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It’s Wise to Supervise
by Paula Statman, M.S.S.W.
When children are young, it’s simple to decide how much supervision they need — constant. Young children lack good judgment and should not be left alone for long.
But as they get older it becomes more complicated to determine just how much freedom and responsibility they can handle. For example, starting when they are preteens, you must also consider the possibility of them engaging in risky behavior or not being able to resist peer pressure when unsupervised.
Sometimes we forget that our job is to prepare our kids to be able to function in the world without us, not spend the first 18 years of their lives rescuing them or run interference for them. So, early on, we must find a balance between two extremes of protecting our children – under protecting and over protecting. Either extreme can lead to frustration and conflict. At its worst, expecting too much from your child places him in danger. But expecting too little and holding him back from trying something can leave him with self doubts and unwarranted fears.
Let’s say your 12 year old wants to walk to a movie with a friend. Or your sitter cancels and you are debating whether or not to leave your 10 year old in charge so that you can keep your appointment. Should you say yes or no?
It helps to remember that before you can say yes with confidence, kids need supervised learning where the stakes are low and mistakes are expected. Under your or another adult’s guidance, they have the chance to rehearse the skills and knowledge they will need to succeed in a new situation.
Also, be ready to postpone assigning a responsibility or giving more freedom until you are fairly sure that your child will have a safe and successful experience. For example, rather than discouraging the 10 year old who can’t wait to baby sit, set up situations where she can be a mother’s helper or can co-baby sit with a teenager. Then, when she’s 13, enroll her in a local Safe Sitter program. These incremental practice steps will prepare her to safely and confidently be in charge of small children.
What about the 12 year old who wants to walk to a movie with a friend? Before you make your decision, discuss several hypothetical situations that require him to problem solve, like what to do if a group of kids bully him and his friend. If you are not satisfied with how he solves potential problems — perhaps he can’t answer you or demonstrates some gaps in judgment — be prepared to postpone the privilege awhile and make a plan with him to have more discussions. You are not saying no so much as you are setting the expectation that he must demonstrate that he can handle any potential problems that may occur before you can say yes with confidence.
Most importantly, don’t say yes because you hate saying no. If you don’t say no when it matters, in addition to possibly endangering your son or daughter, you aren’t doing them any favors. They will learn from your example that saying no is a bad or uncomfortable thing. The fact of the matter is they must learn to say no if they are going to take care of themselves out in the world. Also, saying no teaches your children important lessons, like how to deal with disappointment, something that kids get over a lot faster than we do.
So when your child asks for more freedom or a new responsibility should you say yes, no, or provide supervision and practice?
Here are some tips for making wise decisions that both encourage and protect your child:
- If they demonstrate they can handle more freedom and responsibility and you feel they are prepared to have a safe and successful experience, SAY YES.
- If it is something you would never allow – for example, it goes against your values and beliefs or it’s too dangerous, SAY NO.
- POSTPONE the privilege/responsibility until the child has had more opportunities for supervised practice. “Let’s practice again this weekend and then we’ll see if you are ready to ride your bike in the street."
- No matter what, don’t say yes because you think she is “old enough.” Far more important than your child’s age is how well she demonstrates her ability to handle a situation before she has to deal with it on her own.
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The series of posts on the National Debt keeps growing. I spent months researching the topic in an attempt to understand its history and evolution.
My first draft of this series of seven posts was at least three-times longer than the final copy. It is confusing enough, so I cut.
However, this morning I awoke wanting to know how much of the national debt each president and his congress was responsible for.
The reason I do not blame just the presidents is because each president submits the annual budget to Congress and Congress may add to or subtract from what the president requests. Then Congress must vote to enact the budget and the president signs it into law. Then there is the mandatory part of the budget and the discretionary portion. The president and Congress, without cooperation, cannot do much about the mandatory section of the budget such as Social Security.
For the sake of simplicity, I did not attempt to do the math to discover the exact amount each president (except G.W. Bush and Obama) is responsible for beyond his term in office, because if President Truman is responsible for $8.6 Billion of today’s $16.3509 Trillion national debt, then he is also responsible for the annual interest on that $8.6 Billion and the interest compounded annually on that interest for sixty years. If someone wants to figure that out, be my guest. But first, you would have to know what the interest rate was for each year of those sixty years after Truman left office and the interest seems to change every three months.
For example, I found a post at Intellectual Take Out.org on the interest rates of the national debt starting in 1970 (you may notice that the interest rate has been as high as 14% and as low as 0.1%. At the end of 2010, the interest was 1.7%).
Each President’s (and his Congress) share of the National Debt
- Truman’s share of the National Debt was $8.6 Billion.
- Eisenhower’s share was $5.6 Billion.
- Kennedys share was $3.3 Billion.
- LBJ’s share was $9.3 Billion.
- Nixon’s share was $54.6 Billion.
- Ford’s share was $48.4 Billion.
- Carter’s share was $168.8 Billion.
- Reagan’s share was $2.2376 Trillion.
- G. H. W. Bush’s share was $1.143 Trillion.
- Clinton’s share was $74 Billion.
- G. W. Bush’s share was $6.3002 Trillion.
- Obama’s share is currently about $2 Trillion.
THE DETAILS OF THE RESEARCH:
When Harry Truman became president (1945 – 1952), the National Debt from World War II was $260.1 Billion. The Interest on the debt during Truman’s term as president was $32.6 Billion. Truman was responsible for about $8.6 Billion of that interest.
The National debt Eisenhower (1953 – 1960) inherited from President Truman in 1953 was $266 Billion—an increase of $5.9 Billion. During Eisenhower’s term as president the interest on the debt was $44.8 Billion. Eisenhower was responsible for about $5.6 Billion.
The debt Kennedy (1961 – 1963) inherited from Eisenhower in 1961 was $292.6 Billion—an increase of $26.6 Billion. The interest on the debt during Kennedy’s years as president was $14.4 Billion.
The debt LBJ (1963 – 1968) inherited from Kennedy after his assassination in 1963 was $310.3 Billion—an increase of $17.7 Billion. The interest on the debt during LBJ’s years as president was $55.3 Billion. LBJ was responsible for about $9.1 Billion.
The debt Nixon (1969 – 1973) inherited from LBJ in 1969 was $365.8 Billion—an increase of $55.5 Billion. The interest during his term was $74.7 Billion. Nixon is responsible for about $11.2 Billion.
The debt Ford (1974 – 1976) inherited from Nixon in 1971 was $483.9 Billion—an increase of $118.1 Billion. The interest during his term was $70.9 Billion. Ford is responsible for $6.7 Billion.
The debt Carter (1977 – 1980) inherited from Ford in 1977 was $706.4 Billion—an increase of $222.5 Billion. The interest during his term was $160.5 Billion. Carter is responsible for about $40.9 Billion.
The debt Reagan (1981 – 1988) inherited from Carter in 1981 was $994.8 Billion—an increase of $188.4 Billion. The interest during his term was $910.6 Billion, and Reagan was responsible for about $360.2 Billion.
The debt G. H. W. Bush (1989 – 1992) inherited from Reagan in 1989 was $2.878 Trillion—an increase of $1.8832 Trillion. The interest during his term was $747 Billion, and he was responsible for about $71 Billion.
The debt Clinton (1993 – 2000) inherited from G. H. W. Bush in 1993 was $4.351 Trillion—an increase of $1.474 Trillion. The interest during his four year term was $1.6097 Trillion, and he was responsible for about $201 Billion.
The debt G. W. Bush (2001- 2008) inherited from Clinton in 2001 was $5.7699 Billion—an increase of $1.419 Trillion. The interest during his term was $1.291 Trillion, and he was responsible for about $234 Billion.
The debt Obama (2009 – ) inherited from G. W. Bush in 2009 was $11.8759 Billion—an increase of $6.106 Trillion. The interest during Obama’s first term in office was $833.0 Billion, and he is responsible for about $86.3 Billion.
In December 2012, at the end of President Obama’s first term, the National Debt had increased to $16.3509 Trillion—an increase of $4.475 Trillion.
However, President Obama inherited two wars. To be fair, the cost of those wars since he has been in office was subtracted from the total that he contributed to the national debt along with the interest that goes with the cost of the wars. Obama also inherited the 2007-08 global financial crises, and TARP funds were approved during G. W. Bush’s presidency so that amount was also added to Bush.
- In 2009, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan cost $155.1 Billion.
- In 2010, the cost was $171.0 Billion.
- In 2011, the cost was $170.7 Billion.
G. W. Bush’s Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) of October 2008 started out at $700 Billion but was reduced to $475 Billion by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Act in July 2010, and President Obama signed it into federal law.
In addition, Fact Check.org says, “The truth is that the nearly 18 percent spike in spending in fiscal 2009 — for which the president is sometimes blamed entirely — was mostly due to appropriations and policies that were already in place when Obama took office.
“That includes spending for the bank-bailout legislation approved by President Bush. Annual increases in amounts actually spent since fiscal 2009 have been relatively modest. In fact, spending for the first seven months of the current fiscal year is running slightly below the same period last year, and below projections.
“Obama can be fairly assigned responsibility for a maximum of $203 billion in additional spending for that year. (2009).
“It can be argued that the total should be lower. Economist Daniel J. Mitchell of the libertarian CATO Institute — who once served on the Republican staff of the Senate Finance Committee — has put the figure at $140 billion.
Total spending for G. W. Bush’s last two budget years was $2.9825 Trillion for 2008 and $3.5177 Trillion for 2009 (President Bush requested $2.7 Trillion, but Congress enacted $3.518 Trillion).
For 2010, President Obama requested $3.552 Trillion, and Congress enacted $3.721 Trillion. For Revenue, Obama requested $2.381 Trillion, and Congress enacted $2.165 Trillion,
In 2011, Obama requested $3.834 Trillion, and Congress enacted $3.630 Trillion. For Revenue, Obama requested $2.567 Trillion, and Congress enacted $2.314 Trillion.
In 2012, Obama requested $3.729 Trillion, and Congress enacted $3.796 Trillion. For Revenue, Obama requested $2.627 Trillion, and Congress enacted $2.469 Trillion.
In conclusion, President Obama requested $667 Billion in revenues that Congress did not enact and Congress spent $32 billion more than Obama requested for 2010 – 2012. One could argue that Congress was responsible for $699 Billion in spending for those years—not President Obama.
Who do you think contributed the most to the National Debt?
His latest novel is Running with the Enemy. Blamed for a crime he did not commit while serving in Vietnam, his country considers him a traitor. Ethan Card is a loyal U.S. Marine desperate to prove his innocence or he will never go home again.
And the woman he loves and wants to save was trained to hate and kill Americans.
To follow this Blog via E-mail see upper left-hand column and click on “FOLLOW!”
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Wildlife Habitat Mapping for Community Land-use Planning and Species Conservation
Revised and Updated May, 2017
What is the Landscape Project?
Designed to guide strategic wildlife habitat conservation, the Landscape Project is a pro-active, ecosystem-level approach for the long-term protection of imperiled species and their important habitats in New Jersey. The N.J. Division of Fish and Wildlife's Endangered and Nongame Species Program (ENSP) began the project in 1994. Its goal: to protect New Jersey's biological diversity by maintaining and enhancing imperiled wildlife populations within healthy, functioning ecosystems. (more)
Why does NJ need the Landscape Project?
New Jersey is the most densely populated state in the nation. One of the consequences of this distinction is the extreme pressure that is placed on our natural resources. As the population grows, we continue to lose or impact the remaining natural areas of the state. As more and more habitat is lost, people are beginning to appreciate the benefits -- and necessity -- of maintaining land in its natural state. (more)
Who benefits from the Landscape Project?
In addition to providing habitat for the conservation of imperiled species, protecting important wildlife habitats will result in more open space for outdoor recreation. Recent surveys by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service show that more than 60% of Americans participate in some form of wildlife-related recreation. Open spaces provide places where people can escape the confines of urban and suburban living. Retaining habitats in their natural state provides other benefits, such as reducing the threat of flooding, allowing for the biodegradation of environmental contaminants and recharging ground water reserves. (more)
Landscape Project Training and Information Session Schedule
Learn how to use the New Jersey Landscape Project to guide and influence land-use decisions in your community, town, county and state. (more)
Download Landscape Project GIS Data
Critical wildlife habitat maps can be downloaded from NJDEP Bureau of GIS website. (more)
Read New Jersey's Landscape Project Report
The following reports provide in-depth information about the Landscape Project, the methodology used to delineate and rank habitat, and the peer-review and working groups that assisted in development of the methodology.
New Jersey's Landscape Project (Version 3.3) (pdf, 5.9mb)
Appendices to Landscape Project Report (Version 3.3)
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To those old enough, do you still remember the time when music on CDs tends to sound better when they are recorded onto blank cassette tapes?
By: Ringo Bones
Let’s face it early 1980s era CD players may have been built like a tank – like that of cassette tape decks of the period. But when compared to contemporary universal disc players that can play CDs DVDs or any 5-inch diameter disc, the sound quality of early 1980s era CD players leaves much to be desired. Even though in the 1990s we finally have names on the “audio gremlins” that plague the Redbook Spec 16-Bit, 44.1-KHz digital audio – data induced jitter for example – why is it that early 1980s era CDs sound quality improves once it is transferred to cassette tapes, 8-Track, Elcaset or any other analog magnetic recording media?
Even during the Golden Age of Stereo, audio engineers and audiophiles already know that high-order very steep cutoff low pass and high pass filters are deleterious to perceived sound quality. The reason why CDs – and even low data rate MP3 audio files – tend to sound better when recorded on analog magnetic media like cassettes, Elcaset, 8-Track, etc, is that analog magnetic tapes doesn’t require a high order low pass filter as an “anti-aliasing filter” to remove signals that doesn’t fit in to the Nyquist Criterion of Redbook Spec CDs. Any signals too high in frequency to be recorded in analog magnetic recording media just rolls off gently at a rate of 6 dB per octave.
Why early CD players tend to sound worse than their more contemporary counterparts is because anti-aliasing filters with very good subjective sound quality were very difficult to design back in 1982. It was Philips of Eindhoven, Netherlands that were the first to come up with an oversampling digital filter – which is all about digital signal processing algorithms – that resulted in a better sound quality than competing anti-aliasing filters of the time, but digital signal processing was still at its infancy in comparison to what we can do during the 1990s never mind today. While Sony in Japan struggled on with impractical ninth-order analog brickwall filters, Philips had no choice as they were unable to make reliable 16-bit converters at the time of the CD’s 1982 CES debut.
By using oversampling and noise-shaping way back in 1983, Philips could make their proprietary 14-bit converter for 16-bit 44.1-KHz Redbook spec CD work with 16-bit resolution. Even though both Philips and Sony’s CD players costs around 750 US dollars once they became available back in 1983, a similarly priced machine in the mid 1990s can easily show it a clean pair of heels sound quality wise. Today’s similarly priced machines are even better. Would the hi-fi cassette tape decks role during the early days of CD is a “widely available digital-to-analog-converter to make early CD sound better”?
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Michigan's Natural Communities
State Rank: S1
County Distribution Map
A cave is defined as a cavity beneath the earth’s surface, often with an opening to the surface, characterized by little or no light, no primary producers, and biotic communities of one or two trophic levels that import energy from outside the system. Caves are known from the eastern Upper Peninsula, and historically, from southeast Lower Michigan.
All of Michigan’s caves occur in karst landscapes, where dissolution of limestone or dolomite creates an underground drainage system that can include caves. Michigan’s areas of true karst are limited in extent, but include considerable variety. The Michigan Karst Conservancy owns the 480 acre Fiborn Karst Preserve in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, which includes an extensive and nearly complete karst drainage system with sinkholes, caves, and disappearing streams.
There is no information on soil development within Michigan’s caves, but since they are derived from limestone or dolomite, soils are likely mildly to moderately alkaline.
Caves form from the dissolution of limestone, dolomite, or gypsum. The dissolution of the bedrock, often along faults or cracks in the bedrock, results in the creation of an underground drainage system rather than typical surface streams. Some caves collapse, forming sinkholes.
It is assumed that there is no vegetation within Michigan’s caves.
Caves provide habitat and hibernacula for bats. A small cave in Monroe County, now destroyed, was rumored to have a population of blind crayfish. Little is known about the biology of Michigan's remaining caves, but contrary to the situation in better-known caves of other states, no evidence exists that unusual organisms or groupings of organisms make their homes in them.
Biodiversity Management Considerations
In the Upper Peninsula, one large and several small caves have been quarried away. Small caves in Monroe County have also been destroyed. Erosion damage can occur due to uncontrolled foot traffic. Maintaining a forested buffer around caves will help prevent soil erosion and associated runoff into caves.
Caves form from the dissolution of several rock types including limestone, dolomite, and gypsum, which differ in their chemical composition and rates of erosion, and influence cave size and structure.
Similar Natural Communities
- Dorr, J.A., Jr., and D.F. Eschman. 1970. Geology of Michigan. University of Michigan Press, Ann Arbor, MI. 470 pp.
- Faber-Langendoen, D., ed. 2001. Plant communities of the Midwest: Classification in an ecological context. Association for Biodiversity Information, Arlington, VA. 61 pp. + appendix (705 pp.).
- Michigan Karst Conservancy. http://www.caves.org/conservancy/mkc/michigan_karst_conservancy.htm.
- Kost, M.A., D.A. Albert, J.G. Cohen, B.S. Slaughter, R.K. Schillo, C.R. Weber, and K.A. Chapman. 2007. Natural Communities of Michigan: Classification and Description. Michigan Natural Features Inventory, Report No. 2007-21, Lansing, MI.
Page updated on 11-25-2014
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If on face or chest, apply medicated lotion twice per day.
For infants with cradle cap:
• Massage your baby's scalp gently with your fingers or a soft brush to loosen the scales and improve scalp circulation.
• Give your child daily, gentle shampoos with a mild soap while scales are present. After scales have disappeared, you may reduce shampoos to twice weekly.
• Be sure to rinse off all soap.
• Brush your child's hair with a clean, soft brush after each shampoo and several times during the day.
• If the scales continue to be a problem or concern, or if you child seems uncomfortable or scratches his scalp, contact your physician. He may prescribe a cream or lotion to apply to your baby's scalp several times a day.
Seborrheic dermatitis is thought to be due to a combination of an over production of skin oil and irritation from a yeast called malessizia.
Seborrheic dermatitis appears to run in families. Stress, fatigue, weather extremes, oily skin, infrequent shampoos or skin cleaning, use of lotions that contain alcohol, skin disorders (such as acne), or obesity may increase the risk.
Neurologic conditions, including Parkinson's disease, head injury, and stroke may be associated with seborrheic dermatitis. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has also been linked to increased cases of seborrheic dermatitis.
The diagnosis is based on the appearance and location of the skin lesions.
Seborrheic dermatitis is a chronic (life-long) condition that can be controlled with treatment. It often has extended inactive periods followed by flare-ups. Seborrheic dermatitis may improve in the summer, especially after outdoor activities.
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Реферат: Personality of Hamlet
AmongShakespeare’s many great works, Hamlet probably is the greatest. The whole playis about power and authority. The king of Denmark was murdered by his brotherClaudius, who married his wife Gertrude, and became a king of Denmark. Hamletwas the son of murdered king, who was getting his education away from thekingdom of Denmark. He comes back and finds his mother married to his uncle.This makes Hamlet very frustrated. Then Hamlet sees his father’s ghost and hetells him that his uncle, the present king has murdered him. He was suspectingthat it even before his father’s ghost had told him. So he starts thinking ofways of killing the king and his mother. The queen, wasn’t aware that the kingwas murdered by his brother. So Hamlet after couple of attempts succeeds inkilling his uncle. His mother dies by drinking poisoned wine, which wasprepared for Hamlet. Hamlet gets wounded while sword fighting with son of Polonius, whom he have murdered earlier, because he thoughthat he helped his uncle to murder his father. During this fight poisonedHamlet gets wounded. And son of Polonius, tells himthat this sword was poisoned by king to kill him. So he stabs the king andkills him. At the end of course he dies himself.
There are so many murders in thisplay that could be avoided. Especially death of Ophelia, the daughter of Polonius, who died because of Hamlet’s mistreatment. Shedrowned herself. Hamlet could’ve saved her if he reacted to her love on time.Also the death of the Queen, Polonius, and his sonwas unnecessary. These characters weren’t related to his father’s death.
Hamlet suspected his uncle in his father murder even before theappearance of his
father’s ghost.After hearing it from his father’s ghost his thought was to revenge. He plannedit several times, and several times could do it. Hamlet was a clever man. He pretended that hewas mad. And his murder of Polonius wasn’t punished,because everyone thought he was mad.
I think the main thought thattouched Hamlet so much in his father’s death was his mother marriage to hisuncle. He hated his mother for marrying his uncle. He saw it as adultery, bothsexual and moral. She not only married after her husband death, but she alsomarried his brother. So Hamlet thought that his mother has helped his uncle tomurder his father, and therefore Hamlet was from the beginning planning onmurdering both of them.
Shakespeare’s tragedy Hamlet I thinkis a mystery. After reading the selection, I am just not sure what the authorwas trying to convey to his audience. Is it indecisive, melancholic, brutalcharacter of Hamlet? Or is it the deeds people would do to gain power? Or is itthe unrequited love of Ohpelia? Or is it friendshipof Horatio or etc? There are so many I think unnecessary or irrelevant parts tothis play, that doesn’t make sense to ordinary people. But we must understandthat this is a masterpiece of great writer, which could be called “Mona Lisa”of writing. And “Art doesn’t have to be beautiful, for people to understandit.” We don’t necessarily have to understand artist’s work; we just have toperceive it as they are.
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If the fact that it's Friday wasn't enough good news for you, then you're in luck. Drum roll, please ... People aren't innately selfish, power-hungry monsters. In fact, we were built to be kind.
UC Berkeley psychologist Dacher Keltner set out to challenge the idea that we're all just concerned with our own well-being, and understand why we developed socially positive traits like empathy and compassion. Keltner's work uses technology that allows him to map the brain activity of people in his lab who are shown images of human suffering.
In an animated video (which you can find below), he illustrates his findings:
They trigger massively powerful reactions of compassion, and what we found in the brain is that a very old part of the brain, called the periaqueductal gray, which is common to mammals when they take care of things, lights up when you feel compassion. So that tells us compassion is really old in the nervous system, as Darwin speculated.
His research also shows that if you feel physical pain, a part of your brain lights up, and if someone sees you experiencing that pain, the same part of his or her brain lights up, which indicates that we are wired to feel each other's pain. Empathy is human nature.
So while we may just be looking out for ourselves 60% of the time, Keltner says, 40% of the time we're doing things for other people. 40% may not be a majority, but hey, at least it's something.
Photo Credit: Stocksy
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Sunday, February 13, 2011
Study: NASA Underestimated Shuttle Dangers
STS-1 Columbia launches on April 12, 1981. A new study estimates there was a 1-in-9 chance of a catastrophic event during the mission.
Florida Today reports that NASA underestimated the dangers inherent in the Shuttle design, especially in its early years.
At the time, managers thought there was only a 1-in-100,000 chance of losing a shuttle and its crew. Engineers thought the probability was closer to 1 in 100. But in reality, the odds of a disaster were much higher.
On each of the shuttle's first nine missions, there was a 1 in 9 chance of a catastrophic accident, according to the new risk analysis. On the next 16 flights that led up to and included the January 1986 Challenger disaster, the odds were 1 in 10.
A sidebar lists some of the "close calls," including one in 1998 when John Glenn was aboard. "The drag chute door on the tail of the shuttle fell off at liftoff, striking one of the orbiter's three main engines and creating a breach in the thermal protection system that protects shuttle astronauts during atmospheric re-entry."
I've written many articles here explaining why the Bush administration cancelled the Space Shuttle program in January 2004. Shuttle's fundamental design flaw is that the crew vehicle is mounted on the side of the fuel tank, increasing the risk of exposure to flame (STS-51L Challenger) and falling debris (STS-107 Columbia).
The Bush administration, in response to the findings by the Columbia Accident Investigation Board, directed that Shuttle be retired once International Space Station construction is completed, and contracted with Russia to fly U.S. astronauts on Soyuz spacecraft whenever possible as it was deemed a safer system. A front-page article in the January 30, 2004 Florida Today stated, "Some U.S. astronauts, including current space station commander Michael Foale, said they prefer flying on the Soyuz because it has a crew escape system not present on the shuttles."
United Space Alliance recently proposed extending Shuttle through the Commercial Crew and Cargo program. A USA executive said, "It is safe. We have a lot of history, we understand how to operate it."
The evidence is overwhelmingly clear that it is not safe, and this new internal risk assessment is further proof.
We can debate which proposal should be selected as the next-generation vehicle for American human space flight. But the debate over extending Shuttle should end once and for all.
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Suppose a star the size of our Sun (R0 = 695,500 km) rotates at a speed of 1.0 revolution every 12 days. If it were to undergo gravitational collapse to a neutron star of radius 11 km, what would its new rotation speed be? (rad/s)
MIT 8.01 Physics I Classical Mechanics, Fall 1999
Stacey Warren - Expert brainly.com
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Et harum quidem rerum facilis est et expedita distinctio. Nam libero tempore, cum soluta nobis est eligendi optio cumque nihil impedit quo minus id quod maxime placeat facere possimus, omnis voluptas assumenda est, omnis dolor repellendus.
Itaque earum rerum hic tenetur a sapiente delectus, ut aut reiciendis voluptatibus maiores alias consequatur aut perferendis doloribus asperiores repellat.
I got my questions answered at brainly.com in under 10 minutes. Go to brainly.com now for free help!
In this ques, i would first like to tell that why would its angular speed increase...
so first of all,since the star is undergoing gravitational collapse,so its mass would remain constant,,Also there are no external forces acting on the system,as the gravitational collapse is due to mutual disturbance of the forces in the star..so only internal forces play the role here.
Hence the angular momentum should remain constant(i.e. I*W =const.)
..So all u got to do is to equate initial and final angular momentum..and u will get the answer..
please tell me if you found something wrong in my explanation..i wud like to rectify it..:)
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Results from a small exploratory study suggest that short bouts of intermittent exercise may stimulate fat metabolism more effectively than longer continuous exercise sessions.
Physical activity is routinely recommended to help prevent weight gain in adults, but recent research indicates that, once diet has been accounted for, weight increases cannot be consistently explained simply by lower levels of physical activity or decreased exercise over time.
Shigeho Tanaka (National Institute of Health and Nutrition, Tokyo, Japan) and colleagues recruited nine healthy young men, aged 22.2 years on average, to test whether the frequency and duration of exercise performed influences the degree of fat utilization by the body.
The volunteers took part in two 39-hour sessions (2 nights, 3 days) during which they stayed in a respiratory chamber that allows carbon dioxide and oxygen measurement. During both sessions the participants completed 85 minutes of exercise on a cycling ergometer at a workload of 5.5 metabolic equivalents on day 2 of their stay. They also consumed four high-fat meals during, after eating a high carbohydrate calorie-controlled diet for 3 days before entering the chamber.
In one session the volunteers performed the exercise continuously. This involved 10 minutes of warm up and 45 minutes of exercise, followed by a 10-minute break then a further 40 minutes of exercise and a 15-minute cool down period. In the other session, the same type and difficulty of exercise was performed for 5 minutes every 30 minutes a total of 17 times.
As reported in Medicine and Science in Sport and Exercise, the intermittent physical activity session resulted in greater fat utilization than the continuous session.
The researchers used the 23-hour respiratory exchange ratio (RER) - the ratio between carbon dioxide exhaled and oxygen inhaled - to assess fat metabolism. They found that the 23-hour RER measures for the intermittent trial were significantly lower than those collected for the continuous trial, at 0.837 versus 0.843, indicating that a greater percentage of fat rather than carbohydrate was being utilized by the body as fuel.
Tanaka and team concede that "because these results were obtained from only a few subjects during a short-term laboratory experiment, additional longitudinal studies and intervention studies are needed to confirm whether intermittent physical activity rather than continuous physical activity is effective for preventing obesity."
However, they conclude that "the present study specifically suggests that the intervals between dynamic body movements should be as short as possible for more efficient utilization of ingested fat."
Licensed from medwireNews with permission from Springer Healthcare Ltd. ©Springer Healthcare Ltd. All rights reserved. Neither of these parties endorse or recommend any commercial products, services, or equipment.
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Furthermore, the passage of the Immigration Act of 1924 restricted immigration from non-western Europeans. According to the U.S. Department of State Office of the Historian, the purpose of the act was "to preserve the ideal of American homogeneity." The immigration of southern and eastern Europeans (especially Jews) was highly restricted and the immigration of Middle Easterners, East Asians, and Indians was prohibited.
Why do you think that many Americans were so eager to support restricted immigration?
Frances and fellow nurses tending to a patient, Boston City Hospital, ca 1940.
Frances is first on the right.
Courtesy of the Frances Slanger Collection in The Howard Gotlieb Archival Research
Center at Boston University.
Although Frances dutifully served in France, she and her female colleagues were paid half their male counterparts’ salary.
What do you think it says about our society that equal pay for women is still a hot-button issue?
To learn how Frances’s story ends, come view the exhibit Fighting for Democracy at Levine Museum of the New South from January 19th through July 14th, 2013.
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I suspect the inevitable was inevitable. They most popular — or at least the most often asked — question at the Utah State University Extension Service was, "What are these horrible orange and black bugs that are invading my home, school, businesses or other buildings?" If they knew the name of the pest, they phrased it, "Why are these boxelder bugs picking on me?"
The time we field the most questions of this type is in late summer and fall when they start to invade the interiors of homes and other buildings. The time when they actually do any damage would be spring and then early summer.
Immature and adult boxelder bugs are plant juice fluid feeders with piercing-sucking mouthparts. They are true bugs. Insects are divided into large groups called orders. While all the bugs are insects, only a few insects are true bugs.
Bugs have incomplete metamorphoses, meaning once the eggs hatch the tiny nymphs resemble the adults. Adult insects are about 1-11/2 inches long, flattened on top, with an elongate-oval shape. They are a slate gray in color but are distinguished by three red lines that run the length of the first body segment with a pair of legs, attached to the base of the head.
They have tough, leathery wings so they can fly, and the forewings are rimmed with red so they are colorful at all of their life stages. That gives rise to their common name of firebug.
To say that boxelder bugs cause no harm is erroneous. They can feed on many different plants, including maple, ash, stone fruits (cherry, plum, peach), apple, grape, strawberry and grass.
The typical damage is noticed in the fall as the fruit is being harvested. It will be distorted into a puckered or shriveled shape called cat facing, which makes it unattractive for sales and may reduce the shelf life.
However, their primary food source is the seed pods of the female boxelder trees where large numbers are typically found as nymphs and adults feed on developing seeds.
They do have their favorite collection points. South-facing walls are preferred, with taller, two-story homes winning over lower homes. Darker homes are preferred to those that are lighter in color. Wood has a slight preference to brick, probably because it can accommodate their sheltering easier.
Although boxelder bugs are active throughout the summer, many people don't notice them until they start "sunning" themselves on structures, particularly the southern-facing walls. As temperatures start to decrease in the late summer and fall, large numbers of adults will move from plants and congregate on heated buildings.
Boxelder bugs are not usually found on ornamental plants, but have been known to damage fruiting trees during the late summer. Homeowners do not necessarily have to have a boxelder tree to notice adults around the home, because the flying insects are mobile until they die from winter cold.
The most common question is what damage they cause. When they move inside, they can stain carpets, drapes and other fabrics, but the risk is low. They mostly are just very annoying as they collect around the windowsills and other areas.
If you consult any good insecticidal reference, it will list numerous pesticides that are registered for controlling boxelder bugs. Typically these are not needed as there are better ways to manage the pest.
The small nymphs, which have no wings, are easily controlled with insecticidal soap. Spray those when you see them and they will not reappear.
Caulking to keep the pests from coming inside your home is a more efficient method of keeping them out. However, if they do come inside, a vacuum cleaner will quickly and cleanly collect them. Winter weather will take care of the problem outside — at least until spring.
Larry A. Sagers is a horticulture specialist for the Utah State University Extension Service at Thanksgiving Point.
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Aircraft are a work of art put together using many engineering elements. The number of technologies in use is phenomenal. These technologies have to communicate smoothly with each other and often in challenging conditions. For example, the typical temperature for a scheduled flight cruising height is about -50 degrees Celsius, while the temperature at the destination could be almost the same figure on the plus side. The surfaces of the aircraft and its structure are planned to endure such extreme loads in the air. The entity has to work in practice with absolute reliability. That’s why the reliability of the aircraft, equipment and engines is monitored continuously and maintenance work is carried out in accordance with requirements.
The maintenance and repair of such a complex system cost a great deal. But what does ‘a great deal’ mean in this context? 500 euros is a hell of a lot to give your car a regular maintenance. Monthly maintenance fees for a Finnish apartment might not come to more than 200 euros. A hundred for a car exhaust pipe or check-up is going to be painful.
But compare that with how much it costs to keep a passenger aircraft in excellent working condition. For example, the regular maintenance performed every few years on the engines of every single aircraft can cost between one and two million euros – with the biggest sum accounted for by astronomically expensive repairs and replaced parts. Heavy maintenance carried out every six years on the biggest passenger aircraft can exceed two million. Annual maintenance comes in at just under half a million.
Planes serving our Asian routes carry out an average of two landings daily. Undercarriage mechanisms, wheels and brakes endure a lot of stress during landings. Undercarriages are maintained regularly but more basic repairs need to be done only about once very eight years. Thank goodness, since with the amount that it costs for one such service you’d be able to buy a detached house in the Helsinki area of several hundred square metres.
In other words the bill for wheels and brakes for each landing is about the same as a new set of car tyres. Critical parts that malfunction need to be acquired before the next flight, and if they can’t be obtained from our own stores they may be rented from another airline – at a cost of several thousand euros a day.
Various plans for maintenance are made on the basis of the calendar, the number of flight hours or the number of actual flights. Maintenance costs represent about a tenth of an airline’s total costs. Per flight the cost is smaller, but it means a more efficient fleet is being employed. The same analogy applies to the cost per passenger – provided that the load factor keeps pace with the increase in use of the aircraft.
Some years ago I received an essay by a schoolboy to read. The essay was about flying helicopters. The well-researched piece of work included lots of unearthed facts. But the ending especially stuck in my mind. The lad had concluded: “Flying is so expensive that in practice it can only be done by the State.” I thanked the boy for his essay. Hopefully the airlines of today can find permanent ways to run on a healthy basis, so that the closing message of that essay can be proved untrue.
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Two new horned dinosaurs, one from Utah and the other from Montana, each sported distinctive facial horns and spiked neck shields, according to two separate papers published in the journal PLOS ONE.
The discoveries increase the known diversity of ceratopsians, which were plant-eating horned dinos that roamed North America and Asia during the final stages of the age of dinosaurs.
One of the new dinosaurs, Machairoceratops cronusi, lived 77 million years ago at what is now called the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument of southern Utah. This was during a time when North America was subdivided by a sea into western (Laramidia) and eastern (Appalachia) landmasses.
Top 10 Largest Dinosaurs
Machairoceratops measured about 26 feet long and weighed as much as 4409 pounds. Lead author and Ohio University graduate student Eric Lund told Discovery News that the dinosaur possessed "two large, forward curving spikes off of the back of the neck shield, each of which is marked by a peculiar groove extending from the base of the spike to the tip."
The neck shield, also called a "frill" since the bony mass has a decorative nature, was "probably utilized during within species interactions including sexual display and mate competition," Lund said. He added, "The spikes probably also functioned in a between species aspect for species recognition allowing (dinosaurs of the same species) to recognize one another. The function and purpose of the unique groove marking the posterior margin of the spikes is totally unknown as this is a character not observed in any other horned dinosaur."
The discovery of Machairoceratops strengthens the idea that ceratopsians occupied two distinct regions that were separated within Laramidia, and suggests that different evolutionary pressures acted upon the groups during the late Cretaceous. Although many fossils of this dino group have been discovered in what were once northern regions of Laramidia (Alaska, Alberta, Montana, and Saskatchewan), relatively few have been recovered from the southern portion (Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, and Mexico) of the ancient continent.
Video: What Color Were Dinosaurs?
"An effort like this underscores both the necessity and excitement of basic, exploratory science in order to better understand the history of the world around us," noted study co-author Patrick O'Connor, who is a professor of anatomical sciences at the Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine. "Even in a place like western North America, where intense work has been conducted over the past 150 years, we are still finding species new to science," he added.
The other new horned dinosaur with neck spikes was found in Montana a decade ago, but was only recently studied and identified. It has been named Spiclypeus shipporum, meaning "spiked shield." The name "shipporum" honors the Shipp family on whose land the fossil was found near Winifred, Montana, by retired nuclear physicist Bill Shipp, who is now a fossil enthusiast.
The dino has a nickname too - Judith - after the Judith River geological formation where it was found.
Pointy-cheeked Horned Dinosaur Unearthed in Montana
What sets Judith apart from other horned dinosaurs is the orientation of the horns over its eyes, which stuck out sideways from the skull, and a unique arrangement of bony "spikes" that emanated from the margin of its neck shield. Some of these spikes curled forward, while others projected outward, giving the shield a true frilly look.
"This is a spectacular new addition to the family of horned dinosaurs that roamed western North America between 85 and 66 million years ago," explained co-author Jordan Mallon of the Canadian Museum of Nature. "It provides new evidence of dinosaur diversity during the Late Cretaceous period from an area that is likely to yield even more discoveries."
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When you’re self-publishing, you’re wearing many different hats. A traditional publisher will provide an editor, a designer (or two), an illustrator (if needed), layout pros, a marketing team, and more. You’re stuck doing most (if not all) of these jobs when you choose to self-publish. And because your experience in most of these fields is probably limited, it’s easy to screw things up.
Typography isn’t the most glamorous part of your children’s book, but it’s one of the most important parts. New readers are learning how to recognize letters and words, and most do this by sounding out each letter. Young readers need clear, inviting fonts that are typeset for easy reading. I’ll keep this simple and straightforward so you know what to look for:
1. Simple Shapes
Choose a font with simple, clear, and standard letter forms. Think about how you learned to write your letters. You followed a very simple, unadorned guide. Aim for a font that would be easy for a child to copy.
Watch out for trouble letters – those letters that can look different from font to font. Letters like ‘a’ and ‘g’ can be one-story or two-story lowercase letters. Again, choose a font with the characters that children first learn to write.
2. Avoid Extremes
While I highly recommend sans serif fonts (as this best fits the “handwriting” rule), serif typefaces can be used as long as they avoid extremes that could confuse a young reader.
Aim for simplicity in every aspect. Choose the standard version of a font. Go for book or medium weight (not light or bold), and skip the condensed or expanded styles. If you must use italics (sparingly, I would hope), make sure that they are not overly stylized or complex.
3. Go Big
Set your font size fairly large (15-20 point). Provide ample space between letters, words, and lines. Remember that your artwork should be planned around your text. Not vice-versa. If you’re finding that you have to squeeze your text onto each page, it’s time to rethink your illustrations.
4. Keep it Clear
Don’t try to cram too much text onto each page. Keep your line lengths short. A dense block of text is intimidating to even an advanced reader.
Finally, pay attention to the contrast between your text and your artwork. Ideally, plan your artwork so that your text stands out clearly from the background. Never put text over a “busy” section of artwork, or it will be nearly illegible to young readers.
There are a few fonts that really work well for children’s books. Helvetica Textbook, Plantin Infant, Sassoon Primary, and Tuffy Infant are all designed specifically for young readers, and I highly recommend them.
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Gabriel Okara’s Once Upon A Time is a comment on society through a monologue from a father to a son which bemoans the loss of innocence in the transition from child to adult and a desire to revert back to that blissful childhood.
The father addresses his son telling him how he remembers that once people used to be open and expressive with their emotions with laughter that reached their eyes, but now they are aloof and distant with fake smiles. Overt displays of emotion are considered to be suspicious and looked down upon. He reiterates that there was a time when relationships were based on mutual respect and cordiality. Now, however, people form friendships and relationships for personal benefits only, leading to a cold world without any depth of feeling. The father laments how hospitability has vanished as people only say the expected welcoming phrases without meaning them and shy away from allowing anyone from getting too close, distancing themselves whenever someone threatens to break down the walls they have hidden themselves behind.
In the fourth stanza the father admits to his son that he too has adapted and learned to live amidst such false people. He has had to fit in and now he too has the ability to put on various facades, he behaves exactly how he is supposed to in different scenarios with all their niceties which are necessary for each situation. Moreover the father has learned to fake emotions and build relationships without any sincerity or depth of feeling. He has learned how to say expected phrases without any meaning behind them and fake emotions.
But in the seventh stanza, we find out that he does not want to be like this. He wants to revert back to the time when he was a child like his son; when he was an innocent person. He wants to forget all these stifling things which are dampening his emotions and are slowly strangling the life out of him. He is disgusted with himself as he himself now resembles what he detested most in society and he cannot look himself in the eye without witnessing the same hypocrisy which he had been scathing earlier. So in the last stanza the father pleads with the child to teach him how to express his emotions and return back to a time when he was young and carefree and naïve, and not aware of what apathy was required from him for him to survive.
The poem consists of seven stanzas with no definite rhyming scheme which emphasizes the fact that it is a monologue from a father to his son. The tone throughout is nostalgic as the father remembers what things used to be like once when he was a child. There is an undertone of bitterness throughout the poem whenever the father talks about how things have changed and how the world has progressively become more and more decadent.
Okara uses blunt metaphors to describe how the ‘ice block cold eyes’ of people now lack emotion, emphasising the harsh intrusiveness of such eyes scrutinizing the poet, looking for ways to exploit their ‘friendship.’ He has learned to pretend to feel whatever is expected of him at different events, using a simile to describe how he changes the masks he puts on like the dresses he is expected to wear on said events, each with their expected plethora of facial expressions and tones. He wears smiles like a portrait wears a smile, fixed and uncomfortable with no real meaning behind it. He detests looking at himself in the mirror for all he sees when he smiles is his teeth bared like a snake’s bare fangs, revolting and dripping with poison.
The repetition of the title both at the beginning and the ending of the poem suggests a sort of fairy tale like tone to the poem which raises the question of whether the past that the poet is remembering so fondly ever did exist, or if the lost time that he so desperately wants to return to is just something that he has thought up in his mind as a defence mechanism that once upon a time things were really not all that bad.
There is some very strong language used in the poem. The poet calls all the things that he has had to learn ‘muting things’ that stifle the emotion inside of him, not allowing him release. It seems to him that his voice has been taken and that he is slowly being suffocated. He wants to forget all these things, to ‘unlearn’ them and return back to a more innocent time.
Once Upon a Time is a comment on the hypocritical society that we live in today in which we are wary of emotion, distrustful of affection and guarded of laughter. Logical reasoning take precedence over emotions and relationships are formed with prudent aims in mind instead of affection and geniality. It is a false façade that everyone hides behind and as a reason we are alone and isolated despite being surrounded by people on all sides. There is a price on relationships, and an end date as soon as the purpose behind it is over. There is no place nor desire for empathy in the world of today.
The innocence of children is also a major theme in this poem as it is this state that the poet wants to go back to. It is his childhood that he remembers throughout the poem, the time when things seemed so much more real and sincere. Or maybe it is only that the poet is remembering his childhood through the eyes of a child, when he was too young to understand how people behave. Perhaps there was no such time when life was perfect, perhaps it is only a misconception induced by nostalgia but the poet does not care.
All he wants is to go back to when he could be free.
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Tests of thyroid function:
TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone or thyrotropin):
The pituitary gland makes TSH to stimulate the thyroid to make and release more thyroid hormone. When there is enough or too much thyroid hormone in the body, the TSH level drops. When there is too little thyroid hormone in the body, the TSH level rises. Therefore, if a patient is hyperthyroid (i.e. has too much thyroid hormone), their TSH level should be low or "suppressed" because the brain does not want to stimulate the thyroid to make any more thyroid hormone. If a patient is hypothyroid (i.e. has too little thyroid hormone), their TSH level should be high because the brain is trying to get the thyroid to make more thyroid hormone.
Free T4 (thyroxine):
T4 is the most common form of thyroid hormone in the body. Over 99% of thyroid hormone is attached to another protein in the blood, measuring the amount of unattached or "free" thyroid hormone is a much more accurate measurement of thyroid hormone levels. If the T4 level is higher than normal, the patient may be hyperthyroid. If the T4 level is lower than normal, the patient may or may not be hypothyroid. Synthroid or Levothyroxine is the man-made form of T4 that can be given to replace a person's own thyroid hormone.
T3 is the less common form of thyroid hormone in the body. For this reason, it is typically only measured in cases of hyperthyroidism in which the T4 levels are normal.
Tests of thyroid mass:
Thyroglobulin is a protein made by the thyroid that attaches to thyroid hormone to help it move throughout the body. Thyroglobulin is only made in the thyroid and almost all thyroid cells will make it, even thyroid cancer cells. For this reason, thyroglobulin is a good tumor marker (i.e a blood test that tells you how much of a particular cancer is in the body) if all of the normal thyroid tissue has been removed. If the whole thyroid is removed (i.e. total thyroidectomy), the Tg level should be close to zero. If the levels then go up, then the thyroid cancer may have come back.
Some patients may make antibodies to thyroglobulin called anti-thyroglobulin antibodies. These antibodies may make the thyroglobulin levels less accurate as a tumor marker.
Calcitonin is made by a specific type of thyroid cell called the parafollicular cell and is used as a tumor marker for a rare type of cancer called medullary thyroid cancer.
Antithyroid antibodies are antibodies that attack parts of the thyroid. These antibodies are part of an autoimmune response in which the body attacks specific parts of itself.
The TSH-receptor is the part of the thyroid cell that TSH attaches to in order to cause the thyroid to make thyroid hormone. Unlike most antibodies which destroy their targets, TSH-receptor antibodies actually stimulate it and cause the thyroid to make thyroid hormone. This in turn can lead to hyperthyroidism.
Anti-thyroid peroxidase (anti-TPO) and anti-thyroglobulin antibodies:
These antibodies cause the destruction of thyroid cells and may cause hypothyroidism. These antibodies are found in Hashimoto's thyroiditis.
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If you do not live near the equator, the problem of lack of sunlight during winter time peculiarly can be actual for you, even if it is not visible at first glance. Day of the person in modern world often takes place in the office or just in the enclosed space. No time for walk, no wish to stroll or bad weather does not permit… The light of the sun is increasingly replaced by the artificial lighting. As a result, the lack of sunlight leads to health problems, even very serious,for example, in a change of hormone production.
The connection between the lack of sunlight and vitamin D
It should be noted that the lack of sunlight during winter affects on the production of one of the most important vitamins in the body – vitamin D. And also hits all the systems in the human body: cardiovascular, endocrine, reproductive, immune, nervous, mood and biorhythms, skin rejuvenation, hair and nails.
What is vitamin D and why it is so important? Above all, this vitamin is synthesized by our body exposed to direct sunlight (ultraviolet light) and the lack of it can make serious consequences for human health. People begin to have lack of sunlight condition.
The lack of sunlight during winter and health problems
The most dangerous is a factor which increase the risk of cancer. Research in this area has shown the importance of a sufficient level of vitamin D in the body to reduce the risk of a cancer and to combat various types of cancer. Since the published data by C.F. Garland in esse “Vitamin D for cancer prevention: Global Perspective” are impressive. People who spend enough time in the sun or take calcium and vitamin D inside (1,100 IU of vitamin D and 1,450 mg / day of calcium), for 50% or more reduce the risk of breast cancer, cancer of prostate or bowel.
Vitamin D also has a considerable influence on the immune system, because it stimulates the growth of blood vessels, activates the T-cells which are looking for any invading bacteria and viruses, has anti-inflammatory action etc. Considering the fact that vitamin D has mainly immunosuppressive influence, its deficiency can predispose to autoimmune diseases. In particular, increases the risk of rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, type 1 diabetes mellitus.
Also vitamin D is needed to produce the hormone leptin, which is responsible for the feeling of satiety. Accordingly, if this hormone is small, it becomes difficult to satisfy hunger, a person begins to overeat and gain weight.
How to prevent lack of sunlight condition?
So what to do that this problem would not arise and the level of vitamin D at any time of year has always been the norm? It is necessary to follow a few advices from the lack of sunlight during winter for our body.
– First of all, eat more foods that are rich in vitamin D or use special supplements and eat foods that increase the production of serotonin (chocolate, apples, bananas, turkey).
– Walk as much as possible. Even in cloudy weather on the street a much more sunlight than indoors, which has a positive effect for your health.
– Do sports. Sport exercises increase the level of serotonin, which has a positive effect on the body, even in the winter season.
So, of course, the lack of sunlight leads to health problems if do nothing but you have possibility to exclude lack of sunlight condition from your life!
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Lower risk of stroke naturally with these 10 steps!
Did you know that in fact 80 percent of strokes that occur can be prevented? Stroke, as well as other diseases, is very scary because it could happen to anyone and at anytime. Stroke often occurs suddenly. But it does not mean that a stroke can not be prevented.
Here are some steps you can do to prevent a stroke. Natural step that could reduce the risk of stroke, as reported by Care2 (06/01).
1. Know your blood pressure regularly and always check it. High blood pressure is the greatest factor of the causes of stroke, so it is important to know your blood pressure and keeping it stable.
2. Check your heart rate. If you have an abnormal heartbeat that it can increase the risk of stroke up to 500 percent. Make sure you consult a doctor if your heart rate is often irregular.
3. Stop smoking and drinking alcohol. Besides smoking is bad for health, can also increase the risk of stroke by two -fold. If you are not a smoker, you should avoid people who smokes because research from the University of Auckland revealed that passive smokers have a 82 percent higher risk of stroke.
4. Avoid stress. One cause of stroke is stress and depression. If you start to feel anxious and stressed, you should immediately try to get relaxed. You can listen to music, take a walk, or do things that makes your mind become relaxed like meditation.
5 . Do not consume soft drinks. If you have a penchant for drinking soda, you should try to minimize it. Carbonated drinks can also increase blood sugar that can lead to heart disease and stroke.
6. Exercise. Do not forget to always exercise regularly. Being overweight is one of the factors that can make a person affected by stroke. You can run, walk leisurely, or do some cycling. Regular exercise can lower cholesterol, blood pressure, and decrease the likelihood of blood clots.
7. Pay attention to your cholesterol levels. If the cholesterol level reaches 200, you should immediately see a doctor and check yourself.
8. Sleep for at least seven hours, but not more than 10 hours. More than 10 hours of sleep a night can increase the risk of stroke by 63 percent, according to a study at Harvard. If you snore, you should immediately consult a doctor. Because people who snore are more likely to have a stroke, diabetes, and heart disease.
9. Drink plenty of water . Research at Loma Linda University found that drinking five or more glasses of water a day may reduce the risk of stroke by 53 percent. Water can make the blood thinner that prevents blood clots that cause heart disease and stroke. Less drinking can also increase the risk of diabetes and other diseases.
10. Consumption of tomatoes, raisins, bananas, and sweet potatoes. These foods contain potassium which can lower the risk of stroke by 20 percent. Other sources of potassium are vegetables, fish, and dairy products. Additionally, cook your food using olive oil. Cooking with olive oil may reduce the risk of stroke and heart attack.
Those are some steps you can take to reduce the risk of stroke. By doing the above steps you will keep your heart healthy and could avoid a stroke. Good luck !
- 8 Warning Signs of Brain Stroke
- Beware of Strokes in Young People
- Stroke can be prevented by eating spaghetti?
- Mild stroke could cause brain damage
- A Glass of Soda per day Increase Risk of Stroke
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Sucedió en el Perú video: ChavinEdit
The following is a fragment from the article Chavin Culture in Wikipedia. Tasks on this page: (1) Transcription, runtime counters and translation of video. (2) Mark up the articles with cite, clarify and caveat flags with footnotes. (3) Amplify footnotes and edit original articles.
The Chavín culture represents the first widespread, recognizable artistic style in the Andes. Chavín art can be divided into two phases: The first phase corresponding to the construction of the "Old Temple" at Chavín de Huántar (c. 900–500 BC); and the second phase corresponding to the construction of Chavín de Huantar's "New Temple" (c. 500–200 BC).
A general study of the coastal Chavín pottery with respect to shape reveals two kinds of vessels: a polyhedrous carved type and a globular painted type.[n] Stylistically, Chavín art forms make extensive use of the technique of contour rivalry. The art is intentionally difficult to interpret and understand, since it was intended only to be read by high priests of the Chavín cult who could understand the intricately complex and sacred designs. The Raimondi Stela is one of the major examples of this technique.
Chavin art decorates the walls of the temple and includes carvings, sculptures and pottery. Artists depicted foreign things such as jaguars and eagles rather than local plants and animals. The feline figure is one of the most important motifs seen in Chavin art. It has an important religious meaning and is repeated on many carvings and sculptures. Eagles are also commonly seen throughout Chavin art. There are three important artifacts which are the major examples of Chavin art. These artifacts are the Tello Obelisk, tenon heads, and the Lanzon. Tello Obelisk is a giant sculpted shaft which features images of plants and animals. It includes caymans, birds, crops, and human figures. The illustration on this large artifact may possibly portray a creation story. Tenon heads are found throughout Chavin de Huantar and are one of the most popular images associated with the Chavin civilization. Tenon heads are massive stone carvings of fanged jaguar heads which stick out from the tops of the interior walls. Possibly the most impressive artifact from Chavin de Huantar is the Lanzon. The Lanzon is a 4.53 meter long granite shaft displayed in the temple. The shaft goes extends through an entire floor of the structure and the ceiling. It is carved with an image of a fanged deity and it is the main cult image of the Chavin people.[n]
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To the dismay of "Star Wars" fans everywhere, physicists have long cried foul about the science of building real-life lightsabers. According to conventional physics, photons don't behave like regular particles of matter. They are massless particles, and can't interact with one another. It's therefore impossible to build anything out of light with a solid structure, such as a lightsaber.
But a breakthrough new discovery from researchers at the Harvard-MIT Center for Ultracold Atoms could change everything, according to phys.org (link provided below). They have discovered how to make individual photons interact and bind together into molecular structures. Not only does this represent a whole new state of matter, but these light molecules can potentially be shaped to form solid structures — in other words, lightsabers!
- Reposted by
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INSPIRE geocatalogue, EMODnet, European Atlas of the Seas, International Coastal Atlas Network, International network to assess the state of marine, coastal and inland-water ecosystems, BIOPAMA, European Alien Species Information Network
The INSPIRE geoportal provides the means to search for spatial data sets and spatial data services, and subject to access restrictions, to view spatial data sets from the EU Member States within the framework of the INSPIRE Directive.
Marine Information Systems
The European Marine Data and Observation Network (EMODnet) consists of more than 100 organisations assembling marine data, products and metadata to make these fragmented resources more available to public and private users relying on quality-assured, standardised and harmonised marine data which are interoperable and free of restrictions on use. EMODnet is currently in its second development phase with the target to be fully deployed by 2020.
The European Atlas of the Seas is an easy and fun way for professionals, students and anyone interested to learn more about Europe's seas and coasts, their environment, related human activities and European policies. It was developed to raise awareness of Europe's oceans and seas, in the context of the EU's integrated maritime policy.
The atlas offers a remarkably diverse range of information about Europe's seas, for example:
The BIOPAMA Regional Reference Information System (RRIS) is an online information system, bringing together relevant information to support decision-making for the protection and management of protected areas. A lot of this information is geospatial (maps and other data with a geographic reference), complemented with information on training, best practice, funding, literature and expertise.
The European Alien Species Information Network (EASIN) aims to facilitate the exploration of existing alien species information in Europe, in order to assist the implementation of European policies on biological invasions.
EASIN is an initiative of the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission, and aims to enable easy access to data and information on Alien Species (AS) in Europe from existing on-line databases to assist policy makers and scientists in their efforts to tackle AS invasions.
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Vegetables should be part of everyone’s diet. If you don’t want to spend a little bit more for those organically grown and sold in the supermarket, perhaps you should consider planting your own in the garden. It is very easy to do that even your kids can join in the fun.
Organic vegetable gardening is the “in thing” these days as people have realized that the use of fertilizers and pesticides do more harm than good. Yes it will make the vegetables bigger or enable the farmer to harvest them faster but the chemicals used in making this happen could be detrimental to the health of those who eat it.
But since the early farmers never did that and relied only on sunlight and irrigation, this concept is making a comeback. These will also enable you to this at home since you have access to the three most basic things namely soil, water and sunlight.
What kind of organic vegetables can you plant? Well, just about everything. Some examples of these include broccoli, cabbage, carrots, onions, potatoes and a lot more. You just have to know which of them can be planted during the different seasons of the year.
Proper drainage is important for your vegetables. If there isn’t, you can check if it is feasible to grow these using a raise bed.
When you have done your research, you can now buy the seeds from the store. These are usually sold in packets so don’t forget to read the instructions before using them.
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The main themes in the graphic novel, Asterios Polyp, are those of separation and the search for completion. Much of the visual and narrative images have to do with either separation or the search for a missing element to form a complete unit. As such themes of symmetry, unity and geometry are explored. It is important to note that the story is narrated by Ignazio, Asterios' twin brother who was still-born.
Elements of Greek tragedy play out in this book and there are many references to specific plays and works of art.
As Mazzucchelli does a great job of explaining several points along the way, I am limiting my notes to places where he has not explained what is happening on the page.
Page 3, Panel 1. Exterior of Asterios Polyp’s apartment. It is important to note the symmetry of both the apartment building and the lit windows.
Page 3, Panel 2. Interior of the apartment of Asterios Polyp. This panel will be repeated often throughout the book. It is important to note how this apartment looks now to compare it to the view of the apartment later in the book.
Page 6, Panel 1. This is Asterios Polyp. The name, Asterios, is probably derivative of the word “asterism.” An asterism is a pattern of stars seen in Earth's sky that is not a constellation (such as Ursa Major). Their mostly simple shapes and few stars make these patterns easy to identify (which Asterios Polyp likes), and thus particularly useful to those just learning to orient themselves when viewing the night sky. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asterism_(astronomy))
Page 9, panels 2, 4, and 6. In the fire, he takes three things: A watch, a lighter, and a Swiss Army knife. When all his life is crashing down around him and he has to save the most important, those are what he chooses to save. The fact that he chooses three things to grab is a contradiction to his life. He says later he doesn't think in terms of three, when Hana specifically asks him if he could only grab three things in the event of a fire.
Page 17, Panel 1. We can assume from the narration and the picture that Polyp was a tenured professor at Cornell University.
Page 17, Panel 3. Asterios Polyp is left handed. Yes, this is important. I promise.
Page 18. The seated figure of Polyp is reminiscent of classic Greek figures. But, with it raised above his head, it also invokes the divine. He is over-seeing a plane of classic Greek forms, figures and sculptures. The three columns form a sort of timeline of Greek architecture. From furthest to closest (oldest to most recent) there is The Doric column, the oldest and simplest Greek style. It is found on the Parthenon in Athens. This column features fluted sides, a smooth rounded top, and no separate base.
Ionic columns have the scroll-shaped ornaments at the top, which resemble a ram’s horns. The Ionic column rests on a rounded base. Corinthian columns are the most recent of the three classic Greek styles. The tops are shaped like inverted bells. The Tops are also decorated with olive, laurel, or acanthus leaves. Corinthian columns rest on a base similar to that of the Ionic style. (http://www.realtor.org/archives/arch35) By his pose and demeanor, we are to assume that Polyp is sitting in judgment of all that is before him. Polyp spends his life judging everything and everyone by how he sees the world. That which does not fit his view of ideal is crap and worthless.
Page 19, Pane 1. Asterios subscribes to the modernist architectural philosophy that form reflects function. Anything that does not serve a purpose is superfluous.
Page 19, Panel 2. Apollonian and Dionysian refers to Apollo and Dionysus of Greek myth. Both are sons of Zeus. “Apollo is the god of the Sun, lightness, music, and poetry, while Dionysus is the god of wine, ecstasy, and intoxication. In the modern literary usage of the concept, the contrast between Apollo and Dionysus symbolizes principles of wholeness versus individualism, light versus darkness, or civilization versus primal nature. The ancient Greeks did not consider the two gods as opposites or rivals.” However, Asterios uses these two to represent opposites. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollonian_and_Dionysian)
Page 20, Panel 1. An introduction to the ordered pairs in Aterios’s life. There are double helix patterns on his bed, two pictures on the wall (one of a set of twins), two pairs of books (two light blue, two darker).
Page 20, panel 1. Asterios has a photographic memory. This too will be important later.
Page 20, panel 2 narration. An introduction to the concept of a lost or missing half in Asterios’s life. His “real” last name was cut in half, leaving only the first five letters.
Page 20, panel 2 narration. Aglia Olio is a play on “Aglio e Olio”, a traditional Italian pasta dish that is associated with home cooking and rustic or poor life. It is made with local, simple ingredients that can be easily found and adapted. This suggests that, while his father was well-educated (and Greek), his mother was perhaps not (and Italian).
This serves as a further metaphor. The Greeks were the educated and philosophical of the two cultures, while the Italians (Romans at the time) were not as educated, but made the most of what they controlled. They adapted the Greek society to their own, incorporating many of the Greek traditions in to their Roman way of life.
Both the Greeks and Romans served as a foundation for our modern, Democratic society, just as Asterios’s parents serve as a foundation for his life.
Page 20, panel 2 narration. Continuing the theme of missing halves, Asterios was born on June 22, 1950, the first day of the second half of the century, thus missing out on the first half.
Page 21, panels 1 - 3. We are introduced to several important pieces of information here. First being that the narration of this story is by Ignazio, Asterios’s dead twin brother. Ignazio, his brother, is probably based on Ignazio Danti, a figure in the renaissance. He was trained in Mathematics and science, but joined the priesthood. He studied cosmography and spent time mapping the heavens and the earth. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ignazio_danti) More on him later.
This is also the introduction of the yin and yang as a visual theme. Yin and Yang are often considered opposite forces, but together they keep each other in check and in balance. Without one there cannot be the other. The light fetus and the inverted, dark fetus fulfill the visual of the yin and yang (light and dark, opposite directions) while also filling the philosophical role as well (life and death seeming to be opposites, but actually being intertwined and giving rise to each other). We can look back to Page 19, Panel 2 for another example of this philosophical comparison.
Page 24, Panel 5. The sign reads “Standpipe Siamese”. Siamese twins was a term used for conjoined twins (popularized by Sang and Eng Bunker in the early 1800’s). However, conjoined twins are often separated due to health issues. Asterios is walking without his twin.
Page 25. More examples of pairs in Asterios’ life: two turnstiles, two rats, four sets of stairs (visible), two handrails (visible).
Page 26. Another Yin-Yang reference. Asterios goes under the turnstile, his missing twin goes over.
Page 27. “Splitting me in two with a smile so Euclidean” refers to Euclidean geometry. (For more information see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euclidean_geometry). One bird question mark, seems to be questioning the validity of one bird. One of something contradicts Asterios's world view.
Page 28. We now see 4 birds in front of the train.
Page 35. The lettering drives home the point that Asterios believes that function is all that is important. Asterios’ words are all lettered in “standard comic book” font. It is all capitals with little style. His is stripped bare. Pure function.
Everyone else in the book has a unique and distinct look to their lettering. While both do the work (conveying the message and information) the decorative additions point out the individuality of each character. It is, as the book narrative pointed out, that the perceived reality (how we, the readers, see their spoken words) is merely an extension of the self.
Page 36. Introduction of the archetype for Asterios. This is Asterios stripped to his barest. There are no extra lines or decorations. He is nothing but shapes and angles which, when placed together, form Asterios.
Floating above Asterios are the Five Platonic Solids. Tetrahedron Cube Octahedron Dodecahedron and Icosahedron. “The faces of a Platonic solid are congruent regular polygons, with the same number of faces meeting at each vertex. They have the unique property that the faces, edges and angles of each solid are all congruent.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Platonic_solids) They are the perfect marriage of form and function. The aesthetic beauty and symmetry of the Platonic solids have made them a favorite subject of geometers for thousands of years. They are named for the ancient Greek philosopher Plato who theorized that the classical elements were constructed from the regular solids.
The shapes making up each student form an elegant way to show which students are following his instructions, and which are not.
Page 37, Panel 2. “I’m thinking about adding fenestration to this planar surface…?” Translation: “I am thinking about putting a couple of windows in this wall.”
Page 38. Here we see the lighter he grabbed during the fire.
Page 39, Panel 4. Asterios is imagining himself as Odysseus lashed to the mast of his ship to avoid succumbing to the Siren’s call. This is a double entendre as siren also refers to an alluring female. Panel shape follows very rigid lines until he starts to slip into fantasy.
Page 40. Cleverly clueing the reader into which panels are fantasy and which are reality with the panel shape.
Page 41. Here we see the first use of Mazzucchelli's art showing the differences between Asterios and his future wife, Hana. Red detailed art depicting his wife, where the simple blue outline shows Asterios' perception. This page is also a good place to point out that Mazzucchelli uses different lettering and word balloon for each person talking. This will be pervasive throughout this book, and shows a deeper layer for both personality and how a person sounds.
Page 43. The Parthenon in Greece. The Parthenon was a temple to the Greek goddess Athena (goddess of strategic warfare, wisdom, and heroic endeavor).
Page 45. Here we see the man who later hits Asterios in the head with a bottle sitting next to him.
Pages 49 – 50. The lighter represents his past. It is representative of his father (seen smoking on Page 49, panel 6) and it is the fact that his ex-wife made him give up smoking. But, this is the first thing he gives up. He gives up this token of his past relatively quickly, and to a complete stranger. Why? Because the piece no longer serves a function. He no longer smokes. It no longer contains lighter fluid, so it no longer works. There is no room for sentimentality in a world dictated by function.
Page 50. Apogee is the point at which an object is at its farthest distance from the object around which it is orbiting. So, for Asterios to be in the town of Apogee it is both literally the furthest point away from his life (he asked how far away he could get in the Greyhound station on Page 31, panel 3).
Page 52, panel 7. Stiff Major is an almost sexual innuendo. It is a clue that he almost gets things right. He has plenty of mis-sayings and almost clichés that, in the end, work out as well, if not better than what was supposed to be said.
Page 53, panel 5. Here is that photographic memory coming in to play.
Pages 58 – 61. Introduction of the visual theme for Hana. Hana’s life and influence will be represented in the book through the use of pink.
This is also the first time we see the use of the spotlight as a metaphor for the attention of others. Hana is always standing just outside the spotlight, desperately wanting it to shine on her. However, she is always passed over for one of her four brothers.
Page 63, panel 4 narration. A return to the spotlight metaphor.
Page 63 – 64 note how the pink of Hana is filling the empty form of Asteros, and Asteros is lending form to Hana’s color. It is Yin and Yang. Each completes and supports the other. This also shows how each person's perception is representing a reality for the other person. They're combined perception of self has become reality for both. This is also a very clever technique to show two people clicking.
Page 66, panel 3. Francis of Assisi is the patron saint of animals, the environment and Italy. This is ironic as Asterios has just swatted a mosquito. It is also a slight nod to his Mother’s Italian heritage. We later find out that this is from a conversation between Asterios and Hana.
Page 73, Panel 6. Spotty Drizzle is probably referring to 1998 DK36. On February 14, 1998 this near earth object passed within 0.0006 astronomical units (AU) or roughly 56,000 miles of Earth. (http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/neo_ca?type=NEO;hmax=all;sort=date;sdir=ASC;tlim=past;dmax=0.05AU;max_rows=500;action=Display%20Table;show=1&from=1000)
Page 79. The panels here represent a stylized yin and yang. It supports the narrative that people are searching for their missing half. Whereas these pieces do not fit together, the yin and yang mesh together perfectly.
Page 79, panel 1. The woman is referring to Richard Nixon.
Page 79, Panel 2. The song is Feelings by the band Gemini. Gemini, in astronomy, is referred to as “The Twins”, and is commonly associated with the myth of Castor and Pollux.
Page 80, panel 1. Asterios is referring to Hana. This is a playful term, referring back to their initial meeting on page 57.
Page 81, panel 6. Thus we see why Asterios asks this question on page 66. The difference is that Hana chooses not to swat the mosquito.
Page 82, panel 3. Isamu Noguchi (November 17, 1904 - December 30, 1988) “was a prominent Japanese American artist and landscape architect whose artistic career spanned six decades, from the 1920s onward. Known for his sculpture and public works, Noguchi also designed stage sets for various Martha Graham productions.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isamu_Noguchi)
Page 83, panel 5. Typo?
Page 86, panel 1. The Uffizi is the oldest art museum in the western world. It is in Florence, Italy. This also highlights that one of the things that attracted Hana to Asterios, was his storytelling and bravado. Now it is appearing to be somewhat of an annoyance.
Page 87. This is the first time we see Asterios’s apartment since page 3, panel 2. Compare. Great use of the windows' reflection to show the other side of the room.
Page 88. We see that improvisation for Asterios is really more a matter of just choosing something different as opposed to creating something new. Also, his perfect memory comes into play again.
Page 91, panel 4. We learn that the movie Asterios was watching at the start of the book was a recording of this night.
Page 94. More twin imagery. In this case, Asterios and Ignazio are represented as Cheng and Eng.
Page 96. Stiff is singing Rock You Like a Hurricane by the Scorpions.
Page 97. Ursula Major is a play on Ursa Major. Ursa Major (the constellation) is useful to individuals in the northern hemisphere for helping travelers find the north star, and thus their direction.
Page 98, panel 5. Cancer, almost a Gemini. Asterios’s last name is polyp. Polyps are growths that are often cancerous. Asterios was also almost a twin. . Gemini, in astronomy, is referred to as “The Twins”.
Page 99. Here we see his two remaining possessions from his former life.
Page 102, panel 1. Gerry is paraphrasing from “On Protracted War" (May 1938).
Page 102, Panel 3. Gerry is paraphrasing from Introductory note to "A Serious Lesson" (1955)
Page 102, panel 3. Asterios is paraphrasing Mao. “The outstanding thing about China's 600 million people is that they are "poor and blank." This may seem a bad thing, but in reality it is a good thing ... On a blank sheet of paper free from any mark, the freshest and most beautiful characters can be written, the freshest and most beautiful pictures can be painted.” — Mao Tse-tung, 1958
Page 104, panel 4 & page 105, panel 1. Ursula claims tobacco is sacred to her people. But then says that these people were from a past life. Ursula is, in fact, Jewish by birth.
Page 105. Again, this panel is meant to contrast with Asterios’ previous living arrangements.
Page 112 – 113. On this page are representations of the periodic table of elements, visual representations of Plato’s concept of the real vs the ideal, and the Fibonacci sequence.
Page 115. In Plato’s Republic, Plato theorizes about a perfect world where everything exists in its ideal state. It is pure marriage of form and function. There is nothing extra. It is all perfect as is and needs nothing more. Asterios takes the philosophical idea to an extreme. If we swept away everything that is decoration we would have the true form of something, or as close as we could produce in our imperfect world. His example: The Essence of Shoeness. Note that he chooses not to wear the shoes first, but chooses them based on their appearance.
Page 116, panel 2. Tearing lettuce causes less browning than cutting with a metal knife. Asterios is a know-it-all who doesn't respect others' opinions. This is in stark contrast to where we see him in conversations with Ursula, later.
Page 118. All of the buildings have symmetry. They are from left to right, the pyramid at Giza, The Parthenon, Japanese Pagoda, Monticello, Notre Dame, the Taj Mahal.
Page 118. Asterios’s designs demonstrate several of the themes of the story. His architectural designs not only offer symmetry, but offer it in the yin-yang motif of asymmetrical individual pieces joining to make a symmetrical whole. The fact that none of his buildings have been constructed is brilliant. Much like Plato’s Republic, the fact that the building exists in the world of Forms or Ideas is enough. Were it to be translated to the “real” world, it would get lost in translation and not live up to the truly ideal “form” building.
Page 120. Mazzacchelli uses a brilliant method to show the linear thinking of Asterios. His thinking is cartesian, which aligns with his shadow and the shadow of the sphere which are 3 dimensional. But are in fact a 2 dimension representation on a page.
Page 123-126. We again see Mazzacchelli using the perception of self to represent reality, where Asterios is in stark blue outline, and Hana is in detailed red shading. On the last page we see the separation of Hana fading as she comes to understand his explanation.
Page 127, Panel 1. Egyptian Pharaos were often entombed with servants who would look after them and serve them in the afterlife.
Page 127, panels 2 & 3. Emperor Shi Huang Di was the first emperor of China. He had a massive terracotta army constructed to watch over him in the afterlife.
Page 127, panel 4. A return to the yin yang theme.
Page 129. The Washington Monument in Washington, DC. It should be noted that, after the previous page’s discussion about monuments and people watching over others, Washington DC is full of monuments to the founding fathers who now watch over thr country.
Page 130. This is a slightly fictionalized representation of the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, DC.
Page 143. St. Francis of Assisi.
Page 147. Asterio’s father is suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. The fact that his father has no memory whatsoever must be terrifying for Asterios. since one theory about Alzheimer’s is that it has a genetic component. Asterios has photographic memory, and loves to be able to pull facts out of thin air about a wide variety of topics.
Page 145. We see Hana's dream and it is in the detailed red shading that depicts her identity.
Page 149. A return to the spotlight imagery from pages 58 – 61. This highlights how Asterios steals the "spotlight" from Hana's own creation. A very subtle way to show a relationship problem.
Page 153, Panel 1. These are the same cups from page 49, panel 6.
Page 156, panel 1. Again, compare to earlier visuals of the aprtment.
Page 156, Panel 1. “Tansu has a long history dating back to the Edo period (1603 - 1867), when it was a luxury available only to the richest samurai and noblemen” (http://www.greenteadesign.com/tansu.html) The design is very symmetrical and serves a particular function.
Page 156, panel 3. The curves of the table do not serve a function and are thus decoration. Asterios does not like it.
Page 157, Panel 3. Hana challenges his thinking and introduces something new to his life. She forces him to think in terms of curved lines, colors, form instead of function. She is the one who asks: if you have to take only three objects, what would they be? For Asterios this is preposterous. He does not think in terms of three. He can’t. It is all about duality. Yin and Yang. Right and wrong. But, as we found earlier he would grab the lighter, watch, and the knife.
Page 158. He drives a late seventies/early eightes saab.
Page 169. Asterios gives away his second item that he saved from his old life.
Page 171. “It’s a goy!” Historically and up to modern times goy is a synonym for Gentile or non-Jew.
Page 172, panel 3. Asterios replies negatively to the question about siblings while a shadow/reflection mirrors him in the car window, showing his twin.
Page 174 & 175 Barringer Meteor Crater – Arizona.
Page 176-177. Asterios and Ursula discuss the duality of the world, and Asterios seems to agree that his view may have been short-sighted.
Page 182, panel 1. Willy Ilium is a play on words. Willy is slang for penis, while the ilium is the largest bone in the pelvis. So, basically, this little man is a big dick. Add to that his constant sexual innuendo and the metaphor is complete.
Page 183, panel 1. Asterios is taking credit for something Hana pointed out to him.
Page 184, Panel 1. “Like Wright and Neutra…” Wright refers to Frank Lloyd Wright. (born Frank Lincoln Wright, June 8, 1867 – April 9, 1959) was an American architect, interior designer, writer and educator, who designed more than 1,000 projects, which resulted in more than 500 completed works. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_lloyd_wright)
Neutra refers to Richard Joseph Neutra (April 8, 1892 – April 16, 1970) who is considered one of modernism's most important architects. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Neutra)
Page 185. Iridium is a metal from the Platinum family
Page 185. Illuminato is a play on illuminati, or enlightened one.
Page 185. The Hip has double meaning here. It is both a nod to his soon-to-be-new name, Iliuim, as well as a slang term for being current or “with it.”
Page 185. Gilgamesh is a legendary King from the ancient civilization of Ur. Gilgamesh is described as two-thirds god and one-third human. In an ironic twist, Gilgamesh is also a character in a comic book (Marvel’s Avengers) who is referred to as “the forgotten one.” The ballet, produced by Willy Gilgamesh is titles “Forget About It.” No telling if Mazzucchelli inserted this as a comic book reference, but Willy Ilium seems to fit the bill.
Page 185. George Balanchine, Jules-Joseph Perrot, Martha Graham, and Twyla Tharp (possible misspelling of her name) were all choreographers and pioneers of modern dance.
Page 185. Chimera is an amalgam of different animals: The head of a lion, the body of a goat, and a tail that ends in the head of a snake. Sighting the Chimera was an omen of storms, shipwrecks, and natural disasters. In more recent times, the name Chimera is used to describe real life entities which were created as amalgams of separate entities in categories such as botany. The term chimera has also come to mean more generally, an impossible or foolish fantasy. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chimera_(mythology))
Page 185, Panel 3. Orpheus (underground) is a bit of a repetition as the majority of the story of Orpheus takes place under ground.
Page 187, Panel 8 echoes what Asterios says to Ursula on page 179.
Page 190. Panel 1. Notice that the furniture and plants which Hana has added to the apartment are colored in her shade of pink.
Page 194, panel 3. Ilium is probably referring to Carl Jung’s Principle of Opposites. In short, the only way we can know anything is by contrast with an opposite. (http://psych.eiu.edu/spencer/Jung.html) Ilium’s point is that we may be assuming that two things are opposites when they are, in fact, not. Ursula Major made a similar statement on page 176. Ignazio also illustrates the point on page 120.
Page 197, panels 1 – 3. An illustration of the difference between the realm of ideals and the real world.
Page 197, panel 5. Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (October 15, 1844 – August 25, 1900). German philosopher who believed that his works were the “deepest ever.” (Nietzsche describing Thus Spoke Zarathustra.)
Page 199. Walt Disney concert hall designed by Frank Ghery.
Pages 200 – 201. On page 125, Polyp talks about how twins separated lead similar lives taking up similar professions and marrying at the same age. In his dreams, Polyp’s brother is an architect as well, but his architecture is based on Frank Ghery ( the design of the building where Polyp visits his brother is based on the Walt Disney concert hall designed by Ghery). The building is full of swoops and curved lines as opposed to polyp’s straight lines and sharp angels. So, while he thinks his brother would have been similar, he sees that his brother would have been more of an opposite or compliment than an exact copy.
Page 202, Panels 2 & 3. Both Barcelona and Milan are famous for their influential works of architecture.
Barcelona, most famously, has buildings by Gaudi.
Milan was the center and foundation of the Renaissance. Earlier in the book, Polyp’s twin notes that Aterios thought that religion made some of the best paintings. The paintings that came out of the Renaissance were both religious and secular. But, some of the most famous, the Last Supper, the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel were religious in nature.
Milan also is home to both Renaissance architecture, as well as modern structures that would be more at home with what Asterios likes, such as Torre Velasca.
Page 202. Ignazio is right handed to Asterios’ left handedness. Remember when I said we would revisit Ignazio Danti? Here we go. Due to his mathematical skills, the Pope appointed Ignazio pontifical mathematician and made him a member of the commission for the reform of the calendar (thus we see him writing on a day planner/calendar).
Page 203. The Pritzker Architecture Prize is awarded annually by the Hyatt Foundation to honor "a living architect whose built work demonstrates a combination of those qualities of talent, vision and commitment, which has produced consistent and significant contributions to humanity and the built environment through the art of architecture". The irony is, of course, that Ignazio is dead.
Page 205, panel 2. Frank Lord Wright is, of course, Frank Lloyd Wright. However, he is held in such high regard that the title of Lord might not be all that far fetched.
Page 205, Panel 3. Windows in this wall is a direct reference to page Page 37, Panel 2. “I’m thinking about adding fenestration to this planar surface…?”
Pages 206 – 207 This is the first time that Polyp has been directly involved in any construction. However, he did not design the building, even though Stiff comes to him for help with the design. The building itself conforms to Wright’s philosophy of integrating the structure in to the surrounding environment.
Page 213. Look at the space between the two tulips.
Page 217. “Rothko from a Rockwell.” Mark Rothko, (September 25, 1903–February 25, 1970), was an abstract expressionist painter. Norman Rockwell (February 3, 1894 – November 8, 1978) was a 20th century American painter and illustrator of everyday life scenarios.
Interestingly enough, there is a band named Rothko as well as a keyboardist/R&B singer named Rockwell.
Page 218 Ctirad Kohoutek (born March 18, 1929 in Zábřeh) is a contemporary Czech composer, music theorist, and pedagogue. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ctirad_Kohoutek)
Given that Kalvin Kohoutek does not look terribly Czech, I believe that is what arouses Asterios’s curiosity.
Page 219, panel 3. Modes are scales mapped to specific notes. Locrian starts on a vii, aeolian on an a
Page 221, panels 3 – 6 are a visual representation of what Kohoutek is describing musically.
Page 224, panel 1. A pith helmet is an old timey british exploration helmet, commonly used in WWI.
Page 227, panel 2. On March 7, 1965, known as "Bloody Sunday", approximately 600 civil rights marchers departed Selma on U.S. Highway 80, heading east. They reached the Edmund Pettus Bridge, only six blocks away, before being met by state troopers and local sheriff's deputies, who attacked them, using tear gas and billy clubs, and drove them back to Selma. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selma,_Alabama#Civil_rights_movement)
Page 232-243. Shows a montage of daily life with a coherent thread stringing through the middle about Hana losing the tip of a ear cleaner and Asterios using the tweezers from the utility knife to retrieve it. This thread culminates with Hana proclaiming she will never buy that pseudo-somebody brand, admitting to Asterios that he was right.
Pages 245 - 265. This section recreates the story of Orpheus with Asterios in the role of Orpheus and Hana in the role of Eurydice. Ilium plays the role of Hades. The story goes like this: “While fleeing from Aristaeus (son of Apollo), Eurydice ran into a nest of snakes which bit her fatally on her heel. Distraught, Orpheus played such sad songs and sang so mournfully that all the nymphs and gods wept. On their advice, Orpheus traveled to the underworld and by his music softened the hearts of Hades and Persephone (he was the only person ever to do so), who agreed to allow Eurydice to return with him to earth on one condition: he should walk in front of her and not look back until they both had reached the upper world. He set off with Eurydice following and in his anxiety as soon as he reached the upper world he turned to look at her, forgetting that both needed to be in the upper world, and she vanished for the second time, but now forever.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orpheus).
Note that Orpehus’s (Asterios’s) harp is created from a drafting square.
Page 272: The drummer’s theory is roughly correct. The cells in a person’s body are in a state of constant rejuvenation. It takes between 7 – 10 years for various cells to rejuvenate and replace. This hearkens back to Asterios’s conversation about Ise shrine on page 210.
Page 273: The three coasters hearken back to Asterios saying that he does not think in threes. The fact that Manana is the one who brings it up and then her moment is overrun by Gerry further reflects Asterios’ relationship with Hana.
Page 274-275. A reappearance of the man with Asterios' lighter.
Page 279: Christoph Willibald Gluck's opera Orfeo ed Euridice (1762)
Page 285. Emperor Qin was Chinese and did not die by Seppuku. He wanted to live a long life, so he took pills containing high levels of Mercury. The mercury was supposed to extend his life, but it ended up killing him quicker.
Page 288. Here is the recurring theme about every memory being a recreation, and therefore reality is through a personalized lens.
Page 294. Aristopahnes purported theory is that men and women form two halves of a whole and that the tension between male and female is essential to human life (The Knights). It is often easier to see flaws in ones life from another perspective. Here Asterios sees a recap of his life as Ignozio tells his own life story. Asterios sees his flaws and understands them.
Page 295. Pantheon - The generic term pantheon is now applied to a monument in which illustrious dead are buried. This is of note because Ignazio is speaking as if he is alive, yet the use of the word Pantheon gives a slight nod to the fact that he is aware he never lived.
Pantheon is also the publisher of the graphic novel, Asterios Polyp. So, in truth, he has joined the Pantheon (publishing house).
Page 295. “Sulivan, and Mies, Wright and Gropius-.” Louis Henri Sullivan (September 3, 1856 – April 14, 1924) was an American architect, and has been called the "father of modernism
Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe 1886- 1969 one of the leading figures of modern architecture
Frank Lloyd Wright (born Frank Lincoln Wright, June 8, 1867 – April 9, 1959) was an American architect, interior designer, writer and educator, who designed more than 1,000 projects, which resulted in more than 500 completed works
Walter Gropius - founded "The Architect's Collaborative", a design team that embodied his belief in the value of teamwork.
Page 300. When Asterios says this is a “Creative Challenge,” he is quoting Hana from page 216. It is important to note that he is finally designing and building something.
Page 302. Parallax = depth perception. It is caused by the eyes of a hman being in two different locations on the head, thus giving two views at once The brain interprets the information from both eyes and allows it to see depth. With only one eye providing the information, depth perception is lost.
Page 304-305. He has shown a certain amount of apathy towards animals. This highlights him seeing things from Hana's perspective
Page 322-323. Here we see that Hana has been playing with the five platonic solids in her art, showing that she sees things from his perspective.
Page 324. We see that the only thing he has kept from the fire is the utility knife, which reminds him of Hana. In the end, the only thing of any real function or importance to Asterios is Hana.
Page 327. They tell a story together and Asterios doesn't have to overpower the conversation. The effect of the conversation is masterfully shown by Mazzucchelli by playing with the word balloon tails.
Page 332 – 333: Echoing the story of Orpheus, before our two lovers are reunited, they are lost forever.
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A reader named Paula sent me an interesting question not too long ago:
My sister-in-law found ‘Capitola’ as a first name in her family’s history. We know it comes from E.D.E.N. Southworth’s “The Hidden Hand” but we cannot discover its meaning or derivation. Can you help us?
I tried, but I wasn’t able to find out exactly what inspired Southworth to choose the name “Capitola” for her tomboyish character Capitola Le Noir (a.k.a. Cap Black).
She did have a lot of fun with the gender-neutral nickname “Cap,” though. Different parts of the story have titles like “Cap in Captivity,” “Capitola Caps the Climax,” “Capitola a Capitalist,” and “Capitola the Madcap.” I think it’s entirely possible that Southworth chose the nickname first, then lengthened it to something more fanciful/formal.
The Hidden Hand was first published in 1859 in the newspapers. It was serialized twice more before being published as a book in 1888. The book ended up selling millions of copies. It went on to be adapted for the stage dozens of times.
Capitola encounters many adventures and withstands much danger, starring in sensational plots that some critics worried were too stimulating for delicate female readers. The mass public loved Capitola, however, and one California town still bears her name.
The book and its sequel, Capitola’s Peril, inspired expectant parents across the U.S. to name their baby girls Capitola. From the mid-1800s until the mid-1900s, hundreds of babies got the name. A handful even got the first-middle combination “Capitola Lenoir.”
P.S. Wondering what “E.D.E.N.” stands for? The author’s full name was Emma Dorothy Eliza Nevitte Southworth.
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May 14, 2013 by jmar198013
As he taught, he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, and to have the best seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets! They devour widows’ houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”
He sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the crowd putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny. Then he called his disciples and said to them, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.” (Mark 12.38-44 NRSV)
When you read something into the text that is not there, it is called eisegesis. But is there a name for the phenomenon of missing what is plainly there–reading over something that actually is in the text? I would suggest that this is something that happens more often than we realize when we read Scripture. It may simply be a matter of missing the significance of key words or phrases, and failing to heed their cues. It may also come from failing to see subtle developments in the plot lines of biblical narratives–how certain movements in the text relate to and build off of one another. It may also have to do with failing to discern an author’s overall agenda, so that we miss how a certain saying or vignette in one of the Gospels serves its author’s particular end. Whatever the case, it happens with some regularity. We miss the point that the author is trying to make and substitute another lesson–one which may not be bad in itself, but does not fit the author’s intent, and causes us to lose a valuable insight. For lack of a better name for this phenomenon, I shall coin the admittedly unwieldy junk Greek term glossegesis***–glossing over something we don’t quite “get” by assigning it a meaning that makes sense to us.
One passage of Scripture that has fallen victim to what I am calling glossegesis is the story of the widow’s lepta in Mark 12. Time out of mind, this passage has been a go-to for preacher boys (and televangelists) who want to make a point about giving as a leap of faith. The emphasis is put on the poor widow’s “giving all she had to live on” to God in an act of trusting service. We shall soon see why this reading is problematic; at very least, it provides an easy mechanism to exploit the poor. But Ched Myers notes that even more tempered readings of the text lead us down a deceitful interpretive path:
[B]ourgeois scholarship, oblivious to Mark’s critique of the political economy of the temple, portrays the … theme as the contrast between the religious hypocrisy of the scribes and the genuine piety of the poor woman. (Binding the Strong Man: A Political Reading of Mark’s Story of Jesus, 20th anniversary ed. [Maryknoll, NY: Orbis, 2008], 320)
Myers is onto something: we are missing a textual cue that is in plain sight. We assume that Jesus sees a poor woman giving her last little coins to God and is pleased about this. So we weave a moral based on this fact: it doesn’t matter what one gives, but the faith in which it is given. Or, offerings to God ought to be in proportion to what one has–the poor widow has upstaged the rich. Or, we ought to go and do like the poor widow and give everything. The conceit behind all these interpretations–all rife with opportunities for exploiting the vulnerable and desperate–is, again, that the woman was giving her last lepta to God; and that Jesus was pleased by this and holding the woman up as an object lesson. Problem is, Jesus didn’t actually say anything about the widow’s attitude or faith or rationale for giving the coins. And he certainly didn’t attach to it the “go and do likewise” we would expect from him if he were holding up her act as an object lesson. As I said, there’s a textual cue we are not seeing, and our lack of vision leads us to grasp for meanings. Here’s the cue. In 12.40, Jesus calls out the scribes by saying: They devour widows’ houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers. And then in 12.42-44, a widow appears and gives her last two lepta to the temple treasury. And Jesus says of this: she out of her poverty has put in … all she had to live on. In other words, he is not praising her for donating her last lepta; he is pointing to her as a specimen of the exploitation of the poor widows by the Jewish leaders. She is not there to have her faith praised–she is there for the damnation of the ruling Jewish elite.
Read it more like this: Jesus charges the scribes with devouring widows’ houses. Then he sees a poor widow coming in and putting her last two coins in the temple hoard. And he says, “See that?! That’s what I’m talking about!” He was pointing her out as a widow who was having her house devoured.
Addison Wright, whom Ched Myers references in his comments on this passage, puts it this way:
Is it likely then that the Marcan Jesus who was offended by such abuses of Corban [Mark 7.10-13] would enthuse over the widow’s contribution? Could he enthuse without contradicting himself? . . . Jesus condemns those scribes who devour the houses of widows, and then follows immediately the story of a widow whose house has beyond doubt just been devoured . . . If, indeed, Jesus is opposed to the devouring of widows’ houses, how could he possibly be pleased with what he sees here? . . . It would seem that the only way out of these acute difficulties is quite simply to see Jesus’ attitude to the widow’s gift as a downright disapproval and not as an approbation . . . Jesus’ saying is not a penetrating insight on the measuring of gifts; it is a lament. (“The Widow’s Mites: Praise or Lament?–A Matter of Context,” Catholic Biblical Quarterly 44 261-62, emphasis mine)
Myers goes on to explain Jesus’ scrutiny of the widow’s offering as a damning indictment of the wealthy scribes:
Scribal affluence is a product of their ‘devouring the estates of widows under the pretext of saying long prayers’ . . . Through their public reputation for piety and trustworthiness (hence the ‘pretext of long prayers’), scribes would earn the legal right to administrate estates. As compensation they would usually get a percentage of the assets; the practice was notorious for embezzlement and abuse . . . The vocation of Torah Judaism is to ‘protect widows and orphans,’ yet in the name of piety these socially vulnerable classes are being exploited while the scribal class is further endowed . . . [S]cribal piety has been debunked as a thin veil for economic opportunism and exploitation . . . The temple has robbed this woman of her very livelihood (12:44). Like the scribal class, it no longer protects widows, but exploits them. (Binding the Strong Man, 320-22)
Thus is Mark 12.38-44 unglossified so that we may see how truly nasty were the things going down in high places in Jesus’ day, and how Jesus confronted them with an unapologetic honesty that might make some of us cringe. He wasn’t praising the poor widow for her trusting gift; he was giving the religious and political elite the hell they so rightly deserved for creating and perpetuating a society that conditions widows like her to give away money she needed to feed herself with.
***Per Matt Matheson, a more serviceable term would be “hypergesis”–reading “over” the text. Thanks, Matt!
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Natural products: an extraordinary source of value-added compounds from diverse biomasses in Brazil
© da Silva and Rodrigues; licensee Springer. 2014
Received: 1 April 2014
Accepted: 14 August 2014
Published: 17 September 2014
KeywordsNatural products Biomass By-products Residues Value-added compounds Bioactivity Industrial application
Brazil has an amazing diversity in living species - plants, animals and microorganisms - due to its great territorial extension and combination of different biomes, such as the Cerrado, Atlantic forest, and Amazon rainforest .
Since early human history, natural products - compounds produced by plants, animals, or microorganisms - have been studied and utilized for the treatment of diseases. Plants are the principal source of medicine and directly contribute to the development of new drugs in addition to agrochemicals, cosmetics and food . For example, tubocurarine, isolated from a plant in Brazil, has been used for many years as a muscle relaxant during the preoperative period and is a model for the production of similar medicines .
One of the most recent examples is in textile applications, which include plant-based products such as fibers, polysaccharides, dyes, oils, and other compounds with antibiotic activity. Biodegradable polysaccharides are used as thickeners, carrying dyestuffs, chemicals, and other printing assistants to textile substrates during the printing process. Prolonged contact between the body and the textile is responsible for microbial infections, which has contributed to the use of oxidizing agents, halogens, and metal-based complexes, for example, to prevent microbial growth. To minimize the environmental risks associated with those synthetic agents, researchers are currently looking for natural dyes with antimicrobial activities that adhere to the textile substrates. Besides the growing market demand for textiles that offer comfort, other properties are gaining prominence such as deodorizing, insect-repellent, flame retardant, and UV protective properties .
After extraction of natural products of pharmaceutical interest or industrial application, the residues (e.g., fibers ) or other compounds (e.g., nutrients ) are discarded, not only generating an environmental pollution problem, but a loss of biomass that could have been used for the production of different products with economic value .
There is growing interest in the discovery of natural products for use in sunscreens and the option of new active filters with the capability of ultraviolet light absorption. The liquid extracted from cashew nut shells (CNSL) - 19,000 tons exported from the Brazilian northeast in 2007 - is sometimes wasted by industry and could be used as an ingredient in sunscreens after chemical transformations .
Considering the diversity of plants, animals, and microorganisms, the possibility of obtaining compounds of biological or industrial interest, residues and by-products derived from various biomasses must be continuously investigated in order to add value to natural products and thus avoid future problems of environmental impact.
Brazil's biodiversity is well-known, containing about 15% of the world's living species, among plants, animals, and microorganisms, and much more yet to be discovered before extinction. There are more than 45,000 described plant species - 18% of the world's total flora. Several species important for the world economy - including peanuts, Brazil nuts, carnauba wax, rubber, guarana, pineapples and cashews, in addition to numerous species, forage, fruit, seed oils, medicines and timber, among others - originate from Brazil, that also contains 10% of the world's fauna, including vertebrates and invertebrates .
Historically, natural products have been very important for Brazil: coffee, sugarcane and soy are some examples that have been important to the social-economic development of the country. The cultivation of sugarcane can be considered the first economic activity of great relevance in the country and it has become prominent in the global scenario .
The country comprises different and important biomes, such as the savannah area (Cerrado), the Amazonian rainforest and the Atlantic tropical forest. It is a rich and biologically diverse on three levels (genetic, species, and ecosystem), the product of large climate variability and geomorphology of a country of continental dimensions. This diversity results in an extraordinary number of compounds of natural products with a wide and complex variety of molecular structures and represents an economic potential in biomass to be explored .
Natural products and biological applications
Since early human history, natural products have been investigated and utilized for the treatment of diseases. The large number of chemical structures is the result of combinatorial chemistry of nature, which besides generating stereochemically complex structures with many functional groups, produce compounds that specifically interact with biological targets, and are used as templates for drug discovery . In the global pharmaceutical market, estimated at 300 billion dollars, about 40% is derived directly or indirectly from pharmaceutical products of natural sources (of which 75% from plants and 25% from animals and microorganisms) .
Besides plants, other biomass organisms could be sources of compounds in drug discovery. The world's oceans, covering more than 70% of the Earth's surface, represent a rich source of bioactive compounds, many of which belong to novel chemical classes not found in terrestrial sources. An example of marine-derivative anticancer drug is halichondrin B (Figure 1), isolated from a sponge, and bryostatin 1 (Figure 1), a macrolide isolated from a bryozoan . Brazil has considerable possibilities for search in this field due to its wide coastal area.
Another representative Brazilian discovery is the peptide bradykinin (Figure 1), isolated from venom of the viper Bathrops jararaca, which has been the model for the synthesis of structural analogues of hypertension regulators .
Some distinct and potential sources have been explored through the development of new isolation, identification, and analytical techniques of unexplored microscopic species and their metabolites, like endophytic, extremophilic, and marine microbes . An example of bioactive compounds found in endophytic microbe, present in tissues of living plant cells, is the polyketide citrinin (Figure 1) isolated from the endophytic fungus Penicillium janthinellum, and from the fruit of Melia azedarach (Meliaceae), a plant collected in Brazil, which inhibited 100% of Leishmania mexicana at a concentration of 40 μg/mL .
There are several research groups that focus on exploring the rich biodiversity in Brazil, looking for bioactive compounds from plants of the Cerrado, the Atlantic forest and plant endophytic fungi, where it is possible to find botanical, chemical, pharmacological, and toxicological compound information in their database .
Natural products and non-biological applications
Nowadays, interest in the use of natural products has increased significantly, and the reason for this trend is the idea of safety in comparison to synthetic compounds as they are understood by the general public, attributed to several scientific studies reporting different bioactivities of natural products, abundant availability, biocompatibility, low toxicity, and environmental responsibility . Thus, other non-biological applications have been reported for natural product biomass.
One of the most recent example is in textile applications. Besides the growing market demand for textiles that offer comfort, other properties, such as deodorizing, insect-repellent, flame retardant, UV protective as well as antimicrobial activity, are gaining prominence. The plant-based products used are fibers, polysaccharides, dyes and pigments, oils, and other bioactive compounds. Some by-products from commodity crops such as sugarcane straw and stalk, banana and pineapple leaves and others, have been investigated in order to develop new cellulose fibers .
Another application for natural products is for antifouling coating in marine transportation. The undesirable accumulation of marine organisms on ship hulls can lead to increased fuel consumption to simply maintain cruising speed in addition to metallic corrosion, blockage of pipes and filtration systems, etc. An alternative is the use of the natural product, tannin, as biocide that, besides being produced by different plants as part of their defense system against pathogenic agents, is non-toxic to the ecosystem of the ocean. Tannin extracts are coagulated with metallic cations and last for 12 months under immersion . Tannins play an important role in textile finishing too, as well as in the preservation of leather, and as a dye agent .
More examples of non-biological applications of natural products include their employment in wood adhesives. Because of limited reserves of oil, price variability, and dangers to the environment and human health, some new products have been proposed for use, among them tannins, carbohydrates, unsaturated oils, rice bran and soybean proteins , lignin in the straw of other herbaceous crops and vegetable oils . This can later be modified to exhibit several types of functionalities ,, such as condensation polymerization, and acquiring polymers such as polyurethanes, polyesters and polyethers .
A very important application of natural products is associated with the production of biofuels. An anticipated shortage of fossil fuels, the increased demand for energy due to global growth, and concern for environmental issues and global warming have led countries to seek alternative and renewable energy sources, of which ethanol and biodiesel have attracted attention as biofuels. About 45% of the energy and 18% of the fuel consumed in Brazil is renewable. Elsewhere in the world, only 14% of the energy comes from renewable energy sources .
Raw materials used in the biodiesel production (B100) in Brazil (2008 to 2012) []
Other fatty materialsb
On the order hand, alcohol can be produced from diverse lignocellulosic plant sources like sugarcane, maize, cassava, and beets , and Brazil is the world leader in producing ethanol from sugarcane with the 2012/2013 harvest resulting in 23,470,000 m3 of ethanol .
Once extracted, the raw material for biofuel production and electric power generation and the chemicals developed from by-products and residues from biomass are those with the greatest potential to add value to supply chains. The capacity to add value is due to the chemical industry which provide, in addition to supplies, final products for diverse sectors of the economy such as pharmaceutical, automotive, civil engineering, petrochemical, etc., as will be described later.
Biomass by-products and residue applications
After extraction of natural products of pharmaceutical interest or industrial application, such as polymers, or even of metabolites for biofuels, the residues (e.g., fibers ) or other compounds (e.g., nutrients ) are typically discarded, generating environmental pollution with an unreasonable loss of biomass that could be used for the production of different high-value products.
Similarly, residual biomass from agricultural activity can be converted into a variety of industrial materials, and a wide range of bioactive natural products can be recovered through different biological and chemical processes for extraction.
An example is apple pomace, which can be used as substrate for the microbial production of some organic acids (citric and lactic acids), enzymes (cellulases, amylases, and others), biofuels, and biopolymers as well as for the direct extraction of antioxidant compounds, such as catechins, quercetin glycosides, procyanidins, and caffeic and chlorogenic acids, among others . In some studies, Aliakbarian described the use of olive pomace in direct combustion, animal feed, and soil conditioning. Since only 2% of phenolic compounds are transferred to the oil and 98% are retained in the cake, olive pomace has been considered to be a potential source of these compounds.
The concern about the indiscriminate use of chemicals to control pests in various crops has encouraged the search for powerful insecticides of natural origin, but with reduced toxic effects on man, animals, and the environment. A product widely studied for this purpose is pyroligneous extract, an organically based by-product resulting from the condensation of smoke generated in the pyrolysis of wood, in particular for the production of vegetal charcoal. It is comprised of water, phenolic compounds, aldehydes, and organic acids . Generally, this product is discarded in the process and released into the environment; however, studies have shown that it has a toning effect for plants in addition to presenting nematicide, fungicide, and insecticide action in addition to its use as a preservative in cosmetic and sanitation products . Pyroligneous extract is already produced and marketed in some regions of Brazil as Biopirol® .
There is currently a growing interest in the development of natural additives for use in sunscreens and the option of new active filters involving the capability of ultraviolet light absorption and antioxidant activity.
Cashew nuts, one of the major exports from the Brazilian northeast, having exported 51,000 tons in 2007, is sometimes wasted by industry. The liquid extracted from cashew nut shells (CNSL) - 19,000 tons exported in 2007 - has been studied as additives to sunscreens . Other applications of CNSL are described for paints, varnishes, resins, insecticides, fungicides, electrical materials, insulators, and adhesives .
The cashew tree is one good example of Brazilian biomasses which everything is availed. The wood, which is water resistant, is used in marine and civil engineering. Leaf or bark tea from this tree is still widely used throughout the Amazon rainforest as an effective medicine against diarrhea and colic. Leaves have healing power when used on wounds, and the nuts can be used in the preparation of pastries and chestnut flour .
The demand for oils and fats for edible purposes, biofuels and oleochemicals require feedstock with high-lipid productivity. Among some Brazilian native species, the macauba and the carnauba are distinctive. The residual biomass post-oil extraction has been widely investigated for the extraction of by-products or the direct application in some sectors, such as food or agronomic, aiming to increase the added value of these residues. The residue of carnauba leaves, after wax extraction, is rich in lignocellulosic material and is used as an organic fertilizer. The cake resulting from the extraction of macauba oil can be incorporated into animal feed, and due to a composition rich in fibers and sugars, it can also be used for human consumption. Natural dyes can be extracted from macauba oil including beta-carotene and phospholipids, which can be used in the manufacture of food and medicines .
Cassava, a potential source of carbohydrates, is a native biomass of the Brazilian territory. During processing, flour, starch, and liquid and solid wastes of negative environmental impact can be obtained. The liquid effluent is rich in water, starch, fiber, minerals, and cyanogen compounds, which can be exploited in different ways. Linamarin, for example, can be used in the treatment of tumor cells from cyanogen derivatives.
Products of marine origin are one the most important classes of natural products that have interesting properties and industrial uses. The large quantities of by-products generated have great potential for becoming value-added compounds, such as lipids, proteins, amino acids and enzymes, which can be extracted from wastewaters and from solid residues (head, viscera, skin, tails and flesh) that are leftovers during the canning process. In some cases, these by-products are economically more attractive than the starting material .
Considering the diverse fauna and flora in Brazil, the possibility of obtaining compounds, whether biological or industrial interest, residues, and by-products derived from diverse biomasses must be continuously investigated in order to add value to the entire supply chain of potential natural products in and thus avoid possible problems of environmental impact that could result in disposing of these in nature.
Residues and by-products from plants, animals, and microorganisms are a valuable stock material to be used in a wide range of sectors, including bioenergy, fertilizers, food, feed, biomaterials (textiles, adhesives), or other fields. The reduction of environmental impact and generation of a new economy based on added value compounds will promote the sustainability.
Research should be continually encouraged to successfully achieve such aims so we can take maximum advantage of what nature can offer in a sustainable way that is beneficial in and of itself.
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This article is published under license to BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly credited.
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Makes you want to reach back in time and smack them, doesn't it? The assumption that making something with words is somehow fundamentally different and better than making something concrete and useful with your hands? Well, remembered high school aesthetes, just think about how hard it's going to be to enthuse about Sylvia Plath when your houses fall down on your heads!
As an editor of both fiction and nonfiction, I can promise you that knowing how to build something fundamentally sound is just as important as knowing how to rub two words together to make an adverb. Word craft and subject-matter mastery are great, but if you don't have a solid structural foundation, you won't be able to keep your reader's attention.
Structure is, of course, the key to successfully communicating your message in nonfiction. Without structure, you can't explain how to change the gasket in an espresso machine, or how the rules of your new game work, or what those laboratory results tell you about your project. But structure is also a crucial underpinning for works of more creative nonfiction like memoirs. It's not enough just to tell what happened; you need to find a framework in which to tell what happened in a way that makes it interesting for the reader, a theme to tie the piece together, and a sense of progression, of building scene upon scene to create a whole greater than the parts.
Here's someone who does both things well, word craft and structure:
Dead Things by John Tormey
Structure is, of course, important to fiction as well. When we talk about plot, scene construction, and pacing, we're really talking about structure. About building the framework on which your ideas can hang.
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Wednesday, May 20, 2015
Use What You Learned in School
We all learned about spelling and grammar in grade school, but how important is that to us as writers? It’s very important. If you want to be respected as a writer/author then you must adhere to the basic rules of the written word. Some readers are willing to overlook errors as long as the story keeps them interested. Others simply won’t tolerate it.
The English language has several words that, when spelled differently, mean completely different things. ‘There, they’re and their’ are some examples. “Henry hung his hat on the rack over there.” ‘There’ is a location. “George and Jake simply held onto their hats.” Spelled that way, the word shows ownership. Henry mentioned to his date that he wished they could stay longer. “I know” she replied, “but they’re needed at another event.” They’re is the same as “they are.” There are several more examples too. Your, you’re, we’re and we are a few. ‘Whose’ indicates ownership while who’s poses the question “Who is?”
Now that we know how important proper spelling and grammar is, I have something else to say about the subject. You don’t always have to follow the rules! In real life, people don’t always use proper terms in the course of normal conversation. Locales influence the way we speak. In the northern parts of the country soft drinks are called ‘pops’ while in the south they’re called ‘sodas.’
Education also has a great influence in how we speak. A college grad is going to speak differently than someone with limited secondary education. So if one of your characters has a limited education, or was brought up in a certain area of the country, make them sound authentic. Go ahead and break the rules with their dialogue. You wouldn’t expect a man that grew up in the mountain backwoods of Tennessee to speak like a college professor would you? Of course not, he’ll use slang words and improper grammar.
I’ve often referenced the dialogue that Elmore Leonard used in his novels. His characters are rough, and street smart. Their dialogue indicates their tough personas. It works very well too because they’re all colorful characters. Use whatever dialogue works for your characters and follow proper grammar when it’s needed, but you don’t have to all of the time.
Now go ahead and start writing that great novel kicking around in your head!
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shep'-erd (ro`eh, ro`i; poimen, "a feeder"):
The sheep owner frequently tends the flocks himself (Genesis 4:4; 30:40; compare Ezekiel 34:12), but more often he delegates the work to his children (Genesis 29:9; 1 Samuel 16:19; 17:15) or relatives (Genesis 31:6). In such cases the sheep have good care because the keepers have a personal interest in the well-being of the animals, but when they are attended by a hireling (1 Samuel 17:20) the flocks may be neglected or abused (Isaiah 56:10,11; Ezekiel 34:8,10; Zechariah 11:15,17; John 10:12). The chief care of the shepherd is to see that the sheep find plenty to eat and drink. The flocks are not fed in pens or folds, but, summer and winter, must depend upon foraging for their sustenance (Psalms 23:2). In the winter of 1910-11 an unprecedented storm ravaged Northern Syria. It was accompanied by a snowfall of more than 3 ft., which covered the ground for weeks. During that time, hundreds of thousands of sheep and goats perished, not so much from the cold as from the fact that they could get no food. Goats hunt out the best feeding-grounds, but sheep are more helpless and have to be led to their food (compare Numbers 27:16,17); nor do they possess the instinct of many other animals for finding their way home (compare Ezekiel 34:6-8). Flocks should be watered at least once a day. Where there are springs or streams this is an easy matter. Frequently the nearest water is hours away. One needs to travel in the dry places in Syria or Palestine, and then enter the watered valleys like those in Edom where the flocks are constantly being led for water, to appreciate the Psalmist's words, "He leadcth me beside still waters." Sometimes water can be obtained by digging shallow wells (Genesis 26:18-22,25,32). The shepherd frequently carries with him a pail from which the sheep can drink when the water is not accessible to them. On the mountain tops the melting snows supply the needed water. In other districts it is drawn from deep wells (Genesis 29:2; John 4:6). The usual time for watering is at noon, at which time the flocks are led to the watering-places (Genesis 29:2,3). After drinking, the animals lie down or huddle together in the shade of a rock while the shepherd sleeps. At the first sound of his call, which is usually a peculiar guttural sound, hard to imitate, the flock follow off to new feeding-grounds. Even should two shepherds call their flocks at the same time and the sheep be intermingled, they never mistake their own master's voice (John 10:3-5).
The shepherd's equipment is a simple one. His chief garment is a cloak woven from wool or made from sheepskins. This is sleeveless, and so made that it hangs like a cloak on his shoulders. When he sleeps he curls up under it, head and all. During the summer a lighter, short-sleeved `aba or coat is worn. He carries a staff or club (see STAFF), and a characteristic attitude is to make a rest for his arms by placing his staff on his shoulders against the back of his neck. When an especially productive spot is found, the shepherd may pass the time, while the animals are grazing, by playing on his pipe (Judges 5:16). He sometimes carries a sling (qela`) of goat's hair (1 Samuel 17:40). His chief belongings are kept in a skin pouch or bag (keli) (1 Samuel 17:40). This bag is usually a whole tawed skin turned wrong side out, with the legs tied up and the neck forming the opening. He is usually aided in the keeping and the defending of the sheep by a dog (Job 30:1). In Syria the Kurdish dogs make the best protectors of the sheep, as, unlike the cowardly city dogs, they are fearless and will drive away the wild beasts. The shepherd is often called upon to aid the dogs in defending the sheep (Genesis 31:39; 1 Samuel 17:34,35; Isaiah 31:4; Jeremiah 5:6; Amos 3:12).
The frequent use of the word "shepherd" to indicate a spiritual overseer is familiar to Bible readers (Psalms 23:1; 80:1; Ecclesiastes 12:11; Isaiah 40:4; 63:14; Jeremiah 31:10; Ezekiel 34:23; 37:24; John 21:15-17; Ephesians 4:11; 1 Peter 5:1-4). We still use the term "pastor," literally, "a shepherd." Leaders in temporal affairs were also called shepherds (Genesis 47:17 margin; Isaiah 44:28; 63:11). "Sheep without a shepherd" typified individuals or nations who had forgotten Yahweh (Numbers 27:17; 1 Kings 22:17; 2 Chronicles 18:16; Ezekiel 34:5,8; Zechariah 10:2; Matthew 9:36; Mark 6:34).
Jesus is spoken of as the good shepherd (John 10:14); chief shepherd (1 Peter 5:4); great shepherd (Hebrews 13:20); the one shepherd (John 10:16). "He will feed his flock like a shepherd, he will gather the lambs in his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and will gently lead those that have their young" (Isaiah 40:11) is a picture drawn from pastoral life of Yahweh's care over His children. A strong sympathy for helpless animals, though sometimes misdirected, is a marked characteristic of the people of Bible lands. The birth of offspring in a flock often occurs far off on the mountain side. The shepherd solicitously guards the mother during her helpless moments and picks up the lamb and carries it to the fold. For the few days, until it is able to walk, he may carry it in his arms or in the loose folds of his coat above his girdle.
See also SHEEP.
James A. Patch
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The balance and regulation of fluid in the body is very complex. In short, the cause of edema as simply defined as possible, is that tiny blood vessels in the body (capillaries) leak fluid into the surrounding tissues. This excess fluid causes the tissues to swell.
The cause of fluid leaking into the surrounding tissues may be the result of several mechanisms, for example:
- too much force, or pressure inside the blood vessels;
- a force outside of the blood vessel causes the fluid to be drawn through it; or
- the wall of the blood vessel is compromised and cannot maintain equilibrium, leading to fluid loss.
Each of these three mechanisms may be associated with a variety of diseases or conditions. Examples include the following.
- Pregnancy: Edema during pregnancy may occur because pregnant women have a greater volume of fluid circulating in the body, and because they also retain more fluid. A woman may also experience postpartum edema.
- Medications: Edema may be caused by a variety of medications, for example, steroids, calcium channel blockers (CCBs), thiazolidinediones, nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), estrogens, etc.).
- Liver disease and/or kidney disease: Both of these organs are vital in maintaining fluid balance in the body, and if severe disease is present in either of these organ systems, edema can develop. Examples include: cirrhosis of the liver, chronic kidney disease, and acute kidney failure.
- Venous insufficiency: This is a common condition in which blood does not return to the heart efficiently from the peripheral areas of the body (for example, the ankles, legs, feet, hands), which results in edema. This typically results in edema in both legs.
- Heart failure: If the heart is weak and cannot pump blood efficiently, blood will pool in particular areas of the body, which will cause fluid to leak from the blood vessels into the surrounding tissues.
- If the right side of the heart is weak, pressure will build in the peripheral tissues in the body (hands, ankles, feet, legs). This is referred to as peripheral edema.
- If the left side of the heart is weak, pressure will build in the lungs, causing pulmonary edema.
- Idiopathic edema: Accumulation of fluid in surrounding tissues with no identifiable cause is referred to as idiopathic edema.
Medically Reviewed by a Doctor on 8/4/2015
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Universally Compatible Wireless Power Using the Qi Protocol
Wireless charging of portable electronic devices is here now. It will become ubiquitous when all such devices adhere to the same standard.
The Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) has developed a standard for wireless power systems referred to as Qi (pronounced as “chee”). This Qi-compliant wireless power system allows compatibility between devices from multiple manufacturers. It also allows handheld equipment from original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to focus exclusively on the design of their equipment without having to design a customized wireless power pad, since multiple Qi-compliant power sources are already available.
The key to interoperability within the Qi standard is the communication protocol. This article explains the fundamentals of how the receiver (RX) device (handheld equipment) communicates with the transmitter (TX) device (charging pad providing energy). Communication packets sent by the receiver (and the corresponding response from the transmitter) are illustrated. Communication from the receiver to the transmitter allows the closed-loop control and regulation of the receiver circuit’s output voltage.
Wireless power systems are emerging as a practical option for conveniently recharging mobile phones and other handheld devices. Implementing an industry standard interface allows a common charging pad (TX) to recharge multiple types of battery-operated devices (RX). The WPC developed the Qi standard for wireless power systems with up to 5W of output power. This allows complete interoperability between transmitters and receivers independent of device manufacturer.
This standard defines the means of implementing a number of functions that enhance the utility and efficiency of a wireless power system, for example:
- The charging pad does not consume significant amounts of standby power when idle (no device placed on the pad).
- The TX can detect the presence of an object placed on the pad, and further determine that it is a valid, Qi-compliant RX device.
- Once an object is placed on the charging pad, the transmitter can output a variable power level based on the TX’s requirements.
- The RX unit communicates its power needs back to the TX unit over the same magnetic coupling used for power transmission.
Figure 1. Qi-compliant wireless power system.
Figure 1 shows a block diagram of the overall Qi-compliant wireless power system. References 1 and 3 provide a more complete description of the wireless power system.
Basics of Communication
The resonant converter in the TX circuit generates a quasi-sinusoidal AC signal in the range of approximately between100-200 KHz across the primary TX coil. This signal is magnetically coupled into the secondary RX coil, where additional circuitry rectifies and regulates it to provide DC output to the handheld device.
Communication from the RX back to the TX uses the same magnetic coupling path as the forward power transfer. A simple load modulation method is used to communicate status and commands back to the TX controller. When the receiver circuit is powered-up, it can apply a controlled pulsed load across the secondary coil (Figure 2). This results in an amplitude modulation of the primary coil voltage which is detected and demodulated by the TX controller.
The load modulation can use either a resistive or capacitive load element. The modulated load is internal to the RX side circuitry and independent of the actual system load (battery or portable device).
Figure 2. Receiver-to-transmitter communication.
Figure 3. Communication pulses on RX side and corresponding modulation of TX coil voltage.
Figure 3 shows an example of the actual effect seen on the primary TX coil voltage as a result of the modulation pulses on the secondary RX side. These waveforms correspond to the ideal waveforms illustrated in Figure 2. The modulating signal on the RX side is measured at the point labeled “COMM DRV” in Figure 1.
The data in Figure 3 shows that load pulses on the RX side correspond to an amplitude modulation effect on the primary side (TX coil voltage and/or current). The communication from the RX side uses a “differential bi-phase” bit encoding scheme. Since there is no separate clock line or control signal path, a fixed clock frequency of approximately 2 Khz is used with a start bit before each 8-bit transmission, followed by parity and stop bits. Figure 4 illustrates the bit / byte encoding schemes as defined in the WPC Specification v1.0.2 (Reference 1).
Figure 4. WPC Qi specification bit encoding and format.
A communications packet consists of four specific sections:
- Preamble: a fixed sequence of several “1” bits, which allows the TX circuit to detect the start of communications, synchronize to the bit stream, and detect the start bit of the header byte to follow.
- Header byte: defines what type of information is to be transmitted (“packet type”) and the length of the message to follow.
- Message field: typically this is one byte, but could be larger depending on the type of information required; the size of the message field is determined by the packet type.
- Checksum byte: used at the end of each packet to allow the TX side to verify that no errors occurred after each packet transmission.
A number of specific functions are defined by the types of packets that can be sent. As of now, not all possible options are implemented, but room is still available for expansion of functionality with future versions of the Qi standard. Reference 1 provides a complete description of existing packet types. The most common packets and their functions are:
- Signal strength: used to help align the RX unit on the charging pad. This allows the charging pad to provide a visible or audible indication to the user when the signal strength sent back from the RX unit is good enough to allow power transfer (for example, the RX coil is properly positioned with respect to the TX coil).
- Control error packet: this returns a signed integer value (–128 to +127) that indicates the degree of error between the value of the input voltage seen by the RX and its desired input voltage. The TX circuit adjusts its output using a proportional-integral-differential (PID) algorithm in response to the signed value of the control error packet. When a large error exists between the actual and desired value of the RX coil voltage, the RX controller sends the error packets at a faster rate of approximately 32 ms intervals. As the coil voltage gets closer to the desired setpoint, the error packets are sent at a reduced rate of approximately 250 ms intervals (Figure 5).
- End power transfer packet: request by the RX unit instructing the TX to terminate power output. Typically this is due to a fault condition or if the receiver device no longer requires power, for example, when the RX device's battery has been fully charged.
- Rectified power packet: this is an unsigned integer value that communicates the amount of power the RX sees at the output of the rectifier circuit. The TX uses this information to determine the overall coupling efficiency as well as to determine when the RX is at its maximum power limit. The TX terminates power transfer when no packets are received for a fixed interval (350 ms minimum, 1800 ms maximum), indicating that the RX device has been removed from the pad.
Figure 5. Control error packet transmission and VRECT voltage response to a negative load transient (500 mA to 0 mA).
Optimizing load transient response using RX-to-TX communication
The ability of the RX side circuitry to communicate back to the TX side circuitry allows the overall wireless power system to act as a true closed-loop regulated power system, since the equivalent function of an analog error signal feedback is accomplished by the RX controller's control error packets being sent back to the TX controller. From an overall system point of view, the implementation shown for the wireless power TX/RX combination can be treated as a switch-mode converter with a low-dropout (LDO) post-regulator.
The raw input voltage to the RX coil can be highly variable in an "open loop" configuration as it will fluctuate significantly with variable load. To maintain good regulation of the final DC output (for example, +5V), the feedback provided from the RX side adjusts the input to the linear regulator (VRECT) up or down, based on the load current conditions.
Figure 6. Control error packet transmission and VRECT voltage response to positive load transient (0 mA to 500 mA).
When the output is lightly loaded, the RX circuit sends control error packets back to the TX controller to increase the VRECT input voltage applied to the LDO stage up to approximately +7V. The regulated output is set to +5V. Since the load current is light, the 2V input-output differential across the LDO does not represent significant power loss.
The reason for setting the VRECT level higher at light loads is to anticipate the effect of a low-to-high current transient. When this transient occurs, the VRECT voltage initially sags until the RX controller can respond. The error packets sent by the RX controller request the TX controller to raise the output voltage. Leaving the VRECT level high at light loads provides enough headroom to prevent the +5V regulated output from collapsing until the digital communication (feedback) can be sent.
At higher load currents, the VRECT voltage is kept as low as possible to minimize power loss across the LDO (and maximize total system efficiency). For example, at the maximum load current of 1.0A, the VRECT signal is set to approximately 5.20V. For example, the dropout performance of the LDO regulator stage within the bq51013 (wireless receiver IC) allows it to maintain a regulated 5.0V at 1.0A load current.
Figures 5 and 6 illustrate the adjustment in the VRECT setpoint based on load current described earlier. Note that the COMM signal bursts shown correspond to complete packets rather than individual bits due to the time scales of the plot. When the VREC deviates significantly from the desired setpoint by a large error, the COMM packets are sent at a faster interval. As the VRECT approaches the desired setpoint, the COMM packet transmission interval is decreased.
Figure 7. RX output voltage response to maximum load transient.
Figure 7 shows the system output voltage response to a large load transient (corresponding to the maximum load transient case of 0A à 1A). The maximum load transient results in less than 100 mV droop at the output, such as an approximate two percent deviation from the regulated output voltage.
Measurement of RX and TX signals
Qi-standard wireless power devices allow a system designer to implement a Qi-compliant power system using an integrated solution, such as the bqTESLA™, and requires no programming implement the communications protocol. Evaluation modules (EVMs) are available for both TX controller and RX controller sections.
Figures 8 and 9 are partial schematics from the bqTESLATM evaluation modules which highlight the measurement points used to collect the data in Figures 3, 5, 6, and 7. In the case of the discrete receiver circuit (>SLVU420), the COMM DRV signal can be directly measured since the load modulation FETs are external to the RX controller IC. When using the integrated RX circuit (SLVU477) the load modulation FETs are integrated within the RX controller and their gate drive signals cannot be accessed. However, the communication pulses from the RX controller still can be detected by measuring the differential voltage across the load capacitor C13 as shown. The complete schematics of the bqTESLATM EVM kits are provided in Reference 4 and 5.
Figure 8. Partial schematic of HPA687 evaluation module (discrete wireless power receiver).
Figure 9. Partial schematic of HPA725 evaluation module (integrated wireless power receiver).
When using a fully integrated Qi-standard chipset solution, all of the communication from receiver to transmitter is handled automatically with no user programming required. However, a basic understanding of the communication protocol can help the system designer know how to test and verify that the system is operating properly.
At a fundamental level, the communication can be thought of as amplitude modulation (AM) with a modulation frequency of 2 KHz and carrier frequency ranging from 100 to 200 KHz. This simple, robust protocol defined by the WPC Qi standard allows communication to occur along the same inductively coupled path as the forward power transfer, and does not require a separate set of contacts or magnetics.
The wireless power receiver’s ability to communicate its power needs back to the transmitter (based on load conditions) allows the system to maintain a stable output voltage under constant or transient load conditions. The closed-loop nature of the overall system is achieved by using a Qi communication protocol.
The authors would like to thank Steve Terry, Tony Antonacci, and Michael Day for their technical and editorial contributions to this article.
- “Qi low-power specification,” Wireless Power Consortium website.
- “An introduction to the Wireless Power Consortium standard and TI’s compliant solutions,” by Bill Johns, Texas Instruments, Analog Applications Journal, Texas Instruments, 1Q2011.
- “bq25046EVM-687 Evaluation Module User’s Guide,” SLVU420, Texas Instruments, June 2011.
- “bq51013EVM-725 Evaluation Module User’s Guide,” SLVU447, Texas Instruments, March 2011.
- “bqTESLA Wireless Power Transmitter Manager EVM User’s Guide,” SLVU467, Texas Instruments, June 2011.
- TI bqTESLA Home Page, Wireless Power Products, Links and FAQs.
About the Authors
Bill Johns is an Applications Engineer for bqTESA Wireless Power at Texas Instruments where he specializes in power conversion for portable battery powered applications. Bill has 20 years of design experience in the field of power conversion across a number of different markets. He received his BSEE from University of Texas in Dallas. Bill can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.org.
Upal Sengupta is a Portable Power Strategic Marketing Manager at Texas Instruments where he defines requirements for new analog / power integrated circuits, provides extensive technical support for customer designs related to portable power, battery monitoring, and charging applications, and develops reference designs and evaluation systems for power management IC devices. He received his BSEE from the University of Illinois, and a MSEE from Michigan State University. He can be reached at: email@example.com.
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I began my computing journey early by most standards - in 1966 as part of an explorer post sponsored by IBM in Sacramento, CA. We spent time learning COBOL (which made little sense to me at the time) and FORTRAN (a good match for beginning interests in the sciences). I had no idea how early in the history of computers my experience came - I grew up with computers, at least as portrayed in Sci-Fi from the late fifties and early sixties.
Later, my formal education would allow me to program in FORTRAN and Assembly Language. Other environments presented themselves as I completed a Masters degree in Computer Science Education at the University of Evansville. Eventually, I spent nearly 24 years teaching computers at the postsecondary level in both public and private institutions. I enjoyed that career.
This book, The Computing Universe, allowed me to re-walk through much of that career - its history and its accomplishments. The book begins with history and jumps into the details that define the field of Computer Science as defined by its science and art. I remember one question on a final exam for a course that I took as part of my Masters degree asked, “Is Computer Science an ‘art’ or a ‘science’. My reply to the question was neither, it is a craft. Many people can put together a computer program, but it takes a well-trained practitioner, a craftsman, to create a really good program. The Computing Universe convinces me that I was correct then - and it is still true today.
The authors claimed to have aimed the book at the high school senior or college freshman, though I expect that parts would be more readable off the shelf to a college graduate. The chapter entitled “Mr. Turing’s amazing machines” (sic) begins by saying “WARNING: This chapter is more mathematical in character than the rest of the book. It may therefore be hard going for some readers, and they are strongly advised either to skip or skim through this chapter and proceed to the next chapter. This chapter describes the theoretical basis for much of formal computer science.” I would suggest similar warnings be attached to other chapters as well (e.g. the chapter on “Algorithmics”). Having said that, I would think that the book might be readable by anyone with a college education or the high school preparation for a college education. Though not written as a textbook, the book could serve as the text for a entry level Computer Science course designed for non-majors (given appropriate lecture support) or as an ancillary text in the first course of a Computer Science major.
I enjoyed the review of my last fifty years - from high school to retirement. I would invite anyone with an interest in Computer Science and its foundations (both historical or theoretical) to join me in reading The Computing Universe.
This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions expressed are my own.
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It depends on many aspects when it comes to the supply with auxiliary means for children with cognitive and physical disabilities. Ideally, the everyday assistant accompanies the children through their childhood into adulthood and are always customized to their needs and aspirations.
If it’s about selecting and adapting the right auxiliary mean, the child and its individual needs certainly should be in focus. If the offspring is unable to use a wheelchair itself because of reduced mobility, a flexible pushchair, or even rehab buggy, makes sense. It hardly differs optically from other models and is usually a good preparation for the change to the wheelchair. If this takes place it is also very common by now that seats from active wheelchairs for example can continually grow with the child.
To make habituation more easy it’s especially important for children that handling and usage can take place easily and intuitively. An almost playful approach can help children who have problems with language or speaking. Special apps in which you can build sentences with the help of different pictures, or robots interacting with children can help them to better cope with difficult situations of communication.
Not just in their everyday life, but also at school, children can profit by this. Apps or voice output tools like talkers and other means in context of so-called Assisted Augmented Communication overcome possibly existing barriers and can contribute their part to social participation.And especially in habitat school special school chairs can be already helpful for children with concentration and learning difficulties plus heightened urge to move. They promote concentration by balancing while sitting and have a special seat shape to ensure an optimal hip and pelvic positioning. The company Thomashilfen offers different models that may be useful for children with AD(H)S and autism among others. The main focus of these chairs is that they fit discreetly into the entire seating of the classroom and creating no special status thus.
By selecting the appropriate auxiliary means it’s very important for parents and children to receive expert advice – from people who have specialized on the supply of auxiliary means for children with disabilities and who also have long-term experience. One possible contact person for this is the German network pädiVital.
In this association of 29 health specialist companies the focus is on customer orientation: Children with disabilities and their individual needs are in focus. The competence network wants to improve the situation of disabled children and to achieve a broader understanding of the supply with auxiliary means for children in society with a comprehensive and personally tailored counseling offer.
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DAWSON, Sir JOHN WILLIAM, geologist, palaeontologist, author, educator, office holder, publisher, and editor; b. 13 Oct. 1820 in Pictou, N.S., son of James Dawson and Mary Rankine; d. 19 Nov. 1899 in Montreal.
John William Dawson (always known as William) was born of Scottish immigrants. At the time of his birth his father was a successful import-export merchant, shipowner, and proprietor of a book and stationery store in Pictou. The severe financial depression of the mid 1820s, coupled with a series of maritime disasters involving his ships, left James in serious financial difficulty. He was able to consolidate his debts with his creditors on the conditions that the money be repaid with interest over the next several decades and that he restrict his business activities to those of bookseller, stationer, and printer. By the 1840s, after more than a decade of genteel poverty, the family had become moderately well-to-do by Pictou standards but the remaining debt was of constant concern, and it was not fully discharged until the 1850s.
A devout Christian, William Dawson felt it his filial obligation to help repay his father’s debts, and this conviction had a great influence on his early adult life. His deep faith had been inherited from his father, an elder of the Presbyterian Church, whose theology was strongly evangelical. A close family friend, the Reverend James Drummond MacGregor*, a staunch anti-burgher, also played a role in forming William’s beliefs. Dawson’s religious convictions were to be an integral part of his life, profoundly influencing his views on science and education.
Dawson received what he called his “academical training” at the Reverend Thomas McCulloch*’s Pictou Academy, the principal function of which was to serve as a preparatory college for Presbyterian ministers. He graduated with a solid foundation in Latin and Greek and a working knowledge of Hebrew, as well as a grounding in physics and biology. On his own he voraciously studied any texts on geology and natural history that came his way. He mounted an impressive collection of minerals, shells, and other natural objects which he collected not only in the countryside around Pictou but as far away as the petrified forest at South Joggins (Joggins), 70 miles to the east. He expanded his collections by exchanging specimens with such Nova Scotian geologists and naturalists as Abraham Gesner*, Thomas Trotter*, and Isaac Logan Chipman, and even traded with naturalists in Boston. In the autumn of 1840 Dawson went to the University of Edinburgh, where he took courses in geology, taxidermy, and the preparation of thin sections of fossil animals and plants for the microscope. During the 1850s and 1860s he achieved an enviable reputation for his microscopic studies of fossils, a reputation that continued throughout his lifetime; he was a Canadian pioneer in this field. His studies were cut short by family financial problems which required him to return to Pictou in the spring of 1841.
Charles Lyell, regarded by most earth scientists today as the father of modern geology, visited Pictou in 1842 to examine the great coal deposits at Albion Mines (Stellarton) south of the town. His principal guide was Dawson, and from this encounter grew a lifelong friendship based on mutual respect. In the mid 1840s Dawson, with the encouragement and guidance of Lyell, did considerable field-work in Nova Scotia, the results of which were published in the Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society of London. At the same time, on contract, he undertook exploration programs for mining entrepreneurs in search of commercial mineral and coal deposits in Nova Scotia.
During these years Dawson seriously considered becoming a candidate for ordination in the Presbyterian Church. He decided against this step for a number of reasons, but primarily because he could see no way of earning enough money in that calling to help retire his father’s debts, which were still substantial. He was also very much in love with a woman he had met in Edinburgh in 1840, Margaret Ann Young Mercer, the daughter of a prosperous Edinburgh merchant. Although she and Dawson were separated on his return to Nova Scotia in 1841, they conducted a transatlantic courtship by mail until he arrived back in Edinburgh in January 1847. They were married there on 19 March, with the blessing of her father but against the wishes of her mother, who did not attend the wedding and who remained estranged from her daughter for many years.
Dawson had re-enrolled at the University of Edinburgh in the beginning of 1847 to take a course in practical chemistry that would assist him with his commercial explorations. While in Edinburgh he arranged to have lithographed a small geographical map of Nova Scotia, which he had compiled from various sources. This map was included in A hand book of the geography and natural history of the province of Nova Scotia, which he first published in 1848 in Pictou; it later went through many re-editions as a standard textbook for Nova Scotian schools. Printed in a practical pocket-sized format, the Handbook contained a detailed geographical description of the province, county by county, and included short sections on its political and judicial institutions and religious denominations, as well as a statistical analysis of the population. Broad synopses of the geology, fauna, and flora of Nova Scotia were also presented.
When Dawson returned to Nova Scotia in the spring of 1847, it was as the first British North American trained to be an exploration geologist. He did much practical work in the ensuing years, both in Nova Scotia and in various parts of Lower and Upper Canada, on coal, iron, copper, and phosphate deposits. His first major assignment, in August and September 1848, for the government of Nova Scotia, was the evaluation of prospects for the mining of coal in southern Cape Breton Island. At the same time he taught courses in natural history and practical mineralogy at Pictou Academy in 1848 and at Dalhousie College in 1850.
Dawson was keenly interested in the problems of education in his native province, particularly in view of the serious ignorance of agricultural chemistry and other scientific aspects of agriculture among Nova Scotian farmers. He wrote technical papers and newspaper articles on the wheat-midge, a serious local pest, and on the potato blight, which had spread from Europe gravely disrupting local agriculture. In 1850 his friends in the House of Assembly, Joseph Howe* and George Renny Young*, persuaded him to assume the newly created post of superintendent of education for Nova Scotia. Howe’s most persuasive argument was that because the appointment required travel to every corner of the province, Dawson would be able to continue his private geological survey of Nova Scotia as he carried out his official duties.
With the zest for work and accomplishment that was the hallmark of his life, Dawson plunged wholeheartedly into his new career. His first step as superintendent was to visit public schools in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New York, gathering information on curricula, normal schools, construction of school houses, and school funding. At the outset, he realized the necessity of public support for his proposed reforms, so he systematically visited all the school districts of the province and as many schools as time permitted. In the larger centres he prompted the formation of teachers’ associations and he organized a number of teachers’ institutes, weeklong courses for teachers on various topics with informal discussions on local problems. After two years of travel (1850–51) around the province and investigation into all aspects of education, he recommended the introduction of a standard curriculum taught by trained teachers in local schools. He also recommended a system of taxation to finance these schools and he stressed the importance of a normal school. The Journal of Education for Nova Scotia (Halifax), which he instituted in 1851 and largely wrote, explained and discussed his proposed reforms.
The government was slow to react to his proposals, and Dawson resigned in 1852 when he had completed his report, citing “the requirements of his private interests and duties.” He had been instrumental in organizing the provincial Normal School at Truro, finally opened in 1855, and served as one of its first commissioners. He had vigorously advanced the teaching of agricultural chemistry, and when no suitable text was obtainable he wrote several himself, including Scientific contributions towards the improvement of agriculture in Nova Scotia (Pictou, 1853) and Practical hints to the farmers of Nova-Scotia . . . (Halifax, 1854). A combined and revised version of these texts for use in Quebec schools would appear in 1864, published in Montreal by John Lovell as First lessons in scientific agriculture: for schools and private instruction. . . .
Lyell returned to Nova Scotia in 1852 and set off with Dawson to examine the interiors of the fossil tree trunks exposed in the cliffs of the Joggins shore. The two were rewarded with the discovery of the earliest reptilian remains then known in North America (and rare elsewhere in the world). The reptile was subsequently named Dendrerpeton acadianum. At the same location they found the equally rare remains of a land snail, to be named Pupa vetusta. The discovery of these life forms so far back in geological time was of great significance to palaeontologists and later to evolutionists. Study and description of the Joggins “airbreathers” occupied Dawson, at various intervals, for the rest of his life. In 1863 he published Air-breathers of the coal period . . . (Montreal and New York), his major contribution on the subject and a monograph still highly regarded by palaeontologists. His last major paper on the subject, published in the Transactions of the Royal Society of Canada for 1894, was “Synopsis of the air-breathing animals of the Palaeozoic in Canada, up to 1894.”
In 1854 Dawson was elected a fellow of the Geological Society of London and in that year he completed the manuscript of his monumental work, Acadian geology . . ., which was published in Edinburgh and London the following year. The work was a practical and authoritative guide to the geology and economic resources of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island. The fourth and final edition, revised and updated, appeared in 1891, having grown from an initial 388 pages to almost 700.
It is not surprising, then, that in 1854 Lyell should have strongly advocated Dawson’s candidacy for the chair of natural history at the University of Edinburgh when it fell vacant. A contemporary British geologist, Dr John Jeremiah Bigsby*, reported Lyell as saying at the time, “now I look chiefly to Dawson . . . for any true progress in the Philosophy of Geology.” In August 1855, as Dawson prepared to sail to England to press his candidacy, the news reached him that the chair had already been awarded to botanist George James Allman, primarily because of vigorous lobbying by the medical faculty of the university, which wanted a botanist and not a geologist.
Almost simultaneously, and unexpectedly, came an offer from McGill College in Montreal to become its fifth principal. This offer was made largely as a result of recommendations by the governor-in-chief, Sir Edmund Walker Head*, to the board of governors of McGill. Head had first met Dawson through his old friend Lyell in 1852, during Head’s term as lieutenant governor of New Brunswick. The Pictonian so impressed the lieutenant governor that two years later Dawson had been invited, along with the superintendent of schools for Upper Canada, Egerton Ryerson*, and New Brunswick politicians James Brown*, John Hamilton Gray*, and John Simcoe Saunders*, to join a commission of inquiry into the state of King’s College, Fredericton [see Edwin Jacob*]. The outcome of the commission’s labours was the formation of a non-denominational provincial university, the University of New Brunswick. As governor-in-chief, Head had become ex officio visitor to McGill. It was he who convinced the board of governors that they needed as principal not a distinguished classical scholar from Great Britain but a scientific scholar who was attuned to the educational needs of a young and growing country and who had already established an international reputation. Discouraged by his lack of success at Edinburgh, yet knowing little about Montreal or McGill, Dawson accepted the offer, but he travelled to Britain first and while there delivered several papers at the annual meeting of the British Association for the Advancement of Science.
What Dawson found when he arrived at McGill with his wife and children in 1855 was daunting. The faculty of arts was moribund; the two college buildings (one of which was to serve in part as the principal’s residence) were in a state of ruin; the college grounds were literally a cow pasture joined to the city of Montreal by a tortuous cart-track which was nearly impassable after dark. Funds for the college were almost non-existent. Apart from a vigorous faculty of medicine [see Andrew Fernando Holmes*], the only encouraging aspect was the composition of the board of governors. It included Charles Dewey Day*, James Ferrier*, and William Molson*, who were to give freely of their time and money to help McGill advance. These men agreed with Dawson that higher education in a colonial society should be guided by practicality. The Canadas at that time needed men with professional skills. Dawson and the board of governors set out to provide them.
The governors found that they had engaged a principal well suited to the tasks ahead. Dawson was both theoretical and practical in his range of interests and expertise. The University of Edinburgh awarded him an ma in 1856, partly because of his publications. He was an experienced educator, with a practical background in business and finance, a brilliant lecturer, a popular author, and a devout Christian. Although endowed with great vigour and determination, he had generally a quiet, kindly, and courteous manner, with a gentle, though at times ponderous, sense of humour. As the years passed, Dawson became a patriarchal figure on the McGill campus, beloved and revered for his thoughtfulness and patience by generations of students, of whom the most vocal in his praises was Sir William Osler*. Each session he would invite small groups of students home to tea until every student had been included. Singsongs were a common occurrence at these gatherings.
At McGill, Dawson’s initial success was the establishment of a normal school in 1857 under a government grant. He was to serve as principal and instructor in science of the McGill Normal School for some 13 years, at great personal sacrifice (as he was to complain later) for the school’s year did not end in early May as did the college’s but continued until late June and thus cut down the time available for the field-work he so dearly loved. In addition to his dual principalships, Dawson was initially professor of chemistry, agriculture, and natural history (which included geology, zoology, and botany) so his teaching schedule was a full one. He did, however, find time to lay out the grounds of the college park, now known as McGill’s lower campus, and with his wife helped plant the great elms that graced it until they were destroyed by disease almost a century later. In little more than a decade after Dawson’s arrival in Montreal, McGill College had become a thriving, steadily growing institution, which was beginning to make a name for itself in eastern North America. Dawson’s innovative and creative research in geology, the most popular science of the mid 19th century, together with his efforts to build a strong faculty in the biological and physical sciences as well as in engineering, laid the foundations for McGill’s reputation. As Stephen Butler Leacock*, the renowned humorist and professor of economics at McGill, was to write later, “More than that of any one man or group of men, McGill is his work.”
Dawson’s removal to Montreal in 1855 brought him into closer contact with American scientists and such organizations as the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., and the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard University. He developed lifelong friendships with noted American scientists James Hall, John Strong Newberry, James Dwight Dana, Samuel Hubbard Scudder, and a host of others. Principal Dawson, as he was usually referred to in scientific circles, also maintained strong ties with British institutions and with such eminent British geologists as Lyell, Bigsby, William Crawford Williamson, and Philip Herbert Carpenter. In 1888 he urged the formation of an imperial geological association, but nothing came of his suggestion.
In 1857 the American Association for the Advancement of Science held its annual meeting in Montreal, the first gathering outside the United States. Members were received by Dawson, who was also the newly elected president of the Natural History Society of Montreal. He was to hold this second office for 19 more terms in the ensuing decades, and he contributed enormously to its publication, the Canadian Naturalist and Geologist. . . . He also joined enthusiastically with members of the Geological Survey of Canada (then based in Montreal), such as Sir William Edmond Logan*, Thomas Sterry Hunt, and Elkanah Billings*, in establishing Montreal as a centre of research in geology with an international reputation.
Once he was settled at McGill, Dawson’s opportunities for extended field-work were severely restricted not only by his duties but also by the perceived need to take his family away from the heat of the city during the summer. For most of the 1860s the health of the Dawsons’ eldest surviving son, George Mercer*, was a constant concern. (Their first-born, James Cosmo, had died in infancy in 1849.) In the spring of 1860 George had fallen into a stream (the “burn” of James McGill*’s Burnside estate). He subsequently developed a chill and a spinal infection that severely stunted his growth and left him a hunchback. Dawson closely supervised the education of his son, who as an adult would become one of Canada’s greatest geological explorers. With the health of his family in mind, Dawson chose to concentrate his summer field-work on the study of fossil plants exposed primarily in the Gaspé Peninsula and in Maine. These locations were readily accessible and amenable to brief collecting expeditions. The two localities yielded the earliest known plants in the geological column, and Dawson’s work on them remains one of his most outstanding scientific accomplishments. His paper “On fossil plants from the Devonian rocks of Canada,” published in the Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society of London in 1859, is considered a landmark in the history of palaeobotany. Of equal importance was his work on fossil plants of the Devonian and Upper Silurian formations of Canada published by the Geological Survey of Canada in 1871.
Upon his arrival at McGill he had begun a close study of the glacial deposits and fossils in the vicinity of Montreal. He later made similar studies in the lower St Lawrence River valley, where he helped to establish the summer colony of Métis-Beach and its Presbyterian church. His contributions to the knowledge of the fossil flora and fauna of the great Ice Age were duly recognized in his lifetime. He continued, however, to adhere to the theory that the principal agent of glacial action was drift-ice, detached pieces of ice which transported boulders and striated bedrock during periods when parts of the earth’s surface were covered with water. His advocacy of this view, as well as his refusal to accept Jean Louis Rodolphe Agassiz’s theory of a great polar ice cap, first put forward in Scotland in 1840, brought him into serious conflict with other geologists. He also had continuing disagreements with the theories of Dana and Newberry. Dawson, however, had grown up on the shores of Nova Scotia, one of only two inhabited places in the world where the effects of drift-ice may be seen every year. In his studies of the glacial materials of Quebec, he found much evidence of deposition by drift-ice. What was not known then was that on the retreat of the great Laurentian ice-sheet, which by its sheer weight had depressed the regions over which it had lain, a body of water now referred to as the Champlain Sea occupied the entire valley of the St Lawrence River and extended into Lake Champlain. Upon this sea many boulder-laden icebergs had floated, leaving their mark on the deposits below. Dawson’s principal work on this subject was consolidated into a monograph, Notes on the post-Pliocene geology of Canada . . . (Montreal, ), which was in turn modified and expanded to appear in 1893 as The Canadian Ice Age . . . (Montreal). In this later work he admitted the existence of large local glaciers in the Laurentians and the Appalachians, but he still did not fully accept the land-ice theory. It was not until after Dawson’s death that the question of how glaciation occurred was resolved, and the theory of land-ice reigned supreme.
In 1864 Dawson was asked by Logan, director of the Geological Survey of Canada, to examine under a microscope some apparently organic remains from the Laurentian series of the Canadian Shield, then the oldest known rocks in the world and considered azoic (without life). Dawson pronounced the remains organic and identified them as belonging to the order Foraminifera, a primitive form of animal life. His identification was confirmed by Carpenter, at that time considered Britain’s leading authority on Foraminifera, and also by a number of eminent palaeontologists. The fossil, named by Dawson Eozoön canadense (dawn animal of Canada), was presented formally in papers published in the Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society of London for February 1865 by Dawson, Logan, Carpenter, and Hunt. The carefully documented discovery was acclaimed throughout the scientific world as epoch-making. Dawson’s Eozoic Age would come to rank with others such as the Palaeozoic. The following year two geologists from Ireland, William King and Thomas H. Rowney, had the temerity to pronounce Eozoön inorganic, the result of changes wrought by heat and chemicals upon limestone. A great scientific battle over Eozoön canadense was joined in earnest. The controversy was to rage almost to the end of Dawson’s life (in 1895 he was still defending his beloved Eozoön from renewed attack), and he never altered his conviction that the remains were organic. The matter was finally resolved to the satisfaction of most earth scientists when Eozoön-like forms were found amongst the ejecta of Mount Vesuvius, Italy, in 1895, and Eozoön is now considered inorganic.
In 1860 Dawson had written a critical scientific review in the Canadian Naturalist and Geologist of Charles Darwin’s newly published On the origin of species. . . . He pointed out the failures of Darwin’s arguments in so far as the fossil record was concerned, failures still being vigorously debated more than a century later. In this regard, it is ironic to note that when Dawson was being considered for election to the Royal Society of London in 1862, Darwin was one of the co-signers of the testimonial that led to his becoming a fellow. Dawson, of course, had other grounds for attacking Darwin’s theories of evolution. As a devout Christian he firmly believed in God as creator – nature could not be mindless, random, and without plan. He further believed that there was no need for religion to fear science, since Scripture properly interpreted was in harmony with science, as he put forth in Archaia . . . (Montreal and London, 1860) and The origin of the world, according to revelation and science (Montreal, 1877). Carl Clinton Berger puts Dawson’s views succinctly when he points out that Dawson opposed Darwinism not only because of its godless view of nature but also because of its godless view of man. In Darwinism he saw the destruction of religious beliefs and social morality. In 1890 Dawson synthesized his stand in Modern ideas of evolution . . . (London). With prescient insight, he warned that a godless view of nature would lead to the degradation of nature by man. “When we consider man as an improver and innovator in the world, there is much that suggests a contrariety between him and nature, and that instead of being the pupil of his environment he becomes its tyrant. In this aspect man, and especially civilised man, appears as the enemy of wild nature, so that in those districts which he has most fully subdued many animals and plants have been exterminated, and nearly the whole surface has come under his processes of culture, and has lost the characteristics which belonged to it in its primitive state. . . . By certain kinds of so-called culture man tends to exhaust and impoverish the soil, so that it ceases to minister to his comfortable support and becomes a desert. . . . The westward march of exhaustion warns us that the time may come when even in comparatively new countries like America the land will cease to be able to sustain its inhabitants.” In later years Dawson became an active corresponding member of the Victoria Institute of London, England, a society devoted to harmonizing the Bible and science.
From 1855 until shortly before his death Dawson gave countless well-attended public lectures each year on science and the Bible and on related topics to institutions such as the Young Men’s Christian Association (not only in Montreal but throughout Ontario) and the mechanics’ institute; during Christmas vacations he lectured in numerous American cities, including New York, Boston, Philadelphia, and Baltimore. Out of these major lecture series came such popular books as Nature and the Bible . . . (New York, 1875), The geological history of plants (New York, 1888), and Facts and fancies in modern science . . . (Philadelphia, 1882).
In 1872 the popular British weekly magazine Leisure Hour (London), published by the Religious Tract Society, commissioned a series of articles which would be, in Dawson’s own words, “free from the taint of agnosticism.” The articles were republished in book form as The story of the earth and man, published in London in 1873, which went through a dozen authorized editions and two pirated ones issued in the United States. Leisure Hour subsequently published several other series of articles by Dawson. These popular works brought their author widespread renown as a defender of Christianity against godless or agnostic science at a time when most people still lived by the tenet “Man’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.” In such works Dawson presented natural science and cultural anthropology in a solid but vivid way, always relentlessly attacking Darwinism. The publications did, however, damage his professional reputation amongst younger scientists, damage which has persisted for nearly a century, and which has tended to overshadow his unparalleled achievements as scientist and educator.
It was through his important scientific writings that Dawson gave Montreal an international reputation in the fields of geology and palaeobotany. In that city his zeal, high morality, courtesy, and kindness opened the doors of wealthy families, who readily accepted the fact that he was a “water man” (a teetotaller), and opened their purses to the benefit of McGill. It is doubtful whether an outright advocate of Darwin’s theory of evolution could have obtained this support in the God-fearing provincial atmosphere of Montreal, but Dawson did, because he asserted that science, as the study of God’s works, was a Christian duty, to be supported through a university, as well as a practical necessity for a burgeoning new country.
During his lifetime Dawson published some 350 scientific works, large and small. Of these, some 200 were devoted to palaeontology: more than half of those were devoted to palaeobotany, some 25 per cent to invertebrate palaeontology (exclusive of Eozoön), one-tenth to vertebrate palaeontology (mainly Carboniferous amphibia and reptiles) and the rest to Eozoön canadense. The percentages reveal the balance of interests in Dawson’s scientific life. Of his remaining scientific publications, a major component was his contribution to Canadian glaciology (including Pleistocene palaeontology). Dawson published several textbooks in Montreal for the use of Canadian university students. His Handbook of zoology . . . (1870) had the novel approach of providing examples from the fossils around Montreal, such as corals and other marine animals. In 1880 came Lecture notes on geology and outline of the geology of Canada . . . followed in 1889 by a greatly expanded Handbook of geology for the use of Canadian students.
Montreal workmen excavating foundations for houses near the college in 1860 had come upon bones and other remains of an aboriginal village. Dawson took over the recovering of these objects and identified them as contemporaneous with the visit of Jacques Cartier* to the island of Montreal in 1535. Dawson believed the site to be that of the original Indian village of Hochelaga. He described the find in detail that year in the Canadian Naturalist and Geologist. Although anthropologists have subsequently questioned whether this site is actually Hochelaga, there can be no doubt that Dawson was instrumental in preserving for posterity a unique Canadian anthropological discovery.
In the late 1860s pressure began to be felt in Montreal, as elsewhere, for the higher education of women, and on a visit to the British Isles in 1870 Dawson and his wife investigated efforts being made in England and Scotland. On his return to Montreal later that year Dawson, in consultation with such people as Lucy Stanynought (Simpson) and Anne Molson, advocated the creation of an association modelled on that newly established in Edinburgh. This led to the formation on 10 May 1871 of the Montreal Ladies’ Educational Association which had as its aim lectures on a variety of subjects and eventually the establishment of a college affiliated with McGill. Dawson himself organized and taught its course in natural history. He was convinced of the validity of higher education for women, but he was hampered at McGill by the determined opposition of the faculty of arts, by lack of funds, and by the vexing and controversial question of whether there should be mixed or separate classes. In 1884 Donald Alexander Smith* came forward with a donation of $50,000 to finance the first two years of separate classes for women in the faculty of arts at McGill. Dawson was later to acknowledge that he favoured separate classes to protect the refined and sensitive natures of young women from the rough behaviour of the male students; however, he admitted quite candidly that he would have accepted mixed classes had the benefactor so stipulated.
Discontented with his life in Montreal, Dawson had applied in 1868 for the post of principal at the University of Edinburgh. He felt hampered in his scientific work by the dual load of administrative and teaching responsibilities at McGill, by the lack of time for creative scientific pursuits, and by a feeling of isolation from the mainstreams of scientific thought in Great Britain, Europe, and the United States. His few scientific colleagues in Montreal were either growing old, as was his close friend Logan, or had left for elsewhere, as had Hunt. He received glowing testimonials from home and abroad, but failed to obtain the position. However, release from the principalship of the normal school in 1870 (he was succeeded by William Henry Hicks) and the creation of his much longed-for department of applied science in 1871 kept him at McGill.
Dawson had a profound influence on the development and maintenance of Protestant education in Quebec, both before and after the legislation of 1867 established a separate Protestant educational system in the province. For many years he was a member of the Protestant Board of School Commissioners for the city of Montreal and the Protestant committee of the Council of Public Instruction. He conceived the provincial educational system as being like a pyramid, with McGill at the peak together with the normal school, supported by community colleges such as Morrin College at Quebec [see Joseph Morrin*], and becoming broader and broader in tiers descending to the base of the primary schools. Dawson was always highly supportive of school teachers, and frequently participated in their professional gatherings. Until his death his concerns extended to every level of educational reform in Canada, and he thus helped to adapt education to the needs of a growing country.
While maintaining the absolute necessity of a separate school system in Quebec, Dawson was unsympathetic to the establishment of separate Catholic systems in Nova Scotia or elsewhere in Canada, such as in Manitoba. He contended that there should be one public system to provide an enlightened, progressive, non-sectarian education. Only in Quebec, where the French Roman Catholic majority imbued all elements of its educational system with a strong religious flavour and would not provide the type of education he sought, did Dawson feel that a separate Protestant system was justified.
Dawson was always an active participant in his church’s endeavours. While in Nova Scotia he had worked for the Foreign Missionary Society of the Presbyterian Church and was treasurer of the Synod of the Free Church of Nova Scotia for two years (1849 and 1850). He was also a devoted member of the temperance movement, and remained so throughout his life. During his years in Montreal he was active in the Sabbath school movement and produced over 40 detailed outlines of biblical texts for use in the training of Sabbath school teachers. He strongly opposed the introduction of organ music into church services on the grounds that it would distract from devotions and that the money required to purchase an organ would be better spent on more pressing good works. Because of the controversy arising out of the use of organ music in his own Montreal congregation, he withdrew from Erskine Presbyterian Church in 1874 and was one of the founding members of Stanley Street Presbyterian Church. He also served as president of the Montreal auxiliary of the British and Foreign Bible Society.
Although his commitments in Montreal left him little time for research, in 1871, with the aid of Dr Bernard James Harrington*, professor of chemistry and mineralogy at McGill and later his son-in-law, he surveyed Prince Edward Island and issued for the provincial government Report on the geological structure and mineral resources of Prince Edward Island (Montreal, 1871).
In 1878 Dawson received a tempting invitation from the College of New Jersey, at Princeton (then a centre of the battle against Darwinian theories of evolution), to become professor of natural history. In addition to a salary that more than matched his income from McGill the offer carried with it the more important opportunity to lead palaeontological expeditions to the American west, where important discoveries of fossil animals and plants had recently been made. Dawson declined the offer, however, citing as his reason the obligation to remain in Montreal and continue the battle for Protestant educational rights and institutions in the province. Dawson’s refusal was also greatly influenced by a gift to McGill from his friend Peter Redpath for the construction and endowment of a museum of natural history, contingent upon Dawson’s agreement to remain at the college. The Peter Redpath Museum, a lifelong dream of Dawson’s, was inaugurated in 1882 and still dominates McGill’s lower campus. Prominent in its entrance hall was an illuminated plaque reading: “O Lord, how Manifold are Thy works! All of them in wisdom Thou hast made.”
The Geological Society of London awarded Dawson the Lyell Medal in 1881 for outstanding achievements in geology. In the same year the governor general, the Marquess of Lorne [Campbell*], called upon him to set up a royal society in Canada. Dawson envisaged a society similar to the Royal Society of London, but Lorne was adamant that the Canadian society’s scope be broader and that it embrace not only science but also arts and literature. Lorne realized that only in this way would it be possible to involve to any significant extent the scholars and professionals of the French-speaking community. Accordingly, a provisional council met with Lorne at Dawson’s home in December 1881. Present were Dawson, Hunt, Pierre-Joseph-Olivier Chauveau*, Narcisse-Henri-Édouard Faucher de Saint-Maurice, Daniel Wilson, Goldwin Smith*, Charles Carpmael, Alfred Richard Cecil Selwyn*, George Lawson, and John George Bourinot*. Together they drew up a constitution and proposed candidates for membership. The society was to be organized into two sections for the humanities and two sections for the sciences. Dawson, the founding president, remarked in his address to the first meeting of the Royal Society of Canada in May 1882 that membership was to be limited to “selected and representative men who have themselves done original work of at least Canadian celebrity.” The society was to provide, in his words, “a bond of union between the scattered workers now widely separated in different parts of the Dominion.” Its Transactions, to which Dawson would contribute numerous papers, notably on the fossil plants of western Canada, was for many years one of the principal Canadian outlets for the scholars of Canada.
In 1882 the American Association for the Advancement of Science met once again in Montreal, with Dawson as its president. The formal opening of the Peter Redpath Museum was one of the great attractions of the meeting, which was a landmark in Canadian scientific history. In 1884 the British Association for the Advancement of Science held its annual meeting in Montreal, for the first time ever outside the British Isles. Two years later the association elected Dawson president, a post he considered the greatest honour of his career. He thus became the only individual ever to have held the presidencies of both the British and the American societies, the two leading scientific associations of the time.
Dawson took his first and only sabbatical leave in 1884 and travelled with his wife and their elder daughter, Anna Lois, to Italy, Egypt, and the Holy Land. The results of this “vacation” were a stream of papers on the geology and anthropology of Egypt, Lebanon, and Syria, and a large volume entitled Modern science in Bible lands (New York, 1887), which went through several editions. Dawson had been named cmg on 24 May 1881. On 11 Sept. 1884 he was created knight bachelor and in the same year his alma mater, the University of Edinburgh, awarded him an lld (McGill had conferred the same degree on him in 1857).
After suffering a severe attack of pneumonia in 1892, Dawson was ordered by his physicians to spend the winter months in a warmer climate. He dutifully passed that winter in Florida, but on his return to Montreal in the spring of 1893 his health was still precarious, and he was advised to lead a less strenuous life. With regret, after 38 years as McGill’s principal, he retired in June. An educator of extraordinary energy and vision, he had led the college, which from 1885 was known as McGill University, through years of unprecedented growth, raising it in scope and influence to become one of the world’s great universities – “second only to Harvard in North America” read his obituary in the Times of London in 1899. Following his retirement Dawson remained active, and later in 1893 he presided over the annual meeting of the Geological Society of America as its fifth president, an indication of his high standing within American geological circles. He published Some salient points in the science of the earth in London that same year, and it may be considered his scientific autobiography. In England in 1896 Dawson, aged 75, gave the keynote address to the jubilee conference of the Evangelical Alliance. That August he read an interesting paper on Precambrian fossils before the annual meeting of the British Association for the Advancement of Science and carried out field examinations in Wales. In this decade he produced several of his lengthier religious tracts, including Eden lost and won (London, 1895) and The seer of Patmos and the twentieth century (New York and London, 1898). He also published in Montreal a third edition of The testimony of the Holy Scriptures respecting wine and strong drink . . . (Montreal, 1898), which had originally been delivered in 1848 as an address to the Pictou Total Abstinence Society.
Sir John William Dawson died peacefully after a protracted bout of illness on 19 Nov. 1899. He was deeply mourned in Montreal and throughout his adopted province, and his passing was prominently noted in many cities in North America and abroad. He was survived by Lady Dawson, three sons, George Mercer, William Bell, and Rankine, and two daughters, Anna Lois and Eva.
The autobiography of Sir John William Dawson was published posthumously as Fifty years of work in Canada, scientific and educational . . . , ed. Rankine Dawson (London and Edinburgh, 1901). Dawson is the author of more than 400 books and articles on numerous subjects. The National union catalog and the British Library general catalogue list his monographs, and the bibliographical works cited below are useful for his articles. The present authors have deposited in McGill Univ. Arch. a bibliography of all Dawson’s writings.
McGill Univ. Arch., MG 1022; RG 2, J. W. Dawson, 1855–93. McGill Univ. Libraries, Dept. of Rare Books and Special Coll.,
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Don't like a human rights ruling?
Why not ignore it?
That's effectively the Government of Canada's response to a Canadian Human Rights Tribunal ruling ordering the government to immediately address the $155 million funding gap for Indigenous children in Canada.
Back in January 2016, the CHRT ruled that Ottawa is racially discriminating against children living on First Nations reserves, spending 38% less on child welfare programs compared to communities in the rest of Canada.
But now, as the Globe and Mail reports:
"The Canadian Human Rights Tribunal does not have the power to ensure its rulings are followed or to dictate how public money is spent, the federal government has argued in response to accusations it has not met a tribunal demand to end the discriminatory underfunding of Indigenous child welfare ...
The Attorney-General says in a document filed with the tribunal this week that 'the tribunal does not have the statutory authority to enforce its own orders'.
The hearing was prompted by non-compliance motions filed late last year by the First Nations Child & Family Caring Society, the Assembly of First Nations, the Chiefs of Ontario and the Nishnawbe Aski Nation, all of whom say the government has failed to comply with the tribunal’s ruling in January, 2016.
In a written response, the government said it has implemented the tribunal’s ruling 'as far as it can do on its own'. Future changes, it said, will have to be done in partnership with First Nations, the provinces and other stakeholders."
Here are a few reasons why that's a problem:
1. The government is effectively arguing it shouldn't be held accountable
The government is arguing that the tribunal does not have the authority to tell them how to spend money.
Trouble is, the tribunal ruled the way the federal government is spending public money on Indigenous children amounts to "racial discrimination" – so if the tribunal can't enforce its own rulings, what's stopping the government from continuing to discriminate against Indigenous kids?
Basically there are zero institutional avenues to hold Canada accountable when it discriminates against Indigenous children or communities. https://t.co/lvquaSRsLR— Hayden King (@Hayden_King) March 16, 2017
2. If rulings are unenforceable, what's even the point?
Created as part of the 1977 Human Rights Act, a landmark piece of legislation from Pierre Trudeau's Liberal government, the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal was designed to act as a check and balance by protecting Canadians of all backgrounds from discrimination by federally regulated employers and service providers – including "federal government departments, agencies and Crown corporations."
If the tribunal does not have the "authority to enforce its own orders," as the federal government claims, then what's the point of having this check and balance?
Considering his contributions in the area of rights and freedoms are likely Pierre Trudeau's greatest legacy, it's a bit odd that the government of Justin Trudeau wouldn't just respect the tribunal's ruling and bring immediate relief to children who have been racially discriminated against.
3. Why does the government keep stalling?
The government claims that "the challenge in providing funding for immediate relief based on actual need is that there are information gaps regarding the needs of specific agencies,” but adds that "Canada is currently working to address this challenge."
Cindy Blackstock, executive director of First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada called she government's response "a shocking thing for me to see," adding that the government has only gone "maybe 25 or 30 percent" of the way toward complying with the tribunal's ruling.
Indigenous leaders have accused Indigenous and Northern Affairs Minister Carolyn Bennett of using "stall tactics" for delaying relief until after a new round of "vaguely defined" consultations.
As the FNCFCSC said in a report to the Standing Committee on Indigenous Affairs last year:
"The Canadian Human Rights Tribunal ordered Canada to end its discriminatory and unlawful conduct immediately – not over a five-year budget cycle. The incremental approach fails to reflect Canada's legal obligations under the Canadian Human Rights Act, the Tribunal order, or account for the developmental sensitivity of children."
Just to underline that point, here's what it looks like when you compare a five-year budget cycle to the development of a young child:
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Readability is how well your text can be understood on first reading and is an important factor in how well your site will be received. As a skill within copywriting, creating or editing content to be easier to read will give your designs a competitive edge.
It has many aspects from the layout of the text on the page to use of fonts, amount of whitespace etc. The aspect I’m looking at here is the actual words used on the page and how they are put together.
Copywriting is an essential skill for designers and developers because sometimes the content supplied by a client, if it’s supplied at all is less than it could be. The client may be highly skilled in their field but if they’re not a trained communicator – or don’t have one on their staff then you have to fulfil this task.
Where Does It Come From?
Readability is a factor in usability – ‘use the simplest language possible’. This also helps accessibility because appealing to the widest possible audience is not only the right thing to do but also makes good business sense.
All too often website owners make assumptions about what people will know about the subject…’They’re a very clever company – and feel the need to prove it!’
As an example of expert knowledge confusing ordinary visitors, take a read of the following paragraph explaining the rules of cricket.
You have two sides, one out in the field and one in. Each man that’s in the side that’s in goes out, and when he’s out he comes in and the next man goes in until he’s out. When they are all out, the side that’s out comes in and the side that’s been in goes out and tries to get those coming in, out. Sometimes you get men still in and not out. When a man goes out to go in, the men who are out try to get him out, and when he is out he goes in and the next man in goes out and goes in.
There are two men called umpires who stay out all the time and they decide when the men who are in are out. When both sides have been in and all the men have been out, and both sides have been out twice after all the men have been in, including those who are not out, that is the end of the game!
Although humorous, the point here is that what seems simple to one person may be very complicated to someone who is unfamiliar with the subject.
As designers we’re the visitors’ representative to the client, so knowing nothing about the client’s subject is a really good position to be in. If we don’t understand the content, then you could assume that visitors may not either. In reality, there are always going to be exceptions to this general rule, for example: service details for mass spectrometers, a tutorial for Photoshop, flight navigation details etc.
Having content with better readability will benefit everyone. If a visitor doesn’t understand the site’s content will they persist to try and make sense of it, or just move on to the next site in the list?
- Readability is a factor in usability and accessibility
- If you don’t understand your client’s content, the site’s visitors may not either
How It’s Made
Crafting effective copy requires many individual elements to come together. Let’s look at some of these to see what the factors affecting the factors are!
In the 1880’s Professor, L.A.Sherman identified that historically, during Elizabethan times, that’s the first Queen Elizabeth, (1533 – 1603), sentences were on average 50 words long. Having recently seen a brilliant production of Hamlet, a mediaeval whodunit, I found that the length of some of the speeches left me gasping for breath. Have a look through the script, Play Script Hamlet. Hamlet was written between 1599 and 1601 and was by all contemporary accounts a popular play in its day.
In his own time Sherman found that sentence lengths had on average decreased to 23 words. This can be illustrated from a play called ‘The Magistrate’ by Arthur Wing Pinero which was apparently a highly successful farce and first performed in 1885. A scan of the script, The magistrate: a farce in three acts illustrates that sentences are indeed much shorter than in Hamlet. The plays may not be directly comparable for all sorts of reasons, but you’ll get the idea.
In the pre-internet, pre-text world (who could imagine such a thing!), popular stage plays are a good example of readily accessible culture and those that were successful are probably a reasonable measure of the state of the language at that time.
It is reasonable to assume that in the current generation, ‘generation-@’ as it has been dubbed, sentences are on average even shorter.
In a blog about writing, Strainindex Nirmaldasan quotes the Oxford Guide to Plain English identifying that on average now, sentence length should be about 15-20 words.
From 50 words to 20 or fewer, sentence length has dropped by 60% in 400 years. Incidentally, that last sentence was 16 words long.
Could we expect that they will reduce even further? The efficiency of English, or any other language would only improve if the ability of individual words to express ideas and convey meaning improves, which would require the invention or creation of new words.
One of the strengths of English is that it borrows from other languages, so over time, better ways of conveying a concept seem to get adopted from other languages. Every year the Oxford English dictionary publishes the latest words to be included.
Conversely, some words get dropped from dictionaries as their usage fades from current use. Recently ‘Aerodrome’ was dropped from the Collins English dictionary as it isn’t used frequently enough in common parlance. Aim for a sentence length of 15 – 20 words.
A simple sentence.
The cat sat on the mat.
A complex sentence.
The cat, while on the mat, meditated, Zen like, on the nature of doors and the relationship to their staff (humans) with regard to the frequency of opening and the amount of concentration required to bring about this state.
There are a number of different types of sentence structure.
The sentence structure of your content should be determined by the audience or audiences. It is important to know who they are and what they are looking for.
If sentences are too complex or have too difficult a structure, then you will lose your audience, it is possible to create bad readability by writing too simply. I would suggest that as a general rule the acronym SMILE – Simple Makes It Lots Easier is a good rule to follow.
English 101: What is a Sentence?
Sentences are made of clauses; a simple sentence will have one clause.
E.g. England is a lovely country
The clause makes a statement or asks a question.
E.g. Is the weather nice today?
A compound sentence will have two or more independent clauses joined by a conjunction.
E.g. England is a lovely country but the weather could be nicer!
We only tend to write simple sentences in bullet points. Anybody who has suffered ‘death by PowerPoint’ will know this. In general text we write in very complex sentences and do it without thinking.
Many people write copy as a ‘stream of consciousness’ and end up writing very long convoluted sentences with multiple clauses joined by numerous conjunctions. I hold myself up as a bad example of this. It may take a while, but you will be doing your visitors a great service by trying to untangle this knitting. If I was writing the copy for a commercial website rather than a chatty article in a blog, I would of course write in a much different style.
If like me, it’s been a while (or longer) since you had any formal training in your native language, then a quick reminder of good sentence structure could be beneficial.
For English, Towson University (Maryland, USA) has an online writing support site with support for just about every aspect of writing you could need. There is a very useful section on sentence structure.
We also tend to use a lot of ‘fluff’ and pointless constructions as well as using excessively large words where a single word will do better.
|Original Twaddle||Slimmed down|
|In order to||to|
|Due to the fact that||because|
|As a result of||because|
Furthermore, office jargon is used without thinking, we all do it and who knows where it comes from as it spreads virally. If you are trying to convey a message, especially to a potentially international audience, it is best avoided. The Ridiculous Business Jargon Dictionary has a jargon dictionary which has got some hilarious bits of corporate twaddle, waffle and fluff, a few examples of which I know I use! If however you start detecting these coming into copy for your client’s website then there is a danger that the copy could end up as a ‘warm-bowl-of-nothing!’.
The best resource I believe for simplified English is The Plain English Campaign. They have thousands of examples of the bad, the ugly and even worse. I fully endorse The Plain English Campaign.
- Avoid overly complicated and convoluted sentences
- Brush up on your technical knowledge of your language
What Really Bugs Me…
I am as Guilty as Anyone in Capitalising the Wrong words in a Sentence.
Read these rules and apply at grammarbook.
Did he say it or did I read it? In a text, how do you separate what people say from what is quoted from a document?
For one organisation I worked for, the house style was that if it was said,
“Bring me my chariot of fire” they sang…
..then it is in double quotes.
If it is a text quotation
…in the second verse of the hymn Jerusalem ‘Bring me my chariot of fire’
…Then it is in single quotes.
The reader can easily see which is which instead of having to determine this from the context of what has been written.
My absolute current pet hate
Train station. Gah! It’s a Railway station! It is a Station on the Railway where trains stop. People – my son especially comes up with the false argument that the type of place has to be consistent across types of transport. They don’t need to agree – they’re different. There is no need for consistency. If it was a trainway I’d readily agree but it isn’t. Railway station Callum, railway station!
Image credit: SoGood
What I’m trying to say is that we very easily fall into ‘fashionable’ constructions and usages to appear current and modern. Who already says “LOL” as a real word? My children do all the time, I wouldn’t dream of using it. For me it really jars but this is the evolution of the language in action. Dinosaurs like me will always stick to what they grew up with and resist for the most part new fangled ideas. It is just this sort of thing that has enabled sentences to become shorter over the last 400 years.
Charting the history of English, we borrow many words from French, Latin, Greek, Spanish, German, Dutch, the Indian Sub-continent and almost everywhere else. In this era of globalisation where with the internet, distance has no meaning, will we ultimately end up with just one language that is an amalgam of every other? Will using the global language be a sign of high status where using a single national language be an indication of a lower economic status? Time will tell.
What I meant to say was…
I’m sure we have all come across sentences with unintended meanings where the writer meant one thing but the reader sees something else.
There is the apocryphal advert often quoted…
For Sale: Large dog, eats anything, loves children.
While I was on holiday recently with my family, we got some take out from a ‘Traditional Fish and Chip shop’. The food was excellent but, what we asked, are modern fish and chips? Or was it that the fish was traditional and the chips aren’t? Or perhaps the shop is traditional? It didn’t seem so at the time.
This also raises a point about international understanding.
- In the UK we have chips; in the US they are fries.
- In the US they have chips but in the UK we have crisps.
- In the UK we may use Aluminium in the US they use Aluminum.
- At the rear of my car I have a boot but in the US it would be a trunk.
- To me a boot is also a tall piece of sturdy footwear and a trunk is something you would put large amounts of clothing into or is the dangly bit at the front of an elephant.
- On my car I have tyres, in the US they would be tires.
Your readability by an international audience will be improved if you try to identify and work round words that may have different meanings in an international context.
Also where possible, do try to avoid oxymora – contradictions. We all know about Military intelligence. How about ‘Eco-Tourism’…yee-hah! For the programmers among us, what about Advanced BASIC, hmmm.
- Try to avoid fashionable constructs that may be not be understood.
- Make sure your sentences don’t contain unintended meanings.
- Check that the common words you used are used everywhere – or put the alternative in brackets.
- Watch out for oxymora and avoid them.
Any publication, web or print will have its own writing style and this will in part depend on the assumed education level of their audience. Supermarket tabloids will write in a much simpler writing style than for example the Wall St Journal or the (London) Times using simpler sentences and less complicated words.
In the UK, the biggest selling daily newspaper by far is The Sun, List of newspapers in the United Kingdom by circulation.
If you follow the link and look down the list, you’ll find that the general level of education assumed of the readership increases. What you’ll also find is that in general the complexity of the language used also increases.
Antidisestablishmentarianism – is the longest non-technical or non-created word in the English language. A great one to remember for quizzes!
Sometimes it’s impossible not to use complicated words in a subject. Just as an aside, how many of you read antidisestablishmentarianism syllable by syllable just as our parents and teachers taught us to. Anti-dis-estab-lish-ment-arian-ism.
Are you asking your visitors to do the same? Do you think they will?
If you have to use a complex word, why not add the html
acronym tags for a mouse-over full definition – be nice to your visitors especially if you have no choice but to use complex words that not all the audience may understand.
Seeing large complex words in text should ring alarm bells to the designer and wherever possible should be eliminated in favour of smaller easier to get on with text.
acronymtags to allow for an in page explanation of complex words.
- Use simpler words where possible.
Do we actually read a website? Mostly not. We’d probably read the first couple of paragraphs and skim read the rest. Hopefully you’ve actually read your way down to here.
If you read a newspaper – an actual foldable paper one, there are a couple of useful things to know.
- If you read into a lengthy editorial or in-depth article, the level of the detail increases the further down you go
- You could edit your way up the article chopping off paragraphs from the bottom without any great loss of understanding, still getting a complete story
- That they don’t tend to forward reference, that is a reference at the beginning of the article to something later on.
This is in general because the journalist writing the article could be asked for 1000 words on a subject but won’t actually know how many of those will get printed, the sub-editor in charge of the section may have to lose some copy to get another late-breaking story in, or to fit it around an advert. There does come a point however in editing up from the bottom where the heart of the article would be cut out. Obviously you couldn’t go beyond that point without compromising the article’s integrity.
On the web this is less prevalent as there is no limit to space but brevity and clarity make it easier for everyone, however, for general commercial websites the amount of text written per page is much less but should still abide to such copywriting rules as above.
Earlier, I mentioned unavoidable technical complexity such as in a Photoshop tutorial or service details. The hierarchy of details is that at the top of the article you get the general introduction, then an overview and then get further and further into the detail. If a visitor randomly lands on a page as a result of a search, then they need to quickly be able to understand where they are without being bombarded with technical stuff straight off.
One thing I loathe is the (mainly) self-improvement or the get-rich-quick scheme (oxymoron?) websites that have a single infinitely long page. They are the text equivalent of a double glazing salesman that just doesn’t ever leave or give up, brow beating the visitor into submission. Just don’t do it.
- Write top down, the further you go, the more detail you get.
- Allow for bottom up editing
- Don’t forward reference, it may get edited out
So, at this point, you’ve written and re-written your content to use smaller words in simpler sentences that are shorter but is that all? How would you know that you’ve achieved an improvement compared to just changing things? Is there an objective measure of readability?
There are many measures of readability and they will all have some benefit. Some are more complex than others to understand and use, but they will all aim at a similar outcome.
Make things clearer with fog!
In 1952 an American businessman, Robert Gunning devised a method of calculating readability for English text. The lower the score, the more widely a text will be understood. The score uses US school grades as its measure.
If a block of text gets a score of for example 12, then, in general, a 12th grade pupil (aged around 18) should be able to understand it. For more universal understanding then it’s desirable to have a lower score.
Read the Wikipedia article about the Fog Index. You’ll find a list of links at the bottom of the page which allow you to calculate the Fog Index of text.
I find that the Fog Index is as good a measure as many. You may choose to use a different measure such as Fletsch-Kincaid. If it helps you to create more understandable text, then whichever works for you.
You may be critical of Gunning as it was created over 60 years ago, how could it be relevant today? Although our language has evolved to use different words than in the 1950s, the basic structure has not, clause-conjunction-clause, subject-object agreement etc. If anything, language has simplified. Sentence length is shorter.
A practical example
To illustrate how this works, I took a random paragraph from the web such as the old About page of Onextrapixel.
Onextrapixel, or more commonly known as OXP is a weblog dedicated to delivering useful, comprehensive and innovative information for designers and web developers. OXP was started by two very enthusiastic Singapore web developers and designers. OXP endeavours to present noteworthy tips, excellent tutorials, and web resources that any modern web follower will appreciate. You’ll find a vast variety of ingredients from tools that can enhance your workflow management to showcases of incredible web designs and inspiration.
… and run it through one of the online checker tools, it comes out with a score of 20.76. Ouch! Sorry guys.
Let’s get working on the readability of this paragraph.
The tool highlights the 1st sentence as being in need of work. This uses a lot of ‘flowery’ language to sell up the site and there are at least 20 complex words in this paragraph.
What message do I come away with? These guys love what they do which is fantastic. I read this as slightly tongue in cheek and lots of fun. The multi-syllable words could make it harder to read though.
First attempt on re-writing
Get rid of some of the long padding words but still build value into the text.
Onextrapixel, known as ‘OXP’ is a leading blog for web design professionals. It was created by Charlotte Lam and Terrance Huang, two very keen developers from Singapore. The objective of OXP is to showcase premium tips, tutorials and resources that all web designers and developers will find useful and interesting. You’ll find a huge variety and mixture of ingredients that will allow you to cook up any flavour of web design.
Run this through the checker and it comes out as 13.86.
The 2nd sentence was highlighted as being in need of work and on reading, the reference to ingredients seems a bit out of context.
Working on longer and more complicated sentences
Onextrapixel, known as ‘OXP’ is a leading blog for web designers. It was created by Charlotte Lam and Terrance Huang, two very keen developers from Singapore. OXP’s aim is to collect and share premium tips, tutorials, and resources. We hope that everyone will find something here that is useful and interesting.
This now comes out at 11.37.
The paragraph is not only much shorter and easier to read – to get the key message across quickly but is it good enough? Does it sell the site sufficiently? Are there adequate keywords in there for the search engines to work with?
I personally think it has gone a little too far in stripping back to the basics. Obviously the success of the site in search engines doesn’t depend solely on the About page, however, on the basis that people will land on random pages of a site depending on their search terms, then the first paragraph needs to have sufficient keywords in to work with.
With better keyword loading at the front of the paragraph.
Onextrapixel is a leading blog and resource site for web designers. OXP’s aim is to collect and share premium tips, tutorials, tools and resources. We hope that everyone will find something here that is useful and interesting.
Charlotte Lam and Terrance Huang – Founders Onextrapixel
This comes out at 10.72, slightly better than previously and almost half the original. I also removed the 2nd sentence about Charlotte and Terrance and turned the paragraph into a pseudo-quote to retain the personal element.
Your writing style would probably come out with a different paragraph altogether and you may disagree totally with mine but what I’m demonstrating here in detail is the iterative method to improving readability.
You could also run the text through this page which calculates a number of different measures of readability side by side. The page has colour coded measures of readability. Green good, red bad.
- Use a fog-index tool to check the readability of your content.
- Iterative improvement is time consuming but gets easier with practice.
A contrarian view
If I’m trying to sell up a subject and give it a higher value wouldn’t using simpler language preclude this? It depends on how you do it. If you look at the websites of true luxury brands, then you’ll find that they don’t ‘sell up’ the brands – they don’t need to. Using ‘power words’ to sell up a subject can create suspicion in the minds of the visitor. If you try too hard it could look suspicious as though you’re trying to hide something. Do your client’s websites try too hard?
This all seems like a lot of work?
It could be to start however, but with practice it will become second nature and you will be able to greatly benefit your clients. Tidying content and making it efficient is an iterative process, you’ll probably need to have several goes at it.
Writing this article was exactly that process. I initially drafted it as a ‘stream of consciousness’ i.e. brain dump on to screen, then spent a while editing, expanding, contracting and reorganising the copy to make it sensible and easy to read with a reasonable structure. As submitted, this article had a fog index of 10.15. Phew!
Don’t forget that copy-improvement could be a value-added service. There are millions of websites out there with really badly written copy that could do with some polishing.
Going further, what else affects readability?
In this article, I’ve concentrated on words and how they are put together, fairly fundamental. Your choice of font style, size and layout is also going to be important if you want visitors to get on with your content.
If you write with 10pt italic script, right aligned, it’s going to be harder to get on with than the font we have here. I’m not advocating the design and style-free zone that is Jakob Nielsen’s site but to put the visitor first rather than the owner.
Conclusion: How do I adjust my writing to thin the fog out?
- Aim to write sentences of 15-20 words but vary the length.
- Use the simplest language possible to convey the message but write appropriately for the audience – they are not first-graders unless they are!
- Write top down – you should be able to edit out paragraphs from the bottom of the article upwards without losing anything.
- Don’t forward reference – the target of the reference may have been edited away, see above.
- The further into the article you go, the more detail you should get.
- Run your copy through a fog checker – aim for 12th grade or below
- Cut down on multi-syllable words where possible
- Simplify your sentences – don’t have complex convoluted structures.
- 1 idea per paragraph.
- Eliminate oxymora and unintended messages.
- Don’t make assumptions about what your audience may know.
- Check out any words that may have different meanings or understanding in an international context.
I hope I have been able to help you improve the content for your website and those of your clients whether you write in English or another language.
Expressing ideas and information in an efficient manner without confusing the reader is an important task in every website design, in any language.
Am I an exemplar of good readability? No. I need to try harder.
Part two of this article will analyse the websites of major companies to see if big company resources result in more readable websites.
It’s your turn: real world examples:
It’s really difficult to find bad examples of readability – there are no search criteria you can easily use to identify them. In the discussion, it would be great to hear about really good and really bad examples of readability on websites you know of.
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Nearly every large car company in the world is trying to develop a non-petrol powered vehicle. While electrics and hybrids have become favorites among many, recent developments in air technology seems to be driving Tata in a different direction, offering the world a astonishingly simple solution to the energy crisis.
The Indian company Tata, already known for making cheap and reliable vehicles, has told reporters this week that it has developed a prototype vehicle that is powered by compressed air using technology. Licencing it from Luxembourg’s MDI industries, a variety of newspapers and blogs reporting on its revolutionary underpinnings, with most agree that Tata’s high-tech ‘AIRPod’ may provide us all with a chance to drive cars using the very air in front of us.
The idea behind this technology rests on the cars capability to pump air into the tank via an electric engine or changing station. Huffington Post bloggers have noted that this system allows the car to run up to around 43mph, ultimately ushering’s in an environmentally car that’s an inexpensive way to get around in India’s growing middle class.
Beyond this unique driving method, the car also comes with several rather unique design concepts. Chief among these has been the ‘cargo’ type of transportation of goods where there are two seats at the front and a large boot capable of holding another individual.
In response to this amazing achievement, a spokesperson from MDI has been noted as say that “with small size, a tiny price, zero pollution, fun and futuristic design, AIRPod mark a turning point in the range of urban vehicles while renewing the idea of the automobile and transportation. You can drive with a joystick, it only costs one euro per 200 km and leaves no one indifferent in crept in traffic. It is a real breath of fresh air in our cities and the prelude to travel without pollution. Its small size makes it easy to park, keeping still a large internal volume. AIRPod help us to forget the price of petrol."
While the exact specifications and design has yet to be completely ironed out, the car is aimed to take on the European Smart car market as soon as it begins sell. Currently still in development stages, it is the company’s hopes that it will be found on roads throughout the world within the next few years.
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We’re not out of the woods yet, but the fifth anniversary of the Green Belt is something to celebrate.
Despite relentless pressure, its 1.8 million acres the province set aside in 2005 remain miraculously intact. Stretching from Niagara Falls to Tobermory to Peterborough, it is a green horse shoe that rings the Golden Horseshoe. There was much shouting and screaming at the time — most notably from certain developers whose fury knew no bounds — but half a decade later, the wisdom of the move has been widely acknowledged.
The most recent confirmation comes from the Canadian Institute for Environmental Law and Policy. In a report to be released today, authors Maureen Carter-Whitney and Thomas Esakin call the Greenbelt a “visionary act of leadership for the province.” Not often do we hear such praise for our provincial leaders, in this case, Dalton McGuinty.
“This anniversary is an occasion to celebrate,” declares Carter-Whitney. “It’s also an occasion to learn. Greenbelts are a challenge to maintain.” Nowhere more so than in southern Ontario, where developers, aided and abetted by their friendly local councillors, have reduced vast swaths of the landscape to an asphalt desert.
As the report makes clear, greenbelts can be found around the world. Indeed, some have existed for as long as 75 years. In the U.K., London’s dates back to 1938. By comparison, Ontario’s is still young and relatively untested. As the institute also points out, however, ours is “the strongest in the world for its supporting laws and policies.”
Still, according to Carter-Whitney, the survival of the greenbelt will depend ultimately on public support; take that away and you make it easier for the development industry to wreak its usual havoc.
In fact, the timing of the green belt couldn’t have been better; increased fears about environmental issues and interest in locally grown food, farmers’ markets and the like mean Ontarians are developing an awareness of and an attachment to the greenbelt, or at least, the idea of the greenbelt.
“There’s a good foundation for an emotional connection to the greenbelt,’ says Carter-Whitney. “Polling shows that the public supports the greenbelt. Food has been one of the crucial ties; people realize it is a valuable resource.”
As for all those bottom-feeding local politicians who would rather ignore the greenbelt and its restrictions on development, they have to no choice but to go along with it. It’s the law. Though the province has extended the deadline for municipalities to bring themselves into compliance, the writing on this wall can’t be ignored.
But as Carter-Whitney points out, “Land-use laws and policies are important, but they’re not enough. We need financial support to bolster the greenbelt.”
Tony Coombes of the Neptis Foundation, a Toronto foundation dedicated to researching the urban region, also lauds the greenbelt.
“It’s cause for celebration,” he says. “It’s being really well managed. I think we’ve done a very good job putting it in people’s minds.”
Both Coombes and Carter-Whitney worry that the sprawl machine has leapfrogged the greenbelt to continue the logic of multiplication by subdivision. Then there’s the constant quarrying for aggregates that has already damaged much of the Oak Ridges Moraine.
But, Carter-Whitney explains, “The legislation is quite strong.” And, she adds, in concert with the McGuinty government’s Places to Grow Act, it adds up to a legislative double whammy that should help ease southern Ontario into the smaller future that looms ahead.
“It takes a lot of foresight to put aside land in this manner,” says Carter-Whitney. “As they have discovered in London, the benefits become more apparent as time goes by.”
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Published on February 5, 2014
Neuro Emotional ReAssociation CHANGE YOUR HABITS LOSE YOUR STRESS ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS QUICKLY
Some Undesirable Behaviours Staying Stressed Out Choosing and staying in unsatisfying relationship Being Overweight Fear of facing challenges in life Inability to be expressive and assertive
Do we choose to have them? The answer is Yes and No Some of these habits are conscious and some unconscious We need to answer this question: Where do habits come from?
Two Type of Habits Action - Oriented going toward the goal Stress - Response Running away from pain
Habit Structure Any habit always has 3 elements: Routine The Behaviour itself. Perfected with Repetition Cue The trigger that activates the habit. It can be conscious or unconscious Reward activation of pleasure centre of brain or erasing pain
The Routine(Behaviour) What we can do to achieve the outcome
Reward (Outcome) The Outcome is what we are looking for.
Why do we behave against ourselves? 1. We don’t know much about the cues that trigger our behaviour 2. Our minds contradict us The challenge of your BODY Our mom or dad’s frown Looking beautiful & receiving The Scent of a favourite food attention. Feeling light and fresh in your body vs. Stopping eating delicious food. Going through sweaty exercises. Losing time to spend with your loved ones or work. from childhood Seeing old friends become successful Feeling abandoned
Cognitive model to change habits Old behaviour becomes weaker Old Outcome New Outcome Old Outcome New Outcome Old Outcome New Outcome New behaviour becomes Stronger One way to deal with different outcome is to Decide to go towards the outcome, Focus on it and repeat the action until new behaviour becomes dominant. We Consciously form new cues and habits to reach the outcome. The old cue and behaviour are still in our mind.
Examples of outcomes that contradict I want to become rich because it gives me power, but rich people are evil and drain others I have to buy a property to increase my wealth, but I can't decide. What if I make a mistake? Being in a relationship is fantastic. but I can't find the right partner I want to be successful, but if I am, I won't have time for my family and friends
Where do my cues come from? Vs. Cues are the result of our interaction with the world and the perception that we hold within us. They shape up from the moment we are born. They are conscious or unconscious reasoning behind our decisions.
Where the cues come from - 2 Perceptual memory • Observing an abusive relationship • My dad lost his job because of one rich competitor Conceptual memory • Abusive relationships are normal • All rich people are evil Cues are memories and concepts we hold in our minds. They work because of the interchanges between our conceptual memories and our perceptual memories processed in our brains.
Our Perceptions My dad left us I am all alone Nobody loves me Love doesn’t exist It is better to stay with A cheater than not Having the love I need If I love them, They will leave Me We choose concepts in life based on our perceptions of events. Early events have the most influence over our perceptions. These usually solidify over time through synaptic consolidation.
Stress-Response Habits Feeling stressed out. Lots of painful pressure on your stomach. Eating will fill up you stomach. You won't feel the pain We usually find random ways to cope with stress. Escaping by drinking, smoking, taking drugs and so on.
Associative model to change habits There is no reason for old behaviour Old Outcome New Outcome New Outcome New Outcome New behaviour will be the only behaviour In the associative model, we change the structure of the cue. By disconnecting the link between the outcome and the cue, the behaviour won’t be relevant anymore. There is no Reason for it.
Cognitive or Associative Changing your behaviour based on willpower alone can be very hard when different habits are running below the surface. Only a small part of the brain is devoted to decision making. Using VMPF We can only focus on changing one habit at a time while everything else is in the background. Decision making region of brain VentroMedial Prefrontal Cortex
Cue Structure Cues are made of conceptual and perceptual memories. We store these in our brains likes books on a shelf. Every memory acquired needs to find its own place. We recall and look at it many times until is becomes stable. This is called the Synaptic Consolidation process.
Alter the Cue Structure Each time we recall our memories we go into the process of Reconsolidation. We now know that if we diminish our inhibitory actions in the prefrontal cortex, we can relocate our memories and change the structure of our Cues. This process is usually quick and pain free.
Reality of our behaviours Success Happiness Love One cue can even trigger another cue. Security In reality, our habits, cues and routines are forming a complex structure. One habit might have several cues or one cue may trigger multiple behaviours. We need to know what to work on.
Trading Habits and Cues Not having a stoploss Fear of losing money Moving the stop loss Fear of being wrong Keeping the losing trade Big Positions Changing Strategy Closing profitable Positions Fast humiliation The NEED for money Perceived lack of something (connection, respect, love, …) This is just one examples of habitual structure that I have encountered with one of my clients. There are many more and everyone has their own unique cues and behaviours.
NERA The benefits of Reassociation: • Change is very quick • The structure doesn’t go back to its previous state • If Combined with CBT, Result become permanent • Use of willpower is minimized Do you want to see if it works for you? Book a free 30 minutes session Resources: 1 - The role of the basal ganglia in habit formation 2 – CBT Process : Cognitive Behavioural therapy 3 - Priming and Multiple Memory Systems: Perceptual Mechanisms of Implicit Memory 4 - BDNF function in adult synaptic plasticity: The synaptic consolidation hypothesis 5 - Weight control during the holidays: Highly consistent self-monitoring as a potentially useful coping mechanism 6 - Different Contributions of the Human Amygdala and Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex to Decision-Making 7 - Extinction during reconsolidation of threat memory diminishes prefrontal cortex involvement Cyrus H. Sabounchi Call 0421 136 102 for more information
Calcification Inhibitors in CKD and Dialysis Patients
How To Make Money With Forex Trading. Classic. ... mind set and emotional stability. ... a examined and simplistic trading system to make selections ...
The Ultimate Edge In Financial Markets. ... research or do you make money inductively by ... emotional stability in trading, ...
HOW TO MAKE MONEY IN FOREX TRADING ... The Forex market has some peculiar emotional landmines that you need to ... and emotional stability, ...
Binary options 7 Keys of Success ... but also contribute to your emotional stability. 6. ... to teach you how to make money trading.
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• Emotional Stability. Portfolio management can refer to the job of an investment banker in managing an investment portfolio, ...
View 3690 , Emotional Stability posts, presentations, experts, and more. Get the professional knowledge you need on LinkedIn. LinkedIn Home What is LinkedIn?
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Today, expectant parents may choose to have the blood remaining in their baby’s umbilical cord and placenta (cord blood) collected and stored with either a Public Cord Blood Bank like the CCBB or a Private Cord Blood Bank, to donate it for research, or simply have it discarded as medical waste.
Public Cord Blood Banking
- Donated to a public cord blood bank: Parents may choose to donate their baby’s cord blood to a public cord blood bank, like the CCBB. A qualified donated cord blood unit will be listed on the national registry and made available to patients in need of a donor for an unrelated transplant. Families are not charged for donation to a public bank.
- Used for research studies: Cord blood donated to a public bank that does not qualify for banking may be used for research to help improve the transplant process for future patients or to learn more about blood formation or to develop new therapies using cord blood. If the cord blood is used for research, it is not stored for transplantation. The collection process for research is also free.
- Saved for a family member who has a medical need: When a baby, their sibling or certain relatives have a disease that may be treated with a cord blood transplant, parents may choose to save their baby’s cord blood for directed donation. The CCBB facilitates this type of donation for families with a medical indication. Families who have a child with cancer, sickle cell disease, thalassemia, congenital immunodeficiency disorder, congenital or acquired marrow failure syndrome, or an inborn error of metabolism may be eligible. The cord blood banking services provided for a direct donation are the responsibility of the family or their health care provider. Contact the CCBB at 919-668-1116 for more information.
Private Cord Blood Banking
- Stored in a private cord blood bank: Cord blood stored in a private cord blood bank is saved for that family for a fee. Private cord blood banks are available throughout the country for anyone who chooses to pay for the collection and storage of the umbilical cord blood.
- You can choose to do nothing with the umbilical cord blood, and it will be discarded after birth per hospital policy.
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This dog has been trained to manipulate the situation by his actions. Naturally the dog would try to open the door by actively scratching or jumping at it.
Instead, this dog has been trained to sit ,without commands given, in order to make the door open. In fact, as the dog once gets up during the process, highly anticipating that the door will open, the trainer breaks up the process! The dog sits back down and the process of opening the door is then continued.
It clearly shows that the communication is perfect.
I sit- door opens. I don’t sit- door does not open. Seems very simple. Thus dogs as well as any other creatures, do what works. The challenge just is to communicate through exact timing, which behavior will work!
The reinforcer in this situation sure is to be released and allowed to go through the door!
Remember your mother used to say “eat your vegetables, then you can eat the cake”
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These publications are received in a variety of formats including electronic, print, and microfiche. Many government documents can be found in the LAPL Catalog and are searchable by author, title, or keyword. Once located in the catalog, the subject department where the actual document can be viewed is indicated. You'll find that most government documents can be found in the following subject departments: Business & Economics; Social Science, Philosophy & Religion; Science, Technology & Patents; and History & Genealogy.
Additionally, selected documents are available from LAPL Databases and the LAPL Web Pages lists. Databases are available at LAPL’s Central Library and Branches, and in some cases from personal computers with an LAPL library card. Web Pages are available from any computer with Internet access.
The Federal government is dedicated to moving its publications to electronic format. As a result, many documents are available on the Internet. Use the gateways to locate your information.
- Catalog of U.S. Government Publications
- The Federal government’s own catalog to its publications both in print and online.
- Migration of information from GPO Access to Fdsys (Federal Digital System) should be complete in 2010, and will manage government information from all three branches, and ensure public access even as technology changes..
- GPO Bookstore
- The Government Printing Office has an online store where you can purchase many of its items.
- Library of Congress
- U.S. Government library of resources useful to the Congress and the American people
- A service of the Catalog of U.S. Government Publications, the federated search engine searches (over 53 initial Federal Government databases to date) to retrieve reports, articles, and citations.
- NARA - U.S. National Archives and Records Administration
- Archive of documents created by the U.S. Government important for legal or historical reasons to be kept forever.
- This is Firstgov for science and is a gateway to science and technical topics.
- Ben’s Guide
- The Federal Government’s website to finding information for students and teachers from K-12.
- The Federal Government's official portal to web sites.
THREE BRANCHES OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
- Legislative information provided by the Library of Congress.
- U.S. Courts
- Supreme Court, Courts of Appeals, District Courts, Bankruptcy Courts information provided by the Office of the United States Courts.
- White House
- Executive branch information provided by the Executive Office of the President.
SELECTED FEDERAL WEBSITES BY TOPIC
If you need further assistance in finding what you are looking for, call the Library's infoNow reference service at (213) 228‑7272 or ask a librarian at the reference desk in any Central Library subject department.
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Reading/Interest Level: Preschool
Author: Helen Lester
Illustrator: Lynn Munsinger
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Halloween is coming to the penguins in Nice Icy Land, so the penguins have decided to turn their igloo into a haunted igloo for their trick-or-treaters. Goodly and Lovely decorate their home with Halloween decorations and Angel, Neatly, and Perfect make all kinds of spooky treats. Tacky ate the treats. The penguins need to choose scary costumes so that they can be the one to haunt their igloo, so they all dress up as things that they are afraid of. But Tacky can’t think of anything that scares him. When something really scary comes to their door, there are no yummy treats to give them. Tacky’s scary costume is what it will take to save the day for all of the penguins.
Tacky is an odd penguin, but in this book his friends learn to appreciate and value him for his unique abilities. Like with other Tacky books, adults can talk to children about how valuing everyone’s uniqueness is important. The vocabulary might be somewhat advanced for some readers, especially when the hunters show up and are using nonstandard English. The book does seem to assume that readers have already read other books about Tacky. The book has a little bit of an odd plot point for a children’s picture book (dangerous villains coming to rob the penguins), but fans of Halloween or Tacky’s previous books will enjoy this new spooky adventure.
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Without hesitation, Fun Home is clearly literature, and a brilliant example of it. Alison Bechdel does a phenomenal job developing her characters and their relationships with each other through the use of words, leaving the setting to be described through the use of visuals. Although a visual depiction is present, her writing is a necessary and effective tool in telling her story. Various definitions of the word “Literature” that I found online defined them differently. While one definition described it as “written works,” another said that literature is simply “books and writings.” Alison includes visuals in her memoir, but only as supplementary tools to help her achieve the best representation of her memory. An example of this would be her house. She could have used words to describe all of the rooms throughout the house, carefully describing each item in the house that was interesting, but instead chose to show drawings of the house and her presence in the house. Doing so allows her to let readers interpret the house and how she reacts to different parts of it by simply analyzing each picture, and how the narration above or within it correlates with the scene on that page.
A graphic memoir such as Fun Home has just as much of a right to be classified as literature as Lying by Lauren Slater. Prior to writing their books, Bechdel and Slater both chose different styles in which they would write their memoir. Since memoirs may be difficult for certain people due to their pasts, retelling the story is something that may not always be easy. In Bechdel’s case, she chose to write graphic memoir in which visuals supplement her narration. This is most likely because Bechdel found that the best way to share her story with the world was to use pictures to show her truest emotions and experience growing up.
Lastly, the importance of literature and the reason we study it so intensively, is the fact that there is something being produced whenever you read it. I’m taking about the production of thought. A large part of literature, along with literacy, is being able to comprehend words, along with reacting to them. The process or writing and reading is an endless circle of creation. Every time a writer writes something, someone else will read it and formulate their own thoughts on it. This chain is proof that something like Fun Home can be considered literature, along with any other piece of writing, even the Calvin & Hobbes comic strips you’ve read in the morning.
In my opinion, I think that words draw a dividing line between art and literature. Art can be a shoe, it can be a movie, it could be the way a tree blows in the wind. It can be the music in your ears when you walk to class, or it could be the sound of the keypads each time you press them when you’re in a silent room. I think you get the point. Art is subjective to each person, and no person can tell you what is art, and what is not. Literature is very similar in this creative aspect. The only difference that exists is that at least some form of writing needs to be included in a work for it to be considered literature. The basis of arguing what is art and what is literature is different, since all things can be considered art, while some things cannot be considered literature, based on a lack of words.
Visualize yourself walking back from class on a sidewalk, and you see a round rock on lying on the ground. it’s somewhat dirty, with a few cracks in it. You could look at it as art, and analyze the way it makes you feel, and even describe what certain features of the rock might represent in your life. Doing this justifies it as art. But since the rock has no words written on it, and there is no evidence of any diction, the rock cannot be considered literature. Creative Nonfiction combines both the basic understandings of art and literature, and combines them. Since art has no restrictions, artists can be free to do whatever it is they want. Creative Nonfiction writers work similarly, setting their own rules for how they tell their stories. Both artists, as well as creative nonfiction writers share similar criticism in their finished projects, because perception of it is subjective to the viewer/reader. So regardless if Lauren Slater’s metaphors caused a controversy over truth, or Alison Bechdel’s graphic novel is not seen by some as literature, it is evident that both are literary works in which the authors use creative and unconventional ways to recollect their memory, and to prove that the boundaries for a discipline should not be more important than the content it contains.
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The Hindu temple of Angkor Wat enshrines nearly 2000 portraits of ancient Khmer women documented here in the Angkor Wat Devata Inventory.
This article is based on research presented by Trudy Jacobsen in her book “Lost Goddesses: The Denial of Female Power in the History of Cambodia”.
Set like a gem among fertile ricefields, the 11th century Rajarani Temple is a breathtaking example of of Orissan style. It is also an immediate architectural predecessor of the Khmer Empire’s greatest monuments.
Just one hundred miles to the south, the Khmer civilization sanctified thousands of female images on the walls of their most important temples, both Hindu and Buddhist. But here, in what is now modern day Thailand, only two devata remain, fulfilling a mysterious spiritual mission long since forgotten.
Researcher Kent Davis theorizes that the many carved images of women found throughout the temple complex hold the key to the origins and purpose of the ancient monuments. Mysterious Khmer Devata Goddesses-Who were the Women of Angkor Wat?
Who were the six sisters of the Angkor Wat devata at Wat Athvea? South of Siem Reap the small temple enshrines six 12th century goddesses.
The vast temple of Angkor Wat protects a hidden treasure: portrait carvings of 1800 Cambodian women. Is this record an ancient Facebook?
3DreamTeam virtual reality innovators showcase technology to bring Angkor Wat 3D and other UNESCO world heritage sites to your computer.
An ancient Khmer image of a Tantric yogini –beautiful, wildly fierce sacred women– is a clue to Tantric rituals in Cambodian and Thailand.
The ancient queens of Jayavarman VII, Indradevi and Jayarajadevi, guided the Khmer civilization bringing education, health, spirituality and enlightenment to 12th century Southeast Asia.
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History of Oswego, Illinois
By Roger Matile
Located about 50 miles west of Chicago in Kendall County at the confluence of Waubonsie Creek and the Fox River, Oswego was settled, at least in part, for its transportation potential. A limestone shelf creates a natural, smooth-bottomed, ford across the river just above the mouth of the creek, making it a favored crossing, first for Native Americans and then for the American settlers who began arriving in the 1830s.
William Smith Wilson and his wife, Rebecca (Pearce) Wilson, were the first to settle where today's Oswego is located. Wilson and his brother-in-law, Daniel Pearce, scouted the area in 1832, and moved their families to their claims in 1833. Just two years later, in 1835, two newly arrived businessmen, Lewis Brinsmaid Judson and Levi F. Arnold, laid out the village of Oswego on land then still officially owned by the local Potowatomi, Ottawa, and Chippewa tribes. A year later, the U.S. Government removed the local Native Americans and began surveying land up and down the Fox River. Not until 1842 did the U.S. Government finally put the land up for sale at the established price of $1.25 per acre.
Judson and Arnold, both native New Yorkers, named their new village Hudson. When the U.S. Government established a post office in the new village in January 1837, it was named Lodi. Clarification was needed and later that same year, citizens gathered and picked a permanent name that was neither Hudson nor Lodi. Instead, they picked Oswego, another name familiar to the area's New York settlers.
The ford across the Fox River was an economic draw from the very beginning. Decoalia Towle and his wife Elizabeth established an inn and tavern at Oswego on the road to the ford, joining Arnold 's general store and post office ( Arnold served as the community's first postmaster), in Oswego 's growing business district. According to the chief of the crew surveying the area for the U.S. Government in 1837, Oswego consisted of about 30 wooden buildings that year. An early road from Joliet to Galena passed through Oswego , using the ford across the river. Another road, this one from Chicago to Ottawa on the Illinois River also passed through the village, as did a third major road that followed the Fox River north from Ottawa to the small village of La Fox.
In 1841, Kendall County was established with the county seat located in Yorkville. But by 1845, Oswego Township had enough population to win a referendum on moving the county seat to Oswego . The first term of the circuit court was held that year in the National Hotel. A few years later, a new courthouse was ready for use in Oswego . The county seat remained in Oswego until it was moved back to the more centrally located Yorkville in 1864 following a second referendum.
Although Oswego lost the county seat, the extension of the Fox River Branch of the Chicago Burlington & Quincy Railroad through the village in 1870 proved another economic boost. In 1900, the Aurora Elgin & Yorkville Railway, an interurban trolley line, made another connection to Oswego from Aurora to the north and Yorkville to the south.
With the advent of inexpensive automobiles in the early years of this century, and the paved roads they required, Oswego once again found itself to be a transportation hub where three state highways--Ill. Route 25, Ill. Route 71, and Ill. Route 31--originated and through which a U.S. highway--U.S. Route 34--passes. All four highways follow portions of the old stagecoach routes that originally passed through the village. And thanks to recent annexations, village limits have grown to include a portion of U.S. Route 30, increasing transportation options for residents and business owners.
For nearly a century after the removal of the county seat, Oswego was the mercantile hub of a large surrounding agricultural area. Then in the mid-1950s, Caterpillar, Inc. and Western Electric (then the telephone equipment manufacturing division of AT&T) announced plans to locate facilities within Oswego Township close to the village. Plans for the two large industrial plants led to the development of the sprawling Boulder Hill Subdivision in unincorporated Oswego Township just north of Oswego . For the next 40 years, Boulder Hill was the largest community in Kendall County.
Then in the mid 1980s, the homebuilding boom in Naperville and Aurora advanced west along the Route 34 corridor, and housing developments began springing up around Oswego . As the pace of development quickened in the late 1980s and early 1990s, Oswego began annexing contiguous properties as a way of exerting some control over the inevitable growth. The village limits extended west of the Fox River for the first time in its history, and also grew east and north to U.S. Route 30.
The village's population growth has been robust. In the 1990 U.S. Census, Oswego 's population stood at 3,875. Just seven years later, a special census showed its population had risen above 9,000, finally surpassing Boulder Hill and making it the largest community in Kendall County . In the 2000 census, Oswego 's population had grown to 13,326. Four years later, a special census counted nearly 20,000 residents living in Oswego 's municipal limits.
As Oswego continues to grow, its location on two rail lines, three state highways, and two U.S. highways, along with its continuing economic development and growth, the village is experiencing a period of rapid economic and population growth very similar to that which took place right after Judson and Arnold laid out their new town 160 years ago.
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Maintaining healthy hair is a key part of hair care which involves hygiene and the cosmetology of the human hair. Humans tend to have different hair care methods thus also having different tips on maintaining healthy hair. The ultimate goal of hair health is to reduce skin infections that tend to occur in hair growing parts of the human body. There are various tips and effective ways of maintaining healthy hair by an individual, they include the following:
Washing and drying
Effective washing of human hairs with shampoo along with other washing products, although washing is necessary it shouldn’t be done daily if is to maintain healthy hair. This tip entails
· Scalp massaging or smearing with shampoo for about 40 seconds before starting washing the hair. Massaging in a circulation motion helps in spreading out the shampoo and helps in reducing dandruff effects on the head.
· Using a conditioner. Conditioner is always used after shampoo use by pouring the conditioner to the tip of the hair .It’s meant to provide moisture thus making it softer and easy to manage while combing which lowers chances of damage of the hair. A leave –in conditioner can be used after shower by spraying it well, this make the hair pliable
· Also in the washing and drying an individual should avoid combing when the hair is wet as it becomes easy to break due to its stretching nature.
· Drying hair is a proper way by using a blow dryer is more effective rather wringing hair with a towel after shower. After using a blow dryer to dry, an individual should use a heat protection sprays.
Eat healthy foods and have a good diet
Most individual consider hair as reflection of the overall health of a person. Individual who eat a lot of junk foods and drink a lot of soft drinks have a higher probability of not having healthy hair, this particulars tips provide for the types of food that one should eat in order to have healthy hair
· Omega 3 is a fatty acid that ensures good skin, hair as well as the nails. Some of the foods rich in Omega 3 fatty acids are Flax seed oil, some types of fish, tuna and walnuts.
· Vitamins rich food with the vitamins B-6 and B-12 are also important for maintaining healthy hair. Vitamin B-6 can be found in spinach, white and sweet potatoes and bananas. Vitamin B-12 is largely found in dairy products which include milk, meat and fish.
· Avoid junk foods and drink a lot water and milk.
Using hair products
Products use is also another tip of maintaining healthy hair, these products are important in the way of protecting hair from drying up and protection from harmful UV rays. These products include
· Heat protectors, these products are used before subjecting an individual hair to high temperatures, these mostly are in spray form and moisturizes the hair also reduce breakage levels.one should also avoid daily activity of heat styling .UV protection and shielding products are also used.
· Serum use on wet hair before drying up ,it helps in minimizing frizzing chance and also making hair ore softer and a times more shiny.
· Masks are also used depending on an individual hair types ranging from oily hair to dry hair. Use of masks aids in provision of deep conditioning and also softening and enhancing the shininess of hair. Unmanufactured masks commonly used are avocado, honey, Oliver oil, eggs and almond.
Other basic hair health maintenance tips
· Cutting or trimming regularly or from 6-8 weeks
· Avoiding junk foods, smoking and a lot of caffeine.
· Stress management
The above tips are more many other tips of keeping an individual hair healthy. Well maintained and healthy hair tends to have attracting effects especially if maintained by celebrities and models. Tips of keeping hair healthy have numerous dwpthus providing for an easier understanding of the healthy hair tips.
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‘Obama has the constitutional authority to strike Syria. He doesn’t need Congress. The Commander-in-Chief gets to decide with whom and where we go to war. That is exactly how the Founding Fathers intended it.’
- Myriad posters on HotAir.com and other sites yesterday
Not exactly, as the minutes of the Constitutional Convention of 1787 demonstrate:
‘Mr MADISON and Mr GERRY moved to insert ‘declare,’ striking out ‘make’ war, LEAVING TO THE EXECUTIVE THE POWER TO REPEL SUDDEN ATTACKS.’
- Minutes from the Constitutional Convention, 17 August 1787
The Framers’ entire purpose by substituting ‘declare’ for ‘make’ was to prevent the Executive from waging war without authorisation and unilaterally. They understood the need for the President to act quickly when the nation’s defence and security was at stake…in the case of an invasion or sudden attack on American interests…and gave him that authority, but they did NOT give him the power to wage war, unilaterally or with the cooperation of the world, preemptively, or to save face.
As you can see from the following quote by Charles Pinkney was in the small minority arguing for the placement of unilateral power to make war to be placed in the hands of the President solely.
‘Mr Pinkney opposed the vesting this power in the Legislature. Its proceedings were too slow. It wd. meet but once a year. The Hs. of Reps. would be too numerous for such deliberations. The Senate would be the best depositary, being more acquainted with foreign affairs, and most capable of proper resolutions. If the States are equally represented in Senate, so as to give no advantage to large States, the power will notwithstanding be safe, as the small have their all at stake in such cases as well as the large States. It would be singular for one authority to make war, and another peace.’
- Minutes from the Constitutional Convention, 17 August 1787
South Carolina’s Pierce Butler also argued that the Executive be given the authority to ‘make war.’
In addressing both Pinkney and Butler, Elbridge Gerry spoke for the majority. Before the vote that would make the change he and Madison requested, he stood before the body and said:
‘[I] never expected to hear in a republic a motion to empower the Executive alone to declare war.’
The proposal of Butler and Pinkney was summarily rejected by the Constitutional Convention, which is why the Constitution grants:
Article I, Section 8:
The Congress shall have power…
[To declare war, grant letters of marque and reprisal, and make rules concerning captures on land and water;
To provide for calling forth the militia to execute the laws of the union, suppress insurrections and repel invasions
Furthermore, Article II, Section 2, Clause 1 states:
The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States, when called into the actual Service of the United States; he may require the Opinion, in writing, of the principal Officer in each of the executive Departments, upon any Subject relating to the Duties of their respective Offices, and he shall have Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offenses against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment.
If Article II, Section 2, Clause 1 gave the Commander-in-Chief the sole authority to decide when and where to use the military against foreign states, especially, there would be no need for the language in Article I, Section 8.
Madison reported that in the Federal Convention of 1787, THE PHRASE ‘MAKE WAR’ WAS CHANGED TO ‘DECLARE WAR’ IN ORDER TO LEAVE TO THE EXECUTIVE THE POWER TO REPEL SUDDEN ATTACKS, BUT NOT TO COMMENCE WAR WITHOUT THE EXPLICIT APPROVAL OF CONGRESS.
And, one wonders whether the Framers would have given the Executive the power in even such cases had they enjoyed the same transportation, communication, and technological conveniences that we have today, but that's speculation for another day.
If those that believe the definitions of ‘war,’ ‘making war,’ or ‘declaring war’ have somehow changed over the last two-plus centuries, as apparently and unfortunately some do, then read the Founders’ words themselves:
'THE CONSTITUTION VESTS THE POWER OF DECLARING WAR IN CONGRESS; THEREFORE NO OFFENCIVE EXPEDITION OF IMPORTANCE CAN BE UNDERTAKEN UNTIL AFTER THEY SHALL HAVE DELIBERATED UPON THE SUBJECT AND AUTHORISED SUCH A MEASURE.'
- President George Washington, 1793
‘The Constitution supposes, what the History of all Governments demonstrates, that the Executive is the branch of power most interested in war, and most prone to it. It has accordingly with studied care vested the question of war in the Legislature.’
- James Madison in a letter to Thomas Jefferson, 1789
'The power to declare war, including the power of judging the causes of war, is FULLY AND EXCLUSIVELY vested in the legislature . . . the executive has no right, in any case, to decide the question, whether there is or is not cause for declaring war.'
- Thomas Jefferson, 1793
‘This system will not hurry us into war; it is calculated to guard against it. It will not be in the power of a single man, or a single body of men, to involve us in such distress; for the important power of declaring war is vested in the legislature at large: this declaration must be made with the concurrence of the House of Representatives: from this circumstance we may draw a certain conclusion that nothing but our interest can draw us into war.’
- James Wilson to the Pennsylvania Ratifying Convention
‘In most of these particulars, the power of the President will resemble equally that of the king of Great Britain and of the governor of New York. The most material points of difference are these: -- First. The President will have only the occasional command of such part of the militia of the nation as by legislative provision may be called into the actual service of the Union. The king of Great Britain and the governor of New York have at all times the entire command of all the militia within their several jurisdictions. In this article, therefore, the power of the President would be inferior to that of either the monarch or the governor. Second. The President is to be commander-in-chief of the army and navy of the United States. In this respect his authority would be nominally the same with that of the king of Great Britain, but in substance much inferior to it. It would amount to nothing more than the supreme command and direction of the military and naval forces, as first General and admiral of the Confederacy; while that of the British king extends to the declaring of war and to the raising and regulating of fleets and armies -- ALL WHICH, BY THE CONSTITUTION UNDER CONSIDERATION, WOULD APPERTAIN TO THE LEGISLATURE. The governor of New York, on the other hand, is by the constitution of the State vested only with the command of its militia and navy. But the constitutions of several of the States expressly declare their governors to be commanders-in-chief, as well of the army as navy; and it may well be a question, whether those of New Hampshire and Massachusetts, in particular, do not, in this instance, confer larger powers upon their respective governors, than could be claimed by a President of the United States.’
- Alexander Hamilton, a proponent of the centralisation of power in the Federal government, a supporter of a very strong Executive, and a Nationalist, if there ever was one, Federalist #69
Hamilton was quite emphatic in his orations and words that the President, although unauthorised to 'declare war,' would be empowered over 'the direction of war when authorised or begun' as Commander-in-Chief. Further, as I wrote above, Hamilton, who once even argued that the United States should have a King so he was no shrinking violet when it came to the idea of Utilitarianism being invested in the Executive, specifically acknowledged that a President, unilaterally, was only empowered to 'repel sudden attacks' on the nation, its military, or its interests. The decision to 'declare war' was given to the Congress leaving the President the necessary emergency power to act militarily in the case of a foreign attack. Of course the FDR could legally order the US military to return fire at Pearl Harbour - but, you'll notice that he went to Congress to seek a Declaration of War on Japan within 24 hours and received it. Of course the President could order airstrikes in immediate retaliation for a foreign power's attack on an American Embassy. No one is arguing otherwise.
Even Abraham Lincoln, who dealt with the most serious threat to the continued existence of the United States some three score and twelve years later and who had his own problems with abiding by the Constitution (see Ex Parte Milligan, for example) disagreed that the President could ‘declare war’ or even ‘make war’:
‘To allow the President to invade a neighboring nation, whenever he shall deem it necessary to repel an invasion, and you allow him to do so, whenever he may choose to say he deems it necessary for such purpose — and you allow him to make war at pleasure…. Study to see if you can fix any limit to his power in this respect, after you have given him so much as you propose. If, to-day, he should choose to say he thinks it necessary to invade Canada, to prevent the British from invading us, how could you stop him? You may say to him, ‘I see no probability of the British invading us’ but he will say to you ‘be silent; I see it, if you don’t.
The provision of the Constitution giving the war-making power to Congress, was dictated, as I understand it, by the following reasons. Kings had always been involving and impoverishing their people in wars, pretending generally, if not always, that the good of the people was the object. This, our Convention understood to be the most oppressive of all Kingly oppressions; and they resolved to so frame the Constitution that no one man should hold the power of bringing this oppression upon us. But your view destroys the whole matter, and places our President where kings have always stood.’
- President Abraham Lincoln
As Constitutional attorney and expert, Bruce Fein, has written:
'The authors of the United States Constitution manifestly intended Article I, Section VIII, Clause XI to fasten exclusive responsibility and authority on the Congress to decide whether to undertake offensive military action.'
And, the spotlight on 'offencive military action' quite naturally leads us to the next argument...
‘There is a good reason Thomas jefferson did not ask Congress for authorization when he sent 2/3′s of the Navy/Marines into the ‘Shores of Tripoli’ and started a long war with the Barbary Pirates and their State Sponsors.’
- jp on September 4, 2013 at 4:48 PM
Seriously? And, you have claimed to be a historian on this matter...
Let’s start with this one since you claim Jefferson didn’t ask Congress for authorisation:
‘I communicate [to you] all material information on this subject, that in the exercise of this important function confided by the Constitution to the Legislature exclusively their judgment may form itself on a knowledge and consideration of every circumstance of weight...CONSIDERING THAT CONGRESS ALONE IS CONSTITUTIONALLY INVESTED WITH THE POWER OF CHANGING OUR CONDITION FROM PEACE TO WAR, I HAVE THOUGHT IT MY DUTY TO AWAIT THEIR AUTHORITY FOR USING FORCE IN ANY DEGREE WHICH COULD BE AVOIDED.'
- President Thomas Jefferson to Congress on the subject of the Pasha’s DOW and the actions of the Barbary Pirates
Second, Jefferson did not declare war in response to the Pasha’s declaration or act preemptively. He ordered ships to be armed AS A MEASURE OF SELF-DEFENCE.
Third, Congress approved an AUMF on 6 February 1802.
So that there is no mistake in understanding how Jefferson understood the power to declare war, let us turn to his own words from 1805:
‘[…when Spain appeared to have an] intention to advance on our possessions until they shall be repressed by an opposing force. Considering that Congress alone is constitutionally invested with the power of changing our condition from peace to war, I have thought it my duty to await their authority for using force…. But the course to be pursued will require the command of means which it belongs to Congress exclusively to yield or to deny. To them I communicate every fact material for their information and the documents necessary to enable them to judge for themselves. To their wisdom, then, I look for the course I am to pursue, and will pursue with sincere zeal that which they shall approve.’
‘War Powers resolution allows the President to use military force for 60 days without authorization or declaration of war by Congress…’
- mnjg on September 5, 2013 at 1:42 PM
First, let’s look at what the War Powers Resolution Act actually says with regard to its purpose and policy:
(a) Congressional declaration
It is the purpose of this chapter to fulfill the intent of the framers of the Constitution of the United States and insure that the collective judgment of both the Congress and the President will apply to the introduction of United States Armed Forces INTO HOSTILITIES, OR INTO SITUATIONS WHERE IMMINENT INVOLVEMENT IN HOSTILITIES IS CLEARLY INDICATED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES, and to the continued use of such forces in hostilities or in such situations.
(b) Congressional legislative power under necessary and proper clause
Under article I, section 8, of the Constitution, it is specifically provided that the Congress shall have the power to make all laws necessary and proper for carrying into execution, not only its own powers but also all other powers vested by the Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any department or officer hereof.
(c) Presidential executive power as Commander-in-Chief; LIMITATION
The constitutional powers of the President as Commander-in-Chief to introduce United States Armed Forces into hostilities, or into situations where imminent involvement in hostilities is clearly indicated by the circumstances, are exercised only pursuant to:
(1) a declaration of war,
(2) specific statutory authorization, or
(3) a national emergency created by attack upon the United States, its territories or possessions, or its armed forces.
Has Syria declared war on the United States?
No, but AQ has and it is part of the ‘rebels’ of whom we are asked to arm and assist.
Is there yet any specific statutory authorisation for airstrikes on Syria?
Has a national emergency been created by an attack from Syria upon the United States, its territories or possessions, or its armed forces?
Second, the War Powers Resolution Act, which was only passed after Congress repealed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution and President Nixon continued military engagement in Vietnam, has been argued by every President since - and many scholars – to be unconstitutional. Fine. Let them bring it before the Court and have it finally sorted out. You'll notice that they haven't and, perhaps, it is because of what the Supreme Court has already said:
'It is the exclusive province of Congress to change a state of peace into a state of war.'
- Justice William Paterson writing for the Court in United States v Smith, 1806
Now, there are those that claim both the Iraq and Afghanistan wars were illegal because Congress never 'declared war' on either country. The fact of the matter is that neither the Constitution nor Federal law stipulate the form in which a declaration of war from Congress must take. So, if Congress must formally declare war, then it is sort of strange that there wasn't a DECLARATION OF WAR for the First Barbary War, which occurred during Jefferson's Presidency, and the Second Barbary War, which occurred during Madison's administration, given that the former is considered the Father of the Declaration of Independence, in which the abuses of the King (a utilitarian executive) were cited at length, and the latter is called the Father of the Constitution because he was its primary author and, presumably, knew exactly what was intended by it. Rather than issuing formal declarations in either, Congress passed AUMFs for both.
Ron Paul and many Paulistinians joined with a plethora of Democrats, including quite a few of those who actually voted for both resolutions, to claim that both Afghanistan and Iraq were illegal wars. (I opposed both the Afghan ground war and the Iraq War, but neither was illegal.) Yet, like both Barbary Wars, Congress granted AUTHORISATION to the President to wage war for both. As the court ruled in Doe v Bush, 323 F.3d 133 (1st Cir. 2003), concerning the Iraq War:
'[T]he text of the October Resolution itself spells out justifications for a war and frames itself as an 'authorisation' of such a war.'
The Supreme Court denied cert effectively agreeing with the First Circuit Court of Appeals. Thus, neither the Constitution nor Federal law requires a formal 'declaration of war,' i.e., a document entitled as such, but, as the War Powers Resolution Act makes clear - for those of whom the Constitution didn't already - the only power that a President has to wage war is that, specifically, recognised by Congress.
As Garrett Epps wrote in The Atlantic several days ago – and I concur:
‘U.S. citizens and military personnel are not under attack. It is not a split-second emergency. The President does not face a request from the Security Council, NATO, the Arab League or even the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States.
This is precisely the kind of situation for which the Framers of our Constitution designed its division of authority between President and Congress. Sending our missiles against Syria is an act of war. If it is to be done, Congress, not the president, should approve.’
America has not been attacked by President Bashar al-Assad.
US citizens have not been attacked by the Syrian government save for the idiotic American jihadis that flew over to join Al-Nusra, the rebel group affiliated with Al-Qaeda. Do we have a duty to protect their fellow travellers? Not ‘No.’ Not ‘Hell No.’ But, ‘FUCK NO!’ To argue otherwise would be to claim that FDR should have intervened in the Spanish Civil War to protect a few American Communists, who decided to go fight Franco, or refrained from bombing Japan because Tokyo Rose might break a fingernail. These are ‘innocent’ Americans about which we are talking. They have picked up guns and joined in another country’s civil war. Call their deaths or maiming ‘assumption of the risk’ that goes along with putting yourself on a civil war battlefield in another country in which your native land is uninvolved.
The American military is not under attack nor is there a high probability of a preemptive attack by Syria. Assad might be a ‘thug’ and a ‘murderer,’ but he’s not stupid, which is an excellent reason not to rule out the rebels, who have been caught with sarin gas previously, as those responsible for the attack that, allegedly, has Obama’s knickers in a twist. Neither is Putin or Iran.
If a President believes he can, unilaterally, do whatever he wants with OUR (not ‘his’) military, then he needs to declare martial law, suspend the Constitution, and see how that works out for him...and, I’ll bet that that it won’t turn out well.
PS: Here are the minutes from 17 August 1789. I want you all to read them so that you can understand clearly what happened that day and exactly what the Framers intended:
Tuesday August 17, 1787 [FN1]
Art VII. Sect. 1. [FN1], [FN2] resumed. on the clause "to appoint [FN3] Treasurer by ballot."
Mr. GHORUM moved to insert "joint" before ballot, as more convenient as well as reasonable, than to require the separate concurrence of the Senate.
Mr. PINKNEY 2ds. the motion. Mr. SHERMAN opposed it as favoring the larger States.
Mr. READ moved to strike out the clause, leaving the appointment of the Treasurer as of other officers to the Executive. The Legislature was an improper body for appointments. Those of the State legislatures were a proof of it. The Executive being responsible would make a good choice.
Mr. MERCER 2ds. the motion of Mr. Read.
On the motion for inserting the word "joint" before ballot N. H. ay. Mas. ay. Ct. no. N. J. no. Pa. ay. Md. no. Va. ay. N. C. ay. S. C. ay. Geo. ay. [FN4]
Col. MASON in opposition to Mr. Reads motion desired it might be considered to whom the money would belong; if to the people, the legislature representing the people ought to appoint the keepers of it.
On striking out the clause as amended by inserting "Joint" N. H. no. Mas. no. Ct. no. Pa. ay. Del. ay. Md. ay. Va. no. N. C. no. S. C. ay. Geo. no. [FN5]
[FN6] "To constitute inferior tribunals" [FN7] agreed to nem. con. [FN8]
"To make rules as to captures on land & water"-do. d [FN9] [FN6] "To declare the law and punishment of piracies and felonies &c" &c [FN10] considered.
Mr. MADISON moved to strike out "and punishment" &c. [FN11]
Mr. MASON doubts the safety of it, considering the strict rule of construction in criminal cases. He doubted also the propriety of taking the power in all these cases wholly from the States.
Mr. GOVERNR. MORRIS thought it would be necessary to extend the authority farther, so as to provide for the punishment of counterfeiting in general. Bills of exchange for example might be forged in one State and carried into another: It was suggested by some other member that foreign paper might be counterfeited by Citizens; and that it might be politic to provide by national authority for the punishment of it.
Mr. RANDOLPH did not conceive that expunging "the punishment" would be a constructive exclusion of the power. He doubted only the efficacy of the word "declare."
Mr. WILSON was in favor of the motion. Strictness was not necessary in giving authority to enact penal laws; though necessary in enacting & expounding them.
On motion [FN12] for striking out "and punishment" as moved by Mr. Madison
N. H. no. Mas. ay. Ct. no. Pa. ay. Del. ay. Md. no. Va. ay. N. C. ay. S. C. ay. Geo. ay. [FN13]
Mr. Govr. MORRIS moved to strike out "declare the law" and insert "punish" before "piracies." and on the question N. H. ay. Mas. ay. Ct. no. Pa. ay. Del. ay. Md. ay. Va. no. N. C. no. S. C. ay. Geo. ay. [FN14]
Mr. MADISON, and Mr. RANDOLPH moved to insert, "define &," before "punish."
Mr. WILSON, thought "felonies" sufficiently defined by common law.
Mr. DICKENSON concurred with Mr. Wilson.
Mr. MERCER was in favor of the amendment.
Mr. MADISON. felony at common law is vague. It is also defective. One defect is supplied by Stat: of Anne as to running away with vessels which at common law was a breach of trust only. Besides no foreign law should be a standard farther than [FN15] is expressly adopted-If the laws of the States were to prevail on this subject, the citizens of different States would be subject to different punishments for the same offence at sea. There would be neither uniformity nor stability in the law-The proper remedy for all these difficulties was to vest the power proposed by the term "define" in the Natl. legislature.
Mr. Govr. MORRIS would prefer designate to define, the latter being as he he conceived, limited to the preexisting meaning.- It was said by others to be applicable to the creating of offences also, and therefore suited the case both of felonies & of piracies. The motion of Mr. M. & Mr. R was agreed to.
Mr. ELSEWORTH enlarged the motion so as to read "to define and punish piracies and felonies committed on the high seas, counterfeiting the securities and current coin of the U. States, and offences agst. the law of Nations" which was agreed to nem. con.
[FN16] "To subdue a rebellion in any State, on the application of its legislature." [FN17]
Mr. PINKNEY moved to strike out "on the application of its legislature"
Mr. Govr. MORRIS 2ds.
Mr. L. MARTIN opposed it as giving a dangerous & unnecessary power. The consent of the State ought to precede the introduction of any extraneous force whatever.
Mr. MERCER supported the opposition of Mr. Martin.
Mr. ELSEWORTH proposed to add after "legislature" "or Executive."
Mr. Govr. MORRIS. The Executive may possibly be at the head of the Rebellion. The Genl. Govt. should enforce obedience in all cases where it may be necessary.
Mr. ELSEWORTH. In many cases The Genl. Govt. ought not to be able to interpose, unless called upon. He was willing to vary his motion so as to read, "or without it when the legislature cannot meet."
Mr. GERRY was agst. letting loose the myrmidons of the U. States on a State without its own consent. The States will be the best Judges in such cases. More blood would have been spilt in Massts. in the late insurrection, if the Genl. authority had intermeddled.
Mr. LANGDON was for striking out as moved by Mr. Pinkney. The apprehension of the national force, will have a salutary effect in preventing insurrections.
Mr. RANDOLPH. If the Natl. Legislature is to judge whether the State legislature can or cannot meet, that amendment would make the clause as objectionable as the motion of Mr. Pinkney.
Mr. Govr. MORRIS. We are acting a very strange part. We first form a strong man to protect us, and at the same time wish to tie his hands behind him, The legislature may surely be trusted with such a power to preserve the public tranquility.
On the motion to add "or without it [application] when the legislature cannot meet" [FN18]
N. H. ay. Mas. no. Ct. ay. Pa. divd. Del. no. Md. no. Va. ay. N. C. divd. S. C. ay. Geo. ay. [FN19] So agreed to- [FN20]
Mr. MADISON and Mr. DICKENSON moved to insert as explanatory, after "State"- "against the Government thereof" There might be a rebellion agst. the U. States-which [FN21] was Agreed to nem. con.
On the clause as amended N. H. ay. Mas [FN22] abst. Ct. ay. Pen. abst. Del. no. Md. no. Va. ay. N. C. no. S. C. no. Georg. ay-so it was lost. [FN23]
[FN24] "To make war"
Mr. PINKNEY opposed the vesting this power in the Legislature. Its proceedings were too slow. It wd. meet but once a year. The Hs. of Reps. would be too numerous for such deliberations. The Senate would be the best depositary, being more acquainted with foreign affairs, and most capable of proper resolutions. If the States are equally represented in [FN25] Senate, so as to give no advantage to [FN25] large States, the power will notwithstanding be safe, as the small have their all at stake in such cases as well as the large States. It would be singular for one authority to make war, and another peace.
Mr. BUTLER. The objections agst. the Legislature lie in [FN26] great degree agst. the Senate. He was for vesting the power in the President, who will have all the requisite qualities, and will not make war but when the Nation will support it. Mr. MADISON and Mr. GERRY moved to insert "declare," striking out "make" war; leaving to the Executive the power to repel sudden attacks.
Mr. SHARMAN thought it stood very well. The Executive shd. be able to repel and not to commence war. "Make" [FN27] better than "declare" the latter narrowing the power too much.
Mr. GERRY never expected to hear in a republic a motion to empower the Executive alone to declare war.
Mr. ELSWORTH. there is a material difference between the cases of making war and making peace. It shd. be more easy to get out of war, than into it. War also is a simple and overt declaration. peace attended with intricate & secret negociations.
Mr. MASON was agst. giving the power of war to the Executive, because not safely to be trusted with it; or to the Senate, because not so constructed as to be entitled to it. He was for clogging rather than facilitating war; but for facilitating peace. He preferred "declare" to "make."
On the motion to insert declare-in place of make, it was agreed to. N. H. no. Mas. abst. Cont. no. [FN29] Pa. ay. Del. ay. Md.
ay. Va. ay. N. C. ay. S. C. ay. Geo. ay. [FN31]
Mr. PINKNEY'S motion to strike out [FN32] whole clause, [FN33] disagd. to without call of States.
Mr. BUTLER moved to give the Legislature [FN32] power of peace, as they were to have that of war.
Mr. GERRY 2ds. him. 8 Senators may possibly exercise the power if vested in that body, and 14 if all should be present; and may consequently give up part of the U. States. The Senate are more liable to be corrupted by an Enemy than the whole Legislature.
On the motion for adding "and peace" after "war" [FN34] N. H. no. Mas. no. Ct. no. Pa. no. Del. no. Md. no. Va. no. N. C. no S. C. no. Geo. no. [FN35]
FN1 See ante.
FN2 The word "was" is here inserted in the transcript.
FN3 The word "a" is here inserted in the transcript.
FN4 In the transcript the vote reads: "New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, aye-7; Connecticut, New Jersey, Maryland, no-3."
FN5 In the transcript the vote reads: "Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, South Carolina, aye-4; New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, no-6."
FN6 The words "The clause" are here inserted in the transcript.
FN7 The word "was" is here inserted in the transcript.
FN8 The phrase "as also the clause" is here inserted in the transcript.
FN9 The words "do. do." are omitted in the transcript.
FN10 The word "being" is here inserted in the transcript.
FN11 In the transcript the following phrase is here added: "after the words, ' To declare the law."'
FN12 The words "the question" are substituted in the transcript for "motion."
FN13 In the transcript the vote reads: "Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, aye-7; New Hampshire, Connecticut, Maryland, no-3."
FN14 In the transcript the vote reads: "New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, South Carolina, Georgia, aye-7; Connecticut, Virginia, North Carolina, no-3."
FN15 The word "it" is here inserted in the transcript.
FN16 The words "The clause" are here inserted in the transcript.
FN17 The phrase "was next considered" is here inserted in the transcript.
FN18 The phrase "it was agreed to" is here added in the transcript.
FN19 In the transcript the vote reads: "New Hampshire, Connecticut, Virginia, South Carolina, Georgia, aye-5; Massachusetts, Delaware, Maryland, no-3; Pennsylvania, North Carolina, divided."
FN20 The words "So agreed to" are omitted in the transcript.
FN21 The words "The motion" are substituted in the transcript for "which."
FN22 In the printed Journal, Mas. no.
FN23 In the transcript the vote reads: "New Hampshire, Connecticut, Virginia, Georgia, aye-4; Delaware, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, no-4; Massachusetts, [FN22] Pennsylvania, absent. So it was lost."
FN24 The words "The elause" are here inserted in the transcript.
FN25 The word "the" is here inserted in the transcript.
FN26 The word "a" is here inserted in the transcript.
FN27 The word "is" is here inserted in the transcript.
FN28 The transcript here inserts the following: "Connecticut voted in the negative; but."
FN29 On the remark by Mr. King that "make" war might be understood to "conduct" it which was an Executive function, Mr. Elseworth gave up his objection, and the vote of Cont. [FN30] was changed to-ay.
FN30 The words "of Cont. are omittd in the transcript.
FN31 In the transcript the vote reads: "Connecticut, [FN29] Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, aye-8; New Hampshire, no-1; Massachusetts, absent."
FN32 The word "the" is here inserte in the transcript.
FN34 The transcript here adds the following: "it was unanimously negatived."
Note: 'Artistic licence' was taken with the incredible Michael Ramirez's cartoon.
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Texting and Driving: A Dangerous Combo
While cell phones have been around for three decades, the dangers of texting while driving have become more alarming in recent years. We’ve made cell phones an important part of our everyday lives, using them to make phone calls, text, play, send emails, establish face to face conversations, as GPS devices, as music devices, and so much more.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, driver distraction caused 18 percent of all fatal crashes in 2010. Every time we use the cell phone while behind the wheel, we not only risk our own lives but also the lives of others. And while teenagers are more vulnerable to engage in distracting activities while driving (According to a survey, 11% of drivers 18-20 years old who were involved in a car accident admitted they were using their phones when the incident happened), everybody is vulnerable to being seduced by our cherished phones.
According to the Governors Highway Safety Association, 41 states and D.C. have completely banned texting and driving. The exceptions are Arizona, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Carolina and South Dakota. This means our country has a long way to go in terms of text and driving laws.
The easiest way to avoid an accident is to prevent distractions. Keep these in mind:
- Turn off your phone. Getting messages, calls and notifications while driving can be very distracting. And even if you don’t act upon those alerts, you’ll still be wondering what it is about and be tempted to take a look.
- Stop to answer. If you must pick up the phone or answer an urgent message, pull over.
- Use your passengers. If you’re traveling with more people, ask one of them to read the messages or answer the phone for you.
- Know your state laws. This way you will have an extra incentive to keep distractions away.
- Nothing is worth an accident. Not even the best or worst of news. Everything can wait. We promise.
Texting while driving is not multitasking. It is an irresponsible activity that endangers your safety and the safety of others. Taking your eyes off the road, even for a split second, could be fatal. If you have teens at home that are just learning how to drive, show them the numbers, teach them consequences and lead by example.
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The adoption of healthful lifestyles by individuals and families can result in a reduction in many chronic diseases and conditions of which obesity is the most prevalent. Obesity prevention, in addition to treatment, is an important public health priority. This clinical report describes the rationale for pediatricians to be an integral part of the obesity-prevention effort. In addition, the 2012 Institute of Medicine report “Accelerating Progress in Obesity Prevention” includes health care providers as a crucial component of successful weight control. Research on obesity prevention in the pediatric care setting as well as evidence-informed practical approaches and targets for prevention are reviewed. Pediatricians should use a longitudinal, developmentally appropriate life-course approach to help identify children early on the path to obesity and base prevention efforts on family dynamics and reduction in high-risk dietary and activity behaviors. They should promote a diet free of sugar-sweetened beverages, of fewer foods with high caloric density, and of increased intake of fruits and vegetables. It is also important to promote a lifestyle with reduced sedentary behavior and with 60 minutes of daily moderate to vigorous physical activity. This report also identifies important gaps in evidence that need to be filled by future research.
- AAP —
- American Academy of Pediatrics
Introduction and Rationale for Obesity Prevention
This clinical report updates and replaces the 2003 American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) policy statement “Prevention of Pediatric Overweight and Obesity”1 and complements the AAP-endorsed 2007 expert committee “Recommendations for Prevention of Childhood Obesity”2 and the chapter “Promoting Healthy Weight” in the 2008 third edition of Bright Futures: Prevention and Health Promotion for Infants, Children, Adolescents, and Their Families.3 Since 2003, much has been written in the scientific literature and the lay press regarding childhood obesity. The prevalence of pediatric obesity has increased significantly (two- to threefold, depending on the age group) in the past few decades in the United States and in other countries.4–6 Because of the numerous medical and psychosocial complications of childhood obesity and the burden of pediatric obesity on current and future health care costs, this condition is now recognized as a public health priority by many groups and experts.7–13 Although treatment of obesity in the pediatric age group, as well as secondary and tertiary prevention, will remain a key component of a comprehensive strategy to address this public health problem, the results of treatment remain modest, and primary prevention is recognized as a critical part of a sustainable solution.8,9,12 It is also increasingly recognized that both clinical interventions and supportive institutional and community environments are required to adopt more healthful lifestyles for the prevention of obesity and other noncommunicable diseases.9,14–19 For example, a comprehensive review of strategies for obesity prevention in the United Kingdom concluded that “the deceptively simple issue of encouraging physical activity and modifying dietary habits, in reality, raises complex social and economic questions about the need to reshape public policy in food production, food manufacturing, healthcare, retail, education, culture and trade.”14
Pediatricians can and should play an important role in obesity prevention because they are in a unique position to partner with families and patients and to influence key components of the broader strategy of developing community support. Prevention of obesity is clearly not only the responsibility of pediatricians but of all elements of society, including the public and the private sectors. Unlike most schools, community-based organizations, or governmental programs, pediatricians often follow children over a long period of time, sometimes from fetal life through college, giving them a unique long-term perspective in preventing chronic conditions such as obesity. Furthermore, pediatricians, in the context of the medical home, have a family-centered perspective and are seen by families as a reliable source of health advice and as experts in developmentally appropriate approaches to prevention. This clinical report reviews the role of the pediatrician in practice and in the community as a behavior-change agent and advocate for healthful lifestyles for the prevention of childhood obesity. It is not a systematic review of evidence but rather an assessment of the best-available evidence that weighs the potential benefits of possible interventions. This report also focuses on clinical practice. However, the role that a pediatrician can play in the community is also critical. Although the role of pediatricians as advocates for community and policy changes is not reviewed in detail here, resources to assist pediatricians in this role can be found on the AAP Institute for Healthy Childhood Weight Web site (http://ihcw.aap.org).20
Individual/Clinical Approaches to Obesity Prevention
The prevention of childhood obesity has been the subject of many research studies, reviews, and guidelines, primarily in the school or community setting, and these studies were taken into consideration for this report.2,9,21–25 However, little is known about the feasibility, effectiveness, and cost of childhood obesity prevention in the primary care setting. Because research on pediatric obesity treatment began earlier than the research on pediatric obesity prevention, and because more data are available on treatment, many of the tools and behavior targets used for prevention derive from our knowledge of treatment. Because the motivation for prevention differs from that for treatment, and because an individual with obesity frequently differs metabolically from a person of healthy weight, this approach may have limitations that further increase the challenges of obesity prevention in a clinical setting designed for treatment. Despite these limitations, obesity-prevention strategies in the pediatric clinical setting can be informed by findings about obesity treatment, obesity prevention in other settings, and obesity prevention among adults.
Several studies have examined the efficacy of obesity prevention in pediatric primary care settings. Patrick et al26 used a randomized controlled design to compare a control intervention unrelated to obesity to a 12-month, theory-based intervention aimed at reducing sedentary behavior, promoting physical activity, and promoting healthier nutrition. The intervention was initiated in primary care but, after the initial primary care visit, was delivered by research staff by phone and mail. The intervention improved self-reported sedentary behavior, improved fruit and vegetable intake, and increased objectively measured physical activity among boys only. In a pilot study that used a natural experiment design, Kubik et al27 showed that another practice-based intervention successfully increased parental intent to give their children 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day. In a 6-month nonrandomized feasibility study, Schwartz et al28 used primary care–based motivational interviewing to improve eating and sedentary behaviors. The intervention was found to be feasible; parents reported that it helped them change family eating habits, but no significant effect on BMI was observed. Furthermore, the drop-out rate was much higher in the more intensive intervention than in the minimal intervention or the control group. Ford et al29 showed in a randomized controlled pilot and feasibility trial that a primary care–based behavioral intervention was successful not only at decreasing television watching but also at increasing organized physical activity.
A brief review of obesity treatment in the pediatric primary care literature showed mixed but promising results. Two randomized trials found promising results with group differences in BMI.30,31 Two other uncontrolled feasibility treatment studies also had promising results.32,33 In contrast, 2 large Australian primary care–based obesity-treatment interventions proved ineffective at improving BMI and were costly to both the health system and families.34–36 However, a more recent randomized controlled trial in 41 pediatric practices participating in Pediatric Research in Office Settings revealed significant reductions in BMI using motivational interviewing delivered by pediatricians, with a larger reduction when motivational interviewing was delivered to the patient by both the pediatrician and the dietitian.37
These studies have suggested that obesity-prevention or -treatment interventions in primary care are feasible and may result in behavioral change, but their effect on excessive weight gain is uncertain. The lack of feasible and effective obesity-prevention strategies in primary care constitutes an important research gap.38 One reason for this gap is the lack of reimbursement for obesity-prevention efforts in the primary care setting. Additional gaps include studies to assess whether successful prevention strategies implemented in other settings (including interventions aimed at changing the food and activity environment) can be translated to the pediatric primary care setting. Areas of needed research include behavioral approaches for prevention in the pediatric primary care setting and the optimal format for obesity prevention in this setting (group versus individual, intervention by primary care staff versus outside staff), the length and intensity of effective interventions, and the level of resources required for effective interventions. Although research is still ongoing, it is important to emphasize that there is enough evidence to show that prevention in primary care has been successful in increasing healthy nutrition and activity behavior, which is sufficient justification for pediatricians to develop the necessary skills to perform these activities as part of their practice.
Practical Approaches to Prevention: Strategies To Implement Prevention
Most of the approaches and targets described in this section are derived from research on obesity prevention in other settings and age groups, on obesity treatment, or on the prevention of other conditions in pediatric and other primary care settings. They represent the best-available evidence informing clinical practice.
Regardless of the strategy used for prevention, it cannot be overemphasized that prevention should be tailored to the child’s developmental stage, as well as to family characteristics.39 Because pediatric primary care providers follow children longitudinally, they often know families for a long time and are aware of the families’ characteristics that are relevant to the tailoring of prevention interventions. They are also well positioned to deliver developmentally appropriate preventive interventions.
Pediatric practitioners should be familiar with the specifics of the racial/ethnic, cultural, and socioeconomic groups to which their patients belong. Getting involved with the community and studying the characteristics, strengths, and challenges different cultural groups face will help develop greater cultural competence and improve tailoring of prevention interventions for patients and their families.
Identification of Children at Risk
To prevent obesity, pediatricians should identify children at risk of developing obesity.40 From birth through 23 months of age, weight-for-age and weight-for-length should be monitored by using the new World Health Organization normative growth charts based on healthy breastfed infants (http://www.cdc.gov/growthcharts/who_charts.htm).41 For children aged 2 years and older, BMI changes should be monitored by calculating and plotting BMI on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention growth charts (www.cdc.gov/growthcharts) at every health care visit so that obesity-prevention interventions can be implemented when a child starts to cross BMI percentiles upward, even before they approach the 85th or the 95th percentile.1,2,42 A study found that only 46% of pediatricians surveyed routinely calculated and plotted BMI.43 However, more recent evidence shows substantial improvement among pediatricians in primary care practice.44
Prenatal risk factors for obesity include parental obesity, maternal gestational diabetes, and maternal smoking during pregnancy. Child risk factors include never being breastfed, rapid infant weight gain, short sleep duration, depression, and having a disability.45–50 Additional behavioral risks can be identified through the nutrition, sedentary behaviors, and physical activities questions that are part of the Bright Futures templates.51–53
The Role of Education
Although most of the population recognizes the benefit of healthy nutrition, physical activity, and reduced sedentary behavior, few follow public health recommendations, which suggests that more education is unlikely to result in significant improvement for most people. Most obesity-treatment studies use education as the control or placebo intervention, assuming that education alone will have little or no effect on obesity-related behaviors. However, education and counseling may have important roles in primary prevention, especially if pediatricians provide information in the context of the child’s growth and health and the family’s health history. Reiteration of core messages from early in life may foster parenting that promotes a healthy lifestyle and strengthens prevention. The pediatrician’s advocacy within the community for environmental supports of healthful behaviors can be an important adjunct to education.
A few simple screening questions about breastfeeding knowledge, healthy food choices, appropriate portion sizes, food label reading, nutrients of concern, energy balance, the benefit of physical activity, and the negative effect of sedentary entertainment can identify appropriate targets for counseling (see the Appendix for practical tools; also see the 15-minute obesity-prevention protocol in the Appendix of the Expert Committee report2). Health education, including use of handouts, can address these gaps. Physician and family resource materials may be found at http://ihcw.aap.org.
Even when families have sufficient knowledge of healthy behaviors, they may need help from pediatricians to develop the motivation to change, to provide encouragement through setbacks, and to identify and support appropriate community resources that will help them successfully implement behavior changes. For example, in communities where access to fresh vegetables and fruits is limited, informing families about farmers’ markets or local grocery stores that have a good supply of frozen or canned vegetables and fruits or online grocery shopping may improve availability.
Pediatricians should also become familiar with federal food assistance programs, such as the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to understand how the educational programs, nutritional counseling, and food packages affect a family’s ability to implement prevention strategies discussed in the clinical setting. Particularly important may be information about cost-effective shopping for healthy foods. Workshops can be found online on the US Department of Agriculture Web site ChooseMyPlate.gov (http://www.choosemyplate.gov/downloads/EatHealthyBeActiveCommunityWorkshops.pdf). If local restaurants or grocery stores offer healthier take-out options, such information might be useful to families who consume a large amount of fast food or unhealthy take-out meals. When access to opportunities for physical activity is limited, providers may want to help families find local opportunities that are safe and sustainable, such as sports clubs, basketball courts, parks with walking or bicycle trails, skate parks, or playgrounds. Schools often have joint-use agreements that allow community-member usage of school facilities for physical activity.
The Role of Theory-Based Behavior-Modification Techniques
Behavior-modification programs built on strong theoretical models have long been shown to be the best option for obesity treatment, both in adults and children.54–58 Behavioral theories that have been used effectively for obesity treatment include the learning theory/operant conditioning, social learning/social cognitive theory, the behavioral economics theory, and the social-ecological model. More in-depth information on these theories is available for clinicians who are interested.19,59–63 Most of these behavioral models have been investigated for the treatment of obesity. They are often also used for prevention as an extension of their use in treatment. However, less evidence exists to support their use in primary prevention. Most behavior-modification programs include a component of environmental change, also known as “stimulus control,” which eliminates food triggers and has been effective in obesity prevention in the school setting.64–66 Changing the food that is available at home may help children make healthier choices and limit arguments about food. It may be useful to review with families what is available in the house and help them replace the less healthy choices with more nutritious options. To assist such reviews, it may be helpful to ask families to bring grocery store receipts, prepare a list of food items easily available to the child in the house, or e-mail or text pictures of the refrigerator, the kitchen counter, and pantry that can be reviewed together on the office computer. This can be a good arena for partnership with a dietitian and/or a role for other office professionals or group visits.
Managing the Food and Activity Environment
After an assessment of the current food environment has been performed, the family should be encouraged to buy fewer of the foods that are associated with the development of obesity, such as sweetened beverages (including fruit-flavored drinks), high-caloric-density snacks, or sweets. If these items are present in the house for special occasions or other purposes, they should be purchased immediately before the event and removed immediately afterward to decrease the temptation to snack on these items. In contrast, healthy alternatives, such as water pitchers, fruits, vegetable snacks, and other low-calorie snacks should be readily available at all times and placed in plain sight; for example, in front of the refrigerator or in large bowls on the kitchen counter or table. Practically, the cookie jar should be replaced by a fruit bowl. If high-calorie foods remain in the home, they should be packaged in foil to make them less visible and more forgettable. Healthier, low-calorie items should be placed in front of the refrigerator and pantry, and high-calorie items should be placed in the back.66 Such environmental manipulations help children and adolescents make healthier choices, because visible and easily available foods are more likely to be chosen than are foods that require an effort to find.66 Larger serving sizes increase intake, because they influence consumption norms and decrease the accuracy of consumption monitoring.67–69 Therefore, pediatricians should recommend to families that they decrease the size of the main dish, serving dishes, serving spoons, plates, bowls, and glasses for calorie-dense foods and increase these for lower-calorie foods.67 Parents should also be warned that many prepackaged food items and portion sizes at most restaurants contain more than 1 serving size and that these are often not appropriate for children.70 Eating directly from the package should be discouraged, and high-calorie snacks should be repackaged at home in smaller containers.67 It may also be helpful to recommend healthy snacks that are prepackaged in a size that is an age-appropriate portion size. In addition to convenience and decreasing caloric intake, this approach may help families learn the size of an age-appropriate serving (see Table 1).
Another way to change the child’s environment is to decrease opportunities for sedentary entertainment by reducing the number of television sets and especially removing the television and other media from the child’s bedroom and where meals are consumed. The availability of other forms of sedentary entertainment, such as video games, computers, and other screen electronic devices, should also be limited. More practical tips for changing the home environment are provided on the Web sites listed in the Appendix. Pediatricians should be involved in their local communities, working with their local public health departments on policies to effect system change and environmental change to prevent obesity by increasing the availability of public parks for recreational activity and enhanced bicycle paths as well as with schools to advocate for improved availability of fresh fruits and vegetables and improved environments for activity. Families and adolescent patients should also be encouraged to advocate for improvement in the food and physical activity environment in their communities, schools, child care facilites,71 and work sites.
Most behavior-modification techniques also involve self-monitoring, because it provides feedback on the frequency at which a target behavior occurs, raises awareness of the contextual cues that relate to the target behavior, and facilitates analysis of the target behavior, goal setting, and feedback from the goals’ achievements.12 Several diaries, forms, logs, and other formats have been developed, some of which can be found on the Web sites listed in the Appendix. To successfully implement self-monitoring, families should be instructed to partner with their children on maintaining a diary of food, physical activity, and/or sedentary activities on a daily basis, starting with only 1 or 2 target behaviors and increasing to more behaviors after the monitoring routine has been established. To maintain monitoring, parents need to encourage their children in a nonjudgmental way by reminding them to write the target behavior on several occasions during the day and by reviewing the diary with them at the end of the day. Goals for behavior change should be made in a small-step manner. They should also be unambiguous, attainable, and routinely reexamined. Positive feedback from the parent, such as pointing out and praising positive behaviors while ignoring or positively addressing behaviors that should be changed, is critical for success. Parents should be discouraged from using food as a reward (ie, celebrating with ice cream, going out to eat) or a punishment (restricting food for bad behavior).
Focus on Family-Based Interventions
The obesity-treatment literature emphasizes that family-based interventions are more effective than interventions focused on the child only.55 It is reasonable to expect that the same applies to primary prevention. A family-based intervention fits well within the paradigm of primary care practice, because usually at least 1 parent is present for visits, at least for younger children. For adolescents, it may be important to involve parents in obesity-prevention interventions more closely than for other adolescent health problems, because even at that age, parents are still the main role models for eating and physical activity behaviors and have a direct effect on the adolescent’s food and activity environment. Parents and other family members should be strongly encouraged to implement the same changes as the child and model healthier behaviors as a family. Parents and families should be encouraged to be supportive, and pediatricians are often in a good position to help families find ways to do this together. Another frequent problem for young children is that many adults other than the parents are involved in the care of the children. For example, grandparents may be involved in child care and can have a large influence on child-rearing practices. In these situations, communication regarding eating and physical activities should be encouraged between parents and other caregivers. It may sometimes be helpful for the pediatrician to communicate directly with other caregivers to emphasize the health message.
Help Parents Develop Parenting and Communication Skills
Although few empirical data exist, it often is the experience of clinicians that improving parenting skills and intrafamilial communications can facilitate the implementation of behavior changes for obesity prevention.72 Clinicians can assist families in finding better ways to communicate, set limits, reward rather than punish, provide positive feedback, and role-model in the context of obesity prevention, as they already do in the context of other risk behaviors. Role modeling by parents cannot be overemphasized, and pediatricians should encourage the entire family, not just patients, to engage in healthy changes. Families can find useful resources under “Communication & Discipline” on the AAP Web site www.healthychildren.org.
Parents who are obese are more likely to have children who are obese. In the United States, approximately 60% of adults are overweight or obese and, as parents, may have already established unhealthy lifestyles for themselves and their families. Parents who are overweight or obese may also have tried and failed at their own attempts to change their lifestyle. Their experiences can create nihilism or a defense of lifestyle for which pediatricians must be prepared. Pediatricians must address the health beliefs and contributors to adverse lifestyles across the family to have the best chance for success.
Motivational interviewing is a technique that has shown promising results in terms of self-reported behavior changes for obesity prevention and is recommended by the AAP for treatment but has not yet shown an effect on weight status.28 A recent randomized controlled trial comparing an intervention with and without motivational interviewing in primary care revealed that using motivational interviewing was associated with significant reductions in BMI when compared with a standard approach.37 An interactive, responsive dialog between pediatricians and families and children is important to help families move toward lifestyle change. The AAP Change Talk Web site (http://www.kognito.com/changetalk/), which includes training in motivational interviewing, may be used for primary care providers.
Practice-Based Skills and Workflow
Role of Nonphysician Providers
Counseling on obesity prevention is time consuming. Pediatric practices with nonphysician staff may decide to train and delegate these activities to practice-based or community-based, culturally competent nonphysician providers. As awareness of the obesity epidemic increases, training opportunities and reimbursement for preventive care should become more widely available, making this approach more realistic for primary care practices. Although referral to dietitians or other local professionals is mostly indicated for obesity treatment, referral can be considered in some situations for obesity prevention.
Obesity prevention and treatment constitute “incremental work” for pediatricians and pediatric health care providers. Securing appropriate payment for obesity-related services includes the following: (1) reporting appropriate diagnostic and procedural codes related to obesity; (2) ability to manage workflow to include counseling for obesity prevention at well visits; (3) ability to schedule more frequent visits for children who are overweight, crossing percentiles, have high-risk behaviors or risk factors, or who are already diagnosed with obesity; (4) ability to advocate on behalf of patients for proper payment; (5) ability to work with pediatric councils in each state as obesity-prevention and -management services are discussed with payers.
The AAP advocates that benefit plan design include coverage and payment for pediatric obesity assessment, evaluation, and treatment. As a result of focused advocacy by the AAP and child health partners, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act now includes a rule that essential preventive care services (as recommended by Bright Futures) are provided with no cost sharing for families with new health insurance plans. It is hoped that this rule will increase opportunities for families to access preventive services, including those for obesity.
The Affordable Care Act also includes provisions for an enhanced federal match for states that cover all US Preventive Services Task Force grade A– and B–recommended preventive services. Obesity screening and counseling for children, adolescents, and adults is a US Preventive Services Task Force–recommended service, as are breastfeeding counseling and gestational diabetes mellitus screening, all of which enhance obesity-related clinical services.
Food and Activity Targets for Prevention
A number of potential food and activity targets for prevention have been described. Most of these have not been widely investigated. Targets that have been implemented in other settings, age groups, or for treatment are highlighted in this section. Some of these targets have combined benefits, such as the associations of decreased intake of sweetened beverages with dental health benefits, or the effect of increased sleep duration with improved learning. Therefore, promoting a healthy lifestyle and obesity prevention can be integrated into other aspects of prevention. Furthermore, these benefits may be more relevant as motivators to families who do not yet perceive the risk of obesity as important.
There is indirect or preliminary evidence that intake of sugar-sweetened beverages may lead to excess weight gain in children.73–76 There is also evidence that these beverages are associated with tooth decay.76 Because there is no evidence for health benefits of sugar-sweetened beverages, health-promotion efforts in pediatric practice should aim at removing all sugar-sweetened beverages from children’s diets. Although many beverages are easily identified as sugar-sweetened beverages (soda, ice teas), some families may need education on other sugar-sweetened beverages that are less easily identified (sports drinks, energy drinks, and juice drinks).
The ideal beverages for children at all meals and during the day are low-fat milk and plain tap water. In the unusual situation in which tap water is unsafe, filtered or bottled water should be considered. Sparkling water and unsweetened flavored waters can be considered in transitioning from sodas to plain water. Low-fat or fat-free milk (preferably unflavored milk) also has an important place in children’s diets, because milk contains important nutrients that are often deficient in the diets of children. There is no evidence of benefit from vitamin or protein waters, because the nutrients contained in these products are not typically deficient in children’s diets. Replacing sweetened beverages with tap water should also be presented to families as a cost-saving change. Costs may be particularly motivating to low-income families who struggle to provide a healthy, balanced, and inexpensive diet to children. For higher-income families, savings from this change could be set aside for fun, family-based activities.
Another alternative is to consider providing small amounts of “naturally” flavored drinks without added sweeteners, such as 100% fruit juices, but these can also be high in calories. The portion size of fruit juice is important. The consumption of 100% fruit juices should be limited to 4 to 6 ounces/day for children 1 to 6 years of age and 8 to 12 ounces/day for children 7 to 18 years.77
Artificially Sweetened Drinks
The use of beverages sweetened with no- or low-calorie artificial sweeteners remains controversial, because they may perpetuate the habit of drinking sweetened beverages and may lead to a disconnect between perception and actual energy intake or to the displacement of nutrient-rich beverages. However, they can provide an alternative to full-calorie sodas.78,79 Because there is no evidence of benefits of these products over plain water, artificially sweetened beverages currently have a limited place in a child’s diet. An example would be advising their use during a limited period of time to transition between full-calorie sodas and plain water, or when water is not available. The role of no- or low-calorie artificial sweeteners in children’s beverages remains an area of ongoing research and debate. There is emerging evidence that nonnutritive sweeteners alter gut microbiota and increase glucose intolerance in humans.80
Increased caloric density of food (calories/g) has been associated with excessive caloric intake in laboratory studies in adults and children.81 Therefore, even without strong direct evidence for obesity-prevention benefits, a healthy diet should be rich in foods with low caloric density (vegetables, fruits, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, lean meats, lean fish, legumes) and limited in foods with high caloric density (fat-rich meats, fried foods, baked goods, sweets, cheeses, oil-based sauces). Furthermore, these choices have been shown to improve the cardiovascular risk profile, independent of obesity.82 Because such healthy diets are often time-consuming to prepare and sometimes more expensive than unhealthy food choices, families can benefit from consultation with a dietitian on food shopping, meal planning, and food preparation as well as advice on making healthy choices while eating outside the home.
Eating Habits, Context, and Schedule
Because of evidence that family meals eaten while sitting at a table and without distraction, such as television, are associated with improved nutrition- and obesity-related behaviors, such habits should be encouraged.47,83 Skipping meals, especially breakfast, has been associated with obesity. Therefore, pediatricians should encourage daily breakfast consumption and assist families in identifying ways for children to consume breakfast despite limited time or appetite.84,85 Because breakfast consumption has other benefits, particularly in academic achievement, this effort is indicated despite a lack of strong experimental evidence for obesity prevention.85 Families should be encouraged to review school menus and provide alternatives if healthy choices are difficult for their children at school. Eating out, fast food, and take-out are becoming more frequent in the habits of most American families, but these meals are often higher in calories and associated with a poor diet quality.86,87 The recognition that appropriate child portions are considerably smaller than those for adults is important in light of increases in standard marketplace food portions that have occurred in recent decades (see Table 1). Federal legislation (as part of the Affordable Care Act) to label the caloric content of food items on menus of chain restaurants should help families make lower calorie choices when eating out. Pediatricians should also assist families in understanding what is an age-appropriate daily caloric intake (see the MyPyramid Web site listed in the Appendix) so that they can make choices in restaurants within an appropriate information context. Pediatricians can also encourage parents to choose healthful kids’ meal side items (eg, apple slices, oranges) and beverages (eg, water, low-fat unflavored milk) when eating out.
Some of the strongest scientific evidence of behaviors related to the development of obesity is related to the duration of television viewing.88,89 Because of rapid changes in available forms of sedentary entertainment, there is still limited evidence regarding these other forms of screen entertainment. It is reasonable to assume that the association of other screens with obesity is similar to what has been shown for television. It is thought that television viewing is associated with obesity because it is sedentary and involves exposure to food advertising that promotes foods of high energy density. Additional factors that may promote weight gain are mindless eating or snacking while viewing television. Therefore, limiting commercial television viewing and promoting media literacy may also be important approaches to preventing obesity. The AAP recommends limiting screen time to 2 hours or less per day.3 It may be challenging for parents to implement such a limit, because children increasingly do more than 1 thing at a time (homework and texting) and because the limits between entertainment and education are often blurred, especially when using a computer. Therefore, pediatricians should remain informed about new forms of sedentary entertainment to assist families with information on parenting skills to limit these to 2 hours/day. It should also be clearly understood that promoting a decrease in screen time is a different message than promoting physical activity; both should be targeted. Limiting television viewing may be more effective than promoting physical activity to control weight.90
Leisure and Lifestyle Physical Activity
Pediatricians should encourage families to meet the national physical activity guideline of at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity daily.91,92 They should help families identify opportunities for physical activity available in the community, including sport clubs, basketball courts, parks with walking or bicycle trails, skate parks, or playgrounds. Pediatricians should also be strong advocates for the availability of these resources in the community. Physical activity does not necessarily mean sports but can also be obtained through family activities and active play (family walks and hikes, bicycle trips, outdoor games and activities, bowling, roller skating, and dog walking) and through daily lifestyle choices (using the stairs rather than elevators, walking or biking to a nearby destination, participating in chores). The AAP Let’s Move! physical activity prescription can serve as a reminder to families and patients about goals that have been developed during the visit (see Appendix). As for all children and adolescents, physical activity should be performed in a safe environment with appropriate safety equipment to avoid injuries.93,94 This advice may be particularly important to remember for obesity treatment, because obese children are at increased risk of injuries of the extremities.95
Health and education professionals should be trained in how to counsel parents about their children’s age-appropriate sleep durations. There is emerging evidence that obesity is associated with shorter sleep duration.46,96 A study in preschool-aged children found an increased rate of obesity in children who slept less than 11 hours/night, and the risk of obesity increased as sleep time decreased. Children who received less than 9 hours of sleep had 1.5 times the risk of being obese compared with those who received >11 hours of sleep/night. A longitudinal study in more than 7000 children aged 3 years found that sleep duration of less than 10.5 hours was associated with obesity at 7 years of age.97 A meta-analysis of studies on the relationship of sleep and obesity found that for each hour increase in sleep, the risk of overweight/obesity was reduced, on average, by 9% for children younger than 10 years.98
Including a sleep history is important in any assessment of obesity risk. Pediatricians should identify sleep issues and should help parents to improve sleep patterns. This recommendation includes removing media from the bedroom, focusing on bedtime, and emphasizing appropriate targets for sleep duration.
A Developmental Approach to Obesity Prevention
Rationale for Prevention Early in Life
There are 2 main reasons to address obesity prevention before 2 years of age, although only limited information on intervention models exists in this age group. Observational studies suggest that fetal life and the first 2 years of life may be critical periods for the programming of obesity and related behaviors.48,99–102 Furthermore, experimental studies suggest that tastes experienced by infants through maternal food choices during pregnancy and breastfeeding or through infant formula can affect long-term taste preferences.103,104 Epidemiologic data suggest that infants are larger for their length now than in the past, at least for female infants, even though these trends appear to have stabilized in the past few years.
A recent report from the Institute of Medicine, “Early Childhood Obesity Prevention Policies,”105 made specific recommendations for health care providers as follows.
Assess, Monitor, and Track Growth From Birth to Age 5
Pediatricians and primary care physicians should measure weight and length or height in a standardized way and should plot them on World Health Organization growth charts (ages 0–23 months) or on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention growth charts (ages 24–59 months), as part of every well-child visit. It is recommended to use weight-for-length for children younger than 24 months. In this age range, overweight is defined as weight-for-length >95th percentile.
Pediatricians should consider the following: (1) children’s rate of weight gain, especially as their BMI reaches the 85th and 95th percentiles, and (2) parental weight status as risk factors in assessing which young children are at highest risk of later obesity and its adverse consequences.
Help Adults Increase Physical Activity and Decrease Sedentary Behavior in Young Children
Pediatricians and other health and education professionals providing guidance to parents of young children and those working with young children should be trained in ways to increase children’s physical activity and decrease their sedentary behavior as well as how to counsel parents about their children’s physical activity. Pediatricians should counsel parents and children’s caregivers not to permit televisions, computers, or other digital media devices in children’s bedrooms or other sleeping areas.
Help Adults Increase Children’s Healthy Eating
Pediatricians and other health and education professionals providing guidance to parents of young children and those working with young children should be trained and educated and have the right tools to increase children’s healthy eating and counsel parents about their children’s diet.
Encourage and Support Breastfeeding During Infancy
Pediatricians and other health and education professionals who work with infants and their families should promote and support exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months and continuation of breastfeeding in conjunction with complementary foods for 1 year or more.
Specific Age Groups
The genetic predisposition toward obesity may account for 40% to 70% of observed obesity.106 Maternal obesity is one of the strongest and most consistent predictors of childhood obesity.107 Excessive weight gain during pregnancy is associated with obesity in the offspring.108 It is, therefore, important for pediatricians to collaborate with their obstetrician colleagues to promote optimal gestational weight gain, as defined by the most recent Institute of Medicine guidelines, in mothers of their patients when they become pregnant again.109
Maternal smoking during pregnancy is also a risk factor for early childhood obesity. The promotion of smoking cessation for mothers of pediatric patients who are or plan to become pregnant through education or referral in collaboration with the obstetrician would be of great public health benefit.
The prevention of obesity in women of childbearing age and pregnant women is also important because of the well-known obstetric, fetal, and neonatal complications related to maternal obesity.107 Because pediatricians often treat several children in a family and interact with women who are or plan to become pregnant, they are in a good position to assist in obesity-prevention and -treatment efforts. In this context, pediatric practitioners can contribute to maternal obesity prevention by working together with their obstetric colleagues, in the context of the medical home, to provide education and referrals, shape beliefs and attitudes, or assist families in modifying their home environment and habits using some of the points identified previously or through other expert recommendations. For example, breastfeeding promotion can contribute to maternal obesity prevention for the next pregnancy, because breastfeeding has been associated with decreased postpartum weight retention.109,110
Because of the association of fetal and infant taste exposure with later taste preferences, a healthy and balanced diet should be encouraged in pregnant and lactating women.103,104 Imprinting taste preferences during fetal life and infancy could indirectly affect the development of obesity through future food choices and diet quality.
Almost all observational studies suggest an increased risk of obesity in children who have been formula fed compared with those who were breastfed.100,111–114 At least 3 studies of siblings who were discordant for breastfeeding status have been performed.115–117 Two of them concluded that formula feeding increased the risk of obesity, but the third failed to show an association after taking into consideration these familial factors. The only randomized trial of breastfeeding promotion that assessed weight status during later childhood showed no difference in weight status between groups, despite an increased rate of breastfeeding and demonstration of other benefits of breastfeeding.118 That said, breastfeeding has so many other health benefits for the mother and children that its promotion is strongly encouraged and should be part of any obesity-prevention program.
Rapid weight gain during infancy has also been associated with an increased risk of obesity later in life in several observational studies. Because of the potential risks associated with restricting weight gain or protein intake during infancy, more research on safety and efficacy is necessary before translating these findings into recommendations. Therefore, close monitoring of infant weight gain and evaluation of dietary intake, food literacy, and misconceptions regarding infant feeding among families of infants who gain excessive weight are warranted. In particular, the introduction of foods other than human milk or formula before approximately 6 months of age should be discouraged.
Weaning Period and Preschool Age
The period of transition from breastfeeding or formula feeding to a more adult-type diet is potentially important in long-term obesity development. This transition generally occurs between the ages of 9 and 24 months. At the end of this period, young children have often begun patterns of eating that will continue for the rest of their lives. Foods of high calorie and low nutrient density begin to be consumed in greater quantities and begin to displace foods of low calorie and high nutrient density. Pediatricians are in an excellent position to help families establish a healthful diet during the first 2 years of the child’s life. Initially, the focus should be on maintaining exclusive breastfeeding, preferably for 6 months, then maintaining partial breastfeeding until 1 year of age or as long as mutually desired by the mother and child. Formula can be used as a substitute for human milk, if needed. Cow milk should not be introduced until after the first birthday. At that point, it is important for the pediatrician to have a discussion with the parents about the fat content of milk. Low-fat milk is acceptable in the context of an overall healthful diet, especially when there is concern about risk of obesity or the development of cardiovascular disease, on the basis of family history and other risk factors.119 Earlier concerns, on the basis of case reports of extreme fat restriction, have been diminished by more recent data on the safety of lower-fat diets before the age of 2 years.120,121 The introduction of other beverages should be considered carefully, because this is a time when sugar-sweetened beverages (including flavored drink mixes and fruit drinks) are often introduced and sometimes become major components of the child’s diet. One-hundred percent fruit juice is acceptable in small portions, but fruit is almost always preferable to fruit juice. Water is also an acceptable drink but is not necessary in large quantities for this age group. Other sugar-sweetened beverages should not be consumed by children in this age range.
A healthy pattern of eating includes fruits, vegetables, whole-grain products, low-fat meats, low-fat dairy, and fish. This pattern should be the target as an infant becomes a toddler because of several major benefits. First, it does not require alteration later in life. Second, it provides higher nutrient density with lower calories. Third, it channels parents into making better decisions regarding the home food environment. This pattern also provides an excellent opportunity for parents to rethink their food and beverage purchases and their own diets. Pediatricians can use the frequency of health maintenance visits during the first 2 years of life as well as their knowledge about diet to have an important effect on obesity prevention for the entire family. The parent as a role model for eating behaviors and improved approaches to parenting with respect to diet should be emphasized. Parents should also be educated that during the preschool years, a new food may need to be offered as often as 15 to 20 times before it is accepted and that they should not conclude too rapidly that the child does not like a food.122 Parents should be empowered to create a healthy home food environment in the same way they approach poison- and accident-proofing the home for a toddler. Parents should also be encouraged to consider the food and physical activity standards and practices in selecting child care facilities that their children attend.
In the first 2 years of life, overly controlling feeding practices (monitoring, concern, restriction, or pressure to eat) should be discouraged. Observational studies have shown that these practices are associated with obesity and related eating disorders.123 It should be emphasized that parents should control the food environment but that children should be encouraged to make choices within that healthful environment.
Very little is known regarding physical activity and exposure to sedentary behaviors before age 2, but it is reasonable to assume that parental modeling of physical activity and sedentary behaviors as well as the development of activity-related habits during this early period of life might have long-term consequences on later activity choices and obesity development. Because of the low likelihood of risk and the substantial potential benefits, the promotion of family physical activity and prevention of sedentary behaviors is warranted even in this early period. The AAP recommends no television watching before 2 years of age and discourages the presence of a television set in children’s bedrooms at any age.
Most of what was discussed in the previous section on individual/clinical approaches to obesity prevention will also benefit school-aged children. However, some aspects are particularly relevant in this age group. Although school lunches and breakfasts have improved and will continue to improve, their quality remains heterogeneous among school districts. Therefore, as suggested previously, families should be encouraged to review school menus and provide alternatives if healthy choices at school are lacking. Parents and health care professionals, such as pediatricians, should be encouraged to join school wellness committees and limit the use of unhealthy foods at school parties and celebrations. School age is also a period when many eating, physical activity, and sedentary habits are established or reinforced and when the effect of parental behavior on child behavior remains large. Therefore, it is important for parents to continue to make efforts to be good role models by having structured meals and family-based physical activities and by limiting their own sedentary activities. School age is also a time when children may interact more with peers and start to make their own decisions about eating and activities without direct parental supervision. The timing of eating periods during the school day may not match the physiologic signals for hunger and mealtimes. This problem with timing of meals may influence the choice of food and may ultimately influence food habits. It is, therefore, important for parents to monitor and guide children in these choices by discussing on a regular basis the eating and activity choices made by the child outside the home and by praising healthful choices. The pediatrician, again, plays a major role in helping parents develop and maintain good parenting skills.
Adolescence and Young Adulthood
During adolescence, individual/clinical approaches to obesity discussed previously are still pertinent. A few topics, however, require special attention for this age group. The characteristics of adolescent behaviors, such as affirmation of independence, risk taking, and rebellion against authority, all apply to behaviors related to obesity prevention. During adolescence, parents continue to be responsible for supplying a healthy food environment while adolescents make specific choices at any given time/day. Sports and activities that were favorites during childhood may no longer be of interest and are replaced by sedentary activities or electronic social networking. A significant drop in physical activity has been described among girls during this period.124 Although it is difficult to prevent changes that may be part of normal adolescence, the pediatrician may be able to provide suggestions for healthier alternatives or to minimize the consequences of these changes.
Adolescence is also a period of concern for the development of eating disorders, and this concern can be a barrier for pediatricians and parents to promote healthy lifestyles. Dieting can lead both to eating disorders and to obesity. Although not all adolescents who diet develop an eating disorder, eating disorders often begin with abnormal perception of body shape and dieting.125,126 The emphasis should be on the promotion of a healthy lifestyle, not on dieting.
The transition to adulthood may also be a difficult period for obesity prevention.127 Some young adults who have been involved in athletic activities in high school often drop these activities when entering college or the workforce, without a corresponding decrease in caloric intake. Food availability and eating habits on college campuses are notoriously bad, and alcohol intake contributes to an increase in discretionary calorie intake.128 For other young adults leaving home to enter the workforce or to start a family, lower income and poor cooking skills are challenges. Pediatricians can assist teenagers who are at risk of excessive weight gain to prepare a plan to remain active and maintain a healthy nutrition while transitioning to adult life.
The currently available evidence supports the following points:
The adoption and maintenance of healthful lifestyles must be emphasized as the basis for the prevention of obesity and other chronic health conditions.
Prevention of childhood obesity remains a public health priority, because obesity is the most prevalent chronic health condition in the pediatric population. Although many social sectors need to be mobilized to completely address this problem, pediatric primary care has a unique role to play, should be a resource for the community, and can be an integral part of the solution.
To address obesity prevention effectively in clinical practice, pediatricians should become familiar with the complex and interconnected factors that lead to excessive weight gain. They should understand how these factors play out in a developmental fashion and create important periods for preventive intervention. By better understanding the environmental determinants of obesity, including those that they cannot control, pediatric practitioners can improve their ability to provide recommendations that are relevant to patients and their families.
Most prevention strategies that can be used in pediatric practice have not been rigorously tested through scientific research. However, preliminary evidence, indirect evidence, and inferences from other settings provide clues to recommend evidence-informed approaches, especially those with low risk of a negative health effect or with other known health benefits.
Although the prevention messages are similar for all pediatric patients, counseling should be tailored to the child’s developmental stage and the socioeconomic, cultural, and psychological characteristics of families.
Pediatric practice has a critical role in identifying children who are on the path to becoming obese by calculating BMI and plotting it on percentile charts at every health care visit. At-risk children can also be identified through the nutrition, sedentary behavior, and physical activities questions that are part of the Bright Futures templates as well as family history.
Education and advice alone are unlikely to be effective in most cases for obesity prevention. Pediatricians should, therefore, become familiar with other forms of interventions as they apply to obesity prevention, such as behavior-modification techniques, environment control approaches, or the promotion of improved parenting skills. They should also become familiar with the resources available in the areas they serve so that they are better suited to help each individual family.
There is no evidence for health benefits and some evidence for negative health effects of sweetened beverages (sodas, iced teas, sports drinks, juice drinks). Therefore, health-promotion efforts should aim at removing all sweetened beverages from the diets of children. The ideal beverage for children at all meals and during the day is water. Low-fat or fat-free, preferably unflavored, milk also has an important place in the diet of children beginning at 12 months of age. One hundred percent fruit juice should not be used before 1 year of age and should be limited thereafter. Fruits should be encouraged over fruit juice.
Promotion of a diet rich in foods with low caloric density (vegetables, fruits, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, lean meats, lean fishes, legumes) and poor in foods with high caloric density (fat-rich meats, fried foods, baked goods, sweets, cheeses, oil-based sauces) will likely contribute to the prevention of obesity.
All forms of sedentary entertainment, including television and newer forms of electronic entertainment or communication, should be excluded for infants and children up to 2 years of age and limited to 2 hours per day for children 2 years and older.
Promotion of active play and lifestyle and family- or sports-based moderate to vigorous physical activity for a total of 60 minutes/day is likely to contribute to the prevention of obesity and has multiple additional health benefits.
Prevention of childhood obesity should start before 2 years of age by promoting healthy maternal weight beginning in the prenatal period, smoking cessation before pregnancy, appropriate gestational weight gain and diet, breastfeeding and appropriate weight gain in infancy, transition to healthier foods with weaning, elimination of sedentary entertainment, active play for physical activity, and parental role modeling of healthy dietary and physical activity behaviors.
Stephen R. Daniels, MD, PhD, FAAP
Sandra G. Hassink, MD, FAAP
Committee on Nutrition, 2014–2015
Stephen R. Daniels, MD, PhD, FAAP, Chairperson
Steven A. Abrams, MD, FAAP
Mark R. Corkins, MD, FAAP
Sarah D. de Ferranti, MD, FAAP
Neville H. Golden, MD, FAAP
Sheela N. Magge, MD, FAAP
Sarah Jane Schwarzenberg, MD, FAAP
Jatinder J.S. Bhatia, MD, FAAP, Past Chairperson
Frank R. Greer, MD, FAAP, Past Chairperson
Marcie Beth Schneider, MD, FAAP, Former Committee Member
Janet Silverstein, MD, FAAP, Former Committee Member
Nicolas Stettler, MD, FAAP, Former Committee Member
Dan W. Thomas, MD, FAAP, Former Committee Member
Jeff Critch, MD – Canadian Pediatric Society
Laurence Grummer-Strawn, PhD – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Rear Admiral Van S. Hubbard, MD, PhD, FAAP – National Institutes of Health
Benson M. Silverman, MD† – Food and Drug Administration
Valery Soto, MS, RD, LD – US Department of Agriculture
Debra L. Burrowes, MHA
The American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Nutrition used review of the literature, including reports from other groups, but did not conduct a formal systematic review of the literature. Comments also were solicited from committees, sections, and councils of the American Academy of Pediatrics; 18 entities responded. Additional comments were sought from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health, the US Department of Agriculture, and the US Food and Drug Administration, because these governmental agencies have official liaisons to the Committee on Nutrition who served the on the committee during the development of the statement. Comments also were solicited from various professional societies and other entities interested in childhood obesity; 4 entities responded. For recommendations for which high levels of evidence are absent, the expert opinions and suggestions of the members of the Committee on Nutrition and other groups and authorities consulted were taken into consideration in developing this clinical report.
This document is copyrighted and is property of the American Academy of Pediatrics and its Board of Directors. All authors have filed conflict of interest statements with the American Academy of Pediatrics. Any conflicts have been resolved through a process approved by the Board of Directors. The American Academy of Pediatrics has neither solicited nor accepted any commercial involvement in the development of the content of this publication.
Clinical reports from the American Academy of Pediatrics benefit from expertise and resources of liaisons and internal (American Academy of Pediatrics) and external reviewers. However, clinical reports from the American Academy of Pediatrics may not reflect the views of the liaisons or the organizations or government agencies that they represent.
The guidance in this report does not indicate an exclusive course of treatment or serve as a standard of medical care. Variations, taking into account individual circumstances, may be appropriate.
All clinical reports from the American Academy of Pediatrics automatically expire 5 years after publication unless reaffirmed, revised, or retired at or before that time.
- Krebs NF,
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- Obama M. Michelle on a mission [cover story]. Newsweek. 2010;155(12):40–41
- ↵US Public Health Service; Office of the Surgeon General; Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; National Institutes of Health. The Surgeon General's Call to Action to Prevent and Decrease Overweight and Obesity. Rockville, MD: US Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service; 2001
- Institute of Medicine, Committee on Prevention of Obesity in Children and Youth
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- ↵American Academy of Pediatrics. Policy opportunities tool. Available at: http://www2.aap.org/obesity/matrix_1.html. Accessed November 1, 2013
- Council on Sports Medicine and Fitness,
- Council on School Health
- Gahagan S,
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- American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Native American Child Health,
- American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Endocrinology
- Wake M,
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- ↵American Academy of Pediatrics. Bright Futures Preventive Services Manual. Elk Grove Village, IL: American Academy of Pediatrics; 2008
- American Academy of Pediatrics. Bright Futures Tool and Resource Kit [CD-ROM]. Duncan PM, Shaw JS, Gottesman MM, Swanson J, Hagan JF, Pirretti AE, eds. Elk Grove Village, IL: American Academy of Pediatrics; 2010
- Li L,
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- ↵American Academy of Pediatrics, Committee on Nutrition. Feeding the child. In: Kleinman RE, Greer FG, eds. Pediatric Nutrition Handbook. 7th ed. Elk Grove Village, IL: American Academy of Pediatrics; 2013:143–173
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- Copyright © 2015 by the American Academy of Pediatrics
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Since 1985 molecular biology techniques have made possible the synthetic synthesis of pure human growth hormone in potentially unlimited amounts. With this increased availability, its use in patients other than children with growth hormone deficiency has been associated with clinical and ethical questions. This statement presents an analysis of the current status of the use of human growth hormone in children.
Since the first description of the effectiveness of a crude human pituitary extract in accelerating the growth of a patient with hypopituitarism,1 thousands of patients have received human growth hormone (GH) therapy. This extract was made available to investigators by the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, to treat patients considered to be GH-deficient according to the strict criteria of below-normal growth velocity for age, decreased bone age, and lack of response to two GH stimulation tests. Supplies were limited, but several conclusions emerged from these therapeutic trials:
GH therapy increased growth in GH-deficient individuals,2
growth monitored during a 5-year period shows that rates of upper and lower body segment growth have been equal.7
Various lots of extract were found to differ in potency, and contamination with infectious agents was a problem. Several of the extract recipients developed Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease through prior contamination of the pituitary extract, and its use was discontinued in April 1985.8,9
In early 1985, GH was produced by recombinant DNA technology. Suddenly, clinicians found themselves with an almost inexhaustible, though costly, supply of human GH. This dramatic change in hormone availability has raised a number of diagnostic, therapeutic, and ethical questions concerning the rational, safe, and cost-effective prescribing of human GH.
Recombinant Human GH Products
Naturally occurring GH is a polypeptide containing 191 amino acids. The biosynthetic process involves a chemical synthesis of the DNA fragment encoding the first 24 amino acids. The remaining amino acid residues are obtained by making complementary DNA copies of messenger RNA prepared from human pituitary cells. The entire DNA sequence is introduced into a bacterium, Escherichia coli, which is then able to synthesize human GH.
Clinical trials using synthetic human GH were begun in the early 1980s. In 1985, recombinant human GH became available commercially. The products currently available in the United States are somatrem (Protropin, Genentech, Inc, South San Francisco, CA) and somatropin (Nutropin, Genentech, Inc, South San Francisco, CA and Humatrope, Eli Lilly & Co, Indianapolis, IN). They differ in that somatrem contains an additional methionine group that is added to the 24-amino acid initiation sequence.
Optimal dosing strategies have not been developed fully for any product. The currently recommended starting dose is .1 mg/kg (0.26 IU/kg) administered either intramuscularly or subcutaneously three times per week.10 Most pediatric endocrinologists prescribe GH at a dose of .18 to .30 mg/kg per week given in either six or seven injections subcutaneously. In general, patients who respond will respond to the initial dosing regimen. Dosage escalation strategies vary. While increased growth may result from a dosage increase, especially in those children with GH resistance (eg, children with chronic renal insufficiency), the increase in growth response is not proportional to the increase in dose. The Lawson Wilkins Pediatric Endocrine Society has recently published their guidelines on the use of growth hormone in children with short stature.11
Problems in the Diagnosis of GH Deficiency
Before the advent of the radioimmunoassay for determination of GH concentrations, clinicians took advantage of the fact that GH is an insulin counterregulatory hormone. The diagnosis of hypopituitarism was made based on the serum glucose level response to intravenously administered insulin.12,13 With the introduction of the radioimmunoassay, the determination of serum GH concentrations became part of the endocrinologic evaluation of short stature.14
Increasingly sensitive radioimmunoassays for GH have revealed previously unappreciated subtleties in GH secretion. Because fasting serum GH levels do not differ between GH-deficient and non-GH-deficient patients, other physiologic and pharmacologic tests have been developed in an effort to identify GH-deficient children.12 Sleep and exercise are used as two of the physiologic releasers. Many of the pharmacologic tests involve the use of neuromodulators, such as levodopa, or agents such as arginine, insulin, or propranolol, which are known to stimulate the release of GH directly or indirectly. While the details of these tests are not pertinent to this statement, classic severe GH deficiency could be diagnosed if the peak stimulated value on two tests was 10 μg/L or lower in association with a delayed bone age and slow growth rate.
The diagnosis of partial GH deficiency is more controversial, and there is no generally accepted definition. Moreover, this diagnosis should not be confused with GH resistance, which represents a problem with responsiveness rather than production. Testing for GH production is costly, and both fees and assays vary among laboratories. Moreover, a number of physicians believe that because testing may be traumatic and costly and because the diagnosis based on serum GH concentration determinations is uncertain, such testing should not be a prerequisite for human GH therapy.15-17 As an alternative, they advocate making the decision to treat purely on clinical grounds.18
Goals for GH Administration to Children With Short Stature
Much of the controversy surrounding the use of human GH is related to the absence of well-defined goals for therapy, the paucity of data on the long-term response to therapy, and screening efforts to identify candidates for therapy. Inherent in the prescription of human GH therapy is the desire to make children grow; but how much, over how long a period of time, and with what end point? Some clinicians maintain that recombinant human GH therapy should be reserved for those patients with “classical” severe GH deficiency and other disorders for which efficacy and at least short-term risk-benefit analysis has been performed. In the group of patients with “classical” severe GH deficiency, the goal is to augment growth so that at the time of epiphyseal closure, a normal or normally expected adult height is attained.19 In patients with chronic renal insufficiency, the goal of GH treatment is to attempt to maintain age-appropriate growth so that with the reestablishment of normal GH responsiveness after transplantation, patients might attain a final adult height that is more consistent with their genetic potential.20
In contrast, other clinicians argue that short stature regardless of cause may constitute both physical and psychosocial handicaps. For these reasons, they believe that human GH should be made available to all children with short stature with the hope that the rate of growth will be increased and that full adult growth potential will be realized.18,20-22 However, there is accumulating evidence to show that such a goal may be unattainable.23,24
Unfortunately, just as it is difficult to define GH deficiency biochemically, in the era of recombinant human GH therapy, the medical community has no universally accepted standard definition for short stature. Clearly, both sex and age must be considered. Some physicians label patients short for age and sex if they are below a certain percentile on a standard longitudinal height chart, whereas others believe that it is actually height velocity for age and sex that is the more appropriate indicator.
Thus, latitude exists in identifying patients who might benefit from recombinant human GH therapy. Some increment in growth velocity has been demonstrated in most patients who have received human GH.25-27 However, it is not clear how many of these patients benefit psychologically or that increased adult height is achievable.28
In addition to debate over proper criteria for therapy, controversy surrounds screening efforts to identify candidates. School-based screening for children of short stature has raised concerns about overidentification of candidates and stigmatization of short children. Those concerns are particularly serious when companies that stand to profit from the marketing or manufacture of recombinant human GH are involved in the screening.
Labeled Indications for Recombinant Human GH Therapy
All recombinant human GH products are currently labeled for use in “children who have growth failure due to an inadequate secretion of normal endogenous growth hormone.”29 Recently, the Nutropin brand of somatropin has also been labeled for use in children with chronic renal failure before transplantation.20,30 In the case of classic GH deficiency, diagnosis is not a problem. However, in the absence of generally accepted criteria for diagnosing “inadequate secretion,” partial GH deficiency, or “GH dysregulation,” the indications for these products have become extremely subjective.
The findings of a recent American Academy of Pediatrics Periodic Survey of Fellows on the use of GH in clinical practice revealed that provocative testing was the most frequently named criterion used to support the use of GH; the next most frequent criterion was the degree of short stature or depression of growth velocity. The overwhelming majority of respondents also indicated that GH should be prescribed only by pediatric endocrinologists and that the goal of therapy is to increase current and adult stature.31
Off-Label Uses of Recombinant Human GH Therapy
Indications for the off-label use of human GH are not well defined, and there are many causes of short stature other than GH deficiency (Table1) that bear consideration; these conditions are not a reason to consider growth hormone therapy.32 Interest in the use of human GH in a variety of disorders (Table 2) has been stimulated by both the success of human GH therapy in GH-deficient individuals of short stature and the ready availability of synthetic GH products. The key issue then becomes whether GH treatment increases height among children with these disorders regardless of the patient's GH status. In some instances, the answer is yes, especially in disorders such as chronic renal insufficiency and Turner's syndrome in which a resistance to physiologic concentrations of GH has been documented.20,33 In many other instances, the use of GH has been justified on the grounds that persons with short stature (defined as more than 2 SDs below the mean for age and sex) experience stigma in an affluent society. These children are often teased in school about their short stature; moreover, empiric evidence indicates that numerous social benefits are linked to tall stature. In some children, short stature may be part of an acquired or inherited disorder. For these children, growth augmentation is viewed as an avenue to normalcy. Despite these concerns and the fairly extensive use of recombinant human GH in these patient groups, no objective current data demonstrate the psychosocial benefits of hormonal therapy in this group of children and few physiologic data demonstrate an effect on final adult height. The above considerations have led some to question whether research on the use of human GH to attempt to increase the final adult height of non-GH-deficient children is warranted.
Risks Associated With Recombinant Human GH Therapy
Short-term treatment with recombinant human GH has been associated with few, if any, side effects. The long-term risks are unknown. The available GH preparations result in some degree of antibody formation, but the overall level is 10% or lower. The antibodies formed seem to have no clinical effects and do not form immune complexes.43
Risks that have been attributed to human GH therapy include those associated with the physiological and psychological trauma related to years of regular injections. Certainly, this is one of the major stressors reported by diabetic patients related to their medical treatment. In addition, the repeated injections may actually serve to enhance the negative self-image and stigmatization that already exist for many of these children.44
Additional concern exists about metabolic effects that have been observed in GH-treated patients.45 Children may become unusually lean and inappropriately muscular due to increased cellular metabolism.46
Some authors have expressed the theoretical concern that GH therapy might also be associated with an increased risk of malignancy. It causes an increase in the synthesis of insulin-like growth factor I by the liver, and it has been suggested that insulin-like growth factor I may be associated with a greater risk of cancer or a poorer prognosis if cancer develops. Reports of a possible increased incidence of leukemia, lymphoma, and tumors in patients receiving GH along with chemotherapy and radiation therapy continue to be investigated. In addition, 23 patients treated with human GH or insulin-like growth factor I have developed benign intracranial hypertension (pseudotumor cerebri) first manifested by papilledema. Signs and symptoms resolved with a cessation of therapy but recurred promptly in three patients when they were re-treated.47
Proper Uses of GH Therapy
In light of the above discussion, which children are appropriate candidates for GH therapy? Certain dimensions of the clinical context make this an ethically complex question. First, the proper diagnostic criteria for GH deficiency are currently being disputed.22,48 Although the criteria for classic GH deficiency are widely accepted, there is disagreement over whether these criteria encompass the full scope of GH deficiency. To some extent, any resolution of this debate depends on how one defines “sufficient” and “insufficient” concentrations of GH.49,50 Moreover, some children who are not GH-deficient, including girls with Turner's syndrome and children with idiopathic short stature, respond to GH therapy with accelerated growth velocity.33-35 Currently available data indicate that final height (versus predicted height) is improved with GH treatment in patients with Turner's syndrome.33
Pediatricians must address directly whether GH therapy is acceptable for any children who do not fulfill the “classic” description of GH deficiency, and, if so, for which ones. This requires analysis of and agreement on the appropriate goals of GH therapy.
A second important clinical consideration is the present lack of an established risk-benefit ratio for GH therapy. This therapy is undeniably effective in increasing the final adult height of children with “classic” GH deficiency when compared with estimates made on the basis of growth velocity before therapy.22 However, benefits for other children are as yet uncertain. Although GH therapy seems to accelerate their growth, it is not clear that such children have a greater final adult height.51 It is also unclear whether GH therapy reduces the psychosocial problems that very short children may experience.52-54 Indeed, there is evidence that GH therapy exacerbates these problems in some children owing to unrealistic expectations concerning the therapeutic outcome and enhanced feelings that something is “wrong” with them.55,56
There is also the question of how to define treatment “success.” Short stature is a characteristic that must be defined relative to the general population in which people will always be of different heights. Thus, even if GH therapy were available to and effective in all “short” stature children, a population of short children will still exist—they will simply be a few inches taller than those in the former population.56,57
Even though the risks associated with human GH therapy are largely unknown, the burdens of undergoing treatment for non-GH-deficient children are plain. Ideally, children should receive GH injections daily and at a minimum three times a week.58 Treatment usually continues for 4 to 5 years and costs between $10 000 and $50 000 annually, depending on the child's body weight.59,60
Is Short Stature a “Disease” or “Disability”?
Being tall is indisputably viewed as a benefit in our culture. At least parents would wish their children to be what they perceive to be in a normal range of height. Considerable evidence demonstrates the career and other social advantages of being tall, including higher income, academic achievement, self-esteem, and social status.61-67 Accordingly, it could be argued that GH therapy is warranted as treatment for the disease or disability of short stature that impairs “normal social function,” similar perhaps to drug therapy for attention-deficit disorder or to orthodontia.22,68
The concepts of normality and abnormality are notoriously difficult to define; inevitably, they incorporate many sociocultural variables. The line between the two categories may be drawn at any number of points, depending on how much of a deviation is deemed a severe enough obstacle to functioning. If short stature is indeed an appropriate target for medical intervention, at what point is a child “short enough?” Moreover, in this context it is arguably society that needs “treatment,” not the people who are now at a disadvantage. Discrimination against short people is as unjustified as race, sex, and other forms of discrimination now condemned by our society. It would be better to eradicate the bias against short individuals than to attempt to eradicate the condition of being short, which, in any event, is doomed to failure. In this view, the appropriate “treatment” for short stature is removal of the physical and social barriers to normal functioning that people with this characteristic now face.56,69
On the other hand, the prior view arguably is unreasonable and unfair to the individuals who must bear the burdens of discrimination. Moreover, it is not easy to dismiss the profound and understandable distress some children experience because they are short. Such children undeniably are disadvantaged by their condition. The relevant issue, however, is whether GH therapy is an appropriate response to their problems. In extreme cases, it could be, because physical barriers can exclude very short individuals from basic activities of daily living, such as driving and food preparation. In these cases, GH could be justified to avoid serious dysfunction.49 A more defensible alternative in other cases may be to assist children and their parents in achieving pride and fulfillment on their own terms, rather than those society has dictated to them. Counseling and self-help organizations also may be helpful.
Social Justice Considerations
The economic implications of widespread GH therapy are significant. The direct medical costs entailed to provide GH therapy for 4 years to children below the present first percentile of height for age were recently estimated to be $1.5 to $3 billion annually.59 In contrast, the cost of providing GH therapy to children with classic GH deficiency is approximately $135 million.22 The price of GH may decrease in the near future, after synthetic GH loses its current orphan drug status and competition increases among the producers (New York Times Magazine. 1991;47:14–17, 28–29). The potential magnitude of this reduction is unknown.
In light of the likely expense of GH therapy, the question of insurance coverage must be addressed. Currently, GH therapy for children with “classic” GH deficiency is covered by Medicaid and some private insurers. The manufacturer covers the costs of GH for some other affected children. Coverage for children who are not “classically” GH-deficient varies and is difficult to ascertain. Some children participating in GH therapy research receive therapy at no cost. In addition, certain insurance companies apparently reimburse for such therapy, with the remainder paid for by the parents themselves.70
The availability of GH therapy raises serious social justice questions. Some children who are not classically GH-deficient now receive GH therapy. These children are likely to come from the more financially well-off sectors of society. They and their parents have access to the most advanced health care available through extensive health insurance coverage or their own financial resources. Consequently, the children who now obtain the economic and social benefits of growing taller are those who already have numerous advantages over the children who now lack access to GH therapy.68,71 Moreover, there is evidence that treatment is now concentrated in white males, with females and African-American males underrepresented among the treatment population.72 If differential access continues, GH therapy will serve to intensify the social and economic disadvantages faced by members of less well-off groups.
If future data establish the effectiveness of therapy for increasing the final height of children who do not have classic GH deficiency, the social justice implications of the current inequality in access could be significantly exacerbated. Society will face the difficult choice of whether to provide GH therapy at great cost to all children whose final height may be increased or to permit the present patchwork reimbursement approach to continue with all its inequities. Moreover, even a decision to cover treatment of all children who could be made taller could have serious health repercussions for disadvantaged children. Health care resources are limited; thus, the decision to guarantee access to one therapy may result in the denial of other health benefits to children in need.59 With so many children presently lacking access to the most basic health care, it would be ethically inappropriate to expend scarce monetary resources to provide GH therapy to anyone who is not either classically GH-deficient or truly GH-resistant.
Conflict of Interest
Screening for candidates and prescription of GH therapy has provoked conflict-of-interest concerns when companies that manufacture or market therapeutic agents are involved in screening or rewarding physicians for GH use. Because controversy surrounding GH therapy forces pediatricians to exercise considerable discretion in evaluating indications for therapy and advising as to its risks and benefits, special care must be taken to avoid financial relationships that either compromise or appear to compromise the physician's commitment to serving the patient's best interests.
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
In light of previous considerations, the American Academy of Pediatrics offers the following recommendations:
Therapy with GH is medically and ethically acceptable for children (1) with classic GH deficiency, (2) children with chronic renal insufficiency who are awaiting kidney transplantation, (3) girls with Turner's syndrome, and (4) children whose extreme short stature keeps them from participating in basic activities of daily living and who have a condition for which the efficacy of GH therapy has been demonstrated. The diagnosis of GH deficiency should be made in consultation with a pediatric endocrinologist. Therapy for children with GH deficiency and for those with extreme short stature should be supervised by the consulting pediatric endocrinologist. In children with chronic renal insufficiency, GH therapy should be supervised by a pediatric nephrologist with expertise in GH therapy or by a pediatric nephrologist in conjunction with a pediatric endocrinologist as part of the comprehensive management of this chronic disease.
Numerous considerations argue against widespread administration of GH therapy to other short children. First, the therapy's risk-benefit ratio in this population is not established. There could be unknown long-term risks, and the treatment could result in either no increase or only an insignificant increase in final adult height. Research being conducted in this population will eventually determine the efficacy of GH therapy for this group. Even if the clinical data show a positive risk-benefit ratio, however, the benefits of GH therapy will inevitably remain somewhat elusive. Individual children may escape the stigma of being very short, but a group of very short children will always exist. On a broader scale, the best “therapy” for these children would be a campaign against the current prejudice against short people instead of an implicit medical reinforcement of such prejudice. Last, unrestricted administration of GH therapy would add to the burdens already borne by low-income and other disadvantaged children in our society. Either such children would increasingly be among the very shortest children, or scarce health care resources would be devoted to GH therapy rather than the primary health care so many are now denied.
For the above reasons, pediatricians need to exercise caution in administering GH therapy. Therapy may be justified for children whose height could prevent them from participating in the basic activities of daily living. Additional research is necessary to determine which of these children actually have increased final adult height, whether they actually experience a psychosocial benefit from any such increase, and whether GH therapy creates significant risks or other negative effects. The results of this research should provide clearer guidance on the future appropriate use of GH therapy.
Pediatricians should also be alert to commercial efforts to stimulate parental interest in GH therapy as the avenue to improved athletic ability and other forms of social “success” for their children (New York Times Magazine. 1991;47:14–17, 28–29). In this difficult area, it is especially important for pediatricians to fulfill their traditional role of protecting their patients from harm, which can include the refusal to administer burdensome and nonbeneficial treatment. Finally, pediatricians should exert their best efforts to counsel parents and children concerned about short stature that there often are better alternatives than GH therapy to address their concerns.
Committee on Drugs, 1995 to 1996
Cheston M. Berlin, Jr, MD, Chairperson
D. Gail McCarver-May, MD
Daniel A. Notterman, MD
Robert M. Ward, MD
Douglas N. Weismann, MD
Geraldine S. Wilson, MD
John T. Wilson, MD
Elizabeth B. Weller, MD
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Donald R. Bennett MD, PhD
American Medical Association/United States Pharmacopeia
Joseph Mulinare, MD, MSPH
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Iffath Abbasi Hoskins, MD
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
Paul Kaufman, MD
Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America
Carmen Krough, BSc
Health Protection Branch, Canada
Michael J. Rieder, MD
Canadian Paediatric Society
Gloria Troendle, MD
Food and Drug Administration
Sumner J. Yaffe, MD
National Institutes of Health
AAP Section Liaison
Charles J. Coté, MD
Section on Anesthesiology
Stanley J. Szefler, MD
Section on Allergy and Immunology
Jeffrey L. Blumer, MD, PhD
Committee on Bioethics, 1995 to 1996
Joel E. Frader, MD, Chairperson
Lucy S. Crain, MD
Kathryn L. Moseley, MD
Robert M. Nelson, MD
Ian H. Porter, MD
Felipe E. Vizcarrondo, MD
Watson A. Bowes, MD
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
Allessandra Kazura, MD
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Ernest F. Krug, III, MD
American Board of Pediatrics
Donna A. Caniano, MD
Section on Surgery
Rebecca Dresser, JD Nancy M. P. King, JD
The recommendations in this statement do not indicate an exclusive course of treatment or serve as a standard of medical care. Variations, taking into account individual circumstances, may be appropriate.
- GH =
- human growth hormone
- Tanner JM,
- Whitehouse RH
- ↵Laron Z, Bauman B, Josefsberg Z. Importance of age at initiation of hGH therapy. In: Laron Z, Butenandt O, Raiti S, eds. Clinical Use of Growth Hormone: Present and Future Aspects. New York, NY: S Karger AG; 1987;16:48–60
- ↵Guyda H, Dean H. Intermittent vs continuous GH administration in growth hormone deficiency. In: Laron Z, Butenandt O, Raiti S, eds. Clinical Use of Growth Hormone: Present and Future Aspects. New York, NY: S Karger AG; 1987;16:61–71
- Smith PJ,
- Hindmarsh PC,
- Brook CG
- Bundak R,
- Hindmarsh PC,
- Brook CG
- Brown P
- Frasier SD
- ↵Alsever RN, Gotlin RW, eds. Handbook of Endocrine Tests in Adults and Children. 2nd ed. Chicago, IL: Year Book Medical Publishers; 1978
- Fine RN,
- Kohaut EC,
- Brown D,
- Perlman AJ
- Brook CG,
- Hindmarsh PC
- Genentech Collaborative Study Group
- ↵Physician's Desk Reference. 49th ed. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Data Production Co; 1995:1087–1088, 1332–1333
- ↵American Academy of Pediatrics. Findings from Periodic Survey of Fellows #14. Use of Growth Hormone in Pediatric Practice. Elk Grove Village, IL: American Academy of Pediatrics; 1991
- ↵Schwartz ID, Bercu BB. Normal growth and development. In: Hung W, ed. Clinical Pediatric Endocrinology. St Louis, MO: Mosby-Year Book; 1992:13–41
- Hindmarsh PC,
- Brook CG
- Laron Z, Bauman B, Josefsberg Z. Discussion to Job and Preece. In: Laron Z, Butenandt O, Raiti S, eds. Clinical Use of Growth Hormone: Present and Future Aspects. New York, NY: S Karger AG; 1987;16:116–121
- Anneren G,
- Sara VR,
- Hall K,
- Tuvemo T
- Cowell CT,
- Quigley CA,
- Moore B,
- et al.
- Stanhope R
- Frasier SD
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- Williams RW,
- Underwood LE
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- Baily MA
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- ↵Cuttler L, Michon R, Reinecke M, Stocking C. Attitudinal and behavioral concomitants of short stature. Adolesc Med. 1990:4A
- Benjamin M,
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- Lippe BM
- Copyright © 1997 American Academy of Pediatrics
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But there wasn't much to choose from in terms of paid employment at the upper level of salary choices. Men dominated the professions such as being a physician, a lawyer, owning a business, etc. Of course, there were exceptions - but for the most part, women worked as domestics (maids, laundresses, cooks) or in factories or at home, often paid by the piece, either stripping tobacco, picking nuts, producing silk flowers or sewing, making lace, etc. They sometimes worked in millinery and dressmaker shops, or ... as teachers. It seems fitting, being September, to talk about women working as teachers.
Harriet Beecher Stowe's sister, Catherine Beecher, born in 1800 in a prominent family of social reformers, was self-taught and believed that women were natural teachers. Catherine became one in 1821 and was a co-founder of the Hartford Female Seminary - where women were trained to be mothers and teachers. She also believed that teaching was far more important than the work of a doctor or lawyer - something I agree with - although she never supported suffrage. Still, for the early 1800s, she spurred progress for women to further their education and then pass that knowledge to children.
It seems many people agreed with Beecher. "God seems to have made woman peculiarly suited to guide and develop the infant mind, and it seems... very poor policy to pay a man 20 or 22 dollars a month, for teaching children the ABCs, when a female could do the work more successfully at one third of the price." -- Littleton School Committee, Littleton, Massachusetts, 1849
In urban schools, women taught and men were superintendents or principals. In western rural areas, men might have taken the lower pay of a teaching position if they had no other choice. School districts might have hired a man to teach the older children and a woman to handle the younger ones. If they could afford both, that is, depending on the school and settlement. And most schools were one-room, handling up to sixty children. Often there was little extra money for slates, books or even coal or wood for the stoves to heat the small schoolhouses in poorer settlements.
Reading - utilizing the Bible, early primers or later MacGuffey's Reader - and grammar, arithmetic, geography and history were taught in schools, sometimes by teachers who had barely learned the same lessons. But while many consider the quality of lessons as basic or primitive, consider today's trend to skip spelling and grammar lessons (disappearing unfortunately). The extensive "figuring" lessons in measures and weights, basic accounting and other necessary math was vital to running a farm or a keeping a business afloat.
Women in the field appreciated the chance to live an independent life, and to earn wages - even if on a temporary basis before marriage. By the turn of the century, 75% of teachers were women. My husband's aunt worked in a one-room schoolhouse with children ranging from kindergarten to eighth grade. She swept the steps and classroom every day, fetched coal for the heating stove, brought extra food for kids going without breakfast/lunch (during late Depression) and handled discipline - but the children loved her since she made it fun to learn.
To the right, a class of thirty children, possibly the same age (easier than thirty all at different grade levels), and their female teacher - at the Watkins School, Nashville, Tennessee, late 1800s.
Today, women still dominate the teaching profession. They do have the advantage of earning pensions, benefits and fairly decent wages - although for the work involved, they are still not paid enough (in my opinion.) We all have memories of our favorite teachers. God bless them all.
Sources: http://www.pbs.org/onlyateacher/beecher.html, http://www.nwhm.org/online-exhibits/industry/4.htm
Meg Mims is an award-winning author with two western mysteries under her Eastern belt. She lives in Michigan, where the hills are like driveway slopes and trees block any type of prairie winds. LIKE her on Facebook, follow her on Twitter or check out her books on her website. Double Crossing won the 2012 Spur Award for Best First Novel and Double or Nothing is the exciting sequel.
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How the Chrysler EVAP System works
The Chrysler EVAP System is different than most other EVAP systems. Here’s how it works.
All vehicle manufacturers are required to build in test sequences to detect a possible leak of fuel vapors into the atmosphere. They can do this two ways: by adding pressure to the system or by pulling a vacuum on the system. Starting in 1996 Chrysler used a pressure technique using a leak detection pump (LDP) to check for system leaks.
Ironically, LDP is basically a vacuum/spring driven pump. It uses engine vacuum to pull the diaphragm up and suck air into a lower chamber. The PCM energizes a solenoid valve to allow engine vacuum to the upper chamber of the pump. That vacuum sucks the diaphragm up. The diaphragm pulls air into the lower chamber through a filter and a one-way check valve. When the PCM shuts off engine vacuum, a spring forces the diaphragm down, and this is what forms the pumping action. The pump solenoid is what controls the on/off of engine vacuum.
The spring exerts 7.5″ of (H2O) pressure, so when the pressure inside the tank reaches that level, the diaphragm no longer moves down after vacuum is released. How does the PCM know that this pressure has been achieved? There’s a set of electrical contacts inside the LDP that open/close each time the diaphragm moves. When it stops moving and the PCM knows that is has released vacuum to the upper chamber, it assumes that the correct pressure is present in the tank and connecting hoses. That’s when the PCM starts a timer and continues to watch the electrical contacts. The system must build and hold pressure in certain time frame “windows.” If it doesn’t, the PCM sets a code.
Starting in 2002, Chrysler developed a vacuum testing technique referred to as natural vacuum leak detection (NVLD).
The procedure is based on the physical law that as you decrease the temperature of a fixed volume of gas, the pressure inside the container will drop in direct proportion, unless there is a leak in the container.
As fuel is pumped from the tank to the fuel rail, it picks up heat—heat from the pumping action and heat from the engine compartment. The excess fuel that bleeds off the fuel pressure regulator returns to the fuel tank, where it eventually helps raise the temperature of all the gas in the tank.
So, when the vehicle is turned off and the fuel starts to cool, the pressure in the tank should drop. It ultimately drops to less than atmospheric pressure, or negative pressure (vacuum)/
A mechanical vacuum switch closes at 1” of vacuum. The PCM sees that switch close and knows that the tank and all the connecting hoses are in good condition, so it “passes” the leak test.
However, if there is a leak in any of the hoses, atmospheric pressure will leak into the tank and prevent the system from reaching a vacuum.
Chrysler also designed a pressure/vacuum relief valve to vent fuel pressure during gas station fills. They wanted to prevent a buildup of pressure inside the tank that would interfere with the leak detection test on engine shutdown. The relief valve also opens to allow air into the tank if the purge solenoid or vent solenoid fails. The valve opens at 3-6” of vacuum to protect the tank from collapsing.
I have another article on vent and purge solenoids and carbon canisters, but rather than force you to search for it, I’ll recap it here.
Remember, the whole point of an EVAP system is to prevent the release of raw gas vapors into the atmosphere. As you fill your tank with fuel, the gas vapors in the tank are forced into a canister of activated charcoal where they are absorbed. This obviously can’t go on forever—there’s a physical limit to how much gas vapor the canister can hold. So, when the PCM determines that the canister might be full, it commands a PURGE cycle.
The purge cycle starts when the computer sends power to the vent solenoid. That’s literally a valve that opens the system to the atmosphere. Once that’s open, the PCM sends power to the purge solenoid, another valve. The purge valve is connected by a vacuum line to the intake manifold. Once the valve is open, engine vacuum sucks the gas vapors out of the canister and fresh air “purges” the canister—the fresh air that came in through the vent solenoid. The gas vapors are burned by the engine and the PCM monitors engine performance during this time to make sure the engine doesn’t choke on all the extra fuel. At the end of the purge, the PCM closes the purge and vent solenoids. The next time you shut down the engine, the PCM conducts the leak test discussed above.
© 2012 Rick MuscoplatPosted on by Rick Muscoplat
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Addressing the challenge of persister cells in bacterial infections
How antimicrobial peptides may offer an answer to challenging problem
Dacheng Ren, assistant professor in the Department of Biomedical and Chemical Engineering in Syracuse University’s L.C. Smith College of Engineering and Computer Science (LCS) and member of the Syracuse Biomaterials Institute, has published a paper based on his research into how antimicrobial peptides may be able to aid in addressing the challenge posed by bacterial persister cells. His work was published in the July issue of Applied and Environmental Microbiology.
Persister cells, similar to spores, are a small portion of a microbial population that is dormant. Inherent in bacterial populations, it is believed that they play important roles in chronic infections like tuberculosis, persistent fungal infections and lung infections in cystic fibrosis patients. The dormant properties of these persister cells make them tolerant to almost all antibiotics. Therefore, infections can reoccur once a person stops antibiotic treatment since the bacteria can regrow from the persister cells and attack again.
Currently, there are no clinically proven treatments for killing persister cells. Working with New York University chemistry professor Neville R. Kallenbach, Ren began looking at anti-microbial peptides (AMP) as a potential solution to targeting these cells. AMPs target cells regardless of whether they are dormant, and Ren was able to demonstrate that some AMPs are very effective at attacking persister cells, both the free-swimming ones and those attached to surfaces (in biofilms).
The team also found a synergy between the use of antibiotics and AMPs to effectively eliminate dormant persister cells. Ren found that the use of AMPs reduced persister cells’ tolerance to antibiotic treatment. “We are inspired by these results and encouraged about potential new approaches to control persistent infections,” says Ren.
The research team also consists of LCS graduate students Xi Chen and Mi Zhang and NYU graduate student Chunhui Zhou.
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Professor Albert Einstein was a famous Human physicist of 20th century Earth. He was born in Germany and was best known for his equation E = mc² and his works on the Theory of General Relativity. His influential work in what would become quantum theory laid the cornerstone for critical scientific breakthroughs in the centuries to come, including transporters and warp spaceflight.
In 2268, when discussing genius with Leonard McCoy, James T. Kirk said, "Genius doesn't work on an assembly line business. Did Einstein, Kazanga, or Sitar of Vulcan produce new and revolutionary theories on a regular basis?" (TOS: "The Ultimate Computer")
In 2285, David Marcus believed that if Project Genesis had worked, his mother, Carol Marcus, would be remembered in the same breath as Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, and Surak. (Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan)
In 2369, Lieutenant Commander Data created holodeck version of Albert Einstein, Sir Isaac Newton and Stephen Hawking in order to watch how three of the greatest Human scientists would interact during a game of poker. Data's observations were "most illuminating". (TNG: "Descent")
In 2374, Captain Kathryn Janeway referred to Einstein in her Captain's log when she was in search of the omega molecule, and was forced to impose the Omega Directive. In her log, she noted that, in spite of her apprehensiveness, she now knew how Albert Einstein must have felt when he had developed the atom bomb, watching helplessly as science had taken a destructive course. Janeway, however, also noted that, unlike both Einstein and Carol Marcus, she had at least a chance to prevent science from becoming subverted. (VOY: "The Omega Directive")
When a hologram of Crell Moset proposed a medical procedure endangering a cytoplasmic lifeform, which had attached itself to B'Elanna Torres, in 2375 The Doctor protested as this lifeform could be its species' Einstein or Picasso. (VOY: "Nothing Human")
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4.3 Given a scenario, write code that makes appropriate use of object locking to protect static or instance variables from concurrent access problems.
The following code demonstrates what happens when two different threads are accessing the same account data. Imagine that two people each have a checkbook for a single checking account (or two people each have ATM cards, but both cards are linked to only one account).
Prevent "race condition" by using synchronized
Prevent “race condition,” where multiple threads can access the same resource (typically an object’s instance variables), and can produce corrupted data if one thread “races in” too quickly before an operation that should be “atomic” has completed.
makeWithdrawal is synchronized.
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A soldier's life in garrison was a round of inspection reviews, guard duty and, at smaller posts, shoeing horses, cutting wood, cleaning campgrounds and repairing chimneys. The soldiers at Fort Scott spent a large part of their time constructing the buildings that composed the fort. Felling trees, hauling logs, working at the sawmill (when it was operational), and herding the horses and cattle were interspersed with planting and harvesting the gardens that made the government issue rations palatable. Each soldier took his turn as company cook, good or bad; and it was a rare soldier who did not spend at least some time in the guardhouse for infraction of the rules. A dragoon private was paid $8.00 a month. Prior to receiving his pay, debts due the government, laundress, and sutler were taken out.
The dragoon soldier's day was strictly regimented. Bugle calls signaled the activity that a soldier was engaged in. The following calls represent a typical day of calls at Fort Scott.
Assembly or roll call sounded a few minutes later.
For mounted troops, stable call came immediately after reveille, forty minutes before noon and again immediately after retreat at sunset. The men cleaned the stables and fed and watered the horses. Infantry jokingly referred to the dragoons as "nursemaids."
Sick call also came before breakfast at 7:10, and any who were ailing were sent to the post surgeon for examination and treatment, if needed.
Mess call for breakfast sounded at 7:30 am. Lunch was at noon and evening mess was scheduled at the company level and was governed by the completion of routine work or fatigue duties.
Fatigue call was sounded after breakfast, and the men were detailed from each company for such jobs as working on a construction site, cutting timber, hauling wood, working at the sawmill, cleaning the post, loading and unloading supplies, building a road, tending the post gardens, and numerous other duties.
Those assigned guard duty, which was done on a rotating basis, were not assigned to work details. The changing of the guard, or guard mounting, was held mid morning and accompanied by another bugle call. Guards were on duty for twenty-four hours and were usually divided into three reliefs. Each relief stood guard for two hours and was off for four hours on a rotating basis.
Drill instruction, which occured only one or two days a week was called at 10:00 am and occasionally after lunch at 1:00, after which the soldiers returned to fatigue duties.
The daily retreat ceremony (lowering of the flag) occurred at sunset, was preceded by the fourth roll call of the day, and could include an evening dress parade.
In the 1840s, the last bugle call of the day was tattoo, which required all soldiers to be at their quarters unless they were on special leave or guard duty. The fifth and final roll call was conducted immediately after the sounding of tattoo before the soldiers entered their quarters for the night.
There was little to relieve the tedium of life a frontier post in the 1840s and 1850s. When a man obtained a few days leave, he usually sought the nearest town of any size for relaxation. Normally, time passed very slowly when the men were not on duty. A dreary picture of the lack of constructive amusements and entertainment is painted in one report from Fort Laramie in 1858:
... The same holds good as to the other duties of the soldier. Drill is also another effort to keep the falx in the plane of certain directions and to produce pantographic results with bodies, limbs, and muskets or other weapons. Police duty is a daily funeral procession around the garrison with twig brushes instead of cypress boughs for the mourners.
And so with the individual action of the soldier, when left to himself, after the various processes above have been duly gone through with. Little temptation does he seem to feel to do ought but vegetate in his bunk, with some occasional spasmodic effort at foot-ball or other game--possibly to -hunt or fish a little; when, perhaps, there is additional inducement in the shape of a cask in the bushes somewhere near his garrison, whereby, he spreads to any other bad physical and mental influences those derived from the depression attendant upon alcoholic 25 stimulants most villainously adulterated.
Richard H. Coolidge
Statistical Report on the Sickness and Mortality in the Army
Almost every regiment had its library, consisting of a few books and magazines. These were available to the men, but officers and their families also took advantage of the reading materials. Lowe spoke of his major, who suggested his company be assessed to purchase "Harper's Classical and Family Libraries." The libraries came with a pair of bookcases, with hinges closing the edges on one side. The cases could be locked at the edges when being moved, and the books were uniform. The major, who proposed the library donated $25, and the money the men volunteered was withheld from their pay. Usually, a man from the company or regiment was in charge of checking out the books. When the library was kept in the Adjutant's Office, this usually was the orderly sergeant.
Mail in the 1850s arrived by an expressman every two weeks. Exiled from all contacts with home, friends and the world outside, the mail carrier was awaited with much anxiety. Many soldiers, who were illiterate themselves or had illiterate families at home, received-letters only rarely.
Efforts were made by the men and their officers to relieve the monotony of their daily lives. Holidays were special occasions and much was made of them; but there were fewer to celebrate in the early Nineteenth Century. Thanksgiving Day and Memorial Day did not exist; Columbus Day was not a national holiday. The birthday of Washington might be noted but no more than in passing, perhaps with a short speech from the commanding officer at the post. The Fourth of July, however, was always a day of relaxation of rules. The firing of the cannon signaled the auspicious day; there generally was an oration from the Commanding Officer, and many a guardhouse was filled the next morning with those whose celebration had gotten out of hand.
At Christmas, the men in a company pooled some of their pay to send away for delicacies otherwise unavailable, even at the Sutler's Store. Meyers contributed to a dinner that included "hams, tongues, sardines, pickles, preserves, lemons, etc., not forgetting a few dozen bottles of American champagne, which had been carefully packed with sawdust into barrels both for safety and concealment." His company sent to St. Paul for stone china (ironstone) dishes, and the mess room was decorated for the celebration. Candles around the walls provided additional light. In 1851, at Fort Arbuckle, the officers had an abundance of game--bear, buffalo, tongue, prairie hen or grouse, venison, wild turkey, duck, goose, quail, and pigeon--for their Christmas dinner; and the men usually shared some of this game, at least at the holidays. There were few presents for the majority of the men, who seldom had relatives or friends to remember them. A package from home for a regular was a rarity. To compensate, the men pushed aside the tables after the meal, and with the assistance of the post's musicians danced. Laundresses and wives of the noncommissioned officers and the other men provided partners for the ball.
The War Department did not employ Chaplains at military posts until 1838, and even then it was only at some posts. There was no Chaplain at Fort Scott until 1850. Chaplains received $40 a month and were provided quarters, rations and fuel. They also were expected to teach the children at the post. Prior to this, responsible noncommissioned officers or even privates were selected to conduct the schools. The latter was considered a rather thankless task; although, the teacher was entitled to extra rations of whiskey. Few of the schoolmasters thus selected were able to teach their pupils more than basic reading, writing and arithmetic. The children of officers continued their education in the East, but the formal education of soldiers' children ended early.
Chaplains seldom were around, however, when death overcame soldiers on the march. When a dragoon died, he was wrapped in his blankets and carried on the shoulders of his friends to the grave. The entourage was preceded by an escort and followed by the dismounted squadrons. The horse of the deceased dragoon was led along with the saddle empty and the weapons hanging down. The squadrons formed three sides of a square about the grave, a few appropriate remarks or prayers were given, the men mounted, the salute was fired, and the men rode off, leaving a few to fill the lonely grave on the prairie. Rocks were piled over the spot to deter wolves, and markers had only a brief lifetime.
Throughout the 1840s, the dragoons were out on marches during the summer. Their return at the end of the season was welcomed by the garrison, and the familiar routine of harvesting the gardens, cutting wood, and hauling water commenced. When winter closed in, the men refurbished their equipment and completed the interior work on quarters and buildings.
Information for this page was taken from theHistoric Furnishing PlanforThe Dragoon Barracksby Sally Johnson Ketcham.
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Short & Sweet: Some notes to try to clear up fuzziness about Nerves, Ganglia, and Nuclei, and what the PNS is doing:
Peripheral Nervous System
Nerves are bundles of neurons; either long dendrites and/or long axons.
There are no cell bodies in nerves. The cell bodies are in the ganglia (PNS) or nuclei (in gray matter of the CNS).
Most nerves contain both kinds of neurons (sensory and motor). The sensory neurons conduct information to the CNS (“afferent”), the motor neurons conduct away from the CNS (“efferent” -- “E” for “Exit”).
All of the neurons in some nerves conduct in the same direction. These nerves contain either sensory or motor neurons.
Cranial Nerves and Spinal Nerves
Humans have 12 pairs of cranial nerves and 31 pairs of spinal nerves.
Cranial nerves are sensory, motor, or mixed, and all but the vagus are involved with the head and neck region; the vagus nerve manages the internal organs.
Spinal nerves are all mixed nerves. Their regular arrangement reflects the segmentation of the human body.
Spinal nerves are connected to the spinal cord by two branches called roots.
The dorsal root contains sensory neurons. The dorsal root ganglion contains the cell bodies of sensory neurons. Sensory neurons therefore have long dendrites.
The ventral root contains motor neurons. Motor neurons have short dendrites and long axons.
Somatic Nervous System
The somatic nervous system provides conscious, voluntary control.
It includes all of the nerves that serve the skeletal muscles and the exterior sense organs.
Reflexes are simple, stereotyped and repeatable motor actions (example: movements) brought about by a specific sensory stimulus. The reflex is involuntary but may involve the use of voluntary (skeletal) muscle and nerves.
Reflexes are quick and produce behaviors that are typically beneficial. For example, when you fall, reflex arcs immediately act to extend your arm so that your arm prevents your head and body from hitting the ground.
Some reflexes involve the brain, others do not.
A whole series of responses may occur since some sensory neurons stimulate several interneurons which, in turn send impulses to other parts of the CNS. If you were to fall forward, interneurons would use information from the ears to determine the direction of the fall and extend the arms in a forward direction. If you were to fall toward the left side, interneurons would select neurons that activate muscles to extend your arm to the left side.
Example: The stretch reflex
The stretch reflex is involved in helping the body maintain its position without having to consciously think about it.
When a muscle is stretched, stretch-sensitive receptors are stimulated. An action potential is conducted to the spinal cord. The axon terminals synapse with motor neurons leading right back to the muscles. This causes the muscle to contract to its original position.
Autonomic Nervous System
This part of the nervous system sends signals to the heart, smooth muscle, glands, and all internal organs.
It is generally without conscious control.
The autonomic nervous system uses two or more motor neurons:
The cell body of one of the motor neurons is in the CNS. The cell body of the other one is in a ganglion.
The sympathetic nervous system prepares the body to deal with emergency situations. This is often called the "fight or flight" response.
Stimulation from sympathetic nerves dilates the pupils, accelerates the heartbeat, increases the breathing rate, and inhibits the digestive tract.
The neurotransmitter is norepinephrine (similar to epinephrine [adrenaline], the heart stimulant).
Sympathetic nerves arise from the middle (thoracic-lumbar) portion of the spinal cord.
When there is little stress, the parasympathetic system tends to slow down the overall activity of the body.
It causes the pupils to contract, it promotes digestion, and it slows the rate of heartbeat.
The neurotransmitter is acetylcholine.
The actual rate of stimulus to each organ is determined by the sum of opposing signals from the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems.
Parasympathetic nerves arise from the brain and sacral (near the legs) portion of the cord.
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“We’re probably at the death of education, right now,” said Stephen Heppell, a Professor at Bournemouth University, who’s regarded as one of the most influential academics in educational technology. “I think the structures and strictures of school, learning from 9 until 3, working on your own…not working with others…I think that’s dead or dying. And I think that learning is just beginning.”
So…how is technology changing the process of learning, exactly? “There’s a very big difference between ‘access to information’, and ‘school’,” said Seth Godin, entrepreneur, author and public figure. “They used to be the same thing. Information is there online, to any one of the billion people who has access to the Internet. So what that means, is if we give access to a 4-year-old, or an 8-year-old or a 12-year-old, they will get the information if they want it.” Daqui http://thenextweb.com/insider/2013/08/22/the-future-of-libraries/
(Voltar às raízes) Saber ensinar a aprender a pensar, semear a inquietação da paixão da descoberta, do conhecimento, da criação. Encontrar e estimar professores que olhem para os alunos, para as pessoas, se interessem por eles, por elas (minuto 19:26 e seguintes).
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1. Projectiles include those items that are shot forward such as a cannon shell, bullet, or rocket.
In accordance with the context, the word projectiles in this sentence means
a) things put down b) things shot forward c) things hurt d)things broken
2. The professor was a favorite among the students at the college. His sagacity was helpful to them as they pursued their degrees. The professor was known to use his experience, insight, and common sense to help students pursue their education.
The word sagacity in this sentence means
silliness - thoughtlessness
wisdom - negligence
3. Famous conquistadors include Cortes, who conquered Aztec Mexico and Pizarro, who conquered Inca Peru.
The word conquistadors in this sentence means
geographers - losers
victims - conquerors
4. A sleuth, such as Sherlock Holmes, can be very helpful in solving crimes.
The word sleuth in this sentence means
senior - citizen man
pilot - detective
5. Zack was a good at many sports. He excelled in swimming, running, horsemanship, fencing, and target shooting. He decided to compete in the pentathlon rather than having to choose one of the events.
The word pentathlon in this sentence means
competition with two events - competition with eight events
competition with ten events - competition with five events
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The Bureau of Mines performed laboratory research into the effects of a barium-based fuel additive (the "postflame" type) on diesel particulate matter (dpm) emissions. The 5.6-L, six-cylinder test engine is typical of types certifiable for use in underground mines. Test parameters consisted of additive concentration and engine loads, speed, and air intake restriction. Dpm emissions, including condensed volatiles, were measured gravimetrically. Also measured were gaseous emissions including carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and hydrocarbons. The fuel additive was effective, reducing dpm up to 75 pct, when used at a concentration of 0.09 Wt pct (one-fourth of the concentration recommended by the manufacturer). The additive was most effective at the highest fuel-air ratios, reducing dpm from 400 mg/m3 for untreated fuel to 120 mg/m3. At light loads, 25 pct of full rated, no dpm reductions were measured. Based on these results, the additive is recommended for use in diesel fuel, at a concentration of 0.09 Wt pct, to power underground mining equipment as long as certain conditions are met: that a beneficial dpm reduction is verified, that the minimum required quantity of additive is used, and that potential adverse effects such as increased nitrogen oxides are checked.
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The nation’s opioid epidemic continues to make grim headlines as it devastates communities in Illinois and around the country. In Illinois, more people die each year of an opioid overdose, whether heroin or prescription painkillers, than of gun-related causes or car crashes, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.
But there’s reason for hope, courtesy of Chicago: a concentration of doctors and researchers who are the vanguard of a national push to treat pain without narcotics. Alternatives can’t
come quickly enough, as drug overdoses in the state increased 7.6 percent from 2014 to 2015—making Illinois one of 19 states with a “statistically significant” uptick in overdose deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention.
“There’s no doubt that alternative forms of pain management are essential to reducing opioid abuse,” says Juliet Sorensen, a professor of law at Northwestern University who organized a recent symposium in Chicago on the epidemic. “But they take more time, more effort and more resources than popping a pill, which is how we got ourselves into this problem in the first place.”
Concern about opioids has created a push for both the advancement of safer clinical alternatives and a better understanding of pain in general. As a result, Timothy Lubenow, an anesthesiologist and pain medicine specialist at Rush University Medical Center, tells his young medical fellows that there’s never been a better time to work in the field. His Rush Pain Center has been a national leader in studying opioid alternatives including spinal cord stimulation.
For three decades Lubenow has specialized in the procedure, in which a device similar to a pacemaker is implanted under the skin. It uses mild bursts of electrical current to disrupt the pain signals that originate in the spine’s nerve fibers, preventing them from reaching the brain. The replaceable devices, which last up to eight years, are a long-term treatment for chronic pain that can prevent people from remaining on prescription painkillers indefinitely. Lubenow says that while spinal cord stimulation has been FDA-approved since 1967, improvements in the devices over the past 18 months mean the electricity is better targeted and can be varied in intensity, which helps patients who have built up a tolerance.
“Stimulation is gaining greater traction because there have been a number of randomized controlled studies that show it reduces pain more than surgery,” he says—especially in patients with chronic back pain. “It’s an effective way to get by with a lower dose of opiates or no opiates at all.”
There’s a catch. Lubenow says it’s a huge hassle to get insurers to approve the stimulators, which cost about $105,000. A month of opioids, by contrast, runs about $80.
One of his patients recently saw a 50 percent improvement in her nerve pain during a trial of a new stimulator. Despite the results, her insurance refused to pay for the device after the trial ended. Lubenow had to send a letter to the Illinois Department of Insurance, asking them to investigate, before the insurance money came through.
“Opioids are more economical in the short term but are an incredibly expensive drain on our economy in the long term,” says Sorensen, the Northwestern professor. “That’s why it’s critical we move away from this short-term perspective.”
UNDERSTANDING PAIN AND THE BRAIN
It’s particularly critical when treating children and young adults. At Lurie Children’s Hospital, doctors have reduced the use of opioids, especially in teens who undergo sports-related knee and shoulder operations. Instead, they insert catheters to deliver anesthetizing nerve blocks to the area for several days after surgery.
“We almost never use opioids exclusively and instead use a multimodal approach that is just as effective,” says Dr. Santhanam Suresh, chairman of pediatric anesthesiology at Lurie and director of its pain management team. By “multimodal,” he means an approach that includes nerve blocks to get patients over the hump of intense postoperative pain, combined with gabapentin, a non-narcotic seizure drug that also eases nerve pain. Plus, there’s good old-fashioned ibuprofen.
Ritesh Shah, an orthopedic surgeon at the Illinois Bone & Joint Institute, has begun using a non-narcotic local anesthetic that he says allows his adult patients who get hip and knee replacements to recover more quickly and go home sooner than when treated with opioids. The painkiller, sold under the brand name Exparel and injected directly into the surgical site, offers pain relief for up to 72 hours. According to Shah, patients who receive it can get up and walk within 30 minutes of surgery, climb stairs within 60 minutes and go home after 90 minutes. Patients treated with opioids, meanwhile, stay in the hospital for several days and don’t walk for 24 hours.
Shah says minimizing opioid use prevents feelings of light-headedness and fuzziness, which allows the patients to walk sooner. Walking lessens pain and prevents nausea because it helps move the bowels. “One of the best forms of pain control is early mobilization,” he says. “When these patients get up and walk early on, they develop confidence and they actually have less pain.”
Shah, who has no relationship with Exparel’s manufacturer, Parsippany-Troy Hills, N.J.-based Pacira Pharmaceutical, says opioid painkillers are a big part of the reason traditional joint replacements require several days in the hospital. Those stays can cost between $10,000 and $20,000 and can put otherwise healthy patients at increased risk for hospital-acquired infections.
While doctors pursue opioid alternatives with patients, scientists at Chicago’s research institutions, meanwhile, are trying to solve the problem on a different level, by better understanding how pain registers in the brain.
At Northwestern, scientists recently identified the region of the brain responsible for the so-called placebo effect, which explains why some people feel significant relief from fake treatments.
This is important because it will allow doctors to individualize pain therapy by choosing medication based on how a person’s brain responds to a drug, says Vania Apkarian, a professor of physiology at Northwestern’s Feinberg School of Medicine. This should reduce opioid use while still providing effective relief. “The placebo effect has been used as medicine for centuries without any scientific technology behind it,” he says. “This study says there is a biologically based process behind it.”
Ultimately, chronic pain management is an inexact science. Opioids are incredibly effective at reducing pain but should not be used for more than two or three months to avoid dependence, doctors say. Injections and spinal stimulation can work for longer-term pain, but they can lose efficacy over time.
“I think the problem is the unrealistic expectations created by the drug companies,” says Khalid Malik, a professor of anesthesiology at the University of Illinois College of Medicine who runs UI Health’s pain management center. “Everyone jumps on treatment bandwagons, but certain types of pain cannot be treated effectively.”
In these cases, the psychological and holistic elements of pain management become critical. Hospitals are increasingly using multipronged, long-term approaches that eschew quick fixes in favor of cognitive therapy and biofeedback. The pain management groups at Rush, University of Illinois and Lurie all use psychologists to help patients develop coping skills, such as deep breathing and visualization.
Suresh, the Lurie anesthesiologist, says doctors also need to sit down with patients before surgery to minimize pain “catastrophizing.” “We need to counsel patients, saying, ‘You’re going to be hurting, but here’s what we’re going to do,’ ” he says.
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In 1974, researchers uncovered the tomb of Shi Huangdi, the legendary Ch'in (Qin) emperor who unified China and reigned from 221-207 B.C.E. Inside of the tomb were life-sized soldiers made of terracotta (Italian for "baked earth"), lined up neatly in 38 rows. The soldiers were amazing in their detail, with each having different facial features, likely modeled after actual soldiers. They even carried real bronze weapons, with blades that remained razor sharp after 2,200 years.
However, what truly left archaeologists and the rest of the world watching on TV in awe was this: There were over 8,000 soldiers lined up in the tomb! Infantrymen, chariots pulled by life-sized clay horses, crossbowmen, it was a complete army, armed and armored. Stretching 650 feet back into the chamber, these soldiers were created to guard the emperor in the afterlife. Ordered by the emperor at age 13, it took 36 years and 700,000 workers to complete construction of the massive tomb and its army.
Welcome to the mystery and wonder that is ancient China. In the subsequent readings, you will learn that Chinese culture developed differently from any other ancient civilization. Chinese history is a lesson in paradoxes. Their past is full of natural disasters and wars; yet some of the most beautiful art, literature, and architecture have been created and preserved through the 13 dynastic periods, spanning 4,000 years into the 20th century. These trends are reflected by three of the most influential dynasties of China: the Shang, Han, and Tang.
Written language began in China with the oracle bones and tortoise shells of the Shang dynasty, and the beauty of their bronze work was unrivaled for hundreds of years. The Han dynasty will always be remembered for opening up to the Western world through its use of the Silk Road. Ideas such as Buddhism were exchanged as freely as silk and spices with lands as far west as India and the Roman Empire.
China's most enduring landmark, the Great Wall, was built primarily during the Han period. Its earthen walls protected the Chinese people from foreign invasions throughout the centuries. It was during the Tang dynasty that the most beautiful poetry of dynastic China was written, as were the civil examinations that remained in use into the 20th century. China was, and is, truly a land of invention and discovery.
The major philosophies originating in China, Taoism and Confucianism, will be examined in the hope that we may learn from their vast wealth of knowledge. Brilliant thinkers such as Lao Tzu and Confucius molded the political and religious landscapes of dynastic China with their radical ideas about the nature of man.
|DYNASTY||DATE||IMPORTANT FIGURES||INVENTIONS & DISCOVERIES|
|Xia (Hsia)||c.1994-c.1523 B.C.E.||Yu the Great, Huang Di||irrigation & farming, domesticated animals, writing|
|Shang (Yin)||c.1523-1111||Fuhao||bronze, oracle bones, calendar|
|Chou (Zhou)||1111-221||Confucius, Lao-tzu||iron, written laws, money, feudalism|
|Ch'in (Qin)||221-206||Shi Huangdi||bureaucracy, roads, canals, beginning of the Great Wall|
|Han||206 B.C.E.-220 C.E.||Wu Ti, Wang Mang||porcelain, paper, Buddhism, Silk Road, encyclopedia (Shiji)|
|Three Kingdoms||220-280||growth of Taoism|
|Jin (Tsin or Chin)||265-420||exploration into southeast Asia|
|Southern & Northern||420-588||wheelbarrow, advances in astronomy and medicine|
|Sui||581-617||Sui Wen-ti||central government, Great Wall restored, Great Canal built|
|Tang (T'ang)||618-907||Tai-tsung, Du Fu, Wang Wei||land expansion, civil exams, poetry, sculpture, painting|
|Five Dynasties||907-960||woodblock printing, printing of paper money|
|Song (Sung)||960-1279||tea, cotton, gunpowder, growth of Confucianism|
|Yuan (Yung)||1260-1368||Kublai Khan||playwriting, medical literature, playing cards|
|Ming||1368-1644||contact with West, architecture and literature flourish|
|Ch'ing (Qing or Manchu)||1644-1911||further land expansion, restoration of ancient text|
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The video game industry has reached the global mass-market, thanks in large part to the ubiquity of the Internet, mobile phones, and portable devices. In 2014, the total market for video games worldwide reached approximately $82 billion, making it larger than either the film or music industry.
The growth of game development can be directly linked to the adoption of game engines. Game engines and middleware have played an integral part of the development process for the past 10 years. Back in 2003, the total worldwide game revenue for the year was $18.7 billion, and the total number of games released for the entire year was under 2,500, which included all PC and console games. At that time, M2 Research estimated that approximately 8 percent of all titles in development used some form of off-the-shelf game engine, or less than 200 titles.
Compare that to 2014, with mobile and online games dominating the market growth. Pocket Gamer, a website that focuses on portable gaming, estimates there are more than 309,500 active games available on the App Store alone, with 2,400-plus new games submitted monthly. In the same token, Steam saw incredible growth in 2014, with 1,300 new games added to the site, up from the 300 games added in 2013. Steam also had 24 million new users set up accounts in 2014, bringing the total number of active Steam users to over 125 million.
The Rise of Game Engines
Game engines were first developed for some of the biggest titles in the early 1990s. Quake and Doom developed proprietary game engines used for first-person shooters (FPSs). Studios developing proprietary engines was the norm for these large-scale games through the early to mid-’90s.
There have been many game engines during the past 20 years. Originally developed in conjunction with a specific title, engines were viewed as highly proprietary technology. Many companies viewed their game engine as the key differentiator, spending millions of dollars to create the engines themselves. The general benefit of an engine is that it enables developers ultimately to focus more on the gameplay, characters, story, imagery, and landscapes. Given that, the first engines were not shared with other third-party studios.
One of the first successful commercial game engines started appearing in the mid-’90s when Criterion came on the scene with RenderWare. Launched in 1997, RenderWare was one of the first engines focused on building third-party support. Developed by Criterion Studio, RenderWare was a 3D API and graphics rendering engine tuned for early cross-platform development projects and supported by Sony for PlayStation 2 development. RenderWare was acquired by Electronic Arts in 2004 for an undisclosed sum. Three years later, Electronic Arts announced it had moved development over to Epic’s Unreal 3 game engine.
By 2006, there were roughly 20 different game engines available on the market, covering console, PC, and MMO development.
Today’s game engines are substantially different from the past engines, which were extremely technical, difficult to manage, and expensive, with large back-end royalty clauses. Presently, engines fall into one of two categories: SaaS (software as a service) or open source.
Unity was first to launch its subscription model in 2013 and now offers a subscription service to the Pro version of Unity at $75 per month (with a 12-month commitment). At GDC 2014, Epic and Crytek both announced their SaaS models, with Epic releasing the Unreal Engine 4 for $19 a month, along with a flat 5 percent royalty fee payable on any sales of products powered by the engine. Crytek’s subscription-based model runs $9.90 per month.
When deciding which game engine to use, there are several key factors a developer should consider: the programming language, the type of graphics, the platforms, and the type of game or application being developed
Ustwo used Unity’s engine for its Monument Valley game.
Unity Technologies was founded by David Helgason, Nicholas Francis, and Joachim Ante in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 2004. The company made its mark by directing initially on mobile game developers when mobile devices were just starting to gain momentum. With the launch of the iPhone in 2007, Unity focused its initial efforts on supporting that device and mobile development. This was a huge success given the boom in mobile phone penetration, and the company soon made it its mission to democratize game development.
Over the years, Unity has continued building up the Unity platform, establishing its Asset Store and creating a global community. Today, Unity is used by more than 3.3 million registered developers in a wide range of industries, including architectural, product design, visualization, and education (see “A House with History,” page 34).
In fact, 2014 was a big year for Unity. The company made several acquisitions, including Applifier (Helsinki, Finland) for its Everyplay and GameAds services, and Playnomics (San Francisco) mobile game analytics company. Then in October 2014, Helgason stepped down as Unity CEO, with John Riccitiello assuming that position. Previously the CEO of Electronic Arts, Riccitiello is now providing the leadership to grow the platform further.
Unity has maintained a strong presence in Asia, thanks in part to the explosion of mobile gaming in the region. “The Asian market for game development is quite different from Western markets,” as William Yang, general manager of Unity Korea, explains. “I think many Korean development studios have strengths in their graphics quality, ‘freemium’ schemes, and seamless network play. As mobile network services improve in terms of speed, coverage, and payment plans (for instance, 4G LTE) in the Western markets, the conversion and availability of content – and better games – will grow.”
Yang continues, “Top areas of consideration will be in-game revenue streams, such as advertising, and in-game purchases backed by better analytic tools to improve discovery. Casual games will be the largest market by volume, but ARPPU (average revenue per paying user) will probably be higher in more levels of gameplay that have better-quality graphics, strategy, and gameplay – most everything will have to have a social platform/element inside.”
There are many benefits to using Unity and the strength of its large user base and community development. What seems to be most important to developers is Unity’s support for cross-platform development: Currently it runs on 15 different platforms, including Windows, iOS, Android, Linux, Flash, PS4, Xbox, and Wii U.
Also, an increasingly important feature is the company’s Asset Store. Unity’s Asset Store launched in 2010 to support its active developer community. Since then, the Asset Store has played a significant role for both studios and individual developers as a marketplace to share content and sell everything from images to code.
One of the breakout games of 2014 was the architectural game Monument Valley, created by ustwo using Unity.
“Monument Valley has very bespoke and intricately designed 3D levels, so having a great WYSIWYG editor was important,” says Neil McFarland, director of ustwo, which has offices in New York, London, and Sweden. “The best way to create great games is to make it as easy as possible for designers to create and iterate content. The Unity Editor was customizable to fit our specific requirements for making ‘impossible’ Escher-esque levels. This made it much quicker to iterate on level design and art, which was critical to obtaining the level of polish that we wanted.”
The team created the game using Unity, open-source Blender, Adobe’s Photoshop, and Atlassian’s SourceTree, a pipeline that gave the artists “the greatest degree of freedom to express themselves efficiently,” McFarland adds.
According to McFarland, the studio needed a tool that made it simple for everyone on the team – artists with tech skills, developers with art skills, and production support with artistic integrity – to use and contribute directly to the project. “Selecting a game engine is a substantial investment, so it was important to keep open our options for targeting different platforms in the future, and Unity has perhaps the broadest range of supported platforms,” he says.
Another concern pertains to monetization, especially since it has become increasingly difficult with mobile games. Even a breakout hit like Monument Valley has to look at its monetizing strategies on a platform-by-platform basis. Ustwo went for a premium model, selling the game for $3.99, which was considered high when so many were going the freemium route.
Expecting it would take a year to break even on the title, the studio was surprised when it took just seven days to do so. However, most of the revenue came from iOS platforms, while only 5 percent of Android users bought the game.
“While unexpected, this was not a complete surprise, as Android is an open platform, which more easily allows the acquisition of games and apps outside the regulated channels of distribution,” says McFarland.
Unknown Worlds Entertainment (San Francisco) is currently using Unity3D for the development of Subnautica, an underwater, open-world adventure game currently available on Steam’s Early Access program. “Unity’s Asset store was a hidden surprise for us. We watched when Rust was released through Steam’s Early Access, and it shot up to number 2, using all placeholder assets,” says Charlie Cleveland, Unknown Worlds’ CEO. “For us, that was an eye-opening experience. Now we buy assets, shaders, and code all the time on the Asset Store, but we always replace them with our own development before we ship our games.”
Cleveland says he started using Unity in the early prototyping of Subnautica and found it extremely easy to use. “Within just a few months, I had a working game. It gave me the ability to create quick scene changes as well as tweak things in real time, like the game’s physics,” he explains. “For me, working in C# was another plus.”
Unknown Worlds Entertainment was able to take a deep dive with its Subnautica game by using the Unity Engine.
Unknown Worlds is a rare studio that has created its own game engine, called the Spark Engine. Originally built for Natural Selection 2, the studio’s sequel to Natural Selection, the engine is also being used on another of the company’s upcoming games, Future Perfect. As Cleveland notes, “The Spark Engine is only for Windows and Linux at the moment, and the choice to use it for Future Perfect was due primarily to the game having a much more technical focus beyond gameplay and game experience.”
Founded in the mid-1990s by Tim Sweeney and Mark Reins, Epic has been at the forefront of graphics, game development, and engine design since the company’s inception. Back in 1998, when Epic launched its FPS Unreal, the company developed a proprietary engine by the same name, and hence the Unreal Engine was born.
In 2012, Tencent acquired 48 percent of the company for $300 million, resulting in an exodus of many senior staff. Nevertheless, last March, the fourth iteration of the Unreal Engine, the Unreal Engine 4 (UE4), was released.
At CES 2015, Nvidia showcased a mobile demo of Epic’s stunning Elemental running on the Nvidia Tegra X1 mobile chip. Elemental was originally shown as a benchmark for the high-end PCs back in 2012, then the PS4 in 2013.
“The trend in mobile is clearly toward more sophisticated and visually compelling titles. The fundamental driver for this is the need to differentiate – today’s mobile app stores are flooded with unremarkable 2D titles,” says Andy Hess, Epic’s technology evangelist. “Leveraging a modern game engine, like UE4, allows developers to express their artistic vision in an uncompromised way.”
Epic and the Unreal Engine have always been synonymous with the highest level of graphics. “Epic has an enormous brain trust working on graphics rendering – Hollywood-quality graphics are now totally possible on today’s consoles and high-end PCs,” explains Hess. While the company’s primary focus has been games, UE4 is finding success in many non-gaming areas, such as film and entertainment, simulation, visualization, and training.
Into The Stars
Epic’s UE4 enabled Fugitive Games to build its open-world space game, Into the Stars.
Fugitive Games is a newly launched Los Angeles studio founded by former DICE developers Ben Jones and Marc Janas, part of the development team there that created Battlefield, Medal of Honor, and Lost Planet. Fugitive Games’ director and cofounder, Ben Jones, points out the importance of keeping the studio agile and small, while still creating high-end graphics as seen in Into The Stars, the company’s Kickstarter game. “Our core team is just four people, so making powerful and functional tools is a must.”
Outside of UE4, the group utilizes the Adobe suite, Autodesk’s 3ds Max, Perforce Software’s Perforce, and Skype for the work.
The team was already familiar with the Unreal Engine, having used it on previous projects, including Shadows of the Damned, Lost Planet 3, The Bourne Conspiracy, and America’s Army. And Fugitive found UE4’s pricing “attractive.” “The developer-friendly approach of small monthly payments, coupled with a robust and powerful engine, are what initially drew us to UE4. But the team’s experience with the previous Unreal Engine and the new features deployed with this iteration, including the robust marketplace, are what solidified our decision,” says Jones.
The team is particularly impressed with the World Composition tool. “Building an open-world space game requires an incredible amount of real estate, and this new feature has afforded us the freedom to make
our star system come to life!” Jones says.
Meanwhile, Epic continues to build up its storefront with tutorials and user-generated content, which is helpful for beginners and seasoned veterans alike.
Commercial engines, like UE4, are being used in non-gaming projects, such as in Arch-Vis.
Xoio is a visual development studio, based in Berlin, which has recently started using UE4. According to Peter Stulz, Xoio’s CEO, the studio had been looking at various game engines for years but was never really convinced of the resulting quality. Xoio’s work is quite specialized and does not involve gaming or even interactivity, for now. Rather, Xoio generates photorealistic illustrations, particularly for architecture and advertising. “Unreal enables us to produce compelling imagery,” he says.
Stulz finds a number of engine features especially appealing to Xoio. “The visual potential is mandatory for us. And it is easy to get results. I appreciate Epic’s effort to keep the amount of coding required to start out at a minimum, especially for programming rookies,” he adds. And then there is the visually-
pleasing, unique logic system. “The node-based blueprint system is pretty much used everywhere, from shading to game mechanics. In fact, that is an easy portal for all creatives unfamiliar with coding – you still can do this if you absolutely want to.”
Stulz, who comes from the illustration and animation fields, was pleased that the engine’s shading and lighting were comparable to familiar techniques used in 3ds Max, Nvidia’s Mental Ray, and Chaos Group’s V-Ray. “Even the global illumination system is, to some sense, comparable, which helped in our workflow,” he says. “To see all that working and rendering in real time was such a pleasure.”
Aside from UE4, the group uses 3ds Max and Photoshop. The artists also have been using World Machine Software’s World Machine for some landscape erosions. “I love this little tool, and it works very well with UE,” says Stulz.
Crytek has long been at the leading edge of game graphics and technology, with titles such as Homefront, Warface, and the Crysis series. Its CryEngine was first used in the FPS FarCry. Then, at the 2009 Game Developers Conference, Crytek announced the availability of its proprietary engine, CryEngine, to third-party developers. At the Game Developers Conference in 2014, the company, like Epic, made a bold move to launch CryEngine as a SaaS model for $9.90 a month, with no back-end royalty fee.
The Memory of Eldurium
Crytek’s Cryengine was used by Liminal Games for its new The Memory of Eldurium, an open-world role-playing game.
Liminal Games, a small, independent studio in Logan, Utah, used CryEngine for The Memory of Eldurium, an open-world RPG, becoming the first developer to use the engine under Crytek’s independent development license.
Other games currently using CryEngine include Miscreated and Ultraworld. And while Crytek remains committed to its engine development, there is obviously significant competition from Epic and Unreal.
While there are a number of other game engines on the market, Cocos2D – an open-source engine used by a wide range of independent developers – has found a following particularly among the 2D sect. Built by Ricardo Quesada in Argentina and launched in 2008, Cocos2D was originally written in Python and then, later, in Objective C and C++.
Cocos2D, also known as Cocos2d-Swift is now managed and supported by Apportable, the android version, Cocos2Dx is now managed and supported by Chukong Technologies, a Beijing-based company with offices in the US. The current version of Cocos2D supports 2D physics engines, such as Box2D (from Erin Catto) and Chipmunk (Howling Moon Software), while the program lets developers animate particle effects and image filtering effects via shaders. Editors for Cocos2D (such as SpriteBuilder and Cocos Builder) are available for each version.
There are a number of big-name publishers that have used the Cocos2D engine on titles including Ridiculous Fishing by Vlambeer, TinyCo’s Tiny Village, Zynga’s Matching with Friends, and Big Fish Games’ Big Fish Casino.
The landscape for game engines has evolved enormously. Gone are the days of the silo’d, walled-garden approach to tool development. We are no longer in a “one-off” development
cycle, where tools get rebuilt from the ground up with every new title that ships. Even proprietary engines are tweaked and revamped for the developer’s next title.
Indeed, the game engines of today are open, collaborative platforms that thrive and necessitate a large community that supports it.
Engines and their tools are the building blocks that enable designers and developers to explore, create, and communicate a story or visual dialog. They are the scaffolding that supports the creative process.
While some still opt for a proprietary engine, many others see the value of not having to reinvent the wheel, especially when the commercial selections are so robust.
This article was originally written for Computer Graphics World and is republished on GBR with acknowledgment of CGW.
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Our ideas are unlimited and they are uniquely inspired. The genius of Our Age exhibition is inspired by Ralph Waldo Emerson‘s essay, “Self Reliance”. He begins with the following statement:
To believe in your own thought, to believe that what is true for you in your private heart is true for all men—that is genius.
The word genius (with a lowercase “g”) refers to individuality. It symbolizes the process of forming new ideas through unique thought, and allowing in the constant presence of inspiration. This allows us to grow, learn, progress, and evolve in each generation.
The genius of Our Age is the unique idea that one person has which breaks ground. Genius is interpreting. Genius is creating. It is imagining, inspiring, contemplating, and understanding. Our existence is only as limited as our genius.
Our guest teen curators this year were Anna Ahrens (Topeka High School), Shannon Hayden (Hayden High School), Kelsie Middaugh (Lawrence High School), Erika Spaulding (Highland Park High School), and Sarah Sutterfield (Lawrnece High School).
What is Curate This?
Part classroom and part independent study, we are willing to work with instructors to monitor student progress and credit her/him for grading purposes.
Contact our museum educator, Betsy Roe, if you or someone you know is interested in participating in 2014: 785-580-4577 (or) email@example.com.
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Democratic Alliance (DA), South African political party formed in 2000 through the merger of the Democratic Party, the New National Party (see National Party), and the Federal Alliance. The Democratic Alliance became the official opposition party to the African National Congress (ANC), though the New National Party withdrew from the alliance the following year.
The Democratic Alliance traces its ancestry through the Democratic Party, a political party established in 1989 by the merger of the Progressive Federal Party with two smaller liberal parties, the National Democratic Movement and the Independent Party. The Democratic Party supported full voting and other civil rights for South Africa’s black majority and constitutional changes toward that end. Following the dismantling of the apartheid system, South Africa held its first election by universal suffrage in 1994, which resulted in the country’s first multiethnic government. The Democratic Party won seven seats in the National Assembly, finishing far behind the ANC. In 1999, however, the Democratic Party won 38 seats and became the second largest party in the legislature. The Democratic Party subsequently proclaimed itself the party with the “guts to fight back,” and its leader, Tony Leon, cultivated a belligerent attitude toward the ruling ANC.
In an effort to present a more effective opposition to the ANC, the Democratic Party joined with the New National Party and the Federal Alliance in 2000 to form the DA. The union between the three would prove to be short-lived, however, as the New National Party left the alliance in 2001 and tied its fortunes to the ANC while the other two parties remained united as the DA.
The DA built its electoral base over subsequent years, and it had particular success in Cape Town. In March 2006 the party scored a major victory in local elections: DA spokesperson Helen Zille became mayor of Cape Town, and the DA won control of the Cape Town metropolitan council at the head of a multiparty coalition. The following year Tony Leon stepped down as party leader, and Zille succeeded him (while remaining mayor of Cape Town).
In the 2009 elections the DA finished in second place with almost 17 percent of the national vote, far behind the victorious ANC. The DA performed strongly in the Western Cape, however—taking almost 49 percent of the vote in that province and marking the first time since 1999 that the Western Cape was not dominated by the ANC—and Zille became the premier of the province. The party placed second in Gauteng province, becoming the official opposition party there.
In 2010 the DA and another opposition party, the Independent Democrats (ID), headed by Patricia de Lille, announced that the two parties would merge by the 2014 national and provincial elections, with the DA absorbing the ID. In early 2014 the DA looked poised to absorb another opposition party, the nascent Agang SA, headed by Mamphela Ramphele, but that potential merger quickly collapsed.
The DA expanded its presence on both the national and provincial levels in the 2014 elections. The party finished in second place behind the ANC in the national poll again but won more than 22 percent of the vote, a higher percentage than in 2009. The DA dominated the Western Cape once more, this time with almost 60 percent of the vote, and it rose to the position of being the official opposition party in six other provinces.
Zille did not stand for reelection as leader of the DA at the party’s federal congress on May 9–10, 2015. She was succeeded by Mmusi Maimane, the DA’s parliamentary spokesperson. He was the first black African to be elected leader of the DA.
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MONSANTO is notching it up as a victory, but whether an end to the ban on the firm’s genetically modified alfalfa will actually lead to the seeds being sold is unclear.
In 2007, organic farmers sued Monsanto, winning an injunction that prevented the firm selling its “Roundup Ready alfalfa”. The farmers argued the alfalfa had not been properly checked by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) for its environmental impact.
A court was ‘unjustified’ in banning Roundup Ready alfalfa, but the seeds must still be investigated
Monsanto appealed, and on Monday the Supreme Court ruled that the lower court had been “unjustified” in imposing its ban. However, it also ruled that the USDA had broken the law by allowing the seeds to be sold in 2005 in the first place. This means the GM alfalfa cannot be sold until the USDA carries out an impact assessment. “That could take years,” says John Bianchi, a spokesman for the Center for Food Safety in Washington DC, which is representing the farmers.
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BRITISH ILLUSTRATOR ROGER PAYNE
Roger Payne is a professional English illustrator. His drawings can be found in school and university magazines, in the newspapers of companies and local governments and in countless books. He made colour and black-and-white illustrations too. At first he signed his pictures using a pseudonym, then using his first name, and after a while his full name appeared on his artworks. Many of Payne’s pictures deals with homosexuality and are openly pornographic, but he made lots of pictures without sexual content.
We, the creators of the site have no problem with homosexuality. We only want to mention that Conan Doyle did not portray Holmes and Watson as gay. ( More information: Common misbeliefs - Sherlock Holmes was homosexual ) No matter what some adaptations suggest, they were friends, without romantic feelings towards each other. Roger Payne also made a very canonical illustration of the duo.
He pictured several famous people, musicians, mythological and historical personalities (for example Winston Churchill). His historical themed illustrations were published in Look and Learn. It was a weekly magazine by Fleetway Publications Ltd., appearing between 1962 and 1982. The aim of the magazine was to help children broaden their knowledge and enhance their imagination. It dealt with various topics, from geological phenomena (like volcanoes) to historical events, and it also contained the comics version of some of the most famous literary works. Look and Learn had some short but popular articles on the greatest detective of the world and on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Here we show Roger Payne’s Sherlock Holmes and Doyle illustrations.
The drawings of Roger Payne:
Roger Payne: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
- The Real-Life Sherlock Holmes
If you want to see more of the works of Payne or you would like to buy them as a poster,
please click here: Allposters.com - The works of Roger Payne
Roger Payne: Holmes and Watson at 221B Baker Street
- Sherlock Holmes in his study
Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes novels and short stories
Sherlock Holmes illustrators
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The estimable John Brand informs us that ‘It is a ceremony, says Bourne, never omitted among the vulgar, to draw lots, which they term Valentines, on the eve before Valentine Day. The names of a select number of one sex are, by an equal number of the other, put into some vessel; and after that, every one draws a names, which for the present is called their Valentine, and is look’d upon as a good omen of their being man and wife afterwards.’
The Bourne in question is Henry Bourne (1694–1733), curate in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, whose Antiquitates vulgares forms the core of John Brand’s Observations on Popular Antiquities, later revised by Henry Ellis: this version was reissued in the Cambridge Library Collection. (Similarly, Joseph Ames (1687–1759) originally wrote Typographical Antiquities, which was considerably augmented by William Herbert (1718–95), and then ‘greatly enlarged, with copious notes, and illustrated with appropriate engravings’ by our old friend Thomas Frognall Dibdin (1776–1847).)
St Valentine’s Day gives Bourne/Brand/Ellis much matter to consider. The ‘rural tradition, that on this day every bird chuses its mate’, with its mentions by Chaucer and Shakespeare, is duly noted. The Pastons mention choosing Valentines, and various poetical effusions suggest that you could try divination by casting a name into the fire (which sounds like Hallowe’en activity), though as Brand points out: ‘I have searched the legend of St Valentine, but think there is no occurrence in his life that could have given rise to this ceremony.’ (He adds to this a wonderfully dismissive footnote, about love, charity, and gallantry which I don’t have room to quote.)
On the subject of divination, you could try fastening a bay leaf to each corner of your pillow, and one in the middle; then boil an egg, take out the yolk, fill the space with salt, eat (including the shell) and await developments. In Kent, girls used to capture from the boys and set fire to an effigy called the Holly-Boy; and vice versa with an Ivy-Girl: it’s not quite clear why, but sounds fun.
Again according to Brand, St Valentine was a presbyter martyred under the Emperor Claudius (i.e. early in the first century CE), unless of course the Claudius in question was Claudius Gothicus of the third century; and there seem in fact to be three different Valentines, all martyrs … Moreover, there is apparently a skull of St Valentine in the church of Sta Maria in Cosmedin in Rome, but only since it was removed from a catacomb in 1836: it’s not clear (again) how they decided that this (as opposed to any other skull) was Valentine (or which one).
But if you want to avoid the flowers-and-chocs routine (and by the way, gents, a single red rose is regarded as an insult these days), may we recommend a few appropriate titles (though arousal of passion is not necessarily guaranteed!):
Anonymous: The Love-Life of Dr Kane: Containing the Correspondence, and a History of the Acquaintance, Engagement, and Secret Marriage between Elisha K. Kane and Margaret Fox
Darwin, The Descent of Man and Selection in Relation to Sex (2 Volume Set)
Grosart, ed. Robert Chester’s ‘Love’s Martyr; Or, Rosalins Complaint’: With Its Supplement, ‘Diverse Poeticall Essaies on the Turtle and Phoenix’
Lawrence, Sons and Lovers
Shakespeare, Double Falshood; or, The Distrest Lovers
or the never-to-be-forgotten Sweet Silvery Sayings of Shakespeare on the Softer Sex, containing dozens of appropriately romantic quotations?
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1 Return to an original state, such as the natural capacity of an open system for self‐repair.
2 In conservation, the process by which the decline of an endangered or threatened species is arrested or reversed, and threats neutralized, so that its survival in the wild can be ensured.
3 In mineral processing, the amount of mineral that is separated and recovered in a mill, as a percentage of that calculated to be the original ore.
4 In waste management, the process of obtaining materials or energy resources from solid or liquid waste.
5 In disaster management, the coordinated process of supporting communities that have been affected by disaster in reconstruction of the physical infrastructure and restoration of emotional, social, economic, and physical well‐being.
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New discussion papers by researchers from the Environment for Development (EfD) project examine three urgent issues confronting environmental managers in developing countries: the design of efficient and effective conservation policies, determinants of consumer and producer behavior, and local management of the commons.
National parks are the workhorse of state conservation policies in most developing countries, yet we know little about how they affect local communities. In “Conservation Policies and Labor Markets: Unraveling the Effects of National Parks on Local Wages in Costa Rica,” Juan Robalino and Laura Villalobos-Fiatt explore how national parks affect the socioeconomic conditions of local communities in Costa Rica.
Trees have both economic and ecological purposes in rural Ethiopia, supplying households with wood products for consumption and sale, and decreasing soil degradation. In “Household Tree Planting in Tigrai, Northern Ethiopia: Tree Species, Purposes, and Determinants,” Zenebe Gebreegziabher, Alemu Mekonnen, Menale Kassie, and Gunnar Köhlin examine the factors that determine whether Ethiopian farmers plant trees.
Like planting trees, leaving crop residue on the farm helps prevent soil erosion, but it also sequesters carbon emissions. In “The Bioeconomics of Conservation Agriculture and Soil Carbon Sequestration in Developing Countries,” Wisdom Akpalu and Anders Ekbom study why some farmers engage in this practice and others do not.
Increasingly, environmental economists in developing countries are relying on experiments with actual consumers and farmers to study their behavior. In “Paying the Price of Sweetening Your Donation: Evidence from a Natural Field Experiment” Francisco Alpízar and Peter Martinsson use this method to explore the effect of giving visitors to Costa Rican national parks a gift in exchange for voluntary donation.
In “Does Relative Position Matter in Poor Societies? Evidence from a Survey Experiment in Rural
Ethiopia,” Alpaslan Akay, Peter Martinsson, and Haileselassie Medhin rely on experiments to explore the attitudes of rural farmers in northern Ethiopia toward relative (versus absolute) social position.
Finally, in “Attitudes Toward Uncertainty Among the Poor: Evidence from Rural Ethiopia,” Alpaslan Akay, Peter Martinsson, Haileselassie Medhin, and Stefan Trautmann” use data from experiments to compare risk and ambiguity attitudes among Ethiopian peasants and Western university students.
Local management of the commons
The pioneering work of this year’s Nobel laureate in economics, Elinor Ostrom, demonstrates that local communities can develop and enforce rules to efficiently and effectively manage public goods like forests and pastures. In “Determinants of Performance of Drinking-Water Community Organizations: A Comparative Analysis of Case Studies in Rural Costa Rica,” Róger Madrigal, Francisco Alpízar, and Achim Schlüter adopt Ostrom’s analytical framework to examine how community organizations provide safe drinking water to 60 percent of rural Costa Rica.
These papers provide a valuable window into the unique challenges faced by developing countries, from Ethiopa to Costa Rica, as they work to better the lives of their citizens while preserving their natural heritage. The papers discussed here, along with all Environment for Development publications are available on RFF’s EfD publications page.
- - - - - - - - -
These publications continue the efforts of the Environment for Development Initiative to improve environmental policymaking in developing countries. RFF collaborates with the Environmental Economics Unit at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden in international research and the creation of centers around the world.
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Kermadecs Whales and Dolphins
The Kermadec region is an ocean highway for marine mammals making their seasonal journeys between the tropics and cooler waters around New Zealand and other southern islands. Thirty-five of the 55 whale and dolphin species recorded within the New Zealand Exclusive Economic Zone are thought to migrate through Kermadec waters and some may breed here.
The high-productivity Kermadec Trench zone is an attractive habitat for deep-diving species such as sperm whales and beaked whales. These toothed whale species are predominantly squid-eaters that forage in deep-water zones. Sperm whale records are numerous, suggesting it may be a regional hotspot for the species. Whaling logbooks dating from the 1820s–40s, and covering waters to the southeast of the Kermadec Islands, show sperm whales were extensively hunted in the area at that time.
In contrast to the more obvious surface behaviour of sperm whales, pygmy and dwarf sperm whales are known to be boat-shy, and so they’re rarely seen at sea. It is highly probably they exist here as they are known from Northern New Zealand and New Caledonia and from other productive trench zones.
Beaked whales (belonging to the genus Mesoplodon) are the second most diverse cetacean family after the dolphins, and New Zealand has the most diverse beaked whale fauna of any country. Members of this family of deep-diving animals are likely to take advantage of the Kermadec Trench zone and seamount areas. Species distributions for many are poorly known and are often based solely on records of stranded animals. Cuvier’s beaked whale is the most widespread species, and is known from northern New Zealand, New Caledonia and the Cook Islands. This species, and the more tropical Blainville’s (or dense) beaked whale, are the two most likely members of the family to frequent Kermadec waters.
Direct observations have been made of Shepherd’s beaked whales from the Three Kings region in New Zealand. These and southern bottlenose whales, along with various species of mesoplodont whales such as Gray’s beaked whale, Andrew’s beaked whale and strap-toothed whale, have been recorded from whale-stranding incidents from the far north of New Zealand. It is possible that they may also range widely enough to be found here.
Dolphin species reported from direct observations in the region are the orca or killer whale, common dolphin, bottlenose dolphin and long-finned pilot whale, with possible sightings of striped dolphin. An observation of Fraser’s dolphin north of New Zealand in 2004 suggests the likely presence of the species in the area. Other more tropical delphinids that venture into New Zealand waters and are known from New Caledonia and Tonga are also very likely to be represented. These include Risso’s dolphin, melon-headed whale, spotted dolphin, spinner dolphin, false-killer whale and short-finned pilot whale. One species likely to occur, but that has not as yet come as far south as New Zealand, is the pygmy killer whale; records of this species in both Tonga and New Caledonia suggests it will also be present in the Kermadec region.
SOUTHERN RIGHT WHALES
Whaling logbooks indicate that the waters southeast of the Kermadec Islands were also an important area for southern right whales, and observed behaviours suggest they may have bred here. Little data is available on modern distributions of the species because it was hunted to near extinction, and recovery rates appear to have been extremely slow. There have been two reports of southern right whales from Raoul Island by DOC staff, but with historic sightings as far north as 27°S, these are among the most northerly reports of this species.
HUMPBACK AND OTHER BALEEN WHALES
Observations from the 1970s to 2007 show the humpback is the most frequently seen baleen whale in the Kermadec area. This may, however, simply reflect the visibility of their surface behaviour and ease of identification rather than real numbers. Unpublished data from satellite tags show that the Kermadecs may be an important ‘staging post’ for humpback whales in their southerly migration. At least two mother and calf pairs have been observed and photographed here, and another mother and calf pair observed separately at Denham Bay, Raoul Island.
The larger southern ocean baleen whale species may well also pass through Kermadec waters, as indicated by a record of a blue whale stranding at Raoul Island, although there are no direct observations of pygmy blue whale, sei whale, Bryde’s whale, fin whale or Omura’s whale.
Both Antarctic and dwarf minke whales have been recorded from New Caledonia, Tonga and New Zealand, and are also likely to be present in the Kermadec region.
Sperm whales off Raoul Island.
Arnold 2004
Richards 2002; Townsend 1935
D. Donnelly, pers. comm.
New Zealand Whale Stranding Database
A.N. Baker, pers. comm.
Richards 2002; Townsend 1935
R. Richards, pers. comm. 2007
Gaskin, Baird & Jenkins, unpublished data
K. Baird, pers. comm.
M. Francis, pers. comm.; C. Gaskin, pers. comm.
Moreton 1957
Moreton 1957
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Add to Spiritual Diary
Due to a transport strike, buses are not plying on the Tirumala Hills, on top of which is located the famous Tirupati temple. But earlier strikes never stopped buses plying towards Balaji's abode.
Over 1,500 buses ply daily between Tirupati and Tirumala Venkateswara temple.
The plight of the pilgrims can well be imagined. There were always pilgrims who wanted to do the nine-kilometre uphill trek on foot, a practice popular in Hindu religion. But most pilgrims, especially those who have come from far, usually travelled by bus.
The Tirupati Balaji temple is the richest Hindu temple in the world. More than 50,000 pilgrims visit the temple every day.
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Sunday, November 14, 2010
This Article was published in
Pakistan Observer (November 10, 2010)
By Sahibzada Hussain Mohi-ud-Din Qadri
Happiness has remained an elusive concept over the centuries. Philosophers, religious scholars, sociologists, and academicians have held out their opinions and tried to define what happiness is. Some regard it as a material thing for which material possessions have been identified as a means to achieve happiness. Others are of the view that happiness has nothing to do with material pursuits. Rather it is a moral or a spiritual phenomenon which one can acquire by doing right things. Despite these definitions and explorations, the idea is as Greek as it was before.
However, if you want to be happy but are not sure where to start, then I suggest you to begin by being kinder. Acts of giving will boost your well being as well as offer something good to the recipient and the world at large. Furthermore, these acts can take many forms and so you can do something that suits you personally. For instance, you can do voluntary work for a philanthropist organisation; you can do good deeds in your neighbourhood, for friends, family, work colleagues, strangers.
Happiness lies in giving to others. When you stop thinking about yourself, it is then the journey to happiness starts. Our focal point is always “I” or”me”. These two words are actually the root cause of much of our sadness we suffer from. Whenever we run after something to achieve, it runs away even faster from us. But when we decide to turn our back on our sought-after pursuits, those things would come for us. This is the law of nature, which is immutable and never changes.
If real happiness could be achieved by having lots of money and concentrating power, the kings would never have left their thrones in search of happiness. Buddha, Ashoka, Ibraham bin Adham are few examples from the history who abandoned their exalted positions to find solace and happiness. They found happiness once they started serving the poor and the needy of God’s creations.
The happiest time of our life lies in our childhood. As we grow in terms of age, our desires grow as well. When desires are not fulfilled, their unfulfillment brings sadness in our life. In order to acquire eternal happiness, we need to get rid of our desires. That is why it is said, best state to go back to God is the state in which you were born. That state is the state when one is innocent with one’s soul untainted by the worldly desires.
You don't just have to do volunteer work to be a kinder person. Remember you can carry out good deeds on a daily basis, in your home or at work. You can do something for people you don't know. Try to give people the benefit of the doubt. Let them make creative mistakes and learn for the sake of personal growth. Offer genuine compliments. Give small gifts. Plan something special for a loved one. Share your possessions without getting uptight about them.
Avoid gossiping in emails and on the telephone. Instead make a conscious effort to only say good things about others. You always have something to offer. Think of ways you can share that information. Think of ways in which you might be a positive influence on someone's life. When you see an opportunity to help, take it. Don't just keep walking. Not every act of kindness needs to be acknowledged. You are better off assuming you won't be. You are doing them because you want to, not for the thanks but for the sake of happiness that springs from inside. This will ensure you won't feel resentment if people don't respond as you'd imagined. This resentment can lead you to deciding that it is pointless being kind as it gets you nowhere. Carry out secret good deeds. These are acts of kindness that you carry out for another, without telling that person you did it.
It's a great way to increase your humility. Recognise that each act, no matter how small, will make a difference. It doesn't have to be the grand gesture. Holding a door open for someone is something we can all appreciate. A truly generous person does good deeds without expecting anything in return. So don't do it just for the praise. However, what you will get in return is greater happiness. There is also something known as the feel-good, do-good phenomenon, where being happy inclines a person to be more generous, which in turn brings greater happiness.
The way to transform happiness from individual level to the collective phenomenon is to make efforts aimed at making your country and society welfare-oriented. One can start this endeavour from the grassroots level by establishing welfare committees and keep on expanding its ambit. It calls for establishment of systems and arrangements for doing good to people in an institutionalized manne
Thursday, July 15, 2010
By Sahibzada Hussain Mohi-ud-Din Qadri
Islam enjoins upon its followers both men and women to dedicate themselves fully to learning knowledge. There is an ingrained value in every Muslim, man and woman alike to pursue knowledge and to learn about God's Truth. Prophet Mohammad (P.B.U.H) advised his followers to seek knowledge from every nook and corner of the world. In keeping with this value, Muslim women are continuing to make headway in the field of science and their participation in terms of graduation ratios often surpasses that of western women in pursuing scientific degrees according to UNESCO.
Contrarily, the western media is never tired of churning out stereotypes and outdated clichés about the Muslim women. Their favourite propaganda line is that it is because of discrimination ordered by the Islam that the Muslim women lag behind in the field of education. The western mind gets swayed in favour of this kind of reasoning when it is repeated over and over, while the fact is that truth is other way round. The Islamic message, which stresses gender equity and rights for women, is often polluted by competing cultural values that have no basis in Islam scripture.
The quest for knowledge has always applied to women in Islam. God has made no difference between genders in this area. The Prophet (P.B.U.H) once said: "Seeking knowledge is a mandatory for every Muslim (male and female)." (Sahih Bukhari)
History bears witness to the fact that the Muslim women have achieved numerous excellences in the field of science and technology thereby opening ways for more exploration through their findings and dedication. But the western media does not take these contributions into account nor is it ready to offer any kind of appreciation for these women who have broken male hegemony in the field of science and technology.
The fact is that the United States falls behind six Muslim countries in the percentage of women graduating in science to the total science graduate population. The countries whose ratio of women science graduates exceeds that of the United States are Bahrain, Brunei Darussalam, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Qatar and Turkey. Morocco exceeds the United States in the ratio of women engineering graduates as a percentage of the science graduate population.
Traditionally, Muslim women do not face the kind of discouragement in the sciences to the extent that their Western counterparts do, which explains why statistics show such high ratios of Muslim women graduates in science fields as a percentage to the total science graduate population. However, the fact of the matter is that instead of any religion injunctions, these are the socio-economic hurdles that apply equally to both men and women and hinder their way to advancement. These hurdles reflect themselves in the form of poverty, illiteracy, political instability and the policy of foreign powers.
Data that explains the real problem can be found by comparing the total educated populations of countries and regions of the world. A high degree of illiteracy and low levels of secondary school enrollment account for the less number of graduates in poorer countries than in the wealthier regions. In locales defined by UNESCO in their recent report, gross secondary school enrollment ratios are very low: Africa (below 40%), West Asia (below 60%), and East Asia (below 75%).
Gender inequity is a fact of life and does exist, but Islam cannot be singled out for being responsible for it nor can it be relegated to Muslim countries. Some disparaging gender gaps in higher education exist where the religion of Islam isn't even practiced by a majority of the population. For example, only 44% of people enrolled in higher education in Switzerland are women, Guatemala (43%), Rwanda (37%), Korea (36%), Bhutan (34%), Cambodia (29%) and Liechtenstein (27%).
On the other side of the coin, in Tunisia, a country where 98% of people practice Islam, there were 5% more female students enrolled than males in higher education. Malaysian women made up 55% of the enrolled population in higher education, Lebanon (54%), Jordan and Libya (51%). Bahrain even exceeded the United States in the ratio of women enrolled in higher education by 6%. If education is freedom, then it looks like Muslim women in Bahrain are more liberated than American women.
It is not Islam that threatens a woman's right to education. Rather these are the governments, which are hostile to Islam, which often set up roadblocks to prevent Muslim women from obtaining education. Both France and Turkey are guilty of this type of exclusionary persecution, all under the false guise of secularism. According to Human Rights Watch (HRW), a prestigious nongovernmental organization, these bans exclude thousands of women from institutions of higher learning each year. A 2004 HRW report states, "This restriction of women's choice of dress is discriminatory and violates their right to education, their right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, and their right to privacy."
Despite the fact that the Muslim woman is constantly being harassed about her choice in religion and face the sustained and clichéd portrayal at the hands of the western media that ridicule her faith and demonize her culture, there exists an Islamic tradition celebrating women in science. The Muslims need to remind the world of such heroic and ground-breaking women contributions in an attempt to correct their perspectives. Today, the Islamic culture in which women are encouraged to participate, excel and lead in scientific fields continues to express itself, not only through statistical data, but in real, living, breathing and praying people. Although these women are exceptional, they are by no means the exception to the rule.
Here we have few examples from around the world.
Professor Samira Ibrahim Islam, was nominated as a distinguished Scientist of the World For the Year 2000 by UNESCO. She made significant contributions in drug safety by defining the Saudi profile for drug metabolism. Sameena Shah, presented an innovative algorithm in computerized cognitive leaning that she and a team of colleagues developed at IIT Delhi, India. Professor Dr. Bina Shaheen Siddiqui, has made significant contributions to medicine and agriculture through her study and classification of indigenous plant materials. She has been awarded several patents for anticancer constituents and biopesticides and has written more than 250 research articles. She has been honored with several prestigious awards including the Khwarizmi International Award of Iran and Salam Prize in Chemistry.
Historic records show that women participated in science and medicine in Muslim societies. By contrast, in America, during the 1890's women could not be doctors, and yet, Muslim women doctors were seen as equals to their male counterparts hundred's of years earlier, they were even responsible for written contributions in the field. Also, women like Ijliya, an astrolab builder, were employed as skilled scientists in Muslim courts. Others made progress in pharmacology.
The data for years 2002/2003 contained in these tables describes the percentage of women graduates in science and engineering out of the total science and engineering graduate population in each country, and pertains to higher-education in science: (Statistics from the "Global Education Digest" report released from UNESCO Institute for Statistics2005)
Woman Graduates in Science
Brunei Darussalam 49%
Women Graduates in Engineering
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Why did Jesus Speak in Parables?
Sunday School teachers say, "A parable is a simple earthly story teaching a heavenly meaning to help common people understand the truth." Have you heard this explanation?
But parables are difficult stories that are hard to understand. David said they were dark sayings (Ps 49:4; 78:2), and God called them riddles (Ezek 17:2).
Your Sunday School teacher was very wrong. Parables are confusing.
The disciples did not like Jesus using parables, for they and the multitude could not understand them. So they asked Jesus, "Why speakest thou unto them in parables?" (Matt 13:10).
Jesus said He used parables to confuse the people and keep them from understanding, for He did not want them converted (Matt 13:11-15).
Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. . . .Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. . . . lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.
Your Sunday School teacher was very wrong again.
Parables are dark and difficult sayings - like riddles, and Jesus used them to keep the multitude from understanding, for He chose to hide the truth from them.
These two errors are also taught in Bible colleges and seminaries, for men cannot stand the idea of Jesus Christ being a sovereign King, Who shows His truth only to His elect.
Did the disciples' concern cause Jesus to stop using parables? Not at all, for Matthew 13:34 tells us He used them exclusively with this crowd:
All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them:
Jesus is a great King, and He does not owe the truth to any man. Truth is a great blessing, which He hides from most and reveals to a few saints in the earth.
Our glorious Lord has concealed His truth from the wise and prudent, and He has revealed it unto babes - even His elect (Matthew 11:25-27).
At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight. All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.
Do you like the well-known song, "Break Thou the Bread of Life," written by Mary Ann Lathbury? Consider the last half of its final verse:
Show me the truth concealed within thy Word, And in thy Book revealed I see the Lord.
God has written His Word and designed gospel preaching to conceal the truth from the unregenerate and to reveal it to His saints (I Cor 1:22-24).
For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.
We hope you will sing her song with more understanding in the future!
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Any positive working relationship is based on trust. An environment of trust assumes that both parties will be safe, and it carries with it an implicit message that you have each other’s best interests in mind. That is why employees can accept criticism and even anger from a boss they trust. The employees know deep down that the boss really means to help.
Trust is an interesting quality because, once it is lost, it is hard to recapture. Many professional relationships gasped their last breath with the words “I just do not trust you anymore.” Therefore, to have optimum working relationships, all parties must feel a sense of trust.
The question then is, how do you develop trust between people in the workplace? After all, when you have people from various backgrounds coming to work together, they usually don’t have a history with each other, and there’s no base of trust to begin with and grow upon. That is the reason managers need to be proactive and create an environment of trust apparent to all. This article includes ways to do that.
To ensure that employees will make good decisions, managers often begin to lecture. If you reflect on this, you will soon realize that lecturing and telling your employees what to do implies that you do not have faith in their decision-making abilities. This can result in their becoming defensive. In addition, the employees can lose faith in their own confidence to make decisions. If people do not have faith in themselves, then the manager’s faith in them decreases even more, and the lecturing begins again.
Even well-intentioned lectures convey the subtle, negative message that what the employee has done is wrong or not good enough. This often results in defensiveness and resistance. All people are sensitive about being told what to do, and they often want to prove themselves in the workplace. Telling robs workers of the satisfaction of their using initiative. So rather than lecture employees, consider using reflective questions, such as, “What do you think about ... ?” “Have you thought of … ?” and “Would you consider … ?”
Listen to Learn
Epictetus is credited with the statement: “Man has one tongue but two ears that we may hear from others twice as much as we speak.”
Listening to learn and valuing people’s feelings and ideas is what promotes the ability of managers to effectively communicate with and influence their staff. Listen to learn means not inserting your opinion and not judging what the person says while he or she is speaking. For most managers, their first reaction is to evaluate the employee from their own point of view and then approve or disapprove of what the person says. This is listening autobiographically. It shuts down the employee’s self-confidence, initiative and open communication. An easy strategy for replacing this tendency of listening autobiographically is to cultivate the habit of listening to learn.
Listening is a skill that can be improved. It starts by taking the position of a good listener. It’s getting ready to hear what is about to be said. It is refraining from the all-too-common practice of hearing a few words and then jumping in with a response. You may have experienced the feeling that arose when someone finished your sentence before you had finished it yourself. The feeling is not a positive one! When a manager interrupts an employee who is attempting to communicate, it prompts a negative emotion. No one enjoys being interrupted when trying to make a point.
Listening in anticipation of what an employee will say is another habit to break. Listening in anticipation encourages interruptions. All people want to be acknowledged and don’t wish to feel that you know what is about to be said. Interrupting is an indication that you don’t care about hearing the other person’s viewpoint as much as your own. Recommended reading: Shutting Up: Listening to Your Employees, Leading by Example, and Maximizing Productivity
A manager who listens well acknowledges their employees’ feelings and opinions. Yes, “zipping the lip” is extremely difficult for most managers, but it is the surest way to improve communication and build trust. Remember, no great insight ever enters the mind through an open mouth. It is important to let people know that you are willing to listen, even though it may not result in agreement. A simple “Talk to me about it” is an effective start to dialogue. Just use the most effective sales principle: Inquiry precedes advocacy. In other words, listen before you talk. When you feel a temptation to interrupt, redirect that impulse by thinking of the following question: “Will I be more effective if I listen first?”
Many people often say, “If I want something done right I have to do it myself.” Yet effective managers know that delegation of tasks is essential for building trust in the workplace. When you hold onto tasks and don’t delegate, you deprive your employees of an opportunity to advance their skills. Accept the fact that growth comes through struggle. Babying your employees hinders their professional development and implies that you don’t have faith in them. Focus on treating your staff as if they are who, how, and what you would like them to be. Treating people as if they are responsible and empowered increases their chances of becoming so.
Once the employee completes a task, the objective should be to focus on progress rather than on perfection. If the person’s result does not meet your expectations, you can still find something positive to comment on while helping the employee understand what the initial expectations are. This is far more effective than comments that foster guilt or a sense of failure. A positive approach prompts an incentive for the task-in contrast to criticizing, which provides a disincentive.
Remember, there isn’t any empowerment more effective than self-empowerment. Because being positive is so enabling, it is best to displace thoughts and communications that are destructive. Continually ask yourself how what you want to communicate can be put in a positive way. For example, saying, “You are bad tempered,” has the same meaning as, “You need to work on controlling your temper.” However, the first labels the person, whereas the second enables the person. People change more by building on their strengths and aptitudes than by working on their weaknesses. This does not mean that an area of weakness should not be worked on, but it does mean that a manager’s emphasis should be on what the employee can do, rather than on what the employee cannot do. The simple belief that something can be done is the spark that ignites the brain to act.
Create a Trusting Environment
Without trust in the workplace, communication and teamwork will erode. Additionally, morale will decrease while turnover will rise. However, by using these three strategies, you can build your employees’ trust in management, thereby making their workplace an environment filled with innovation, creativity and ultimately higher profits for all.
About the author
Dr. Marvin Marshall – an American educator, writer and lecturer – is widely known for his programs on discipline and learning. His approach stemmed from his acquiring knowledge about youth as a parent; a recreation director and camp counselor; a classroom teacher; a school counselor; an elementary and high school principal; district director of education; and as a certificate holder from the William Glasser Institute. More information is available at www.marvinmarshall.com.
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Keeping track of the contents of a breast-fed baby’s diapers helps breast-feeding mothers ensure baby is getting enough to eat. Mucus in your baby’s diaper is not unusual, even in a breast-fed baby, and most of the time, it is not a cause for medical concern. Treatment and prevention of stringy mucus in your baby’s stool often requires changes in your diet and breast-feeding practices, and there is no need for you to stop breast-feeding your baby.
Visible amounts of stringy mucus in your baby’s stool often result from exposure to foods in his diet or certain proteins from foods that you eat, which then pass into your breast milk. Starting your baby on vitamin drops, often recommended for breast-fed babies, is another cause of stringy mucus in the stool, explains the KellyMom website. An imbalance of foremilk and hindmilk is another cause of mucus in your breast-fed baby’s stools. Intestinal infections such as viral gastroenteritis also cause stringy mucus in infants’ stools. Less commonly, serious digestive disorders, such as Crohn’s disease, cause mucus in baby’s stool.
Identification and Diagnosis
A small amount of mucus in your breast-fed baby’s stool that happens once or twice is not a cause for medical concern. However, large amounts of stringy mucus, sudden changes in your baby’s bowel movements or eating habits, regular passage of mucus in the stool or mucus accompanied by blood requires evaluation by a doctor and lactation consultant. Consider tracking your baby’s bowel movements and noting the color, consistency and odor, along with what solids your baby consumed and what foods you consumed before your baby passed the mucus-filled stool.
Stringy mucus in your baby’s stool that results from viral gastroenteritis requires no specific treatment, and you should continue breast-feeding your baby. If he becomes dehydrated due to diarrhea or vomiting, some pediatricians recommend treating the dehydration with an oral electrolyte solution in addition to breast-feeding. If you suspect the mucus in your baby’s stool is related to foods in your own diet or in foods you give to your baby, your doctor or lactation consultant often begins treatment with an elimination diet, asking you to eliminate certain categories of foods, such as dairy products, until the issue with your baby’s stool resolves. To treat an imbalance of foremilk and hindmilk, lactation consultants often recommend expressing your milk for one to two minutes to remove some of the foremilk, then latching your baby to the breast.
Taking supplements of acidophilus or feeding your baby yogurt after a bout of viral gastroenteritis helps restore normal bowel function. Check with your pediatrician before giving your baby any dietary supplements. If you suffer from foremilk-hindmilk imbalance, talk with your lactation consultant about changing your breast-feeding method to only offer one breast per feeding as this method allows your baby to get more of the hindmilk, explains the Breastfeeding website.
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Dallas, Texas (WiredPRNews.com)–Although Las Angeles, California has, for many years, led the nation in smog and pollution, a new city has emerged as the sootiest of the nation according to a report released by the American Cancer Association. This is a first for the California city who has lead the list that determines the nation’s most polluted cities.
“Pittsburgh overtook Los Angeles in the category that measures short-term particle pollution or soot. Los Angeles, the country’s longtime soot and smog leader, has enacted aggressive measures to tackle sources of pollution, resulting in a substantial drop in particle pollution levels, said Janice Nolen, the association’s assistant vice president of national policy and advocacy.” However, Los Angeles still holds the title for all-around pollution.
Nolen also pointed out that it is not Pittsburgh who is entertaining higher levels of particle pollutants and smog; it is that Los Angeles is taking strides in effort to rectify the problem and their levels are improving. “If the trend continues, Pittsburgh will top two lists, and LA will only be leading the nation in ozone.”
Remaining consistent, Los Angeles still holds strong in two other categories which measures year-round soot levels and smog. Statewide, 26 out of California’s 52 counties with stations that monitor air quality failed for “having either high ozone days or particle pollution days.” The study also showed that 42% of the nation’s population lives in highly polluted counties with elevated levels of ozone or particle pollution.
So which cities are the cleanest? For crisp clear air and low levels of detrimental pollutants, Fargo, North Dakota and Salinas, California are the cleanest.
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TAIPEI, Taiwan — The next human to plant a foot on the moon's surface is most likely to be Chinese or Indian — and that "small step" could happen as soon as 2020.
In late October, China's moon orbiter Chang'e 2 shifted into a lopsided orbit that brings it as close as 9.5 miles from the moon's surface. It's snapping pictures, scouting a landing site for an unmanned rover in two to three years' time in a lesser-known area of the moon known as the "Bay of Rainbows."
(CCTV program on the Chang'e 2's mission. Skip to minute 2.)
India plans a similar rover mission around the same time, and both countries hope to follow that feat with a manned mission as soon as a decade from now.
Both countries are pouring money and resources into moon programs. Japan has also floated plans for a manned lunar mission and moon base. By contrast, the recession-battered United States earlier this year scratched its Constellation program — the ambitious, George W. Bush-launched plan to return Americans to the moon's surface — because it was too pricey (about $100 billion through 2020 alone).
So is Asia poised to make a giant leap, past the United States, in space?
Not necessarily. Experts say both China and India still lag far behind the United States in space expertise and experience. After all, American astronauts bounded over the moon's surface more than 40 years ago. President Barack Obama himself downplayed the importance of manned moon missions earlier this year, saying bluntly "we've been there."
U.S. spacecraft and satellite technology is still cutting-edge; witness the high-tech American lunar orbiter that's now sharing the moon's skies with China's orbiter. And the United States is now aiming for a daring new stunt: landing an astronaut on an asteroid by 2025, a project dubbed "Plymouth Rock."
But some worry that by giving up its grand lunar ambitions, the United States is ceding important political and symbolic ground to Asia — China, in particular. "I’m afraid what the president and his administration want is for the United States to no longer be pre-eminent in space flight, and that has very, very serious consequences," former astronaut Harrison Schmitt told the Madison, Wis., Capital Times. "I am very much of the mind that America can’t afford to be second-best in space.”
There are commercial fears too. While extracting lunar resources may still be the stuff of science fiction, in another generation or two it could become reality — and the United States might find itself on the back-foot in a race to mine the moon.
Moreover, voices including former Apollo astronaut Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk the moon, argue that the moon should remain a focus of the U.S. space program because it could provide a stepping stone to Mars and the rest of the solar system. Last year's findings of extensive water on the moon (first confirmed by an Indian lunar orbiter, by the way) suggest that rocket fuel could one day be produced at a moon base, making a Mars trip more feasible, Armstrong's co-pilot Buzz Aldrin pointed out recently.
Dragon v. Elephant
Chinese and Indian scientists claim their space programs are only pursuing peaceful, scientific research, and they deny they're competing in a "space race."
But it's clear that prestige and bragging rights are drivers for both countries — and neither wants to be the second Asian nation to put a man on the moon. "We can definitely put Chinese on the moon," Ouyang Ziyuan, a senior adviser to China's moon program, said recently, according to Taiwan's Want Daily. But if China falls behind India, "That would show that Chinese scientists are incompetent," he said.
Boosting military prowess is also a motivator. As the Cold War space race showed, most space technologies have military uses, especially in missile development and remote monitoring and control. "For any space-faring nation, space technologies will have military applications," Dean Cheng, an expert on China's space program at the Heritage Foundation, wrote in an email. "This is further reinforced in the case of [China] because of the extensive integration of the military into China's overall space program."
India's timeline for putting a human on the moon is actually ahead of China's — it's gunning for 2020, while China is looking at the 2020 to 2030 time frame and has not yet set a timetable.
But in terms of actual achievements to date, China's ahead. China has already put six men in space; India, zero. China has more doable, twin goals of establishing a space station above the Earth and landing a moon rover by 2020 (the space station program formally kicked off in late October). The success of those missions will determine how quickly it tries a manned moon shot.
China's lunar orbiters have so far fared better than India's, too — or Japan's. India's first lunar orbiter Chandrayaan-1 was forced to cut its mission short by more than a year due to glitches, and wasn't able to stay in a shallow orbit because of technical difficulties blamed on solar storms. Japan's orbiter actually beat China's to the moon in 2007 by a few weeks, but its mission was delayed several times and it was deliberately crashed into the moon due to a malfunctioning part.
China's missions have so far been mostly snafu-free, and it has now completed the challenging maneuver of putting the Chang'e 2 in an extremely shallow orbit.
Both China and India cite the possibility of mining lunar minerals as a potential long-term goal.
Such potential resources have China talking already about the need to plant its flag on the moon to secure development rights to whatever's sitting below the moon dust. "If China doesn't explore the moon, we will have no say in international lunar exploration and can't safeguard our proper rights and interests," Ouyang told Global Times.
The moon is thought to be rich in uranium and titanium ores, "rare earths" that have lately made headlines, and an obscure substance known as helium-3 that some scientists describe as a Holy Grail of energy sources. Helium-3 could potentially be mined from the moon, the thinking goes, returned to Earth and used in a nuclear fusion reaction to generate massive amounts of energy.
It may sound wacky, but helium-3's enthusiasts include Schmitt and his fellow moon-walking Apollo program veteran Edgar Mitchell (see interviews with them from the BBC special "Mining the Moon").
Indian scientists believe a successful fusion reaction using helium-3 could happen by the decade's end.
"Helium-3 could be one of best solutions for providing clean energy," Ajey Lele, an expert on Asian space programs at the Institute for Defense Studies and Analysis in New Delhi, said in a phone interview. "Scientists say that if you can manage to get a shipload of helium-3 from the surface of the moon, it will resolve your problems for the next 10 years as far as energy security is concerned."
"But it's all in the experimental stages at this point," he stressed. "It's unproven."
The Heritage Foundation's Cheng is one skeptic. "Helium-3 becomes useful in a fusion power generation context," he wrote in an email. "It will become something meriting more sustained discussion when we get closer to actually having a sustained fusion reaction."
Still, he said that China's programs, especially its space lab, could give China an edge if and when the extraction of moon resources turns political. "Once you start mining, and even before, questions arise as to ownership, as to profit-sharing (if any), as to who has the ability to establish and enforce claims in space," he said. "A long-term presence in space will give China political capital."
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How to Use Track Selectors in Avid
When you have many tracks in your timeline, it is important to understand how to use track selection. There are many things to know about the track indicators by your timeline. Some are more obvious than others, but all are important.
Step 1: Turning Tracks On or Off
The first thing to understand is that tracks exist so that you can separate different aspects of your project. This is advantageous because it allows you to manipulate parts of your material without altering everything at the same time. For instance, you may want to extend your musical accompaniment without extending the visual image. So, you would turn off all tracks, except the one with your music on it. To do this, click on the names of the tracks as they sit on the left of the timeline. Purple indicates that the track is on, while gray indicates the track is off.
Step 2: Source Material
You may have noticed that sometimes, there are two columns of track labels next to your timeline. To help understand this layout better, switch to Source/Record mode by going to "Toolsets" and selecting "Source/Record Editing". The left window will hold your source material and the right window will correspond to your timeline. Now make sure that you have some source material open. Look back at your timeline where you will now definitely have two columns of track labels. The left-most column represents tracks in your source material, and therefore only appears when you have source material open.
Step 3: Adding Clips to the Timeline
We will assume that your source material has one video track and two audio tracks. You can tell Avid to add all or only some of this material into the timeline. If you want to use all available tracks in your clip, you will need to make sure that not only are all three tracks selected on the timeline, but also in the source material. The track will not transfer over if either side of the exchange is deselected. If you want to add video with no audio, then select the video track on both the source side and the timeline side, but only select audio tracks on the timeline side. This way, the video clip will be added as usual, and the audio tracks will still react as though a clip has been added. If you then deselect that audio tracks on both the source side and the timeline side, the audio tracks will remain stagnant even as the video track changes.
Step 4: Assigning Tracks
If you have a timeline with many tracks, you may want to tell Avid where to send the source material. You could let it always send new clips to the V1 track and move them yourself, but there is a much easier way. Left click and hold on your source material video track. Now, drag your cursor up to a timeline video track other than V1. Notice an arrow is drawn from the source icon to the timeline icon. Release your mouse and the source track will snap up to the timeline track that you have assigned it to.
Though the track system may seem simple, there are many nuances that can greatly improve your editing. As your work gets more complicated, you will find this information increasingly advantageous.Popular P&S Cameras for High Quality Photos:
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You will be given two 90 mg tablets to take as your first dose. After this, take one 90 mg tablet twice a day, preferably in the morning and evening.
It is likely you will be prescribed ticagrelor for a period of up to twelve months. If there is a need for you to take it for longer than this, your dose will be reduced to 60 mg twice daily.The most common unwanted effects are an increased risk of bleeding, and feeling short of breath.
About ticagrelor tablets
|Type of medicine||An antiplatelet medicine|
|Used for||Preventing clots from forming in blood vessels (in people with acute coronary syndrome or in people who have previously had a heart attack)|
In your blood there are 'sticky' cells called platelets. When you cut yourself, the platelets stick to each other (clot) to seal the wound. Sometimes platelets stick to each other inside an artery - this is called a thrombus. If a thrombus forms in a blood vessel around your heart, this reduces the flow of blood to your heart. The term acute coronary syndrome (ACS) covers a range of disorders that are caused by this underlying problem. It may mean that you have had a heart attack, or that you have angina pain that is not well controlled. Antiplatelet medicines reduce the stickiness of platelets, and this helps prevent the platelets from sticking to the inside of an artery and forming a thrombus. This reduces the chances of you having a heart attack or stroke.
Ticagrelor is an antiplatelet medicine. Your doctor will also prescribe aspirin for you to take alongside ticagrelor. Aspirin is another antiplatelet medicine. A course of treatment with ticagrelor typically lasts for up to 12 months, whereas treatment with aspirin is likely to be lifelong.
If you require a procedure to open a blocked artery in your heart because you have already had a heart attack or because you have unstable angina, you could be given a single dose of ticagrelor during the procedure.
Before taking ticagrelor tablets
Some medicines are not suitable for people with certain conditions, and sometimes a medicine can only be used if extra care is taken. For these reasons, before you start taking ticagrelor tablets it is important that your doctor knows:
- If you have a condition which causes bleeding, such as a recent wound or a stomach ulcer.
- If you have any breathing difficulties, such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Ticagrelor can make these conditions worse.
- If you have any other heart condition, or an abnormal heart rate.
- If you have ever had a stroke caused by bleeding in your brain, a condition called intracranial haemorrhage.
- If you have ever been told you have high blood levels of uric acid, or gout.
- If you are pregnant or breast-feeding.
- If you have any problems with the way your liver works.
- If you have ever had an allergic reaction to a medicine.
- If you are taking any other medicines. This includes any medicines you are taking which are available to buy without a prescription, as well as herbal and complementary medicines.
How to take ticagrelor tablets
- Before you start the treatment, read the manufacturer's printed information leaflet from inside the pack. It will give you more information about ticagrelor, and it will also provide you with a full list of the side-effects which you could experience from taking it.
- Take the tablets exactly as your doctor tells you to. On the first day of treatment, you will be given two 90 mg tablets to take at the same time so that you get sufficient medicine into your bloodstream to begin with. After this, you will be prescribed a dose of 90 mg twice a day. A course of treatment with ticagrelor often lasts for up to 12 months. If you have had a heart attack, your doctor may want you to continue to take ticagrelor even after the 12-month course has finished. If so, it will be at a lower dose of 60 mg twice daily.
- Try to take your doses around the same times of day each day, preferably in the morning and the evening. This will help you to remember to take ticagrelor regularly.
- Most people find that they can swallow the tablet whole with a drink of water. However, you can crush the tablet into a fine powder and take it stirred into a small glass of water if you prefer, providing that you swallow the mixture straight after making it.
- You can take ticagrelor tablets either with or without food.
- If you forget to take a dose, take it as soon as you remember (unless it is nearly time for your next dose, in which case take the next dose when it is due and leave out the forgotten dose). Do not take two doses together to make up for a missed dose.
Getting the most from your treatment
- Try to keep all your regular appointments with your doctor. This is so your doctor can check on your progress.
- If you buy any medicines, check with a pharmacist that they are suitable for you to take with ticagrelor tablets. Some medicines, called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), can increase the risk of bleeding, so check with a pharmacist before you buy any painkillers. Also, do not take any preparations containing aspirin that have not been prescribed for you by your doctor. Several medicines for pain relief and cold relief that can be bought at retail outlets contain aspirin or ibuprofen - you should not take these, so check the label carefully before you buy.
- If you are due to have an operation, before the treatment is due, tell the person carrying out the treatment that you are taking ticagrelor. This is because any bleeding may take longer than normal to stop so your treatment may need to be interrupted for a short while before the operation. You should also let your dentist know that you are taking ticagrelor before you receive any dental treatment.
Can ticagrelor tablets cause problems?
Along with their useful effects, most medicines can cause unwanted side-effects although not everyone experiences them. The table below contains some of the more common ones associated with ticagrelor. The best place to find a full list of the side-effects which can be associated with your medicine, is from the manufacturer's printed information leaflet supplied with the medicine. Alternatively, you can find an example of a manufacturer's information leaflet in the reference section below. Speak with your doctor or pharmacist if any of the following continue or become troublesome.
|Very common ticagrelor side-effects (these affect more than 1 in 10 people)||What can I do if I experience this?|
|Feeling short of breath||Let your doctor know if this becomes troublesome|
|Bleeding, bruising, nosebleeds. Stopping bleeding could take longer than normal||Let your doctor know if you notice any unusual or unexpected bleeding or bruising|
|High levels of uric acid (a symptom of gout)||Your doctor may check for this|
|Common ticagrelor side-effects (these affect less than 1 in 10 people)||What can I do if I experience this?|
|Feeling dizzy or faint||If troublesome, speak with your doctor|
|Headache||Drink plenty of water and ask your pharmacist to recommend a suitable painkiller. If the headache continues, speak with your doctor|
|Gastric upset (such as feeling sick, indigestion, constipation or diarrhoea)||If troublesome, speak with your doctor|
|Skin rash||If troublesome, speak with your doctor|
If you experience any other symptoms which you think may be due to the tablets, speak with your doctor or pharmacist for further advice.
How to store ticagrelor tablets
- Keep all medicines out of the reach and sight of children.
- Store in a cool, dry place, away from direct heat and light.
Important information about all medicines
Never take more than the prescribed dose. If you suspect that you or someone else might have taken an overdose of this medicine, go to the accident and emergency department of your local hospital. Take the container with you, even if it is empty.
This medicine is for you. Never give it to other people even if their condition appears to be the same as yours.
Do not keep out-of-date or unwanted medicines. Take them to your local pharmacy which will dispose of them for you.
If you have any questions about this medicine ask your pharmacist.
Did you find this information useful?
Further reading & references
- Manufacturer's PIL, Brilique® 90 mg film-coated tablets; AstraZeneca UK Limited, The electronic Medicines Compendium. Dated Februaury 2016.
- British National Formulary; 72nd Edition (Sep 2016) British Medical Association and Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain, London
Disclaimer: This article is for information only and should not be used for the diagnosis or treatment of medical conditions. Patient Platform Limited has used all reasonable care in compiling the information but make no warranty as to its accuracy. Consult a doctor or other health care professional for diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions. For details see our conditions.
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The murder of El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz at the Audubon Ballroom, New York, on 21 February, 1965 came as a surprise to no one. Even Shabazz himself had predicted his own death, though his list of suspects had, by the end of his life, come to include any number of people for any number of reasons. For Shabazz, who had been called by some 'the angriest black man in America' had once been the spokesman for one of the most powerful religious movements America had ever seen. Back then though, he had been known by another name - Malcolm X.
'First the Sheep, Next the Shepherd'
Malcolm X was born Malcolm Little on the 19 May, 1925, the seventh of nine children. His father, the Reverend Earl Little, was a Baptist minister and fervent follower of Marcus Garvey1's UNIA (the Universal Negro Improvement Association). Little's activism drew the attention of the Ku Klux Klan2 and other white supremacy organisations; the Little family were driven from their home in Nebraska, and had their first home in Lansing, Michigan, burned to the ground. Then, on the 28 September, 1931, Earl Little was beaten to a pulp (allegedly by members of the white supremacist group the 'Black Legion') and then thrown onto the railway tracks to die. With six young children to support, Louise Little became more reliant on welfare while she struggled to get work wherever she could. The loss of Earl, coupled with the widespread effects of the Great Depression, eventually took its toll on the family; in 1939, welfare officers decided she was unfit to care for her children and she was committed to the State Mental Hospital at Kalamazoo, where she remained for 26 years. Though the eldest of her children, Hilda and Wilfred, were allowed to stay on in their father's house, the rest were placed with various families in the district.
'Rebel Without a Pause'
Even before his family was split apart, Malcolm had been a wayward child. His bad behaviour led him to be expelled from school and placed in a detention home. There, he managed to settle down and once he was allowed to attend Mason Junior High School, he began to excel at his studies. It was with some dismay, therefore, that he told his teacher that he hoped to be a lawyer only to be told that it wasn't a 'realistic goal for a nigger' and that he should consider carpentry. Yet his white fellow students, many of whom were academically his inferiors, were all encouraged to pursue whichever careers they had suggested. Only Malcolm was discouraged.
It has historically been the case with white people, in their regard for black people, that even though we might be with them, we weren't considered of them. Even though they appeared to have opened the door, it was still closed. Thus they never did really see me...
No longer happy at school, Malcolm wrote to his eldest sister, Ella, and soon permission was granted for him to move to her house in Roxbury, near Boston. Though Ella tried to encourage him to mix with 'respectable' black people from her own neighbourhood, Malcolm found himself drawn to the town ghetto sections. It was then that he met a would-be saxophonist known as 'Shorty' who would become one of Malcolm's closest friends in those early years. Shorty worked in a pool hall trying to raise money for his saxophone lessons, and through him, Malcolm got his first job, working as a shoeshine boy at the Roseland State Ballroom. Though his sister made it clear she didn't approve, for Malcolm it was a dream job as it would bring him close enough to hear all the big bands of the time, including Benny Goodman's. It also gave him his first experience of learning to hustle; at first, he sold condoms and reefers on the side, later he became a go-between, leading customers to pimps.
Coming into contact with the snappily-dressed and coiffured jazz musicians had a profound effect on Malcolm. With Shorty's help he managed to buy his own zoot suit (a sharp suit with wide shoulders and baggy trousers that narrow sharply down to the ankles) and Shorty himself gave Malcolm his first 'conk', straightening his black, Afro hair to make it look straight by using hot, scalding lye, vaseline and raw eggs. 'This was my first really big step toward self-degradation,' Malcolm later wrote:
When I endured all that pain, literally burning my flesh with lye, in order to cook my natural hair until it was limp, to have it look like a white man's hair. I had joined that multitude of Negro men and women in America who are brainwashed into believing that the black people are 'inferior' - and white people 'superior' that they will even violate and mutilate their God-created bodies to try to look 'pretty' by white standards.
Hazy Shade Of Criminal
Soon, Malcolm had moved out of Ella's house and into an apartment he shared with Shorty. The recent attack by the Japanese on Pearl Harbour had dragged the United States into the World War and with many young white men signing up to fight, the jobs that had always been exclusively 'white' were slowly opening up to black people; Malcolm had no trouble finding work. Outgrowing the shoeshine job, he graduated to working on rail-carriages and started travelling each day on the Boston to New York line.
New York opened up a new world to Malcolm, in particular the famous jazz clubs of Harlem, such as the Apollo. The railroads also allowed him to expand his hustles as he began smuggling marijuana into and out of Harlem. He soon found it difficult to balance his hectic social life of reefers, booze and - if possible - white women against a steady job. But even after he was sacked from the railroads for being drunk and less-than subservient to customers, he wasn't too worried. He quickly got a job as a barman in New York, despite the fact that, although he looked much older, he was just 17 years old.
Within a couple of years, Malcolm - or 'Detroit Red' as he became known - was involved in an increasing number of hustles: peddling reefers or harder drugs; soliciting on behalf of pimps; gambling and, eventually, small robberies, which he organised with Shorty, to feed his increasing drug habit. After one such robbery, Malcolm put a stolen watch in for repair. When he returned to collect it, the police swarmed all over him - they'd been tipped off. Searching his apartment, they found a trove of stolen goods. When his case reached court, the prosecution had managed to collate 14 further crimes to be taken into consideration. In February, 1946, Malcolm Little was sentenced to 10 years in jail.
Do the Right Thing
Like many of the criminals from the Harlem underworld, Malcolm spent his first year in prison trying to continue his hustle-driven lifestyle, cursing the authorities and getting high on anything they could get smuggled in - marijuana, Benzedrine, even nutmeg! But then he came into contact with an old-time criminal called 'Bimbi'. Malcolm began to notice how Bimbi seemed to be knowledgeable about any number of topics; he was one of the prison library's most frequent visitors and commanded the respect of guards and inmates alike. So when Bimbi told Malcolm sternly to start using his brains to advance himself while a prisoner, he paid attention. He began a correspondence course in English.
Malcolm's brother Philbert first wrote to him in 1948 about a 'natural religion for the black man'. Malcolm had long considered himself not just atheist but vehemently anti-religious and sent a reply to his brother that would later shame him greatly. But a subsequent letter from his brother Reginald managed to catch his interest:
Malcolm, don't eat any more pork, and don't smoke any more cigarettes. I'll show you how to get out of prison...
Thinking this was some psychological trick that might work to his advantage, he did as he was told. Instantly, the fellow prisoners were curious and, he later recalled, seemed to respect him more as a consequence. His sister Ella, meanwhile, had been working to get him a transfer to a rehabilitation jail. On his arrival there, the prisoners were again surprised by this black man who refused to eat pork and didn't smoke. By the time his brother Reginald finally came to see him, Malcolm was eager to learn how this 'ruse' would help him escape - and was surprised to learn that Reginald and all his family (bar Ella) had converted to the Nation of Islam as followers of 'Allah's Messenger, the Honourable Elijah Muhammad'. Reginald explained the principles of this 'new' faith, the main one being that the White Man is the Devil. As Malcolm thought back to the way white people had murdered their father and splintered their family, and all the people he had encountered as a drug peddler and a scout for the prostitutes who catered for white men who sought out black women... the seed was sown.
A later visit from his sister Hilda led to him learning about the religion's alternative version of evolution, how the original people, the black kings and queens of Africa, had founded the Holy City Mecca, but how they had become diluted by a geneticist called Yacub, who had begun a programme of bleaching out the Black race to create the White. All this had been taught to the followers of the Nation of Islam. Though he would later discover that these teachings infuriated the true Muslims of the East, at this crucial time it was the catalyst that began Malcolm Little's conversion to Islam.
Malcolm began to write direct to Elijah Muhammad on a daily basis. His education now took in a complete study of the dictionary, learning every word from 'aardvark' right through. He began taking part in prison debates, while all the while working his way through every book on philosophy and politics he could find. His discoveries about the way world history had been 'whitened' to suppress the rich histories of non-whites left him stunned - the natives of America, the half a billion inhabitants of India, the British-engineered Opium Wars with China - all helped to further solidify in his mind the ideas that he had learned from Elijah Muhammad about the 'evil' of the 'white devils'.
But just as Malcolm was discovering the teachings of Elijah Muhammad, his brother Reginald had apparently suffered a crisis of faith and had begun to doubt the 'Messenger of Allah', leading to his exclusion, at Elijah Muhammad's instructions, from the Nation of Islam. At the time, Malcolm could not comprehend how Reginald could betray Elijah Muhammad by accusing him of hypocrisy. Only years later would Malcolm himself make similar discoveries...
Fight the Power
We didn't land on Plymouth Rock, my brothers and sisters - Plymouth Rock landed on us!
Leaving prison in 1952, Malcolm moved in with his brother Wilfred and his family and immediately began life as he intended to continue it, as a practising Muslim. Before too long he got to hear the Honourable Elijah Muhammad speak, an emotional experience that, he later admitted, he was 'totally unprepared for'. Muhammad later invited Malcolm to his house to meet his family, slowly integrating him into their society. Around this time, Malcolm applied for full membership of the Nation of Islam and, having been taught that the surnames of the American black people came from their former slave owners, he replaced his own surname with the letter 'X', as so many had done before him. The teachings of Elijah Muhammad told them that followers would retain the name 'X' until Allah himself provided them with a 'Holy Name from His own mouth'.
Malcolm threw himself enthusiastically into recruiting for the Nation of Islam and through his efforts, Detroit's Temple Number One tripled its membership within just a few months. With the encouragement of his Temple's Minister, Lemuel Hassan, he began giving lectures inspired by the teachings of the Honourable Elijah and in the spring of 1953 he was named Detroit Temple Number One's Assistant Minister. He continued to regularly visit Elijah Muhammad and his family in Chicago, and enjoyed learning through Elijah's example.
Having been such a success in Detroit, Malcolm decided to put his training into practice on the streets of Harlem. He found recruiting difficult, largely because the black people there were put off by the strict moral code of the Muslims. Fornication or adultery, for example, was strictly forbidden. This code would be policed by the Fruit of Islam, a force of young, zealous men who would report any indiscretions to Mr Muhammad and it would be he who would judge the punishment, whether that be separation from the Nation, or in extreme cases expulsion, as had happened to Malcolm's own brother.
In the ten years since he had first entered prison, Malcolm had not entertained the idea of being with a woman. Despite recommendations for suitable partners from the female Muslims at the Temples, Malcolm's work remained paramount. But in 1956, he set eyes on Betty X, an intelligent, tall Muslim at Temple Number Seven. Over the space of a year, Malcolm slowly got to know her, until, after consulting Mr Muhammad, he decided he wanted to marry her. On 14 January, 1958, they were married. Betty would subsequently provide him with five daughters.
Up to that point, the Nation of Islam had been able to grow as a relatively secret organisation. But an incident in Harlem one night suddenly brought the full strength of the Muslim movement into the public eye. Dispersing a fight on the streets, two white policemen tried to move onlookers along. When two members of Temple Number Seven refused to be moved, they were set upon by the officers with nightsticks. One of them, Johnson Hinton, received a savage blow to the head shortly before he was taken to a nearby police precinct. In less than half an hour, around 50 of Temple Seven's Fruit of Islam were standing in ranks-formation outside the precinct. Malcolm X made his way to the precinct front desk and demanded to see Johnson Hinton. At first, he was told no such person was in the precinct; then the police admitted that he was there, but that Malcolm could not see him. Malcolm pointed to the rows of ordered Muslims outside - by now they had also been joined by crowds of black residents from the area, swelling their ranks considerably. Malcolm calmly informed the police that the men would remain outside the precinct until they could be reassured that their brother had received medical attention. On Malcolm's instruction, Hinton was moved to Harlem Hospital, at which time Malcolm gave the order for the Muslim followers to disperse.
Although the incident was reported in the press as just another example of unrest in Harlem, the police department began to pay close attention to the Nation of Islam.
Fear of a Black Planet
In 1959, the Mike Wallace Show3 broadcast an edition called 'The Hate That Hate Produced', a documentary about the growth of the 'Black Muslim' movement in America. Suddenly, the Nation of Islam was on the front page of every national newspaper - as a hate-mongering group, 'black fascists', 'anti-Christian' and 'possibly Communist'.
Soon, radio and television stations were calling on Malcolm X, as the most prominent spokesman for the Nation of Islam, to defend these accusations. With Elijah Muhammad's permission, Malcolm began appearing on a number of shows, always as 'the representative of Mr Elijah Muhammad', never solely as himself. Such discussions generally took the form of Malcolm picking apart his critics, displaying a greater understanding of the semantics of the English language and showing himself - and the movement he belonged to - as intelligent and spiritual, yet determined to overthrow the centuries of oppression the black people had endured under white rule.
Not surprisingly, Malcolm became the focus of a great number of questions from all sides. Somehow, his unlisted number fell into the public domain and, taking the show at face value, critics began to call him at all hours to ask him how he could preach such hatred. Some tried to play down the importance of the Nation of Islam by claiming that its numbers were minuscule, to which Malcolm retorted:
Whoever tells you how many Muslims there are doesn't know, and who does know will never tell you...
Seemingly from nowhere, an organisation perceived to be 'anti-white' had emerged, and regardless of whatever he himself might say about Elijah Muhammad, Malcolm was believed to be its leader. With Elijah's blessing, he began accepting invitations to talk on discussion programmes alongside leading academics. Often he would be asked why the Nation of Islam appeared to support the White Supremacist movements in advocating segregation:
We reject segregation even more militantly than you say you do! We want separation, which is not the same! ... Segregation is that which is forced upon inferiors by superiors. But separation is that which is done voluntarily by two equals - for the good of both!
While this media attention brought them many enemies, it also helped swell their numbers with hundreds of people eager to hear the words of the Honourable Elijah Muhammad himself at organised Muslim rallies. Over the next few years, whenever the white press wished to discuss 'black issues' they inevitably came to Malcolm X for a quote and he soon emerged as 'the angriest black man in America'. But Malcolm began to notice that the Nation's own newspaper, Muhammad Speaks, began to report on him less and less, mainly out of resentment on the part of the paper's publisher - Elijah Muhammad's son, Herbert.
Don't Believe the Hype
Malcolm's opinion was sought on all race issues - from the passive campaigns that had surrounded Rosa Parks4 to the March on Washington5. And in all discussions, he repeatedly told people he was but the representative of the Honourable Elijah Muhammad. So it was a major blow, both to the Nation of Islam and to Malcolm personally, when it was revealed in newspapers and television reports that Elijah Muhammad was facing two paternity suits from former secretaries of his who claimed that he was the father of their four young children. At first, Malcolm struggled to accept that his own spiritual leader might be guilty of adultery. Seeking advice from the Qoran6, Malcolm saw a glimmer of hope when he read about David's adultery with Bathsheba being forgotten after he slew Goliath, or how Noah's drunkenness was overshadowed by his building of the Ark. Perhaps a person's good deeds could outweigh their bad?
When he eventually met with Elijah, the 'Messenger of Allah' convinced him that, just as his examples had played their part in the greater prophecies, so too did he. This inspired Malcolm to prepare six of the officials from his own mosque so that they would not be shocked by the revelations that their leader was fallible. He could have no idea that his opposers would see this as an attempt to deliberately damage their leader's reputation further.
On 22 November, 1963, John F Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States, was assassinated. Just a few days later, during a question-and-answer session after a talk, Malcolm commented that he regarded the President's death as a case of 'the chickens coming home to roost', a comment he later claimed was meant as a statement on the way violence breeds violence. Nevertheless, the American press saw this as an ill-timed attack on a much-loved leader. Elijah Muhammad agreed and ordered that Malcolm should be silenced for 90 days.
At first, Malcolm assumed that he would be reinstated after the 90 days were up, but slowly it began to dawn on him that this was just the first steps to keep him out of the way and slowly oust him from the Nation of Islam. There was something in the way Elijah Muhammad spoke about him that made him suspect that once his period of silence was over, his suspension would not be lifted, and instead a story claiming he had refused to apologise for his error would be circulated. After that, all it would take is one ardent follower of Elijah Muhammad to be convinced of his 'religious duty' for Malcolm to find himself the victim of violence.
Though he was forbidden from speaking, he was not yet considered ousted from the nation so he was otherwise allowed to come and go as he pleased. He and his wife accepted an invitation from boxer and recent convert to Islam, Cassius Clay, to join him in training for a fight in Miami, Florida. Clay was due to fight Sonny Liston; it was a fight few expected or wanted to see him win. Few, that is, except Malcolm X.
The day after Clay won the fight, he announced to the press that he was a follower of Islam. Soon after, he changed his name to Muhammad Ali.
Although he was worried by the predictable split with the Nation of Islam, Malcolm was also confident that he had one skill that other black leaders did not - having been a hustler for many years, he could speak to the blacks in the ghettos in their own language (by this time, many commentators had noted wryly that he was the only black man in America 'who could stop a race riot - or start one'). The numbers of people who came to hear him speak showed him the faith that the common man had in him and slowly he began to formulate plans for his own organisation. Eventually, he announced to the press that he would be founding a new mosque in New York called the Muslim Mosque Inc, which had its temporary home in the Hotel Theresa in Harlem. That done, he spoke to his sister Ella (who had founded a school that taught Arabic) about a loan so that he could afford to make the pilgrimage to Mecca.
As he boarded the plane to Mecca, the biggest jolt to Malcolm's expectations was that his fellow travellers were of all races, all colours, all nationalities. On arrival at Jedda, the arrival point for all who go to Mecca, he learned that his claim as a Muslim would have to be put before the Mahgama Sharia - the Muslim High Court that ensures that all converts to the faith are genuine - non-Muslims are not permitted to enter Mecca. In the meantime, he was taken to a dormitory near the airport. It was there that he discovered that in all his years of studying under the tutelage of Elijah Muhammad, he had never been shown the crouching prayer posture that genuine Muslims around the world adopt when facing Mecca; with his own gangly frame, the posture was painful. He didn't even speak Arabic aside from prayers and for the first time he began to worry that his appeal to enter the city of Mecca would be turned down. But thanks to the intervention of an Arabic Lord who was aware of Malcolm's international reputation as an American Muslim, Malcolm's case was brought forward, he met with the judge and his name was formerly entered into the Holy Register...
It Takes a Nation of Millions
On his return to the US, Malcolm was a visibly changed man. He had discovered that true Islam erased the problems of race; it displayed a brotherhood to all forms of humanity regardless of colour. This discovery had forced him to re-evaluate many of his previous beliefs and throw away many convictions that conflicted with the true message of Allah. This revelation had finally led him towards the 'Holy Name' that had been promised to him; from then on, he signed his name 'El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz'.
If he'd thought his return to America would be welcomed, he was sadly mistaken. In his absence, the long hot summer of 1964 had led to a number of 'race riots' which the press wanted to attribute, however tenuously, to words spoken or written by Malcolm; a spate of death threats began to arrive via newspapers, the police or even direct to Malcolm's office; and additionally, Malcolm and his family had always lived in a house provided by the Nation of Islam - now that he had been forced to cut all ties with the organisation, they arranged a court order to reclaim the house, an order Malcolm campaigned to have overturned. Regardless, on the morning of 14 February, 1965, a Molotov cocktail was thrown through a downstairs window of the house. Malcolm managed to get his pregnant wife and their four daughters to safety but the house was gutted. Typically, they had no contents insurance.
At 12 noon on Sunday 21 February that same year, Malcolm made his way to the Audubon Ballroom on West 166th Street, New York, to deliver a speech. As he took to the stage, an altercation distracted him. As he tried to quell the crowd, he was shot 16 times by unidentified men. He was pronounced dead at 3.30pm.
Reports of what had happened were confused. Two, maybe three men, had shot him with a mixture of handguns and shotguns. Aware of the growing suspicion towards him, Elijah Muhammad was quick to deny that either he or his organisation had anything to do with Malcolm's death, though he did imply that he believed Malcolm had 'died according to his preaching... he preached war, we preach peace.' Civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr, meanwhile, sent a telegram to Malcolm's widow, Betty Shabazz, saying:
While we did not always see eye to eye on methods to solve the race problem, I always had a deep affection for Malcolm and felt that he had a great ability to put his finger on the existence and the root of the problem. He was an eloquent spokesman for his point of view and no one can honestly doubt that Malcolm had a great concern for the problems we face as a race.
Malcolm was buried according to the Muslim faith as 'El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz'. Funeral prayers were lead by Sheikh Al-Hajj Hesham Jaaber with readings from actor and playwright Ossie Davies.
On 10 March, 1965, Thomas 15x Johnson and Norman 3X Butler7, both alleged former 'Black Muslims' and 23-year-old Talmadge Hayer (aka Thomas Haganwere) were indicted for Malcolm's murder and were sentenced to life a year later.
In November 1965, The autobiography of Malcolm X, which had been written with the assistance of novelist and writer Alex Haley, was finally published to widespread critical acclaim. The book's ending foreshadows the events that would bring an end to Malcolm X, yet also provided him with a fitting epitaph:
If I can die having brought any light, having exposed any meaningful truth that will help to destroy the racist cancer that is malignant in the body of America - then, all of the credit is due to Allah. Only the mistakes have been mine.
In 1992, the life of Malcolm X was celebrated in a controversial film from director Spike Lee.
The Brother Malcolm website is an exhaustive resource for information on Malcolm X. It includes a timeline of events as well as photographs and downloadable audio files of Malcolm's speeches (Real Player software is required).
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RHD increases the risk of infective endocarditis (IE), a serious bacterial infection of the heart valves. In developing countries, infective endocarditis is a significant cause of death for people with RHD.
The bacteria that cause IE are often found in the mouth and excellent dental hygiene is needed to keep teeth and gums healthy and to reduce the risk of IE. Some people with established RHD will also need antibiotic prophylaxis prior to dental procedures to reduce the risk of IE. Detailed clinical guidelines on indications for dental prophylaxis have been produced by the American Heart Association.
2014 AHA/ACC Guideline for the Management of Patients With Valvular Heart Disease, A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines
Although there is a clear link between good dental care and RHD outcomes there have been few attempts to integrate dental care into RHD control and secondary prophylaxis. In Cambodia the La Chaine de l'Espoir Children’s Heart Hospital has a dental room located within the clinic to make sure children with heart disease have the best chance of healthy teeth. In the Northern Territory of Australia, appointment cards remind people living with RHD about the importance of attending dental appointments.
Traditional, faith-based or community healers
Traditional, faith-based or community healers practice in many parts of the world. People with pharyngitis, RF and RHD may consult traditional healers for diagnosis and management. For example, in Samoa, nearly 10% of people identified the ‘village healer’ as their first intervention for sore throat. In Cameroon 45% of people attending to hospital with heart failure (predominately from RHD) had already consulted a traditional healer.
Traditional healers can have an important role in minimising the delays in the treatment of sore throat and diagnosis of RF. Education and advocacy activities to engage traditional healers in timely diagnosis and management should be encouraged.
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Last November’s newsletter, Death of CD, described modern digital media formats that supercede “shiny disks,” like CDs and DVDs. This month’s newsletter will discuss digital audio streaming products and logical reasons for replacing shiny disks with today's impressive new technology.
Digital audio streaming products have been around for several years. The most common streaming device is an IPod, IPhone, or portable MP3 player. With software such as Itunes or Windows Media Player, CDs are inserted into a computer’s CD/DVD drive, and music is “ripped” to files playable on portable devices. When discussing quality audio playback, an IPod or other portable player is extremely low in audio fidelity. Yes, music may sound fine with a small set of ear buds while power walking, but compared to quality digital audio streaming devices, portable players are much like old-fashioned transistor radios.
What Makes the Difference?
Not all digital formats are the same. Don’t assume that if the audio is “digital," it’s perfect. Cramming a music library into a small portable device, the ripping process usually involves a codec. “Codec” is combined words “code” and “decode.” A codec analyzes the digital data that is being ripped and “compresses” the music file size to fit within a smaller storage space. When the music file is played back, the digital data is unpackaged and converted to analog music. Unfortunately, many codecs, such as Itunes, MP3, and MP4 completely remove substantial digital data when encoding the music file. The end result is a “lossy” format, where important musical information is gone forever, never to be regained in the future.
Yes, you can hear the difference. If you have a distributed audio system with speakers in various locations around the house, music can sound much like a doctor’s office. Spending time alone or with family and friends, quality music should fill your living environment. Recordings archived at a higher fidelity standard provide more realistic sound, with noticeable instruments and subtle nuances that simply can’t be explained in words alone. Frankly, your home should not sound like a supermarket or department store.
Attain Quality Music
On the flip side of the lossy codecs like MP3, ripped CDs can actually sound excellent when ripped with a quality "lossless" codec and digital audio streaming device, even better than through a CD player. Instead of connecting a cheap portable player, such as an IPod into your home audio system, attach a quality digital audio streaming device with higher-end technology and playback compatibility with “uncompressed” codecs. Antithetical to the “lossy” codec, “uncompressed” codecs do not discard vital data. In essence, the digital information is packaged tightly during the ripping process, and it is expanded back out during playback streaming without any data loss. Both Microsoft and Apple have their own proprietary formats, but the universally accepted uncompressed codec is "FLAC."
FLAC stands for “Free Lossless Audio Codec.” Digital audio streaming players normally accept a variety of formats, and whether the product aligns itself with either Microsoft or Apple dictates whether it will play proprietary lossless formats from either corporation. Unfortunately, these two formats are not cross-compatible. If you purchase an Apple player and rip all of your music in the Apple lossless format, then decide to purchase a different product manufactured by a company who supports Microsoft, you are out-of-luck. FLAC, on the other hand, is universally accepted by almost every digital streaming device manufacturer, since FLAC requires no license fees for its use. In short, FLAC is the best format for sound quality and universal acceptance.
Additionally, the internet has a plethora of free FLAC ripping software downloads. One such product is Exact Audio Copy. You can download the free software by clicking here. Save the file to a convenient folder on your computer system, then install. Once installed, Exact Audio Copy will check your disk drive and use a product called AccurateRip, which recognizes the computer’s disk drive and adjusts for minor imperfections. When a CD is placed into the drive and the ripping process commences, Exact Audio Copy first scans each track before ripping the disk. Upon completing the rip, the software compares the original scan with the actual ripped data. Exact Audio Copy then provides a final report to verify whether it has experienced any errors in the ripping process. If errors were detected from scratches or other imperfections on the disk, Exact Audio Copy renders an algorithm to fix the defect. Exact Audio Copy is extremely thorough in extracting every possible bit and byte from your CD collection.
When ripping CDs to Exact Audio Copy, make sure to have a soft, lint-free towel handy for cleaning finger prints. Ripping CDs with this software archives your CD collection to its highest potential, so get the most from your disk by prepping it prior to ripping. Furthermore, we have saved a software setup profile to make the ripping process simple. After installing Exact Audio Copy, email us at email@example.com, and we will send the latest program ripping profile. Load the profile within Exact Audio Copy by clicking on the top left EAC/Profiles/Load Profiles. Locate where you saved the downloaded profile on your computer system and click “Open.” This preset profile will then be applied for all future rips.
Additionally, if you decide to purchase music online, do yourself a favor and select FLAC as the preferred format. At roughly one to five dollars per-song, it makes sense to get the highest-quality music for your investment. If you take time to properly rip your CDs to FLAC, you can enjoy sound that is better than CD. If you consider all of the functions that Exact Audio Copy performs, ripping a CD takes several minutes with a computer processor many times superior to that of a CD player. Even the highest-quality CD player can not provide the same calibration, error correction, and clean bit stream within the split-second time required to spin and play a CD. Since all of the analytics and extraction have been performed during the ripping process, a digital audio streaming device excludes much of this complexity to focus solely on converting digital data to analog music. The result is superior audio.
NAS Drives and Digital Audio Streaming Players
With your new collection of ripped CDs in the FLAC format, you are now ready to play them back on your home audio system. The most basic method of quality playback is streaming directly from a high-quality audio sound card. Most PCs and Macs include acceptable sound cards, but you can also improve upon the norm by purchasing an upgraded sound card. A simple audio connector from your computer to the sound system will provide an excellent source of digital audio.
A superior method of streaming quality digital audio is via a separate "Black Box," a digital streaming player and graphical interface, such as a control system, touch panel, IPad, or IPhone, to play the player's music content. Adding the ability to select your entire library by searching artist, title, and genre, a dynamic user interface provides album cover art and biographical information to the streaming player. Listening quality is now further enhanced by adding ease-of-use. Digital streaming devices normally run best when attached to a NAS (Network Attached Storage) drive, which is a large hard disk drive chassis accessed through a standard network connection.
Here is a list of digital audio streaming devices that all run via Control4, IPod, IPhone, or IPad, connected to a NAS drive.
This device is a simple digital audio streaming device that reads FLAC files directly from a NAS drive without the need for a computer. There is a server software that loads onto the NAS drive, called “slimserver” and an IPad app, “Ipeng,” which displays artwork and plays FLAC files fairly well. The Squeezebox has a 24-bit digital decoder, which is slightly better than that of a CD player. This is a budget-minded player for those who want to discover digital audio streaming at an affordable price.
Control4’s 1.8 operating system allows for the playback of FLAC files. This is a great improvement over the previous 1.7 system that was limited to MP3 only. Control4’s various touch screens, onscreen displays, and IPad/IPhone integration supply rich graphics of album cover art and artist/title information. Control4’s HC300 and HC200 controllers have several audio outputs that connect to your audio system. In the case of the HC300, two simultaneous streams can be played in various locations, and controllers link with each other to play multiple zones from a single stream. Now with FLAC compatibility, Control4 owners should seriously consider upgrading to the 1.8 system.
Sonos Zone Player ($349)
Sonos makes the Zone Player, which is accessible from the Zone Player’s wireless remote. Zone Players can also play via Control4, IPhone, or IPod Touch. If you currently own a Control4 system, Extra Vegetables has a 2-way IP driver that allows for the artist, album, and track information to be viewed on a Control4 system. In most homes, we suggest the Control4 instead of Sonos, since Control4 controls all sources within home theater system and multi-room audio system. Sonos is more of a dedicated music system on its own and has little ability to control products like cable boxes, satellites, and televisions. Control4 is a broader-based system that can play FLAC and control AV Systems, Lighting, HVAC, Security, and Pool/Spa. Since prices are similar between Sonos and Control4, Control4 provides a more flexible and expandable option for the price.
Logitech, the manufacturer of Squeezebox, has a higher-end product, called “Transporter.” This product will handle FLAC with full 24-bit resolution, and 44.1, 48, and 96 kHz sample rates. This product pushes beyond the boundaries of CD audio, sounding better than a CD player, by feeding the Transporter 24-Bit FLAC files downloaded from music sites like www.linnrecords.com. The previously described entry-level players are limited to standard resolution FLAC files, whereas the Transporter and other high-end players can play 24-bit studio reference recordings. The control interface is the same between the Squeezebox and the Transporter, so if you own an IPhone or Ipod Touch, the Ipeng app allows for artist, title, and track selection via Apple interface. The Transporter is simply a better-built version of the Squeezebox with an improved processor and analog section, making it fall well within the “musical” category. I have several friends who own Transporters, and they enjoy the Transporter's sound quality.
Linn DS ($2450 - $18,500)
The Linn DS product line is much like the Transporter, whereas DS players stream FLAC files extremely well and playback reference 24-bit recordings for the ultimate in listening experience. Linn’s DS products, the Sneaky, Majik, Akurate, and Klimax, offer improved steps into the sound-quality hierarchy, redefining digital music playback altogether.
Linn’s entry-level player, the Sneaky DS ($2450), is an extremely well-performing player, providing accurate musical reproduction, music that can be appreciated in both modest and high-end systems. The Majik DS ($3500) takes this a step further to offer a true audiophile experience from digital media. The Akurate DS ($6850) unveils musical nuances previously unattainable by any digital playback device. Lastly, the Klimax DS ($18,500) is the finest digital audio streaming device on the planet.
Within the entire DS line, Linn uses an open-source server software by TwonkyMedia. Many NAS drive manufacturers include TwonkyMedia preloaded, so chances are, a new NAS Drive may already include the core software required to play a Linn DS. Since Linn is open source UPnP, there are a number of IPod/IPhone/IPad apps that control the DS. "Plug Player" ($5 http://www.plugplayer.com) is the most popular app. "Songbook" ($50) provides more frills and richer graphics, and "Konduktor" ($50) offers additional feature sets.
Accessing your ripped CD collection in FLAC format, along with the ability to download high-resolution 24-Bit recordings, provides a listening experience that is far superior to that of a CD player. The added convenience of a control interface, such as Control4, IPhone, IPod, and IPad makes digital audio streaming even more enticing. Furthermore, all of these streaming devices offer access to internet radio or shared music content sites like Rhapsody, Pandora, and ShoutCast through the same graphical control interface.
Now is the time to get current with modern digital audio. Let’s put those shiny disks a rest and move into the modern era. Once you have taken the time to archive your music collection, you can now duplicate your library and make it accessible on the road, or perhaps at your vacation place with cloned NAS drives in each location. The benefits go on and on....
We look forward to
hearing from you. Here are our contact links:
|Northern California Showroom
|Southern California Showroom
|17035 Calle Trevino, Unit 1
Copyright 2009, All Rights Reserved, Sight And Sounds
"Rip" Your CDs with Quality Software
Once properly configured, ripping your CDs to FLAC format is a quick and easy process (click image to view EAC Website)
Verify Ripping Quality
Exact Audio Copy scans the disk, then compares the resulting rip to ensure the rip matches the original disk data. (click image to view EAC Website)
NAS Drives and Digital Stream Players
Ripping music to a lossless FLAC format allows for high-quality streaming players to provide excellent performance along with an easily-accessible library of your favorite music. (click image to view Linn's DS web page)
Squeezebox Player ($299)
The Logitech Squeezebox is an inexpensive starter-level digital streaming device. (click image to view product information)
Control4 HC 300 ($699)
With the recent 1.8 upgrade, Control4's HC300 plays FLAC files in addition to MP3 and Rhapsody online music. Control4 is a superior choice in the sub $1K range, since it provides full home automation. (click image to view product information)
Sonos Player ($349)
The Sonos Player is a good starter choice, and it also has the ability to be controlled by Control4's 2-way IP driver. (click image to view product information)
Logitech Transporter ($1999)
Logitech takes the Squeezebox concept and moves the performance bar higher with the Transporter. (click image to view product information)
Linn Sneaky DS ($2450)
Linn's Sneaky DS is an extremely well-performing player, providing accurate musical reproduction, music that can be appreciated in both modest and high-end systems. (click image to view product information)
Linn Majik DS ($3500)
The Majik DS pushes technology a step further, providing a true audiophile experience from digital media. (click image to view product information)
Each of these systems has the ability to be controlled via Apple interface, such as Control4, IPod, Iphone, or IPad. (click image to view product information)
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Alternatively to using differential equations, a SIR model can also be implemented as a network. In this case, each node in the network represents a person. The edges between nodes represent social connections over which a disease can be transmitted. In every iteration step neighbors of an infected node are infected with a certain probability (Probability infection), while already infected persons recover with a certain probability (Probability recovery). Other than in the equation-based version, the structure of a network influences the propagation of the disease. This can be observed in the population plot to the right of the network.
You can start the epidemic simulation by using the Start-button, or alternatively click on a node to infect a member of the population directly.
The Pause-button halts the simulation for analysis. The Reset-button stops the simulation run. Speed refers to the time between two iteration steps and is the only parameter that can influence the running simulation. The other parameters refer to the above mentioned probabilities and the generation of networks.
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|HOW GEODES FORM
There are conflicting views about how geodes form, but most geologists agree that they begin as bubbles, sometimes in submarine
limestone sediments, sometimes in a lava flow. Occasionally they form around the body of a sea creature on the ocean floor. Over time,
the bubble is cast in a hard shell of silica, and water containing dissolved material is trapped inside. The precipitate that results is
composed of a variety of minerals, usually quartz or calcite, but also aragonite, magnetite, barite and chalcopyrite. Many
thousands of years later, weathering lifts the hard little silica orb away from the surrounding rock. The exterior of the sphere appears dull
and pitted, which is no doubt why the Greeks called them “geoides”, meaning "earth like". However, on the inside, they can look heavenly.
The precipitate forms a lining of inward projecting crystals and since different minerals harden at varying temperatures, the material forms
layers(called Fortifications). Sometimes a cavity may be completely filled by layers. Purists refer to these geodes as nodules. Crack open
a nodule and instead of a hollow crystalline core, you might find halos of brilliantly hued agate, produced where chalcedony-laden water
precipitated within the shell. Geodes can also be filled with surrounding silt and sediments, forming a “mud ball.” If a crystal breaks off
inside the geode, you can hear rattling (the only guarantee of a hollow geode!), these are often called “rattle stones”. Occasionally, water
gets trapped in the geodes, forming what is called an “enhydro”, (Greek for “water inside”).
WHERE TO FIND GEODES
The best locations to look are in deserts - the western states, especially Arizona, Utah, and Nevada are popular hunting grounds.
California's Riverside and Imperial counties are particularly renowned for their geodes, as is Keokuk, Iowa, Mexico, Australia, Germany,
Uruguay and Brazil.
Click on links below for:
Arkansas Geodes are very similar to a mix of Aragonite rich Kentucky Geodes and the Keokuk crystal geodes.
6 to 8 million years ago, volcanic activity in Western Utah deposited an igneous rock called rhyolite. Trapped gases formed pockets in the
rhyolite, which eventually became lined with chalcedony and quartz from groundwater. Most Dugway Geodes fluoresce a lime green color
due to minute amounts of a secondary mineral that bonded with the quartz when it was growing. 32,000 to 14,000 years ago, a large lake
covered most of Western Utah. The lakes wave activity eroded the rhyolite and actually moved the geodes several miles away to their
current location in Juab County, Utah.
Choyas(Mexican Coconut) Geodes
Choyas geodes are mined in a 44 million year old volcanic deposit in an area of Chihuahua, Mexico called Las Choyas. Nicknamed
“coconut geodes” because of their roundness and size, Choyas are literally hand dug with a pick axe out of tough bentonite clay. Miners
fill potato sacks with the geodes and raise them up narrow shafts from 75 to 125 feet beneath the surface! Composed mainly of any
variety of quartz, including the ever popular amethyst, Choyas are especially fascinating because of the wide variety of secondary
minerals found in them.
Septarian geodes formed 100 million years ago when the Gulf of Mexico reached up to southern Utah. When sea life died, it became
trapped in sediments and formed mud balls. As the sea receded, the mud balls dried and cracked in the sun. The sea returned, and
calcium from newly decomposing shells eventually seeped into the cracks and re-crystallized as calcite (yellow.) The thin brown wall is
aragonite and the gray exterior is bentonite clay. The name Septarian comes from the Latin “septum”, meaning dividing wall.
Brazilian Agate Geodes
Brazilian geodes are worked in a large open pit mining operation in Rio Grande de Sol, Brazil. These geodes are filled with beautiful
layers of banded agate that form under relatively low temperatures of 45-54°F and pressures. A striking feature of the agate is the
occurrence of dendritic inclusions resembling trees, bushes or even sunbursts, caused by a mineral growth of manganese oxide.
According to ancient Native American legend, when the Thunder Spirits living in the highest recesses of snowcapped Mount Hood and
Mount Jefferson became angry with one another, amid violent thunder and lightning storms they would hurl masses of these spherical
rocks at each other. The hostile gods obtained these weapons by stealing eggs from the Thunderbirds' nests, thus the source of the
Oco (Occo,Ocho) Geodes
“Oco’s”, is the word used in Brazil where they are found, are tiny agate nodules with a geode center. The formation in which the geodes
are found is 50 million years old and located in the country of Brazil. Farmers have gathered the Oco’s for many years. After the crops
have been harvested and the farmers are unable to work, the fields are tilled under allowing the Oco’s to appear. They are then gathered
and sold for cutting into the geode half."
Tabasco geodes (aka "ilianites") were introduced in the mid 1970's in Zacatecas, Mexico by the owner of the Rancho Agua Blanca near
Tabasco, Zancatecas. This owner was the first to actually mine these small geodes. They were first brought to the USA by Luis Arzola of
Juarez, Chihuahua, naming them after his daughter iliana.
Delma Perry of El Paso Texas was the first to electroplate these magnificent small geodes (ilianites) and the rush was soon on as every
jewelry house in the USA had to have these. They played out soon thereafter. A new claim was filed in 1995 on a new location, but that
site was only an acre or so and quickly played out.
Keokuk Geodes Missouri Monster Geodes
Iowa geodes have long been objects of curiosity, their sparkling interiors containing some of the most beautiful crystals to be found
anywhere in the Midwest. Although geodes are known from many localities around the world, one of the most productive and famous
collecting regions is encompassed within a 35-mile radius of Keokuk, Iowa. Rock collectors commonly refer to geodes from this region as
"Keokuk geodes." In keeping with the world-renowned status of the Iowa geodes, the Iowa General Assembly declared the geodes as the
official "State Rock" in 1967.
Mooralla or Anderson’s Creek, is located west of the Grampians in western Victoria near the Rocklands Reservoir. The township of
Mooralla consisting mainly of a few buildings, is a few kilometres to the southeast. Access is via a rough track, which is often difficult to
travel on, particularly following bouts of wet weather. The collecting area itself is Victoria’s only "fossicking reserve", and is "looked after"
by the Horsham Gem Club. The treasured smoky quartz "geodes" that have been highly sought since the 1960s, occur in a decomposing
rhyolite, and are sometimes described as miarolitic cavities. Where once good specimens could be extracted from near the surface, holes
are now dug down to depths approaching 6 metres in the main part of the field. For those that like smaller specimens, loose crystals, or
the other minerals that are occasionally found, shallow holes to about 2 meters deep at the perimeters of the field will fulfill their needs.
Geodes from the twin towns of Idar-Oberstein in the Nahe region of Germany are now very rare to find. Once abundant these agate
geodes have all but disappeared from the collecting world. Through the years Idar-oberstein has become known as the gem cutting
capital of the world. Sadly, all the local specimens have been well picked over and famous quarry's like the Setz are all now closed down.
Most of the gems and stones from this famous location are now imported from Brazil.
Mexican Reverse Scepter Amethyst Geode
These rare geodes are from a single source undisclosed location deep in the mountains of Mexico. We were lucky to get some of these
before they disappeared into the annals of time, and may never be seen again
Kentucky geodes are "Yard Decorations" according to locals. The Aragonite geodes sometimes have voids which display beautiful
caverns. The more solid chalcedony and quartz geodes display yellows, reds and blues
Mexican “Trancas” geodes were first found in 1973 and are surface mined about 220 miles south of El Paso, Texas near Estacion
Rancasm Aldama, Chihuahua province, Mexico. These geodes are not as common as the coconut geodes. They contain mostly clear or
drusy chalcedony quartz linings and may have secondary calcite or fluorite. Trancas Geodes have a fluorescent glow due to trace
uranium content similar to Dugway Geodes. Under shortwave UV light, most of these geodes fluoresce bright green.
Geodes from Other Locations
Geodes on this page are from Various locations around the world. Some VERY unique and Different Geodes that we find will be shown on
this page. These are all "One of a Kind" items. There are many Specialty Geodes from the Deccan Plains and Morocco
San Andreas Fault Geode
Very Rare Geode finds from the infamous San Andreas Fault Zone
How To Open A Geode
There are many different ways to open a geode, but no matter how you do it, the key is to be patient and not get in a hurry. If you want
the geode to break into two halves, you absolutely cannot just hit it as hard as you want to with a hammer! If the geode is hollow, you will
shatter it into many pieces, not split it into two halves.
HAMMER and CHISEL METHOD
This is the most popular way to open a geode since most people have a hammer and chisel available around the house or in a toolbox
versus some of the more specialized methods that mainly rock collectors have that are listed below. To open a geode with a hammer and
chisel, score the geode all the way around the circumference of the geode with the chisel. Use a flat-faced (regular) chisel end versus the
pointed type, since the force from a pointed chisel will tend to shatter the geode. With the flat chisel you have a better chance of opening
the geode along the line you want it to open on. Continue scoring until you see a crack develop in the geode, and then follow the crack
around the geode until it opens. If the geode is hollow you must be very careful not to hit the chisel too hard with the hammer. Start
lightly at first and then strike progressively harder until a crack develops.
This is the most popular method for smaller geodes usually under 2 or 3 inches. Place the geode in a sock, twist the sock to tightly
contain the geode, and hit very lightly with a hammer. (A brick layer’s hammer works the best in our experience if this is being done by an
adult). This method is mainly used in groups with children to protect pieces from flying and injuring someone. The chances of having the
geode break in two are not as good with this method as with the hammer and chisel method, but it is still possible. We strongly suggest
this method when having children open the geode themselves for everyone's safety as children tend to swing the hammer as hard as they
PIPE CUTTER METHOD
Opening geodes with a soil pipe cutter is a more specialized method, and these tools are usually only found among serious rockhounds.
Pipe cutters have a chain that contains sharpened carbide-tipped roller blades that is wrapped around the geode and tightened. Unless
the geode is extremely hollow or thin-skinned, the success rate for opening a geode into two nearly equal halves is very high with a pipe
cutter and the process very quick. We use a Ridgid, model 276 which cuts from 2” to 6” diameter geodes (and pipe). Some tool rental
places may have these available for rent at a much cheaper price than purchasing one of these. They cost in the $500.00 range to
This is the most expensive method by far of opening geodes. Lapidary saws run in the $1500.00 plus range for a saw large enough to cut
sizable geodes. The main problem with sawing geodes is to tightly hold the geode in place while at the same time not applying so much
pressure that the geode breaks from the vise. Some geodes such as Keokuk Geodes should not be cut with a saw as this process always
destroys interior minerals such as calcites or selenite blades if the minerals are along the path of the saw blade. Cracking the geode may
avoid these crystals as well as giving the shell of the geode a more natural look. Mexican "coconut" geodes, Indiana Geodes, Kentucky
Geodes and many others can be sawed open but you still run the risk of damaging interior minerals. Many of these geodes, however, do
look very attractive polished and some like the Mexican coconuts have features that go un-seen without polishing such as 3-D
holographic type effects in parallel banded geodes
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Boomburb is a neologism for a large, rapidly growing city that remains essentially suburban in character even as it reaches populations more typical of urban core cities. Like edge city, an older and more widely accepted term, it describes a relatively recent phenomenon in North America.
Boomburbs are defined as incorporated places in top 50 Metropolitan areas in the United States having more than 100,000 residents that are not the core cities in their metropolitan areas and have maintained double-digit rates of population growth (10% or more) over consecutive censuses between 1970 and 2000.
List of boomburbsEdit
- Chula Vista, Corona, Costa Mesa, Daly City, Elk Grove, Escondido, Fontana, Fremont, Fullerton, Irvine, Lancaster, Moreno Valley, Orange, Oceanside, Ontario, Oxnard, Palmdale, Pleasanton, Rancho Cordova, Rancho Cucamonga, Riverside, San Bernardino, Santa Ana, Santa Clara, Santa Clarita, Santa Rosa, Simi Valley, Sunnyvale, Temecula, Thousand Oaks
- Other States
The boomburbs listed above are based on the populations of cities determined by and definitions of metropolitan areas used in the 2000 Census. Boomburbs occur mostly in the Southwest, with almost half in California alone.
- Lang, Robert E. and Arthur C. Nelson. "The Boomburb Downtown". p.2. Alexandria, Virginia: Metropolitan Institute at Virginia Tech.
- "The Boomburb Downtown". p.3.
- Boomburbs; Smart Growth at the Fringe? p.2. Metropolitan Institute at Virginia Tech. January 29, 2005.
- Lang, Robert E. and Jennifer B. LeFurgy (2007). Boomburbs: The Rise of America's Accidental Cities. Brookings Institution Press.
- Lang, Robert and Patrick Simmons (2001). "Boomburbs: The Emergence of Large, Fast-Growing Suburban Cities in the United States." Fannie Mae Foundation Census Note 06.
- Lang, Robert (2003). "Are the Boomburbs Still Booming?" Fannie Mae Foundation Census Note 15.
- Knox, Paul and Linda McCarthy (2005). Urbanization: An Introduction to Urban Geography. Pearson/Prentice Hall. Second Edition. pp. 163, 164, 560.
- Hayden, Dolores (2004). A Field Guide to Sprawl. W.W. Norton & Company. pp. 26–27, 118.
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SAINT LUCIANS will know soon whether introducing renewable energy to the country is likely as government prepares for exploratory drilling for geothermal energy.
“We are very advanced with our geothermal development,” said Valerie Leon, acting Permanent Secretary in the Department of Sustainable Development. “We have conducted all the geothermal studies that will give us information (and) are looking at the pre-feasibility study.”
Leon said an Environmental Impact Assessment will be done and will be factored into the second phase.
“We are completing the geothermal development studies. Once we do that, we are looking at early next year so that we can begin the exploration drilling phase,” she said, adding that Government is seeking grant funding to do exploration drilling for geothermal energy.
She said: “The process is well advanced. We should be getting US$22 million to do the exploration drilling phase.”
Once that phase is completed, Slim Hole Drilling will be undertaken to indicate the quality of the resource, she said.
Slim Hole Drilling is a drilling technique used to develop a slim hole well. A slim hole well is a type of gas or oil well whose borehole size is significantly smaller than the usual borehole size.
“It will tell us whether to go ahead into full production or whether we should just call it a day,” Leon said.
The search for renewable energy in St. Lucia is part of government’s recognition of the importance of the move by Member States of the United Nations to adopt a plan for achieving a better future for all. That plan is all about laying out a path to end extreme poverty, to fight inequality and injustice and protect the planet.
The plan was rolled out in September 2015 with a life span of 15 years and was officially known as “Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”. Contained within it are 17 global goals or what is more popularly known as Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which the United Nations says clearly define the world people want and which apply to all the 196-member states of the United Nations.
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One of the reasons I’ve never dated a smoker is that I don’t want to get their mouths all that close to me on a regular basis. The smell is just awful, and it’s not all due to the tobacco being exhaled from the lungs. Part of it is the typical disgusting state of their oral hygiene. If you don’t believe that, then I suggest taking a good long look at the teeth of long-time smokers.
In fact, nearly 42% of periodontitis (irreversible bone loss disease in teeth under the gums due to gingivitis and plaque build up) is attributable to smoking tobacco. And now, Purnima Kumar of the Ohio State University is hot on the trail of discovering why.
For her recent study, Kumar professionally cleaned the teeth of 15 smokers and 15 non-smokers. A typical teeth cleaning takes out all of the bacteria – both the good and the bad. She then had the participants wear stents over a total six teeth in two separate regions while they brushed to allow new bacteria communities to really take hold. She sampled the growing biofilms after 1, 2, 4 and 7 days of undisturbed plaque formation, and ran the DNA of the samples.
As it turns out, it seems that smoking somehow disrupts the normal order of things. In a typical healthy mouth – as in a typical, healthy any part of the body – there are a range of microbial communities that are good, healthy and beneficial. They form a bit of symbiosis with our bodies, allowing it to function properly.
Unless you smoke.
In the smokers mouths, the healthy communities of bacteria were not able to grow and take hold. In their place, a range of pathogenic bacteria responsible for a range of oral diseases took up residence. The reasons behind this have yet to be teased out, but it does seem clear that smoking is a disaster for a healthy environment inside of your mouth.
In fact, the evidence is so convincing that Kumar has managed to talk two of her patients into quitting already, a tactic she encourages all dentists to take when working on the oral health of a patient.
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One of the mysteries of the English language finally explained.
Any of a number of plants producing a large number of seeds for their size.
- ‘Polycarpon tetraphyllum (fourleaf allseed) is a widespread weed of gardens, limestone areas and woodlands from Exmouth to Bunbury.’
- ‘Towards the sea, a second, lower plateau has more sandy soils, supporting a taller scrub composed of rather calcifuge species such as gum and sage-leaved cistuses and green heather, with open ground hosting the diminutive allseed and yellow centaury.’
Top tips for CV writingRead more
In this article we explore how to impress employers with a spot-on CV.
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Monday, February 27, 2017
REMEMBER: AUGUSTA SAVAGE
For Black History Month this year, HB will re-publish some of the archival history posts that are now half a decade old themselves. Many of the Harlem Renaissance figures are noted for their accomplishments by historians but little has been preserved uptown to mark the places they lived in or established during that remarkable decade.
Lost in the musical acclaim of the golden years of Harlem, one will find an extraordinary sculptor, Augusta Savage. Augusta Christine Fells was born in 1892, and the young Floridian would display her talents in childhood by sculpting small statues of animals. Savage's religious father was fearful of this since he associated these works with biblically forbidden "graven images" and would beat her when he discovered them. Ironically, he changed his mind in later years when Augusta actually sculpted a religious statue of the Virgin Mary for a local church. By the time she graduated high school, she was married, widowed, had one child and was highly recognized locally for her talent.
By 1921, Savage had saved enough money from selling her work to move to New York City and attend classes at Cooper Union. It was during this time she married once more and changed her last name to Savage, which she would keep even though the marriage did not last. By the 1930's, Savage's family fled a hurricane-ravaged Florida to live with Augusta in Harlem on West 137th Street. In these years, Savage would provide for her family and start a free school for artists in Harlem that would have over 1,500 students. While her two galleries were popular, low sales prompted Savage to close up shop eventually and spend her last days on a farm in upstate New York. Today, only a few prominent pieces of her work can be found because few of the original collectors have come forth. Her most famous bust, Gamin, is on display at the Smithsonian American Art Museum in the nation's capital.
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Wednesday, November 14, 2007
"Issues in Learning and Teaching Grammar" - Reading Journal
The misconceptions section of “Issues in Learning and Teaching Grammar” are interesting, but hard to implement I believe. The first misconception (That’s the way I learned….) misses what I believe to be an important point: not only do teachers instruct in the way that they learned because they think it works but also because that is the way they know how to teach. The section underestimates how well teachers understand the impact of outside experiences. Misconception 2 (Drills are effective tolls for learning grammar) also over-estimates the uselessness of drills. For the most part, I agree, drills become busy work and students can very easily fill in answers without actually understanding what is going on. However, for some students, myself included, drills are effective ways to learn a new grammar method, or to review an old one. If the student makes an honest effort to use the drill to practice and check understanding, they can be effective. They are over-used and learning grammar through communication obviously is more beneficial, however I believe that, for certain students at least, drills have their place. Misconception 3 (Explicit Explanation is necessary) falls under the same argument. Without an environment in which students can be immersed in the language, it would take far too long for students’ natural language acquisition to kick in. Explicit explanation speeds up the process for the sort of environment we have developed for our foreign language students. On the other hand, there are certain rules which are far too complicated to explain; words such as doch, eigentlich, and other flavoring words. The final two Misconceptions I agree with much more fully. The first language is most certainly not the source of all errors and paradigms are not key to acquisition. Language acquisition involves error and those errors will be the same sort of errors one made when learning one’s own native language. Language development is the same across cultures and tongues so error comes from learning language not from the native language.
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The counting figure is part of non-verbal reasoning. This types of non-verbal reasoning involve counting geometrical figures in a given figure. Which is a mixture of two or more types of complex figures. Such type of questions are designed to test the analytical deposition of the candidates. These may be straight lines, triangles, rectangles and other geometrical figures. You are required to select from the alternatives that which is correct answer.
But in these questions we find difficulty to solve the problem. For solving these questions candidates need to note the diagram and count the small figures.
We have some examples to solve figure count problem for the candidates to learn.
Here you are required to understand the general structure of the real figure. Then choose the correct alternative.
Example : How many squares are there in the figure :
(A) 20 (B) 28 (C) 32 (D) 27
Solution : (D)
Names of Squares are —
ABA'X, DEFB, C'D'T'S', D'V'E'T', WYP'V, S'T'W'Q', T'E'U'W', G'GHH', TO'SR, M'L'OP, L'K'NO, I'JKL, ACT'W, CEGT', WT'R'U, T'GKO, AEKS, C'V'U'Q', WZN'U, ZT'R'N', T'F'J'R', F'GIJ', UN'QS, N'R'OQ, R'J'MO, J'IKM, ZF'MQ,.
Hence, there are 27 squares in the figure.
Example : Count the number of triangles in the given figure :
(A) 18 (B) 21 (C) 15 (D) 24
Solution : (B)
Names of Triangles —
BPN, PNE, ABM, EFG, MLK, GHI, QRO, RSO, STO, QTO, BPE, TQR, QRS, RST, STQ, MPO, GPO, LPJ, HPJ, MPG, LPH → 21 Triangles.
Example : How many Parallelograms are there in following figures :
(A) 17 (B) 19 (C) 21 (D) 23
Solutions : (C)
Names of Parallelograms :
NJLB, JOFM, CDKB, DEFK, BIHA, IFGH, BKJA, KFGJ, CJIB, JEFI, BFGA, CDJA, DEGJ, CJHA, JEGH, CEFB, CEGA. Total → 17
Hence, there are 17 parallelograms in the figure.
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Drought conditions are again plaguing the northern half of Missouri, according to the latest U.S. drought monitor report.
A large portion of north central Missouri is experiencing severe drought (D2), with most of the rest of northern Missouri in moderate drought (D1). Also, there's a strip of land stretching from St. Louis to Kansas City to northwest of St. Joseph that's classified as abnormally dry (D0), just one step below drought. Anthony Artusa is with NOAA's Climate Prediction Center at the University of Maryland.
"In fact, northern Missouri has been like most of the surrounding states in that area," Artusa said. "It has been experiencing, only very recently over the past couple of weeks, a rapid deterioration in the drought conditions and crop conditions there."
Artusa says one upside to the current drought is that the dry ground will make it easier for farmers to harvest their crops. Meanwhile, he adds that there could be some relief over the next three months.
"There is a slight tilt in the odds towards wetter than normal conditions across northern Missouri, and indeed across a large part of the Midwest and the lower Mississippi valley.”
The southern half of Missouri is not in a drought, in part due to recent heavy flash flooding.
Follow Marshall Griffin on Twitter: @MarshallGReport
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The gold rush of 1849 in California was a big rush that saw thousands of new comers arrive into the state looking for fame and fortune. Even after the rush was over with and the gold seemed to have run out, many people had spent all their money just getting to California and therefore had nowhere else to go. Some of the people struggled along trying to make ends meet while others continued exploring for gold with what little they had.
It was in early 1860 when four prospectors Barringan, J. Flemming, John Fullen and Andrew Kennedy eached staked four claims. Andrew kennedy got to work right away and started to put down a shaft. He got down 100 feet. In 1861 Andrew sold a quarter of his interest in the claims. The four men did continue on putting in shafts until 1869 at which time they sold out to a group of investors. This group of investors formed the Kennedy Mining Company and worked the area off and on from 1870 to 1878. During that time they recovered around $300,000 in gold from three different shafts they had dug.
In 1886 this group sold the mine to some different investors who were keen on mining after a prominent mining engineer had been to the mine and did an inspection. This new group of men formed the Kennedy Mining & Milling Company and with guidance of a few of the investors who knew mining the mine became quite prosporous. New gold zones were discovered at greater depths and because there was an influx of new money this work could be performed whereas before many attempts to expand were halted because the money was always running low and the mine could not afford the costs.
The mine continued to produce gold for many more years. Then in 1942 the US government ordered all gold mines to close do to the war effort and gold was classed as a non essential metal in war times. After the war though this order by the government was finished and gold mines could go back to work however during the time the mine was shut down the water had been running into the shafts and different chambers below so much that the company decided against starting back up. After that the mine sat idle and never worked again.
In 1961 the mine was purchased by a lady who lived at the mine in one of the old houses. She died in 1994 and left the mine to be maintained as a historical site. In 1996 the Kennedy Mine Foundation was established and today you can travel to see and tour this great mine.
In it's time the Kennedy Mine was the deepest and largest gold mines in North America. It's shaft went down 5912 feet and underground there was over 50 miles of tunnels and excavations. In total the mine produced over 28 million dollars worth of gold.
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Dracaena, pronounced (Dracae’na), are tropical plants that are grown indoors and in greenhouses for the sake of their ornamental leaves. Dracaena plants are planted outdoors in California and other warm climates. These plants belong to the Lily family, Liliaceae. The name Dracaena is from drakaina, a female dragon, and alludes to the juice of the stems of D. Draco, which supposedly, resembles dragon’s blood.
A dracaena plant and a plant, Cordyline, are often confused in gardens, but botanically the flowers and fruits are distinct. There are between thirty and forty species and a number of varieties.
Dracaena thrive in a compost of equal parts of fibrous loam, leaf mold, peat and coarse sand. Repotting is best done in February or March, although young plants may require another move into a larger pots in August.
*Potting benches are a great asset if you enjoy potting and working with your plants. Potting benches are economical and very handy to have around, as you can store all of your potting supplies in one handy place. I have a potting bench and I absolutely could not live without it.
Your old plants can remain for a number of years undisturbed in large pots or tubs if given a top-dressing of rich soil annually in spring, and weak liquid fertilizer during the summer.
Summer and Winter Care of Dracaenas
If you are growing Dracaena in a greenhouse or indoors, a size of from 9-18 inches high in 3 1/2”, 5”, and 6” pots are the best sizes to produce useful and attractive plants. They are great for table decorations too.
During the summer, Dracaenas need warm, moist conditions. A minimum winter temperature of 55-60 degrees is suitable. To develop the full beauty of the leaves the plants need exposure to light, and should be shaded only during the hottest part of the day. They are good house plants and may be kept in a light window. D. Fragrans and its varieties Lindenii and Massangeana thrive in subdued light.
Pieces of the old stems are laid in sand in a greenhouse propagating frame. If kept moist and warm young shoots will develop from the dormant buds. The shoots are cut off when about 3” long and inserted as cuttings in a propagating case, or they may be left until roots develop. This will be when the stems van be cut up into small pieces each with a rooted shoot attached. Then, each piece is potted separately in a small pot.
The tops of plants which have become bare-stemmed can be cut off and inserted as cuttings in a propagating case in spring. Some Dracaenas have thick underground stems. The bottoms of these, known as “toes,” if cut off in pieces 1-2 inches long, will soon produce shoots if placed in sandy soil in a propagating case.
Best Known Dracaenas
One of the best known kinds is Dracaena fragrans, from tropical Africa, so named because of its clusters of small scented flowers in spring. More useful as decorative plants are the varieties Lindenii, with broad green leaves marked with bands of cream-white and yellow, and Massangeana, which has attractive broad recurved leaves, dark green, striped and banded with cream-white and yellow. This is commonly known as “Corn Plant” by many houseplant growers. A splendid variety can be found in Victoria. It has broad golden-yellow bands outlining the margins of its leaves. This variety is a little harder to grow than the other Dracaenas.
Dracaena Goldienana, is from western tropical Africa. It has large ornamental leaves, marbled and banded with dark green and silvery gray on a light green ground. D. Deremensis and its varieties Warneckii and Bausei are a couple of the more decorative kinds. Quite distinct from these is D. Godseffiana, a many stemmed plant with smallish, light green leaves that is spotted with cream. D. Sanderiana is a great houseplant or a plant for the greenhouse. It has slender stems, with leaves up to 9” long with broad white margins.
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Urban areas experience higher temperatures compared to rural areas, and it is likely that this will lead to health risks within urban communities due extreme heat in the future. However, we have the power to minimize this effect by improving the infrastructures of our cities. An effective way to lower urban temperatures is increasing vegetation and water surfaces, which also provides the added benefit of increasing urban biodiversity, and improving air quality. While this known to be a valid strategy, the magnitude of the climate impact that such an improvement will have when applied on a city scale is unknown. Žuvela-Aloise et al. (2016) have modeled the potential of improving green and blue infrastructure within Vienna, and identified the ways in which changes should be applied in order to counteract urban warming as effectively as possible.
The control of municipal surface water, groundwater, and private wells in the United States varies from place to place. In general, these regulations are minimal and do not mandate federal monitoring of water quality. This has led to reports of 4.3–16.4 million annual cases of gastrointestinal illnesses (GI) caused by pathogens found in public drinking water systems. Amongst the reasons for GI pathogens transported to the drinking water is increased run off from the increased precipitation association with climate change. Continue reading →
In the spring of 2011, the mayor of Louisville created a commission dedicated to planting more trees. This commission was to be co-chaired by none other than Katy Schneider, former deputy mayor of Louisville and advocate of environmental issues. Madeline Ostrander (2016) outlines Schneider’s efforts in creating a healthier environment for her city, and reminds the people of urban America of the environmental dangers their concrete worlds face in the absence of greenery.
Ostrander recounts that Schneider’s journey began in early 2012 when Schneider approached Brian Stone, a professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology, to find out the extent of temperature changes in Louisville. Stone proceeded to reveal that Louisville’s temperature had increased by about 1.7 degrees every decade since 1960. Stone also noticed that urban areas were heating more than rural areas. He discovered that this situation was primarily caused by what meteorologists call the urban heat-island effect whereby dark and paved surfaces absorb solar radiation consequently causing the air temperature to rise. Continue reading →
Coral reefs are regularly disturbed by natural phenomena such as bleaching, storms, and outbreaks of predators, such as the corallivorous sea star Ancanthaster planci. Corrallivores are animals that eat coral polyps. Coral reef ecosystems are resilient, and are often able to recover from large-scale disturbances quickly. However, anthropogenic stressors such as overfishing, nutrient enrichment, and sedimentation can prevent coral reefs from recovering. Nutrient enrichment, caused by terrestrial runoff, creates the perfect environment for benthic algae to grow on disturbed and broken coral reefs. Overfishing, working in tandem with nutrient enrichment, causes an overgrowth of algae if there are not enough fish to graze it, and the successive degradation of the reef. Sedimentation is also another side effect of terrestrial runoff. Sedimentation buries corals, which blocks light from reaching them and potentially stops coral recovery. However, sedimentation, when not paired with any other stressor, can also stop the growth of algae by burying surfaces for algae to grow on. Gil et. al. (2016) set out to test the interactive effects that overfishing, sedimentation, and nutrient enrichment have on coral reefs in French Polynesia. They hypothesized that these anthropogenic disturbances, when working interactively, will negatively impact corals, while promoting algal cover. Continue reading →
A study from the 2017 Journal of Sustainable Tourism proposed a psychological explanation for tourist behavior, in particular the effect climate change has on vacation locations. This is a promising development in terms of changing future behavior to further minimize damage that tourism has on native environments and ecosystems. Tourist behavior associated with travel to threatened locations can be attributed to reactance theory, which tells us that people inherently put worth on their freedom, and do not want that freedom taken away. Threatened destinations are alluring because people are more motivated to visit a place if they will not have such freedom in the future. Continue reading →
The impacts of climate change are well and truly numerous, even wreaking adverse effects upon an industry that has outlasted everything from drastic shifts in consumer tastes to epic financial downturns: fashion. Dr. Steven J. Hausman, a data scientist and president of Hausman Technology Presentations, recently observed that the climate of 2016—the hottest year on record according to NASA—has had a “direct effect on fashion and apparel retailing.” And indeed it has, with the effects of the phenomenon being felt by the likes of fashion giants Levi Strauss & Co., VF Corp., L’Oreal, and many others.
One particularly salient ramification of climate change on the fashion industry is that shifts in weather patterns have begun to affect consumer browsing patterns. Owners of boutique fashion houses have started noticing that when temperatures reach between ninety and one hundred degrees Fahrenheit, people tend to remain cooped-up inside their air-conditioned homes. The result: a severe decrease in browsing time and, in response, plummeting sales revenue. Continue reading →
The freezing and thawing patterns in the Arctic have been increasingly affected as a result of global temperatures increasing, resulting in earlier later freezing and earlier thawing. This is forcing phenology changes in many Arctic species. Particularly, there has been a change in migration patterns in many species due to the lack of frozen bodies of water. This can lead to longer, more strenuous, and more dangerous migrations that can result in higher mortality rates. Leblond et al. (2016) tracked the ice thawing and freezing times for bodies of water in the migration path of caribou Rangifer tarandus Northern Quebec from 2007−2014, allowing them to determine if the change in ice melt was affecting the caribou’s phenology. Their hypothesis was that the caribou would travel extra distance in order to avoid swimming or water that was not completely frozen. They assessed four different parts of the migration: previous data for freezing trends, the caribou’s response to the change in freezing trends, fine-scale caribou behavior and phenology, and possible future movement using climate change projections. Continue reading →
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American Flags around Lulu.
Made in America!
The United States flag is a solid icon of American identification as well as national pride. Known popularly as Old Glory, the U.S. flag has a colorful background and also has actually undertaken several changes since the very first main flag of 1777.
Today the U.S. flag contains thirteen horizontal stripes, seven red rotating with 6 white stripes. The stripes stand for the initial 13 colonies; the stars represent the 50 states of the nation. The shades of the flag are symbolic also: red represents hardiness as well as valiance, white symbolizes pureness and also innocence as well as blue stands for vigilance, determination as well as justice. Nonetheless, the factor the Continental Congress initially chose the red, white, and blue shades was not explained in the resolution taking on the flag. Chroniclers think it was possibly a color option based on the British Union Jack, which had actually previously flown over the colonies.
In time, some have connected a little various significances to the three shades, as an example, the shade red signifying the bloodshed spilled to protect our liberty, yet the essence of the original definition has been fairly consistent from 1782.
How did the American flag become exactly what it is today?
It is so much more than the 3 colors or a “design”. Think of the areas around the world that the American flag has actually flown, consider the improvement it has actually gone through throughout the years on American territory. It is absolutely humbling to think of all that was offered as well as sacrificed to ensure that the American flag could fly easily throughout this country.
The flag that started with just 13 stars grew to 50 with the addition of other states to the Union. The variety of stars on the flag slowly increased to its existing number today in which a brand-new star would be included in the blue area on the 4th of July after the day of each new state’s admission.
The variety of alternating straight red and white stripes has continued to be at thirteen except from 1795 to 1818 when fifteen stripes appeared on the flag to show the admission of Kentucky and Vermont to the Union. In 1818, it was decided that adding a stripe to the flag for each and every brand-new state would no longer take place as it will make the flag look crowded as well as it would certainly make the flag unwieldy. It was determined then that the flag would certainly go back to having just thirteen stripes to stand for the initial colonies.
The American flag is an icon not only of hardiness, valor, pureness, virtue, vigilance, determination and justice; it is a symbol of freedom. Liberty that has been battled so hard for over the years. Freedom that has actually cost this nation and also the families within a lot, and yet it is still a sign to those desiring they had the freedom that the nation has.
Folding the American flag.
Standard flag etiquette suggests that before an American flag is kept or raised, its handlers must two times fold it in half lengthwise; after that (from the other end opposite heaven field) make a triangular fold, remaining to fold it in triangles up until the other end is reached. This makes a triangular “pillow” of the flag with only heaven starred field showing outside, as well as it takes thirteen folds to generate: 2 lengthwise folds as well as eleven triangular ones.
The flag isn’t really folded up in this way because each of the folds has a special symbolic definition; the flag is folded in this manner because it provides a sensible ceremonial touch that distinguishes folding a flag from folding an average thing such as a blanket, and also because it results a visually pleasing, easy-to-handle form. This thirteen-fold treatment was a typical practice long before the development of a ritualistic assignation of “indicating” to every of the actions.
A fancy flag folding ceremony including these significances has actually since been devised for special celebrations such as Memorial Day as well as Veterans Day. These meanings are “genuine” in the feeling that they imply something to individuals that take part in the event, yet they are not the reason that a flag is folded in the standard thirteen-step way.
This is America and also its icon is the American Flag. Even though lots of Americans in the state of Florida happily fly the flag outside their residences and also services every day, it is suitable that we, as a nation, have set apart one details day each year to honor our flag and also to remember that it represents the suitables and worths that we ought to strive to promote.
Lulu ZIP codes we serve: 32061
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