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Chiropractic healthcare has grown to become the most popular natural health care choice in the United States. Using natural hands-on care, this system of care stresses the importance of restoring, preserving, and optimizing health in a non-invasive manner without drugs or surgery.
The human body consists of cells, tissues, and organs that are all controlled by the nervous system. The focus of chiropractic healthcare is on that connection between the brain and the body, since your health depends on the proper functioning of the nervous system.
At the base of the chiropractic philosophy is the belief that the body will naturally seek a proper balance among the various systems working together within it. These systems work within a structure and if that structure is impaired, it cannot properly function.
The spinal column is a complex structure designed to contain and protect the spinal cord while still remaining mobile.
The spine is made of stacked vertebrae, with joints called articulations at each segment. When there is a subluxation – they are out of place or not functioning properly – it can cause problems with the nerves that exist within them, which then causes issues with the signals they carry. These are the signals sent and received by the brain that provides proper body function and optimal health.
When the spine is out of alignment, it can irritate the nerves as they exit the spine and when those nerves are irritated they don’t work properly. When those nerves don’t function normally, it can cause problems with the tissues they are designed to work with. This chain reaction of events is known as an “end-organ” effect and is the main focus for chiropractic care.
So, simply speaking, chiropractic care is concentrated on how the spine and its surrounding tissues functions – and how well they are working. We do this because if your nervous system is operating at full capacity then your body will be able to heal itself!
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Our eyes need good blood circulation and oxygen intake, and both are stimulated by regular exercise. Regular exercise also helps keep our weight in the normal range, which reduces the risk of diabetes and diabetic retinopathy. Remember to use sun safety and protective eyewear when enjoying sports and recreation.
Avoiding smoking, or quitting, is one of the best investments you can make in your long-term health. Even though old age seems a long way off, smoking as a young adult can increase your risks for cataracts as well as for cardiovascular diseases that indirectly influence our eyes’ health. Smoking increases the risk of severe vision loss people with other eye diseases as well. And when women smoke during pregnancy, they are more likely to give birth prematurely, putting their babies at higher risk for retinopathy of prematurity, a potentially blinding disease, as well as other health problems. The American Cancer Society offers smoking cessation resources: www.cancer.org.
As we sleep, our eyes enjoy continuous lubrication. Also during sleep the eyes clear out irritants such as dust, allergens, or smoke that may have accumulated during the day.
Some research suggests that light-sensitive cells in the eye are important to our ability to regulate our wake-sleep cycles. This becomes more crucial as we age, when more people have problems with insomnia. While it’s important that we protect our eyes from over-exposure to UV light, our eyes also need exposure to some natural light every day to help maintain normal sleep-wake cycles.
It’s important to be aware that some sexually-transmitted diseases can affect the eye. The four leading diseases are:
- Herpes type 1 or 2: Can cause inflammation and scarring of the cornea, inflammation inside the eye, and glaucoma, among other problems.
- Chlamydia: Can be passed to newborns during birth, or be spread to the eyes at any age through touch.
- Gonorrhea: Can be passed to newborns during birth, or be spread to the eyes at any age through touch.
- Syphilis: Is a systemic infection and eye involvement is rising in some areas.
- HIV/AIDS: Related opportunistic infections include toxoplasmosis and CMV retinitis.
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Sufferers of anxiety view the world in fundamentally different ways.
People who still believe the outdated notion that mental health conditions are “all in a person’s head” have yet another reason to stop believing the myth: According to a new study in the journal Current Biology, those with anxiety perceive the world differently — and it stems from a variance in their brains.
It all comes down to the brain’s plasticity, or its ability to change and reorganize itself by forming new connections. These inherent changes in the brain dictate how a person responds to stimuli, and researchers from the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel found that people diagnosed with anxiety are less likely to be able to differentiate neutral or “safe” stimuli from threatening ones.
The scientists found that those with anxiety experienced lasting plasticity long after an emotional experience (aka a “stimulus”) ended. This means the brain was unable to distinguish new, irrelevant situations from something that’s familiar or non-threatening, resulting in anxiety. In other words, anxious individuals tend to overgeneralize emotional experiences, whether they are threatening or not.
Most importantly, researchers noted, this reaction is not something that an anxious individual can control, because it’s a fundamental brain difference.
For the study, researchers trained individuals to associate three specific sounds with one of three outcomes: money loss, money gain or no consequence. In the next phase of the study, participants listened to approximately 15 tones and were asked to identify whether or not they’d heard them before.
The best way to “win” the tone-identifying game was for participants to not confuse or overgeneralize the new sounds with the ones they heard in the first phase of the study. The study authors found that subjects with anxiety were more likely than non-anxious subjects to think a new sound was one that they heard earlier.
This occurrence wasn’t due to an impairment in learning or hearing. It happened because they perceived the earlier tones, which were linked to an emotional experience of money loss or gain, differently than the other participants.
Researchers also discovered that during the exercise, people with anxiety displayed differences in the amygdala, the region of the brain that’s associated with fear. The findings may explain why the disorder develops for some people and not others, according to the authors.
“Anxiety traits can be completely normal, and even beneficial evolutionarily. Yet an emotional event, even minor sometimes, can induce brain changes that might lead to full-blown anxiety,” lead researcher Rony Paz said in a statement.
The new research is a sound reminder that a person is hardly responsible for having a mental illness; surmounting evidence shows mental health conditions have genetic and physiological underpinnings. A 2015 study found that anxiety may be hereditary, while other research suggests depression may be an inflammatory disease.
However, despite this growing body of research, there’s still a sizable stigma surrounding mental illness. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only 25 percent of people with a mental health disorder feel like others are understanding about their experience. Original Article
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Barcodes can be produced quickly and simply, moreover, they can be read with relative low priced devices. However, they have a short reading distance and cannot read destroyed or dirty tags. Modern, more expensive bar code readers or the usage of point codes improve results in this case. By frequent using (e.g. to identify vehicles) the barcode can be applied onto PVC-, credit card sized tags. The barcode can be engraved into metal via laser technology, if heat resistance is necessary. The range of bar code reading devices reaches from ball pen-like pen readers for offices up to camera supported systems, which are able to read large bar codes up to 10m of distance.
Frequencies of the long-wave range are used for "radio frequency identification“devices with active and passive tags. Active tags send, when activated by the transmit/receive-device, stored data back on their own. For that, they need a battery as power supply inside. Passive tags reflect the carrier frequency including a code in modulated form, due to this, they have less data available. The allocation is carried out by software connected to the reading device. These tags are available in the form of cards, key rings, buttons or other forms and are relatively low priced. They have a low reading-range (10-40cm), show a rather high sensitivity against electromagnetic faults and, due to the fact that they work with a low frequency, the passing speed is also very low (4-7 km/h).
This systems use microwaves in the range of 2,4GHz as carrier for information. A tag is activated by coming into the microwave coil and it reflects its stored data contents. Some tags have programmable data areas in addition to the fixed data contents. Microwaves-identification systems are newest technology and they are non-sensitive to interference of all cases, they catch large amounts of data and have reading distances up to 12m. Nowadays, tags that can be used for high environmental temperatures (like burn-in paint shops), high crossing speed up to 200 km/h (e.g. the identification of railways) or rough environmental conditions (Heavy Duty Tags) are available. The disadvantage of this technology is the limited durability of the tags and in the higher price, which is much more than that of a RFID-device.
We find the best solution
Being the system integrator, we use all types of identifcation systems.
Depending on concrete demands, we find the best solution for our customers and we select the optimal supplier. We use devices of well known manufacturers for barcode-, point code- and RFID-solutions. Moreover, we are sales representative of Tagmaster for microwaves systems. This is a partner with whom we have relayed many projects successfully. Even complex tasks like implementing of spread systems or the optimal positioning and configuration of microwaves systems we take over gladly.
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Bee venom cure for HIV rallies scientists, student beekeepers
A recent study conducted at the Washington University School of Medicine discovered that a compound found in bee venom has the capability of protecting cells against HIV. Using these results, the researchers hope ultimately to create a gel in order to prevent the spread of the disease.
Melittin, a toxin found in the venom of bees, is the targeted compound of the study and the one that has been found to help protect cells against HIV. The compound affects only infected cells and leaves healthy cells alone.
However, the drug is still years away from being ready for the market.
“We discovered it in cells and cultures, but we still have to package it up as some kind of gel,” research professor Joshua Hood said. “Now that we’ve done this study, we need to do preclinical testing on humans, and then after that we can move towards making the gel, so there are still a number of years left to go.”
“There’s a hope that this gel would serve as an extra augmentation—an extra drug out there that would be useful,” he added.
According to Hood, extraction of the compound will not harm bees.
“Bee venom has got a lot of different molecules, and the one we’re using is just one compound of it,” he said. “The compound is synthesized, so you’re not hurting any bees by obtaining it. This is just one of the membranes we tested, and there are many different ones in nature, but it just happened that this one did a good job.”
The uses of bee venom are well-known in beekeeping society, and the results of the study are likely not surprising to those who know of the healing advantages bees can provide, according to freshman Shannon Welsh, founder and president of the Bee School, the University’s beekeeping association.
“Bees have amazing medicinal uses, and they have for thousands of years,” she said. “Some doctors will go so far as saying that if all else fails, try bees. I know melittin has been used for arthritis and [multiple sclerosis], and it’s a unique protein because it basically gets rid of injured cell tissue.”
Welsh hopes that attention brought about by the study will help raise public awareness on the endangered state of bees.
“Bees are facing a large threat right now, and it’s not being heard the way it should be,” she said. “Bees are incredibly useful, and they have multiple advantages that can help to save human lives. They’re dying out, and if we don’t protect them, we won’t have any of their honey or melittin to use.”
Welsh added that the discovery of this additional use of bee venom will hopefully inspire more commercial beekeeping in order to protect the species.
The compound found in bee venom can not only be used to attack HIV-infected cells but also, potentially, cells infected with different viruses, such as hepatitis.
“It’s nice because the results of this study serve as a good concept that can be applied and used in a number of different studies, depending on what perspective you’re looking at it from,” Hood said.
Students have expressed optimism at the results of the study.
“I think it’s actually really cool and that this just shows there’s hope that with further research we could potentially cure and prevent such a harmful disease,” sophomore Sydney Kapp said.
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Hyderabad: Researchers are worried over the increasing
incidence of mold (fungal) infections in people, who have undergone
organ transplant. These mold infections are largely non-Aspergillus,
which have developed resistance to drugs.
The commonly encountered mold infections in organ transplant patients
in the State are caused by the species of Fusarium and Scedosporium.
The infections are also noticed in people who have undergone bone
"Some of these cases prove to be fatal if not treated immediately. The
mortality rate can go up to 50 per cent," said senior biologist Dr N
What is troubling researchers and doctors is that such infections are
also being reported from developed nations like the USA. Infections
caused by non-Aspergillus mold have relatively higher death rate than
other fungal or bacterial infections.
The major challenge posed by non-Aspergillus infections is that it is
difficult to diagnose them even in laboratories in developed
countries. Most of the laboratories attached to hospitals in the State
are not equipped to conduct such tests to pinpoint the source of
infection, he said.
The mold infections are not only invasive but also spread to other
parts of the body. They are often aggressive in nature and resist
several anti-microbial medicines. Even highly powerful drugs like
voriconazole do not work against such infections.
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We find codices (the plural of codex) all over the world. Some are very rare. For example, only four codices of pre-Columbian civilizations have escaped the burnings of the conquistadores. They could not be deciphered until very recently, and they provide valuable information about a civilization that had grown to a significant size before disappearing. In China, where writing first began, the invention of paper, the processes of replication and printing developed very early on. The appearance of bound volumes dated back to the beginning of our era. Classical philosophy, science and medicine that were developed in ancient China and stored in codices are used in the present day, although many also disappeared at the systematic destruction of libraries, at the decree of the first great emperor, Qin Huang Di.
But what are the common features between all these codices? Their age, civilization, language and writing are different; but all are valuable evidence of lost knowledge of the ancients. A thread connecting the knowledge of the builders of pyramids (in Egypt or South America), the Great Wall of China, and who knows, of Atlantis. The great tradition which has been erased by modernity and yet is our root.
A codex that allows us to discover, decipher and understand something profound is a priceless treasure. Anyone who is smart enough to know to decode and read one has access to unique knowledge.
Modern Day Codices
Today modern codices include games, anagrams and riddles, like the riddles linked to from the right-hand menu. If you wish to make something secret, it's more likely that you would encrypt it using computer code, rather than creating it as a beautiful document on paper or papyrus. While it seems a shame that the art of the codex is used less, online games do provide a different sort of puzzle, where instead of decoding something on paper, you are instead faced with the challenge of building cities or creating amazing fantasy lands, often in an interactive way with other players.
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Welcome to 1888 Message Study Committee!
Sabbath School Insights
2010 Quarter 4: Oct - Dec
Insight #01, October 2, 2010
Fourth Quarter 2010 Adult Sabbath School Lessons
“Story & History”
For the week of September 26 – October 2, 2010
This quarter we will study a series lesser-known characters in the Old Testament. Christ Himself considered the Old Testament important for the Bible says, "Beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, [Jesus] expounded to them in all the (Old Testament) Scriptures the things concerning Himself" (Luke 24:27). John says "You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me" (John 5:39). All Old Testament Scripture reveals Christ. As we study each character, we miss the main point unless we ask, What does this person or story reveal about Christ?
The foundation of God's government is self-sacrificing love. Christ lives to give: "For God so loved the world that He gave… " (John 3:16). Satan has been misrepresenting God's character of love to the world: "So the dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him" (Revelation 12:9). Speaking of Satan, Jesus said, "He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it" (John 8:44).
Note: As we study Old Testament stories, we can see that people are either representing Christ and the principles of His kingdom, or they are acting like "their father, the devil."
A plot to take the life of man had been laid before God breathed life into Adam. Satan had led a rebel host of angels in accusing God of being self-exalting (Isaiah 14). In truth, it was Satan who was self-exalting. Hidden in his heart was the desire to replace God, the only Being in the universe who held a higher position than he. Then he planned to rule the universe as he pleased. This plan shows how far Satan's self-deception had taken him. Were it possible for him to have annihilated God, his own life would have been instantly destroyed, because no one has life independent of his Maker.
In creating the human race with the capacity to choose, God risked the security of the entire universe. If man were to fall, Christ, who had humbled Himself from eternity past, would become the "Lamb slain from the foundation of the world" (Revelation 3:8). By separating from His Father, and allowing His divinity to be clothed with humanity, Christ subjected Himself to all the humiliation and torture demons in human form could possibly inflict. He waged a battle much greater than we will ever be called upon to fight. He sealed the fate of Satan and all his followers when He died victoriously on the cross. In so doing, He was not only the Creator, but the Savior and Re-creator of the world. What a theme to ponder!
Each character in this quarter’s lessons has a part to play in revealing to the universe either the character of Christ or the despotic nature of Satan. As we ponder the stories of the lesser-known Bible characters, we do well to review our own stories. We, too, are "lesser-known" characters. Our names may not be emblazoned on the pages of Holy Writ, but they are engraved on the hands of our Savior. Each of us has a part to play in the drama of the ages. History will faithfully record what part we have acted.
What is the story of my life? What is your story? Can you remember particular times in your life when you could sense God's drawing power? Have you fallen prey to Satan's lies? How has God revealed Himself to you in times of trial and perplexity? What is the story of our beloved Seventh-day Adventist church? Have we remained focused, or have we settled in and made ourselves comfortable on this rebel planet? Do we remember what it was that knit the hearts of the early advent believers together in hope of a soon-coming Savior? Do we understand their stories? Do we know what they sacrificed in order for us to enjoy the blessings we experience today?
A new book was released in June, 2010. The Return of the Latter Rain, by Ron Duffield (available through Glad Tidings Publishers or Light Bearers Ministry) tells the story of our Seventh-day Adventist Church history in a unique way. Hundreds of original documents, sequenced in chronological order, let the characters tell their own stories. The result is heart-wrenching and hopeful. History shows that God sent the message of the latter rain to us more than 120 years ago, by a couple of “lesser-known characters” who showed how all the Bible centered in Christ. One of the "Latter Rain" messengers, Dr. E. J. Waggoner, tells the story of how he first came to appreciate Christ in a new and personal way. Note the setting of the story and how it impacted his life:
"Many years ago, the writer was in a tent one dismal rainy afternoon, where a servant of the Lord was presenting the Gospel of His grace; not a word of the text or texts used, nor or what was said by the speaker, has remained with me, and I have never been conscious of having heard a word; but, in the midst of the the discourse an experience came to me that was the turning point in my life. Suddenly a light shone about me, and the tent seemed illumined, as though the sun were shining; I saw Christ crucified for me, and to me was revealed for the first time in my life the fact that God loved me, and that Christ gave Himself for me personally. It was all for me. If I could describe my feelings, they would not be understood by those who have not had a similar experience, and to such no explanation is necessary. I believe that the Bible is the word of God, penned by holy men who wrote as they were moved by the Holy Ghost, and I knew that this light that came to me was a revelation direct from heaven; therefore I knew that in the Bible I should find the message of God's love for individual sinners, and I resolved that the rest of my life should be devoted to finding it there, and making it plain to others. The light that shone upon me that day from the cross of Christ, has been my guide in all my Bible study; wherever I have turned in the Sacred Book, I have found Christ set forth as the power of God, to the salvation of individuals and I have never found anything else (E. J. Waggoner, The Everlasting Covenant (International Tract Society, 1900), p. V, as quoted in The Latter Rain, p. 45).
"At this time Christ was set forth before my eyes 'evidently crucified' before me. I was sitting a little apart from the body of the congregation in the large tent at a camp meeting in Healdsburg, one gloomy Sabbath afternoon. . . . All that has remained with me was what I saw. Suddenly a light shone round me, and the tent was more brilliantly lighted than if the noon-day sun had been shining, and I saw Christ hanging on the cross, crucified for me. In that moment I had my first positive knowledge, which came like an overwhelming flood, that God loved me, and that Christ died for me. God and I were the only beings I was conscious of in the universe. I knew then, by actual sight, God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself; I was the whole world with all its sin. I am sure that Paul's experience on the way to Damascus was no more real than mine . . . . I resolved at once that I would study the Bible in light of that revelation, in order that I might help others to see the same truth" (E. J. Waggoner, "Confession of Faith," May 16, 1916, as quoted in The Return of the Latter Rain, p. 45).
Brother Waggoner saw what we need to see in this quarter’s lessons as we study the underlying theme of Scripture: "And these are they that testify of Me" (John 5:39).
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Scholarly consensus forms our view of the world more than we think. Most of us do not have the resources to traverse the atmosphere and view the earth from an observer’s point of view (or analyze other evidence), so we have to rely on scholars to inform us that it is a sphere. Robust models become prominent in scholarly circles and then become public knowledge within a few decades. Many of us look with a critical eye on those who flout scholarly consensus. Atheists scoff at neo-ussherian Christians who believe that the earth is young, but out of the other side of their mouths will clash with robust scholarly models. There are plenty of places where atheists often go against the grain of modern scholarship.
Metaphysical positions often come with a bit of epistemic baggage that will impact how one interprets data. We attempt to strip ourselves of this baggage as much as we can, but it is always there, lingering in the back of our minds. Some may think that atheism is exempt from this, but I am not inclined to agree. Atheism comes with baggage, evidenced when they go against the grain of modern scholarship.
That Incessant Banging
A surface glance at the Big Bang model and the Theory of Evolution might lead one to think that they are alternatives to religious thinking. Religious people think that God created everything, but these explanations are how atheists explain the world. That is a bit of a naive assumption and I think conflates levels of causality. It could be that God just used the Big Bang. While some may think that this would make God redundant, some atheists do not agree. In fact, many atheists have denied Big Bang cosmology to avoid the theological implications.
Of the Big Bang, the eminent cosmologist, P.C.W. Davies said in this interview, “The coming into being of the universe, as discussed in modern science is not a matter of imposing organization upon a previous incoherent state, but literally the coming into being of all physical things from nothing.” Similarly, the philosopher Anthony Kenny wrote on page 66 of The Five Ways, “A proponent of the Big Bang theory, at least if he is an atheist, must believe that the universe came from nothing and by nothing.” In his co-authored book, From The Big Bang Theory To The Theory of A Stationary Universe, Dr. Dmitri Linde wrote that he agrees with Dr. Alexander Vilenkin, who thinks that science has established that there is an absolute beginning of the universe. Finally, on page 20 of The Nature of Space And Time, Stephen Hawking wrote, “Almost everyone now believes that the universe, and time itself, had a beginning at the big bang.”
With the Big Bang being defined by the scientific community as the beginning of all things from absolutely nothing, it might seem bizarre and perplexing that so many atheists are standing against it. Bloggers across the internet are lining up to join hands with young earth creationists telling their readers that the standard Big Bang model that has prevailed for decades is wrong.
I think the reason for that is as Dr. Robert Jastrow said in a 1982 interview, “Astronomers now find they have painted themselves into a corner.” Stephen Hawking’s insight is revealing. He writes on page 46 of A Brief History of Time that Big Bang cosmology “smacks of divine intervention.” On page 178 of Dr. Arthur Eddington’s The Expanding Universe, he writes, “The beginning seems to present insuperable difficulties unless we agree to look on it as frankly supernatural.” This is because the universe appeared out of absolutely nothing, and unless one succumbs to the supernatural, she would have to violate the principle that underlies the entire scientific enterprise, out of nothing, nothing comes. Yet the desire to cling to atheism has led some even there.
Typically, when somebody wants to defend pro-choice ethics, he will appeal to relativistic philosophy, memes, and personal feelings. If that same person is an atheist, it will be a major shift from the sort of discussion he has when he is defending evolution or something like that, because the scientific element is almost entirely indefensible from a pro-choice perspective. The scientific debate is not only settled – it has been settled for a long time. In 1933, the President of Planned Parenthood, Dr. Alan Guttmacher spoke of the fact that a zygote is the beginning of a human life in his book A Life In The Making. He writes, “This all seems so simple and obvious that it is difficult to picture a time when it wasn’t part of the common knowledge.” Guttmacher is not alone. There are a host of medical journals and textbooks that regard the unborn as a biological human being.
Yet despite this consensus, the debate has not yet morphed into an ethical question about whether it is appropriate to take the life of a human being. Instead, pro-choicers will appeal to relativistic ethics, using the language of “imposing your will” onto somebody else. We will see arguments related to whether men can talk about this and whether an individual has bodily autonomy, but the life of the unborn is diminished or even ignored, hence going against the grain of the modern science. This post even went so far as to compare the life of the fetus to the life of leaves hanging on a tree. This mentality shuts the door on scientific inquiry to fuel a political agenda.
However, I should note that there is nothing inherently atheistic about pro-choice ethics. It may be said that many atheists are pro-choice, but that is not a universal rule. Christopher Hitchens was pro-life, citing the discoveries from embryology.
“Jesus, if he existed…”
When atheists on the internet talk about Jesus of Nazareth, it will come with a bizarre qualification. They might say, “Jesus, if he existed…” seeming the call into question the historicity of the historical Jesus. Dr. Bart Ehrman thinks that many mythicists are motivated by a desire to blow up the core of the Christian faith.
Many of us have heard of the alleged parallels between the gospel narratives and old Pagan tales. They are regurgitated on the blogosphere despite that they have minimal scholarly presence. In fact, if you look at the original sources for these parallels, you often find that they are spurious, bearing only a passing resemblance to the gospels. Most historians do not take them seriously.
In fact, historians think that there is a lot that we can know about the historical Jesus. Even secular, atheist historians will affirm that Jesus died by crucifixion. On page 145 of Jesus: A Revolutionary Biography by John Dominic Crossan, he affirmed that the crucifixion was one historical fact about which we can be certain. Crossan is not writing as a believer. An alarming majority of scholars share similar sentiments, with names including Bart Ehrman, Gerd Ludemann, and pretty much every secular historical scholar writing in this field.
Typically, historians will cite what is known as the criterion of embarrassment. In that era, there were a plethora of false messiahs, and crucifixion exposed them for what they were: under the curse of God. If the disciples were manufacturing a story, they would not have their leader crucified. It was something that had to be explained away. That is just one of several reasons that the crucifixion is firmly planted in history. Yet if the death of Jesus is a historical fact, that entails that his life was too. But if we were to listen to blogging atheists, we would have a very different impression. That is why Jesus mythicism is to history as young earth creationism is to science. Yet even within young earth creationism, there are large and well-funded ministries with a host of credentialed scientists. Jesus mythicism may have a scholar here or there, but it is lower on the totem poll than young earth creationism.
Who Created This Argument?
Children sometimes have insightful points stemming from basic human intuition that adults may overlook. But more often, they just say silly things in their forgivable naivety. We sometimes hear of children who ask questions like, “If God created everything, who created God?” In fact, I remember asking that question when I was a child. This boyhood inquiry has gained popularity, featured in Richard Dawkins New York Times Best Seller, The God Delusion. Now we hear it in the mouth of atheists all of the time despite that it is a thoughtless question.
I am not alone in thinking so. The atheist philosopher, Dr. Michael Ruse, wrote that The God Delusion made him ashamed to be an atheist. Perhaps the best living atheist philosopher, Dr. Graham Oppy, wrote on page 25 of his book The Best Argument Against God that the question “who created God?” does not cause any problems for theism. In a debate, Sir Anthony Kenny explained the difference between types of simplicity (responding to Dawkins claim that God is more complex than that which he is being invoked to explain – a part of the “who created God?” argument).
The most sophisticated atheist thinkers seems united on the front that “who created God?” is a silly question. Even the blog Common Sense Atheism joins the fun as they eat the sacred cow. There are a few simple reasons that these sophisticates are just not interested in Dawkins argument. You cannot ask “who created God?” of somebody who does not believe in created gods. Since the atheist does not actually believe in God, the only way to interpret the question is, “Who created the God that you believe in?” If you do not let the theist define her own terms, you will essentially be talking past each other. There are a few other reasons that it is a silly question. But I think this consensus and the reason I provided should be sufficient.
Everybody, Even Atheists, Has Epistemic Baggage
We all know that there have been times when the scholarly community at large was wrong and shifted their view. Scientists shifted away from Newtonian physics when Einstein came along. My point is not at all that we have to believe the prevailing paradigm. My point is that might be a level of hypocrisy for the atheist who will scoff at the young earth creationist and then regurgitate mythicist material out of the other side of his mouth.
Further, this should also disconfirm the idea that atheists are just rationalists who wants to follow the evidence where it leads. I think the belief that you have no epistemic baggage will make you more vulnerable to misinterpreting data to conform with your preconceived beliefs. If you are willing to go against the grain of scholarly consensus in Big Bang cosmology to preserve your atheism, then what right do you have to mock anybody for going against the grain of scholarly consensus to preserve neo-ussherianism?
I am not trying to justify the practice of interpreting science in light of your worldview. That is a terrible practice that compromises the entire enterprise. I am pointing out that everybody has that baggage, even atheists. Our goal should be to step outside of our worldview when examining the evidence. The evidence should define our worldview, not vice versa. But if you think that you do not have any epistemic baggage, then you are probably somebody who lets your worldview define the data.
Where Atheists Often Go Against The Grain of Modern Scholarship
We have access to truth through rational argumentation and reasons, not consensus. But scholarly consensus should be a factor in our thinking, because most of us do not have access to the resources to examine the evidence. That is why most of us believe that the earth is a sphere without ever having examined the data. While it may not be definitive proof in and of itself, the fact that many atheists go against the grain of modern scholarship in these four areas – Big Bang cosmology, embryology, Jesus mythicism and the ‘who created God?’ argument – should give us pause.
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Home computers discover rare star
By putting their home computers to work when they would otherwise be idle, three "citizen scientists" have discovered a rare astronomical object.
The unusual find is called a "disrupted binary pulsar"; these pulsars can be created when a massive star collapses.
The discoverers, from the US and Germany found the object with the help of the Einstein@Home project.
It asks users to donate time on their computers, allowing them to be used for searching through scientific data.
This type of project is known as "distributed computing". Einstein@Home harnesses the power of home machines in order to process large amounts of data.
Credited with the discovery are Chris and Helen Colvin, both information technology professionals from Iowa, US, and systems analyst Daniel Gebhardt from Mainz in Germany.
Their computers, along with 500,000 others from around the world, are being used to analyse data for Einstein@Home.
Users download a screensaver which, among other things, shows the area of sky being processed.
Full story : HERE
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Stories of Identity reflects the way that migration affects personal identity and offers educators and students resources to examine this migration through methods of storytelling.
It shares the experiences of immigrants in America and Europe from the individual to the collective through memoirs, journalistic accounts, and interviews. The book uses stories about family and upbringing, faith and doubt, religion, school and community, history and scholarship, interviews with young people and meditations from novelists and authors, including author Jumpa Lahiri (The Namesake), Ed Husain (The Islamist), Eboo Patel (Founder of the Inferaith Youth Core), and many more. These experiences reflect a recent and global phenomenon where identity and citizenship are challenged by the greater blurring of national boundaries.
Exploring the stories of young migrants and their changing communities, Stories asks readers to reflect on the fluidity of identity. Translations of this resource are also available to educators teaching in a French and German-speaking setting.
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Balanced High Speed Precision Couplings
As a manufacturer of precision couplings, we spend quite a bit of time on high speed applications. Here are a few basic tips about coupling balance.
A properly balanced drive component should not induce excessive vibration into the drive line. This means that the mass of the component rotating about the axis of the shaft must be evenly distributed in such a manner as to maintain an even centrifugal force about the axis of rotation. The magnitude of the centrifugal force generated by a rotating component varies with the location of the center of mass of the drive component versus the axis of rotation and orientation of the moment of inertia.
A simple way to think of static balance about an axis is to imagine playing on a see-saw in a playground. Two people of equal mass can sit at an even distance apart from each other and maintain balance. Or one person of a heavy mass can sit close to the pivot point and a person of a light mass can sit far away from the pivot point and maintain balance. A rotating mass works essentially the same way. As an object with constant mass moves away from the axis of rotation, the centrifugal force increases exponentially. In physics, this is simply illustrated with a moment of inertia calculation (I=mr^2).
In practical manufacturing, rotating parts are made with evenly spaced jaws, spokes, etc. Balancing comes into play when manufacturing processes cause imbalance or additional parts such as clamping screws or shaft keys are added. Adding or subtracting mass in one area of a part causes an imbalance. This must be corrected by adding or subtracting mass on the opposite side of the part. Manufacturers most often do this by drilling holes into the part near the outside diameter so that less material will need to be removed resulting in a more structurally sound part versus removing a lot of material near the axis of rotation.
Precision parts such as machined coupling hubs are designed with the balancing holes in a location so they can be produced in quantity in a numerically controlled process without balancing each part individually. This provides cost savings and consistency to customers. Quality small to medium sized machined hubs should come with a speed rating of about 10,000 RPM. Many of these hubs can be finely balanced for speeds between 30-80,000 RPM depending on size. The larger in diameter and more massive a hub becomes, the lower the practical balance speed will be.
Other considerations such as torque transfer at high speed need to be examined as well. Centrifugal forces at high speeds will begin to open clamping hubs for example. Since the screws of clamping hubs are normally tightened to a torque which takes them near their tensile yield, the effects of centrifugal forces applying additional screw tension as the clamp opens must be considered. This is why in medium to large sized hubs, conical clamping rings are often favored, since they offer better symmetry and better stress distribution as a result of the forces applied to them at high speed.
R+W makes a lot of standard and custom couplings for high rotational speeds, some of which rated to handle speeds in excess of 150,000 rpm.
The coupling shown at left is one of our miniature designs. Higher torque versions are available on request. Contact us with your high speed coupling requirements and get the ultimate connection.
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Scripture Lesson of the Week
Then Pilate entered the headquarters* again, summoned Jesus, and asked him, ‘Are you the King of the Jews?’ Jesus answered, ‘Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?’ Pilate replied, ‘I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?’ Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.’ Pilate asked him, ‘So you are a king?’ Jesus answered, ‘You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.’ Pilate asked him, ‘What is truth?’ Jesus Sentenced to Death After he had said this, he went out to the Jews again and told them, ‘I find no case against him.
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The 50 State Quarters Program has run its course with the release of five different quarters each year from 1999 to 2008. Each quarter featured a different design highlighting the uniqueness and history of each state.
The program has been credited with reinvigorating the hobby of coin collecting. It provided individuals with the opportunity to build an impressive collection of coins from their daily pocket change. The program also provided a valuable learning experience about the richness and diversity of the states. Anyone following or collecting the series could have learned a great deal about history and geography.
50 State Quarters Program
State Quarters were authorized under the 50 States Commemorative Coin Program Act (Public Law 105-124) signed into law on December 1, 1997 by President Clinton. The Act provided for the redesign and issuance of a circulating commemorative quarter dollar coin for each of the 50 States beginning in 1999.
At the time, the program represented an ambitious and unprecedented change for circulating coinage. New designs would be issued five times per year for a ten year period, yielding a total of fifty different designs. Before the program, a single design had been used for each denomination for a period of twenty five years of more. The design for the quarter dollar had remained essentially the same since the launch of the Washington Quarter series in 1932, with the exception of the bicentennial design used in 1976.
The authorizing legislation for the State Quarters explained some of the purposes of the new designs:
“To honor the unique Federal Republic of 50 States that comprise the United States; to promote the diffusion of knowledge among the youth of the United States about the individual states, their history and geography, and the rich diversity of the national heritage;” and to encourage “young people and their families to collect memorable tokens of all of the States for the face value of the coins.”
State Quarter Designs
The obverse of each State Quarter bears a consistent design featuring a portrait of George Washington. The design is similar to the prior design of the Washington Quarter series. It bears four inscriptions, some of which previously appeared on the reverse of the quarter. The obverse inscriptions are: “United States of America,” “Liberty,” “In God We Trust,” and “Quarter Dollar.”
The reverse of each State Quarter carries a design emblematic of one of the 50 States. The authorizing legislation provided some basic guidelines for the design. Each quarter must bear a dignified design of which the citizens of the United States can be proud. No frivolous or inappropriate designs should be selected. In addition, the reverse design cannot use a head and shoulders portrait or bust of any person living or dead. No living person may be included in a design. Inscriptions typically found on all State Quarter reverses include the state name, statehood date, date of mintage, and “E Pluribus Unum.”
The reverse designs for each quarter were created through consultation with the governor of each state. The governor typically involved the citizens of the State and/or an appointed committee to generate potential design concepts. The United States Mint would generate coin designs based on the concepts, which would be reviewed by the governor, the Commission of Fine Arts, and the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee. Final approval for each design would be at the discretion of the Secretary of the Treasury.
State Quarter Releases and Mintages
State Quarters have been released during the ten year period beginning with 1999 and concluding in 2008. Five different reverse designs have been issued per year with the release dates occurring at roughly ten weeks intervals. The order of release was based on the order the states ratified the Constitution or were admitted to the Union.
The mintages for each of the 50 State Quarters have varied widely over the ten year program. The highest mintages occurred in the first few years of the program with eight designs having a mintage over 1 billion from late 1999 to early 2001. The middle and later years of the program experienced the lowest mintages with twelve years having a mintage less than 500 million concentrated in 2003, 2004, and 2008.
After the 50 State Quarters
The 50 State Quarters Program reached completion in late 2008 with the release of the Hawaii Quarter. Under a separate provision included in the 2008 Consolidated Appropriations Act, quarters were issued in 2009 to honor the District of Columbia and the five United States Territories. The familiar obverse design from the State Quarters Program will be used with a unique reverse design for each of the six locations. This separate program was known as the District of Columbia and US Territories Quarters Program.
Starting in 2010, another program featuring rotating reverse designs for quarters was launched. The America the Beautiful Quarters were authorized under America’s Beautiful National Parks Quarter Dollar Coin Act of 2008. A total of 56 different quarters will be released over 12 years featuring a National Park or other National Site in each state, US territory, and the District of Columbia.
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The following report, published in the September-October 2014 NewsNotes, was written by Ezekiel Pajibo, who was an active member of the resistance movement against then-dictator Samuel Doe in Liberia in the 1980s; Pajibo was imprisoned for his work, landing him on the list of Amnesty International’s prisoners of conscience. He now lives in South Africa.
The news out of Liberia these days is not comforting. Only 11 years ago the country ended a brutal civil war in which more than 250,000 were killed. Liberia’s war years introduced new semantics in terms of how war is conducted: Child soldiers, conflict diamonds, conflict timber, the use of natural resources to support and prolong warfare all became common place. Charles Taylor, the war time president, became the first African leader to be tried for war crimes and crimes against humanity. He was convicted, and currently serves his sentence in a British prison.
After the war, Liberia captured international attention by electing Ellen Johnson Sirleaf the first woman president in Africa. The darling of Washington, London, Paris and other western governments, she was toasted, praised and celebrated. It appeared that the country once known for military dictatorship, for the barbarity of warfare, for backwardness had turned the corner and had become a new nation, looking forward to the future with certainty.
However, in its final report in 2009, the Liberian Truth and Reconciliation Commission, established in 2005, recommended that President Sirleaf not seek re-election due to findings that she was complicit in supporting Charles Taylor’s reign of terror and mayhem. International figures and organizations ignored the TRC report and Mrs. Sirleaf went on to win a second term.
Since her re-election, claims of corruption have bedeviled her administration. Yet she remains a darling of the West. Feted by Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, the Harvard-educated Sirleaf has been honored by several U.S. universities.
After more than 10 years of peace, however, the conditions of those who are impoverished have not improved; unemployment remains at a staggering 70 percent. The World Bank and other multilateral agencies spoke highly of economic improvements, citing the GDP as proof that the economy was on the rebound, but the abject poverty of the vast majority of Liberians was ignored.
Several social indices presented themselves. In the last two years, the number of Liberian students who sat for aptitude tests failed miserably. Last year, several thousand students sat for a placement exam to enter the only public university in the country. They all failed. Critics of the government continue to point out that the Sirleaf administration is failing in its responsibility to respond to the needs of the Liberian people. Their admonitions were dismissed.
The outbreak of the Ebola virus appears to be the final breaking point. In late February, Liberia’s neighbor Guinea announced the epidemic. Liberia’s opposition figures prevailed on the government to develop a response, but there was none.
It was not until July when the outbreak had become an epidemic that the government became seized of the situation. It was too late to act. Liberia health infrastructure is close to non-existent. In fact, since 2006, the government of Liberia has not prioritized health or education. Instead, its priority has been getting international investment into the country. In the view of the government, private investment was the engine of economic growth and by extension improvement in the lived conditions of Liberia’s poor majority. Never mind the fact that a US$16 billion investment in the country did not improve unemployment and more than 70 percent of Liberians were living in absolute poverty with little or no access to education and health facilities.
The response of the Liberian government to deal with the crisis was the proclamation of Emergency Power, the introduction of a curfew and the quarantine of mostly poor communities. What this means in actuality is the criminalization of poverty and the militarization of the government’s response.
Accordingly, road blocks have appeared around the country, the military presence is pronounced and poor people are going without food or water. When they protest, they are gunned down. Prices of basic goods have skyrocketed and people who are poor are dying from hunger. Some reports suggest that more people are dying from other diseases because hospitals have been shut down given the fact that most health workers are refusing to report for work. In many cases, health workers do not have the necessary resources to adequately deal with the epidemic. More than 60 health workers are among the more than 400 dead in Liberia since the outbreak. Other infrastructural impediments include an almost impossible access to clinics, grossly inadequate ambulance services and many clinics’ lack of laboratory equipment for proper diagnosis of the disease. What is more, in some instances body bags are not available to bury the dead and hospitals have no gloves, goggles, or disposable syringes to attend to the afflicted.
What the Ebola virus outbreak has demonstrated and the international community refuses to consider is the fact that President Sirleaf’s administration was not interested in improving the general welfare of Liberians. It was interested in meeting the dictates of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank so that the country would become a destination of foreign direct investment. Liberia’s recent discovery of oil sufficiently demonstrates the point. As well, foreign direct investment in the country has largely been in the area of palm oil plantation by Malaysia and Indonesia, and mining – Chinese and Indians interests – none of which employ a value chain that ensures Liberia and its people are the primary benefactors.
Thus the inability of the Liberian government to effectively manage the Ebola crisis makes clear its devotion to embracing a neoliberal economic model instead of attending to the basic needs of its people: an opportunity to acquire skills, easy and affordable access to health services and employment opportunities to become productive and thereby create a prosperous society. The spread of Ebola is a condition of impoverishment and highlights the absence of an economic framework that puts the people of Liberia first.
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The order in which children are born into a family is a fact, but the effect that this order has on their personality and psychology is not a science. Many factors influence the results of birth order including the sex of the children, the physical size of the children and most importantly the spacing between them. The family is the largest influence on a persons development, more so than institutions or cultures outside of the family. Therefore, the influence of birth order in the family structure is worth looking at. However keep in mind when searching for reliable sources on birth order that the only way to discuss birth order is to generalize and stereotype.
Take the following prompt for example from The University of Maine.
Where Do You Fit?
- Perfectionist, reliable, list-maker, well-organized, critical, serious, scholarly
- Mediator, fewest pictures in the family photo album, avoids conflict, independent, extreme loyalty to the peer group, many friends
- Manipulative, charming, blames others, shows off, people person, good salesperson, precocious
If you identified with the characteristics in the first list, you may be an only child or a first-born. If the second list fits you better, chances are you a middle child. And if the last list fits you best, you may be the youngest or baby in the family.
Birth order is not a simple system stereotyping all first-borns as having one personality, with all second-borns another, and last-born kids a third. Instead, birth order is about tendencies and general characteristics that may often apply. Other things also influence birth order.2
The underlying factor in birth order is parental attention. The first born experienced 100% of each parents attention while the second born will never know that reality experiencing only 50% of each parents attention. The expectations and implications of birth order are in the hands on the parents. If you expect the first born to do more difficult chores than the second born based solely on age while typically siding with the younger child in disputes than you may notice a personality development that follows suit.
Putting extra time and attention into treating the children as individuals, and giving them each the attention they deserve independent of each other is a good place to start. Expectations are best adjusted so that the older child is not naturally expected to get higher grades while the younger child is expecting to cause youthful trouble. Holding all children to the same standards, while valuing them as individuals with separate interest and talents goes a long way in avoiding Second Child Syndrome.
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in West Africa
(Photo taken by
Paul Bravender-Coyle during Mission to Africa.
Copyright P Bravender-Coyle).
Society estimates that there are 8,000 girl-slaves —
slaves in the fullest sense of the term — in West
Africa today. These girls are hierodulic slaves,
combining the roles of agricultural slave, domestic
slave, temple slave and sex slave.
offered as human sacrifice to ensure success in war,
these girls are the helpless victims of a traditional
form of slavery which has survived intact since the
pre-colonial era. These slaves live in villages
just a half-day’s journey inland from the very coast
from which slaves were once shipped to the Americas.
from their mothers from the age of four, these girls
work from dawn to dusk in the fields. From the age
of five they are beaten with canes or with
specially-made wire whips. They are raped from as
young as eight years old. Their masters, the
voodoo priests, claim the traditional right of masters
since the dawn of history to free sexual access to the
slaves, and the girls are beaten into submission if they
material in this report is based on a Mission to West
Africa by the Society's Secretary-General.
SOCIETY IN ACTION
Since 1996, the
Society, in discharging its historic role, has purchased
the emancipation or manumission of over 500 of these
slave girls, despite the efforts of the other masters
waging a vigorous campaign against the emancipation of
their slaves, either by refusing to permit their slaves
to be purchased or demanding exorbitant prices for them.
IS THE SOCIETY IN ACTION
more information, read the Society’s
publication entitled The Forgotten Slaves
to pages dealing with slavery in West Africa:
West African slave trade
to other pages dealing hierodulic servitude:
hierodulic servitude in South Asia
to other pages dealing with slavery:
slavery still exist?
slavery in South Asia
on the cocoa plantations in West Africa
to pages dealing with other servile conditions falling
short of slavery:
not responsible for the content of
external internet pages.
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I have made a new calculation of global temperatures using 7300 NOAA/NCDC V3c station data combined with HadSST3 ocean temperature. For the ocean data I use cell locations only where measurements exist for a given month. I then make a (lat,lon) triangulation of all combined station/ocean locations for that month to form a global irregular grid structure. Then I use the IDL irregular griding routine GRIDDATA to interpolate this triangulation onto a regular grid and thereby calculate global monthly and annual anomaly averages normalised to 1961-1990. Anomalies for each V3C station data are independently calculated relative to their monthly averages over the 30 year period. The end result of this procedure is essentially a full global integration of irregularly interspersed measurements for each month. The annual average shown is then simply the 12 month average.
How does this compare to other ‘kriging’ methods which supposedly remove the coverage bias of Hadcrut4? What I discovered is that the end result depends critically on what grid spacing you interpolate onto. If you chose a fine grid spacing, such as the 1 degree used by Berkeley Earth, then you get an enhanced warming trend over recent years. If however you chose the same grid size as Hadrut4 (5 degrees) then you get a reduced trend. This implies that a systematic error is introduced by the methodology. Here is the comparison.
The 2 degree results are very similar to Berkeley Earth but give a slightly larger warming trend. However by using the same 5 degree target grid size as Hadcrut4 the result gives a much reduced warming trend. Cowtan and Way use the HADCRUT4 station data rather than V3C and lies somewhere in the middle. Here is a detailed comparison of results for one month – September 2016.
The 2 degree resolution extends the expanse of each warm zonal area.
The 5 degree resolution is in line with that of HADSST3 and HADCRUT4
This is Cowtan and Way version 2 which reconstructs ocean and land separately and then blends them during the time period shown.
Does kriging actually improve the accuracy of global temperatures? While it is probably correct that Hadcrut4 has a ‘coverage bias’ over polar regions, what is even clearer is that interpolation to remedy this can itself introduce a systematic warming bias dependent on method and target grid size. The other temperature series all use data infilling based on ‘kriging’ type techniques.
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Proposed Atlantic Coast Pipeline
The 600-mile, 42-inch diameter interstate gas transmission pipeline proposed by Dominion Resources and partners in May 2014 and modified in Feb. 2016, crosses the Allegheny and Blue Ridge Mountains from WV to NC, and would require the cutting of a permanently maintained 75-100 ft. swath through 16 miles of the George Washington National Forest in Highland, Bath, and Augusta counties. A road would likely parallel the pipeline. This long, wide industrial zone would severely degrade some of the best remaining, least altered natural landscapes in the Eastern U.S., contained in the GWNF.
The GWNF is the largest National Forest in the east and has the most - and largest - roadless areas. The new ACP route proposed in Feb. 2016, threads its way through the heart of the GWNF, which has the largest concentration of roadless areas on National Forest land in the Eastern United States.
VWC Opposes Pipeline
VWC opposes construction of the pipeline for the following reasons:
1. Long-term detrimental impacts on plant and animal life, especially on the approximately 200 species already known to be endangered, threatened, rare, or declining in the GWNF, through:
3. Passage through “Biodiversity Hot Spots” identified by The Nature Conservancy and through “Ecological Cores” identified by the VA Dept. of Conservation and Recreation;
4. Passage through special areas identified in VWC’s publication, Virginia’s Mountain Treasures in the GWNF.
5. Significant deterioration of nationally known and highly popular recreational features.
6. Increased possibility of hydraulic fracturing and the extreme degradation this would cause.
Virginia's Ecological Cores
Learn more from Dominion Pipeline Monitoring Coalition Story Maps:
Dominion proposes route that avoids Shenandoah Mountain
In Feb. 2016, Dominion proposed a new route for the Atlantic Coast Pipeline that avoids Shenandoah Mountain, Cheat Mountain, and Red Spruce restoration areas in West Virginia. The new route circumvents Shenandoah Mountain by going around its southern end in Bath County and then through the Deerfield Valley to reconnect with Dominion's preferred route at West Augusta. Click on the map below to connect to an interactive map, developed by Dominion Pipeline Monitoring Coalition and Allegheny-Blue Ridge Alliance.
Read about a whole host of problems with the new route, such as plowing through five Special Biological Areas, an Inventoried Roadless Area, an Eligible Recreation River, and much more.
Read statements from:
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issued a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the ACP on Dec. 30, 2016. Public comments are due April 6, 2017.
Let's Not Rush the Process!
Dominion and FERC have both asked for an expedited timetable for review. The USFS is pushing back, saying they need more time to gather all the needed information to make a responsible decision.
Action: Write the Forest Service and voice your support for a careful, thorough review of the pipeline application.
Dreaded ACP application filed on Sept. 18, 2015
The dreaded application for the Atlantic Coast Pipeline was filed with FERC on Sept. 18. The ACP route has many problems as it passes through the George Washington National Forest, which are detailed in VWC's rationale for opposition. One major problem is that the pipeline route passes over Shenandoah Mountain through Cow Knob Salamander habitat, which is protected by a Conservation Agreement signed in 1994 by the USFS and US Fish & Wildlife. GWNF Forest Supervisor Tom Speaks sent a letter to FERC on Sept. 17 asserting that the ACP is not in compliance with the Conservation Agreement for this species which is "at high risk for extinction or extirpation." Supervisor Speaks added that "project effects on Cow Knob and Cheat Mountain salamanders must be avoided and cannot be mitigated."
USFS rejects ACP route over Shenandoah Mountain
on Jan. 19, 2016
On Jan. 19, 2016, the Regional Foresters for the Southern and Eastern Regions sent a letter to ACP saying the proposed route does not meet minimal criteria for a special use permit and that ACP should develop a new alternative that avoids Shenandoah Mountain and Cow Knob Salamander habitat. Even tunneling under Shenandoah Mountain would still endanger the Cow Knob Salamander.
Environmental Impact Statement
FERC expects to complete the Environmental Impact Statement for the ACP by the end of 2016.
Explosion of much smaller gas pipeline in Appomattox, VA, caused by corrosion
Explosion of 20" gas pipeline in Sissonville, WV
Four homes were incinerated and both lanes of I 77 were melted. The guardrails also melted
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School gardens are an excellent way for children to get to know fresh fruits and vegetables, supplement classroom instruction, and just plain spend more time outdoors. Alice Waters created the model for the Edible Schoolyard over a decade ago and dozens of school gardens have followed suit. With a recent critical article in The Atlantic getting people talking about the value of school gardens again, it seemed an opportune time to take a peek into eight programs that are teaching kids a love of gardening and cooking and then share some resources for starting program to your own school.
Dillard Academy — Goldsboro, North Carolina
When Cheryl Alston was tasked with helping underperforming students raise their test scores at Dillard Academy‘s Center for Academic, Social, Technology, Literacy, and Economic Solutions (CASTLES) she didn’t start with worksheets and drills. She got her students outside, gardening. “I had to find a hook, something not traditional, different, exciting.” CASTLES is an after-school and summer school program created to help struggling K-6 students in this socioeconomically-challenged area in rural North Carolina.
Thanks to CASTLES’ 21st Century Community Learning Center grant, a partnership with the Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS), and a local church with available land, and a growing number of other partnerships, the students at CASTLES work some 3 1/2 acres of peas, tomatoes, eggplant, greens, strawberries, cabbage, cucumbers and herbs. They sell some of the produce at a community mini-market and cook some of it for themselves using recipes gleaned from grandparents. They even write and perform songs about their garden, which they recently performed at a W. K. Kellogg Foundation conference in San Jose, California.
Alston, who previously taught high school chemistry partly through a small classroom garden, adapted curriculum for the garden. She knew she had something when children enrolled in the summer gardening program tested out of CASTLES in subsequent years. “This is it!,” she said to herself, “This is what we’ve got to do!” But as children bring home the lessons about cooking and gardening to their parents Alston is hoping the program does more than raise test scores. She’s hoping that students will teach their parents and then the community to eat healthier. “I’m waiting to hear about fewer cases of diabetes!” she laughs.
Cooking With Kids — Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe, New Mexico is known for its rich culinary tradition, but beyond from the hotels, art galleries, and restaurants there are communities struggling to find fresh produce and a healthy way of eating. Cookbook author and restauranteur Lynn Walters founded the non-profit Cooking With Kids: Hands-On Food and Nutrition Education in partnership with the Santa Fe Public Schools in 1995. What started as a small pilot program now serves over 4,450 Pre-K through 6th grade kids at 12 low-income schools.
Through the program, which takes place within the usual school day, students learn how different fruits and vegetables are grown. Local chef volunteers (like Rocky Durham, Fernando Olea, Martin Rios, and Johnny Vollertson) teach the students how to cook using fresh, affordable foods and recipes from a wide range of cultures. Students not only learn about nutrition and cooking, but also supplement their instruction in math, social studies, and science; the curriculum is tied to New Mexico’s state standards.
Walters was originally brought into the schools to improve their lunch program. She started holding brainstorming sessions and brought in chefs, thinking, “If the food is beter they’ll eat it.” Walters quickly learned this was not so simple and that she had to build acceptance of new foods by having the students participate in the preparation of the food as well. Now Cooking With Kids meals are served in the lunchroom twice a month. The program draws some 1200 parent volunteers, so the lessons are finding their way home. And CWK is preparing community events to take part in Santa Fe’s 400th celebration in 2010.
CitySprouts — Cambridge, Massachusetts
Since 2000 CitySprouts has been working with the Cambridge, Massachusetts public schools to develop and implement school garden programs. The program administrators have done an impressive job of building the institutional infrastructure to keep CitySprouts thriving, and this makes a significant difference. The garden programs are integrated into the school core curriculum and teachers are provided with at least three hours of training in the gardens. CitySprouts even offers an environmental stewardship and community leadership internship program for middle school through college students.
Currently there is a CitySprouts program in 10 out of the 12 K-8 schools, with plans to cover all schools this fall. And the garden curriculum goes beyond science; lessons extend into math, literacy, social studies and art, plus hands-on instruction on sustainable agriculture, the food cycle, and the natural environment.
As a community-minded program, CitySprouts offers after school and summer “Drop-Ins,” workshops open to the community on soil testing and garden cooking. In 2008 these workshops attracted more than 2,900 visits. As part of the program, the schools host farmer visits and cafeteria tastings of food grown in the garden–and speaking of the cafeteria, CitySprouts is working with Food Services to bring healthier, more local food into school lunches. It’s an ambitious, far-reaching program, but thoughtfully designed to provide plenty of support, buy-in, and benefits for the entire community.
Watch the kids at CitySprouts talk about their experiences:
Thurgood Marshall Academy — Southeast Washington, DC
A large, well-integrated program is wonderful, but a program can start with the inspiration of just one or two people. High school biology teacher Sarah Johnson started an organic garden two years ago at Thurgood Marshall Academy with two other teachers. It actually started as an outgrowth of the student green club she advised. Realizing that finding and eating nutritious food was a challenge for the students, Johnson applied for an Earth Day grant and a Washington Parks and People grant to build the first raised garden beds. Over the summer she taught a summer school class on “where our food comes from” and in the afternoon green club members met every single day to garden, harvest, and cook.
To enable multi-disciplinary lessons in the garden the students have planted tobacco and cotton for the history teachers, for example, as well as other plants mentioned in classic literature. In the garden cooking classes (using equipment from the lab) Johnson has found that “you’ll really inspire a desire in students to continue cooking if you don’t keep bound to a recipe.” She give her students an idea, like stir fry, and then lets them decide how to do it. Beyond the classroom she and her colleagues are working with DC Hunger Solution to get fresh food (including the garden’s produce) sold in the corner store across from school. Meanwhile, the gardeners sell some of their produce and some composting worm casings at farmers’ markets around the city.
Johnson says the school administrators took some convincing. Limited space was an issue, “but essentially we were just tenacious in getting it done, and now the administration is very excited about what we’re doing.” A common concern for school administrators is continuity–who will keep the garden going from year to year as staff and students change? TMA’s garden program is young, but so far the excitement and commitment of the students, who come in early and stay late daily, has impressed everyone. Johnson adds, “if there’s not student and teacher buy-in, then the administration will not be supportive. The garden will need this support and enthusiasm to survive; Johnson has just moved this summer to teach in Oakland, California. She has full confidence that the garden will continue in her absence.
Woodland Elementary West — Gages Lake, Illinois
Every spring at Woodland Elementary West, some 400 second-grade students plant vegetable seedlings in their classrooms. Over the months they will tend these seedlings, transplant them outdoors in the school garden, continue weeding and watering, and eventually harvest enough produce for class samples and a donation to the town food pantry.
Woodland’s program was initiated by the principal (now retired) and has been maintained by parents, administrators, and teachers. The school is fortunate to have a very large, campus-style school with ample space for gardening. Through the summer day-campers and parents tend the garden so that when 2nd graders return as 3rd graders in the fall they can harvest their produce. The school uses sustainable practices, like fish emulsion fertilizer and dish soap to repel aphids. The absence of chemicals means kids can touch the plants during tours and spend class time and recess in the garden.
In the last two years the school has donated 1,500 pounds of vegetables to the food pantry. “Pantries always have a need for ‘fresh’ food because it’s healthier than the usual canned staples,” says parent volunteer and gardening author Ann Nagro. “These students are not only learning sustainable agriculture and healthy eating habits, they are also learning that they can change their community.”
24th Street Schoolyard Garden — Los Angeles, California
24th Street Elementary School in Los Angeles, California, used to have a one-acre blacktop parking lot. The surrounding neighborhood of West Adam is a food desert, meaning groceries with fresh produce are scarce. Now that lot is a thriving garden with an outdoor kitchen featuring a pitfire pizza oven. Thanks to the support of teachers, administrators, parents, and some key community members like restauranteur Nancy Silverton, the 24th Street Schoolyard Garden is a source of fresh produce for the student and, increasingly, the community.
Through a variety of classes children in all grades spend some time in the garden each week, whether they are gardening or having a science lesson. Package designer Laurie Dill teaches 5th graders herb identification and even shows the kids how to package the herbs to sell to local chefs, who then come in to do cooking demonstrations. She notes that while most children in the class start out knowing next to nothing about where their food comes from, “once you get them talking about it and cooking they start making connections with what their families make. Kids are eating and tasting vegetables all the time in the garden. They take it home, often literally.”
24th Street is the prototype school for the Garden School Foundation, which works in partnership with Los Angeles Unified School District to bring gardens and kitchens to schools (among other goals). The foundation does fundraisers like an Eat the Magazine dinner organized by Edible Los Angeles at Grace and supporting businesses and organizations make both financial, labor, and in-kind donations. But the garden’s success began with the dedication of a small group of people. “If you can get the one receptive teacher the others will follow,” Dill says. “It all depends on principals and teachers who see the benefits.”
Watch this video to see the program in action.
CookShop Classroom — New York, NY
On a warm May day two kindergarten classrooms at Brooklyn’s Teunis E. Bergen School (PS 9) were infused with the grassy scent of fresh-cut vegetables and fruit. Students in one room were carefully slicing apples, green beans, cucumbers, carrots, green onions, and red bell peppers with plastic knives while students in the classroom next door practiced their writing and reading skills as they discussed a recipe for lettuce wraps. Moments later they would all be enthusiastically cramming the vegetable-filled lettuce wraps into their mouths, a spectacle rarely seen among any children.
These are the fruits of a program called CookShop Classroom, created by FoodChange (now part of FoodBank New York) in partnership with New York City’s Department of School Food and Columbia Teacher’s College. CookShop Classroom is a series of lessons centering around 10 different fruits and vegetables. One week the class learns about a particular food: where and how it’s grown, the different parts of the plant, how it gets to the city, what it looks and smells like and how it is typically prepared.
In these hands-on lessons students touch and sample the produce. The following week students prepare a dish using the fruit or vegetable they learned about the previous week. This experience is exactly what researchers say induces children to eat their vegetables: repeated exposure breeds familiarity, which leads to acceptance. Even better, as children learn to accept the CookShop vegetables they also learn to be more adventurous with other foods.
Learning to be adventurous is fun, as the kids themselves will tell you. “My favorite part was when we dipped the apples [into a savory sauce the students made]. They looked yummy and I ate them like a bunny rabbit!” a PS 9 kindergardener Bethlehem enthuses. “I like it best when we were learning how to cook. I liked learning about the ingredients.”
Mullberry Junction Community Garden — Minneapolis, Minnesota
If a school garden is not a possibility for you, a community garden might accommodate a children’s program. Joyce Perew was jogging past a community garden one morning when she noticed how dilapidated it looked. Between jobs at the time, she decided to investigate and suddenly found herself working with a teacher and a master gardener to rehabilitate the garden for an after-school and summer-school program. Perew and her collaborators found and created lesson plans around the garden, teaching students not only how to grow and cook fresh foods but also the kind of wacky lessons that really reach students, like how to make a battery out of a carrot.
Perew’s cooking lessons usually focused on one vegetable or fruit grown in the garden. She would teach a small group a recipe and provide puzzles, experiments, nutritional information, related literature, and crafts. In a group setting peer pressure actually worked in favor of the vegetables; if a few kids liked a dish, others would give it a chance. Perew also gave the kids lessons in ingredients label reading, teaching them where additives like MSG and malodextrine come from. They conducted taste tests, comparing highly-processed boxed foods with their home-made equivalents.
The garden classes had a surprising benefit. For each taste test the students were required to explain why they liked or disliked a food. “A lot of these kids have behavioral problems,” Perew explains, so asking kids to describe their experiences with the foods more specifically “helped kids learn to express themselves more articulately and appropriately.” The gardening and cooking program actually had a civilizing effect on the kids!
School Garden and Cooking Class Resources
- School Garden Wizard is a toolbox for starting and maintaining a school garden created through a partnership between the United States Botanic Garden and Chicago Botanic Garden.
- Register your school with KidsGardening.org and find articles and other resources to help with your school garden.
- The California Department of Education, in collaboration with the Center for Ecoliteracy, has distributed more than 25,000 print copies of Getting Started: A Guide for Creating School Gardens as Outdoor Classrooms. Download it here.
- Texas A&M Department of Horticulture’s has a school gardening website.
- Download Farm Aid’s Farm to School 101 Toolkit here.
- Sustainable Table’s guide to school garden and food projects.
- Gardening ABCs is a website dedicated to school gardens created by Anne Nagro, a parent volunteer with Woodland Elementary West in Illinois. She has also written a book on her school’s project, Our Generous Garden, available in a dual language (Spanish-English) edition by Dancing Rhinoceros Press.
- Joyce Perew, who taught at the Mulberry Junction community garden in Minneapolis, has lessons available for sale. Contact her at firstname.lastname@example.org.
Organizations that provide and/or support school garden and cooking programs:
- Slow Food in Schools works with local Slow Food chapters to create Garden to Table projects in K-12 schools.
- Alice Water’s Chez Panisse Foundation leads an Edible Schoolyard Academy for educators. In the future the organization will be forming affiliate model programs and will develop a suite of tools to help districts across the country change their school meal programs.
- RecipeForSuccess is a non-profit charity dedicated to combating childhood obesity by changing the way children understand, appreciate and eat their food.
- The Life Lab Science Program (by the University of California, Santa Cruz) is a nonprofit organization and has been working in the field of science and environmental education since 1979. With their award winning curricula and programs, the organization helps schools develop gardens where children can create “living laboratories” for the study of the natural world.
- The National Farm to School Network is a collaborative project of the Center for Food & Justice (CFJ), a division of the Urban & Environmental Policy Institute at Occidental College and the Community Food Security Coalition (CFSC). Farm to School brings healthy food from local farms to school children nationwide. The program teaches students about the path from farm to fork, and instills healthy eating habits that can last a lifetime. At the same time, use of local produce in school meals and educational activities provides a new direct market for farmers in the area and mitigates environmental impacts of transporting food long distances.
- Seeds of Solidarity is a nonprofit organization that provides people of all ages with the inspiration and practical tools to use renewable energy and grow food in their communities, Seeds of Solidarity has a number of school based garden partnerships, afterschool programs, and a teen program that teach young people to grow and cook fresh food.
- 21st Century Community Learning Center Grant supports the creation of community learning centers that provide academic enrichment opportunities during non-school hours for children, particularly students who attend high-poverty and low-performing schools.
- The W. K. Kellogg Foundation provides grants for projects focusing on education and learning, food, health and well-being.
- The Earth Day Network provides grants for classroom civic and environmental education with hands-on learning experiences that provide an opportunity for students to remedy local environmental concerns.
- Your school can raise up to $5000 for your school garden through Lowe’s Toolbox for Education.
- The National Gardening Association and The Home Depot offers a Youth Garden Grants program.
- Chlorox Green Works offers a Green Heroes grant program.
- Real School Gardens is a grassroots gardening program that helps children by supporting elementary school communities as they design, install and sustain outdoor classrooms (gardens).
- The Sylvia Center offers garden-to-table nutrition education year-round in classrooms all over New York City. From May through October, they host school and camp groups at Katchkie Farm, in Kinderhook, NY.
- City Blossoms is a Maryland-based organization that uses gardening to create environmental, nutritional, and cultural connections for children and youth.
- Growing Chefs offers educational programming in farming, gardening, and cooking with simple recipes using seasonal ingredients in the New York City metro area.
- Mud Baron helps schools in the Los Angeles area start and maintain gardens.
Read more about school garden projects around the country:
Prepare yourself for some challenges:
- What’s on Your Plate? is a documentary produced and directed by award-winning Catherine Gund about kids and food politics, narrated by two eleven-year-old New York City public school students.
- Look out for the forthcoming documentary A Community of Gardeners, which includes the Washington Youth Garden and the C. Melvin Sharpe Health School Garden.
- School Lunch Talk is a blog about public school food.
- Chef Ann Cooper, who revolutionized the Berkeley school system’s cafeterias, keeps a website and blog.
Photo credit: CookShop photo by Michael Harlan Turkell
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Reading “The Purpose of the Church”
In 1948, most congregations and houses of worship in the United States were segregated (separated) by the color of their members’ skin. Some were segregated by law; others by custom or by a lack of actively trying to welcome and include all people. The First Unitarian Society of Chicago was one of these congregations. Although their church was located in a neighborhood with many African Americans, only whites could join, according to the written by-laws (rules) of the church, and according to custom.
The day came that many members began to believe they needed to take action against racism, if they really wanted to live their values and principles. The minister, the Reverend Leslie Pennington, was ready for this day and ready to take action. So was James Luther Adams. James Luther Adams was a famous liberal theologian and social ethicist — a person who studies religion, beliefs, and values. Doctor Adams taught at the Meadville Lombard Theological School, right across the street from the First Unitarian Society of Chicago. And he was a member of the congregation’s board of directors — a leader in the congregation.
Along with some others, Reverend Pennington and James Luther Adams proposed a change in the church’s by-laws to desegregate the church and welcome people whatever the color of their skin. They wanted to include, not exclude. They saw this as a way to put their love into action.
When the congregation’s Board of Directors considered the desegregation proposal, most of them supported it. However, one member of the board objected. “Your new program is making desegregation into a creed,” he said. “You are asking everyone in our church to say they believe desegregating, or inviting, even recruiting people of color to attend church here is a good way to tackle racism. What if some members don’t believe this?”
Desegregation was a very controversial topic. In 1948, anything about skin color and racism was controversial. Some people, even some who supported African Americans in demanding their civil liberties, believed in a separate, but equal policy which kept people apart based on their skin color.
Respectful debate ensued at the First Unitarian Society of Chicago. Both sides felt, in their hearts, that their belief was right. Perhaps they were so busy trying to be heard they forgot to listen. And so, they kept on talking.
The debate went on in the Board of Directors’ meeting until the early hours of the morning. Everyone was exhausted and frustrated. Finally, James Luther Adams remembered that we should be listening twice as much as talking. He asked the person who had voiced the strongest objection, “What do you say is the purpose of this church?”
Suddenly, everyone was listening. Everyone wanted to hear the answer to this crucial question. Probably, the person who objected was listening especially hard to his own heart, as well as to the words he had heard from other Board members through the long discussion.
The Board member who opposed opening the church to people of color finally replied. “Okay, Jim. The purpose of this church is to get hold of people like me and change them.”
The First Unitarian Society of Chicago successfully desegregated.
Sermon – The Limits of Diversity
Over this past year, Marc and I had a few philosophical conversations we kept coming back to – one of many joys of having multiple ministers in a church – lots of opportunity for philosophical debate.
One of the questions we often returned to has been the philosophical question of unity.
Given life’s incredible diversity, given the unfathomable cultural differences present across this world, the unimaginable vastness of the universe – is there any reasonable way that we Unitarians today, can affirm life’s oneness?
One of us would throw out such a question, and then inevitably, the other of us would bring up Stephen Prothero’s book, God is Not One. The enlightenment gave us the idea of oneness, afterall, but today’s post-modern world likely requires a less romantic concept of reality – life is broken, fragmented, diverse, random.
As Prothero proposes – God is not one. We are not one. This is the theology that one of my professors in seminary, Edward Antonio, would often assert. God is not one. Or at least Professor Antonio would start there.
Perhaps because he was talking mostly to Western mono-theists and part of the point of any good introductory theology course is to shake you out of your assumptions. Western monotheists would be a reasonable description – by the way- of the Unitarian Universalists in the room, since at least historically we differentiated ourselves so much on the point of God’s unity that we took it into our name – the Unit-arians.
And although UUs today may offer a variety of opinions on the idea of god, we mostly come to agreement around the idea of Life itself being One, an idea of an underlying unity at the heart of Reality. Even science seems to indicate that at some basic level – all life is one.
Professor Antonio said however, this whole Unity business is a problem. Because, in most cases, “Unity” simply means we are ascribing our perspective onto others. Looking for our oneness, we assume we are the same in ways we are actually not, which often makes the minority or less powerful ways of being or doing completely invisible.
We assume the most common way is the right way, and historically this perspective has paved the way for cultural and religious imperialism and colonialism. Professor Antonio’s approach, particularly informed by his experience as a colonized African, encouraged us Western monotheists – to stop emphasizing reality’s ultimate unity and instead recognize its vast diversity. All paths are not simply different routes up the same mountain. God is Not One. God is many, multiple, diverse, divergent.
Taking this in – taking in life’s profound diversity- how profoundly different each person and each expression of life truly is – how ever-changing and growing the spirit of life is,
there seems to be only one appropriate response – which is – humility.
We have a small sliver of truth! We hold such a little piece of life’s reality. Our experience is so limited, and diversity and possibility so vast! Knowing this, all questions and inquiries, all interactions with others, all building of relationship, all of these suddenly require such care and attention, such an awareness that we cannot know what the other knows simply because they are another human in our proximity. Knowing and accepting our diversity, leads necessarily to humility.
Perhaps predictably, once my professor saw this recognition and practice of humility in his students, he would pretty quickly encourage us to articulate a new and more nuanced theology of unity. Both of these things are true – after all – unity and diversity.
Actually, this combination offers one my favorite ways to conceive of the divine –
On the one hand, life is ridiculously, overwhelmingly diverse; there are not many paths up one mountain, and perhaps not even many paths up different mountains, but maybe when we look more fully, we realize that there are mountains, and plains, and deserts, and oceans and sky. And yet – on the other hand, holding that diversity – somehow, mysteriously, impossibly, is some kind of unity. Some kind of link. Some kind of profound connection across all time and space and incarnation.
I don’t pretend to understand it, but I feel it. I believe it. We are one. And – we aren’t.
A couple years ago, I was serving a church that was struggling with its diversity, specifically its theological diversity. They wanted to resolve their differences and more clearly define themselves on the humanist-theist spectrum. No matter how often I reminded them that as Unitarian Universalists, we came together not over shared beliefs
but over shared promises – that we were covenantal rather than creedal – they just couldn’t let it go.
I urged them to be open to the ways they could, that they must learn from one another’s experience and understanding – that we all hold a piece of the truth – and we need each other to approach wholeness. They’d nod their heads and say they got it, but then when it came right down to it, they couldn’t escape that desire to be with “like-minded” people. People who believe and think as they did.
Finally I decided to preach a sermon on the value of pluralism as a source of truth and authority in Unitarian Universalism. I told them – Officially, Unitarian Universalists claim six sources – first, direct and personal experience; second, words and deeds of prophetic women and men; third, wisdom from all the world’s religions; fourth, Jewish and Christian teachings; five, humanist teachings, and finally, our sixth source, spiritual teachings of earth-centered religions and the teachings of the natural world.
But, I suggested, in a world where we realize that we all hold just a piece of the truth –
I would propose another necessary source of wisdom and authority – a seventh source –
which is, the gathered community. The community who has promised to walk together, in right relationship, in mutual obligation. Without being a part of such a community,
truth is not fully discernible, and life is less than whole. And – I told them – Critical to a meaningful use of the gathered community as a source of knowledge and truth –
is the presence of diversity.
The more diversity the better.
The more places where our individuality and self-expression meet up with the boundaries of another individual and their self-expression, the more possibility for the creative interchange that allows for us all to grow and change, to release ourselves more fully from our illusions, to get just a little closer to Reality.
My sermon went over great, and looking back, I think it helped empower the congregation in its differences – rather than seeing them as a problem to be solved.
It went great, except for one little unintended consequence….
One of our members, who was particularly proud of his capacity to see things from a totally different perspective than any other person in the church, and then make it a point of hijacking the whole community to accommodate his personal opinion – he came to talk to me about the sermon.
Let me confess, this person was someone I really hoped I could reach with the sermon,
someone I hoped would hear it as a call to be more open to changing and growing with others, a call to humility – perhaps. So when he came to see me, and it turned out –
he loved it, wanted a copy, wanted to make sure people who weren’t there that Sunday would know about it – well I was feeling really proud and self congratulatory -like – yes! I did it!
And then….he told me what he loved about it…I loved it, he said, because it helped underscore just how important it is that in every meeting, every gathering, every time I ever come to something for the church – I will be sure to represent “the Devil’s Advocate.”
It took everything in me not to tell him just how right that label was from my perspective.
I didn’t. I didn’t roll my eyes or sigh in exasperation.
What I did instead, was listen and try to keep the conversation going. Ministry is always a process. A longer process for some than others.
But the other thing I did was – I began to plot my follow-up sermon. It took me nearly two years, and a move to a new congregation, but this Sunday is that follow up sermon.
Which brings me to an illustration, one that my colleague the Rev. Robert Latham –
coincidentally my co-minister during my first year of ministry in my former congregation-
an illustration that Robert – whenever the topic of diversity comes up likes to refer to.
It’s from a Hagar the Horrible cartoon. Do you know Hagar the Horrible? Well this one shows all the vikings in a boat, rowing. Some of the vikings are using one end of the paddle. Some, the other. Some are going in one direction. Some the other. Some are paddling fast. Some slowly. And the boat – you can imagine – is sitting motionless, despite lots and lots of viking activity. And the caption has the one guy saying to the guy calling out the instructions: “‘Will you please stop saying ‘different strokes for different folks?!'”
Whether we are talking about ultimate reality and the spirit of life, or the practical communal incarnations of these holiest visions – this Hagar the Horrible cartoon reminds us that diversity is not the whole story – any more than the whole story is a matter of unity and conformity.
For a moment, let’s think back to our singing earlier. The four songs. All different, from different traditions. We each chose the song that spoke to us, representing our free capacity to choose our own path. Diversity.
And yet – in order for the music to work we had to sing in a shared rhythm. We had to concede to a shared key. We had to follow the leader of our chosen song. We had to limit the expressions of diversity.
Robert and Hagar the Horrible and our singing together – all remind us that at some point,
diversity becomes a danger rather than a gift.At some point, in order for a community to grow and for life to flourish, we must discern appropriate limits for our diversity, and with humility construct a robust practice and theology of unity. For a community to grow and life to flourish, we must acknowledge a boundary where we stop saying – everything anyone does or says we affirm out of respect for diversity, and instead say – if you act like this, if you believe like you behave like, this, it’s not going to work here.
For a community to grow, it must have boundaries – things we can point to and say – here is the edge of what it means to be a Unitarian Universalist, or what it means to be a ember of Foothills Unitarian Church – and anything beyond this threatens our capacity to move forward together.
Perhaps you have said – or heard it said, that Unitarian Universalists can believe whatever you want. The story we shared about the church in Chicago offers a great counterpoint to this idea. Somewhat paradoxically, in order to affirm the value of diverse community, that church had to draw a boundary around the acceptable limits of membership in their community. They had to say that diversity required a limit.
The question that the board member asked -“What if some members don’t believe this?” is a question we in an intentionally pluralistic community have had to wrestle with throughout our history.
When do we affirm and accommodate and when do we set aside individual perspective, opinion, or comfort for the good of the whole?
In order for the Chicago church to navigate where and how to draw the boundaries of diversity in community, they went back to what their core purpose was – and in that return, they had to acknowledge that their core purpose could not be to affirm each person’s individual beliefs. In fact it was that board member who was most personally challenged by the move to desegregation that acknowledged the church’s purpose had to be transformation – which I would say begins with the humble recognition that some or even many of our ideas and practices might need to change so that we can all be our best, most loving selves.
I find that Unitarian Universalist congregations – which is to say – people – struggle to draw the boundaries at the appropriate and helpful limits of diversity in two main ways.
First, as individuals, we fail to engage that practice of humility. We approach our congregations…or our friends and family….as if everyone agrees with us, or should.
And then, when things don’t go as we think they should, we are confident that the church – or our friends, or family – they need us to bring them back on course.
Now maybe you’ve already in your mind thought up someone you know who fits this description. But what I’d ask you to do is to imagine that I’m talking about you. Or me. Because we are all well-trained in this tendency. Our educational systems teach us to prioritize certainty, and our consumer culture tells us we should get it “our way.”
And so though we might like to believe that these not-so-humble trouble-makers are someone else, the practice of humility begins by acknowledging at any time any one of us might be that board member Lenny gave voice to earlier – that person ascribing our way as everyone’s way, that dear one who insists on our personal preferences, failing to remember the true purpose of the church is to help us all become our best selves – which likely means letting go of our personal preferences!
The second way I see Unitarian Universalists – that is to say, people – struggling to set the appropriate limits for diversity falls into a category we might describe as “conflict avoidance.” Although, that’s not what we usually think or say we’re up to when we are missing this limit – we call it affirming individual freedom, affirming an individual’s dignity, or respecting individuality…
In the name of our first principle, we can let all kinds of inappropriate and destructive behaviors fly – in our churches, in our communities, in our families. We sacrifice the good of the whole because one among us lacks the self-awareness, or self-control to recognize that the mission of the congregation is not to serve their personal agenda. The Chicago church could have easily stepped away from that desegregation conversation when it met resistance, placing a higher value on one person’s discomfort than their community’s greater vision for the world. Instead, they stayed in the difficult dialogue and asserted the boundaries of the church’s mission.
We fail our communities when we avoid drawing these boundaries appropriately –
but we also fail our friends who are acting out of covenant. It does none of us any good to be affirmed in our destructive, selfish behaviors by our religious community.
Discerning the limits of diversity in community requires careful and loving consideration.
It is – like everything – a practice. To help us in our practice, I want to conclude this sermon by reminding us of words often attributed to Francis David, Unitarian from Transylvania in the 16th century: “We need not think alike to love alike.”
Contemporary Unitarian Universalist minister and scholar, Alice Blair Wesley says in our congregations we often assert how much we need not think alike, but we fail to fully discern and articulate what it means to love alike. Where “not thinking alike” is where we can celebrate diversity; “loving alike” is where we must draw its limit.
James Luther Adams and his church in 1948 decided that “loving alike” meant upholding desegregation. Loving alike today, helps us assert the full inclusion of gay lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer people in our congregations. Loving alike means there are boundaries around our community, things that describe what it means to be a Unitarian Universalist, a member of the Foothills Unitarian Church.
As we walk this path together with people who may not think alike, may our loving alike allow us to be a place where we can discover our best selves. And together may we grow in our capacity to love one another, the world, and the spirit of life itself. In its vast diversity, and in our mysterious and ultimate unity.
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Maritime workers and seamen are not restricted to those workers who operate the ship, handle cargo, or man the fishing equipment. There are all kinds of maritime workers who contribute to the operation of vessels at sea. Many ships go out to sea for days, weeks, and even months at a time and the cooks and stewards are vital members of the team. All types of seagoing vessels have a cook aboard to prepare meals for the crew. On passenger ships, like cruise ships and charter boats, the cook prepares meals for the crew and the passengers. These passenger vessels also have stewards on staff to attend to the needs of the passengers.
There are many ways in which stewards and cooks aboard ships put themselves in danger on the job. As is the case with other types of crew members, these workers are vulnerable to the injuries that can result from collisions, rough weather, repetitive stress, improperly stored cargo, and other incidents. Stewards and cooks may also face dangers from unhappy passengers or from malfunctioning boat equipment. If you work as a vessel cook or steward and have been injured on the job, you may be entitled to compensation.
Common Cook and Steward Accidents
All people aboard a ship are vulnerable to certain types of accidents. A lack of training for any crew member could lead to an accident that injures anyone aboard the ship. Inadequate safety equipment or poorly maintained equipment that is used to do regular jobs aboard the ship can lead to accidents. If cargo aboard the ship isn’t stored properly a steward or cook could be exposed to dangerous chemicals or be injured by falling or shifting items. A slippery or crowded deck could cause a worker to fall overboard and suffer hypothermia or even drown. All workers, including cooks and stewards, could be harmed in these kinds of incidents.
There are also more specific types of accidents and incidents that cause injuries to cooks and stewards. Equipment in the galley, if not in working order, could cause an injury to the cook or could even lead to a fire, burns, smoke inhalation, and even a need to abandon ship in the worst case. Working with sharp knives is always risky, but when waters get rough a vessel cook injury is much more likely. Electrical problems in the galley can lead to shocks or fires. Finally, unsanitary conditions in a galley can cause the cook to get sick.
A steward aboard a passenger ship is susceptible to many of the same injuries and accidents that other crew members are. Stewards may work in the galley close to the cook and be at risk for similar accidents. Stewards also work closely with passengers and may be vulnerable to attacks by angry or intoxicated guests aboard a ship.
Examples of Accidents
In one dramatic incident that occurred with a ship off the coast of Nigeria, a cook was lucky to survive. The ship had capsized and most of the crew drowned. Rescue divers were surprised and thrilled to find the cook still alive in the overturned ship, having found a pocket of air in the galley. As with anyone aboard a vessel, cooks are vulnerable to drowning incidents and may not be this lucky.
In Washington in 2012 another ship cook lost his life from falling overboard from a Columbia River sternwheeler. The boat was moored in Rainier and had not been wearing any type of life preserver. His body was found and he had been wearing a bulky coat that probably contributed to his drowning. In another incident in 2013, a steward on a ship registered in Hong Kong fell and died in an on board accident. Carrying a stack of dishes up a flight of stairs, the steward lost balance when the ship rolled slightly. The fall was unfortunately fatal.
Common Cook and Steward Injuries
Cooks and stewards are vulnerable to a wide variety of accidents while working on the job. Like other workers they can fall victim to bad weather, a fall overboard, tripping and falling over cargo, or slipping on a wet deck. Although there are these kinds of accidents common to all maritime workers, some injuries are more common to stewards and cooks. These include:
- Cuts from knives and other galley equipment
- Bruises, broken bones, fractures, or head injuries from slip or trip and falls
- Back or neck injuries from lifting and repetitive stress
- Burns and electrical shocks caused by malfunctioning equipment
- Injuries or fatalities from falling overboard
Getting Help as an Injured Cook or Steward
If you work aboard a ship as a cook or steward you are entitled to compensation if you are injured on the job. If your employer or employer’s insurer has refused the compensation you believe you deserve, you can make claims under federal maritime law to get that money for things like medical expenses, continuing care, lost wages, lost future earnings, and pain and suffering. If you do get injured, the first thing you should do is get medical care and make sure you get the record for these services. You also need to file an accident report with your supervisor with as much detail of the accident as possible.
To determine what compensation is owed you and under which laws, use the guidance of an experienced maritime lawyer. This professional can help you figure out what steps to take next and can represent you if your case goes to court. In the tragic event that you die aboard a ship, your dependent family members have these rights as well and can rely on an experienced attorney to guide them through the processes of making a claim and getting compensation.
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An interesting variant of the “little people” are the aluxes of the Yucatan Mayas. Recently, I was fortunate enough to visit the Mayan ruins at San Gervasio in Cozumel, in the Mexican state of Quintana Roos, where I first heard of the aluxes.
San Gervasio’s pre-Hispanic name was Tantum Cuzamil, Mayan for “flat rock in the place of the swallows.” What is left of this ancient Mayan town is not as imposing as some of the large Mayan pyramids that exist in various parts of Mexico. Still, these humble ruins are the remains of a once important site dedicated to the moon goddess, Ix Chel.
Unlike some of the other temple sites at which ritualistic human sacrifice was conducted, Tantum Cuzamil was a place of peace. Pre-Columbian Mayan women came from all over to worship Ix Chel and ask for her blessings for fertility and childbirth, medicine and weaving. In 1549, Diego de Landa, the Catholic Bishop of Yucatan, wrote that the Maya “held Cozumel in the same veneration as we have for pilgrimages to Jerusalem and Rome, and so they used to go to visit and offer presents there, as we do to holy places. . . “
My guide at San Gervasio was a young man named Jose who was well-informed about all aspects of Mayan culture. After we had spent some time walking the paved paths that led from one structure to another I asked him if any ancient Mayan rituals were still held at the site. Jose said that sometimes women still come there and left offerings to Ix Chel for fertility and children. He also said that some couples had been married at the propitious site, the traditional ceremony officiated over by a shaman from the mainland.
I asked Jose if he thought the spirits of this ancient place still existed. He smiled at that question, then lowered his voice so that others could not hear.
“Do you know about the aluxes?” he asked. I did not. “They are little people, little spirits that live in the jungle. They often take the form of an animal or sometimes even a rock.”
Jose nodded. “Yes, people in the jungle might walk right by them and never see them . . .unless they want to be seen.”
“Are they friendly?”
“Yes, but they are like children. They run and play and at night you can hear them laughing in the jungle. They like to play little jokes on people.”
Jose told me about an American who was exploring the jungle when he disappeared. No one could find him and then, three days later, he walked out of the jungle as though nothing had happened. The American said he had become disoriented in the jungle but was found by the aluxes and stayed with them during those three days. Jose said the American wrote a book about his adventure but none of my research has turned it up. If you know of this book, please post a comment here.
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The Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals, or GHS for short, is an international system that the United Nations began developing in the 1990s. Even if you’re not familiar with the GHS, you probably are familiar with the GHS pictograms that many organizations use to label chemicals and other substances that could potentially be harmful to those who come in contact.
One of the primary goals of GHS is to classify potential hazards, and the GHS classification system currently has nine categories, including explosives, flammable liquids and oxidizing substances. Each GHS classification is further defined by itemizing the various hazards the category presents, including physical, health and environmental, as well as defining how mixtures that contain chemicals in a particular category should be labeled based on the derivation.
Once a substance has been categorized as a hazard, the potential for danger must be communicated to a general public that may have no special knowledge of the substance in question. This is where the concepts of GHS lables and GHS pictograms come into play. GHS lables can be composed of a number of different elements, including symbols, signal words and even hazard statements. When necessary, safety labels may also include warnings, product identifiers, supplier identifiers and so forth.
The GHS Mission
The core purpose of GHS is to have consistent safety labels in use throughout the world. This helps protect people who travel but is particularly important for the transportation of hazardous materials. Warning signs that are obvious to Chinese workers, for example, may have no relevance to workers in Canada or elsewhere in North America. Adoption has been slow, however. Consider that the U.S. did not formally adopt the GHS until 2012, and Canada did not begin implementing it until 2015.
So why has this system that provides global benefits been embraced so slowly? The main problem is the most developed countries already had systems in place. Both Canada and the U.S., for instance, had their own systems and had already together achieved consistency for North America. So embracing GHS means retrofitting an existing system. The U.S. had to change OSHA in order to conform to the GHS, and Canada chose to create a new national system called the Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System, which accounts for Canada, North America and GHS.
GHS Is Not a Law
GHS is a system, not a law. WHMIS, for instance, is enforceable by law, and since it incorporates GHS, enforces GHS legally. Countries who participate in GHA are not required to do this, however, and it can and does lead to some inconsistency. The hope, however, is that a worldwide standard for the classification and labeling of hazardous chemicals can eventually be achieved. Learn more information at ICC Compliance Center, which has more online resources available.
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At this point, we have already discussed the different data types and also we have explained about variables and so as arrays. So let’s now go to the java operators.
Similarly, in java programming the operators available have some sort of precedence with one another. Below are the list of operators and their precedence is arrange from top to bottom, the top having the highest precedence. And from left to right, with the left having higher precedence.
|multiplicative||* / %|
|shift||<< >> >>>|
|relational||< > <= >= instanceof|
|bitwise exclusive OR||^|
|bitwise inclusive OR|
|assignment||= += -= *= /= %= &= ^= |= <<= >>= >>>=|
We will not be discussing all of the above operators but rather we will be tackling only those that is commonly being used.
- + , used for addition
- – , used for subtraction
- * , used for multiplication
- / , used for multiplication
- %, used to get the remainder
I will not go into detail the used of the first 4 arithmetic operators since, i believe you are already familiar with it. like for example
int x = 2 + 1;
int y = 4 - 2;
int f = x/y;
float var = f * 1.2f;
From the above example, does it look familiar to you? Yes, it is very very similar to real life mathematics. But in java programming, it’s a little bit tricky because of the data types. As you can see from the above example, particularly on line 3, the result should be 1.5 but since we are dealing with int the result would only be 1. The int data type that has been used automatically truncated the result, removing the decimal digits. If you are interested to get the result of the division of x and y with the decimal digit intact, make the declaration of x,y, and f as type double or float.
Please be very careful in dealing with data type. For example if we have a statement double + int, you should assign the result to type double otherwise, compilation problem will occur. Similarly of you have int/int expression, even if you assign this to type double, it will still not give the proper value. To resolve such predicament, you can either cast one variable to Double/Float, or assign one variable as double/float.
At this point we are done with the 4 mathematical operators, now we can start to tackle the modulo operator %. Basically this operator when used returns the remainder of the mathematical statement. Let’s say we have a statement 3%2, this would evaluate to an integer 1. What do you think happen, why this statement return 1? Basically if we divide 3 and 2, the result would be 3 r 1. The¬†modulo operator get that remainder value which is 1.
So where is the modulo operator being used in the sense of practical usage? One good example is when you have to determine if an integer is odd or even. To give more clarity, let’s define what is an odd or even number. An even number is a number that can be divided into groups of 2. While an odd integer are those numbers that cannot be divided into 2 groups. With this definition, the use of modulo operator is perfect. If¬†it evaluates to¬†1 for expression number%2 then it is even, otherwise odd.
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Recently I learned of a newly discovered deciduous azalea native to Georgia and Alabama called the Red Hills Azalea. Rhododendron colemanii 'Red Hills' is a wild azalea that grows in the Red Hills region of South Alabama and eastward barely into Georgia along the Chattahoochee River. This newly discovered species is one of the tallest, most richly colored, and most fragrant of all the native azaleas. The late blooming flowers (usually May) can be any color from pure white to deep pink or even yellow or orange.
Red Hills azalea seems to prefer cooler bottomlands near creeks and streams. I'd suggest siting this plant in the shade of tall hardwoods and providing regular water.
If you're looking to add to your collection of rare native azaleas, you'll want to check out this one. To purchase this plant, click here.
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This month's Who's Counting briefly examines three very different stories in the news. The first concerns Dan Brown's "The Da Vinci Code" and the movie of the same name. The novel is based on the premise that Jesus married and had children, and that a direct descendant of his is alive today.
Probability theory tells us, however, that if Jesus had any children, his biological line would almost certainly have either died out after relatively few generations, or else would have grown exponentially so that many millions of people alive today would be direct descendants of Jesus.
Of course, this is not a special trait of Jesus' descendants. If Julius Caesar's children and their descendants had not died out, then many millions of people alive today could claim themselves Caesar's descendants. The same can be said of the evil Caligula and of countless anonymous people living 2000 years ago. It is not impossible to have just a few descendants after 2000 years, but the likelihood is less than minuscule.
The research behind these conclusions, growing out of a subdiscipline of probability theory known as branching theory, is part of the work of Joseph Chang, a Yale statistician, and Steve Olson, author of "Mapping Human History: Genes, Race, and Our Common Origins."
Going back another millennium, we can state something even more astonishing. If anyone alive in 1000 B.C. has any present day descendants, then we would all be among them. That is, we are descended from all the Europeans, Asians, Africans and others who lived 3,000 years ago and have descendants living today.
Consider the implications for future generations. If you have children and if your biological line doesn't die out, then every human being on earth 2,000 or 3,000 years from now would be your direct descendant.
Getting back to "The Da Vinci Code," we can conclude that if the heroine of the book were indeed descended from Jesus, then she would share that status with many millions if not billions of other people as well. This makes the book's plot even harder to swallow, but then probability was never much of a match for fiction or Hollywood.
Announcing Project Safe Childhood last month, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales cited a frightening figure: "It has been estimated that, at any given time, 50,000 predators are on the Internet prowling for children." The only problem with this statistic is that it seems to have been made up out of whole cloth.
The phrase "at any given time" may be Gonzales' own bit of hyperbole, but his office cited media outlets that have focused on pedophiles and used the 50,000 statistic. Some involved with the shows in turn cited law enforcement agents for the figure, and now the attorney general cites the media.
Jason McClure, a writer on legal affairs, recalls that in the 1980s, 50,000 was the number of people killed annually by satanic cults as well as the number of children kidnapped annually by strangers. Both of these numbers later proved baseless and absurdly high but perhaps derived some of their initial appeal from the roundness of the figure and its middling nature, neither too small nor too large.
In any case, this is another instance of a common phenomenon: A number gains a certain currency when commentator A pulls it out of ... the air and is then cited by B as the number's source; B is cited by C as the number's source; C is cited by D; and so on, until someone in the loop is cited by A, and few ever check to see if the number has any validity. Still, for a while at least, "everyone knows" it's true.
Home Run Records and Prime Numbers
Thirty-two years ago, Hank Aaron hit his 715th home run and surpassed Babe Ruth's record of 714, a feat that Barry Bonds accomplished just last month. Reams of newsprint have been devoted to various aspects of these record-breakings but not well known is that Aaron's breaking of the record stimulated a spate of mathematical papers about what has come to be known as Ruth-Aaron pairs.
If we break 714 into its prime number factors, we find that 714 = 2 x 3 x 7 x 17. Likewise 715 = 5 x 11 x 13. Adding the prime factors of 714 and 715, we find that they have the same sum. That is, 2 + 3 + 5 + 17 = 29, and 5 + 11 + 13 = 29. Consecutive numbers like 714 and 715 whose prime factors add up to the same number have come to be called Ruth-Aaron pairs.
Interestingly, if we multiply 714 (which equals 2 x 3 x 7 x 17) by 715 (which equals = 5 x 11 x 13), we find that 714 x 715 = 2 x 3 x 5 x 7 x 11 x 13 x 17. So we have the product of the two consecutive whole numbers, 714 and 715, that is equal to the product of the first seven prime numbers: 2 x 3 x 5 x 7 x 11 x 13 x 17.
In any case, as is their wont, mathematicians tried to find out how common these properties were among pairs of consecutive numbers and whether there were arbitrarily large examples of such pairs. (No one knows yet.) Even Paul Erdos, the famous peripatetic mathematician wrote about Ruth-Aaron pairs (or Ruth-Aaron-Bonds pairs) and proved a crucial theorem about them.
Having grown up in Milwaukee, where Aaron played for years for the Braves (before the team moved to Atlanta), I can't help but hope that "Hammering Hank's" record of 755 home runs stands, even though the latter number (755 = 5 x 151) seems to be rather mathematically undistinguished.
Professor of mathematics at Temple University, John Allen Paulos is the author of best-selling books including "Innumeracy" and "A Mathematician Plays the Stock Market." His "Who's Counting?" column on ABCNews.com appears the first weekend of every month.
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Lasses of Glenalladale, The | Bowing Down Home
About this tune
This tune is played primarily in Northeast Kings County. Its modern manifestation was borrowed from Cape Breton via recordings and broadcasts. Two such recorded sources were Five MacDonald Fiddlers (who used the Gelnodale title), and Joe Cormier (who used Glenaodale). The earliest version of this tune in print seems to be in Dunlay and Reich, Traditional Celtic Fiddle Music of Cape Breton (c. 1985).
Neither Glenaodale nor Gelnodale seem to be a valid place names, and I would argue instead that the lasses in question probably haled from a site in Scotland known as Glenalladale.
Capt. John MacDonald (1742-1811), eighth Laird of Glenalladale, helped found the first settlement of Highland Scots on Prince Edward Island. Many members of the original party, which landed at Tracadie Bay in 1771 aboard the Alexander, were his tenants or retainers, and some of their descendants later helped establish or extend Scottish settlement in Cape Breton.
Some fiddlers play this tune in three parts: the usual low turn and high turn, plus an octave-lower variant of the high turn.
Notation for this tune as played by Gus Longaphie is in Fiddle Music of Prince Edward Island.
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Salic Primogeniture is a Law of Succession. It is different from Semi-salic Primogeniture in that females cannot trace inheritance. This means that only male lines can inherit. For example, your brother can inherit but your grandsons through your daughter cannot.
Primogeniture means that the oldest candidate inherits, in this case the oldest son. All male heirs through male lines of the oldest son rank above the second oldest son in the line of inheritance.
As as example: King John has three children: William, Edith and Robert. William has two children, Constance and John. Edith is married and has a son Guy. Robert has a son Roger. Let's illustrate this in a chart:
King John | |--------------|------| | | | William Edith Robert | | | |--------| | | | | | | Constance John Guy Roger
Following the law of salic primogeniture, the line of inheritance is as follows:
- John the younger
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CC-MAIN-2017-26
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Chest-mounted electronics do a more accurate job of counting heart beats than do optical sensors on the wrist. That’s one of the conclusions to come out of a close look at this sport watch aimed at runners.
A sport watch from Garmin called the Forerunner 220 is basically a runner’s watch that tracks distance and pace via GPS. It can connect to a smart phone to work with a cloud-based service for things like social media sharing and keeping track of progress toward goals. It also records your heart rate, though a method differing from that employed in sport watches from Fitbit.
On a Fitbit watch, the heart rate sensor is an optical sensor that monitors blood flow through the wrist as a way of detecting heart beats. The problem is that the wrist has less tissue, more bones, and more tendons than other parts of the body so there isn’t real good blood flow there. Consequently, the accuracy of heart beat readings read optically can be suspect, particularly for those who work out hard enough to get a heart rate above 160 beats per minute. Then the blood is passing the sensor pretty fast and there tends to be a lot of body movement as well because you’re exercising hard. And it becomes really difficult to get an accurate reading.
But the Garmin Forerunner doesn’t have that problem because it uses a different kind of heart beat monitor. The heart beat monitor is separate from the watch. It takes the form of a sensor on a strap that goes around the chest. Unlike in the Fitbit, the sensor doesn’t monitor blood flow. Like an EKG machine, it uses the fact that the heart generates an electrical signal as it beats. And this EKG activity can be detected through the skin.
However, there is a big difference between the functions of a conventional EKG machine and the sensor on the Garmin chest strap. When doctors look at an EKG display, they are keenly interested in the shape of the heartbeat. So EKG electronics contains super-sensitive instrumentation amplifiers and filters to let them record the shape of the beat accurately. But the heart beat monitor that works with the Garmin watch merely needs to count the beats. It doesn’t care about their shape. So it can be much simpler.
It is interesting to see the way the chest strap incorporates electrodes for heart beat monitoring. For conventional EKG tests, there are generally three contact points on the patient’s skin. The Garmin chest monitor, too, contains electrodes, but they are disguised. They take the form of the two snaps that attach the monitor to the strap. It looks like the snaps are there so you can remove the monitor to change the battery or to clean the strap. In reality, the snaps are also the electrodes.
This dual-use of the snaps explains why the strap must be worn next to your skin: so electrodes can make contact. When we pulled the monitor apart, we found small contacts that touched the snaps and bridged them to the inputs of a TI microcontroller. That connection is interesting because conventional EKG electronics usually contains a special chip that serves as a front-end to the EKG measurement. This chip usually contains an instrumentation amplifier and specialized circuits for managing the heart rate data.
In contrast, the Garmin chest monitor circuit contains none of that. The electrodes seem to just feed straight into the TI microcontroller without much other filtering or signal processing. We did find a few general-purpose transistors on the monitor board, some of which might be there to boost the heart rate signal, which can be on the order of tens of microvolts.
The low-level nature of the electrode signals might help explain the presence of what seem to be Zener diodes on the heart rate monitor board. We suspect they might be there in case a voltage gets applied to the two electrodes that is significantly higher than tens of microvolts. The zeners could conceivably act to limit the input voltage so it doesn’t somehow destroy the circuitry on the heart monitor board that’s set up to just work with microvolt-level signals.
Once the heart rate monitor detects a heart rate, it sends that information to the watch via Bluetooth. The chest monitor contains a widely-used Bluetooth chip from Nordic Semiconductor for that purpose. We also found a linear regulator made by Texas Instruments. There’s also a quarter-inch-long mystery device containing four terminals whose markings didn’t come back to anything on any of our Google searches.
Inside the watch
The watch itself uses an LCD which attaches to the circuit board with a flex connector. There are three eight-pin chips near the display connector which we surmise are display driver chips, though we can’t be sure because their markings aren’t definitive.
Next to the display connector is the Nordic BLE chip that communicates with the heart monitor and with a smart phone for uploading performance data to the cloud. Several components reside inside a metal shield. Closest to the display drivers is a low-power microcontroller from Texas Instruments. We might surmise that this processor is handling the display and other housekeeping chores on the watch.
The more complicated tasks, say, managing the GPS data, seem to be handled by a 120 MHz ARM Cortex M4 device from NXP that sits above the TI chip. Between the two processors are four Pericom four-bit level shifters that provide 16 bits of level shifting.
The presence of the level shifters is interesting. A level shifter connects one digital circuit that uses one logic level to another digital circuit that uses another logic level. But in this case, their presence is a bit of a mystery. They sit between the two processors which leads to the possibility that they are manipulating signals passing between the two. But it is not clear why: Both the TI processor and the NXP device are CMOS parts, so they both use CMOS logic levels. And they both work from the same power supply — the coin cell in the watch. So the reason for 16-bits-worth of level shifting isn’t readily apparent.
Besides the processors, there is a flash memory chip from Macronix that is a 32-megabit serial device. Near it resides a chip from Linear Technology that both manages the charging of the lithium-ion battery and regulates the overall use of power on the board. The location of the power manager IC is interesting: Designers chose to enclose it in the same metal shield that contains the processors and memory. But there’s no obvious need to put this chip inside a metal shield, so its presence there is noteworthy.
Additionally, a separate section of the board has its own separate metal shield. That section houses the GPS circuits. There are two main chips and a crystal oscillator in that section, plus a small chip we could identify. The big chip is a GPS receiver from Mediatek, a company in Taiwan that mostly makes chips for cell phones. Next to it is a GPS front-end chip from Infineon. The front-end chip does some filtering of the incoming GPS signal and amplifies it before it gets to the GPS receiver.
The reverse side of the watch PCB is less interesting. The 150 mA-h lithium-ion battery attaches to this side of the board. The only other major component is the vibration motor. It rotates an eccentric mass to provide a sort of buzzing for an alarm or haptic feedback.
All in all, Garmin’s watch is an example of what many IoT devices are likely to look like inside the package.
MSP430F5310 TI controller
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The style of this book of stories is conspicuous, consisting of interrogatories, short passages under descriptive headers, and lists: lists of debts, of personality traits, of neuroses. The use of this sort of style as a way towards detachment goes back to Tristram Shandy, where it’s ironic, and you can see it in the flat descriptions of the contents of drawers in Dashiell Hammett. But Kluge’s use of it is most similar to the penultimate chapter of Joyce’s Ulysses. In Joyce, it served partly as a pathos-generating device, racking up details that etched Bloom and Stephen in momentary bliss and eventual sadness. Kluge uses it in a historical sense, using an inappropriately objective voice to create dissociation and dissonance between the material and the narration.
The forced (and, like in Joyce, there are intimations of its dishonesty and bias) neutrality turns it into the voice of history more than of fiction; damning moral judgments come out in its generalizations, but seem detached from any moral judgment of the person discussed. They are mostly apolitical; many are ineffective. So the historical treatment of people who are mostly incidental is jarring. When it’s deployed against the Eichmann-like Rudolf Boulanger, who helped “measure” the brains of Jewish scientists during the war and now lives freely in Cologne, the effect is numbing. Hannah Arendt made it seem as though the war criminals she treated were mindful administrators; Kluge goes further by giving him doubts and stumbling blocks absurdly inappropriate for the historical context.
Most of the stories are subtler. The prodigal Mandorf lives an uneasy existence on Crete under German occupation and wants to “let his personality unfold,” but can’t. After some of the local residents are executed by the Germans during an evacuation, Mandorf tries to save some of the others, but fails. In the process, under the title “An appalling discovery,” he realizes “he was indifferent to everything that had happened or was happening…Mandorf’s personality lay unfolded: it contained nothing.” He is one of the more moral of Kluge’s characters, but he is unable to cope with his impotence, and his better side is relegated to footnotes. The objective narration breaks more explicitly:
Mandorf the expert
Actually Mandorf was not an expert in anything.
Kluge is very respectful of the ambiguity between Mandorf’s inherent drive towards action, which he can never fulfill, and the horrible circumstances that drive him into resignation and isolation. Mandorf is doomed in his small way, but the extent of the exacerbating impact of what happens on Crete is unknowable, Kluge implies. Mandorf himself does become numb and regrets not gaining his professorship in 1939 more than anything afterwards, but the historical facts paint him as a nearly sympathetic person, even if this is, as Kluge indicates, totally, completely irrelevant to his emotional state.
Mandorf is much more respectable than Eberhard Schincke, an intellectual and researcher who turns vehemently anti-Nazi after several years of embracing it. But his reversal only stems from a cold day sitting on a horse in the reserves, which he spins into an argument against it. His academic nature and “aversion to topicality” lead him to reject Nazism on abstruse and meaningless ideological grounds, and his career is ruined not out of any real resistance but only a deep narcissism.
It’s difficult to work arbitrariness deep into the determining factors of stories’ characters, especially without some bias informing the direction. For Celine, it was contempt that underpinned his random horrors; for Christina Stead, it was an architectural drive to classify a certain personality type’s behavior across any situation.
But Kluge is remarkably equivocal, and the lack of a definitive orientation is often in danger of deflating the collection. These figures would not stand up to novel-length treatment; even over a dozen pages each one becomes dreary, because they are either rote and predictable or subject to drastic, unpredictable changes in direction. The style saves it, because Kluge manages to produce a different result in each story by contrasting the flat, historical reportage with brief implications of how the characters see themselves. Sometimes the result is irony, sometimes horror, sometimes forgiveness, sometimes disgust. That he produces so much without varying the style at all is the core achievement of the collection.
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CC-MAIN-2017-26
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http://www.waggish.org/tag/tristram-shandy/page/5/
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Cascade CSTR is used to control the chemical process to avoid the distraction affecting on a secondary measured variable. It also controls the temperature jacketed exothermic continuous stirred tank reactor.
This set-up is used to study a non-catalytic homogeneous second order liquid phase reaction under ambient condition.
To control the chemical reactors was one of the challenging tasks. It consists of two sensors, two transmitters, two controllers and one final control element. Rotameters are provided to measure the individual flow of Chemicals. The flow rate can be adjusted by operating the needle valves provided on respective Rotameter. The magnetic drive pump is used for circulation of feed. Reactants from feed tanks enter in the first CSTR and are passed to second CSTR and so on. For analysis samples are collected from different ports provided.
- To study the performance of Cascade of three equal volumes CSTR’s in series for the sponification of a reaction.
- To draw the performance chart for the reactor system and evaluate the reaction rate constant at ambient condition
- Water Supply & Drain
- Electricity Supply: 1Phase, 220V AC, 0.5 kW
- Instruments, Laboratory Glassware and Chemicals required for analysis as per the system adopted
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CC-MAIN-2017-26
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https://www.aticoexport.com/product/cascade-cstr/
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Trying to concisely describe concepts is an interesting exercise. The ideal goal is to build upon existing concepts, but as you add more concepts you run the risk of being inconsistent.
So with at most two sentences, I present a list of common programming concepts. This goes without warning that lossy compression is inevitable.
- Data: Ones and zeros.
- Values: Meaningful data.
- Types / Encodings: Interpretations of values.
- State: A value that changes over time. Usually also considered a Value.
- Variables: Names for values over time.
- Collections: A value that's a a group of values of same type.
- Structs: A value that's a group of values with possibly differing types.
- Classes: Structs with functions that have itself as the first argument.
- Inheritance: A concise way to implement a class by referring to part of its implementation from one class.
- Multiple Inheritance: A class that inherits from multiple other classes.
- Extensions: Adding methods to a previously defined type.
- Mixins: Adding (Multiple) Inheritance to a previously defined type.
- Interface / Protocols: Inheritance of a class that has only functions that should be implemented by the class that inherits it.
- Traits: Interfaces that may have function implementations.
- Generics: Treating a type as a variable. Allows algorithms independent of specific types.
- Type Classes: Generic Interfaces.
- Monad: An interface defining the expected behavior for
- Functor: An interface defining the expected behavior for
- Pointers: A value that indicates where to find another value. An home address is a pointer to a home.
- Big-O Notation: A method to estimate the number of main-memory operations
- Slice: A value that is a pointer and length into an existing collection
- Value Objects: An struct / class with equality and hashCode semantics.
- Object-Oriented Programming: The concept of classes talking to each other using value objects.
- Procedure: A sequence of operations to execute. Most programming languages mean procedure when they say function.
- Function: Vaguely defined / blurred by current norms. See Procedure.
- Pure Function: A procedure that returns the same output for the same inputs.
- Side Effects: Any observable state that occurs besides a return value.
- Functional Programming: The practice of using less state and more pure functions.
- Code: A value that is a series of operations
- AST (Abstract Syntax Tree): Hierarchy of typed code
- Program: A collection of code that a computer that can execute.
- Compiler: Program that take code and produce programs.
- Interpreter: A program that executes code without producing a program.
- Emulator: A program that mimics the behavior of hardware.
- Virtual Machine: A computer emulator where the hardware may not actually exist (eg - Java Virtual Machine).
- Static: Known at compile-time.
- Dynamic: Known at execution-time.
- Type Checker: A program that validates what types flowing through your code.
- Type Inference: A compiler or interpreter feature can that deduce types without always explicitly specifying it in code.
- Optimization: Writing code for the computer first, instead of humans.
- Performance: Turning memory operations for lower frequency, and higher throughput.
- Reference Counting: Counting number of owners of a piece of memory to know when to free it.
- Garbage Collection: An embedded program that frees another program's memory that is no longer being used.
- Reflection: Code that can inspect and/or modify itself as it's executing.
- Macros: An operation that can be translated to a sequence of operations before program execution.
- JIT (Just-In-Time) Compilation: A feature of interpreters or emulators that compiles code during its execution.
The last concept pushes the limits of definitions this concise. Some interesting implications result from these definitions:
- How would you describe a library in at most two sentences?
- Does it match with conventional definitions of libraries in interpreted languages?
- Does it match with conventional definitions of libraries in compiled languages?
- How would you describe a plugin?
- How does it differ from library?
- Is the
assertreplacement in pytest a macro?
- Is Clojure a compiler or intepreter in these definitions?
- Clojure code always compiles to bytecode before executing (eg - in a REPL)
- Clojure code can be compiled ahead-of-time into a jar
- Is a Python an Interpreter or Compiler in these definitions?
- It produces bytecode to disk, before running it
Suggestions for more concise definitions or comments, just tweet me.
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<urn:uuid:bee4ebfc-64fd-4bd9-9ee7-313fe290de9b>
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CC-MAIN-2017-26
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https://www.jeffhui.net/2016/21-tldr-programming-concepts.html
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Dan's following is quite substantial and the stream of replies to his posting about "tiny math games" is an terrific resource for a mathematics classroom. I added a few of my own - look for the Norma Gordon comments on the blog page.
Here was his prompt for tiny math game suggestions:
- The point of the game should be concise and intuitive. You can summarize the point of these games in a few seconds or a couple of sentences. It may be complicated to continue playing the game or to win it, but it isn't hard to start.
- They require few materials. That's part and parcel of being "tiny." These games don't require a laptop or iPhone.
- They're social, or at least they're better when people play together.
- They offer quick, useful feedback. With the multiplication game, you know you don't have the highest product because someone else hollers out one that's higher than yours. With Fizz-Buzz, your fellow players give you feedback when you blow it.
- They benefit from repetition. You may access some kind of mathematical insight on individual turns but you access even greater insight over the course of the game. With Fizz-Buzz, for instance, players might count five turns and then say "Buzz," but over time they may realize that you'll always say "Buzz" on numbers that end in 5 or 0. That extra understanding (what we could call the "strategy" of these tiny math games) is important.
- The math should only be incidental to the larger, more fun purpose of the game. I think this may be setting the bar higher than we need to, but Jason Dyer points out that people play Fizz-Buzz as a drinking game. [Jason Dyer]
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http://gbdsacmath.blogspot.com/2013/04/
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Tallahassee, Florida - November 10, 2011 -
After dwindling to as few as 300 bears in the 1970s, the Florida black bear population has rebounded to an estimated 3,000 bears today. Bears and their cubs roam forests and swamps from Eglin Air Force Base in the Panhandle to Ocala National Forest in the state’s midsection and Big Cypress National Preserve in Southwest Florida.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), which worked with its partners to increase the state’s black bear population, today released a new draft management plan for the bear and is asking for public input. Both a summary of public feedback and the draft plan will go before the Commission at its February 2012 meeting.
“The Florida black bear is truly a conservation success story. Bear populations have clearly benefited from broad public support and diligent conservation efforts across Florida, particularly in those communities where black bears have become more common,” said FWC Executive Director Nick Wiley. “We welcome the public’s thoughts on how to best continue our bear conservation efforts in the future, as both our human and bear populations expand.”
The goal of the draft management plan is to “maintain sustainable black bear populations in suitable habitats throughout Florida for the benefit of the species and people.” It includes measurable objectives regarding bear populations, habitat, citizen education and outreach, and human-bear conflicts.
The Florida black bear currently does not meet the criteria of being at high risk of extinction, based on the FWC’s Biological Status Review on the species completed in early 2011. When a bear management plan is approved, the bear will no longer be on the state’s list of threatened species. A similar process was followed for the bald eagle, which is no longer listed as a state threatened species but is carefully managed through specific conservation measures established under an FWC management plan.
The FWC is seeking public input on the draft bear management plan. The open process will include four public workshops: Bristol (Nov. 22), Naples (Nov. 29), Deland (Dec. 6), and Gainesville (Dec. 13). Go to MyFWC.com/Bear to access workshop details, read the plan and comment online.
The draft bear management plan includes:
§ Establishment of seven bear management units (BMUs) to provide localized bear management and public involvement appropriate to the area, from about 1,000 bears in the Central BMU, which includes Ocala National Forest, to about 20 bears in the Big Bend BMU, which includes Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge.
§ A section on the history of bear hunting in Florida. A bear hunt is not proposed in the plan. Currently, Florida black bears may not be hunted, harmed or killed, and similar prohibitions would continue under a rule proposed in the plan.
§ Creation of “Bear Smart Communities” in areas of high bear activity. Human-bear conflicts are on the rise in Florida. In 2010, the FWC received more than 4,000 calls from citizens about bears. In the past 10 years, more than half of those calls were related to bears rummaging through garbage. A “Bear Smart Community” would involve residents, local governments, businesses and schools in changing people’s behaviors to reduce human-bear conflicts.
“People’s involvement in conserving bears is critical,” Wiley said. “For example, employees at the U.S. Air Force’s Hurlburt Field have an active bear education program for base residents and recently acquired hundreds of bear-proof garbage cans. Those efforts dramatically reduced the number of bears wandering into their neighborhoods.”
Black bears are generally shy and nonaggressive toward humans. But bears can smell food from more than a mile away and so are tempted to leave forests and swamps to dine on garbage and pet food that is left outdoors and unsecured.
The diet of Florida black bears is mostly vegetarian, with 15 percent insects, and 5 percent animal matter. The bear’s menu includes saw palmetto, acorns, ferns, blackberries, bees, alligator eggs, armadillo and opossum. Male bears typically weigh between 250 and 400 pounds; females are smaller, weighing 125 to 250 pounds. At birth, a bear cub is about the size of a can of soda and weighs less than a pound.
Conservation of Florida wildlife habitats on both public and privately owned lands helped ensure the rebounding bear population had room to grow. However, expected future loss of large forests is the major long-term challenge to maintaining black bears in a growing state of nearly 19 million people. The adult male black bear rambles over a 60,000-acre range; the female’s range is 15,000 acres. The more immediate danger to a black bear is crossing the road. Being hit by a car or truck is the major cause of known bear deaths in the state, with 158 bears killed or euthanized after being injured on highways in 2010.
The Florida black bear is among the 62 wildlife species that soon will join the list of Florida species, like the bald eagle, already under an FWC management plan. Florida’s new threatened species conservation model requires that management plans be created for all species that have been state-listed and then updated at specified intervals. Those management plans give citizens an active role in Florida’s efforts to conserve its diverse wildlife for future generations.
Suggestions on revising the bear plan will be accepted online through Jan. 10, 2012, at MyFWC.com/Bear, where more information also is available on the Florida black bear.
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CC-MAIN-2017-26
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http://www.wctv.tv/news/headlines/No_Hunting_in_Florida_Black_Bear_Management_Plan_133617123.html?site=mobile
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The first and only dance for four to appear in an English source was Mr Holt’s Minuet and Jigg. Who was Mr Holt and why did he create this choreography?
This dance for four was published in London in 1711, in Edmund Pemberton’s An Essay for the Further Improvement of Dancing. The collection of ‘Figure Dances’ was entirely for female performers, although Pemberton never mentions this fact. The title page says nothing. The Preface focuses almost exclusively on the significance and value of the new system of dance notation used to record the choreographies. Even the dedication to Thomas Caverley, noted as a teacher of young ladies, avoids any reference to female dancers.
Mr Holt was obviously deemed worthy of a place among ‘the most Eminent Masters’ (according to the title page) whose dances were published in Pemberton’s collection. There were several Holts, dancing masters and musicians, working in London during the early 1700s. Which of them created this Minuet and Jigg? Among the subscribers to the publication (who had paid in advance for copies in order to finance the printing) are Walter Holt and William Holt. The choreographer must have been one of them, but which one?
Various dancing masters named Holt subscribed to dance treatises and collections of dances in the early eighteenth century. In 1706, Walter Holt ‘Senior’ and Walter Holt ‘Junior’, together with Richard Holt, subscribed to John Weaver’s Orchesography (his translation of Feuillet’s Choregraphie) and A Collection of Ball-Dances Perform’d at Court (his notations of choreographies by Mr Isaac). In 1721, Walter Holt and William Holt subscribed to Weaver’s Anatomical and Mechanical Lectures upon Dancing (which were delivered at ‘Mr Holt’s Dancing-Room, at the Academy in Chancery-Lane’ according to the Daily Post for 31 January 1721). In the early 1720s, too, Walter Holt, William Holt and ‘Mr. Holt Junior’ subscribed to Anthony L’Abbé’s A New Collection of Dances. I suggest that Walter Holt ‘Senior’ was the ‘Musician’ who died in 1706 (his will survives in the National Archives at Kew) and that Walter Holt ‘Junior’ was his son, another ‘Musician’, probably born in 1676 who died in 1738 (his will is also in the National Archives). Richard and William Holt are likely to be the brothers of Walter Holt ‘Junior’, born in 1678 and 1691 respectively. William, who died in 1723 (his will is in the National Archives), was the choreographer of a ballroom duet Le Rigadon Renouvele published around 1720. ‘Mr. Holt Junior’ may well be another Walter, the son of Walter Holt ‘Junior’, born in 1701.
The only real candidate for choreographer of the Minuet and Jigg is Walter Holt ‘Junior’ (1676-1738). He is surely the ‘Mr. Holt’ listed among the dancing masters named by John Weaver in his 1712 An Essay towards an History of Dancing as ‘happy Teachers of that Natural and Unaffected Manner, which has been brought to so high a Perfection by Isaack and Caverley’. He was a contemporary of Weaver and must have been very well-established as a dancing master, unlike his much younger brother William. When he died in 1738, Walter Holt was described as ‘Mr. Holt, sen. a very wealthy and famous Dancing-Master’ (Weekly Miscellany, 15 September 1738).
What of the Minuet and Jigg itself? I will not analyse the choreography in detail, for there are others who are far more expert in this genre than I. The minuet has 48 bars and the jigg 32 bars, so the dance is quite long. The four ladies begin as two couples facing one another (two of the dancers have their backs to the audience). They face towards each other, in the manner of a country dance, for much of the choreography. The minuet section draws on the familiar figures of the ballroom minuet, including the S-reversed, taking right hands and taking left hands. It also uses figures from country dances, for example the square hey and the dos-à-dos. Only one step is specified in the notation – the pas de sissonne used in the jigg. Pemberton gives no advice about steps, but his reference to John Essex’s For the Further Improvement of Dancing (a translation of Feuillet’s 1706 Recueil de contredances), published in 1710, implies that he expects readers to look at that treatise for advice. The ladies complete the dance by opening into a semi-circle to face their audience.
Mr Holt’s Minuet and Jigg. First plate.
Mr Holt’s Minuet and Jigg. Last plate.
This choreography for four is simultaneously a means of teaching the genteel style and technique of both ballroom and country dances expected in English polite society and a contrivance for displaying the skills that could be learnt from the best dancing masters. It was probably created for performance by his female scholars, before an audience, at Walter Holt’s Academy.
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Deep Blue Sea
Ocean facts and information explaining the impact we have on the marine environment and tips on how to help preserve this precious resource.
Water, water everywhere………
Seven tenths or 140 million sq miles of planet earth is covered in it, all life evolved from it and depends on it, man has tried for centuries to master it. It provides food, transportation, oxygen for us to breath and of course is the medium for the water sports we enjoy.
The oceans contain 97% of the earth’s water and over 90% of the earth’s biomass lives in and depends on the seas and oceans from the tiniest plankton to the mighty blue whales. They warm the land in winter and cool it in summer. They boast the tallest mountains and the deepest trenches.
As divers and surfers we enter the sea with a blend of exhilaration and fascination to dive into its depths and ride its waves. We know more than many what a wonderful yet fragile world it is.
It’s a strange fact that we know more about the surface of the moon than we do about our seas and oceans yet one thing we do know is that many species are declining so rapidly that they will be extinct within our lifetimes and we also know what’s causing this decline, us.
Did you know that every year:
- 85 million tonnes of fish are taken from the oceans
- 100 million sharks are butchered often just for their fins and thrown back into the sea to die
- 300,000 birds including 100,000 Albatrosses are killed by illegal long line fishing threatening all but 2 species with extinction
- 250,000 Turtles are caught in fishing lines
- Discarded plastic bags kill thousands of mammals, birds and fish who eat them mistaking them for food
- 6.4 million tonnes of rubbish is thrown into the oceans – it’s estimated that there is 6kg of rubbish for every 1kg of plankton
- Hundreds of Whales are still hunted and those that aren’t face injury or death through many threats including Naval Sonar testing
- Every year thousands of acres of reef are destroyed by pollution and waste.
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. 1% of the world’s fishing fleets catch close to 60% of the world’s annual catch. Industrial fishing has depleted stock of tuna, cod, swordfish and marlin by as much as 90 percent. The UN estimates that £5bn worth of fish is caught illegally every year. Water temperatures are rising and becoming more acidic due to global warming causing coral reefs and marine life to die affecting the whole food chain.
Time is rapidly running out for our seas and oceans. Unless governments legislate and we as consumers start to think about our own environmental footprint we will loose forever the amazing source of all life on Earth.
So what can YOU do to help ?
- Recycle, recycle, recycle. An average household produces about one tonne of rubbish annually. Waste from product packaging makes up about a quarter of all the rubbish you put in your bin, most of which could be recycled. Just one tonne of recycled paper saves 17 trees, 25 plastic bottles makes one fleece jacket, one recycled glass bottle saves enough energy to power a 100 watt bulb for 4 hours. This results in us producing less greenhouse gasses which in turns helps protect the planet.
- Remember that ultimately what you put down the drain or toilet will eventually end up in the sea. Use non toxic, eco friendly products around the house, try it you’ll be surprised how good they are.
- Volunteer for beach cleanups. If you can’t find one why not spend an afternoon walking on your nearest beach and pick up any litter you find. You’ll be getting some fresh air whilst helping to protect the environment.
- When you go diving support reef-friendly businesses. Ask your dive shop what they are doing to protect the reefs and sea they operate in. Let them know you are an informed consumer and care about your impact on the environment.
- When you visiting a dive site, help keep it healthy by respecting all local guidelines, recommendations, regulations, and customs. If you’re unsure ask your dive guide.
- Support conservation organisations. There are plenty to choose from and your support will be very welcome. You’ll find a useful list on our links page.
- Don't pollute the water when diving. Take all rubbish back to shore and dispose of it properly. Don’t discard cigarette butts while at sea they are lethal to marine life – put them in a bottle with a little water.
- Be an informed consumer. Boycott take aways and restaurants that serve Sharks Fin Soup and tell them why. Buy only Dolphin friendly Tuna and fish from sustainable stocks.
- Use less water. The less water you use, the less runoff and wastewater that eventually finds its way back into our seas and oceans.
- When you dive don't touch anything underwater! Take only pictures and leave only bubbles! Keep your fins, dive gear, and hands away from the coral. Stay off the bottom - stirred-up sediment can settle on coral and smother it.
- Say no to marine souvenirs such as shells or coral. If you buy it they will take another to replace their stock.
- Cut down on your energy usage by walking instead of driving, using energy efficient light bulbs, boiling only the water you need for to make your drink and reusing carrier bags.
It’s your planet and your children’s planet. You CAN make a difference you just need to start…
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Building an Arduino led cyclotron engine with shift register chips
by Floris Wouterlood – Leiden, The Netherlands – January 22,2017
Series of leds that light up in patterns are very attractive to the eye. Here we discuss the construction of a ‘cyclotron’: a circularly arranged series of 24 leds controlled via three shift register chips. There are two parts: a disc carrying the leds and a cyclotron ‘engine’. A challenge was to construct the cyclotron engine as compact as possible: Arduino Nano, shift registers, resistors and pin header connectors together on a 80×60 mm mounting board.
One of the attractive features of the Arduino Uno family of microcontroller platforms is the ability to power scores of leds in all sorts of sequences. These boards: Uno, Duemilenova, Nano, are equipped with 14 digital output pins that can be programmed to switch leds on or off. Less well known is that the 6 additional analog pins (A0 through A5) can be programmed to ‘act’ as digital output pin, increasing the number of addressable leds to 20. The most primitive (and easy) way of lighting up a sequence of leds is to connect the anode pin of each led with an available output pin on the Arduino. The number of leds on such a primitive led strip equals the maximum number of available pins: 20. With an Arduino Mega the situation is much better since this board is equipped with 54 digital output pins. One way to play with more leds is to arrange leds in grids, with anode and cathode wires to the leds in crossed arangement. Theoretically the number of leds that can be programmed with an Arduino Uno in grid fashion is 20 x 20, and with a Mega the number adds up to 54×54. The ultimate way of addressing led is to apply so-called charlieplexing. A most elegant way of dealing with firing rows of leds compared with primitive one-pin-one-led wiring is to use shift registers. One example of a shift register chip that can easily be used in combination with an Arduino board is the 74HC595. This is a cheap 8-bit chip that handles 8 leds. For the addressing of one 74HC595 only three pins on the Arduino are required which makes the remaining pins available for other activities. Very attractive is the daisy chain feature of the 74HC595 that is effectuated via one of the pins of the chip itself. This implies that no more pins on the Arduino than the initial three are required to activate a score of 74HC595s and through these assistants an almost indefinite number of leds. One example of the potential of shift registers is the 3D led cube whose construction requires third power numbers of leds (a simple 4x4x4 led cube consumes 64 leds while a larger cube, e.g., 8x8x8 requires 512 leds). Another example of a multi-led construction supported by shift registers is the dot led matrix newsreel. The daisy chain feature of the 74HC595 is the center in the present project where I constructed a disc with 24 leds at the outer edge. Lighting patterns of these leds are produced via a compact ‘cyclotron engine’ consisting of an Arduino Nano assisted by three shift registers.
Basics and schematic wiring
The concept of working with the 74HC595 is shown in figure 1. The main component is of course an Arduino, in this project a Nano because of its small form factor. Most important is a disc with 24 leds mounted on it, and the third component consists of three 74HC595 shift registers. Three pins on the Nano do the work: data, clock and latch. Note that the ‘data’ connection is from the Nano to shift register A and from one of the pins of this chip to shift register B, and from there to shift register C. This is the only daisy chained connection. ‘Clock’ and ‘latch’ connectivity is different. These wires run from the Nano in parallel to all shift registers. On each shift register eight pins are available to drive an equal amount of leds. In my design, shift register A controls leds 1 to 8, register B controls leds 9 to 16, and register C controls leds 17 to 24. Thus, there are in fact three similar building blocks where each block consists of a shift register and 8 corresponding leds. The construction of each part / building block is described below in detail.
figure 1. Basics of the construction of the cyclotron: microcontroller, three shift registers and 24 leds. Note the connectivity of ‘data’, ‘clock’ and ‘latch’. Only ‘data’ is daisy chained; ‘clock’ and ‘latch’ are parallel.
1 x Arduino Nano
1 x spinning disc 110 mm diameter
1 x soldering board 80×60 mm
24 x 3.3V led (any color)
3 x 16 pin chip socket
3 x 74HC595 shift register
24 x 560 Ω resistor
3 x 8 pin female pin header
1 x 4 pin female pin header (GND)
3 x 8 pin male pin header
2x 16-pin connector type 3.5-16P (one cut in half to get a 3.5-8P)
8 x spacers 25 mm long
1 x acrylic photo stand
The disc (figure 2) consists of a cardboard carrier disc diameter 110 mm with a nylon spinner glued on its front. The spinner is just for decoration. With a small pin 24 series of equidistant holes were made along the outer edge of the cardboard disk to accommodate the anode and cathode pins of the leds. On the back of the disc all cathode led pins were soldered to a single copper wire (common GND). The anode pins of each group of 8 leds were soldered to wires recovered from a piece of 8-wire UTP network cable: leds 1 through 8 with blue – blue/white – orange – orange/white – green – green/white – brown – brown/white wires.
figure 2. The cyclotron disc, front and back, made of cardboard and a plastic spinner. It carries 24 leds.
The completed disk has 25 wires coming from it: 8 group ‘A’ wires (cathodes of leds 1 through 8), 8 group ‘B’ wires (cathodes of leds 9 through 16), 8 group ‘C’ wires (cathodes of leds 17 through 24), and one common GND wire (standard color: black). The disc has a wooden strip glued to it (visible in fig. 10) that fits a ‘receptacle’ piece of plastic glued to the acrylic photostand that holds also the cyclotron ‘engine.
Cyclotron ‘engine’ and its building blocks
The cyclotron engine consists of a board on which are mounted one Arduino Nano, three 74HC595 shift register chips, 24 resistors and the pin headers for output connectivity. For the sake of convenience the 74HC595s are mounted on chip sockets. A Nano was selected as the Arduino microcontroller to keep the form factor of the cyclotron engine as compact as possible.
74HC595 shift register chip
A standard 74HC595 chip has 16 pins (figure 3) of which eight are to be connected with leds while the other pins serve various vital functions: power, GND, data, clock, latch. Throughout the project I used the following color coding in the diagrams and for the actual wiring:
‘data’ — green
‘clock’ — yellow
‘latch’ — white
5V — red
GND — black
Group A: wires from engine (shift register A) to disc connector: magenta
Group B: wires from engine (shift register B) to disc connector: brown
Group C: wires from engine (shift register C) to disc connector: grey
Figure 3 shows that the ‘top’ of the chip is recognizable by a notch. To improve the recognizability of the top I put a drop of white paint next to the notch.
figure 3. Pictures of a 74HC595 shift register chip from above. On the left the official designation of the pins; on the right the connectivity. Connection of serial In (data) is with pin 11 of he Nano. RCK (latch) is connected with pin 8 of the Nano, and the clock pin of the shift register with pin 12 of the Nano. Connectivity according to common practice in the shift register ‘community’; however, pin selection on the Nano is not critical.
The pins of the chip are numbered counterclockwise from the top (in top view – remember that during soldering one continuously works on the sockets in bottom view!) 1 through 16. These pins are by some manufacturers indicated with letter combinations. Numbers nor letters are printed on the chip. According to the manufacturer’s info sheet, pins QA through QH are the output pins that must be connected via resistors with the anodes of the leds, usually 470 or 560 ohm resistors. The relative high resistance is required to limit the current load of the chip. According to the manufacturer the output current of a 74HC595 shift register may not exceed 70 mA. For each pin with all pins set ‘high’ this means 70/8= approximately 9 mA. One single pin may not draw more current than 35 mA. The relatively high value of the resistors thus limits power output and makes it safe to operate one shift register with 8 leds all burning at the same time. The datasheet refers to the 74HC595 as an “8-bit serial-in, serial or parallel-out shift register with output latches; 3-state.” In other words, you can use it to control 8 outputs at a time while only taking up a few pins on your microcontroller. The “serial output” part of this component comes from its extra pin (pin 16, or QH’) which can pass the serial data information received from the microcontroller out again unchanged. This feature underlies the daisy chaining of several shift registers.
Wiring the cyclotron engine
A big challenge in this project was to construct a cyclotron engine with the smallest manageable footprint. The layout of the components on the board is provided in figure 4. To achieve the desired small form factor a 80×60 mm double-sided soldering board was selected. Boards of this type have 27×22 perforations. First I determined the relative position of the Nano and the sockets for the three shift registers, reserving space for resistors and (female) pin headers. These pin headers add some flexibility. A design with pin headers allows easy montage and decoupling of engine and disk and prepares the project for future mounting of differently designed discs.
figure 4. Positioning of the main components on the mounting board: Nano, and three 16-pin sockets with each a 74HC595 shift register: A, B and C. The yellow arrow indicates the orientation. Dimensions of the board are 60 mm width, 80 mm long (22×27 perforations).
figure 5. Wiring of shift register A. Pins 10 and 16 of the shift register are connected to the 5V pin of the Nano, pins 8 and 13 to GND, while pins 11, 12 and 14 receive respectively the clock wire (pin 12 of the Nano), latch wire (pin 8 of the Nano) and data wire (pin 11 of the Nano). Pin 15 will drive led #1 of group A, while pins 1 through 7 will drive leds #2 through #8 of group A.
After soldering the Nano and the chip sockets in place the wire connections between the Nano and the pins of the socket for shift register A were determined. The wiring is shown in the diagram of figure 5. The wiring for shift registers B and C is similar to that for shift register A, except for the data wire, which is soldered between pin 9 of shift register A and pin 14 of shift register B. The same was repeated for shift registers B and C (figure 6).
figure 6 Wiring diagram of three shift register. Note the daisy chaining: pin 9 of shift register A is connected with pin 14 of shift register B, and pin 9 of shift register B is connected with pin 14 of shift register C.
The next step was to add groups of 8 resistors and pin headers. Resistors are necessary elements between the output pin on the shift register and the corresponding led. This resistor must be present in the anode wire of the led. Soldering a resistor on the cathode pin of the led, or using a common resistor between the led cathodes and GND, will not work.
figure 7. Top view of the completed cyclotron engine: board, Nano and three groups of identical components: shift register, resistors, pin header.
Actual construction of the cyclotron engine
After having figured out the wiring and the positioning of all components on the board the actual construction could start. The sockets for the shift registers, and the resistors and pin headers were soldered on the board group after group (A first, then B and finally C). As every group consists of one 16-pin chip socket with connections, and of 8 resistors with wires to the shift registers and its corresponding pin header, plus GND, approximately 65 connections had to be soldered on a small surface. All wires were soldered on the ‘belly’ side of the board. After the completion of each individual group the correct functioning was tested by connecting the engine to a prototyping board equipped with 8 leds. Spacers with a length of 25 mm were attached to every corner of the board, two on each corner with the board held in between: one pointing up and one pointing down. The purpose of these spacers is twofold. The four top spacers are the pylons that attach the engine to the acrylic photoframe while the bottom spacers primarily serve to protect the delicate solderwork. A transparent plastic rectangle or box may be attached on the bottom spacers after completion and testing to provide extra protection. During construction I took photographs to document progress. Figure 8 shows two production stages. The left picture was taken after the completion of the construction of the first group (A): socket, connectivity with the Nano, wires from the chip sockets to the resistors, wires from the resistors to the pin header.The right pictures shows the engine with all shift register sockets soldered, ready for connecting and initial testing.
figure 8. Bottom views of the cyclotron engine at two stages of production. Left: after completion of the first group of components, right after completion of all groups.
Wire connectivity between engine and disc
After completing and testing the engine and the disc an exciting moment arrived: connecting these two components to each other. The schematics of the wiring of each group, from their shift register on the engine to the leds on the disc, is shown in figure 9. To make life easier the schematics was created in a vector drawing program with extensive use of ‘layer’ functionality.
figure 9: Various stages of the wiring of shift register, resistors and anode wires to the leds. A: all wiring for led group A, B, same for led group B, C, same for led group C, D, all wiring superimposed.
Assembling 25 wires (3 groups plus GND) that connect the engine with the disc was a time-consuming job. During construction it was taken into mind that in the final product it should be possible to disconnect the disc from the engine without much effort to replace it with another disc. For this purpose I bought 16-pin universal connectors (type 3.5-16P) and used one complete connector (led groups B, C) and cut another connector in half (led group A) (figure 10). GND had a separate wire from the disc to the GND pin header on the engine. An advantage of the 3.5-16P type of connector is that the wires in the male connector are fastened with little screws, thus making it possible to change wires easily during test sessions.
Once the connectors had been prepared, final assembly of disc and engine on the acrylic photostand finished the job. Time to test the end product!
figure 10. Left: wires and connectors on the engine, Right: three groups of color-coded anode wires (A, B, C) soldered to the leds on the disc, just before final assembly.
figure 10. Engine and disc fully assembled on an acrylic stand, working. This is testing mode: all leds on the cyclotron switched on to embellish the photograph.
The goals of the present project were successfully achieved: constructing an Arduino Nano powered ‘engine’ with a small footprint, driving 24 leds in a circular display, with ony three output pins of the Nano engaged. To achieve this I incorporated three 74HC595 shift registers in the design. Various publications and forum discussions focus on the value of the resistor in the anode wire running to each led. This has to do with the allowed current load of the 74HC595 shift register. Reported resistor values vary between 220Ω and 560Ω. Obviously, at a ‘standard’ 220Ω the current drawn from the shift register’s pin is about 18mA. This current is not a big problem for the chip since it can handle 70 mA, and each pin is allowed 35 mA. Problems may arise when for instance all eight leds connected to one chip are lighted and 8×18 mA could be drawn (144 mA) which overloads the register with a factor 2. Conversely, a resistor in the 400-500Ω may be sufficient, and the 560Ω applied in the current design may be well within the safety limit. Another issue in discussions about shift registers is whether or not to solder a capacitor between 5V and GND on each shift register. Capacitors reduce noise in DC wires. Successful application of 100nF capacitors in multi-shift register designs have been reported. Capacitors have not been implemented in the present engine, however they may be necessary with longer daisy chains of shift registers than the modest number in the present design. While the 74HC595 can be considered a good and cheap companion to an Arduino, a disadvantage of this chip remains its limited load. If higher current loads are desired, a heavier chip like the high-current 595 driver chip such as the TPIC6C595 may be useful. Leds arranged in a circle are not a novelty. A design with 60 leds in five circular rings that require 17 pins on the Arduino is presented on YouTube (youtube.com/watch?v=RJRt94Rdzbc). User-ready devices can be found on the internet. A slick construction is for example a circular arrangement of leds named ‘Fusion Core 32’ (see youtube.com/watch?v=RIZ2wUPACvM). Complete led strips can be purchased from several manufacturers and laid out in a circular fashon. Another design found on YouTube was the Medaillon: 12 leds arranged in a circular fashion and directly driven by a PIC16F628A chip (youtube.com/watch?v=vNmzvsnXBAw). Sophisticated, 12, 24 of 60 led RGB Neopixel rings are presented by Adafruit (adafruit.com/?q=neopixel&). In sum, there is ample choice in user-ready circular led devices. However, the challenge, excitement and learning experience is to construct one’s own circular led arrangement.
More discussions on led arrays on the Arduino forum: forum.arduino.cc
Sketches in ZIP file
There are two sketches in the zip file: ‘cyclotron.ino’ and ‘complex_cyclotron.ino‘.
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The term charisma (//; pl. charismata, adj. charismatic) has two senses: (1) compelling attractiveness or charm that can inspire devotion in others, (2) a divinely conferred power or talent. As it regards sense 1, scholars in political science, psychology, and management reserve the term for a type of leadership that is extraordinary; in this field, the term "charisma" is used to describe a particular type of leader who uses "values-based, symbolic, and emotion-laden leader signaling.". For some theological usages the term is rendered charism, with a meaning the same as sense 2. Since the 1950s, the term has become widely used, with varying meanings, in religion, the social sciences, the media, and throughout Western societies.
The English term charisma is from the Greek χάρισμα (khárisma), which means "favor freely given" or "gift of grace". The term and its plural χαρίσματα (charismata) derive from χάρις (charis), which means "grace". Some derivatives from that root (including "grace") have similar meanings to the modern sense of personality charisma, such as "filled with attractiveness or charm", "kindness", "to bestow a favor or service", or "to be favored or blessed". Moreover, the ancient Greek dialect widely used in Roman times employed these terms without the connotations found in modern religious usage. Ancient Greeks applied personality charisma to their gods; for example, attributing charm, beauty, nature, human creativity or fertility to goddesses they called Charites (Χάριτες).
Theologians and social scientists have expanded and modified the original Greek meaning into the two distinct senses above. For ease of reference, we will call the first sense personality charisma and the second divinely conferred charisma.
The meaning of charisma has become greatly diffused from its original divinely conferred meaning, and even from the personality charisma meaning in modern English dictionaries, which reduces to a mixture of charm and status. John Potts, who has extensively analyzed the term's history, sums up meanings beneath this diffused common usage.
Contemporary charisma maintains, however, the irreducible character ascribed to it by Weber: it retains a mysterious, elusive quality. Media commentators regularly describe charisma as the 'X-factor'. …The enigmatic character of charisma also suggests a connection – at least to some degree – to the earliest manifestations of charisma as a spiritual gift.
Divinely conferred charismaEdit
The Hebrew Bible and the Christian Bible record the development of divinely conferred charisma. In the Hebrew text the idea of charismatic leadership is generally signaled by the use of the noun hen (favor) or the verb hanan (to show favor). The Greek term for charisma (grace or favor), and its root charis (grace) replaced the Hebrew terms in the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible (the 3rd century BC Septuagint). Throughout, "the paradigmatic image of the charismatic hero is the figure who has received God's favor". In other words, divinely conferred charisma applied to highly revered figures.
Thus, Eastern Mediterranean Jews in the 1st century CE had notions of charis and charisma that embraced the range of meanings found in Greek culture and the spiritual meanings from the Hebrew Bible. From this linguistic legacy of fused cultures, in 1 Corinthians, Paul the Apostle introduced the meaning that the Holy Spirit bestowed charism and charismata, "the gift of God's grace", upon individuals or groups. For Paul, "[t]here is a clear distinction between charisma and charis; charisma is the direct result of divine charis or grace".
In the New Testament Epistles, Paul refers to charisma or its plural charismata seven times in 1 Corinthians, written in Koine (or common) Greek around 54 CE. He elaborates on his concepts with six references in Romans (c. 56). He makes 3 individual references in 2 Corinthians (c. 56), 1 Timothy, and 2 Timothy (c. 62 – c. 67). The seventeenth and only other mention of charisma is in 1 Peter.
The gospels, written in the late first century, apply divinely conferred charisma to revered figures. Examples are accounts of Jesus' baptism and of his transfiguration, in which disciples see him as radiant with light, appearing together with Moses and Elijah. Another example is Gabriel's greeting to Mary as "full of grace". In these and other instances early Christians designated certain individuals as possessing "spiritual gifts", and these gifts included "the ability to penetrate the neighbour to the bottom of his heart and spirit and to recognize whether he is dominated by a good or by an evil spirit and the gift to help him to freedom from his demon".
Believers characterized their revered religious figures as having "a higher perfection … a special Charisma". Then, with the establishment of the Christian Church, "the old charismatic gifts and free offerings were transformed into a hierarchical sacerdotal system". The focus on the institution rather than divinely inspired individuals increasingly dominated religious thought and life, and that focus went unchanged for centuries.
Additional changes began in the 17th century when church leaders, notably in the Latin tradition, accented "individual gifts [and] particular talents imparted by God or the Holy Spirit". The 19th century brought an increasing shift in emphasis toward individual and spiritual aspects of charisma; Protestant and some Catholic theologians narrowed the concept to superlative, out-of-the-ordinary, and virtuoso gifts. Simultaneously, the term became alienated from the much wider meaning that early Christians had attached to it. Still, the narrowed term projected back to the earlier period "A systematically reflected and highly differentiated understanding of charisma was often unconsciously infused into the Scriptures and writings of the church fathers, so that these texts were no longer read through the eyes of the authors".
These dialectic meanings influenced notable changes in Pentecostalism in the late 19th century, and charismatic movements in some mainline churches in the mid-20th century. The discussion in the 21st Century Religion section explores what charisma means in these and other religious groups.
The basis for modern secular usage comes from German sociologist Max Weber. He discovered the term in the work of Rudolph Sohm, a German church historian whose 1892 Kirchenrecht was immediately recognized in Germany as an epoch-making work. It also stimulated a debate between Sohm and leading theologians and religion scholars, which lasted more than twenty years and stimulated a rich polemical literature. The debate and literature had made charisma a popular term when Weber used it in The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism and in his Sociology of Religion. Perhaps because he assumed that readers already understood the idea, Weber's early writings lacked definition or explanation of the concept. In the collection of his works, Economy and Society edited by his wife, he identified the term as a prime example of action he labeled "value-rational," in distinction from and opposition to action he labeled "Instrumentally rational." Because he applied meanings for charisma similar to Sohm, who had affirmed the purely charismatic nature of early Christianity, Weber's charisma would have coincided with the divinely conferred charisma sense defined above in Sohm's work.
Weber introduced the personality charisma sense when he applied charisma to designate a form of authority. To explain charismatic authority he developed his classic definition:
Charisma is a certain quality of an individual personality by virtue of which he is set apart from ordinary men and treated as endowed with supernatural, superhuman, or at least specifically exceptional powers or qualities. These as such are not accessible to the ordinary person, but are regarded as of divine origin or as exemplary, and on the basis of them the individual concerned is treated as a leader.
Here Weber extends the concept of charisma beyond supernatural to superhuman and even to exceptional powers and qualities. He then indicates that followers endow the individual with powers, regard these powers as of divine origin or just exemplary, and treat him as a leader. In another passage, Weber emphasizes that "the recognition on the part of those subject to authority" is decisive for the validity of charisma. In other words, charisma can only be that which believers recognize as charismatic in those they treat as such.
Weber died in 1920 leaving "disordered, fragmentary manuscripts without even the guidance of a plan or table of the proposed contents". One unfinished manuscript contained his above quoted definition of charisma. It took over a quarter century for his work to be translated into English. With regard to charisma, Weber's formulations are generally regarded as having revived the concept from its deep theological obscurity. However, even with the admirable translations and prefaces of his entire works, many scholars have found Weber's formulations ambiguous. For the past half-century they have debated the meaning of many Weberian concepts, including the meaning of charisma, the role of followers, and the degree of a supernatural component. Although sociologists have been most active in applying Weber's ideas, researchers in management and organizational behavior including John Antonakis and his colleagues, have reignited interest in charisma with respect to defining the term in unambiguous ways, finding ways to experimentally manipulate charisma, and to estimate the causal effects of charisma on performance outcomes in work and political settings.
- New Oxford American Dictionary, edited by Angus Stevenson and Christine A. Lindberg. Oxford University Press, 2010.
- Burns, J. M. (1978). Leadership. New York: Harper & Row.
- Downton, J. V. (1973). Rebel leadership: Commitment and charisma in the revolutionary process. New York: The Free Press.
- Bass, B. M. (1985). Leadership and performance beyond expectations. New York: The Free Press.
- House, R. J. (1977). A 1976 Theory of Charismatic Leadership. In J. G. Hunt & L. L. Larson (Eds.), The Cutting Edge (pp. 189–207). Carbondale: Southern Illinois: University Press.
- Antonakis, J., Fenley, M., & Liechti, S. (2011). Can Charisma Be Taught? Tests of Two Interventions. The Academy of Management Learning and Education, 10(3), 374–396.http://doi.org/10.5465/amle.2010.0012
- Antonakis, J., Bastardoz, N., Jacquart, P., & Shamir, B. 2016. Charisma: An Ill-Defined and Ill-Measured Gift. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 3(1): 293-319. http://dx.doi.org/10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-041015-062305
- Oxford Dictionary of English, edited by Angus Stevenson. Oxford University Press, 2010.
- "charisma" in Oxford English Dictionary, second edition. 1989.
- Beekes, Robert. Etymological Dictionary of Greek. Brill, 2010, p. 1607.
- Ebertz, Michael N. "Charisma" in Religion Past & Present. edited by Hans Dieter Betz, et al., Brill, 2007, p. 493.
- Potts, John. A History of Charisma. Palgrave Macmillan, 2010, p.3
- Scheper, George L. "Charisma" in Encyclopedia of Religion edited by Lindsay Jones. Macmillan Reference USA, 2005, v 3, p. 1545.
- Potts, John. A History of Charisma. PalgraveMacMillan, 2009, p.15.
- Potts, 2009, pp. 36–37
- Scheper, 2005, p. 1549
- Potts, 2009, pp. 23, 37, 43, 45.
- New Catholic Encyclopedia. Thomson/Gale, 2003, v. 3, p. 389.
- Benz, Ernst Wilhelm. "The Roles of Christianity" in The new Encyclopædia Britannica, v. 16, 1986, p. 306.
- Troeltsch, Ernst. The Social Teachings of the Christian Churches, translated by Olive Wyon. Allen and Unwin, v. 1, 1911/1931, pp. 99, 109.
- Morse, William and Mary Morse. Harper's Dictionary of Contemporary Usage. Harper and Row, 1985, p. 110.
- Ebertz, 2007, pp. 493–94.
- Baumert, N. "'Charisma' – Versuch einer Sprachregelung." ThPh 66, 1991, p. 22. Quoted in Ebertz, 2007, p. 495
- Sohm, Rudolf. Kirchenrecht. Leipzig: Duncher & Humblot, 1892.
- Smith, David Norman. "Faith, Reason, and Charisma: Rudolf Sohm, Max Weber, and the Theology of Grace," Sociological Inquiry, 68:1 pp. 32–60, 1998, p. 37.
- Weber, Max (1968). Economy and Society. Bedminster Press. pp. 24–25.
- Scheper, 2005, p. 1544.
- Weber, Max. The Theory of Social and Economic Organization, translated by A. M. Henderson and Talcott Parsons. Free Press, 1924/1947, pp. 328, 358ff.
- Weber, Max. 1947, p. 359
- Worsley, Peter. The Trumpet Shall Sound. Schocken, 1968, p. xii.
- MacRae, Donald G. Max Weber. Viking, 1974, p. 101.
- "Max Weber" in Dictionary of the Social Sciences, edited by Craig Calhoun. Oxford University Press. 2002.
- Turner, Stephen. "Charisma Reconsidered," pp. 5–26 in Journal of Classical Sociology, 3:5, 2003, p. 6.
- Hunt, Sonja M. 1984. "The Role of Leadership in the Construction of Reality," pp. 157–178 in Leadership Multidisciplinary Perspectives, edited by Barbara Kellerman. Prentice-Hall, 1984, p. 161.
- Geertz, Clifford.. "Centers, Kings, and Charisma: Reflections on the Symbolics of Power," in Culture and Its Creators edited by Ben-David J. Clark. University of Chicago Press, pp. 150–171, 1977, p. 150.
- Worsley, Peter. 1968.
- Rustow, Dankwart A. "The Study of Leadership." Philosophers and Kings: Studies in Leadership, edited by Dankwart A. Rustow. Braziller, 1970, pp. 10–16.
- Jan Willem Stutje (ed.), Charismatic Leadership and Social Movements: The Revolutionary Power of Ordinary Men and Women. Berghahn Books, 2012.
- Jacquart, P. & Antonakis, J. 2015. When does charisma matter for top-level leaders? Effect of attributional ambiguity. Academy of Management Journal, 58: 1051-1074. http://dx.doi.org/10.5465/amj.2012.0831
|Look up charisma in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.|
- Let's face it: Charisma matters from TEDx
- The X-Factors of Success from Psychology Today
- Max Weber and Charisma
- Charisma by Thomas Robbin in the Encyclopedia of Religion and Society, edited by William H. Swatos: ISBN 0-7619-8956-0
- Toward a Theory of the Routinization of Charisma—April 1972
- The Science of Savoir Faire
- Charismatic Cults on BBC Four in Thinking Allowed 26 January 2005 Wednesday 16.00–16.30 presented Laurie Taylor, press on "Listen Again"
- Article: "Moses, Charisma, and Covenant"
- The Character of Charisma
- "The Charisma Mandate" from The New York Times (February 17, 2008)
- Charm School: Scholars Unpack the Secrets of Charisma, and Suggest the Elusive Quality Can Be Taught by Mark Oppenheimer from The Boston Globe, July 20, 2008
- Bible Verses and the Church Fathers on Speaking in Tongues
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An innovative educational approach showcasing sustainability to the students.
Suzanne Cory High School is one of two new selective entry schools in outer Melbourne. The design challenge was to create an exceptional learning environment for the area's elite students, which also acted as an environmental learning resource. As ESD consultants and Building Services Engineers, Cundall collaborated with Brand Architecture to create not only a building that reduced its impact on the environment, but also demonstrated sustainable design in action.
The design was influenced by visibility. Engineering solutions are often hidden away within the buildings, where the occupants are not aware of the many systems that are creating the comfortable environment they were in. This was not the case with Suzanne Cory High School. The 3-layer EFTE roof system, which covers the central agora of the building, dramatically alters daylight and heat gain by inflating and deflating its pillows. Stormwater is visibly collected by open stormwater paths with treatment via bio-swales and ponds that double as a teaching resource. Extensive BMS for environmental control, data collection and display of building services to use as a teaching resource. Tempered air is distributed via earth covered thermal labyrinths, which in addition to having their entry grates exposed, also have portholes to view the fan systems. Instead of being hidden away, the earth mounded labyrinths are adjacent to the major outdoor court, supporting tiered seating and wind protection.
By surrounding the students with cutting edge sustainable design solutions that can been seen whilst learning, this will hopefully inspire students to use innovation and technology in problem solving in their current and future studies and create the next generation of engineers. A further demonstration of its environmental credentials has been the school achieving a 5-Star Green Star Education V1 rating.
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The anal sphincter is a muscle, and it is one of a unique group in the body because it is a sphincter.
Most muscles are attached to bones, via tendons, at one or both ends. They act to produce movement in a particular direction across a joint.
Sphincters are little circles of muscle that are tethered in place by tough connective tissue, and control the access between one part of the body or another, as is the case with the anal sphincter.
When we speak of tone in muscles in a medical sense, it refers to what proportion of the muscle fibres are active at a given time.
Even when relaxed, a few fibres will be working, especially in sphincter muscles. All muscles have a resting tone, which is a measure of how many fibres are active when the muscle is otherwise at rest.
Most sphincters are controlled by the autonomic nervous system, meaning they are not consciously controlled, but the anal sphincter is an unusual case as we have developed a certain amount of control over it when we are potty trained as children.
One cause of hemorrhoids is a high resting tone in the anal sphincter.
If it is more tense than usual, this will increase the pressure it exerts on the blood vessels surrounding the rectum.
This pressure makes it harder for blood to flow easily through those blood vessels. This, in turn, can promote the development ofhemorrhoids – the more blood there is in the veins around the rectum, the more swollen the veins will tend to get.
Over time, as the particular nature of the spongy tissue around the rectum makes the veins especially vulnerable to such damage, the veins get distended out of their normal shape and become hemorrhoids.
Causes of the increased resting tone
There are many causes of an increased resting tone in the anal sphincter, which depends mainly on how many nerve signals the muscles receive from the autonomic nervous system.
This will vary particularly with stress or local trauma, but also can be affected by other conditions like pregnancy, thyroid problems, anything that causes chronic or acute pain and so on.
Posture will also have an influence on the resting tone of muscles throughout the body.
What can you do to reduce resting tone?
That’s hard to say, although conscious relaxation will be important.
Warm baths will also help a tense muscle unwind, and you should avoid putting extra stress on the area.
Regular bowel movements will aid this, so if you are suffering from constipation or diarrhoea, it’s worth getting that sorted out too.
But above all, not worrying too much about it – anal sphincter tone has a relatively small effect on hemorrhoid development.
The more you fret over it, the higher it’s likely to get, so you’ll be much better off focusing on other causes of hemorrhoids that are easy to influence.
Main write by Dr. James D. Hogg, (BSc Oxon, MBBS & BA Hons), medical doctor, and minor rewrite by D S Urquhart.
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Submitted by admin on Fri, 11/07/2014 - 16:37
JALA (Jaringan Nelayan / Fishers Network)
RT.3 Pulau Derawan
, Kalimantan Timur
2° 19' 52.644" N, 117° 56' 54.6684" E
Describe the problem:
Community in Tanjung Batu village decided to take action when blast fishing grew worse without any legal consequences. Although the practice is banned in fishery law, the enforcement is poor with the classic excuse: insufficient budget. The overwhelmed fishers planned to have mass demonstration in 2010 to get serious attention from the government. Fortunately, the plan backfired into something good; the fishers realized it was better to work together rather than conduct a mass demonstration which could lead to anarchy. The fishers established JALA (Jaringan Nelayan/English: Fishers Network), a community organization for stewarding the marine waters of Tanjung Batu village from illegal fishing activities. JALA organizes regular patrol activity which includes law enforcement officers.
By using this patrol scheme, the marine area of Tanjung Batu village has been well protected and fishers can go fishing nearby using sustainable techniques such as hook and line or net. This environment state has raised fishers’ awareness regarding coral reef ecosystem and they wanted to do more for environmental improvement. After enjoying a year of significant success of the patrol initiative, JALA decided to expand its achievement by proposing community-based Marine Protected Area (MPA). The proposed MPA stretches approximately 250 ha northeast of the village, and the initiative had been discussed with local government, law enforcers, and other stakeholders. The MPA initiative is now in the process of becoming village regulation, which means the MPA will be recognized by law (de jure). Furthermore, JALA is eager to learn about monitoring of resource use in Tanjung Batu waters, in order to develop biodiversity database which can be used for measuring the ecosystem health and for developing future management.
Human Well Being and Livelihood Impact:
Fishers of Tanjung Batu need no travel far for fishing. Although there is no scientific data, however the fishers feel that their profit is improving due to the low capital for the fishing operation. Fish that previously had become rare to see, such as groupers, have become common harvest anymore. Three middlemen even can get better profit by tagging his products as environmentally friendly. Beneficiaries of the improving condition are also experienced by recreational fishers. As the fish stock has increased, so has the recreational fishers. On weekend, Tanjung Batu waters are full with recreational fishers from Indonesia and even Malaysia. Villagers of Tanjung Batu gain additional income upon this by renting fishing boat, providing accommodation, opening convenience store, etc. Furthermore, few of the illegal fishers from neighboring village have also gained advantage by renting their fishing boat and decided to stop practicing illegal fishing. Although the number of the converted fishers is unknown however it is hoped that more fishers will follow the footsteps. In the other hand, law enforcers are proud in taking part on community welfare, which could give positive perception to their corps. In addition, communication amongst community, local government, and law enforcers has evolved into equal partnership; no voice is unheard. Fishers and middlemen are the direct beneficiaries of the patrol initiative. According to 2009 population statistic data, their numbers are around 908 while total inhabitant of Tanjung Batu village is 2,641 from 723 households.// As an organization, the fishers have learned to organize themselves and to share responsibility. JALA consists of three departments i.e. hook and line fishers, stationary lift net (Indonesian: bagan) fishers, and patrol. Additional department has been added recently, monitoring. Within these departments fishers learn about public speaking, presenting, organizing activities including meeting with other stakeholders, making report, etc. The patrol itself is a practice of management. JALA has to manage the available funding for providing fuel, where the price is inconsistent in Berau district, and other logistic. JALA has also to manage the confidentiality of the patrol activity as past experience showed the leaked schedule caused the illegal fishers switched their time of activities. As JALA plans to develop an MPA, management aspect of JALA’s works will be add up. JALA will learn how to manage the MPA in form of rules and regulations. In governance aspect, JALA has succeeded in bringing together all enforcement elements into monthly patrol activity. JALA has gained trust and support from the police, army, navy, and local government and has become important stakeholders for fishery issues in Tanjung Batu village. Since the establishment of JALA and its patrol initiative are relatively new, there has been no replication applied so far. However the success story is starting to be heard to other villages within Berau district, and there were requests for knowledge sharing by few villages.
How many years has your solution been applied? 1 year // Have others reproduced your solution elsewhere? No // JALA organizes monthly patrol activity using available local resources. For the patrol boat, JALA uses boat of Berau Marine Affairs and Fisheries Service; while for financing the patrol, JALA collects money from its members. Realizing community do not have authority in arresting illegal fishers, JALA asked law enforcement officers to participate in the patrol. After all, patrol is part of the law enforcement work. The whole activity is financed by fishers of Tanjung Batu. No specific amount is charged to each individual, everything is voluntarily based. JALA hopes that its success can convince government and even private sectors to support. Meanwhile JALA will also try to carry out fundraising activity by selling merchandise.
The community-patrol initiative has succeeded in decreasing illegal fishing practices within Tanjung Batu waters. Although there is no study for comparing the situation before and after the patrol existed, however no further complaints from fishers have arisen. Fishers can go fishing around their village, knowing their resource is protected and they can harvest sustainably. This state of situation was reached after two illegal fishers were convicted into one and half year of prison. During the sixth month of the patrol initiative, the team caught two illegal fishers in Tanjung Batu waters. The evidences were sufficient enough to bring the violators to court. Before JALA establishment, illegal fishers could escape court trial due to the strong back-up from their patron. The patron has power in the government as well as money. However in this case, JALA managed to put social pressure to law enforcers. No bail was set and for the first time the patron could not use his power. JALA safeguarded the legal process from the arrestment period to the court trial at the district capital; which proved very effective. Apparently this case acted as shock therapy for everybody involved. Minority of Tanjung Batu villagers who practice illegal fishing can be suppressed into none; and, of course, illegal fishers from outside are reluctant to conduct any illegal fishing practice within Tanjung Batu waters. // The patrol safeguards Tanjung Batu village area covering 44,274 ha; while the proposed MPA covers approximately 250 ha.
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The Clean Water Here social media campaign culminated on March 22, 2017 – UN World Water Day, to help people understand the nature and scope of the global water crisis by promoting safe drinking water in the United States.
World Water Day is coordinated by UN-Water and the 2017 campaign was led by UN Environment, UN-HABITAT, United Nations University and the World Health Organization.
As part of the initiative, dignitaries, celebrities and the public lent their own social media voices to create the largest U.S. clean drinking water social media campaign in history.
“People have the mistaken belief that the need for safe drinking water only exists in the developing world,” said Lani Dolifka, the creator of Clean Water Here. “We wanted to draw attention to the thousands of people living in this country who still do not have adequate drinking water,” added Dolifka, who also serves as CEO of Watermill Express, the largest drive-up pure drinking water company in the United States. “The recent crisis in Flint Michigan changed all that, which is why we promoted UN World Water Day by highlighting the need for safe drinking water here at home.”
A proud Founding Partner of Clean Water Here, Watermill Express has been providing a sustainable alternative for clean, affordable drinking water in the United States for over 30 years.
Clean Water Here co-creator David Clark is also the founder of Water Now, which in 2015 and 2016 was the largest celebration of UN World Water Day around the world. The combined social-media voice of Water Now exceeded one and a half billion people with supporters who included Lady Gaga, Ryan Seacrest, Pharrell Williams, Alicia Keys, Pitbull, Britney Spears, Fergie, Justin Bieber, Maroon 5, One Direction, along with the United Nations, World Vision and Sesame Street.
“Watermill Express is the ideal Founding Partner for Clean Water Here because it is a leading solution to the domestic water crisis,” said Clark.
For more info visit:
Founded by Watermill Express CEO Lani Dolifka, Clean Water Here promotes the need for safe drinking water in the United States. Research indicates that out-of-date plumbing, sometimes over 100 years old is delivering water through pipes that often leak contaminants into the water. In addition, old-fashioned water treatment facilities may not always address 21st-century contaminants like pesticides, industrial chemicals and arsenic. So who is most likely to be drinking this water that is known to cause disease – the poorest and most vulnerable among us. Clean Water Here is dedicated to educating the public about this important issue. For more information visit cleanwaterhere.org.
Clean Water Here founding partner Watermill Express is the largest drive-up pure drinking water company in the U.S. and the green alternative to prepackaged water. Watermill Express customers reuse their own clean containers to reduce pollution from single-use plastic water bottles. Founded in 1984, Watermill Express supports causes that promote the health and welfare of children and families. For more information visit watermillexpress.com
World Water Day has been observed since 1993 when the United Nations General Assembly declared March 22 as the annual “World Day for Water.” Coordinated by UN Water in support of the 193 member nations of the UN, this day is devoted to implementing recommendations and promoting concrete activities within their countries regarding the world’s water resources. In addition to the UN member states, a number of NGOs promoting clean water leverage World Water Day as a time to focus public attention on the critical water issues facing the world. For more information visit worldwaterday.org
Gallery of Select Celebrity Posts:
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Defect in non-coding DNA could cause brain disorders like severe language impairment
Tuesday, 21 March 2017
Genetic variation in the non-coding DNA may contribute to language impairments in children and other neurodevelopmental disorders including schizophrenia, autism and bipolar disorder, an international team of scientists has found.
Work by researchers from Oxford Brookes University and Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics and Radboud University both in The Netherlands, has been published today (14 March) in the Molecular Psychiatry journal.
The human genome is made up of three billion letters of DNA and at each position it is possible to have different letters, called variants. Some variants are harmless but others can be detrimental, making it a mammoth talk to find out which variants cause a disorder.
Researchers often choose to search only the 1-2% of the genome that carries the information to make proteins. While this has been successful for a few disorders, most neurodevelopmental disorders are still largely unexplained, making it clear that looking elsewhere in the genome is necessary.
Developmental language disorders are very common in the population and run in families, but yet we have little idea of the genetic variants that contribute to such disorders.
This project was particularly interesting as it allowed us to look at regions that are usually ignored in genetic sequencing studies. The findings represent a proof of principle and will help us to understand how gene regulation may contribute to speech and language disorders.Dianne Newbury, Senior Lecturer in Medical Genetics and Genomics, Oxford Brookes University
“The remaining 98% of the genome offers a lot of untapped potential to find changes that can cause disorders,” Co-author of the study Paolo Devanna from Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics explains.
“These parts of the genome are known as ‘non-coding’, but that doesn’t mean that they are not important. They have very vital jobs to do, for example, to control when, where and how much protein in made.
“So if this process gets messed up, it could have severe consequences, like neurodevelopmental disorders.”
For this reason, Paolo and his colleagues decided to look at the so called 3’UTRome – part of the non-coding genome that regulates how much protein is made.
Searching for causes of language impairment
To test this approach, the researchers worked with Dianne Newbury at Oxford Brookes University to look at the DNA of children with severe language problems. The samples used for part of the SLI Consortium project in which Dianne is a lead researcher.
Her research group is based in the Biomedical Science Department in the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences at Oxford Brookes, she said:
“Developmental language disorders are very common in the population and run in families, but yet we have little idea of the genetic variants that contribute to such disorders.
“This project was particularly interesting as it allowed us to look at regions that are usually ignored in genetic sequencing studies. The findings represent a proof of principle and will help us to understand how gene regulation may contribute to speech and language disorders.”
The researchers tested the impact of each 3’UTRome variant on the expression of the candidate genes for languages impairment. One of the variants has a significant effect on the expression of a gene known as ARHGEF39.
“If a cell carries this single letter change in the 3’UTRome, they express more ARHGEF39. We were very excited by this finding because this is the first time we have found a variant associated with specific language impairment that we can show has a clear biological effect.” continued Paolo.
Given this success, the researchers went on to explore the 3’UTRome in other neurodevelopmental disorders. They identified 25 further genetic changes in the DNA of individuals with autism, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder that are thought to control protein levels in the same way.
Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) like schizophrenia, autism and bipolar disorders encompass a wide range of disabilities associated with the functioning of the brain. Severe NDDs are currently known to affect approximately 5% of the population, making understanding their causes and in turn, their possible treatments an important area of study.
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An inspiring area within the Walled Garden, heaving with fruit, vegetables and cutting flowers. Beautifully laid out in a classic Victorian design.
This was the original "top ground" or upper kitchen garden, with the current layout developed in the 1990's. A classic Victorian design is used with two cross paths bounded by a perimeter path producing four central beds and a series of borders at the base of the surrounding walls. The central beds are the main growing areas for annual crops and operate on a four course rotation of potatoes, brassicas (cabbage family), legumes (pea family) and salads and root crops. The potato quarter is manured and double-dug each year as it moves around the rotation. The wall borders accommodate perennial crops with soft fruit in the westernmost; asparagus, rhubarb, seakale, and globe artichokes etc in the easterly; and auriculas, lily of the valley and cordon currants and gooseberries in the southern.
The warm, south facing border is reserved for bringing on early
spring crops, heat lovers like herbs for summer, then late crops in
the autumn. The central flower border was a common feature of the
Victorian Garden layout, being both decorative and another source
of material for the voracious demands of the house. At West Dean it
is known as the "hot border" with its full pomp of scarlet
crocosmia, orange dahlia and yellow kniphofia in mid-summer.
The pear tunnel and the espaliered apples and pears at the rear of the border give height and structure to the site in the early part of the year.
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From Wikipedia – The free encyclopedia
Groundwater is water located beneath the ground surface in soil pore spaces and in the fractures of rock formations. A unit of rock or an unconsolidated deposit is called an aquifer when it can yield a usable quantity of water. The depth at which soil pore spaces or fractures and voids in rock become completely saturated with water is called the water table. Groundwater is recharged from, and eventually flows to, the surface naturally; natural discharge often occurs at springs and seeps, and can form oases or wetlands. Groundwater is also often withdrawn for agricultural, municipal and industrial use by constructing and operating extraction wells. The study of the distribution and movement of groundwater is hydrogeology, also called groundwater hydrology.
Typically, groundwater is thought of as liquid water flowing through shallow aquifers, but technically it can also include soil moisture, permafrost (frozen soil), immobile water in very low permeability bedrock, and deep geothermal or oil formation water. Groundwater is hypothesized to provide lubrication that can possibly influence the movement of faults. It is likely that much of the Earth‘s subsurface contains some water, which may be mixed with other fluids in some instances. Groundwater may not be confined only to the Earth. The formation of some of the landforms observed on Mars may have been influenced by groundwater. There is also evidence that liquid water may also exist in the subsurface of Jupiter‘s moon Europa.
Groundwater makes up about twenty percent of the world’s fresh water supply, which is about 0.61% of the entire world’s water, including oceans and permanent ice. Global groundwater storage is roughly equal to the total amount of freshwater stored in the snow and ice pack, including the north and south poles. This makes it an important resource which can act as a natural storage that can buffer against shortages of surface water, as in during times ofdrought.
Issues with groundwater
Certain problems have beset the use of groundwater around the world. Just as river waters have been over-used and polluted in many parts of the world, so too have aquifers. The big difference is that aquifers are out of sight. The other major problem is that water management agencies, when calculating the ‘sustainable yield’ of aquifer and river water, have often counted the same water twice, once in the aquifer, and once in its connected river.
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Jews are neither occupiers nor illegal settlers in Israel or Judea and Samaria (West Bank)!
Jews existed there in ancient times, long before Islam or Christianity. Even the word „Palestine“ is a derivative of a Hebrew word: „Peleshet“. It was first used in the Septuagint (“Greek Old Testament“), and merely denotes a geographical area without reference to any specific group of people. After the banishment of the Jews, the provinces of Judea and Galilee were renamed Palestine by the Romans in order to erase Jewish history.
Thus, a singular Palestinian people is an invention originating from a foreign source. The Palestinian people as we know it today was invented in 1967. Before then, there was no Palestinian language, no independent Palestinian culture, no Palestinian state and no Palestinian people. There were only people of different faiths and ethnic backgrounds who were united merely by the fact that they lived in a geographical area called Palestine. Until the mid-20th century, the designation „Palestinian“ was actually a synonym for „Jew“! In the forties of the previous century, there was a Palestinian orchestra in Jerusalem, whose members, without exception, were Jews. So how could it happen that a Palestinian nation is now characterized as non-Jewish?
To clarify this question one must first remember that the greater part of Palestine lies in present-day Jordan. Palestine also includes Golan, the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, along with areas of Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Present day Israel makes up only a very small part of Palestine. Whether they are Jordanians, Israelis, Arabs, Jews, Christians or Muslims, all of those living within the territory of Palestine are Palestinians. In the 20th century, the Jews were expelled from a group who then redefined themselves as “true” Palestinians.
After the First World War and the fall of the Ottoman Empire, the territory of Palestine was orphaned. After a short time, the territory was then administered by the League of Nations. All people living in the area were called Palestinians whether they were Christian, Muslim, Jewish or pagan. Today, Palestine is divided up into several different countries. However, only one country is democratic: Israel! In 1948, Israel was founded by mostly Jewish Palestinians. They believed in the establishment of a peaceful democracy in the Middle East. In the Declaration of Independence, the nation of Israel extended its hand “to all neighboring states and their peoples in an offer of peace and good neighborliness, and appeal to them to establish bonds of cooperation and mutual help with the sovereign Jewish people settled in its own land. The State of Israel is prepared to do its share in a common effort for the advancement of the entire Middle East.“
On the day on which that statement was broadcast, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq and Syria advised Arabs to leave that part of Palestine in order that their armies may annihilate the new nation and make way for a victorious return. 500.000 people left Israel, however 160,000 Arabs accepted Israel’s offer to all people within the new boundaries to remain and live free lives in democracy and self-determination. Today, about 20 percent of all Israeli citizens are Arabs with full and equal rights. The Israelis are therefore the freest Palestinians in the world!
They are the only Palestinians who have a prime minister who is elected legitimately within a democracy. Although Mahmoud Abbas was elected president of the Palestinian Authority in 2005, his legislatorial period ended on 9 January 2009. Since then, he holds no legitimate power. Jordan is a monarchy with Islam as the state religion based on Sharia law. Jordan cannot possibly be considered a democratic nation, alone for the fact that Palestinians who are not Muslims are second-class citizens according to law. In Syria, disenfranchised Palestinians are held in camps. In January 2014, the Syrian army encircled one of those camps and let the Palestinians starve. In Gaza, Hamas rules. They were elected, but right after the elections they initiated a program of state terror. Hamas prevails in Gaza without legitimacy. Nowhere are Palestinians so brutally suppressed as in Gaza. All the horror is expressed in the Hamas Charter, in which Article 7 proclaims:
„The Prophet, Allah – bless him and grant him salvation – has said: ‘The Day of Judgment will not come about until Moslems fight and kill the Jews. If a Jew will hide behind stones and trees, the stones and trees will say O Moslems, O Abdulla, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him.’“
Hamas stated that one can not be Palestinian and Jewish, just as the Nazis once claimed that it’s not possible to be Jewish and German. Hamas allows its ministers to hold speeches in the style of Joseph Goebbels. On February 28, 2010, the deputy minister of Hamas‘ Ministry of Religious Endowments, Abdallah Jarbu, reiterated Hamas’ principle views:
“Jews want to present themselves to the world as if they have rights, but, in fact, they are foreign bacteria – a microbe unparalleled in the world. It’s not me who says this. The Koran itself says that they have no parallel: ‘You shall find the strongest men in enmity to the believers to be the Jews.’ May He annihilate this filthy people who have neither religion nor conscience. I condemn whoever believes in normalizing relations with them, whoever supports sitting down with them, and whoever believes that they are human beings. They are not human beings. They are not people. They have no religion, no conscience, and no moral values.”
That speech would have made Adolph Hitler proud. Just as Hitler once wanted to “free” the German people from the Jews, there are efforts underway today to rid Palestine of Jews.
In the first half of the 20th century, there were many Jewish settlements in Europe. They were called shtetl. For the Nazis, however, these shtetl were illegal Jewish settlements that were to be destroyed along with most of the Jewish population in Europe. The Nazis declared, Jews couldn’t be Germans, by declaring it a racial identity, long after the Jews had already settled in Germany. It’s no coincidence that today Hezbollah and Hamas salute each other with outstretched arms as the Nazis did. The United Nations ignorantly looks on and the European Union even funds this madness.
Ultimately, the Nazis failed in their attempt to rid Europe of Jews. Hamas, however, has had partial successes. By the morning of September 12, 2005, every Jew was expelled from that area of Palestine called the Gaza Strip. After the last Jew crossed the Kissufim border, the event was celebrated frenetically by many Arabs with gun shots and motorcades. The abandoned synagogues were torched in a “Kristallnacht 2.0″. Soon after, intensive violence erupted between Arab klans and also between Hamas and Fatah, whereby several hundred Arab civilians lost their lives. Since the expulsion of Jews from Gaza, Israel has continuously, and even on a daily basis, been bombarded with rockets. Ever since, Gaza has been in decline on all fronts.
In the Middle East, the situation for Jews is similar now as it was in old Europe. Although Jews lived in Palestine long before there was Islam, Muslims consider Jews to be illegal settlers in the Middle East. European politicians, who share that rhetoric, have forgotten that their ancestors used the same trick to banish Jews from European cities and regions, although Jews lived in Europe before German and French identities were even invented.
„Why is it so beautiful on the Rhine?“ Jews, enjoying the local wine, asked themselves that question long before Christians and Germans even existed. Nevertheless, they were later expelled by Germans and Christians as squatters and their significance for European culture was negated. However, the Jews are the less illegal in Europe and Germany then as they are today in the Middle East. European politicians forget that fact when they repeat the rhetoric of “illegal settlers” in Judea and Galilee.
Muslims can reside anywhere in Jerusalem. They are not a barrier to peace! Jews, however, who build houses and reside in Jerusalem, are supposedly an obstacle to peace! Why that? In many countries of the world there are Jewish settlements and neighborhoods. In Germany, there are some urban neighborhoods which are predominantly Jewish, Muslim or Christian. Very few see these groups as obstacles to peace. They are seen rather as cultural assets which promote diversity, tolerance and acceptance and as embodiments of peaceful coexistence. In Cologne, there is the predominantly Muslim Keupstrasse and in Paris the Marais in the third and fourth arrondissement, a predominantly Jewish neighborhood. In Israel there are several Muslim quarters and settlements. Nearly twenty percent of Israelis are Muslims. For Israel, Muslim settlements within and without Israel are not obstacles to peace! However in the minds of many Arab extremists and a frightening number of Westerns, the very existence of Jews already represents a barrier to peace.
Jewish settlements are an obstacle to peace for those who want to be free of Jews. Quite the opposite is true; for peace with Jews, Jewish settlements are a necessary prerequisite!
Why should only the Jewish settlers be seen as illegal, but not the Arab ones? They’re not! Those who are convinced that Jewish settlers are the main problem in the Middle East should just replace the word „Jewish“ with „Muslim“, „Christian“ or „Arab“ in order to contemplate why, among all the settlers in Judea and Samaria, only the Jewish settlers should be the problem.
Mr. Obama, why do you say that there should be places in the world where Jews have no business to be, and that their very existence is illegal?
(Translation: William Wires)
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Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States.
From its Galveston, Texas origin in 1865, the observance of June 19th as the African American Emancipation Day has spread across the United States and beyond.
Today Juneteenth commemorates African American freedom and emphasizes education and achievement. It is a day, a week, and in some areas a month marked with celebrations, guest speakers, picnics and family gatherings. It is a time for reflection and rejoicing. It is a time for assessment, self-improvement and for planning the future. Its growing popularity signifies a level of maturity and dignity in America long over due. In cities across the country, people of all races, nationalities and religions are joining hands to truthfully acknowledge a period in our history that shaped and continues to influence our society today. Sensitized to the conditions and experiences of others, only then can we make significant and lasting improvements in our society.
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Computers, machines and even smart phones can process sounds and audio signals with apparent ease, but they all require significant computing power.
A brain-based pattern-recognition process that searches for familiar features in the audio spectrum improves sound recognition in computers.
Copyright : 2013 A*STAR Institute for Infocomm Research
Researchers from the A*STAR Institute for Infocomm Research in Singapore have proposed a way to improve computer audio processing by applying lessons inspired from the way the brain processes sounds.
“The method proposed in our study may not only contribute to a better understanding of the mechanisms by which the biological acoustic systems operate, but also enhance both the effectiveness and efficiency of audio processing,” comments Huajin Tang, an electrical engineer from the research team.
When listening to someone speaking in a quiet room, it is easy to identify the speaker and understand their words. While the same words spoken in a loud bar are more difficult to process, our brain is still capable of distinguishing the voice of the speaker from the background noise. Computers, on the other hand, still have considerable problems identifying complex sounds from a noisy background; even smart phones must send audio signals to a powerful centralized server for processing.
Considerable computing power at the server is required because the computer continuously processes the entire spectrum of human audio frequencies. The brain, however, analyzes information more selectively: it processes audio patterns localized in time and frequency (see image). When someone speaks with a deep voice, for example, the brain dispenses with analyzing high-pitched sounds. So when a speaker in a loud bar stops talking, the brain stops trying to catch and process the sounds that form his words.
Tang and his team emulated the brain’s sound-recognition strategy by identifying key points in the audio spectrum of a sound. These points could be characteristic frequencies in a voice or repeating patterns, such as those of an alarm bell. They analyzed the signal in more detail around these key points only, looking for familiar audio frequencies as well as time patterns. This analysis enabled a robust extraction of matching signals when a noise was present. To improve the detection over time, the researchers fed matching frequency patterns into a neurological algorithm that mimics the way the brain learns through the repetition of known patterns.
In computer experiments, the algorithm successfully processed known target signals, even in the presence of noise. Expanding this approach, says Tang, “could lead to a greater understanding of the way the brain processes sound; and, beyond that, it could also include touch, vision and other senses.”
Dennis, J., Yu, Q., Tang, H., Tran, H. D. & Li, H. Temporal coding of local spectrogram features for robust sound recognition. 2013 IEEE International Conference on Acoustics, Speech and Signal Processing, 26–31 May 2013.
Bergamotene - alluring and lethal for Manduca sexta
21.04.2017 | Max-Planck-Institut für chemische Ökologie
How to color a lizard: From biology to mathematics
13.04.2017 | Université de Genève
An international team of scientists has proposed a new multi-disciplinary approach in which an array of new technologies will allow us to map biodiversity and the risks that wildlife is facing at the scale of whole landscapes. The findings are published in Nature Ecology and Evolution. This international research is led by the Kunming Institute of Zoology from China, University of East Anglia, University of Leicester and the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research.
Using a combination of satellite and ground data, the team proposes that it is now possible to map biodiversity with an accuracy that has not been previously...
Heatwaves in the Arctic, longer periods of vegetation in Europe, severe floods in West Africa – starting in 2021, scientists want to explore the emissions of the greenhouse gas methane with the German-French satellite MERLIN. This is made possible by a new robust laser system of the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT in Aachen, which achieves unprecedented measurement accuracy.
Methane is primarily the result of the decomposition of organic matter. The gas has a 25 times greater warming potential than carbon dioxide, but is not as...
Hydrogen is regarded as the energy source of the future: It is produced with solar power and can be used to generate heat and electricity in fuel cells. Empa researchers have now succeeded in decoding the movement of hydrogen ions in crystals – a key step towards more efficient energy conversion in the hydrogen industry of tomorrow.
As charge carriers, electrons and ions play the leading role in electrochemical energy storage devices and converters such as batteries and fuel cells. Proton...
Scientists from the Excellence Cluster Universe at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Munich have establised "Cosmowebportal", a unique data centre for cosmological simulations located at the Leibniz Supercomputing Centre (LRZ) of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences. The complete results of a series of large hydrodynamical cosmological simulations are available, with data volumes typically exceeding several hundred terabytes. Scientists worldwide can interactively explore these complex simulations via a web interface and directly access the results.
With current telescopes, scientists can observe our Universe’s galaxies and galaxy clusters and their distribution along an invisible cosmic web. From the...
Temperature measurements possible even on the smallest scale / Molecular ruby for use in material sciences, biology, and medicine
Chemists at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) in cooperation with researchers of the German Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM)...
19.06.2017 | Event News
13.06.2017 | Event News
13.06.2017 | Event News
26.06.2017 | Life Sciences
26.06.2017 | Physics and Astronomy
26.06.2017 | Information Technology
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Every Picture Tells a Story
If you’re in Florida and you step outside on an August afternoon, chances are good that it’s going be hot and muggy. Conversely, if it’s Alaska in January, it’s fairly safe to say that it’s going to be cold and windy.
You can try to guess what the temperature, humidity level and wind speed might be, and you might come reasonably close, but wouldn’t it be easier with some tools? Perhaps a thermometer or a wind gauge? Such instruments can provide precise readings, either confirming or denying your speculations.
Now, imagine the setting is an industrial facility or factory. A plant engineer knows how much energy the facility is using and what its energy costs are. He knows the numbers could be better than what they are. He might be aware that if insulation were installed on some those bare pipes, valves and other components, the plant’s performance could improve significantly.
But the tricky part is identifying where the primary trouble spots are, and how to fix them. A plant engineer has a million things to worry about, and insulation is likely not the number one priority. Ideally, that’s when he’ll contact someone with the expertise, skills and tools to provide solutions. Perhaps that person is an energy auditor certified through the National Insulation Association’s Insulation Energy Appraisal Program (IEAP). And it also may be someone who’s also a certified thermographer. Utilizing a specially designed camera, a thermographer uses infrared imaging and measurement to "see" and "measure" thermal energy emitted from an object.
Thermal, or infrared energy, is light that’s not visible because its wavelength is too long to be detected by the human eye. It’s the part of the electromagnetic spectrum perceived as heat. Unlike visible light, in the infrared world, everything with a temperature above absolute zero emits heat. Even very cold objects, such as ice cubes, emit infrared. The higher the object’s temperature, the greater the infrared radiation emitted. Infrared allows us to see what our eyes can’t.
Infrared thermography cameras produce images of invisible infrared or "heat" radiation and provide precise non-contact temperature measurement capabilities. Nearly everything gets hot before it fails, making infrared cameras valuable diagnostic tools in many diverse applications. And as industry strives to improve manufacturing efficiencies, manage energy, improve product quality, and enhance worker safety, new applications for infrared cameras continually emerge.
If you talk to thermographers, the technology has opened many eyes. Kevin Hedgers, industrial division manager for NYCO, Inver Grove Heights, Minn., says thermography adds professionalism and a level of sophistication to the process.
"The bottom line is that it absolutely provides credibility to the whole audit process by providing visual documentary of your work," says Hedgers, a certified IEAP appraiser. "You need to have that credibility."
Steve Campbell, Owens Corning national specifications manager, insulating systems business, southern region, says thermography has been a terrific tool for energy audits.
"You’ve heard the saying about a picture being worth 1,000 words," says Campbell, another IEAP alum. "In this case, a picture can be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. [Thermography] has been a real good selling point. It gives maintenance people documentation to take to management to show how it can help."
Sir William Herschel, an astronomer, discovered infrared in 1800. He built his own telescopes and was familiar with lenses and mirrors. Knowing that sunlight was made up of all the colors of the spectrum, and that it was also a source of heat, Herschel wanted to find out which color(s) were responsible for heating objects. He devised an experiment using a prism, paperboard, and thermometers with blackened bulbs where he measured the temperatures of the different colors.
Herschel observed an increase in temperature as he moved the thermometer from violet to red in the rainbow created by sunlight passing through the prism. He found that the hottest temperature was actually beyond red light. The radiation causing this heating wasn’t visible. Herschel termed this invisible radiation "calorific rays." Today, it’s known as infrared.
Infrared Cameras-How Do They Work?
An infrared camera is a non-contact device that detects infrared energy (heat) and converts it into an electronic signal, which is then processed to produce a thermal image on a video monitor and perform temperature calculations.
Heat sensed by an infrared camera can be precisely quantified, or measured, allowing a user to not only monitor thermal performance, but also identify and evaluate the relative severity of heat-related problems. Recent innovations, particularly detector technology, the incorporation of built-in visual imaging, automatic functionality, and infrared software development, deliver more cost-effective thermal analysis solutions than ever before. Infrared thermography allows a user to instantly visualize and verify thermal performance. In June 2001, Maintenance Technology magazine reported a $4 return on investment in for every $1 spent on infrared inspection.
Campbell, based in Big Sandy, Tenn., is a certified level II thermographer. A level I certification is essentially described as qualitative, meaning "you can basically compare picture A to picture B," says Campbell. Level II is more quantitative, allowing for more analysis between numbers and temperatures with the infrared images. A number of infrared technology manufacturers teach classes on thermography. Campbell attended a four-day classroom session taught by a manufacturer. The class includes a 75-question test that must be passed to advance to each level.
However, he points out, "The best learning tool for infrared is experience. The classroom is important, but the field work is equally important."
Campbell has been using thermography for more than three years, since Owens Corning began its Thermal Analysis Program. The Owens Corning program combines inspection, analysis and reporting services in a process designed to identify opportunities to optimize thermal insulation systems. A customized report is generated after visual inspections, infrared imaging and analysis of existing mechanical insulation.
Campbell says that a high quality thermography package-camera, software, accessories and training-can cost between $70,000 and $80,000. He says that the camera works just like a video-basically like a hand-held camcorder.
In a typical site visit, Campbell says he will do a pre-audit interview with the person in charge of facility maintenance. He might be asked to measure temperatures above a certain level. Once the parameters are set, Campbell says, "We scan until we see a problem. Then we record it, freeze the image, save it to a PC and create a digital image. We also take detailed notes and have somebody from the company with us to verify where the photos were taken, since most piping and components look the same everywhere. We get about 50 pictures on a good day."
Armed with the infrared documentation, and assisted by computer programs such as 3E Plus®, Campbell can provide a detailed report to the facility engineer and make specific recommendations explaining where improvements can be made through insulation. He says the visual images speak for themselves.
"You have to show it to sell it," Campbell says.
Hedgers agrees that the infrared images, combined with the written reports, make the process much easier for him and the client. As with Campbell, Hedgers uses 3E Plus® as a supplement to the infrared analysis. He can translate the digital images into tables that show how much it would cost to insulate a specific valve, pipe or other types of equipment, and how long the payback period will be.
"It allows them to prioritize," Hedgers says. "In one area, it might be a 3-month payback, and in another a 3-year payback. They can choose whether they want to invest some now and some later."
Personnel protection is another area where thermography can help. "It’s a not just a good energy tool, but it’s also a good safety tool," Campbell says. "If somebody gets burned, you’ve got a big problem on your hands."
In 1999, Unilever-Best Foods Inc. implemented a corporation-wide program to improve energy efficiency and reduce emissions. In 2001, as part of that program, Hedgers conducted an insulation audit at the Unilever Rexdale plant located near Toronto, Ontario, Canada (see November 2001 Insulation Outlook). Hedgers’ work has helped Unilever save some $340,000 in energy costs (over two years). Using infrared images and 3E® Plus, Hedgers provided recommendations that allowed the facility identify areas to add extra insulation.
Prior to the audit, the plant’s tanks were insulated, but manholes and agitators weren’t. Following the audit, 101 manholes, 74 agitators and 28 tank patches were insulated. The implementation cost was $29,517 ($18,615 U.S.) and the total annual savings was $51,606 ($32,545 U.S.)
Doug Dittburner, chief engineer and energy team leader for the Unilever plant, says that Hedgers’ thermographic images and accompanying information made a big difference.
"Our philosophy is ‘data rules’," Dittburner says. "The infrared gives you information that you wouldn’t otherwise have. Someone can say, ‘This is what you need to do,’ but the infrared really shows you the whole picture. The calculations say that this is what you have and this is what you need to do. It’s well worth the investment."
Since beginning its energy program, Unilever, in part due to Hedgers’ efforts, has enjoyed an overall energy savings reduction of $2.3 million ($1.45 million U.S.), with an investment of $1.1 million ($693,727 U.S.). Dittburner adds that the plant has reduced its natural gas usage by 6.3 million cubic feet, its electricity usage by 4.6 million kilowatt hours, and water by 78 million gallons. It has also cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 11.9 million kilograms of CO2.
Looking for Payback
Campbell has also conducted a number of insulation audits as part of Owens Corning’s Thermal Analysis Program. One successful project he was involved with was at the Cargill Foods facility near Memphis, Tenn. Cargill’s operating engineers are interested in any project that will pay for itself within three years. When they saw payback projections in a insulation audit, the engineers immediately had the recommended insulation installed.
The engineers knew they had a lot of pipe that needed to be insulated, but that wasn’t the issue. The questions for them were about the payback period and where to start.
"The project was something we wanted to do for quite a while but we needed to determine the payback for the investment," explained Drew Heise, project engineer at the Cargill facility that makes corn sweeteners, refined corn oil and animal feeds. The operation employs more than 300 people and is spread over about 3.5 million square feet of President’s Island, located along the Mississippi River.
Heise says the audit "identified each specific piece of equipment that needed to be insulated. It tells what the equipment is, the average temperature around the equipment, wind speed at the time of the analysis, the length of pipe to be insulated and the surface temperature of pipe. The report also lists the carbon dioxide emissions related to the energy loss. Then the report gives everything a priority rating-it’s a one, two or three-and they list an estimated payback time for each piece of equipment.
He adds, "Most of them (payback times) were great. There were many well under a year-like 10 months and eight months. Both of those were highly rated as a ‘one.’ We did all of them, even the three’s. Dollar savings was the reason behind doing the project because everything is driven with a payback. Typically here, we’ll do anything that can be paid back within three years."
Heise says that adding insulation was something that needed to be done. "A lot of this is real obvious. If you see 20 feet of exposed steel pipe going right into a boiler, it doesn’t take a genius to realize that it needs to be insulated. We decided to make a record of the situation by first having an [insulation audit] done on all of the hot spots. That gave us something to work with; it offered direction."
Cargill engineers say they are also concerned about safety and environmental issues.
"The report indicates what the future surface temperature might be," explained Heise. "In one example, the report shows a recorded surface temperature of 763 degrees (fahrenheit). After insulating with 3-1/2-inch-thick, high-temperature pipe insulation, the surface temperature will be 136 degrees (F). Typically, 120 or thereabout is considered safe and doesn’t need to be insulated. The projected temperature of 136 degrees (F) is not too far above that. Obviously, 763-degree (F) surface temperatures are a safety issue. Even if the payback period doesn’t fall within our threshold, we would do that one as an environmental health or safety issue."
Heise was also pleased that the report lists the carbon dioxide reduction in pounds per year for each insulation project. If the equipment is insulated as recommended, the report indicates how much the improved efficiency will reduce the carbon dioxide created in burning fossil fuel to generate heat that was previously lost.
"There are limits to what a facility can actually put out into the air," Heise says. "We are only permitted to emit so much to the atmosphere and we can’t go above that limit. Reducing emissions from one piece of equipment-because you are running more efficiently-can open up opportunities in other areas of the plant, if you need to add a burner somewhere, or expand a boiler, for example.
Versatility and Value
Hedgers says thermography is versatile. Earlier this year, he conducted an infrared audit at a 150 megawatt power plant in North Dakota. He was able to document heat losses and the amount of emissions being released into the atmosphere. As was pointed out by Heise at the Cargill plant, industrial plants can only emit emissions to a certain threshold. Hedgers’ work assisted the facility in reducing emissions and avoiding possible fees for exceeding the limit. Also, at a prominent Midwestern health care facility, Hedgers helped save $30,000 in power generation costs over about an 18-month period.
Overall, Hedgers says, thermography adds the kind of precision to the energy audit process that clients appreciate.
"They seem very impressed with the documentation-having a more detailed breakdown estimate of repair costs, and how much energy they’re using. It’s a nice value added service."
When he began using infrared technology, Campbell admits that he didn’t know what to expect. But it didn’t take him long to realize what a tremendous asset it is.
"I’ve been in the business for 27 years, and it’s the best tool to do an energy audit that I’ve run across."
Editor’s Note: This story contains partial excerpts from an Owens Corning Thermal Analysis case study prepared by Bill Hamilton. For a comprehensive look at Kevin Hedgers’ energy audit at the Unilever Toronto plant, see his November 2001 Insulation Outlook story, "Insulation Energy Appraisal."
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The correlation is certainly negative – as capital accumulates its marginal productivity falls. The first acre of land will increase a farmers output greatly, however by the 100th acre he will struggle to cover all the land – any extra acres will provide less yield. This idea is transferable to most forms of capital, provided the quantity of labour is fixed.
This however does not give us enough information to discern how the capital-labour split will be. If the rate of return of capital decreases less than proportionally as the capital stock increases, capitals share of income will increase as it accumulates. Piketty uses data to suggest that this is the case. Over the last few hundred years, during period where the capital stock has been increasing (effectively the whole period excluding 1914-1945) capital’s share of income has increased slightly. This suggests that there is a substitutability of around 1.3-1.6 – the difference from proportionality in the relationship between the capital stock and the rate of return on capital.
It remains in question whether the stock of capital relative to total income (GDP) will increase. By comparing the rate at which each of these measures increase (rate of return on capital and the economy’s growth rate respectively) we can predict the future ratio. Piketty estimates the rate of return on capital to have remained constant at around 4% over the 20th century. Per capita economic growth averaged around 2% over the same period – this will be challenging to be maintain. The social and technological changes of the last 100 years (women entering the workforce and the rise of transnational corporations, alongside automobiles, planes and automated factory machines) are unlikely to be matched. Furthermore both slowing population growth and an aging population will inhibit future growth. While predicting the future is so often wrong, it is highly probable that the capital stock will continue to increase in the future.
So, provided there are no shocks of the same magnitude as the World Wars or Great Depression, as the capital stock continues to increase, as will capital’s share of income. But what impact will this have on total income inequality?
Inequality of wealth is far greater than inequality of labour income. This is due to the existence of economies of scale in investment. Those with greater initial wealth are able to spend a greater absolute amount (smaller proportion) of their wealth on financial advice and risk management, increasing their returns. For example, large US universities are able to generate returns of around 7-9%, an individual storing their money in an ISA will be lucky to receive 2%.
As capital’s share of income increases total income inequality, which is a weighted average of inequality of wealth and labour, will shift closer towards the less equitable distribution of wealth.
- Piketty’s calculated substitutability of capital (1.3-1.6) lies far outside the mainstream, previous estimates predominantly lie between 0.2 and 0.7. This seems more intuitive, while much of the capital stock is versatile (industrial machines and computers), a far greater proportion of it is in the form of housing – which cannot easily replace labour in the production process. If this is the case, any increase in the stock of capital will not grant it a greater share of national income.
- There is also evidence to suggest that the wealthy do not earn higher incomes. Only 73 of those on the Forbes top 400 rich list in 1987 remained on the list in 2013, with average returns for the original 400 being between 0.2 and 2.4%. This refutes the notion that inequality of wealth will grow exponentially.
- Inequality in labour income has only increased over the last few decades because of an influx of new workers – primarily women, baby boomers, and the newly urbanised population in the developing world. The supply of labour will begin to contract in the near future because of; an aging population, a slowing rate of urbanisation, and less room for changing attitudes towards minorities in the workforce. This contraction will create labour shortages, leading to upward pressure on wages.
Perhaps the simple mechanism Piketty uses to describe inequality is not fully accurate, but Capital in the Twenty-First Century has been an important contribution to the discussion of inequality.
Contributed by Michael Tallent, Editor in Chief
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An Introduction to Service-Oriented Architecture from a Java Developer Perspectiveby Debu Panda
The use of heterogeneous technologies and applications in corporations is a reality. At a time when resources are scarce, IT shops cannot just throw away their existing applications; rather, they must leverage their existing investments. service-oriented architecture (SOA) is popular because it lets you reuse applications and it promises interoperability between heterogeneous applications and technologies.
In this article, I will introduce SOA from a Java developer perspective and examine the technologies available in the Java space to build service-oriented applications.
What is SOA?
The concept of a service is nothing new, but the notion of an SOA has evolved over the past couple of years. It's an architectural style of building software applications that promotes loose coupling between components so that you can reuse them. Thus, it's a new way of building applications with the following characteristics:
- Services are software components that have published contracts/interfaces; these contracts are platform-, language-, and operating-system-independent. XML and the Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) are the enabling technologies for SOA, since they're platform-independent standards.
- Consumers can dynamically discover services.
- Services are interoperable.
Figure 1 gives a overview diagram of service-oriented architecture.
The basic building block of SOA is the service. A service is a self-contained software module that performs a predetermined task: "verify a customer's credit history," for example. Services are software components that don't require developers to use a specific underlying technology. As Java developers, we tend to focus on reusing code; thus, we tend to tightly integrate the logic of objects or components within an application. However, SOA promotes application assembly because services can be reused by numerous consumers. For example, in order to create a service that charges a consumer's credit card, we build and deploy only one instance of such a service; then we can consume this service from any number of applications.
The other key advantage of SOA is that it lets you automate business-process management. Business processes may consume and orchestrate these services to achieve the desired functionality. Thus, new business processes can be constructed by using existing services. For example, a customer order that has been submitted to shipping can be represented by a business process that can asynchronously interact with the requisite services.
Today's IT organizations invariably employ disparate systems and technologies. Most analysts predict that J2EE and .NET will continue to coexist in most organizations and the trend of having heterogeneous technologies in IT shops will continue. Moreover, creating applications that leverage these different technologies has historically been a daunting task. SOA provides a clear solution to these application integration issues by allowing systems to expose their functionality via standardized, interoperable interfaces.
Using SOA offers several key advantages. You can:
- Adapt applications to changing technologies.
- Easily integrate applications with other systems.
- Leverage existing investments in legacy applications.
- Quickly and easily create a business process from existing services.
SOA and Java
Most developers often think web services and SOA are synonymous. Many also think it's not possible to build service-oriented applications without using web services. To clarify, SOA is a design principle, whereas web services is an implementation technology. You can build a service-oriented application without using web services--for example, by using other traditional technologies such as Java RMI.
The main theme behind SOA is to find the appropriate modularity and achieve loose coupling between modules. You can build an application where the modules don't have too much tight coupling between interacting components, such as an application where the JSP presentation layer is not tightly integrated with the data model and accesses it appropriately via an EJB.
It's worth mentioning that Jini had long established the concept of SOA prior to the rise in popularity of web services. What web services bring to the table are the platform-independent standards such as HTTP, XML, SOAP, and UDDI, thus allowing interoperability between heterogeneous technologies such as J2EE and .NET. In this article, we'll focus on web services as the enabling technology for building service-oriented applications.
Different Layers for Service-Oriented Applications
Like any distributed application, service-oriented applications are multi-tier applications and have presentation, business logic, and persistence layers. Figure 2 provides a typical architecture for a service-oriented application. The two key tiers in SOA are the services layer and the business process layer.
The Service Layer
As we discussed earlier, services are the building blocks of service-oriented applications. Thus, services are somewhat analogous to Java objects and components such as EJBs. Unlike objects, however, services are self-contained, maintain their own state, and provide a loosely coupled interface.
The greatest challenge of building a service-oriented application is creating an interface with the right level of abstraction. While analyzing your business requirements, carefully consider what software components you want to build as a service. Generally, services should provide coarse-grained functionality. For example, the software component that processes a purchase order is a good candidate for publication as a service, as opposed to a component that just updates an attribute of a purchase order.
You have two choices when building a service: the top-down approach or the bottom-up approach. The top-down approach requires that you identify and describe the messages and operations your service provides and then implement the service. This approach is recommended when you're building a completely new service, as it lets you choose your preferred implementation technology. This approach also promotes the most interoperable services, since you can avoid implementation artifacts that may preclude interoperability (for example, data types that may not have an interoperable representation).
The bottom-up approach is quite popular because it lets you reuse your existing investment in business components. For example, vendors provide the tools that let you expose a PL/SQL-stored procedure that checks whether a customer is entitled to a discount as a service.
The most important aspect of a service is the service description. When using web services as the implementation technology for SOA, Web Services Description Language (WSDL) describes the messages, types, and operations of the web service, and is the contract to which the web service guarantees it will conform.
Here's an example of WSDL for a simple web service:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <definitions name="MyTimeService" targetNamespace="urn:oracle-ws" xmlns:tns="urn:oracle-ws" xmlns="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/wsdl/" xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema" xmlns:soap="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/wsdl/soap/"> <types/> <message name="TimeService_getDateTime"> <part name="String_1" type="xsd:string"/></message> <message name="TimeService_getDateTimeResponse"> <part name="result" type="xsd:string"/></message> <portType name="TimeService"> <operation name="getDateTime" parameterOrder="String_1"> <input message="tns:TimeService_getDateTime"/> <output message="tns:TimeService_getDateTimeResponse"/> </operation> </portType> <binding name="TimeServiceBinding" type="tns:TimeService"> <operation name="getDateTime"> <input> <soap:body encodingStyle="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/encoding/" use="encoded" namespace="urn:oracle-ws"/> </input> <output> <soap:body encodingStyle="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/encoding/" use="encoded" namespace="urn:oracle-ws"/> </output> <soap:operation soapAction=""/></operation> <soap:binding transport="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/http" style="rpc"/> </binding> <service name="MyTimeService"> <port name="TimeServicePort" binding="tns:TimeServiceBinding"> <soap:address location="REPLACE_WITH_ACTUAL_URL"/> </port> </service> </definitions>
If you look carefully you'll note that the WSDL has a complete description of the
TimeService web service, including the port, operations, and message types. A web service based on this WSDL must support these operations and messages whether it's built using Oracle's Java technology or any other technology, such as Microsoft .NET.
Pages: 1, 2
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New Zealand is richly endowed with rivers and streams, lakes and estuaries, aquifers and groundwater. The beauty of these water bodies is integral to our national identity. Images of clear water underpin the ‘clean green’ brand our tourism industry relies on, and water is the lifeblood of our agriculture. We value being able to swim, fish and gather mahingi kai in many places across the country. For Maori, water is taonga – a treasure.
Over recent years, as public debate on the subject has intensified, the Commissioner has produced a number of reports, updates and submissions concerning fresh water quality and management in New Zealand – all of which are available in the Publications section of this website.
The science of water quality is complex and multifaceted. In this explore section, you will find information on some of the key findings from the Commissioner’s investigations, along with pointers on where to find out more.
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A spin zero particle decays into a pair of spin 1/2 particles, each particle in a superposition state of up and down. The pair of particles head off in two opposite directions. One of them enters an apparatus that will collapse its wave function and decide the life and death of a cat based on the result. When the collapse occurs, the other particle immediately changes state from superposition state to eigenstate. I measure the state of the particle and place a bet with some chump about the condition of the cat. Sometime later, the verification of the cat's state arrives after having traveled at the speed of light, and I win the bet. No real information has traveled faster than light, but that's small comfort to the chump.
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Revelation: A Panorama of the Gospel Age
A Commentary on the Book of Revelation
Go to Table of Contents
The view taken here:
There are many schemes of interpretation of the Book of Revelation but only three can be thought of as major methods. The position taken in this book is that most of the symbols in Revelation have been fulfilled as historical epochs through which the Church has lived and survived. There is therefore in this book a parallel historical event linked to the symbols of Revelation. This is called the Historical Method. The writer believes this to be the one and only correct method of interpreting the book and gives valid reasons why other methods are not in harmony with the purpose of the Holy Spirit in the design and plan of the book..
This book is available for you to study at will. Please ask permission before copying for reproducion in multiples. A hard cover version is available of these files. If you would like a copy for your library it can be bought for 50% less than the cover price. The same is true for the commentary on Zechariah. A paper bound book is available of these files A course of study with 21 lessons is also available.
Last Update, September 1, 1999
A Verse by Verse Commentary on the Book of Revelation
and Related Prophecies
Statue of Daniel 2 Interpretation that Does Violence to
Naval Battles 1797 to 1806Appendix B
The Number 666 Greek and Hebrew Numerals
Vatican II Documents on Religious Freedom Five Pages
Historical Maps Featuring the Duration and End of the Papal States
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Bian D.,Northeast Normal University |
Bian D.,Changchun Institute of Technology |
Bian D.,Key Laboratory of Urban Sewage Treatment of Jilin Province |
Zhou D.,Northeast Normal University |
And 11 more authors.
Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology | Year: 2015
Increasingly, environmental regulations are demanding more exacting chemical oxygen demand (COD) and nitrogen removal from wastewater, which come at a high economic cost. A very simple novel bioreactor, the micro-pressure swirl reactor (MPSR), can improve the dissolution and distribution of oxygen by the introduced micro-pressure swirl. Comparison with a conventional sequencing batch reactor (SBR) over 76 days of operation showed that this method can enhance simultaneous COD and nitrogen removal. By installing an aeration diffuser on one side of the two-dimensional MPSR, a swirl formed in the bioreactor that extended the retention time of the air bubbles. This unique flow regime, combined with the micro-pressure caused by the elevated water surface at the bubble outflow point, resulted in a higher level of dissolved oxygen (DO) in the MPSR. Aerobic and anaerobic zones that created appropriate conditions for simultaneous COD and nitrogen removal also formed in the MPSR. As the organic loading rate increased from 0.29 to 1.68 g COD/(L · day) over the test period, the COD removal efficiencies of the MPSR were generally 10–20 % greater than those of the SBR. In particular, the total nitrogen (TN) removal efficiencies of the MPSR and SBR were 40–50 and 20–35 %, respectively, whereas the TN concentrations in the MPSR effluent were always around 10 mg/L lower than those of the SBR. Further, because of the unique DO distribution, the bacterial species in the MPSR were more diverse and contributed to enhanced TN removal. © 2015, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.
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Definition of off message
: saying things that do not agree with the official position of a political group or party A few Cabinet members seem off message on government policy.
Word by Word Definitions
: from a place or position
: away from land
: at a distance in space or time
: used as a function word to indicate physical separation or distance from a position of rest, attachment, or union
: to seaward of
: from the possession or charge of
: more removed or distant
: to go away : depart
: kill, murder
: office; officer; official
Seen and Heard
What made you want to look up off message? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
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In AnTherm elements are specified by the coordinates of their corner points – X1, X2, Y1, Y2 and in the three-dimensional case Z1 and Z2. Until now, it was only possible to specify rectangular elements. Due to the finite difference method used by AnTherm, AnTherm still effectively works only with rectangles. Nonetheless it is now possible to use slopes and roundings in AnTherm models. These shapes are approximated by rectangular, staircase-shaped elements. That means that the user enters an element that is either triangular or corresponds to a sector of an ellipse, and then this element is subdivided into several rectangular elements. The number of these rectangular elements can be defined by the user in order to achieve an optimal balance between the required precision and the speed of computation.
In order to avoid the necessity to modify the input method, we decided to add a button to the element editor which allows conversion of the current element to a slope or roundness. The coordinates of the two points entered in the element editor are interpreted as the end points of the slope or roundness. A slope is modeled as a triangle, a roundness as a sector of an ellipse. By combining several rectangular elements and converting some of them to triangles or sectors of ellipses it is possible to create shapes representing, for instance, roofs or chimneys.
Moreover, it is now possible to specify elements rotated by an angle between 0 and 90 degrees (clockwise or counter-clockwise). These elements can be rectangular or triangular. Effectively these rotated elements are approximated by several rectangular, staircase-shaped elements.
The new feature „slopes and roundings“ permits the specification of three new types of elements. The user first has to enter the coordinates of two corner points, which has the effect that the new element is interpreted as a rectangle, and then has to click the button „Convert to Slope or Roundness“. This indicates the element not to be interpreted as a rectangle but as a different shape, to be chosen in the window that is now opened. In the most basic case, there are three possibilities:
In the most basic case the conversion results in the drawing of an element of the chosen shape instead of a rectangle. The oblique or round side of this shape is bordered by the two specified corner points.
Moreover, it is possible to draw geometric shapes that are composed of up to four oblique or round elements.
Upon conversion to a slope or roundness the element can be subdivided into up to four quadrants. Effectively up to four elements of the specified shape are drawn which are then approximated by rectangular, staircase-shaped elements. The element is always drawn in such a way that the corner point of the rectangle located in the respective quadrant is left out. So, for instance, if a slope is drawn in the top left quadrant, its endpoints are the bottom left and top right corner points of the rectangle, and the third corner point of the rectangle is the bottom right corner point of the rectangle. The top left corner point of the rectangle is left out.
The following sketch explains this principle: In this example, a square was subdivided into four quadrants and in each of these quadrants a slope was drawn.
In order to enter a slope or roundness the user first has to create a new element:
As next step the user has to click the button „Convert to Slope/Roundness“. Now the following window appears:
The individual components of this window are rather easy to explain:
If we want to convert the square which we initially created to a circle in a high resolution, we have to make the following inputs:
The square is thus subdivided into four quadrants in each of which a sector of an ellipse is drawn. Since the basic element is a square, which means that its width and height are identical, the resulting shape will be a circle. Choosing 200 steps results in a very high resolution (maybe even higher than necessary).
We get to see the result as soon as we click the button „OK“:
It is also easily possible to create composed shapes such as this one:
In order to create this shape we start with a square-shaped material box. We duplicate this box and convert one of the two copies to a roundness where we specify the top left and bottom right quadrants to be drawn. We then convert the other copy to the complement of a roundness and choose the top right and bttom left quadrants. Done!
It is possible to undo the entering of a slope or roundness by pressing CTRL+Z or clicking the respective button in the element window immediately after entering the slope or roundness.
Later on it is possible to remove a slope or roundness by checking the elements belonging to it in the element list (several elements can be chosen at once by pressing the SHIFT key and clicking at the same time or pressing the CTRL key and clicking at the same time) and deleting the elements by pressing the DEL key.
Rectangular and triangular elements can also be rotated by an angle between 0 and 90 degrees (clockwise or counter-clockwise). As an example a triangle rotated by 60 degrees is shown here.
With increasing number of steps, the precision of the calculation increases. It is recommended to use a high number of steps for optimal precision.
Long, thin elements such as heat sources or thin films require a very high number of steps. We recommend to model these elements as the last ones.
If you want to rotate several elements at once by an arbitrary angle between 0 and 90 degrees, with the rotation point being the same for all elements, it is recommended to follow these steps:
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IN April, some 1.2 million New York students took their first Common Core State Standards tests, which are supposed to assess their knowledge and thinking on topics such as "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" and a single matrix equation in a vector variable.
Students were charged with analyzing both fiction and nonfiction, not only through multiple-choice answers but also short essays. The mathematics portion of the test included complex equations and word problems not always included in students' classroom curriculums. Indeed, the first wave of exams was so overwhelming for these young New Yorkers that some parents refused to let their children take the test.
These students, in grades 3 through 8, are taking part in what may be the most far-reaching experiment in American educational history. By the 2014-15 academic year, public schools in 45 states and the District of Columbia will administer Common Core tests to students of all ages. (Alaska, Nebraska, Texas and Virginia have so far held out; Minnesota will use only the Common Core English test.) Many Catholic schools have also decided to implement the Common Core standards; most private, nonreligious schools have concluded that the program isn't for them.
Many of these "assessments," as they are called, will be more rigorous than any in the past. Whether the Common Core is called a curriculum or not, there's little doubt that teachers will feel pressured to gear much of their instruction to this annual regimen. In the coming years, test results are likely to affect decisions about grade promotion for students, teachers' job status and school viability.
It is the uniformity of the exams and the skills ostensibly linked to them that appeal to the Core's supporters, like Education Secretary Arne Duncan and Bill and Melinda Gates. They believe that tougher standards, and eventually higher standardized test scores, will make America more competitive in the global brain race. "If we've encouraged anything from Washington, it's for states to set a high bar for what students should know to be able to do to compete in today's global economy," Mr. Duncan wrote to us in an e-mail.
But will national, ramped-up standards produce more successful students? Or will they result in unintended consequences for our educational system?
By definition, America has never had a national education policy; this has indeed contributed to our country's ambivalence on the subject. As it stands, the Common Core is currently getting hit mainly from the right. Tea Party-like groups have been gaining traction in opposition to the program, arguing that it is another intrusion into the lives of ordinary Americans by a faceless elite. While we don't often agree with the Tea Party, we've concluded that there's more than a grain of truth to their concerns.
The anxiety that drives this criticism comes from the fact that a radical curriculum - one that has the potential to affect more than 50 million children and their parents - was introduced with hardly any public discussion. Americans know more about the events in Benghazi than they do about the Common Core.
WHAT became the Common Core began quite modestly. Several years ago, many organizations, including the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers, whose members are top-ranking state education officials, independently noticed that the content and scoring of high school "exit" tests varied widely between states. In 2006, for instance, 91 percent of students in Mississippi passed a mathematics exit exam on the first attempt, while only 65 percent did so in Arizona. At the same time, students' performance on the National Assessment of Educational Progress often differed from the state results.
This was not just embarrassing: it looked unprofessional. The governors and the school chiefs decided to work together to create a single set of standards and a common grading criteria. Private funding, led by some $35 million in grants from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, allowed the coalition to spread its wings. Aligning tests became an opportunity to specify what every American child should know.
In 2009, an education consultant named David Coleman was retained to help develop the program, and he and other experts ended up specifying, by our count, more than 1,300 skills and standards. Mr. Coleman, a Rhodes scholar and the son of Bennington College's departing president, is known as a driven worker as well as for his distaste for personal memoir as a learning tool. Last year, he was selected to lead the College Board, which oversees A.P. exams and the SATs.
Of course, the 45 states that have decided to implement the Common Core did so willingly. While federal agencies did not have a role in the program's creation, the Obama administration signaled to states in 2009 that they should embrace the standards if they hoped to win a grant through the federal program known as Race to the Top.
For all its impact, the Common Core is essentially an invisible empire. It doesn't have a public office, a board of directors or a salaried staff. Its Web site lists neither a postal address nor a telephone number.
On its surface, the case for the Common Core is compelling. It is widely known that American students score well below their European and Asian peers in reading and math, an alarming shortfall in a competitive era. According to the 2009 Program for International Student Assessment, the United States ranks 24th out of 34 countries in "mathematics literacy," trailing Sweden and the Czech Republic, and 11th in "reading literacy," behind Estonia and Poland. (South Korea ranks first in both categories.) Under the Common Core, students in participating states will immediately face more demanding assignments. Supporters are confident that students will rise to these challenges and make up for our country's lag in the global education race. We are not so sure.
Students in Kentucky were the first to undergo the Common Core's testing regimen; the state adopted the standards in 2010. One year later, its students' scores fell across the board by roughly a third in reading and math. Perhaps one cannot blame the students, or the teachers - who struggle to to teach to the new, behemoth test that, in some cases, surpasses their curriculums - for the drop in scores.
Here's one high school math standard: Represent addition, subtraction, multiplication, and conjugation of complex numbers geometrically on the complex plane; use properties of this representation for computation. Included on New York state's suggested reading list for ninth graders are Doris Lessing, Albert Camus and Rainer Maria Rilke. (In many parts of the country, Kurt Vonnegut and Harper Lee remain the usual fare.)
More affluent students, as always, will have parental support. Private tutoring, already a growth industry, will become more important if passing scores on the Common Core are required for graduation. Despite worthy aims, the new standards may well deepen the nation's social divide.
The Common Core is not oblique in its aim: to instill "college and career readiness" in every American teenager - in theory, a highly democratic ideal. In the past, students were unabashedly tracked, which usually placed middle-class students in academic courses and their working-class peers in vocational programs. New York City had high schools for cooking, printing and needle trades. (There was even one in Brooklyn called Manual Training.) Indeed, the aim of these schools was to prepare a slice of society for blue-collar life. Since the 1960s, this has been seen as undemocratic. Today, students are typically required to take algebra, so they will have more options upon graduation (should they graduate). The irony - and tragedy - is that students who don't surmount these hurdles now fall even further.
Already, almost one-quarter of young Americans do not finish high school. In Utah and Oklahoma, roughly 20 percent don't; the proportion rises to 32 percent in South Carolina and 42 percent in Nevada. What does the Common Core offer these students?
The answer is simple. "College and career skills are the same," Ken Wagner, New York State's associate commissioner of education for curriculum, assessment and educational technology, told us. The presumption is that the kind of "critical thinking" taught in classrooms - and tested by the Common Core - improves job performance, whether it's driving a bus or performing neurosurgery. But Anthony Carnevale, the director of Georgetown's Center on Education and the Workforce, calls the Common Core a "one-size-fits-all pathway governed by abstract academic content."
IN sum, the Common Core takes as its model schools from which most students go on to selective colleges. Is this really a level playing field? Or has the game been so prearranged that many, if not most, of the players will fail?
Debate is now stirring within partisan circles. Glenn Beck sees the Common Core as "leftist indoctrination." The Republican National Committee calls it "an inappropriate overreach to standardize and control the education of our children." Republican governors and legislators in Indiana, Kansas, Georgia and several other states are talking about reconsidering their participation. Yet conservative scholars at the Manhattan and Fordham institutes laud it as promising "a far more rigorous, content-rich, cohesive K-12 education." Some corporate C.E.O.'s favor it because they say it will upgrade the work force. Mr. Duncan is one of the lone liberal voices in support of the program. Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, supports the plan, which she calls "revolutionary." That said, she has called for a moratorium on judging teachers and schools by the first round of assessments, which she fears are sometimes being implemented hastily and without needed support.
For Diane Ravitch, a historian of education and former assistant education secretary, the program is predicated on "the idea that you can't trust teachers." If we want our children taught from standardized scripts, she told us, let's say so and accept the consequences.
For our part, we're tired of seeing teachers cast as scapegoats, of all the carping over unions and tenure. It is time teachers are as revered in society as doctors or scientists, and allowed to work professionally without being bound by reams of rules.
Still, there's an upside to the Common Core's arrival. As the public better appreciates its sweep, there is likely to be much discussion about schools and what we want them to do. Ideally, this will involve a reconsideration of the contours of knowledge and the question of how we can become a better-educated nation. ----------------------------------- SIDEBAR ILLUSTRATION / Multimedia Graphic: Jon Han ------------------------------------ Andrew Hacker is an emeritus professor of political science at Queens College, City University of New York. Claudia Dreifus is an adjunct professor at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs. They are working on a book about mathematics. ------------------------------------ A version of this op-ed appeared in print on June 9, 2013, on page SR1 of the New York edition with the headline: Who's Minding the Schools?. ************************************************ -- Jerry P. Becker Dept. of Curriculum & Instruction Southern Illinois University 625 Wham Drive Mail Code 4610 Carbondale, IL 62901-4610 Phone: (618) 453-4241 [O] (618) 457-8903 [H] Fax: (618) 453-4244 E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.org
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Chief Justice William Rehnquist, who has thyroid cancer, was reportedly hospitalized overnight on Tuesday for a fever.
News reports quote U.S. Supreme Court spokeswoman Kathy Arberg as saying that Rehnquist was taken by ambulance to a hospital in Arlington, Va. on Tuesday night.
Rehnquist was admitted for observation and tests, Arberg says in the reports.
It's unclear if the fever is related to Rehnquist's cancer.
Rehnquist is 80 years old. He has been a member of the U.S. Supreme Court since 1972, serving as chief justice since 1986.
What Is Thyroid Cancer?
There are about 18,000 cases of thyroid cancer annually in the U.S. (13,000 women and 4,600 men), accounting for about 1.1 percent of all cancer cases and about 1,200 deaths a year.
Most patients are cured of their disease or live many years with the disease.
The thyroid gland — located in the lower front of the neck at the base of the throat — has two lobes. The thyroid gland makes two important hormones that help the body function.
Thyroid cancers are usually found when a bump is seen in the neck. A biopsy will determine whether the nodule (bump) contains cancer. Only about 5 percent-10 percent of nodules are cancerous.
More Information on Thyroid Cancers
There are four main types of thyroid cancer:
Papillary Follicular Medullary Anaplastic
Details about Rehnquist's type of thyroid cancer have not been made available.
The majority of thyroid cancers are either papillary or follicular cancers. These are commonly called well-differentiated cancers. Both medullary and anaplastic are undifferentiated, a more aggressive type of cancer.
Aggressive Thyroid Cancers
Medullary thyroid cancer is uncommon — accounting for about 5% of all thyroid cancers. Unlike other types of thyroid cancer, it is difficult to treat and usually is not curable.
Treatment requires surgery to remove nearly all of the thyroid and removal of surrounding lymph nodes.
By the time patients are diagnosed as many as 50 percent have cancer that has already spread to other organs such as lymph nodes. About 10 percent of patients have cancer that has already spread to the lungs or liver.
Medullary thyroid cancer occurs in families in about 20 percent of cases. Hereditary medullary thyroid cancer often occurs with other types of hormone-producing tumors. This syndrome is called MEN - multiple endocrine neoplasia.
Anaplastic thyroid cancer is a highly aggressive cancer. It is very uncommon, representing less than 2 percent of all thyroid cancers. Fewer than 300 cases are reported annually in the U.S., according to the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists.
This type of cancer can be seen primarily in patients older than 50. It starts as a rapidly expanding mass in the neck associated with signs of compression — hoarseness, shortness of breath, and difficulty swallowing. Duration of symptoms is generally short, lasting from weeks to a few months.
The average survival time for anaplastic cancer is six to nine months.
What Are the Symptoms of Thyroid Cancer?
Often, thyroid cancer has no symptoms and is found by chance at a doctor's visit. When symptoms are present, the cancer can appear as a gradually enlarging lump on the front part of the neck that moves when swallowing. Any lump in the neck should be brought to the attention of your health care provider.
What Are the Causes of Thyroid Cancer?
No one knows what causes thyroid cancer, but experts have identified many risk factors:
Exposure to large amounts of radiation (either from the environment or in those who have had radiation treatment for medical problems in the head and neck, such as acne or fungal infections of the face). The cancer may not occur until 20 years or longer after radiation treatment. Heredity (particularly for medullary thyroid cancer). Sex. Cancer of the thyroid is more common in women than in men.
SOURCES: Associated Press. Supreme Court of the U.S.: "The Justices of the Supreme Court." National Institutes of Health. American Cancer Society. American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists.
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Weight loss surgery might have more value than simply helping morbidly obese people to shed unhealthy extra pounds. It reduces their risk of cancer to rates almost similar to those of people of normal weight. This is the conclusion of the first comprehensive review article taking into account relevant studies about obesity, cancer rates and a weight loss procedure called bariatric surgery. Published in Springer's journal Obesity Surgery, the review was led by Daniela Casagrande of the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil.
With bariatric surgery, a part of a patient's stomach is reduced to a small pouch. This pouch is attached directly to the small intestine, bypassing most of the rest of the stomach and the upper part of the small intestine to ensure long-term weight loss and to reduce the chances of early deaths due to severe obesity. Cancer rates in obese people are as high as 2.12 cases per 1,000 person-years.* Because previous studies suggested a relationship between bariatric surgery and reduced cancer risk among obese people, Casagrande and her colleagues set out to shed light on these claims. They contrasted and combined results from 13 relevant studies that focus on the incidence of cancer in patients following bariatric surgery. These include both controlled and uncontrolled studies, and the relevant information of 54,257 participants.
Their systematic review shows that bariatric surgery is associated with a reduction in the incidence of cancer among morbidly obese patients. They found that cancer only occurred in 1.06 cases per 1,000 person-years, up to 23 years after the surgery was performed. This is markedly better than the rate for the global population of obese people. Importantly, the effect of bariatric surgery was found within both controlled and uncontrolled studies. Four controlled studies showed that bariatric surgery was associated with a reduction in the risk of cancer.
It is still unknown whether the lower cancer rates following bariatric surgery are related to the metabolic changes associated with weight loss, or if lower body mass indexes (BMIs) following surgery result in earlier diagnosis and improved cancer treatment outcomes among patients. According to Casagrande, it is difficult to separate the effects of the surgery from the multiple associated changes it yields in patients. She believes that undergoing a surgical procedure of the magnitude of bariatric surgery raises awareness and possible earlier diagnosis of cancer among such patients.
"Bariatric surgery is associated with reduced cancer risk in morbidly obese people," says Casagrande. However, she cautions that conclusions should be drawn with care because there was high heterogeneity among the studies. She continued that there were some limitations about the data available among the studies, and that variables associated with cancer should still be measured in prospective bariatric surgery trials.
*Person-years is the product of the number of years times the number of members of a population who have been affected by a certain condition.
Reference: Casagrande, D.S. (2014). Incidence of Cancer Following Bariatric Surgery: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis, Obesity Surgery DOI 10.1007/S11695-014-1276-0
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Properties and Benefits of Rapeseed Honey: Rapeseed honey is a special variety of monofloral honey made from the flower nectar and pollen of rapeseed (Brassica napus). This particular variety has a few unique characteristics, such as a fast crystallization time and a sweet-peppery flavor. It’s most renowned for its ulcer-treating properties, but has other therapeutic effects as well such as antibacterial and antioxidant effects, mild immunostimulating properties, a tonic action as well as other digestive benefits. In order to enjoy its beneficial action, the honey has to be raw and unprocessed.
What is rapeseed? Rapeseed is a crop grown primarily for oil production and is related to mustard and cabbage, from where it draws some of its more unusual properties. The plant is also called canola and the resulting oil canola oil (or rapeseed oil). The oil obtained from the seeds of the plant is a rich source of Omega-9 fatty acids in the form of eruci acid. This form however has been shown to be harmful for the heart muscle, hence the reason why edible rapeseed oil is bound to have less than 5% erucic acid. The plant species is also a wonderful source of flower nectar, allowing for the production of an interesting and aromatic honey variety.
What is rapeseed honey? Rapeseed is a monofloral (unifloral) honey, meaning it is produced mostly from the nectar and, incidentally, pollen of rapeseed flowers, but may contain limited amounts of other sources of nectar and pollen as well (clover, for example). The beautiful, vivid yellow flowers are the source of a peppery-tasting honey with a surprisingly fast crystallization time. Because rapeseed flowers also contain pollen which is more or less incidentally added to honey, the resulting honey can cause allergic reactions in individuals already allergic to rapeseed pollen. If you are allergic to honey bees (the enzymes they secrete to make honey, their sting), then you are most likely allergic to everything they produce, from honey to propolis, royal jelly, bee bread, beeswax etc.
What does rapeseed honey look like? The variety has an interesting appearance: while the flowers serving as a source of nectar are a beautiful, vivid yellow, the resulting honey has a very light and dull beige-yellow pigment. The color can be described as a whitish yellow or a milky yellow. Since the honey can crystallize even before being harvested, it is not liquid, but soft-solid in texture. Its consistency is given by the fine crystals it forms. Typically, rapeseed honey crystallizes in 3 to 4 weeks.
What does rapeseed honey smell and taste like? The smell of the honey is reminiscent of that of rapeseed flowers, somewhat oily, subtly heavy like a vegetal oil, but faintly floral nonetheless. The honey has a medium taste intensity, with a moderately-low sweetness, but nevertheless sugary (due to its texture) and with an original flavor profile. Perceived flavor notes may include: faint cabbage notes, slight mustard or peppery aftertaste, but pleasant tasting. If processed to be made liquid, soft-creamy or to alter its taste, it may not retain its original taste, color or therapeutic properties. Also, the honey can ferment over time and in improper storage conditions, potentially becoming sour.
Good to know. Not all rapeseed planted for oil or honey production is organic. Much of the crops throughout North America are genetically modified to resist various pests or pesticides and have currently been introduced to Europe too. So check the origin and label of your honey to see if it’s organic or genetically modified.
What is rapeseed honey good for? The variety is said to boast numerous therapeutic uses, from offering digestive relief to promoting nervous system relaxation and improving various symptoms of upper respiratory tract infections in particular. Here are 6 wonderful proposed health benefits of rapeseed honey:
1) Natural remedy for gastritis and stomach ulcer. Rapeseed honey has been traditionally recommended for the management and treatment of both gastritis and stomach ulcers. Both the antibacterial and anti-inflammatory elements in the honey and its consistency are believed to encourage the healing of the stomach lining and soothe irritation, hence the supposed effectiveness. The natural sugars in the honey boast mild prebiotic properties, helping feed the good bacteria in our intestines, contributing to an overall better digestion. Other honey varieties like acacia, manuka or forest honeys are eaten raw on an empty stomach in the morning for digestive relief as well.
2) Antibacterial and anti-inflammatory action. Rapeseed honey is known to possess mild natural antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Its action is primarily local, hence the reason why it can help in the treatment of upper respiratory tract infections like colds or flu and help improve their symptoms. Studies show a preparation of rapeseed honey with a 40% concentration can efficiently inhibit the growth of antibiotic-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, while royal jelly together with rapeseed honey are even more efficient (Reduction Effect of Royal Jelly and Rape Honey Alone and in Combination Against Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Strains). The pollen in rapeseed honey also has mild immuno-modulating effects, stimulating the immune system response.
3) Calms cough and soothes a sore throat. Eating raw rapeseed honey can help reduce sore throat discomfort and possibly calm cough due to the honey’s natural antibacterial and soothing properties. It is recommended to avoid eating and drinking anything for about an hour after taking honey to allow it to exert its action.
4) Source of vitamins and minerals. Research shows that although rapeseed honey has a lower nutrient content than other honeys, it does contain a wide variety of essential nutrients, particularly dietary minerals such as potassium, phosphorus, calcium and magnesium as well as smaller amounts of zinc and sodium (Determination of trace elements in rape honey and its corresponding rape flower and stem). Heating the honey can cause the nutrients in it to deteriorate, especially vitamin C.
5) Natural tonic action. Like all honey types, rapeseed too is energizing and great for preventing low blood sugar levels (hypoglycemia) and fatigue. In addition to natural sugars, the variety contains small amounts of all sorts of nutrients, from vitamins and dietary minerals to pollen particles, antioxidant compounds and other elements, all of which contribute to its tonic effect.
6) Good for uneven skin and acne. Light-colored honeys can be used as a natural face mask for uneven skin tone. Rapeseed is an especially good natural exfoliator due to its consistency and can help unclog pores, reduce sebum and clean the face of impurities, potentially helping reduce acne breakouts (if used consistently). The variety may hold other skin benefits as well, such as calm irritation or make skin brighter, more radiant.
Other supposed health benefits. Rapeseed honey is said to exert a hepatoprotective action, helping maintain liver health and, indirectly, detoxify the body of toxins. It is also believed to possess mild sedative, relaxing or sleep-encouraging properties by regulating the activity of certain neurotransmitters in the brain. Certain enzymes in the honey are believed to be good for bone health and osteoporosis. However, such benefits have yet to be confirmed.
Conclusion. Rapeseed honey is an original-tasting variety, suited to many uses. Its most prized therapeutic properties include a natural antibacterial and anti-inflammatory action, cough relief, eliminating sore throat discomfort, tonic properties as well as gastritis and stomach ulcer management. But irrespective of the individual action of the honey, for it to have any therapeutic effect or preserve its unique taste profile, it has to be raw, unheated and unprocessed in any way.
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Drinking coffee has become quite a routine among a lot of people as early as breakfast time with the reason that it gives them the energy to accomplish the tasks ahead of them. There are even some people who have reached the point of having a bad mood if they are not able to drink their morning cup routine. Nonetheless, until this day, even those who are coffee lovers are not well aware of the many nutrients found in coffee that bring about a lot of health advantages. The current research studies have proven that regularly taking in coffee decreases the chances of the person to get Parkinson’s disease, dementia, stroke, certain kinds of cancer, arrhythmia, and type 2 diabetes. These particular studies have also proven that as coffee consumption increases so does its benefits.
A researcher at the Institute for Coffee Studies based in Vanderbilt University named Dr Thomas DePaulis has proven that coffee is not detrimental to the health of a person at all. Such an institute has become one that monitors different coffee research programs being conducted across the globe. This institute has also established that there is minimal harm when one gets to drink coffee. They have collected from six of the coffee studies that they are closely monitoring that 80 percent of their regular coffee drinker participants have less chances of having Parkinson’s disease. The risk is also proportionately reduced when the participant most likely takes in more coffee as shown in three of these studies. Additional studies have also shown that taking in a minimum of 2 cups of coffee reduces the risk of getting colon cancer by 25% as well as reduces the risk of getting liver cirrhosis by 80%. Additional studies have also proven that coffee has the ability to reduce the effects brought about by common vices. This means that your chances of getting lung cancer or liver cirrhosis are decreased if you drink coffee regularly even though you are a smoker and a drinker.
How are type 2 diabetes and Parkinson’s disease connected to drinking coffee?
What Do You Know About Coffee
Health benefits are being brought about by coffee because of the biochemical ingredients it comprises. Caffeine, for instance, is an antioxidant in coffee that has been proven to affect the body in a beneficial way. In comparison to other sources of caffeine being taken in the morning, coffee has been found to have the highest caffeine content. This basically means that you are guaranteed to get three and a half times more caffeine if you drink a cup of coffee rather than hot chocolate or a cup of tea. High caffeine levels have been shown to have a positive effect on reducing one’s risk of developing Parkinson’s disease. Because of the increased levels of chromium and magnesium in coffee, it has been shown that insulin is used better. This is the reason why developing type 2 diabetes is also reduced.Short Course on Products – Getting to Square 1
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But [the most recent] elections serve as a reminder: control of the schoolhouse is itself a political battle.
Historically low voter turnout led to historically big wins for the Republican Party, so it’s time now to ask what that political change means for education.
The short answer? Not much.
As most Washington, D.C. watchers know, the fundamental Beltway political equation since 2010 has been working out whether House Speaker John Boehner can pass anything that President Obama is willing to sign. And, as others have already noted, making Congress more conservative isn’t likely to make that dynamic easier.
Take No Child Left Behind (NCLB). The current version of the nation’s major federal legislation has three particularly powerful levers. First, it requires states to collect and publish data on schools’ performance. Second, it attempts to target federal funds to schools serving high percentages of low-income students or other underserved populations (like English language learners). Third, it requires states to act to fix schools that persistently underperform. That is, the law uses federal leverage to increase transparency, equity, and accountability in American public education.
And sure, NCLB’s specific mechanisms for pursuing those goals are unpopular. But given that many states have historically punted on them without federal pressure, President Obama and most Democrats have shown little interest in kicking responsibility back to the states. Yet the last few Republican attempts at rewriting the law have done more to weaken the government’s ability to hold states to these priorities. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Rep. John Kline (R-MN), the authors of these efforts, have promised to pick up where they left off in the next session of Congress.
Is there any reason for Obama to tack to the right on education? I don’t think so. This is an area where he has deep, coherent convictions — and he largely accepts NCLB’s core aims as key federal priorities. To put it directly: the first African-American President of the United States is not likely to cooperate with Republicans who would weaken the federal government’s ability to force states to take educational equity seriously. For most of American history (and today), the decentralization of public education has been repeatedly used to protect de jure and de facto segregation, inequitable allocation of educational resources, and a dizzying variety of civil rights abuses. I’d gladly be wrong about this, but I see no way that Republicans starting with Alexander’s and Kline’s previous efforts will be able to craft anything that Obama could sign.
What’s more, education is actually an area where the Obama Administration has a lot to protect. Other than when they’re shouting about the Common Core State Standards, folks underestimate the degree to which Race to the Top grants and waivers to NCLB have dramatically moved the needle on key education reform priorities.
But if Obama’s education agenda is a bigger legacy piece than people realize, it’s also exceedingly fragile. States who developed new teacher evaluations, adopted new academic standards, and reworked their accountability systems at administration’s urging won’t necessarily continue with those efforts without federal pressure. The longer Obama and his team can stay the course, the more time states will have to implement and consolidate these reforms.
Want a glimmer of hope that something—anything—might get done in the next two years? In his own piece reflecting on the elections’ implications for education, the American Enterprise Institute’s Rick Hess said, “Talk of new pre-K spending is dead.” But at an AEI panel last Thursday, he warned that Republicans should be wary of saying things like “Pre-K doesn’t work” or “I’m against pre-K.” Republican governors like Michigan’s Rick Snyder have demonstrated willingness to explore substantial new early education investments. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has also been pushing in this direction. Could there be movement on pre-K after all? (My colleagues at New America offer more — and mostly pessimistic — thoughts on this here.)
Please note: I’m not making any strong predictions so much as trying to sketch out the current political landscape. Given congressional Republicans’ unpredictability on budget measures in recent years, it’s entirely possible that this new, more conservative crop could generate another crisis that scrambles the incentives around education legislation. But I doubt it. Very few legislators are coming — or returning — to Washington because of their stances on education issues, so education reforms simply aren’t a particularly powerful bargaining chip.
By the same token, Obama has very little to lose by vetoing any objectionable education legislation that reaches his desk. His legacy on education is more or less fixed at this point. And nothing he does on education will meaningfully affect the Democrats’ chances in 2016. For better or worse, education simply doesn’t have that sort of political juice.
This isn’t the whole story, of course. I’ve only dealt with the prospects for federal changes here. The story at the state level is more complicated. In general, Republican state leaders are likely to be emboldened to push harder on education policy, given that conservatives with aggressive education credentials like Wisconsin’s Scott Walker survived serious reelection challenges. But as far as the feds are concerned, the American schoolhouse will keep chugging on the same track it’s been following. Check back in a few decades to see what sort of politics it gives us.
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|KANSAS COLLECTION BOOKS|
|PART 1:||Location, Topography and Natural Resources | Map and Population|
|PART 2:||Early History|
|PART 3:||Growth | Railroads, Schools, and Manufacturers | County Societies | Post Offices|
|PART 4:||Salina, Part 1|
|PART 5:||Salina, Part 2|
|PART 6:||Biographical Sketches (Addison - Groger)|
|PART 7:||Biographical Sketches (Hagler - Norton)|
|PART 8:||Biographical Sketches (Palmer - Wolsieffer)|
|PART 9:||Brookville | Bavaria | Assaria|
|PART 10:||Miscellaneous Biographical Sketches (Baldwin - Kingman)|
|PART 11:||Miscellaneous Biographical Sketches (McEntee - Ziebell)|
LOCATION, TOPOGRAPHY AND NATURAL RESOURCES.
SALINE County is situated almost in the center of the State. Let a map of Kansas be taken and folded once from west to east, and then once from north to south, and the point where the fold-marks cross each other will be just three miles west and one mile south of the southwest corner of Saline County; so that were a line drawn through the center of the State from north to south, the west line of the county would be only three miles east of said central line. The county is bounded on the north by Ottowa County, on the south by McPherson County, on the east by Dickinson County, and on the west by a portion of Ellsworth and Lincoln counties. The county contains 460,800 acres, or 720 square miles this territory is divided into twenty civil, or municipal, townships. The line of the sixth principal meridian passes between Dickinson and Saline counties, so that the eastern tier of townships of Saline County is in Range I, west of that meridian. The formation of the county is square, being twenty-four miles north and south, and thirty miles east and west. This square formation is uninterrupted, excepting one point in the northeastern portion of the county, where Dickinson County by some legislative invasion has acquired a small piece of territory about a mile long and one-half mile wide, which constitutes part of the limits of Solomon City. Saline County is about 180 miles west of Kansas City, or the Missouri River.
The surface of the county may be classified into: first, level or flat land; second, rolling or undulating; and, third, high or upland, each of which bears about the same proportion to the whole as the other. The level land is confined, chiefly, to the creek and river bottoms, which vary in width from three to ten miles. These vast stretches of bottom land, while they appear perfectly flat, possess excellent drainage, but the gradations of the surface are so gradual as to be almost imperceptible. The center of the county seems to be one great basin, with the city of Salina located in its center. This basin extends for miles, when the land rises and forms the sides. The tops of these sides are not uniform in height, but break of into waves, dipping here and rising there, but still maintaining their circular form. North of Salina, the country is much more uneven, and the land much higher than it is south. Away to the north, and almost on the northern boundary line of the county, rises up far above all the other elevations in that locality, what is known as "North Pole Mound." To the east, plainly visible for many miles before it is reached, looms up "Iron Mound," which is distant from Salina about eight miles. A little south of west, jutting away up from surrounding altitudes, rises what is known as "Soldier Cap," this name having been it from the resemblance to a soldier's head dress. South from Salina, about fifteen miles, and close to the southern boundary line of the county, is a range of very high hills which loom up in the distance like mountains. To this range of hills is given the name of the "Smoky Hill Buttes." On the outer edges of the county the surface is considerably broken, but on the uplands, between the valleys, it is undulating. A good deal of the high land in the county is altogether unfit for agricultural purposes and fit only for grazing. The county is almost exclusively prairie, and what little timber there is, is confined to narrow strips along the margin of the streams and creeks, the aggregate area of which does not exceed one percent of that of the county. These timber belts seldom reach a half mile in width, and very frequently not one-fourth. The varieties of timber are ash, oak, elm, and cottonwood, the latter kind being by far the most plentiful. The county is well supplied with streams of pure clear water, and along these streams are beautiful valleys, varying from three to ten miles in width. The lands included in these valleys embrace about thirty percent of the entire land of the county.
Very few counties in the State are better supplied water courses than Saline County. First in importance is the Smoky Hill River, which enters the county from the south, at the southwest corner of Smoky View Township, and runs almost due north for a distance of about eighteen miles, until it reaches Salina, when its course becomes nearly due east, which direction it maintains until it leaves the county at its east line about one mile south of Solomon City. The Smoky is not a wide river, but the permanency of its flow is never interrupted by drouths (sic), no matter how long or how dry the season. Next in importance is the Saline River, which enters the county from the north, twelve miles from the northwest corner, and flows in a southeasterly direction across Elm Creek Township, part of Cambria, and empties into the Smoky Hill at the northeast corner of Greeley Township. Mulberry Creek and its branches, flow in a southeasterly direction from the northwestern portion of the county, while Spring Creek and its branches flow in northeasterly direction from the southwestern portion of the county, both creeks uniting about four miles west of the city of Salina, from which point the course of the stream is northeast until it empties into the Saline River at the southwest corner of Elm Creek Township. The east and west branches of Dry Creek have their rise at the south line of the county, and run in northeasterly direction until they reach Solomon Township, whence its course is due north, skirting Salina on the west on it sway, emptying into Mulberry Creek about two miles north of the city. Gypsum Creek and its branches constitute the water courses of Solomon, Eureka, and Gypsum townships, these being the three eastern townships of the county lying south of the Smoky Hill River. Gypsum Creek is a stream about forty miles long and has it rise in McPherson County. It has, however, several branches in Saline County, and among them are Hobb's Creek, East branch of Gypsum, Middle branch, and West branch, with two or three other lesser branches, all of which empty into the Gypsum proper on its way north to join the waters of the Smoky. Some five or six miles of the Solomon River run in a southeasterly direction across the northeastern corner of the county, the mouth of the river being at Solomon City, where a junction is formed with the Smoky Hill.
There are several very excellent springs in different parts of the county, the largest of which is on Dry Creek. The creeks, with the exceptions of Dry Creek, which occasionally goes dry, are as permanent in their flow as the rivers. Mulberry Creek is a stream about twenty-five miles long, and Spring Creek is about twenty miles in length. There is no scarcity of good water in any portion of the county, the streams and creeks being so distributed as be only a few miles apart. Good well-water can be obtained at depths ranging from thirty to seventy feet.
The climate of a country may be such, notwithstanding its richness of soil and other natural advantages, as to render it a very undesirable locality in which to reside. This, however, is not the case with Saline County, because one of its greatest attractions is beauty of climate and healthfulness. Were there no counteracting influences, the heat in summer would be rather excessive, the thermometer often indicating ninety degrees and upwards. In an atmosphere heavily charged with humidity, this would be almost intolerable, because the heat, if not regulated by moisture, is, nevertheless, subject to its influence, and in cases where the air is deeply impregnated with moisture, the heat is felt to be much more oppressive than in places where such humidity does not exist. Thus it may happen that the heat may be more oppressive in places where the thermometer indicates eighty degrees of heat, than it is in others where it indicates ninety. Now, while the thermometer in summer may indicate in Saline County ninety or ninety-five degrees of heat, it may be more easily borne than in other places where it indicates ten or twelve degrees less, and this owing to the humid condition of the two atmospheres. The atmosphere of Saline County being dry and clear, considerably modifies the heat, and brings it to a temperature which enables it to be borne without being oppressive. This is one compensatory influence, or condition, to counteract the excessive thermometrical heat Another is to be found in the fact that there is always a constant current of air in circulation, and calms but seldom take place. Another feature about the climate is that no matter how warm the day, the nights are cool and pleasant, without any of that sultriness or oppressiveness as to render sleep impossible. As a rule winters are open and seldom severe. Snow rarely falls at one time to a greater depth than six inches, and seldom lies long on the ground. The winters vary, however, as to severity, and also as to duration, but generally they are mild and open. There are no ponds or pools of stagnant water to impregnate the air with impurities, nor are there any sloughs or marshes to breed and spread malaria. The atmosphere is dry and clear, and the air invigorating, and bronchial and pulmonary affections are unknown unless where the person coming to locate brings the seeds with him, and these, unless too deeply rooted, soon become eradicated under the influences of the reviving and health imparting climate, by which this section of country is characterized.
The nature of the soil is that which chiefly characterizes that of all central Kansas. It is a very dark loam, composed in most part of decomposed vegetable matter and sedimentary deposits left upon the surface as the waters receded. In the formation of the soil a certain amount of alkali was added from time to time by the ashes created from the tall rank grasses and other vegetation consumed by prairie fires. The soil is very rich and very deep, both on upland and on lowland, in many of the valleys reaching to a depth of fifteen feet. This, however, is not the case on what may be set down as highland, a distinction being made between high and upland. The land included in the latter classification is that embraced in the ridges of rolling prairie dividing the streams and the valleys thereof, while the highland is that on the outer edges of the county in the neighborhood of "Smoky Hill Buttes," "Iron Mound," "North Pole Mound," and "Soldier's Cap." The soil of this latter class of land is very far from being equal to that of the upland or valleys, and for agricultural purpose is next to worthless. It affords good pasture, however, and for grazing purposes it is quite valuable. The soil is well adapted to the cultivation of all kinds of cereals, and all kinds of tame grass can be cultivated to great luxuriance. There is probably no soil anywhere that requires so little labor to produce abundant crops. Roots of all kinds are of easy production. Fruit culture, both large and small, can be successfully and profitably conducted, and with any degree of reasonable care and attention large fruit crops can be realized. Trees grow with surprising rapidity, and the wild grasses of the prairie grow to great luxuriance. The quality of the soil is such is to afford the husbandman rich rewards for the smallest possible amount of labor. The county is, strictly, one adapted to agricultural pursuits, and its wide stretches of prairie, covered as they are with rich and nutritious grasses, with an abundance of pure, clear water, makes it a very desirable locality for stock raising.
No mineral deposits have yet been discovered in the county. Several borings have been made in quest of coal, but none has yet been found. A good quality of sandstone can be found in almost any part of the county. A very excellent quality of fire and pottery clay has been found to exist in considerable quantities in several portions of the county and also extensive quantities of pure gypsum. At the mouth of the Solomon River are very fine salt wells which are being extensively and successfully operated. These works are close upon the limits of Solomon City, in Dickinson County, in which place the company offices are located. In writing the history of Dickinson County, the Salt Works are set down as being located at Solomon City, leaving the inference that this extensive manufacturing enterprise is located in Dickinson County, whereas, in reality, the works are in Saline County.
Tree growing has lately received a good deal of attention, and there is no soil on which tree culture can be carried on with greater success. This branch of industry cannot only be successfully followed, but profitably. People are commencing to realize this, and much more attention has been given to arboriculture within the last two or three years, than in all the years preceding. Necessity, no doubt, had a good deal to do in bringing the people to a realization of the necessity of devoting a good deal of care and attention to tree culture. The scarcity of timber, and dearth of coal, rendered fuel extremely high, and this doubtless, brought the people to see the necessity for tree planting. In 1880, the aggregate number of acres in the county planted to forest trees was only 430. In 1882, however, the number of acres devoted to this industry had reached 1,721, which goes to show the increased interest that is taken in, and attention that is given to, arboriculture. Aside from the acres devoted to forestry, a goodly number are given to wind- breaks, shade and ornamental trees, of which there is scarcely a farm in the county but that has more or less The varieties planted are chiefly soft maple, honey, locust and cottonwood, and box-elder, cottonwood largely prevailing, and box-elder next.
POPULATION (FEDERAL CENSUS).
============================================= 1870 1880 --------------------------------------------- (a) Cambria Township 641 (b) Dayton Township 459 (c) Elm Creek Township 1,109 457 (d) Eureka Township 430 (e) Falun Township 566 (f) Glendale Township 335 (g) Greeley Township 616 (h) Gypsum Township 455 (i) Liberty Township 480 (j) Ohio Township 607 (k) Pleasant Valley Township 425 Salina City 618 3,311 (l) Smoky Hill Township. 750 (m) Smoky View Township 940 (n) Smolan Township 842 (o) Solomon Township 581 509 (p) Spring Creek Township including Brookville City 726 1,200 (q) Summit Township 148 (r) Walnut Township 912 466 (s) Washington Township 371 --------------------------------------------- 4,246 14,008 --------------------------------------------- Brookville City 201 511 ============================================= (a) In 1878, from part of Elm Creek. (b) In 1877, from part of Solomon. (c) In 1871, from part of Smoky Hill; in 1878, part to Cambria. (d) In 1873, from part of Gypsum. (e) In 1871, from part of Walnut; in 1880, part to Summitt. (f) In 1880, from part of Pleasant Valley. (g) In 1879, from part of Smoky Hill. (h) In 1871, from part of Solomon; in 1873, part to Eureka. (i) In 1872, from part of Walnut. (j) In 1871, from part of Spring Creek; in 1874, part to Washington. (k) In 1873, from part of Spring Creek; in 1880, part to Glendale. (l) In 1871, from part of Elm Creek; in 1879, part to Greeley. (m) In 1876, from part of Walnut. (n) In 1874, from part of Walnut. (o) In 1871, part to Gypsum; in 1877, part to Dayton. (p) In 1871, part to Ohio; in 1873, part to Pleasant Valley; in 1880, part to Summit. (q) In 1880, from parts of Falun and Spring Creek. (r) In 1870, published Walnut Grove; in 1871, part to Falun; in 1872, part to Liberty; in 1874, part to Smolan; in 1876, part to Smoky View. (s) In 1874, from part of Ohio. --------------------------------------
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This condition is an irritation or compression of one or more nerve roots in the cervical spine. Because these nerves travel to the shoulders, arms, and hands, an injury in the cervical spine can cause symptoms in these areas. Cervical radiculopathy may result from a variety of problems with the bones and tissues of the cervical spinal column.
Cervical radiculopathy refers to neck pain that radiates into the shoulder and arm as a result of dysfunction of the nerve root in the neck, or cervical region of the spine. Sometimes known as a "pinched nerve," cervical radiculopathy can be caused by a herniated disk, bone spur, injury to the spine or osteoarthritis. When a nerve becomes irritated, it may send pain signals throughout the area through which it extends. Those considered at the highest risk for this condition are older individuals and younger people who play contact sports or perform manual labor.
Causes of Cervical Radiculopathy
Cervical radiculopathy often results from pressure placed on spinal nerves by either a herniated disc or bone spur. Herniated discs occur when too much force is exerted on an otherwise healthy intervertebral disc, while bone spurs develop when cartilage deteriorates and bones begin rubbing against each other. Bone spurs may cause a narrowing of the spinal canal, which can place pressure on a nearby nerve.
Additional causes of the condition include:
- Age, especially for those over the age of 50
- Degenerative diseases such as arthritis
- Conditions that cause changes in bones, including osteoporosis
- Traumatic injury
Symptoms of Cervical Radiculopathy
Cervical radiculopathy can result in pain near the injured nerve root of the cervical spine, which may radiate down one or both arms. Certain movements, such as extending the neck or turning the head, pull on the affected area and may worsen the pain. Additional symptoms of cervical radiculopathy may include:
- Muscle weakness in the arm, neck, chest, upper back or shoulders
- Tingling sensations down to the hands
- A lack of coordination, especially in the hands
Diagnosis of Cervical Radiculopathy
In order to diagnose cervical radiculopathy, a complete medical history is taken and a physical examination is conducted. The exam will typically include an evaluation of the patient's strength, reflexes and sensation of feeling. All of this information will provide the doctor with a better idea of what is causing the patient's neck pain.
To ensure the most accurate diagnosis, several diagnostic tests may be performed as well. These tests may include X-rays to view spinal alignment and discs, a CT scan to obtain detailed views of the spinal bones and electromyelography, which helps the physician study the electrical activity along the nerve.
MRI scans are the most commonly performed tests used to evaluate spinal conditions, since they offer clear visualization of the abnormal areas of soft tissue around the spine. In many cases, MRI scans are the only test needed to determine the cause of the neck pain. Unlike other imaging tests, MRI scans use magnetic fields and radio waves to view the structures of the neck. MRI scans also enable doctors to thoroughly examine the nerves and discs without using any dyes or needles.
Treatment of Cervical Radiculopathy
Cervical radiculopathy is generally treated with conservative measures first. Treatment plans may include a combination of pain medications including anti-inflammatory drugs and oral corticosteroids, which can help reduce pain and swelling. Steroid injections in the spine can be very effective for decreasing swelling, allowing for healing to take place. In severe cases, stronger prescription pain medications may be necessary.
Physical therapy can help strengthen the muscles in the problem area, maximize flexibility with stretching exercises and take some pressure off of the injured nerve roots. Cervical radiculopathy patients may also need to wear a soft collar around the neck. This will limit the range of motion in the neck and rest the muscles.
If conservative measures fail to provide a patient with relief or symptoms are worsening, surgery will often be required. There are several types of procedures that can be used to correct cervical radiculopathy. Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) is the most common surgery to treat cervical radiculopathy, since it restores the alignment of the spine and reduces the compression on the nerves. Posterior cervical laminoforaminotomy is another procedure used to alleviate symptoms of the condition by removing portions of the spinal bones that are compressing the nerve roots. Artificial disc replacement (ADR) is performed to remove the worn disc, relieve pressure on the nerves and restore height between the vertebrae.
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|Born||Rodolfo Nieto Labastida
July 13, 1936
|Died||24 June 1985
|Notable work||Man with Bottel|
|Awards||Biennale de Paris 1963 for new artist and in 1967 for painting|
Rodolfo Nieto was born at home in Oaxaca on July 13, 1936. His father Rodolfo Nieto Gris, a medical epidemiologist, left the home mysteriously around 1949. After his disappearance, the family became destitute; his mother, Josefina Labastida de Nieto, a homemaker and seamstress, moved to Mexico City with Rodolfo, his younger brother Carlos Nieto, a poet --who was later murdered due to his political associations-- after Rodolfo died, formed a new family with half brother Ignacio Saucedo. While Rodolfo attended public school, the art professor and dancer Santos Balmori on behalf of the Mexican Government, interviewed students for the Mexican folklorico. After Rodolfo auditioned, Balmori asked the teenager if he could do anything else. Rodolfo sketched a cat. The professor was impressed and asked him if he would like to participate in painting the scenery for the folklorico. It was Balmori who encouraged Rodolfo to begin his studies in 1954 at the Escuela Nacional de Pintura, Escultura y Grabado "La Esmeralda", Mexico City, where he studied with Carlos Orozco Romero and met Juan Soriano, who introduced him to books on European painting. In 1959, he had his first solo exhibition at the Galerías San Carlos.
Desiring to broaden his artistic influences, Nieto moved to Paris in the early 1960s. Here he became friends with artists such as Julio Cortázar, Severo Toledo and José Bianco. He worked at the Atelier 17 with Stanley William Hayter and his discovery of the work of Edvard Munch spurred an interest in wood engraving. He also worked at the lithography workshop of Michael Casse for German publisher Manus Press. In Paris away from his indigenous environment, Nieto began to re-think folk art from his native Oaxaca mainly focusing on the brightly painted hand-carved wooden animals known as alebrijes. He combined the alebrijes with the Burne Hogarth’s Tarzan comic strip stories of his childhood. Nieto wrote: “To Burne Hogarth I dedicate, in memory of the Tarzan stories of my childhood, the series of animals I drew while I was in Switzerland, likewise the xylographs I created in Munich and Paris.”1 Mentally Nieto took apart the structural aspect of the alebrijes and reconstructed them with the whimsy and wonderment of the Tarzan stories. This resulted not only in the Bestiario series of drawing and wood block prints, but established a style of painting that is now incorporated into the Oaxacan School. While in Paris, Nieto won the Biennale de Paris Prize for painting in 1963. He again won the Biennale de Paris Prize for painting in 1968. In 1966, Rodolfo Nieto illustrated “Manuel de zoologie fantastique” by Jorge Luis Borges. Nieto won the Bienal of Caen in 1970 and the Bienal de Menton. He returned to Mexico in 1972, stating that indigenous spirits called "nahuales" were calling him home.
In Europe Nieto had gained fame and recognition in the art world, but in Mexico he struggled despite an exhibition of his work at the Museo de Arte Moderno in 1973. A sensitive man, Nieto was crushed emotionally that the Mexican art critiques refused to consider his work seriously. He met his wife, Nancy Glenn-Nieto, a painter, at the grand opening of David Alfaro Siqueiros Polyforum Cultural Siqueiros in Mexico City. Nieto was invited to Siqueiros' home after the Polyforum event and asked Siqueiros if he could bring along his new friend. Siqueiros said, "Of course." But Nancy preferred to spend time alone with Nieto. Later Nancy regretted not attending Siqueiros' private party. Nancy and Nieto were wed a few months later.2The new couple developed a deep connection with art, especially Nieto's new genre of Mexican art. However, Mexico was not ready for Nieto's art. “Because Mexico rejected his art, Rodolfo went into a deep depression.”2
Rodolfo and Nancy pressed on. They painted together every day, from the morning until often late into the evening. Nancy helped Nieto stretch and gesso the canvases, sketch the major constructions lines and Nieto would finish the work. Together they created hundreds of paintings. With the frenzy of work, Nieto became exhausted and depressed. His sleeping was erratic, his mind began wondering, seeing things, speaking and acting unusual. He seemed to have an awareness of his life coming to an end. In the Mexican tradition of laughing at death with skull art he began to paint Calaveras (skulls) in the Nieto tradition of mentally taking apart the structural elements only to reassemble them in a different perception. His brief life ended on June 24, 1985. One of the last things he told Nancy was “Keep my paintings. Someday they will be very valuable.” Nancy Glenn-Nieto continues to paint in the Oaxacan style of Rodolfo Nieto.
In 1995, the Museo MARCO in Monterrey held a tribute to the artist to reevaluate his work.
Fernando Gamboa stated that noise and melody, the human figure and graphic line, expression and invention, reality and fiction are all interwoven in Nieto's canvases: he was part of the Generación de la Ruptura and has been related to the School of Oaxaca, with works based on the myths and legends of the state. Nieto worked in diverse techniques such as pencil, pastel and oil to mixed media and graphics. His work is semi-abstract in the realm of magical realism. While his time in Europe was important for the development of his visual language, it remained based on the colors and images of his native state. After he returned to Mexico, he studied pre Hispanic and popular art which caused him to simplify forms. However, his most popular paintings are of Toros, or Bulls. At auction, these pieces sell in the mid-six figure range.
Often asked if he was an abstract painter. Nieto always defended himself from that idea, and did not understand how people could be confused, as he had never stopped doing figuration, but certainly not realistic. He told to his brother Carlos between laughs: "If I did abstract painting and would like to send a message, I'd better to have written a novel."
According to Octavio Paz, "The interesting thing about him was seeking, restlessness, lack of satisfaction he felt with what he did, which is a symptom of undoubted talent. He was an intelligent man, a critically rare bird." Find the simplest elements and compose with them, in an almost a musical sense, seems to be the goal that guides the formation of its new characters ...
|This section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (September 2015)|
- Rodolfo Nieto in the Ibero-American Institute (Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation) catalogue, Berlin
- "Skull Art of Nancy Glenn-Nieto".
- Guillermo Tovar de Teresa (1996). Repertory of Artists in Mexico: Plastic and Decorative Arts. II. Mexico City: Grupo Financiero Bancomer. p. 408. ISBN 968 6258 56 6.
- "Skull Art of Nancy Glenn-Nieto".
- Rodolfo Nieto: Bestiario. Galeria Lopez Quiroga, Mexico, D.F., 1993, p. 2.
- Interview with Nancy Glenn-Nieto, c. June 1995.
- By Jaime Moreno Villarreal, in "Homage to Rodolfo Nieto," MARCO, 1995
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Rangoli is found in front of all Hindu households in India and whichever State or region you go, you can see a variety of rangoli in front of houses, temples, religious institutions such as mathas and Veda Patashalas, Kalyana Mantapas and even in front of venues hosting social and religious events.
Rangoli is drawn on all auspicious occasions such as marriages, Gruhapravesha and Nishchitarta (engagement ceremony).
The tradition of drawing on the floor or/and in front of houses is called Rangoli. Therefore, it is also called floor art and it is an integral part of an Indian household. Rangoli is called by different names in different regions.
There can be innumerable designs and there are designs for every occasions. In earlier days, Rangoli was created with Hittu which attracted sparrows. Now, they are drawn with white chalk powder and on occasions colours are used.
One of the leading haridasas of Karnataka, Jagannatha Dasa of Manvi was well-known as Rangoli Dasa as he was an expert at this art. He would draw the image of Hari and other Gods as he sang about them and their glories.
We find different Rangoli designs in front of Raghavendra Swamy Mathas.
The above image of a Rangoli drawing is from the Raghavendra Swamy Temple in Jayanagar 4th Block. We saw that a woman had drawn a beautiful Rangoli of Rayaru in front of the Tulasi Katte or platform where Tulasi was planted.
The Rangoli shows Rayaru holding the Veena, his favourite musical instrument. Rayaru, like his father Thomanna Bhat, and his grandfather, Kanakachala Bhatta, was an expert Veena player. Both hios grandfather and father were at the court of the Vijayanagar Emperor.
We decided to take a photograph of the Rangoli drawing before it disappeared.
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An expert clinician brings attachment theory into the realm of parenting skills.
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I have a question about 2 Chronicles 35:20-21, why did King Josiah go out to fight against Pharaoh Neco? From my understanding the Lord was behind and even commanding Neco in this battle against Carchemish…why would Josiah get involved?
The Bible isn’t clear on why he did it, but the consequences were great. Scholars disagree as to whether the Egyptian army was going to help Assyria against Babylon, or going to help Babylon against Assyria, but most of them conclude that Josiah acted against the Lord’s command and that’s why he was killed. Josiah’s death effectively ended Israel’s period of independence as a nation and their faithfulness to the Lord. 3 years later at the 2nd Battle of Carchemish Babylon defeated both Assyria and Egypt, and on the way home laid siege to Jerusalem. The 70 year Babylonian captivity followed soon after.
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American Robin – Turdus migratorius
Length: 10″; Wingspan: 17″; Weight: 2.7 oz.
If you guessed the American Robin as the answer to our “Who am I” question on Friday’s blog post, you are correct! Although generally this bird is thought to be a sign of spring in the more northern sections of North American, during the winter this migratory bird loves to hang in the warmer areas of the South gorging on our berries!
The Robin is among the most abundant bird species on the continent, with a population estimated at more than three hundred million. It lives in almost every habitat, from forest to tundra, from Central America to north of the Arctic Circle, from sea level to 12,000 feet.
The American Robin was mistakenly named after its smaller, orange-breasted European namesake by Early American colonists. The American Robin is not in the robin family but is actually a thrush, part of a group of songbirds that includes bluebirds, veeries, hermit and wood thrushes. These birds often possess attractive plumage, spotted breasts (particularly in the young) and insectivorous diets. At ten inches long, the robin is the largest of the American thrushes and is often used to describe and judge sizes of other birds since it is so commonly recognized. Its orange breast sets off a black tail, a black head with white around the eyes, a yellow bill, black-and-white-streaked throat, grayish brown back and white undertail. Male colors are bolder than those on the female and, true to form, juvenile robins have spotted breasts. Look carefully the next time you see a robin and you will notice what a beautiful bird it is!
With autumn comes a southward migration, although some robins can be found wintering in even hostile climates, eating the berries remaining in wooded, densely vegetated areas. According to Lex Glover, a S.C. Department of Natural Resources wildlife technician, the population of robins in South Carolina swells each fall and winter, as robins move in from the northern states and Canada, sometimes on their way to Florida and the Gulf States.
“We can have pretty intense flocks of them, scattered through the coastal plain,” he says. “When we do Christmas counts, you’ll see large numbers of robins either first thing in the morning or the last thing in the evening, often going into bottomland hardwood areas where there is plenty of cover, and maybe cedars and evergreens so they have a place to roost. I have also seen them in plowed fields, with sparrows and blackbirds mixed in with them.”
Just before the New Year, one of our members, Ellen Coughlin, sent us the picture below to ask us to confirm the identification of the birds. She said, “They were in the back yard and over the lagoon as well as fighting over the bird bath on Dec. 23. There were easily 100-150 of them. Flying around like they were drunk. This is the second time this event has occurred. The last time the birds were red winged blackbirds and it was about three years ago. Same weird behavior, diving bombing us as we stood on the enclosed screened in porch.” As you might remember from last weeks blog on Cedar Waxwings, some birds eat so many fermented berries they become “drunk.” According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology website, ” When Robins eat honeysuckle berries exclusively, they sometimes become intoxicated.”
In fact, just days before Ellen’s email, a birder staying at his parent’s house on Bohicket Creek reported, “I watched flocks of robins flying from Wadmalaw Island to Johns Island at dawn, and then again from Johns Island to Wadmalaw Island at dusk. I would guess the flyway was about a half-mile wide, so I couldn’t monitor the whole thing, but multiple estimates of the number of robins passing overhead in my binocular’s field of view led me to a count of 300 per minute for 40 minutes (the flight lasted somewhat longer) for a report of 12,000 robins. I’m confident that estimate is low, though it’s easy to over-estimate the number of birds for species that fly in loosely-organized flocks.”
If you would like to learn more about this bird visit:
Article submitted by: Nancy Brown
Photographs provided by: Hud Coughlin, Ed Konrad, Charles Moore
Source: South Carolina Wildlife
This blog post is part of a series SIB will publish on a regular basis to feature birds seen in the area, both migratory and permanent residents. When possible we will use photographs taken by our members. Please let us know if you have any special requests of birds you would like to learn more about.
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As plants are adapted by such diversified and effective means for cross-fertilisation, it might have been inferred from this fact alone that they derived some great advantage from the process; and it is the object of the present work to show the nature and importance of the benefits thus derived. There are, however, some exceptions to the rule of plants being constructed so as to allow of or to favour cross-fertilisation, for some few plants seem to be invariably self-fertilised; yet even these retain traces of having been formerly adapted for cross-fertilisation. These exceptions need not make us doubt the truth of the above rule, any more than the existence of some few plants which produce flowers, and yet never set seed, should make us doubt that flowers are adapted for the production of seed and the propagation of the species.
We should always keep in mind the obvious fact that the production of seed is the chief end of the act of fertilisation; and that this end can be gained by hermaphrodite plants with incomparably greater certainty by self-fertilisation, than by the union of the sexual elements belonging to two distinct flowers or plants. Yet it is as unmistakably plain that innumerable flowers are adapted for cross-fertilisation, as that the teeth and talons of a carnivorous animal are adapted for catching prey; or that the plumes, wings, and hooks of a seed are adapted for its dissemination. Flowers, therefore, are constructed so as to gain two objects which are, to a certain extent, antagonistic, and this explains many apparent anomalies in their structure. The close proximity of the anthers to the stigma in a multitude of species favours, and often leads, to self-fertilisation; but this end could have been gained far more safely if the flowers had been completely closed, for then the pollen would not have been injured by the rain or devoured by insects, as often happens. Moreover, in this case, a very small quantity of pollen would have been sufficient for fertilisation, instead of millions of grains being produced. But the openness of the flower and the production of a great and apparently wasteful amount of pollen are necessary for cross-fertilisation. These remarks are well illustrated by the plants called cleistogene, which bear on the same stock two kinds of flowers. The flowers of the one kind are minute and completely closed, so that they cannot possibly be crossed; but they are abundantly fertile, although producing an extremely small quantity of pollen. The flowers of the other kind produce much pollen and are open; and these can be, and often are, cross-fertilised. Hermann Muller has also made the remarkable discovery that there are some plants which exist under two forms; that is, produce on distinct stocks two kinds of hermaphrodite flowers. The one form bears small flowers constructed for self-fertilisation; whilst the other bears larger and much more conspicuous flowers plainly constructed for cross-fertilisation by the aid of insects; and without their aid these produce no seed.
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The terms food chain and food web both refer to groups of organisms that are dependent on each other for food. A food chain is a single series of organisms in which each plant or animal depends on the organism above or below it. As an example, a food chain might consist of garden plants, such as lettuce and carrots, fed upon by rabbits which, in turn, are fed upon by owls which, in turn, are fed upon by hawks.
A food chain is largely a theoretical idea and probably seldom, if ever, exists in the real world. It is a useful concept, however, as it helps ecologists understand how specific plants and animals are dependent upon one another.
The feeding relationships of organisms in the real world is almost always more complex than suggested by a food chain. For that reason, the term food web is more accurate than is food chain. A food web differs from a food chain in that it includes all the organisms whose feeding habits are related in some way or another to those of other organisms. In the example above, small animals other than rabbits feed on lettuce and carrots and, in turn, those animals are fed upon by a variety of larger animals.
Food webs are organized into three main categories, depending on the kinds of organisms they contain. These three categories are known as trophic levels. The three primary trophic levels are those that consist of (1) producers, (2) consumers, and (3) decomposers. Producers are organisms that can make their own organic compounds or food using energy and simple inorganic compounds. Producers are sometimes called autotrophs, meaning "self-feeders." For example, green plants are autotrophs because they manufacture the compounds they need through photosynthesis.
The next trophic level above the producers consists of consumers. Consumers are organisms that cannot make their own foods and so have to eat other organisms to obtain the nutrients they use. The consumer trophic level can be subdivided depending on the kind of organisms included. Immediately above the producers are the herbivores, organisms that eat plants only. Some common examples of the herbivores include squirrels, rabbits, mice, deer, cows, horses, sheep, and seed-eating birds. The herbivores are sometimes called first-order consumers or primary consumers because they occupy the first level above the producer trophic level.
Above the primary consumers, the food web fans out to include two other kinds of consumers. The carnivores are animals that eat other animals, and the omnivores are animals that eat both plants and animals. Within the food web, carnivores and omnivores can be on any higher trophic levels. Some are secondary consumers or second-order consumers, meaning that they eat primary consumers. Snakes that eat mice (primary consumers) are secondary consumers. Other higher-level consumers are tertiary consumers or third-order consumers, and eat further up on the food web or perhaps on many levels. Examples of third-order consumers are mountain lions and hawks, both of whom eat second-order consumers such as snakes and owls.
Biomagnification: The increasing concentration of compounds at higher trophic levels.
Food chain: A sequence of organisms directly dependent on one another for food.
Food web: An interconnection of many food chains.
Photosynthesis: The conversion of solar energy into chemical energy that is stored in the tissues of primary producers (for example, green plants).
Primary consumer: An organism that eats primary producers.
Primary producer: An organism that makes its own food.
Trophic level: A feeding level in a food web.
The third trophic level consists of decomposers or detritivores (pronounced de-TRY-tuh-vorz). Organisms in this trophic level survive by eating dead organisms. Some decomposers, such as earthworms, feed directly on dead plants and animals. These organisms convert dead organisms to simpler substances that are then digested even further by other decomposers, such as bacteria and fungi.
Unlike organisms in the consumer/producer part of the food web, decomposers are extremely efficient feeders. They can rework the remains of dead organisms, progressively extracting more and more energy. Eventually the waste materials are broken down into simple inorganic chemicals such as water, carbon dioxide, and simple nutrients. The nutrients may then be reused by the primary producers in the lowest part of the food web. The decomposer food web is very active inside of compost piles where kitchen wastes are converted into a soil conditioner. Decomposers are active in all natural ecosystems.
Food webs are, of course, collections of organisms. However, they also can be thought of as accumulations of energy. Think, for example, of the energy changes involved in the food chain described at the beginning of this essay. Lettuce and carrots, like other green plants, have the ability to capture solar energy from sunlight and convert it into the stored chemical energy of starches and other chemical compounds. When rabbits eat lettuce and carrots, they take in that stored energy. At the next level, owls that eat rabbits take in the energy stored in the bodies of their prey.
No organism ever collects 100 percent of the energy stored in the plant or animal it eats, however. In fact, studies have shown that only about 10
percent of the energy stored in an organism gets transferred from one trophic level to the next: the rabbit gets only 10 percent of the energy stored in a carrot, the owl 10 percent of the energy stored in the rabbit, and so on.
One way to illustrate this fact is by means of an ecological pyramid or energy pyramid. The lowest level of an ecological pyramid consists of producers, the next higher level of first-order consumers, the next higher level of second-order consumers, and so on.
An ecological pyramid makes clear two important facts about food webs. First, as pointed out previously, the total amount of energy at any one level decreases as one goes up the pyramid. That is, the producer level contains the greatest amount of energy, the first-order-consumer level the next largest amount, the second-order-consumer level the next largest amount, and so on. Second, the total number of organisms found in any one level also decreases in going up the pyramid. An ecosystem that contains 10,000 lettuce plants may be able to support no more than 100 rabbits, 10 owls, and 1 hawk, as an example.
One interesting phenomenon associated with food webs is biomagnification. The term biomagnification refers to the accumulation of
certain substances as one moves up the food web. Biomagnification has become an important issue in ecology because of the presence in the environment of certain human-made substances that can have harmful effects on animals.
For example, suppose that a farmer sprays his or her fields with a pesticide designed to control insects that destroy his or her crops. A small amount of that pesticide will be washed off into rivers, streams, and lakes near the field. The pesticide will be ingested by fish living in those bodies of water. Those fish, in turn, may be eaten by larger fish, by birds, by bears, by humans, and by higher-level carnivores.
At each stage of the food web, however, the amount of pesticide stored in an organism's body increases. A single bass, for example, might eat a dozen perch in a month. A single hawk or bear or human might eat a dozen bass in a month. The amount of pesticide stored in one perch gets multiplied many times over in the body of other animals that feed on perch. In one study of a food web in Lake Ontario, scientists found a concentration of pesticide 630 times greater in herring gulls than in primary consumers, such as zooplankton found in the lake.
Biomagnification has serious consequences for all species. It is particularly dangerous for predator species at the top of long food webs. Those predators are at risk because the degree of biomagnification is high by the time it reaches their trophic level. Also, top predators usually consume large quantities of meat, which has lots of fatty tissue and contaminants. Polar bears, humans, eagles, and dolphins are examples of top predators, and all of these organisms are vulnerable to the effects of biomagnification.
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In Shakespeare’s Sonnet 135, the bard is playful and inventive as he embarks on an extended play on words using his first name, Will. He must have had fun writing this piece, and I certainly had fun reading it.
Whoever hath her wish, thou hast thy Will,
And Will to boot, and Will in over-plus;
More than enough am I that vexed thee still,
To thy sweet will making addition thus.
Wilt thou, whose will is large and spacious,
Not once vouchsafe to hide my will in thine?
Shall will in others seem right gracious,
And in my will no fair acceptance shine?
The sea, all water, yet receives rain still,
And in abundance addeth to his store;
So thou, being rich in Will, add to thy Will
One will of mine, to make thy large will more.
Let no unkind, no fair beseechers kill;
Think all but one, and me in that one Will.
This is a love sonnet and seems designed to remind the poet’s lover of his name, by using it as much as he can in the poem. So in the fourteen lines of the sonnet we can find the word “will” no fewer than twelve times, but with a number of different meanings. We have will as the poet’s name; will as intention or purpose; will as desire; and will as material possession, as expressed in a legal will.
The sonnet is a tour de force of verbal inventiveness , a bit like a jazz musician improvising around a couple of notes in a melody, yet here everything works within the formal confines of the sonnet, and within the logic of the poet’s theme – an appeal by the poet to his lover.
So this is an example of Shakespeare at his most playful, and there are definitely parallels in theme and tone with the poem by Marot posted here yesterday.
The Poetry Dude
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Sometimes you garden for a challenge, and sometimes you garden to get exactly the vegetables you want. But sometimes you just want the most bang for your buck, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Luckily, some vegetables grow very fast and put out a big reward in flavor. Keep reading to learn more about vegetable plants with quick growth.
Fast Growing Vegetables for the Garden
Whether you have a short growing season, planting late in the season, or you just plain want results soon, fast growing vegetables are plentiful and deeply satisfying to grow.
Here are some of the best vegetable plants with quick growth times:
Radish – Ready in 20 to 30 days. Radishes are the king of fast growing vegetables. Their seeds sprout after just a few days, and the plants grow very quickly.
Leaf lettuce – Ready in about 30 days. Not to be confused with head lettuce, leaf lettuce puts out individual leaves that can be harvested one at a time. After very little time, the leaves are big and plentiful enough to begin picking. The plant will continue to put out new leaves, too, which means this fast growing plant keeps on giving.
Spinach – Ready in about 30 days. Very similar to leaf lettuce, spinach plants continue to put out new leaves, and the first ones can be harvested just a month after planting the seeds. (These very early leaves are called baby spinach).
Arugula – Ready in 20 days. The little leaves of arugula have a sharp, bitter taste that goes great in salads.
Bush beans – Ready in 50 days. Unlike the leafy plants in this list, bush beans have to grow an entire plant and then put out pods. That doesn’t slow them down very much, though. Bush beans are small, self-supporting plants, not to be confused with their slower growing pole bean cousins.
Peas – Ready in 60 days. Peas are very fast growing vining plants that are extremely satisfying to watch as they cover a trellis in a short span of time.
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Intel's Core i7 870 & i5 750, Lynnfield: Harder, Better, Faster Strongerby Anand Lal Shimpi on September 8, 2009 12:00 AM EST
- Posted in
Homework: How Turbo Mode Works
AMD and Intel both figured out the practical maximum power consumption of a desktop CPU. Intel actually discovered it first, through trial and error, in the Prescott days. At the high end that's around 130W, for the upper mainstream market that's 95W. That's why all high end CPUs ship with 120 - 140W TDPs.
Regardless of whether you have one, two, four, six or eight cores - the entire chip has to fit within that power envelope. A single core 95W chip gets to have a one core eating up all of that power budget. This is where we get very high clock speed single core CPUs from. A 95W dual core processor means that individually the cores have to use less than the single 95W processor, so tradeoffs are made: each core runs at a lower clock speed. A 95W quad core processor requires that each core uses less power than both a single or dual core 95W processor, resulting in more tradeoffs. Each core runs at a lower clock speed than the 95W dual core processor.
The diagram below helps illustrate this:
|Single Core||Dual Core||Quad Core||Hex Core|
The TDP is constant, you can't ramp power indefinitely - you eventually run into cooling and thermal density issues. The variables are core count and clock speed (at least today), if you increase one, you have to decrease the other.
Here's the problem: what happens if you're not using all four cores of the 95W quad core processor? You're only consuming a fraction of the 95W TDP because parts of the chip are idle, but your chip ends up being slower than a 95W dual core processor since its clocked lower. The consumer has to thus choose if they should buy a faster dual core or a slower quad core processor.
A smart processor would realize that its cores aren't frequency limited, just TDP limited. Furthermore, if half the chip is idle then the active cores could theoretically run faster.
That smart processor is Lynnfield.
Intel made a very important announcement when Nehalem launched last year. Everyone focused on cache sizes, performance or memory latency, but the most important part of Nehalem was far more subtle: the Power Gate Transistor.
Transistors are supposed to act as light switches - allowing current to flow when they're on, and stopping the flow when they're off. One side effect of constantly reducing transistor feature size and increasing performance is that current continues to flow even when the transistor is switched off. It's called leakage current, and when you've got a few hundred million transistors that are supposed to be off but are still using current, power efficiency suffers. You can reduce leakage current, but you also impact performance when doing so; the processes with the lowest leakage, can't scale as high in clock speed.
Using some clever materials engineering Intel developed a very low resistance, low leakage, transistor that can effectively drop any circuits behind it to near-zero power consumption; a true off switch. This is the Power Gate Transistor.
On a quad-core Phenom II, if two cores are idle, blocks of transistors are placed in the off-state but they still consume power thanks to leakage current. On any Nehalem processor, if two cores are idle, the Power Gate transistors that feed the cores their supply current are turned off and thus the two cores are almost completely turned off - with extremely low leakage current. This is why nothing can touch Nehalem's idle power:
Since Nehalem can effectively turn off idle cores, it can free up some of that precious TDP we were talking about above. The next step then makes perfect sense. After turning off idle cores, let's boost the speed of active cores until we hit our TDP limit.
On every single Nehalem (Lynnfield included) lies around 1 million transistors (about the complexity of a 486) whose sole task is managing power. It turns cores off, underclocks them and is generally charged with the task of making sure that power usage is kept to a minimum. Lynnfield's PCU (Power Control Unit) is largely the same as what was in Bloomfield. The architecture remains the same, although it has a higher sampling rate for monitoring the state of all of the cores and demands on them.
The PCU is responsible for turbo mode.
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Calcium-containing titanium ores, such as perovskite, or calcium oxide-enriched titania slags are fused with carbon to produce titanium carbide particles within a calcium carbide matrix. The titanium carbide particles are freed from the fused product by reaction with water and are concentrated by physical means. Chlorination of the titanium carbide concentrate at temperatures below the melting point of impurity metal chlorides yields an extremely pure titanium tetrachloride product. Thus, a sample of perovskite from an alkalic stock intrusion near Powderhorn, Colorado, containing ti 31.3, Ca 21.4, and fe 6.1 pct, was mixed with carbon and fused in a single-phase, arc melting furnace. The charge was fed to the area between the electrodes by a vibratory feeder at a rate that maintained the reaction temperature, which was measured by a two-color ratio pyrometer. The temperature in the melt zone was approximately 2,400 deg and at the periphery of the fused mass, 1,900 deg c. A sample of the cooled, fused mass analyzed c 14.9, Fe 7.19, Ti 45.6, Ca 21.0, Sio2 2.49, Al2o3 0.60, and mgo 0.23 pct. The remainder of the fused mass was added slowly to water with stirring. Evolved acetylene was burned and the combustion products were vented to the atmosphere. Particulate titanium carbide was recovered from the resulting slurry based on physical property differences of the titanium carbide, hydrated lime, and free carbon present. See also U.S. Pat. 3,899,569.
U.S. Pat. 3,900,552, Aug. 19, 1975; Chem. Abstr. Not Found
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Blastomycosis. Chances are, you’ve never heard of it.
If you have heard of it, you know this little yeast organism is a foe that should not be underestimated!
What is it?
Blastomycosis, commonly called Blasto, is a fungal organism that is found in the soil in the east-central USA. Like most fungi, it likes cool, moist, dark conditions.
People and Pets are susceptible to Blasto. Dogs are most commonly affected, as they are the most likely to have noses down in the dirt. However, people can pick up Blasto as well! Fungal organisms are inhaled, and convert to the yeast form at body temperatures. Blasto is NOT directly contagious between pets, or between pets and people.
What does it do?
This organism has some favorite locations in the body.
— Pulmonary: when the lungs are affected, the organism causes multiple lesions throughout the lungs. Cough, fever, difficulty breathing, and lethargy are the most common complaints. A severely affected patient will likely need hospitalization, treatment is long, and the prognosis is guarded.
— Lymph nodes: Like pulmonary blasto, this is a severe infection requiring an extended treatment period. Usually blasto has affected another area of the body, not just the lymph nodes.
— Eyes: one or both eyes can be affected. Initially, we notice inflammation and a low intraocular pressure, but the inflammation quickly progresses to glaucoma (or high pressure). In many cases, the affected eye loses vision. In some cases, the eye must be removed to bring comfort to the patient.
— Bone: this creative organism is well adapted to cause painful lesions in the bone. It can look like bone cancer, so it is important to distinguish between the two.
— Skin: any non-healing wounds, draining tracts, or unexplained wounds should be suspect for blastomycosis.
What should I look for?
Blasto has a very wide variety of clinical signs. Coughing, fever, lethargy, inappetence, vomiting, difficulty breathing, and collapse can all be signs. Enlargement of lymph nodes, squinting/pain in the eyes, oozing skin wounds and lameness may also be noted in some patients. When in doubt, have your pet examined by a veterinarian.
How is it diagnosed?
Most commonly Blasto is most commonly diagnosed by looking for a specific byproduct of the organism (antigen) in the urine. This test is run by an outside lab. Blasto can also be seen in needle aspirates of wounds and lesions on the skin in some cases. X-rays should be used as a tool to evaluate lungs for lesions typical of blasto.
How is it treated?
Treatment takes a LONG time. The core of treatment is through use of strong anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory medications. Each individual patient will be treated differently based on the body system that is affected by the organism.
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Some days stories just happen. They pop into your mind, nibble at your thoughts and then BAM! your pen is dancing all over the page. And then there are the other days. The days of nothingness – the days of blank paper and furious blinking. Here are three top tips from Children’s Laureate, Malorie Blackman, to avoid those days – because sometimes all you need to write a brilliant story is just a little nudge.
1. Take a word for a walk
Think of a word – any word. Let’s start with the word ‘imagination.’ Then think of this word as an animal. Write down what animal it would be. Perhaps a flying fish or a silver fox? Then think of this word as a food. A sparkly skittle? Next think of it as a wish. The ability to fly? So here’s what happened when moontrug took ‘imagination’ for a walk:
Animal: flying fish
Wish: to fly
Colour: blue and sparkly
Sound: a whisper
Smell: fresh air
Mode of Transport: a space hopper
As soon as the word ‘space hopper’ was down on the page, moontrug went on to write a short story which opened with a boy bouncing on a space hopper. You never know what’s going to inspire you! So start taking words for a walk… Moontrug took ‘the sea’ for a walk after ‘imagination’ and it looked a little something like this:
Animal: rhino charging
Food: entire tubs of vanilla icecream
Wish: to be invisible
Colour: pale grey
Sound: cymbals clashing
Mode of Transport: a dirt bike
2. I am watching you…
Sometimes music is a great tool for inspiring magical thoughts. Malorie Blackman got moontrug writing a very creepy story using a song called Lux Aeterna (‘eternal light’) by Clint Mansell. Here’s how. Start by writing this sentence on a blank piece of paper: ‘I am watching you’. Play this song. Now write – whatever comes into your head. With a song like that, you’re bound to write something creepy…
3. Is that an arm bone?
Root around you house for an object which is slightly unusual. Malorie Blackman gave moontrug an arm bone (not her own). The object can be anything: a velvet glove, an old notebook, a wig… Imagine who might have owned this object once upon a time. Imagine why. Imagine their story. With Blackman’s arm bone, moontrug ended up imagining an old woman called The Bone-Gatherer who lived in a house surrounded by bones. She thought the bones would keep out the evil spirits but the bones were just a way for them to climb in…
So have a go with Blackman’s writing tips. You never know – one minute you might be taking a word for a walk, the next you might be on page 34 of the next Harry Potter.
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Nearly a year after the Japanese tsunami and subsequent meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear plant, the good news is that the risk from radiation doesn’t seem to be as high as many initially feared. Take the Pacific Ocean, for example, where most of the radioactive fallout from the plant eventually ended up. Nicholas Fisher, a marine science professor at New York’s Stony Brook University, took samples of the seawater three months after the accident. He found levels of radiation that were elevated, but still just a fraction of the amount of radioactivity sea life is exposed to from naturally occurring potassium in seawater.
As Fisher told CNN in an interview:
The total radiation in the marine organisms that we collected from Fukushima is still less than the natural radiation background that the animals already had, and quite a bit less. It’s about 20%.
So that’s good news for the Pacific Ocean—and those of us who might want to take fish from it. Early reports also suggest that the radiation risk in the area surrounding Fukushima may be less severe as well, though scientists will need more time to be certain.
But what about the U.S.? Thousands of Americans bought potassium iodine pills in the wake of the Fukushima meltdown, afraid that a radioactive cloud was on it was to the U.S. Did any Fukushima fallout make it over here—and if so, was it enough to cause any harm?
It turns out that you can rest easy. In a new study, researchers from the U.S. Geological Survey found that only minute levels of radiation from Fukushima reached the U.S. in the immediate aftermath of the accident. As part of the National Atmospheric Deposition Program (NADP), USGS scientists looked for radiation at 167 sites around the country a few weeks after Fukushima. Just about 20% showed levels of radiation from the plant—and those levels were minimal at most, well below any threat to human health.
From USGS director Marcia McNutt:
Japan’s unfortunate nuclear nightmare provides a rare opportunity for U.S. scientists to test an infrequently needed national capability for detecting and monitoring nuclear fallout over a wide network. Had this been a national incident, NADP would have revealed the spatial and temporal patterns of radioactive contamination in order to help protect people and the environment.
VIDEO: After the Tsunami
The greatest concentration of radiation was found on the West Coast, which makes sense. Radioactive particles can be carried in the high atmosphere for thousands of miles, but when they meet a rain system, they can fall to the Earth as precipitation, spreading the radiation—hence the term “fallout.” Some fallout from Fukushima was found as far away as the East Coast and Europe in the month after the accident, but the levels were so low that researches likely wouldn’t have detected the radiation without looking. The positive, as McNutt put it, is that the accident gave the USGS a chance to work with its radioactive detection network, which could come in handy if another accident occurs—especially one in the U.S.
Which of course brings us to the big question from Fukushima: could it happen here? That remains unanswered, but anyone interested in the issue should read a new article in Prevention by the journalist Chanan Tigay. Tigay spent months reporting inside the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant in California, which sits near four earthquake faults. The piece looks at the risks of living next to one of the biggest nuclear plants in the U.S.—Diablo provides power for 3 million homes—as well as the benefits, and asks whether nuclear power is worth it:
Diablo Canyon’s watchdogs have long worried about the plant’s proximity to the faults, but in the wake of Fukushima, fears have escalated. Mothers for Peace, an antinuclear activist group that has opposed the operation at Diablo Canyon since the start, says its in-box has swelled with questions about safety. Sen. Sam Blakeslee, a California Republican who represents San Luis Obispo and holds a PhD in earthquake studies, says he can understand why. “This entire area is a patchwork of faults,” he says. “It was probably an imprudent location to site a nuclear power plant.”
Diablo Canyon and Fukushima have that in common–but so do many other power plants. The production of nuclear power relies on an abundance of water: That’s why all but one of America’s 104 nuclear reactors sit on oceans, lakes, or rivers. And earthquakes of varying strength have been detected near most US nuclear power plants.
Diablo Canyon has a strong safety record: It has never had a nuclear emergency or meltdown, it’s designed to withstand a 7.5-magnitude earthquake, and it routinely self-reports problems, which experts consider to be a sign that the system is working as it should. What’s more, nature has cooperated: Diablo Canyon has never been overrun by a tsunami or damaged by an earthquake.
Even so, it’s hard to shake off the echo of similar assurances–assurances now known as the “safety myth”–that the Japanese were given before Fukushima. Now, in that catastrophe’s aftermath, the fundamental question looms: How safe is safe enough when you’re talking about nuclear energy?
I don’t know the answer yet—but I do know the article is well worth a read.
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Depending on the total dose of zinc and the composition of lozenges, zinc lozenges may shorten the duration of common colds by up to 40 percent.
Harri Hemila, from University of Helsinki in Finland, completed a meta-analysis of placebo-controlled trials that have examined the effect of zinc lozenges on natural common cold infections. Of the 13 trial comparisons identified, five used a total daily zinc dose of less than 75 milligrams, and those five comparisons uniformly found no effect of zinc. Three trials used zinc acetate in daily doses of more than 75 milligrams, with the average indicating a 42 percent reduction in the duration of colds. Five trials used zinc salts other than acetate in daily doses of more than 75 milligrams, with the average indicating a 20 percent decrease in the duration of colds.
The researchers concluded that the study “shows strong evidence that the zinc lozenge effect on common cold duration is heterogeneous so that benefit is observed with high doses of zinc but not with low doses.... The effects of zinc lozenges should be further studied to determine the optimal lozenge compositions and treatment strategies.”
Hemila, H. (2011). Zinc lozenges may shorten the duration of colds: a systematic review. Open Respiratory Medicine Journal. 5:51-58.
—Dr. Bob Goldman
Editor’s note: For the latest information and research on health and aging, subscribe to the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine e-zine free at WorldHealth.net.
Dr. Robert M. Goldman MD, PhD, DO, FAASP has spearheaded the development of numerous international medical organizations and corporations. Dr. Goldman has served as a Senior Fellow at the Lincoln Filene Center, Tufts University; as an Affiliate at the Philosophy of Education Research Center, Graduate School of Education, Harvard University, He is Clinical Consultant, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Korea Medical University; and Professor, Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Central America Health Sciences, Department of Internal Medicine. Dr. Goldman holds the positions of Visiting Professor, Udayana University School of Medicine, Indonesia; Visiting Professor, Huazhong University of Science & Technology Tong Ji Medical School, China; Visiting Professor, The Wuhan Institute of Science & Technology, China; Visiting Professor at Hainan Medical College, China; and Visiting Professor, School of Anti-Aging, Aesthetics and Regenerative Medicine, UCSI University, Malaysia. Dr. Goldman is a Fellow of the American Academy of Sports Physicians and a Board Diplomat in Sports Medicine and Board Certified in Anti-Aging Medicine. Dr. Goldman is a Fellow of the American Academy of Sports Physicians and a Board Diplomat in Sports Medicine and Board Certified in Anti-Aging Medicine. He has overseen cooperative research agreement development programs in conjunction with such prominent institutions as the American National Red Cross, the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the Department of Defense, and the FDA's Center for Devices & Radiological Health.
Dr Goldman was awarded the 2012 LifeTime Achievement Award in Medicine &Science. Dr. Goldman is the recipient of the 'Gold Medal for Science, the Grand Prize for Medicine, the Humanitarian Award, and the Business Development Award. He received honors from Minister of Sports and government Health officials of numerous nations. In 2001, Excellency Juan Antonio Samaranch awarded Dr. Goldman the International Olympic Committee Tribute Diploma for contributions to the development of sport & Olympism.
In addition, Dr. Goldman is a black belt in karate, Chinese weapons expert, and world champion athlete with over 20 world strength records, he has been listed in the Guinness Book of World Records. Some of his past performance records include 13,500 consecutive situps and 321 consecutive handstand pushups. Dr. Goldman was an All-College athlete in four sports, a three time winner of the John F. Kennedy (JFK) Physical Fitness Award, was voted Athlete of the Year, was the recipient of the Champions Award, and was inducted into the World Hall of Fame of Physical Fitness. Dr. Goldman was awarded the Healthy American Fitness Leader Award from the President's Council on Physical Fitness & Sports and U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Dr. Goldman is Chairman of the International Medical Commission overseeing sports medicine committees in over 184 nations. He has served as a Special Advisor to the President's Council on Physical Fitness & Sports. He is founder and international President Emeritis of the National Academy of Sports Medicine and the cofounder and Chairman of the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine (A4M). Dr. Goldman visits an average of 20 countries annually to promote brain research and sports medicine programs.
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Find out more about this topic:
Animal welfare in Islam, Al-Hafiz Basheer Ahmad Masri
“A good deed done to an animal is like a good deed done to a human being, while an act of cruelty to an animal is as bad as cruelty to a human being,” Muhammad said. His compassion for animals is mentioned in several sources. On discovering a companion had caused distress to a bird by taking her young, Muhammad ordered him to return them at once; whilst reading the Quran a cat fell asleep on his robe, but rather than disturb it, he cut off a portion and walked on. He even reprimanded those who sat idly on their camels and horses with the warning: “Do not treat the backs of animals as chairs”.
In medieval times, historian Gustave le Bon writes, animals enjoyed a ‘paradise’ in the Muslim world. Trusts were solely devoted to sick and vulnerable creatures. In eighteenth century Cairo, Muslims set up bread and water foundations for dogs. In Damascus, a municipal area was dedicated to ageing horses where they could pasture in dignity until the end of their lives, which continued until the twentieth century.
From the start of an animal’s life to its end, there were clear rules on maintaining its welfare. Muhammad advised people to take the life of an animal only for food, and to be as humane as possible urging that the creature should not see the blade and should not be killed in front of other animals.
Mercy to animals goes hand in hand with faith as Muhammad’s words articulate, “He who takes pity even on a sparrow and spares its life, God will be merciful to him on the Day of Judgement”. This ethic is still alive today. Animal welfare institutions thrive in Muslim countries like Qatar, Malaysia and Pakistan.
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When I look back to my childhood the only gender inequality I can remember is the fact that boys always got easier accepted in dance groups and choirs. Girls interest in those activities was much higher than boys interest, so to have a gender balance, demands for boys went high.
Both of my parents had always worked full time and they also both did housework – they shared cooking and cleaning. My mother usually took responsibility of doing laundry and sewing clothes, but only because she was a sewing professional. To be honest my dad could and actually did laundry and even sewing now and then.
First time I really understood what “gender gap” means was at the time when I did a study exchange semester in Norway as a part of my Masters degree. I had a class named “Scandinavian welfare system” where we talked about women’s right to education, career and equally divided responsibilities at home. No doubt, we do have gender salary gap in Latvia, but I believe that boys having lower achievements at school or having more women than men who graduate university are much bigger issues. These stories lead me to two conclusions: the gender gap might exist in different ways in different countries and to close gender gap we need to create social changes, because it is connected to our historical and cultural background.
Sunny Varkey, founder of Varkey Foundation and Global Teacher Prize, said: “Whatever the question, education is the answer”. Education can be the answer to the question how to close the gender gap, but to carry this out we need to find a way to create social changes in a way David Gershon has suggested: create a vision, empower individuals, implement the vision through social diffusion, support individuals, continually refine it based on feedback.
I have had an honor to get to know teacher Aqeela Asifi from Pakistan, who actually has narrowed the gender gap through creating social changes. She has said: “If the world wants the underdeveloped countries to progress and prosper, their foremost priority should be providing access to quality education for both boys and girls.”
When she came to refugee camp local girls explained her: “We are girls, we are not supposed to go to school”. Their mothers said: “Sister, you are new here. You made this remark (i.e. “Why girls don’t go to school?”), but be careful not to talk like this again about girls’ education.” But Aqeela did smart. She went from home to home and talked to parents. She found common topic – the Quran. Aqeela asked if parents understood what they read in the Quran. Many parents were surprised because they didn’t even know that every single word in this text actually means something. So they started to like an idea of their daughters being able to read and understand the text.
She started with this vision of ability to understand the Quran and first few students, whom Aqeela taught just to read and write. Today she has reached 1155 registered students and she can even say: “Their traditions have changed”.
Get to know Aqeela Asifi’s story here: http://www.globalteacherprize.org/top-10-finalist/aqeela-asifi
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The underground Lamaque gold mine is located in the famous region of Val d’Or or Valley of Gold. This region was established in 1934 fueled by the discovery of massive copper and gold ore bodies. The great gold rush triggered a mining boom throughout the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region.
The Lamaque mine started production in 1935 and 50 years later it was exhausted and shut down. Today, the Mine and the Bourlamaque historic mining village of Val d’Or are part of “The city of Gold” museum. This Museum offers visits of the mining site and invites you to become a miner for a day. Guests experience an underground descent to a depth of 90 meters. Underground, the guide, an old miner, explains the different methods of gold extraction and at the surface, visitors can see an ore transformation process within the laboratory and visit the pithead frame, hoist room and dryer section.
Welcome to La Cite de l’Or
Guide explaining to visitors the history of Val d’Or
Visitors in the underground galleries of the mine
The guide is showing that when the mine was still active, the galleries were created by drilling and blasting
The underground galleries of the Lamaque gold mine
The Canadian Malartic open-pit
Canadian Malartic is one of Canada’s largest gold mine. Situated in the city of Malartic, 20 Km west from Val D’Or in Abitibi-Témiscamingue, this open-pit mine is expected to produce gold between 500 000 and 600 000 ounces of gold per year over a 16-year mine life. The first gold ingot was poured on April 2011 and commercial production started in May 2011. Built on time and on budget, Canadian Malartic presents a Probable Reserves of 9.37 million ounces of gold and continues to grow..
Truck transporting the ore. Another truck is seen hydrating the ground to prevent the spreading of dust
The Canadian Malartic mining complex is comprised of several facilities including the conveyor belt and crushed ore stockpile building; a processing plant, a garage and numerous other installations. This immense complex represent an investment of more than $1 billion.
Secondary crushing circuit
Conveyor belt and crushed ore stockpile building
The Canadian Malartic mine is one of the most dynamic and interesting mine to work in particularly because it is located just across the town of Malartic. To minimize the impact of the sound generated by the haul trucks and shovels on the Malarticois, Osisko has constructed a green wall of several meters surrounding its mine. In addition, drilling and blasting activities are interrupted when the wind blows towards the town; blasting is resumed when it is sure that the town will be uninfected by the blast.
Letourneau loader placing the ore in a CAT793F mining truck
N.B: Want to experience Canadian Malartic ? This mine is open to visitors from early June to Labor day, fom Tuesday to Sunday; Make reservations in advance by contacting the Musée Minéralogique de l’Abitibi-Témiscamingue (650, rue de la Paix, Malartic (quebec) J0Y 1Z0; Telephone (819) 757-4677; firstname.lastname@example.org).
The haul road can be seen cutting the benches of the open-pit diagonally
Located in the heart of Asbestos city in southeastern Quebec, Jeffrey Mine started production of chrysotile or white asbestos in 1879. Chrysotile is the most common form of asbestos belonging to the serpentine group of phyllosilicates minerals. The mineral asbestos attracted the industrialists of the 90s due to its numerous properties. Over the years, the dangers associated with various forms of asbestos were identified lowering the demand for this mineral worldwide. The Quebec government has stopped funding the mining of Asbestos shutting down the largest mine of the region: Jeffrey Mine. This open-pit and underground mine reached a depth of 350 m. Today, the pit no longer exists as it has been reclaimed.
Students holding asbestos fibers
The chrysotile ore is transported from underground to the surface in this lift called a skip
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Quebec Martello Tower 1
|Quebec Martello Tower 1 (1808-1871) - A British colonial Martello Tower established in 1808 by Ralph Bruyeres on the Plains of Abraham in present day Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. Abandoned in 1871 as the British military left Canada.
Quebec Martello Tower 1 History
Part of the Harbor Defense of Quebec.
Construction began in the summer of 1808 on four Martello towers to guard the westward land approaches to Fortress Quebec. The four towers were designed as an interlocking advanced defense system that could be destroyed from the fort if overrun.
The towers were completed by the start of the War of 1812 but they never were attacked. The towers were abandoned for military purposes when British troops departed Canada in 1871 but were used for other purposes after that.
Tower 1 was used to support a cistern for the Ross Rifle factory in the early 1900s and as an astronomical observatory from 1941 to the 1960s.
Must See! Part of Plains of Abraham National Battlefield Park, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The tower is restored and contains interpretive displays on all three floors. A period display cannon is mounted outside the tower. A cutaway cannon is located on the third floor. Admission to the tower is tied into the Plains of Abraham National Battlefield Park bus tour which was informative and very entertaining. Terrific view of the St. Lawrence River from the tower site. Automated self guided tour of the tower uses iPad technology to provide details of interpretive displays.
Visited: 18 Jul 2013
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America the Beautiful
Who wrote the music and words to the song America the Beautiful?
The words were written by an instructor at Wellesley (Mass.) College named Katharine Lee Bates (1859-1929). The Falmouth, Mass. native first jotted down the famous poem after an inspirational trip to the top of Pikes Peak in Colorado in 1893.
America the Beautiful first appeared in print in The Congregationalist, a weekly journal, on July 4, 1895. Bates revised it in 1904 and its final version appeared in 1913.
The poem is set to the music of New Jersey musician Samuel A. Ward. His piece, which is older than the poem, is called "Materna." It was published in 1888 and reportedly composed in 1882. The two were first published together in 1910.
According to the Falmouth Historical Society, in 1926 the National Federation of Music Clubs thought Ward's composition was too somber and held a contest to put the poem to new music, but none of the entries was deemed suitable. The poem has since been sung to a variety of music, and Bates never admitted publicly which music she liked best. Today, America the Beautiful is almost exclusively sung to Ward's "Materna."
Follow these links to more information:
-The Fact Monster
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The planets Jupiter, Mars and Venus are still visible in the morning. Get up before Sun rise and you will see them in the East, nicely lined up under the constellation Leo. Venus is the brightest, but you cannot miss Jupiter either. Mars is fainter and not far from Venus. Jupiter rises already early, nearly at 1 am, while Mars and Venus rises a little later at about 2 to 3 am. By next week, the Moon, nearly to Last Quarter, is getting closer to Jupiter. Mercury and Saturn are too close to the Sun and not visible. The planets Uranus and Neptune are nearly the whole evening visible with binoculars or a smaller telescope. Full Moon is quite bright and will disturb observing dimmer objects in the skies. The big square, or the constellation Pegasus dominates still the sky in the South.
Wednesday 25 November
Today it is the 100th Anniversary when the famous Albert Einstein publishes the General Theory of Relativity in 1915.
At 5.55 pm Mercury is in aphelion. The distance to the Sun is 0.4667 AU.
At 7.52 pm the International Space Station , called ISS, is having an orbit manoeuvre rocket burn. If visible, it would be that timings would be slightly different (minutes only). But … unfortunately … not visible this week!
It is Full Moon at 10.44 pm. The Moon is passing the Hyades in the constellation Taurus. After midnight at 4.20 am the Moon is close to the star Hyadum I. The limb separation is only 0.19° or 0.34 lunar diameters. The Moon altitude is 29° and the Moon phase is 99.8%. Due to the bright Moon, the star will be hard to locate. Be careful and do NOT star too long to this bright Moon. It can damage your eye sight!!! At 5.55 am the Moon is close to the star Hyadum II. Limb separation is 1°or 2 lunar diameters. And at 7 am the Moon is close to the star The2 Tau. Limb separation is only 0.38° or 0.71 lunar diameters. At 7.10 am the Moon is close to the star The1 Tau. Limb separation is 0.32° or 0.59 lunar diameters. And ... at 7.20 am the Moon is close to the bright star Aldebaran. This should be easier to see. Watch upfront so you can see the star getting closer to the Moon. The limb separation goes to 2° or 4 lunar diameters. At that time the Moon altitude is only 6°. The Moon occults Aldebaran for North America. Send in your picture!
If you have some time in between, look with the telescope or binocular at Jupiter. After midnight at 1.23 am the Jupiter Moon Europa is in inferior conjunction. And at 2.47 am the Jupiter Moon Europa ends it transit.
Thursday 26 November
Today in 1703 during the "Great Storm" more than 8000 people perished and the first Eddystone lighthouse was totally destroyed. Among the dead was its designer, Henry Winstanley. He was a London merchant, who had lost two of his ships on the Eddystone Reef, 14 miles south of Plymouth, site of many other shipwrecks. In 1696 work began on a rather strange wooden structure. Although unlike today's lighthouses, it was a major achievement for its day. It was first lit on 14 Nov 1698. After additional modification and strengthening, Winstanley was so confident that he said he wished to be present during "the greatest storm there ever was". His wish came true, for Winstanley was killed sleeping inside it, during the 1703 storm.
At 6.14 pm a very bright Iridium flare appears at altitude 37° in the constellation Pisces. An Iridium flare is a rather slow moving satellite which moves along the stars and sudden lit up very bright.
Get your telescope out or use a binocular and look at the giant planet Jupiter. At 2.40 am the Jupiter Moon Ganymede is reoccurring of it’s a occultation behind the planet. At 6.13 am the Jupiter Moon Io begins its eclipse.
Friday 27 November
Today in 1826 John Walker (1781-1859), an English pharmacist from Stockton-on-Tees, invented the first practical, strike-anywhere, friction match, which he first sold on 7 April 1827, though he refused to patent his creation. He used 3” splints of wood, tipped with potassium chlorate, antimony sulphide, and gum arabic. The match head was ignited by drawing it through a fold of fine glass paper. By 1829 similar matches called “Lucifers” were sold throughout London. Their difference was added sulphur to aid combustion, and white phosphorus. Matchmaking workers quickly developed a bone disease called “phossy jaw” from the phosphorus. Phosphorus sesquisulphide replaced the deadly white phosphorus in the strike-anywhere match during the early twentieth century.
At 4.26 pm the Moon is in maximum libration North. The North Pole and Mare Frigoris are tipped into Earth's view. And the Moon is in maximum declination North at 8.06 pm.
At 4.51 pm a bright Iridium flare appears at an altitude of 21° in the constellation of Sagittarius.
After midnight at 3.33 am the Jupiter Moon Io begins it shadow over the giant planet. At 4.46 am the Jupiter Moon Io begins its transit of the planet. At 5.50 am the Jupiter Moon Io ends its shadow and at 5.53 am the Jupiter Moon Io is in inferior conjunction. On top, the Great Red Spot is in transit at 6.06 am. Worth a watch!
Not that you will notice, but for the Solar observers at 4.04 am the Carrington Solar Rotation begins its rotation number 2171.
Saturday 28 November
At 7.19 pm the Moon is in maximum libration.
After midnight, at 1.58 am Jupiter's Great Red Spot transits. And at 4.09 am the Jupiter Moon Io reappears from its occultation.
At 4.59 am an Iridium flare appears at an altitude 65° in the constellation of Auriga.
At 5.20 am the Moon is close to the star Lam Gem. The limb separation is only 0.01° or 0.03 lunar diameters, so truly touching the Moons limb! The Moon altitude is 44° and the Moon phase is 87%.
Sunday 29 November
Today in 1962 the British Aircraft Corporation and the major French airline company Sud Aviation, agreed to jointly design and manufacture a 100-seat supersonic passenger airliner. Two months later, in January 1963, a BAC executive suggested the name "Concord" after using a thesaurus, which was adopted as Concorde, reflecting the French spelling. In May 1963, it was decided each Concorde component would be single sourced, but with two final assembly lines, one in England at Filton and one in France at Toulouse. The UK was to manufacture 60 per cent of the engine and 40 per cent of the airframe. Within the decade, the first Concorde had broken the sound barrier on 1 October 1969. Passenger flights began on 21 January 1976.
At 4.48 pm a rather bright Iridium flare appears in the South South West at 17° high in the constellation of Sagittarius.
Comet C/2013 X1 and called PanSTARRS may reach binocular visibility. Keep an eye on my blog!
At 8.55 am the planet Venus is in perihelion. The distance to the Sun is 0.7184 AU.
The Moon is in maximum libration East at 4.40 pm. Mare Crisium limb is tipped into Earth's view.
The planet with the rings Saturn is at its farest distance at 10 pm. The distance to the Earth is 10.992 AU. The planet Saturn is in conjunction and only 2° separated from the Sun at midnight. Distance to the Earth is 10.992 AU. The planet is not visible!
After midnight at 0.02 am the planet Venus is close to the bright star Spica in the constellation Virgo. They are 4° separated. Look in the morning before Sun rise!
Jupiter time. Get your telescope out at watch at 1.30 am the Jupiter Moon Io when it ends its transit. At 3.23 am the Jupiter Moon Callisto ends its eclipse with the giant planet.
The red planet Mars is close to the star Porrima at 7.14 am. They are 1° separated. And at 7.22 am Mars is close to the star g29 Virginis, also 1° separated. Look in the morning.
Monday 30 November
Today in 1609 the modern face of the Moon first emerged when Galileo Galilei in Padua turned his telescope toward the Moon, noted the irregularities of the crescent face, and made a drawing to record his discoveries. He made at least five more drawings of the Moon over the next eighteen days, prepared careful watercolor sketches from these drawings, and then selected four of these to be engraved for his revolutionary Starry Messenger, which appeared the following March. Galileo's treatise announced to an astonished public that the Moon was a cratered chunk of elements - a world - and not some globe of quintessential perfection. It was a new land, to be explored, charted, and named.
Use a binocular or small telescope and watch Jupiter and its Moons after midnight. At 3.36 am the Great Red Spot is in transit on the giant planet. At 6.02 am the Jupiter Moon Europa begins its eclipse.
Tuesday 01 December
In 1997 eight planets from our Solar System lined up from West to East beginning with Pluto (that time still considered as a planet), followed by Mercury, Mars, Venus, Neptune, Uranus, Jupiter, and Saturn, with a crescent Moon alongside, in a rare alignment visible from Earth that lasted until 8 December . Mercury, Mars, Venus, Jupiter and Saturn were visible to the naked eye, with Venus and Jupiter by far the brightest. A good pair of binoculars was needed to see the small blue dots that are Uranus and Neptune. Pluto is visible only by telescope. The planets also aligned in May 2000, but too close to the Sun to be visible from Earth. It will be at least another 100 years before so many planets will be so close and so visible.
At 5.35 pm a rather bright Iridium flare appears in the West North West at 15° high in the constellation of Corona Borealis.
The Moon is close to the star Subra at 10.50 pm. The limb separation is only 0.46° or less that a lunar diameter. The Moon altitude is only 6° and the Moon phase is 63%.
After midnight at 5.23 am the Jupiter Moon Io is in Western Elongation.
Wednesday 02 December
An Iridium flare appears at 4.49 pm in the South West at 12° in the constellation Sagittarius. An Iridium flare is a rather slow satellite in the night sky, brighten up quite intense at a certain position. Another but brighter flare at 5.20 pm in the West North West at 17° high in the constellation Corona Borealis.
With a small telescope of binocular you can watch the giant planet Jupiter and its Moons. After midnight at 2.38 am the Jupiter Moon Europa begins its transit over the giant planet. At 2.41 am the Jupiter Moon Io is in Eastern elongation and at 3 am the Jupiter Moon Europa ends its shadow. The Jupiter Moon Europa is in inferior conjunction at 4.02 am. At 5.15 am the Great Red Spot of Jupiter is in transit. And at last, at 5.25 am the Jupiter Moon Europa ends its transit.
Our Earth’s satellite the Moon is in Last Quarter at 7.40 am. This is the smallest Last Quarter Moon of the year. The former smaller Last Quarter Moon was on 14 December 2014. The next smaller Last Quarter Moon is on 2 January 2016.
Get in touch with me via www.patrickpoitevin.weebly.com if you need more information.
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Peterborough Bronze Age boats conservation begins
Eight 4,000-year-old boats found in a quarry in Cambridgeshire are being preserved with the same techniques used on the Mary Rose Tudor warship.
The vessels were discovered by archaeologists as they excavated a section of a quarry at Must Farm near Peterborough in 2011.
The boats are being kept in cold storage at Flag Fen, where they will be sprayed with a special wax.
The two-year project will stop the ancient timbers from degrading.
The technique prevents the boats from drying out too quickly and enables them to be kept in one piece.
Previously log boats have been cut into pieces for conservation.
It is hoped the process will reveal more about the Must Farm log boats, one of which is almost 30ft (9m) long.
Visitors to Flag Fen will be able to watch conservators at work, with the aim of eventually putting the boats on public display in glass cabinets.
Ian Panter, principal conservator at the York Archaeological Trust, designed the conservation strategy for the boats.
He said: "It's the first time we've had this number of log boats on one site.
"To undertake the conservation with the public able to view it and watch the process develop over the next few years is a great opportunity to see it in action.
"We're keeping the boats wet and cold to help keep everything as it is - so there's no biological activity to digest through the timber - to reduce decay of the wood."
Mr Panter said he believed the boats were used for fishing and transporting cargo along the River Nene.
Carbon-14 tests will be carried out to give precise dates of when the boats were made and could also reveal why they were abandoned in the river.
"I think they had been intentionally sunk but we don't know why," Mr Panter said.
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In this lesson you will find:
This is a list of communities and locations that are practicing permaculture or incorporating permaculture etics and principles into their lifestyle.
The course is offered at Heathcote in two formats, a two-week intensive course in a residential setting or an extended course with home study components interspersed with ten days of class meetings for hands-on work.
Go to www.heathcote.org for more information or call Karen Stupski at 410-343-DIRT.
*Those with asterisks are good resources to begin with.
Ecological design - general
Alexander, Christopher, et.al. 1977. A Pattern Language: Towns, Building, Construction.
Mars, Ross. The Basics of Permaculture Design.
McHarg, Ian. 1969. Design with Nature. The Natural History Press.
*Mollison, Bill with Reny Slay. 1991. Introduction to Permaculture. Tyalgum, Australia: Tagari.
*Mollison, Bill. 1988. Permaculture: A Designer’s Manual. Tyalgum, Australia: Tagari.
Morrow, Rosemary. 1993. Earth User’s Guide to Permaculture. Kenthurst NSW: Kangaroo Press.
Seymour, John and Herbert Girardet. 1987. Blueprint for a Green Planet: Your Practical Guide to Restoring the World’s Environment. New York: Prentice Hall.
Smyser, Carol A. Nature’s Design. Emmaus, PA: Rodale Press.
Todd, John and Nancy. Bioshelter, Ocean Arks, City Farming: Ecology as the Basis of Design.
*Van der Ryn, Sim and Stuart Cowan. 1996. Ecological Design. Washington D.C.: Island Press.
Agenda 21 The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development. 1992.
Bookchin, Murray. 1980. Toward an Ecological Society. Montreal: Black Rose Books.
Brown, Lester. 1981. Building a Sustainable Society. New York: W. W. Norton.
Meadows, Donella, Dennis Meadows, et.al. 1972. The Limits to Growth. New York: Signet.
National Research Council. 1999. Our Common Journey: A Transition Toward Sustainability. Washington DC: National Academy Press.
Revelle, Penelope and Charles. The Global Environment: Securing a Sustainable Future.
*Wackernagel, Mathis and William Rees. Our Ecological Footprint: Reducing Human Impact on the Earth. Gabriola Island, B.C.: New Society Publishers.
World Commission on Economic Development. 1987. Our Common Future. New York: Oxford University Press.
*Sauer, Leslie Jones. 1998. The Once and Future Forest: A Guide to Forest Restoration Strategies. Washington, D.C.: Island Press.
Anderson, Bruce. 1987. The New Solar Home Book. Andover, MA: Brick House Books.
Berthold-Bond, Annie. 1990. Clean and Green: The Complete Guide to Nontoxic and Environmentally Safe Housekeeping. Woodstock, NY: Ceres Press.
Borer, Pat and Cindy Harris. 1998. The Whole House Book: Ecological Building Design and Materials. Machynlleth, Powys, UK: Centre for Alternative Technology Publications.
Kennedy, Joseph, Michael G. Smith and Catherine Wanek, eds. 2002. The Art of Natural Building: Design, Construction, Resources. Gabriola Island, Canada: New Society Publishers.
Kern, Ken. The Owner Built Home.
*Kilbert, Charles, ed. Reshaping the Built Environment: Ecology, Ethics and Economics. Washington, DC: Island Press, 1999.
King, Bruce. 1996. Buildings of Earth and Straw: Structural Design for Rammed Earth and Straw-bale Architecture. Saulsalito, CA: Ecological Design Press.
Mazria, Edward. 1979. The Passive Solar Energy Book: A Complete Guide to Passive Solar Home, Greenhouse and Building Design. Emmaus, PA: Rodale Press.
MacDonald, S.O. and Orien MacDonald. A Straw Bale Primer.
Nisson, J.D. and Gautam Dutt. 1985. The Superinsulated House Book. John Wiley.
Reynolds, Michael. Earthships, Volumes I - III.
Smith, Michael. 1998. The Cobber’s Companion.
Rodale, ed. Solarizing Your Present Home. Emmaus, PA: Rodale Press.
University of Minnesota, Underground Space Center. Earth Sheltered Housing Designs, Guidelines, examples, references.
Van Dresser, Peter. 1977. Passive Solar House Basics. Santa Fe, NW: Ancient City Press.
Andrassy, Stella. 1978. The Solar Food Dryer Book. Earth Books.
Bainbridge. The Integral Passive Solar Water Heater Book.
Coffin, W. and R. Alward. 1986. A Design Guide for Underground Heat Storage Systems. Quebec: Brace Research Institute.
Fowler Solar Electric. 1989. The Solar Electric Independent Home Book.
Hinrichs, Roger A. 1996. Energy: Its Use and the Environment. Saunders College Publishing.
*Holmgren, David. “Energy and Permaculture,” The Permaculture Activist 31, May 1994.
Inversin, Allen. 1986. Micro Hydropower Sourcebook. Intermadiate Technology Group of North America.
Rodale Press, Producing Your Own Power: How to Make Nature’s Energy Sources Work for You.
Saxenian, Mike and Ken Saxenian. 1986. Appropriate Technology Sourcebook. Stanford, CA: Volunteers in Asia.
Schaeffer, John, ed. 1992. The Alternative Energy Sourcebook: A Comprehensive Guide to Energy Sensible Technologies. Ukiah, CA: Real Goods Trading Corporation.
U.S. Government. Small Scale Wind, Hydro and Photovoltaic Systems. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.
Campbell, Stu. 1978. The Home Water Supply: How to Find, Filter, Store and Conserve It. NY: Bootstrap Publications.
Dunne, Thomas and Luna Leopold. 1978. Water in Environmental Planning. W.H. Freeman.
Ludwig, Art. Date? Builder’s Greywater Guide: Installation of Greywater Systems in New Construction and Remodeling. Santa Barbara, CA: PIP Printing.
*Ludwig, Art. 1994. Create an Oasis with Greywater: Your Complete Guide to Managing Greywater in the Landscape. Santa Barbara, CA: PIP Printing.
Matson, Tim. 1991. Earth Ponds: The Country Pond Maker’s Guide to Building, Maintenance and Restoration.
*Riley, A. L., et. al. 1981. Captured Rainfall: Small-Scale Water Supply Systems. California: Department of Water Resources, The Resources Agency.
Watt, S. B. 1984. Ferrocement Water Tanks and Their Construction. London: Intermadiate Technology Publications, Ltd.
Waste disposal and nutrient recycling systems
Appelhof, Mary. 1982. Worms Eat My Garbage. Flower Press.
*Del Porto, David and Carol Steinfeld. 1999. The Composting Toilet Systems Book: A Practical Guide to Choosing, Planning and Maintaining Composting Toilet Systems, an Alternative to Sewer and Septic Systems. Concord, MA: The Center for Ecological Pollution Prevention.
EPA. 1988. Constructed Wetlands and Aquatic Plant Systems for Municipal Wastewater Treatment. Washington, DC: EPA Office of Research and Development. EPA/625/1-88/022.
EPA. 1980. Onsite Wastewater Treatment and Disposal Systems. Washington, DC: EPA Office of Research and Development. EPA 625/1-80-012.
Grant, Nick, Mark Moodie, and Chris Weedon. 2000. Sewage Solutions: Answering the Call of Nature. Machynlleth, Powys, UK: Centre for Alternative Technology Publications.
Harper, Peter and Louise Halestrap. 1999. Lifting the Lid: An Ecological Approach to Toilet Systems. Machynlleth, Powys, UK: Centre for Alternative Technology Publications.
*Jenkins, J.C. 1994. The Humanure Handbook: A Guide to Composting Human Manure. Grove City, PA: Jenkins Publishing.
National Small Flows Clearinghouse, West Virginia University, PO Box 6064, Morgantown, WV, 26506-6064. 1-800-624-8301. More than 200 publications.
TVA. 1991. General Design, Construction and Operation Guidelines: Constructed Wetlands Wastewater Treatment Systems for Small Users Including Individual Residences. Chattanooga: Tennessee Valley Authority.
Food production systems
Bell, Graham. 1994. The Permaculture Garden. London: Thorsons.
Coleman, Eliot. 1992. Four Season Harvest: How to harvest fresh, organic vegetables from your home garden all year long. White River Junction, VT: Chelsea Green Publishing Company.
Crawford, Martin. 1992. Directory of Useful Plants for Temperate Climates. Devon, UK: Agroforestry Research Trust.
Duke, James. 1992. Handbook of Edible Weeds. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.
Facciola, Stephen. 1990. Cornucopia: A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Pub.
Fishman, Ram. 1986. The Handbook for Fruit Explorers. Chapin, IL: North American Fruit Explorers.
Fukuoka, Masanobu. 1978. The One-Straw Revolution: An Introduction to Natural Farming. Emmaus, PA: Rodale Press.
Hart, Robert. 1991. Forest Gardening: Cultivating an Edible Landscape. White River Junction, VT: Chelsea Green Publishing Company.
*Hemenway, Toby. 2001. Gaia’s Garden: A Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture. White River Junction, VT: Chelsea Green.
Hunt, Marjorie and B. Bortz. 1986. High-Yield Gardening: How to Get More from Your Garden Space and More From Your Gardening Season. Emmaus, PA: Rodale Press.
Jaynes, Richard A., ed. 1979. Nut Tree Culture in North America. New Carlise, OH: Northern Nut Growers Association.
*Jeavons, John. 1974. How to Grow More Vegetables than You Ever Thought Possible on Less Land than You can Imagine. Palo Alto, CA: Ecology Action.
*Kourik, Robert. 1986. Designing and Maintaining Your Edible Landscape Naturally. Metamorphic Press.
Logston, Gene. 1981. Organic Orcharding: A Grove of Trees to Live In. Emmaus, PA: Rodale Press.
Logston, Gene. 1978. Getting Food from Water: a Guide to Backyard Aquaculture.
McLarney. 1984. The Freshwater Aquaculture Book: A Handbook for Small Scale Fish Culture in North America. Cloudburst Press.
McLeod, Edward. 1982. Feed the Soil. Organic Agricultural Research Institute, Box 475, Graton, CA 95444.
Reinjntjes, Coen, Bertus Haverkort and Ann Waters-Bayer. 1992. Farming for the Future: an Introduction to Low-External-Input and Sustainable Agriculture. Macmillian.
Rodale, Robert. 1971. The Basic Book of Organic Gardening. Emmaus, PA: Rodale Press.
Schuler, Stanley and E. Schuler. 1973. Preserving the Fruits of the Earth: How to ‘Put Up’ Almost Every Food Grown in the United States in Almost Every Way. Galahad Books.
Smith, J. Russell. 1929, 1950. Tree Crops: A Permanent Agriculture. Island Press.
Tilth. 1982. The Future is Abundant: A Guide to Sustainable Agriculture. Arlington, WA: Tilth.
Whealy, Kent. 198?. Fruit, Berry and Nut Inventory. Seed Savers Publications.
*Whitefield, Patrick. 1996. How to Make a Forest Garden. Hampshire: Permanent Publications.
Yepson, Roger. 1981. Home Food Systems: Rodale’s Catalog of Methods and Tools for Producing, Processing, and Preserving Naturally Good Foods. Emmaus, PA: Rodale Press.
Culture and Social Organization
*Butler, C.T. and Amy Rothstein. 1991. On Conflict and Consensus: a Handbook on Formal Consensus Decisionmaking. Portland, ME: Food Not Bombs Publishing.
*Chinn, Peggy L. 1995. Peace and Power: Building Communities for the Future. New York: NLN Press.
*Durning, Alan. How Much is Enough? The Consumer Society and the Future of the Earth. New York: W.W. Norton, 1992.
Eisler, Riane. 1987. The Chalice and the Blade. New York: HarperCollins.
Eisler, Riane and David Loye. 1990. The Partnership Way. New York: HarperCollins.
Macy, Joanna. 1998. Coming Back to Life: Practice to Reconnect Our Lives, Our World. Gabriola Island: New Society Publishers.
Starhawk. 1990. Truth or Dare: Encounters with Power, Authority, and Mystery. San Francisco: Harper.
*Brandt, Barbara. 1995. Whole Life Economics: Revaluing Daily Life. Gabriola Island: New Society Publishers.
Greco, Tom. New Money for Healthy Communities.
Hawken, Paul. The Ecology of Commerce. New York: HarperCollins, 1993.
Hawken, Paul, Amory Lovins and L. Hunter Lovins. 1999. Natural Capitalism. Boston: Little, Brown & Co.
Kennedy, Margrit. 1988. Interest and Inflation Free Money: How to Create an Exchange Medium that Works for Everybody. Steyerberg, West Germany: Permakultur Publikationen.
Nattrass, Brian and Mary Altomare. 1999. The Natural Step for Business: Wealth, Ecology and the Evolutionary Corporation. Gabriola Island: New Society Publishers.
*Schumacher, E. F. 1973. Small is Beautiful: Economics as if People Mattered. New York: Harper and Row.
*Olkowski, Helga and Bill, Tom Javits and the Farallones Institute Staff. 1979. The Integral Urban House: Self-Reliant Living in the City. Sierra Club Books.
*O’Meara, Molly. Reinventing Cities for People and the Planet. Worldwatch Paper #147.
Register, Richard and Brady Peeks. 1997. Village Wisdom/Future Cities: The Third International Ecocity and Ecovillage Conference. Oakland: Ecocity Builders.
Spirn, Anne. 1984. The Granite Garden. Basic Books.
Walter, Bob, Lois Arkin and Richard Crenshaw. 1992. Sustainable Cities: Concepts and Strategies for Eco-City Development. Los Angeles: Eco-Home Media.
Introduction/Table of Contents | What is sustainable living? | What is permaculture?
Ethics of permaculture | Seven principles of permaculture | How do you apply permaculture?
Useful strategies and techniques | Resources | Course Assessment | Glossary | Feedback
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Source: Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
DE SMET, PIERRE-JEAN, priest, Jesuit, missionary; b. 30 Jan. 1801 at Dendermonde, diocese of Ghent, Belgium, fifth child and second son of Josse De Smet and his second wife, Marie-Jeanne Buydens; d. 23 May 1873 in St Louis, Missouri.
Pierre-Jean De Smet’s father, primarily a chandler, was a merchant of considerable means. De Smet’s early education was at home and in various colleges; in his 19th year he entered the Petit Séminaire at Mechlin. In August 1821 he sailed for the United States to begin his noviciate at White Marsh, a Jesuit estate near Baltimore. Eighteen months later he was transferred to Florissant, just north of St Louis, Missouri, where he was ordained on 23 Sept. 1827. As a prefect in St Regis Seminary, a school for Indian boys, 1824–30, he learned something of Indian customs and ways before he was sent to St Louis as treasurer of the college in that city (now St Louis University).
Father De Smet was for some years plagued with an irritating skin infection, and he was advised by local physicians to visit his native country for a period. Accordingly, he left the United States for Belgium in September 1833 and did not return to St Louis until November 1837. While abroad he found his true métier – as a recruiter of men, supplies, and money for the Missouri mission. Soon after his return to America he was sent as a missionary to the Potawatomi Indians at Council Bluffs (Iowa); he also visited the Yankton and Santee Sioux with a view to negotiating peace between these tribes.
De Smet returned to St Louis from Council Bluffs in February 1840, and between 30 April and 31 December of that year made his first journey to the Rocky Mountains to spy out the land, that is to ascertain the prospects for missions among the Indians in those parts, especially among the Flatheads. His plan, a chimerical one, was to establish a reduction such as the Jesuit fathers of the 17th century had established in Paraguay, a mission wherein a white man would never set foot. In 1841, with two fathers and three brothers, he reached the Bitterroot Valley where he founded the mission of Sainte-Marie (Stevensville, Mont.) 35 miles south of present-day Missoula. In the following spring he visited the missionaries at Fort Vancouver (in present-day Vancouver, Wash.), François-Norbert Blanchet and Modeste Demers, to concert plans for the propagation of the faith in the Oregon country. Between them it was decided that, since assistance in personnel and material was necessary for the success of the mission, Father De Smet should return to the central states and seek permission to visit Europe to obtain these ends. Accordingly, before the close of that year he again crossed the Atlantic, and he returned to the Pacific northwest via Cape Horn, reaching the Columbia River on 31 July 1844 with five additional Jesuits and a group of sisters of Notre-Dame de Namur. The following 12 months were spent in founding new missions and in visiting Sainte-Marie. But, convinced that the very existence of these new missions depended upon a permanent peace with the Blackfeet, the traditional enemies of the Flatheads, he determined to visit the country of the former.
In August 1845 he began a momentous journey which was to take him into Hudson’s Bay Company territory. From the north end of Pend d’Oreille Lake he cut across country to the valley of the Kootenay River, followed along it to la haute traverse, whence he crossed over to the sources of the Columbia River. Moving down this valley he entered Sinclair Pass, recrossed the Kootenay and by White Man’s Pass reached the Bow River valley near the site of present-day Canmore, Alberta. Thence he travelled northward to Rocky Mountain House which he reached on 4 October. He was there until the end of the month. Here it was that he met bands of Crees, Chippewas, and Blackfeet. He then set out to visit other Blackfoot bands, wandered aimlessly for days – apparently to the east of the area he had just passed through – and was fortunate to get back to Rocky Mountain House, whence he was conducted to Fort Edmonton, where he spent the winter of 1845–46 as a guest of the HBC. This long trek in the wilderness constitutes De Smet’s significant connection with Canadian history. He had, however, not succeeded in his purpose inasmuch as he had met only one small band of Blackfeet.
In the spring he set out with a party over the company trail via the upper North Saskatchewan River to Jasper House, where they spent Easter Sunday, 12 April 1846. From there by way of the Wood River they reached the Columbia after terrible sufferings. Three weeks later, on 29 May, they were at Fort Colvile (near present-day Kettle Falls, Wash.) and before the end of June arrived at Fort Vancouver. After a quick visit to the religious houses on the Willamette River, De Smet set out for the upper country with supplies for the missions there; he was back at his first foundation, Sainte-Marie on the Bitterroot, on or about 8 August. He then returned to St Louis. These long journeys of 1845–46 had been made at about the same time and over much of the same territory as the travels of the artist Paul Kane in search of Indians of the west. De Smet did some sketching himself as he journeyed.
De Smet’s days as a missionary to the Rocky Mountains were over. During the years that were left to him, he made numerous trips to Europe (in all he crossed the Atlantic Ocean 19 times) and, though he was not actually serving on missions, he was deeply involved with them. Between 1851 and 1870 he also journeyed to the upper Missouri River many times in the interest of the American government. Perhaps his finest hour was in 1868 when, accompanied only by a white who was married to a native as interpreter and a few friendly chiefs and braves, he entered the camp of Sitting Bull* and persuaded him to accept the subsequent treaty of Fort Rice, “the most complete and wisest thus far concluded with the Indians of this country.” De Smet visited the Sioux for the last time in 1870. He died three years later and was buried at Florissant where he had completed his noviciate 50 years before.
[The following depositories hold De Smet’s papers: General Archives of the Society of Jesus in Rome. ASJ, Province belge du nord (Bruxelles), papiers De Smet; Missouri Province (St Louis University), Pius XII Library, Desmetiana section. Holland Library (Washington State University, Pullman), De Smet family papers.
Although there is no complete bibliography of Father De Smet’s published works in one place, two are useful: Augustin et Alois de Backer, Bibliothèque de la Compagnie de Jésus; première partie: bibliographie, par les Pères Augustin et Aloys de Backer; seconde partie: histoire, par le Père Auguste Carayon, ed. Carlos Sommervogel (11v., Bruxelles, Paris, 1890–1932), VII, 1307–10; and Bibliographie nationale: dictionnaire des écrivains belges et catalogue de leurs publications, 1830–1880 (4v., Bruxelles, 1886–1910), I, 536–37. To date, only two biographies of De Smet have been published and neither of these is adequate: Eugène Laveille, Le P. De Smet (1801–1873) (1re éd., Liège, Belgique, et Arras, France, 1912; 2e éd., Liège et Lille, France, 1913); [P.-J. De Smet], Life, letters, and travels of Father Pierre-Jean De Smet, S.J., 1801–1873 . . . , ed. H. M. Chittenden and A. T. Richardson (4v., New York, 1905). In the latter, facing p.150, is a youthful portrait of Father De Smet; another, done after he was made a chevalier of the Order of Leopold on 18 June 1865, faces p.839. He himself prepared the most exact map of his travels in Alberta and British Columbia, and it is reproduced in his Missions de l’Orégon et voyages aux montagnes Rocheuses aux sources de la Colombie, de l’Athabasca et du Sascatshawin en 1845–1846 (Gand, ). w.l.d.]
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ASK THE DNR: Do sandhill cranes migrate at night?
Q. Last night I heard and saw what I believe was a flock of cranes. It was a dark night, with bright stars shining, but only a little moonlight. Is it common for cranes to migrate at night?
A. Sandhill cranes normally migrate during the day, but in some circumstances they have been observed migrating after dark, especially if there is a bright starlit or moonlit night sky.
A Florida field naturalist reported migratory sandhill cranes flying overhead at 10:30 p.m. and another two flocks flying overhead at 3 a.m. on the same night near Gainesville, Fla. on Nov. 25-26, 1984.
Sandhill cranes from eastern Minnesota winter in Florida and would be migrating to Florida in November.
— Carrol Henderson
Henderson is nongame wildlife program supervisor for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
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In popular understanding, Arjuna is considered the hero of the Mahabharata, primarily because he receives the wisdom of the Gita from Krishna. In the Gita, Krishna uses grand adjectives to address Arjuna, such as Sabhyasachi (one who is ambidextrous, i.e. can skillfully use both his left and right hand), Gudakesha (one who has overcome slumber) and Dhananjaya (one who brings prosperity). However, the epic itself does not paint a flattering picture of Arjuna:
Illustration / Devdutt Patnaik
>> His biological father is Indra, who despite being king of paradise, god of the sky, leader of the devas, and wielder of the thunderbolt, is eternally insecure about kings, sages and demons usurping
>> The prowess of a tribal youth called Ekalavya in archery makes Arjuna so insecure that to calm him down his teacher, Drona, tricks the tribal youth into chopping his thumb off.
>> Karna’s archery skills so aggravates him that he keeps mocking Karna as the ‘son of a charioteer’.
>> Without protest, he gives in to his mother’s wishes and shares his wife, Draupadi, won at an archery competition, with his four brothers.
>> In his adventures, he marries many other women such as Chitrangada, but dares not bring them back home out of deference to, or fear of, his first wife Draupadi.
>> Yet, with a little encouragement from Krishna, he marries and brings back home Krishna’s own sister, Subhadra, but leaves it to her to worm her way into Draupadi’s heart.
>> He needs Krishna’s encouragement to set aflame the forest of Khandava, a feat for which he is gifted the Gandiva bow by the grateful fire god, Agni.
>> He is unable to stand up to his elder brother Yudhishtira when the latter gambles away their kingdom and their common wife in the gambling hall of the Kauravas.
>> He does not come to Draupadi’s rescue when Kauravas drag her by the hair and try to disrobe her in public.
>> He is taught a lesson in humility by a tribal or Kirata, who turns out to be Shiva, during a boar hunt.
>> He is castrated when he rejects the sexual advances of the apsara, Urvashi, on grounds that she was married to his ancestors; Indra comes to his son’s rescue and limits the curse to one year.
>> He refuses to help Draupadi from the sexual advances of Kichaka during the year the Pandavas live disguised as servants in the kingdom of Matsya.
>> He defeats the entire Kaurava army singlehandedly only when he is disguised as the eunuch-dancer Brihanalla and saving the kingdom of Matsya and its prince, Uttara, but he cannot do the same in Kuru-kshetra.
>> He has a nervous breakdown just when war is about to be declared between the Kauravas and the Pandavas, which gives Krishna the chance to finally reveal the Gita. They were friends before but still Krishna never shared his ideas before: for you never give knowledge to someone who is not ready to receive it.
>> Even after hearing the Gita, Arjuna is unable to kill Bhisma, Jayadhrata, and Karna until Krishna intervenes with more wisdom or a strategy.
>> He does not kill a single Kaurava at Kuru-kshetra; Bhima kills them all.
>> He has a huge fight with Yudhishtira in the middle of the war when the latter insults his bow; Krishna has to intervene to restore peace.
>> When he dies, he goes to hell because he spent his life being boastful, proud and disdainful of other archers.
The author writes and lectures on relevance of mythology in modern times, and can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.org
The views expressed in this column are the individual’s and don’t represent those of the paper.
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Cape Mountain Ecology
If ecology is defined as being the study of the relationships between living organisms and their environment, then budding ecologists may despair on first sight of the Cape Fold Mountains.
Seen from the air, these element-battered mountains seem largely lifeless. Indeed, their sandstone-derived soils are among the most impoverished in the world. Closer up, a covering of grey-green vegetation meets the eye – the fynbos, soon to reveal itself as the world’s most diverse plant habitat and crammed to the brim with thousands and thousands of different plants.
And the shortest of walks will show you that far from empty of wildlife, the Cape mountains certainly have animals, admittedly not in huge numbers, but of amazing diversity and with high levels of endemism. The mountain environment is home to leopards and antelopes, its rivers host frogs and fish while eagles, ravens and sugarbirds rule the clean mountain air.
The geology of the mountains and their hinterland dictates the particular environment with its plants and animals. Renosterveld, for example, is a remnant grassy biome that favours clay soils derived from ancient shale; fynbos vegetation (with a completely different set of plants) prefers the sandy soils of the more recent sandstones. Find out about the Cape Mountain environment here.
The climate has an equally important effect on the mountain’s plants and animals. The amount of rainfall, shade and shelter from the wind has a profound effect on the environment that can easily be seen: hike up Table Mountain’s south-east facing slopes and you’ll be in thick indigenous forest or head-high fynbos. Hike up the north face of the same mountain and you won’t see a single tree and the fynbos is at your knees. Read more about the Cape climate here.
The plants are of course immediately obvious once you start walking in the mountains. Far from being a dull fuzz of greenery it seems from afar, the fynbos morphs into a dazzling treasure box of colour, sense and form: copper-tipped reeds and scented bushes compete with squat protea trees; green, orange and cream lichens carpet the rocks like faux camouflage. And everywhere flowers – red, blue, pink, white, yellow … every colour you can name. Learn more about the Cape flora here.
The wildlife isn’t so obvious – at first glance anyway. A tough climate, a regular fire regime and frugal, energy-saving plants mean slim pickings in the fynbos and animal numbers are low. But the list of mammals starts with leopards, antelope and baboons and works its way down to unusual flowering-pollinating rodents and secretive genets. There are reptiles and amphibians plus fascinating insects and of course birds. And although there aren’t many species of birds in the fynbos compared to other parts of South Africa, the ones you see tend to be brightly coloured endemics. Find out more about the Cape mountain fauna here.
Together it makes for an intricate, interwoven environment of plant and animal species. There are certain plants that require the services of a single insect pollinator for example. Other plants grow only on a single rocky ridge or couple of sodden mountain peaks. Plants have adapted to fire – some only flower after it – and so have animals. And despite generations of scrutiny, scientists are still making astonishing discoveries in these mountains. Who would have thought that a handful of wet mountain walls in the Western Cape could be home to an insect species unknown until 15 years ago – the Cliff Water Beetle (Aspidytes niobe), the closest relative of which lives in central China.
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What is T4 (Thyroxine)?
Thyroxines principle function is to stimulate the function of oxygen and thus the metabolism of the cells and tissues in the body. Excessive secretion of thyroxine in the body is known as hyperthyroidism, and the deficient secretion of it is called hypothyroidism.
Purpose of Test
Doctors may order the T4 test if symptoms suggest any kind of thyroid disorder. For example, an overactive thyroid, called hyperthyroidism, is typically associated with weight loss, a fast heart rate and sweating.
Test of Result Interpretation
No preparation required. Preference is a fasting sample.
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For Christians, most of us were born into a Catholic, Eastern Orthodox and other Christian denominations. There are far more people who identify as Baptists and “mainstream” Protestant [Anglican-Episcopal, Methodist, Lutheran, Calvinist-Reformed] than there are Eastern Orthodox globally and in the US. The Roman Catholic is still the largest single faith community in the US, and within Christianity globally. Evangelicals are a large body, especially in the US, and growing in Latin America and Africa, but harder to put hard “boundaries” around. Most Baptists are evangelical, and there are Evangelical Lutherans whom most evangelicals wouldn’t acknowledge as evangelical. Then there are the Pentecostal or charismatic churches, which believe that all of the spiritual gifts manifested in the 1st century church still regularly manifest in true churches today – including healing, prophecy, speaking in tongues, etc. Many people lump Baptists, Evangelicals, and Charismatics in with the three main groups of “mainstream” Protestants as all being Protestants, but while they all do share some beliefs, they are as different from each other in practice and theology as Catholics, Orthodox, and Anglican-Episcopal are from each other. Then there are even more “unusual denominations” like the Seventh-Day Adventists.
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Fungal diseases (mycoses) occur during the reproduction of specific fungi in the human body. Most often affects the nails and skin of the feet. If you suspect a fungus it is best to consult a dermatologist who will be able to make an accurate diagnosis and prescribe treatment. If self-medicate or even to leave the disease the fungus can move from the nail on the patient’s healthy, and then spread to nearby skin or fingernails. To avoid this, be appointed as external means (special paints, ointments, patches) and internal antifungal drugs.
Some fungi can infect the deep layers of the skin and to penetrate into the body, causing deep mycoses. These diseases occur, usually in people with reduced immunity and suffer from chronic diseases, and chronic administration of antibiotics. To deep mycosis is candidiasis and the diseases caused by fungi, particularly Aspergillus.
The fungus can be transmitted from animals and. Ringworm, for example, you can pick up from stray cats and dogs, rarely the source of infection is other people. When the disease occurs on the skin one or more round pink spots, covered with scales and crusts. It is also possible defeat of the hair and scalp. Treatment of ringworm is engaged dermatologist.
Dandruff can occur in both men and women and children. According to statistics, 30% of the population has dandruff, and 50% once in his life suffered from it. Direct cause of dandruff in most cases is a fungus, but the factors causing it enhanced reproduction can be quite diverse. This is a seborrhea and a reduced immune system, and chronic infections, hormonal disorders, and even improper hair care. To find the cause of dandruff and prescribe optimal treatment can trichologist – a specialist in the problems of hair.
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http://qsota.com/fungus-on-the-skin/
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See also: Pea Trivia; Pea Quotes; Recipes for Peas
Peas have been used in the dry form since ancient times, and archaeologists found them in Egyptian tombs. It was not until the sixteenth century that more tender varieties of this vegetable were developed and eaten fresh. Today only about 5 % of all peas grown are sold fresh. More than half of all peas sold are canned and most of the rest are frozen.
Green peas are actually a member of the legume family. This family includes plants that bear pods enclosing fleshy seeds. Green peas do not require the long cooking times that are required by dried legumes such as split peas and pinto beans. Peas are a good low calorie source of protein. A 100-calorie serving of peas (about ¾ cup) contains more protein than a whole egg or a tablespoon of peanut butter and has less than one gram of fat and no cholesterol.
Fresh green peas should be refrigerated. Half of their sugar content will turn to starch within six hours if they are kept at room temperature. Low temperatures also preserve their texture and nutrient content. Look for pods that are firm, have glossy pods with a slightly velvety feel, filled to appear almost bursting, and peas should not rattle loosely in the pod. Pods should not be dull, yellowed, or heavily speckled.
Snow peas should be shiny and flat, with very small peas that are barely visible through the pod. Smaller pods are the sweetest and the most tender. Sugar snap peas should be bright green, plump, and firm.
It is best to serve all types of fresh peas the day they are purchased. If they must be stored, place them in a perforated plastic bag in the refrigerator. Do not wash them before they are stored. Shell green peas right before you cook them.
Rinse peas before shelling them. To shell peas, pinch the stem off with your fingernails and pull the string down the length of the pod. The pod will pop open and the peas can be pushed out of the pod with your thumb. When finished, wash all peas.
Rinse snow peas and sugar snap peas before use. To trim snow peas, cut the tips from both ends of the pod. This can be done with kitchen shears. Sugar snap peas need to have the strings removed before eaten cooked or raw. The string runs around both sides of the sugar snap pod. It is easiest to start from the bottom tip and pull the string up the front, and then snap the stem off and pull the string down the back of the pod.
Green peas are nestled within large, bulging, grass green pods that are typically round and sweet. The green pea pods are tough, do not have good flavor, and therefore, are not eaten.
Snow peas (Chinese pea pods) and sugar snap peas are more often found fresh, but many companies are now selling them frozen. These peas are eaten raw or cooked with the pod intact. Snow peas supply less protein and are lower in B vitamins than green shelled peas because they are eaten when their seeds are still immature. However, snow peas provide almost twice the calcium, 100 % of the RDA for vitamin C, and slightly more iron than green peas.
Make Peas a Part of Your 5 A Day Plan
* Season cooked peas with fresh or dried mint, chopped fresh parsley, curry powder, or with lemon.
* Add shelled green peas, snow and sugar snap peas to tossed green or pasta salads or to stir-fried dishes.
* Snow and sugar snap peas can be eaten raw as a snack or with your favorite low-fat dip.
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Energy production from triacylglycerols starts with their hydrolysis into free fatty acids and glycerol. Enzymes called lipases, which catalyze the reaction, carry out this hydrolysis.
The reaction releases the three fatty acids and glycerol. An intestinal carrier absorbs the glycerol, which will eventually rejoin with fatty acids in the intestinal cells.
The body must absorb the fatty acids released by the lipases by a rather more involved mechanism. Fatty acids are poorly soluble in water, although they are more soluble than triacylglycerols. Lipids of whatever kind tend to form droplets. Protein enzymes are water‐ soluble and therefore cannot gain easy access to the lipid droplet. To be digested, lipids must be emulsified into small droplets, which have a larger surface area. In other words, the hydrophobic interactions forcing the lipids into larger droplets must be overcome. The molecules that carry out this function are called bile salts or bile acids. Metabolically, the liver creates them and secretes them into the gall bladder, from where they are pumped into the duodenum.
Bile salts are derived from cholesterol and are a major end product of cholesterol metabolism. They are powerful detergents, with a large, hydrophobic component and a carboxylic acid end‐group that is negatively charged at the pH characteristic of the small intestine. The hydrophobic component of the bile acid will associate above a specific concentration (termed the critical micelle concentration, or CMC) to form disc‐shaped micelles, that is, droplets. Common bile salts have CMCs in the 2 to 5 (millimolar) range. The micelles in the gut contain dietary lipids (triacylglycerol, cholesterol, and fatty acids) as well as bile salts, and are termed mixed micelles for that reason. Figure shows a diagram of a mixed micelle.
The bile salts form the edge of the micelle and also appear, in fewer numbers, dispersed throughout the inside of the micelle. The lipids exist in a bilayer on the inside of the disc. Bile acids are important for fatty acid absorption. Fat‐soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K) absolutely require bile acids for absorption.
The mixed micelle provides a large surface area for the action of pancreatic lipase, which is responsible for the majority of digestive action. Pancreatic lipase uses a cofactor, a small protein called colipase, which binds both to lipase and to the micelle surface. The action of lipase leads to free fatty acids that are slightly soluble in the aqueous phase of the gut. For the most part, the cells of the small intestine absorb these free fatty acids; the bacteria in the large intestine metabolize and/or absorb those that pass through the small intestine. The bile salts are reabsorbed in the last third of the small intestine.
Bile‐acid metabolism explains the ability of certain kinds of dietary fiber to help lower serum cholesterol. A molecule of bile acid circulates through the liver and intestine five or more times before finally being eliminated. Soluble fiber (such as that found in oat bran) binds bile acids, but itself cannot be absorbed. Therefore, fiber‐bound bile acids are eliminated in the stool. Because bile acids derive from cholesterol, synthesizing more bile acid drains the body's stores of cholesterol, which leads to a reduction in serum cholesterol, and therefore, to a lower risk of coronary artery disease. Eating oat fiber cannot overcome an excessive dietary cholesterol consumption, of course. In other words, consuming excessive amounts of well‐marbled steak and expecting to overcome the effects by eating a bran muffin would be foolish.
Lipids in the bloodstream
Free fatty acids are transported as complexes with serum albumin. Cholesterol, triacylglycerols, and phospholipids are transported as protein‐lipid complexes called lipoproteins. Lipoproteins are spherical, with varying amounts and kinds of proteins at their surfaces. The protein components, of which at least ten exist, are called apolipoproteins. Lipoproteins are classified in terms of their density.
The lightest and largest of the apolipoproteins are the chylomicrons, which are less dense than water by virtue of their being composed of more than 95 percent lipid by weight (remember that oils float on water because they are less dense than water). Triacylglycerols make up most of the lipid component of chylomicrons, with small amounts of phospholipid and cholesterol. Chylomicrons contain several kinds of apolipoproteins.
Very‐Low‐Density Lipoproteins (VLDL) are less dense than chylomicrons. They contain more protein, although lipids (fatty acids, cholesterol and phospholipid, in that order) still make up 90 to 95 percent of their weight. Low‐density lipoproteins (LDLs) are about 85 percent lipid by weight and contain more cholesterol than any other kind of lipid. VLDL and LDL contain large amounts of Apolipoprotein B. The VLDL and LDL are sometimes referred to as “bad cholesterol” because elevated serum concentrations of these lipoproteins correspond with a high incidence of artery disease (stroke and heart disease). The LDLs carry cholesterol and fatty acids to sites of cellular membrane synthesis.
High‐density lipoproteins (HDLs) contain a different apolipoprotein form, Apolipoprotein A. These proteins are about half lipid and half protein by weight. Phospholipids and cholesterol esters are the most important lipid components. HDL is sometimes referred to as “good cholesterol” because a higher ratio of HDL to LDL corresponds to a lower rate of coronary artery disease.
In summary, triacylglycerols from the diet are digested by lipase and associate with bile salts into mixed micelles. The free fatty acids are absorbed by the cells of the small intestine, from which they are transported via the lymph system to the liver. From the liver, they are released as apolipoproteins in the circulation, carrying fatty acids and cholesterol to the cells throughout the body.
The triacylglycerols in chylomicrons and LDLs circulate through the blood system; the former carries dietary lipids while the latter carries lipids synthesized by the liver. The triacylglycerols are substrates for cellular lipases, which hydrolyze them to fatty acids and glycerol in several steps. Carrier proteins transport the lipids into the cell. Different carriers exist for different chain‐length lipids.
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https://www.cliffsnotes.com/study-guides/biology/biochemistry-ii/fatty-acid-oxidation/dietary-fat-absorption
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Physicists and astronomers have long believed that the universe has mirror symmetry, like a basketball. But recent findings from the University of Michigan suggest that the shape of the Big Bang might be more complicated than previously thought, and that the early universe spun on an axis.
To test for the assumed mirror symmetry, physics professor Michael Longo and a team of five undergraduates catalogued the rotation direction of tens of thousands of spiral galaxies photographed in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey.
The mirror image of a counter-clockwise rotating galaxy would have clockwise rotation. More of one type than the other would be evidence for a breakdown of symmetry, or, in physics speak, a parity violation on cosmic scales, Longo said.
The researchers found evidence that galaxies tend to rotate in a preferred direction. They uncovered an excess of left-handed, or counter-clockwise rotating, spirals in the part of the sky toward the north pole of the Milky Way. The effect extended beyond 600 million light years away.
“The excess is small, about 7 percent, but the chance that it could be a cosmic accident is something like one in a million,” Longo said. “These results are extremely important because they appear to contradict the almost universally accepted notion that on sufficiently large scales the universe is isotropic, with no special direction.”
The work provides new insights about the shape of the Big Bang. A symmetric and isotropic universe would have begun with a spherically symmetric explosion shaped like a basketball. If the universe was born rotating, like a spinning basketball, Longo said, it would have a preferred axis, and galaxies would have retained that initial motion.
Is the universe still spinning?
“It could be,” Longo said. “I think this result suggests that it is.”
Because the Sloan telescope is in New Mexico, the data the researchers analyzed for their recent paper came mostly from the northern hemisphere of the sky. An important test of the findings will be to see if there is an excess of right-handed spiral galaxies in the southern hemisphere. This research is currently underway.
A paper on the findings, Detection of a Dipole in the Handedness of Spiral Galaxies with Redshifts z~0.04 is published in Physics Letters B.
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It would be helpful to have information about popular books read for pleasure by pupils.
Guidance from school on what the children are reading at home - are the books I'm giving my child challenging enough?
I'd like a list of books that my child should be reading at home
I'd like help with supporting KS2 comprehension
Reading for pleasure is crucial if you want your child to enjoy reading. At school they get challenging texts and learn skills to help with deeper understanding of what they read. If they want to read challenging books at home, that is great, but if they are enjoying reading, that is equally important. The more your child reads, the better they will get at reading, then hopefully they will enjoy it more! If every book read is challenging, then reading becomes hard work and something to be avoided. After a busy day at school, your child may want an "easy read", which they can enjoy without having to think too hard about the content - I know that is true of a lot of adults too!
However, I appreciate that you will want to read with your child and support them as they develop the skills of being fluent readers. To help you with this, Sheridan Sutton, our Reading Leader, will be setting up a page on this website with information such as questions that you can ask your child about the text read, recommended authors and how our reading scheme works.
If you have any ideas of other information about reading that could be included, please contact Sheridan.
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