot will them away, nor can we ignore them, nor can we make children miniature adults by taking away time to play and talk. Rather we have to utilize the very thing that makes childhood special to meet these standards: play.
In our classroom, there was a particular buzz around Star Wars. Choice Time play often involved reenacting of the movies, Lucas-ian plotlines permeated writing workshop, look book time found boys and girls alike huddled around Star Wars books. Simultaneously, the class was nearing a reading unit that focused on using meaning, structure, and visual cues to read books. (A requirement of the Foundational Standards, and also some of the Reading Standards).
In the classroom, we had already begun work around student-led small groups. Students who felt they had achieved expertise in something would offer to hold a small group and children could sign up for it. Through her masters work, Christine had discovered that for children to increase their metacognition and ownership over a skill– for example when to employ a certain strategy– they needed to take on the role of the teacher and control someone else’s use of that same strategy. (This is not a new discovery, but rather follows Vygosky’s theory of the development of self-regulation). We realized that for children to gain an independent mastery of the standards, they needed to be able to teach them to others. And they needed to do so in a imaginative, playful way.
And then it hit us…. like Yoda. We wondered, would it be possible to merge the two things? The love and constant role play of Star Wars and the work these young readers needed to meet the kindergarten standards?
We started the unit solidifying and making public knowledge some very specialized Star Wars information: There are people called Jedis and they train and train and train to become Masters. Some even become so wise that they teach others, like Yoda. Then the path was set - we would work to become Reading Yodas and we would teach others all we had learned.
We assessed readers prior to the unit, and determined what a reasonable goal might be for each child to achieve in a 3-4 week unit. We then met with the students to set goals, using the child’s language to help him or her begin to own the work.
Once everyone had a goal (a 2-3 day endeavor) we revisited the path of the Jedi:
We received a little inspiration from the Master himself:
And, of course, light sabers to help us on our quest:
Everything in the unit was themed to Star Wars, including the strategies:
And as children became more and more proficient at the skills needed to reach their goals, they moved to become Yodas. To complete that transformation, the students had to create their own “how-to” around their goal and teach it to us. Once they had successfully taught us their goal, they earned their Yoda ears, and any Jedi could come to learn from them. And, of course, every time the newly-eared Yodas taught a Jedi, they solidified their own mastery of their skill.
Here is one Yoda teaching another student about how you have to use the pictures and the words to really understand what is happening in the book:
Within three weeks, all the children were able to teach their goal to someone else clearly and had earned their Yoda ears.
We wrapped with a party and everyone took home their Yoda ears and a Star Wars book, but what remained was a very particular stance towards reading. Weeks after the unit ended I heard one student say to another, “It’s like Yoda said, do hard things you can.”
Within the unit a few things struck us:
- Engagement: there was no lag between minilesson and independent reading time. Students rushed to read and were emphatic about practicing their goals. By the end of the unit, the goal sheets were tattered and ripped from use, which is a good thing.
- Ownership: there was an increased confidence in students around their particular skill, and a sense of others having skills you could learn from. In shared reading, one student shouted out, “Yoda Jacob should chop that word – he’s the expert!”
- Joy: Yes, it was a word solving unit, no, no child realized that. There were no dittos to fill out or graphic organizers, rather there was the unadulterated pleasure of role playing being a Jedi, and later being a Yoda who taught others.
- Movement between levels: Not surprisingly, within this unit 18 out of 24 students moved up one reading level. They read and they worked passionately, without complaint – because they thought they were playing.
For your class it may be Star Wars, or Angry Birds, or Dora, but there is SOMETHING that your class is passionate about. Something that permeates the culture of your class and seeps out at choice time or around the lunch table or on the playground. It is our job as educators to find the joy, the play, and the access point for young children to achieve sophisticated standards. Our kids can do all that is asked of them and more, but only if we are creative and passionate enough to hold on to play and to redefine rigor.
Happy Charting, and Happy Playing!
Kristi, Christine, and Marjorie
We have received many requests from teachers looking for ways to use charts that reinforce their teaching of information writing, so when Katie Wears, a staff developer at the Reading and Writing Project, shared with us some photos of science writing charts her teachers at Kiel Elementary School in Kinnelon, New Jersey had made during their “Writing Like Scientists” unit, we immediately asked if they would share their process with all of us at here at Chartchums. They generously agreed and the following guest blog post is the result. Our thanks to Liz Mason, first grade teacher, Jenna McMahon and Nicole Gillette, second grade co-teachers, and to Katie Wears for bringing us all together!
We are honored to be contributing to Chartchums; a place where educators from all over come to collaborate and be inspired by Marjorie, Kristi, teachers, and the students they work with. Thank you for letting us share some of the things we have been working on.
When spring arrived, the teachers at Kiel Elementary School were excited to think more about science and science writing. We planned with each other and brainstormed many possibilities for the science units and how to inspire science writing and thinking. Currently, First Grade is finishing up their study of Properties of Matter and Second Grade is studying Forces and Motion.
One goal was to help students better understand the scientific process and be able to feel successful with this “new” kind of writing. We created these two charts to provide a scaffold for the students and to support independence with the scientific process and writing about science.
Exemplars were created to give the young scientists a vision of how their writing could go. This chart was created to support students with the procedure part of the lab report. It was exciting to see the children discuss the things they noticed in the exemplars and put those things into their own lab reports. The children were eager to use the exemplars as models for their own writing, to set goals, and to become independent. Young scientists looked at their own writing alongside the exemplars and used the exemplars to give their partners “stars” and “wishes” or compliments and tips.
Here are some other exemplars that were created during the first part of our units.
Another goal of this unit was to increase academic vocabulary. These charts and tools give students the vocabulary they need to share their learning and thinking during discussions and through their writing. The vocabulary was introduced and reinforced through real alouds, shared reading, video clips, experiments and writing. The young scientists use these charts to show everything they know.
We also wanted the young scientists to be able to use writing and the scientific process to be able to deepen their understanding and thinking. Scientists analyzed their results to draw conclusions and share their thinking. The writing on this chart was done with Jenna’s second grade class during shared writing. The chart was then created during writing minilessons when Jenna and Nicole were teaching students how to develop their conclusions and revise their thinking. They give students a model of how to share their learning through their writing.
Small versions of the charts were made and are available for the young scientists to use.
The young scientists are now using these charts and tools to support each other and work collaboratively in science clubs. In their clubs they make decisions, have different roles, formulate questions, and go through the process of gathering the materials to conduct experiments.
The prompts on the charts guide the students and help them have more meaningful scientific conversations about their learning and discoveries. As a result, each student has developed an identity as a scientist who is curious about the world and knows how to search for answers and share scientific results and thinking with others.
Best of luck,
Liz, Jenna, Nicole, and Katie
As National Poetry Month continues, so does our classroom work around it. Kristine’s kindergarten is hard at work creating original works of staggering genius ie, poetry. Poetry can be tricky work for children when too many rules are placed around it, so with inspiration from published poets like Zoe Ryder White (find more about her here) and Valerie Worth (All the Small Poems and Fourteen More), this class decided to go with free verse around topics that were important to them, and ultimately important to all young children.
As with any unit, the study began with understanding the genre, in this case what IS a poem and what ISN’T, which also helps to define expectations for children. Given the amount and variety of poetry that children have been exposed to, it was difficult to nail down specifically what separates poetry from not poetry. In the end the class decided it was really just that stories have words that go all the way across the page, and poems don’t.
After this introductory lesson, the children went off to write so Kristine could get a baseline assessment of what students needed to work on in this unit. Kindergarten writing can sometimes feel like every unit has the same goal: write and draw with meaning and more readability, however, poetry has something special to add – creating lasting images and seeing the world in new ways. We were fortunate to have Zoe Ryder White come into our school early in our unit to talk with children about seeing with “poet’s eyes.”
Zoe first read a poem she had written that looked at the moon in a new way. Then she brought out a bag of ordinary objects and the class co-constructed a list poem (a poem where all the lines relate back to one idea- usually the title) about one object: a pine cone. Zoe asked the students again and again to look past the obvious and imagine more about the simple object. When Zoe and Kristine spoke afterwards, Zoe pointed out this imagining is no different than the imaginary play we value so much in the primary grades. The ability to look at a block of wood and use it as a telephone accesses the same skill set as seeing with poet’s eyes. It struck Kristi that the lessons she was doing around this for poetry would be a perfect cross over for choice time and vice versa.
After the students had been writing and reading (in shared reading and read aloud poems) Kristi kept an eye out for children trying things out that they had seen in these mentor texts. She used these in her shares and minilessons to create a strategy chart of poetic devices.
Whenever crafting charts, it is helpful to find student examples since the children are all within a similar zone of proximal development. Mentor texts do not just need to be in the poetry anthologies you find in a library – they can be in the incidental and accidental work your children create. One child did not realize he had repeated his words, but as he went to cross them out Kristi pointed out that some writers do that on purpose. Another child tried talking to the object in her poem, after the class sang, “You Are My Sunshine.” Both of these were cemented and celebrated in the week’s teaching. Rather than introduce a million different “tricks” the class is now trying these three, or selecting among these options to make a poem more powerful. It is not always the next thing that children need, sometimes it is just this thing – but better.
Finally, a few children carried over construction (as in book construction) work from previous units. The tape, staplers, and post-its all made a reappearance. Kristi constructed a chart to show children when they might choose one option over another. When you have one poem that is very long – you might tape it together. When you have a group of poems that go together (the example has one poem about each family member) you might staple them into a book. This work may seem obvious, but it is not. It asks children to consider: What goes together? What am I creating? These are big questions for little writers.
Let us know some ways you are using charts to support your young poets.
Until next time, happy Poetry Month and happy charting!
Kristi and Marjorie
April is Poetry Month and poems are everywhere – on the web, in classrooms, in subways, and in pockets. Teachers are teaching how to read poems and how to write poems. And they are making charts to capture it all. This week we highlight how charts can be used to capture our lessons, provide examples, offer strategies, and create challenges to strive towards.
Immersion Into Poetry
Charts capture our teaching and provide helpful reminders for our students in the way of tips and examples. How this might look in poetry is really no different than any unit where we begin with immersion into the genre or form we plan on reading and writing. Every poet will tell you that in order to write poems, you need to read poems – lots of poems. Poems of all shapes and sizes. Poetry is meant to be seen, heard and felt.
The chart below was built with some second grade students at Glenwood Landing Elementary School in North Shore, Long Island who were learning how to read poems closely. Marjorie (inspired by Rachel Rothman, one of our colleagues at the Reading and Writing Project) introduced three lenses they would listen through: movie, message, and music. When thinking which kind of visual supports would be most helpful, Marjorie decided to use examples generated by the students themselves. What she prepared ahead of time were the three prompts written out, enlarged copies of the poems (in this case two poems from Nathaniel Talking by Eloise Greenfield – “Education” and “When I Misbehave”) and some blank, large sticky notes.
Each reading of the poem was prompted by one of the lenses. This let the children know what to pay attention to as they listened. Then the children turned and talked to their partner, and came back together to share out what they had talked about. Examples of the children’s visualizations, feelings, and thinking were written down. This became an exemplar chart the children could use as a model when they went off and tried this on their own with another poem, “When I Misbehave” and any time thereafter, whenever they read a poem. The children actively listened and excitedly shared their thinking and ideas with each other and couldn’t wait to go off and do it again on their own.
Starting to Write Poetry
As with any writing unit, learning to generate topics is always one of the starting points and poetry is no different. A repertoire chart can capture possible options when reaching for something to write a poem about. The brilliant poet, Georgia Heard, offered many possibilities for poets and teachers alike in her book, Awakening the Heart, where she suggested that poets found topics by entering different doorways, such as the observation door, the heart door, the wondering door, and the concerns about the world door (as a start). The chart below is an example of a repertoire chart used in a first grade classroom at PS 192 in Brooklyn. First, Marjorie knew that kids love looking for things that hide, so used that idea
to create a heading that would grab the students’ attention and lead them on a search to find ideas for poems. Then she started by presenting a repertoire of strategies for generating poems: looking closely, feeling strongly, and things we wonder about. The idea of starting with a few options is important since not any one strategy will work on any given day.
One of the most delightful aspects of poetry is word play. Poets use words in delightful and unexpected ways. The more words you know the more options available to you. Words are a poet’s paintbrush that create images as vivid as a painting or photograph. Creating a chart that collects and sorts words poets can use can be a most useful tool. The following chart was launched by Marjorie in a second grade classroom at PS 192 in Brooklyn, but will grow and expand as kids find and discover more and more examples of specific nouns, vivid verbs, and descriptive adjectives. The thing to note is that each category is color-coded so when kids discover other examples they will write them on the colored index card that matches the category.
Another aspect of word choice is how words are used to compare one thing to another, called similes and metaphors. Similes help children go beyond literal observations towards adding in their imaginations and connections. It comes from the latin word “similis” to mean “like.” This might explain the misspellings on the chart. The word should be spelled “simile” not “similie.”
The teacher had previously defined what a simile was by giving some examples. The lesson Marjorie taught was designed to help children understand the many ways they could come up with similes by using their senses. Each post-it is a reminder of just how to do this. The visuals are familiar icons from earlier lessons when the senses were used to describe and elaborate writing.
Poetry offers so many opportunities to get excited about language, structure, and process. Another possible chart to create might highlight revision and all the possible ways a poet might revise a poem: changing words, layout, repetition, additional stanzas, or taking away unnecessary words.
Charts can be used to help students reflect and make goals based on what they have tried or not tried, or to create a rubric. This final example shows how this end of unit reflection happened in one first grade CTT classroom at PS 176 in Brooklyn. The children were taught to ask themselves two key questions, “What have I learned about writing poems?” and “What do I still need to work on?” They used a checklist to help with these questions by tallying each time they had used a particular strategy on the checklist. The strategy they had used the most was the one they were then expected to teach others.
The checklist included the things the teacher had taught during the poetry unit of study. They included “I used my senses,” “I used comparisons,” “I used repetition,” “I used special words,” and “I used white space.” Examples of each of these were included to the left of the checklist. In other words, this was a miniature version of the strategy chart created during this unit. Charts, as always, are only as effective as they are used.
Until next time, happy charting!
Marjorie and Kristi
We hope that you are enjoying the first steps towards spring! The sky stays light later, birds are chirping, and our children are edging towards the next grade. For Kristi, the spring thaw is also bringing opportunities to study the active construction site next door to the school, and a renewed sense of purpose to inquiry.
Inquiry is one of the areas that Kristi wanted to focus on when she returned to the classroom. How do you teach children to cultivate thoughtful wonderings, develop theories, and follow those theories up with study to confirm or revise them… all while teaching the social studies and science content for the grade?
Inquiry can exist with different amounts of scaffolds: the teacher can choose the topic and guide the inquiry, or the entire study may be driven by student interest. Kristi knew that kindergarten was entering the neighborhood study, but she let the children’s natural curiosity drive what part of the neighborhood they studied. Of course, the construction site right next door drew the most amount of lingering attention, and so the construction site inquiry was born.
Charts and Tools to Support the Study
One of the first things the class did was visit the site to observe and sketch what they noticed. At the same time, Kristi took photos. She printed and enlarged the photos and the class studied them. As they read books about construction, and interviewed people connected with the site, they labeled the pictures with their new knowledge and vocabulary.
The class visited the site repeatedly and were fortunate to see some major demolition in action. Kristi used her phone to record video of a column being pulled down and the class later watched and rewatched the video to understand what was happening. From that, the following how-to class book was born:
As the process went on, the questions children asked changed from, “What is that?” while pointing to a machine, to bigger questions like, “How do they know how to make the building?” which has led the class off in the direction of architecture and blueprints.
After a few visits to the construction site, children began to replicate some of what they had seen in choice time. In this way the vocabulary was used and reused. To help children imagine the possibilities, Kristi taught a choice time lesson that showed them that you can make what you saw on an investigation!
Construction is everywhere in choice time now: blocks, legos, and even in cardboard!
This is a two story cardboard dollhouse, made by two students, complete with people!
The class inquiry is continuing on in the direction set by the children-blueprints and models-and Kristi is referring again and again to the standards for social studies to ensure that she is also covering the requirements through read aloud, interviews, and videos.
Happy charting, and happy inquiring!
Kristi and Marjorie
In the sports world this month may be referred to as March Madness, but in the world of schools it is March Marvels. March is a marvelous month for children and teachers alike because this is the time of year we traditionally see great spurts of growth in our children, both physically and academically. They are taller, speak more eloquently, and can read, write and compute at new levels of achievement. And teachers can marvel that all their efforts are paying off. With this in mind we thought we would share some charts that celebrate effort and expectations as we head forward towards Spring.
For most teachers increasing children’s reading stamina is an ongoing goal because of its importance in strengthening their reading abilities and fluency. In fact it is often something that was fussed over quite a bit at the beginning of the year as routines and expectations for reading workshop time were set up. We saw many a stamina reading chart hanging up in classrooms during these beginning months of school. But, as with most charts from the beginning of the year they were replaced by more current charts that focused on critical reading strategies and skills. But as students are preparing to read more difficult and varied texts the issue of stamina is one worth revisiting. Making a chart that records the increasing time spent reading (or writing) announces to the world that this is something important and increasing the time reading books is worth striving towards as a class.
Below we show some examples of charts that celebrate the effort being put forth by classrooms to increase their time reading books. Again, the message being put forth is that this is something important and that together we can accomplish great things and we thank the amazing teachers, Jung Choe, first grade, and CTT team Sarah Carolan and Lindsay Brickell, at PS 59 for sharing these with us.
This first chart shows a delightful bear on a bicycle riding on a meandering path. The markers show the times achieved, the current reading times, and the times the class hopes to reach. This chart did not just arrive one day because it was cute and fun. This CTT/Inclusion class spent time talking about their reading, how long they used to read for, how long they can now read for, and what it was like to keep reading even when they got tired or distracted. Together they decided to try to increase their time reading like they try to ride for longer times on their bicycles in the park.
In another first grade classroom the teacher used a favorite character, Pigeon from the Mo Willems series, to pump up her children’s enthusiasm for the challenge ahead – to read longer without stopping. Again, the goals were developed with the children and they took turns keeping track of their reading stamina. This is a chart that is referred to often and steps moved up when the class is able to maintain the increased time consistently for the week. In other words, this is not something we do once, give a shout out, and call it a day. This is something that will take time to become a habit, to reach a goal. It requires effort.
Kristi also found a need to increase reading stamina among her students, so she created with her class of Kinders a plan that increases stamina by reading in increasing increments of time by including independent reading, partner reading, and library reading time. By providing varied opportunities to read in various situations, the children are encouraged to keep reading for increasingly longer periods of time. Again, the more children read, the longer they read for, and this increases their ability to read successfully and well. It also allows the teacher increased time to confer and teach small groups.
These are but a few examples of how teachers are setting challenges and celebrating effort in order to help their students, not only set goals, but develop agency and a ‘can do’ attitude that will be a life skill that each and every child can carry with them throughout their life. Let us know what other ways you are sparking your students to increase effort and drive to accomplish set goals.
Until next time, happy charting!
Marjorie & Kristi
Hi Everyone! We hope you had a few days of relaxation over the long weekend (or week for some of you!) Marjorie went to visit her daughter in Israel, and Kristine went to visit her sister in California. Now we are back from our far flung (ish) adventures and ready to talk charts! Kristine has had chart puns rolling in her head for days: unCHARTered waters, Top o’ the CHARTS, Conversation CHARTS (a play on conversation hearts- for a Valentine’s themed post) CHARTlize Theron (she also understands that many of these are going nowhere), and Ready, Set, CHART! (As an aside, we would welcome your chart puns in the comments!) Sadly, none of them quite match the idea of today’s post, co-creating charts with children.
In our book, Smarter Charts, we talk about the challenges of creating charts with children. We want them to look good and be clear so that children will use them again. We also want children to be off the rug as soon as possible. Now that Kristine is with 4 and 5 year olds all day, the question that haunts her every day is, “How can I make sure this is as powerful as possible in the least amount of time?” Small children + Extended time on the rug as one searches for the red marker = Nightmares beyond what was ever imagined.
This is where some of the advice we give in our book comes in handy: act like the chef in a cooking show. We have all seen cooking shows, Kristine herself is obsessed with the Barefoot Contessa (that house! that kitchen! her own boat?!), and one of the advantages to being a chef on a cooking show is that most of the prep is done for you, ahead of time. The Barefoot Contessa is not chopping every item in front of you, she only shows what she needs to show, and the rest is prepped off to the side for her to use when she needs it. That is the key to quick and clear charting: know what to create in the moment, and what to prep ahead of time.
The following two writing charts were created by Kristine (The Barefoot Chartessa? You decide) with her kindergarten class using this method.
Chart One: The Writing Process (A Process Chart)
This writing process chart has been hanging in Kristine’s classroom for months, but somewhere along the way it became unused. Kristine was finding books with no words or no pictures. Books with one page done, and books that were just scribbled on. To address this, she decide to revisit the writing process with her class in a more interactive way. Before the lesson, Kristine prepared the matching colored paper and drew the pictures. She left the words off the smaller paper and covered the backs of everything with the restickable glue stick (a favorite tool that turns any ordinary piece of paper into a sticky note).
For the lesson, a blank piece of chart paper was hung on the easel and all the pieces placed on the ground in front of her. The class sat in a circle around the rug. Kristine presented this issue: “Last night, when I was reading your “done” books at home with my hot chocolate, I noticed a problem… Friends, not all the books were done!!! Some of them were missing parts! It was so very sad to miss out on parts of your amazing books. I thought today we could explore all the things we need to do to write a book — and make a new chart for us to follow!” Kristine spread the pictures out so they could all be seen and asked the class, “What do you think we do first?” The students came up to put the pictures on the chart in a sequence that made sense to them. On the first attempt the order was a little scrambled, with turn the page coming very high on the list. Other students suggested revisions to the order until this one was reached and agreed upon by everyone. (Which, by the way, was the order of the original process chart) Kristine then put the smaller pieces of colored paper next to the pictures and asked children to go “knee to knee” and think about what we could call each step. Since children in Kristine’s class are familiar with the language of writing, this went very quickly. Kristine wrote the label next to each one, everyone reread the chart, and then the children went off to write.
Because of the prep work ahead of time, the entire lesson was 8 minutes — most of that was spent on revising the order of the steps, thinking about what would make sense for writers. And the best part was seeing the children renewed spark and interest in making sure their books used all aspects of the writing process from start to finish.
Chart 2: Easy to Read Writing (An Exemplar Chart)
In NYC select students come in for early morning support. Kristine used this time for interactive writing to support the group with hearing beginning and ending sounds and writing a story across pages. She then took one page from the book that the small group wrote to use in her writing workshop minilesson. Before the lesson, Kristine had the small group work on the interactive writing page, and she also pre-cut colored paper. She wrote on some of the papers: spaces and sight words and drew the pictures. The other pieces of cut paper she left blank.
For the minilesson, Kristine put a piece of unreadable writing up on the document camera and said, “You guys, when I got home yesterday, Geoff (my husband) said he had left me a note on the fridge and this is what it looked like!” Kristine gestured towards the “writing” and the kids responded with the appropriate amount of shock. One student exclaimed that it was “just scribble-scrabble!” Kristine then put up the piece of interactive writing the morning group had created (with no papers attached) and said, “I think I need to show him what we know about easy to read writing!”
The class then read the writing and Kristine asked them to go “knee to knee” to study and say what made the page so very easy to read. As children named spaces and sight words (which Kristine had anticipated since they had focused on that as a class) she handed the pre-made papers to children to stick up on the piece. Then as other children named that the letters were “good” (renamed clear by Kristine) she quickly made another paper to put up, and did the same when another child noticed the “punatation” (a good attempt at remembering and saying the word “punctuation”). Kristine reviewed all the things that made the writing easy to read and asked the children to set a goal for the 1 or 2 things they would really practice to make their writing easier to read that day (and every day). The chart was hung up and next to it was Geoff’s “note” (poor Geoff):
The whole lesson, start to finish, was about 8 minutes, thanks to the work that had been done already. Having some items prepped, and then having the children help to co-create the chart kept these charts looking clear and useful, while maintaining their useability for children. Both of these charts are referenced by the children frequently, in part because they are the ones who built them for the class.
In other, unrelated, news, we have a new app to tell you about! Valerie Geschwind, Kristine’s colleague, introduced Kristine to ifontmaker for the iPad. It allows you to make your own font from your handwriting and use it with Microsoft Word. It is easy to use and addictive. Two classroom uses:
1. You can create a class font from student handwriting for use on family letters
2. You can make your own wingdings — which Kristine used to draw some frequently used chart icons so when she types up charts, she can just insert the same icons that she would usually hand draw.
We are sure you have many more ideas for how this exciting app can be used, and we look forward to hearing about them in the comments.
Kristine and Marjorie
Back in early September we wrote a post, Keeping Charts Close, about ways to deal with chart clutter when wall space is at a premium and also suggested how to make charts more accessible to kids by using presentation easels and table tents. We were recently reminded of this need for alternatives to hanging charts up in the classroom when we presented a Smarter Charts workshop for the Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District in Houston, TX where many of their school buildings have open-concept layouts and lots of windows, which means that walls are at a minimum. Combine this with very strict fire codes and you have a real chart challenge. We had brought some examples of our portable table tents and the teachers were thrilled at seeing some possible solutions to their chart dilemma.
Then this past week, several of the teachers in our afterschool specialty group ( using charts to raise the cognitive demand on students) brought in examples of chart systems they use to keep charts up close to their students. They agreed to share them with our Chartchums teachers, so let the sharing begin!
In order to help her EL students remember all that a true story should contain, Isabel Calderon, from PS/MS 5 in the Bronx, made small versions of the class chart and then attached them to construction paper that was folded into a triangle to create a free-standing place card for each table. A simple, quick, and inexpensive solution.
Valerie Geschwind, from PS 59 in Manhattan, found that her Kindergarten children needed lots of reminders when it came to some of the conventions of writing, like spacing and using lowercase letters, so she decided to put these reminders right in front of them as they wrote. She found a creative new use for some old bookends. She printed out copies of the class chart, “My writing is easy to read!” onto card stock and then laminated them. She stapled two together across the top and sides and slid them down over one of the bookends. Voila! A freestanding chart stand for each table.
When it came time for her Kindergarten children to revise their “All About” books, Katie Lee, also from PS 59, decided to make the elaboration strategies she had taught accessible by first photographing her revision charts, then making color copies of them. She then made use of some 8-1/2 x 11 in. acrylic vertical stand-up sign holders (available from many office supply stores). She slid the photocopies in so the signs became two sided. One side gave strategies for how to say more, the other side included tips for adding details by using the senses to describe. What’s nice about these is they do not take up much space when placed in the middle of the table. The charts can also easily be changed out for newer or different ones depending on the needs of the students.
So as you can see, challenging situations inspire ingenious solutions, or as Plato once said, “necessity is the mother of invention.” Thanks to all the teachers who continue to share among each other and we look forward to hearing about more clever ideas that result from trying to help children learn to help themselves.
Kristi and Marjorie
Much of our conversations about charts are about how charts help make our teaching visible so our students understand and use what we are teaching. Developing student independence is a constant pursuit. In other words, charts are for the kids. Right? Of course. Who else would they be for? Administration? Parents? Classroom visitors? Yes, yes, and yes. But as we have been busy launching units, planning and delivering lessons, reflecting on what is working, what is not, we have come to realize that the person the charts are most helpful for is the teacher. Yes, the teacher. And this is why.
A teacher’s plate is always overflowing with stuff to do, deadlines to meet, paperwork to complete. Weekends are spent planning lessons for the week ahead. It is enough to keep anyone’s head spinning. So to keep from becoming dizzy, we suggest planning the chart simultaneously with planning your teaching as a way to maintain focus and clarity. Here is a case in point.
Marjorie has been working with teachers in Van Buren, Arkansas (hello Central and Tate K, 1, 2 teachers!), PS 192 in Brooklyn, and North Shore Long Island (Glenwood Landing) to find ways to help children synthesize their reading and to increase their conversational skills. The challenge was how to plan a lesson that would get children to say more about their books than just what was already stated in the book or just presenting a one-sentence idea like it was a fact carved in stone. After many minutes staring off into space (and a trip or two to the refrigerator) Marjorie started to think, “What might a chart look like that might help kids know what I am trying to teach them?” Thinking about the key characteristics of a good chart made the planning process much easier and helped smooth the way.
The heading is key because it announces the big idea or goal of what you are teaching. It can be a question, a statement, or a reminder. Trying out a few possible headings is a good way to check whether you have a clear goal in mind. For example,
“Looking for ways to expand your thinking?”
“Ways to push our thinking!”
“Don’t forget to say more about your ideas!”
…then choose the heading that you think will grab your students attention and help make your teaching memorable. Marjorie chose to go with a statement because of the strong verb “push” which was what she wanted to challenge the kids to do—to push their thinking. It was also very visual—forces pushing forward.
Type of Chart
Thinking about the type of chart you need is also helpful in clarifying what you want to teach. Ask yourself, am I teaching a routine, a skill with strategies, a process, showing an exemplar, or teaching about a genre? This leads to thinking about whether you are teaching something that requires steps or items to choose based on need. Or do you want some kind of model students can use to guide them. In the case of the “Ways to push your thinking” chart, Marjorie decided she was actually teaching a process that would eventually lead to the skill of synthesizing. Knowing that a process chart might work lead to imagining some clear simple steps: first ask questions about your idea, then imagine possible reasons, then try to come up with some new ideas.
Now, what words to use? Do you want to introduce certain vocabulary or use known words. Will you use these words in phrases, sentences, or as labels? Then consider how you plan to use the words. If you want to repeat these words over and over so that the children begin to chant them, then short phrases might be best. In this case, a lot of prompting would be needed so short phrases were decided upon.
Here is the chart that ended up helping make the lesson clear and successful:
This was also a chart that was used across the day, during the read aloud, reading workshop, social studies, and science because it was a big, huge idea that the teacher knew would need lots of practice to become a way of thinking. It was simple, accessible, and do-able. And for the teacher it took a complex idea, synthesis, and helped make it crystal clear to both teacher and students alike.
Here are a couple more charts that helped the teacher plan lessons that were explicit and clear. The charts also made the planning easier and kept the teacher focused as she implemented the lessons.
Using charts as a planning tool, no matter what the subject, will help make planning simpler and more effective because it will help you, the teacher, focus and help keep your main goals always in sight. So perhaps the chart does come before the teaching. Let us know what you think.
Until next time, happy charting!
Marjorie & Kristi
|
<urn:uuid:b7f53feb-92c5-4ce9-8f8d-b8d318b0e38f>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://chartchums.wordpress.com/author/chartchums/
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.973318
| 10,730
| 2.625
| 3
|
Benefits Of Carbohydrates
The Benefits Of Carbohydrates Are Quite Straightforward
You hear so much about counting carbs and low-carb diets that you might begin to wonder if there are any benefits of carbohydrates at all. Next, you discover that carbohydrates are basically sugars. Aren't sugars bad for us? The truth is, carbohydrates are essential to our well being. We couldn't do much, if anything, without them. Diabetics have to keep track of the number of carbohydrates they ingest, and people on weight loss programs will work to keep the intake of carbohydrates lower than usual. But you cannot do without them.
What A Carbohydrate Is - Look at the word carbohydrate. It means carbon plus water. In its very simplest form, a carbohydrate molecule would be made up of an atom of carbon, two of hydrogen, and one of oxygen. Most carbohydrates are more complex than that, but the molecule just mentioned is the building block. It is essentially a sugar, and more complex chains of molecules lead to more complex carbohydrates and more complex sugars, starches, and fibers, which are the forms carbohydrates can take.
Simple carbohydrates are simple chains of sugar molecules which quickly dissolve in water. These carbohydrates give us a quick energy boost, which is sometimes good for us, but not always. Complex carbohydrates consist of sugar molecules forming very long and complex chains. These larger molecules do not dissolve in water as quickly, but act more in a timed-release capacity. They give us energy we need, but over a longer time period, and are of greater benefit to us in terms of health.
Major Benefits - The major benefits of carbohydrates is that they produce energy for our bodies. No source of energy, and, as we have said, we can't do much. Our brains require carbohydrates to function properly, and the same can be said for our cardiovascular and nervous systems. Fiber is a form of carbohydrate, and as we know, fiber is an essential component in efficiently removing wastes from our body. As is the case with so many things in our lives, realizing the full benefits of carbohydrates is not taking in as many as possible or as few as possible, but in achieving a proper balance. Because carbohydrates essentially introduce sugars into the body, diabetics have to be particularly careful in counting carbohydrates on a regular basis to ensure that they get neither too few or too many at a given time.
Some Carbohydrates Are Better Than Others - The so-called "good” carbohydrates are the complex carbohydrates found mainly in potatoes, whole meal breads, pasta, grains, bran and many of our vegetables, especially root vegetables. The "bad" carbohydrates are those which give a quick boost of energy, the so-called "sugar highs". These are simple carbohydrates found in sweets, pastries, sugar, soda pop, and chocolate among other things.
Summary - If you are a diabetic, attempting to lose weight, or in a program involving intense physical training or activity, you'll no doubt be paying attention to your intake of carbohydrates, both simple and complex. If diabetes is the problem, you'll be trying to strike the right balance between too many and too few, both of which can affect your well-being. If weight loss is the issue, you may find yourself on a low carb (not a no-carb) diet. And as far as participating in intense physical activities is concerned, you’ll be eating and drinking things rich in carbohydrates. For most of us, just eating a normal healthy and balanced diet will give us all the carbohydrates we need, not too little or to many. Eat smart, and you won't have to count carbs, and can still enjoy the benefits. When you think about it, it's amazing all the forms molecules made up of carbon and water can take, and all the good these molecules do for us.
|
<urn:uuid:416cbf76-811a-4a93-8ad7-d68242c7cec9>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://www.healthandnutritiontips.net/benefits_of_carbohydrates/benefits_of_carbohydrates.html
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.955513
| 783
| 3.125
| 3
|
Brezhnev matured as an unquestioning follower of Soviet dictator Josef Stalin and gained rapid promotion within the Communist Party hierarchy, especially after the political purges of the late 1930s opened up many positions. Following the German invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941, Brezhnev was soon drafted into the Red Army as a political commissar. By the end of the war he was in charge of the Political Administration of the 4th Ukrainian Front.
After the war, Brezhnev's party career gained momentum. During 1946–1955 he served as party first secretary in Zaporozhe, Dnepropetrovsk, and then in the republics of Moldavia and Kazakhstan. In 1952 he was also appointed a member of the CPSU Central Committee. In 1957 he joined the Politburo.
Brezhnev's meteoric rise was due in large measure to the power of his new patron, Nikita Khrushchev. Nevertheless, Brezhnev, together with Alexei Kosygin, unseated Khrushchev during a 1964 CPSU power struggle. In the division of power that followed, on 15 October 1964 Brezhnev became first secretary of the CPSU, while Kosygin became prime minister. In 1966 Brezhnev named himself general secretary of the CPSU and began to dominate the collective leadership. In 1975 he was appointed an army general; in 1976 he became marshal of the Soviet Union (the highest military rank); and in 1977 he replaced Nikolai Podgorny as head of state.
During the Khrushchev years, Brezhnev had supported the leader's denunciations of Stalin's arbitrary rule and the liberalization of Soviet intellectual policies. But as soon as he had ousted Khrushchev, Brezhnev began to reverse this process. The 1966 trials of Soviet writers Yuri Daniel and Andrei Sinyavsky marked the reversion to a more repressive policy. The Komitet Gosudarstvennoi Bezopasnosti (KGB, Committee for State Security) regained much of the power it had enjoyed under Stalin, although there was no recurrence of the political purges of the 1930s and 1940s.
In August 1968, Brezhnev brought communist reforms in Eastern Europe to a halt by ordering the invasion of Czechoslovakia, where the Prague Spring had threatened to dissolve that country's political and military solidarity with Moscow and the Warsaw Pact. This military intervention was afterward justified by the Brezhnev Doctrine, which claimed for the Soviet Union the right to interfere in its client states' affairs in order to safeguard socialism and maintain the unity of the Warsaw Pact.
During Brezhnev's tenure, a nonaggression pact with the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG, West Germany) was concluded in 1970, marking the beginning of détente with the West. On a global level, Brezhnev carried out negotiations on arms control with the United States and signed the 1968 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty and the 1972 Strategic Arms Limitation Talks Treaty. On the whole, during the 1970s Brezhnev advocated a relaxation of Cold War tensions, which he also demonstrated by signing the 1975 Helsinki Final Act. This recognized the postwar frontiers of Central and Eastern Europe and in effect legitimized Soviet hegemony over the region. In exchange, the Soviet Union agreed to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms.
Relaxation abroad was not matched by liberalization at home. On the contrary, Brezhnev tried to neutralize the effects of détente by expanding the Soviet security apparatus and government control over society. His regime also became synonymous with corruption and the severe repression of dissidents. Urbanization had given rise to an ever-larger number of Soviet citizens, especially from the young and educated groups, hoping to live a Western lifestyle with access to Western culture and a Western middle-class standard of living.
The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 signaled an end to détente. The Afghanistan War soon deteriorated into a debacle and contributed to the steady decline of the communist regime. Although the Soviet Union was awash in oil dollars, this money was of little help to the civilian economy because the regime frittered its wealth away on construction projects, corruption, and handouts to brother regimes and pumped it into military industries and the Afghan quagmire.
Parallel to the deterioration of the economic and political system, Brezhnev's physical health and mental awareness steadily declined in the late 1970s. The geriatric Politburo, however, with an average age of seventy, feared change and thus kept him in power well beyond his time. Brezhnev died in Moscow on 10 November 1982 after several years of failing health and was succeeded by KGB head Yuri Andropov.
Beatrice de Graaf
Kozlov, V. A., and Elaine McClarnand Mackinnon. Mass Uprisings in the USSR: Urban Unrest under Khrushchev and Brezhnev, 1953–82. Armonk, NY: Sharpe, 2002.; Navazelskis, Ina L. Leonid Brezhnev. Langhorne, PA: Chelsea House, 1987.
|
<urn:uuid:101a0ae1-d900-4bea-a0db-8cae4d49e207>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://www.historyandtheheadlines.abc-clio.com/ContentPages/ContentPage.aspx?entryId=1161913¤tSection=1130228&productid=4
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.964506
| 1,070
| 2.546875
| 3
|
Dolphins may be calling each other by name
Dolphin can call another by mimicking distinct whistle of other dolphin
Imagine two dolphins swimming in the Gulf of Mexico. You hear a series of clicks, whistles and whines coming from each, much like a conversation in dolphin language.
It might go something like this:
"Hey Flipper, weren't those sardines last night the best?"
"Not bad, Fluke. But I'm more of a squid eater."
We can't be sure they were discussing dinner, but scientists do think dolphins call each other by name.
It seems one dolphin can call another specifically by mimicking the distinct whistle of that other dolphin.
"These whistles actually turned out to be names. They're abstract names, which is unheard of in the animal kingdom beyond people," said Randall Wells, one of the authors of a new study on dolphin behavior, told CNN affiliate WFLA-TV in Tampa, Fla.
Wells, of the Sarasota Dolphin Research Program, worked with scientists from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute in Massachusetts, the Chicago Zoological Society and the Walt Disney World Resort, on the study of what they call "vocal copying" in dolphins. It was published last month in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
"Each dolphin produces its own unique signature whistle that describes its individual identity," the researchers said in a University of St. Andrews press release. "The new study suggests that in fact dolphins are mimicking those they are close to and want to see again."
To conduct the study, the researchers listened to recordings of about 250 wild bottlenose dolphins made around Sarasota Bay from 1984 to 2009. Captive dolphins at the Seas aquarium at Disney World were also recorded.
Five volunteers listened to the calls to distinguish the matches.
Researchers found that dolphins that were familiar with each other for a significant amount of time would mimic the whistle of another in that group when they were separated.
Whistle copying was not found in dolphins that happened to cross paths in the wild, the report said.
"The fact that animals are producing whistle copies when they are separated from a close associate supports the idea that dolphins copy another animal's signature whistle when they want to reunite with that specific individual," Stephanie King of St. Andrews said in the press release.
Additionally, the mimicking is not frequent, the researchers said.
"Frequent copying of signature whistles would ... render the identity information of the whistle unreliable," the study said. "The rare copying of signature whistles may, however, be particularly suited to addressing close associates."
The whole vocal experience puts dolphin communication closer to that of humans than any other species, the report said.
"The bottlenose dolphin signature whistle stands out in that it is invented by its main producer and can only be shared by animals who had experience with the inventor. Besides humans, bottlenose dolphins appear to be the other main example of affiliative copying with such individually specific learned signals," it said.
Wells said it all makes perfect sense when the bottlenose dolphins are swimming about in the Gulf of Mexico.
"These animals are living in a murky, estuary environment. They have to maintain group cohesion and stay in contact with one another and coordinate their activities -- how do you do that when you can't see one another?" WFLA quoted him as saying.
Copyright 2013 by CNN NewSource. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
|
<urn:uuid:58c7c0de-f810-49d2-a1cf-5ff1f5eab403>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://www.local10.com/news/Dolphins-may-be-calling-each-other-by-name/-/1717324/19220506/-/format/rss_2.0/view/print/-/gpiv5/-/index.html
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.957232
| 730
| 3.453125
| 3
|
© Bruce Rolff | Shutterstock.com (#1144461)
The Neo-Darwinists have given the public the impression that the mechanisms of heredity have long been understood. On the contrary, new evidence is emerging all the time that exposes the Neo-Darwinists’ ideas for what they are – metaphors and dogmas that are not consistent with the spirit of open science, or exploration and evidence.
About the Author
Articles in This Issue
Dawkins, Darwin, and Other Dogma: How the Tenets of Biology Are Crumbling
It wasn’t supposed to be this way. We were expected to have evolution figured out by now. You wouldn’t think that anything was amiss from the plaudits Darwin received during the bicentennial honoring of his birth in 1809. These celebrations gave the impression that biology is all sorted out – Darwin planted the seed, and everything we have learned about evolution since has simply grown from it.
The discovery of the structure of DNA in the 1950s seemed to cement the paradigm: we now had the mechanisms by which evolution occurred. We entered an era sometimes known as Neo-Darwinism, which combines his theories with modern knowledge of genetics. This has given rise to some extreme views such as evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins’ belief in the “selfish gene,” which basically says that the purpose of an organism’s behaviors and traits is geared toward the survival of the gene in order to pass it on to its progeny. Genes dictate from within and reign supreme.
Ironically, Darwin was more flexible than many of his scientific descendants. He was a true scientist, aware that new discoveries, which might prove him wrong, would come after he was gone.1 But the Neo-Darwinists have given the public the impression that the mechanisms of heredity have long been understood. On the contrary, new evidence is emerging all the time that exposes the Neo-Darwinists’ ideas for what they are – metaphors and dogmas that are not consistent with the spirit of open science, or exploration and evidence.2 It also turns out that life is much too complex to be reduced to the selfish needs of one molecule, and this has sparked a paradigm revolution. What follows are three key pieces of this emerging new picture.
Revolution #1: Environment Plays a Key Role
How much of who we are is due to our genes and how much is due to our environment? This debate has long raged in biology and seemed to have been won by the gene advocates, who have ruled for so long that we’ve almost forgotten that another point of view exists. The gene dictatorship reduced human beings to passive pawns in a game of evolution that has nothing to do with us as individuals and everything to do with maintaining the immortality of the molecules. Those who suggested that the environment had something to do with the expression of genes were seen as heretics.
It turns out, though, that the champions of the gene are proposing a scientific viewpoint that is increasingly less defensible. Evidence is mounting within mainstream academic science that the environment has a strong effect on gene expression (see molecular biologist Garret Yount’s description of his “avatar-gene experiment” in the latest issue of The Noetic Post, available to IONS Supporting Members). Given these studies and Bruce Lipton’s excellent and groundbreaking work in the area of epigenetics, it turns out that it is our perception of the environment that impacts the receptors in the cell membrane, which inform and influence gene expression.
No doubt many consider Lipton’s work heresy. After all, many biologistshave made a significant investment in claiming no environmental impact on gene expression. They certainly don’t want to add something as nebulous as “perception,” which cannot be felt or dissected, to the rapidly changing mix. But the evidence is hard to ignore; Lipton’s website features numerous papers on how perception of the environment alters gene expression.
Evidence from animal studies is also showing how epigenetic modulations to the genome could even be passed onto our progeny.3 This means that changes to DNA expression that occur during an organism’s lifetime in response to its environment are actually passed on to its children. The gene is not a “dictator” after all; it turns out that it has been listening all along. The ebb and flow of our relationship to the environment shows up at the molecular level.
Revolution #2: Survival of the Most Cooperative
”Survival of the fittest” started out as a fundamental tenet of Darwinian biology and gradually became entrenched in our psyches. We came to believe that this is simply how things are. Wasn’t biology telling us so? Darwin’s concept of natural selection meant that if a population is faced with adverse environmental conditions, the ones who happen to have favorable genes, perhaps through a random mutation, will more easily adapt and therefore survive to reproduce more progeny, who will in turn spread this new adaptive advantage until eventually the new population replaces the old.
It’s all very good in theory. This clawing-your-way-to-the-top-of-the-pack mentality has fueled our beliefs and imaginations – vividly and memorably portrayed by the Gordon Gekko character of the 1980s film Wall Street. Gekko compares (and implicitly justifies) his cutthroat behavior to the processes of evolution. (Here’s Gordon Gekko speaking on evolutionary behavior.)
Does the science add up, though? Recent findings from a team of evolutionary biologists at the University of Chicago suggest that such rapid spread of an advantageous gene has been rare in human populations – and in many plants and animals as well. More likely it spreads slowly by way of natural population migration, and not by way of a fitter population replacing another.4 In fact, if some members of a given population are blessed with a genetic advantage, this may involve their helping fellow members survive. Have human beings been practicing cooperation the whole time?
In any case, accumulating evidencefrom population studies by the team in Chicago is showing that we need to reassess the rules of natural selection. “Survival of the fittest” may not be the most important law after all. What will happen to our psyches if mainstream science decrees that this evidence can’t be ignored? Will Gordon Gekko’s famous declaration, “Greed is good,” be revised to “Cooperation is good”?
Revolution #3: Back to the Drawing Board with the Human Genome
Ten years ago it all seemed so tangible: the Human Genome Project was about to be completed, and with it, we anticipated an era of personalized medicine. Once the genome had been sequenced, we believed that we were going to create medicines that were specific to individuals based on their genetic profile. We also believed that we’d be able to predict which diseases we were likely to get in the future and accordingly initiate preventive measures.
This was done by monitoring something called “single nucleotide polymorphisms” (SNPs). To understand this concept, think of a stretch of DNA as a word that we all carry around. If everyone carries the same word, but some of us spell it slightly differently, we can examine whether these slight variations have any individual consequences, such as their effect in disease.
As recently as a few years ago, scientists were confident that if we found these changes, we would be able to tell which of them led to which diseases – and some scientists still feel that way. But many are starting to come around to the view that we’ve been barking up the wrong tree all along. When we examine the SNPs we currently know, we have found that they do very little in helping us to predict disease. Even with SNPs that have been associated with diabetes, for example, they only predict 6 percent of its heritability. These dim results have caused molecular biologist David Goldstein of Duke University to proclaim the entire hypothesis a thing of the past: “We have entered and left that field, which explained less than a lot of people thought it would.”5
Even when the Human Genome Project revealed that we only have 20,000 genes, far fewer than the 150,000 expected, some still clung to the notion that genes make us who we are. And now that the results show fairly conclusively that, except in rare cases, our genome can’t tell us if we’re likely to develop a particular disease, some scientists continue to think that the promised land still exists.
What does it mean that, with a few exceptions, we cannot find strong correlations between our genome and disease? Some are already looking beyond DNA to epigenetic factors and examining how these might influence disease. Others are wondering if so-called ”junk DNA,” which has previously been discarded as having no discernible purpose, may in fact have important regulatory functions.
What if we need to go deeper to find the answers? If we cannot look to a molecule within us, maybe we need to look beyond it. Physics has long declared matter to be made up of information, not of solid particles. This information lies deeper than molecules and deeper than atoms, to the very makeup of all matter. What if this information has an inherent sentience, which causes the self-organizing behavior we see all around us in nature?
Every single molecule seems to know what to do, as if it were inherently intelligent. With the matter-as-information revolution currently taking place in physics, biology should look to a new scientific paradigm as well. It should explore whether information deeper than the level of the molecule is actually powering the formation of our human bodies, and even the onset of disease. Since our current theories have been of little help, we need to embrace something new.
We Are Not Machines
Many of the most enshrined ideas in biology are toppling, but not because of pressure from critics. This is happening from within the field itself. When we look at how, one by one, science’s most cherished ideas have fallen – from the selfish gene to survival of the fittest and the promise of gene therapy – we need to face the facts that we have simply got it wrong.
Nature is far more fluid than we have previously believed. We are not the results of the dictates of molecular machinery. We seem instead to be so much more, leading to a new era of exploration as exciting, if not more so, as the one that gave us the theory of evolution, relativity, and quantum physics. For the first time in modern human history, the cycle of knowledge is returning to what we knew in our distant past: we are connected to something deeper. We are not machines. Intelligent information flows through us and communicates with our environment, and this means that human survival is much more likely when we cooperate. The paradigm revolution in biology promises to be something wondrous to behold.
1. Charles Darwin, On the Origin of the Species (New York: Dover, 2006).
2. Fern Elsdon-Baker, “The Dawkins Dogma,” New Scientist, July 2009.
4. J. K. Pritchard, “How We Are Evolving,” Scientific American, October 2010.
5. Stephen S. Hall, “Revolution Postponed,” Scientific American, October 2010.
|
<urn:uuid:da1d0f57-99df-48cb-ba92-250db863247c>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://www.noetic.org/noetic/issue-five-december/dawkins-darwin-and-other-dogma-how-the-tenets-of-b/
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.96687
| 2,371
| 2.609375
| 3
|
Most commonly, economists categories based on education and skill: unskilled workers (common laborers), semi-skilled workers (those in jobs requiring a moderate level of training), skilled workers (workers who have mastered a craft), and professionals (workers in jobs that requires undergraduate or graduate college degrees).
No, during the nineteenth century the work force was broken into manufacturing, agriculture, and commerce. But as the American economy grew more complex during the twentieth century, economists added another set of occupational categories: blue-collar and white-collar workers. The former included manufacturing and industrial workers, people engaged in craft production, and non-farm laborers. White collar workers included clerical and sales personnel, managers and executives, as well as professionals, such as doctors, lawyers, accountants, engineers, and teachers.
The explosion of the service sector of the economy left this simple white-collar/blue-collar differentiation obsolete.
The service sector is just about everything outside of farming, construction, mining, and manufacturing. It includes workers engaged in transportation and communication, sales, banking, and entertainment. More broadly, the service sector included all those employed in the production or delivery of a service rather than a good.
These categories help economists monitor changes in the economy. For example, during periods of economic stress, these categories enable policy makers to identify those parts of the economy most in need of assistance. More broadly, these categories help economists track changes in the workforce and the structure of the economy.
Wages—the price of labor—are determined like all prices by supply and demand. They call this the market theory of wage determination.
Yes. For starters the federal government influences wages by setting the minimum wage. Only about 3% of the work force earns the minimum wage, but by setting a wage floor above market wage rates, governments influence the wages paid those earning more than the minimum wage. When the floor rises, other wages rise as well.
The federal government also influences wages through legislation regarding federal contracts. The Davis-Bacon Act requires that all private agencies and companies receiving federal funding pay the “prevailing wage.”
Yes. In industries in which workers are well organized, wages are determined not just by the market but by the strength of the union in the bargaining process. Economists acknowledge the impact of unions in setting wages in the theory of negotiated wages.
No. At their peak, unions represented about 35% of all non-agricultural workers. Today they represent only about 12%
Some economists argue that company hostility to unions is primarily to blame. Others argue almost the opposite—that overly aggressive unions are to blame for their loss of influence.
Still other economists argue that the changing composition of the workforce is more responsible for declining union membership. For many of today’s workers, such as teenagers, their jobs represent a second or temporary income. And consequently, they are less interested in the long-term employment objectives pursued by unions.
Some economists argue that the shifting structure of the American economy is more responsible for declining union membership. Far more jobs are being created in the service sector which has proven resistant to union organization.
Finally, some economists suggest that since government has taken over some of the roles filled by unions in the past, union membership is less essential to workers.
|
<urn:uuid:091807e6-f315-4d45-9907-c2641b5eabf6>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://www.shmoop.com/labor-wages-unions/faq.html
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.959368
| 669
| 3.8125
| 4
|
American British White Park History
American British White Park cattle were introduced to Great
Britain by the Romans in 55 B.C. and ran wild until the 1700's,
when they were domesticated. The name "White Park" comes
form large, game preserve like enclosures in which these
cattle were kept. During World War II, Churchill issued an
order to burn and slaughter all crops and cattle if the
Germans invaded England. Five cows and one bull were
shipped by British White Park breeders to the United States
as a safety precaution. Following the war, these cattle were
not returned to England, and most ended up in Illinois.
The breed possesses black ears, nose, eyes, and legs which
tends to dominate over other color patterns when crossbred.
The breed running wild for nearly two mellenia has
self-eliminated hard calvers, poor mothers, and lack of
hardiness. Birth weights are low, yet growth rates and mature
sizes are comparable to Hereford, Angus, and Shorthorn
cattle. Pigmentation around the eyes virtually eliminates
American British White Park (ABWP) Traits:
Healthy, Hardy, And Long Lived
All factors which reduce the overall cost of ownership and
improve the bottom line.
Lean And Fast Growing
ABWP cattle can satisfy the consumer's demand for lean beef
and satisfy the producer's demand for fast growing livestock.
ABWP cattle grow well on almost any forage.
ABWP cattle are extremely docile. They are easy to work and
can be moved simply by leading them with a feed bucket.
ABWP cattle have small uniform udders. New calves have no
problems grasping and nursing due to oversized udders.
Udders dark in pigment prevents sunburn and various
problems common to other breeds. ABWP's produce
nutritionally rich milk getting new calves off to the best start.
Records of birth kept by existing ABWP breeders prove that
in general losses are very small when compared to to other
popular breeds. ABWP calves birth sizes range from 74 lbs to
80 lbs with 76 being about average.
Pink Eye And Heat Resistance
Black to dark pigmentation helps keep pink eye and eye
problems due to sun at bay. Yet white hair coloration helps to
reflect heat, thus aiding in their natural heat resistance.
ABWP cattle are naturally polled so injuries and losses due to
dehorning are eliminated. ABWP cattle should not be
confused with the horned Ancient White Park cattle.
ABWP conception rates are high and first calf heifers
conceive easily. Cows often remain in herds until they are
fifteen or sixteen years old. This is an economic factor that
cannot be overlooked by the commercial cowman. High
percentage calf crops start with conception and ABWP cows
excel in conception rates.
ABWP cows have maternal instincts far superior to the
average cow. Cows that don't claim their calves are an
unknown problem in this breed. First calf heifers claim their
calves and get them started faster than any other breed of
American British White Park Cattle
|
<urn:uuid:5174b030-2b71-4c41-883d-f632b2953d72>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://www.sofwhitecattle.com/BreedInformation.html
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.929747
| 673
| 3.453125
| 3
|
The SNARE hypothesis predicts that a family of SNAP receptors are localized to and function in diverse intracellular membrane compartments where membrane fusion processes take place. Syntaxins, the prototype family of SNARE proteins, have a carboxy-terminal tail-anchor and multiple coiled-coil domains. There are 15 members of the syntaxin family in the human genome and 7 syntaxin-like genes in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In conjunction with other SNAREs and with the cytoplasmic NSF and SNAP proteins, syntaxins mediate vesicle fusion in diverse vesicular transport processes along the exocytic and the endocytic pathway. They are crucial components that both drive and provide specificity to the myriad vesicular fusion processes that characterize the eukaryotic cell.
Traffic between intracellular membrane compartments is largely mediated by vesicular transport. High degrees of specificity and complexity are exerted in the regulation of vesicle budding, docking and fusion. In a breakthrough, Rothman and colleagues showed in a cell-free assay that the docking and fusion of transport vesicles require the concerted action of two cytosolic proteins: N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor (NSF), an ATPase whose activity regulates the formation and dissociation of the complexes needed for membrane fusion, and an additional factor needed to attach NSF to Golgi membranes, the soluble NSF-attachment protein, SNAP (reviewed in ).
Factors that determine the specificity of the docking and fusion of vesicles to the correct target membranes were subsequently identified from their incorporation, again in a cell-free assay, into a 20S assembly complex with recombinant NSF and α-SNAP . These SNAP receptors, or SNAREs, turned out to be previously cloned components of the synaptic membrane with unknown function. Remarkably, these SNAREs share structural homology with several yeast genes whose products are associated with vesicular transport. These findings pointed towards a conserved mechanism in the diverse transport processes amongst eukaryotic cells. To account for the specificity of each step, the SNARE hypothesis postulated the existence of a family of molecules, with each molecule functioning in one of the various membrane-fusion processes in the cell. One of the molecules identified as a SNARE from bovine brain was a syntaxin.
Gene organization and evolutionary history
Syntaxin was first described as two 35 kDa proteins (now known as syntaxin 1A and 1B), 84% identical to each other in amino-acid sequence, that interact with the synaptic-vesicle protein synaptotagmin . It soon became clear that there are also non-neuronal homologs of syntaxin. The first syntaxin localized to the early secretory pathway, syntaxin 5, was cloned along with the cell-surface syntaxins 2, 3 and 4 . More recently, syntaxins localized to the endosomes have also been identified . A summary of the genetic, cellular and functional information of known mammalian and yeast syntaxins and their phylogenetic relationships is shown in Tables 1 and 2 and Figure 1.
Figure 1. A nearest-neighbor dendrogram of the 7 S. cerevisiae and 15 mammalian syntaxins, generated with the DNASTAR program. See Table 2 for yeast gene names; syn, syntaxin. There are also several syntaxin-like genes in the Drosophila and C. elegans genome; see Bock et al. for a more extensive phylogenetic analysis that includes these sequences.
Table 1. Genetic, cellular and functional information about mammalian syntaxins
Table 2. Genetic, cellular and functional information about yeast syntaxins
The syntaxin family consists of 15 genes in mammals and 7 in yeast, and there are syntaxin-like sequences in all eukaryotes examined to date. The mammalian syntaxin genes are on different chromosomes (summarized in Table 1). Syntaxins 3 and 5 are both found on chromosome 11 but at different loci. Additional diversity within the syntaxin family is generated by alternative splicing; alternatively spliced isoforms have been identified for syntaxins 1A, 2, 3, 5 and 16. The domains that can be removed or included by alternative splicing commonly include the membrane-proximal domain of syntaxin, the region required for SNARE complex assembly and/or the carboxy-terminal hydrophobic membrane anchor. The splice isoforms are differentially expressed during development and in different tissues in adult life, and may thus have substantially different functional roles in the regulation of membrane traffic.
Characteristic structural features
All mammalian syntaxins, with the exception of syntaxin 11, are transmembrane proteins anchored by their carboxy-terminal tails with a type II orientation (that is, with the amino terminus and the bulk of the polypeptide facing the cytoplasm). The domain structure of syntaxin 1A, the first to be identified, is shown schematically in Figure 2b. Other than the transmembrane domain, there are several hydrophobic regions (Figure 2a) with the potential to form coiled-coil α-helical structures. The approximately 60-residue-long membrane-proximal coiled-coil domain is the SNARE domain, which is characteristic of and conserved in all syntaxins .
Figure 2. The structure of syntaxin and a syntaxin-containing SNARE complex. (a) A graphical output of the analysis with the COILS program of syntaxin 1A, for potential coiled-coil-forming regions. A window size of 21 residues was used. (b) Schematic representation of the structure of syntaxin 1A, illustrating both the linear domain arrangement (upper diagram) and the coiled-coil domains (blue) with spatial relevance to one another (lower diagram). N, amino terminus; C, carboxyl terminus. (c) Schematic representation of the four-helical bundle structure of the core fusion complex formed by syntaxin 1A (blue), synaptobrevin/VAMP (red) and SNAP-25 (green) at the presynaptic plasma membrane.
The SNARE domain of a syntaxin mediates its interactions with the SNARE domains of other target-membrane (t) SNARE proteins from the syntaxin or SNAP-25 families, to form t-SNARE complexes at target membranes. The t-SNARE complexes, in turn, interact with SNARE domains of the vesicle (v) SNAREs (vesicle-associated membrane proteins, VAMPs) found on specific vesicle membranes, to form the core fusion complex. Perhaps the best-studied membrane-fusion complex is that mediating synaptic-vesicle fusion [8,9,10]. An extremely stable ternary complex, a 12 nm long twisted bundle of four helices aligned in parallel, is formed by syntaxin 1A, SNAP-25 and VAMP-2, which contribute one, two and one α helices, respectively (Figure 2c) . Most other heterotypic core fusion complexes are likely to have a similar parallel four-helical bundle structure, but in some cases the two α-helical SNARE domains provided by SNAP-25 may be replaced by the SNARE domains of two members of the syntaxin family.
The amino terminus of some syntaxins, such as syntaxin 1, contains another characteristic domain, which is thought to vary between syntaxin isoforms depending on the specific vesicle-traffic steps involved. The amino-terminal domain of syntaxin 1 (Figure 2b) is a bundle of three α helices with a left-handed twist . This conserved autonomously folding amino-terminal structure may serve as an auto-inhibitory regulatory domain. By folding back onto the membrane-proximal SNARE domain, the molecule adopts a 'closed' configuration that prevents the formation of the core fusion complex. The chaperone protein n-Sec1/Munc18 binds to this closed conformation of syntaxin. Dissociation or conformational changes in n-Sec1/Munc-18 induced by the Rab small GTPases may open up the structure to facilitate SNARE-complex formation.
SNARE complex assembly and disassembly
SNAREs, together with SNAP and NSF, form a 20S complex intermediate that is essential for the docking and fusion of vesicles with a target membrane. As mentioned, in the case of synaptic-vesicle exocytosis, syntaxin 1 and its cognate SNARE partners form a ternary complex consisting of a coiled-coil bundle of four α helices, before NSF/α-SNAP joins to form the 20S complex. These four helices are parallel with the transmembrane domains of VAMP and syntaxin, at the same end of the bundle. The formation of the 20S complex thus creates a bridge between the vesicle and the target membrane. Evidence suggests that, in the initial stage of vesicle docking, the SNARE complex assumes a partial and reversible assembly known as the 'trans-conformation'. In this case, the syntaxin coil is likely to be less tightly associated than the v-SNARE and SNAP25 coils, and its full association is postulated to be held back by a calcium sensor, until the arrival of Ca2+ signal. The Ca2+ trigger results in the full association of the syntaxin coil, converting the trans-complex into a tight 'cis-complex'. In a 'zipper' model of SNARE-mediated fusion, it is postulated that the trans-complex might zipper up from the amino terminus towards the carboxy-terminal transmembrane end, bringing the two membranes together and thereby causing the final membrane fusion.
The cis-complex formed after vesicle docking and membrane fusion is then dissociated by NSF and its co-factor α-SNAP. The hexameric NSF has two ATP-binding sites (D1 and D2) per subunit. The binding of α-SNAP to NSF stimulates nucleotide hydrolysis at the D1 sites. NSF undergoes a conformational change upon ATP hydrolysis, which provides a mechanical force for disassembling the SNARE complex. The disassembly of the complex by NSF frees the SNAREs for recycling and the formation of a new trans-complex for the next round of vesicle docking and fusion.
Localization and function
A summary of the cellular localization of mammalian and yeast syntaxins can be found in Tables 1 and 2 and Figure 3. Cellular localizations for all mammalian syntaxins have been confirmed using antibodies against endogenous proteins. It is worth noting that, although transgenic syntaxins epitope-tagged at the amino terminus generally retain the localization of the endogenous protein, overflowing of the proteins to neighboring compartments as a result of overexpression can complicate interpretation of localization experiments. On the other hand, morphological changes to particular cellular compartments - due to transport defects or otherwise - as a result of overexpression of a particular syntaxin or its mutant can also be informative with regard to its localization and site of function.
Figure 3. Subcellular localization of syntaxins (red) in a mammalian cell relative to the various membrane-bound compartments, anterograde and endocytotic/retrograde flow of traffic (green and purple arrows, respectively) and known membrane-transport steps (black). EE, early endosome; ERGIC, ER-Golgi intermediate compartment; Glut4, a glucose transporter molecule; LE, late endosome; RE, recycling endosome, SER, smooth ER; syn, syntaxin; TGN, trans-Golgi network.
The transmembrane tail anchor found in all syntaxins except syntaxin 11 is essential for their membrane localization (exogenously expressed cytoplasmic domains appear to be cytosolic), but in most cases it is not sufficient for specific targeting to particular membranes. Compartmental targeting signals reside in the cytoplasmic domains, and these are not well defined. An examination of the amino-acid sequences of syntaxins that are found in the trans-Golgi network (TGN) and post-Golgi compartments has revealed putative targeting signals with dileucine motifs, but these have not, in most cases, been shown to be functional by mutational analysis.
The SNARE hypothesis predicts that, as a t-SNARE, the cellular function of a particular syntaxin would logically be determined and restricted by its localization. Thus, it is not surprising to find that syntaxin 18, which is localized to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), and the cis-Golgi-localized syntaxin 5 have roles in ER-to-Golgi transport. In fact, the lack of a syntaxin within the Golgi stack itself has been suggested as indirect evidence for the maturation model of intra-Golgi transport (in which Golgi compartments move from ER to TGN as they mature, as opposed to the vesicular transport model, in which vesicles shunt between 'static' compartments). On the other hand, one explanation for the apparent multiple functions of the predominantly TGN-localized syntaxin 6 is that it is perhaps not a true syntaxin, even though it has been categorized as one, as its SNARE domain resembles that of the SNAP23/25/29 family members more than the syntaxins . The exact roles of the endosomal syntaxins (syntaxin 7, 8, 11 and 12/13) are not particularly well defined. One reason for this is the lack of biochemical assays to precisely dissect the complicated steps in endosomal transport. The surface syntaxins have been implicated in various processes involving the delivery of TGN cargo to the cell surface. Syntaxin 4, for example, is essential for translocation of the glucose transporter molecule Glut4 to the plasma membrane of insulin-responsive cells.
Syntaxins have been shown to interact with a range of other proteins as well as their SNARE partners. These can be broadly classified as either components of the vesicular transport machinery or proteins with no predicted function in vesicular transport. The former include vesicle coat proteins, Rab GTPases and tethering factors. It would not be surprising or exceptionally interesting that syntaxins may interact with coat proteins, which are, after all, cargo proteins in their own right. There is evidence, however, that some v-SNAREs are initiators of coat-protein assembly and vesicle budding. This makes sense as it would ensure that vesicles are 'functional', equipped with downstream docking and fusion components. Rab proteins and their effectors are regulators of the vesicle docking and fusion processes. Multiprotein complexes such as the homotypic fusion and vacuole protein sorting (HOPS) complex interact functionally with Rabs and SNAREs to regulate docking . In perhaps most instances, vesicle docking is preceded by a process known as tethering, whereby molecules known as tethering factors bring vesicles close to the target membrane, to enhance productive docking and fusion. The direct interaction between a syntaxin, syntaxin 13, and the tethering factor early endosome antigen 1 (EEA1) has been elegantly demonstrated in the case of Rab5-regulated early endosomal homotypic fusion (fusion of similar vesicles) .
Syntaxins may also interact with other proteins. Syntaxin 1A and syntaxin 3 have been known to interact with sodium channels in epithelial cells, thereby regulating the intrinsic properties and cell-surface expression of the channels. An antibody against syntaxin 1A immunoprecipitates solubilized N-type calcium channels, suggesting a role in docking synaptic vesicles near calcium channels in presynaptic active zones. The interaction between syntaxin 1A and voltage-sensitive calcium channels in an 'excitosome' complex at the presynaptic plasma membrane may enable a rapid secretory response to a membrane-depolarizing signal.
With the solution of the structures of SNARE complexes and advanced biochemical and biophysical analysis, we now have a fair idea of how syntaxins interact with their SNARE partners and how these interactions are regulated. With the completion of the sequencing of the human genome, all human syntaxins have now been identified. Many of the cellular and physiological functions of syntaxins remain to be learned, however.
Firstly, the exact components of the SNARE complexes, or for that matter the exact involvement of any particular syntaxin, remains unclear in several important membrane transport steps. It is not yet known, for example, whether syntaxin 18 has a function in homotypic fusion in the ER, like the yeast homolog Ufe1p. The mammalian syntaxin 5 appears to be present both on vesicles en route to the Golgi and on the target membrane itself, and can be found in distinct SNARE complexes. It is not known if the SNARE complexes that include syntaxins 5 and 18 function in sequence or in parallel in ER-Golgi transport. Likewise, syntaxin 6 appears to serve multiple functions in transport processes in and out of the TGN that are not yet clearly defined, as well as post-TGN processes. As already mentioned, much remains to be learned about the mechanistic roles of the endosomal syntaxins. Another important line of investigation is to confirm the participation of the cell-surface syntaxins (especially syntaxin 3) in specialized processes such as neurite outgrowth and myelin sheath formation.
Secondly, although it is clear that syntaxins may have physiologically important direct or indirect physical interactions with other components of the vesicular transport system that do not belong to the core machinery of membrane fusion, much of this knowledge is fragmented. The interactions of syntaxins with Rab proteins and tethering proteins have been investigated and demonstrated only in isolated cases. Extension of this type of knowledge to other syntaxins is absolutely essential for our further understanding of the regulation of syntaxin function. Also, reports of interactions between syntaxins and other molecules that do not appear to serve general roles in transport are confined to the ion channels that interact with syntaxin 1 and 3. Further efforts in looking for interactions of syntaxins with non-SNARE and non-transport components are warranted.
Finally, the functions of most of the syntaxins with respect to organism growth, physiology and development are absolutely unknown. It would be fair to speculate that syntaxins in the early secretory pathway of mammalian cells would be so vital that any ablation of their genes would result in death of cells, let alone of the organism. But the fact that all post-Golgi syntaxin-like molecules in yeast are not essential for growth points to the possibility that some of the mammalian post-Golgi syntaxins may have physiological functions that are amenable to genetic analysis by mouse 'knockout' and 'knockin' genetic approaches. If so, it may then be possible to investigate whether these syntaxins have a role in embryonic development, post-natal growth, or the organization of particular tissues or structures. Extracting mechanistic information from the knockout phenotypes may be difficult, though. There is clearly much more to learn about the physiological functions of these important proteins.
Nature 1994, 372:55-63.
A review covering most of the early mechanistic findings on vesicular transport.PubMed Abstract | Publisher Full Text
Nature 1993, 362:318-324.
A landmark paper describing the purification and identification of SNAP receptors, or SNAREs.PubMed Abstract | Publisher Full Text
Curr Biol 1994, 4:220-233.
An elaborate account of the SNARE hypothesis, in which the authors propose that multiple SNAREs at various membranes provide the specificity for vesicular transport.PubMed Abstract | Publisher Full Text
Science 1992, 257:255-259.
The first cloning of a syntaxin.PubMed Abstract
Cell 1993, 74:863-873.
Cloning of the first non-neuronal syntaxins.PubMed Abstract | Publisher Full Text
Nature 2001, 409:839-841.
A detailed and thorough analysis of transport-related proteins in the sequenced genomes. An excellent reference source for syntaxins.PubMed Abstract | Publisher Full Text
Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 1997, 94:3046-3051.
A classic bioinformatics paper that provided the first idea of how syntaxins and VAMPs are related.PubMed Abstract | Publisher Full Text | PubMed Central Full Text
Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2001, 2:98-106.
The most up-to-date review on the mechanisms of SNARE-mediated membrane fusion.PubMed Abstract | Publisher Full Text
Annu Rev Biochem 1999, 68:863-911.
A detailed review of the players and mechanisms involved in exocytosis.PubMed Abstract | Publisher Full Text
Annu Rev Cell Dev Biol 2000, 16:19-49.
A detailed review of the players and mechanisms of synaptic-vesicle exocytosis.PubMed Abstract | Publisher Full Text
Nature 1998, 395:347-353.
The first description of the crystal structure of a SNARE complex.PubMed Abstract | Publisher Full Text
Biochemistry 2000, 39:8470-8479.
Structural analysis of the amino-terminal domain of syntaxin 1A at 1.9Å resolution.PubMed Abstract | Publisher Full Text
EMBO J 2000, 19:6713-6720.
Vacuole homotypic fusion in yeast is perhaps the system in which membrane fusion mechanisms have been most studied. This paper, one of an excellent series from William Wickner's laboratory, describes how Rab GTPases regulate the process.PubMed Abstract | Publisher Full Text
Cell 1999, 98:377-386.
An important paper showing a direct link between a Rab protein, a tethering protein and a SNARE protein.PubMed Abstract | Publisher Full Text
A National Center of Biotechnology Information (NCBI) program that provides a single interface for querying curated sequences and descriptive information about genetic loci.
A program for predicting coiled-coil-forming regions, available at the EMBnet website.
|
<urn:uuid:08c8f0d3-99ee-4020-9a93-b87c9694a626>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://genomebiology.com/2001/2/11/reviews/3012
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.901434
| 4,683
| 2.59375
| 3
|