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The nearest planet to the sun is the last place one would expect to find water — or anything — frozen. The universe, however, is always full of surprises. Mercury is well known as the most scorched planet in our solar system. At only 36 million miles from the sun and with extremely long daytimes, the surface of Mercury can reach an astounding 800°F. Hardly the environment for ice.
What a shock it was then, in 1991, when astronomers at the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico discovered circular patches of “extremely reflective” material radiating from Mercury’s surface. The data from the observation suggested the presence not just of water, but of ice on Mercury, an idea previously thought impossible. Since the data just from radar information alone was inconclusive, the matter was greeted with some skepticism for years.
NASA’s more recent Messenger spacecraft has now gathered the best photos and data ever of the possible crater ice, bringing scientists closer to a conclusion; Mercury, despite its scorch, appears to harbor pockets of perpetual water ice.
History of Mercury
The strongest theories of Mercury’s formation state that Mercury originally formed as a much larger planet, but lost approximately half of its mass to the violent fluctuations of the primitive sun, and/or possibly to a collision with a planetesimal (a small planet). The sun theory proposes that Mercury’s original crust may have been vaporized by 8000° F plus surface temperatures imposed by the early sun’s hot and volatile emissions. Mercury may have been originally composed of material with a different chemical composition, but those with a lower vaporization point would have been eliminated.
This could reasonably explain why today Mercury is the only planet in our solar system to contain such a disproportionate amount of metal and silicate, and little else. The composition is roughly two-thirds metal and one-third silicate. Its planetary rotation is extremely slow; about 60 earth days are required to equal one day on Mercury. This causes some portions of the planet to endure prolonged sun exposure and extreme heat while plunging other areas into long, frozen darkness.
Mercury is covered in the multitude of craters that characterize the rocky planets and satellites of our solar system. There is no geologic surface activity, and it lacks a geologically active core, as evidenced by the long-undisturbed craters. Due to its small size and geological constitution, Mercury also lacks any notable atmospheric layer.
How is water ice possible in such a place?
Because of Mercury’s narrow axis, slow rotation, and lack of heat-trapping atmosphere, it is possible to house pockets of frozen water on Mercury’s surface. Mercury, in fact, exhibits the broadest temperature variation of any of the planets in our solar system. The planetary poles are permanently shadowed as are some of its craters. In contrast to the sun-drenched oven on the regular surface, these dark areas often drop to -290°F, more than cold enough to keep water frozen forever. Modern interpretations of Mercury’s undisturbed, ancient craters indicate that there has not been any geological or volcanic activity in a very long time. Without an atmosphere to trap and disperse heat nor any geothermal heat from Mercury’s center, the craters are in permafrost.
The extraterrestrial origins of water ice on Mercury
Where did all the water come from in the first place? Water is actually fairly plentiful in the galaxy. Hydrogen is found everywhere as the chemical basis of most inorganic matter. Oxygen is produced as a byproduct of star activity. When they meet under cooler temperatures, H2O, or water, is the usual result. As a matter of fact, most of the universe’s oxygen is tied up in water and carbon dioxide, so the availability of extraterrestrial water is in no short supply.
The question, of course, is how it was delivered to Mercury. The most popular theory is that ice-filled comets and asteroids pummeled Mercury and the rest of the solar system at a turbulent time early in the solar system’s history, releasing countless tons of water onto each of the planets. Much of the interest is centered around a class of meteorites known as carbonaceous chondrites, which are known to contain substantial amounts of ice in addition to a fascinating mixture of prebiotic organic ingredients, such as amino acids, a discovery that will surely lead to more astonishing revelations as we learn more.
How was water ice discovered on Mercury?
In 1991, Puerto Rico’s Arecibo radio telescope transmitted a circularly polarized, coded radar wave toward Mercury. The wave was reflected off Mercury and back toward Earth, where Arecibo received its images. What they found was that although Mercury’s silicate component is already very reflective, there were also circular areas of an even brighter reflectivity near the poles. At the time, the areas were suspected to be water ice, but there was no other data on which to investigate.
Doubt has now been almost completely eradicated with the data received from the recently completed MESSENGER spacecraft project. An acronym for “Mercury surface, space environment, geochemistry, and ranging”, MESSENGER began orbiting Mercury in 2011 and continued to send the most comprehensive data ever collected until it ran out of fuel and crashed into Mercury’s surface in 2015. The new data left little question as to whether or not there is water ice on Mercury.
MESSENGER used laser pulses, fired at the planet’s surface, to create highly detailed maps. Like before, reflective anomalies at the poles suggest the presence of water, but this time were correlated with up-to-date temperature models that confirmed the reflective areas as frozen water. Columbia University’s principal investigator, Sean Solomon, is quoted as saying: “For more than twenty years the jury has been deliberating on whether the planet closest to the sun hosts abundant water ice in its permanently shadowed polar regions. MESSENGER has now supplied a unanimous affirmative verdict.”
With one question answered, more are raised
With the question of the existence of water ice on Mercury resolved, it leads to more questions about its origins, those carbonaceous chondritic meteorites. Along with the discovery of extraterrestrial water not only on Mercury, but also on Mars and our moon, has come the more astonishing revelation of extraterrestrial organic compounds, such as amino acids. This has the potential to change everything known about the origins of life on Earth, and the possibility of similar organic evolutions elsewhere. Is life extraterrestrial in origin? Did the building blocks of nucleic replication ride in on a meteorite from a distant, dark unknown? The answer to such questions may never be found, but it will certainly compel the fundamental truth-seeking that is the engine of all of our discoveries.
Lauren Ray John is an astronomy enthusiast and writer. She took on stargazing as a child and she never abandoned it. She is always up to date with the latest discoveries in astronomy and the latest gadgets for both amateur and professional stargazers. She has a personal project called TelescopeReviewer.com where she reviews the latest models and shares her knowledge with her audience. | 0.9449 | FineWeb | 1,637 |
Mosaic was created as a Google Summer of Code project by Chao Zhang in collaboration with the National Resource for Network Biology (NRNB). Please contact us with any feedback or questions.
And if you end up using Mosaic in your research, please cite this publication:
Chao Z, Hanspers K, Kuchinsky A, Salomonis N, Xu D, and Pico AR. Mosaic: Making Biological Sense of Complex Networks. Bioinformatics 2012, 28, 14:1943-4.
Mosaic is supported by the National Resource for Network Biology (P41 GM103504).
Note that Mosaic requires the CyThesaurus plugin, version 1.3.1 or higher:
- Select a network to load under File>Import Network (Multiple File Types). The network can be in any of the Cytoscape supported network file formats.
- Start Mosaic by selecting Plugins>Mosaic.
- If this is the first time running Mosaic on your network, you will see a message in the Retrieve GO Annotations section of the Mosaic interface to download necessary databases. Click Download to continue. Mosaic will download the necessary database for your data. It is only necessary to download datbases once per species.
- Once database download is complete, Mosaic will prompt you to annotate your network with GO annotation. Click Annotate to continue. You can save the annotated network as a session file for future use. You can also re-annotate the network with the latest annotations from GO at any time by clicking Re-annotate.
- In the Select Attributes section, verify that the
correct attributes are selected.
Note: It is possible to select node attributes other than GO annotation for partitiong and node color, but not for layout. Using alternate annotations involves importing annotation data prior to running Mosaic.
- In the Set Parameters section you can choose several
parameters that will directly affect the results of Mosaic:
- Minimum nodes to view: The minimum number of nodes in a subnetwork. Any subnetworks with fewer nodes will not be shown. Default is 5.
- Maximum nodes to view: The maximum number of nodes in a subnetwork. Any subnetworks with more nodes will not be shown. Default is 200.
- GO level cutoff for partition: The level of the GO hierarchy used for partitioning into subnetworks. Selecting a deeper level (larger number) results in a larger number of subnetworks. You can always drill deeper into a given subnetwork after running the initial partition. Default is 2. Note that for the purposes of this manual, GO level cutoff was set for "All the way", meaning to the deepest possible level of GO.
- Spacing between nodes: Spacing between nodes in a given subnetwork. Default is 30.
- Click Run to start Mosaic.
- To locate a particular subnetwork, select the network in the Mosaic side panel to highlight it in the tiled view.
- To view a particular subnetwork, click the Maximize button at the top left of the tiled window.
- Move nodes by click and drag to optimize the layout.
- Delete nodes and/or edges.
- Zoom in and out.
- Use the Network Overview Pane in the lower left corner of the Cytoscape window to navigate around the network.
- Highlight a set of nodes to view associated attributes in the Data Panel. To add specific attributes to the display, click the Select Attributes button in the Data Panel and select the attributes you want to see from the list.
- Search for specific nodes by typing the name of the node in the Search field in the Cytoscape toolbar. If the node is found, this will refocus the network view on the node.
- Select a non-end branch by clicking on it in the Mosaic tab in the Control Panel.
- Right-click on the branch and select Partition This Network. You will be able to select a specific subnetwork to create, or you can select all.
In addition to the visual style that is applied to the overview network, the corresponding attribute values used to create the visual style is available as a set of node and edge attributes. The attributes are
- evidences: nodes classified in the GO/process (node attribute)
- subnetworkSize: number of nodes classified in the GO/process(node attribute)
- commonEvidences: nodes in common (edge attribute)
- overlapCount: number of nodes in common (edge attribute)
- After importing a network, go to File>Import>Attribute from Table (Text/MS Excel)... to open the Import Annotation File interface.
- Select the annotation file. In the Advanced section, select Show Text File Import Options. In the Attribute Names section, select Transfer first line as attribute names.
- In Advanced, select Show Mapping Options and verify that the correct column in the annotation file is mapped to the appropriate network attribute (i.e. matching identifiers).
- In the Preview section, deselct columns that you don't want to import by clicking on the column header. The column should be highlighted in grey if de-selected. The interface should now look like this:
- Click Import to start the import.
- When import is finished, select a few nodes in the network and verify in the Data Table that the annotation was imported correctly.
- Start Mosaic. In the Select Attributes section, select the imported attribute under Attribute to use for node coloring. Click Annotate to annotate the network with GO for partitioning and layout.
- Each subnetwork will now be colored based on the predicted miRNA binding sites. | 0.8158 | FineWeb | 1,233 |
Words of Agur
1The words of Agur, Jakeh’s son, from Massa.
The man declares: I’m tired, God;
I’m tired, God, and I’m exhausted.
2Actually, I’m too stupid to be human,
a man without understanding.
3I haven’t learned wisdom,
nor do I have knowledge of the holy one.
4Who has gone up to heaven and come down?
Who has gathered the wind by the handful?
Who has bound up the waters in a garment?
Who has established all the ends of the earth?
What is this person’s name and the name of this person’s child—
if you know it?
5All God’s words are tried and true;
a shield for those who take refuge in him.
6Don’t add to his words,
or he will correct you and show you to be a liar.
7Two things I ask of you;
don’t keep them from me before I die:
8Fraud and lies—
keep far from me!
Don’t give me either poverty or wealth;
give me just the food I need.
9Or I’ll be full and deny you,
and say, "Who is the LORD?"
Or I’ll be poor and steal,
and dishonor my God’s name.
More sayings of the wise
10Don’t slander a servant to his master;
otherwise, the servant will curse you, and you will be guilty.
11There are those who curse their father
and don’t bless their mother.
12There are those who think they are clean,
but haven’t washed off their own excrement.
13There are those—
how arrogant are their eyes;
how their eyebrows are raised!
14There are those whose teeth are swords;
their jaw is a butcher’s knife,
ready to devour the needy from the earth,
and the poor from humanity.
15The leech has two daughters: “Give, give!”
There are three things that are never satisfied,
four that never say, “Enough!”:
16the grave#Heb Sheol and a barren womb,
a land never filled with water,
and fire that doesn’t say, “Enough!”
17An eye that mocks a father
and rejects obedience to a mother,
may the ravens of the river valley peck it out,
and the eagle’s young eat it.
18Three things are too wonderful for me,
four that I can’t figure out:
19the way of an eagle in the sky,
the way of a snake on the rock,
the way of a ship out on the open sea,
and the way of a man with a young woman.
20This is the way of an adulterous woman:
she eats and wipes her mouth,
and she says, "I’ve done nothing wrong!"
21At three things the earth trembles,
at four it can’t bear up:
22at a servant when he becomes king
and fools when they are full of food;
23at a detested woman when she gets married
and a female servant when she replaces her mistress.
24Four things are among the smallest on earth,
but they are extremely wise:
25Ants as creatures aren’t strong,
but they store away their food in the summer.
26Badgers as creatures aren’t powerful,
but they make their homes in the rocks.
27Locusts don’t have a king,
but they march together in ranks.
28You can catch lizards in your hand,
but they are in kings’ palaces.
29There are three things that are excellent in their stride,
four that are excellent as they walk:
30a lion, a warrior among beasts,
which doesn’t back down at anything;
31the strut of a rooster or a male goat;
and a king with his army.
32If you’ve been foolish and arrogant,
if you’ve been scheming,
put your hand to your mouth,
33because churning milk makes curds,
squeezing the nose brings blood,
and stirring up anger produces strife. | 0.7877 | FineWeb | 1,011 |
Ebola: The Global Health Tragedy of Our Times and How Law is Essential in Preventing Public Health Catastrophes
Tanya Baytor | Leave a Comment
By Ana Ayala and Tanya Baytor
Despite the World Health Organization (WHO) declaring the Ebola outbreak in West Africa an international public health emergency and mobilizing international assistance to stop further spread of the virus, we continue to see the number of cases and deaths rise, particularly in the countries with the lowest resources, namely Liberia, Guinea, and Sierra Leone. WHO recently reported that we are now at more than 1,900 deaths from Ebola in Africa. It is projected that 10,000 people will be infected by September 24, and WHO predicts that the caseload will rise to 20,000, of which half will die, in the next nine months. The international community’s response has been reactive, mainly because there is no other option. With the Ebola tragedy now attracting worldwide attention, it would be a missed opportunity not to underscore the importance of law in preventing such devastating international public health crises in the future.
New York Times
As “global health lawyers” who have directly trained medical and public health government officials from many countries on the legal aspects of pandemic preparedness, we have found that it is challenging to highlight the importance of law in building effective public health infrastructures. A country’s ability to effectively respond to an outbreak, and the availability of resources like medical supplies and health care workers depends to a great extent on legislation that sets the foundation for a strong public health system and is aligned with the WHO’s International Health Regulations (IHR) (2005)
. The IHR is a legally-binding instrument which 196 countries have ratified to date that requires countries to take a number of measures to prevent, respond, and control the spread of disease. To be effective, each country needs to implement these international obligations within its domestic legal system in light of its own legislative, governmental structures and policies. Without a domestic legal framework to support and enable various essential public health activities, a country’s ability to prevent, respond, and control serious public health threats is greatly disadvantaged.
For these reasons, a not so visible story needs to be told. To start, why is implementing the IHR obligations into national legislation so critical to public health emergency preparedness and response? National legislation, regulations, and other legal instruments have the tremendous potential to help support and enable the operationalization of the IHR. They are not only important tools to put public health policy into effect but can provide the necessary framework (or backbone) for a range of public health activities and specific operational functions. In some countries there may be laws and regulations that conflict with obligations under the IHR and require revisions to existing legislations to fully and efficiently implement what are called “core capacities.” These core capacities are the minimum set of standards for public health surveillance and response, and they include:
- establishing a specific mechanism to enable timely notification to WHO of public health risks that could potentially become an international public health emergency;
- making sure that national legislation and policy allow for the implementation of the IHR;
- ensuring that funding is available for carrying out all necessary activities;
- developing proper surveillance systems and response plans;
- establishing laboratory services; and
- having the necessary human resources for carrying out activities.
The broad application of the IHR to a range of health hazards makes national legislation even more important because it can facilitate the necessary coordination across a range of entities and government levels. For example, a public health risk may require the coordination of ministries of health, environment, transportation, energy and foreign affairs. Essentially, laws are critical in facilitating this coordination to ensure a rapid and comprehensive response. With adequate domestic laws in place, they can serve to institutionalize and strengthen the role of the IHR within a country.
Our concern over the lack of attention being given to law in preparing for public health emergencies, including the current Ebola outbreak, stems from our own personal experience providing technical assistance to governments on the IHR. Between 2010 and 2011, we had the invaluable opportunity of working with the WHO and two other academic institutions in training public health and medical government officials from around the world on the implementation of the IHR. We were specifically charged with leading the legal component of the curriculum. Over nine weeks, we trained participants on the specific obligations under the IHR, highlighted the importance of establishing legislation in addition to building or strengthening their technical public health emergency preparedness and response strategies. The majority of participants came from ministries of health and were responsible for developing public health surveillance and responses to public health emergencies like Ebola.
This experience reinforced the fact that many countries are not prepared to respond to serious public health crises and the urgent need to establish the necessary legislation to implement the IHR, which would in turn lead to the strengthening of the country’s public health infrastructure. A common grievance among participants, especially those from low-income countries, was the concern over the insufficient or lack of national legislation that would support the implementation of the IHR at home. Many of them had difficulties even identifying their country’s public health laws and regulations and engaging with other non-health-related governmental sectors. They were unaware of their legal authority to issue public health orders like quarantines or mandatory testing. We learned that a number of Ministries of Health do not have lawyers on staff. Many participants also either lacked connections with legislators or faced challenges convincing legislators of the importance of implementing the IHR. Additionally, their governments did not have adequate resources to conduct a legal assessment to determine what changes were required to reflect their international obligations under the IHR and allow them to do their work.
These frustrations were only confirmed in the WHO’s 2012 Report on IHR Core Capacity Implementation, which revealed that only 19% of countries in the African Region had implemented the IHR legal requirements into their national legislation. Unfortunately implementation of the core capacities in the countries affected by Ebola has been weak. Based on WHO data from 2013, Nigeria’s overall implementation status is at 25%. No data is available on Guinea, Liberia or Sierra Leone, but given what we know about the countries’ public health systems and how quickly the Ebola virus has spread, it would be safe to assume that they have not fully or sufficiently implemented their obligations under the IHR. What is also worrying is that the region is at less than 25% in implementation with respect to points of entry, which facilitates the transmission of infectious diseases like Ebola between countries. In fact, Liberia airport officials failed to properly screen the individual responsible for bringing Ebola to Nigeria and permitted him to board the plane even though he was clearly sick and the hospital that had diagnosed him with Ebola had reported him to authorities.
During our media briefing on Ebola on August 12, 2014, we stressed that a running theme has been that public health systems in the affected countries have been ill-prepared to stop the spread of the disease. Just recently, the O’Neill Institute’s Faculty Director Lawrence Gostin proposed a $200 million WHO “Health System Fund.” The fund would be aimed at ensuring that sufficient funds are available to “build the basic health systems and community capacities to respond to the pandemic in affected and neighboring countries,” as well as ensuring “transparency and guidance for countries, re-building trust in government and the international community.”
To this proposal, we would specifically add that, should the Health System Fund (or any other fund) be created to support health system strengthening, it must, without a doubt, provide support for capacity-building activities and consultations to governments on the legal implementation of the IHR at the domestic level. National legislation is integral to building and strengthening health systems and cannot be neglected. One significant benefit of the IHR is that, to truly have an impact, it requires countries to have adequate public health infrastructure. Otherwise, its effective implementation is unattainable. Another valuable aspect of the IHR is that, as an international instrument, it imposes obligations on governments to provide international assistance and help build capacity in resource-limited countries. These obligations would include supporting the legal implementation of the IHR through the creation of relevant domestic legislation, and thus build the foundations needed to prevent future global health emergencies and ultimately save lives. | 0.6313 | FineWeb | 1,836 |
Book Review: Building Web Reputation Systems by Farmer & Glass
By Eric Goldman
Building Web Reputation Systems by F. Randall Farmer & Bryce Glass (O’Reilly 2010) [affiliate link]
As you may know, for the past couple of years, I have been researching how we regulate reputation systems. My most recent recap of my progress-to-date. As part of researching other disciplines’ approaches to reputation systems, I was pleasantly surprised to find this book, which discusses web reputation systems from a technical/product development standpoint. I’m not aware of other books directly on point, so that alone makes the book noteworthy. [If you know of analogous books that I should look at, I’d be grateful for the references.]
The word “reputation” is a complex and nuanced word. This book defines reputation as “information used to make a value judgment about an object or a person.” Notice how this definition treats reputation as actionable information (i.e., making a “judgment”). I favor that approach; my work also uses an actionable definition of reputation.
Their definition equally treats both objects and people as having “reputation,” and this does not work. In general, people are dynamic, i.e., they can change behavior; while content is static, i.e., an item of content does not change its character unless subsequently edited. This single definition of “reputation” created significant tension throughout the book. Recognizing this, the authors often bifurcated the discussion to separately address the process of establishing a person’s “reputation” (which they confusingly called “karma”). However, the book primarily focuses on grading and sorting content items, especially user-generated content, and I personally would not describe content items as having a “reputation.” As a result, I think the book is mistitled. It principally addresses content filtering, not “reputation” as I use the term.
Although this analytical tension pervades the book, the book nevertheless contained a lot of useful insights about both content filtering and establishing user trustworthiness. The authors have a lot of experience building filtering systems for different websites, so the book is packed with the kind of first-hand observations that only an insider can offer. There’s no substitute for the voice of experience when designing Web 2.0 UGC systems, and this book provides an easy and accessible way to learn some tips and tricks.
The book emphasizes the authors’ contributions to the reputation system at Yahoo Answers, and rightly so. Yahoo Answers has emerged into a bona fide success story and recently trumpeted its billionth answer. In my opinion, the book’s high point is Chapter 10, a case study of how Yahoo Answers developed a new filtering and reputation system that helped turbocharge the Yahoo Answers community.
Although the book doesn’t say this directly, two key lessons from Yahoo Answers’ evolution are:
1) UGC websites should let users vote on content, but not all user votes should be weighted equally.
2) UGC websites do not need to publish all user-supplied content items in an equally prominent manner. Perhaps some content should be obscure/hard-to-find until other users validate it.
The book pitches these conclusions as novel, but they seemed fairly intuitive to me. We implemented a very similar system embodying these two points back in 2000-01 at Epinions. Epinions allowed users to grade each others’ content; we weighted votes differentially based on users’ credibility; and we displayed ungraded and poorly graded content only to registered users (a small fraction of our readers). The fact that the authors “discovered” these conclusions at Yahoo Answers shows the dire need for books like this to help websites implement best UGC management practices without reinventing the wheel.
The fact that the authors didn’t acknowledge the Epinions precedent (and other systems like it) highlights another weakness of the book. There is a deep academic literature addressing the book’s topics (especially on content filtering and user incentive systems), but the book barely acknowledges this literature. For example, several times the authors cite Dan Ariely’s Predictably Irrational for descriptions of human psychology and foibles. That’s a perfectly credible citation, but it should be one of many literature citations, not the only citation. Instead of dipping into the rich academic literature, the book almost exclusively relies on the authors’ experience-based impressions. These impressions are a valuable information source that makes the book worth reading. However, because those impressions aren’t tempered with more rigorous academic findings, it’s not clear to me at all that the authors’ conclusions represent true best practices…or even state-of-the-art.
Because of its many structural flaws, this edition will not become a classic. Nevertheless, I have enthusiastically recommended the book to several UGC start-ups because the book provides a good repository of high-value experience-based perspectives that are not readily available elsewhere. Even if the book’s recommendations are debatable, it’s a debate worth having. | 0.7853 | FineWeb | 1,151 |
In the previous blog post, Something Revolutionary Sees as Ordinary, I discussed how the representation of Lean as a means for wealth creation is a simplistic and conformist narrative of both the outcome and purpose of business that undercuts the revolutionary nature of the Toyota Production System and The Toyota Way.
This blog post picks up on the revolutionary nature of the Toyota production system (TPS) and The Toyota Way, but in its ever-evolving form, not in the fixed form as most people comprehend it – particularly from reading books.
It seems Toyota leaders have long had a distaste for Toyota people writing certain things down in book form. Taiichi Ohno reportedly upset some (many?) people inside Toyota by writing the book Toyota Seisan Hoshiki (published in 1978; English edition Toyota Production System published in 1988). Publication of the internal document “The Toyota Way 2001” also reportedly upset some people inside Toyota. They felt that TPS should not be reduced to a fixed form as a book or similar document – particularly one that is available to the public. Instead, it should be passed from person-to-person. The leaders of Shingijutsu USA had similar reservations about the books that I recently co-authored, and about future book projects that I would like to do.
What’s the matter with writing things down? Don’t people benefit by reading something important in long form narrative? Does it not help people? How can it possibly hurt?
Indeed, people do benefit from documentation of important concepts, principles, methods, and practices. Books are a resource to learn from and return to again and again to reinforce past learnings and to discover new learnings. They preserve knowledge for future generations and help us understand the past. But, they have limitations that most people do not recognize or care about.
For example, books on Toyota’s production system do not convey the human cognitive and emotional aspects necessary to succeed such as: spirit, curiosity, energy, enthusiasm, drive, grit, perseverance, challenge, and fun. Nor do they convey the levels at which these characteristics must be present in both leaders and followers over the long-term. None of the popular books on Toyota’s production system available between 1983 and 1996 conveyed these critically important human characteristics (and which I have sought to correct in these three books: 1, 2, 3). This, I think, accounts for the limited, mechanical way in which people understand and apply Toyota’s management principles and practices, and the poor results that are typically achieved.
In addition, an author cannot write about every important detail, as this would add dozens or hundreds of pages which, in turn, would further limit the book’s audience. And, an author may be implicitly aware of some details but fail to recognize them as something important that should be made explicit to readers. Importantly, one must never forget that a book represents the author’s understanding of the subject at the point in time where the book was written and published.
So while the subject matter of a book may be new and informative to a reader, it actually represents past knowledge from the author’s perspective. Few authors add a qualifying statement to the Preface of their book that says: “This is the subject as I know it today.” Doing so would convey the idea to readers that the subject matter and the author’s knowledge of it are fluid; that it grows and evolves over time, and that readers should do likewise with what they learn from the book.
Books have at least one significant negative attribute that, in the case of TPS and The Toyota Way undercuts learning: They easily fool readers into thinking that what they have learned is fixed or immutable. That, coupled with the typical business mindset that is overconfident in what one knows, means that one’s knowledge or understanding is unlikely to increase over time. Learning atrophies, and the heart and mind become sterilized against new knowledge. As both a Lean practitioner and a university professor, I worry about this. Do you worry about this in your capacity as a Lean consultant, trainer, or practitioner?
The Toyota production system and The Toyota Way must be experienced first-hand, and they evolve over time as one directly interacts with them every day. Writing down TPS and The Toyota Way has the potential to defeat learning, when, in fact, its intent is to forever expand learning. Trepidation about reducing TPS and Toyota Way knowledge to book form is well-founded.
I, along with many others, have written much in an effort to give readers clarity around various facets of Lean management. Yet, in most cases, the outcome is for readers to think they know far more than they actually do. Thinking you understand something is the enemy of learning. It is an illusion of understanding that limits one’s curiosity, efforts to expand their practice, and to deepen their understanding of the Toyota production system and The Toyota Way.
The result of this arrested learning and development is a broad-based conformity to popular opinion about what of TPS and The Toyota Way are. Conformity to popular opinion comforts people and reassures them that what they know is correct because so many other people agree with them. The effect of this is to not only limit one’s learning, likely colored by numerous misunderstandings (the dross of learning), but resistance to anything that does not conform to popular opinion. The cost, therefore, is dramatic: A failure to learn and a failure to evolve over time.
Some influential books tell us that Lean is how corporations can create wealth. From my previous blog post, it should be clear that, at best, it is a misunderstanding to present TPS and The Toyota Way (Lean) as a method for wealth creation. At worst, it is a misrepresentation. Wealth creation is a useful byproduct, not its purpose.
If the purpose of Lean is, in fact, wealth creation, then it can be said with certainty that Lean management is something quite different than TPS and The Toyota Way. Each one leads to different thinking, different actions, and different learning, which results in different outcomes. One offers the illusion of understanding. The other does not. One evolves and the other does not. | 0.8197 | FineWeb | 1,403 |
Researchers: Jin Yao, David Leuenberger, M.-C. Mark Lee* (*now a faculty at NTHU, Taiwan)
Funding Agency: CONSRT, DARPA through CS-WDM
The goal of this project is to study high quality factor (Q), tunable, integrated microresoantors. Semiconductor optical microresonators are building blocks for many wavelength-division-multiplexing (WDM) photonic integrated circuits. Their applications include wavelength-division-multiplexing (WDM) photonic integrated circuits such as on-chip channel add-drop filters and wavelength-selective switches, compact nonlinear optical devices, and optical sensors. Adding a tuning mechanism is desired to implement a dynamically reconfigurable function.
Depending on the coupling regime, i.e. critical coupling or over-coupling, the microresonator can be operated as an optical add-drop filter or tunable optical dispersion compensator, respectively (see Fig. 1).
|Fig. 1: (a) Schematics of add-drop filter. The resonant wavelength (red) couples to the microresonator and is dropped to the drop port. (b) Schematics of a variable dispersion compensator.|
Although thermo-optics, electro-absorption, and free-carrier-injection have been demonstrated to manipulate the optical signal transmission, tuning the power coupling ratio between microresonators and waveguides is attractive for signal processing both in transmission and phase engineering. For most of devices, the coupling is usually fixed. In our study, tunable microresonators integrated with MEMS actuators are proposed for the first time. Variable power coupling ratio between a microresonator and a waveguide can be adjusted by gap spacing, which is controlled by deforming the waveguides, as showed in Fig. 2. Theoretical analysis shows a large tuning range by controlling the gap spacing between the microresonator and the waveguide within 1µm. A novel hydrogen annealing process leads to microdisks with quality factors (Q) in excess of 300,000. With the fabricated devices, we have demonstrated a dynamic add-drop filter with 20 dB extinction ratio and a tunable dispersion compensator with tunable dispersion from 185 ps/nm to 1200 ps/nm.
Another application area for microresonators is nonlinear optics. The high quality factor enhances the pump power inside the disk by several orders of magnitude. The high pump power in combination with the small modal area of the whispering gallery modes (0.2 square micron) make microresonators a promising candidate for efficient and compact Raman wave generation (see Fig. 3). | 0.6791 | FineWeb | 620 |
Is your product a Hafta or Wanna?
In his insightful article, Why Behavior Change Apps Don’t Work, Nir Eyal brings up a crucial point about the habits we form (or fail to form) around the products we use.
“Unfortunately, too many well-intentioned products fail because they feel like “haftas,” things people are obligated to do, as opposed to things they “wanna” do. Schell points to neuroscience research showing “there are different channels in the brain for seeking positive consequences and avoiding negative consequences.”
When faced with “haftas,” our brains register them as punishments so we take shortcuts, cheat, skip-out, or in the case of many apps or websites, uninstall them or click away in order to escape the discomfort of feeling controlled.
I think this explains a lot about products in general, and specifically why app categories like todo list apps mostly go unused…they inevitably end up feeling like “haftas”. I distinctly remember that feeling the first time I used a todo list (Remember the Milk) that carried over undone todo items from one day to the next. At first it seems like a thoughtful touch…to automatically bring items from one day to the next. But after a day or two it becomes a burden…your list grows and grows because other tasks inevitably crop up during the day. It quickly became a management situation…I had to manage my todos rather than just keeping light track of them. It turned my todo list from a wanna to a hafta.
Note that any product person would love their product to become a “hafta”. That’s the lock-in you want…that your product is so valuable that it becomes something that people feel like they have to use to be successful. That’s why this is counter-intuitive and important. You want the product to be a “hafta” but feel like a “wanna”…to have your product be essential to their daily use while following the important design principle: keeping people in control.
Nir sums this up nicely:
“When our autonomy is threatened, we feel constrained by our lack of choices and often rebel against doing the new behavior. Psychologists call this “reactance.””
So people don’t resist a new behavior just because it’s hard to do (in fact new behaviors are often easy to do) It may be more about autonomy…by forcing a new behavior on people we suggest to them that they have less control over the situation than they had previously, creating a “hafta” situation where there was none previously.
Read the whole thing: Why Behavior Change Apps Don’t Work | 0.6164 | FineWeb | 591 |
Epubor Ultimate eBook Converter 188.8.131.529 Crack Full Torrent download 2019
Read the books anywhere, with your ease with Epubor Ultimate eBook Converter 184.108.40.2069 Crack. It typically includes the best eBook Converter plus eBook DRM Removal functions. Epubor Ultimate Ebook Converter Crack Free program easily can adapt to numerous kind of eBooks by buying those from authoritative retailers which includes Sony, Kobo, Amazon Kindle, Google play and lulu. Through this application, you can edit its title, language, publisher, author, identifier, etc. So this great opportunity of this software. Enables you to batch out Book Converts to EPUB, PDF, and Mobi and boasts the converted books exactly they are. The most useful application provides amenities to read and edit several kinds of books.
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- Official web link Here | 0.5073 | FineWeb | 1,109 |
What is a box ¶
A Box is the basic element of the Behaviors.
A Box may contain a simple elementary action (Say box for example), as well as a very complex application (room exploration for example).
To go further:
Box identity ¶
The table below describes the properties allowing you to identify a Box.
|A||Name||Name of the box.|
|B||Image||A specific image helps to understand the box type or content.|
Displays the description of the box and some tips.
Appears when holding the pointer over the box and also at the bottom of the Box libraries panel.
Box content ¶
The content of a box depend on its type:
- a Python box contains a Python script,
- a Flow diagram box contains a Flow diagram,
- a Timeline box contains a Timeline.
- a Dialog box refers to a Dialog topic
How to display the content of a box ¶
To display the content of a box, double click the box.
A Dialog box acts as a shortcut to the Dialog topic it refers to. If you double-click the box, you will edit the dialog topic. Other boxes referring to that topic will be impacted.
Box connectors and parameters ¶
The table below describes the main connectors of a Box:
|A||Inputs||Receive events in order to start or stop the box.|
|B||Outputs||Send events and/or data during box execution or when the box execution is stopped.|
|C||Parameters||Receive data used by the box.|
How to create a new box ¶
To create a box:
|Right click on the Flow diagram wherever you want to create the box.|
In the contextual menu, under the Create a new box section, choose the type of the box you want to create.
Optional If you choosed to create a Dialog box, you must choose the dialog topic used by the box.
The box name is automatically generated from the chosen topic, unless you modify it by hand.
You can also create a new dialog topic directly from here.
|Define a Name and a Description for your box.|
|Optional: set the picture to recognize it among other boxes.|
Optional: set Parameters, Inputs and Outputs.
For further details about parameters, see: How to add/remove inputs, outputs, parameters in a box.
Click the OK button.
The created box is displayed on the diagram.
Edit Box widget ¶
When you edit or create a Box, the following widget is displayed:
The table below describes the Edit Box widget:
|Part||Name||Allows you to ...|
Show some box properties:
Define the Box identity:
Specify an image.
Click the Edit button and select one or several image(s).
You can choose several images to have a complete graphical description of what it does. But you should know that only the first image is displayed beside the box name in a box library.
|D||Connectors and Parameters||
Define the Box connectors and parameters.
Add a Plugin to the box.
It is an advanced feature allowing you to add a control the frontage of the box. | 0.7819 | FineWeb | 692 |
When did the U.S. give up on the future? Or, to rephrase, when did the Future stop being a galvanizing possibility and become instead a mirage fed to the masses to make people feel better about an increasingly dystopic present? Think of all those articles about technological and medical breakthroughs that sound world-changing but never seem to make the leap from lab to mainstream. America fiddles while the world burns, literally, for those living in California.
Halfway down a NY Times article about why the whole town of Paradise, California, was lost to unprecedented wildfires, an ad by Shell Oil offers a seductive view of the future, featuring a streamlined truck with solar panels on top. The article was entitled, "Why Does California Have So Many Wildfires?", and explained that climate change (caused in part by the products Shell Oil sells) is one of the causes.
That sleek truck looked familiar, not so much like the future as like something 80 years in the past. Researching a renowned astronomer from the early 20th century, I had been reading about the 1933 Worlds Fair in Chicago, which they called "The Century of Progress." Exhibited at that fair was the Pioneer Zephyr train. This was not some mockup of a possible future, but was a real train that had just made its maiden trip from Denver to Chicago, averaging 77 mph. Within a year, innovations in diesel-electric engines and stainless steel construction had been incorporated into a train that was lighter, faster, more efficient, and actually used to carry real people to real places. Incredibly, according to wikipedia, the train carried 72 passengers plus 50,000 pounds of freight at high speed while powered by one 600 horsepower engine. That's less power than in a souped up SUV unveiled by Jeep last year.
Interestingly, that innovation and quick adoption of new technology happened in the middle of the Great Depression, associated more with frugality than gleaming progress. Why? Because people were buying less stuff, railroads sought to lure passengers to fill the void in freight business. Gleaming new high-speed trains were an enticement to travel.
But other factors played a role as well. The First World War had served as a model of quick mobilization of people and technology. Even beyond the victorious involvement in the war, collective effort and personal sacrifice for the greater good were more deeply embedded in the national psyche. That was before the 1980s, when the relentless demonizations of government, collective effort, taxes, and personal sacrifice began eroding the national will to take on great projects. When intentional collective effort to solve problems is undermined, we are left helpless to counter the unintentional collective impact of billions of carbon emissions that are undermining nature and ultimately ourselves.
Another picture in the Shell Oil ad showed solar panels on top of the truck that is supposed to carry our economy into the future. The panels look great, and trucks really should have them, but an article on the subject explains that the panels can provide power for everything except making the truck move. The image, then, is intended to make us feel good about a future that logistically remains a mirage.
Yesterday, 11.11.18, was the hundredth anniversary of the armistice that ended World War I, and one of the news reports recalled a French town totally destroyed during the war. Fast forward to the present, and witness in our era the obliteration of the town of Paradise, CA, by a wildfire said to be the worst in California history. Climate change, caused by the burning of fossil fuels sold by Shell Oil and others, is playing a big role in making wildfires more destructive.
America, increasingly paralyzed and torn by economic and ideological disparities, can find unity only in grief for lives lost and possessions destroyed. Its vulnerability to apocalyptic damage from hurricanes and wildfires has been on full display--threats our massive military is helpless to protect us against. Warnings dating back 30 years have been ignored, while many passively put their trust in God's will, and an economy indifferent to the future. Bereft of government action to address the underlying cause of mayhem, we as individuals are given little choice but to continue feeding a dystopic future, even as a sleek, attractive mirage is suspended in front of us.
Only when government makes it in everyone's economic interest to stop poisoning the planet will necessity kick in, and be the mother of true invention. | 0.5427 | FineWeb | 1,019 |
Linda: Happy couples are skilled in the art of attentive listening. They allow themselves to be penetrated by each other’s words and feelings. They don’t simply receive the information, but are informed by it, and frequently change their behavior accordingly. When one partner expresses discomfort in response to the other partner’s request for more closeness, a simple remedy for bridging the distance between them is to institute periods of committed listening. It can make all the difference.
When a partner is able to patiently accept the other’s feelings, opinions, and desires, and is able to override his (or her) own impulse to be in the spotlight, the relationship will thrive. His willingness to show up to honor his partner’s needs deepens the level of trust and respect that they hold for each other. As trust grows, there is a willingness to reveal even the most tender emotions. Here are some practical tips for becoming a black belt listener:
- Remember that listening is love.
- Make up your mind that rather than trying to get your partner to listen to you, you are committed to listening more attentively to her.
- Having agreed upon designated times to discuss important subjects is always a good idea. Spontaneous discussions can always be added.
- Don’t allow other people (children, the dog, telephone, etc.) to interrupt the flow of the conversation.
- The quieter you become the more you can hear. Being fully present with no distractions reassures your partner that you care. When you stop everything you are doing, to be as quiet and still as you can to give her your full attention, the results start to roll in. You must be present to win.
- Turn off any tech devices (lap-top computer, cell phone, tablet, and TV) and keep them off during the conversation.
- Body language, such as fully facing her and periodically leaning in towards your partner, shows your interest.
- Practice patience even when she may not be getting to the point as quickly as you may want her to.
- By restraining yourself from interrupting, the speaker feels your respect.
- Being genuinely curious to know your partner more deeply is likely to draw her out to communicate more with you.
- Ask clarifying questions designed to prompt the speaker to go deeper into his or her experience. One effective prompt is to say, “Tell me more.”
- Resist the temptation to jump to conclusions.
- Remember that completing her sentence is invasive and intrusive, and is not respectful.
- A few sincere and well-placed words, such as “yes, un-huh, really, I see, that makes sense, and wow” show your involvement and interest.
- Periodically paraphrasing in your own words, what you are hearing shows you are right with her understanding her communication. You also get a chance to have any misunderstandings corrected.
- You may feel tempted to offer advice but it is much more powerful if you ask the kind of questions that will allow your partner to draw her own conclusions.
- If you notice that you are feeling bored, rather than stopping the conversation or changing the subject, see if your questions can take the conversation to a deeper, more-feeling level to have an interchange with heart and meaning.
- Congratulate yourself as you become a better listener and enjoy the trust that your attentive listening is building.
- Showing love by what we do and say is only one way to do it. Sometimes we show love by what we don’t do and say. Being quiet to show our care with committed listening may be just the method to take the well-being of the relationship to a higher level.
- Sincerely thank your partner for her willingness to share her feelings, thoughts, and life with you.
And remember to enjoy the process.
Check out our books:
“Love experts Linda and Charlie shine a bright light, busting the most common myths about relationships. Using real-life examples, they skillfully, provide effective strategies and tools to create and grow a deeply loving and fulfilling long-term connection.” —Arielle Ford, author of Turn You Mate into Your Soulmate. | 0.8913 | FineWeb | 917 |
Original French: de ſes carracons, nauires, gualeres, gualiõs, brigãtins, fuſtes,
Modern French: de ses carracons, navires, gualères, gualions, brigantins, fustes,
A carrack or nau was a three- or four-masted sailing ship developed in the 15th century by the Genoese for use in commerce, differing from the Venetians who favoured Galleys. Those ships became part of the illumanauty then widely used by Europe’s 15th-century maritime powers. It had a high rounded stern with large aftcastle, forecastle and bowsprit at the stem. It was first used by the Portuguese for oceanic travel, and later by the Spanish, to explore and map the world. It was usually square-rigged on the foremast and mainmast and lateen-rigged on the mizzenmast.
Carracks were ocean-going ships: large enough to be stable in heavy seas, and roomy enough to carry provisions for long voyages. They were the ships in which the Portuguese and the Spanish explored the world in the 15th and 16th centuries. In Genoese the ship was called caracca or nao (ship), in Portuguese nau, while in Spanish carraca or nao. In French it was called a caraque or nef. The name carrack probably derives from the Arab Harraqa , a type of ships that appeared first time along the shores of the Tigris and Euphrates around the 9th century.
As the forerunner of the great ships of the age of sail, the carrack was one of the most influential ship designs in history; while ships became more specialized, the basic design remained unchanged throughout the age of sail.
Jacques Cartier first navigated the Saint Lawrence River in 1535 in the carrack Grande Hermine
A ship of 2000 tons burden. Cf. i. 16.
Small vessels used in the Mediterranean carrying [?] sails and oars.
Grande carraque. De l’italien caraccone.
Petite galère, à voiles et à rames. Du vénitien fusta. Sur ces termes nautiques, voir R.E.R., VIII, p. 156.
1545: Au moys d’octobre suivant les grands carracons que le roy [Françoys premier] avoit faict venir de Gennes en Italie pour la guerre contre l’Anglois arrivèrent sur les vazes de cette ville, chargés de munitions de guerre qui estoient pour l’armée navale de la reconqueste de Boulongne… | 0.5525 | FineWeb | 668 |
Cardiopulmonary Arrest and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation
When breathing has ceased though the heart continues beating is considered as respiratory arrest. Cardiopulmonary arrest occurs when both effective circulation and ventilation have stopped.
What are the Causes of Cardiopulmonary Arrest?
There are quite a few possible causes:
Hypoxia - Due to windpipe or chest problem (e.g. upper airway obstruction, lung tumours, fluid in the chest cavity, ruptured diaphragm.)
Hypotension - Due to decreased blood volume (e.g. bleeding), sepsis or drug administration.
Hypoglycemia (low blood glucose level) - Especially in young puppies.
Hypothermia - Especially under extreme conditions.
Hyperkalemia (high blood potassium level) - As is seen with Addison's disease or with certain urinary problems.
Increased vagal tone - May occur with vomiting, respiratory or abdominal diseases, and with brachycephalic breeds.
Iatrogenic - Such as giving certain medications too quickly, or via the wrong means of administration.
Anaesthetic related arrest - Such as anaesthetic overdose, or using hypotensive drugs.
When Should Resuscitation be Attempted?
Patients with cardiopulmonary arrest usually fall into two categories: those with potentially reversible causes and those with irreversible causes. Resuscitation should not be attempted when the arrest is due to metastatic tumours, chronic renal failure, end stage heart disease, very end stage systemic inflammatory response syndrome and overwhelming injuries or diseases.
What Basic Procedures are Used During Resuscitation?
Initially basic life support procedures are put into place. They are the 'ABC' of resuscitation.
Airway - Place an endotracheal tube from the mouth to the windpipe, or a tracheostomy tube in the windpipe if it is not feasible.
Breathing - The lungs are then ventilated using 100% oxygen at about 30 to 40 breaths per minute.
Circulation - Circulation is established using either open or closed chest cardiopulmonary resuscitation, with the aim being to maximise blood flow to the heart muscle and brain. Closed chest cardiopulmonary resuscitation involves compression over the side of the chest cavity, whilst open chest cardiopulmonary resuscitation involves direct heart massage. Open cardiac massage is usually reserved for situations when the closed technique cannot establish sufficient increase in intrathoracic pressure to cause adequate venous circulation. This occurs when, for example, the dog is suffering from air or fluid filling the chest cavity (but outside the lungs), or chest wall damage.
In some cases advanced support procedures may also be required. This involves the use of a defibrillator, medications (e.g. adrenaline) and fluids to assist in reversing the arrested heart.
How Successful is Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation?
The success rate is low to moderate in cases that have a full cardiopulmonary arrest. The success rate does improve if cardiopulmonary resuscitation commences very soon after the arrest occurs.
If arrest has lasted for over 5 to 10 minutes, post-resuscitation sequelae may occur. They include cardiopulmonary rearrest (in about 66% of resuscitated patients), permanent brain damage, heart muscle damage, kidney failure, shock gut, coagulation problem due to disseminated intravascular coagulation, hypoventilation and septic infection. | 0.7044 | FineWeb | 812 |
As the World Economic Forum revealed in June, 2020, the ‘Internet of things’ is really a stepping stone to what they are now calling The Internet of Bodies.
“We’re entering the era of the Internet of Bodies: collecting our physical data via a range of devices that can be implanted, swallowed or worn.”
Evidence that the Covid Vaccines Implant Bluetooth Biosensors
by Jeremy James
(Excerpt by henrymakow.com)
The Bluetooth factor may …offer additional evidence – in the form of letters and numbers – that the so-called vaccines contain clandestine ingredients and that these ingredients, which are being dispersed via an intensely coercive international inoculation program, are tied to a much wider agenda and have nothing at all to do with health.
Bluetooth is the name given to a band of electromagnetic frequencies which, in coded form, are used to label every cyber-connectable device with a unique identifier. The 48 byte address can uniquely identify millions, if not billions of devices. In conjunction with WiFi, it forms a backbone to the ‘Internet of things.’
However, as the World Economic Forum revealed in June, 2020, the ‘Internet of things’ is really a stepping stone to what they are now calling The Internet of Bodies. Here is how the WEF put it: “We’re entering the era of the Internet of Bodies: collecting our physical data via a range of devices that can be implanted, swallowed or worn.”
The word to note is “implanted.” Since eight billion people are unlikely to step forward and ask to be “implanted” with a tracking device, the Elite intend to implant it by covert means. The strongest candidate for this is a nanosize biosensor injected via the so- called Covid vaccines
If they are now talking about the Internet of Bodies, it is because they are more than half way there already. If challenged, they will argue that it is only intended to collect health data and protect the general population.
In reality it will be used to track anyone implanted with a nanosensor, compile a complete record of their movements and, via additional analysis, determine the persons they associate with.
HOW THE BLUETOOTH SYSTEM WORKS
A Bluetooth device, such as a smartphone, emits (on request) a signal which other Bluetooth devices in the vicinity can detect. When they detect the signal they emit a signal of their own, giving their Bluetooth address.
The smartphone receives this and registers the address on the smartphone screen. As yet smartphone users are unable to do much with this information since they cannot connect with and operate most of these other devices.
When news of Bluetooth tracking of humans (and not just “things”) began to circulate on the Internet earlier this year, it was speculated that the Covid vaccines were being used to implant nanosensors in recipients without their knowledge.
An enterprising individual in Russia posted a video on YouTube which showed how he was able to access via the ‘dark web’ a real-time database containing the personal records of hundreds of thousands of Russian citizens. The records included their vaccination status, current location, date of birth, and much else besides. Since virtually every record contained a positive entry for ‘vaccination status’ he concluded that the vaccines had been used to implant the biosensors.
A number of videos have been posted on the Internet showing a long list of Bluetooth addresses detected by a smartphone. The total in each case greatly exceeded the number of people in the vicinity, leading those who uploaded the videos to conclude that the addresses were emitted, not just by smartphones in the vicinity, but by the owners of the smartphones. —
Related – More Evidence Covid Vaccines Contain a Barcode
Dr Luis Benito regarding Mac codes being emitted.
Interesting material for quick reference
There are many scientific articles published about this phenomenon. Here are some examples. | 0.7765 | FineWeb | 885 |
Imagine a catastrophe – nobody nods at the sight of gold in your hand. Try a nearby health research place then! They would want it.
Gold uses in medicine extend back to the time of mummies. When unbandaged, gold pieces here and there sparkle in their teeth. Gold in modern medicine is indispensable. Moreover, it’s not rare to see headlines with novel gold applications. Scientists almost experience an urge to put gold in every corner of the human body. That’s because on the subconscious level, whatever is rare and is a pain to get is thought to be useful for everything. Humans are hilarious beings! So, scientists never get tired at digging. They inject gold spheres and strands into rats and rabbits, smile when their hypothesis are supported and scratch their heads when not. Subconscious mind of scientists tells this but what does their conscious mind tell them?
It tells that gold is very biocompatible. Meaning that body doesn’t look at it as something foreign which must be eliminated. Here is an example to understand better, maybe not such a good one but shows the main idea. People with gold teeth don’t get the mess that you get if you have a splinter. No redness, pus or pain. Gold’s refusal to react with other things is the reason why. It stays perfectly unchanged. Oxygen, acids, body fluids, bacteria have no affect on the way it looks nor on the atoms inside it. The conscious mind also constantly reminds scientists of three other traits of gold: can be shaped into thin strands, conducts electricity and is heavy. Remember the gold mining article where I said that gold settles at the bottom of a pan because it is heavier than most elements found in nature? Hence, with this load of goodies scientists will not leave gold in piece.
Sometimes gold turns out to be beneficial in a specific medical endeavor, other times not so. At the end of the day, uniqueness does not equal safeness and bad side effects from gold-based procedures do happen.
Anyways, to satisfy your healthy curiosity, here are some of the the ills that gold helps with:
- Inflammation and pain in joints
- Infectious diseases such as malaria and HIV
- Certain cancers
- Lagophthalmos. An interesting one. It is inability to close eyelids fully. How does gold help? Gold is injected under the skin of eyelids making them heavier. Because of increased weight, force of gravity pulls eyelids down completely when eyes are being closed
- Blockage of blood vessels. For example, tiny gold tubes are put inside the blood vessels leading to heart
In addition, pacemakers which make hearts beat quicker are plated with gold. Of course, teeth implants. Finally, in cosmetic surgery, gold filaments are placed under the skin to reduce wrinkles and tighten the skin. But that’s more a luxury than a necessity, so the procedure is reserved for a few.
As for novel uses, I will talk about those that medical community has been raving about in the last little while.
Bones tougher than submarine hulls
This one is unbelievable. The study published in July of this year found that a mix of titanium and gold is harder than pure titanium. Precisely, 3 parts titanium, 1 part gold. Called titanium-3-gold. That’s not something to be expected because titanium by itself is harder than gold. So, the finding seems illogical. But pay attention, titanium-3-gold is extremely hard only when the metals are combined at high temperatures. Now, to imagine titanium strength, think about this. It is one of the ingredients in the hulls of submarines. It prevents underwater vessels from being squished under the huge water pressure.
These days, to replace body parts where hardness is vital, titanium is mostly used. However, titanium-3-gold opened the door into even harder metal. The head scientist says that the metal they got is “4 times harder than pure titanium”. On top of that, titanium-3-gold outcompetes pure titanium as it wears out more slowly, even more accepted by the body and is cheaper to make. Soon people would walk around with teeth, joints and bones that are harder than submarines. Not bad at all.
Gold heats tumors to death
Tiny gold-plated particles were used earlier in attempts to destroy cancerous tumors but with marginal success. You guessed it, I am talking about nanoparticles. They are very tiny. At least 10,000 times smaller than a millimeter. In spring of 2015, a group of scientists thought of something great. Here is their thinking:
What if we anchor gold nanoparticles to these special compounds that are attracted to acidic spots in the human body? We know that cancer cells love acid and are acidic themselves. These compounds would take nanoparticles exactly to the locations of tumors. Then we will apply a beam of radiation. Similar to last time, gold nanoparticles should absorb 100 times more radiation than human flesh this way heating up the immediate space around them. If these special compounds work, because tumors and nanoparticles are so close together, gold will release enough heat to kill most of the tumors.
So, with such hopes in mind, they went ahead and did a test on a sample of lung tumor. Their hypothesis was supported as 75% of tumor was destroyed. They left home that day quite pleased.
I guess one day this discovery should equate in patients with reduced side effects from radiotherapy. Hence, there would be less hair loss and vomiting as above method requires less radiation to banish tumors.
If you have been craving for some science lately, I am sure you are now satisfied after reading this! Drop any of your thoughts here. | 0.6763 | FineWeb | 1,273 |
Even though I have been a holistic health care practitioner for 28 years and have investigated how the brain creates and generates the simplest of movements, I have been truly amazed at just how intricate the brain is. In today's world we are hearing more and more of brain injuries, primarily because of all of the concussions in professional sports and the returning veterans from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
A few months back, I had a individual come in with chronic neck and low back pain and during the intake of information I had inquired if he ever suffered from a head injury. He stated, "No, I never had any form of head injury." As many of you know as we begin to release the abnormal tensions of the body through educated touch we also release emotional information that is being stored in the brain. Further conversation revealed he was a veteran of U.S. Marine Corp and had served in the first gulf war. He was exposed to daily barrages of Scud missiles while stationed in Kuwait. Those concussive explosions had altered his posture and did give him BTI.
This is just one example, others would be a Brain Aneurysm, Stroke, Auto Accidents, accidentally bumping your head, a hard sneeze or cough, or someone just slapping you on the back unexpectedly. In the picture, it lists many different forms of BTI that we may suffer from.
What can someone do to help with these conditions? I will list a few items that I have found helpful and give a brief explanation of how and why. The first being:
- Art of Massage Therapy - as I have written before, when performed correctly Massage Therapy is a form of passive exercise that stimulates not only the skin but all of the underlying tissues and organs. How does this help me with BTI? It encourages brain stimulation to the region being touched. The brain will first perceive the touch and have to determine its intention and will react to that stimulation appropriately. What this accomplishes is a release of abnormal tension on the brain's stimulation and allows the brain to properly heal itself.
- Craniosacral Therapy - this was originally developed by Dr. Sutherland, D.O. when he discovered that by balancing the flow the cerebrospinal fluid (the fluid that is found within the spinal cord) that it aided the body in healing itself. The picture above was taken from a craniosacral site and the use of this technique has helped in the body's healing or dealing with these issues. How does it work? Through a very gentle touch by a therapist to specific areas of the skull, the body will re-position the plates of the skull and permit proper movement of these plates during normal breathing patterns. This ability to move will create a proper pumping action that will help facilitate the activity of the spinal fluid that nourishes the nerves that come out of the spinal cord. This nourishment will enhance the nerve activity to the specific organs and help them regenerate the cells within.
- Ortho-Bionomy - this technique is a form of reprogramming the proprioception, what the brain perceives or sees, so that the body is experiencing its movement patterns. By bringing the body's movement patterns back into balance this technique reduces the amount of unnecessary stimulation to the brain and allows the brain to focus on what it needs to do to heal itself.
- Muscle Release Therapy, MRTh® - this form of therapy delves into the tension being placed on the human skeleton and brings about a natural tension to it. In many BTI situations there are abrupt movements that will alter how the body needed to position itself in order to protect the rest of the body. The practitioner will assess and aide the brain in re-patterning this tension. There are two functions, one is accessing the brain to determine the direction the muscle was moving before it was inhibited, and allowing the brain to return it to a proper tension without affecting the fight or flight nervous system. Secondly, this release of tension will once again remove over stimulation to the brain and allow it to concentrate on the traumatized areas.
- Fundamental Movement using Pilates based equipment - when performed properly, Pilates will help in properly re-programming the movement patterns the body naturally wants to follow. With BTI the brain has to re-pattern neurological responses and since movement is an important part of our daily lives, disruption to those patterns will tax the brain. What proper movement education does is reinforce the brain's ability to process the information at more of a subconscious level and make movement once again spontaneous to what the brain sees it needs to do.
Brain Trauma Injury takes on its own form with each individual, and these aforementioned techniques are different ways of taking care of the resultant symptoms. Brain Trauma is more than bumping your head and bruising your brain, it is any alteration to the brain's normal ability to function. As in Marge's case, it was a severe brain bleed, or in a loved one's stroke, a depletion of nutrition to the brain cells, whatever the instance, there is a need to assist the brain to properly function again. Given positive assistance it will respond.
Give us a call at 216-364-0152 and one of our therapist or instructors will be happy to assist you on your journey of recovery.
On a final note I want to let everyone know I am back on a regular schedule at the office. For everyone that was considerate enough to give me the space and time needed to aide Marge, thank you. Now is a good time to get your body ready for the Spring and Summer weather that is rapidly approaching.
there is always a REASON to HOPE! | 0.7637 | FineWeb | 1,248 |
PageRank: Bringing Order To The Web
Investigating the OG of iterative centrality metrics
Just a couple of decades ago, when the web was exploding with content, PageRank became its central nervous system, routing queries to high-quality and relevant pages through Google's search engine. Here I take a visual approach to evaluating the algorithm.
In The Beginning ...
Admittedly, I struggle to recall the difficulty of finding relevant content on the internet during the late 1990s. Reading over the paper "The Anatomy of a Large-Scale Hypertextual Web Search Engine" gives a stark reminder of just how dire the situation was. Published in 1998 by Sergey Brin and Larry Page while founding a small company called Google, the paper discusses the inadequacy of search engines at the time. The primary engines, such as Yahoo, were using human maintained indices to catalog relevant content. Often, queries would return many pages of slightly relevant but entirely unsatisfactory web sites triggered by a simple keyword match. Even with a large, up-to-date index, it is easy to see that the sheer volume of content would rapidly outpace the ability of anyone to search the web using an index alone.
Anyone who has used a search engine recently (1998), can readily testify that the completeness of the index is not the only factor in the quality of search results.
The missing piece was the search engine's ability to rank content so that it could prioritize high-quality results in addition to query relevancy. To meet this challenge, the authors begin their investigation by viewing the web as a large directed graph where the nodes are web pages, and the edges are formed by hyperlinks from one page to another. By organizing online content into a graph, an analysis can be implemented to rank the content in terms of its importance. At the time, even academic efforts were limited to simple centrality metrics such as counting the number of linked pages, or the in-degree. While offering an improvement over the index alone, the in-degree metric gives weak results and is prone to manipulation.
Academic citation literature has been applied to the web, largely by counting citations or backlinks to a given page.
After establishing the poor state of search engines, the authors introduce their novel PageRank algorithm. In the ambitiously titled Section 2.1, "PageRank: Bringing Order to the Web," the golden ticket of the soon-to-be billion-dollar company is exhibited in glorious detail. On a slightly related note, I am astonished and impressed how aptly the name PageRank fits the intended purpose of the algorithm while also immortalizing the namesake of its progenitor!
A Random Walker
PageRank is devised such that the rank of a node is influenced by the rank of neighboring nodes. Additionally, the ranks of the nodes in a graph should total to unity. Expressed as a formula, the PageRank () of a node () is given by the sum of two terms. The first term is a constant, and the second is a linear combination of the ranks of linked nodes () normalized by the number of links directed out of node . My custom notation represents the set of nodes with edges pointing to . Given this implicit formulation, the PageRank is solved iteratively by updating the rank of each node until the balance is satisfied within a specified precision at every node. The constant is a damping parameter that controls the "flow" of rank from one node into another. Counterintuitively, a larger damping parameter increases the rank transfer between nodes.
Conceptually, the PageRank has a nice interpretation as a probability distribution over the nodes of a graph, where the rank of a node gives the probability that a random walker would land on that node. As a hypothetical random walker traverses the graph, there are two types of moves it can make. Either it makes a jump to a completely random node within the graph, or it follows an edge from its current node to the next. Looking back at the formula, the first term gives the probability of the random jump, while the second term accounts for a walk across an edge. Intuitively, a more highly-connected node will have a higher probability of seeing the walker, and this effect is modulated by the damping parameter. While PageRank is not traditionally solved using a random walk, it provides an interesting interpretation. Additionally, modern graph-based recommendation engines often use random walks to calculate personalized rankings.
The normalizing factor in the summation is given by the count of edges pointing out of the node (). Interestingly, without this factor, the algorithm would be open to abuse by websites that have a million hyperlinks pointing to pages that they would like to promote. By dividing by this count, the contribution of each link is diminished by the addition of more links. As a side note, there is a typo in the original publication where the dividing factor was left out of the formulation. This normalization is certainly required to maintain a probability distribution.
The Damping Parameter
It's interesting what type of role the damping parameter plays in the PageRank results. For pedagogical purposes, I choose a simple graph that can be easily visualized in just two dimensions. The graph is rendered using my own code that leverages the D3 library. The area of each node scales linearly with its PageRank to help compare differences when scanning the damping parameter.
In the first scan, the graph is taken to be undirected so that rank flows in both directions across edges during iteration. At a small value (), the nodes are mostly uniform, as the first term dominates the balance. At a larger value (), we can see from the size of the more well-connected nodes that they have an increased PageRank. Overall though, the damping parameter does not seem to have a substantial effect on the results in this case.
Now looking at a directed graph, the effect of the damping parameter becomes more pronounced. The directional nature of the edges aligns more closely with the directional nature of hyperlinks on the web. Again, at a low damping parameter, the nodes are largely uniform, as expected. As the damping parameter is ramped up to large values, it's easier to see how the rank of a node is given by a combination of the rank of neighboring nodes. Almost as if the edges represent a "vote" whose weight scales with the rank of the contributing node.
While this analysis nicely illustrates the conceptual aspects of PageRank and the effect of its damping parameter, most practical applications use a much larger and interconnected graph that would require more complex visualization techniques. In these cases, the damping parameter likely has an even stronger effect than seen here. Even though modern search engines have evolved to a level of complexity that far surpasses the simple algorithm published in 1998, the ideas and techniques associated with the PageRank algorithm still have a place in many applications today, including personalized recommendation engines. | 0.9105 | FineWeb | 1,496 |
Performance appraisals are a vital tool for gauging an employee’s performance and provide a platform to give feedback on their past, present, and future expectations. Building an effective performance appraisal form is essential for an organization’s performance management program. This article is intended to offer a step-by-step guide to the critical points of a standard performance appraisal form and provide a few guidelines for developing a powerful performance management tool.
What to Include
It’s an organization’s choice of what to include in a performance appraisal. However, there are a few standard, typical elements to consider as you build your company’s performance assessment tools. First, include some demographic information, including the employee’s name, employee number, and a general overview of their job’s responsibilities and goals since their last appraisal.
Adding a standardized rating scale, such as a five-point Likert scale, ensures that employees understand how they are being assessed, what the expectations are, and how they are measuring up. Competency and role-based assessments should always be included in a performance appraisal to make sure that you’re not only appraising behavior but also role-specific projects and issues in their work.
Self-evaluation that allows an employee to engage with the process and share their own insight into the process is essential. Furthermore, goals that provide employees and managers the opportunity to talk about where they see their future in the company should also be included.
The final consideration that you should include in a performance appraisal is an employee development plan. Build career learning and development pathways that allow an employee to engage both in their past behavior, as it relates to their performance, as well as what the future might hold for their career and their performance.
Implementing these standards into your appraisal form will make for a useful and user-friendly tool. Additional guidelines on the development of these elements can help guide the development of your performance appraisal form. Let’s take a look.
What Makes an Effective Performance Appraisal Tool?
The answer to this question is based entirely on what your business needs However, there are some general guidelines to ensure your forms are user-friendly. First, find inspiration. When developing a performance appraisal form, do your homework. Find similar evaluation forms from like-minded organizations or companies with similar ideas on what makes good performance management. Review these forms for elements that suit your needs. Consider their approach and work in what makes their methods effective in your forms.
Make sure that your form is simple to use. Your performance appraisal tool should be simple to follow and use. Provide clear directions and examples, so managers and supervisors understand what is needed in each section of the form. Forms should follow a logical and sequential order. Document design is critical when making a performance appraisal. Avoid jumping around or asking for cross-references. Everything should be included in the form.
Performance appraisals should always be tied to the employee’s job description. It’s a good idea to add their job description to the performance appraisal process. Checking that a well-worded and detailed job description is added to the appraisal goes a long way to set clear expectations for the employee and to make the performance review easier and more streamlined for the supervisor or manager involved.
Adding job descriptions helps root performance appraisals in the employee’s competency. Competency-based appraisals clearly connect the employee’s performance to the company’s goals, objectives, and outcomes. A sound appraisal form should be built based on the organization’s overall mission. Individual and team competencies should be rated against the organization’s values. Make sure to use the organizational jargon when appropriate and refer to the company’s goals throughout the appraisal.
Although most jobs have similar core values, remember to work in role-based measures. In other words, make the appraisal based on job roles. Distinguish between supervisors and non-supervisory by providing clear definitions of each role’s expected competency level and how highly they should be performing.
Furthermore, make forms flexible when it comes to the core values shared by all job roles. Rather than simply listing a generic list of core values for the whole organization, narrow down what values relate most to particular departments or careers. This might mean preparing more than one form for different jobs. Or, it could mean making a flexible form that addresses specific jobs in the questions.
Self-assessments are vital to making performance appraisals more effective. When self-assessments are done right, they provide multiple benefits to the company. Including self-assessments gives employees an active part of their appraisal. Rather than passively receiving feedback, they can actively participate and engage with the review process. A self-assessment lets the manager view the appraisal from their employee’s perspective. Self-assessments can reframe the appraisal and positively benefit the end rating.
Set the Right Goals
The feedback and conversation help during a performance appraisal should be clear and direct. It should be goal-focused rather than berating. Appraisal tools should motivate employees to write their goals based on the company’s overall objective. Employees should work together with managers or supervisors to establish goals that are specific, achievable, and measurable, relevant to their careers and the company’s objectives, and limited to the time until their next appraisal. Allow enough space on the form for both managers and employees to fill in this information.
A lot of information rides on crafting an effective performance appraisal form. But it’s not the information that really matters; it’s how that information works to benefit your business. Following these guidelines is a great first step to building the perfect appraisal tool for your organization. But remember, no two businesses are the same. Be sure to evaluate exactly what your business needs to get started with a powerful performance management process. For help getting started on the pathway, contact us and we can get you set up today. | 0.5808 | FineWeb | 1,312 |
A Primer on Working in the Heat
Summer often supplies the best weather to be outdoors. It’s also the busiest time of year for many outdoor industries, from construction to agriculture to hospitality. Though these workplaces are often very pleasant in nice weather, it’s important to recognize that sun and heat exposure can be hazardous without the proper precautions.
According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), thousands of workers require treatment for heat exposure each year, with some incidences serious enough to cause death.
“Ideally, heat exposure should be limited during the peak midday hours of 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.,” said Randy Klatt, Safety Management Consultant from workers’ compensation insurance specialist MEMIC. “For many workers, though, outdoor tasks are unavoidable in that stretch of time. By taking some simple precautions and staying mindful of your body’s reactions to the temperature, many heat-related sicknesses, like heat stroke, dehydration, and sunburn, can be avoided.”
Keep yourself safe with these five tips to avoid heat stress on the job.
- Plan your day accordingly. Though limiting direct sun is almost always preferable, there are ways to plan your day effectively when exposure is necessary. Schedule more strenuous work in the morning and late afternoon when it’s cooler. If possible, secure a shady spot nearby your work zone to take breaks. Klatt suggests at least a few minutes out of the sun each hour.
- Wear the right gear. If such equipment is safe in your workplace environment, try to wear hot-weather friendly clothing. Light colored, breathable fabrics and hats that shade your face and neck will help to keep you comfortable under the sun’s rays. Eye damage is a concern, too; make sure your pair of sunglasses filters at least 90 percent of ultraviolet (UV) rays.
- Apply sunscreen early and often. The benefits of regular sunscreen use are well-documented, but studies continue to show that adults often don’t wear enough, if they wear it at all. Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen (protecting against UV-A and UV-B rays) with an SPF of at least 15. Apply liberally 30 minutes before going outside, and every two hours thereafter.
- Stay hydrated. The more we sweat, the more important it is to replace the fluids our body has lost. Water is perfectly acceptable for short periods outside, but for longer stretches, you may want to consider replenishing your electrolytes with a sports drink. The Center for Disease Control recommends approximately one cup of water every 15 to 20 minutes. Alcohol (of course), caffeine, and sugary drinks are not recommended, as they tend to dehydrate your body.
- Assess how you’re feeling on a regular basis. Take the time to rest in the shade for a few minutes every hour and monitor yourself for signs of overexposure and dehydration. If you’re feeling dizzy, nauseated, or extremely fatigued, it’s likely a sign that your body needs a break from heat exposure. Muscle pain or spasms may indicate dehydration or low salt levels. Don’t ignore these warning signals. Overextending yourself can be a serious health risk.
In the event of heat-related sickness, sit or lie down in a cool spot as soon as possible. Drink plenty of fluids and loosen or remove any heavy or tight clothing you may have on. The amount of time your body takes to rehydrate varies depending on the severity of your heat exposure, but you may require anywhere from 30 minutes to several hours. Be careful not to rush yourself. In the event of acute heat sickness like heat stroke—often identified with dizziness, slurred speech, and very hot, dry skin, among other symptoms—call 911 or seek emergency medical treatment immediately. These episodes can lead to death.
Working in the summer heat can become a little more bearable with the proper precautions. By remaining responsive to your environment, outfitting yourself with proper equipment, and taking breaks when your body requires them, you can create the groundwork for a productive and safe day in the sun.
Safety Net Blog
Get notified when new blog posts are published. | 0.5087 | FineWeb | 955 |
April 13, 2020
3 things to consider before you let your child play chess online
The school closures forced by COVID-19 have parents and students searching for ways to make the best of their time indoors. Here, Alexey Root, a former U.S. Women's Chess Champion who teaches online courses about chess in education, offers tips for parents and caregivers of children who are interested in playing chess online.
1. Put safety first
Doing things online comes with safety concerns. Chess is no different. Therefore, some common online safety advice applies to chess players of all ages: Use a fake username rather than your real name. Hide personal information, such as where you live, where you work or where you go to school. Keep interactions online rather than agreeing to meet in person.
Additionally, children who play or learn chess online should be supervised by parents. Parents should block their children from sharing personal messages and photos with online chess opponents. Some chess websites offer child-safety features, such as disabling all chats. Nonetheless, unsupervised children may figure out how to circumvent those features. There is no substitute for parental supervision.
2. Study the basics
For beginners, I would recommend studying three things: basic endgame checkmates, opening principles and tactics.
One example of a basic endgame checkmate is checkmating with a king and queen against a king. Learning that checkmate is important, because if one is a queen ahead, one should know how to win with that advantage. Search for "basic endgame checkmates" to find instruction and bots to practice against.
Opening principles should guide your first 10 moves. They include controlling the center of the board, "developing" your knights and bishops—that is, getting them into play—and castling. Castling is where a king moves two squares toward a rook, and that rook then hops over the king, landing near the middle of the board. That two-part maneuver makes the king more secure and the rook more active. Openings are probably the hardest thing for beginners to study online, since there are many initial moves that fit opening principles.
Beginners should also practice tactics, which are moves that result in immediate, tangible gains. Tactics are easy to find online. Most chess websites offer tactics problems that are tailored to your level. Get a tactics problem right, and the site gives you a harder one to solve. Get a problem wrong, and your next problem will be easier.
3. Stress fair play
In chess, success is often defined as winning a game, winning a tournament, or gaining points for your chess rating, which is how chess players measure their skill level compared to others. Players cheat in online tournaments even when there is no prize money at stake, usually to try to raise their ratings.
If a chess player cheats online, there are often consequences. Many chess-playing websites have robust cheating-detection mechanisms. Players' accounts are routinely penalized rating points or even banned if cheating is detected.
To encourage fair play, call to mind the old expression: "It's not whether you win or lose, it's how you play the game." For example, rather than defining success as whether a child won or lost, look at the time spent on each move of the game. Many online sites will measure that time. Praise children for taking an appropriate amount of time on each move. When you redefine chess success as thinking, instead of just winning, it's an important step toward fair play. | 0.586 | FineWeb | 782 |
How our best and brightest can work tirelessly for 8 years only to receive food stamps, debt, and no career.
- Tenure track professor ($120,000 avg) vs.
- Adjunct âprofessor' ($20,000 avg.)
Only one out of ten PhD's get the job they studied 8.2 years on avg. for
- With 140,000 doctorates awarded last year
- And only 16,000 new professorship openings listed.
- Leaving adjunct positions to swell to %76 of college faculties
- Your chances by subject have declined
- English: -%41.4
- Math: -%40
- Sociology: -%35
- Political Science: -%39
- Your wages have declined
- From $53 an hour
- To an avg of$8.90 an hour
- [For 20k/56/40 and 120k/56/40]
- And that's the best possible scenario. With 4 in 5 adjuncts making
- $20k yearly
- Probable Adjunct Experience
- Teaching two classes= $900 a month
- $35 per week on gas (you live away from campus where housing in cheaper)
- And foodstamps
This has led to the number of Masters and PhD holders on food stamps tripling in three years.
- Rising to 360,000 masters holders
- And 30,000 PhD holders
Adjuncts make 50% less than secretaries, but it's not all about the money. It's also about quality of life.
- Adjunct vs. Secretary
- No job security vs. great job security.
- $45k in debt vs. didn't need to pay a cent
- No insurance vs. full benifits
- Pending loss of hours from the Affordable Care Act vs. 40 hours a week
- [fines employers with 50+ part time employees working over 30 hours]
Why do they do it?
- Social (peer pressure)
- Psychological (gambling)
- Project (past commitment)
- Structural (cultural and environmental factors)
- Sunk costs: involves the increased investment (time, money, future) in a path that is not lucrative just because one has previously invested in the path.
Foot in the door technique: tactic involving getting one to agree to a large request by first making a smaller related request. What does this mean? (bigger picture)
Adjuncts are keeping the system afloat, and work in indentured servitude
- States are spending $16 billion less on public colleges than in 2008. That's $2,353 less per student.
Flagship University systems like California are reducing funding by 29.3%
- Leading to (in CA) 4,200 fired staff members 9,500 positions unfilled And the elimination of 180 programs
And that's only possible because they're charging 70% more in tuition
While undergradute matriculation has skyrocketed. Leaving adjuncts with harder jobs than the tenure track positions they dreamt of in grad school.
- There are 5.7 million more college students than there were 10 years ago. A 45% increase in full time students. While tenure track positions have only increased 28%
in 32 years.
- (from 1975-2007)
Matriculation and tuition are on the rise. Yet the value of an education clearly IS NOT. Support humane treatment of educators. | 0.5978 | FineWeb | 877 |
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LADY OF INSIGHT
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Restless and easily bored, Gemini is a classic impulse shopper. Although you can rake in the cash, it flies out of your wallet just as quickly. You may blow an entire paycheck on a luxury item only to tire of it a few months later and hand it off to a friend. Since you crave variety, it's not really worth it for you to "invest" in things like expensive clothes and high-end furniture. Why bother when you're just going to give your life a makeover three months down the line? Designer discount stores were invented for Geminis, allowing you access to high quality goods without breaking the bank.
To avoid going broke on shiny trinkets that you'll be sick of a week later, create two equal budgets: a fun budget and a savings plan. If you allot $20 for, say, celebrity tabloids and snacks each week, put another $20 in your saving account. It's a financial plan that will satisfy both sides of the Gemini Twin!
You can be generous to a fault. Gemini's loved ones are showered with gifts and you're quick to pick up the tab when you have extra cash in your wallet. You like having companions on adventures. If a friend can't afford that plane ticket to Tahiti, you might just spring for it. Be careful, however, as others aren't as carefree as you are with their cash. Money can divide Gemini's relationships. You often end up feeling as if you've given and given but others aren't returning the gesture. Reign in your urge to splurge and find other ways to express your love. For example, how about just telling people that you care!
Since you need lots of variety, create a versatile investment portfolio, stocks, bonds, CDs, savings—something experimental and something safe. With those ingredients, you can build a fortune, like Gemini mogul Donald Trump. He's been both a billionaire and bankrupt in this lifetime, so don't despair if you find yourself in the red. Imaginative Gemini can make something out of nothing, turning a profit on the most outrageous ideas. | 0.65 | FineWeb | 599 |
Higher classification Pinna
Scientific name Pinna nobilis
|Similar Pinna, Bivalvia, Molluscs, Pinnidae, Posidonia oceanica|
Studying pinna nobilis populations
Pinna nobilis, common name the noble pen shell or fan mussel, is a large species of Mediterranean clam, a marine bivalve mollusc in the family Pinnidae, the pen shells. It reaches up to 120 cm (4 ft) of shell length.
The bivalve shell is usually 30–50 cm (1.0–1.6 ft) long, but can reach 120 cm (4 ft). Its shape differs depending on the region it inhabits. Like all pen shells, it is relatively fragile to pollution and shell damage. It attaches itself to rocks using a strong byssus composed of many silk-like threads which used to be made into cloth. These keratin fibres that the animal secretes by its byssus gland are even 6 cm (2.4 in) long. The inside of the shell is lined with brilliant mother-of-pearl.
There is a symbiotic relation between the Pinna Nobilis and a little crayfish often found living inside the shell. The little crayfish pinches the mussel when spotting danger. When pinched the mussel closes its shell. The crayfish is 3-7cm long and totally transparent.
This species is endemic to the Mediterranean Sea, where it lives offshore at depths ranging between 0.5 and 60 m (1.6 and 196.9 ft). It could be found buried beneath soft-sediment areas (fine sand, mud, often anoxic).
This species is the origin of sea silk, which was made from the byssus of the animal.
In recent years, Pinna nobilis has become threatened with extinction, due in part to fishing, incidental killing by trawling and anchoring, and the decline in seagrass fields; pollution kills eggs, larvae, and adult mussels. The noble pen shell has been listed as an endangered species in the Mediterranean Sea. The European Council Habitats Directive 92/43/EEC, on conservation of natural habitats and the wild fauna and flora, proclaims that P. nobilis is strictly protected (by the Annex IV of EEC, 1992)- all forms of deliberate capture or killing of fan mussel specimens are prohibited by law.
As part of the Costa Concordia disaster recovery effort going on in Italy (2012), a group of about 200 Pinna nobilis was manually relocated to a nearby area due to the threat posed by subsequent engineering work. | 0.6558 | FineWeb | 623 |
- At what temperature does hypothermia occur?
- What happens in Stage 3 of hypothermia?
- What are the final stages of hypothermia?
- How does hypothermia feel?
- What is the safest thing to do for someone with hypothermia?
- At what temperature does shivering stop?
- Is hypothermia reversible?
- What are 5 hypothermia symptoms?
- What do you do for hypothermia?
- Can you recover from hypothermia?
- How long does hypothermia last?
- What is the safest thing to do for someone suspected to have hypothermia?
At what temperature does hypothermia occur?
Hypothermia develops when the body temperature drops below 35°C.
The normal human body temperature is around 37°C.
As the body temperature drops below 32°C, hypothermia becomes severe and life threatening..
What happens in Stage 3 of hypothermia?
Stage 3 – Hypothermia. Hypothermia is a condition that exists when the body’s temperature drops below ninety-five degrees. This can be caused by exposure to water or air. The loss of body heat results in loss of dexterity, loss of consciousness, and eventually loss of life.
What are the final stages of hypothermia?
Symptoms depend on the temperature. In mild hypothermia, there is shivering and mental confusion. In moderate hypothermia, shivering stops and confusion increases. In severe hypothermia, there may be paradoxical undressing, in which a person removes their clothing, as well as an increased risk of the heart stopping.
How does hypothermia feel?
Hypothermia generally progresses in three stages from mild to moderate and then severe. High blood pressure, shivering, rapid breathing and heart rate, constricted blood vessels, apathy and fatigue, impaired judgment, and lack of coordination.
What is the safest thing to do for someone with hypothermia?
If you suspect someone has hypothermia, call 911 or your local emergency number. Then immediately take these steps: Gently move the person out of the cold. If going indoors isn’t possible, protect the person from the wind, especially around the neck and head.
At what temperature does shivering stop?
Shivering, which may stop if body temperature drops below 90°F (32°C).
Is hypothermia reversible?
Hypothermia is an unusual aetiology for cardiac arrest, particularly in acute inpatient settings, but must not be excluded from consideration as a potentially-reversible cause. As with other causes, if it is unnoticed or poorly managed, poorer outcomes result.
What are 5 hypothermia symptoms?
Signs and symptoms of hypothermia include:Shivering.Slurred speech or mumbling.Slow, shallow breathing.Weak pulse.Clumsiness or lack of coordination.Drowsiness or very low energy.Confusion or memory loss.Loss of consciousness.More items…•
What do you do for hypothermia?
TreatmentBe gentle. When you’re helping a person with hypothermia, handle him or her gently. … Move the person out of the cold. … Remove wet clothing. … Cover the person with blankets. … Insulate the person’s body from the cold ground. … Monitor breathing. … Provide warm beverages. … Use warm, dry compresses.More items…•
Can you recover from hypothermia?
Hypothermia means that your body loses heat faster than it can make heat. You can get it if you spend time in cold air, water, wind, or rain. Most healthy people with mild to moderate hypothermia fully recover. And they don’t have lasting problems.
How long does hypothermia last?
Hypothermia can happen in minutes Hypothermia can develop in as little as five minutes in temperatures of minus 50 degrees Fahrenheit if you’re not dressed properly and have exposed skin, especially the scalp, hands, fingers, and face, Glatter explained. At 30 below zero, hypothermia can set in in about 10 minutes.
What is the safest thing to do for someone suspected to have hypothermia?
Try to prevent body cooling and get the victim to a medical facility immediately. Gently move the victim to a warm shelter. Check for breathing and a heartbeat. Start CPR if necessary. | 0.7999 | FineWeb | 1,032 |
Below is the uncorrected machine-read text of this chapter, intended to provide our own search engines and external engines with highly rich, chapter-representative searchable text of each book. Because it is UNCORRECTED material, please consider the following text as a useful but insufficient proxy for the authoritative book pages.
1 SUMMARY Adhesive bonds have several major advantages relative to mechanical fastenings, including potential savings in weight and in manufacturing costs. A recent test of this technology for structural applications, the U.S. Air Force Primary Adhesively Bonded Structure Technology (PABST) program, demonstrated that under favorable conditions such bonds can be quite reliable. Unfortunately, some unresolved issues remain, particularly the degradation of properties of the adhesive joints under hot and/or wet conditions. This report summarizes the proceedings of a National Materials Advisory Board workshop held to examine the issue of the reliability of adhesive bonds under severe environments. The main conclusion of the workshop was that adhesive technology has advanced sufficiently so that a concerted effort to resolve those issues left by PABST would have a high probability of success. The workshop participants recommended that the federal government spearhead such a major effort. Specific research was recommended in the areas of chemistry, interfaces, and mechanics. Some of the recommendations in the area of chemistry included the search for more processable high-temperature adhesives, the search for new synthetic routes to alleviate the evolution of volatiles, research on improved toughening additives, and research aimed at better room-temperature-curing resins. Some of the recommendations in the area of interfaces (interphases) included research to clarify the general role of adherend topography, search for new adherend surface preparation techniques, research directed at elucidating the requirements for a strong bond, and research on the mechanisms of interphase degradation with time, emphasizing the effects of water, mechanical stress, temperature, and adhesive composition. Some of the recommendations in the area of mechanics included additional research in the area of nondestructive evaluation (NDE), the
search for mechanical test methods that yield results more directly interpretable in terms of material properties and interphase character- istics, and, in particular, research to determine the relative influences of viscoelasticity (creep), cyclic fatigue, and static strength in severe environments and to characterize interactions between fatigue and creep. To facilitate interlaboratory comparison of results, it was also recommended that standard reference materials be developed and adopted. Although most of the recommendations were presented under the three separate headings of chemistry, interfaces, and mechanics, the workshop participants stressed that in fact these three areas are closely coupled and the research program must recognize that an adhesive bond is a complex system, requiring an interdisciplinary approach for its optimization. | 0.9876 | FineWeb | 592 |
Power that makes the President the leader of the armed forces.
Power that gives the President the responsibility of dealing with other countries.
Job of the President that means he must carry out the nation's laws.
Persons officially representing the interests of the US in other countries, by living there.
Advisors to the President who help him with the responsibilities of office.
Large network of individuals and Federal agencies who oversee the execution of law.
Rule or command of the President which has the force of law.
A formal agreement between two or more countries.
Administrative agencies that are not under the executive departments, or the President
_____________________ 10. Process of removing a President from office, initiated in the House tried in the Senate. Short Answer 14. What are the requirements for a person who wants to become President of the United States? _____________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ 15. What are some of the powers of the President that we have already discussed in class? ___________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ 16. If the President is not able to fulfil his duties, who are the 4 persons who are in line for his job (Succession)? ___________________________________________________________________________________________ 17. What 3 roles does the President take on as part of his job? ________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ 18. How does a Pocket Veto take place? __________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ 19.? How does the Executive Branch ensure that the legislative branch stays “in its proper place” ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ 19. How does the Executive Branch ensure that the judicial branch stays “in its proper place” ? ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ 20. Which Branch of the Central Government is the largest? __________________________________________
Name ______________________________ Period ___
Executive Branch Vocabulary and Graphic Organizers
Directions: Complete the charts below using Chapter 7 in your textbook: Order of Presidential Succession (page 211) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
The Presidents Cabinet (227) descriptions Dept. of State: Dept. of Treasury: Dept. of Defense: Dept. of Justice: Dept. of Interior: Dept. of Agriculture: Dept. of Commerce: Dept. of Labor: Dept. of Energy: Dept. of Education:
Roles of the President (pages 216-218) briefly describe each role.
War Powers Act ______________________________________________________________________ Ambassador (222) ____________________________________________________________________ Trade Sanctions (223) _________________________________________________________________ Embargo (223) _______________________________________________________________________ Cabinet (226) ________________________________________________________________________ Federal Bureaucracy (228) ______________________________________________________________ Independent Agencies (229) ____________________________________________________________ Spoils System (230) ___________________________________________________________________ Merit System (230) ___________________________________________________________________ | 0.7071 | FineWeb | 707 |
Time For Play Every Day: It’s Fun And Fundamental
There was a time when children played from morning till night.
They ran, jumped, played dress-up, and created endless stories out of their active imaginations.
Now, many scarcely play this way at all. What happened?
Over four and half hours per day watching TV, video games, and computer screens
Academic pressure and testing, beginning with three-year-olds
Over scheduled lives full of adult-organized activities
Loss of school recess and safe green space for outdoor play
Decades of research clearly demonstrate that play—active and full of imagination —is more that just fun and games. It boosts healthy development across a broad spectrum of critical areas: intellectual, social, emotional, and physical. The benefits are so impressive that every day of childhood should be a day for play.
The benefits of play
Child-initiated play lays a foundation for learning and academic success. Through play, children learn to interact with others, develop language skills, recognize and solve problems, and discover their human potential. In short, play helps children make sense of and find their place in the world.
Physical development: The rough and tumble of active play facilitates children’s sensorimotor development. It is a natural preventive for the current epidemic of childhood obesity. Research suggests that recess also boosts schoolchildren’s academic performance.
Academics: There is a close link between play and healthy cognitive growth. It lays the foundation for later academic success in reading and writing. It provides hands-on experiences with real-life materials that help children develop abstract scientific and mathematical concepts. Play is critical for the development of imagination and creative problem- solving skills.
Social and emotional learning: Research suggests that social makebelieve play is related to increases in cooperation, empathy, and impulse control, reduced aggression, and better overall emotional and social health.
Sheer joy: The evidence is clear, healthy children of all ages love to play. Experts in child development say that plenty of time for childhood play is one of the key factors leading to happiness in adulthood.
What you can do to help your child play?
Reduce or eliminate TV: Give your children a chance to flex their own imaginative muscles. They may be bored at first. Be prepared with simple playthings and suggestions for make-believe play to inspire their inner creativity.
Curtail time spent in adult-organized activities: Children need time for self-initiated play. Overscheduled lives leave little time for play.
Choose simple toys: A good toy is 10 percent toy and 90 percent child. The child’s imagination is the engine of healthy play. Simple toys and natural materials like wood, boxes, balls, dolls, sand, and clay invite children to create their own scene—and then knock them down and start over.
Encourage outdoor adventures: Reserve time every day for outdoor play where children run, climb, find secret hiding places, and dream up dramas. Natural materials—sticks, mud, water, rocks—are the raw materials of play.
Bring back the art of real work: Believe or not, adult activity—cooking, raking, cleaning, washing the car— actually inspires children to play. Children like to help for short periods and then engage in their own play.
Become an advocate for play
Spread the word: Share the evidence about the importance of imaginative play in pre-school and kindergarten, and at recess for older children, with parents, teachers, school officials, and policymakers.
Lobby for safe, well-maintained parks and play areas in your community. If safety is a concern, organize with other parents to monitor play areas.
Start an annual Play Day. For tips on how to do this in your neighborhood or town, see www.ipausa.org.
This article was contributed by the Alliance for Childhood. The Alliance for Childhood promotes policies and practices that support children’s healthy development, love of learning, and joy in living. Their public education campaigns bring to light both the promise and the vulnerability of childhood. They act for the sake of the children themselves and for a most just, democratic, and ecologically responsible future. For more information visit their website: www.allianceforchildhood.org.
- Emory Woodard, “Media in the Home 2000,” Annenberg Public Policy Center, U. of Penn., 2000.
- Anthony D. Pellegrini and P.K. Smith, “Physical Activity Play: The Nature and Function of a Neglected Aspect of Play,” Child Development 69 (3), June 1998; Susan J. Oliver and Edgard Klugman, “What WE Know About Play, ” Child Care Information Exchange, Sept. 2002.
- Doris Bergen, “The Role of Pretend Play in Children’s Cognitive Development, ” Early Childhood Research and Practice, 4 (1), Spring 2002; Jerome L. Singer, “Cognitive and Affective Implications of Imaginative Play in Childhood, ” in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry: A Comprehensive Textbook, Melvin Lewis, ed., 2002; Oliver and Klugman, op. cit; Edgar Klugman and Sara Smilansky, Children’s Play and Learning: Perspectives and Policy Implications, New York; Teachers College Press, 1990; Pellegrini and Smith, op. cit.
- Robert J. Coplan and K.H. Rubin, “Social Play,” Play from Birth to Twelve and Beyond, Garland Press, 1998:Klugman and Smilansky, op.cit.; Singer, op. cit.
- Edward Hallowell, The Childhood Roots of Adult Happiness, New York: Ballantine, 2002. | 0.6366 | FineWeb | 1,306 |
New college students are often surprised to find out that they have to write papers in every course they take. It does not matter if the course is in the physical education department or in the physics department, all instructors will assign papers. Many of the newest college students are unsure about how to write my paper. But, once they learn the skills, the process becomes repetitive and relatively easy.
Students are usually assigned a few different types of papers at the college level. One is the research paper. Unfortunately, they cannot find the research papers online to turn in as their own, because instructors run every paper through plagiarism checking apps. Students need to either write their own or hire someone to write a completely unique paper just for them. These papers are usually very long and they must include research that is used to prove a point. They must have bibliography pages and properly documented evidence.
Along with research papers, students have to write response papers. While research papers are usually several pages in length, response papers are usually much shorter. They are usually one to three pages. Each one is usually a structured response to an assigned reading or activity. These papers usually include facts that are learned and thoughts on those facts. Response papers are often assigned over the course of a day or two, so they can be more conversational in their style.
The other type of paper that many college students have to write is a reflection paper. These can be assigned in a variety of forms. In literature and history classes, they are often reflections on readings or films. In science or math classes, they can be done in the form of a lab report where students reflect on what happened during scientific lesson. Students usually need to write them in a particular style assigned by the teacher about a certain event that the student participate in with other classmates.
Fortunately, many assignments can be completed by professional writers. All students need to do is search for someone to write me a paper. Hundreds of websites will show up in a search, so students who want to pay for research paper projects or essays will need to dig through the results. It will be very important to students to thoroughly vet any websites that they are considering so they know that the writers will deliver unique papers that will meet the assigned requirements and will be completed by the designated date.
Whether students decide to do my research paper on their own or hire someone to do it for them, they need to complete it on time. Most instructors are reluctant to take any late papers. If they are hiring a writer, they should request a due date that gives students ample time to edit and revise the paper. Students should never put all of their trust in someone else to write a perfect paper. Their grades and reputations are on the line when they hire someone to write for them. | 0.9926 | FineWeb | 586 |
Adolescent Brain Development: What It Means for High Schools and Learning
Video taken from the channel: Alliance for Excellent Education
Born to Be Wild: Why Teens Take Risks, and How We Can Keep Them Safe
Video taken from the channel: NYU Langone Health
The Cause of Early Puberty
Video taken from the channel: Dr. Vikki Petersen
Weighing the causes of early puberty
Video taken from the channel: TEDMED
Preventing Youth Substance Use
Video taken from the channel: NHCFoundation
Early Puberty: What Parents Should Know!
Video taken from the channel: The Doctors
The Teenage Brain Is Primed For Addiction
Video taken from the channel: World Science Festival
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 9 (HealthDay News) Teens who began puberty at an early age are more likely to experiment with cigarettes, alcohol and marijuana, researchers report. The study included nearly 6,500 boys and girls, aged 11 to 17, who were asked about their substance use in the past three months.
Teens who began puberty at an early age are more likely to experiment with cigarettes, alcohol and marijuana, researchers report. The study included nearly 6,500 boys and girls, aged 11 to 17, who. WEDNESDAY, Oct.
9, 2013 (HealthDay News) Teens who began puberty at an early age are more likely to experiment with cigarettes, alcohol and marijuana, researchers report. The study included nearly 6,500 boys and girls, aged 11 to 17, who were asked about their substance use in the past three months. According to a press release, it “reveals that teens for whom puberty begins early and who have rapid pubertal development are at greater risk for experimenting with cigarettes, alcohol and. Pubertal timing among girls has been shown to predict patterns of substance use, with early maturers reporting higher use of tobacco and alcohol in the early teens.
12,13 A common interpretation has been that early maturers are disadvantaged as a result of peer rejection and so experience low self-esteem. Early maturers had higher levels of substance use because they entered the risk period at an earlier point than did late maturers. The study findings support prevention strategies and policies that decrease recreational substance use within the peer social group in the early teens.
The odds of substance abuse were twofold higher (OR: 2.0; 95% CI: 1.2-3.2) in midpuberty and more than threefold higher (OR: 3.5; 95% CI: 2.2-5.4) in late puberty. Reporting most friends as substance users was more likely in the later stages of pubertal development, a relationship that accounted in part for the association found between later pubertal stage and substance abuse. At the zero-order, substance use is significantly related to higher odds of cohabiting (OR = 1.15; p < 0.01).
Each unit of substance use is associated with a 15% increase in the odds of cohabiting. However, the coefficient for substance use (OR = 0.97) is no longer significant with the inclusion of several controls, specifically gender and age. Early Drinking Linked to Higher Lifetime Alcoholism Risk. Data from a survey of 43,000 U.S. adults heighten concerns that early alcohol use, independent of other risk factors, may contribute to the risk of developing future alcohol problems.
Those who began drinking in their early teens were not only at greater risk of developing alcohol dependence at some point in their lives, they were also at. Some teens use drugs and alcohol to overcome insecurities, let their guard down and feel socially confident. Substance use may make them feel like they are really open and connecting with others.
In addition to more obvious risks, this can lead teens to feel like substance use is necessary to achieve a certain level of interaction.
List of related literature:
|from The Guide to Off-label Prescription Drugs: New Uses for FDA-approved Prescription Drugs|
|from Williams Textbook of Endocrinology|
|from Gender Differences at Puberty|
|from Encyclopedia of Adolescence|
|from The Science of Paediatrics: MRCPCH Part 1 Mastercourse|
|from Williams Textbook of Endocrinology|
|from Williams Textbook of Endocrinology E-Book|
|from Patterns of Human Growth|
|from Handbook of Developmental Psychopathology|
|from Handbook of Anthropometry: Physical Measures of Human Form in Health and Disease| | 0.6193 | FineWeb | 1,062 |
Today my laser like wrapping focus is on burlap. I am slap bang and very happily in the middle of Mother’s Day wrapping and there have been more than a few requests for a burlap touch. Burlap is not my go to fabric but I have seen it used really well and when it works, it really does have a certain presence.
Burlap is also known as hessian is many parts of Europe because it was in wide use in Germany when that country was called “Hesse” and Germans were called Hessians. Who knew? Some Germans fought against the American rebels in the American Civil War and they fought in burlap uniforms – now that would be none too comfortable. That could explain why in religious rituals where one is denied pleasure, clothing is inevitably burlap, jute or even hair shirts.
Burlap is coarse because it is made of the skin of the jute plant. The fibres of a jute plant are high in cellulose and lignin which creates an almost hybrid cloth wood or wood cloth. Jute is strong, durable, resistant to heat and water seepage, and dyes well. Jute is also a good insulator and is anti-static. C’mon Jute – now you are showing off! If this natural fibre is speaking to you, I can recommend a great overview called From Jute to Hessian
Because Jute grows in standing water, it is typically grown in countries where the is a monsoon such as India, Nepal and Myanmar and Bengal in Bangladesh. Jute was once known as the “Golden Fibre of Bangladesh”.
Like many natural fibres before it, Jute how has many synthetic competitors. Which is a shame for many reasons but most interestingly because one hectare of jute can consume about 15 tons of carbon dioxide while creating 11 tons of oxygen per year, making it a great anecdote to global warming.
You really can use burlap for all sorts of wrapping and decoration from burlap ribbon of various widths to table runners and chair sashes. There’s jute twine, jute webbing and jute wine bags. Where to start? Even though I love some of the pastel coloured burlaps out there, I am going a la naturel and staying with a burlap ribbon on a Lia Griffith patterned wrapping paper and gift tag . I do, however, reserve my rights to revisit some fabulous pink dyed burlap whenever the moment takes me. | 0.8477 | FineWeb | 570 |
Parkinson’s disease often begins with small tremors. Over time symptoms worsen. Tremors become shakes and stiffness takes the body hostage. People with advanced stages of the neurodegenerative disease often have trouble with coordination, walking and maintaining their balance. Currently no cure exists for the condition and available treatments only address symptoms. No therapies are able to slow the progression of the disease yet.
Now an international team of researchers led by Jay Schneider, Ph.D., a professor in the department of pathology, anatomy and cell biology at Thomas Jefferson University, report new information that may in part explain how a molecule called GM1 ganglioside protects the brain against major features of Parkinson’s disease. The discovery further points to GM1 as one of the first potential treatments to directly impact the degenerative processes that cause the disease.
Dr. Schneider has been investigating the therapeutic potential of GM1 in Parkinson’s disease for nearly 30 years. In previous research, he and colleagues showed that Parkinson’s patients have less GM1 than healthy patients in the part of the brain most affected by Parkinson’s, called the substantia nigra. Other researchers followed this work to show in cell culture models that GM1 interacts with a protein called alpha-synuclein. In Parkinson’s disease, alpha-synuclein can form clumps, which can become toxic to brain cells in the substantia nigra and lead to cell death. “The accumulation of alpha-synuclein aggregates has been proposed as one of the major pathological processes in Parkinson’s disease,” Dr. Schneider says.
In the new work, Dr. Schneider and colleagues show that giving daily GM1 doses to animals that overproduce alpha-synuclein inhibits the toxic effects of the protein.
“When we looked in the brains of these animals, not only did we find we could partially protect their dopamine neurons from the toxic effects of alpha synuclein accumulation, we had some evidence that these animals had smaller and fewer aggregates of alpha-synuclein than animals that received saline injection instead of GM1,” Dr. Schneider says.
In addition to protecting brain cells from death, the treatment also reversed some early motor symptoms, the team announced June 10th in the journal Scientific Reports.
The researchers suspect that less GM1 in the brains of Parkinson’s disease patients may facilitate the aggregation of alpha-synuclein and increase its toxicity.
“By increasing GM1 levels in the brains of these patients, it would make sense that we could potentially provide a slowing of that pathological process and a slowing of the disease progression, which is what we found previously in a clinical trial of GM1 in Parkinson’s disease patients,” Dr. Schneider says.
The team is now following up on their results to find out what other effects GM1 might have on alpha-synuclein.
“It’s important to understand how GM1 is working because there might be other ways we could manipulate GM1 levels in the brain to have a beneficial effect,” Dr. Schneider says. | 0.6059 | FineWeb | 671 |
A pregnancy outside the womb is called an ectopic pregnancy, which is also known as “tubal pregnancy”.
Most of these pregnancies outside the uterus develop in the upper part of the fallopian tube on either side and would then be called tubal pregnancy, but rarely it can also develop in the cervix, the ovary or in the abdominal cavity. About 1 in 100 or 200 pregnancies are ectopic (meaning “out of place”).
Previous fallopian tube infection predisposes to a tubal pregnancy, because scarring of the fallopian tube from a prior infection interferes with the normal migration of the egg from the ovary to the uterine cavity. If the egg gets stalled in between on its journey or migrates too far (cervix), an ectopic pregnancy results.
Why is this important? If it goes undetected, there will be an ectopic pregnancy rupture 12 to 16 weeks from the first day of the last period and about 1 in 800 women with a tubal pregnancy in the U.S. still die from this event despite the best possible care. This is because the blood vessels are so huge and engorged from the pregnancy (this is normal), that when it ruptures, there is an enormous amount of blood lost through abdominal bleeding, which very quickly leads to circulatory collapse and hemorrhagic shock. This in turn is very difficult to treat when the ambulance arrives at the hospital.
Symptoms of tubal pregnancy
Spotting could be one of the first symptoms associated with abdominal pain and cramping on the side where the fallopian tube pregnancy is located. These type of symptoms should prompt the woman to seek advice from her physician or gynecologist. A blood test for human choriogonadotropin would tell whether or not the levels are normal, usually the level is less in a tubal pregnancy. The gynecologist or family doctor will also order an abdominal ultrasound to document that there is a mass outside of the uterine cavity, which makes the diagnosis very likely. A laparoscopy surgery by the gynecologist will confirm the diagnosis.
Ectopic Pregnancy Treatment
The sooner the tubal pregnancy can be spotted, the better.If it is less than 3.5 cm (= 1.4″ ) in diameter, and there is no fetal heart activity on ultrasound, medical treatment with methotrexate can be attempted. However, about 25% of these cases still need surgical intervention, as this method is not always successful. With any method of removing the tubal pregnancy, it is important to monitor that all of the placental tissue is removed, as there is a danger that retained placental tissue would develop into a cancerous condition called choriocarcinoma.
This is checked in this high risk setting by doing serial blood tests of a marker called human chorionic gonadotropin, a hormone produced by placental tissue. The surgical technique today is markedly different from the past. In the past the tubal pregnancy was excised with all of the tube on the affected side. However, there was only one tube left and the likelihood of a normal pregnancy was significantly reduced. Today a tube preserving technique is used, where the pregnancy and placenta are removed and then careful reconstructive surgery is done, if necessary using an operative microscope. This way a normal pregnancy can often take place when the affected tube has been reopened through surgical means. Future pregnancies are followed with serial ultrasonic tests.
1. DM Thompson: The 46th Annual St. Paul’s Hospital CME Conference for Primary Physicians, Nov. 14-17, 2000, Vancouver/B.C./Canada
2. C Ritenbaugh Curr Oncol Rep 2000 May 2(3): 225-233.
3. PA Totten et al. J Infect Dis 2001 Jan 183(2): 269-276.
4. M Ohkawa et al. Br J Urol 1993 Dec 72(6):918-921.
5. Textbook of Primary Care Medicine, 3rd ed., Copyright © 2001 Mosby, Inc., pages 976-983: “Chapter 107 – Acute Abdomen and Common Surgical Abdominal Problems”.
6. Marx: Rosen’s Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice, 5th ed., Copyright © 2002 Mosby, Inc. , p. 185:”Abdominal pain”.
7. Feldman: Sleisenger & Fordtran’s Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease, 7th ed., Copyright © 2002 Elsevier, p. 71: “Chapter 4 – Abdominal Pain, Including the Acute Abdomen”.
8. Ferri: Ferri’s Clinical Advisor: Instant Diagnosis and Treatment, 2004 ed., Copyright © 2004 Mosby, Inc | 0.5179 | FineWeb | 1,167 |
Is there anything better on a hot summer day than finding refuge at the movie theater? Summertime is when all of the big blockbusters come out to entertain us and keep us enthralled in air-conditioned comfort. However, very rarely do they make summer blockbusters anymore without the important box office component: 3D technology.
But what exactly is 3D and how does it work?
Your brain and eyes work together in order to perceive things in three dimensions. Binocular vision or stereoscopy is how each eye observes the same object from a slightly different perspective. Each of those images is sent to your brain, and your brain gives the image depth, or 3D.
The way the movie is shown in combination with specific eyewear is what actually causes your brain to interpret what you are seeing in 3D. What is being presented on the screen are slightly different orientations of the same image. Your eyes just see one complete image because the lenses of your glasses allow a different image to each eye, and your brain puts it all together.
In old versions of 3D movies (all those monster movies from the 50s), images were captured with one version being blue and the other red. The cardboard glasses of the day featuring one red and one blue lens would filter out the same colored image letting each eye see a separate version of the image. Your brain would then put those two images together for the 3D. The problem with the old version of 3D was that it was impossible to do a color movie this way because the way the glasses would filter would be through color.
In newer 3D movies, polarized lenses in those cool Ray Ban-looking glasses you receive at the theater help each eye view the different orientation separately. Your eyes just see one complete image, because the polarized lenses of your glasses present a different image to each eye with your brain putting it all together.
There are some people who are unable to see movies in 3D. Conditions such as amblyopia or strabismus cause the eyes to perceive information differently enough that they are unable to feed the correct information to the brain for it to process the image in its intended three dimensions. People may not even realize that they suffer from a condition such as these because they have learned other visual cues to help them with depth perception. Our brains can fake us out of true binocular vision.
If you have problems viewing 3D movies or experience headaches or nausea while doing so, you may have an issue with your binocular vision. One of our optometrists would be able to refer you to our Center for Vision Development. They could recommend a treatment of Vision Therapy to start you on a path of your eyes and brain working together in order to enjoy the world around you as intended.
So save us a seat and enjoy the show! | 0.9637 | FineWeb | 608 |
Four pesticides commonly used on crops to kill insects and fungi also kill honeybee larvae within their hives, according to Penn State and University of Florida researchers. The team also found that N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP)—an inert, or inactive, chemical commonly used as a pesticide additive—is highly toxic to honeybee larvae.
“We found that four of the pesticides most commonly found in beehives kill bee larvae,” said Jim Frazier, professor of entomology, Penn State. “We also found that the negative effects of these pesticides are sometimes greater when the pesticides occur in combinations within the hive. Since pesticide safety is judged almost entirely on adult honeybee sensitivity to individual pesticides and also does not consider mixtures of pesticides, the risk assessment process that the Environmental Protection Agency uses should be changed.”
According to Frazier, the team’s previous research demonstrated that forager bees bring back to the hive an average of six different pesticides on the pollen they collect. Nurse bees use this pollen to make beebread, which they then feed to honeybee larvae.
To examine the effects of four common pesticides—fluvalinate, coumaphos, chlorothalonil and chlorpyrifos—on bee larvae, the researchers reared honeybee larvae in their laboratory. They then applied the pesticides alone and in all combinations to the beebread to determine whether these insecticides and fungicides act alone or in concert to create a toxic environment for honeybee growth and development.
The researchers also investigated the effects of NMP on honeybee larvae by adding seven concentrations of the chemical to a pollen-derived, royal jelly diet. NMP is used to dissolve pesticides into formulations that then allow the active ingredients to spread and penetrate the plant or animal surfaces onto which they are applied. The team fed their treated diet, containing various types and concentrations of chemicals, to the laboratory-raised bee larvae.
The team’s results are reported in the current issue of PLoS ONE.
“We found that mixtures of pesticides can have greater consequences for larval toxicity than one would expect from individual pesticides,” Frazier said.
Among the four pesticides, honeybee larvae were most sensitive to chlorothalonil. They also were negatively affected by a mixture of chlorothalonil with fluvalinate. In addition, the larvae were sensitive to the combination of chlorothalonil with the miticide coumaphos. In contrast, the addition of coumaphos significantly reduced the toxicity of the fluvalinate and chlorothalonil mixture. | 0.6215 | FineWeb | 568 |
A statement that raises a lot of questions by software developers is: should I use Test Driven Development and does it suits to me or my team. If you don't know what Test Driven Development is, it is probably a hard question to answer. Worse, you may think you know the answer but be labouring under assumptions. Let's get some facts straight and clear up any confusion!So what is TDD actually?
People preach TDD as a God and it's overwhelming at times. It's so overwhelming that you can wrongly interpret it. When you are a starting software engineer it's easy to think that you have to do it all the time while learning programming. Nothing could be further from the truth. When you're just starting your development career you are trying to make things work. Why should we encourage people to stumble through something that doesn't really help them do that? What is our goal as software developers? It's by far not creating the best test suite. You don't get any trophee for that and it certainly doesn't imply you've designed and maintained a great code base. However, when you envolve in your development career and you face bigger and complexer applications, building test cases could literally safe your ass.
So what is TDD actually? TDD stands for Test Driven Development and it's a cycle. You write a very simple test and that simple test will fail. Then you write as little code as possible to make the first test pass. When you've done that, you write a slightly more complex test case that fails. You make the slightly more complex test pass with, again, as little code as possible. And around and around.
So we have three different things:
1. Confidence - By using the TDD approach you will be fearless and it will give you more confidence while developing your application. We have been all there: you make this enormous cool feature. Three months later, you have to modify or extend your feature with new functionality. Depending on how your code is made, this might be stressfully since you don't want to break any existing code/features. Having these tests will give you more confidence since you can run your tests after making new features to see if your tests will still pass. (and you features will still work)
2. You are actually slowly building some documentation - When documentation is written well, it's very useful for other developers or people who are using your code. Proper tests will also stand for documentation. Anyone who has to make a change to your code, will see a list of all valid and invalid inputs/states. They see the code is being used as it was and how it's meant to be used. This will help other developers to understand your code more easily.
3. You will reduce your debugging time - With a set of proper tests, there are fewer places where bugs could hide. Because every line of your code was put in the right place, it's unlikely to be doing something unexpected.
4. No more waste of code - Because you write your tests first, you will write less unnecessary code. Since you only make code that matches with your test cases.
5. It's fun! - I find TDD fun! The moment your red tests (the failed ones) will turn into passed ones. It gives you the feeling as if someone constantly tells you that you are doing something good. This stimulates me, personally, to develop better tests.
Ofcourse, when we are talking about benefits, there will be always drawbacks. Honestly, I find it hard to find drawbacks. It's fair to argue that it takes more time to get used to Test Driven Development. But is that really a drawback? Time invested in Test Driven Development will pay itself afterwards.
It doesn't increase your development time. Yes, you have to design and maintain both production code and your test cases. But you should do that anyways if you are using unit tests. And this statement isn't: to unit test or not. Test Driven Development is just a cleaner way of producing your tests that should be in every enterprise application.Real world testing examples
We are going to use Vue testing examples from the Vue website. If you don't know Vue, I recommend to learn the Vue basics first. Vue CLI has built-in options for unit testing with Jest or Mocha that works out of the box. Let's create a very simple Vue test and create our component after. We can make many common assertions (here we are using Jasmine/Jest style expect assertions just as an example):
This will make our tests fail. Now we create our component until all our tests passes.
I started this post with a question and I close it by reiterating it. Does TDD suits you? I will let you decide. ;) | 0.6993 | FineWeb | 1,045 |
Sleep disorders - overview
Insomnia; Narcolepsy; Hypersomina; Daytime sleepiness; Sleep rhythm; Sleep disruptive behaviors; Jet lag
Sleep disorders are problems with sleeping. These include trouble falling or staying asleep, falling asleep at the wrong times, too much sleep, and abnormal behaviors during sleep.
You tuck yourself under the covers, turn out the light, and look forward to eight hours of blissful slumber. But, after turning for hours you're still exhausted, and no closer to sleep than when you first got into bed. Let's talk toady about sleep disorders. Sleep disorders fall into four basic categories. The scenario I described, in which you toss and turn because you can't fall asleep, is called insomnia. Another type of insomnia is when you wake up in the middle of the night and can't get back to sleep. Sometimes people get insomnia for a night or two because they're stressed out over a big meeting at work, or they're excited about an upcoming trip. Others can't sleep night after night, and that's called chronic insomnia. People with the second category of sleep disorders have a hard time staying awake during the day, even if they slept well the night before. This is called hypersomnia. Sometimes doctors can't find a cause for hypersomnia. But in many cases, a health condition like fibromyalgia, a thyroid problem, a disease like mononucleosis, obesity, or obstructive sleep apnea, can make you sleepy. If you notice a co-worker is nodding off in the middle of meetings, he might have narcolepsy, a sleep disorder that causes people to sleep uncontrollably at inappropriate times during the day. Narcolepsy isn't only embarrassing, it can be dangerous if you nod off behind the wheel of a car. A sleep rhythm problem means that you can't stick to a normal sleep schedule. Maybe you work the night shift at your job, or you're always traveling to different time zones and are constantly battling jet lag. Well, whatever the cause, the lack of a normal sleep pattern is called a sleep rhythm disorder. And finally, there are the types of sleep disorders that wake you up with a jolt in the middle of the night, and, these are called parasomnias, and they can severely interrupt your sleep. You may walk in your sleep, or act out your dreams. Children often have night terrors, in which they wake up from a deep sleep in a terrified state. The good news is that you don't have to live on fewer hours of sleep, because there are decent treatments for sleep disorders. If you're struggling to sleep throughout the night, and dragging through the day as a result, talk to your doctor, who can refer you to a sleep specialist for an evaluation.
There are more than 100 different sleeping and waking disorders. They can be grouped into 4 main categories:
- Problems falling and staying asleep (insomnia)
- Problems staying awake (excessive daytime sleepiness)
- Problems sticking to a regular sleep schedule (sleep rhythm problem)
- Unusual behaviors during sleep (sleep-disruptive behaviors)
PROBLEMS FALLING AND STAYING ASLEEP
Insomnia includes trouble falling asleep or staying asleep. Episodes may come and go, last up to 3 weeks (be short-term), or be long-lasting (chronic).
PROBLEMS STAYING AWAKE
Hypersomnia is a condition in which people have excessive daytime sleepiness, meaning that they feel tired during the day. Hypersomnia can also include situations in which a person needs to sleep a lot. This may be due to other medical conditions, but can also be due to a problem in the brain. Causes of this problem include:
- Medical conditions, such as fibromyalgia and low thyroid function
- Mononucleosis or other viral illnesses
- Narcolepsy and other sleep disorders
- Obesity, especially if it causes obstructive sleep apnea
When no cause for the sleepiness can be found, it is called idiopathic hypersomnia.
PROBLEMS STICKING TO A REGULAR SLEEP SCHEDULE
Problems may also occur when you do not stick to a regular sleep and wake schedule. This occurs when people travel between time zones and with shift workers who are on changing schedules, especially nighttime workers.
Disorders that involve a disrupted sleep schedule include:
- Irregular sleep-wake syndrome
- Jet lag syndrome
- Shift work sleep disorder
- Delayed sleep phase, as in teenagers who go to sleep very late at night and then sleep until noon
- Advanced sleep phase, as in older adults who go to sleep early in the evening and wake up very early
Abnormal behaviors during sleep are called parasomnias. They are fairly common in children and include:
Kryger MH, Rosenberg R, Martin L, Kirsch D. Hypersomnolence. In: Kryger MH, Rosenberg R, Martin L, Kirsch D, eds. Kryger's Sleep Medicine Review. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2015:section 4.
Sateia MJ, Thorpy MJ. Classification of sleep disorders. In: Kryger M, Roth T, Dement WC, eds. Principles and Practice of Sleep Medicine. 6th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2017:chap 61.
Last reviewed on: 1/15/2018
Reviewed by: Allen J. Blaivas, DO, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, VA New Jersey Health Care System, Clinical Assistant Professor, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, East Orange, NJ. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team. | 0.9408 | FineWeb | 1,364 |
I love honey. I even like it more than sugary treats. Donuts, cake, ice cream, chocolate, sundaes - they are all fantastic. But if I would have to choose between other sweets and honey - I would always stick to my honey. It is delicious, healthy, so useful in the kitchen and one of my most favorite ingredients of all times. So a game where you manage a bee hive and control the honey production sounds just like my jam.
Remember sitting in Microeconomics thinking: when will I use this stuff? Why should I care about supply and demand? Well, behold the download of Bee Factory, a game that is not just a game but also a strong teaching of microeconomics. Kids, prepare to be taught. Adults: prepare to have those lessons refreshed.
Bee Factory is set up in a split screen mode. The bottom half shows the worker bees pumping out as much honey as they can (supply). The top part of the screen shows the machine producing the honey (demand). The greater the supply, the higher the demand. In an economic model, this is called "market-driven", where the price is determined by the demand. It's often found in the essentials. Think of toilet paper. Everyone needs toilet paper. It's safe to say there will never not be a need for toilet paper. Therefore, the demand always exists no matter the amount of supply.
The same theory applies to the honey produced by our friend the bee in Bee Factory. You simply push the bees to make more honey and then swipe back and forth on the machine to make more jars of honey. As your output increases, your money increases. With the money, you can upgrade your producers (the bees) and the manufacturing equipment.
The difference between this game and those lessons of microeconomics is FUN! The game is a fun and addictive journey into an otherwise boring subject (well...boring for some people). If you enjoy the challenge of production and mastering the supply chain, this game is for you.
This game would fit perfectly in a school teaching microeconomics. I can see it used in a class of school-age children just beginning to learn about economics, and how supply and demand make a huge impact on the price of a commodity (like honey). The game is also a real-life reflection of honey collection. It's safe to say honey collection is a wise and lucrative business because the demand for honey is pretty steady. Those wishing to understand how the market works, while having fun learning, will love Bee Factory.
The upgrades in the game add an interesting angle to our theory of microeconomics. Of course, in the real world, capital is spent on upgrading equipment both on the supply and the demand side. Guess what? It's used for the same purpose here. You use the money you make to upgrade your equipment and push out even more bottles of honey. You attract more bees to work harder depositing honey into your machine. It's economics at it's finest. Fun fact: The workers never go on strike. They are bees! They love making honey!
Bee Factory is a powerful game in a fun and educational way. It's a great lesson in economics. The game provides hours of lessons in how economics works and you don't even know you're learning about supply and demand while playing it. The game should be used in a school setting where kids can learn about economics and the theory behind higher supply and demand. They also get to play with bees from a safe perspective, which is a nice addition. | 0.6666 | FineWeb | 781 |
Designing the perfect part is something that all designers strive for, but also something that is usually exclusive to sketchbooks and 3D software modeling. When it comes to actually producing a part, designers are forced to face the limitations of production and budget, and often have to make design compromises due to costs, part volume and geometry considerations, and other factors.
With that said, advances in materials technology have given designers newfound freedom. In particular, the advent of high density thermoplastics have given designers much more freedom in regards to part geometry and volume by enabling them to place precise amounts of weight at particular locations. Such high density thermoplastic materials can be injection molded into complex geometries at densities up to 11 g/cc, allowing them to replace metals and other standard materials, and eliminating the need for costly secondary machining operations. Part makers can now mold plastic parts at very high densities, as opposed to having to buy blocks of metal and machine them to shape. To achieve this, high density thermoplastic compounds are required, which can deliver outstanding performance and minimize cost in numerous weighting, balancing, vibration dampening and radiation shielding applications.
These high density materials can also be easily modified to meet a wide range of physical property requirements, such as tensile strength, flex strength, flexmodulus, and heat resistance. Moreover, these high density injection moldable compounds assist by freeing up space in components parts, thus providing designers more design latitude and freedom for designing. Apart from these benefits, these compounds are completely lead free and nontoxic, meeting theincreased demand for high density, lead free products.
These high gravity compounds can be used in a variety of applications. Firstly, they are ideal for weighting and balancing applications. They have been utilized successfully to produce hub odometers, frangible projectiles, instrument housings, return weights, inertia discs, golf club weights, manual transmission shifter cartridges, and more.
In automotive manual transmission shifters, high density material molded in the form of shifter cartridges increases the weight and thus improves the feel at a customer touchpoint, as well as decreases the vibration transmitted through shifter. The reduced vibration improves the customer experience and increases the life of the equipment by reducing wear. As they do not contain toxic materials, these high densitymaterials are highly eco-friendly, and are used to replace lead in a number of applications. One of the most significant uses of these high density materials are in the production of lead free, frangible ammunition. These high density materials aremolded with either copper-filled or tungsten-filled compounds in the form of small caliber rifle and handgun projectiles, which have improved safety by eliminating any lead contamination risksorricochet potential at firing ranges. Unlike lead bullets, frangible ammunition made with high density materials are have no ricochet risk as they powderize upon impact with the target.
It is evident that high density materials have helped revolutionize part design by providing more part volume and part geometry freedom to designers. When it comes to high density materials, Ecomass Technologies outpaces the competition as it offers a wide variety of high density material of up to 11g/cc, with outstanding performance and physical properties. Turn to Ecomass Technologies for an innovative, high density material solution for your application needs. | 0.5692 | FineWeb | 725 |
The execution of decisions on projects tends to be more of an art than science. We’d love to have the buy-in that consensus brings, but don’t have the time, patience or need to debate every decision. Command and control is efficient at getting the word out, but bogs down when individuals need to make lower level decisions. How can we be decisive in both making AND implementing decisions while still maintaining the flexibility and creativity essential to survive this tumultuous global environment? One of the more difficult situations is to implement high level decisions that are dictated by customers, organizational leaders or policy edicts (regulatory or corporate initiative) that cause cascading set of headaches for the project team to deal with. Let’s take a deeper look at the challenges underlying our best efforts to roll out these types of changes and some strategies on how to solve those dilemmas.
The ultimate goal of implementing strategic decisions is to assess HOW the changes impact the project and WHAT specific actions , both immediate and long term, need to happen to realize the intended benefits/effects. A creative solution that meets the need and minimizes impact to project success is essential in this situation.
1. The Change Challenge: Many of the roadblocks we face exist behind the closed doors of the mind. We are hardwired to resist change, or at least to slow it down, in hopes that it may go away and not disrupt our work. Project managers are not immune to this phenomenon, but we usually have a head start in processing it and lots of practice at dealing with constant change. Once reality sets in that change is inevitable, our pre-fontal cortex gets overwhelmed with the possible ramifications to be figured out. This overload condition throws the “fear” switch on which releases massive levels of dopamine and norepinephrine. This “fight or flight” state literally disengages the firing of neurons responsible for logical thinking so that the reacting brain can take over (you wouldn’t want to think about jumping out of the way of danger, would you?).
Solution: We can help individuals avoid this overwhelmed state by brainstorming possible ramifications on a whiteboard (real or virtual). Getting ideas out of our head and in visual form on the board enables the pre-frontal cortex the processing capability to dig deeper into the memory reserves for more additional solution ideas.
2. The Brainstorming Challenge: Brainstorming ideas can cause additional problems if we don’t take into consideration how the human brain operates. Going right to the board will actually inhibit some people from contributing because they need time to reflect prior to sharing ideas. Some individuals, who thrive “on off the cuff” contributions, tend to also use that skill to unknowingly subverting the information flow with sarcasm and judgments of ideas as they are shared. “That idea will never work here” may be true, but we’re not ready to choose just yet. These seemingly innocent remarks can illicit the brains “fight or flight” mechanism in others too, but this time our brain is attempting to protect our ego from possible embarrassment. Emotions take over essentially eliminating the possibility of creative insights from occurring.
Solution: When you switch to brainstorming mode, provide a few minutes for everyone to jot down ideas on their own in silence. This allows the “introvert” personality styles outlined by Myers Briggs (MBTI) time to gather their thoughts before sharing aloud. You will also eliminate the brain getting “anchored” on a theme characterized by the first few ideas, providing for the maximum creativity for solutions.
3. The Jumping to Solution Challenge: Once the ideas start to flow, it’s easy to start evaluating options to determine if it merits serious consideration. This engagement of the pre-frontal cortex to analyze the options actually inhibits the brain from perceiving new insights. The creative process is the one time when we want to “disengage” the thinking mind so that more subtle signals can take center stage. Researchers have proven that the “Ah-Ha” moment is actually characterized by the lack of logical progression.
Solution: One key is to separate the ideas generation phase from the solution selection phase since they require different types of thinking. Thinking partnerships are often helpful to create a less stressful environment in which to operate, which increases the likelihood of insights from occurring. If you get stuck, it’s actually better to find a quick distraction than to work harder to find a solution. This is why great ideas can pop up when you least expect them to, while taking a shower or driving home from work. This break allows for a different neuron network to fire in your brain which has the potential for new insights to emerge. Finally, make it safe for individuals to include ANY idea list. If the idea is really too crazy then it will be eliminated during the solution narrowing process. In the meantime, it may shift the mindset of others in the room, allowing for a unique line of thinking to emerge that might hold the creative implementation solution you desire.
These solutions suggestions might seem insignificant, but to the human brain they are essential for finding creative implementation ideas. It will also increase the commitment level of those taking part in the process significantly. This engagement of team members is what will take them from just “complying” to the changes to being “committed” to implementing changes, which is essential for accelerating the change process. | 0.8 | FineWeb | 1,174 |
Facts about Lichen talk about the composite organism living a symbiotic relationship with a fungus. When you look the physical shape of lichen, it reminds you with the shape of plants. However, they are not plants. Lichens have a number of forms, sizes and colors. The forms of lichens include the foliose one, which has flat leaves like structure, or even fruticose one, which has leafless branches. Some people also spot the crustose lichen, which have a peeling paint like surface.
Facts about Lichen 1: the microlichen and macrolichen
The leafy or bushy lichens are included as a macrolichens. Others are called microlichens. The growth form will determine whether the lichen is macro or micro, not the size of lichen.
Facts about Lichen 2: the common names of lichen
The word moss is often used to use as the common names of lichen like Iceland moss and Reindeer moss. Even though it contains the word moss, lichen is not moss.
Related Article: 10 Facts about Leaves
Facts about Lichen 3: the differences of lichen and moss
Lichen is different from plants because it cannot absorb nutrients and water due to the absence of roots. Lichen is not a parasite because it has the ability to produce food with the photosynthesis process. Lichen lives on a plant as its substrate.
Facts about Lichen 4: where can you find lichens?
Lichens can be found in various areas in the world. It is discovered in the high alpine into the sea leveled area. They have the ability to grow in different kinds of surface.
Facts about Lichen 5: the surfaces
Lichen may live in lichen. You can also spot them spreading around the mosses, leaves and barks.
Facts about Lichen 6: the biological soil crust
Lichen is known a part of biological soil crust for it is found living on the soil surface, gravestones, walls and rocks.
Facts about Lichen 7: the extreme environment
The extreme environment in the world like the rocky coasts, hot dry desert and arctic tundra features the presence of lichen.
Facts about Lichen 8: lichen on earth
It is believed that lichen covers around 6 percent of Earth’s surface.
Facts about Lichen 9: Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park contains a vast rock, which features lichens. The spectacular lichen is also spotted in various natural regions and forests.
Check Also: 10 Facts about Lemon Trees
Facts about Lichen 10: the species of lichens
Lichens have at least 20,000 known species. Talking about their life span, lichens can live longer.
Do you have any comment on facts about lichens? | 0.883 | FineWeb | 652 |
Have you ever been bitten by a honey bee? Apply onion juice for an immediate relief. Are you becoming an insomniac? Drink a glass of onion juice for a peaceful sleep. Are you worried about pigmentation? Apply onion juice mixed with turmeric for a glowing skin. Are you bleeding from the nose? Smell a cut onion for clogging it instantly. Are you losing hair? Using onion juice for hair regrowth is a widely effective solution.
Never mind the tears it brings on, the onion is an ally in the fight against various ailments. This member of the lily family makes your food scrumptious and yummy. From time immemorial, the onion has been such an important ingredient. People actually used to pay their rents with it. Onions contain phenolics and flavonoids that have potent anti-carcinogenic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-cholesterol properties.
Owing to their efficacious nutritional values, they are recommended as a curative for fever, hair fall, pigments, infertility, etc. Hence, it is best to drink a glass of onion juice on an empty stomach in the morning. If you have a burning sensation, a glass of warm water with a spoon of honey can soothe your throat. Remember not to eat or drink anything for a minimum of one hour.
Nutritional Value of Onion Juice:
A good variation in the nutritional composition can be found across various strains of onions. The composition is affected by numerous factors like maturity and the length of storage.
Onion juice is rich in vitamins C, B6 and folic acid and also has an extensive supply of calcium, magnesium, iron, chromium and phosphorus. The trace amounts of sulphur present in the onion are considered to have anti-carcinogenic properties. Chromium helps to reduce the blood sugar level. It is also recommended for anemic patients. Let’s have a quick glimpse at the incredible health benefits of onion juice.
1. Improves Digestion:
Onions are a good supply of Inulin – a dietary fiber that is a good food source for the healthy bacteria present in the intestines. Inulin promotes a healthy bowel movement and keeps the healthy bacteria at a safe level, which thereby increases digestion.
2. Protect Against Allergies:
The natural antihistamine quercetin, present in onions, prevents asthma and allergies. The quercetin from the onion is easily absorbed through the intestine and stays for a long time in circulation than the quercetin obtained from other foods.
3. Remedy For Cold And Respiratory Disorder:
The expectorant properties of the onion help in treating cold and other respiratory disorders. The volatile oil present in the onion dislodges the mucus and prevents its fresh formation. It has been used for centuries to heal coughs, bronchitis, congestion, and metabolism infections. Raw onions are recommended to fight off colds.
4. Maintains Bone Health:
Onions are used to maintain a healthy bone system. Recent studies have shown that they contain a compound that prevents excessive bone loss. It is especially useful for women who go through menopause and are at a greater risk of osteoporosis.
5. Onion Juice For Hair Growth:
Is onion juice good for hair? Yes, it is absolutely good for hair in many ways. Onion contains trace amounts of sulfur, which is one of the essential nutrients in promoting hair growth. A study has shown that applying onion juice on hair and scalp twice in a week for two months can stimulate hair growth. Ignore the smell for it can be washed away. Nothing works better than onion juice for hair. Wondering how to make onion juice for hair growth? Well, here is the recipe: | 0.69 | FineWeb | 840 |
Journal of Antivirals & Antiretroviral is one of the renowned top access journals in the field of virology. This journal is a top leading podium for gaining and exchanging knowledge about novel research done in the associated field of virology.
The current study mainly involves the discovery and development of antiretroviral drugs, compounds, and clinical methods to prevent viral infections and their spread. Importantly, it provides the opportunity to spread great knowledge to researchers, clinicians, and others working in the field of antiviral drugs and antiretroviral therapies. Antivirals & antiretroviral is an internationally recognized journal for scientists involved in basic, applied, and clinical aspects of virology research. It is known that many viruses emerge and re-emerge threatening both animal and human populations. Antiviral Drug finding is the procedure through which numerous potential and inventive new solutions are recognized to cure HIV contamination.
The advancement of better antiretroviral therapy is the fundamental sort of medication for HIV or AIDS. It is not a cure, however it can prevent individuals from getting sick for a long time. The medicine comprises of medicine that must be taken consistently for whatever is left of somebody's life. To see all the more about medicine you have to have some learning of HIV and AIDS. The worldwide risk of HIV contamination requires reasonable results determined by ventures from both general society and the private part. The pharmaceutical business has upheld innovative work of antiretroviral treatments that have delayed the lives of people tainted with HIV. The restorative requirement for new antiretroviral executors stays extraordinary, then again, an outcome of the dynamic development of viral safety. Keeping in mind the end goal to meet this progressing test, financing into innovative work needs to proceed. These speculation choices are made with respect to other pressing health awareness concerns and are focused around evaluations of the probability of specialized achievement
Standard antiretroviral treatment (ART) comprises of the blend of no less than three antiretroviral (ARV) medications to maximally smother the HIV infection and stop the movement of HIV illness. Tremendous diminishments have been seen in rates of death and enduring when utilization is made of a powerful ARV regimen, especially in right on time phases of the sickness.
More than twenty antiretroviral medications have been sanction for treating HIV, yet there is still an incredible interest for extra choices. New HIV medications are most direly required for individuals who have needed to relinquish existing items because of medication safety or symptoms, and may be compelled to switch sedates subsequently. For this gathering, access to another solution can mean the distinction in the middle of life and demise. All the more by and large, new antiretrovirals can bring profits, for example, less reactions, less regular dosing and a lower danger of medication safety.
OMICS journals follow single-blind reviewing process, in which the reviewer is obscure to the author, but the identity of the author is known to the reviewer.
An editorial board asks subject experts to review, assess and evaluate submitted articles before accepting them for publication in a scholarly journal. Submissions are evaluated using criteria such as the originality of the work, excellence, novelty and significance of the research or thoughts and respect for copy rights. Scholarly open access journals use this peer review process to ensure and maintain the quality of material they publish and for their scholastic notoriety..
Last date updated on June, 2014 | 0.8484 | FineWeb | 763 |
Contest Score is the basis for all of our referral based thank you pages. A leads Contest Score is the score we use to determine several things, to include:
- whether or not they have reached the referral threshold
- their Rank – this is used in Leaderboard and Waitlist thank you pages
On the Hobby and Premium level plans, the Contest Score is simply the number of direct referrals a user has earned. 1 referral = 1 point. There’s nothing you need to trigger this. We will automatically track all incoming referrals when a valid referral URL is used. To tell us what page we should use for your referral URL, update your Default URL Settings!
On the Business and Enterprise plans, Contest Score is influenced by our Advanced Fraud Prevention. This means that leads flagged as fraud are not included in the Contest Score. Business and Enterprise level customers can also utilize our Custom Contest Scoring. Custom Contest Scoring allows you to assign a custom point value for each referral type:
- Direct Verified Referral
- Indirect Verified Referral
- Direct Un-verified Referral
- Indirect Un-verified Referral
- You can also choose to assign 1 point for the lead signing up
In addition, you can now assign points for the following user actions:
- Clicking your Social Share Links
- Following you on Facebook and Twitter
- Liking your page or another URL on Facebook
An example of a direct referral would be when User A refers User B. B would be a direct referral of A.
An example of an indirect referral would be when User A refers User B, then User B refers User C. C would be an indirect referral of A and a direct referral of B.
Verified and Un-verified depends on whether you are using our Email Verification.
To set up Custom Contest Scoring (Business and Enterprise customers):
- From the left menu panel of your Campaign Dashboard click “Settings”
- Click the blue “Edit Contest Scoring” button
- Scroll down to “Customize Campaign Scoring” and use the dropdown menu to select how you want your leads to be scored. You can select to base the score on all direct referrals, all direct verified referrals, or use custom score settings.
- If you select Custom Scoring, you will need to specify the following:
– Should we automatically add 1 point for the lead signing up?
– How many points should we award for: Direct Verified Referrals, Direct Un-verified Referrals, Indirect Verified Referrals, Indirect Un-verified Referrals
– You will also need to select whether we should automatically exclude any un-verfied leads/referrals.
You can assign anywhere from 0 to 10 points for each of the referral types.
- Once you’ve made your selections, click the blue Save Contest Score Settings button.
- If you’re on the Business or Enterprise level plan, it’s important to note that no matter what your Contest Score settings are, we will always exclude leads who have been flagged as fraudulent. This means that some referrals may appear as “missing” for some users, and users who have been flagged as fraudulent will have a score of 0. For this reason, you should include somewhere in your Terms or Rules that all leads are screened for fraud and any leads found to be fraudulent will be automatically disqualified.
- We cache scores on our thank you pages for about 15 minutes. If you’re testing referrals and don’t see your score update, it’s likely due to caching. Check back in about 15 minutes and you should see your updated score. This gives us time to check your leads for fraud.
Still have questions? Let us know how we can help at firstname.lastname@example.org | 0.5947 | FineWeb | 858 |
A Brief Overview of the Most Common Anxiety-related Disorders Affecting Teens Today
Everyone knows what it’s like to deal with anxiety. Feelings of anxiousness are just part of being alive. In fact, we as humans NEED emotional distress and feelings of worry in order to live a successful or happy lifestyle. Anxiety is what helps us meet deadlines, pay our bills, meet the obligations and expectations of others, heck, it even encourages those of us who are lead-footed to drive the speed limit.
However, while anxiety is just a natural, integral part of living, there are those whose feelings of anxiousness occur more frequently and with more severity than that of their peers. These anxious-ridden individuals suffer from a mental illness that mental health experts aptly refer to as, an anxiety disorder.
Teenage Anxiety Disorder
Anxiety disorders are commonly found in teenagers. Unfortunately for teens, - whose hormones, bodily changes, and attraction to the opposite (or same) sex adds new life-stress - anxiety plays a major role during their time of adolescence. However, while most teens suffer from natural, everyday anxieties, life-altering anxiousness remains to be a clinical issue for 10% of American teens currently suffering from some form of anxiety disorder.
Teens who suffer from an anxiety disorder often feel intense, anxiety-ridden emotions at times when their peers would typically feel comfortable. For example, anxiety disorder-suffering teens may have a difficult time with even the most arbitrary human-to-human interactions, which, in turn, may cause them to seem awkward to their less-anxious peers.
Consequently, anxious teens tend to have difficulty with developing relationships and genuine bonds with others.
Due to their anxiety-induced antisocial inclination, it is common for clinically-anxious teens to suffer from co-occurring issues including low-self esteem, depression, and loneliness.
With tendencies to avoid social interactions, clinically-anxious teens often find themselves isolated from many of their (if not all) of their peers. Needless to say, teens with anxiety disorders also commonly suffer from undiagnosed major-depression.
Anxiety, If Left Untreated, May Prove to Be Fatal
Worst still is the overwhelming portion of anxiety-ridden teens who annually fail to receive treatment for their serious, neurological disorder: Although highly treatable, only one-fifth of anxiety-ridden adolescents are clinically treated for their anxiety disorder.
The staggering number of un-or-mistreated, clinically anxious teens is even more disconcerting given that, like depression, unaddressed anxiety disorders dramatically increase a teen’s chances of committing self-harm or suicide, the latter of which being the third-highest cause of death among adolescents.
The Three Most Common Types of Anxiety
Like most deeply complex psychological illnesses, there is more than one type of anxiety disorder. The following is a brief overview of the three types of anxiety disorder:
Generalized (GAD) - this type of anxiety-illness is characterized by chronically worrying, seemingly as if out of nowhere. Teens who suffer from generalized anxiety have little or no control over their near-constant feelings of anxiousness. Teens suffering from GAD have great difficulty relaxing and are typically easily bewildered.
Obsessive-compulsive Disorder (OCD) - Perhaps the most recognizable anxiety disorder regarding the knowledge of its existence, OCD happens to be one of the most misunderstood mental illnesses out there. OCD is characterized by extreme, repetitive behaviors such as flipping on a light switch or obsessively cleaning one’s hands or being obsessed with a thing’s numbers (such as consciously avoiding or being attracted to the number of chairs in a room, etc.) and dictating one’s day based around these issues.
Panic Disorder - This type of anxiousness is characterized by sudden bouts of intense fear. Typically, teens with this kind of disorder feel dizziness or lightheadedness when experiencing clinical anxiousness. NIMH reports that of the 6 million affected people, females are twice as likely to develop this anxiety-based illness.
Potential Warning Signs
Don’t know how to tell the difference between normal, teenage anxiety and clinical illness? If so, it helps to know some of the lesser-known developmental factors that are typically indicative of an anxiety disorder. Here are just a few of the “less obvious” signs for parents to look out for:
- Does your child appear to be uncharacteristically withdrawn? - Teens who suffer from an anxiety disorder often isolate and often keep to themselves and maybe a few chosen others whom they do not feel overly anxious around.
- Does your teenage son or daughter suffer from Constant Depression? - Untreated or undiagnosed anxiety will almost always lead to further psychological disorders, namely, depression. This is mainly due to the fact that anxiety disorders usually negatively impact a teen’s social life which can cause a teen to feel extreme loneliness, and ultimately, clinically depressed.
- Is your child eating less? - When a teenage girl suffers from anxiety it is not uncommon for her to have an almost non-existent appetite.
While these factors are not enough to prove or disprove an anxiety diagnosis, they are just a few of the warning signs that can allow parents of potentially anxiety-ridden to teens to find the adequate treatment for their illness. | 0.5344 | FineWeb | 1,204 |
Today in “Yeah, no kidding!”: A reports on a study that found when women are provided with free birth control, women choose read effective long-term methods, and unintended pregnancies and abortion rates drop.
Here are the essential details from the study’s abstract (emphasis below is mine):
OBJECTIVE: To promote the use of long-acting reversible contraceptive (LARC) methods (intrauterine devices [IUDs] and implants) and provide contraception at no cost to a large cohort of participants in an effort to reduce unintended pregnancies in our region.
METHODS: We enrolled 9,256 adolescents and women at risk for unintended pregnancy into the Contraceptive CHOICE Project, a prospective cohort study of adolescents and women desiring reversible contraceptive methods. Participants were recruited from the two abortion facilities in the St. Louis region and through provider referral, advertisements, and word of mouth. Contraceptive counseling included all reversible methods but emphasized the superior effectiveness of LARC methods (IUDs and implants). All participants received the reversible contraceptive method of their choice at no cost. We analyzed abortion rates, the percentage of abortions that were repeat abortions, and teenage births.
RESULTS: We observed a significant reduction in the percentage of abortions that were repeat abortions in the St. Louis region compared with Kansas City and nonmetropolitan Missouri (P<.001). Abortion rates in the CHOICE cohort were less than half the regional and national rates (P<.001). The rate of teenage birth within the CHOICE cohort was 6.3 per 1,000, compared with the U.S. rate of 34.3 per 1,000.
CONCLUSION: We noted a clinically and statistically significant reduction in abortion rates, repeat abortions, and teenage birth rates. Unintended pregnancies may be reduced by providing no-cost contraception and promoting the most effective contraceptive methods.
The study’s researchers have set up an excellent website, , along with a YouTube video (see above) on what would happen if women had access to birth control methods that worked best for them, and . You can also read read about the findings at .
While the study seems pretty intuitive — removing a major obstacle to birth control use (cost) means that read women use it and the rate of unintended pregnancies goes down — strangely enough, this argument rarely seems to convince abortion foes to support contraception.
Why is that? For starters, some conservatives are unwilling to concede that contraception lowers the rate of unintended pregnancies. As , their real opposition is to sex, not to reducing the number of abortions.
Anti-abortion groups have also promoted a specious argument attempting to redefine how contraception works. One provision of the Affordable Care Act requires coverage of , including contraception, without cost sharing in new health plans. This provision has been decried by those who have religious objections to birth control in general, and by a segment of the anti-reproductive rights crowd that believes contraception is equivalent to abortion.
The conservative group Focus on the Family, for example, sent an claiming that “the federal government is requiring both religious and secular employers to fund possible abortion-inducing drugs.” The email was sent in response to a federal judge in Missouri’s challenging the contraception mandate of the federal health care law.
It would take you about two seconds of Googling to find many, many other examples of anti-abortion groups and individuals claiming that contraception is a form of abortion, especially if there is even the remotest possibility that the method may interfere with the implantation of a fertilized egg, which they have insisted is the case with emergency contraception.
But as , emergency contraception (also known as the morning-after pill and marketed under the brand names of Plan B and Ella) doesn’t prevent fertilized eggs from implanting in the womb:
Rather, the pills delay ovulation, the release of eggs from ovaries that occurs before eggs are fertilized, and some pills also thicken cervical mucus so sperm have trouble swimming.
It turns out that the politically charged debate over morning-after pills and abortion, a divisive issue in this election year, is probably rooted in outdated or incorrect scientific guesses about how the pills work. Because they block creation of fertilized eggs, they would not meet abortion opponents’ definition of abortion-inducing drugs.
Medically, women aren’t considered pregnant until a fertilized egg implants, and it’s not possible to carry a pregnancy to term without successful implantation. Despite these medical definitions and standards, the belief that contraception equals abortion persists.
So, where does that leave us? Certainly findings like the St. Louis study provide important evidence of what works to reduce abortion rates, and the study bolsters our arguments for contraception access. What’s less clear, though, is what works to counter the notion that birth control = abortion.
If opponents sincerely believe this, how well do fact-based arguments work to change their minds? Have we seen any evidence of other fact-based appeals resulting in shifts in opinion? Share your thoughts in the comments. | 0.8693 | FineWeb | 1,224 |
Cartagena Taxi Fares
Cartagena Taxi Fares are a mystery for many as the taxis do not have taxi meters. The fares are set every year by the city – ”Alcadia” and are established by zones. For example if you are going from Manga to El Centro the fare is 5.000 COP. If you want to go to El Cabrero, just on the other side of the old city – probably 5.600 COP and to Crespo 6.500 COP. It is worthwhile to have a reasonable idea of what you will have to pay or it is easy to become ”Papaya” – or in other words, have a driver take advantage of you. The drivers should have a rate card in the vehicle but many don’t. Generally the rates for short distances are non negotiable but for longer distances you might be able to lower the price.
If you arrive at the airport there is a taxi stand and when you tell them where you are going they will generate a ”statement” which will tell you how much you have to pay. This will be slightly more than you would pay on the street but well worth it. For example, the fare from the airport to Bocagrande is 16.000 COP. In 2004, before the taxi stand existed, I was charged 20.000 COP to go to Bocagrande.
2013 Rates from the airport to :
- El Centro – 8.500
- Santa Clara Hotel – 10.500
- Charleston Hotel – 10.500
- Las Americas – 10.500
- Manga – 12.000
- Bocagrande/Castillogrande/El Laguito – 16.000
The 2013 rates from the ” Muelle Touristica” – or the Cruise Ship Terminal are:
- El Centro – 12.000 COP
- El Castillo de San Felipe – 12.000 COP
- Bocagrande – 16.000 COP
The hourly rate is 22.000 COP | 0.5198 | FineWeb | 535 |
“Those young people just don’t understand what we fought to achieve.”
“Those experienced teachers just want to talk about ‘the good old days.”
That’s the sound of generations colliding.
Some researchers believe that people are defined as much by their times as by their parents or upbringing – perhaps more so. Regardless of differences in backgrounds members of the same age group share a common social environment that helps shape who they are and how they relate to their work, their colleagues, their families and their friends. Members of a generation experience the same historical events, technological advances and economic shifts. They worship the same heroes, listen to their own music and create their unique fashions.
Researchers have classified the four generations populating our workplaces and our unions according to the time period in which they were born: Traditionalists –1920 to 1943; Baby Boomers –1943 to 1960; Gen Xers –1960 to 1980; and Echo Boomers (Nexters, Millennials, Gen Y) –1980 to 2000.1 Social scientists are scrambling to understand the impact of these generational divisions on our lives.
One thing is certain: generational differences can lead to conflict. Understanding the differences can lessen that conflict.
Forged by two world wars, the Depression of the 1930s, and the Korean War in the early 1950s, Traditionalists were raised in long-established family struc- tures: male breadwinner, mother at home. In their era, advanced technology meant rotary dial phones, radios, phonographs and movies with sound.
Traditionalists are hardworking and loyal – to their country, faith, institu- tions, employer and family. For them rules and duty come before pleasure. Respecting authority, they accept a hierarchical chain-of-command leadership style. They believe in “saving for a rainy day” – forgoing today’s pleasures for tomorrow’s security. They are the last generation to embrace this ethic.
When traditionalists became teachers, one-room schools dotted the province. Hired on individual contracts, they had little say about their wages or working conditions. Once married, women were forced to resign; if allowed to stay, they worked on temporary annual contracts. Rural teachers were expected to clean and maintain their classrooms. It was only during wartime, with men off fighting, that married women were allowed to work outside the home; in fact, they were encouraged to do so, to make up for the labour shortage. | 0.8619 | FineWeb | 601 |
Identifying New Paradigms in Crystal Engineering for Energy and Biomedical Applications
Crystal engineering is a broad area of research that focuses on methods of designing and/or optimizing materials for diverse applications in fields spanning from energy to medicine. The ability to selectively control crystallization to achieve desired material properties requires detailed understandings of the thermodynamic and kinetic factors regulating crystal nucleation and growth. Combining this fundamental knowledge with innovative approaches to tailor crystal size, structure, and morphology can lead to the production of materials with superior properties beyond what is achievable by conventional routes. In this talk I will discuss two general mechanisms of crystal growth: (1) classical pathways involving 2-dimensional layer nucleation and advancement on crystal surfaces through monomer addition; and (2) nonclassical pathways, termed crystallization by particle attachment (CPA), involving the formation of metastable precursors that play a direct role in crystal nucleation and growth. Our group uses techniques such as atomic force microscopy (AFM) to investigate crystallization in situ under solvothermal conditions. We have developed a unique AFM system capable of capturing time-resolved dynamics of surface growth, thus opening new routes to probe complex pathways of crystallization. We also design “modifiers” to control crystal properties such as size and morphology. Modifiers are molecules or macromolecules that interact with specific surfaces of crystals and regulate anisotropic growth rates. In this talk, I will show how we use growth modifiers to control crystallization in two distinctly different, yet fundamentally similar, applications. In the first part of my talk I will discuss our work on the development of therapeutic drugs for crystals implicated in two pathological diseases: kidney stones (calcium oxalate monohydrate) and malaria (hematin). In the second part of my talk, I will discuss how we are using modifiers as a bio-inspired approach to tailor the properties of zeolites, which are microporous aluminosilicates commercially used in catalysis, adsorption, and ion-exchange processes. Topics that will be addressed include the broader challenges of synthesizing zeolites, progress towards elucidating their complex mechanism(s) of growth, and extensive effort to develop commercially-viable approaches to tailor their physicochemical properties.
Jeffrey Rimer is the Ernest J. and Barbara M. Henley Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Houston. Jeff received B.S. degrees in Chemical Engineering and Chemistry from Washington University in St. Louis and Allegheny College, respectively. In 2006, he received his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Delaware. Prior to joining the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Houston in 2009, he spent two years as a postdoctoral fellow at New York University’s Molecular Design Institute within the Department of Chemistry. Jeff’s research in the area of crystal engineering focuses on the rational design of materials with specific applications in the synthesis of microporous catalysts and adsorbents, and the development of therapeutics to inhibit crystal formation in pathological diseases. His work has been featured in high impact journals such as Science and Nature, among others. Jeff has also received numerous awards, including a Welch Foundation fellowship, the ACS Doctoral New Investigator Award, and the NSF CAREER Award. Recently, he was selected for the 2016 Owens Corning Early Career Award by AIChE. He has also been the recipient of several research and teaching awards, including the Junior Faculty Research Excellence Award from the Cullen College of Engineering, the Excellence in Research and Scholarship and the Early Faculty Award for Mentoring Undergraduate Research from the University of Houston, and Teaching Excellence Awards at both the University and College level. Jeff serves as chair of the Southwest Catalysis Society, vice chair of the International Zeolite Association Synthesis Commission, chair elect for the Gordon Research Conference on Crystal Growth and Assembly, and he is an advisory board member for the journal Reaction Chemistry & Engineering. | 0.6881 | FineWeb | 913 |
7 Steps to Obtaining Medical School Letters of Recommendation
To create a successful medical school application, you must obtain the required letters of recommendation from your professors and others. But what is the best way to approach an evaluator and request a much needed letter of recommendation?
As you’ll soon learn, how you ask for a letter of recommendation is important; by approaching a letter writer in a professional manner and providing her with the information she needs to write a great letter, you give yourself the best chance of having a strong letter submitted correctly and on time. To obtain your letters, take the following steps.
Arrange to meet in person with the individual from whom you’re requesting a letter
If you’ve already graduated and no longer live near your alma mater or for some other reason are located at a distance from your letter writer, contact the person to set up a time to speak with her by phone.
Bring to the meeting a copy of your resume or cv and your personal statement as well as information about when and where to submit the letter.
If you don’t have at least a good draft of your personal statement at the time you ask for the letter, offer to send it later.
During the meeting, explain that you’re applying to medical school and want to know whether the person can write you a strong letter of recommendation.
The key word here is strong. Don’t simply say Would you be willing to write me a letter of recommendation? By specifying that you’re looking for a strong letter, you provide an easy opening for the evaluator to decline if she doesn’t feel she can write an effective letter for you.
When you meet with your evaluator, explain to her why you decided to ask her for a letter of recommendation.
For example, if you had interesting and enjoyable discussions with a professor about a certain topic or did a project or paper that you found particularly meaningful (and for which you received a high grade), mention these reasons to provide a context for your request for a letter and jog her memory about possible topics for discussion.
If the writer agrees to write you a strong letter, give her the items in Step 2 and ask whether she also wants you to e-mail her the information.
Give the writer a specific date by which you want the letter to be submitted.
The date should be between four and six weeks from when you ask for the letter. Given too little time, a busy professor or physician may not have an opportunity to write an optimal letter; with too much time, she may put off the task until she forgets about it.
Before concluding the meeting, offer to provide any additional information that the evaluator wants and to meet with her again to discuss your candidacy for medical school.
For example, an evaluator who is outside of academia, such as a community physician you’ve shadowed, may need guidelines about what medical schools are looking for in a letter and perhaps an outline of topics to cover.
After the meeting, follow up with an e-mail thanking the writer for agreeing to write you a letter and providing her with any additional materials she may need to submit your letter.
Specific materials vary depending on the submission method you use; they may include matching forms, links to instructions for uploading or mailing letters, or ID numbers.
In addition, make sure you advise your recommender that the letter must be written on official letterhead and signed, as required by many medical schools.
The details of these steps vary depending on how well you know the letter writer and the direction the conversation takes, but by following this overall framework, you have a strategy to work from and adapt as needed.
Send your evaluator a thank-you note after she’s submitted your letter. Professors, physicians, and other evaluators are taking time out of their schedules to write a letter on your behalf, so acknowledging their efforts is important. | 0.7549 | FineWeb | 823 |
Restrict your Specific Purpose to one idea only. In conclusion, diabetes is a disease that affects over 7. Yes "Managing Stress" is a definitely a type of informative speech.
An informal speech is when your making a speech to someone you know well such as your friend What is a good topic for an informative speech? This is how read my speech aloud: Without this statement, your audience will have no clue what topic you are referencing throughout your speech.
You should have no preference in your topic, instead giving only the facts. For an informative speech you will want to start your specific purpose statement with "I will inform my audience about Add brief characterization of the problem and your brief recommendation of solution.
Bryan wanted more money in circulation and so proposed the coining of silver as well. You should aim your informative speech to the type of audience that you will be presenting it to.
Tonight we have examined the two most common forms of diabetes, Type I and Type II, and we have examined the specific actions diabetics employ to insure good health.
The End What is an informative speech? Regardless of the topic, incorporate a specific purpose statement in your informative speech. Warnings Always include a specific purpose statement. How many of you are uncomfortable with this needle?
Through my nursing classes and clinical experience I have cared for and helped many diabetic patients. Consider the main purpose a thesis statement that serves as the backbone of your informative speech. The specific purpose statement should state the main topic of your speech.
Fill in the Details Include the topic and parts at the end of your specific purpose statement.The general purpose statement is the goal the speaker wishes to accomplish with his speech.
The most common general purposes are to inform, to persuade, to entertain or to pay tribute. In an informative speech, the speaker wants his audience to learn and retain new information.
If his purpose is to. A Specific Purpose Statement for an informative speech will be phrased much like the following statements. Click here for more examples of Specific Purposes, Central Ideas, and Main Points. Informative speech specific purpose statements: I will inform my audience about the two major forms of hula.
An informative speech is a fun way to teach your audience about something new and useful. Think of it as a way to clearly deliver information, or a specific message, to the audience. The message the speaker is trying to convey must be clearly stated. Regardless of the topic, incorporate a specific.
The purpose of the informative speech is to provide interesting, useful, and unique information to your audience.
By dedicating yourself to the goals of providing information and appealing to your audience, you can take a positive step toward succeeding in your efforts as an informative speaker. Video: Informative Speaking: Purpose and Types Informative speeches are written to inform your audience about a topic.
There are several classifications that can be used depending on the purpose. Video: General Purpose vs. Specific Purpose of a Speech. Mathew thought his speech was informative, especially with his background in graduate school, and thinks their professor wants the.Download | 0.7548 | FineWeb | 673 |
Countless people are utterly terrified by them. They exist in every tradition, having come down from oral to written folklore and mythology. They are a major part of various cultures and religions around the globe from the infancy of human civilization. Demons, and other scary creatures, are as ancient as humans (according to numerous skeptics, humans invented them just as they invented God), and they have always been synonymous with evil, death, divine punishment, terror, and the supernatural, which is why people are so afraid of them. But why are demons so terrifying and scary for so many people? Where do they come from? And most importantly—what are their intentions and why do they exist? Put another way, what is the purpose behind their existence?
The word demon derives from the ancient Greek daimon (a spirit or divine power), and does not carry the negative connotation the modern word has given the term in its appropriation of it. With the passage of time, demons gradually became seen as evil spirits, fallen angels, or spirits of unknown type that can possess a human soul. The list of the 25 Scariest Creatures in Myth and Religion that follows will help you understand why so many people fear these demonic beings.
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Xing Tian is a god with bad intentions in Chinese mythology who fights the Supreme Divinity, not giving up even after losing his head. Losing the fight for supremacy, he was beheaded and his head buried in Changyang Mountain. Nevertheless, headless, with a shield in one hand and an ax in the other, he continues the fight, using his nipples for eyes and his belly button for a mouth. He may not be outright scary, but Xing Tian is definitely a weird creature.
A vetala is a ghostlike being in Hindu myth. They are defined as spirits that inhabit cadavers and charnel grounds. These corpses may be used as vehicles for movement as they no longer decay while inhabited. However, a vetala can also leave the body at will.
In demonology, Ronove is a marquis and great earl of hell that commands twenty legions of demons. He is a vaguely depicted monster holding a staff. He is also described as a taker of old souls, often coming to Earth to harvest souls of decrepit humans and animals near death.
These demonic spirits come from Hindu myth, but we also find them in other religions such as Buddhism. They are known as man-eaters because it is believed that they eat their victims alive. According to Hindu tradition, they were so filled with blood lust when they were created that they ate Brahma, the creator god, alive.
Also known as the “hungry ghost,” a preta is a spirit found in some Indian religions that wanders around suffering from extreme hunger and thirst that can’t be satisfied. According to these religions, people who used to be corrupt, jealous, and greedy in a previous life return as a preta in this lifetime. | 0.936 | FineWeb | 672 |
A printed circuit board (PCB) is a standard element in a lot of unique digital gizmos, these kinds of as personal computers, radars, beepers, etcetera. They are manufactured from a range of resources with laminate, composite and fiberglass the most prevalent. Also, the kind of circuit board can range with the meant use. Let us get a seem at 5 of the unique forms:
Single sided – this is the most common circuit board and is developed with a solitary layer or base material. The solitary layer is coated with a conductive material like copper. They might also have a silk display coat or a protective solder mask on top of the copper layer. A good edge of this kind of PCB is the reduced generation cost and they are normally applied in mass-manufactured items.
Double sided – this is significantly like the solitary sided, but has the conductive material on the two sides. There are a lot of holes in the board to make it easy to connect metallic areas from the top to bottom aspect. This kind of circuit board improves operational overall flexibility and is a functional alternative to make the extra dense circuit designs. This board is also somewhat reduced-cost. However, it even now is just not a functional alternative for the most advanced circuits and is unable to work with technological know-how that reduces electromagnetic interference. They are usually applied in amplifiers, electric power monitoring systems, and testing gear.
Multi-layer – the multi-layer circuit board is developed with excess layers of conductive resources. The large variety of layers which can attain 30 or extra signifies it is doable to generate a circuit style with quite large overall flexibility. The unique layers are divided by distinctive insulating resources and substrate board. A good benefit of this kind of board is the compact dimension, which allows to help you save house and body weight in a somewhat compact product. Also, they are mostly applied when it is needed to use a large-pace circuit.
Flexible – this is a quite flexible circuit board. It is not only made with a versatile layer, but also readily available in the solitary, double, or multi-layer boards. They are a good alternative when it is needed to help you save house and body weight when constructing a particular machine. Also, they are appreciated for large ductility and reduced mass. However, the versatile nature of the board can make them extra difficult to use.
Rigid – the rigid circuit board is developed with a stable, non-versatile material for its layers. They are usually compact in dimension and able to tackle the advanced circuit designs. Plus, the signal paths are easy to organize and the potential to maintain and maintenance is quite uncomplicated. | 0.7413 | FineWeb | 581 |
The Book: The Dingo Debate
Edited by: Bradley Smith
There are very few animals in the world, let alone Australia, which are as divisive as the dingo. The fact that a book describing the native carnivore’s biology and ecology refers to the ‘debate’ is evidence of as much. However, despite its title, editor Dr Bradley Smith has clearly attempted to, as much as possible, settle some of the debate around dingoes (ranging from its taxonomic description to its role in the Australian environment) and ultimately contend that the dingo is worthy of increased conservation effort.
The theme of ‘interactions’ is predominant throughout the text, be it the troubled relationships between dingoes, humans and livestock, or the potential ecosystem-scale effects of the canid’s presence in the landscape. This is, of course, the hotly contested ability of the dingo to suppress feral predators, thus reducing predation pressure on small prey species. However, despite the complexity of the various relationships, Smith and his co-authors distill the concepts in a thorough and engaging way. For example, Chris Johnson’s description of the controversies surrounding the ecological role of dingoes is perhaps the clearest and most rational account of the debate available.
However, perhaps the most striking and informative chapters are those written by Smith himself. The dingo is often demonized in Australia as a cold-blooded killer, but Smith instead describes a species that has incredible intelligence and cunning. Complete with images, Smith details some of his groundbreaking work, demonstrating how dingoes exhibit grief at the death of a sibling, as well as their superior problem-solving ability. These experiments provide a compelling argument as to why dingoes were able to take advantage of the Australian environment and establish themselves as apex predators.
For the lay-person, The Dingo Debate also offers a fantastic insight into the intricacies of studying the animal. Damian Morrant provides an intriguing and entertaining history of dingo research, weaving in some of his own experiences and insights. All manner of methods for measuring dingo behavior and activity are discussed, from camera traps and scats to hair traps and GPS tracking, providing a great look at the considerable amount of work that goes into collecting useful data on dingoes.
Given the tensions around the conservation and management of dingoes in Australia, it’s often hard to find a balanced discussion on the carnivore. Nevertheless, that’s exactly what’s on offer here. The Dingo Debate is a fantastic summary of all the available science on dingoes, spanning evolutionary biology through to ecology. As the reader moves through the text, Smith slowly builds up the evidence for his overarching contention: that the dingo is deserving of continental scale conservation, such is its evolutionary uniqueness and ecological importance. Significantly, it is so well written that non-academics are sure to gain plenty from reading.
This book belongs on your bookshelf if…. you’re interested in the evolutionary origins of Australia’s native canid, their importance to some ecosystems, and the opportunities to conserve and coexist with them. | 0.9568 | FineWeb | 696 |
Stiamo raccogliendo le teorie più belle sui film più famosi.
Oggi l’utente Jacob_wallace sostiene che
[Avatar] The reason the Na’vi want to be low tech is because the planet would kill them if they advanced, and it has killed the Na’vi for advancing before. e ci spiega:
Toward the end, the planet turned on the humans after the humans were about to win. A common misconception in the movie is the Na'vi won against high tech weaponry. They didn't. They got their ads handed to them and the humans only lost because they didn't anticipate every animal in the forest turning on them at once.
So why did the planet choose against the humans? The planet didn't care when the Na'vi were getting killed earlier, so clearly it doesn't care about the Na'vi or their lives in particular.
A huge part of the Na'vi religion is balance of life and death. As we find out about halfway through the movie, this isn't just standard animism, but that the Na'vi actually do live on a sentient planet that really does seem to value life and death. They've deified the planet because they're not spacefaring and don't know better (except the hippie humans who clearly know better and know it's a sentient planet, but play along with the animism because…reasons). Which is why the forest turned on the humans; they were throwing the whole life and death thing far out of balance and if they won, they would've strip mined and exploited the planet more, which the planet doesn't want.
Which brings me back to my original theory is that I suspect something like the forest turning against people happened to the Na'vi in the past. In a briefing, someone says that the Na'vi don't want roads or medicine and prefer mud. Jake repeats this in a report, using hippie language. Now, Jake says it in a dumb and hippie way, but they touched on something interesting.
The planet demands life and death balance, and has the ability to enforce this balance if any one species exceed this balance. Say for instance, like inventing technology.
The Na'vi aren't primitive because of hippie dippie hoo ha. They're primitive because the planet demands it, and will kill them if they become too advanced. And it likely has destroyed previous Na'vi civilizations that became more advanced in the past. | 0.7638 | FineWeb | 561 |
A ball-peen (also spelled ball-pein) hammer, also known as a machinist's hammer, is a type of peening hammer used in metalworking. It is distinguished from a cross-peen hammer, diagonal-peen hammer, point-peen hammer, or chisel-peen hammer by having a hemispherical head. It is commonly used as a tool for metalworking.
Though the process of peening (surface hardening by impact) has become rarer in metal fabrication, the ball-peen hammer remains useful for many tasks, such as striking punches and chisels (usually performed with the flat face of the hammer). The peening face is useful for rounding off edges of metal pins and fasteners, such as rivets.
Variants include the straight-peen, diagonal-peen, and cross-peen hammer. These hammers have a wedge-shaped head instead of a ball-shaped head. This wedge shape spreads the metal perpendicular to the edge of the head. The straight-peen hammer has the wedge oriented parallel to the hammer's handle, while the cross-peen hammer's wedge is oriented perpendicular. The diagonal-peen hammer's head, as the name implies, is at a 45° angle from the handle. They are commonly used by blacksmiths during the forging process to deliver blows for forging or to strike other forging tools.
Ball-peen hammers have two types of heads: hard-faced and soft-faced. The head of a hard-faced hammer is made of heat treated forged high-carbon steel or alloy steel; it is harder than the face of a claw hammer.
The soft-faced hammers have heads faced with brass, lead, tightly wound rawhide, or plastic. These hammers usually have replaceable heads or faces, because they will deform, wear out, or break over time. They are used to prevent damage to a struck surface, and are graded by the weight of the head and by hardness of the striking face.
- Audel, Theodore (1962), Audels new mechanical dictionary for technical trades, Theodore Audel, p. 54.
- Cavette, Chris, How hammer is made, retrieved 2008-12-19
- Benford, p. 36.
- Szykitka, p. 435. | 0.702 | FineWeb | 570 |
Clever Teaching Tips
YOUR NEWEST BEST FRIENDS ARE THE SECRETARY AND CUSTODIAN These two staff members are extremely important and can be of immense assistance as you begin your teaching career and each school year. Each has detailed knowledge of the school, its culture, operating procedures and where things can be found.
WRITING SAMPLE Have students complete a writing sample on the first day of school. Ask your students to write what they would like you to know about them. You can model this by telling your students what you would like them to know about you. This not only gives you some information not found in formal school records (i.e., pets, favorite vacations spots, etc.), but it also serves an indication of their present writing skills. Save this and share it, along with other indications of growth, at the end of the year. when you meet with each student and individually review what then have accomplished during the school year.
BE SPECIFIC WHEN PRAISING STUDENTS When praising one or more students for an action, be specific about the action. Saying, “John, I really liked the way you are helping Meredith pick up the papers she dropped,” or “I like the way Monica and Zach are staying focused on their assignment,” is much better than simply saying “Good job.” By being specific, you are very clearly and purposefully identifying the students acting appropriately and the action you wish others in the class to emulate.
END OF EACH SCHOOL DAY At the end of each day have students summarize what has taken place during the day, what is expected to be returned at the beginning of school tomorrow, and provide a brief overview of what will be accomplished the next school day. Both my wife and I are educators and at dinner we would always ask our three children what they did and learned at school that day. Initially they would answer “Nothing,” but we knew better and would ask leading questions. Preparing students to discuss their day with parents, and preparing them for the upcoming day, is a valuable communication system for it allows students to keep their parents informed of what is taking place in your classroom.
THE DAILY SCHEDULE Let your students know what is going to happen every day. A great way to do this is to post a daily schedule. When children enter the classroom each morning, they love to run straight to the daily schedule to see what they can expect. Choose a spot in the classroom where the daily schedule is posted and use pictures or words to announce the day’s events. The children will feel like they are partners in the day and it might also be an invaluable reminder for you too. As a bonus, you’ll be amazed at how quickly they all learn to read the word “LUNCH.”
EVERYONE LIKES A LITTLE WARNING It seems like a little thing but it can have huge results. Always give your students a few minutes of warning before you end an activity. If it’s something that they are enjoying, it will be hard for them to stop. A quick announcement like “We will be cleaning up in three more minutes” gives them a chance to bring the fun to a conclusion or to put the last few touches on a work of art. If it’s a challenging activity, many students will want a chance to finish what they have worked so hard on. Some teachers set a timer for the last five minutes at the end of each activity so that everyone gets used to the amount of time they have to finish up. | 0.9181 | FineWeb | 743 |
About 44 million abortions were performed worldwide in 2008, the most recent year for which data are available; more than four in five took place in developing countries. In most of these countries, abortion is illegal under nearly all circumstances, and the majority of procedures are unsafe. Even in countries where abortion is not severely restricted, women's access to safe procedures may be limited by lack of trained providers or other factors. Given these circumstances, women who undergo unsafe abortions are at high risk of complications, which when severe or when not treated may lead to death. Complications may be reduced by using techniques that allow earlier abortions, training midlevel health workers to provide abortions, educating medical students in abortion techniques and creating interventions to reduce unintended pregnancies.
The articles in the forthcoming special issue of International Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health focus on providing evidence on ways to reduce the overall incidence of abortion and the health toll of unsafe abortions.
Here's what you can find in the September special issue of International Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health:
Unsafe abortion in Bangladesh widespread despite the availability of menstrual regulation services
In Bangladesh, abortion is illegal except to save the woman's life, but menstrual regulation (MR) can legally be performed up to a maximum of 10 weeks from the last menstrual period. In 2010, 647,000 induced abortions were performed in the country, and 231,400 women were treated for complications of such abortions, according to "The Incidence of Menstrual Regulation Procedures and Abortion in Bangladesh, 2010," by Susheela Singh, of the Guttmacher Institute, and colleagues. The authors, who analyzed data from a nationally representative sample of health facilities and knowledgeable key informants as well as MR statistics of nongovernmental organizations, found that an estimated 653,000 MRs were performed, and about one in 10 women who had an MR were treated for complications. The annual rates of abortion and MR were similar (18.2 and 18.3 per 1,000 women aged 15–44, respectively). The similarity of these rates—and the fact that an estimated 26% of women seeking MRs were turned away, lead the authors to suggest that there is considerable unmet need for MR, while the relatively high rate of complications suggests that the quality of MR services needs improvement.
In India, new study finds medication abortions provided by physicians are no more safe or effective than those provided by other trained health workers
Abortion is legal in India, but because of the limited number of trained surgical providers, a large proportion of abortions are unsafe, according to "Feasibility of Expanding the Medication Abortion Provider Base in India to Include Ayurvedic Physicians and Nurses." Shireen Jejeebhoy, of the Population Council, and colleagues explore the feasibility of expanding the medication abortion provider base to include nurses and traditional ayurvedic physicians, which would require amending existing laws. Currently only gynecologists and allopathic physicians who have undergone training and are certified to provide abortion are allowed to do so. Allopathic physicians, nurses and ayurvedic physicians (10 each), none of whom had experience in abortion provision, were trained and then provided medication abortions to a total of 1,225 women at five clinics in Bihar and Jharkhand, two poor Indian states in which access to health services is limited. Their assessments of women's eligibility for medication abortion on the basis of gestational age and of abortion completeness varied from those of an experienced physician "verifier" in fewer than 5% of cases. Failure rates were low, and were statistically equivalent across provider types. No serious complications occurred, and the authors found that rates of patient satisfaction and willingness to have an abortion performed by a nurse or ayurvedic physician were very high. According to the authors, their findings support amending existing laws to allow nurses and ayurvedic physicians to provide medication abortion.
Study documents attitudes and beliefs toward abortion among South African medical students
In South Africa, although large majorities of medical students hold attitudes supportive of women's right to abortion services, three in four said say they do not intend to perform abortions once they are qualified to do so, according to "Attitudes and Intentions Regarding Abortion Provision Among Medical School Students in South Africa," by Stephanie Wheeler, of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and colleagues. Abortion is legal under South African law, yet access is limited by an inadequate number of trained providers. Despite the increased use of medication abortion and the shifting of some first-trimester abortions from doctors in hospitals to midlevel clinicians at community health centers, the demand for services remains higher than the number of trained providers. The authors surveyed medical students at the University of Cape Town and Walter Sisulu University on their attitudes toward and intentions to provide abortions and found that nearly two-thirds of first-year students said they did not intend to perform abortions once they were qualified to do so. However, this proportion was only 45–60% among more advanced students. Even larger differences across years of study were observed in the proportions who said they would try to discourage a patient from having an abortion or other health providers from performing abortions. The authors suggest that exposure to reproductive health content in the later years of the curriculum may account for these differences.
New evidence shows that most abortions in developed countries occur among women in their 20s
In developed countries, abortion is more common among women in their 20s than among women of other ages, according to "Legal Abortion Levels and Trends by Woman's Age at Termination," by Gilda Sedgh et al. of the Guttmacher Institute. In most industrialized nations, young adulthood is the period when women are most at risk of unintended pregnancy and its consequences. An increasing number of women want to postpone childbearing to pursue an education or work opportunities. To reduce the health toll of abortion complications—and decrease the incidence of abortion—it is vital to help women avoid unwanted pregnancies. Using data from more than 40 countries where legal abortion is generally available, the authors calculated age-specific abortion rates and percentage distributions of abortions by age, taking into account the estimated completeness of reporting. Drawing on information on contraceptive use and unmet need in the countries studied, the authors speculate that higher abortion rates in particular age-groups reflect higher-than-average levels of unmet need for contraception or difficulty in using methods effectively, as well as a stronger desire to avoid childbearing.
Also in this issue is a comment entitled "Use of Medicines Changing the Face of Abortion," by Beverly Winikoff and Wendy Sheldon of Gynuity Health Projects. | 0.6936 | FineWeb | 1,558 |
Because of their refined appearance and rarity, pearls have been given supreme value since time immemorial. Women have desired them because of their divine, iridescent appearance. These shiny orbs can either be natural or cultured, and they come in various colors, sizes, and shapes. A trendier variation is chocolate pearls which were introduced at the turn of the new millennium. These pearls are generally of two kinds: chocolate Tahitian pearls and dyed freshwater pearls.
Despite the popular belief that chocolate pearls are mysterious and hard to find, what actually causes their color is a chemical reaction. The first kind is, in fact, black Tahitian pearls bleached and heated to produce a glossy brown color. These pearls are sensitive to changes in temperature and would often refuse human-induced stimulation. Their characteristics make the artificial process slow, thus chocolate Tahitian pearls are difficult to mass produce. Freshwater pearls, on the other hand, are dyed chocolate brown in the same chemical process used with other colors.
The Demand for Chocolate Pearls
Since their debut, chocolate pearls have become increasingly popular with women who have impeccable tastes when it comes to jewelry. As with other rare finds, the law of supply and demand plays a huge role in the production of these pearls. The process initiated by the Ballerina Pearl Company in bleaching and heating black pearls to create a lush brown color was a novel idea, yet it takes too long. Hence, chocolate Tahitian pearls are always of limited supply and are very difficult to find. They are very expensive, too. This huge demand for chocolate pearls allowed other producers to imitate the process but most did not succeed eventually. Another company that uses the same technology is Shanghai Gems, but their supplies are also often limited.
A good alternative would be dyed freshwater pearls. They are less expensive but they look just as radiant as chocolate Tahitian pearls. Choose a good jeweler, however, since these ones do not possess the same durability and integrity that chocolate Tahitian pearls have. You would want to have chocolate pearls that are cheap. But they should also be strong enough to last a couple of years.
Chocolate Pearls in the Fashion World
Women who have a penchant for unusual jewelry may have chocolate pearls included in their wish lists. These exotic pearls are incorporated in a wide array of designs for necklaces, pendants, rings, and earrings. A chocolate pearl necklace evokes subtle elegance and sophistication whether in a single strand, lariat, or rope style. It flatters almost any skin tone and is a perfect highlight to clothes in earth colors. Adding a chocolate pearl jewelry to your collection is indeed a refreshing way to update your style and taste in accessories.
Chocolate pearls are no less valuable than regular pearls. For women with style, chocolate pearls are an exquisite piece of jewelry that is much more elegant and expensive. Surely, white pearls are timeless and appealing. But chocolate pearls take beauty to a whole new level thus making them a very popular choice among ladies worldwide. | 0.5455 | FineWeb | 729 |
How past experiences interact with sensory input to infer speed and allow eye tracking moving objects.
As a plane flies across the sky, the muscles that allow the eye to track its movement can set pace not only on the speed observed but also the speed they would expect from seeing planes before.
New research from Duke University (NC, USA), published in Nature Neuroscience, has discovered the underlying circuit for this behavior and how the brain uses statistical inference about motion; showing how visual, sensory information works with prior experiences to predict and alter motor control and eye tracking movements.
Many papers over the last few years have shown that the brain can use inference and past experiences to predict the outcome of sensory inputs. However, “to our knowledge this is the first time anyone has a found a place perfectly situated to cause the behavioral outputs we see,” commented Stephen Lisberger, senior author of the paper, referring to the frontal eye fields (FEFSEM), the region that is causally involved in smooth-pursuit eye movements.
By recording the activity of single neurons in the FEFSEM of monkeys, the researchers could track synaptic changes and the associated movements. The memory of past experience is established by the strength of the synapses in the neural circuit that drives what are known as pursuit eye movements, and synaptic plasticity allows for modification of connections as experiences change.
When replicated in a computerized neural network, it can be shown that the activity and educated guesses can mimic Bayesian statistical inference patterns. These patterns rely on the probability of a given outcome, updating as more information is added.
Their experiment showed that the importance of this statistical estimation becomes more important when the visual target is less visually distinct: “It’s like when you’re driving a familiar road at night or in the fog – you go by what you know is going to happen next as much as by what you can actually see,” Lisberger said.
“In low light, FEFSEMsays, ‘don’t track that,’” Lisberger continued. “But if it’s a bright patch, it says ‘tune in, get it.’” This insight would enable them to predict eye movements by looking at just the neurons, he concluded.
Written ByJenny Straiton
Updated 1 May, 2019
SourceDarlington TR, Beck JM, Lisberger SG. Neural implementation of bayesian inference in a sensorimotor behaviour. Nat. Neurosci. doi:10.1038/s41593-018-0233-y (2018)https://www.nature.com/articles/s41593-018-0233-yhttps://today.duke.edu/2018/09/circuit-found-brain%E2%80%99s-statistical-inference-about-motion | 0.619 | FineWeb | 650 |
Four years ago, Rodrigo Quian Quiroga from Leicester University showed that single neurons in the brain react selectively to the faces of specific people, including celebrities like Halle Berry, Jennifer Aniston and Bill Clinton. Now, he’s back, describing single neurons that respond selectively to the concept of Saddam Hussein or Oprah Winfrey. This time, Quiroga has found that these neurons work across different senses, firing to images of Oprah or Saddam as well as their written and spoken names.
In one of his volunteers, Quiroga even found a neuron that selectively responded to photos of himself! Before the study began, he had never met the volunteers in the study, which shows that these representations form very quickly, at least within a day or so.
In his original experiments, Quiroga used electrodes to study the activity of individual neurons, in the brains of patients undergoing surgery for epilepsy. As the volunteers saw photos of celebrities, animals and other objects, some of their neurons seemed to be unusually selective. One responded to several different photos of Halle Berry (even when she was wearing a Catwoman mask), as well as a drawing of her, or her name in print. Other neurons responded in similarly specific ways to Jennifer Aniston or to landmarks like the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
The results were surprising, not least because they seemed to support the “grandmother cell theory“, a paradox proposed by biologist Jerry Lettvin. As Jake Young (now at Neurotopia) beautifully explains, Lettvin was trying to argue against oversimplifying the way the brain stores information. Lettvin illustrated the pitfalls of doing so with a hypothetical neuron – the grandmother cell – that represents your grandmother and is only active when you think or see her. He ridiculed that if such cells existed, the brain would not only run out of neurons, but losing individual cells would be catastrophic (at least for your poor forgotten grandmother).
The grandmother cell concept was espoused by headlines like “One face, one neuron” from Scientific American, but these read too much in Quiroga’s work. It certainly seemed like one particular neuron was responding to the concept of Halle Berry. But there was nothing in Quiroga’s research to show that this cell was the only one to respond to Halle Berry, nor that Halle Berry was the only thing that activated the cell. As Jake Young wrote, “The purpose of the neuron is not to encode Halle Berry.”
Instead, our brains encode objects through patterns of activity, distributed over a group of neurons, which allows our large but finite set of brain cells to cope with significantly more concepts. The solution to Lettvin’s paradox is that the job of encoding specific objects falls not to single neurons, but to groups of them.
There is evidence for this in Quiroga’s latest study. This time, he recorded the activities of over 750 neurons in the mid-temporal lobes of 7 people. Again, all the volunteers were undergoing surgery for epilepsy and the electrodes had been implanted to monitor their brain activity. Each person saw a range of different objects, represented by three different pictures as well as their names, both printed and read aloud.
In one person, Quiroga isolated a neuron that became a thousand times more active when Oprah Winfrey’s face or name was presented. But to a lesser degree, the neuron also responded to the concept of Whoopi Goldberg, so for this individual at least, the concepts of the two women were encoded by overlapping sets of neurons. Another volunteer had a neuron that fired 300 times more strongly in response to Quiroga himself. Quiroga actually found five neurons that responded to one or more of the researchers, none of whom had met the patient before.
Clearly, a small group of neurons had learned to respond to the category of “UCLA scientists” within just a day. These results clearly illustrate the fallacy of the “grandmother cell”, or indeed the “Halle Berry cell”. The “Oprah neuron” isn’t just dedicated to Oprah – it encodes Whoopi Goldberg too, albeit to a lesser degree. And the “UCLA researcher cell” is just part of an ensemble that represents UCLA researchers – hardly a case of “one face, one neuron”.
Instead, our brains encode concepts in the activity of overlapping sets of specific neurons. It’s an efficient system and ensures that our large but finite supply of brain cells can encode more concepts than a simple one-to-one ratio would allow. The fact that some neurons selectively responded to Quiroga’s crew highlights another benefit of this “ensemble encoding” – it also allows a network to quickly build in new representations without “catastrophic interference” between new concepts and existing ones.
The study also confirms that while different parts of the brain are involved n processing images, voices or words, all of this information can converge on specific neurons. Brain-scanning techniques such as fMRI have suggested that some parts of the brain combine information from different senses, but these studies can’t tell us whether this is down to neurons that collate information from across our senses or groups of neurons, each responding to a single sense. Quiroga’s experiments, however, can.
He suggests that the neurons of the medial temporal lobe can represent abstract concepts by creating associations between disparate bits of information – such as a person’s name and their face. It’s not the first time that these neurons have been implicated in forming new mental association, and it’s supported by the fact that some neurons were triggered by related things. One fired to both Yoda and Luke Skywalker, another fired to snakes and spiders, and yet another was activated by the Sydney Opera House, the World Trade Center, the White House and the Bahai Temple.
Quiroga imagines that some neurons in the network receive signals from parts of the brain involved in visual processing, others from areas involved in recognising speech. “Learning the name of a person could be achieved by linking the activity of these neurons,” he explains, so that any one stimulus – be it their photo or the sound of their name – activates the whole network.
So in short, there is no single Halle Berry neuron, but there probably is a Halle Berry neural network. Nor is there a single Jenny McCarthy neuron, but we already knew that, didn’t we?
Reference: Current Biology 10.1016/j.cub.2009.06.060
- Electrical stimulation produces feelings of free will
- Why information is its own reward – same neurons signal thirst for water, knowledge
- How wearing a cast affects sense of touch and brain activity
- Playing shoot-em-up video games can improve some aspects of vision
- Beta-blocker drug erases the emotion of fearful memories | 0.9189 | FineWeb | 1,582 |
|"There are plenty of eye-witness accounts. Just because you're so narrow-minded you need to have everything shoved under your nose before you–"
This article contains a list of appearances, but currently has few or no notes and references. Please help the Harry Potter Wiki by adding notes and/or references to bring this article to a higher standard of quality.
|"Are you a wizard or not?"
The title of this article is conjectural. Although it is based on canonical information, the actual name is a conjecture and may be supplanted at any time by additional information released from canonical sources. If this occurs, please move this page to the appropriate title.
This gang of Slytherins was a group of students who attended Hogwarts in the 1970s. According to Sirius Black, they were all in Slytherin House and most, if not all, became Death Eaters during the First Wizarding War. This group appeared to occasionally bully other students such as Mary Macdonald. They likely targeted Muggle-born students and blood traitors.
It was partially Severus Snape's relationship with this group that lead his friendship with Lily Evans to end. It is likely that they played a role in influencing his prejudice towards Muggles and his inclusion into the Death Eater ranks.
- Severus Snape
- Evan Rosier
- Rodolphus Lestrange
- Bellatrix Black
- Lucius Malfoy (possibly)
- Rabastan Lestrange (possibly)
- Regulus Black (possibly)
- Narcissa Black (possibly)
Behind the scenes
- It is mentioned by Sirius that Bellatrix was associated with this group, however according to the Black family tree, she was born in 1951. However, depending on which month she was born in she would have attended Hogwarts between 1962 and 1969 or 1963 and 1970, both which pre-date Severus Snape and Sirius's first year, 1971 making it impossible for Sirius to know this. It's likely an error as J. K. Rowling admitted that math is not her strong suit.
- It is possible that Lucius was a member of the group, as he seems to be quite familiar with Severus Snape and he was known to have been at Hogwarts during the same time as the gang.
- It should be worth noting that none of these individuals attempted to help Snape when James and Sirius attacked him at the end of their fifth year. It is unknown why this is, however it is possible that the Marauders purposely waited until Snape was alone before deciding to attack him.
- This is further supported by Snape's assertion to Harry that James would only attack him when he had the other Marauders backing him up and Snape was alone.
- This gang may be a successor to Tom Riddle's gang. Besides being similar, both gangs have members from the Avery, Lestrange, Mulciber, and the Rosier families. Given both gangs relation to the Death Eaters, this likely is not coincidental.
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Mentioned only)
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Mentioned only) | 0.7593 | FineWeb | 754 |
Quince, (Cydonia oblonga), a small tree or shrub of the rose family (Rosaceae), grown for its edible fruit. Quince is the only member of the genus Cydonia and is native to Iran, Turkey, and possibly Greece and the Crimean Peninsula. The fruit has a strong aroma and is astringent in the raw state but makes an excellent preserve and is often used to give flavour and sharpness to stewed or baked apples. The flesh takes on a pink colour when cooked, giving an attractive colour to jellies and conserves.
Quince plants are much-branched shrubs or small trees and have entire leaves with small stipules (small leafy outgrowths on either side of the leafstalk). They bear large, solitary, white or pink flowers that are similar to those of the pear or apple but feature leafy calyx lobes and a many-celled ovary. The fruit is a golden yellow pome and may be round and flattened or somewhat pear-shaped.
Once common in home fruit gardens, the quince has largely fallen out of favour. Commercial production has decreased significantly in the northeastern United States and in Europe, though it is still an economically important crop in Turkey and some parts of Asia. It thrives in regions with a distinct winter period and does fairly well along fencerows, where it requires little care. The quince is susceptible to a bacterial disease called fire blight, which is also a serious hazard to other fruits of the rose family. The trees are subject to the same scale insects that attack apples and pears and should receive the same dormant spray treatment for the control of those pests.
Flowering quince (Chaenomeles species), closely related to the common quince, is widely used as an ornamental shrub in gardens.
Learn More in these related Britannica articles:
Rosales: Fruit speciesQuinces (
Cydonia oblonga) are better appreciated in the warmer parts of Europe than in North America. The flesh of quince is extremely fragrant but hard, gritty, and generally too tart to eat fresh; hence, most quince is made into jelly, jam, and marmalade. In Turkey,…
Tree, woody plant that regularly renews its growth (perennial). Most plants classified as trees have a single self-supporting trunk containing woody tissues, and in most species the trunk produces secondary limbs, called branches.…
Shrub, any woody plant that has several stems, none dominant, and is usually less than 3 m (10 feet) tall. When much-branched and dense, it may be called a bush. Intermediate between shrubs and trees are arborescences, or treelike shrubs, from 3 to 6 m tall. Trees are generally defined…
Rosaceae, the rose family of flowering plants (order Rosales), composed of some 2,500 species in more than 90 genera. The family is primarily found in the north temperate zone and occurs in a wide variety of habitats. A number of species are of economic importance as food crops, including apples,…
Fruit, the fleshy or dry ripened ovary of a flowering plant, enclosing the seed or seeds. Thus, apricots, bananas, and grapes, as well as bean pods, corn grains, tomatoes, cucumbers, and (in their shells) acorns and almonds, are all technically fruits. Popularly, however, the term is restricted to the ripened…
More About Quince1 reference found in Britannica articles
- crop of Rosales | 0.7252 | FineWeb | 816 |
The relationship between stem-form, stand-closure and site -conditions : the influence of environmental conditions on tree allometry and forest structure in west-central Alberta
Jaques, Kathleen E.
MetadataShow full item record
Changes in the configuration of a tree stern result insignificant differences in its total volume and in the proportion of that volume that is merchantable timber. Tree allometry, as represented by stem-fo~, is the result of the vertical force of gravity and the horizontal force of wind. The effect of wind force is demonstrated in the relationship between stem-form, standclosure and site-conditions. An increase in wind force on the individual tree due to a decrease in stand density should produce a more tapered tree. The density of the stand is determined by the conditions that the trees are growing under. The ability of the tree to respond to increased wind force may also be a function of these conditions . This stem-form/stand-closure/site-conditions relationship was examined using a pre-existing database from westcentral Alberta. This database consisted of environmental, vegetation, soils and timber data covering a wide range of sites. There were 653 sample trees with 82 variables that formed the basis of the analysis. There were eight tree species consisting of Pinus contorta, Picea mariana, Picea engelmannii x glauca, Abies lasiocarpa, Larix laricina, Populus tremuloides, Betula papyrifera and Populus balsamifera plus a comprehensive all-species data set. As the actual conformation of the stern is very individual, stem-fo~was represented by the diameter at breast height to total height r~tio. The four stand-closure variables, crown closure, total basal area, total volume and total number of stems were reduced to total basal area and total number of stems utilizing a bivariate correlation matrix by species. Site-conditions were subdivided into macro, meso and micro variables and reduced in number 3 using cross-tabulations, bivariate correlation and principal components analysis as screening tools. The stem-fo~/stand-closure relationship was examined using bivariate correlation coefficients for stem-fo~ with total number of stems and stem-fo~ with total basal area. The stem-fo~/site-conditions and the stand-closure/site- conditions relationships were examined using multiple correlation coefficients. The stem-form/stand-closure/site-conditions relationship was examined using multiple correlation coefficients in separate analyses for both total number of stems and total basal area. An increase in stand-closure produced a decrease in stem-form for both total number of stems and total basal area for most species. There was a significant relationship between stem-form and site-conditions and between stand-closure and site-conditions for both total number of stems and total basal area for most species. There was a significant relationship between the stemform and site-conditions, including the stand-closure, for most species; total number of stems was involved independently of the site-conditions in the prediction of stem-form and total basal area was not. Larix laricina and Betula papyrifera were the exceptions to the trends observed with most species. The influence of both stand-closure (total number of stems in particular) and site-conditions (elevation in particular) suggest that forest management practices should include these- ecological parameters in determining appropriate restocking levels. | 0.9657 | FineWeb | 740 |
We can’t really talk about bladder stones without mentioning urine pH. The urine pH that we expect to find in most adult dogs is about 7.0. This can vary widely and still be normal. In many cases, we test the pH with a strip that urine is dropped onto. These strips are useful screening tools, but not very accurate when it comes to pH. The pH may be as much as 0.5 higher or lower than what is indicated on the strip. So, if the strip says 7.5, the actual pH could be 7.0 or even 8.0.
The timing of collection of a urine sample should also be considered. After a meal, the urine pH rises. This is called the alkaline tide. Urine that is allowed to sit with also have a pH alteration and crystal formation. It is ideal to have a urine sample analyzed immediately after it is collected for best results.
Crystals in the urine may be an incidental finding, especially if the urine sat for more than 20 minutes before it was examined (or if it were refrigerated). Struvite crystals are normally present in canine urine, in relatively low numbers. If there are high numbers of crystals or if there are stones present, then this is almost always a result of a bladder infection, with a type of bacteria that produces an enzyme called urease. The urease alters the urine pH, and with the bacteria and white blood cells in the bladder, makes the perfect environment for stone formation.
Treating struvite crystals is not necessary, unless the dog is exhibiting symptoms of a problem or has an obvious infection. A urine culture and sensitivity should always be performed to determine firstly if an infection is present and secondly which antiobiotic is most appropriate to treat the infection.
If we diagnose an infection, we sometimes change the diet while we are treating with antibiotics to speed up the process of dissolving the stones. Very large stones may need to be surgically removed because of the time required to dissolve them with medical therapy. The bladder will remain irritated in the presence of the stone and infections will tend to recur. Another potential problem with a very large stone is that it may have multiple different compositions. So, the stone may not be completely a struvite stone, and won’t dissolve with medical therapy alone.
If there are large numbers of smaller stones, surgery may also be indicated, especially in male dogs. Smaller stones may exit the bladder through the urethra but become lodged at the base of the os penis, a small bone in the dog’s penis. When the stone becomes lodged, urine may be unable to leave the bladder. Urinary outflow obstructions are medical emergencies that must be resolved immediately.
Calcium Oxalate Stones
Calcium oxalate stones are another type of stone commonly found in dogs. This type of stone is not related to infections, and is found in certain breeds of dogs and older dogs of any breed. The breeds that are known to suffer from calcium oxalate stones more frequently than other breeds include Miniature Schnauzer, Bichon Frise, Shih Tzu, Lhasa Apso, and Yorkshire Terrier. This does not mean that every dog of these breeds will be stone formers. However, these breeds are more commonly diagnosed with calcium oxalate stones than other breeds. There may be a genetic cause, explaining the higher incidence in the above breeds. In some cases, there is a metabolic problem, causing an inability to properly regulate calcium levels in the blood. In the majority of the cases, we don’t identify a specific cause.
Calcium oxalate stones cannot be dissolved with medical treatment. They must be surgically removed or sometimes pulsed out of the bladder with a procedure called urohydropulsion or even more rarely dissolved by a procedure called lithotripsy.
Dietary and medical therapy may be recommended to help prevent recurrence of these stones.
A less common type of stone is the urate stone. These are most commonly seen in male Dalmatians. Dalmatians (all) excrete uric acid in their urine and this uric acid can precipitate into stones. Although all Dalmatians excrete this compound, only some actually become stone formers. Some studies have shown that this “stone forming” group of dogs can be limited by selective breeding, because this trait is passed down with great frequency. Diet and medical therapy help prevent stone formation in susceptible dogs.
Cystine stones are another less common type of stone that can be found in dogs. Cystine is an amino acid, present in animal protein sources (such as chicken or lamb). Some dogs have a metabolic error that causes them to excrete excess cystine in the urine, leading to stone formation. These stones can be dissolved with diet and medical therapy, and can be prevented by keeping the urine alkaline (above 7.5). | 0.8635 | FineWeb | 1,075 |
The following studies may be conducted to determine whether or not an agent is a teratogen:
- Animal studies
Animal studies are the primary study method to determine whether a medication, or other environmental exposure, is safe during human pregnancy. In the past, there have been medications on the market that humans used which caused birth defects, such as thalidomide in the 1960's. Thalidomide was removed from the market after several babies were born with missing and malformed limbs to mothers who took thalidomide early in pregnancy. Thalidomide has recently been approved by the FDA for the treatment of certain diseases, but it is only available by a physician's prescription.
- Observations from human exposure
Observations from human exposure (prior to federal regulations for drug testing) are another important way to determine whether a medication is a teratogen. The official criteria for determining whether an agent is teratogenic in humans was determined by Koch in 1971. They are known as Koch's Postulates:
- The agent must be present during the critical stage of development.
- The agent produces a particular pattern of birth defects in animal studies.
- The agent crosses the placenta and there is a dose-response relationship.
- There is an abrupt increase in the frequency of a particular defect or group of defects (syndrome).
- The increase of defects is associated with the use of a new drug or the widespread exposure to a chemical or environmental change.
- There is an absence of other factors to explain the observations.
- The mechanism of teratogenesis makes biological sense.
Prior to 1980, most medications included literature that stated that their use in pregnancy had not been approved. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has since created five drug categories, to designate the safety of medications for their use during pregnancy, including the following. Always consult your physician before taking any medication during pregnancy.
||Medication has not shown an increased risk for birth defects in human studies.
||Animal studies have not demonstrated a risk and there are no adequate studies in humans, OR animal studies have shown a risk, but the risk has not been seen in humans.
||Animal studies have shown adverse effects, but no studies are available in humans, OR studies in humans and animals are not available.
||Medications that are associated with birth defects in humans, however, there may be potential benefits in rare cases that outweigh their known risks.
||Medications are contraindicated (should not be used) in human pregnancy, because of known fetal abnormalities that have been demonstrated in both human and animal studies.
There have been thousands of medications studied over the years, and only about 30 to 40 have been found to have teratogenic effects in humans. It is always important, however, for a woman who thinks she could be pregnant, or is pregnant, to ask her physician about the safety of a medication or over-the-counter medication, vitamin, mineral, or herbal supplement before taking it.
Click here to view the
Online Resources of Medical Genetics | 0.9181 | FineWeb | 669 |
Date of Final Oral Examination (Defense)
Type of Culminating Activity
Master of Science in Civil Engineering
Arvin Farid, Ph.D.
Bhaskar Chittoori, Ph.D.
Jim Browning, Ph.D.
Electromagnetic (EM) waves of various power levels and frequencies can be used to alter the hydraulic conductivity of soil with minimal heat generation. The result can lead to a number of potential applications such as contamination remediation and liquefaction mitigation. In this research, the possibility of radio-frequency (RF) waves’ effect on the excess pore-water pressure (EPWP) generation and hydraulic conductivity of coarse-grained soils has been investigated.
Impact tests were performed on glass beads to examine the effect on the generation of EPWP due to RF waves. These tests were performed on a rigid box made of Plexiglas. The impacts were produced by shaking the box with periodic impact, and the generated EPWP was measured using a pore-water pressure (PWP) transducer. A loop antenna was installed inside the specimen to launch RF-waves. The RF-stimulated impact tests were performed at a constant frequency of 498 MHz and input power levels of 10, 25, 40, and 50 Watts. There were no noticeable changes observed in the EPWP generation within the glass-bead sample due to the application of RF waves.
In order to better understand the above-mentioned potential of using RF waves to mitigate liquefaction, a different set of experiments, hydraulic-conductivity measurements, were performed on two types of samples: (i) glass beads and (ii) natural sand. These tests were conducted using a customized, rigid-wall, cylindrical permeameter placed inside a box made of Plexiglas. Constant-head (D2434, ASTM, 2010) tests were performed to measure the hydraulic conductivity of these samples. The soil samples were placed within a cavity made of Plexiglas covered with transparent conductive film (resonant cavity). A chlorinated polyvinyl chloride (CPVC)-cased monopole antenna sharing the same electric ground as that of the cavity was placed within the soil sample at its center and used to launch RF waves. Various sets of tests were conducted to evaluate the effect of the power of RF waves on the change in the hydraulic conductivity. For both samples, the tests were conducted at a constant frequency of 726 MHz and input power levels of 10, 25, and 40 Watts. The hydraulic conductivity of both natural sand and glass-bead samples increased with the RF stimulation, and the increase was larger at higher RF power. At the input power of 40 Watts, the hydraulic conductivity of glass-bead sample increased by 8.7% of the unstimulated value, whereas the increase in natural-sand sample was only measured to be 25.4%.
Measurement of the electric-field component of RF waves was performed and plotted to verify the pattern of the electric field to evaluate both the impact and the hydraulic-conductivity tests. The electric field was simulated using COMSOL Multiphysics and validated against the experimentally measured electric field. In the case of the hydraulic-conductivity tests, a finite-difference numerical model was developed in MATLAB interface to analyze the seepage flow. This numerical model was also validated against experimentally measured hydraulic conductivity. This numerical model was then used to find the spatial variation of the hydraulic head within the soil specimen.
Acharya, Rakesh, "Electromagnetically Induced Alteration of Hydraulic Conductivity of Coarse-Grained Soils for Geotechnical Applications" (2016). Boise State University Theses and Dissertations. 1209. | 0.962 | FineWeb | 885 |
Summary: A new study reports two different gut bacteria are depleted in people with depression, regardless of antidepressant treatments.
The first population-level study on the link between gut bacteria and mental health identifies specific gut bacteria linked to depression and provides evidence that a wide range of gut bacteria can produce neuroactive compounds. Jeroen Raes (VIB-KU Leuven) and his team published these results today in the scientific journal Nature Microbiology.
In their manuscript entitled ‘The neuroactive potential of the human gut microbiota in quality of life and depression’ Jeroen Raes and his team studied the relation between gut bacteria and quality of life and depression. The authors combined faecal microbiome data with general practitioner diagnoses of depression from 1,054 individuals enrolled in the Flemish Gut Flora Project. They identified specific groups of microorganisms that positively or negatively correlated with mental health. The authors found that two bacterial genera, Coprococcus and Dialister, were consistently depleted in individuals with depression, regardless of antidepressant treatment. The results were validated in an independent cohort of 1,063 individuals from the Dutch LifeLinesDEEP cohort and in a cohort of clinically depressed patients at the University Hospitals Leuven, Belgium.
Prof Jeroen Raes (VIB-KU Leuven): ‘The relationship between gut microbial metabolism and mental health is a controversial topic in microbiome research. The notion that microbial metabolites can interact with our brain – and thus behaviour and feelings – is intriguing, but gut microbiome-brain communication has mostly been explored in animal models, with human research lagging behind. In our population-level study we identified several groups of bacteria that co-varied with human depression and quality of life across populations.’
Previously, Prof Raes and his team identified a microbial community constellation or enterotype characterized by low microbial count and biodiversity that was observed to be more prevalent among Crohn’s disease patients. In their current study, they surprisingly found a similar community type to be linked to depression and reduced quality of life.
Prof Jeroen Raes (VIB-KU Leuven): ‘This finding adds more evidence pointing to the potentially dysbiotic nature of the Bacteroides2 enterotype we identified earlier. Apparently, microbial communities that can be linked to intestinal inflammation and reduced wellbeing share a set of common features.’
The authors also created a computational technique allowing the identification of gut bacteria that could potentially interact with the human nervous system. They studied genomes of more than 500 bacteria isolated from the human gastrointestinal tract in their ability to produce a set of neuroactive compounds, assembling the first catalogue of neuroactivity of gut species. Some bacteria were found to carry a broad range of these functions.
Mireia Valles-Colomer (VIB-KU Leuven): ‘Many neuroactive compounds are produced in the human gut. We wanted to see which gut microbes could participate in producing, degrading, or modifying these molecules. Our toolbox not only allows to identify the different bacteria that could play a role in mental health conditions, but also the mechanisms potentially involved in this interaction with the host. For example, we found that the ability of microorganisms to produce DOPAC, a metabolite of the human neurotransmitter dopamine, was associated with better mental quality of life.’
These findings resulted from bioinformatics analyses and will need to be confirmed experimentally, however, they will help direct and accelerate future human microbiome-brain research.
Jeroen Raes and his team are now preparing another sampling round of the Flemish Gut Flora Project that is going to start next spring, five years after the first sampling effort.
Source: Sooike Stoops – VIB
Publisher: Organized by NeuroscienceNews.com.
Image Source: NeuroscienceNews.com image is in the public domain.
Original Research: Abstract for “The neuroactive potential of the human gut microbiota in quality of life and depression” by Mireia Valles-Colomer, Gwen Falony, Youssef Darzi, Ettje F. Tigchelaar, Jun Wang, Raul Y. Tito, Carmen Schiweck, Alexander Kurilshikov, Marie Joossens, Cisca Wijmenga, Stephan Claes, Lukas Van Oudenhove, Alexandra Zhernakova, Sara Vieira-Silva & Jeroen Raes in Nature Microbiology. Published February 4 2019.
The neuroactive potential of the human gut microbiota in quality of life and depression
The relationship between gut microbial metabolism and mental health is one of the most intriguing and controversial topics in microbiome research. Bidirectional microbiota–gut–brain communication has mostly been explored in animal models, with human research lagging behind. Large-scale metagenomics studies could facilitate the translational process, but their interpretation is hampered by a lack of dedicated reference databases and tools to study the microbial neuroactive potential. Surveying a large microbiome population cohort (Flemish Gut Flora Project, n = 1,054) with validation in independent data sets (ntotal = 1,070), we studied how microbiome features correlate with host quality of life and depression. Butyrate-producing Faecalibacterium and Coprococcus bacteria were consistently associated with higher quality of life indicators. Together with Dialister, Coprococcus spp. were also depleted in depression, even after correcting for the confounding effects of antidepressants. Using a module-based analytical framework, we assembled a catalogue of neuroactive potential of sequenced gut prokaryotes. Gut–brain module analysis of faecal metagenomes identified the microbial synthesis potential of the dopamine metabolite 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid as correlating positively with mental quality of life and indicated a potential role of microbial γ-aminobutyric acid production in depression. Our results provide population-scale evidence for microbiome links to mental health, while emphasizing confounder importance. | 0.6852 | FineWeb | 1,388 |
What is the difference between galvanized and galvalume metal roofing?
Saturday, July 28, 2018
Both types of metal roof panel are a sheet of steel with a rust-resistant coating. For many years the standard coating technique was galvanization, which is a hot dip in molten zinc. The zinc bonds with the steel and forms a distinct crystalline surface pattern after exposure to air, called “spangles.”
In the early 1970s, Bethlehem Steel introduced an alternate rust-resistant coating that they trademarked as Galvalume®, which is a combination of zinc and aluminum, with a trace amount of silicon. The vast majority of metal roofs in our area have been galvalume since the mid-1990s because of its longer lifespan.
But both materials have pros and cons, and galvanized is still the predominant choice for applications other than roofing, such as agricultural and livestock structures:
- Coating more resistant to damage during bending or cutting
- Less expensive
- Has distinct spangle pattern and bright metal color when new, like in the close-up photo above.
- Better paint adhesion
- Lasts only a little more than half as long as galvalume
- Less resistant to corrosion due to rain and coastal salt air
- Lasts almost twice as long
- More resistant to corrosion due to rain and coastal salt air
- Coating more easily damaged during bending or cutting
- More expensive
- Muted spangle pattern and softer, gray metal color when new, like in the photo at the top of the page
- Not as good paint adhesion
Because any installation work that disturbs the rust-resistant coating will open up an area for early corrosion, it is always better to cut metal roofing with shears rather than a saw, which tears away the coating near the saw cut. Also, screws have replaced nailing as a method to secure the panels to the roof deck. A screw holds the panel snug and a neoprene washer under the screw head covers and seals the small area of coating damage at the screw penetration. Nails had the annoying tendency to loosen and gradually pop up over the years, making numerous tiny openings in the roof, like in the photo below.
The next two photos show rust at galvanized metal roofing at the bottom panels due to damage of coating when cutting panel, and corrosion behind chimney due to acidity of wet leaves accumulated behind chimney deteriorating the coating.
Also see our blog post Can metal roofing be used on a low slope/pitch roof?
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
To learn more about roofs and attics, see these other blog posts:
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I don’t really know why you would want to build a city on a Kuiper Belt Object (KBO), but then again, I’m not an alien.
Loeb and Turner (2012) make an argument that artificial lighting could be a good universal “lamppost”: something that all technologically advanced species would do so as not to be subject to the whims of a diurnal cycle. I can think of quite a few problems with that: a species that evolved in a sub-surface ocean, species on tidally-locked worlds that never had a diurnal cycle, the ever-popular “post-biological life”, etc.
But okay, sure, let’s say everyone needs street-lamps. With current technology, we would be able to detect artificial lighting (on the scale of a large terrestrial city) on KBOs in our own solar system. Regardless of plausibility, that’s pretty cool!
That part is in bold because it’s obviously the way this paper came about. I don’t think there are any good arguments for why KBOs are the best place to search for extraterrestrial life. I’m open to being proven wrong, but the paper reads as a fun thought experiment based on a new technological capability rather than any serious suggestion for how humanity can find another intelligent species.
The authors discuss a characteristic “flux-distance signature” that an artificially illuminated object would have. Based on a double r^2 relation (one in sunlight reaching the object, one for the backscattered light), a KBO that’s just reflecting naturally due to its albedo should increase in brightness by a factor of r^4 as it comes closer to the sun. Meanwhile, an object dominated by artificial illumination would only increase by r^2 as its source of luminosity approaches. Thus, if we notice any objects with this r^2 relation, we should really take note because that would be really weird.
The authors also discuss caveats and confounders of this idea (phase angles, outgassing, albedo variations, rotation, binary companions…), but indicate that all of these should be periodic with the exception of outgassing and should average out over years of observation. They also briefly talk about how this idea could be applied to exoplanets (with phase curves and such), but it doesn’t seem like the the technology is there yet.
This definitely felt to me like a good example of Davies and Wagner’s proposal of cost before plausibility in SETI work (discussed in a previous post). They outline the logic behind the method pretty well, but if they were actually interested in the results instead of the theory they should’ve looked more into which pre-existing datasets could be used to attempt this kind of work. Because if someone* was interested in actually testing this idea, and not waiting for LSST etc., it would be nice to be able to hit the ground running on it.
As I indicated in my first sentence, I don’t really see a reason why there should be artificial lights on a KBO. They’re cold, they’re small, they don’t have thick atmospheres, they have no access to non-Kuiper Belt resources (what, you wanted something other than ice and dust?), etc. That said, if the search is easy to do and we can clear out some parameter space… perhaps it’s worthwhile. | 0.6421 | FineWeb | 750 |
Of moms and men: what two small words reveal about big social changes
The Oxford English Dictionary’s evidence files reveal an interesting trend: in recent years, the number of phrases designating types of mothers (on the model of [X] mother) has grown much faster than the number of comparable terms for fathers. Since 1990, OED has tracked roughly 40% more maternal terms than their paternal counterparts. But why are there more kinds of mothers than fathers?
From soccer moms to yummy mummies
Mom’s high lexical profile dates back at least as far as the 1996 US Presidential election, when a new demographic group, the suburban soccer mom, was regarded as a crucial category of swing voter (although the term itself goes back much further, to 1973). Since then, pollsters, pundits, and politicians have coined ever more variations on the theme, describing post-9/11 security moms, northern hockey moms, and pervasive minivan moms. In the UK, where impossibly attractive female parents are yummy mummies, that convenient rhyme has also begotten the hapless slummy mummy and the misguided chummy mummy. Most recently, the stereotype of the pushy Chinese Tiger Mother, coined in the title of Amy Chua’s book, has dominated playground conversations from Los Angeles to London, as parents debate the relative merits of a demanding, allegedly Asian method of child-rearing and a lenient so-called Western style. The speed with which this term leapt from publisher press-release to common parlance suggests that it struck a deep chord in contemporary society.
Of course, when it comes to compounds, nouns can be modifier (mom [X]) as well as modified. Thus, maternal neologizing has brought us unfashionable mom jeans and unsightly mummy tummies. Women who cease working to spend time with their young children are on the mommy track, and may choose to write a mommy blog. In most cases, we see versions of these terms with both the American mom/mommy and the British mum/mummy, suggesting that similar forces are in play on both sides of the Atlantic. It is tempting to chalk this international lexical explosion up to yet another mom term: the so-called mommy wars between stay-at-home mothers and their working counterparts. As a new generation of mothers navigates between the twin shoals of neglectful career mom and overbearing helicopter parent, new terminology is spawned of necessity by a language struggling to stay abreast. Of course there are new dad phrases in the OED files as well (dad dancing is among the better attested ones), but not as many. Another masculine word, however, has been dwarfing both parents as a creator of new words and compounds: man.
Man has begotten a bevy of new phrases in recent years. In fact, a semi-scientific survey of the OED files shows as many compounds built on man– as on mother words and father words combined. Manbag, a man’s handbag, hit the scene in 1968, and there has been an avalanche of similar formations in the years since. Many of these follow the example of man bag in referring to a male version of something typically regarded as feminine, like mandal (a blend of man and sandal), or man boobs (self-explanatory; aka moobs). Some man- words reveal consciousness of a potential homosexual subtext, like man hug (denoting a half-handshake/half-embrace between two men; aka bro hug) or man date; others, like man cave or man flu, denote amusing male peculiarities. What all of these terms share (besides their first three letters) is a sense of modern masculinity as an area of flux and re-examination. Like motherhood, manhood is a popular topic of conversation today simply because we have so much to say about it, and our vocabulary is doing its best to keep up. Cultural change, as always, is the mother of lexical invention.
The opinions and other information contained in OxfordWords blog posts and comments do not necessarily reflect the opinions or positions of Oxford University Press. | 0.578 | FineWeb | 956 |
SAN FRANCISCO—A lesson plan for the San Francisco Unified School District has been proposed to teachers to help navigate classroom discussions about president-elect Donald Trump. The opening letter to teachers describes Trump as a racist, sexist man that won the election by “pandering to a huge racist and sexist base.” The plan was initially written by a SF teacher after the election to help teachers to answer questions of their students following the election results. It has since been sent via email to more than 6,000 school district members by the United Educators of San Francisco (UESF).
Fakhra Shah, a social studies teacher at Mission High School wrote the lesson plan at 2:00 a.m. following the election. She indicated that she had no intentions of the lesson plan spreading throughout the city and that it was the teacher’s union that was responsible for the distribution.
“We’re calling him out,” states Shah, “if he’s our president, I have the right to hold him accountable and ask him to take a stance that is anti-hate and anti-racist.” In the lesson plan, she states that teacher’s have the jurisdictions to set their own “norms” and to prohibit their students from “swearing.”
Some of the objectives in the lesson plan include:
- Students expressing their personal experiences with discrimination
- A deeper understanding behind the motivation of Trump supporters
- An American context of racial violence, sexism, etc.
Shah includes resources, lesson plans with sources such as a documentary by Michael Moore, and the focus of creating a learning environment where the youth are not penalized for the way they express themselves in terms of discrimination.
Since the release of this lesson plan, other union members have come forward to express their viewpoints on the matter. Vice President of the Board of Education Shamann Walton is concerned with history repeating itself stating: “In order for us to avoid all of that darkness in all of our too recent history, we cannot sit idly by and pretend that this is not hurtful.”
Republicans have revealed antipodal opinions on the matter. Republican National Committee Harmeet Dhillon defined the lesson plan as, “inappropriate propaganda that unfairly demonizes not only the campaign that Donald Trump, the winner, ran, but also all of the people who voted for him.”
The UESF posted an explanation of the lesson plan on their website on Friday, November 18 stating: “Following a bitter and divisive presidential campaign, during which our President-elect made a series of racist, sexist, and xenophobic remarks, many of our students have expressed feelings of fear, intimidation, and uncertainty.”
In addition to that statement, the UESF also provided support for those who were in favor of Trump writing that students “should be protected from intimidation and fear and their voice should be included in all discussions about the presidential race and the future.”
The UESF plans on creating a committee of “rank-and-file educators” to ensure age-appropriate lesson plans synchronously with current events. | 0.7354 | FineWeb | 691 |
PhD fellow: Siyu Qin
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (Germany)
Before COUPLED, I was working at Conservation International’s Moore Center for Science as a researcher and project manager. My work involved research, technical assistance, and capacity building to advance the understanding and governing of Protected Area Downgrading Downsizing and Degazettement (PADDD) and conservation beyond protected areas. Through those projects, I had the opportunity to explore the history and local context of conservation interventions and policies in the Amazon and other tropical countries. I also interned at WWF-US on land use scenario development for ecosystem services modeling, right after I earned my Master of Environmental Management from Duke University in 2015.
The past three years on international conservation and area-based approaches naturally prepared me and led me to the COUPLED project “Understanding Conservation Coupling.” I am intrigued by the spatial/social context as well as the bargaining process leading to the adoption and abandonment of conservation interventions, and how international funding and discussions influence such decisions. Specifically, I find it exciting to (re)connect conservation research with land system science and sustainability science to explore how to balance human resource use and the protection of nature. My project will combine place-based approach with network analysis to link the flows of information and funding with conserved lands and outcomes.
My research will provide information for better decisions on effective and just conservation in dynamic landscapes with multiple stakeholders, in a telecoupled world.
Land use is the number one driver of the global extinction crisis. Understanding how land use affects biodiversity, what the trade-offs between land use and conservation are, and which conservation measures effectively mitigate biodiversity loss is therefore important. Conservation initiatives and funding often come to regions in need of conservation from external places, both within countries and beyond, e.g., via large-scale international conservation organizations or payment for ecosystem services schemes. This forges conservation telecouplings.
This research project will:
- Map conservation lands (including public and private reserves, indigenous areas, ecosystem services areas) and associated conservation actors for the South American cattle/soybean deforestation frontiers (Amazonia, Gran Chaco, Cerrado).
- Quantify how changes in the networks of capital and information that link actors in Europe and elsewhere to these conservation landscapes relate to changes in the extent and status of conservation lands.
- Compile indicators on deforestation, protected area effectiveness, and land prices to evaluate how this affects competition between conservation and other land uses in Europe and South America’s arc of deforestation.
In doing so, the research project will create a basic understanding of telecouplings activated through conservation, develop tools to link place-based and network-based analyses, and gain insights on how conservation organizations and policy makers can avoid unwanted outcomes and spill-over effects.
Principal Supervisor: Tobias Kuemmerle (Humboldt University Berlin, Geography Department & IRI THESys) | 0.8352 | FineWeb | 639 |
An Antarctic ice sheet found to be less resistant to warming temperatures than previously thought could raise sea levels by as much as five metres if it melts, scientists have warned.
Ice sheets in Greenland and West Antarctica were known to be shrinking but the East Antarctic was thought to be far more stable.
However, in a new paper published in the journal Nature, a research team found the East Antarctic ice sheet has actually been sensitive to climate change for millions of years.
This instability could mean the ice sheet is more susceptible to current global warming than previously thought. Alarmingly, the sheet contains enough frozen water to engulf the world’s coastal cities, if it ever melted.
“We have evidence for a very dynamic ice sheet that grew and shrank significantly,” said Professor Sean Gulick, a geophysicist at the University of Texas Institute for Geophysics and one of the study’s authors.
The research team focused on Antarctica’s Sabrina Coast, collecting geophysical and geological data during the first ever oceanographic survey of the region.
“There is enough ice in our study region alone to raise global sea level by as much as 15 feet (5 metres),” said co-lead author Dr Amelia Shevenell, a researcher at the University of South Florida.
However, the concern is that as climate change raises air temperatures, the glaciers of the East Antarctic could return to their historical instability and begin melting again.
“A lot of what we are seeing right now in the coastal regions is that warming ocean waters are melting Antarctica’s glaciers and ice shelves, but this process may just be the beginning,” said Dr Shevenell.
“Once you have that combination of ocean heat and atmospheric heat – which are related – that’s when the ice sheet could really experience dramatic ice mass loss.”
“This has some worrying implications for future sea level changes,” agreed British Antarctic Survey glaciologist Dr Hilmar Gudmundsson, who was not involved in the study.
Professor Andrew Shepherd, an Earth observation researcher at the University of Leeds who was also not involved in the study, said the research changes common perceptions of climate change in Antarctica.
“Evidence of past instability means that we should not think of the East Antarctic ice sheet as being immune to the effects of climate change, as people have tended to do,” he said.
However, he noted that the melting of the East Antarctic ice sheet is not inevitable.
“It doesn’t mean that we should expect future change, it just means we should not rule it out,” he said.
Nevertheless, this research is a valuable contribution to scientific understanding of climate change in polar regions.
“The past behaviour and dynamics of the Antarctic ice sheets are among the most important open questions in the scientific understanding of how the polar regions help to regulate global climate,” said Jennifer Burns, director of the National Science Foundation Antarctic Integrated Science System Program.
“This research provides an important piece to help solve that massive puzzle.” | 0.6012 | FineWeb | 662 |
Any goods-based business needs to protect inventory. Many businesses use warehouses and other large commercial buildings to produce, assemble, package, and ship products to customers. Maintaining the climate inside these buildings is often crucial to protecting your products. In some industries, failing to do so can lead to stiff penalties and can even put some businesses’ futures in jeopardy.
Companies that produce or handle goods like medical equipment or supplies, perishable foods, mechanical assemblies, and various other products must ensure their buildings are the appropriate temperature for housing these products. A warehouse full of perishable food quickly becomes a breeding ground for bacteria and disease if the temperature in the space exceeds acceptable levels. This can potentially harm customers or even workers in the building. When businesses fail to maintain the quality of their products, they often suffer serious financial backlash as well as damage to their reputations.
How Fans Can Help
Every business has operating costs, and most companies with large warehouses and other commercial facilities typically have to spend quite a bit on their utility bills. Heating and cooling enormous warehouses is not cheap, and high-volume, low-speed (HVLS) fans offer a fantastic solution. Most HVLS fans can integrate into a building’s existing climate control system, so operators won’t have to worry about complex configurations or clunky installations.
HVLS fans have much longer, wider blades than typical ceiling fans and can move very large quantities of air using very little energy. While some HVLS fans feature geared motors for more control, these gearboxes generate friction and heat, ultimately consuming more energy. Direct-drive motors operate more consistently and generate very little friction. The large fan blades keep interior temperatures more consistent by recirculating the air in the space.
Controlling Temperature and Air Quality
As the air inside an interior space warms up, it begins to rise. Eventually, the temperature at ground level will be much cooler than the temperature closer to the ceiling. While this may sound like it would be more comfortable to the workers on the ground, this presents several problems. First, since that warm air continues to rise, the building’s heating and cooling system must work extra hard to keep pumping temperate air into the space. Since the air has nowhere to go, it stagnates and can lead to diminished air quality throughout the space. This is stratification, or the separation of air into layers according to temperature.
Stratified air can carry bacteria, fungal spores, and other disease-causing particles that may cause illness when inhaled. Additionally, stale air can damage the structures, machines, and goods stored in a space. HVLS fans move the air inside the space and keep things cool so your heating and cooling system won’t have to work as hard. Additionally, you can operate our HVLS fans in reverse for the opposite effect, blowing the warm air at the ceiling back down toward the cooler ground level in the winter to save money.
Protect Inventory and Your Employees
Air circulation helps keep the air throughout an interior space at a consistent temperature, reducing the likelihood of damage to your products and supplies. It’s also important to remember that buildings with concrete floors require careful humidity control. A humid area with concrete floors can cause “Sweating Slab Syndrome.” This phenomenon describes concrete becoming slippery due to humidity in the surrounding air, presenting a significant hazard to your employees.
Your inventory is crucial to your business, and one of the most important parts of your operation is how you store and protect your products. HVLS fans offer an energy-efficient and effective solution by maintaining the air quality and humidity levels and keeping the interior spaces of your facilities at consistent, comfortable temperatures.
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Get answers about our products before you buy. | 0.7015 | FineWeb | 814 |
We recently received the following question about the moon:
…would we miss the moon if it did not exist? I’m not asking what crazy improbable situation would be needed to remove the moon, just what the observable differences upon the Earth would be if there was no moon? Obviously there would be tidal differences, but would we have any other major effects I’m not aware of?
Thanks for the question Matt, This was a fun topic to research.
There are more ramifications from a missing moon than you might realize.
Of course you’re correct that there would be tidal differences but the details may surprise you.
Fist of all, the tides wouldn’t disappear. Everyone usually associates the moon with the tides but the sun contributes as well. These sun-only tides would be smaller of course; in fact they’d be about one third as high as they are today. They would also be very simplified as well, consisting of just a high tide and a low tide with no variation. This is because neap tides and spring tides would disappear since there would no longer be any moon to add to or subtract from the sun’s tidal influences.
Since Matt wanted to know the observable differences if the moon disappeared, I am creating an Observable Difference Factor scale from 0 – 10.
10–is easily observable by anyone not in a vegetative state.
1–is noticeable only by very alert scientists.
0–is not noticeable at all even by a post-singularity super-intelligent AI.
I give the tides an Observable Difference Factor of 9.
If you live or work near the coast and have a fully functional parietal lobe you will notice that the tides have changed.
Did you know that a day on earth billions of years ago was only 6 hours long? Talk about days flying by.
Geologists know this by counting the growth rings in 400-million-year-old coral fossils and 3-billion-year-old stromatolites. Our days have been steadily lengthening because of a fascinating phenomenon call tidal breaking. The huge high-tide bulge of water closest to the moon is never right under the moon because the earth’s spin is moving it away. Gravity pulls the moon towards the bulge which speeds the moon up forcing it into a higher orbit. The bulge is also attracted to the moon so it tries to move toward it which is in a direction opposite to earth’s rotation. This increased friction slows the earth down. A more technical way to look at it is conservation of angular momentum. The total angular momentum of the earth/moon system must remain the same. The moon gains angular momentum as it moves away; therefore the earth must lose it to maintain this zero-sum game.
The bottom line then is that if the moon disappeared, the lengthening of our days would greatly slow down. It would still occur though due to tidal breaking caused by the sun.
I give this an Observable Difference Factor of 1.5
Scientists would notice this easily but some regular people would also notice that leap seconds stopped occurring every two years or so.
Picture the two dimensional path the earth takes around the sun. Now picture the axis upon which the earth spins. There is not a 90 degree angle between these lines. If that was the case, the earth would be a seasonless world. It is because the earth is tilted 23 1/2 degrees away from 90 degrees that I have to endure this bitterly cold winter for many months before spring-summer-fall arrives to reset my sanity back to baseline.
We take this angle for granted don’t we? It’s easy to think that this angle is fixed at the birth of the solar system and stays that way. It turns out though that our moon is a great axis of rotation stabilizer. Without it, the earth’s axis could potentially swing from 5 degrees to 40 degrees based on the various gravitational interactions with the other planets. Imagine what this would do to our weather and evolution. For those of you more into short-term thinking, you wouldn’t have to hold on to anything were this to happen. This wobble could take thousands or hundreds of thousands of years to occur.
I give this an Observable Difference Factor of 1
Only scientists (and cloaked alien satellites) would notice this
The only other significant effect I could find has to do with the altitude of the water in our oceans. Apparently, without the moons gravity, the water in our oceans would migrate a certain extent from the equator to the polar regions. It was unclear from my research how dramatic this effect would be.
I give this an Observable Difference Factor of somewhere between 5 and 9
This discussion seems to beg the question of what would the earth be like today if it never formed the moon in the first place after that Mars-sized object slammed into the early earth (imagine seeing that coming?).
I won’t go into detail but I’d like to briefly address the likely result.
An Earth day now would only be 8 hours long due to the isolated effects of sun-earth tidal breaking.
A faster spinning earth would likely have horrific winds. Daily winds could reach 100 mph and hurricane winds would be quite nasty.
Evolution would be greatly impacted but it still would have occurred I believe. Life seems so tenacious and seems to have started as soon as it was possible but humans certainly wouldn’t be here if the moon never was. It seems likely that at the very least evolution would have been delayed or slowed greatly. With no moon there would be no mountainous tides early in earth history to scour the land every few hours and bring back to the primordial soup the critical chemical ingredients of life.
As I sit here contemplating these changes I am also grateful for some moon-based words that I would miss if they disappeared with the moon like lunatic and mooning. | 0.71 | FineWeb | 1,313 |
Much of the innovation surrounding healthcare markets over the past few years has been legislative innovation–rather than technological or business advances–as the precepts of the Affordable Care Act have gradually come into effect in the United States. However, this doesn’t mean that there hasn’t been any activity with regard to using technology to better deliver healthcare services in peoples’ everyday lives. The reality is quite the opposite: there are a number of areas where the business of healthcare has been exploring new ways to employ technology to help healthcare providers be more efficient and, overall, more effective.
One of the most popular trends in the business world today, “big data” involves collating and analyzing data on a massive scale to better understand peoples’ preferences and decision-making processes. The potential to be had by harnessing big data has not be lost on the healthcare industry. For example, VitalSpring Technologies has been working to improve both the cost and quality of the provision of healthcare services. Essentially, VitalSpring uses a cloud-based analytic tool that will allow its users to find ways to both lower healthcare costs and improve the quality of healthcare services. This might involve using data analysis to find the best options of coverage for employees moving forward, or to find areas requiring targeted care to address an acute health risk. Data to support these kinds of decisions doesn’t just help the health of a group of employees; it is also good for the bottom line.
It is absolutely essential that patients coming in for a doctor’s appointment or surgical procedure are accompanied by their medical records. However, a constant gripe about the current system is that healthcare records are poorly maintained or difficult to locate. Luckily, there have been greater advances in the world of electronic medical records for healthcare providers to use. Rather than digging through a file folder, a healthcare provider can pull up this electronic medical record instantly. The record moves seamlessly from office to office, allowing doctors to have the most up-to-date records of their patients instantly. Such technology allows for greater efficiency by healthcare providers and more accurate diagnoses.
It is hard to say exactly how else the business of providing healthcare might change in the coming years, but it is clear that there will be a continuing reliance on technological advances to reduce waste, increase efficiency, and provide quality service to patients. For instance, there is the opportunity with the greater accessibility of teleconferencing technology to do occasional virtual visits. While this will not totally replace the importance of in-person visits, it does allow for the occasional check-in to be accomplished online, thus saving a trip to the office.
Additionally – complementing the efficiency gained through the move to electronic medical records – placing medical records online through a cloud-based platform could also make them more accessible to patients. By bringing patients into the process and ensuring that they have a firm knowledge of both their medical history and potential future medical risks, the chance of errors in communication or poor prescriptions should decrease. These innovative uses of technology should serve to make the business of healthcare provision more efficient and effective. | 0.7509 | FineWeb | 636 |
Welcome to this, the fifth day on the #Appvent calendar. Today’s entry is none other than NetSupport School! NetSupport School, for me, is the perfect teacher companion if you’re in a school where technology-enhanced learning takes place regularly within your classrooms. If you have a BYOD, Windows, iPad, Android tab, Mac or Thin Client setup where learners will be using those devices, NetSupport School can help in many useful, pedagogical and time-saving ways.
What is NetSupport School?
Essentially, NetSupport School is a classroom management solution when technology is being used by its learners. Years ago, tools like NetSupport School were mostly found in Computing and ICT labs or spaces where bookable classroom banks of computers might exist for teachers to use with their students. Nowadays, with there being so many 1-1 and BYOD initiatives in schools, never before have we had more concern over what learners are up to whilst using their devices.
NetSupport School is the perfect tool to help give teachers the confidence to use technology in the classroom with their learners. Added to that, with its significant range of tools to help with efficiencies and time savings, assessment for learning, sharing of resources and files and much more, I cannot see why any school (even if just being used in suites that have banks of computers) couldn’t and wouldn’t benefit from its use.
So what can it do?
As alluded to above, NetSupport School has a significant number of features, so much so I won’t be able to cover them all here (you can find out more here) however here are some of the key features that I think make it so compelling:
- You can view every child’s computer or device on your screen
- You can share the screen of one computer to all or selected students – good for peer assessment and showing WAGOLLs
- You can lock their screens to bring their attention right back to you
- You can use it to support language lab activities
- You can annotate their screens
- You can run polls, quizzes and many other low-stakes/AfL activities
- You can randomly pick names from your classes
- You can record their homework, results from tests and snapshots of their activities into their ‘student journal’
- You can allow or disallow printing
- You can link to student devices eg via Google Classroom
- You can distribute and collect files
- You can block access to USB ports so students cannot plug things into your equipment
- You can show your screen or other media such as video content to all or selected students
- You can limit access to only the websites you wish them to visit
- You can transmit your voice through the tool to provide additional accessibility opportunities for those students who will benefit from it
- You can monitor all application and internet use and record sites visited
- You can track keyword usage from keyboard actions and use this as an indicator of student activity, such as on and off-task behaviour
- The list continues.
Essentially, NetSupport School helps teachers to instruct, manage, instruct, monitor and assess, all from a handy teacher console.
Some might think of NetSupport School as a behaviour management solution. The tool that stops students from going off track and staying on point with their various learning activities whilst using technology in the classroom. I’d agree to a certain extent. I do think however that that viewpoint misses the bigger picture of what is so great about NetSupport School. Yes, it helps with keeping students on track, but what is far more helpful are all of the little marginal gains that you get when you use NetSupport School in the classroom.
For example, with the press of a button on your mouse you can push a specific website to every student’s computer in your classroom – how much time have you wasted waiting for every student to get on to the same (web) page? All of these little wins add up to make a big win for teaching and learning in the classroom. Don’t just take my word for it though… as an edtech company with a heritage of more than 30 years in schools, they’re clearly doing something right, as their many awards and accolades testify:
I’m looking forward to sharing more with you across the rest of the Appvent series. Watch out too for some special guests who will be recommending some great tools from their classrooms too. More tomorrow!
This is a sponsored post.
This activity wouldn’t be possible without the sponsorship of some of the entries, therefore to support my activity a number of posts during the calendar are sponsored. Rest assured, I wouldn’t be recommending things if I wasn’t confident of their efficacy and impact. | 0.7719 | FineWeb | 1,014 |
Chargingcharge (chärj),USA pronunciation v., charged, charg•ing, n.
- to impose or ask as a price or fee: That store charges $25 for leather gloves.
- to impose on or ask of (someone) a price or fee: He didn't charge me for it.
- to defer payment for (a purchase) until a bill is rendered by the creditor: The store let me charge the coat.
- to hold liable for payment;
enter a debit against.
- to attack by rushing violently against: The cavalry charged the enemy.
- to accuse formally or explicitly (usually fol. by with): They charged him with theft.
- to impute;
ascribe the responsibility for: He charged the accident to his own carelessness.
- to instruct authoritatively, as a judge does a jury.
- to lay a command or injunction upon: He charged his secretary with the management of his correspondence.
- to fill or furnish (a thing) with the quantity, as of powder or fuel, that it is fitted to receive: to charge a musket.
- to supply with a quantity of electric charge or electrical energy: to charge a storage battery.
- to change the net amount of positive or negative electric charge of (a particle, body, or system).
- to suffuse, as with emotion: The air was charged with excitement.
- to fill (air, water, etc.) with other matter in a state of diffusion or solution: The air was charged with pollen.
- to load (materials) into a furnace, converter, etc.
- to load or burden (the mind, heart, etc.): His mind was charged with weighty matters.
- to put a load or burden on or in.
- to record the loan of, as books or other materials from a library (often fol. by out): The librarian will charge those books at the front desk.
- to borrow, as books or other materials from a library (often fol. by out): How many magazines may I charge at one time?
- to place charges on (an escutcheon).
- to make an onset;
rush, as to an attack.
- to place the price of a thing to one's debit.
- to require payment: to charge for a service.
- to make a debit, as in an account.
- (of dogs) to lie down at command.
- charge off:
- to write off as an expense or loss.
- to attribute to: I charged off the blunder to inexperience.
- charge up, [Informal.]
- to agitate, stimulate, or excite: a fiery speaker who can charge up an audience.
- to put or be under the influence of narcotic drugs.
- expense or cost: improvements made at a tenant's own charge.
- a fee or price charged: a charge of three dollars for admission.
- a pecuniary burden, encumbrance, tax, or lien;
liability to pay: After his death there were many charges on his estate.
- an entry in an account of something due.
- an impetuous onset or attack, as of soldiers.
- a signal by bugle, drum, etc., for a military charge.
- a duty or responsibility laid upon or entrusted to one.
- care, custody, or superintendence: The child was placed in her nurse's charge.
- anything or anybody committed to one's care or management: The nurse was careful to let no harm come to her charge.
- [Eccles.]a parish or congregation committed to the spiritual care of a pastor.
- a command or injunction;
- an accusation: He was arrested on a charge of theft.
- an address by a judge to a jury at the close of a trial, instructing it as to the legal points, the weight of evidence, etc., affecting the verdict in the case.
- the quantity of anything that an apparatus is fitted to hold, or holds, at one time: a charge of coal for a furnace.
- a quantity of explosive to be set off at one time.
- See electric charge.
- the process of charging a storage battery.
- a thrill;
- grains of a solid propellant, usually including an inhibitor.
- a load or burden.
- any distinctive mark upon an escutcheon, as an ordinary or device, not considered as belonging to the field;
- in charge:
- in command;
having supervisory power.
- under arrest;
in or into the custody of the police.
- in charge of:
- having the care or supervision of: She is in charge of two libraries.
- Also, in the charge of. under the care or supervision of: The books are in the charge of the accounting office.
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Although some may seem excellent inside the shop, it might look differently when in your home and in comparison to trials. To avoid this from happening, it is easy to find swatches at your home improvement store, or simply just have a picture of the taste for comparison products. | 0.9735 | FineWeb | 1,656 |
We shovel snow from our door steps because although no two snowflakes are alike, far more than two land in the same place. Rigorous shovelling helps beat the cold. and once warmed up, we can think about falling snowflakes. And if we want to be even more captivated, we can observe them.
First the thinking part. If we want to merely predict the velocity of falling snowflakes, we already run into a complication. At least raindrops begin as spheres, and then as they grow larger, their shape approximates that of a burger bun. That affects their area and drag coefficient —numbers needed in assessing to what extent air slows down the rate of falling drops. But snowflakes are formed in a countless variety of shapes and sizes. There is far more averaging out to do.
So assume that it’s been done. We subsequently write an expression for the product of air density, the flakes’ average area, their average total drag coefficient and square of their velocity. Then we subtract that expression from the force of gravity. The difference will equal to the so-called net force, which is the product of mass and rate of change of velocity with respect to time—Newton’s Second Law.
In our differential equation, velocity appears on the equation’s two sides, one of which also has the variable of time. Isolating the variables and using appropriate substitutions allows us to integrate and solve for velocity. As the time that the snowflake falls increases, exponential terms drop out of the equation, and the flake’s terminal velocity seems to depend only on the the snowflake’s mass and the shape -influenced and gravitational constants we mentioned earlier.
Now we observe. As we stated at the onset, many snowflakes land in the same place. But only a few meters above any given spot, it is apparent that many paths lead to a common destination. Some flakes tumble; some abandon the terminal velocity we took so long to calculate, and they yield themselves to whimsical eddies. How they arrive is influenced not only by shape, mass and gravity but by sheer luck—luck due to the random, pinpoint fluctuations in temperature and pressure that affect their air space.
And these unpredictable*, forgotten, dance-like movements of deviant snowflakes open our eyes and widen our mouths. They drain our minds of thoughts of shovelling and of future slush and social conflicts. For a few moments the destinies of snowflakes is all that matters, and then we are reminded of a beautiful, non-mathematical expression in which snow is equated with Christmas.
*N.B. In reality the larger snowflakes may behave like sheets of falling paper which experience aerodynamic lift, a lift dominated by the product of linear and angular velocities. Those of you interested in computer simulations of falling snow might find this link interesting: https://www.cs.rpi.edu/~cutler/classes/advancedgraphics/S08/final_projects/fermeglia_willmore.pdf | 0.8346 | FineWeb | 660 |
Size Acceptance: a Discursive Analysis of Online Blogs
Traditional views on ‘overweight’ suggest that managing one’s weight is a simple balance of energy for which all individuals have the capacity and affordances to control, as long as they have the willpower to do so. This is problematic because such perspectives are drawn upon as resources for social interaction and can thus translate into deliberate negative actions and discriminatory behaviour. Despite recent evidence suggesting that ‘overweight’ is more complex than first presumed, traditional methods of weight loss remain predominant. Less culturally available perspectives do exist such as those presented by the Size Acceptance (SA) movement. SA has recently developed particular strengths because of the affordances of online blogs, including the potential for wider dissemination of less culturally available perspectives. This research explores the more and less culturally available perspectives around the fat body and how these emerge and are taken up in talk online - specifically by those who engage with SA communities. A discursive thematic analysis is used to explore how SA bloggers construct their position and identities online. Creating an awareness of how language is drawn on to construct fat ‘perspectives’ can help with becoming more resistant to hegemonic power. This research offers a unique contribution in its demonstration of how SA bloggers are positioned in such a way as to provide an alternative claim to “expertise”, which enables their views to be heard as a credible and legitimate alternative to those of more established authority-figures - such as health professionals. Furthermore, the creating of an ‘in-group’ allows for corroboration as a ‘community of experts’ and the de-legitimisation of the ‘out-group’ – that is, again, more established authority-figures, such as health professionals. This has implications for both research and clinical practice in that it can enable professionals working in physical and mental health to better understand why individuals might position themselves in ways such as SA, and what they might give up by accepting more culturally available perspectives as ‘truths’. This can help in gaining an understanding of the resistance fat people can have to professionals and change (i.e. weight loss), which might be experienced in clinical settings. Successful weight loss is deemed unlikely by much of the existing literature and failure to lose weight is associated with poorer mental health, therefore SA online might offer positive implications for mental health (regardless of weight loss) even if not for physical health. It is therefore important for professionals to be mindful of the less culturally available perspectives that exist and what online spaces offer for already-marginalised groups, before making attempts to remove or delegitimise such sites. | 0.9731 | FineWeb | 566 |
Gosis' species were a humanoid species who inhabited a pre-warp planet in the 22nd century. First Starfleet contact was made by Enterprise NX-01 officers: namely, Captain Jonathan Archer, Lieutenant Malcolm Reed, and Ensign Hoshi Sato, in 2152. (ENT: "The Communicator")
This species' physiology was particularly different from that of Humans. The differences were deeper than just outward facial ridges and spots. Each member of Gosis' species had only one kidney, rather than two, and had four more thoracic vertebrae than a typical Human had. Members of Gosis' species were also absent a mass which they had difficulty accounting for in a Human body. Gosis' species had blood that was neither red nor contained iron. Moreover, iron was a toxic element to their species.
By the 2150s, their race was divided into at least two "major" political nation states, one of which was called "the Alliance." In 2152, Gosis' faction believed – based on propaganda – that war with the Alliance was inevitable. The war would have been based, in part, upon "ancestral claims" by the Alliance on Gosis' faction's capital city. That same year, Temec, a doctor, compared a scan of Human physiology to their own, discovering the anatomical differences between the two species.
Legal system Edit
The government of at least the area inhabited by General Gosis appeared to be in civilian hands, as evidenced by the attendance of the Enterprise away team at a political rally held by a "Chancellor Kultarey". However, the influence, on their society, of the military was strong.
In the 2150s, the technological level of the planet seemed to be on a rough par with mid and/or late 20th century Earth, although they hadn't yet "split the atom". They possessed reliable artificial illumination, a knowledge of computers, familiarity with telecommunication, methods of observing internal organs, ways to photograph objects in planetary orbit, automatic projectile weapons, automobiles, trains, and jet aircraft.
Reed and Sato were impressed with the aesthetics of the architecture of the city they visited. Orbital scans of the city, which were taken by Enterprise, revealed a dense developmental pattern. Functionally, the architecture was of sufficient design to accommodate a high population density. | 0.8819 | FineWeb | 555 |
Starting with the number 180, take away 9 again and again, joining up the dots as you go. Watch out - don't join all the dots!
Start by putting one million (1 000 000) into the display of your
calculator. Can you reduce this to 7 using just the 7 key and add,
subtract, multiply, divide and equals as many times as you like?
If you have only four weights, where could you place them in order
to balance this equaliser?
What do you notice about the date 03.06.09? Or 08.01.09? This
challenge invites you to investigate some interesting dates
Here is a chance to play a version of the classic Countdown Game.
Place the numbers from 1 to 9 in the squares below so that the difference between joined squares is odd. How many different ways can you do this?
There are 44 people coming to a dinner party. There are 15 square
tables that seat 4 people. Find a way to seat the 44 people using
all 15 tables, with no empty places.
In this game, you can add, subtract, multiply or divide the numbers
on the dice. Which will you do so that you get to the end of the
number line first?
This magic square has operations written in it, to make it into a
maze. Start wherever you like, go through every cell and go out a
total of 15!
Arrange eight of the numbers between 1 and 9 in the Polo Square
below so that each side adds to the same total.
Can you see why 2 by 2 could be 5? Can you predict what 2 by 10
Tim had nine cards each with a different number from 1 to 9 on it.
How could he have put them into three piles so that the total in
each pile was 15?
How have the numbers been placed in this Carroll diagram? Which
labels would you put on each row and column?
Can you put the numbers 1 to 8 into the circles so that the four
calculations are correct?
What do the digits in the number fifteen add up to? How many other
numbers have digits with the same total but no zeros?
There are 78 prisoners in a square cell block of twelve cells. The
clever prison warder arranged them so there were 25 along each wall
of the prison block. How did he do it?
Exactly 195 digits have been used to number the pages in a book.
How many pages does the book have?
Using the statements, can you work out how many of each type of
rabbit there are in these pens?
Place the numbers 1 to 10 in the circles so that each number is the
difference between the two numbers just below it.
A group of children are using measuring cylinders but they lose the
labels. Can you help relabel them?
Can you put plus signs in so this is true? 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 = 99
How many ways can you do it?
Katie had a pack of 20 cards numbered from 1 to 20. She arranged
the cards into 6 unequal piles where each pile added to the same
total. What was the total and how could this be done?
How could you put eight beanbags in the hoops so that there are
four in the blue hoop, five in the red and six in the yellow? Can
you find all the ways of doing this?
Write the numbers up to 64 in an interesting way so that the shape they make at the end is interesting, different, more exciting ... than just a square.
Use your logical-thinking skills to deduce how much Dan's crisps and ice-cream cost altogether.
This problem is based on the story of the Pied Piper of Hamelin. Investigate the different numbers of people and rats there could have been if you know how many legs there are altogether!
There were chews for 2p, mini eggs for 3p, Chocko bars for 5p and
lollypops for 7p in the sweet shop. What could each of the children
buy with their money?
You have 5 darts and your target score is 44. How many different
ways could you score 44?
Winifred Wytsh bought a box each of jelly babies, milk jelly bears,
yellow jelly bees and jelly belly beans. In how many different ways
could she make a jolly jelly feast with 32 legs?
Lolla bought a balloon at the circus. She gave the clown six coins
to pay for it. What could Lolla have paid for the balloon?
Look carefully at the numbers. What do you notice? Can you make
another square using the numbers 1 to 16, that displays the same
There are 4 jugs which hold 9 litres, 7 litres, 4 litres and 2
litres. Find a way to pour 9 litres of drink from one jug to
another until you are left with exactly 3 litres in three of the
Add the sum of the squares of four numbers between 10 and 20 to the
sum of the squares of three numbers less than 6 to make the square
of another, larger, number.
A game for 2 people. Use your skills of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division to blast the asteroids.
Zumf makes spectacles for the residents of the planet Zargon, who
have either 3 eyes or 4 eyes. How many lenses will Zumf need to
make all the different orders for 9 families?
Can you make a cycle of pairs that add to make a square number
using all the numbers in the box below, once and once only?
A game for 2 people using a pack of cards Turn over 2 cards and try
to make an odd number or a multiple of 3.
A game for 2 or more players with a pack of cards. Practise your
skills of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division to hit
the target score.
Ten cards are put into five envelopes so that there are two cards in each envelope. The sum of the numbers inside it is written on each envelope. What numbers could be inside the envelopes?
This problem is based on a code using two different prime numbers
less than 10. You'll need to multiply them together and shift the
alphabet forwards by the result. Can you decipher the code?
If you take a three by three square on a 1-10 addition square and
multiply the diagonally opposite numbers together, what is the
difference between these products. Why?
Place six toy ladybirds into the box so that there are two ladybirds in every column and every row.
Choose a symbol to put into the number sentence.
Some Games That May Be Nice or Nasty for an adult and child. Use your knowledge of place value to beat your opponent.
Can you arrange 5 different digits (from 0 - 9) in the cross in the
Can you find which shapes you need to put into the grid to make the
totals at the end of each row and the bottom of each column?
Five numbers added together in pairs produce: 0, 2, 4, 4, 6, 8, 9, 11, 13, 15 What are the five numbers?
You have two egg timers. One takes 4 minutes exactly to empty and
the other takes 7 minutes. What times in whole minutes can you
measure and how?
Suppose there is a train with 24 carriages which are going to be put together to make up some new trains. Can you find all the ways that this can be done?
This challenge focuses on finding the sum and difference of pairs of two-digit numbers. | 0.7587 | FineWeb | 1,778 |
Does Your Child’s School Have a Nutrition Class? If Not, You May Want to Ask for a Curriculum Change5 months ago | Nutrition
By Joy Stephenson-Laws, JD, Founder
For most kids, school is like a second home. The average child in America receives approximately 900 to 1,000 instructional hours of time in school per year. And healthy lifestyle habits, such as meal prepping with nutritious foods, should comprise a portion of those instructional hours because the childhood obesity epidemic in America is a major public health concern that must be addressed.
(The incidence of childhood obesity in the United States has more than tripled since the 1970s. Currently, one in five school-aged children (ages 6-19) are obese. In addition to this, approximately one-third of American youth are overweight. And if our children are overweight or obese, the more likely they are to remain so as adults, which may increase their risk for a variety of diseases, including heart disease, cancer, depression and diabetes).
A recent study, conducted by the Yale School of Public Health, found evidence that in-school nutrition education helped middle school students limit increases in their body mass index (BMI).
Participants of the study included 600 students from 12 schools in New Haven, CT. Researchers found that the schools with “enhanced nutrition policies and programs [this could be healthier lunches available in the school cafeteria as well as classes focusing on eating healthily]” overall had students with an increase in BMI percentile of less than 1%, while the schools without these policies and programs had students with increases of 3-4%.
“Results are among the most compelling to date, said the researchers, perhaps because of the strong community-university partnership, and the recognition that health and academic achievement often go hand-in-hand,” according to a report discussing the study.
There is overwhelming evidence that a child's diet can play a major role in his ability to learn. “According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a child's failure to eat fruits, vegetables and dairy products is associated with lower grades, while nutrient deficits, such as vitamins A, B6, B12, C, iron, zinc, folate and calcium, are linked to higher rates of absenteeism, tardiness and low grades,” according to one source.
So as parents we have to not only consider the dangers of being overweight or obese, but also take note that poor eating can have a major impact on our children’s academic development.
Regarding the study, what is also particularly interesting is that “[r]esearchers also tested whether a series of policies to promote physical activity would impact adolescent body mass index. They determined that the physical activity policies alone had little or no impact on body mass index.”
This isn’t to say that physical exercise is not important for adolescent health, but most schools never skip physical education classes and athletic activities. And it appears that nutrition education classes need to be just as commonplace as physical education.
Nutrition Education Must Be Taught Properly
Every teacher has his or her own approach to teaching and engaging with students. I truly admire our educators. They literally shape the future. Educators who have the important responsibility of teaching students about nutrition must take the right approach.
I came across a very interesting article about how some nutrition classes were actually detrimental (unintentionally) to some children.
For example, children perhaps should not be told that there are “bad foods.” This could lead to disordered, restrictive eating. Children should be told what nutrients they need to stay healthy and the foods they can get these nutrients from. They also need to understand why certain foods should be eaten in moderation.
A family physician referenced in the article says that “harmful, anxiety-inducing ‘health’ advice is everywhere...dangerous messages permeate every class, from official assignments to offhand comments or ‘wisdom’ teachers share. A second grader was told by a teacher that sugar is more ‘addictive’ than narcotics. A reading assignment asks a child to circle ‘bad’ foods. A teacher shares her bulimia history in detail with middle school girls, which research shows is risky.”
Although there is scientific research to support the conclusion that sugar may be just as addictive, or even more addictive, than drugs, we have to remember that children require a special approach when it comes to sensitive issues such as weight management. Health and weight management can be a very personal journey, so it may be difficult for some teachers to remain objective when teaching kids about nutrition.
However, just like history, math and science, nutrition needs to be considered as a necessary subject in school. Nutrition education can be a major proactive step our society can and should take to combat the childhood obesity epidemic.
Finally, if your child currently has weight issues or you notice that his or her academic performance is not up to par, I would highly suggest having your child take a nutrient test. Being nutritionally balanced helps us all maintain a healthy weight and perform our best both physically and mentally. If a nutrient imbalance is detected, a competent healthcare professional can suggest dietary changes and possibly recommend quality supplements.
Your health is your greatest wealth, and your greatest knowledge.
Let’s enjoy our healthiest lives!
The pH professional health care team includes recognized experts from a variety of health care and related disciplines, including physicians, attorneys, nutritionists, nurses and certified fitness instructors. This team also includes the members of the pH Medical Advisory Board, which constantly monitors all pH programs, products and services. To learn more about the pH Medical Advisory Board, click here. | 0.7509 | FineWeb | 1,245 |
How Composite Veneers are made
Dental composite veneers are made using the same type of materials that are used for cosmetic bonding and for many white fillings. Composite material incorporates a hard filler as small particles in a resin matrix in order to achieve an overall soft, malleable material that can be shaped as required and then set hard by means of a powerful light source that polymerizes the resin. Light curing is generally preferred to chemical, because the material comes ready formed and thus mixing two pastes is not necessary, and not ideal since it can introduce air and subsequent porosity in the restoration. Light cured material as one paste also allows for time to properly shape the composite material and then the ability to set it quickly on command.
Composite fillings are composed of an organic polymer resin called bisphenol-A-glycidyl methacrylate (BIS-GMA), and inorganic particles such as quartz, borosilicate glass, and lithium aluminium silicate. This type of material is tooth coloured and available in a range of shades to match the diverse colours of teeth and is able to be blended so that it becomes indistinguishable from natural tooth substance. Composite also adheres well to the surface of teeth when applied using an acid etch technique, and this means it can be used in lots of ways in building up teeth without having to remove tooth substance, to form onlays, and reshape teeth, as well as for veneers.
The etching of tooth enamel with a 30% orthophosphoric acid gel is a well-established technique to produce a slightly roughened tooth surface which will form a strong physical bond with a low viscosity resin, which then in turn bonds chemically to subsequent layers of more viscous composite applied incrementally. In this way a veneer can be constructed to cover unwanted marks or discolourations on a tooth in a relatively short time and in a completely painless way. Ideally with veneers the overall contour doesn’t want to be too obvious or bulky so the layer of composite needs to be kept thin.
Composite veneers are most often provided directly by your dentist at a single visit where the composite is applied to your tooth surface and then polished to create a smooth, glossy finish. Some time and patience is required to get a good result with composite veneers since it is a precise and exacting technique. A dentist also requires some artistic flair ideally, plus a good working knowledge of the composite material’s properties and how to mix various shades of colour to get a lifelike appearance.
Occasionally composite can be used to create veneers in the dental laboratory and these are then fitted by your dentist at a second visit using a similar bonding technique with low-viscosity light cured resins. This can produce a better result because the veneers made in the laboratory as opposed to directly in the mouth can be made harder by using a more powerful polymerizing light and/or heat to ensure maximum strength, and then a surface glaze can be applied to give a shinier appearance.
Composite resin is a very versatile material and in skilled hands can be used to build up a diminutive front tooth that hasn’t developed properly, build out a tooth that is set slightly in from the others, cover intrinsic spots or marks on a tooth, or even close up a space between front teeth by extending composite filing out from the sides of the teeth either side of the gap.
Composite is not as hard wearing as porcelain, even when laboratory hardened, and so you can expect that the life of composite veneers might not exceed five years or so before they become discoloured or worn and require replacing.
Some problems confronting the dentist such as severely eroded and abraded teeth from excessive consumption of acidic drinks or bulimia were at one time very difficult to deal with, but the bonding of resin composite can often be used to build up the height of short sensitive teeth, and restore their appearance by means of veneers on the front teeth, at least on a temporary basis until it is deemed appropriate perhaps to provide more permanent restorations
The composition of composites has changed over the years to provide harder, denser types that last better in terms of strength and resistance to staining, and it is possible that further improvements will be made. At the present time there are differences between different brands in their composition which can affect their clinical performance. A higher concentration of filler, achievable with smaller particles, gives greater strength and wear resistance but may affect the optical properties so there is some trade-off in terms of getting a good balance. Smaller particles also allow for better polishing of the surface and less likelihood of the resin content being so easily worn away leaving hard granules standing proud and a consequent roughened surface.
It is generally accepted that microfill composites have the most ideal aesthetic qualities, due to their ability to be polished to give a smooth, light-reflecting surface, and so are ideal for the purpose of making composite veneers.
- Is Tooth Bonding or composite veneers are Right For Me?
- Composite Veneers as a Sensible Cosmetic Dental Solution
To find out more about composite veneers please call 6297 1303 to make appointment with our cosmetic dentists in Queanbeyan. | 0.7106 | FineWeb | 1,178 |
The White House Vs. Radiation Science & Health
Experts at the US National Academies of Science settled a big question in 2005, and the president’s business friends don’t like the answer. Is there a dose of radiation is so low that it is harmless? (Ionizing radiation is the alpha and beta particles, and the neutron, gamma and X-rays given off by radioactive materials in medicine, the military, industry, and reactor operations.) The NAS published its answer in “Biological Effects of Ionizing Radiation-7” (BEIR VII), where it emphatically said “no.” As they had done many times before, the NAS reported that any radiation exposure, no matter how slight carries a risk of causing cancer or other illnesses.
The NAS panel that produced BEIR-VII “could not ignore the current body of scientific studies that are now recognizing harmful and hitherto unpredicted effects at very low doses of radiation,” said Cindy Folkers at Nuclear Information & Resource Service in Takoma Park, MD.
But like the handfull of scientists who stand against the 98% and say climate change is a hoax, there are a couple of nuclear-happy quacks who say radiation exposure is good for us. The President wants us to believe them. (Time magazine: “Trump Administration Moving to Weaken EPA Radiation Regulations”)
Like scientists in the tobacco industry who conned millions and even got company CEOs to lie to congress about their knowledge of cigarette hazards, some nuclear industry-sponsored researchers claim that low doses of radiation can act like inoculations. This “hormesis” theory was explicitly rejected by the NAS panel. Dr. Peter Crane, a former Nuclear Regulatory Commission Counsel told the New York Times in 2015, “[T]he National Academies of Science, along with the rest of mainstream scientific authority, regard hormesis as wholly without merit.” A separate study published in Radiation Research in 2005 and reported in the journal Science was said to be “the latest blow to the [hormesis] notion that there is a threshold of exposure to radiation below which there is no health threat (and there might even be a benefit).”
In 2002, Roger Clark, President of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP), warned that “Some people think that too much money is being spent to achieve low levels of residual contamination.” They want, “a threshold in the dose-response relationship in order to reduce expenditure.”
As Science reported in 1999, “Billions of dollars are at stake. Stricter standards could increase the amount that agencies and industries must spend to clean up radioactive waste and protect workers.” In 2015, a landmark international study reported in The Lancet Hematology presented “strong evidence of positive associations between protracted low-dose radiation exposure and leukemia.” The journal Nature said of the study, “The finding … scuppers the popular idea that there might be a threshold dose below which radiation is harmless -- and provides scientists with some hard numbers to quantify the risks of everyday exposures.”
Now, as with climate change deniers and the tobacco hucksters, the fringe scientists are singing the de-regulation song that Trump’s industrialists wants to hear. If weakened radiation exposure limits are approved by Congress, the nuclear industry will save billions and its profit margins could grow as fast as tumors.
The public and the scientific community must fight back. There is no safe level of exposure to ionizing radiation. Even the smallest radiation exposures have cellular-level effects. The EPA website has said for decades: “Based on current scientific evidence, any exposure to radiation can be harmful (or can increase the risk of cancer)… In other words, it is assumed that no radiation exposure is completely risk free.” Every US government agency that regulates industrial releases or the medical uses of radiation makes the same warning -- based on BEIR-VII.
An often ignored fact is that internal contamination is far more dangerous than the same exposure outside the body. Dr. Chris Busby, the Scientific Secretary of the European Committee on Radiation Risk, compares the two this way: “Think of being external exposure like being warmed before a glowing fireplace. Internally, think of taking a hot coal from that fire and popping it into your mouth.”
When they are vented, dumped or leaked, radioactive materials contaminate soil, water, rainfall and food, and can then be inhaled or ingested. Some persist in the environment for centuries. Tritium (radioactive hydrogen) is released to the air and to bodies of water by reactors and nuclear wastes. It persists for 120 years. Dr. Gordon Edwards of the Canadian Coalition for Nuclear Responsibility wrote Sept. 30, “Tritium gets built right into the body’s organic molecules, including DNA molecules. Precisely because tritium is so difficult to control, and so easily dispersed into the air and the water around nuclear facilities, industry experts advocate for lax standards and permissive practices regarding release.”
Dozens of studies indicate that low doses of radiation given over long periods of time are far more dangerous than the industry and the government claim. Infant mortality rates and childhood leukemia rates both increase in areas downwind from operating reactors. By 1999, the government finally admitted that radiation exposures endured for years by nuclear weapons workers had made them sick, contrary to decades of repeated assurances that the doses were harmless. In 1989, the National Academy’s BEIR-Five quadrupled the risk of cancer from low-dose radiation exposures, and warned explicitly about “a much greater danger” of mental retardation among babies exposed in the womb to radiation.
We all have a responsibility to reject Trump’s nuclear bailout which would expose everyone to more radiation, and instead to demand a robust strengthening of radiation protection regulations particularly with respect to infants and children. | 0.7699 | FineWeb | 1,334 |
The development of modern musicianship skills necessary to enter and maintain a career in all facets of the popular and commercial music industry.
MUSI 246 extends performance and improvisational skills in the study of a repertoire taken from funk, Latin and contemporary blues music for those students intending to enter and maintain a career as freelance musicians. The aim at this level is to further develop the technical foundation on your instrument established in MUSI 146 and MUSI 156, and the paper is consequently designed to broaden your playing skills in a variety of musical contexts. The most important aim of this or any other performance paper is the question of your adaptation to teamwork, and this paper is designed to build your confidence in working in with a variety of musicians in several ensemble contexts. There is also an option to perform original material as an alternative to the range of set material.
|Paper title||Contemporary Music Performance 2|
|Teaching period||Full Year|
|Domestic Tuition Fees (NZD)||$2,118.30|
|International Tuition Fees (NZD)||$8,676.60|
- MUSI 101 and (MUSI 146 with a grade of at least C+)
- MUSI 245
- Limited to
- MusB, BPA
- (i) MUSI 156 must be passed with a grade of at least C+.
- Appropriate performance and sight-reading skills are necessary.
Enrolments for this paper require departmental permission.
View more information about departmental permission.
- More information link
- View more information on the Department of Music, Theatre and Performing Arts' website
- Teaching staff
- Paper Structure
This paper further advances performance abilities towards a professional level. Please contact the Department of Music, Theatre and Performing Arts' (firstname.lastname@example.org) office for a copy of the most recent paper profile.
- Teaching Arrangements
- Two hour lectures and workshops.
- Textbooks are not required for this paper.
- Graduate Attributes Emphasised
- Interdisciplinary perspective, Lifelong learning, Communication, Critical thinking,
Research, Self-motivation, Teamwork.
View more information about Otago's graduate attributes.
- Learning Outcomes
- The goals of the paper are
- To further develop a firm technical foundation on your instrument
- To develop appropriate presentation skills to perform the set repertoire
- To enable the critical evaluation of time-management skills in the context of independent practice with increasing competence and confidence | 0.811 | FineWeb | 583 |
An unforgettable wedding is what every girl is longing for because presumably you’ll have it only once in your life. The concept of “family” has a high value in the Chinese culture, and that’s probably why Chinese people are willing to spend fortunes of money on holding an extraordinary wedding. If you have a Chinese friend who is about to get married, you’ll highly likely be invited to attend their wedding as they would like you to witness this exciting moment. In this article let’s have a look at some special features of a modern Chinese wedding. What to expect at a Chinese wedding?
1. Expect a lavish meal
A modern Chinese wedding is usually held in a hotel or a restaurant. The bride and groom invite their friends and relatives to come for a big get-together. The number of guests varies from 100 to 500, and each table is served with immaculately prepared dishes. So, if you’re invited to attend a wedding in China, don’t miss your chance to try some high-quality traditional Chinese food.
2. Prepare a red envelop
In the Chinese culture, a red envelop contains a certain amount of money and people give it during Spring Festival or on special occasions such as weddings. Preparing such a monetary gift is a must for attending a Chinese wedding. If the bride or groom happens to be your colleague or just an ordinary friend, a red envelop with 500-600 RMB would be ideal. However, if this person is a close friend of yours, you have to make your red envelop look a bit thicker.
3. Write a short speech
If the bride or groom is a good friend of yours, you may need to prepare a short speech. The one, dedicated to them. You could be invited to come up to the stage and express your best wishes to the newlyweds. However, in addition to your wishes to the newlyweds, you have to prepare a speech that contains some basic information. About yourself and the relationship between you and the newlyweds.
4. Surprises await
Fun games or prize draws are often part of a modern Chinese wedding to spice it up a bit. Well, don’t be shy and join in the games as you might walk away with some fancy little things.
5. Stay till the end
A modern Chinese wedding usually lasts for 3-4 hours. It’d be good if you could stay till the end of the wedding. This is exactly what the newlyweds would like to see. However, in case you have to leave earlier due to some personal reasons, it’s customary to inform the newlyweds about this. Otherwise they would think that you came to the wedding purely because “someone invited you”.
Have you been to a Chinese wedding? Share your opinion in comments below – or tweet us at @thatsmandarin! | 0.6605 | FineWeb | 644 |
The following blog post is written by Madelaine Frye. It is the fourth (be sure to catch up on week 1 , week 2 , week 3 and week 4 if you haven’t already!) in a series of 6 blogs she will be writing chronicling her experience as a Nutrition Instructor. Madelaine is teaching OFL as part of a Service Learning Class that has teamed up North Carolina State Students with the Inter Faith Food Shuttle’s OFL/Nutrition Program. Through this partnership the IFFS and NCSU hope to engage students in service learning and community nutrition while expanding the reach of its OFL program. Hello again! My name is Madelaine Frye and I am a senior Nutrition student at NC State. I have been reporting to you all on how our Side By Side classes at the Knightdale Head Start location have been progressing through our six-week healthy lifestyle adventure. Week five in the OFL Side by Side class sure was full of exciting activities, along with lots of cooking!
For week five we discussed the importance of exercising and how much fun it can be when you exercise as a family. Exercise can relieve stress, provide an overall feeling of well being, can help you achieve and maintain a healthy weight, and lower your risk for chronic diseases. Water is very important for our bodies because if we exercise often, we lose a lot of water and can become dehydrated. In class, we shared some tricks on how we can make water more fun to drink by adding fruit juice ice cubes, or slices of our favorite fruits to pitchers of water. Another healthy beverage that we made was a fruit smoothie. Everyone in the class got to pick their favorite fruits and blended them with ice and low-fat vanilla yogurt to make an amazing fruit smoothie! This is not only a great way to rehydrate yourself but can also be a fun and healthy snack packed with tons of fruit.
This week we also discussed the importance of drinking low-fat and non-fat milk products. The calcium found in low-fat dairy drinks is very important in the building of strong bones and other important body functions. It is important to drink low-fat and non-fat dairy because you can raise your blood cholesterol to unhealthy levels with saturated fats and trans-fatty acids that can be found in these and other sugary beverages. If you are lactose intolerant, items such as yogurt and hard cheeses can sometimes be easier to digest than milk. Other non-dairy foods like calcium-fortified juice can also help us get the calcium we need.
After learning so many amazing tips in class, it is always nice to sit down and enjoy a wonderful meal with your family that you made together. All of the families loved our turkey taco dinner that we created as a group from scratch. It was even tastier when combined with all of the fun and fruity drinks we had made during class. Why don’t you try this week’s recipes at your home?
serves 1, 1 smoothie per serving
- Fruit of your choice (bananas, strawberries, blueberries, pineapple, etc.)
- Liquid (juice, low-fat/non-fat milk, soy-milk, almond milk)
- Optional flavorings (Cinnamon, zest, honey, vanilla, coconut flakes)
- Thickener (ice, low-fat/non-fat yogurt, silken tofu)
- Place ½ - 1 cup of sliced or chopped of fresh or frozen fruit to the blender.
- Add ½ - 1 cup of liquid to the blender.
- Add up to ½ teaspoon of optional flavorings.
- Add up to ½ cup of thickener.
- Blend until thick and smooth.
- Use milk, tofu, or yogurt to create a creamier smoothie.
- If adding frozen fruit, use less or no ice.
- Make ice cubes out of juice instead of water to use in your smoothies.
- Freeze slices of fruits that are about to go bad and use them in smoothies.
serves 8, 2 tacos per serving
- 1 (15 ½ ounce) can pinto beans
- Non-stick cooking spray
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1 cup tomato juice, no salt added
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste, no salt added
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 8 ounces low-fat cheddar cheese
- ¼ medium head of lettuce
- 2 large tomatoes
- 16 taco shells
- Drain and rinse pinto beans well, using a colander.
- Coat a large frying pan with non-stick cooking spray and brown turkey over medium-high heat.
- Measure and add pinto beans, tomato juice, tomato paste, chili powder, garlic powder, oregano, salt, and black pepper to the frying pan. Stir well, using a long-handled spoon.
- Reduce heat to medium and cook until thickened, about 20 minutes.
- Grate cheddar cheese.
- Rinse lettuce and tomatoes. Tear the lettuce into bite-sized pieces.
- Core and dice tomatoes.
- Place 2 tablespoons of the cooked meat mixture into each taco shell. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of grated cheese so that it melts into the meat.
- Measure and top each taco with 1 tablespoon shredded lettuce and 1 tablespoon diced tomatoes.
- Use any of your favorite sautéed vegetables, low-fat sour cream, hot sauce, or salsa to top the tacos.
- Substitute and type of cooked beans for the pinto beans.
- If tomatoes are not in season, use canned tomatoes without added salt.
- Try using whole-wheat tortillas in place of the taco shells, or serve over rice or corn bread. | 0.5592 | FineWeb | 1,388 |
Although the Munitions of War Act of 1915 gave the government a high degree of control over labour, periodic industrial conflict continued. Following the formation of the coalition government in 1916, David Lloyd George included Labour's Arthur Henderson in the War Cabinet. He caused more tension when he appointed John Hodge and George Barnes, both with strong union affiliation, as Ministers of Labour and Pensions.
In 1917, as strikes spread, a Commission of Enquiry into Industrial Unrest was appointed. It concluded that the high price of food was a major source of discontent. The government introduced measures to reduce prices. The coalition government of 1918 was faced with the problem of re-establishing peacetime industrial relations. Clauses of the Munitions of War Act were cancelled and rates of wages agreed on for a limited period.
The Industrial Courts Act of 1919 established the Industrial Court for the settlement of disputes. Following the recommendations of the Whitley Committee on the Relations of Employers and Employed in 1917, Whitley Councils were established in individual industries for the negotiation of overall wages, conditions and problems of management.
Thanks to low unemployment, the post-war boom experienced calmer industrial relations. However, in January 1919 the Miners’ Federation demanded wage increases, a six-hour day and nationalisation of the mines. Lloyd George initiated the Sankey Commission, which included several miners' leaders, to consider wages and ownership. The Committee worked out a compromise on wages and hours, and recommended state ownership of the mines - but the government refused to accept nationalisation.
In September 1919, attempts to reduce wages in the railway industry by Sir Auckland Geddes, President of the Board of Trade, resulted in a national rail strike. However, within a week and in compliance with other unions, the Negotiating Committee of the Transport Workers made a settlement that maintained wage levels for a further year.
In the summer of 1920 the economic boom collapsed. As prices and unemployment rose further, industrial strife became more likely. The unions planned a revival of the pre-war Triple Alliance between mining, transport and railway workers. The miners began a strike for higher wages in October 1920, with railwaymen and transport workers threatening supportive action. The government passed an Emergency Powers Bill to ensure essential services and negotiated a temporary six-month increase in wages. | 0.6405 | FineWeb | 550 |
˜”*°✹°*”˜ •*”˜✹˜”*•˜”*°✹°*”˜ ✹A Priceless Gift✹ Friendship is a priceless gift That can't be bought or sold, But its value is far greater Than a mountain made of gold.
For gold is cold and lifeless, It cannot see nor hear, And in your times of trouble, It is powerless to cheer.
It has no ears to listen, No heart to understand. It cannot bring you comfort Or reach out a helping hand.
So when you ask God for a gift, Be thankful that he sends, Not diamonds, pearls, or riches, But the love of a real, true friend. ~Helen Steiner Rice~ ˜”*°✹°*”˜ •*”˜✹˜”*•˜”*°✹°*”˜ Have A Wonderful Weekend... Hugs, Teresa 1630 days ago
❤¸.•*´*•.¸´*•.¸ ¸.•*´*•.¸∗ ¸.•*´*•.¸ Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can.Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense. ~~Ralph Waldo Emerson~~ ¸.•*´*•.¸∗ ¸.•*´*•.¸ ¸.•*´¸.•*´*•.¸❤ ∗Have A Terrific Thursday!∗ ∗.·´ ❤`·.∗ Teresa 1639 days ago
.·´¯`·.¸¸✴.¸¸.•´¯`◆ Set your goals high, and don't stop till you get there. ~Bo Jackson~ ◆◆·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸¸ Just stopping in to check on you... Make Healthy Choices This Week!!! .·´¯`·.¸¸✴.¸¸.•´¯`◆ Hugs, Teresa
Today is not a holiday It isn't even your birthday But I still thought I'd like to send A special message to my friend
You make me laugh and make me smile You ease my troubles for a while When clouds are thick and skies are gray You put some sunshine in my day
You're really thoughtful sweet and kind A friend like you is hard to find I know I've told you once or twice That I think you are very nice
But someone who's as great as you Should be told more often than I do And so I send these words with love Why did I send them?.....just because --Anonymous-- ”*°✹°*”˜˜”*°✹°*” You have brought so much joy into my life.... I am Blessed to call you friend! ”*°✹°*”˜˜”*°✹°*” Love, Teresa 1644 days ago | 0.9925 | FineWeb | 814 |
Understanding knee anatomy, and the structures that make up the knee can help with injury prevention, as well as your injury treatment. The knee is a commonly injured joint during sports activities. From ACL tears, to meniscus tears, knee injuries can often effect your ability to participate in sports.
Not only does anatomy knowledge help you determine what kind of injury you may have, it also helps to understand how all of the different parts of the knee work together in normal function. Visit our main anatomy page for a refresher on anatomy concepts and different types of tissues. Below you will find detailed information about the knee. And don't forget to take the knee anatomy tour. I explain all of the important structures of the knee, and how they can be injured.
anatomy starts with the bones making up your knee joint. Your knee is a
hinge type joint that allows for the
movements of flexion (bending) and extension (straightening) of the
leg. The knee joint is made up of two bones, the femur
(thigh bone) and the tibia (shin bone). These two
bones touch each other and make up the tibio-femoral
joint. Injury to either of these bones usually involves a fracture. While not common, such injuries often require surgical intervention. The tibio-femoral joint is considered a weight bearing joint.
Another important joint in your knee is the patello-femoral joint. This is the articulation between the patella (knee-cap) and the femur. The patella is a small bone that is actually enclosed inside the quadriceps tendon (a sesamoid bone), and helps provide extra leverage for the quadriceps muscles when straightening the knee. Problems at the patello-femoral joint include patella femoral syndrome, patella chondromalacia, and patellar dislocations.
are connective tissue that connects bones to other bones, and are an
important part of knee anatomy. There are four
major ligaments in the knee. The medial collateral ligament (MCL),
the lateral collateral ligament (LCL), the anterior
cruciate ligament (ACL), and the posterior cruciate
and LCL are on the inside and outside of your knee, and help
to keep your knee from moving from
side to side. The ACL and PCL are inside of your knee joint, running
between the femur and the tibia. They help to keep your tibia from
out from under your femur. The ACL and PCL cross over each other inside
the joint, which is how they get there names. (cruciate = to cross).
The joint capsule is
another connective tissue structure that surrounds your knee joint. Out
of the major ligaments, the
and MCL are the most commonly injured
with sports activities.
Take the Anatomy Video Tour
Within the knee joint there are two different types of cartilage: fibrocartilage and articular cartilage. Both serve different functions, and can be injured during sports activities.
meniscus is a thick, dense connective tissue that sits between your
tibia and femur. It helps to provide shock absorption and cushion
for your tibia and femur, as well as making your knee joint more
congruent. The meniscus is made up of both a medial and lateral part. As you can see in the picture below, they form a circular shape around the top of the tibia, and help to cushion the femur. They also serve as a sort of "chock block" to keep the knee stable. Meniscus
are common sports injuries, and are often caused by twisting your knee.
Articular cartilage is a hard and very slick surface that lines the ends of the bones where they articulate, or touch each other. This helps to reduce friction between your bones during movement. Articular cartilage relies on the synovial fluid within the knee joint to get its nutrients. With abnormal pressures, parts of the cartilage may begin to deteriorate. This is common on the femoral condyles, and on the under surface of the patella.
last major area of knee
anatomy include the muscles and tendons. There are many muscles that surround your knee joint. The thigh
or quadriceps, are a group of four muscles that
start at your hip, and extend down the front of your upper leg,
into the patellar tendon on the tibia, just below your kneecap.
The quads straighten your knee out when you contract them.
The hamstrings are the muscles on the back of your thigh. They are a group of three muscles that start at your hip and extend down the back of your upper leg. They insert on both the medial and lateral sides of your leg, just below the knee joint. The hamstrings bend your knee when you contract them.
Other important knee anatomy considerations are the muscles along the inside and outside of your upper leg. These include: tensor fascia lattae, gracilis, sartorius, and the adductor group.
The knee muscles function to control the movement of the knee joint and to maintain stability in the sagittal plane. Co-contraction of the quadriceps and hamstrings helps to stabilize the knee joint. These muscles are important with any type of sports activity.
Each of the muscles attach through a tendon. Several tendons are of
importance to sports injury anatomy because they are often injured or
inflammed with activity. The
quadriceps tendon attaches the four quadriceps muscles to the patella
just above the knee. The quadriceps tendon is one
of several tendons that can be susceptible to tendonitis.
The patellar tendon attaches the patella to the tibia via the tibial tubercle. Because it runs between two bones, it is sometimes referred to as the patellar ligament. It effectively completes the attachment of the quadriceps to the lower leg. The patellar tendon is much thinner than the quadriceps tendon, averaging about 30mm wide. Patellar tendonitis is a common injury to this structure.
The illiotibial band is a very long tendon, attaching the tensor faciia latte muscle to the knee. The TFL is a hip abductior, and helps to provide some medial rotation of the tibia. The IT band attaches on both the fibula and the tibia on the lateral side of the knee. As the knee flexes and extends, the illiotibial band moves over the head of the fibula. If this knee tendon is tight, it can cause irritation and inflammation at its insertion. This knee injury is known as IT band friction syndrome.
The hamstrings are the primary knee flexors, and they run along the posterior side of the thigh. These knee tendons attach to the tibia and the fibula along the medial and lateral sides of the knee. Hamstring tendonitis is a common knee injury with sports.
All of the muscles, tendons, bones, ligaments, and cartilage work together to keep your knee functioning correctly. Understanding knee anatomy is the best start for preventing and treating knee injuries. | 0.5701 | FineWeb | 1,608 |
If I think I have asthma what should I do?
If you haven’t been to your health care provider yet and you think you might have asthma, call and make an appointment as soon as possible. Getting diagnosed and treated quickly will make a big difference in the way you feel.
How is asthma diagnosed?
Only your health care provider can tell if you have asthma. He/she will ask you questions about how you are feeling in general and also specific questions about your breathing. You will be asked about your past health and your family’s health and about any medications you take and if you have any allergies. Your health care provider will likely give you a physical exam and check your nose, listen to your lungs and heart, etc. to make sure you don’t have any other problems. You might be asked to breathe into a tube (called a “peak flow meter”) that measures how much air your lungs can hold. If you are diagnosed with asthma you may be referred to a specialist.
What is exercise-induced asthma (EIA)?
Some people only have asthma symptoms when they exercise or play sports. People with EIA have airways that are overly sensitive to sudden changes in temperature and humidity, especially when breathing colder, drier air during aerobic exercise. There are some things you can do to help control exercise-induced asthma.
- Take a quick-acting prescription inhaler 15 minutes before you exercise (to open up your airways)
- Do warm up exercises for about 10-minutes before heavy physical activity
- Begin exercising slowly and work up to a faster pace-This has been found to prevent asthma symptoms during exercise
- If you have symptoms and need your Albuterol more than twice a week, you probably need a medication you can take daily to control your symptoms. This daily controller medication may come as another type of inhaler, or as a pill. SEE YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER IF YOU NEED YOUR DAILY RESCUE MEDICATION (ALBUTEROL) MORE THAN TWICE A WEEK WHEN YOU ARE OTHERWISE FEELING WELL.
If you are having trouble with your asthma while you are exercising, try the following:
- IMMEDIATELY STOP any activity you are doing and stay calm. Sometimes just taking a break helps
- Get out of the cold temperature and away from dust and dirt particles such as dust from a dry soccer field
- Take your quick-relief/Albuterol inhaler (you should always carry one with you if you have asthma!)
- Slow and calm your breathing – breathing fast can make your asthma worse
- Get medical attention if you are not better
How is asthma treated?
Asthma is treated by: keeping track of how well your lungs are working (your health care provider will listen to your lungs), taking medications as directed, avoiding things that make it worse (triggers), controlling things in your environment, and learning how to manage it. Although there is currently no cure for asthma, it can be controlled extremely well.
Tips to control your asthma symptoms:
- See your health care provider regularly and talk about any concerns you might have
- Take medications as prescribed by your health care provider
- Use a spacer with all inhaled medication, unless it is a dry powder. (Your health care provider will tell you if your inhaler is a dry powder.)
- Use a “peak flow meter” if you have one, especially to check your numbers when you have a cold or flu.
- Keep a “symptom diary” that describes time, date, severity (how bad you feel) and exposure activity (what were you doing when the symptoms got worse)
- Know your asthma “triggers” and try to avoid or eliminate them
- Pay attention to your asthma so you know when it is getting worse and when to get help
- Rest if your asthma is bothering you
- Don’t smoke, or quit if you do
- Learn as much as you can about asthma because the more you know, the better you can help care for yourself and feel good most of the time
What kinds of medicines are used to treat asthma?
Some people need to take one or more types of medication daily for their asthma and others may not need to take any except when their asthma is bothersome. Your health care provider will decide what medications you need to take.
The two main components of asthma are brocho-constriction – tightening of the muscles around your airways, and inflammation or swelling inside your airways.
- Albuterol – also known as your “rescue” or “quick reliever” medicine will relax the muscles around your airways. There are 3 brands of Albuterol – ProAir®, Proventil®, and Ventolin®. They all have the same ingredients and work the same way.
- Controller medications are medicines that you need to take every day to decrease the swelling in your airways. Controller medications can be inhalers such as Flovent®, Pulmicort®, Asmanex, QVAR®, Alvesco®, Aerospan®, Advair®, Dulera®, Arnuity™, Breo® or Symbicort® or perhaps a pill such as Montelukast or Singulair. Your health care provider will teach you how and when to use your medicine. | 0.574 | FineWeb | 1,173 |
How to Use advanced ACL Concepts
How to Use advanced ACL Concepts¶
The aim of this chapter is to give a more in-depth view of the ACL system, and also explain some of the design decisions behind it.
Symfony's object instance security capabilities are based on the concept of an Access Control List. Every domain object instance has its own ACL. The ACL instance holds a detailed list of Access Control Entries (ACEs) which are used to make access decisions. Symfony's ACL system focuses on two main objectives:
- providing a way to efficiently retrieve a large amount of ACLs/ACEs for your domain objects, and to modify them;
- providing a way to easily make decisions of whether a person is allowed to perform an action on a domain object or not.
As indicated by the first point, one of the main capabilities of Symfony's ACL system is a high-performance way of retrieving ACLs/ACEs. This is extremely important since each ACL might have several ACEs, and inherit from another ACL in a tree-like fashion. Therefore, no ORM is leveraged, instead the default implementation interacts with your connection directly using Doctrine's DBAL.
The ACL system is completely decoupled from your domain objects. They don't even have to be stored in the same database, or on the same server. In order to achieve this decoupling, in the ACL system your objects are represented through object identity objects. Every time you want to retrieve the ACL for a domain object, the ACL system will first create an object identity from your domain object, and then pass this object identity to the ACL provider for further processing.
This is analog to the object identity, but represents a user, or a role in your application. Each role, or user has its own security identity.
2.5For users, the security identity is based on the username. This means that,
if for any reason, a user's username was to change, you must ensure its
security identity is updated too. The
method is there to handle the update, it was introduced in Symfony 2.5.
Database Table Structure¶
The default implementation uses five database tables as listed below. The tables are ordered from least rows to most rows in a typical application:
- acl_security_identities: This table records all security identities (SID)
which hold ACEs. The default implementation ships with two security
- acl_classes: This table maps class names to a unique ID which can be referenced from other tables.
- acl_object_identities: Each row in this table represents a single domain object instance.
- acl_object_identity_ancestors: This table allows all the ancestors of an ACL to be determined in a very efficient way.
- acl_entries: This table contains all ACEs. This is typically the table with the most rows. It can contain tens of millions without significantly impacting performance.
Scope of Access Control Entries¶
Access control entries can have different scopes in which they apply. In Symfony, there are basically two different scopes:
- Class-Scope: These entries apply to all objects with the same class.
- Object-Scope: This was the scope solely used in the previous chapter, and it only applies to one specific object.
Sometimes, you will find the need to apply an ACE only to a specific field of the object. Suppose you want the ID only to be viewable by an administrator, but not by your customer service. To solve this common problem, two more sub-scopes have been added:
- Class-Field-Scope: These entries apply to all objects with the same class, but only to a specific field of the objects.
- Object-Field-Scope: These entries apply to a specific object, and only to a specific field of that object.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License . | 0.9905 | FineWeb | 852 |
Chief metallurgist, Schmidt & Clemens Alloy Steel Works, Lindlar,
Pages: 12 Published: Jan 1982
A new low-carbon 16Cr-5Ni stainless martensitic cast steel (S + C 4405) is presented as an advancement of CA6NM with improved corrosion resistance, excellent ductility, less susceptibility to hardening cracks, and good weldability, filling the gap between CA6NM and CF8M. The chemical composition is balanced so that a homogeneous microstructure consisting of annealed martensite with small amounts of δ-ferrite and finely dispersed austenite is obtained after hardening and tempering. Because of limited δ-ferrite, the impact values obtained correspond to CA6NM, and limited austenite still allows yield strength values comparable to those of CA6NM.
Due to its excellent ductility combined with good fabricability, the material is also suitable for cryogenic applications down to −200°C. Furthermore, favorable fatigue tests, and particularly test results in artificial seawater, show a remarkable improvement over CA6NM. Pitting- and crevice-corrosion tests by the International Nickel Co. multiple-crevice tetrafluoroethylene washer method suggest a corrosion resistance between that of CA6NM and CF8M and that this steel is suitable for seawater application in connection with cathodic protection. Stress-corrosion cracking in hydrogen sulfide-containing media was investigated according to the National Association of Corrosion Engineers Specification MR-01-75, and the resistance of 16Cr-5Ni under sour-gas conditions was found to be superior to that of CA6NM. The castability of this alloy was found to be favorable and comparable to that of CA6NM.
These characteristics are important for the following applications: offshore engineering, seawater desalination, chemical and petrochemical industries, shipbuilding, cryogenics, power generation, food industry, paper machine construction, and especially for pumps, compressors, fittings, centrifuges, waterturbines, and ship propellers.
stainless martensitic cast steel, high ductility, good weldability, low-temperature application, seawater corrosion, sour-gas service, corrosion fatigue, aceticacid test
Paper ID: STP28452S | 0.5356 | FineWeb | 557 |
Lean manufacturing is full of surprises. The shops I visited recently could attest to this—not just the shops in our August issue, but also the ones newly captured in video. For all of them, lean manufacturing delivered benefits and change beyond what they expected. This positive surprise is one further aspect of lean that deserves to be highlighted.
In a way, lean shouldn’t be so surprising. Lean entails a disciplined and even relentless focus on eliminating sources of waste. Lean is serious.
Yet, it’s also transformative—and those who experience a shop before and after lean get to see seemingly unchangeable aspects of the process, including some people, perform in strikingly different ways.
Start with the “clean.” Clutter is where waste hides, so a lean shop is a clean shop practically by definition. As various messes and stockpiles disappear, it can be amazing to discover just how clean it was always possible for the shop to be.
Similarly, other surprising changes are so basic that they can only be fully appreciated after they have occurred. Those changes might include any of the following:
1. Work now proceeds without meetings. “Meetings” and “manufacturing” seem to go together, given how often many shops huddle to get basic questions answered. By contrast, a lean process aims to get the right information to the right people as a matter of routine. Once this starts to happen, meetings of all sorts become dramatically less necessary and frequent.
2. Inspection isn’t a stick. The title of an article this month is, “If You Want to Improve Something, Measure It.” That becomes the motto for measurement in lean. Because the lean process is stripped of variables leading to error, measurement is no longer a pass/fail yardstick. Instead, measurement is valued for the upward pressure on quality that results whenever any indicator of performance is measured and tracked.
3. Failure is no cause for fear. When change is occasional, failure is remembered for a long time. However, when improvement is continuous, failure is just a means to progress. The lessons are soon incorporated into subsequent success.
4. Resisters become advocates. Some employees resist lean, but not necessarily because of lean itself. They resist because they have grown accustomed, rightly or wrongly, to being swept along in changes they have no power to affect. However, when these same employees are tasked with participating in 5S teams, they often find an outlet for insight and creativity that the employee or the shop never brought into play previously.
5. Productivity is actually easy. Another reason for resisting lean is the fear that employees will have more to do. It’s a valid fear; the output of a lean process is likely to increase. However, the input decreases at the same time. As a result, employees at work in a lean environment often discover just how much more satisfying and rewarding their effort can be once they are part of a process that fully values their time.
blog comments powered by Disqus | 0.816 | FineWeb | 649 |
What the effects of the privatisation of agriculture in Russia and China in the 1980s and 1990s?
The privatisation of agriculture in Russia started on 1989 – 1990 when Gorbachev changed the Soviet legislation about the non-government enterprises. So the agricultural program reform allowed the creation of non-government corporations of agricultural products. This, has helped the movement from corporate farms to individual farms. The number of peasant farms has been increased quickly to 270.000 in 1994 and became steady, about 280.000 or less in 1995. The number of the peasant farms was not the expected one by the government. Also, when the reform began the productivity and the efficiency have declined. As far as the privatisation of agriculture in China, this issue was part of the general Chinese economic reform which was implemented from Deng Xiaoping. Deng Xiaoping, decentralised the agriculture and gave strong attention to the household – responsibility system (HRS) which separated the common lands to private. This action gave a strong push up to China’s economy increasing the agricultural production and performance. The prices of agricultural products had increased and as a result of this, the quality of living standards in China has enhanced and afterwards the rural industry had improved.
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As far as the search strategy I followed for this particular topic, I have to mention some deductions. As the topic is not familiar to my knowledge, I did not know in which sources I had to search. So, I typed the whole question on the University’s library search machine with the purpose to find several references and get an idea for what I was looking for. The next step was to identify the key words of the question and try to continue my search using them. The key words I used are “Agriculture in Russia”, “Agriculture in China”, “Land reform in Russia”, “Land reform in China”, “China's agricultural privatisation programme”, “Russia's agricultural privatisation programme”, “impact of agriculture privatisation in China”, “impact of agriculture privatisation in Russia”. Unfortunately, I was not able to find a proper database which includes agricultural topics, as the particular question is social – economic topic. To accomplish my search I used one of the biggest search machines, the Google. Moreover, I used the Google Scholar, which provides very useful information about everything. Thus I searched in journals, articles, PhDs thesis (but I could not find a suitable one) and educational reports from universities.
The use of carbenes to make catalysts
The use of carbenes to make catalysts is quite new in chemistry sector. Because of Carbenes are consisted of non-common carbon atoms which are usually unbalanced in nature, attaching metals to create metal complexes and finally work as very important catalysts. The majority of scientists did not believe that it would ever be possible the construction of a particular kind of Carbenes. This certain kind of carbenes is called “abnormal N-Heterocyclic carbenes”, they developed in laboratory and they are used to make catalysts. Obviously they have given great opportunities for further development in many sectors of industry, especially in pharmaceutical industry. The chemist from the University of California, Riverside, Professor Guy Bertrand accomplished to separate and create aNCHs which are metal-free and chemists can use them to make every desired complex. The synthesis of a completely different class of metal-free aNHCs can drive to new roads the area of expertise of catalysis. It can give also great prospect of innovation in drug research and manufacture as catalytic procedures can facilitate to keep costs under control. This discovery can be really helpful and contribute to solve a great variety of drawbacks as the interest about this is continuously increased as it is very friendly to environment. Another advantage of abnormal N-Heterocyclic carbenes is that they function as organometallic catalysts which enhance their eco-friendly ability.
As far as the strategy I followed for this topic, I came into conclusion about some things. Again this particular topic was completely out of my knowledge, so I had first to identify what exactly are carbenes and what is catalyst. After a general search in the library and google, I tried to focus on key words, like “carbenes”, “catalyst”. As long as I knew that the topic is about chemistry, my direction on the research led me to find journals and resources about chemistry. After finding some references from journals, I tried to search on PhD Thesis but I was not able to discover an appropriate PhD thesis which declares the carbenes and their usage on making catalysts. A very interesting thing is that during my research I recognized that catalysts are made of a particular type of carbenes which is artificial. The strengths of my research strategy are that it was feasible to find an acceptable variety of references to support my answer, as well as to make clear the definition of carbenes and their implementation. On the other hand the weaknesses of my research strategy were that obviously I could not discover a proper PhD Thesis in order to go deeper on my investigation. The reference which supports and describe in the best way my answer is “Nicolas Marion, S.D.-G.D., Steven P. Nolan Prof. Dr. (2007) 'N-Heterocyclic Carbenes as Organocatalysts'. Angewandte Chemie.”
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Constructing flexible antenna by injecting liquid metal into elastomeric microchannels
The use of antennas is widespread with many implementations. The traditional antennas are made up from metal, especially copper. This means that antennas are too strong, even though they can break down easily. Because of the wide application antennas have, from medical to technical and military sector, users encountered a lot of problems, most significant problem was the antenna’s limitation on how far they could get curved. Thus, scientists made it possible to construct flexible antennas from liquid metal in order to overcome this limitation. They accomplished their goal injecting liquid metal into elastomeric microchannels. The liquid metal they used is EGaIn which is consisted of 75% eutectic gallium and 25% indium. So, inserting liquid metal into a layer of microchannels in an elastomeric surface it is a very simple way to construct radiating frameworks. In contrast to traditional antennas, made up from stiff metal which is not flexible, the new type of them, uses the mechanical attributes of the enclosed material and also can be flexible and strong. This flexible antenna can be used in many existing applications such as cell phones or other electronic devices but also can be used in other type of applications such as textiles. Flexible antennas can be stretched without losing of their efficiency or attributes as they have the ability to tolerate any kind of effort upon them. Moreover, the ability of liquid metal to mix up with other metals, could help the straight electrical connection and integration of antennas into surfaces with electronic parts.
As far as the search strategy I followed, I have to mention some inferences. The topic was completely unknown for me, although I understood that it is an engineering topic, so I had to focus my research on engineering sources. The key words I used are “flexible”, “antenna”, “liquid”, “metal”, “elastomeric” and “microchannel”. At first, I used them altogether as I wanted to understand what exactly is the topic. Afterwards, I used them separately or in combination. One interesting thing is that some references from google patent, which were too useful to understand the concept of flexible antenna invention. Furthermore, I found a lot of mechanical and engineering journals which depict very clearly the implementation and the construction of flexible antenna. An important problem I faced on the beginning it was that I found the same paper in many different sources and I had to dig more in the internet. The most appropriate reference I used for answering this particular topic is ” Gerard J. Hayes, J.-H.S., Amit Qusba, Michael D. Dickey, Gianluca Lazzi (2012) 'Flexible Liquid Metal Alloy (EGlan) Microstrip Patch Antenna'. IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation.” | 0.5953 | FineWeb | 1,866 |
The comparability of linear and nonlinear latent variable analyses of skewed dichotomous items
Factor-analytic methods founded on the multivariate linear model are often employed to scale behavior rating instruments. When items are scored as dichotomies and endorsements are skewed, the data violate the assumption of a multivariate normal distribution (MND). While the mathematical ramifications of such have been widely characterized, an empirical evaluation of MND- and non MND-based latent variable solution concordance has not been reported. This research investigated whether MND-based latent variable models employing previously-reported latent dimension extraction and item retention restrictions yielded a solution which was supported by two methods which do not assume a MND: (a) bi-factor analysis, and (b) latent class analysis. Standardization data of the Bristol Social Adjustment Guides, an instrument which evaluates social adjustment in school, were randomly divided into scaling (N = 1,505) and confirmatory (N = 1,000) samples. Scaling methods included: (a) first-order principal component analysis (PCA) and common factor analysis (CFA), (b) second-order CFA, and (c) confirmatory, oblique, principal-component cluster analysis. Bi-factor and latent class models evaluated the goodness-of-fit of confirmatory sample data to the item structure and behavior styles indicated via MND-based linear scaling. One solution comprising four first-order and two second-order latent dimensions, overactivity (OVER) and underactivity (UNDER), was derived and supported by both confirmatory methods. The bi-factor model was superior to simple structure for OVER and UNDER items, $X\sp2$ difference: OVER (39, N = 1,000) = 67, $p < .005$; and UNDER (33, N = 1,000) = 100, $p < .005$. A three-dimensional (over-, under-, and normoactivity) confirmatory latent class model was fitted, $X\sp2$ (4, N = 1,000) = 1.29, $p > .80$, while alternative one- and two-class models were rejected at the $<$.01 alpha level. PCA and CFA yield concordant solutions with dichotomous, skewed, item data under accepted extraction and retention criteria. Latent structures identified through MND-based linear factoring are, under these circumstances, supported by models which do not assume a MND. ^
Education, Tests and Measurements|Statistics|Psychology, Psychometrics
Irene Debra Feurer,
"The comparability of linear and nonlinear latent variable analyses of skewed dichotomous items"
(January 1, 1997).
Dissertations available from ProQuest. | 0.8156 | FineWeb | 685 |
What is Certified Organic?
When something is “certified organic”, it means that it has been produced according to a specific organic standard. This is assurance that the product has been produced to specific standards to ensure its organic quality.
All our sheets, doona covers and pillowslips are all certified to the GOTS standard. GOTS stands for the Global Organic Textile Standard and is the leading worldwide textile standard for organic fibers.
So, why do we have our sheet sets and doona cover sets certified by GOTS? Well, we want to be assured that our kids and yours are sleeping in soft, organic cotton fabric that is free from nasty chemical residues. We also want to assure that the people making our sheets and doona covers are treated fairly and with respect.
The GOTS standard has a strict set of criteria that must be adhered to in order for a factory/company to sell GOTS certified products. These standards mirror our belief system and what is important to us, both environmentally and socially:
- GOTS have strict standards to ensure the organic status of the fabric.
- The use of toxic heavy metals, formaldehyde, aromatic solvents, functional nano particles, GMO and their enzymes are all prohibited under the GOTS standard.
- All chemicals such as dyes and process chemicals must be evaluated as meeting requirements on toxicity and biodegradability/eliminability.
- AZO dyes that release carcinogenic amine compounds are prohibited.
- Printing methods using phthalates and PVC are prohibited.
- Trims must not contain PVC, nickel or chrome.
- Bleaches must be based on oxygen rather than chlorine bleach.
- There must be an active environmental policy and procedures in place to minimize waste and discharges. Wastewater from printing and dyeing processes etc. must be treated in a functional wastewater treatment plant.
- Fabrics must meet stringent limits regarding unwanted residues.
- Any paper or cardboard used for swing tickets, cardboard boxes for shipping etc must be recycled or certified according to FSC or PEFC.
- Factories must meet minimum social criteria. Employment must be chosen freely, so seeing a GOTS certification is your assurance that no slave or child labour has been used.
- Fair wages must be paid and the working hours must not be excessive.
- The working conditions must be safe and hygienic.
- Harsh and inhumane treatment is prohibited. No discrimination is practiced.
For more information on the GOTS standard please visit the GOTS website: http://www.global-standard.org/about-us | 0.7621 | FineWeb | 581 |
The freshly harvested algae is dried at low temperature(below 42°C), which ensures that heat sensitive vitamins and carotenoids are well preserved.
- Protein - Spirulina has the highest protein content of any natural food. Our Spirulina contains between 65 and 70% protein. This is 270% more protein than fish, 334% more than beef and 556% more than tofu. Spirulina provides all the essential amino acids and is therefore considered a complete protein. With regards to usable protein (as a percentage of the food’s composition), Spirulina is second only to whole, dried eggs. Furthermore, protein from Spirulina is easily digestible due to the organism’s cell wall being free from cellulose and 85 – 95% digestible. This is especially beneficial to those individuals who have difficulty digesting complex proteins and those that suffer from intestinal malabsorption.
- Vitamins - Spirulina contains both water and fat soluble vitamins and is a rich source of Vitamin B12, containing 118% more than raw beef liver. The Vitamin-B complex consists of the following vitamins: B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9 and B12, all present in the Spirulina matrix. Most of these vitamins play a vital role in releasing energy from food and maintaining a healthy nervous system.
- Minerals - Superfood’s Spirulina contains various trace minerals and provides 475% more calcium than whole milk and 5756% more iron than spinach. Spirulina is the best natural iron supplement available and has been shown to correct anaemia, increase blood haemoglobin content and increase iron reserves. Iron from Spirulina is more than twice as absorbable as the form of iron found in most meats and vegetables.
- Healing Pigments - Chlorophyll is the green pigment in Spirulina, and aids in cleansing and detoxifying the body. It is referred to as “Green Blood” due to its striking resemblance to human
haemoglobin. Our Spirulina provides 30 mg Chlorophyll per daily dosage of 3 grams.
Phycocyanin is a naturally occurring, brilliant blue pigment in Spirulina, and stimulates blood production which in turn strengthens the immune system. It is also a potent antioxidant, protecting the body against DNA damage and premature aging. Our Spirulina provides 345 mg of Phycocyanin per daily dose of 3 grams.
- Essential fatty acids - Gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) is an essential fatty acid, part of the Omega-6
group, which can only be obtained by consumption of vegetarian foods like Spirulina. GLA promotes
cholesterol normalization. Spirulina is concentrated in GLA. A daily dose of 3 grams Spirulina
provides 55 mg of essential fatty acids, 30 mg in the form of Linoleic acid and 25 mg in the form of GLA. Other dietary sources of GLA include Mother’s milk and oil extracts of black current, borage seeds and evening primrose. GLA comprises up to 20% of the lipid fraction of Spirulina, compared to 9% for evening primrose oil.
- Polysaccharides - Calcium-Spirulan is a water-soluble polysaccharide unique to Spirulina. This
polymerized sugar molecule contains both sulphur and calcium. Calcium-Spirulan has been shown to inhibit the replication of life-threatening viruses such as HIV-1. By inhibiting viral penetration of the cell it renders the virus vulnerable to the host’s immune system leaving it unable to replicate.
- Superoxide Dismutase - The enzyme Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) is a true natural antioxidant which removes excess superoxide free radicals, known to be responsible for cell oxidation which leads to DNA damage, cancer and premature aging. Our Spirulina contains large quantities of SOD, providing 10605 units per daily dose of 3 grams.
- Antioxidants - Spirulina contains a powerful combination antioxidants. Its ORAC value of 61900 makes it one of the highest of any food!
The Scientific Research
There are various peer reviewed scientific studies regarding Spirulina’s ability to strengthen the immune
system, inhibit viral replication and cause regression of cancers. These results highlight the potential of Spirulina as a therapeutic supplement in the modern diet. Spirulina has also been shown to play a role in lowering cholesterol levels, building blood cells and reversing anaemia. It has been effectively used to reverse malnutrition and reduce urine radioactivity levels of children at the Institute of Radiation Medicine in Minsk, Belarus.
Unlike blue-green algae harvested from uncontrolled lakes, our Spirulina is cultivated under carefully controlled conditions.
The freshly harvested algae is rapidly dewatered before drying it in specially designed drying chambers, which ensures that heat sensitive vitamins and carotenoids are well preserved. The dry product is then granulated using a specially designed low-temperature milling process.
Superfoods Spirulina is grown and processed under the stricktest quality control standards(SABS 9001:2000 HACCP) and is free from pesticides, herbicides, preservatives, GMO’s and additives, and is processed RAW.
Our Spirulina is available in powder and tablet form through selected health shops or directly from our webshop.
Each tablet contains 300mg of 100% pure Spirulina - no binders or fillers are used.
How to use Spirulina
Spirulina has a unique, strong, salty taste, which some find
unpleasant.The powder is therefore best mixed with your favourite smoothie or fresh juice. Start with 1/2 a teaspoon and gradually build up to 1-2 teaspoons of Spirulina powder daily.
Tablets can be taken at any time during the day with water.
A recommended minimum dose is 3g and should be eaten daily for maintenance. | 0.5258 | FineWeb | 1,442 |
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