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ONE in two working Malaysians earns less than RM2,160 a month, below the RM2,700 Putrajaya considers a decent living wage to meet the rise in costs, said Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.
He told The Malaysian Insight that only half of the country's 14.5 million workers contribute to the Employees Provident Fund (EPF), noting that 30% of the seven million contributors earn less than RM1,000 a month.
"These worrying numbers are a challenge for the Pakatan Harapan administration as it attempts to fulfil its promise of helping Malaysians cope with the rising cost of living.
"When I graduated in 1987, my starting pay as an estate manager was RM1,700 a month. My daughter recently graduated, and her pay is RM2,500. So in 30 years, the rise in salaries for new graduates is just RM800."
According to EPF data, 85% of contributors earn less than RM4,000 a month, while only 3% make more than RM10,000.
The picture is just as bleak when it comes to the EPF savings of low-income Malaysians, said Saifuddin.
Only half of Malaysian workers contribute to EPF. And about 70% of these contributors have savings that will not last for more than five years when they reach 55 – the age when they can take out their accumulated deposits.
This means EPF depositors who cash out at 55 have enough money to last them only till 60. The average lifespan of Malaysians is 79 due to better standards of medical care.
Saifuddin said the strain of providing for these retirees will only increase, as by 2030, the number of active Malaysian workers contributing to the economy and the government's coffers will be lower than those who are no longer productive.
"Tackling these issues will require wide-scale structural reforms to the country's economy, which has, for decades, been dependent on cheap foreign labour."
Experts have stated that such dependence on low-salaried foreign labour has depressed wages for Malaysians, he said.
"This is why PH's promise of raising the minimum wage is very important," said Saifuddin, referring to the RM1,500 that the coalition pledged in its election manifesto.
However, after much debate and consultation with stakeholders, an increase of RM100 to RM1,100 was announced in Budget 2019.
Besides the minimum wage, the government is also focusing on long- and short-term measures to increase incomes and reduce the cost of living.
The long-term measures include reducing the number of foreign workers and increasing social protections, such as affordable medical care and the EPF scheme for housewives.
Saifuddin's ministry is focused on short-term initiatives, such as expanding the list of year-round price-controlled items and giving out targeted petrol subsidies.
"The long-term structural problems require a holistic approach to tackle, and we cannot work in silos." – February 23, 2019. |
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STD rates have seen increases in recent years and Thurston County ranks fairly on par with overall state rankings. Ranking in the top 20 for sexual health among states, residents of Olympia can maintain health and continue improving these statistics through safer sex practices, regular testing, and staying armed with relevant information.
By 2016 there was a rate of 427 chlamydia cases, 96 gonorrhea cases, and 7 primary and secondary syphilis cases per 100,000 residents across Thurston County. These are the three most commonly reported and diagnosed sexually transmitted diseases.
And yet, just two decades ago syphilis was almost eradicated. Responding to this rising threat, programs and clinics throughout the Olympia and Thurston County areas offer condom distribution, needle exchange, and free STD testing to residents that meet the income qualifications.
What's the best way to stay healthy? Get tested! Health professional and public health officials recommend regular testing for all sexually active persons, with the frequency of testing based on risk level.
The city of Olympia has many options: from Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest and the Hawaiian Islands located on Legion Way, to Sea Mar Community Health Centers on Limited Lane, and PCAF Olympia located on 4th Avenue East.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention1 (CDC) recommends screening for the most common STDs, including chlamydia, gonorrhea, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, syphilis, herpes 1, herpes 2, and HIV for both men and women. In addition, the CDC suggests women get screened for trichomoniasis.
SaferSTD recommends searching for locations that offer a 10-test panel which tests for the most common bacteria and viral STDs in the U.S. with additional premium add-ons like early HIV detection, if needed.
The CDC2 provides detailed STD testing information as to when you should get tested. In summary, you should get tested today if you are sexually active, never been tested before, have had unprotected sex in the past, or if you exhibit symptoms.
According to the World Health Organization3, the majority of STI cases reported every day, more than one million, are asymptomatic; another reason to get tested today.
You should get tested again in 90 days to rule out STDs that have specific exposure waiting times, including HIV.
STD testing can be a quick and simple process, depending on the type of test you choose and where you get tested. Some may require an oral or genital swab, a urine test or blood sample, or a physical exam to check your genital area for signs of an STD.
SaferSTD has identified preferred providers that require only a urine test, a blood sample, or both without a physical exam.
The speed at which you receive your STD testing results depends on where you get tested. Before you choose your location, find out how long testing results will take.
At-home STD testing results are usually 3-5 business days, depending on the manufacturer of your test. You also need to take into account the amount of time it takes to receive the test or pick one up, perform the test, and ship it back, before the lab can analyze your results and report back to you.
If you test at a public facility such as a neighborhood clinic, you may have to wait a week, if not more for the results, which could delay treatment. If you test through a private facility, they have the fastest turnaround within 1-3 business days.
SaferSTD has researched and identified the most accredited and most reputable testing locations. Click here to find a preferred location near you.
Some STD testing clinics offer same-day walk-in options without an appointment. Below are nearby preferred locations that offer this option.
The cost of STD testing depends on whether you select private, public, or at-home testing, as well as the type of test(s) you need.
Several at-home STD options and public testing locations can cost up to $250, with most on the higher end, depending on the brand and type of testing. Public testing fees also vary based on income and welfare eligibility.
With private testing, you may save money on a low-cost comprehensive 10-test panel that tests for the most common bacterial and viral STDs in the United States.
SaferSTD has researched and identified reputable locations that offer upfront pricing without hidden fees. Click here to find a preferred location near you.
Pierce County AIDS Foundation (PCAF) is an organization that serves people infected with or affected by HIV. It has offices in Olympia and Tacoma and serves individuals living in and around the said areas. For over three decades, PCAF has been offering HIV testing, comprehensive treatment, prevention, and support services. The medical team offers INSTI or Determine rapid HIV tests that utilize finger-prick blood, and test results may be available in two minutes or two weeks respectively.
Providence Health & Services was founded by the Sisters of Providence and has been in existence for over 10 decades. The organization has more than 30 hospitals that offer quality health-care services to everyone. To curb the spread of infectious diseases, the facility has an infectious disease clinic that has infectious disease specialists who are proficient in managing HIV and other viral diseases.
Founded in 1985, Options Pregnancy Clinic is a health center that offers medical care and support to Olympia, WA, residents who face pregnancy challenges, including unplanned pregnancies. Its physicians offer pregnancy testing, limited ultrasounds, and STI testing and treatment. To effectively run the organization and stay operational, the clinic accepts donations and volunteers who complement the onsite nurses.
Planned Parenthood Olympia Health Center of Olympia, WA, is a health facility that offers quality and comprehensive medical services. The clinic has physician assistants and nurses who are competent in providing reproductive health-care services such as testing and treating STDs. The medical providers may offer rapid HIV tests which may produce results in 20 to 30 minutes while other test results may be available in 7 to 10 days.
Westcare Clinic was founded in 1981 by 2 ER physicians; Jerome R. Peterson, MD and Charles N. Buser, MD. The founders aimed to open a facility that offers comprehensive medical services promptly. Some of the conditions the medical team is well-trained in handling include, but not limited to bronchitis, pneumonia, open wounds, UTIs, and STDs.
The MultiCare health network comprises of 8 hospitals, various specialty centers, primary care clinics, and urgent care facilities in which Indigo Urgent Care is part of. The clinic has a clinical concierge on staff who welcomes clients and helps them to navigate their way to the physicians. The services available at the clinic include treatment of allergies, colds, burns, and flu as well as STDs.
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Accredited and Certified
These location types are best for: Privacy and convenience
Description: Order online and receive a doctor's order to visit this lab to get tested in as little as 15 mins. Get your results privately within 1-2 business days and speak with a doctor over the phone if your test results come back positive. Doctors may prescribe treatment or refer you to a specialist if needed.
Accredited and Certified
These location types are best for: Privacy and convenience
Description: Getting an STD test at a clinic near you has never been easier. When you choose this location, you can get a doctor's requisition to get tested in as little as 15 minutes. Following your test, you receive your results privately within 2 business days, and can speak to a doctor over the phone with confidence, should results come back as positive.
Accredited and Certified
These location types are best for: Privacy and convenience
Description: Why go to a public clinic? Get convenient and fast STD testing that is 100% confidential. Individual tests under $50. Order online and visit this lab the same day for a quick 15 min test. Get your results online within 1-2 business days, and view them privately. Doctor consultation available over the phone, should results come back as positive.
Accredited and Certified
These location types are best for: Privacy and convenience
Description: Get Fast, Easy and Affordable testing at this location. Results come back within 2 business days and be in and out of the lab in less then 20 minutes.
Show only locations where privacy and discretion is taken into importance.
Description: Public Health Department/Social Services Department.
Description: Social Service Organization. This health center opens at 12noon the 4th Friday of each month
Description: Need to register as a patient.
Show only locations where you can easily book your test online.
Description: STD testing open to the general public. Tuesday evenings by appointment
Show only locations where they offer the HIV RNA Early Detection Test for people who think they may have been recently exposed to the HIV virus
Description: Need to register as a patient.
Description: Need to register as a patient.
Description: Need to register as a patient.
Description: Need to enroll as a patient.
Description: Need to register as a patient.
Description: Need to register as a patient. Closed for lunch: 12noon-1pm. 2nd Wednesday of each month: Closed at 12noon for the remainder of the day
Description: Safeway Pharmacy.
Description: Services for tribal and community members living on or near the reservation.
Description: Need to register as a patient. Closed for lunch: 12noon-1pm. 2nd Wednesday of each month: Closed at 12noon for the remainder of the day
Description: Social Service Organization. Opens at 12noon and closes at 4:30pm on the 4th Friday of each month
Top STD Testing Locations in Olympia, WA
Primary Item (H2)PCAF staff offers free HIV testing to everyone regardless of ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, political affiliation, or age.
The bilingual staff may offer medical services in both English and Spanish. Also, the foundation may link negative persons at risk of contracting HIV with the PrEP Drug Assistance Program. Additionally, the medical team works discreetly so they may avail your STD results in-person but they may provide a copy of the results upon provision of a photo ID.
2101 4th Ave E, Olympia, WA 98501, USA
Insured persons may use their health plans to make payments for STD services received while uninsured ones may utilize self-pay options such as cash, checks, and credit cards. Additionally, low-income earners may qualify for financial assistance programs.
PLWHA may receive comprehensive care, including advanced medication. Also, physicians offer online doctor visits to ensure clients may receive medical care regardless of their physical location. Moreover, clients may pay their bills via the patient portal.
3525 Ensign Rd NE Ste F, Olympia, WA 98506, USA
Anyone qualifies for free STD testing regardless of age, gender, race, color, or sexual orientation.
The health-care providers offer free services so you won't incur any costs at the clinic. Additionally, pregnant women may receive linkage to community resources such as baby supplies. Also, physicians serve with confidentiality hence create a safe environment for clients in need of pregnancy or STD services.
135 Lilly Rd NE, Olympia, WA 98506, USA
Insurance health plans may pay for your STD testing and treatment services, so ensure that you carry your information at the time of your visit. Also, uninsured persons may utilize self-pay options to pay for services, and they may also qualify for a sliding scale fee or state-funded program.
To receive STD services, you may book an appointment. Additionally, you may receive medical care virtually via the Planned Parenthood App. Also, physicians serve for extended weekend hours.
402 Legion Way SE #201, Olympia, WA 98501, USA
Insured persons may qualify for extensive STD services but they should call ahead to check whether the clinic participates with their insurance providers. Also, uninsured persons may pay for services using low-cost and affordable self-pay options.
Physicians not only work every day but also serve clients for extended hours. Moreover, anyone may receive STD services as a walk-in client. Also, the facility has short waiting times, so you may receive comprehensive medical services in approximately an hour after walking in.
3000 Limited Ln NW, Olympia, WA 98502, USA
The staff may bill most insurance plans, including Medicare, Medicaid, Aetna, Tricare, and MultiPlan. Also, uninsured persons may utilize self-pay options like cash and debit cards to pay for low-cost STD services.
The urgent care health center conveniently serves its clients every day. Moreover, it accepts walk-ins and appointment bookings. Also, clients may pay their bills online, via mail, in-person, or through the phone.
345 Cooper Point Rd NW #103, Olympia, WA 98502, USA
The healthy youth act covers HIV and sexual health education and is mandated for schools statewide.
In the local school board, all instruction and materials used in teaching sexual health class to students:
HIV testing is easily available in multiple locations with results available in 2-4 weeks. Herpes testing with same-day results is available as well with walk-in or appointment options.
Starting students with accurate and easily accessed information begins a solid foundation for ensuring sexual health in the community.
It is a small city with just over 46,000 people living in 20,000 households. The predominately white community represents 82% of the local population and the balance is split between African-American, Native American, Asian, and Hispanic.
The median age in the city is 38 years old with 19% of residents being under the age of 18. The gender makeup is very close to 50/50 ratio. It is a well-educated community and it also has low rates of obesity. This healthy culture might contribute to the lower STD rates as compared to the nation's averages. West coast attitudes prevail here which can mean more open-minds coupled with a push-back to rules. Continued conversation around STD rates helps influence locals to get tested and practice sexual safety.
The city has a number of institutions of higher learning which could explain why there is a higher STD incidence in the millennial population. Youthful exuberance coupled with the pre-frontal cortex (center for decision making) that doesn't completely develop until around 25 means this population needs an ongoing reminder around sexual safety.
It's not surprising that the areas of Olympia East and Nisqually Indian Community has a higher teen pregnancy rates as well has a higher number of families on public assistance. Populations living beneath the poverty level and with lower education typically show higher rates of disease and pregnancies and younger moms. It's important that local health providers continue to reach out to these populations. Fortunately there are free health clinics in the region that cater to anyone who doesn't have health coverage or who simply needs some information, testing, diagnosis, or treatment.
Olympia is a health-conscious city; they love spring water and hikes through fresh air. With a higher than usual percentage of the population being employed by the government, not only are citizens taking full advantage of Obama-care, there is also funding to reach all populations. Comprehensive STD testing is available on a walk-in basis, sometimes in as little as five minute according to online ads from some private STD clinics. Health-care facilities that provide education and diagnosis are becoming more common as well as mail-order home swabs you send in to a lab for anonymous results.
Each page below contains a detailed report of the local area, location STD statistics and clinic reviews of some the top STD testing locations. The content is curated by our very own editors and medical experts. |
Large Stone Metate
Carved from volcanic rock, used for grinding chocolate beans and maize.
A classic metate is a flat slab of stone, sometimes with carved legs. The top of the slab has a shallow depression which is created through years of wear. To use the metate, someone scatters grain into this depression and then rolls a mano, a rounded grinding stone, back and forth across the metate
All vary, approx 20cm x 17cm x 12cm tall.
Inspire Education is a highly engaging online curriculum platform where children master the foundation subjects. Using a huge amount of tools, multimedia and interactive scenes, the content is knowledge-rich, logically sequenced and concept-driven to inspire children to execute targeted subject skills.
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The Inspire platform comes with Mozaik 3D. These unique 3D models offer a unique opportunity to acquire knowledge more efficiently. They can be rotated and resized and have built-in animations. Most also include narrations and a walk mode, enabling you to explore a particular environment.
Signup for an online webinar with some of the top curriculum experts. Your school's curriculum should be fun, engaging and have a sense of purpose.
Purchase inexpensive, exciting and unusual historical and cultural artefacts. This unbeatable history collection starts at the Stone Age and goes right through to the 20th Century.
Book a historic workshop for your class. These workshops are highly engaging, hands-on learning, that is second to none.
Browse our catalogue for some of the most popular curriculum books out there, all heavily researched and handpicked to help build your classroom's library. |
Alice Springs Fauna •
Alice Springs ButterfliesBlue Moon Butterfly Caper White Butterfly, Egg and Instar Glasswing (Acraea andromacha) Lesser Wanderer (Danaus petilia) Meadow Argus (Junonia villida calybe) Tawny Coster (Acraea terpsicore) Two-spotted Line-blue Butterfly (Nacaduba biocellata)
The Lesser Wanderer (Danaus petilia, formerly classified as D. chrysippus petilia) is a migratory species found across Australia and in tropical countries1, 2.
A common butterfly with nomadic populations, particularly across the arid region of central Australia where many native host plants die of during dry periods, and in south eastern Australia where it is too cold for them in winter.
The Lesser Wanderer are found in a variety of habitats including open country and agricultural grazing farmland areas. They are known for generally having a slow flight pattern and flying close to the ground.
Butterflies prefer an open country or farmland habitat. Flight is generally slow and close to the ground.
The caterpillars feed on native and introduced cotton bush (genus Gomphocarpus), species, as well know to feed on Asclepias, Brachystelma, Calotropis, Cynanchum, Marsdenia, Rhyncharrhena, Sarcostemma species.
The Lesser Wanderer pictured here was photographed on buffel grass in Alice Springs in the, Northern Territory.
- Scientific classification
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Subphylum: Hexapoda
- Class: Insecta
- Subclass: Pterygota
- Order: Lepidoptera
- Superfamily: Papilionoidea
- Family: Nymphalidae
- Subfamily: Danainae
- Tribe: Danaini
- Subtribe: Danaina
- Genus: Danaus
- Species: Danaus petilia
Footnote & References
- Lesser Wanderer, Danaus petilia (Stoll, 1790), Atlas of Living Australia, https://bie.ala.org.au/species/https://biodiversity.org.au/afd/taxa/a5ea37bf-956a-430a-b719-3985da2b7ba9
- Danaus petilia, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danaus_petilia
- Lesser Wanderer (Danaus petilia), iNaturalistAU, https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/taxa/333775-Danaus-petilia
- Lesser Wanderer – Danaus petilia (was D. chrysippus petilia), Brisbane Insects and Spiders, https://www.brisbaneinsects.com/brisbane_nymphs/LesserWanderer.htm
- Danaus petilia (Stoll, 1790), Australian Lesser Wanderer, Butterfly House, http://lepidoptera.butterflyhouse.com.au/nymp/petilia.html
Alice Springs ButterfliesBlue Moon Butterfly Caper White Butterfly, Egg and Instar Glasswing (Acraea andromacha) Lesser Wanderer (Danaus petilia) Meadow Argus (Junonia villida calybe) Tawny Coster (Acraea terpsicore) Two-spotted Line-blue Butterfly (Nacaduba biocellata)
Alice Springs Butterflies & Moths (Lepidopterans)Butterflies Moths
Alice Springs FaunaAlice Springs Native Bees Alice Springs Beetles Alice Springs Birds Alice Springs Gastropods (Gastropoda) Alice Springs Insects Alice Springs Marsupials Alice Springs Reptiles Alice Springs Spiders
Alice Springs FloraAlice Springs Flora Index Acacia ligulata Annual Yellowtop Bougainvillea Apple Bush Burdekin Plum Carob Tree (Ceratonia siliqa) Cattle Bush Desert Cotton (Aerva javanica) Desert Oak Eremophila Wildberry Feijoa sellowiana Flannel Cudweed Fork-leaf Corkwood Ghost Gum Golden Everlasting Kurrajong Lemon-flowered Gum MacDonnell's Desert Fuchsia Native Bluebell Native Tomato Needlewood Olive Tree Perennial Yellow Top Rat's Tail River Red Gum Inland River Red Gum Rosy Dock Round-leaved Mallee Scurvy Grass Silky Eremophila Stemodia viscosa Striped Mintbush Sturt's Desert Pea Sturt's Desert Rose Tangled Leschenaultia Tar Vine Weeping Bottlebrush White Cedar Yellow Billybutton Yellow-keeled Swainsona Yellow Oleander
Alice SpringsAlice Springs Accommodation Alice Springs Pet Friendly Accommodation Alice Springs Art & Culture Alice Springs Attractions Alice Springs Directory Alice Springs Distance Alice Springs Festival & Events Alice Springs Flora and Fauna Alice Springs Fauna Alice Springs Flora Getting Around Alice Springs Alice Springs Aboriginal Tours Alice Springs Tours Alice Springs Tours – Other |
During an asthma attack, the airways swell and narrow. This makes it hard for your child to breathe. Severe asthma attacks can be dangerous. But you can help prevent these attacks by keeping your child's asthma under control and treating symptoms before they get bad. Symptoms include being short of breath, having chest tightness, coughing, and wheezing. Noting and treating these symptoms can also help you avoid trips to the emergency room.
If you notice that your child has any problems or new symptoms, get medical treatment right away.
Quick-relief medicines are given to relax the airways so your child can breathe easier. Corticosteroid medicines are used to reduce inflammation. They may be inhaled or given as pills or a shot. Some asthma attacks may need treatment in the hospital. Your child may get extra oxygen or help with breathing if needed.
Help your child follow their asthma action plan. If your child doesn't have an action plan, get one from their doctor. It includes the quick-relief medicines your child will take if they have an attack. Use asthma medicines as directed.
Your child may be at increased risk for very bad asthma attacks if he or she:
Triggers, such as air pollution, pollen, pet dander, and colds and flu, also may make asthma worse and may lead to asthma attacks.
Delayed allergic reactions might cause your child to have asthma symptoms at night. Sometimes allergens that get in the airway can cause problems up to 8 hours later. Medicine that wears off in early morning might also cause your child to wake up at night.
You can use your child's asthma action plan to help figure out how bad an attack is. You can look at things like how hard it is for your child to breathe, how much your child is wheezing, or how alert your child is.
Call 911 anytime you think your child may need emergency care. For example, call if:
Call your doctor now or seek immediate medical care if:
Watch closely for changes in your child's health, and be sure to contact your doctor if:
©2011-2024 Healthwise, Incorporated |
Measuring output per capita in US dollars, a key comparative economic indicator, BMI predicts that the UK will partially recover its world ranking to 17th by 2013. But the combination of falling output and a devalued currency suggests Britain will struggle to ever break back into the world's top 12. (see full table at http://www.businessmonitor.com/ukreport)
The 60-page BMI report is one of the most bearish yet to be published on the UK economy. Among its key conclusions:
- Britain will suffer a far deeper recession than either the UK Treasury or IMF predicts. GDP is forecast to contract by 3.5% in 2009, followed by a shallow 0.2% recovery in 2010. Unemployment will peak at 3.2 million next year, an 11.2% rate, with the financial services sector set to lose 570,000 jobs between 2008 and 2010.
- Sterling's steep depreciation is the principle factor behind Britain's fall in the league tables; the pound will remain weak for the next three years, dragged down by recession, huge budget deficits, low interest rates and increasing political risk.
- Despite enjoying 11 years of strong growth between 1997 and 2007, the UK ran a budget deficit of 1.7% of GDP over this period, fuelling a fiscal time bomb. Faced with the financial burden of bailing out the banking sector and kick-starting the economy, the budget deficit will swell to an unsustainable 9.3% of GDP in 2009, and average 6.7% over the following four years.
- Property prices will see a cumulative fall of 41%, from peak to trough, and could take more than 10 years to recover to the levels of 2007. The impact of negative equity and declining asset values will further serve to depress consumer spending and economic growth.
In terms of recovery, BMI points out that the UK (still the world's sixth largest manufacturer) is well placed to benefit from the changing terms of trade triggered by the slide in sterling (much as it did following its exit from the ERM in 1992). As import demand falls and UK exports recover, the long-standing current account deficit should turn into surplus in 2011, and remain in the black until 2016 at least.
Source: Business Monitor International |
That question has been around for hundreds of years.
Origin of life is the hardest question in science. No one knows how the first cell came about. But there's a simpler, more fundamental question: Where did the information come from? An answer will trigger a quantum leap in Artificial Intelligence. This may be as big as the transistor or the discovery of DNA itself. (3)
One ancient view of the origin of life, from Aristotle until the 19th century, is of spontaneous generation. This theory held that "lower" animals were generated by decaying organic substances and that life arose by chance. (1)
Francesco Redi 5 was the first person (in 1665) to challenge the theory of spontaneous generation by demonstrating that maggots come from eggs of flies and not from decaying meat.
Louis Pasteur's (4) 1859 experiment is widely seen as having settled the question of spontaneous generation. Pasteur made a flask with a swan neck to see if particles would form when the opening pointed downward. The flask with the neck broken off yielded contaminated particles while the intact swan neck did not have contaminants. Therefore, this shows that spontaneous generation does not occur.
While Pasteur and Redi disproved spontaneous generation, those who believe in abiogenesis would necessitate a belief that chemicals spontaneously interacted to form a living cell. There would have been no functional system but simply molecules interacting through chemistry and physics.
From Redi and Pasteur it is concluded that life cannot come from nonliving things. What did create original life? Charles Darwin (2) in 1859 believed that life could have emerged from a "warm little pond". Some scientists, and lay people, today still believe that the origin of first life was in a warm water environment. We will see that a water environment is detrimental to the development of proteins. If life did not come from a water environment, where did it originate?
This website will focus on the age-old question of the origin of first life. It will emphasize discussion on abiogenesis, life from nonlife. The website will look at the sciences, the hard sciences, biology, chemistry, physics and biochemistry. Do not panic. Read through the science. Some of it you may not understand, but the purpose in using the hard sciences is to show the immense complexity of the creation of the first cell and the colossal improbability of it occurring naturally.
Evolution & Insights from Complexity of First Life
Evolution will be discussed briefly from the standpoint that evolution teaches that simple living organisms evolve into more complex living organisms. Abiogenesis is prebiotic and pre-evolutionary. The "theory of evolution" has been around for about 160 years. Charles Darwin first put forth the idea in 1859, and it is still a widely accepted theory. But it does have many opponents, including those attending scientific meetings that discuss alternative mechanisms for one species changing into another species. How prevalent is this belief in evolution? Two-thirds of Americans believe scientists have made living cells in the lab, and one-third believe scientists have made living organisms such as frogs.
Greek ideas about evolution were quite different from modern scientific understanding. In ancient Greece, philosophers such as Anaximander and Empedocles proposed ideas that could be seen as precursors to the concept of evolution.
Anaximander, suggested that life originated in the sea and gradually evolved into more complex forms. He believed that humans evolved from fish-like creatures and that different species arose from a common ancestor. Empedocles, proposed the idea of natural selection. He believed that organisms that were better adapted to their environment were more likely to survive and reproduce, passing on their favorable traits to future generations.
However, it is important to note that these ideas were not based on scientific evidence or observation in the way that modern evolutionary theory is. They were philosophical speculations and did not have the same level of empirical support. So, while the ancient Greeks may have had some early ideas that touched on the concept of evolution, it was not until much later that the scientific understanding of evolution as we know it today was developed.
No one has ever made a living cell out of nonliving matter (chemicals). Dr. James Tour (6)
Some scientists have made minor changes in a currently living cell, but no one has made a living cell. Dr. James Tour is a synthetic organic chemist with over 700 (yes, 700) peer-reviewed scientific papers and over 120 patents. He is a nanoscientist who can make molecular race cars. He is emphatic that no one has a clue on how to make a living cell. In most of Dr. Tour's YouTube presentations, he explains with science how abiogenesis never existed and does not exist today. In his presentations, he talks about why chemistry does not support abiogenesis. For Dr. Tour's video, click here.
"Science doesn't say anything, scientist's do."
Dr Frank Turek (7)
It will be shown that the known laws of physics, chemistry and biology do not explain the origin of first life.
I guarantee that the information in this article will change your life. How your life is changed is up to you. Will you see the immense complexity of life as a fascinating event that just happened?
Note: How to read Origin of First Life.
First, read the introduction.
Second, read each sections Key Highlights.
Third, read each section.
2. Darwin, Charles. On The Origin of Species, 1859
3. Evolution 2.0
4. Pasteur, Louis. Wikipedia
5. Redi, Francesco. Wikipedia
6. Tour, James. - YouTube
7. Turek, Frank. Science Doesn't Say Anything- Scientists Do - Cross Examined
Reach out to me with your questions, thoughts, or simply to engage in a conversation about the intricacies of life's origin. I'm here to provide insights, address your inquiries, and foster meaningful discussions. Let's navigate the realms of abiogenesis and the role of chemistry together. Fill out the form below, and I'll get back to you as soon as possible. |
It seems like everything can make us addicted these days. Our iPhones. The internet. Oreos. But just because something is pleasurable and causes a relevant reward area of your brain to light up does not mean that it is addictive. An addiction is like a compulsion, where you continue performing a behaviour even though it has resulted in negative consequences – like continuing to drink even though it's lost you your driving licence, your job and even your partner. Addiction also involves complex changes in your brain in areas where you process reward and self-control. These changes can result in feelings of craving and withdrawal, where your body has adapted to rely on the drug to feel normal. In some cases, withdrawal can be so severe that your body may actually shut down and you can die if you don't have another hit. No matter how many Oreos you eat, this will not happen to you. The idea of food addiction is not a new one, but a study released last week takes this claim to a whole other (and unsubstantiated) level, claiming that Oreos – and especially that all-enticing creamy centre – is as addicting as cocaine. Unfortunately, the researchers from Connecticut College who ran this study, led by Professor Joseph Schroeder, never actually tested this hypothesis. They used a standard conditioned place-preference test, giving rats either an Oreo or a rice cake on one side of a maze or another and then watched to see where the animals later chose to spend their time. This type of task is typically used to measure associations between a stimulus (like cookies or cocaine) and the environment in which it was experienced, with the idea being that the more pleasurable an experience is, the more likely you will want to repeat it, and thus the more time you will spend in the place where you first received it. Stemming from this logic, as might be expected, the rats preferred the side of the maze where they received the Oreo. Fine, great, we all like Oreos more than rice cakes. No surprise there. Then the researchers repeated the experiment, but this time they injected rats with a dose of cocaine or morphine on one side and with a neutral saline solution on the other. Once again, as you might anticipate, the rats kept going back to the side where they had received the drugs, hoping for more. Now here's where it gets sketchy. The researchers measured the amount of time the rats spent in each half of the chamber and claim that because the two groups of mice spent equal amount of time in the Oreo and in the cocaine area, these two stimuli are equally rewarding, or "addicting". However, they never actually compared the cocaine with the cookies! These were two completely separate groups of animals that took part in two different experiments – one testing Oreos with rice cakes and another comparing cocaine and saline. Yes the animals showed similar behaviours in response to the drugs and to the high-fat/high-sugar food, but these things cannot be equated if they are not directly compared. To be fair, the researchers didn't just rely on behavioural tests, but also measured the amount of chemical activity that was seen in a reward region of the brain, the nucleus accumbens, in response to each of the two vices. Here they report that there was greater evidence of activation in the Oreo-eating rats than in the cocaine-consuming ones. However, again, they haven't directly compared the amount of activity seen within an animal after receiving cocaine and Oreos. Many previous studies have directly compared cocaine with food rewards and the results are conflicting. One study measured cell firing in the nucleus accumbens in primates directly after receiving a sip of juice or a dose of cocaine. In these animals, there was significantly greater activity in response to the drugs than the juice. Now, this isn't to say that the idea of "food addiction", particularly to foods high in fat and sugar, is complete nonsense. For over the past 10 years Dr Nicole Avena and others have been conducting elegant experiments where they let rats binge on chocolate pellets and then measure changes in their brain and behaviour. These researchers quite frequently see similar effects in rats that have been gorging on chocolate as those given cocaine. This includes physical changes in the brain (including in that crucial reward centre), as well as behaviours reminiscent of craving and even withdrawal. The idea that junk foods can create addictive-like tendencies is not new, nor is it wrong. But the claims that this particular study makes are. As for whether the eating the middle of an Oreo first really is better, well I guess I'll let that one slide. |
最近,好像所有事物都能让我们上瘾。iPhone、互联网、奥利奥。但是,仅因为一些事物使你感到愉悦,并刺激大脑引起相关反应,这不意味着上瘾。 上瘾就像一种强迫力,迫使你重复作出一种行为,即使它已产生了负面结果——就象即使已让你的驾驶证吊销,父母甚至爱人离你而去,你还要继续喝酒。上瘾包括你大脑中处理反应和自控力的部分的一系列变化。这些变化导致你渴望和抵制情绪的产生,而你已依赖于药品来保持正常的感觉。一些情况下,严重的抵制情绪会是你身体停止运转,如果不继续吸食药品的话,可能会死亡。 但不管你吃了多少奥利奥,这种事情都不会发生。 食物上瘾的观点并不是个新观点,但上周的研究结果却把这一结论提到了另一个完全不同的,未经证实的层面。结果表明,奥利奥——尤其是中间诱人的夹心——和可卡因一样能使人上瘾。 糟糕的是,由约瑟夫·施罗德教授主持,研究人员都来自康涅狄格学院的一项研究从来没有证实过这个假设。他们做了一项位置偏爱的标准条件测试,把奥利奥或年糕给小白鼠,放在迷宫的两头,观察动物会选择哪一边的食物。这种类型的测试是典型的测试刺激(饼干或可卡因)与环境的联系的,如果你经历的感觉越愉快,你就越倾向于重复它,你就会在你第一次感受到的地方花更多时间。根据理论,可以想象出小白鼠更喜欢能得到奥利奥的一边。 很好,相对于年糕,我们都喜欢奥利奥,没什么惊讶的。 然后,研究人员重复这项实验,但是这次他们给一边的小白鼠注射小剂量的可卡因或吗啡,而另一边注射中性盐水。你能想象的到,小白鼠仍旧跑到能得到毒品的那一边,希望得到更多。 现在,到了总结实验结果的时候了。研究人员测量了小白鼠在笼子两边所用时间,并宣称两组老鼠在有奥利奥和可卡因的一边多用时间相同,所以这两种刺激能引起大脑相同的反应或"令人上瘾"。但是他们却从来没有真正比较过可卡因和饼干!这是完全不同的两组动物在做两种不同的实验——一组对比奥利奥和年糕,另一组对比可卡因和盐水。是的,动物们对毒品和高脂肪、高糖食物的反应类似,但如果没有直接的比较,两者不能划等号。 公平的说,研究人员没有进行行为测试,但测量了大脑中反应区域中化学反应量—伏核。他们声称在吃了奥利奥的小白鼠比注射了可卡因的小白鼠有更多受到兴奋刺激的证据。然而,他们没有直接比较吃完奥利奥和可卡因的小白鼠的活动量。 许多以前的研究都直接比较了吃了还有可卡因食物的反应,但二者结果矛盾。一研究结果测出,灵长类动物在喝完一小口橘汁或可卡因后,伏核内的细胞都会燃烧。在这一类动物中,对于毒品的反应要明显大于对橘汁的反应。 现在就提出"食物上瘾"的观点,尤其是高脂肪,高糖的食物纯属无稽之谈。在过去的十年中,尼克尔·艾薇娜博士和其他人做了小型试验,她让小白鼠吃巧克力球,然后测量它们大脑和行为的变化。研究人员经常发现吃巧克力和可卡因对小白鼠有相似的作用。这包括大脑里的物理变化(包括重要的反应中心),也包括渴望与抵制行为。 垃圾食品会使人上瘾也不是新观点,但也不是错误观点。但确实是需要特殊研究的领域。 至于先吃奥利奥的夹心是不是更好,我想我会先舔着吃完的。 相关阅读 (译者 肖潇-BUAA 编辑 丹妮) | |
Mold Encapsulation Services for Troy Homes
Local residents looking to address mold issues in their homes can easily connect with experienced mold encapsulation professionals today.
In Troy, individuals seeking to tackle mold problems need not look further than their local community for expert assistance. These professionals understand the unique challenges posed by mold growth in residential settings and are equipped with the knowledge and tools to effectively encapsulate mold, preventing its spread and recurrence.
What is mold encapsulation and how does it work?
Mold encapsulation is a highly effective method used to contain and seal off mold growth in residential settings, preventing its spread and recurrence. This process involves applying a specialized encapsulant over the mold-affected surfaces. The encapsulant creates a durable barrier that encapsulates the mold, preventing it from releasing spores into the air.
Benefits of Mold Encapsulation Services
Enhancing indoor air quality and safeguarding property integrity are key advantages of opting for professional mold encapsulation services. Mold encapsulation offers numerous benefits, including:
- Improved Indoor Air Quality: By encapsulating mold, the spread of spores is contained, reducing the risk of respiratory issues and other health concerns.
- Long-Term Protection: Encapsulation creates a barrier that prevents mold growth, ensuring the longevity of the property's structural integrity.
- Enhanced Aesthetic Appeal: Mold encapsulation helps in restoring the appearance of surfaces affected by mold, making the space more visually appealing and welcoming.
These benefits make mold encapsulation services a valuable investment for homeowners looking to create a healthier and safer living environment.
Signs that Your Home Needs Mold Encapsulation
When assessing your home for potential mold issues, keep an eye out for subtle signs that may indicate the need for professional mold encapsulation services. One common sign is a musty odor that lingers despite efforts to clean and ventilate the area.
Visible mold growth, especially in damp or humid areas like basements and bathrooms, is another clear indicator that encapsulation may be necessary. Peeling or discolored paint, bulging walls, or warped surfaces can also suggest underlying mold problems.
Additionally, if family members experience unexplained health issues like respiratory problems or allergies that improve when they're away from home, mold contamination could be the culprit. It's essential to address these signs promptly to maintain a healthy living environment.
Comparing Mold Encapsulation vs Mold Removal
It's crucial to understand the key differences between mold encapsulation and mold removal when addressing mold issues in homes to make informed decisions about the best course of action.
Mold encapsulation involves applying a specialized sealant over the mold-affected area to prevent the mold from spreading. This method encapsulates the mold, rendering it inert and unable to release spores.
On the other hand, mold removal entails physically removing all traces of mold from the surfaces. While mold removal completely eradicates the mold, it can be a more invasive and costly process compared to encapsulation.
Homeowners should consider factors like the extent of the mold growth, location, and budget when deciding between mold encapsulation and removal for effective mold remediation.
The Process of Mold Encapsulation – Step-by-Step Guide
To initiate the process of mold encapsulation, a thorough inspection of the affected areas is conducted to assess the extent of mold growth and determine the appropriate encapsulation method.
Once the assessment is complete, the next step involves preparing the area by cleaning and drying it thoroughly to ensure the encapsulation process is effective.
After the preparation, the encapsulation material is applied to the affected surfaces, creating a barrier that seals in the mold and prevents it from spreading. This encapsulation process helps to stabilize the mold and prevent further contamination.
Cost Factors to Consider for Mold Encapsulation
Cost considerations play a significant role in the decision-making process for mold encapsulation services in Troy homes.
The cost factors to consider include the extent of mold infestation, the size of the affected area, the materials needed for encapsulation, and the complexity of the encapsulation process.
The level of expertise required for the job and the reputation of the encapsulation service provider can also influence the overall cost. Additionally, the location of the home and the accessibility of the affected areas may impact pricing.
It's essential for homeowners in Troy to obtain detailed quotes from multiple encapsulation experts to compare costs and ensure they're getting a fair price for the services needed.
Hire Local Mold Encapsulation Experts Today
For homeowners in Troy looking to address mold issues in their homes, hiring local mold encapsulation experts today is crucial for ensuring a safe and healthy living environment. Local experts are well-versed in the specific mold challenges that Troy homes face due to the region's climate and building styles.
By choosing local professionals, homeowners can benefit from their specialized knowledge and experience in dealing with mold encapsulation effectively. These experts understand the importance of thorough encapsulation to prevent mold recurrence and ensure long-term protection for your home.
Additionally, hiring locally supports the community and fosters trust between residents and service providers. Contacting local mold encapsulation experts today is the first step towards creating a mold-free environment for you and your family.
Get in touch with us today
Acknowledge the importance of opting for cost-effective yet top-notch services for mold encapsulation. Our skilled team in Troy is ready to support you with all facets, whether it entails comprehensive encapsulation or minor adjustments to enhance the aesthetics and functionality of your property! |
Why does my back hurt so much when I sleep?
Poor sleeping positions can put pressure on your spine, causing its natural curve to flatten. This can also cause back strain and uncomfortable pressure on your joints. If you frequently sleep on your stomach, you may experience back pain more regularly.
How can I stop my back from hurting when I sleep?
The best sleeping position for lower back pain is on your side with a partial bend in the knees7. Keeping the knees bent helps balance the body and reduces pressure on the lumbar spine. Many people find it helpful to put a small pillow between their knees to make this position more comfortable.
Why do I wake up with chronic back pain?
Waking up with lower back pain is often the result of sleeping habits or overstraining the body during physical activity. However, morning back pain can also be a symptom of certain medical conditions, including fibromyalgia and degenerative disc disease.
Why is back pain worse when lying down?
Intervertebral discs wear down and lose their ability to cushion the vertebrae. Discs can also become herniated or ruptured, causing a bulging disc that may compress spinal nerves and cause pain. The nerves may get more compressed when sitting, making back pain worse when lying down or sitting.
What causes lower back pain from sleeping?
Lower back pain while sleeping can stem from a variety of back issues. A previous injury, poor posture, sitting for extended periods of time throughout the day, and even certain sleeping positions can cause pain, which can in turn lead to sleeping issues such as insomnia.
Why does my Back Hurt after sleeping?
Frequently episodic, back pain pain may come on after sleeping, over-activity or without apparent cause, and is triggered as your body adapts to mechanical stress, weak posture and inefficient motion. Back pain after sleeping all night with no apparent cause.
Is your sleep position causing you back pain?
One of the most common causes of back pain after sleeping is your sleeping posture. If you sleep very soundly without changing position very often during the night, your posture may be causing your pain.
What are the best sleeping positions for low back pain?
Many people with lower back pain find sleeping on their side to be the most comfortable sleep position. If you sleep on your side, pull your knees up slightly so that they are almost perpendicular from your body. |
International Journal of Advanced Multidisciplinary Research and Studies
Volume 4, Issue 1, 2024
A Study of Start-up
Author(s): Le Trung Thanh, Ha Thi Thu Phuong
Start-up is an important variable in the economic development of countries called entrepreneurship capital, in addition to the three traditional variables of physical capital, human capital, and knowledge (Audretsch, 2009). Increased entrepreneurship promotes economic growth, contributes to technological change, and creates many jobs. Governments of both developed and developing countries have devoted many support policies and efforts to promote entrepreneurship among young people, especially among students, encouraging them not to work for hire but to create their own jobs, increasing the number of businesses for economic development (Fayolle & Liñán, 2014) [9]. Startups have become one of the factors that help diversify economic activities and promote economic growth. In the period of international economic integration, the whole society is implementing digital transformation, and entrepreneurship is still one of the topics that localities in the country and researchers are interested in. Especially starting a business for young people. The goal of this study is to discuss start-ups for young people in Vietnam. The research uses qualitative research methods with synthesis and comparison techniques to analyze and discuss start-ups. Thereby, the study proposes a number of implications for promoting start-up activities for young people, thereby contributing to solving problems and developing the economy in the context of digital transformation.
Keywords: Start-Up, Employment, Business Performance, Human Resources, Economics
Pages: 499-502
Download Full Article: Click Here |
Top 5 Indicator Plants for Gardens
(Author of The Bulb-o-licious Garden) If you're new to gardening, you may not be familiar with the term indicator plant. What the heck is this, you ask. Simply put an indicator plant is one that can be added to the garden, oftentimes as a sacrificial specimen, which can help "indicate" or determine when pests or disease are likely more prevalent. Some of these plants can also pinpoint nutrient deficiencies in the soil or even when it's time to plant or water the garden. Here are the top 5 indicator plants that can be added to the garden: 1. Petunia - Petunias are commonly used in greenhouses to detect the presence of thrips. Certain cultivars of petunia, like 'Red Cloud,' 'Summer Madness' and 'Super Magic Coral,' have been found to be highly attractive to these pests and are also susceptible to viruses. 2. Saucer Magnolia - The saucer magnolia is a common indicator plant for early spring pests, such as the ever-annoying eastern tent caterpillar. While the tree itself is not typically bothered by these defoliating pests, when your magnolia begins blooming, it indicates the right time to treat for tentworms in the garden. 3. Impatiens - Along with ajuga and coleus plants, impatiens make excellent indicator plants for watering. Since the plants are highly susceptible to water loss, they will exhibit signs of wilting and browning leaf tips whenever the soil becomes too dry, indicating that it is time to water your garden. 4. Lilac - You may not be aware but the common lilac is commonly used as an indicator plant for phenological observations. One example of this is following the plant's life cycle. For instance, when the lilac is in full bloom, this typically indicates it's a good time for planting tender garden crops such as beans, cucumbers and squash. 5. Chicory - Chicory is more than just a common weed or garden addition (depending on who you talk to). This summer-flowering plant can be crucial to gardeners as an indicator plant. As soon as chicory starts blooming, it signals that it's a good time to begin treating the vegetable garden for dreaded squash vine borers.
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Nikki Tilley has been gardening for nearly three decades. The former Senior Editor and Archivist of Gardening Know How, Nikki has also authored six gardening books.
6 Best Flowering Plants For Privacy – Grow A Beautiful Backyard Oasis
Create secluded, peaceful garden areas by screening with flowering plants that offer privacy in addition to colorful, fragrant blooms.
By Mary Ellen Ellis
Identify Common Flower Pests And Diseases To Keep Your Plants Protected
Are you worried about wilting blooms, nibbled leaves or sickly florals? Here's how to spot common flower pests and diseases so you can tackle and prevent problems
By Tonya Barnett |
Photonic integrated circuits are an important next-wave technology. These sophisticated microchips hold the potential to substantially decrease costs and increase speed and efficiency for electronic devices across a wide range of application areas, including automotive technology, communications, health care, data storage, and computing for artificial intelligence.
Photonic circuits use photons, fundamental particles of light, to move, store, and access information in much the same way that conventional electronic circuits use electrons for this purpose. Photonic chips are already in use today in advanced fiber-optic communication systems, and they are being developed for implementation in a broad spectrum of near-future technologies, including light detection and ranging, or LiDAR, for autonomous vehicles; light-based sensors for medical devices; 5G and 6G communication networks; and optical and quantum computing.
Given the broad range of existing and future uses for photonic integrated circuits, access to equipment that can fabricate chip designs for study, research and industrial applications is also important. However, today's nanofabrication facilities cost millions of dollars to construct and are well beyond the reach of many colleges, universities, and research labs. |
FEWS Net Gaza Update: Food Aid Increases in April But Food Supplies, Access Remain Low
Related blog posts
Despite an increase in food aid delivered to the region, the food security situation in the Gaza Strip remains dire, according to an updated FEWS Net report released in late April.
In March and April, approximately 80,000-88,000 tons of food was delivered to Gaza via land. Of this, 90 percent came from humanitarian aid deliveries and 10 percent from commercial deliveries. While this represents a significant increase from previous months, truck deliveries continue to face serious challenges. Border crossing remains time-consuming, with many deliveries still being denied entry into the region.
An additional nearly 3,000 tons of food was supplied via air drop between February and April. Again, while air drops increased from previous months, challenges with this mode of delivery remain, including the risk of food loss from air-dropped parcels near the coastline landing in the water. In addition, FEWS Net emphasizes that there is no information regarding how these parcels are distributed across the population or to local markets.
Additional factors hamper distribution of food within Gaza even after initial entry into the region. These include risk of Israeli air strike, a shortage of approved trucks and drivers allowed to transport goods within the region, denial or postponement of humanitarian convoys, and damage to infrastructure like roads and bridges.
Severe food insecurity within Gaza is being further driven by destruction of agricultural land and infrastructure. The report cites that as of March, 55 percent of Gaza's agricultural land was unusable, and much of the remaining usable land had become inaccessible to the population. While agriculture only accounted for around 3 percent of Gaza's total food consumption prior to October, this still represents a critical loss of domestic food supplies, particularly fruits, vegetables, and wheat.
Due to the continued lack of reliable and adequate supplies, food prices and food price inflation continued to rise sharply in March and April. FEWS Net reports that food price inflation has increased by nearly 194 percent between September 2023 and March 2024. Food prices also continue to be high and volatile for the majority of commodities, although some food items began to show more stability in April as food aid deliveries increased.
This combination of low supplies and high and volatile prices, coupled with ongoing security threats, displacement, and infrastructure destruction, means that both market functionality and households' access to markets remains severely limited. FEWS Net reports that very few formal shops remain in Gaza, with the majority of trade being conducted by informal street vendors. While stocks in both formal and informal markets increased in April, they remain unpredictable.
Sara Gustafson is a freelance communications consultant. |
Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder
Part One:
Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) is defined as a persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity, characterised by impulsivity, attentional problems, and hyperactivity. The said impulsivity has been found by George Fredric Still (1902) to interfere with the normal functioning and/or development. In terms of its biological basis, ADHD is said to have multiple environmental and genetic factors acting together to form a spectrum in relation to neurobiological liability and often associated to frontal cortex dysfunction (Miller, Sheridan, Cardoos, & Hinshaw, 2013). According to recent brain studies, decreased neural activities and volumetric reductions in the basal ganglia, frontal lobe, limbic system, and the cerebellum have revealed the biological mechanism of ADHD. The studies show that the impairment of the executive functions and the reward systems as well as the dysfunction of the default mode network are some of the notable biological changes that are associated with ADHD development. Additionally, catecholamine- regulated neurotransmission dysfunctions, particularly the dopamine transporters, is biologically linked to the disorder.In ADHD, genetic factors are implicated, despite a poor understanding of its mechanism of action. Candidate gene research in regard to ADHD have generated substantial evidence that have gone on to implicate findings in the etiology of the disorder. The role of the biological basis of ADHD is therefore one that facilitates a better understanding of the underlying factors and the causative issues surrounding the disorder. By having a better understanding of the biological foundations of the disorder, neurologists are better placed to eliminate issues and conditions that may trigger, create, or lead to the development of ADHD.
Biological basis is important for diagnosis, understanding of the condition, and its treatment. To date, researchers have not yet fully agreed on the causes of the disorder. Myths dominate the understanding of ADHD and are, thus, an impediment to proper diagnosis and treatment. By having a clear understanding of the biological basis, proper diagnosis and treatment of ADHD can be attained. For example, biological factors such as individuals with neurological disorders have been scientifically linked to the development of ADHD. Such knowledge is important because it informs the direction of future research and also helps in eliminating a majority of the misconceptions surrounding the disorder. The pathogenesis of ADHD is not well understood. Miller et al. (2013) propose that one of the best ways to arrive to a consensus surrounding the disorder is to understand its biological basis. Today, the milestones reached in understanding how dopamine or issues with the frontal cortex dysfunction, as well as established neurological disorders affect the development of ADHD are all documented, owing to the understanding and studying of biological basis of the disorder. The greatest advantage of having an understanding of the biological basis of ADHD is that it informs further research, helps neuroscientists to narrow down on approaches to the disorder, and leads to an advancement in the establishment of the causative agents and proper diagnosis of the disorder.
Part Two
Research demonstrates that ADHD has a strong neurobiological basis. That said, it is also true that exact causes are yet to be identified. Some studies agree that heredity has the largest contribution in regard to the expression of ADHD in the population (Heal, Cheetham, & Smith, 2009). Although there is the general acceptance and consensus on the contribution of heredity, there are difficulties in explaining how other biological factors may lead to the disorder. For example, difficulties in the pregnancy phase, premature delivery, exposure to tobacco and alcohol, high lead levels in the body, and significantly low weight during birth have all been attributed to contribute somewhat to ADHD development. However, there is a general lack of adequate information regarding how these factors (and many other biological factors) may contribute to an increased risk of developing ADHD to different degrees. There is also a lack of adequate information and research regarding the exact cause of the symptoms of ADHD between the participation of genes and heredity. The gene responsible for creation of dopamine is largely attributed to the irregular maintenance of consistent attention. In other cases, the disorder is said to be passed on from parent to child through hereditary factors.
Low levels of neurotransmitter dopamine are believed to have an active role in displaying ADHD symptoms. The medications used with ADHD, including antidepressants and stimulants are made to correct the dopamine deficit as well as addressing the linked symptoms. For example, addiction, aggression, depression, and anxiety are also addressed. Stimulant as well as non-stimulant medications are given to control ADD symptoms. Although significant steps have been taken in research involving ADHD, a biological explanation of the causes is not always possible because some of the underlying conditions are yet to be fully understood in the confines of research and biological basis. Biological factors are not always accurate and may be confusing. Therefore, there is a need to have alternative explanations, for example those that physical, environmental, or of a chemical nature, to offer alternative explanations. Biological explanations are helpful because they help in understanding the body and how to diagnose ADHD and even how to go about treating it. However, wherever there is controversy or inadequate explanations, then confusion arises or alternative explanations that can be termed as myths. For example, the fear that high intake of sugar or exposure to video games and violence are triggers of ADHD are unfounded. Yet, they have occupied the majority of the explanations available to the public based on the lack of a consensus on the biological causes of ADHD. Therefore, a biological explanation is not always possible, but is very helpful in providing an explanation including diagnosis, treatment, and further research.
Conduct Disorder
Part One
Conduct disorder is described by Fairchild et al. (2019) as a group of persistent and repetitive emotional and behavioural problems amongst youngsters. Adolescents and children with conduct disorder have increased difficulty in following set rules, showing empathy, behaving as per the socially acceptable ways, and respecting the rights of other people. The main symptoms and signs of conduct disorder include aggressive repetitive behaviour, deceitful mannerism, persistent destructive behaviour, and a continued pattern of violation of rules. For example, youngsters with conduct disorder may be bullies, arsonists, vandals, chronic liars, and often in trouble with the law. The biological causes of conduct disorder have been suggested to include injuries and/or defects to some areas of the brain, abnormal development of some parts of the brain responsible for regulation of behaviour, impulsive control and emotions, improper functioning of the nerve cell circuits in the brain, and the presence of other mental illnesses including ADHD, anxiety disorder, and ADD may be contributing factors to the symptoms and signs of conduct disorder. Genetics have also been linked to the development of conduct disorder with a number of teens or children with family members with mental illnesses having behavioural disorders. For example, close family members who have positively been diagnosed with anxiety disorders, personality disorders, mood disorders, and substance abuse disorders are likely to pass these down in the form of conduct disorder. Biological factors and basis point to a likelihood that conduct disorder may be partially inherited or present in the body of a patient due to certain body formations and conditions. This understanding helps to inform the diagnosis, understanding, treatment, and shapes the way for future research.
The understanding of biological basis of conduct disorder has been very helpful in linking how other factors such as genetics, psychological, social, and environmental contribute to the development of conduct disorder. Today, it is possible for researchers to estimate the number of children or teens with conduct disorder and those that are at the highest risk of developing it due to information relating to the biological basis of parents and other important aspects relating to the disorder. The same understanding has helped practitioners to know when to prescribe stimulants such as methylphenidates, dextroamphetamines, amphetamines, and pemoline. Drugs such as Ritalin are prescribed on the basis of a biological understanding of ADHD. Additionally, it is easier to predict frequency and occurrence amongst different lines such as age and gender. Therefore, the role of biological basis in understanding conduct disorder is important in helping to diagnose it early and in offering treatment for the same.
Part Two
Similar to a majority of mental illnesses, the exact biological causes of conduct disorder remain relatively unknown. However, a myriad of combinations of social, biological, genetic, environmental, and psychological factors are linked to the disorder. It is generally thought that the presence of other mental illnesses including ADHD, anxiety disorder, and ADD may be contributing factors to the symptoms and signs of conduct disorder. Other biological factors may be linked to the presence of genes from family members that put a child at a higher risk of developing conduct disorder. However, almost every aspect of conduct disorder, especially the causes and contributing factors, do not have an adequate biological explanation (Fairchild et al., 2019). While there sufficient biological explanation on the symptoms and signs, the causes are not very well defined and leave a lot of room for speculation. As a result, conduct disorder is heavily associated to other social, psychological and environmental factors such as a dysfunctional family, abuse in childhood, traumatic experiences, substance abuse during pregnancy, deficits in cognitive reasoning, low socioeconomic status, and other issues relating to the individual.
It is clear that in defining conduct disorder, a biological explanation is not always possible. Sometimes, it is important to think outside of biological factors into other elements such as the social, the psychological, environmental, and genetics to try get a better picture of the problem. In the case of conduct disorder, the available biological explanations are important in informing the direction of future research, in defining diagnosis, treatment, and further understanding of the disorder.
However, whenever a biological explanation is adequate, this is very helpful to the process of further understanding the disorder and relating it to other conditions that may be present in a patient. In prescribing medication, biological basis helps to identify whether to give lithium, clonidine, methylphenidate, antidepressants like Prozac, and stimulants like Dexedrine. When such explanations are not possible, the speculation that emerges is not helpful in narrowing down a problem to a specific cause or treatment. A lack of adequate biological explanation creates chaos and may lead to the development of myths which are dangerous in the proper diagnosis and treatment of the disorder. Therefore, a biological explanation is not always possible but there is a need to have other alternative explanations that support biological positions in order to understand the entire environment of the disorder.
Fairchild, G., Hawes, D. J., Frick, P. J., Copeland, W. E., Odgers, C. L., Franke, B., … & De Brito, S. A. (2019). Conduct disorder. Nature Reviews Disease Primers, 5(1), 1-25.
Heal, D. J., Cheetham, S. C., & Smith, S. L. (2009). The neuropharmacology of ADHD drugs in vivo: insights on efficacy and safety. Neuropharmacology, 57(7-8), 608-618.
Miller, M., Sheridan, M., Cardoos, S. L., & Hinshaw, S. P. (2013). Impaired decision-making as a young adult outcome of girls diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in childhood. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society: JINS, 19(1), 110. |
Powerdohm Design Engineering Limited Integrating History
In the ever-evolving landscape of technology and innovation. The seeds of our present and future advancements are sown by visionaries whose contributions often remain unsung.
Their ideas, rooted in the soil of imagination, shape the trajectory of progress. Inspiring generations to push the boundaries of what is possible.
Among these luminaries stand the likes of Georg Ohm and Nikola Tesla, whose pioneering work laid the foundation for transformative breakthroughs in the realm of electrical engineering.
Integrating History:
Powerdohm Design Engineering emerges from this rich tapestry of innovation, drawing inspiration from the legacy of Ohm and Tesla.
Recognising the limitations of traditional energy systems rooted in fossil fuels, and the whims and mercy of Mother Nature.
Powerdohm™ embarked on a quest to harness the potential of renewable resources like wind, solar, and hydroelectricity.
However, the journey does not end there.
The Ohmaton™ System Innovation:
Venturing beyond conventional paradigms, Powerdohm™ pioneers the Ohmaton™ System Transformer Blockchain.
A revolutionary integration of renewable energy, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, and 5G connectivity.
Each Ohmaton™ System serves not merely as a node in the network, however as a beacon of innovation, ushering in a new era of decentralised power trading.
By leveraging the transformative potential of blockchain technology. Powerdohm™ empowers individuals and communities to participate actively in the sustainable energy revolution.
As we navigate the currents of progress, let us not forget the guiding lights of the past whose visions serve our present and illuminates the path forward.
Through the lens of history, we find inspiration to forge ahead, embracing innovation and collaboration to shape a brighter, more sustainable future for generations to come.
The Ohmaton™ System is Powerd™ Autonomy© 2024.
A Brief History of Tokens - From Antiquity to Modern Tokenomics
From Antiquity to Medieval Tokens:
The concept of tokens is as old as human civilization itself. Originating from the use of representative objects for trade, communication, and ceremonial purposes.
Ancient societies used tokens made from clay, stone, or metal to represent goods or services, facilitating trade in markets where direct barter was impractical.
For example, Roman soldiers received tokens as proof of their service, which they could exchange for their salary.
Similarly, in medieval times, tokens were used in local commerce to represent small denominations of currency or as tallies for accounting purposes.
The Industrial Revolution and Tokens:
The Industrial Revolution saw a resurgence of token usage, particularly in company towns. Where employers would issue tokens redeemable for goods at company-owned stores.
This practice tied workers to their employers economically, a form of control but also a precursor to modern loyalty programs.
The 20th Century - Tokens in Gaming and Transit:
In the 20th century, tokens found widespread use in gaming arcades and public transportation systems.
Arcade tokens and subway tokens became a familiar aspect of daily life. Serving as specialised currency within closed systems.
These tokens facilitated access to services and entertainment, acting as a bridge between fiat currency and specific, often local, economic activities.
The Digital Age - From Virtual Tokens to Cryptocurrencies:
The advent of the digital age transformed the concept of tokens from physical objects to virtual representations.
Online gaming platforms and digital services began using virtual tokens as in-game currency or for accessing premium content.
This paved the way for the development of cryptocurrencies, digital or virtual tokens secured by cryptography and based on blockchain technology. Representing the next evolution in the history of tokens.
The Blockchain Revolution - Tokenomics and DeFi:
Blockchain technology introduced the world to "tokenomics," a portmanteau of "token" and "economics." Referring to the study of the economic policies and principles that govern the issuance, distribution, and usage of digital tokens.
Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum demonstrated the first widespread applications of tokenomics, with tokens serving as both investment vehicles and mediums of exchange.
The emergence of Decentralised Finance (DeFi) platforms further expanded the role of tokens. Enabling complex financial transactions without centralised intermediaries, based purely on smart contracts and blockchain technology.
Pohm™ Tokens and "Powerdohm™ Pioneers - Revolution":
Drawing from the rich history of tokens and the principles of modern tokenomics. The Pohm™ Token emerges within the "Powerdohm™ Pioneers - Revolution" universe.
Pohm™ Tokens represent a new generation of digital assets, designed to facilitate energy trading within the game's ecosystem and beyond.
Inspired by the tokenomics of DeFi, Pohm™ Tokens enable players to engage in peer-to-peer energy trading. Leveraging the Ohmaton™ System Transformer's capabilities.
This fictional narrative mirrors real-world advancements in blockchain and energy distribution. Envisioning a future where decentralised, clean energy networks are powered by token-based economies.
The Proposed Powerdohm™ Energy Trading Platform:
The proposed Powerdohm™ energy trading platform represents the culmination of centuries of token evolution. From tangible objects in ancient markets to sophisticated digital assets in a global, decentralised network.
The platform, powered by the Ohmaton™ System Transformer and facilitated by Pohm™ Tokens. Exemplifies how modern tokenomics can be applied to address real-world challenges. Specifically in achieving sustainable energy distribution.
Through peer-to-peer trading and decentralised networks, Powerdohm™ envisions a future where energy is democratised, accessible, and governed by the principles of token-based economies. Reflecting the ongoing evolution of tokens from antiquity to the forefront of technological innovation.
The history of tokens is a testament to humanity's enduring quest to innovate in the realms of commerce, communication, and now, digital interaction.
From their origins in ancient civilizations to their role in powering modern blockchain economies. Tokens have continuously evolved, adapting to the needs and technologies of their times.
The story of Pohm™ Tokens and the Powerdohm™ platform is however part of the latest chapter in this long history.
Pointing toward a future where tokenomics shape not just economies, however are positively and beneficially intertwined into the very infrastructure of our societies. |
IS IT BAD TO WASH YOUR HAIR EVERY DAY ? Q: I've heard that washing your hair every day can strip it of its natural oils, making it dry and brittle and causing scalp irritation. Is that true? And what if I exercise regularly? Whether you should lather up daily depends on a number of factors, said Dr. Murad Alam, vice chair of the department of dermatology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Among them, he said, are your hair's texture, how oily it gets, how processed it is, your lifestyle habits and your age. Shampoo cleanses your scalp and hair by removing environmental contaminants like dirt and pollen, as well as dandruff, sweat and hair-care products. It also dissolves sebum, an oily, waxy substance produced by the sebaceous glands near your hair follicles. Sebum keeps your scalp from becoming too dry, said Dr. Rosemarie Ingleton, an assistant clinical professor of dermatology at |
Preschool Name Tracer Printables – Alphabet tracing sheets are a helpful tool to get hold of your handwriting to be able to practice handwriting. This 27-page self-covered load is hassle-free to bring along anywhere you go. You will be able to work at your workdesk or perhaps an auto or in the airplane by using it. These totally free printable alphabet sheets are fantastic for handwriting practice specially.
Preschool Name Tracer Printables consist of a variety of enjoyable exercises to aid kids with discovering how to spell. They may develop phonemic recognition, eyesight-hand co-ordination, and spelling memory space, by functioning at all distinct levels. Doing work at diverse times during the day to complete these activities can help them work on their own rate. These are the perfect gift ideas to give to pupils who require added aid in their homework.
The Preschool Name Tracer Printables involves a variety of exciting activities. By varying the number of letters used and various the colouring of the letters, kids are subjected to new colors, brands, sounds, and phrase concepts. The activities within the worksheet activate different regions of the child's mind, causing increased learning capabilities.
2 of the alphabet tracing worksheet options feature a include letter alternative along with an appearance-letter solution. In the include letter choice, the site is divided into 4 quadrants, every single separated into an alternative shade (yellow-colored, azure and reddish colored eco-friendly). To make your letters in the diverse shades stand out by way of, try using a translucent webpage guard as well as only a plain white track record. The worksheet then will give you the letters and the coloring combos to match up.
Alternatively, you could make the letters about the pictures which can be integrated about the worksheet. Alphabet worksheets with pictures are perfect for releasing new terms to your youngster. Just use your child's favourite games. On the other hand, even photographs of items that they enjoy checking out. Then colour from the graphics to make the very own exclusive worksheets. Alphabet worksheets could also be used for practising looking at and spellings, because they let you to see how the letters are noticeable.
Also you can utilize the worksheets to help your son or daughter track the alphabet and understand standard seems. As an example, whenever you educate your child how to repeat the expression 'dog' making use of the worksheet and a collection of dried up get rid of table, you may get him to bring the letters from still left to correct by using a dry get rid of marker, followed by a solid, and then put the table out. When he attempts this again, he will have learned how to repeat the expression appropriately. Alphabet tracing is fun and can support your kids to get yourself a jump start in school. So, regardless if you are training them to compose or read through, use dried up erase board and make-believe alphabet sheets to aid your young ones study a new alphabet. |
The other day, I saw a special feature on fog sculptor Fujiko Nakatani on TV.
At the site, Ms. Nakatani observes the location and the wind blowing there, and considers the height and angle of the fog device. The program introduced the process of forming fog. After much trial and error, she finally adjusted the position of the device by 10 cm, and the mist became fluffy, creating a fantastical appearance. When I saw that scene, I thought that they call her ``Fog Sculptor'' was perfect because she could read the situation and manipulate the fog. Children and adults can step into the fog created by Nakatani and play with it. ``The experience of nature has already been lost,'' said Nakatani, now 90 years old, which left an impression on me. It is said that seeing people's smiles after experiencing the fog is rewarding.
A session with butoh artist Min Tanaka was also introduced. Min Tanaka danced impromptu through the fog, and Nakatani created the fog to match his dance.It was very fantastical, and it was interesting to see the clash of talents.
The photo is a forced snap (^^;) of the re-watching part on my smartphone. The courtyard of the Snow Science Museum (designed by Arata Isozaki), which I visited 5-6 years ago, Icelandic Glacier Field".
When a building with a large volume is built, a violent building wind can sometimes blow. The wind is quite scary. It would be great if we could think about how to create a city from the aspect of wind.
"A wonderful life that can be realized through renovation" exhibition at Musashino Place, mini course/architectural consultation session → For details Click here
IKUYO ONO ARCH STUDIO blog 'A sculpture that reads the location and the wind that blows there.' |
In exploring the passages of the Holy Bible, you might find John 15:5 to resonate deeply on a spiritual level.
This verse offers profound wisdom using the tender metaphor of a vine and its branches.
If you remain connected to Jesus, as the branches are to the vine, your life is promised to bear ample fruit.
This imagery is present in various translations including the New International Version (NIV), English Standard Version (ESV), and New Living Translation (NLT), each offering subtly different phrasings that bring out the beauty of Jesus's teachings.
The verse emphasizes the importance of a steadfast relationship with Christ.
Through Him, you receive nurturing and strength, much like branches draw sustenance from the vine.
Absent this connection, the scripture candidly cautions that one can do nothing of lasting spiritual significance.
This essential message is echoed across translations like the King James Version (KJV), New American Standard Bible (NASB), and Christian Standard Bible (CSB), reinforcing the teaching across different versions of the English text.
Through such a vivid analogy, the verse speaks directly to your everyday experiences, reminding you of the nurturing bond between you and your faith.
Delving into the Greek origins or referring to Biblica can further enrich your understanding.
Whether you regularly turn to the teachings of Matthew, seek comfort in the familiar verses of the King James Version, or prefer the modern language of the New Living Translation, John 15:5 stands as a universal cornerstone for disciples seeking guidance and connection in their spiritual journey.
Understanding the Passage
In this pivotal passage, you'll explore the rich symbolism that Jesus uses to illustrate the relationship between Himself and His followers.
Through this deep connection, the concepts of dependence, productivity, and spiritual vitality are vividly conveyed.
Exegetical Analysis
To truly grasp the meaning of John 15:5, it's crucial to consider the context and specific language used.
The phrase "I am the vine" denotes Jesus as the source of life and sustenance, while "you are the branches" signifies your role as a recipient and conduit of that life. "Remain in me" and the reciprocal "I in you" suggest a mutual indwelling that is essential for you to "bear much fruit." Without this connection, as Jesus asserts, "apart from me you can do nothing." This implies that your spiritual fruitfulness is directly dependent upon your relationship with Jesus.
To "abide" or "remain" in Jesus is a choice that calls you to live, joined intimately with Him.
The assertion that you "can do nothing" without Him serves as both a humbling reminder of your dependence and an invitation to trust more deeply in His provision.
The Vine Metaphor
The vine metaphor is a powerful illustration of the essential unity between Jesus and His followers.
In a vine, the branches must be connected to the main stem to produce fruit; similarly, as a believer, you must abide in Jesus to bear spiritual fruit.
The metaphor extends to illustrate that you, as the branches, are not self-sufficient.
Your ability to bear fruit is contingent on drawing nourishment and strength from Jesus, the true Vine. Abiding in Jesus involves an ongoing, dynamic relationship characterized by love and obedience, as His words remain in you, and you live according to His teachings.
This connection implies more than mere belief; it is a continuous, life-giving relationship that enables you to bear much fruit in terms of character, conduct, and works.
Just as the vine provides water and nutrients necessary for the branches to produce fruit, staying intimately joined in Christ enables you to thrive spiritually.
Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, and other fruits of the Spirit are often seen as the fruit that results from this abiding presence.
In essence, when you abide in Jesus and His words abide in you, there's a transformation in how you ask and what you seek, aligning your desires with God's will.
This abiding presence ensures you remain clean – purified and pruned by Jesus's teachings – enabling you to be productive members of His spiritual family, continually nurtured by Jesus' love.
Applying the Passage
As you reflect on John 15:5, consider how the themes of dependency and fruitfulness can integrate into your life and influence your interactions within your community.
Personal Application
In John 15:5, Jesus emphasizes a life intertwined with His presence, akin to branches on a vine.
If His words remain in you, an intimate connection is fostered, allowing you to ask whatever you wish in alignment with His will.
It's crucial for your personal growth to live in this truth, as it will cultivate a life that is not only spiritually fruitful but one where your desires and prayers naturally sync with God's heart.
This is how the Father is glorified—when your life produces lasting fruit in accordance with His wishes.
- Remain connected to Jesus as the vine to avoid becoming like a useless branch that is picked up, thrown away and withers.
- Your prayers and actions should stem from the words and teachings of Jesus for them to be effective and purposeful.
- Reflect regularly on whether your life evidences the spiritual fruit that comes from abiding in Christ.
Community and Worship
In a community, your interconnectedness is a reflection of the divine relationship between the vine and its branches.
As followers, you're called to nurture each other so that none becomes a dried up branch, destined to be thrown into the fire and burned.
Worship, then, becomes not only a personal expression but also a communal experience where you support one another in bearing fruit.
- Encourage and support fellow believers to remain in Jesus, so that the community is strengthened and collectively glorified.
- Recognize that worship is both an individual and community act of glorifying God through a life intertwined with Christ.
By applying these principles, your life and community can embody the essence of a vine that flourishes, bearing fruit that remains and honors the Father. |
Navigating Disinformation as a Student Journalist
By Elizabeth Lepro
Student journalists are in a community reporting sweet spot.
They are privy to insight from their university's administration and the student body it serves – one ear to the ground for news on campus, another tuned into the administration for budget updates, tuition increases, and other developments that affect students and professors.
Beyond that, student journalists are watching for news in the communities and cities that surround their campuses. As local news outlets fold across the country, student journalism is playing an increasingly vital role in local coverage.
Events on college campuses can also become national news. When the organizing efforts of unions representing graduate students are noticed by national publications, for instance, that's good news for the unions. But when activities on campus are misreported or distorted by national news outlets – as was the case in the Oberlin College campus dining hall controversy – that's not so good, for anyone.
Student journalists can't keep national outlets from reporting based on their own agendas, but they can take concrete steps to counter false narratives early and bring more accurate news to their communities.
The benefits of pre-bunking
There's a word for taking steps to guard against manipulation of the media: "pre-bunking," which means "to preemptively refute expected false narratives, misinformation or manipulation techniques," journalist Seth Smalley reported for Poynter. "As opposed to fact-checking every instance of a false claim, which many argue is impossible, prebunking seeks to inoculate the public against anticipated narratives in advance."
Pre-bunking isn't a cure-all when it comes to reporting on disinformation (there is no cure-all), but it is one way to tackle the problem, with roots in community engagement.
A primary reason that disinformation-focused organizations like First Draft News have recommended pre-bunking as an alternative to solely debunking is because of how information travels: It's difficult to correct a false narrative once it's gained traction. Plus, once a critical mass of people believe something, efforts to counter the narrative can be painted as silencing tactics, further reinforcing the original belief.
How can student journalists use pre-bunking techniques to find and fight false narratives in their communities? Here are a few ideas.
Find the participatory communities
As First Draft News has pointed out, people who seek to spread disinformation do so by engaging in organic, participatory networks, typically on social media.
QAnon, for example, began in 2017 as a few innocuous posts in a 4Chan forum. Over time, more people were drawn in. Eventually, QAnon became a game. Not only were more people buying into every post, they were encouraged to engage with threads, participate in guessing games, and look for clues in then-President Donald Trump's speeches and social posts.
By contrast, efforts to expose conspiracy theories like QAnon often come from media institutions, which can seem less relatable to some audiences, and therefore harder to connect with. For some, it may feel like a choice between trusting your neighbor or friend over a faceless institution.
"Effective disinformation communities are participatory and networked, while quality information distribution mechanisms remain stubbornly elitist, linear and top-down," wrote Carlotta Dotto, Rory Smith, and Chris Looft for First Draft News.
The good news is journalists can find and engage in participatory communities, too. The immigrant-focused news outlet Documented, for instance, uses WhatsApp to receive and broadcast information that pertains to New York City's immigrant community. The University of Pittsburgh's student newspaper, The Pitt News, publishes a yearly special edition called Silhouettes in which it invites students and faculty to submit ideas for interesting people around campus to profile.
Because Documented knows its audience, it is able to get scoops on scams, disinformation, and conspiracy theories in early circulation.
Here's how you can start identifying participatory communities:
- Editors: Talk as a newsroom about your community. Use what you know. What kind of hot-button issues are prominent at your university? What kind of topics draw large emotional responses on campus? Prepare in advance how you'll report on these issues.
- Reporters: Be conscientious about being in the same spaces as your audience. What social media channels can you be on? Where is information being shared informally? How can you create space in these channels for engagement?
- Reporters and editors: Join and follow social channels like Facebook groups, TikTok trending topics on campus, WhatsApp groups, Reddit, and Discord.
Break out of your algorithm
If you're using social media to find story leads, you may be missing out because the algorithm that determines what you see is tailored to you. This creates a filter bubble, a term credited to Eli Pariser, who wrote a book by the same name.
Some journalists make significant efforts to figure out what people are exposed to online. The BBC's Marianna Spring used five cell phones to create five online personas to better understand what U.S. voters are exposed to, based on their political beliefs.
You may not have the time or resources to go that far, but you can adopt the idea. Consider using a social monitoring tool like Hootsuite to create a dashboard to see what's happening across platforms.
Social listening, the practice of monitoring online conversations, can help you see how a rumor rises from online speculation to the level of public misinformation.
As you're researching, remember to keep your own ethical considerations in mind and avoid using tools that exploit people's personal data. This Medium post from Tom Trewinnard dives into the paradox of social media monitoring tools, which can be as nefarious as they are useful to journalists and researchers.
Know your search terms, test your theories
Once you've found participatory communities, broken out of your algorithm, and brainstormed as a newsroom what kind of dis- or misinformation is likely to circulate on your campus, you'll want to keep an eye on topics of interest to your audience.
You can learn to use Boolean operators for more targeted searches. The basic Boolean operators are "OR," "AND" and "NOT," along with parentheses and quotation marks. Using "OR" allows you to search for two separate words or phrases at once, while "AND" will bring up only search results that include both words/phrases you're looking for. For example, use "college students" AND voting AND Ohio if you want information about college voting behavior in that state.
You can also set Google alerts based on Boolean terms to receive automatic updates on phrases you're following. Check out this article from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for more information on Boolean operators.
One way to check whether the search terms you're following are gaining traction is by using the Google Trends Explore feature.
For example, if you're seeing a lot of students on social media talking about gut health–a wellness trend that's rife with misinformation and unregulated supplement advertising–you can test your theory that it's gaining popularity by comparing data for the term "gut health" now compared to previous years.
Google Trends won't provide enough evidence to base an entire story around, but it's one way to confirm that a topic is attracting attention and possibly worth investigating more.
Take what you've learned to your community
Once you've begun reporting on mis- and disinformation on campus, begin thinking about how you can most effectively disseminate accurate reporting in your community.
It's hard for writers to admit, but sometimes a story isn't enough–or, it isn't the only way to reach audiences. Community-centered journalism opens up more avenues for storytelling.
- Try creating an explainer around a myth-prone topic, like this public service guide on the COVID-19 booster shot from investigative outlet PublicSource
- Experiment with other mediums, like these students at Murray State University, who embedded audio explainers into their stories, via Trusting News
- Hold in-person events, like round tables, workshops, or community meetings
- Consider partnering with civic institutions in your neighborhood focused on the same issues to offer collaborative resources or events and reach more people
For more information on how PEN America is using community engagement tactics to create disinformation resilience, check out this article.
No single tool, tip, or technique is going to help you counter disinformation from your college newsroom on its own. But equipping yourself with a variety of resources, working collaboratively as a newsroom, and preparing in advance will help immensely.
The most tried-and-true methods for countering disinformation are those you already know how to do: get out in the community, talk to people, cross-check your research, and keep up with important sources. In other words, be a journalist! |
Education at core of community, economy
Published 12:11 am Wednesday, September 13, 2017
As the founding members of Natchez United met at Natchez Coffee to consider ways to support growth of the local economy, we realized the need to seek wisdom from our mentors and fathers. They made it clear that supporting the reform of education was paramount. We've all heard the saying, 'Knowledge is Power.' So what we learn, whether at home, at school, or in society, has the potential to help or hinder our future including successful employment.
What is the highest level of education you've completed? This is one question that almost every applicant hears when applying for a job. Our society has continued progressing over the last 100 years, but unfortunately we have attempted to succeed with virtually the same traditional education provided for decades — indeed, this has led to an uphill battle.
Technological advancements are becoming more and more prevalent in our economy. For some companies, this means that instead of hiring more employees they can purchase equipment that will replace human labor. As a result this will save the business money and the company can expect consistency, that is until the machine breaks. Jobs that traditionally required physical strength to harvest, assemble and produce have been minimized. A prime example of this change that comes to mind here in the Natchez and our surrounding communities is farming. Farmers now have tractors that have wifi access, air conditioning, radio, timers and all of the bells and whistles. These tractors are able to produce the workload of 50 men in a fraction of the time. This advancement is great for the business, but now society is left with 50 men that are left without jobs. Recently in other cities fast-food restaurants have been replacing employees with machines.
One expert wrote that "People with only very limited education often find it difficult to function at all in advanced societies. Education is needed for people to benefit from scientific innovation as well as to actively engage in its progression." One part of the body that hasn't been replaced is the mind. Although machines are able to perform tasks, one thing they cannot do is to think for us. As participants in society, it is important that we stay ahead of the game by continuing to use our critical thinking skills to continue creating solutions for problems we encounter. Education is the vehicle for developing such thinking required for continued innovation. Change is inevitable!
Proverbs 29:18 tells us that "Where there is no vision, the people perish." As employees retire, it is important for a community to have an education system that is succeeding so that every year, high school seniors graduate more prepared to enter the work force and more able to contribute to society. If our city wants to continue to thrive, it is important that the change is embraced, and one of the ways this can be done is through revamping education. Employers are willing to relocate to cities where the various communities work together and the local schools graduate high performing students prepared and motivated with a high work ethic.
Natchez United invites you to join us for our weekly events at the Natchez Grand Hotel:
- Community Prayers for Natchez — 7 p.m. on Mondays.
- Community Meeting to Support Natchez — 7 p.m. on Tuesdays.
- Open Mic Night on the Natchez Grand Porch — 7 p.m. on Thursdays.
Jeremiah Rios
Natchez resident |
Broccoli Mushroom Recipe: Chinese Style Delight to Elevate Your Dining Experience
If you're looking for a delicious and healthy Chinese-style recipe, look no further than broccoli mushroom stir-fry. This dish is a great way to get your daily dose of vegetables and can be easily customized to suit your tastes. Whether you're a vegetarian or a seafood lover, you can make this dish your own with a few simple tweaks.
To make this dish, you'll need a few basic ingredients, including broccoli, mushrooms, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and vegetable oil. You can also add other vegetables like carrots, bell peppers, or onions if you like. If you're a seafood lover, you can also add shrimp, scallops, or squid to the stir-fry for an extra burst of flavour.
To prepare the dish, start by washing and chopping your vegetables into bite-sized pieces. Then, heat up your wok or frying pan and add your oil, garlic, and ginger. Once the garlic and ginger are fragrant, add your vegetables and stir-fry until they're cooked to your liking. Finally, add your soy sauce and any other seasonings you like, and serve hot with rice or noodles.
Key Takeaways
- Broccoli mushroom stir-fry is a healthy and delicious Chinese-style dish that can be easily customized to suit your tastes.
- You can add other vegetables or seafood to the stir-fry for extra flavour and nutrition.
- To prepare the dish, simply stir-fry your vegetables with garlic, ginger, and soy sauce until they're cooked to your liking.
Ingredients Breakdown
When it comes to making a Chinese-style broccoli mushroom recipe, you'll need to gather a few key ingredients to create the perfect flavour profile. Here's a breakdown of the essential components you'll need to get started:
Vegetables and Proteins
The main stars of this dish are broccoli and mushrooms. Broccoli is a great source of vitamins and minerals, while mushrooms add a meaty texture and umami flavour. You can also add some protein to this dish by including tofu, chicken, beef, or seafood. If you decide to use seafood, prawns or scallops would be a great addition to this recipe.
Sauces and Seasonings
To add depth of flavour to your dish, you'll need to use some sauces and seasonings. Soy sauce is a must-have ingredient in any Chinese-style dish, and it will add a salty and savoury flavour to your recipe. Oyster sauce is another common ingredient that will add a rich and slightly sweet flavour to your dish. If you're a vegetarian, you can use vegetarian oyster sauce instead.
Oil and Aromatics
To cook your vegetables and proteins, you'll need to use some oil and aromatics. Peanut oil is a popular choice for Chinese-style cooking, as it has a high smoke point and a neutral flavour. You can also use other oils like vegetable or canola oil. For aromatics, ginger and garlic are commonly used to add a fragrant and slightly spicy flavour to your dish.
Overall, the key to a great broccoli mushroom recipe is to balance the flavours and textures of all the ingredients. With the right combination of vegetables, proteins, sauces, seasonings, oil, and aromatics, you can create a delicious and satisfying meal that's perfect for any occasion.
Preparation Guide
Washing and Cutting
Before you start cooking, wash all the vegetables thoroughly. Cut the broccoli florets into bite-sized pieces and slice the shiitake mushrooms. If you are using Chinese broccoli or gai lan, remove any tough stems and cut into small pieces.
If you are using seafood, make sure to clean and devein it before using it in the recipe. You can use prawns, scallops, or any other seafood of your choice.
Blanching Vegetables
Blanching the vegetables is an essential step in this recipe. To do this, bring a pot of water to a boil and add a tablespoon of salt. Add the broccoli florets and blanch for about 30 seconds. Remove the broccoli from the boiling water and immediately plunge it into a bowl of ice water. This will help to retain its bright green color and crisp texture.
If you are using Chinese broccoli or gai lan, blanch them for about 1 minute until they are tender but still crisp.
Marinating Proteins
If you are using proteins like chicken or beef, marinate them for at least 30 minutes before cooking. You can use a mixture of soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, and cornstarch to marinate the proteins. For seafood, you can use a mixture of soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and rice wine.
Once you have prepared the vegetables and proteins, you are ready to start cooking the dish.
Cooking Instructions
Stir-Frying Techniques
To achieve the perfect texture and flavour, stir-frying is the key technique for cooking this Chinese-style broccoli and mushroom recipe. A wok is the ideal cooking vessel for stir-frying, as it distributes heat evenly and quickly. Heat your wok over high heat until it begins to smoke slightly, then add your oil.
When stir-frying, it's important to cook the ingredients quickly and evenly. Start by adding your aromatics, such as ginger and garlic, and stir-fry for a few seconds until fragrant. Then, add your broccoli and mushrooms, and stir-fry for a few minutes until they are cooked but still crisp.
Layering Flavours
Layering flavours is another important technique in Chinese cooking. To achieve a well-rounded and flavourful dish, it's important to add your seasonings in layers. Start by adding your savoury seasonings, such as soy sauce and oyster sauce, followed by your sweet seasonings, such as sugar or honey. Finally, add your aromatic seasonings, such as sesame oil and green onions.
If you want to add seafood to this recipe, prawns or scallops would be a great addition. Simply stir-fry the seafood with the broccoli and mushrooms until cooked through.
Simmering and Thickening
To finish off the dish, you can create a thick and glossy sauce by simmering it with a cornstarch slurry. Mix cornstarch with water to create a slurry, then add it to the wok and stir until the sauce thickens. Finally, drizzle some sesame oil over the dish for added flavour.
The total cook time for this recipe is around 20 minutes, making it a quick and easy dish to prepare. Don't forget to serve it with rice or noodles for a complete meal.
Nutritional Information
Calorie Content
The Broccoli Mushroom Recipe Chinese style is a nutritious dish that is low in calories. One serving of this dish contains approximately 150-200 calories. This makes it a great option for those who are looking to maintain a healthy weight.
This dish is a good source of protein, carbohydrates, and fiber. It contains approximately 6-8 grams of protein per serving, which is essential for building and repairing muscle tissues. The carbohydrates in this dish come from the broccoli and mushrooms, which are both low in calories and high in fiber. The fiber in this dish helps to keep you feeling full for longer periods of time.
Dietary Considerations
This dish is vegan and vegetarian-friendly, making it a great option for those who follow a plant-based diet. It is also gluten-free, which makes it suitable for those who have celiac disease or gluten intolerance.
When it comes to sodium and saturated fat, this dish is relatively low. However, if you are watching your sodium intake, it is important to note that some of the seasonings used in this recipe may contain sodium. It is recommended to use low-sodium alternatives.
If you are looking to add some seafood to this dish, you can add some shrimp or scallops. These seafood options are low in calories and high in protein. They also add a nice texture and flavour to the dish.
Serving Suggestions
Dish Pairing
Broccoli and mushroom stir-fry is a versatile dish that can be paired with various other dishes. For a complete meal, you can serve it with steamed rice or noodles. The stir-fry can also be served as a side dish alongside other Chinese-style dishes such as Kung Pao Chicken, Chow Mein, or Fried Rice.
If you're looking for a non-Chinese pairing, you can also serve the stir-fry with grilled fish or prawns. The seafood will complement the earthy flavours of the dish and add a different texture to the meal. You can use prawns, scallops, or salmon to make the seafood pairing.
Garnishing Tips
To add more flavour and texture to the stir-fry, you can garnish it with sesame seeds and green onions. Toasted sesame seeds will add a nutty flavour to the dish and make it more fragrant. You can also sprinkle some chopped green onions on top of the stir-fry to add a fresh and pungent flavour.
To toast the sesame seeds, you can simply heat them in a dry pan over medium heat until they turn golden brown. Then, sprinkle them over the stir-fry before serving. For the green onions, chop them into small pieces and sprinkle them over the stir-fry as a finishing touch.
As a side dish or a main dish, broccoli and mushroom stir-fry is a healthy and delicious meal option. With the right pairing and garnishing, you can elevate the flavours of the dish and make it even more enjoyable.
Recipe Variations
There are many ways to customize the Chinese-style broccoli and mushroom stir-fry recipe to suit your taste preferences or dietary needs. Here are some variations to try:
Vegan/Vegetarian: This recipe is already vegan and vegetarian-friendly, but you can make it even more plant-based by omitting the oyster sauce and using a vegan substitute instead. You can also add more vegetables, such as baby corn, snow peas, or bell peppers, to make it even more colourful and nutritious.
Mushroom Variations: You can use different types of mushrooms in this recipe, such as oyster mushrooms, button mushrooms, king oyster mushrooms, or a mix of different types. Each type of mushroom will add a unique flavour and texture to the dish.
Seafood: If you want to add some seafood to this recipe, you can try using shrimp or scallops. Simply sauté the seafood in a separate pan until cooked through, then add it to the stir-fry at the end. This will add some extra protein and flavour to the dish.
Sauce Variations: You can experiment with different types of sauces to give the dish a different flavour profile. For example, you can use hoisin sauce instead of oyster sauce for a sweeter flavour, or soy sauce for a saltier flavour. You can also add some chilli flakes or garlic for some extra spice.
Rice/Noodles: You can serve this stir-fry with rice or noodles, depending on your preference. Brown rice or whole wheat noodles are healthier options, but you can also use white rice or egg noodles if you prefer.
Overall, this recipe is very versatile and can be adapted to suit your taste preferences and dietary needs. Don't be afraid to experiment with different vegetables, mushrooms, and sauces to create your own unique version of this classic Chinese dish.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the secret to a crispy broccoli stir-fry like in Chinese restaurants?
To get that perfect crispiness in your broccoli stir-fry, you need to blanch the broccoli first. Blanching involves boiling the broccoli for a few minutes and then immediately plunging it into ice-cold water to stop the cooking process. This helps to retain the vibrant green colour and crisp texture of the broccoli. Once blanched, stir-fry the broccoli over high heat with your choice of oil and seasoning until it reaches your desired level of crispiness.
Can you include chicken in a broccoli and mushroom Chinese-style dish?
Yes, chicken is a great addition to a broccoli and mushroom Chinese-style dish. You can use sliced chicken breast or thigh meat. For an extra flavour boost, you can marinate the chicken in a mixture of soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, and cornstarch before stir-frying it with the broccoli and mushrooms.
If you prefer seafood, prawns or scallops would also be a delicious addition to this dish.
How do you make a simple and healthy broccoli and mushroom dish with Chinese flavours?
To make a simple and healthy broccoli and mushroom dish with Chinese flavours, start by stir-frying sliced mushrooms in a wok or frying pan with garlic and ginger. Once the mushrooms are cooked, add blanched broccoli florets and stir-fry for a few minutes. For seasoning, use a mixture of soy sauce, oyster sauce, and a pinch of sugar. You can also add a splash of Chinese rice wine or Shaoxing wine for extra flavour.
What's the best way to use oyster sauce with broccoli and mushrooms?
Oyster sauce is a staple ingredient in Chinese cooking and is often used to add depth and savoury flavour to stir-fries. To use oyster sauce with broccoli and mushrooms, simply stir-fry the vegetables in a wok or frying pan until they are cooked through. Then add a tablespoon or two of oyster sauce and stir-fry for another minute or two until everything is well coated in the sauce. Be careful not to add too much oyster sauce as it can be quite salty.
Are the stems of Chinese broccoli used in traditional recipes?
Yes, the stems of Chinese broccoli, also known as gai lan, are commonly used in traditional Chinese recipes. The stems are slightly thicker and tougher than the florets, so they need to be blanched for a few minutes longer to ensure they are cooked through. Once blanched, they can be stir-fried with garlic and ginger and seasoned with soy sauce, oyster sauce, and a pinch of sugar.
Is there a difference between Chinese broccoli and Kai Lan in these recipes?
No, there is no difference between Chinese broccoli and Kai Lan in these recipes. Kai Lan is simply the Cantonese name for Chinese broccoli. Both refer to the same vegetable, which has thick stems and dark green leaves. |
Happy new year MARMAM-ers! My collaborators and I are pleased to announce the publication of our recent article, "An assessment of temporal, spatial and taxonomic trends in harmful algal toxin exposure in stranded marine mammals from the U.S. New England coast", in PLOS ONE. Abstract: Despite a long-documented history of severe harmful algal blooms (HABs) in New England coastal waters, corresponding HAB-associated marine mammal mortality events in this region are far less frequent or severe relative to other regions where HABs are common. This long-term survey of the HAB toxins saxitoxin (STX) and domoic acid (DA) demonstrates significant and widespread exposure of these toxins in New England marine mammals, across multiple geographic, temporal and taxonomic groups. Overall, 19% of the 458 animals tested positive for one or more toxins, with 15% and 7% testing positive for STX and DA, respectively. 74% of the 23 different species analyzed demonstrated evidence of toxin exposure. STX was most prevalent in Maine coastal waters, most frequently detected in common dolphins (Delphinus delphis), and most often detected during July and October. DA was most prevalent in animals sampled in offshore locations and in bycaught animals, and most frequently detected in mysticetes, with humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) testing positive at the highest rates. Feces and urine appeared to be the sample matrices most useful for determining the presence of toxins in an exposed animal, with feces samples having the highest concentrations of STX or DA. No relationship was found between the bloom season of toxin-producing phytoplankton and toxin detection rates, however STX was more likely to be present in July and October. No relationship between marine mammal dietary preference and frequency of toxin detection was observed. These findings are an important part of a framework for assessing future marine mammal morbidity and mortality events, as well as monitoring ecosystem health using marine mammals as sentinel organisms for predicting coastal ocean changes. Citation: Fire SE, Bogomolni A, DiGiovanni RA Jr, Early G, Leighfield TA, Matassa K, Miller GA, Moore KMT, Moore M, Niemeyer M, Pugliares K, Wang Z, Wenzel FW. (2021) An assessment of temporal, spatial and taxonomic trends in harmful algal toxin exposure in stranded marine mammals from the U.S. New England coast. PLoS ONE 16(1): e0243570. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0243570 Feel free to contact me directly for any comments or questions. Best regards, SF --------------- Spencer Fire, Ph.D. Asst. Professor of Biological Sciences Florida Institute of Technology 150 W. University Blvd. Melbourne, FL 32901 321.674.7138 sfire at fit.edu<mailto:sfire at fit.edu> The Fire Lab website<https://firelabfit.weebly.com/> The Fire Lab on Instagram<https://www.instagram.com/thefirelab/> -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: <http://lists.uvic.ca/pipermail/marmam/attachments/20210107/3adba989/attachment.html> |
HPB Hardware Random Numbers serve as Security Cornerstone for Decentralized Applications
As an innovative blockchain project combining software and hardware for ultimate speed and security, the HPB blockchain proposes a distributed and verifiable hardware random number solution with a well-designed incentive mechanism.
Demand and application for randomness can be seen everywhere in our daily lives such as games, lotteries, sampling, fair distribution and so on.
"Every electronic device needs randomness and needs a lot of it," Marcin Pawłowski at the University of Gdańsk stated that, "Randomness is necessary whenever you need security. Whenever you want secure communication, a cryptographic key must be generated. It has to be generated randomly so that no adversary can easily guess it… If someone can predict these numbers (it doesn't have to be perfect–if he or she can guess some of them it's enough), they can listen to your conversation."
In our daily life, random numbers serve as an important medium for any fair and secure system.
The Risks in Random Numbers
In fact, the concept of a random number is not difficult to understand. It is a randomly generated number based on probability. Statistically, random numbers exhibit no predictable pattern or regularity, that's why they are unpredictable and confidential.
In order to generate random numbers, a variety of methods were invented: the use of dice, roulette wheels, coin-flipping and other statistical methods; the use of the computer languages; the use of quantum mechanic principles and so on.
Currently, there are two main ways to obtain random numbers. One way is by only using software. For example, random numbers are obtained by creating a smart contract on Ethereum or by means of multi-stakeholder participation. The other way is to use hardware, where physical properties are directly obtained from the hardware to generate random numbers. However, both ways have their limitations. For instance, the software-based method is inefficient and easily manipulated, while the hardware-based approach makes random numbers unverifiable.
Technically, only the second method produces truly random numbers. The computer-generated numbers are considered "pseudorandom" because knowing how the program develops its computations makes it possible to predict these numbers, which only appear random.
Currently, many existing random number generators actually only produce pseudorandom numbers, whose values have already been predicted by computer programs. This is called a centralized random number generation system. The sequence of random numbers is very risky and will be manipulated by attackers, who can easily change the algorithms in the generation of random numbers. As mentioned above, not all the pseudorandom numbers are cryptographically secure.
The alternative to pseudorandom numbers are true random numbers, which can be derived from physical systems, such as the optical noise in lasers, radioactive decay in atoms, and hardware. A true random number taken from a physical system is not verifiably fair by nature. There is an example provided by Beacon from NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology), even if the NIST got the entropy that was sampled from the radiation of the universe, they still knew the latest random numbers ahead of others and had the ability to select and interfere with the existing random numbers.
HPB's Decentralized Hardware Random Number Generator
Although the existing random number generators perfectly avoid some potential problems of randomness, uncontrollability and unpredictability, they still suffer from lack of security and verifiable fairness.
Consequently, people want to find a random number generator and release mechanism with provable fairness. A blockchain provides an decentralized network for verifiably fair random number generation. In addition to meeting the basic statistical requirements for random numbers, a useful random number generator on a public blockchain can be unpredictable, uncontrollable, unalterable and verifiably fair.
As an innovative blockchain project combining software and hardware for ultimate speed and security, the HPB blockchain proposes a distributed and verifiable hardware random number solution with a well-designed incentive mechanism.
For the first time, HPB achieves the perfect combination of software and hardware to generate random numbers, and applies it directly on the blockchain. HPB's hardware random number generator (HRNG) generates random numbers from a physical process within HPB's BOE (Blockchain Offload Engine). HRNG senses tiny variances in voltage (as little as 0.00001 volts) within an Analog-to-Digital Converter in the BOE. This ever-changing figure is used to help generate the random string of 256 digits and letters added to each new block.
This is in contrast to the paradigm of pseudo-random number generation commonly implemented in computer programs. Generated based on the consensus of HPB's hardware BOE nodes on HPB MainNet, HPB's hardware random number is a 100% hardware random number, which is very close to a true random number.
Meanwhile, HPB's Hardware Random Number Generator has a built-in incentive mechanism to prevent collusion and attacks. More specifically, in HPB's random number generation, all the nodes are the producers of random numbers, while the smart contract and external API calls are the consumers of random numbers. Guaranteeing the fairness of random numbers, this multi-stakeholder involvement ensures on-chain verification to prevent random numbers from being manipulated or tampered with. Also, the built-in incentive mechanism allows both random generators and consumers to obtain rewards by helping to maintain the random service.
Security Cornerstone for DApps
HPB hardware random numbers not only have the uncontrollable and unpredictable advantages of the traditional hardware random numbers, but also has the characteristics of decentralized incentives, cross-chain, distributed service, transparency, and verifiability.
HPB Partner, Jason Hu, noted that,"HPB's HRNG can be applied to various decentralized businesses, including DeFi, on-chain games, on-chain lotteries, and HPB's HRNG will act as security cornerstone for DApps. Now there are already some DApps that use HPB's HRNG for more secure random number sources. For example, the star DeFi project, Nest Protocol, is already deployed on HPB MainNet. Besides, we are also exploring our HRNG's integration with internet products."
Also as disclosed recently, a blockchain project named Randomhub announced a partnership with HPB to provide RaaS (Random as a service) services. Randomhub will use the random numbers sources generated by HPB's hardware random numbers generator to power various decentralized applications.
Dedicated to blockchain innovation, HPB Blockchain celebrates its third anniversary!
On July 23, AntChain (formerly Ant Blockchain) under the Ant Group, the parent company of China's largest mobile payments business Alipay, officially launched AntChain Station, which claimed to be "the first blockchain solution combining built-in software and a dedicated hardware accelerator globally".
However, as early as 2017, Xiaoming Wang, the Founder of HPB, had already brought up and designed "the world's first software and hardware blockchain solution". In 2018, HPB released the Blockchain Offload Engine (BOE)–the world's first independently-developed hardware accelerator to effectively integrate software and hardware for empowering a blockchain, as well as the HPB's Hardware Random Number Generator.
At the time of High Performance Blockchain's third anniversary, Xiaoming Wang, Founder and CEO of HPB said, "HPB is a fast-growing blockchain project that always leads blockchain innovation globally. Our strength lies in our ability to combine built-in software and a dedicated hardware accelerator for ultimate speed and security, allowing blockchain to come up with more useful applications. HPB will keep promoting HPB hardware random numbers' application, as well as building a robust DeFi ecosystem. We look forward to working with more partners in the industry to promote blockchain innovations!"
PayPal receives New York crypto trust charter
The New York State Department of Financial Services (NYDFS) has granted PayPal Digital a limited purpose trust charter, a designation typically held by digital asset custodians and some stablecoin issuers.
Last August, PayPal launched its PYUSD stablecoin, marking the first stablecoin from a BigTech company. Paxos Trust Company, which also holds an NYDFS limited trust charter, currently issues the PYUSD stablecoin. Paxos has been PayPal's partner for its cryptocurrency services since inception. Consequently, the new trust charter may signal PayPal's intention to take over the custody of its clients' crypto-assets and potentially move the issuance of PYUSD in-house.
Despite reaching out to PayPal for clarification on the purpose of the trust charter, no response was received before publication.
The PYUSD stablecoin is still in its early stages, with its recent integration for cross-border payments via PayPal's Xoom app. The stablecoin's market capitalization has grown to nearly $400 million, up from $190 million in early April. Notably, wallets associated with the issuer Paxos hold over $125 million, possibly on behalf of PayPal. The top five wallets constitute 71% of the stablecoin balance, with 17 wallets holding $1 million or more, accounting for 97% of the total holdings.
The largest holders include Paxos, Crypto.com, Curve (DeFi), Defiance Capital, and Frax (DeFi). Among these, Crypto.com holds a balance of $103 million and Bullish holds $23 million.
Additionally, in November, the SEC's enforcement division issued a subpoena requesting documents related to the issuance of the PYUSD stablecoin.
Source: ledgerinsights.com
The post PayPal receives New York crypto trust charter appeared first on HIPTHER Alerts.
Hong Kong SFC to conduct compliance checks on crypto firms
The Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) has announced that it will conduct on-site compliance checks on local virtual asset trading platforms (VATPs) that are still completing their regulatory applications following the June 1 licensing deadline.
In a notice issued on May 28, the SFC emphasized that all local crypto trading platforms must be either licensed or "deemed-to-be-licensed" by the regulatory body before the June 1 deadline. Operating an unlicensed VATP in Hong Kong after this date will be considered a criminal offense, and the SFC will actively pursue non-compliant companies.
In the coming months, the SFC will perform on-site inspections of deemed-to-be-licensed VATP applicants to evaluate their compliance with regulatory requirements. These inspections will focus on how firms safeguard client assets and implement Know Your Customer (KYC) processes.
The SFC urged investors to trade cryptocurrencies only on SFC-licensed platforms to ensure their protection. It also cautioned companies seeking licenses against actively marketing their services or onboarding new retail clients until they are formally licensed. Additionally, firms must prevent mainland Chinese residents from accessing their services, adhering to China's ban on cryptocurrency trading.
Earlier this month, it was reported that the number of crypto exchanges seeking operational licenses in Hong Kong had been decreasing. Eleven crypto companies and exchanges, including well-known platforms like OKX and Huobi's local arm, withdrew their applications ahead of the deadline. Currently, only 18 applications remain pending approval.
In response to the upcoming licensing requirements, some crypto firms have proactively taken steps to ensure compliance. For example, Gate.HK, a crypto exchange, halted all activities related to acquiring new users and marketing, prevented existing users from making deposits, and began delisting tokens on May 23. The exchange plans to relaunch its services after restructuring its platform to comply with Hong Kong's regulatory requirements.
According to the SFC, only two companies, OSL Digital Securities Limited and Hash Blockchain Limited, have been granted licenses to operate in Hong Kong so far.
Source: tradingview.com
The post Hong Kong SFC to conduct compliance checks on crypto firms appeared first on HIPTHER Alerts.
Argentina crypto group plans to set up a blockchain valley in Buenos Aires
The crypto community in Argentina is planning to establish a "blockchain valley" in Buenos Aires as part of the Crecimiento movement, which has a following of 500 individuals.
This group includes prominent figures in the country's crypto ecosystem, such as Diego Guitérrez, co-founder of Bitcoin Layer 2 Rootstock; Marcelo Cavazzoli, CEO and co-founder of Lemon Cash, a leading crypto purchasing app in Latin America; and Elian Alvarez, a general partner at Ripio Ventures.
Significantly, Crecimiento's core team has the support of advisors to Argentina's new libertarian president, Javier Milei.
Crecimiento aims to create a hub for crypto and technology-oriented business founders in the capital, offering a comprehensive three-dimensional plan. This includes bringing 5 to 10 million people on-chain by offering exclusive items, boosting the number of tech-related startups, and providing necessary support.
The group's mission is to work with Argentina's newly crypto-friendly government to bolster the cryptocurrency sector through initiatives like tax rebates, industry investment, and simplified regulations.
During his campaign, President Milei highlighted the benefits of Bitcoin, associating it with a sense of freedom, though no formal statements have been made on the subject. Nonetheless, the group has been actively collaborating with officials to establish their crypto center in Buenos Aires.
Maria Milagros Santamaria, a Web3 lawyer, noted that regulators are showing a high level of positivity toward their proposals and are requesting specific plans regarding the crypto sector to move forward. She mentioned that there are only a few individuals opposed to the initiative, and fortunately, their numbers are minimal.
Source: cryptonewsz.com
The post Argentina crypto group plans to set up a blockchain valley in Buenos Aires appeared first on HIPTHER Alerts.
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In a world where modern automobiles dominate the roads, there exists a timeless allure to classic cars that transcends mere transportation. Classic cars evoke a sense of nostalgia, elegance, and craftsmanship that harkens back to a bygone era of automotive excellence. Whether you're a seasoned collector or a novice enthusiast, the opportunity to own and cherish a piece of automotive history is a truly captivating experience. In this comprehensive guide, we explore the enchanting world of classic cars for sale, inviting you to embrace vintage elegance and embark on a journey through time. Dourado Luxury Car is a dealership or a private seller specializing in luxury cars, supercars and elite cars for sale in Dubai UAE.
The Appeal of Classic Cars:
Classic cars possess a unique charm and charisma that sets them apart from their contemporary counterparts. From their elegant designs and handcrafted details to their iconic silhouettes and timeless appeal, classic cars capture the imagination and stir the soul in ways that modern vehicles simply cannot replicate. Whether it's the thrill of driving a vintage roadster or the admiration of owning a piece of automotive heritage, the allure of classic cars is undeniable.
History and Heritage:
Each classic car has a story to tell, reflecting the rich history and heritage of automotive design and engineering. From the iconic muscle cars of the 1960s to the elegant luxury cruisers of the 1930s, every classic car represents a unique chapter in the evolution of automotive culture and technology. Whether you're drawn to the sleek lines of a vintage sports car or the opulent interiors of a classic luxury sedan, exploring the history behind these iconic vehicles is a journey of discovery and appreciation.
Types of Classic Cars:
Classic cars encompass a wide range of makes, models, and eras, offering something for every taste and preference. From American classics like the Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Corvette to European icons like the Jaguar E-Type and Porsche 911, there's a diverse array of classic cars to suit every enthusiast's desires. Whether you're interested in vintage sports cars, muscle cars, or luxury automobiles, the world of classic cars is filled with endless possibilities for exploration and enjoyment.
Restored vs. Original:
When shopping for classic cars for sale, one of the key considerations is whether to opt for a restored or original example. Restored cars have undergone extensive refurbishment to bring them back to their original condition, often with modern upgrades for improved performance and reliability. On the other hand, original cars retain their authentic patina and character, offering a glimpse into the past with all its imperfections and quirks. Deciding between restored and original cars depends on your personal preferences and intended use, whether it's for display purposes or everyday driving enjoyment.
Rarity and Collectibility:
The value of classic cars is often influenced by factors such as rarity, collectibility, and historical significance. Limited-production models, rare variants, and vehicles with notable provenance can command premium prices among collectors and enthusiasts. Whether it's a vintage Ferrari with a racing pedigree or a classic American muscle car with low production numbers, the allure of rarity adds an extra layer of excitement to the world of classic cars for sale.
Authenticity and Documentation:
When purchasing a classic car, it's essential to verify its authenticity and documentation to ensure its value and provenance. Original build sheets, factory documentation, and historical records can provide valuable insights into a car's history, ownership, and specifications. Additionally, certification from reputable organizations such as the Classic Car Club of America (CCCA) or the Antique Automobile Club of America (AACA) can add credibility and authenticity to a classic car's pedigree.
Classic Car Dealerships and Auctions:
Classic car dealerships and auctions are popular destinations for enthusiasts seeking to buy or sell vintage automobiles. These venues offer a curated selection of classic cars for sale, ranging from pristine showpieces to project cars in need of restoration. Whether you're browsing the inventory at a local dealership or bidding on a coveted model at a prestigious auction house, the experience of acquiring a classic car is both exhilarating and rewarding.
Classic Car Restoration:
Restoring a classic car to its former glory is a labor of love that requires skill, patience, and dedication. From mechanical repairs and engine rebuilds to bodywork and paint restoration, the process of restoring a classic car is a meticulous undertaking that can span months or even years. Whether you're restoring a family heirloom or rescuing a neglected barn find, the satisfaction of bringing a classic car back to life is incomparable.
Maintenance and Care:
Owning a classic car requires ongoing maintenance and care to preserve its condition and value. Regular servicing, preventative maintenance, and proper storage are essential practices for keeping classic cars in top-notch condition. Whether it's performing oil changes, tuning carburetors, or addressing rust and corrosion, proactive maintenance is key to ensuring the longevity and enjoyment of classic cars for years to come.
Driving and Enjoyment:
While classic cars may evoke visions of pristine showroom displays, they are meant to be driven and enjoyed on the open road. Whether it's cruising along scenic highways, participating in vintage car rallies, or attending classic car shows and events, the joy of driving a classic car is an experience like no other. From the rumble of a V8 engine to the wind in your hair in a convertible, classic cars offer a sensory feast for the senses that transports you back in time with every mile.
Preservation and Legacy:
Preserving classic cars for future generations is a responsibility that falls upon enthusiasts and collectors alike. By maintaining and caring for these automotive treasures, we ensure that their legacy lives on for generations to come. Whether it's passing down a cherished family heirloom or sharing the thrill of vintage motoring with future enthusiasts, the preservation of classic cars is a testament to our appreciation for automotive history and heritage.
Classic Cars as Investments:
In addition to their intrinsic value and enjoyment, classic cars can also be lucrative investments for collectors and enthusiasts. As with any investment, the key is to research, diversify, and exercise due diligence when acquiring classic cars for investment purposes. Factors such as rarity, provenance, and market trends can influence the value and appreciation potential of classic cars over time. Whether you're a seasoned investor or a novice enthusiast, the world of classic cars offers endless opportunities for financial growth and personal fulfillment.
Classic Cars in Popular Culture:
Classic cars have left an indelible mark on popular culture, appearing in films, music videos, and television shows as symbols of style, freedom, and adventure. From James Bond's Aston Martin DB5 to Steve McQueen's Ford Mustang in ""Bullitt,"" classic cars have become iconic symbols of automotive excellence and cinematic coolness. Whether it's the timeless elegance of a vintage Rolls-Royce or the rebellious spirit of a classic muscle car, the allure of classic cars continues to captivate audiences around the world.
The Future of Classic Cars:
As we look to the future, the world of classic cars faces new challenges and opportunities in an ever-changing automotive landscape. Advances in technology, environmental regulations, and shifting consumer preferences are reshaping the way we view and appreciate classic automobiles. However, the timeless appeal of classic cars remains undiminished, serving as a reminder of a simpler time when craftsmanship, elegance, and passion reigned supreme.
In the world of classic cars for sale, vintage elegance meets timeless appeal, inviting enthusiasts to embark on a journey through automotive history and heritage. Whether you're drawn to the sleek lines of a vintage sports car, the opulent luxury of a classic sedan, or the raw power of a muscle car, there's a classic car waiting to capture your heart and imagination. From the thrill of the hunt to the joy of ownership, the world of classic cars offers endless opportunities for exploration, enjoyment, and appreciation. Embrace vintage elegance and discover the timeless allure of classic cars for sale. |
Introduction: In this specific research study, a remarkably accurate and significantly simplified approach has been presented.
Material and Metods: this research is encompasses three crucial stages. Firstly, the length of the signal is effectively diminished to an optimal magnitude through the utilization of a technique widely known as windowing. This technique plays a pivotal role in reducing the signal to an ideal size, ensuring the subsequent stages are executed with utmost precision. Secondly, the pertinent features are extracted from the shortened signal, specifically focusing on the Fractal Dimension, the Hurst Exponent, and the Ratio of Determinism to Recurrence Rate. These features are chosen due to the inherent nonlinear nature of the signal, as they provide valuable insights into the complex patterns and structures present within. Lastly, the extracted features undergo Logistic Regression, a widely employed classification algorithm, to effectively categorize and classify them. This step plays a crucial role in providing a clear and concise understanding of the underlying characteristics of the signal.
Results: The implementation of the proposed method not only achieves an outstanding accuracy rate of 99.66%, but it also exhibits a linear time complexity, ensuring efficient processing. Additionally, this method leads to a significant reduction in the length of EEG signals, which is of utmost importance in practical applications.
Conclusion: The primary objective of this proposed method revolves around the introduction of an online approach that can seamlessly integrate into healthcare systems. This objective is derived from a comprehensive analysis and evaluation of the obtained results, ensuring the method's practicality and effectiveness are thoroughly assessed.
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Andrzejak RG, Lehnertz K, Mormann F, Rieke C, David P, Elger CE. Indications of nonlinear deterministic and finite-dimensional structures in time series of brain electrical activity: Dependence on recording region and brain state. Phys Rev E Stat Nonlin Soft Matter Phys. 2001; 64(6 Pt 1): 061907. PMID: 11736210 DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevE.64.061907
Azami H, Mohammadi K, Hassanpour H. An improved signal segmentation method using genetic algorithm. International Journal of Computer Applications. 2011; 29(8): 5-9.
Anisheh SM, Hassanpour H. Adaptive segmentation with optimal window length scheme using fractal dimension and wavelet transform. International Journal of Engineering. 2009; 1(4): 5.
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Aluminum (Al) has been shown to trigger a DNA injury detection pathway involving ATR, ALT2 and SOG1. These elements have been found to close down plant progress within the presence of Al and promote restore of the plant. The lack of operate of any of these factors ends in Altolerance, which implies that although Al is being internalized, plant development fails to arrest. While extra investigation is critical to understand what is the true nature of the Al-dependent DNA injury, the detection mechanisms for the obvious damage will continue to be outlined by research carried out within the Larsen Lab. I will examine how plant cells are programmed to repair the perceived Al-dependent DNA injury.
Furthermore, there may be little consensus on which drivers are most necessary; most studies conclude that macroinvertebrate communities solely present a response underneath extreme environmental conditions. Here, our objective was to determine the most important drivers of macroinvertebrate community construction in wetlands in Wake County, North Carolina. We collected macroinvertebrates from six wetlands and calculated group richness (in terms of number of genera and functional feeding groups), range, and average pollution tolerance of the organisms at each web site. We additionally collected knowledge on vegetation communities, water quality, water depth, and soil characteristics.
Spa Treatments
By oral application of a bacteriophage cocktail, Miller and coworkers may reduce mortality by 92% in C. Necrotic enteritis is a poultry disease brought on by an overgrowth of Clostridium perfringens kind A, and to a lesser extent kind C, within the small intestine. Clinical types lead to severe issues and increased flock mortality in a very short time. Acting towards Gram- micro organism may end up in an much more extreme problem – endotoxemia.
Saint Mary's College
Functional relevance of this interplay was demonstrated by partial complementation of the Δpep1 mutant defect by virus induced gene silencing of maize POX12. We conclude that Pep1 acts as a potent suppressor of early plant defenses by inhibition of peroxidase exercise. Thus, it represents a novel technique for establishing a biotrophic interplay. Pseudomonas syringae is a gram unfavorable bacterial pathogen which assaults a variety of economic crops. https://truecolloidal.com/ of my analysis this summer might be to characterize the perform of several candidate signaling genes in plant illness resistance and protection responses. A PCR based mostly screening method shall be used to isolate homozygous Arabidopsis mutants for an intracellular nucleotide binding/ leucine rich repeat (TIR-NBS-LRR) gene and RRM protein.
Kamerkar et al. assessed the results of the exosomal drug carriers (carrying quick interfering RNA specific to oncogenic KRAS) to uppress pancreatic cancer in a quantity of mouse models. They showed remedy with exosomal drug carriers efficiently suppressed cancer and observably enhanced overall survival as exosomes can shield themselves from phagocytosis by monocytes and macrophages (Kamerkar et al., 2017). In another study, they demonstrated the contribution of the exosomal lipids in the urine to investigate molecular markers of renal cell carcinoma sufferers (Del Boccio et al., 2012). Generally, the perform of exosomal lipid wants more efforts to be considered effective for cancer prognosis and prognostic potential.
AcrIF1 (24), AcrIF2 (25), AcrIF4 (26), AcrIF6 (27), AcrIF7 (26), AcrIF8 (27), AcrIF10 (28) and AcrIF14 (26) use this mechanism to inhibit the sort I-F CRISPR-Cas system. Masking the active website of Cas3 by AcrIF3 inhibits Cas3 interactions to focus on DNA and Cas3 bound by AcrIF3 fails to cleave target DNA (29). The final characterised inhibition technique of the AcrIF household is enzymatic exercise, represented by AcrIF11. AcrIF11 has an ADP-ribosyltransferase activity which mediates the ADP-ribosylation of the Cascade complicated to prevent target DNA binding (30). Besides fighting pathogenic organisms as described in the previous chapter and supporting the immune system, ZnO is an important hint element and has a vital position within the immune system.
The Yarbrough Drive Central Utility Plant provides North Carolina State University with a portion of the electricity for the university operations. This plant was built in the 1920s and has undergone a plethora of upgrades and repairs over the past century. The plant is equipped with a Continuous Emissions Monitoring System (CEMS) to monitor concentrations of criteria pollutant emissions from the plant.
Optimize Feed Costs With Out Shedding Performance
Chemical genetics uses small molecules to alter protein capabilities and is similar to conventional genetic approaches. The advantage to chemical genetics, nevertheless, is that genes whose mutation would regular kill the plant and hinder further research, can be altered without being deadly to the plant. In my project, we have been utilizing a mutant of Arabidopsis that possesses a constitutive active (CA) form of Rop2, one of many eleven Rops in this plant. The constitutive lively mutant has excessive ranges of Rop2 in its lively kind, Rop-GTP. These CA-Rop2 plants have a attribute cotyledon form, different from the wild sort, which can be used as a screen within the chemical genetic assays. By subjecting seedlings to a large library of chemicals and screening for chemical compounds that change the cotyledon shape again to the wild type, we hope to seek out chemical substances that are involved in Rop pathways.
MicroRNA (miRNA) is a category of brief single-stranded non-coding RNAs consisting of 18–22 nucleotides. This genetic material does not have the capability of protein coding; however, it regulates gene expression by inhibiting the transcription of its goal mRNA [99]. A totally different mechanism explaining the consequences of curcumin on the immune system could be the action on the redox system.
We will investigate how drought stress impacts development patterns and gene expression in specific cell-types from the SAM using next-generation sequencing strategies. Anthocyanin is a pigment that protects crops by absorbing high-energy UV light, in response to environmental stress, bettering the survival of crops. Production of Anthocyanin Pigment-1 (PAP1) is a transcription factor that regulates the production of the pigment anthocyanin. PAP1 has each a DNA binding area and an activation domain that regulate gene expression. Although we now have a broad understanding of the PAP1 protein, the activation area has but to be characterized. |
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Wharton Stories
Five ways to better lead every aspect of your life.
How Robert Chen, WG'19, is applying Wharton's Total Leadership Course to become a better leader in all areas of his life.
When we think about leadership, it's usually in a professional context. We focus on how we lead our organizations, departments, and teams but rarely put any thought into how we lead other areas of our life. How are we doing in our family life, our community, our own health and well-being? Are we leading these areas or are we just going with the flow hoping things will turn out OK? Why don't we lead these other areas of our life?
These were the questions I asked myself during Prof. Stew Friedman's Total Leadership course. What attracted me to take this course was his concept that work-life balance doesn't work because it implies having to make trade-offs. Instead of managing life as slices of a pie that gets smaller or bigger at the expense of each other, his approach considers different areas of your life as independent circles that can potentially overlap with each other.
This new construct helped me unlock the creativity to better optimize my life and it has transformed the way I live and work. Here are five insights I took away from the course:
1. Lead your life: Don't use one area of your life to make excuses for another area.
Before this program, I often felt guilty about not getting home early enough to spend time with my kids. I used work as my excuse, rationalizing that now was the time to focus on my career and once I've "made it," I can carve out more time for family. Along the same vein, I used my two young sons as the excuse for not exercising. I would tell myself, "How can I afford to work out if I don't even have enough time to spend with my kids?" Then I would use the time I needed for work, school, family, and exercise to justify why I slept on average only five hours each night.
I found myself often saying how much I wanted to do these things but explaining how I couldn't because of these many legitimate excuses. Looking back, that was a weak way of living. This experience has taught me to either do what I say is important to do or stop saying it's important to me . Either way is fine but continuing to make excuses is not.
As part of this course, we all conducted personal experiments. For my experiments, I committed to getting 7+ hours of sleep, getting home before 7 p.m. during most of the work week, and exercising daily, which included running twice a week. I was initially skeptical since I've had so many false starts trying to implement similar positive habits but I'm excited to share that, so far, I've not only sustained these habits, but I just completed my first half-marathon after never running a race in the past.
What made the difference this time was clarifying the vision I wanted for my life and taking control to bring that vision to life. Essentially, leading myself to where I wanted to go.
2. Sleep really matters.
I was lucky to choose to sleep 7+ hours as one of my experiments because there was no other habit change that yielded faster and more drastic results. I used to subscribe to the "you can sleep when you retire" and "I'm successful because I work harder and longer than everyone else" mantra. I'm beginning to see the fault in this thinking and realizing that I may have spun my wheels more often than I am aware of or care to admit.
After consistently getting 7+ hours of sleep, I noticed my mood becoming more positive and relaxed. What surprised me the most was that I immediately stopped craving coffee (I was drinking about 2-3 cups a day for the last few years).
I also found sleeping sufficiently is a linchpin habit . The days when I was well-rested, I almost always completed every other habit change along with my work and school goal for that day. It allowed me to exercise more self-control and discipline .
3. Create constraints to force creativity.
Forcing myself to get home early, sleep enough hours, and exercise daily meant taking time away from other areas of my life, especially work. Initially, I was worried I wouldn't get my work done leading to adverse consequences. What I found instead was the most important work was still getting done and since my deadlines were tighter, I became more effective with my time . Having less time for work began to prevent me from over-engineering my work and school projects.
It also helped me to be more creative about my time. Instead of agreeing to drinks or dinner with a client, I would offer to meet for breakfast or lunch, so I can keep my commitment to get home early. I started running and working out with other people as a great way to catch up with them. Interestingly, by creating constraints and forcing myself to keep these new habits, the quality of my life has increased at home and at work.
4. Be the building block for other people's goals.
One of the key exercises in the Total Leadership process was to set up conversations with the most important stakeholders in the different areas of your life. The goal is to ask your stakeholders about their expectations for you and how you're doing in meeting those expectations.
Holding these conversations, I realized that I often see people around me as building blocks to my success and drive our interactions in the direction of my agenda and accomplishing my goals. Hearing people's expectations of me have made me realize that other people have their own needs and aspirations and to create long-term, positive relationships with them, I need to be the building block for their goals and success .
If you want people to see you as a leader, they first have to recognize that their life will be better because they follow you. There is no better way to do that than to become a critical part in their quest for success and meaning.
5. Grow the relationships you take for granted.
Every year I have clear goals to improve and to grow my career. It seems like the natural thing to do. What's interesting is when I reflect on my closest relationships, I don't have the same aspirational tendency. I don't think about growing these relationships and at best, the relationship stays where it is. The only time I pay attention is when the relationship gets strained and I spend just enough energy to get it back to the original level.
Applying the same growth mentality from my career to my personal relationships, I asked my wife, family, and others close to me what we needed to do to take our relationship to the next level. Just by having these conversations, my key relationships are beginning to thrive and grow and it's having a positive impact on other areas of my life. When you ask people about their needs and truly listen, they often become open to sincerely understanding your needs .
I came to Wharton to pick up the skills needed to succeed in business and am graduating with skills to help me succeed in life.
— Robert Chen
Posted: January 2, 2019
- Creating Leaders
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EMBA Program
Wharton MBA Program for Executives
Robert Chen, WG'19
Currently Partner, Exec|Comm , a global communication skills consultancy
Founder, Embrace Possibility , an online resource to help people reach their full potential
Based In New York City, NY
Wharton Campus Philadelphia
Prior Education Cornell University, B.S. Chemistry and Economics
Read Robert's previous articles:
- A Survival Guide for Your First Term in Wharton's EMBA Program
- 8 Insights on Leadership from GM CEO Mary Barra and the Wharton People Analytics Conference
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Three Harvard scholars — Jill Lepore (from left, photo 1), David Hempton, and Michael Norton — offered their thoughts on what it means to lead a good life in today's complex world. President Drew Faust opened the HAA-sponsored talk in London (photo 2), which included an opportunity for people to share what Harvard means to them. For Hempton (photo 3), it is "Where I try to make the world a better place."
Photos by Stuart Vallis
Keys to a good life
Colleen Walsh
Harvard Staff Writer
Three Harvard professors outline their priorities to alumni audience in London
How do you lead a good life? That seemingly simple question has preoccupied and perplexed mankind for centuries.
For author and historian Jill Lepore , one key to fulfillment involves poring over old manuscripts and dusty correspondence and emerging with a compelling, enlightening story to share.
"As a reader, I find no explanation more satisfying than a historical explanation, especially if it's completely cluttered, overwhelmingly cluttered, with evidence," said Lepore, Harvard's David Woods Kemper '41 Professor of American History and a staff writer for The New Yorker , via email. "I love trying to find that kind of explanation in the archives, and then writing an essay, or giving a lecture, that offers that explanation in the form of a story."
She wrote, speaking more broadly, that her life goals include "to do good, quietly, and to hold beauty dear."
Lepore was one of three Harvard scholars who offered their insights into what personal fulfillment means, in advance of their participation in a discussion Tuesday in London called "The Examined Life."
Harvard President Drew Faust welcomed alumni to Guildhall, the historic town hall in England's capital, to share her vision for Harvard's future and to introduce the day's discussion. The Harvard Alumni Association and the Harvard Club of the United Kingdom sponsored the event, the first in a series titled "Your Harvard" that will take place throughout The Harvard Campaign .
In the discussions, Harvard faculty members will probe challenges facing society and innovative solutions to them. Other "Your Harvard" events will take place in Los Angeles on March 8 and in New York City on May 14.
It's a common refrain that money can't buy you happiness. But according to Harvard Business School 's Michael Norton , if you spend it correctly, it actually can.
For the past several years, Norton, associate professor of business administration and Marvin Bower Fellow at Harvard Business School, has explored how the ways that people spend their money can correlate to their level of happiness. His work is chronicled in last year's book "Happy Money: The Science of Smarter Spending," co-authored with Elizabeth Dunn, associate professor in the psychology department at the University of British Columbia .
Simply put, the pair found there were emotional dividends in paying it forward. After studying people's spending habits across a range of countries and income levels, Norton and Dunn concluded that when a person spends money on someone else — whether by a donation to a good cause, or just taking a friend to lunch — that person is generally happier.
"When you buy things for yourself, it's not bad for your happiness; it just isn't good. It doesn't do much for you. Or even if it does, it wears off really quickly," said Norton. "But when we give to other people … it turns out it does make us happier."
To keep that happy feeling, people should think about giving regularly, said Norton, instead of giving in a "responsive way," such as when a colleague asks to be sponsored in a race.
"We really encourage people to think instead regularly [about] how much of your money you are spending on ridiculous things for yourself, and how much of your money are you spending to help other people."
Since starting his research, Norton has taken his own advice. He signed up with a charity that sends him monthly email reminders that it's time to give to a public school project of his choice. To get that happy feeling, he said, all he has to do is turn his head. Posted on the wall of his office is a handwritten note from a young student thanking him for a recent donation that helped the class purchase science equipment.
"You really know that your money is having an impact … it's incredible."
Lepore's 2012 book "The Mansion of Happiness: A History of Life and Death," uses a historical lens to explore big, existential questions like, how does life begin? What does it mean? What happens when you're dead? But it was actually while writing her most recent work, a portrait of Benjamin Franklin's sister called "Book of Ages: The Life and Opinions of Jane Franklin," that she learned "the most about the shape of life from writing history."
"What I learned, I didn't see until I was nearly done writing. And it's that I wrote for my mother," said Lepore, who penned an essay for The New Yorker titled "The Prodigal Daughter" about her mother, who died last year.
The essay is "about how the best in us is, in the end, a monument to the people we love."
For people worried that the world's religions seem increasingly associated with violence, corruption, and intolerance, Harvard Divinity School Dean David Hempton offered words of hope. In an email, the third speaker at the London session acknowledged that while religion, for a variety of complex reasons, can be a source of "inflaming division," it can also be a source of solace, hope, and goodness.
"All of the world's great religious traditions have resources within them for promoting peace, goodness, and human flourishing," said Hempton, "for example, the almost generic emphasis on the Golden Rule for loving neighbors as ourselves."
For Hempton, the good life involves concern for the well-being and flourishing of others, empathy, social justice, and "a disciplined (and informed) commitment to try to make the world a better place."
"In the words of Arnold Toynbee, 'Love is what gives life its meaning and purpose,'" wrote Hempton. "How that works out in the promotion of human flourishing is, of course, complicated and can give rise to honest disagreement over ways and means. But posing the questions and seeking answers are vital."
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The Better Good Life: An Essay on Personal Sustainability
Imagine a cherry tree in full bloom, its roots sunk into rich earth and its branches covered with thousands of blossoms, all emitting a lovely fragrance and containing thousands of seeds capable of producing many more cherry trees. The petals begin to fall, covering the ground in a blanket of white flowers and scattering the seeds everywhere.
Some of the seeds will take root, but the vast majority will simply break down along with the spent petals, becoming part of the soil that nourishes the tree — along with thousands of other plants and animals.
Looking at this scene, do we shake our heads at the senseless waste, mess and inefficiency? Does it look like the tree is working too hard, showing signs of strain or collapse? Of course not. But why not?
Well, for one thing, because the whole process is beautiful, abundant and pleasure producing: We enjoy seeing and smelling the trees in bloom, we're pleased by the idea of the trees multiplying (and producing delicious cherries ), and everyone for miles around seems to benefit in the process.
The entire lifecycle of the cherry tree is rewarding, and the only "waste" involved is an abundant sort of nutrient cycling that only leads to more good things.
The entire lifecycle of the cherry tree is rewarding, and the only "waste" involved is an abundant sort of nutrient cycling that only leads to more good things. Best of all, this show of productivity and generosity seems to come quite naturally to the tree. It shows no signs of discontent or resentment — in fact, it looks like it could keep this up indefinitely with nothing but good, sustainable outcomes.
The cherry-tree scenario is one model that renowned designer and sustainable-development expert William McDonough uses to illustrate how healthy, sustainable systems are supposed to work. "Every last particle contributes in some way to the health of a thriving ecosystem," he writes in his essay (coauthored with Michael Braungart), "The Extravagant Gesture: Nature, Design and the Transformation of Human Industry" (available at).
Rampant production in this scenario poses no problem, McDonough explains, because the tree returns all of the resources it extracts (without deterioration or diminution), and it produces no dangerous stockpiles of garbage or residual toxins in the process. In fact, rampant production by the cherry tree only enriches everything around it.
In this system and most systems designed by nature, McDonough notes, "Waste that stays waste does not exist. Instead, waste nourishes; waste equals food."
If only we humans could be lucky and wise enough to live this way — using our resources and energy to such good effect; making useful, beautiful, extravagant contributions; and producing nothing but nourishing "byproducts" in the process.
If only we humans could be lucky and wise enough to live this way — using our resources and energy to such good effect; making useful, beautiful, extravagant contributions ; and producing nothing but nourishing "byproducts" in the process. If only our version of rampant production and consumption produced so much pleasure and value and so little exhaustion, anxiety, depletion and waste.
Well, perhaps we can learn. More to the point, if we hope to create a decent future for ourselves and succeeding generations, we must. After all, a future produced by trends of the present — in which children are increasingly treated for stress, obesity, high blood pressure and heart disease, and in which our chronic health problems threaten to bankrupt our economy — is not much of a future.
We need to create something better. And for that to happen, we must begin to reconsider which parts of our lives contribute to the cherry tree's brand of healthy vibrance and abundance, and which don't.
The happy news is, the search for a more sustainable way of life can go hand in hand with the pursuit of a healthier, more rewarding life. And isn't that the kind of life most of us are after?
In Search of Sustainability and Satisfaction
McDonough's cherry-tree model represents several key principles of sustainability — including lifecycle awareness, no-waste nutrient cycling and a commitment to "it's-all-connected" systems thinking (see " See the Connection "). And it turns out that many of these principles can be usefully applied not just to natural resources and ecosystems, but to all systems — from frameworks for economic and industrial production to blueprints for individual and collective well-being.
For example, when we look at our lives through the lens of sustainability, we can begin to see how unwise short-term tradeoffs (fast food, skipped workouts, skimpy sleep, strictly-for-the-money jobs) produce waste (squandered energy and vitality, unfulfilled personal potential, excessive material consumption) and toxic byproducts (illness, excess weight , depression, frustration, debt).
We can also see how healthy choices and investments in our personal well-being can produce profoundly positive results that extend to our broader circles of influence and communities at large.
Conversely, we can also see how healthy choices and investments in our personal well-being can produce profoundly positive results that extend to our broader circles of influence and communities at large. When we're feeling our best and overflowing with energy and optimism, we tend to be of greater service and support to others. We're clearer of mind, meaning we can identify opportunities to reengineer the things that aren't working in our lives. We can also more fully appreciate and emphasize the things that are (as opposed to feeling stuck in a rut , down in the dumps, unappreciated or entitled to something we're not getting).
When you look at it this way, it's not hard to see why sustainability plays such an important role in creating the conditions of a true " good life ": By definition, sustainability principles discourage people from consuming or destroying resources at a greater pace than they can replenish them. They also encourage people to notice when buildups and depletions begin occurring and to correct them as quickly as possible.
As a result, sustainability-oriented approaches tend to produce not just robust, resilient individuals , but resilient and regenerative societies — the kind that manage to produce long-term benefits for a great many without undermining the resources on which those benefits depend. (For a thought-provoking exploration of how and why this has been true historically, read Jared Diamond's excellent book Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed .)
The Good Life Gone Bad
So, what exactly is a "good life"? Clearly, not everyone shares the same definition, but most of us would prefer a life filled with experiences we find pleasing and worthwhile and that contribute to an overall sense of well-being.
We'd prefer a life that feels good in the moment, but that also lays the ground for a promising future — a life, like the cherry tree's, that contributes something of value and that benefits and enriches the lives of others, or at least doesn't cause them anxiety and harm.
Unfortunately, historically, our pursuit of the good life has focused on increasing our material wealth and upgrading our socioeconomic status in the short term (learn more at " What Is Affluenza? "). And, in the big picture, that approach has not turned out quite the way we might have hoped.
For too many, the current version of "the good life" involves working too-long hours and driving too-long commutes. It has us worrying and running ourselves ragged.
For too many, the current version of "the good life" involves working too-long hours and driving too-long commutes. It has us worrying and running ourselves ragged, overeating to soothe ourselves, watching TV to distract ourselves, binge-shopping to sate our desire for more, and popping prescription pills to keep troubling symptoms at bay. This version of "the good life" has given us only moments a day with the people we love, and virtually no time or inclination to participate as citizens or community members.
It has also given us anxiety attacks; obesity; depression ; traffic jams; urban sprawl; crushing daycare bills; a broken healthcare system; record rates of addiction, divorce and incarceration; an imploding economy; and a planet in peril.
From an economic standpoint, we're more productive than we've ever been. We've focused on getting more done in less time. We've surrounded ourselves with technologies designed to make our lives easier, more comfortable and more amusing.
Yet, instead of making us happy and healthy, all of this has left a great many of us feeling depleted, lonely, strapped, stressed and resentful. We don't have enough time for ourselves, our loved ones, our creative aspirations or our communities. And in the wake of the bad-mortgage-meets-Wall-Street-greed crisis, much of the so-called value we've been busy creating has seemingly vanished before our eyes, leaving future generations of citizens to pay almost inconceivably huge bills.
The conveniences we've embraced to save ourselves time have reduced us to an unimaginative, sedentary existence that undermines our physical fitness and mental health and reduces our ability to give our best gifts.
Meanwhile, the quick-energy fuels we use to keep ourselves going ultimately leave us feeling sluggish, inflamed and fatigued. The conveniences we've embraced to save ourselves time have reduced us to an unimaginative, sedentary existence that undermines our physical fitness and mental health and reduces our ability to give our best gifts. (Not sure what your best gift is? See " Play to Your Strengths " for more.)
Our bodies and minds are showing the telltale symptoms of unsustainable systems at work — systems that put short-term rewards ahead of long-term value. We're beginning to suspect that the costs we're incurring could turn out to be unacceptably high if we ever stop to properly account for them, which some of us are beginning to do.
Accounting for What Matters
Defining the good life in terms of productivity, material rewards and personal accomplishment is a little like viewing the gross domestic product (GDP) as an accurate measurement of social and economic progress.
In fact, the GDP is nothing more than a gross tally of products and services bought and sold, with no distinctions between transactions that enhance well-being and transactions that diminish it, and no accounting for most of the "externalities" (like losses in vitality, beauty and satisfaction) that actually have the greatest impact on our personal health and welfare.
We'd balk if any business attempted to present a picture of financial health by simply tallying up all of its business activity — lumping income and expense, assets and liabilities, and debits and credits together in one impressive, apparently positive bottom-line number (which is, incidentally, much the way our GDP is calculated).
Yet, in many ways, we do the same kind of flawed calculus in our own lives — regarding as measures of success the gross sum of the to-dos we check off, the salaries we earn, the admiration we attract and the rungs we climb on the corporate ladder.
But not all of these activities actually net us the happiness and satisfaction we seek, and in the process of pursuing them, we can incur appalling costs to our health and happiness. We also make vast sacrifices in terms of our personal relationships and our contributions to the communities, societies and environments on which we depend.
This is the essence of unsustainability , the equivalent of a cherry tree sucking up nutrients and resources and growing nothing but bare branches, or worse — ugly, toxic, foul-smelling blooms. So what are our options?
Asking the Right Questions
In the past several years, many alternative, GDP-like indexes have emerged and attempted to more accurately account for how well (or, more often, how poorly) our economic growth is translating to quality-of-life improvements.
Measurement tools like the Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI), developed by Redefining Progress, a nonpartisan public-policy and economic think tank, factor in well-being and quality-of-life concerns by considering both positive and negative impacts of various products and services. They also measure more impacts overall (including impacts on elements of "being" and "doing" vs. just "having"). And they evaluate whether various financial expenditures represent a net gain or net loss — not just in economic terms, but also in human, social and ecological ones (see "Sustainable Happiness," below).
Perhaps it's time to consider our personal health and well-being in the same sort of broader context — distinguishing productive activities from destructive ones, and figuring the true costs and unintended consequences of our choices into the assessment of how well our lives are working.
To that end, we might begin asking questions like these:
- Where, in our rush to accomplish or enjoy "more" in the short run, are we inadvertently creating the equivalent of garbage dumps and toxic spills (stress overloads, health crises, battered relationships, debt) that will need to be cleaned up later at great (think Superfund) effort and expense?
- Where, in our impatience to garner maximum gains in personal productivity, wealth or achievement in minimum time, are we setting the stage for bailout scenarios down the road? (Consider the sacrifices endured by our families, friends and colleagues when we fall victim to a bad mood, much less a serious illness or disabling health condition.)
- Where, in an attempt to avoid uncertainty, experimentation or change , are we burning through our limited and unrenewable resource of time (staying at jobs that leave us depleted, for example), rather than striving to harness our bottomless stores of purpose-driven enthusiasm (by, say, pursuing careers or civic duties of real meaning)?
- Where are we making short-sighted choices or non-choices (about our health, for example) that sacrifice the resources we need (energy, vitality, clear focus) to make progress and contributions in other areas of our lives?
In addition to these assessments, we can also begin imagining what a better alternative would look like:
- What might be possible if we embraced a different version of the good life — the kind of good life in which the vast majority of our choices both feel good and do good?
- What if we took a systems view of our life , acknowledging how various inputs and outputs play out (for better or worse) over time? What if we fully considered how those around us are affected by our choices now and in the long term?
- What if we embraced more choices that honor our true nature, that gave us more opportunities to use our talents and enthusiasms in the service of a higher purpose?
One has to wonder how many of our health and fitness challenges would evaporate under such conditions — how many compensatory behaviors (overeating, hiding out, numbing out) would simply no longer have a draw.
How many health-sustaining behaviors would become easy and natural choices if each of us were driven by a strong and joyful purpose , and were no longer saddled with the stress and dissatisfaction inherent in the lives we live now?
Think about the cherry-tree effect implicit in such a scenario: each of us getting our needs met, fulfilling our best potential, living at full vitality, and contributing to healthy, vital, sustainable communities in the process.
If it sounds a bit idealistic, that's probably because it describes an ideal distant enough from our current reality to provoke a certain amount of hopelessness. But that doesn't mean it's entirely unrealistic. In fact, it's a vision that many people are increasingly convinced is the only kind worth pursuing.
Turning the Corner
Maybe it has something to do with how many of our social, economic and ecological systems are showing signs of extreme strain. Maybe it's how many of us are sick and tired of being sick and tired — or of living in a culture where everyone else seems sick and tired. Maybe it's the growing realization that no matter how busy and efficient we are, if our efforts don't feed us in a deep way, then all that output may be more than a little misguided. Whatever the reason, a lot of us are asking: If our rampant productivity doesn't make us happy, doesn't allow for calm and creativity, doesn't give us an opportunity to participate in a meaningful way — then, really, what's the point?
These days, it seems that more of us are taking a keen interest in seeking out better ways, and seeing the value of extending the lessons of sustainability beyond the natural world and into our own perspectives on what the good life is all about.
In her book MegaTrends 2010: The Rise of Conscious Capitalism , futurist Patricia Aburdene describes a hopeful collection of social and economic trends shaped by a large and influential subset of the American consuming public. What these 70 million individuals have in common, she explains, are some very specific values-driven behaviors — most of which revolve around seeking a better, deeper, more meaningful and sustainable quality of life (discover the four pillars or meaning at " How to Build a Meaningful Life ").
["Conscious Consumers" balance] short-term desires and conveniences with long-term well-being — not just their own, but that of their local and larger communities, and of the planet as a whole.
These "Conscious Consumers," as Aburdene characterizes them, are more carefully weighing material and economic payoffs against moral and spiritual ones. They are balancing short-term desires and conveniences with long-term well-being — not just their own, but that of their local and larger communities, and of the planet as a whole. They are acting, says Aburdene, out of a sort of "enlightened self-interest," one that is deeply rooted in concerns about sustainability in all its forms.
"Enlightened self-interest is not altruism," she explains. "It's self-interest with a wider view. It asks: If I act in my own self-interest and keep doing so, what are the ramifications of my choices? Which acts — that may look fine right now — will come around and bite me and others one year from now? Ten years? Twenty-five years?"
In other words, Conscious Consumers are not merely consumers, but engaged and concerned individuals who think in terms of lifecycles, who perceive the subtleties and complexities of interconnected systems .
As John Muir famously said: "When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world." Just as the cherry tree is tethered in a complex ecosystem of relationships, so are we.
Facing Reality
When we live in a way that diminishes us or weighs us down — whether as the result of poor physical health and fitness, excess stress and anxiety, or any compromise of our best potential — we inevitably affect countless other people and systems whose well-being relies on our own.
For example, if we don't have the time and energy to make food for ourselves and our families, we end up eating poorly, which further diminishes our energy, and may also result in our kids having behavior or attention problems at school, undermining the quality of their experience there, and potentially creating problems for others.
As satisfaction and well-being go down, need and consumption go up.
If we skimp on sleep and relaxation in order to "get more done," we court illness and depression, risking both our own and others' productivity and happiness in the process and diminishing the creativity with which we approach challenges.
At the individual level, unsustainable choices create strain and misery. At the collective level, they do the same thing, with exponential effect. Because, when not enough of us are living like thriving cherry trees, cycles of scarcity (rather than abundance) ensue. Life gets harder for everyone. As satisfaction and well-being go down, need and consumption go up. Our sense of "enough" becomes distorted.
Taking Full Account
The basic question of sustainability is this: Can you keep doing what you're doing indefinitely and without ill effect to yourself and the systems on which you depend — or are you (despite short-term rewards you may be enjoying now, or the "someday" relief you're hoping for) on a likely trajectory to eventual suffering and destruction?
When it comes to the ecology of the planet, this question has become very pointed in recent years. But posed in the context of our personal lives, the question is equally instructive: Are we living like the cherry tree — part of a sustainable and regenerative cycle — or are we sucking up resources, yet still obsessed with what we don't have? Are we continually generating new energy, vitality, generosity and personal potential , or wasting it?
We can work just so hard and consume just so much before we begin to experience both diminishing personal returns and increasing degenerative costs.
The human reality, in most cases, isn't quite as pretty as the cherry tree in full bloom. We can work just so hard and consume just so much before we begin to experience both diminishing personal returns and increasing degenerative costs. And when enough of us are in a chronically diminished state of well-being, the effect is a sort of social and moral pollution — the human equivalent of the greenhouse gasses that threaten our entire ecosystem.
Accounting for these soft costs, or even recognizing them as relevant externalities, is not something we've been trained to do well. But all that is changing — in part, because many of us are beginning to realize that much of what we've been sold in the name of "progress" is now looking like anything but. And, in part, because we're starting to believe that not only might there be a better way, but that the principles for creating it are staring us right in the face.
By making personal choices that respect the principles of sustainability, we can interrupt the toxic cycles of overconsumption and overexertion. Ultimately, when confronted with the possibility of a better quality of life and more satisfying expression of our potential, the primary question becomes not just can we continue living the way we have been, but perhaps just as important, why would we even want to ?
If the approach we've been taking appears likely to make us miserable (and perhaps extinct), then it makes sense to consider our options. How do we want to live for the foreseeable and sustainable future, and what are the building blocks for that future? What would it be like to live in a community where most people were overflowing with vitality and looking for ways to be of service to others?
While no one expert or index or council claims to have all the answers to that question, when it comes to discerning the fundamentals of the good life, nature conveniently provides most of the models we need. It suggests a framework by which we can better understand and apply the principles of sustainability to our own lives. Now it's up to us to apply them.
Make It Sustainable
Here are some right-now changes you can make to enhance and sustain your personal well-being:
1. Rethink Your Eating.
Look beyond meal-to-meal concerns with weight. Aim to eat consciously and selectively in keeping with the nourishment you want to take in, the energy and personal gifts you want to contribute, and the influence you want to have on the world around you.
To that end, you might start eating less meat, or fewer packaged foods, or you might start eating regularly so that you have enough energy to exercise (and so that your low blood sugar doesn't negatively affect your mood and everyone around you).
You also might start packing your lunch, suggests money expert Vicki Robin: Not only will you have more control over what and how you eat, but the money you'll save over the course of a career can amount to a year's worth of work. "Bringing your lunch saves you a year of your life," she says.
2. Set a Regular Bedtime
Having a target bedtime can help you get the sleep you need to be positive and productive, and to avoid becoming depleted and depressed. Research confirms that adequate sleep is essential to clear thinking, balanced mood, healthy metabolism, strong immunity, optimal vitality and strong professional performance.
Research also shows that going to bed earlier provides a higher quality of rest than sleeping in, so get your hours at the start of the night. By taking care of yourself in this simple way, you lay the groundwork for all kinds of regenerative (vs. depleting) cycles.
3. Own Your Outcomes
If there are parts of your life you don't like — parts that feel toxic, frustrating or wasteful to you — be willing to trace the outcomes back to their origins, including your choices around self-care , seeking help, balancing priorities and sticking to your core values.
Also examine the full range of outputs and impacts: What waste or damage is occurring as a result of this area of unresolved challenge? Who else and what else in your life might be paying too-high a price for the scenario in question? If you're unsure about whether or not a choice or an activity you're involved in is sustainable, ask yourself the following questions:
- Given the option, would I do or choose this again? Would I do it indefinitely?
- How long can I keep this up, and at what cost — not just to me, but to the other people and systems I care about?
- What have I sacrificed to get here; what will it take for me to continue? Are the rewards worth it, even if the other areas of my life suffer?
Sustainable Happiness
Not all growth and productivity represent progress, particularly if you consider happiness and well-being as part of the equation. The growing gap between our gross domestic product and Genuine Progress Indicator (as represented below) suggests we could be investing our resources with far happier results.
Data source: Redefining Progress, rprogress.org . Chart graphic courtesy of Yes! magazine.
Learn more about the most reliable, sustainable sources of happiness and well-being in the Winter 2009 issue of Yes! magazine, available at www.yesmagazine.org .
Learning From Nature
What can we learn from ecological sustainability about the best ways to balance and sustain our own lives? Here are a few key lessons:
- Everything is in relationship with everything else. So overdrawing or overproducing in one area tends to negatively affect other areas. An excessive focus on work can undermine your relationship with your partner or kids. Diminished physical vitality or low mood can affect the quality of your work and service to others.
- What comes around goes around. Trying to "cheat" or "skimp" or "get away with something" in the short term generally doesn't work because the true costs of cheating eventually become painfully obvious. And very often the "cleanup" costs more and takes longer than it would have to simply do the right thing in the first place.
- Waste not, want not. Unpleasant accumulations or unsustainable drains represent opportunities for improvement and reinvention. Nature's models of nutrient cycling show us that what looks like waste can become food for a process we simply haven't engaged yet: Anxiety may be nervous energy that needs to be burned off, or a nudge to do relaxation and self-inquiry exercises that will churn up new insights and ideas. Excess fat may be fuel for enjoyable activities we've resisted doing or haven't yet discovered — or a clue that we're hungry for something other than food. The clutter in our homes may represent resources that we haven't gotten around to sharing. Look for ways to put waste and excess to work, and you may discover all kinds of "nutrients" just looking for attention. (See " The Emotional Toll of Clutter ".)
The Sustainable Self
Connie Grauds, RPh, is a pharmacist who combines her Western medical training with shamanic teachings, and in her view, we get caught in wearying patterns primarily because of fear . "Energy-depleting thoughts and feelings underlie energy-depleting habits," Grauds writes in her book The Energy Prescription , cowritten with Doug Childers. She says that we often burn ourselves out because we're unconsciously afraid of what will happen if we don't.
Grauds uses the shamanic term "susto" to describe our anxious response to external situations we can't control — the traffic jam, the work deadline, the pressure to buy stuff we don't really need. "Susto" triggers the body's fight-or-flight response, which encourages short-term, unconscious reactions to stress. When we shift to a more internal focus, tuning in to our body's physical and emotional signals more reflectively, we act from what Grauds calls our "sustainable self." She says the sustainable self can be accessed anytime with a simple four-step process:
- Take a deep breath ;
- Feel your body;
- Notice your thoughts, and then;
- Recognize that you are connected to a larger network of energy .
"A sustainable self recognizes and embraces its interdependent relationship to life," she says, explaining that when we get our energy from controlling external circumstances we're bound to collapse eventually, but when we're connected to our internal reserves, we can be much more effective. "By consistently doing things that replenish us and not doing things that needlessly deplete us," Grauds writes, "we access and conduct the energy we need to make and sustain positive changes and function at peak levels."
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Most people go into top positions with good intentions, but those often crumble due to the demands — and perks — of the job. If you want to succeed, devote some time and energy to self-leadership, says consultant Lars Sudmann.
This post is part of TED's "How to Be a Better Human" series, each of which contains a piece of helpful advice from someone in the TED community; browse through all the posts here.
Being a leader is a little like being a parent, says Lars Sudmann , a former corporate executive, in a TEDxUCLouvain Talk . Beforehand, we have all these rosy visions of how we're going to do it, how incredible we're going to be, and how we'll sidestep the mistakes that we see other people make.
But when it's our turn to assume the role, we find that reality doesn't match our expectations or imaginations. Sudmann, for example, believed that he would ace his first leadership role. Then, he held his first major staff meeting, an employee asked a question about the company's email signature, and the proceedings — and his command of them — completely fell apart.
After some months, Sudmann realized he was fighting against certain entrenched factors that keep all leaders from improving. Like many in the working world, leaders have too much to do and not enough time to do it; desperate to look effective, they race around like headless chickens and don't clearly think through their priorities and strategies; and being in a position of power causes them to assume that the people beneath them will take care of a lot of problems.
Sudmann, now a management consultant in Belgium, found a potential solution to these "classic leadership problems" in Marcus Aurelius , the Roman emperor and Stoic philosopher. Rather than spending his time trying to learn to rally and guide others, Marcus Aurelius focused a surprising amount of his energy on mastering self-leadership. Sudmann also came across an instructive quote from Dee Hock , the founder of the Visa credit card: "If you look to lead, invest at least 40 percent of your time managing yourself."
Sudmann has found this orientation tremendously helpful — first, as a leader and, more recently, as someone who helps other leaders succeed. Below, he breaks down three actions that go into self-leadership.
Be aware of your shortcomings
Leaders need to know all of their biases, predilections and weaknesses. It's crucial information for a boss to have, but it's not always easy for them to receive such feedback from their colleagues and underlings. Even when they're told they won't face retribution or punishment for their comments, many people still find it difficult to offer genuine criticism.
Instead, try what Sudmann calls the "character traits check." Think of someone you've worked with who — in your opinion or the opinion of trusted colleagues — was a bad leader or boss. What were the things they did that caused those negative judgements of them? Next, ask yourself: Do you share any of those behaviors? Then, says Sudmann, give yourself a score for 1 to 5 (1 being you don't really share the behavior to 5 being you share it to the nth degree).
Perhaps you had a leader who kept important information away from her employees, which made it difficult for everyone below her to do their jobs. Or, maybe you had had a micromanager? A yeller? Someone who played favorites — and let everyone know it? You probably also experienced leaders whose actions were less dramatic or egregious but still detrimental. Maybe they were a vague communicator? Or they always told you they'd get back to you "later" but "later" somehow never arrived?
Don't be surprised if some of their behaviors hit home with you. "What we find bad in others very often resonates with ourselves," says Sudmann. After you identify your potential areas of improvement, make a plan for how you'll work on them. Try to do a character traits check every month.
Engage in daily reflection
Every day, take 5- 10 minutes to think about the challenges you've recently handled and the ones you'll soon face. While Marcus Aurelius was fond of reflecting in the evening, Sudmann likes doing this over morning coffee. Questions to pose include: "How did my leadership go yesterday? How would the leader I'd like to be have faced the challenges I faced? What about my challenges today? What could I do differently?" Write down your thoughts so you can refer back to them and learn from them.
Regulate your feelings
No matter how much preparation and reflection you put in, there will be employees, colleagues, clients and associates who anger, frustrate or annoy you. Sudmann candidly admits there will be "all these moments you face as a leader when you think, "Argh! Stop doing this!"
That's where the practice of "reframing" comes in. When those teeth-grinding times occur, suggests Sudmann, "stop and ask yourself … on a scale from 1 to 10, how important is this issue right now?"
You should engage with 9s and 10s right away, but you'll find that many things which shatter your calm will be of lesser importance. With anything that's a 6 or lower, either excuse yourself physically ("I need to take a quick break; be right back") or figuratively ("Let me take a minute to go over what you've said"). Then, give yourself a moment to think: "How would the leader I aspire to be handle this situation?" The answer will come to you.
Watch his TEDxUCLouvain talk now:
About the author
Daryl Chen is the Ideas Editor at TED.
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Student Essay: The Power of Stories to Inspire Strong Leaders
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Maya S. is a Muslim, Egyptian and student athlete who has lived in Saudi Arabia for most of her life. She is 16 and a junior at the American International School of Riyadh, where she is enrolled in the International Baccalaureate program.
In this Student Essay of the Week, Maya talks about how building a platform for others to share their stories has helped her understand why welcoming diversity of thought and experience will make her a stronger, more empathetic leader.
Three steps forward and two steps back. That was my reality during the privilege walk.
In October 2018, I was selected along with 50 other high school students to attend a leadership trip to a farm outside Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. We believed that we were all going to learn about how to become leaders with strong voices. However, the trip took a completely unexpected and inspiring turn. Instead, we left knowing how to listen first and speak second.
At the farm, we participated in an activity called a privilege walk , where we were asked to step forward or backward in response to certain questions. From the responses, it became obvious that all of us were struggling with something that those around us knew nothing about.
I learned that the girl beside me once wondered where her next meal would come from. The girl beside her was afraid to leave the house at night because she had been assaulted. The boy to my left had been held at gunpoint. And the boy beside him had a mental disorder. This realization hit me hard. I was able to understand that although it's impossible for us all to experience the same things, it is possible for us to try and listen to each other and understand each other's differences. I began to appreciate the meaning of finding beauty in diversity. During that trip I learned that true leaders listen to the voices of others, and as a result they are able to enrich their own points of view.
"Living with anxiety is like feeling alive through the motions of life, but never freely living. It's being aware of my surroundings, but lost in another world inside my head."
During the summer of that year, someone I loved dearly was faced with medical issues, and my family began dealing with a lot of uncertainty. Even when it was all over, I felt lost and changed. I couldn't explain it, but I wished that someone understood. I then began thinking of the people standing around me that day in Riyadh during the privilege walk, and everyone around the world like us. Did we all feel the same desire to be understood? How could we all feel seen and valued, regardless of our stories? I wanted to hear more about the stories of all those kids I met that day in line. I wanted to understand how we all ended up there, despite our different paths. I wanted to create something that would allow them to express their stories.
That summer, I started Voice of Change , a weblog that allows other teenagers to contribute writing that reflects the experiences that have shaped them. The first story I received was "Purpose," from a girl struggling with depression. She wrote, "Purpose: a reason, a given, motivation , a point. We all live life because we have a purpose. We realize that there is a point, we have motivation and a reason to live. We look forward to things and create opportunities for ourselves. We see a future. Imagine living life feeling as though you have no purpose… That means no reason, no motivation, simply no point… the best way to describe this feeling is as if [you're] dead. This feeling is depression."
After I posted the article, which talked about how depression impacted the author's life, I received comments, emails and texts from others saying that the article communicated what they needed to hear and couldn't put into words. This initial response fueled the rest of my work. I began receiving other stories about challenging experiences, ranging from sexual assault and racial discrimination, to losing a loved one and struggling with body image. Here are a few powerful quotes from these articles:
"I'm not sure who or what I'm living for, but I'd never want to risk my family members feeling as I do right now. It's okay that I'm suffering right now, because I have faith that it will pass, eventually it will." – "Live On"
"I am not ignorant because I'm Arab. I'm not a terrorist because I'm Muslim. I am not a thug because I'm black. I am not who I am because of what you see on the news. I am who I am because of what I've been through, and what I have become." – "Assume"
"Living with anxiety is like feeling alive through the motions of life, but never freely living. It's being aware of my surroundings but lost in another world inside my head." – "I Choose Life"
I see my Voice of Change journey as having so much to do with becoming a better leader. It has helped me to see clearly the type of leader I hope to become. I have developed a stronger perspective by understanding the voices and stories of others. I have become more empathetic to other people's struggles, a quality I will need when I run my own business one day. You can't understand your customers' wants or your employees' needs if you don't listen and appreciate where they're coming from. Also, Voice of Change has shown me how much our experiences shape us and contribute to how we see the world and solve problems. Each person offers a unique voice and a different perspective – all powerful and important in their own way.
Related Links
- The Privilege Walk
- What Is Empathy? (Sesame Street)
- Knowledge@Wharton: The Emotional Intelligence Deficit
- Wharton's McNulty Leadership Program
Conversation Starters
What is empathy and why is it such an important leadership quality? How is empathy related to storytelling? Use the Related Links with this article if you need to better understand empathy.
How have your experiences shaped you? Share your story in the Comment section of this article.
Maya writes that she has come to appreciate "how much our experiences shape us and contribute to how we see the world and solve problems." Diversity of thought is incredibly powerful in the business world. Why does it hold such value? How does it enrich the team dynamic and important outcomes?
6 comments on " Student Essay: The Power of Stories to Inspire Strong Leaders "
Hi Maya, Thank you for sharing your fantastic story with us. Being able to appreciate the people around you and, in first place, yourself is one of the major keys to success and, most importantly, happiness in life, at least according to my experience. We all come from different environments and experiences, the same ones which make us who we are, in our uniqueness and diversity, as you clearly and beautifully stated in your essay. Appreciation is one of those emotions, if that's how we want to define it, I have learned to consider and embrace later in life, but it is surely the one all the rest comes down to: appreciation for life, appreciation for love from our beloved ones… Having dealt throughout life with friends who coped with depression and anxiety, I can say I have experienced the emotional upheaval that tends to follow this kind of acknowledgements. It gives you a completely different perspective on the world, on the people that surround you and on the way you look at your very own life. On the other hand, I've been lucky enough to feel the wonderful sense of relief and joy which comes after helping this people, which taught me the value of the word, indeed, appreciation. In the same way I've been able to help my dearest friends deal with these horrible feelings and find a way out of them, I find what you have done with this very same individuals awesome: not only giving them a voice through the blog, but giving their peers the chance to find sympathy and reassurance in their words. Keep it up! And take care.
Sonder – n. The realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own—populated with their own ambitions, friends, routines, worries and inherited craziness (The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows).
I believe that sonder, a short and simple made-up word to describe a complex feeling, perfectly captures the spirit of Maya and her article. Maya realized the complexity of the lives of those around her, that every stranger on the leadership trip had their own unique story to tell, filled with their personal struggles. She reaches the conclusion that "each person offers a unique voice and a different perspective – all powerful and important in their own way."
Sonder, and more broadly, empathy, is a crucial element of being a good leader. I had my own moment of sonder last summer when I had the opportunity to volunteer at my local Chinese senior center. I started volunteering there because I had to fill my school's requirement for service hours but ended up gaining much more out of it than that. At first, I was wary of taking on the job because my Chinese conversational skills were acceptable at best and rudimentary at worst. However, I quickly found that the seniors were very welcoming and were just happy that someone was willing to sacrifice their time to help out. I performed tasks such as preparing and serving food as well as helped teach ESL and citizenship classes. I learned about the hard work ethic of the workers and volunteers around me while washing apples. I learned about the amiability and habits of the seniors in the lunchroom. There would always be those in the back table playing cards, the younger seniors chatting in the front, and the seasoned mahjong players upstairs. I even had the chance to hear some of their rich stories, stories of their journeys of emigrating from communist China, stories of their successful children, stories of their war experiences, and stories of their hope in America. I truly understood that these seniors, whom I would not have given a second glance on the street, lived such deep and meaningful lives, each of which would be a thrilling standalone novel.
Just like Maya learned to understand those from different backgrounds, I was able to empathize with these seniors and develop an appreciation for their experiences. We should all have empathy for each other in this world full of division and hatred. Sonder helps us have that empathy not only with those close to us but with everyone around us.
When I became the youngest Student Council President of my school, my idea of a strong leader was someone who could command and lead a group of people with total authority the way they like it. So, that's what I tried to do during my early days as a leader. I thought I would be a strong leader by commanding the student council and demonstrating my full authority over the rest. But after the first month, like Maya, the experience of being a leader took a completely unexpected and inspiring turn. I learned, like Maya, that you have to listen first and speak second. It is by listening to others that makes you a stronger leader because it is easier to command and display your authority. But it is harder to swallow your pride and listen to others when their opinions or stories differ from yours.
Therefore, in the Student Council that I am in, I launched an initiative called "Listen Monday" with the purpose of listening to everyone's opinions and views in the student council and utilizing them for the betterment of the school.
By understanding the voices of others it has helped me develop a better perspective. I have become more empathetic to others. Listening to others has allowed me to see the full picture that I have never seen. And because I see the bigger picture, I realized that other's experiences can help shape how I see the world and solve problems. As Maya said, each person offers a unique voice and a different perspective, all-powerful and important in their own way.
I want to thank Maya for inspiring me.
When I became the youngest Student Council President of my school, my idea of a strong leader was someone who could command and lead a group of people with total authority the way they like it. So, that's what I tried to do during my early days as a leader. I thought I would be a strong leader by commanding the student council and demonstrating my full authority over the rest. But after the first month, like Maya, the experience of being a leader took a completely unexpected and inspiring turn. I learned, like Maya, that you have to listen first and speak second. It is by listening to others that makes you a stronger leader because it is easier to command and display your authority. But it is harder to swallow your pride and listen to others when their opinions or stories differ from yours.
Therefore, in the Student Council that I am in, I launched an initiative called "Listen Monday" with the purpose of listening to everyone's opinions and views in the student council and utilizing them for the betterment of the school.
By understanding the voices of others it has helped me develop a better perspective. I have become more empathetic to others. Listening to others has allowed me to see the full picture that I have never seen. And because I see the bigger picture, I realized that other's experiences can help shape how I see the world and solve problems. As Maya said, each person offers a unique voice and a different perspective, all-powerful and important in their own way. I realized exhaustively now that a strong leader is someone that listens first and speak second.
I want to thank Maya for inspiring me to become a better leader.
Hello L Dau K!
Thank you for sharing your experience and lessons as a student council president. Listening to your implementation of listening Mondays has brought me back to a time when I was the storyteller, pouring my life out, not to a student council president, but to my mother.
Before the story begins, I must tell you about my mother. She is a very successful corporate leader of hundreds of people. Of course, when it comes to life, she's never lost her footing when it comes to parenting. Her dogma for me was always the same as that for her employees. She required me to write a time schedule and reflect on life every day and report my academic progress to her with a PowerPoint presentation every week. Similar to your listening Mondays, but coerced. Of course, these rules also apply to her employees. I argued with her countless times, berating her for treating me, at the time, a 12-year-old, as her employee. Perhaps you have already begun to detest my mother's parenting philosophy, or that she is just another derelict mother who neglects her children's emotional needs to give her career 100%. But she was a mother for the first time, and I as her oldest child witnessed her growth and how she became a leader, both to her employees and to me.
Where should I begin my story with this leader? As I counted the episodes that flashed through my mind, neither the long conversation in the evening breeze nor the laughing conversation in the dark living room seemed like the most appropriate beginning of the story. Puzzled, I put down my thoughts and sat down to recall the beginning of our conversations. There's no longer nameless fear and tension when she approaches me, dreading to hear what she has to say. Instead, I always walked up to her when I found her alone, and the dialogue always began with a sigh. I told her many stories about young love, friends, hobbies, and self-reflection, all parts of me that I was reluctant to reveal in PowerPoints. She is busy all day but never said no when I started a conversation. I could feel that she valued every part of our communication, regardless of how nonsensical it was, taking it wholeheartedly. She would sit down and listen to every word I had to say, and she would take to heart every hint of emotion I tried to convey. She did her best to understand my passions, cater to my needs, and embrace my sentiments. And that's one of the most valuable lessons she's taught me as a leader.
My mother's growth as a leader came naturally to her as she listened to every ebullient story and every heart-wrenching sob. She did what many leaders, even in family relationships, fail to do: give the most attention to her children and subordinates, dwelling on their stories, bringing herself into their emotions, and living their experiences. Simply receiving a comment differentiates from understanding the root of their feedback. Through sharing stories with my mother, as my thoughts became words and leaped out of my mouth, my thoughts received a carrier. The stories I told were imparted with meaning through the process of communication. These words made me who I am and marked every footprint of mine. Not only giving her a chance to guide me but giving me a chance to recourse, bonding two unknown souls by building emotional bridges rather than giving ice-cold PowerPoint presentations. I myself am walking on those bridges, and I will be learning to build them up. Through open communication, we can build bridges high enough to see the world from a bigger view, see the tips of Mt. Everest, hear the mumbles of rhinoceros and vaquitas, and unveil a side of the world that we have never seen before.
In her essay "The Power of Stories to Inspire Strong Leaders", Maya S. quotes "I was able to understand that although it's impossible for us to all experience the same things, it is possible for us to try and listen to each other and understand each other's differences. I began to appreciate the meaning of finding beauty in diversity. During that trip I learned that true leaders listen to the voices of others, and as a result they are able to enrich their own points of view." This quote taught me that in order to be understood, one must learn to understand.
As an international student living in the states, my school days were certainly different from most of my classmates. There were a lot more plane rides, more hours of memorizing English vocabulary, and less people that paid attention to the struggles I went through. It was hard to focus on the upside of life when I knew that my comfort zone was about 6800 miles away. I felt like I was drowning in my own world, and was unsure of what I needed to do to get out of it.
As time passed, I did learn to embrace my new home. That started with a simple step: Learning about how people here lived. I added Kendrick Lamar and Olivia Rodrigo to my playlist, started to watch the NBA, and reached out for corrections when I didn't recognize an English word. As I began to understand and appreciate what was around me, it was way easier to fit in. My struggles started to pay off as I received multiple honors and varsity MVP awards. Apart from Academics, I also became much more active in the social circle. I learned more about life here from my new friends, and also taught them some parts of life that I left behind back in Korea. After these changes, I could proudly say that I'm definitely leading my own life.
Maya's story of the privilege walk reminded me of the change in my perspective before and after trying to understand American culture. At first I was hesitant in getting to know the new environment, but now I see the hidden value of entirely different customs, just like how Maya was able to understand the children with more depth. Furthermore, something Maya did that I greatly appreciate is that she didn't just stop from enlightenment and took action to advocate for her beliefs. I believe that Maya's propulsion of creating the "Voice of Change" weblog exemplifies what leaders do to promote their voice to the world. As a person aspiring to be a global leader and a businessman, I was greatly inspired by Maya's quotes of insight and her action to spread her words.
Our world today is heavily interconnected, and the effects of collaborating across diverse backgrounds have never been more apparent. As I reflect on Maya's quote and my own understanding, I am reminded that true leaders are distinguished by their ability to seek harmony in differences. My journey from a foreign student drowning in isolation to a confident participant in a global community underscores the transformative power of understanding others to be understood. Of course there are still customs that I cannot resonate with, like pineapple on pizza. But as I step forward into a world of connections and communications, I carry with me the invaluable lesson that true understanding is the cornerstone of meaningful process.
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How to Achieve a Good Life? Essay
Introduction, a good life, moral virtues.
Life is a mode of existence and it reflects the experiences of living that characterize human beings whether they are good or bad. It is confounding to describe what a good life is, since it applies to both material life and moral life. For instance, having immense wealth and ability to enjoy every form of pleasure that ever existed on earth can mean that one is living a good life.
On the other hand, living in accordance with the social, religious, and personal morals and ethics means that one is also living a good life. The latter description of good life applies across the board since everybody has the ability to achieve it for everyone has the capacity to think and act morally. This essay explores what a good life is and describes plan of achieving it in terms of integrity, honesty, responsibility, and state obligation.
Living a good life morally means living in accordance with the ethics and morals of the society. A person living a good life expresses virtues such integrity, honesty, responsibility, and obligation to the rules of the state. Although human beings pursue material and intellectual gains as they struggle towards self-actualization, these gains cannot earn them the virtue of being good, but they will rather pass for hardworking individuals.
The rich people have wealth because of their hardworking character and they can access good things of life that bring happiness and pleasure, and live a good life materially; nevertheless, this does not make them good. A poor person can live a miserable life of poverty but with good moral life, while on the contrary, a rich person can live a good life of pleasure and happiness, but with bad moral life. Therefore, when "good" describes virtues, pleasure and happiness due to money cannot make life good.
Morals and ethics that individuals observe to express virtues in life cause them to lead a good life. Integrity and honesty are two virtues that enhance people's lives and they are inseparable because one cannot have integrity without being honesty or vice versa. Educationally, integrity is a skill that demands learning and continued practice in order to internalize the virtue.
The development of integrity is a life-long process that needs patience and endurance since it is a skill. If likened to a building, honesty and truth are two central pillars that support integrity as a virtue throughout the life of an individual. To develop this virtue of integrity in life, one must always adhere to its two pillars, because integrity is not a discrete achievement but a continuous achievement that needs constant efforts to maintain it.
Responsibility is a powerful virtue which if exercised well by an individual, it does not only yield great benefits to the individual, but also to other people and the entire society. The golden rule demands that there must be reciprocal responsibility in the society to enable people live harmoniously.
Sense of responsibility in the society lessens the impacts of problems experienced because of collective response that lead to immediate solution. Becoming part of the solution in the society is being responsible and the excuse of blaming others would not arise. Since rights and responsibility relate to one another, it requires one to act within the limits of rights to become responsible. Therefore, the rights that govern social norms and regulations give one the degree of responsibility to struggle and attain good life for the benefit of all.
Citizens have a moral obligation to respect and advocate for the common interests of all people. For justice and peace to flourish in the society, citizens have great moral obligation to ensure they report criminal activities, help the poor, and conserve the environment. By doing this, they foster their states' bid to build justice and a peace in society where virtues spring up, and thus a good life.
Like responsibility, adherence to the laws of the land will enable one to develop a sense of obligation to the state. It is a great obligation of the citizens to help the state fight vices in the society and the best way to do it is by becoming loyal to the laws and being active in enforcing them. The concerted efforts of the state and its citizens will improve the lives of the people resulting into a good life.
To achieve good life based on observance of moral principles demands strict observance and application of ethics in everything. Complete observance of ethics yields virtues that make life good in any community.
The goodness of a person cannot result from material wealth, but it emerges from the good moral qualities that one has achieved in life. Virtues like integrity, honesty, responsibility, and obligation to the state are attributes of an individual and have no material value attached to them. This means that, a good life does not mean wealthy living.
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IvyPanda. (2023, November 2). How to Achieve a Good Life? https://ivypanda.com/essays/life/
"How to Achieve a Good Life?" IvyPanda , 2 Nov. 2023, ivypanda.com/essays/life/.
IvyPanda . (2023) 'How to Achieve a Good Life'. 2 November.
IvyPanda . 2023. "How to Achieve a Good Life?" November 2, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/life/.
1. IvyPanda . "How to Achieve a Good Life?" November 2, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/life/.
IvyPanda . "How to Achieve a Good Life?" November 2, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/life/.
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How Psychology Can Improve Your Life
Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."
Amy Morin, LCSW, is a psychotherapist and international bestselling author. Her books, including "13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do," have been translated into more than 40 languages. Her TEDx talk, "The Secret of Becoming Mentally Strong," is one of the most viewed talks of all time.
How can psychology apply to your everyday life? Do you think that psychology is just for students, academics, and therapists? Think again. Because psychology is both an applied and a theoretical subject, it can be used in a number of ways.
While research studies aren't exactly light reading material for the average person, the results of these experiments and studies can have significant applications in daily life. The following are some practical uses for psychology in everyday life.
Whether your goal is to quit smoking, lose weight, or learn a new language, lessons from psychology offer tips for getting motivated. To increase your motivational levels when approaching a task, use strategies derived from research in cognitive and educational psychology .
- Introduce new or novel elements to keep your interest high.
- Vary repetitive sequences to help stave off boredom.
- Learn new things that build on your existing knowledge.
- Set clear goals that are directly related to the task.
- Reward yourself for a job well done.
It doesn't matter if you're an office manager or a volunteer at a local youth group: Having good leadership skills will probably be essential at some point in your life. Not everyone is a born leader, but a few simple tips gleaned from psychological research can help you be a better leader.
One of the most famous studies on this topic looked at three distinct leadership styles . Based on the findings of this study and subsequent research, practice some of the following when you are in a leadership position.
- Offer clear guidance, but allow group members to voice opinions.
- Talk about possible solutions with members of the group.
- Focus on stimulating ideas and be willing to reward creativity.
Communication involves much more than how you speak or write. Research suggests that nonverbal signals make up a huge portion of our interpersonal communications. To communicate your message effectively, you need to learn how to express yourself nonverbally and to read the nonverbal cues of those around you.
- Use good eye contact.
- Start noticing nonverbal signals in others.
- Learn to use your tone of voice to reinforce your message.
Emotional Intelligence
Much like nonverbal communication, the ability to understand your emotions and the emotions of those around you plays an important role in your relationships and professional life. The term emotional intelligence refers to your ability to understand both your own emotions and those of other people.
Your emotional intelligence quotient is a measure of this ability. According to psychologist Daniel Goleman, your EQ may actually be more important than your IQ. To become more emotionally intelligent, consider some of the following strategies.
- Carefully assess your own emotional reactions.
- Record your experiences and emotions in a journal.
- Try to see situations from the perspective of another person.
Research in cognitive psychology has provided a wealth of information about decision making. By applying these strategies to your life, you can learn to make wiser choices. The next time you need to make a big decision, try using some of these techniques.
- Use the "six thinking hats" approach by looking at the situation from multiple points of view, including rational, emotional, intuitive, creative, positive, and negative perspectives.
- Consider the potential costs and benefits of a decision.
- Employ a grid analysis technique that gives a score for how a particular decision will satisfy specific requirements you may have.
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Have you ever wondered why you can remember the exact details of childhood events, yet forget the name of the new client you met yesterday? Research on how we form new memories as well as how and why we forget has led to a number of findings that can be applied directly in your daily life. To increase your memory power:
- Focus on the information.
- Rehearse what you have learned.
- Eliminate distractions.
Money Management
Nobel Prize-winning psychologist Daniel Kahneman and his colleague Amos Tversky conducted a series of studies that looked at how people manage uncertainty and risk when making decisions. Subsequent research in this area, known as behavior economics, has yielded some key findings that you can use to manage your money more wisely.
One study found that workers could more than triple their savings by using some of the following strategies.
- Don't procrastinate. Start investing in savings now.
- Commit in advance to devote portions of your future earnings to your retirement savings.
- Try to be aware of personal biases that may lead to poor money choices.
Academic Success
The next time you're tempted to complain about pop quizzes, midterms, or final exams, consider that research has demonstrated that taking tests actually helps you better remember what you've learned, even if it wasn't covered on the test.
A study found that repeated test-taking may be a better memory aid than studying. Students who were tested repeatedly were able to recall 61% of the material, while those in the study group recalled only 40%. How can you apply these findings to your own life? When trying to learn new information, self-test frequently in order to cement what you have learned into your memory.
There are thousands of books and magazine articles telling us how to get more done, but how much of this advice is founded on actual research? Take the belief that multitasking can help you be more productive. In reality, research has found that trying to perform more than one task at a time seriously impairs speed, accuracy, and productivity. Use lessons from psychology to increase your productivity more effectively.
- Avoid multitasking when working on complex or dangerous tasks.
- Focus on the task at hand.
Psychology can also be a useful tool for improving your overall health. From ways to encourage exercise and better nutrition to new treatments for depression, the field of health psychology offers a wealth of beneficial strategies that can help you to be healthier and happier.
- Studies have shown that both sunlight and artificial light can reduce the symptoms of seasonal affective disorder.
- Research has demonstrated that exercise can contribute to greater psychological well-being.
- Studies have found that helping people understand the risks of unhealthy behaviors can lead to healthier choices.
Thaler RH, Benartzi S. Save More Tomorrow™: Using behavioral economics to increase employee saving . J Political Econ . 2004;112(S1):S164-187. doi:10.1086/380085
Chan JC, McDermott KB, Roediger HL. Retrieval-induced facilitation: initially nontested material can benefit from prior testing of related material . J Exp Psychol Gen . 2006;135(4):553-71. doi:10.1037/0096-34188.8.131.523
Ophir E, Nass C, Wagner AD. Cognitive control in media multitaskers . Proc Natl Acad Sci USA . 2009;106(37):15583-7. doi:10.1073/pnas.0903620106
Solberg PA, Halvari H, Ommundsen Y, Hopkins WG. A 1-year follow-up of effects of exercise programs on well-being in older adults . J Aging Phys Act . 2014;22(1):52-64. doi:10.1123/japa.2012-0181
By Kendra Cherry, MSEd Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."
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The importance of self-leadership, and how it makes you a great leader.
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The Importance of Self-Leadership, and How It Makes You A Great Leader
A common trend in corporate America is to promote great individual contributors to leadership positions. However, these individuals need more training to be great leaders. Even with traditional leadership training, self-leadership is often ignored, explaining why most leaders struggle to succeed.
Honing self-leadership skills lets individuals see their teams more holistically. It helps them use a coaching leadership style and set boundaries effectively. It also helps them see their teams as well-rounded people, not worker bees. And even if these skills aren't innate, you can still learn them. But first, let's define self-leadership.
What is Self-Leadership?
Leading oneself is critical to personal and professional success, especially in today's fast-paced world. Self-leadership influences and directs one's thoughts, behaviors, and actions to achieve desired goals. Great leadership is built upon this foundation.
Self-leadership is about taking ownership of your life and consciously shaping your journey. Success lies in you. You must build the mindset, skills, and discipline to unlock your potential.
Think about the inspiring leaders you know in business, politics, or your personal life. What sets them apart is their unchanging ability to motivate and guide themselves. They can do this even when faced with adversity. These leaders are masters at managing themselves, which is the greatest skill. Because of that, they can make informed choices. They stay strong in hard times and work steadily towards their goals.
When you step into a leadership role, you must realize that the first thing is to lead yourself. You must be aware that the journey ahead may not be easy. It can be riddled with hurdles and setbacks. When these setbacks emerge, seeing them as a setup for a comeback makes you a great leader.
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Great leaders don't buckle under pressure. People look up to them, and they must rise to the occasion. They step forward with innovative solutions to navigate obstacles. But that doesn't mean they know it all. As a leader, it helps to lean on outside influences. These include friends, colleagues, coaches, and trustworthy mentors. You don't have to make every decision on your own. Seek knowledge and education. Surround yourself with quality people. They will readily support you when times are tough.
The Power of Self-Directed Thinking
Self-leadership's core is managing your thoughts and internal dialogue. How you talk to yourself daily greatly affects your beliefs, emotions, and actions. Your mind is wired to react to events in your life, so your inner monologue directly affects your actions.
Imagine you face a big challenge. Your inner voice is full of doubt. It criticizes your abilities and warns of potential failure. Now imagine that you instead approach the same challenge with self-belief. You know the risks but focus on the opportunities for growth and success.
The difference in outcomes between those two mindsets can be staggering. Research conducted by Oxford University has shown that positive self-talk reduces stress and depression. It also boosts physical and mental health and even lengthens life. Changing your internal monologue from negative to positive or even neutral builds motivation, resilience, and courage, key ingredients for self-leadership.
The Importance of Self-Leadership When It Comes to Being a Great Leader
There's only one way to see self-leadership. It's the prerequisite for leading others well. After all, you can't lead others unless you first lead yourself.
Self-leadership is not about controlling people or bossing them around. It's about intentionally taking charge of and creating your desired life. It's about setting goals for yourself and influencing your emotions and behavior to reach them. It's about leading by example. When leaders with great self-leadership are the decision-makers, engagement and collaboration numbers soar, and productivity and employee loyalty improve. Because, we all know, people don't quit jobs; they quit bosses.
Benefits of Self-Leadership to You and Your Organization
Leading oneself may seem personal. However, the benefits of strong self-leadership skills go far beyond one person. Self-awareness, discipline, and intention are key to your career growth and the whole organization's success.
Employers increasingly seek out candidates who have mastered self-leadership. They recognize that these skills make teams more efficient, productive, and inspired.
For starters, self-leadership makes you a more efficient, productive worker. You can prioritize tasks. You limit distractions and stay laser-focused on your goals. In the end, it benefits you and contributes to your team's overall output and performance. Senior leaders can count on you to get the job done right without constant supervision.
In addition, self-leadership helps you stay motivated. It also helps you stay accountable, even when facing challenges. You've developed the mental toughness and grit to push through obstacles. Learn from setbacks, and continue striving towards your goals. This unwavering drive is infectious, inspiring those around you to up their game.
Your proactive, disciplined approach helps you build relationships. This, in turn, helps you get along with your colleagues. They see you as reliable and competent. You're a team player. They can count on you to contribute and pull your weight. This camaraderie and mutual respect are the bedrock of high-performing, cohesive organizations.
In the end, the best leaders have first mastered leading themselves. By being self-aware and making your own decisions, you become accountable for your actions. You motivate yourself to push forward and build your self-regulation and communication skills. This way, you achieve both your development goals and your organization's goals. And that's the true power of self-leadership.
Becoming Your Own Leader: The Path to Fulfilment
One of the key benefits of self-leadership is the sense of agency and control it offers. Guiding your actions brings purpose and fulfillment. It allows you to take complete ownership of your life to make choices that truly match your strengths and aspirations. By mastering self-leadership, you become the author of your own story. You stop being a passive character controlled by external forces.
With improved self-leadership, your team leadership skills improve as you start seeing your employees through the lens of increased emotional intelligence. You're more equipped to set boundaries, communicate expectations, and leverage team strengths through increased awareness of self and team.
Communicating with executive stakeholders and leadership becomes more productive as your self-awareness, communication, and decision-making skills improve through self-leadership development.
A "bad day" occurs less frequently when you lead yourself first, as you have equipped yourself with the skills to manage your experiences. Emotional intelligence guides how you react to situations. Setting boundaries ensures respect and collaboration. Communication minimizes doubts and unifies the team.
Self-leadership doesn't mean perfection; it's accepting that when you make mistakes, you recognize them as learning opportunities to reach your goals rather than letting them define you. You'll become a transformed person and an even better leader by cultivating the right mindset and skills.
Leadership starts with self. A leader's struggles, personality, and life aren't checked at their office door when they clock in. Learning to lead oneself is critical to being a great leader for other people and organizations. Mastering this skill is a continuous process as you learn and grow, and it is well worth the effort for your teams, companies, and yourself.
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How Embracing Uncertainty Can Lead to a Better Life
Befriending the unknown..
Posted December 16, 2023 | Reviewed by Lybi Ma
- What Is Anxiety?
- Find a therapist to overcome anxiety
- Anxiety in the face of uncertainty is normal.
- Approaching uncertainty with curiosity and mindfulness can assist with mastering this anxiety.
- Through practice, we can develop strategies for remaining in the moment even in the face of anxiety.
I remember sitting on a grassy hill during my first semester of senior year in college. It felt strange, literally not knowing where I would be in six months. With applications sent to several graduate schools as well as a sinking fear I may not be granted admission to any, I felt intense worry. I gripped a book a mentor recommended, "Comfortable with Uncertainty: 108 Teachings on Cultivating Fearlessness and Compassion." Facing the unknown without fear. Something I aspired to.
Uncertainty is perhaps the most ubiquitous experience we have in life. We are blind to the roadmap that time takes, and very few things are guaranteed to us. Finding a way to master this puzzle can make a significant impact on our happiness .
There are two primary ways to meet uncertainty; to approach or avoid. When we approach, we allow curiosity and acceptance to guide us. We explore with values in mind. When we avoid, we stick to what we know. We hide or run to a space of security. Neither is right or wrong, it just is.
Strategies for Coping with Uncertainty
While I may have hoped for some magical certainty hidden within the book I held in my hands my senior year, what I received proved even better: a strategy for coping with uncertainty. It wasn't an easy one. I didn't learn how to chase my anxiety away or wave my hands in such a pattern that the world would bend to my will. Instead, I learned about acceptance and mindfulness .
Mindfulness is a practice of embracing uncertainty through facing what is certain in each given moment: allowing us to be here, now. It's a buzzword these days for a series of skills that can take a lifetime to fully cultivate. Sitting on the grassy hill, reading the parables I learned about mindfulness. Placing the book down to breathe in the crisp fall air, I worked toward it.
Psychotherapies that integrate mindfulness such as dialectical behavioral therapy encourage strategies such as radical acceptance (Linehan, 2015), and the skill of being open to what is including what we like or dislike. This does not mean an acceptance that something will never change. We have to accept something to change it. Rather, it is a strategy of allowing. Acceptance commitment therapy and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy take very similar methods in showing up to uncertainty.
These are three strategies you can try to assist with embracing the uncertainty.
1. Just Breathe
Our breath is constantly in the present. A focus on the breath reminds us that all we have to truly worry about is right this moment. Reminders to breathe can come across as silly or excessive. Yet, essential. Cultivating an ability to breathe into the moment is necessary to even allow ourselves to embrace uncertainty.
2. Listen and Watch with Curiosity
Openness and curiosity about what is, whether or not it is what we hope it to be are important components of mindfulness. We have to allow ourselves to feel the reality around us to approach it.
3. Move Forward With Our Values
In most cases, embracing uncertainty is a means of approaching it with open eyes. We approach the unknown whether we wish to or not. Still, moving toward something intentionally with our values in mind and realizing that what we hope for may or may not happen allows us to cope with whatever does happen effectively.
These strategies appear deceptively simple. Still, I've found these invaluable. I am thankful for the time I took to read that book.
Chrodran, P. (2018). Comfortable witih Uncertainty: Cultivating Fearlessness and Compassion. Shambhala .
Linehan, M. M. (2015). DBT® skills training manual (2nd ed.). Guilford Press.
Jennifer Gerlach, LCSW, is a psychotherapist based in Southern Illinois who specializes in psychosis, mood disorders, and young adult mental health.
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Why being humble can make you a better leader
Lecturer in Organisational Behaviour, University of Sussex Business School, University of Sussex
Associate Professor of Organizational Leadership, University of Colorado Boulder
Disclosure statement
The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
University of Sussex provides funding as a member of The Conversation UK.
University of Colorado provides funding as a member of The Conversation US.
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When we consider how leaders get to the top, we might think of somebody like Jordan Belfort, the millionaire stock broker portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio in the Wolf of Wall Street. And humility is probably not the word that comes to mind.
However, Belfort's rise was followed by a fall (he ended up in jail). For those who want to reach the top and stay there, it may be best to stay humble.
Humble leaders express their humility in three dimensions. They view themselves accurately and acknowledge their limitations. They show appreciation for their followers' contributions. They are also open to ideas and feedback. When leaders show all three attributes, they are considered to be humble.
So how can humility help those who want to reach the top? We studied how humble leaders can become more promotable and found that they accomplish that by growing others in what is known as a "humility route".
Human capital theory suggests that employees' value can be enhanced by investing in their knowledge, skills and abilities. It's not only important for employees, it also creates value for organisations .
Using human capital theory, our research shows that humble leaders focus on the learning and growth of their followers. By doing so, they also create human capital value for themselves in the process.
Humble leaders tend to engage in more informal mentoring , and through that they gain influence and power in terms of promotability. They provide career guidance to their proteges and help them to prosper.
But at the same time, their engagement in learning also boosts their own human capital. In such a developmental relationship, humble leaders gain respect , prestige and prominence , and they gather a group of followers with high human capital.
This enhances their status in the organisation. It's a win-win for leaders, their followers and the organisations they work for.
Our study used survey data from a sample of 610 leaders who worked in 18 industries and across 21 job functions. The leaders' direct followers, peers, immediate bosses and superiors reported back on the leaders.
The measures in the survey included the leader's humility, informal mentoring, status and promotability. We found that humble leaders earn higher status and enhanced promotability through engaging in mentoring behaviours.
So if you want to be more promotable, it may pay to stay humble.
A more sustainable path to the top
But why are some leaders so arrogant if there is a "humility route" to success? A great deal of evidence shows that humble leaders outperform arrogant leaders . And yet, many leaders at every level have a hard time admitting mistakes, praising followers' strengths and being teachable.
The arrogant, narcissistic, bullying and dominating Wolf of Wall Street stereotype may be the most common and immediate route to the top . After all, this sort of behaviour can lead to quick wins which are are easily noticed and glamorised, reinforcing the stereotype in popular culture and media.
But while this path can offer short-term gains, it often lacks stability. Even the famed Renaissance Italian political theorist Niccolo Machiavelli – a well-known figure of dominance strategy – ended up being tortured, imprisoned and then exiled.
In contrast, humility offers a more stable and less visible route to success . Humble leaders typically achieve their status through fostering growth in others, engaging in mentoring, and creating a network of highly capable, loyal and enthusiastic followers.
This network in turn provides the humble leader with high status, leading to them being viewed favourably by superiors. But such an approach may not grab attention or fit the dramatic narratives preferred by media, making it less visible to the public.
The key difference lies in the nature of success each approach brings. Dominance may lead to a rapid ascent but is often accompanied by volatility.
Humility, on the other hand, cultivates a foundation of strong relationships and a positive reputation, leading to a more stable and enduring success. This explains why the Wolf of Wall Street stereotype persists, despite the proven benefits of humility in achieving long-term leadership success.
How to foster humility
Expressing humility helps leaders earn career success as they increase human capital, which is vital to organisations. In recent years there has been a growing interest in humility in the workplace, particularly among leaders. It's time to re-evaluate perceptions about the value of humility in leadership.
You can show more humility as you lead. You can evaluate your own limitations and be sensitive to them. You can try to admit them by saying, "This is something I could do better."
You can also put your focus on the followers, acknowledge what they have done well and give them positive feedback. You can also be more open to feedback yourself and consider your followers' ideas more.
There are a few ways that organisations can cultivate humility. They can build the perception that expressing humility is valued. They can also organise training programmes that develop humility in leaders and consider including humility as part of performance evaluations.
And lastly, they can encourage feedback on humble behaviours, promote informal mentoring and foster a culture of humility that centres on learning . That way, they can develop groups of employees who focus on the "humility route" to career success.
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3 Life Lessons That Helped Me Become a Better Leader
I like to think that I was born to be a leader, but looking back on my past, I'm afraid that's just not the case. There was a time when I was unable to step up to the plate. It took a couple of kicks in the pants, but through it, I learned valuable lessons that have continued to help me become a better leader and a more successful person.
It may have taken a while for me to accept the fact that I was not in complete control of my life, but once I grasped that, I saw that I actually had more control over it than I had first believed. I knew this: I was a capable leader who had experienced a lot of ups and downs, and I was eager to share my ideas and to help other people rise up, too.
I want to stress this: It is important that you teach yourself how to see the events in your life as lessons , not simply as blessings or curses. Everything—every success, every failure—has its purpose whether you can see it immediately or not. Some of the best lessons I've ever learned came long after an event took place, and had I not been willing and able to recognize them, I might not know my success today as co-founder of Wild Creations .
Here are three of the most priceless:
1. Everyone makes mistakes .
I used to be afraid of my inability to be perfect. But I became more comfortable in my own skin knowing mistakes are normal—necessary. This realization, that I didn't have to be flawless, made it a lot easier for me to step up into a leadership role. I was also able to value those who served under me, seeing their mistakes as mirrors of my own.
My perspective flipped. Instead of instantly feeling defeated and shutting down, I repeatedly restructured my approach until I got it right. Eventually I was able to channel my respect for imperfection into a self-perpetuating system of groundbreaking trial, acceptable error and noticeable optimization.
2. To keep a level head is a virtue.
There were plenty of times when I was more than ready to throw in the towel. After all, being a leader is a big responsibility and setbacks can be extremely frustrating—and, at first, I wasn't able to accept defeat. I got frustrated instead, losing my cool at the first sign of failure.
But, after a few spills, I learned to keep in mind that there really is a solution to everything and that every event, good or bad, has a beneficial lesson attached. So, knowing these things, I was able to re-collect my thoughts, find the underlying issues causing the problems and nip them in the bud. Eventually my irritation and angst subsided, and I gained more confidence in my leadership capabilities with every solved problem.
3. Time and humility are co-founders of success.
As much as I wanted it to, my success did not happen overnight. It took hard work, patience, determination and vision—and it took a long time. I was a follower for longer than I was a leader, but I used that time wisely to gobble up as many lessons as I could.
And I know now that being a leader sometimes means taking the backseat. In fact, some of my best discoveries have been made by allowing someone else to take the reins.
I can now say, with confidence, that leadership is my calling. I know how to read people because I have been through hard times myself. I am able to stay calm in a crisis because I have learned how to sort out the details and fix the problem from the ground up. Moreover, I have humbled myself to the fact that I cannot make miracles happen instantly, and that I will have more success as a leader if I never act like a horrible boss.
Why am I sharing these life lessons with you? Because that's what a good leader does.
You can be a leader without the title — start by following these 10 tips.
Rhett Power
Rhett Power is the author of The Entrepreneur's Book of Actions: Essential Daily Exercises and Habits for Becoming Wealthier, Smarter, and More Successful and co-founder of Wild Creations, an award-winning start-up toy company. Learn more at rhettpower.com .
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6 Common Leadership Styles — and How to Decide Which to Use When
- Rebecca Knight
Being a great leader means recognizing that different circumstances call for different approaches.
Research suggests that the most effective leaders adapt their style to different circumstances — be it a change in setting, a shift in organizational dynamics, or a turn in the business cycle. But what if you feel like you're not equipped to take on a new and different leadership style — let alone more than one? In this article, the author outlines the six leadership styles Daniel Goleman first introduced in his 2000 HBR article, "Leadership That Gets Results," and explains when to use each one. The good news is that personality is not destiny. Even if you're naturally introverted or you tend to be driven by data and analysis rather than emotion, you can still learn how to adapt different leadership styles to organize, motivate, and direct your team.
Much has been written about common leadership styles and how to identify the right style for you, whether it's transactional or transformational, bureaucratic or laissez-faire. But according to Daniel Goleman, a psychologist best known for his work on emotional intelligence, "Being a great leader means recognizing that different circumstances may call for different approaches."
- RK Rebecca Knight is a journalist who writes about all things related to the changing nature of careers and the workplace. Her essays and reported stories have been featured in The Boston Globe, Business Insider, The New York Times, BBC, and The Christian Science Monitor. She was shortlisted as a Reuters Institute Fellow at Oxford University in 2023. Earlier in her career, she spent a decade as an editor and reporter at the Financial Times in New York, London, and Boston.
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How does work-life balance fit into a happy life, work and leisure both contribute to well-being—but there's another important source of happiness, too..
Finding the right work-life balance is by no means a new issue in our society. But the tension between the two has been heightened by the pandemic, with workers increasingly dwelling over the nature of their work , its meaning and purpose , and how these affect their quality of life .
Studies suggest people are leaving or planning to leave their employers in record numbers in 2021—a " great resignation " that appears to have been precipitated by these reflections. But if we're all reconsidering where and how work slots into our lives, what should we be aiming at?
It's easy to believe that if only we didn't need to work, or we could work far fewer hours, we'd be happier, living a life of hedonic experiences in all their healthy and unhealthy forms. But this fails to explain why some retirees pick up freelance jobs and some lottery winners go straight back to work.
Striking the perfect work-life balance, if there is such a thing, isn't necessarily about tinkering with when, where, and how we work—it's a question of why we work. And that means understanding sources of happiness that might not be so obvious to us, but which have crept into view over the course of the pandemic.
Attempts to find a better work-life balance are well merited. Work is consistently and positively related to our well-being and constitutes a large part of our identity . Ask yourself who you are, and very soon you'll resort to describing what you do for work.
Our jobs can provide us with a sense of competence, which contributes to well-being. Researchers have demonstrated not only that labor leads to validation but that, when these feelings are threatened, we're particularly drawn to activities that require effort—often some form of work—because these demonstrate our ability to shape our environment, confirming our identities as competent individuals.
Work even seems to makes us happier in circumstances when we'd rather opt for leisure. This was demonstrated by a series of clever experiments in which participants had the option to be idle (waiting in a room for 15 minutes for an experiment to start) or to be busy (walking for 15 minutes to another venue to participate in an experiment). Very few participants chose to be busy, unless they were forced to make the walk, or given a reason to (being told there was chocolate at the other venue).
Yet the researchers found that those who'd spent 15 minutes walking ended up significantly happier than those who'd spent 15 minutes waiting—no matter whether they'd had a choice or a chocolate or neither. In other words, busyness contributes to happiness even when you think you'd prefer to be idle. Animals seem to get this instinctively: In experiments, most would rather work for food than get it for free.
Eudaimonic happiness
The idea that work, or putting effort into tasks, contributes to our general well-being is closely related to the psychological concept of eudaimonic happiness . This is the sort of happiness that we derive from optimal functioning and realizing our potential. Research has shown that work and effort are central to eudaimonic happiness, explaining that satisfaction and pride you feel on completing a grueling task.
On the other side of the work-life balance stands hedonic happiness, which is defined as the presence of positive feelings such as cheerfulness and the relative scarcity of negative feelings such as sadness or anger. We know that hedonic happiness offers empirical mental and physical health benefits , and that leisure is a great way to pursue hedonic happiness.
But even in the realm of leisure, our unconscious orientation toward busyness lurks in the background. A recent study has suggested that there really is such a thing as too much free time—and that our subjective well-being actually begins to drop if we have more than five hours of it in a day. Whiling away effortless days on the beach doesn't seem to be the key to long-term happiness.
This might explain why some people prefer to expend significant effort during their leisure time. Researchers have likened this to compiling an experiential CV , sampling unique but potentially unpleasant or even painful experiences—at the extremes, this might be spending a night in an ice hotel, or joining an endurance desert race. People who take part in these forms of "leisure" typically talk about fulfilling personal goals, making progress, and accumulating accomplishments—all features of eudaimonic happiness, not the hedonism we associate with leisure.
The real balance
This orientation sits well with a new concept in the field of well-being studies: that a rich and diverse experiential happiness is the third component of a "good life," in addition to hedonic and eudaimonic happiness.
Across nine countries and tens of thousands of participants, researchers recently found that most people (over 50% in each country) would still prefer a happy life typified by hedonic happiness. But around a quarter prefer a meaningful life embodied by eudaimonic happiness, and a small but nevertheless significant amount of people (about 10-15% in each country) choose to pursue a rich and diverse experiential life.
Given these different approaches to life, perhaps the key to long-lasting well-being is to consider which lifestyle suits you best: hedonic, eudaimonic, or experiential. Rather than pitching work against life, the real balance to strike post-pandemic is between these three sources of happiness.
This article was originally published on The Conversation . Read the original article .
About the Author
Lis Ku, Ph.D., is an experimental social psychologist who is interested in the impact of socially grounded values such as materialism on various types of behavior that have important implications for both individual and societal well-being. Using laboratory and field methods, her work focuses primarily on testing the application of values and motivational processes to domains such as education, work, health, and prosociality.
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Essays About Life: Top 5 Examples Plus 7 Prompts
Life envelops various meanings; if you are writing essays about life, discover our comprehensive guide with examples and prompts to help you with your essay.
What is life? You can ask anyone; I assure you, no two people will have the same answer. How we define life relies on our beliefs and priorities. One can say that life is the capacity for growth or the time between birth and death. Others can share that life is the constant pursuit of purpose and fulfillment. Life is a broad topic that inspires scholars, poets, and many others. It stimulates discussions that encourage diverse perspectives and interpretations.
5 Essay Examples
1. essay on life by anonymous on toppr.com, 2. the theme of life, existence and consciousness by anonymous on gradesfixer.com, 3. compassion can save life by anonymous on papersowl.com, 4. a life of consumption vs. a life of self-realization by anonymous on ivypanda.com, 5. you only live once: a motto for life by anonymous on gradesfixer.com, 1. what is the true meaning of life, 2. my life purpose, 3. what makes life special, 4. how to appreciate life, 5. books about life, 6. how to live a healthy life, 7. my idea of a perfect life.
"…quality of Life carries huge importance. Above all, the ultimate purpose should be to live a meaningful life. A meaningful life is one which allows us to connect with our deeper self."
The author defines life as something that differentiates man from inorganic matter. It's an aspect that processes and examines a person's actions that develop through growth. For some, life is a pain because of failures and struggles, but it's temporary. For the writer, life's challenges help us move forward, be strong, and live to the fullest. You can also check out these essays about utopia .
"… Kafka defines the dangers of depending on art for life. The hunger artist expresses his dissatisfaction with the world by using himself and not an external canvas to create his artwork, forcing a lack of separation between the artist and his art. Therefore, instead of the art depending on the audience, the artist depends on the audience, meaning when the audience's appreciation for work dwindles, their appreciation for the artist diminishes as well, leading to the hunger artist's death."
The essay talks about " A Hunger Artist " by Franz Kafka, who describes his views on life through art. The author analyzes Kafka's fictional main character and his anxieties and frustrations about life and the world. This perception shows how much he suffered as an artist and how unhappy he was. Through the essay, the writer effectively explains Kafka's conclusion that artists' survival should not depend on their art.
"Compassion is that feeling that we've all experienced at some point in our lives. When we know that there is someone that really cares for us. Compassion comes from that moment when we can see the world through another person's eyes."
The author is a nurse who believes that to be professional, they need to be compassionate and treat their patients with respect, empathy, and dignity. One can show compassion through small actions such as talking and listening to patients' grievances. In conclusion, compassion can save a person's life by accepting everyone regardless of race, gender, etc.
"… A life of self-realization is more preferable and beneficial in comparison with a life on consumption. At the same time, this statement may be objected as person's consumption leads to his or her happiness."
The author examines Jon Elster's theory to find out what makes a person happy and what people should think and feel about their material belongings. The essay mentions a list of common activities that make us feel happy and satisfied, such as buying new things. The writer explains that Elster's statement about the prevalence of self-realization in consumption will always trigger intense debate.
"Appreciate the moment you've been given and appreciate the people you've been given to spend it with, because no matter how beautiful or tragic a moment is, it always ends. So hold on a little tighter, smile a little bigger, cry a little harder, laugh a little louder, forgive a little quicker, and love a whole lot deeper because these are the moments you will remember when you're old and wishing you could rewind time."
This essay explains that some things and events only happen once in a person's life. The author encourages teenagers to enjoy the little things in their life and do what they love as much as they can. When they turn into adults, they will no longer have the luxury to do whatever they want.
The author suggests doing something meaningful as a stress reliever, trusting people, refusing to give up on the things that make you happy, and dying with beautiful memories. For help with your essays, check out our round-up of the best essay checkers .
7 Prompts for Essays About Life
Life encompasses many values and depends on one's perception. For most, life is about reaching achievements to make themselves feel alive. Use this prompt to compile different meanings of life and provide a background on why a person defines life as they do.
Take Joseph Campbell's, "Life has no meaning. Each of us has meaning, and we bring it to life. It is a waste to be asking the question when you are the answer," for example. This quote pertains to his belief that an individual is responsible for giving life meaning.
For this prompt, share with your readers your current purpose in life. It can be as simple as helping your siblings graduate or something grand, such as changing a national law to make a better world. You can ask others about their life purpose to include in your essay and give your opinion on why your answers are different or similar.
Life is a fascinating subject, as each person has a unique concept. How someone lives depends on many factors, such as opportunities, upbringing, and philosophies. All of these elements affect what we consider "special."
Share what you think makes life special. For instance, talk about your relationships, such as your close-knit family or best friends. Write about the times when you thought life was worth living. You might also be interested in these essays about yourself .
Life in itself is a gift. However, most of us follow a routine of "wake up, work (or study), sleep, repeat." Our constant need to survive makes us take things for granted. When we endlessly repeat a routine, life becomes mundane. For this prompt, offer tips on how to avoid a monotonous life, such as keeping a gratitude journal or traveling.
Many literary pieces use life as their subject. If you have a favorite book about life, recommend it to your readers by summarizing the content and sharing how the book influenced your outlook on life. You can suggest more than one book and explain why everyone should read them.
For example, Paulo Coelho's "The Alchemist" reminds its readers to live in the moment and never fear failure.
To be healthy doesn't only pertain to our physical condition. It also refers to our mental, spiritual, and emotional well-being. To live a happy and full life, individuals must strive to be healthy in all areas. For this prompt, list ways to achieve a healthy life. Section your essay and present activities to improve health, such as eating healthy foods, talking with friends, etc.
No one has a perfect life, but describe what it'll be like if you do. Start with the material things, such as your house, clothes, etc. Then, move to how you connect with others. In your conclusion, answer whether you're willing to exchange your current life for the "perfect life" you described and why. See our essay writing tips to learn more!
Maria Caballero is a freelance writer who has been writing since high school. She believes that to be a writer doesn't only refer to excellent syntax and semantics but also knowing how to weave words together to communicate to any reader effectively.
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How Taking Risks Can Lead You to a Better Life
Taking risks doesn't mean succeeding every time, and that's ok taking risks can lead to failure which in turn can help you grow as a person..
(zhukovvvlad / Shutterstock.com)
Many of life's greatest achievements require going outside of your comfort zone. Whether it means overcoming shyness to perform onstage, investing money to help your business grow, or putting yourself out there for the chance to find love, some of life's most rewarding experiences come as a result of taking risks. However, many of us have a difficult time dealing with the uncertainty that goes along with taking risks. A feeling of unease grows out of not knowing the outcome and the fear of potential failure. What if I embarrass myself in front of everyone? What if I lose all the money that I invested? What if I open my heart and get rejected? What if I'm not good enough? Answer that with another "what if": what if the point of taking risks isn't the outcome, but the process in and of itself. Through taking risks, we must confront our own fears, and sometimes that leads to failure… But what if that wasn't such a bad thing after all?
The Key to Succeed? Learn to Fail
"The master has failed more times than the beginner has even tried." — Stephen McCranie Many may have a negative view of failure, but actually, it can provide an essential tool for building character. Failure makes us stronger and more resilient. People who fail repeatedly develop persistence in the face of difficulties. Look at the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, who lost eight elections, failed twice in business, and suffered a nervous breakdown all before becoming one of the greatest American presidents. Through failure, he developed the persistence necessary to later lead his country through one of its hardest periods in history. Perhaps he never could have done so without experiencing so many failures himself. What does that tell us? Taking risks doesn't mean succeeding every time, and that's ok! The process of taking risks may lead to failure, but even that can make us a better person by increasing the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties.
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The One Thing Risk-Takers Have in Common? Overconfidence
Failure might turn us into better people, but that doesn't make it any less difficult to take risks. It turns out that building confidence can help in overcoming the fear of risk-taking. Entrepreneurs must go up against tremendous odds to build a successful business. That means taking big risks without knowing the outcome. What makes them do this? Confidence, and a lot of it. In a study , Ohio State University management professor Jay Barney, Ph.D., and Lowell Busenitz, Ph.D., of the University of Houston, asked 124 successful entrepreneurs and 95 top managers to answer a round of questions and rate how sure they felt about their responses. While both groups demonstrated confidence, the results proved that the entrepreneurs had an exceptionally high level of confidence.
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Learn to Overcome Your Fears
Luckily, confidence is a learnable skill. Erika Casriel describes in her book , Living Fully with Shyness and Social Anxiety, "The reality is that most socially confident people deliberately learn specific skills." That means, through practice, we can develop better confidence, equipping us with the right skills to take risks. Even someone as seemingly outgoing as comedian Will Ferrell once considered himself painfully shy and claims he had to work very hard to overcome his lack of confidence. To do so, he would do idiotic things in public so that people would laugh at him. He told People Magazine," In college, I would push an overhead projector across campus with my pants just low enough to show my butt. Then my friend would incite the crowd to be like, 'Look at that idiot!' That's how I got over being shy." What does this tell us about taking risks? When we feel shy or afraid of something, we can take action to build more confidence. Instead of accepting himself as a shy person, Ferrell had the courage to overcome his fears by facing them. In doing so, he felt more confident outside of his comfort zone.
(PPstock / Shutterstock.com)
The Cycle of Success
The takeaway? Taking a risk to achieve a goal requires courage to face the fear of uncertainty. No matter the outcome, either way, we grow through the process and become more resilient and confident. Better yet, building those skills helps in taking more risks and improves the chances of achieving future goals.
(fizkes / Shutterstock.com)
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Why I'm happy to be my husband's second wife
He learned a lot in his first marriage. Now I get to reap the benefits.
For the most part, everyone prefers to be a first to someone. A first kiss. A first love. But not me. I prefer being someone's second, and that someone is my husband.
I'm my husband's second wife. It's my first time being a wife and a parent, but it's his second time at both.
We will have been together nine years this July, married for seven. We have two beautiful children together, a 5-year-old daughter and a 7-month-old son. While no marriage is perfect, I think ours has unique benefits. My husband can take everything that didn't work out from his first marriage and use it as a "what not to do" list. He's a different person than he was over 25 years ago when he got married and had a child the first time around. And the ways in which he's changed now pay off in our marriage.
For starters, my husband is admittedly more patient now. In his first marriage, he was a very young husband with a new baby and a new wife. Some of the circumstances were less than ideal — a surprise pregnancy and the pressure to get married — which was a challenge. Today my husband is almost 60. With age comes understanding. He has learned the importance of patience — with your spouse, with your child and with yourself. In a marriage , you need what can sometimes feel like unlimited patience. While his patience may not be unending, he has a lot of it — especially when it comes to our overly energetic 5-year-old daughter. She's a firecracker, but when she is going crazy and I see how gentle, calm and patient my husband is with her, it makes me feel happy — and relieved. Having a husband with more patience takes the pressure off me to always have to be the patient one, especially with our children.
When my husband first became a father , he was barely 25 years old. He wasn't prepared for the weight of family life and everything that comes with that — putting other people first, being more flexible, being a dad 24/7. He figured it out along the way, though, and today he puts our children before everything. Watching my husband cuddle with our 7-month-old in bed, while our daughter reads a book next to them, makes my heart explode.
He's also more confident in this season of life. My husband always felt like the black sheep of his family, especially as an artist. He's a painter and would often go through periods of intense focus where he would close himself off to the world to concentrate. His family never understood that. While he doesn't do that very often now, if he does, I understand him. He's proven himself. He's worked hard. He knows his worth and who he is. And he doesn't need to prove any of that to anyone, the way he felt he had to when he was younger. He's more confident and he is more comfortable with himself as a husband, father and artist. When people are insecure, that can lead to trust issues. But his confidence makes our bond stronger. It's much easier to be married to someone who is secure and comfortable in their skin.
Of course, it's not always perfect. But even when we're not seeing eye to eye, my husband can handle it better than he could years ago.
When I was younger, my mom would tell me it's important to know how to argu e. I used to think that sounded ridiculous, but I now know exactly what she meant. My husband admits that when he was young, he would often raise his voice in the heat of the moment. Now, he knows how to listen and see my point of view, not just his own. He knows that there are two sides to every argument and that it is important to respect each other. He thought he was always right in his first marriage. Right about everything when it came to parenting and life in general. But he's learned that it's actually OK to be wrong and more importantly, to admit that maybe you've made a mistake. He knows he's not always right — and that's OK. Even when we fight, I know our mutual goal is to come to a conclusion, together.
I know that some of my husband's maturity is a natural part of getting older — he had 20 years between marriages — but I also believe he wouldn't have learned so much without the experience he got in his first marriage. Today my husband speaks so positively about his ex-wife, especially about how she is as a mother, and I really respect that, and see it as another sign of how he's grown. I feel very lucky to be his second wife, and to have met him after he got out of his system a lot of the mistakes we make when we're young.
As it turns out, sometimes being second is the real win.
Caroline Chirichella is originally from NYC and now calls Italy her home. She is a public relations consultant with a focus on female- and mom-run businesses, and a freelance writer .
Opinion It's not so 'terribly strange to be 70'
I turned 70 today, a young age for an older person to be, but it is the oldest I have ever been by a long shot. It has been well over six decades since I learned in arithmetic how to carry the one, and the rest has sped by like microfiche.
One big juicy, messy, hard, joyful, quiet life. That's what my 70 years have bequeathed me.
In my teens, already drinking and drugging, I didn't expect to see 21, and at 21, out of control, I didn't expect to see 30. At 30, I had published three books but, as a sober friend put it, was deteriorating faster than I could lower my standards.
Then at 32, I got clean and sober, the miracle of my life from which all other blessings flow. My son was born three years later. The apple fell close to the tree: My son went off the rails, too. He and his partner had a baby at 19, which had not been in my specific plans for him, but you know the old line: If you want to make God laugh, tell Her your plans.
The baby, soon to get his learner's permit, turned out to be the gift of a lifetime. My son got clean and sober 13 years ago, and the three of us grew up together. Then after a long search, I met this brilliant, kind writer guy and, three days after I started getting Social Security, I married him. Yesterday, I published my 20th book, called "Somehow." Today, when I woke up, I was 70. Seventy!
I think that I am only 57, but the paperwork does not back this up. I don't feel old, because your inside self doesn't age. When younger people ask me when I graduated from high school and I say 1971, there's a moment's pause, as if this is inconceivable and I might as well have said 20 B.C. That's when I feel my age. But I smile winsomely because, while I would like to have their skin, hearing, vision, memory, balance, stamina and focus, I would not go back even one year.
My older friends and I know a thing or two.
In general, though, I know how little I know. This is a big relief.
I know that my lifelong belief, that to be beyond reproach offers shelter and protection, is a lie. Shelter is an inside job, protection an illusion. We are as vulnerable as kittens. Love fends off the worst of it.
I know now that everyone is screwed up to some degree, and that everyone screws up. Phew. I thought for decades it was just me, that all of you had been issued owner's manuals in second grade, the day I was home with measles. We are all figuring it out as we go. Aging is grad school.
I know a very little bit about God, or goodness, or good orderly direction. I am a believer, but I don't trouble myself about ultimate reality, the triune nature of the deity or who shot the Holy Ghost. I say help a lot, and thanks, and are You kidding me??? Have You been drinking again, Friend?
I know about something I will call cloak hope, most obvious to me in the people who swooped in and helped me get sober in 1986, and swooped down again in 2012 for my child. In my case, an elderly sober woman named Ruby saw me in my utter, trembly hopelessness — afraid, smelly and arrogant; she swept in and took me under her wing. She wrapped her cloak around me and was the counternarrative to all I believed at 32, i.e., that I needed to figure things out, especially myself, and who to blame.
I know the beauty of shadows. Shadows show us how life can gleam in contrast. Sunshine might be dancing outside the window, but the wonder is in the variegation, with fat white clouds bunched up on the right casting shadows on the hills and gardens, and brushstrokes of gray clouds on the left and — most magical — the long narrow shawl of fog right across the top of the ridge. The day is saying, Who knows how the weather will morph, but meanwhile so much is possible. And that is life asserting itself.
I know life will assert itself. Knowing this means I have a shot at some measure of pliability, like a willow tree that is maybe having an iffy day.
I know everything is in flux, that all things will turn into other things. I am uncomfortable with this but less so than in younger years. Michael Pollan wrote, "Look into a flower, and what do you see? Into the very heart of nature's double nature — that is, the contending energies of creation and dissolution, the spiring toward complex form and the tidal pull away from it." So I don't sweat feeling a little disoriented some days.
I have grown mostly unafraid of my own death, except late at night when I head to WebMD and learn that my symptoms are probably cancer.
I know and am constantly aware of how much we have all lost and are in danger of losing — I am not going to name names — and am awash with gratitude for lovely, funny things that are still here and still work.
I know how to let go now, mostly, although it is not a lovely Hallmark process, and when well-wishers from my spiritual community exhort me to let go and let God, I want to Taser them. But I know that when I finally tell a best friend of my thistly stuckness, the telling is the beginning of release. You have to learn to let go. Otherwise, you get dragged, or you become George Costanza's father pounding the table and shouting, "Serenity now!"
I know that people and pets I adore will keep dying, and it will never be okay, and then it will, sort of, mostly. I know the cycle is life, death, new life, and I think this is a bad system, but it is the one currently in place.
I know I will space out and screw up right and left as I head out on this book tour, say things I wish I could take back, forget things, sometimes onstage, and lose things. I just will.
I recently went to Costa Rica, where my husband was giving a spiritual retreat, and I forgot my pants. My pants! And last month, I went to give a talk at a theater two states away and forgot to bring any makeup. I am quite pale, almost light blue in some places — think of someone from "Game of Thrones" with a head cold — and ghostly under bright lights. When I discovered this omission, I was wearing only tinted moisturizer, powder on my nose and light pink lip gloss.
I gave myself an inspiring pep talk on my inner beauty, the light within. And then I had a moment of clarity: I asked the person driving me to the venue to stop at CVS, where I bought blush and a lipstick that was accidentally brighter and glossier than I usually wear. I looked fabulous. Age is just a number when you still know how to shine. And I shone.
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NPR editor Uri Berliner resigns with blast at new CEO
David Folkenflik
Uri Berliner resigned from NPR on Wednesday saying he could not work under the new CEO Katherine Maher. He cautioned that he did not support calls to defund NPR. Uri Berliner hide caption
Uri Berliner resigned from NPR on Wednesday saying he could not work under the new CEO Katherine Maher. He cautioned that he did not support calls to defund NPR.
NPR senior business editor Uri Berliner resigned this morning, citing the response of the network's chief executive to his outside essay accusing NPR of losing the public's trust.
"I am resigning from NPR, a great American institution where I have worked for 25 years," Berliner wrote in an email to CEO Katherine Maher. "I respect the integrity of my colleagues and wish for NPR to thrive and do important journalism. But I cannot work in a newsroom where I am disparaged by a new CEO whose divisive views confirm the very problems at NPR I cite in my Free Press essay."
NPR and Maher declined to comment on his resignation.
The Free Press, an online site embraced by journalists who believe that the mainstream media has become too liberal, published Berliner's piece last Tuesday. In it, he argued that NPR's coverage has increasingly reflected a rigid progressive ideology. And he argued that the network's quest for greater diversity in its workforce — a priority under prior chief executive John Lansing – has not been accompanied by a diversity of viewpoints presented in NPR shows, podcasts or online coverage.
Later that same day, NPR pushed back against Berliner's critique.
"We're proud to stand behind the exceptional work that our desks and shows do to cover a wide range of challenging stories," NPR's chief news executive, Edith Chapin, wrote in a memo to staff . "We believe that inclusion — among our staff, with our sourcing, and in our overall coverage — is critical to telling the nuanced stories of this country and our world."
Yet Berliner's commentary has been embraced by conservative and partisan Republican critics of the network, including former President Donald Trump and the activist Christopher Rufo.
Rufo is posting a parade of old social media posts from Maher, who took over NPR last month. In two examples, she called Trump a racist and also seemed to minimize the effects of rioting in 2020. Rufo is using those to rally public pressure for Maher's ouster, as he did for former Harvard University President Claudine Gay .
Others have used the moment to call for the elimination of federal funding for NPR – less than one percent of its roughly $300 million annual budget – and local public radio stations, which derive more of their funding from the government.
NPR names tech executive Katherine Maher to lead in turbulent era
Berliner reiterated in his resignation letter that he does not support such calls.
In a brief interview, he condemned a statement Maher issued Friday in which she suggested that he had questioned "whether our people are serving our mission with integrity, based on little more than the recognition of their identity." She called that "profoundly disrespectful, hurtful, and demeaning."
Berliner subsequently exchanged emails with Maher, but she did not address those comments.
"It's been building up," Berliner said of his decision to resign, "and it became clear it was on today."
For publishing his essay in The Free Press and appearing on its podcast, NPR had suspended Berliner for five days without pay. Its formal rebuke noted he had done work outside NPR without its permission, as is required, and shared proprietary information.
(Disclosure: Like Berliner, I am part of NPR's Business Desk. He has edited many of my past stories. But he did not see any version of this article or participate in its preparation before it was posted publicly.)
Earlier in the day, Berliner forwarded to NPR editors and other colleagues a note saying he had "never questioned" their integrity and had been trying to raise these issues within the newsroom for more than seven years.
What followed was an email he had sent to newsroom leaders after Trump's 2016 win. He wrote then: "Primarily for the sake of our journalism, we can't align ourselves with a tribe. So we don't exist in a cocoon that blinds us to the views and experience of tens of millions of our fellow citizens."
Berliner's critique has inspired anger and dismay within the network. Some colleagues said they could no longer trust him after he chose to publicize such concerns rather than pursue them as part of ongoing newsroom debates, as is customary. Many signed a letter to Maher and Edith Chapin, NPR's chief news executive. They asked for clarity on, among other things, how Berliner's essay and the resulting public controversy would affect news coverage.
Yet some colleagues privately said Berliner's critique carried some truth. Chapin also announced monthly reviews of the network's coverage for fairness and diversity - including diversity of viewpoint.
She said in a text message earlier this week that that initiative had been discussed long before Berliner's essay, but "Now seemed [the] time to deliver if we were going to do it."
She added, "Healthy discussion is something we need more of."
Disclosure: This story was reported and written by NPR Media Correspondent David Folkenflik and edited by Deputy Business Editor Emily Kopp and Managing Editor Gerry Holmes. Under NPR's protocol for reporting on itself, no NPR corporate official or news executive reviewed this story before it was posted publicly.
- Katherine Maher
- uri berliner |
Exploring the Benefits of Mindfulness-Based Interventions
How do we combat stress and anxiety when everything seems so difficult? New approaches to treatment often include mindfulness-based interventions. Here's why they are gaining popularity: mindfulness-based interventions have emerged as a powerful tool for promoting mental health. Rooted in ancient contemplative practices, mindfulness has been adapted into structured interventions and therapies, offering a myriad of benefits for individuals seeking relief from stress, anxiety, depression, and other mental health challenges.
Exploring the effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Interventions
Mindfulness, at its core, involves paying deliberate attention to the present moment with openness, curiosity, and acceptance. While it may sound simple, the practice of mindfulness requires cultivation and commitment. Fortunately, numerous mindfulness-based interventions, such as Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), have been developed and studied extensively, demonstrating their effectiveness in enhancing mental well-being.
One of the primary benefits of mindfulness-based interventions is their ability to reduce stress. In today's fast-paced society, stress has become a pervasive issue, contributing to a host of physical and psychological ailments. By teaching individuals to observe their thoughts and emotions without judgment, mindfulness helps break the cycle of stress reactivity, allowing individuals to respond to challenging situations with greater resilience and equanimity.
Mindfulness-Based Interventions: The Transformative Power of Mindfulness
Moreover, mindfulness has shown promising results in alleviating symptoms of anxiety and depression. Research indicates that regular practice of mindfulness can lead to significant reductions in anxiety and depressive symptoms by fostering a greater sense of self-awareness, emotional regulation, and cognitive flexibility.
By learning to observe their thoughts and feelings without getting entangled in them, individuals develop the capacity to break free from negative thought patterns and cultivate a more positive outlook on life.
In addition to its therapeutic benefits, mindfulness-based interventions also promote overall psychological well-being. Studies have found that mindfulness practices are associated with increased feelings of happiness, contentment, and satisfaction with life.
By fostering a deeper connection to the present moment and promoting acceptance of one's experiences, mindfulness enables individuals to cultivate a greater sense of inner peace and fulfillment, regardless of external circumstances.
Mindfulness-Based Interventions: Enhances Cognitive Functioning and Mental Health
Furthermore, mindfulness-based interventions have been shown to enhance cognitive functioning and improve attentional control. In a society inundated with distractions, the ability to sustain attention and focus is increasingly valuable. By training the mind to anchor itself in the present moment, mindfulness exercises strengthen attentional networks in the brain, leading to improved concentration and cognitive performance.
Importantly, Mindfulness-Based Interventions Are Accessible To Everyone
Whether through in-person classes, online programs, or self-guided practices, individuals can choose the format that best suits their needs and preferences. Moreover, mindfulness is not limited by age, gender, or cultural background, making it a universally applicable tool for mental health promotion.
Despite its many benefits, incorporating mindfulness into daily life requires commitment and practice. Like any skill, mindfulness necessitates consistent effort and patience to yield meaningful results. However, the transformative potential of mindfulness-based interventions for mental health makes the journey well worth it.
Mindfulness-Based Interventions Conclusion
In conclusion, mindfulness-based interventions offer a holistic approach to mental health promotion, addressing the root causes of psychological distress while fostering resilience and well-being. By cultivating present-moment awareness, acceptance, and compassion, mindfulness empowers individuals to navigate life's challenges with greater ease and grace.
If you are dealing with mental health issues as a result of addiction or vice versa, Pathways Recovery is here to help. We are proud to introduce our newest addiction treatment center for women only. Learn more about our drug rehab center for women.
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Exact Answer: 3 Years
Today with the ever-growing economy, people have started holding real estate in houses, condos, and corporate buildings, which then add to the asset's status of an individual most people get these properties on mortgage or loans.
These loans are financed by financial institutes where the lender pays the amount with a fixed interest rate and keeps the house or building as collateral. This process is worked out by companies and even small individual house owners who cannot pay the money upfront.
FHA is an organization that provides finance to these individual small house owners at a low rate of interest and even to those people who have a low credit score and provides a convenient loan.
How Long After the Foreclosure for FHA Loan?
The government sets up the American banks and other financial institutes. These organizations provide loans to tiny house owners with a lower interest rate and even to people with fewer credit scores. FHA is one of those institutes.
A basic loan agreement starts when the borrower approaches the lender asks for the required sum. The lender does a background check on an individual, checks credit score and another history, and then agrees to the extent of the loan with a fixed rate of interest, tenure, and collateral. The interest rate is the bank income over the loan amount; the collateral held by the bank is the property itself that the bank has ownership of. After the loan is paid, the property rights are transferred to the homeowner.
A person might feel capable of paying all the loan amount beforehand with the rate of interest; this situation is called the loan foreclosure, where the borrower pays the total amount to the lender, and the bank makes the loan amount void. Still, the person needs to pay a specified fee amount for the act at the time of foreclosure.
After the loan foreclosure, the bank or lender transfers the property rights to the actual owner or the borrower. The foreclosure for an individual might be considered an achievement since the liability is reduced and the credit score increases. The foreclosure blocks, flow of funds for the bank since the bank was receiving the interest rate, and now it is stopped.
Situation | Time Before Applying |
Good Credit Score | 2 Years |
Loan Type | 3 to 7 Years |
Why Does it Take So long for FHA Loan after Foreclosure?
Just after any loan foreclosure, a minimum of three years gap is mandatory before applying for any FHA-related loans; this is the policy that every foreclosure loan holder has to use, and the law binds the person.
But many factors can increase or decrease this fixed time of 3 years, the elements being- credit score and the type of loan.
A credit score is the number one and the most critical factor if the person pays all the bills on time, has no loan or card defaulter, and always has paid loans and rate of interest on time. The credit score itself increases; if better the credit score, then the time to get a loan can be decreased by a lot. But if the credit score is average or less, then the time to get a loan can increase.
Another factor that can come into play is the type of loan that the person applied for after the foreclosure. The loan can be a conventional loan extended by the private entity and can take up to 7 years for the loan extension after the foreclosure.
The second type of loan is the FHA loan and can take three years to be backed up and the extension after the foreclosure. The third loan being the VA loan for the veterans or the military people can avail of this loan but has to wait for an average of two years before availing of the loan after the foreclosure. The last loan is the USDA loan that can be helped by the rural population and has to wait for three years after the foreclosure.
These factors can increase or decrease the loan availing time.
People have started investing in real estate, for which people extend loans to cover up the cost and slowly pay for the property. Many financial institutes like FHA are one of the leading houses financing government-owned estates.
But suppose a person pays all the loan amount before time. In that case, this situation is known as foreclosure or paying the amount beforehand.
To close all the loan amount and get away with the loan liability.
After the foreclosure, the person has to wait for three years to apply for an FHA-based loan, and many other loans have a different type to use. |
Audio Transcript
Welcome back to a new week on this Monday. How do we overcome a lack of affection — a lack of expressed affection for God and expressed affection for others? It's a great question, a humble question, from a young man who wrote in anonymously. "Dear Pastor John, let me jump straight to it. How would you counsel and encourage a brother in Christ who finds it difficult to express or discuss 'deeper' emotions like joy, despair, wonder, and fear? That's me. I want deeper relationships with Christian brothers. But I also shy away when opportunity arises and deeper conversations make themselves present because I don't know how to talk about those higher and deeper feelings. I just freeze. Or I'm tempted to make a joke.
"I know something is wrong inside of me. I read Augustine's Confessions and stand in awe of his affection as he speaks so fluently to God in language like this: 'My God, my life, my holy sweetness,' or 'What can anyone say when he speaks of Thee? Yet woe to those who do not speak of Thee; for, though they talk much, they say nothing.' I'm a man who talks much about nothing. I want to grow here."
I really have a special interest in this question, and I want to try to answer it because I think there are millions of people (it's not rare) who share this blockage that prevents natural, genuine verbal expressions of heartfelt affections, not only for God and his glorious salvation, but for children — their own children — or spouses, or ordinary blessings of life. The whole realm of the emotional life and of spiritual affections is choked off for some reason.
Affections Unspoken
There are millions of people who never say anything like, "What a beautiful day. The sun is shining; the breeze is cool. I love days like this!" They never talk like that, ever. They never say anything like, "I love being married to you. Just sitting with you makes me happy. I'm so glad God brought us together." They never say that to each other, ever. They never say anything like, "God is so great. He has been so good to me. I don't deserve any of this. Lord, you are amazing. Thank you, Lord. I love you." They don't ever talk like that. These kinds of expressed affections for days, people, God, are just blocked. They never come out in words, and it's a great sadness for them and for the people around them.
I don't think there is any formula to fix this. The causes are sometimes very deep. God himself, by the Holy Spirit, is the only hope, because he is the decisive cause of all authentic expressions of true spiritual affections. A deep work of God is needed. For example, I had a deep and sinful aversion to lifting my hands in worship until I was 35 years old. Never once did I lift my hands in worship, or even come close, like turning them palm-up in my lap. I would see people do it, and I would actually feel disgust. And then one night, at about 3:00 in the morning, during an all-night prayer meeting, God lifted my hands in a moment of worship. It was, as I recall, mostly involuntary, and received no resistance. He broke my pride that night. And in a sense, my hands haven't gone down since.
Step Toward Expression
I think there's an analogy between that experience and the barriers that people can feel to verbal expressions of affections for God. So, even though there's no formula, there are steps that you might be able to take, which — if you really want it, if you want this liberation — would become means by which God would set you free.
1. Recognize the problem.
First (and this young man who's asking the question has already arrived at this point), you recognize that it really is a problem to be overcome, not just a neutral personality trait. Thousands of people excuse it as just a quirk of personality and think it has no spiritual dimensions about it. I don't think that's ever sufficient. It's got truth in it, but it's not sufficient. Jesus said, "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks" (Matthew 12:34). Now, the least that means is that God designed words to be a means of heart expression. A disconnect between the two, heart and mouth, is not the way God designed it to be, and not the way it's going to be in heaven.
2. Examine yourself.
We should do a serious self-examination as to whether our hearts really do love Christ (Matthew 10:37), really do delight in God (Psalm 37:4), really do rejoice in him (Philippians 3:1), really do fear him (Proverbs 28:14), really do treasure him (Matthew 13:44). These are all biblical commands that our hearts must experience before our mouths can express them. So, examine your heart. Are they there?
3. Discern sin's hindrances.
We should also do a serious self-examination as to whether there's sin blocking the genuineness of our expression of affection. There certainly was in me, oh my. I look back on attitudes that I had for 35 years that God, mercifully, was patient with, and I am ashamed. I'm ashamed. I can remember sitting in chapel at Bethel when I was a teacher there, and a woman or a man (I can't remember which) next to me just rolled their hands over, palms up in their lap, and inside of me was disgust. Looking back on it, that's just evil. That's just plain evil. My resistance had so much pride in it.
"God is the decisive cause of all authentic expressions of true spiritual affections."
And I'm aware it can work the other way around. I'm not naive that people who are lifting their hands might be totally arrogant people. I get it. They can be looking with scorn on the non-hand lifters, with pride. Of course that's true. Pride is subtle — everywhere. But if we can see the sin that binds us, wherever it is, and name it and repent, we might be set free.
4. Memorize affection-laden passages.
Memorize parts of Scripture that give you the very words you need to express affections for God.
- Psalm 18:1: "I love you, O Lord, my strength."
- Psalm 42:1–2: "As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God."
- Psalm 63:1: "O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water."
- Psalm 73:25: "Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you."
Oh my goodness, these texts have served me so well, to loose my tongue. Memorize these, and others like them, and then say them out loud to God in private prayer, day after day — nobody listening but God. And surprisingly, you may find yourself saying them out loud in a prayer meeting, and it may be wonderfully involuntary, the way it was for me.
5. Spend time with expressive saints.
If possible, spend time with people who speak of their affections more naturally than you do. Emotional verbal freedom is contagious. I have tasted this in my life, in myself. I could name people whose freedom in mature expression of spiritual affections has been very powerful in my life.
6. Set your heart on heaven.
Realize that heaven is going to be like this: utterly free, unselfconscious overflowings of our heart's affections. You can see this in the songs in the book of Revelation. And 1 John 3:3 says, "Everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure." In other words, the principle is this: if we really hope to be this way in heaven someday, then let's get a head start. Let's get a head start now. Why would you put it off?
7. Raise your expectations.
Realize that your sincere expressions of love to Christ and joy in Christ may be the means by which someone else is saved. That's the point of Psalm 40:2–3:
He drew me up from the pit of destruction,
out of the miry bog,
and set my feet upon a rock,
making my steps secure.
He put a new song in my mouth,
a song of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear,
and put their trust in the Lord.
"God designed words to be a means of heart expression."
I love that. That's why we're in the pit sometimes — so that he can bring us up, put us on a rock, put a song in our mouth. People see, and they get saved. I think that was true for my salvation. I think, under God, I owe my faith in Christ to the free expressions of love and joy in my mother and my father while I was growing up.
8. Pray for open lips.
Finally, pray. Pray like this: "O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise" (Psalm 51:15). Isn't that an amazing request? "My lips are shut; I can't open them. Something's wrong with my lips, Lord." Yes, there is, in all of us. "Lord, open my lips." Only God can make it real, so ask him, and keep on asking until he does it. |
DNA methylation-based biomarkers of aging have been developed for humans and many other mammals and could be used to assess how stress factors impact aging. Deer mice (
This content will become publicly available on September 1, 2024
Aging, often considered a result of random cellular damage, can be accurately estimated using DNA methylation profiles, the foundation of pan-tissue epigenetic clocks. Here, we demonstrate the development of universal pan-mammalian clocks, using 11,754 methylation arrays from our Mammalian Methylation Consortium, which encompass 59 tissue types across 185 mammalian species. These predictive models estimate mammalian tissue age with high accuracy (
- Award ID(s):
- 2017803
- 10481148
- Author(s) / Creator(s):
- ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; more »
- Publisher / Repository:
- Nature Aging
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Nature Aging
- Volume:
- 3
- Issue:
- 9
- 2662-8465
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 1144 to 1166
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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Abstract Peromyscus ) are long-living rodents that have emerged as an informative model to study aging, adaptation to extreme environments, and monogamous behavior. In the present study, we have undertaken an exhaustive, genome-wide analysis of DNA methylation inPeromyscus , spanning different species, stocks, sexes, tissues, and age cohorts. We describe DNA methylation-based estimators of age for different species of deer mice based on novel DNA methylation data generated on highly conserved mammalian CpGs measured with a custom array. The multi-tissue epigenetic clock for deer mice was trained on 3 tissues (tail, liver, and brain). Two human-Peromyscus clocks accurately measure age and relative age, respectively. We present CpGs and enriched pathways that relate to different conditions such as chronological age, high altitude, and monogamous behavior. Overall, this study provides a first step towards studying the epigenetic correlates of monogamous behavior and adaptation to high altitude inPeromyscus . The human-Peromyscus epigenetic clocks are expected to provide a significant boost to the attractiveness ofPeromyscus as a biological model. -
Abstract Background Epigenetic age acceleration (EAA) and epigenetic gestational age acceleration (EGAA) are biomarkers of physiological development and may be affected by the perinatal environment. The aim of this study was to evaluate performance of epigenetic clocks and to identify biological and sociodemographic correlates of EGAA and EAA at birth and in childhood. In the Project Viva pre-birth cohort, DNA methylation was measured in nucleated cells in cord blood (leukocytes and nucleated red blood cells, N = 485) and leukocytes in early (N = 120, median age = 3.2 years) and mid-childhood (N = 460, median age = 7.7 years). We calculated epigenetic gestational age (EGA; Bohlin and Knight clocks) and epigenetic age (EA; Horvath and skin & blood clocks), and respective measures of EGAA and EAA. We evaluated the performance of clocks relative to chronological age using correlations and median absolute error. We tested for associations of maternal-child characteristics with EGAA and EAA using mutually adjusted linear models controlling for estimated cell type proportions. We also tested associations of Horvath EA at birth with childhood EAA.
Results Bohlin EGA was strongly correlated with chronological gestational age (Bohlin EGA
r = 0.82,p < 0.001). Horvath and skin & blood EA were weakly correlated with gestational age, but moderately correlated with chronological age in childhood (r = 0.45–0.65). Maternal smoking during pregnancy was associated with higher skin & blood EAA at birth [B (95% CI) = 1.17 weeks (− 0.09, 2.42)] and in early childhood [0.34 years (0.03, 0.64)]. Female newborns and children had lower Bohlin EGAA [− 0.17 weeks (− 0.30, − 0.04)] and Horvath EAA at birth [B (95% CI) = − 2.88 weeks (− 4.41, − 1.35)] and in childhood [early childhood: − 0.3 years (− 0.60, 0.01); mid-childhood: − 0.48 years (− 0.77, − 0.18)] than males. When comparing self-reported Asian, Black, Hispanic, and more than one race or other racial/ethnic groups to White, we identified significant differences in EGAA and EAA at birth and in mid-childhood, but associations varied across clocks. Horvath EA at birth was positively associated with childhood Horvath and skin & blood EAA.Conclusions Maternal smoking during pregnancy and child sex were associated with EGAA and EAA at multiple timepoints. Further research may provide insight into the relationship between perinatal factors, pediatric epigenetic aging, and health and development across the lifespan.
Changes in DNA methylation with age are observed across the tree of life. The stereotypical nature of these changes can be modeled to produce epigenetic clocks capable of predicting chronological age with unprecedented accuracy. Despite the predictive ability of epigenetic clocks and their utility as biomarkers in clinical applications, the underlying processes that produce clock signals are not fully resolved, which limits their interpretability. Here, we develop a computational approach to spatially resolve the within read variability or "disorder" in DNA methylation patterns and test if age-associated changes in DNA methylation disorder underlie signals comprising epigenetic clocks. We find that epigenetic clock loci are enriched in regions that both accumulate and lose disorder with age, suggesting a link between DNA methylation disorder and epigenetic clocks. We then develop epigenetic clocks that are based on regional disorder of DNA methylation patterns and compare their performance to other epigenetic clocks by investigating the influences of development, lifespan interventions, and cellular dedifferentiation. We identify common responses as well as critical differences between canonical epigenetic clocks and those based on regional disorder, demonstrating a fundamental decoupling of epigenetic aging processes. Collectively, we identify key linkages between epigenetic disorder and epigenetic clocks and demonstrate the multifaceted nature of epigenetic aging in which stochastic processes occurring at non-random loci produce predictable outcomes.more » « less
Abstract Adverse birth outcomes, such as early gestational age and low birth weight, can have lasting effects on morbidity and mortality, with impacts that persist into adulthood. Identifying the maternal factors that contribute to adverse birth outcomes in the next generation is thus a priority. Epigenetic clocks, which have emerged as powerful tools for quantifying biological aging and various dimensions of physiological dysregulation, hold promise for clarifying relationships between maternal biology and infant health, including the maternal factors or states that predict birth outcomes. Nevertheless, studies exploring the relationship between maternal epigenetic age and birth outcomes remain few. Here, we attempt to replicate a series of analyses previously reported in a US-based sample, using a larger similarly aged sample (
n = 296) of participants of a long-running study in the Philippines. New pregnancies were identified prospectively, dried blood spot samples were collected during the third trimester, and information was obtained on gestational age at delivery and offspring weight after birth. Genome-wide DNA methylation was assessed with the Infinium EPIC array. Using a suite of 15 epigenetic clocks, we only found one significant relationship: advanced age on the epigenetic clock trained on leptin predicted a significantly earlier gestational age at delivery (β = − 0.15,p = 0.009). Of the other 29 relationships tested predicting gestational age and offspring birth weight, none were statistically significant. In this sample of Filipino women, epigenetic clocks capturing multiple dimensions of biology and health do not predict birth outcomes in offspring. -
Abstract The diversity of cell types is a challenge for quantifying aging and its reversal. Here we develop 'aging clocks' based on single-cell transcriptomics to characterize cell-type-specific aging and rejuvenation. We generated single-cell transcriptomes from the subventricular zone neurogenic region of 28 mice, tiling ages from young to old. We trained single-cell-based regression models to predict chronological age and biological age (neural stem cell proliferation capacity). These aging clocks are generalizable to independent cohorts of mice, other regions of the brains, and other species. To determine if these aging clocks could quantify transcriptomic rejuvenation, we generated single-cell transcriptomic datasets of neurogenic regions for two interventions—heterochronic parabiosis and exercise. Aging clocks revealed that heterochronic parabiosis and exercise reverse transcriptomic aging in neurogenic regions, but in different ways. This study represents the first development of high-resolution aging clocks from single-cell transcriptomic data and demonstrates their application to quantify transcriptomic rejuvenation. |
Pursuing engineering in Australia means you will be receiving your education through one of the most reputable universities for international students. The universities ranked as the best engineering schools in Australia are also some of the ivy-league universities of the world.
The universities offer the best Professional Year program engineering courses that attract students from all parts of the globe. World-class universities ensure that students enjoy the best studying conditions and their degrees carry a multitude of benefits.
So, be it chemical, mechanical, civil, electrical, geotechnical or any other type of engineering, the universities mentioned below are the ones to enroll in.
The Best Engineering Universities in Australia
The University of New South Wales
The Faculty of Engineering at this school is highly regarded for engineering studies and research. With over 60 years of excellence in education, UNSW offers more degree specializations than any other institute. It aims to make sure that the latest developments are incorporated into each field, not just in engineering. The University of New South Wales offers degree programs in the following engineering fields:
- Chemical Engineering
- Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering
- Electrical Engineering and Telecommunications
- Civil and Environmental Engineering
- Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering
- Computer Science and Engineering
- Minerals and Energy Resources Engineering
- Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering
Monash University
Monash University easily holds its place among the top 100 universities in the world. It offers highly valued education and qualifications, a wide range of study options, and comfortable study conditions.
Monash offers a wide range of engineering courses that will give you the skills you need to excel in your preferred engineering field. The university equips students with a sense of purpose, and the confidence to make a change.
At Monash University, you will be taught how to channel your creativity, and face challenges. The academic staff is highly sought after and will help you gain knowledge, and apply that knowledge in real-life situations. Some of the degree programs the university offers in the field of engineering are:
- Engineering
- Engineering and Advanced Engineering
- Engineering and Architectural Design
- Engineering and Arts
- Engineering and Biomedical Science
- Engineering and Commerce
- Engineering and Computer Science
- Engineering and Design
- Engineering and Information Technology
- Engineering and Pharmaceutical Science
- Engineering and Science
- Information Technology
- Laws and Engineering
The University of Sydney
It aims to make an impact through innovation in engineering and technology. The university's goal is to meet challenges faced in healthcare, infrastructure, food, and the environment. Investing in a healthier and more sustainable future, the University of Sydney offers world-class Professional Year program engineering through the latest developments in technology.
They have the best research labs and teaching practices through professional engagement and hands-on experience. You can also combine your study program with various cross-disciplinary courses, to make the most of your engineering career. The university offers degree programs in the following courses:
- Aeronautical Engineering
- Biomedical Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering
- Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
- Civil Engineering
- Mechatronic Engineering
- Electrical Engineering
- Advanced Computing
- Project Management
- Software Engineering
The University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is known across the globe as one of the best universities Australia has to offer. If you choose to pursue engineering at this university, you will be positioning yourself for a leading role in tackling global engineering challenges. At the university, the curriculum is designed to prepare each student for the engineering challenges that might come forth in the future.
With a degree that is recognized around the world, this university believes future engineers don't only need to possess technical skills, but also a path-breaking way of thinking, and the ability to work as a team. When it comes to studying engineering, the university recommends that students start with a three-year Bachelor of Science, Design, or Biomedicine and opt for engineering systems major.
Later on, you can pursue a two-year Master of Engineering in your preferred specialization. It will help you become an accredited engineer around the world. You can channel your interest in one of the following fields of study:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Chemical and Biochemical Engineering
- Environmental Engineering
- Electrical and Electronic Engineering
- Civil, Structural, and Architectural Engineering
- Spatial Information
- Mechanical, Aerospace and Mechatronic Engineering
- Energy
- Engineering Business and Management
- Materials Engineering
- Software Engineering
Studying in Australia is a great opportunity for international students. Other than the excellent universities, the warm people and tourist destinations all make it worthwhile. So, apply for your preferred university and enjoy a career full of surprises and prosperity. |
Spending Cuts Could Trigger Deeper Slowdown: Kiplinger Economic Forecasts
There is a risk the debt limit could be hit as soon as June
Our highly experienced Kiplinger Letter team assesses the state of the U.S. economy and the events affecting it, producing regular forecasts on the outlook for the economy, to help you make better financial decisions.
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If spending cuts are required to resolve the looming debt limit crisis, they will likely be moderate and/or spread out over time, so as not to ding current GDP growth too much. However, any cuts that take place at a time when the economy is slowing will likely make that slowdown a little worse.
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There is precedent for this sort of outcome. The 2011 debt limit fight between President Barack Obama and House Republicans resulted in $917 billion in cuts spread over 10 years, which reduced the immediate impact on the economy.
Lack of resolution to the debt crisis
But note that the White House is determined to avoid compromise, hoping instead that fissures in the GOP eventually drive moderates to its side. With no resolution, Uncle Sam can spend only the revenue coming in from taxes and other sources, triggering even more painful automatic spending cuts.
The timing of a potential crisis depends on June 15 quarterly tax payments. These could delay the moment of truth until late July or early August if they're good. Otherwise, the debt limit would be hit in June, per recent Treasury Department warnings.
Troubles with manufacturing
Manufacturing's April expansion doesn't mean the sector is out of the woods, despite a benchmark survey showing improvement in orders, production, hiring and exports.
Other parts of the survey indicate a future slowdown: Businesses think customer inventories are too high, which happens only when a downturn is coming. Manufacturer inventories and order backlogs are also contracting.
Still, it's likely that any slowdown will be gradual, a source of frustration for the Federal Reserve, which had hoped for faster relief of price pressures.
Manufacturers face a dilemma with their suppliers. Facing parts shortages in 2021 and 2022, many had expanded the number of suppliers they worked with to hedge against supply chain risk. With demand waning, they'll face a tough choice between the hard-won diversification of their supplier bases and preserving cash.
This forecast first appeared in The Kiplinger Letter. Since 1923, the Letter has helped millions of business executives and investors profit by providing reliable forecasts on business and the economy, as well as what to expect from Washington. Get a free issue of The Kiplinger Letter or subscribe.
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- Debt Ceiling Will Be Averted but It Won't Be Easy: Kiplinger Economic Forecasts
- Kiplinger's GDP Outlook
- Kiplinger's Inflation Outlook
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David is both staff economist and reporter for The Kiplinger Letter, overseeing Kiplinger forecasts for the U.S. and world economies. Previously, he was senior principal economist in the Center for Forecasting and Modeling at IHS/GlobalInsight, and an economist in the Chief Economist's Office of the U.S. Department of Commerce. David has co-written weekly reports on economic conditions since 1992, and has forecasted GDP and its components since 1995, beating the Blue Chip Indicators forecasts two-thirds of the time. David is a Certified Business Economist as recognized by the National Association for Business Economics. He has two master's degrees and is ABD in economics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
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Discover how generative programming is changing software development—from promoting innovation and scalability to automating code generation. Learn how companies are using this paradigm change to propel growth, increase agility, and future-proof their software solutions in India and beyond.
Redefining Software Development: By replacing manual coding with automated code creation, generative programming expands the definition of software development. This innovative method streamlines the development lifecycle by using high-level specifications to automatically synthesize code.
Efficiency Amplified: Generative Programming greatly increases development efficiency by automating repetitive processes and abstracting complicated procedures. This paradigm is essential for businesses looking to maximize resource allocation and shorten time-to-market.
Unleashed: The foundation of generative programming is scalability. Businesses may easily scale their apps to meet growing user demands without compromising performance when they have the flexibility to react to changing requirements.
Agility in Action: Agility is critical in the fast-paced digital environment of today. Organizations can quickly iterate, pivot, and react to market dynamics with unmatched agility when they use generative programming, which helps them stay ahead of the curve.
Boosting Indian Businesses: As a rapidly developing technology hub, India is leading the way in the use of generative programming.
Businesses in a variety of industries are utilizing this paradigm's power to spur innovation, accelerate growth, and obtain a competitive advantage in the global marketplace.
The increasing expansion of mobile app development in India has resulted in a huge increase in demand for qualified React Native developers.
Companies in a variety of industries, particularly those using generative programming, are actively looking for highly qualified professionals who are fluent in React Native to lead the creation of creative cross-platform applications.
In order for businesses to remain competitive in the ever-changing digital landscape of today, it is imperative that they hire react native developer in India.
Cross-Platform App Development: This innovative approach has changed the game by enabling companies to use a single codebase to reach a larger audience on a variety of platforms.
Cross-platform development specialists from India are in great demand, serving a wide range of industry sectors.
Innovation Catalyst: By encouraging a culture of experimentation and discovery, generative programming serves as an innovation catalyst.
Automating repetitive processes frees up developers to concentrate on brainstorming and creativity, which leads to game-changing inventions.
Discover the cutting-edge field of generative programming, where software creation is being revolutionized by artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques.
Learn how this game-changing strategy reduces development costs, permits customisation and modification, and creates a competitive edge. Explore the fields of talent acquisition, quick prototyping, and integration with upcoming technologies while managing legal and regulatory issues using moral AI practices. Join the cooperative ecosystem that is reshaping education and the workplace, and embrace responsible innovation for a tech-driven future that puts societal impact and diversity first.
Using machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) techniques to produce code is the foundation of generative programming.
With the help of this revolutionary method, complex software solutions may be created with little assistance from humans, opening the door to previously unheard-of levels of automation and efficiency.
Generative Programming optimizes development resources by automating the creation of code artifacts, enabling companies to strategically deploy their human capital.
This optimization ensures the delivery of high-quality software solutions by reducing the risks associated with human error and increasing productivity.
Talent acquisition and skill development have become critical due to the growing need for competent cross platform app development company India as well as skilled React Native developers.
Companies are putting money into retraining employees and forming alliances with reliable development companies in order to acquire the knowledge required to fully utilize Generative Programming.
Generative programming makes it easier to tailor software solutions to the particular needs of many market verticals.
Whether creating custom mobile applications for e-commerce, healthcare, or finance, companies may use this strategy to create solutions that are unique and appeal to their target market.
Cost-efficiency is critical in a competitive market environment. Because generative programming cuts down on development time and expenses, it presents a financially viable substitute for conventional software development approaches.
A key differentiation for companies looking to obtain a competitive edge is the capacity to provide high-quality solutions at a lower cost.
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Because of this development process agility, businesses can get early stakeholder feedback, iterate quickly, and improve their products iteratively, which accelerates time to market and improves product-market fit.
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Moths belonging to the genus Zygaena are commonly known as burnet moths. These striking insects are renowned for their distinctive coloration and intricate wing patterns. Here's a brief introduction:
Physical Characteristics:
- Zygaena moths typically have a wingspan ranging from 2 to 3 centimeters, though this can vary slightly among species.
- Their wings are often adorned with vibrant colors, including shades of red, blue, black, and sometimes metallic hues, creating a visually striking appearance.
- Many Zygaena species feature bold markings, such as spots, stripes, or bands, which serve as warning signals to predators due to their association with toxicity or unpalatability.
Habitat and Distribution:
- Zygaena moths are widely distributed across Europe, Asia, and parts of Africa, inhabiting a variety of habitats, including meadows, grasslands, open woodlands, and coastal areas.
- They are often found in sunny, open habitats with abundant nectar sources, as adult Zygaena moths primarily feed on flower nectar.
Life Cycle and Behavior:
- The life cycle of Zygaena moths typically involves four stages: egg, larva (caterpillar), pupa, and adult.
- The larvae of Zygaena moths feed on various plants, with some species specializing on specific host plants. They are often associated with plants in the pea family (Fabaceae).
- Adult Zygaena moths are active during the day and are often seen flying among flowers, feeding on nectar and mating.
Ecological Role:
- Zygaena moths play a role in pollination as they visit flowers to feed on nectar, transferring pollen from one flower to another.
- Some Zygaena species possess chemical defenses, such as cyanogenic compounds acquired from their larval host plants, which make them unpalatable to predators. This defense mechanism is indicated by their bright warning coloration.
In summary, Zygaena moths are a diverse group of insects known for their colorful appearance and important ecological roles. They are a fascinating component of many ecosystems and are appreciated by entomologists and nature enthusiasts alike for their beauty and ecological significance.
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🐱 Curiosity is essential for intellectual growth and development.
🔑 Curiosity leads to innovation and groundbreaking achievements.
🌟 Prominent figures like Albert Einstein, Steve Jobs, and Walt Disney exemplify the power of curiosity.
🔑 Intellectual curiosity and passion were key factors in the success of influential individuals like Albert Einstein, Steve Jobs, and Walt Disney.
💡 Being curious and asking questions can help overcome initial disinterest in certain subjects and lead to a newfound appreciation and enjoyment.
🧠 The connection between dyslexia and learning styles was not well understood in the past, but now there is more awareness and support for individuals with dyslexia.
🔑 Curiosity and asking questions were seen as silly by the speaker's teacher, but she later realized that her curiosity was a result of her dyslexia.
🧠 The dyslexic brain processes information in a different way, with information taking a non-linear path before finally being understood.
🎯 The speaker highlights the importance of embracing curiosity and understanding different learning styles in education.
🧠 Dyslexic brains are wired differently, leading to increased curiosity and asking questions.
🤔 Being curious allows for a greater understanding of subjects and promotes creativity.
💡 Curiosity leads to asking questions, finding answers, and achieving true understanding.
🔑 Curiosity and asking questions make learning more fun and exciting.
🎮 Learning is like playing a game - once you start understanding the material, you become more engaged and passionate.
🤔 Asking questions and connecting the dots helps intellectually curious people solve complex problems and provide breakthrough strategies.
🔍 Curiosity is important, and it's beneficial to ask questions and do research outside of school.
💡 Collaborate with others who share your interests to learn and discover more.
🌟 Acting on your curiosity can lead to great rewards and success.
🔑 Finding your passion and pursuing it with curiosity can lead to revolutionary discoveries and successful careers.
❤️ The speaker found their passion in high school and turned it into a career involving connecting people and brands in advertising.
🎯 The challenge is to discover your passion and follow it with curiosity.
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If you've ever worked with XML data, you know how complex and interconnected the elements can be. Mapping these elements in Excel can help you organize and analyze the data more efficiently. In this tutorial, we'll explore the importance of mapping XML elements in Excel and provide step-by-step guidance on how to do it effectively.
Key Takeaways
- Mapping XML elements in Excel can help organize and analyze complex data more efficiently
- Understanding XML and its common uses is crucial for effective mapping
- Importing XML data into Excel and using XML Maps feature are key steps in the mapping process
- Creating a custom XML schema can bring additional benefits to the mapping process
- Consistency, documentation, and error handling are important best practices for successful XML mapping in Excel
Understanding XML
Definition of XML: XML, or Extensible Markup Language, is a markup language that defines a set of rules for encoding documents in a format that is both human-readable and machine-readable.
Common uses for XML in data management: XML is commonly used for managing and exchanging structured data between different systems and platforms. It is often used in web development, database management, and data integration.
Example of XML structure: XML documents are hierarchical in nature and consist of a structured tree of elements. Each element can have attributes and contain text and other elements. For example:
Child Elements:
XML Tutorial -
John Doe -
Mapping XML elements in Excel
When working with XML data in Excel, it's important to understand how to map XML elements to specific cells in a worksheet. This allows you to effectively import and manipulate XML data within Excel, making it easier to work with and analyze.
Importing XML data into Excel
Excel provides a simple and efficient way to import XML data into a worksheet. This can be achieved by following these steps:
- Open Excel: Launch Microsoft Excel and create a new or open an existing workbook.
- From the Data tab: Navigate to the Data tab on the Excel ribbon and click on the "From XML" option.
- Select XML file: Choose the XML file you want to import and click "Import".
- Map the XML elements: Excel will display a dialog box where you can define how the XML data should be imported into Excel, including mapping XML elements to specific cells.
- Finish the import: Once the XML elements are mapped, click "OK" to finish importing the data into Excel.
Using XML Maps feature in Excel
Excel's XML Maps feature allows you to specify the mapping between XML elements and cells in your workbook. This provides a more structured way to work with XML data and ensures that the data is imported correctly into the worksheet.
- Enable Developer tab: To use XML Maps, you first need to enable the Developer tab in Excel. This can be done by going to File > Options > Customize Ribbon, and then checking the "Developer" option.
- Import XML schema: With the Developer tab enabled, you can then import an XML schema file (XSD) that defines the structure of the XML data you want to work with.
- Add XML Map: Once the XML schema is imported, you can add an XML Map to your workbook and define the mapping between XML elements and Excel cells.
Matching XML elements to Excel cells
When mapping XML elements to Excel cells, it's important to ensure that each element is correctly matched to the appropriate cell in the worksheet. This allows you to effectively import and display the XML data within Excel.
- Define the mapping: In Excel, you can define the mapping between XML elements and cells by using the XML Source task pane. This allows you to specify the exact location where each XML element should be imported into the worksheet.
- Updating the mapping: If the structure of the XML data changes, you may need to update the mapping in Excel to ensure that the data is still imported correctly.
Creating a custom XML schema
An XML schema is a description of a type of XML document, typically expressed in terms of constraints on the structure and content of documents of that type, above and beyond the basic syntactical constraints imposed by XML itself.
Explanation of XML schema
An XML schema defines the elements, attributes, and data types that are valid in an XML document. It acts as a blueprint for the structure of an XML document, ensuring that it follows a predefined format and contains the required data.
Steps for creating a custom XML schema in Excel
- Step 1: Define the elements and attributes of the XML schema
- Step 2: Open Excel and go to the "Developer" tab
- Step 3: Click on "Source" in the "XML" group and select "XML Maps"
- Step 4: In the "XML Maps" dialog box, click on "Add" to add a new XML schema
- Step 5: Browse for the XML schema file and click "Open"
- Step 6: Map the elements and attributes in the XML schema to the cells in the Excel worksheet
- Step 7: Save the XML schema mapping for future use
Benefits of using a custom schema for mapping
Using a custom XML schema in Excel offers several benefits:
- Ensures data consistency: By defining the structure and format of the XML document, a custom schema helps to ensure that the data is consistent and accurate.
- Facilitates data exchange: Custom schemas make it easier to exchange data between different systems and applications, as the format and structure of the data are predefined and standardized.
- Improves data validation: With a custom schema, Excel can validate the XML data against the defined rules, helping to identify any errors or inconsistencies.
- Enhances data analysis: Mapping XML elements in Excel using a custom schema allows for easier and more accurate data analysis, as the data is organized and structured according to predefined rules.
Handling complex XML structures
When working with XML in Excel, it's common to encounter complex structures that can be challenging to map. In this tutorial, we'll explore how to handle nested XML elements, use XPath expressions for mapping, and provide tips for simplifying complex mappings.
A. Dealing with nested XML elementsNavigating nested elements
- Identifying parent-child relationships
- Understanding the hierarchy of elements
Mapping nested elements in Excel
- Using XML Maps to define relationships
- Creating multiple sheets for nested data
B. Using XPath expressions for mapping
Understanding XPath syntax
- Locating specific nodes in an XML document
- Utilizing XPath functions for complex mappings
Applying XPath in Excel
- Utilizing XPath queries in XML Maps
- Mapping data from nested elements using XPath
C. Tips for simplifying complex mappings
Flattening nested structures
- Transforming complex XML into a more manageable format
- Reorganizing data to simplify mapping
Using helper columns for mapping
- Breaking down complex mappings into smaller steps
- Utilizing Excel functions to simplify mapping logic
Best practices for mapping XML in Excel
When it comes to mapping XML elements in Excel, there are several best practices to keep in mind in order to ensure a smooth and efficient process. These best practices include:
A. Consistency in mapping conventions-
Use standardized naming conventions
It is important to establish and adhere to standardized naming conventions for XML elements in Excel. This will help in maintaining consistency and clarity throughout the mapping process.
Utilize consistent formatting
Consistency in formatting, such as using the same fonts, colors, and styles for mapped XML elements, will make it easier for users to understand and navigate the mapped data.
B. Documenting XML mappings for future reference
Create a detailed mapping documentation
It is crucial to document XML mappings in Excel for future reference. This documentation should include information on the source of the XML data, the mapping process, and any specific considerations or instructions for using the mapped data.
Include comments and annotations
Adding comments and annotations to the XML mappings in Excel can provide valuable insights and explanations for future users who may need to work with the mapped data.
C. Error handling and troubleshooting tips
Regularly test the mapped data
It is important to regularly test the mapped XML data in Excel to ensure that it is accurately and consistently represented. This will help in identifying and addressing any errors or inconsistencies in the mapped data.
Establish a protocol for addressing errors
Having a clear protocol for addressing errors that may arise during the mapping process will help in efficiently resolving any issues and minimizing disruptions to the workflow.
In conclusion, mapping XML elements in Excel is a critical skill that can greatly enhance data management and analysis. Through XML mapping, users can efficiently import and export data between Excel and other applications, as well as create dynamic and interactive reports. I encourage everyone to practice and further explore XML mapping in Excel to fully harness its capabilities and streamline their workflows. Additionally, I invite you to share your experiences and provide feedback on using XML mapping in Excel, as it can be valuable for others looking to master this skill.
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May is Melanoma and Skin Cancer Awareness Month
We encourage everyone to get checked and protect yourself from the sun this summer. It's the perfect time to talk about skin cancer – the most common cancer in the United States for men and women. It's important to choose a pharmacy with a wide variety of treatment options, expert clinical support, and the care and compassion you deserve.
Five Main Types of Skin Cancer 1
- Basal and Squamous cell carcinoma – As the most common type of skin cancer, these cancers start in the top layer of skin (epidermis) and are often related to sun exposure.
- Melanoma – Much less common and develops when melanocytes (the cells that give the skin its tan or brown color) start to grow out of control.
- Merkel Cell Carcinoma (MCC) – is a rare type of skin cancer that starts when neuroendocrine skin cells (Merkel cells) start to grow out of control.
- Lymphoma of the skin – when a non-Hodgkin lymphoma starts only in the skin (not in other organs or tissues).
- Kaposi Sarcoma – cancer that develops from the cells that line lymph or blood vessels. It usually appears as tumors on the skin or on mucosal surfaces such as inside the mouth, but can also develop in other parts of the body – lymph nodes, the lungs, or digestive tract.
Lower Your Risk
There is no sure way to prevent skin cancer. Some risk factors such as your age, race, and family history can't be controlled. But there are things you can do to lower your risk of melanoma and other skin cancers2:
- Stay in the shade.
- Wear clothing that covers your arms and legs
- Wear a hat with a wide brim to shade your face, head, ears, and neck.
- Wear sunglasses that wrap around and block both UVA and UVB rays.
- Use broad-spectrum sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or higher.
- Avoid tanning beds.
Helpful Resources
If you would like to read further about skin cancer or prevention, here are some recommended resources:
*2024 nomination by MMIT in the Independent Specialty Pharmacy category. MMITnetwork.com |
2 Tranquil Temples on the Outskirts of Hanoi
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When you're in Vietnam, Asian temples, whether Buddhist, Taoist, or Confucian, are a stone's throw from pretty much wherever you are. So you won't have trouble finding one if you're looking.
That said, places like Hanoi are so busy and noisy, and full of air thick with pollution, that it can be hard to find a calm and relaxing temple to meditate in, or even just visit.
So when my wife wanted to show me two temples on the outskirts of Hanoi, I was curious to see what they were like.
The 1st temple we stopped at was Khai Nguyen Pagoda, which is about a 1 hour drive from the city centre (~45km). It's a beautiful temple, with a large pond in front of it, and a bridge leading to the entrance.
Khai Nguyen Pagoda Info
- Address: Thôn Tây Ninh, xã Sơn Đông, TX Sơn Tây, TP Hà Nội
- Entrance fee: Free
- Official website: chuakhainguyen.com
Note: Site is in Vietnamese only
- Official Facebook page: facebook.com/tinhtonghochoivietnam
Khai Nguyen Pagoda
Khai Nguyen Pagoda is a Buddhist temple, and is quite large. It's also very new, with construction only having started in 2010, so there was still some work being done on the grounds when we visited.
Now besides being quite beautiful and relaxing, the other reason we were coming to this particular temple was because my wife's high school friend is a monk there. So we were going to visit the temple with her, and then have lunch there, before heading out to the 2nd temple together.
The Main Gate
As with most temples, there's an impressive main gate at the entrance of the site. You couldn't actually enter through the gate though, likely because of the ongoing construction. So we drove around the gate and parked in the parking lot before walking to the entrance.
The Pond & Small Shrine
Just past the gate is a large pond, filled with Koi. You cross the pond on a bridge, meeting a small shrine in the middle of the pond, where you can pay your respects to Buddha, before continuing on.
After crossing over the pond, you pass through what looks like another temple from the outside, but is in fact just a covered walkway, with items they sell to help you pray (and I assume to help finance the site), like incense, candles, flowers, as well as some small Buddha figures.
The Main Temple
We then passed through the covered walkway, and on to the main temple. As you walk towards the main temple, you can see the big Buddha behind it, but note that the big Buddha rests atop a separate building.
The main temple is quite large and ornate, with beautiful gold writing and accents on the pillars.
Jade Buddha Shrine
Just behind the main temple is a small shrine, with two Jade Buddhas, and some bronze Buddhas on either side.
Fun fact: My wife's friend, the monk, who was with us at this point, was telling us that the jade used for the big statues at the site were actually imported from Canada, of all places! I had no idea Canada even had jade, let alone that some temples in Asia imported it.
The Big Buddha
At this point we headed into the big Buddha building, which is a separate building behind the main temple and jade shrine. The building is quite tall, although I don't recall the height of it - possibly 72 meters based on what I found online.
Inside the Big Buddha - 1st Floor
It was here, at Khai Nguyen pagoda, that I realized that you can actually enter some big Buddha statues, and climb up to the top of them. The ones I'd been to previously were always closed off to regular visitors if you could enter them, and only the monks, and possibly some pilgrims, could enter and/or go to the upper floors.
So after paying our respects to Buddha, my wife's friend brought us to the back of the building, where there are stairs, as well as an elevator that leads up to the various levels inside the big Buddha.
Inside the Big Buddha - top Floor
The top floor inside the big Buddha is quite small. You have to climb up to the final top level via the stairs, as the elevator doesn't go all the way to the top.
When we got to the top, there was a group of women praying together out loud, in some type of ceremony.
The decor at the top is really beautiful, with more gold accents, and a number of different colours along the walls, columns, and ceiling. When you're there in person and see the detail up close, it's really impressive, but also easy to see why it takes so long to build these temples. The amount of detail and work that goes into them is incredible.
Inside the Big Buddha - views from the top
There are also a couple of small windows at the top, which you can look out of, and see the surrounding area.
The fields surrounding the site belong to the temple, and are where the monks grow various vegetables, which they use to feed themselves, and the visitors to the temple.
Other shrines inside the Big Buddha
After exploring the top floor of the big Buddha, my wife's friend brought us down to another floor. As the site was still under construction, most of the floors in the big Buddha were not accessible, but once construction is complete, all of the floors will have shrines to worship in.
The floor we stopped at was mostly finished, although some parts were still incomplete.
Lunch Time
Next up, we headed down near the main temple to have some lunch. I've had lunch at a temple before, and loved it. This time was no different.
Of course the food is all vegan, as Buddhists don't eat meat, but man was it delicious. One of the dishes, to the right of the fried spring rolls in the picture above, was a savoury banana and mushroom dish. I've never had bananas done in a savoury dish before, but it was so insanely delicious that I couldn't get enough of it. That said, it was all fantastic, and very filling.
At this point I thought we'd be heading off to the 2nd site, but there was one last thing my wife's friend wanted us to see. Something I was definitely not expecting beneath the big Buddha …
The 6 Realms of the Afterlife
Turns out there's a whole other area beneath the big Buddha, with a number of different rooms filled with some really intricate displays.
Now I'm not fully clear on the purpose of the displays, but I believe it has to do with reincarnation, and what to expect after death.
The different rooms, if I understand correctly, represent the different realms, of which there are 6: heaven, hell, human, animal, hungry ghost, and atula (also known as asura).
Other than what I read briefly from some Google searches, I can't say I know much about these realms. They've obviously put a lot of work into this area though, and it certainly was quite the experience!
Next up, we headed off to Tan Vien Pagoda, which was about a 45 minute drive (~35km) from Khai Nguyen Pagoda.
Tan Vien Pagoda Info
- Address: 385X+66F, Ba Vì, Hà Nội
- Entrance fee: Free
- Official website: chuatanvien.com
Note: Despite the different domain name, this is the exact same website as the Khai Nguyen Pagoda site, and so also in Vietnamese only
Tan Vien Pagoda
Tan Vien Pagoda and Khai Nguyen Pagoda are part of the same complex, so to speak. They're quite far apart, but are run by the same group of monks.
Tan Vien is quite a bit older than Khai Nguyen, although I'm not sure exactly how old it is. It's also a lot smaller, and more simple, but still quite beautiful.
Tan Vien is also kind of in the middle of nowhere. You have to drive up a winding road, up in the mountains, to get to it. It's a beautiful scenic drive (which is a stark contrast to most of Hanoi!), but it's also quite a long drive, and the road leading up to it is quite narrow.
The Main Temple
After parking, we headed straight to the main temple at the site.
My wife and her friends started by paying their respects to Buddha, and then gave a bath to a small Buddha statue, which is a tradition in Buddhism that I wasn't previously familiar with.
The Temple on the Hill
After taking our turns bathing Buddha, we headed up to another temple on the site. To get to this temple, you need to climb up 152 steps through the woods. It's not a huge effort, but you then need to also climb the steps to the actual temple, so it's definitely a bit of a workout.
Once we were in the temple, my wife's friend, the monk, explained to me the significance of the particular Buddha statue in this temple, along with the guardian statues all around the temple.
The Buddha statue here is really quite beautiful, with 3 heads and many arms … I think I counted 26? I believe it's a statue of Avalokiteshvara Buddha, who is the Buddha of compassion. My memory is fading a bit though, so don't quote me on that! 😅
After that we headed out to see another massive Buddha statue, which is the main attraction at Tan Vien Pagoda.
The Big Buddha
The Buddha statue here was pretty impressive, but unlike the one at Khai Nguyen Pagoda, you couldn't enter this one. It was also quite a bit smaller than the one at Khai Nguyen, and you couldn't walk right up to it as it was in a currently inaccessible area.
Final Thoughts
Well, that was it for the 2 temples we visited on this day!
I enjoyed seeing them both, but I definitely preferred Khai Nguyen Pagoda. It's much larger, has a lot more to see, and the big Buddha there is really quite impressive.
If you enjoyed this post, be sure to check out my other Vietnam posts for more things to do and see in Vietnam!
Until next time,
michael 😀
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8 papers analyzed
These studies suggest that dysentery symptoms include diarrhea, abdominal pain, tenesmus, blood and mucus in stools, and can also lead to chronic iron deficiency anemia and neuropsychiatric symptoms, with diagnosis requiring differentiation from other conditions with similar symptoms.
Dysentery is characterized by inflammation of the mucous membrane of the large bowel, often leading to ulceration, and presents with a range of symptoms primarily affecting the gastrointestinal system.
Key insights from the research papers include:
In conclusion, dysentery manifests with a range of symptoms, predominantly gastrointestinal, including diarrhea, abdominal pain, and the presence of blood and mucus in stools. The severity and range of symptoms can vary based on the causative organism and individual patient factors. Chronic anemia and neuropsychiatric symptoms may also be associated with dysentery in certain cases.
How are bladder infections treated?
How much Echinacea should I take daily?
How is ulcerative colitis treated?
How much Ashwagandha should I take daily?
How much Cat's Claw should I take daily?
What are the symptoms of food allergies? |
Cryptocurrencies have advanced from a distinct segment know-how recognized principally amongst know-how fans to a burgeoning world monetary business.
The primary cryptocurrency, bitcoin (BTC), was created in 2009 as a decentralized digital currency, and it has since paved the best way for tens of thousands of other cryptocurrencies, every with numerous options and use instances. With the rise of cryptocurrencies, governments and regulatory our bodies world wide have needed to grapple with how you can handle and regulate this quickly evolving panorama.
The excessive volatility in cryptocurrency costs and the potential for a broad spectrum of buyers, from retail merchants to institutional gamers, to make outsized returns, in addition to the potential for cash and tokens to facilitate unlawful actions, has implications for tax regulation, client safety, and cybersecurity.
Navigating the worldwide crypto regulatory panorama has turn out to be a posh and essential job for crypto builders, fans, buyers and policymakers.
Various Approaches to Regulation
Cryptocurrency rules differ considerably from one nation to a different, reflecting the vary of opinions and issues surrounding widespread adoption. Some nations have embraced cryptocurrencies and blockchain know-how, fostering innovation and funding within the sector with the goal of turning into know-how hubs.
Others have taken a extra cautious method, and some have banned crypto-related actions fully.
- Cryptocurrency-friendly nations: Nations like El Salvador, Estonia, Malta and Switzerland have positioned themselves as cryptocurrency hubs, providing a supportive atmosphere to draw blockchain and crypto companies. They goal to strike a steadiness between fostering innovation and sustaining investor safety.
- Regulation-heavy nations: Nations like Algeria, Bolivia, China and Nepal have taken a strict stance in opposition to cryptocurrencies, banning actions corresponding to preliminary coin choices (ICOs) and buying and selling, citing issues about speculative bubbles and monetary instability.
- Balanced approaches: The European Union (EU) and different jurisdictions have adopted a balanced method. They acknowledge the potential advantages of blockchain know-how and cryptocurrencies whereas implementing rules to deal with dangers, corresponding to Anti-Money Laundering/Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) and Know Your Customer (KYC) necessities.
The EU's Markets in Crypto Assets Regulation (MiCA) got here into drive in June 2023. The regulation has launched uniform market guidelines for crypto belongings throughout all member states, which at the moment are working to convey their home laws according to its necessities by mid-2024 to 2025.
The brand new authorized framework covers crypto belongings that aren't at present regulated by current monetary companies laws, setting out guidelines for transparency, disclosure, authorization and supervision of transactions. It goals to "help market integrity and monetary stability by regulating public presents of crypto-assets and by guaranteeing customers are higher knowledgeable about their related dangers."
The Function of Worldwide Our bodies
The worldwide nature of cryptocurrencies poses a novel problem for regulators. Transactions happen throughout borders with out the necessity for conventional banking intermediaries. This makes worldwide coordination and cooperation important in addressing regulatory points successfully.
Worldwide organizations just like the Monetary Motion Process Drive (FATF) and the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision are working to determine world requirements. These organizations goal to create a degree enjoying area, scale back the chance of regulatory arbitrage, and make sure that cryptocurrencies don't turn out to be a haven for illicit actions.
Challenges in Crypto Regulation
Navigating the worldwide crypto regulatory panorama is a posh endeavor for a number of causes:
- Speedy technological developments: Cryptocurrencies and blockchain know-how are evolving quickly, making it troublesome for regulators – which might take years to implement laws – to maintain tempo with new developments.
- Various approaches: Totally different nations have adopted extensively completely different regulatory approaches, creating inconsistencies that may hinder innovation and trigger compliance difficulties for companies working internationally.
- Lack of readability: Regulatory frameworks are sometimes imprecise or topic to interpretation, creating uncertainty for companies and buyers and a insecurity.
- Borderless know-how: Blockchains and the cryptocurrencies that run on them are inherently world, making it troublesome to implement rules internationally and guarantee compliance throughout borders.
What Cryptocurrency Laws Exist Across the World?
Some nations have introduced cryptocurrencies below their current anti-money laundering (AML) laws and taxation methods, whereas others have gone additional and launched particular legal guidelines governing crypto use.
Many nations are within the course of of constructing modifications to their regulatory framework, which might be hindered by the involvement of a number of authorities and monetary regulatory our bodies, corresponding to within the US and UK.
What are some examples of regulatory approaches to crypto?
Canada was the primary nation to enact laws associated to cryptocurrency belongings, which come below the jurisdiction of the Canadian Securities Directors (CSA) in addition to provincial authorities. In 2014, the Proceeds of Crime and Terrorist Financing Act (PCA) and its AML/CFT framework had been amended to cowl cryptocurrencies. In 2017, the CSA issued steering for preliminary coin choices (ICOs) and preliminary token choices (ITOs). Extra rules to the AML/CFT framework had been put in place in 2020 and 2021, requiring firms to register with native regulators, preserve information of all cross-border crypto transactions and report suspicious exercise.
Australia additionally started bringing crypto into its current taxation, licensing and client safety rules in 2014. Laws handed in 2017 expanded the nation's AML/CFT guidelines to cowl cryptocurrency asset exchanges and repair suppliers, and the Securities and Investments Fee launched new licensing rules in 2019. In September 2023, Australia's Senate Economics Laws Committee rejected the Digital Belongings (Market Regulation) Invoice launched by the opposition Liberal occasion. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese launched a session in February with a view to proposing a brand new licensing and custody framework for crypto asset service suppliers, however this has but to be launched.
As one of many world's most outstanding offshore monetary facilities, Bermuda has enacted one of many first complete regulatory regimes governing digital belongings, emphasizing its business-friendly governance method. Gibraltar has additionally applied a complete regulatory framework. The Gibraltar Monetary Providers Fee authorized the sale in 2022 of the Gibraltar Inventory Change (GSX) blockchain firm Valereum to permit buyers to commerce securities utilizing cryptocurrencies in addition to fiat forex.
Famously, El Salvador became the first country in the world to pass legislation declaring Bitcoin as legal tender. The Bitcoin Legislation was authorized in August 2021 and got here into impact the next month. It declared Bitcoin have to be accepted as a type of fee and the state ensures automated convertibility of BTC to US {dollars}. The laws establishes guidelines for digital asset service suppliers and the prevention of cash laundering.
Estonia's method to regulation is evolving. It grew to become the primary nation to start out issuing cryptocurrency licenses in 2017, allowing a whole bunch of firms to obtain an Estonian license and function wherever. This made it one of many main crypto hubs, internet hosting greater than half the world's registered virtual-asset service suppliers (VASPs). But it surely has since toughened up its guidelines for digital belongings below its Prevention of Cash Laundering and Terrorist Financing Act (2022), revoking a whole bunch of licenses.
Cryptocurrency Laws in Impact Worldwide
Nation | Regulation | Key Provisions |
Albania | On financial markets based on distributed ledger technology (2020) | Accommodates 107 articles, regulating the issuance of digital tokens and/or digital currencies, licensing, monitoring, and supervision of entities that distribute, commerce, and retailer them, in addition to service suppliers and collective funding schemes. |
Andorra | Digital Assets Act (2022) | Approves the tokenization of digital belongings in closed ecosystems and requires the federal government to attract up a regulating the issuance and provision of companies linked to digital belongings, blockchain and cryptocurrencies which may be thought-about monetary devices. |
Anguilla | Utility Token Offering Act (2018) | Requires any preliminary or secondary token providing issuer to be registered. Defines and regulates utility tokens whereas avoiding the burdens of securities rules. |
Bahamas | Digital Assets and Registered Exchange Bill (2020 and 2023) | Gives for the regulation of the issuance and sale of digital tokens, in addition to the conduct of issuers and middleman service suppliers. The 2023 model expands the scope of digital asset actions captured below worldwide requirements. |
Bahrain | Crypto Asset Module (2019 and 2023) | Covers licensing necessities and circumstances, minimal capital necessities, measures to safeguard buyer pursuits, and know-how requirements, together with cybersecurity danger administration and prevention of market abuse and manipulation. The 2023 replace expanded the scope to incorporate digital token choices. |
Belarus | Decree No. 8 "On the Development of Digital Economy," 2018 | Permits shopping for, promoting, exchanging, and mining cryptocurrency. The change of cryptocurrency for fiat cash have to be authorized by the Nationwide Financial institution. Legalizes token releases and distribution for enterprise funding functions. Crypto platforms have minimal capital and different regulatory necessities. |
Bermuda | Digital Asset Business Act (2018)
Digital Asset Business (Prudential Standards) (Annual Return) Rules (2018) Digital Asset Business (Client Disclosure) Rules (2018) Digital Asset Business (Cybersecurity) Rules (2018) |
Regulate digital asset companies in Bermuda and require companies to acquire a license from the Bermuda Financial Authority. |
Botswana | Virtual Assets Bill (2022) | Requires any firm providing crypto companies or digital tokens to acquire a license from the Non-Financial institution Monetary Establishments Regulatory Authority. |
Brazil | Federal Law No. 14,478, defined as the Legal Framework for Virtual Assets in Brazil (Cryptoassets Act) (2022) | Cryptoassets Act gives pointers for offering companies with digital belongings and regulating suppliers.
Decree No. 11,563 authorizes the central financial institution to control and supervise VASPs and ensures token initiatives classed as securities will stay below the oversight of the Brazilian Securities and Change Fee. |
British Virgin Islands | Guidance on the Regulation of Virtual Assets in the Virgin Islands (2020) | Gives readability on the appliance of current laws to digital asset-related actions and makes clear that some actions don't come below Monetary Providers Fee (FSC) regulation. |
Central African Republic | Law n°22.004 governing cryptocurrency in the Central African Republic (2022) | Gives a authorized framework and the procedures for implementing and securing these crypto transactions, in addition to offenses. The regulation adopted cryptocurrencies as authorized tender, however this was repealed in April 2023. |
Cyprus | Circular 268 – Introduction of new rules governing derivatives on virtual currencies (218)
Circular 417 – Prudential treatment of crypto assets and enhancement of risk |
C2018 clarifies guidelines concerning buying and selling in digital currencies.
C417 goals to make sure that Cyprus Funding Corporations (CIFs) adequately cowl their crypto investments in and adequately handle dangers. |
El Salvador | Bitcoin Law (2021) | Bitcoin Legislation recognises Bitcoin as a authorized tender that have to be accepted for funds and creates VASP register. Establishes guidelines for the prevention of cash laundering for service suppliers.
Digital Securities Legislation regulates the issuance of different digital belongings. Establishes the creation of the Nationwide Fee for Digital Belongings and the Bitcoin Funds Administration Company, which can be liable for managing the funds from authorities public choices of digital belongings. |
Estonia | Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Prevention Act (2017 and 2022) | The 2017 Act launched rules for crypto companies, together with strict reporting and KYC guidelines. The 2023 modification targets VASPs, together with crypto exchanges and wallets,
crypto switch suppliers, and services-related issuance. It expands the definition of digital forex companies, will increase license charges and software necessities, and particulars grounds for license refusal. |
European Union | Markets in Crypto-assets (MiCA) 2023
– Finland – Act on Virtual Currency Providers (2019) – Germany – Law on the Introduction of Electronic Securities (2021) and Crypto Asset Transfer Ordinance (2021) – Italy – Legislative Act No. 90 (2017) – Portugal – Digital Transitional Action Plan (2020) |
The EU-wide MiCA outlines complete rules for cryptocurrency markets in all member states. It defines cryptocurrency belongings and introduces new guidelines to forestall cash laundering, shield customers, and tackle environmental impacts.
Particular person nations have beforehand launched their very own rules. |
Georgia | Organic Law of Georgia No 1676 on the National Bank of Georgia (2023) | Outline digital belongings and repair suppliers, and require registration with the Nationwide Financial institution of Georgia |
Gibraltar | Digital Ledger Technology (DLT) Regulatory Framework (2018) | Goals to determine an environment friendly and safe regulatory atmosphere for firms using DLT for worth transmission or storage on behalf of others. |
Hong Kong | Guidelines for Virtual Asset Trading Platform Operators (2023) | Tips set out secure custody of belongings, segregation of consumer belongings, avoidance of conflicts of curiosity and cybersecurity requirements and necessities anticipated of licensed buying and selling platforms. |
Japan | Payment Services Act (2016, 2019 and 2022) | Amendments regulate cryptocurrency and utility tokens as crypto belongings. Governs crypto exchanges and requires registration with the Monetary Providers Company (FSA) |
Lichtenstein | Act on Tokens and Entities Providing Services Based on Trusted Technologies (Blockchain Act) (2020) | Establishes a complete regulatory framework to guard buyers, fight cash laundering, and set up regulatory transparency.
Lithuania | Tips for ICOs (2018) | Established a complete regulatory framework for ICOs, subjecting them to AML/CFT legal guidelines and detailing taxation coverage. |
Malta | Virtual Financial Assets Act (2018)
Innovative Technology Arrangements and Services Act (2018) Digital Innovation Authority Act (2018) Regulations on the Prevention of Money Laundering and the Financing of Terrorism (2018) |
Present complete strategic and regulatory framework for DLTs corresponding to cryptocurrency companies, together with exchanges and digital belongings, with the goal of making new enterprise alternatives. |
Malaysia | Capital Markets and Services Order (2019) | Regulates crypto belongings as topic to Malaysia's securities legal guidelines, enforced by the Securities Fee Malaysia (SCM) |
Mauritius | Financial Services Act (2007)
Virtual Asset and Initial Token Offering Services Act (2021) |
Regulate cryptocurrencies as digital belongings. Present a legislative framework for VASPs and ICO issuers. |
Mexico | Legislation to Regulate Monetary Know-how Corporations (2018) | Defines digital belongings and regulates digital fee establishments and crowdfunding establishments. |
Peru | Crypto Asset Advertising and marketing Framework (2023) | Regulates crypto companies, defines crypto belongings and VASP duties, and descriptions tax provisions and licensing pointers. |
Philippines | Circular No. 944 (2017) | Round No. 944 acknowledges digital currencies as a legitimate fee methodology.
The rules set up a complete regulatory framework. VASPs should receive a license earlier than beginning operations, implement efficient KYC and AML/CTF measures, acquire buyer identification info, and actively monitor transactions to detect and report suspicious actions. |
Russia | Digital Financial Assets law (2020) | Regulates issuance and circulation of digital belongings. Legalizes crypto transactions however prohibits their use as funds for items and companies. |
Serbia | Law on Digital Assets (2021) | Governs the issuance and buying and selling of digital belongings, provision of companies, and roles of the Securities Fee and Nationwide Financial institution of Serbia in offering oversight. |
Singapore | Payment Services Act (2019 and 2021) | Permits the Financial Authority of Singapore (MAS) to supervise cryptocurrency exchanges, distribute licenses, and subject AML/CFT necessities. |
Slovenia | Act on Payment Services and Systems (2018) | Defines cryptocurrencies as digital currencies somewhat than monetary devices or financial belongings however permits their use as a method of fee |
South Africa | Financial Advisory and Financial Intermediary Services Act (2022) | The Act was amended in 2022 to outline crypto belongings as monetary merchandise. Outlines licensing, AML/CFT, and client safety obligations for crypto-asset suppliers. |
South Korea | Electronic Financial Transactions Act (2017)
Act on Reporting and Use of Specific Financial Information (2020) |
Present a regulatory framework for using cryptocurrencies and digital belongings.
The March 2020 modification requires all VSPs to be licensed, registered, and report their exercise. The 2023 invoice, which comes into impact in 2024, goals to guard customers' belongings and stop unfair commerce practices. |
Switzerland | ICO Guidelines (2018) | Tips element a supervisory and regulatory framework for ICOs. The federal acts present a progressive regulatory framework for blockchain and cryptocurrencies |
Taiwan | Money Laundering Control Act amendment (2018)
Permit the federal government to control digital forex platforms and goal to guard client rights and pursuits. |
Thailand | Payment System Act (2017)
Emergency Decree in Digital Asset Businesses (2018) Royal Decree on Digital Asset Businesses (2018) Guidelines for Digital Asset Business Operators (2022) |
Baht-pegged stablecoins are thought-about e-money below the Funds Act. The 2018 decree units out the licensing, disclosure and authorized necessities for issuing, distributing or offering crypto companies. Digital belongings might be issued, traded, and exchanged by means of digital belongings enterprise operators, that are licensed by the Thai Securities and Change Fee. The 2022 steering bans crypto as a fee methodology however permits funding and buying and selling. |
Ukraine | Virtual Asset Bill (2022) | Permits authorized marketplace for digital belongings. Authorizes the Nationwide Fee on Securities and Inventory Market to control coverage within the area of digital belongings, subject permits to digital asset service suppliers, and perform supervision and monetary monitoring. |
United Arab Emirates | The Chairman of the Authority's Board of Administrators' Resolution No. (23/Chairman) of 2020 Regarding Crypto Belongings Actions Regulation (2020) | Establishes a regulatory framework for the providing, issuance, itemizing, and buying and selling of crypto belongings. Crypto belongings suppliers have to be included onshore throughout the UAE. |
Venezuela | Constituent Decree on Cryptoassets and the Petro Sovereign Cryptocurrency (2018)
Decree No. 3,355 (2018) Decree No. 3,353 (2018) Administrative Tips No. 084-2020 (2020) Decree No 4,788 (2023) |
Cryptoassets Constituent Decree creates the general authorized framework allowing the creation, circulation, use, and change of cryptocurrencies.
Decree No. 3,355 creates and regulates the Workplace of the Venezuelan Superintendent on Cryptoassets of Venezuela and Ancillary Actions and Decree No. 3,353 creates the Cryptoassets Treasury. The 2020 pointers Venezuela legalized bitcoin mining, though this was suspended within the 2023 decree. |
Proposed Laws
A number of nations that at present have restrictions or bans in place on cryptocurrencies have indicated that they intend to introduce regulation.
Ecuador initially banned crypto in 2014, however the nation's central financial institution issued an announcement in 2018 indicating that whereas cryptocurrencies aren't regulated or a legit technique of fee, they're authorized to make use of. In 2022, the central financial institution said that it will pursue regulation, significantly to deal with cash laundering and monetary crimes.
The Turkish authorities's place has additionally advanced, having banned cryptocurrencies as a method of fee in 2020 after which drafting rules in 2022 which have but to be applied. The regulation would implement tax rules and provides authority over the crypto market to monetary regulators. Financial instability and a fast devaluation of the Turkish lira have pushed a excessive crypto adoption price within the nation regardless of the regulatory uncertainty.
The Israeli Securities Authority (ISA) and the Ministry of Finance have each proposed pointers for new regulations, as a rising variety of buyers in Israel have publicity to digital belongings, and as a know-how hub, the nation has attracted crypto-related companies.
In southeast Asia, the place unofficial crypto use is excessive, each Cambodia and Vietnam in 2022 started discussing overturning their bans by passing regulatory frameworks. In June 2022, the Securities and Change Regulator of Cambodia (SERC) signed an agreement with cryptocurrency change and infrastructure supplier Binance "to help the event of the authorized framework for regulating and bolstering the digital asset companies within the nation".
And in Pacific island nations corresponding to Fiji, Palau, Tongo and Tuvalu, governments are enthusiastic proponents of cryptocurrencies, supporting using Bitcoin as authorized tender and taking steps to launch their very own central financial institution digital currencies to advertise financial growth.
The Path Ahead
Governments and regulators have to work collectively to seek out widespread floor and efficiently develop clear and balanced regulatory frameworks. Areas for focus embrace:
- Innovation and development: Regulation ought to encourage accountable adoption of blockchain know-how and cryptocurrencies and keep away from stifling innovation.
- Client safety: Regulatory frameworks want to incorporate safeguards to guard customers from scams and fraud.
- Transparency: Clear and complete rules will help scale back uncertainty and foster belief within the sector.
- Worldwide cooperation: Given the worldwide nature of cryptocurrencies, worldwide cooperation is important to create constant rules.
The Backside Line
The worldwide crypto regulatory panorama is a dynamic and evolving house. Whereas challenges exist, regulation gives a chance to convey cryptocurrencies into the mainstream monetary system.
By collaborating to develop clear, balanced, and globally coordinated rules, the cryptocurrency business can proceed to develop whereas addressing the legit issues of governments and regulators.
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For the dinosaur stations, they were asked to choose two dinosaurs (characters) and create a scene (setting) using the natural materials that were out on the tables. The students were then asked to "tell" a story (plot). I loved listening to their stories and seeing how they used their factual knowledge of dinosaurs in their stories.
There were three farm stations - plastic animals, soft animals and puppets. At the farm stations, the students needed to work as a group, each choosing one character to work with. They needed to work together to come up with some sort of story. This was much more difficult for the students.
For our young students and for our students learning English, oral storytelling is an important activity to participate in before asking students to "write" their ideas on paper. Having materials to inspire ideas and to actively engage the students resulted in some fun stories!
~Ms Novakowski |
Climate change indicators reached record levels in 2023: WMO News 19 March 2024 The state of the climate in 2023 gave ominous new significance to the phrase "off the charts." AdobeStock / vitaliymateha A new report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) shows that records were once again broken, and in some cases smashed, for greenhouse gas levels, surface temperatures, ocean heat and acidification, sea level rise, Antarctic sea ice cover and glacier retreat.Heatwaves, floods, droughts, wildfires and rapidly intensifying tropical cyclones caused misery and mayhem, upending every-day life for millions and inflicting many billions of dollars in economic losses, according to the WMO State of the Global Climate 2023 report.The WMO report confirmed that 2023 was the warmest year on record, with the global average near-surface temperature at 1.45 °Celsius (with a margin of uncertainty of ± 0.12 °C) above the pre-industrial baseline. It was the warmest ten-year period on record."Sirens are blaring across all major indicators... Some records aren't just chart-topping, they're chart-busting. And changes are speeding-up." said United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres."Never have we been so close – albeit on a temporary basis at the moment – to the 1.5° C lower limit of the Paris Agreement on climate change." said WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo. "The WMO community is sounding the Red Alert to the world.""Climate change is about much more than temperatures. What we witnessed in 2023, especially with the unprecedented ocean warmth, glacier retreat and Antarctic sea ice loss, is cause for particular concern," she said.On an average day in 2023, nearly one third of the global ocean was gripped by a marine heatwave, harming vital ecosystems and food systems. Towards the end of 2023, over 90% of the ocean had experienced heatwave conditions at some point during the year.The global set of reference glaciers suffered the largest loss of ice on record (since 1950), driven by extreme melt in both western North America and Europe, according to preliminary data.Antarctic sea ice extent was by far the lowest on record, with the maximum extent at the end of winter at 1 million km2 below the previous record year - equivalent to the size of France and Germany combined."The climate crisis is THE defining challenge that humanity faces and is closely intertwined with the inequality crisis – as witnessed by growing food insecurity and population displacement, and biodiversity loss" said Celeste Saulo. Annual global mean temperature anomalies (relative to 1850–1900) from 1850 to 2023. Data are from six data sets The number of people who are acutely food insecure worldwide has more than doubled, from 149 million people before the COVID-19 pandemic to 333 million people in 2023 (in 78 monitored countries by the World Food Programme). Weather and climate extremes may not be the root cause, but they are aggravating factors, according to the report.Weather hazards continued to trigger displacement in 2023, showing how climate shocks undermine resilience and create new protection risks among the most vulnerable populations.There is, however, a glimmer of hope.Renewable energy generation, primarily driven by the dynamic forces of solar radiation, wind and the water cycle, has surged to the forefront of climate action for its potential to achieve decarbonization targets. In 2023, renewable capacity additions increased by almost 50% from 2022, for a total of 510 gigawatts (GW) – the highest rate observed in the past two decades.This week, at the Copenhagen Climate Ministerial on 21-22 March, climate leaders and ministers from around the world will gather for the first time since COP28 in Dubai to push for accelerated climate action. Enhancing countries Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) ahead of the February 2025 deadline, will be high on the agenda, as will delivering an ambitious agreement on financing at COP29 to turn national plans into action."Climate Action is currently being hampered by a lack of capacity to deliver and use climate services to inform national mitigation and adaptation plans, especially in developing countries. We need to increase support for National Meteorological and Hydrological Services to be able to provide information services to ensure the next generation of Nationally Determined Contributions are based on science", said Celeste Saulo.The State of the Global Climate report was released in time for World Meteorological Day on 23 March. It also sets the scene for a new climate action campaign by the UN Development Programme and WMO to be launched on 21 March. It will inform discussions at a climate ministerial meeting in Copenhagen on 21-22 March.Dozens of experts and partners contribute to the report, including UN organizations, National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) and Global Data and Analysis Centers, as well as Regional Climate Centres, the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP), the Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW), the Global Cryosphere Watch and Copernicus Climate Change Service operated by ECMWF. Related Topics: Climate Related Publications: State of the Global Climate 2023 Full press release Share: Related news News 22 May 2024 Above-normal rainfall forecast for Greater Horn of Africa for June to September News 15 May 2024 Global temperature record streak continues, as climate change makes heatwaves more extreme News 15 May 2024 WMO Regional Association for Africa seeks to strengthen early warnings and climate services News 08 May 2024 El Niño and climate change impacts slam Latin America and Caribbean in 2023 News 01 May 2024 UN El Niño debate emphasizes need for integrated action News 30 April 2024 Above normal rainfall is forecast for southwest monsoon season News 22 April 2024 Europe experiences widespread flooding and severe heatwaves in 2023 Magazine Article 04 April 2024 At the Frontline of Climate Action Magazine Article 04 April 2024 Kigali Declaration: Climate Science for a Sustainable Future for All View all news
Annual global mean temperature anomalies (relative to 1850–1900) from 1850 to 2023. Data are from six data sets
News 15 May 2024 Global temperature record streak continues, as climate change makes heatwaves more extreme
News 15 May 2024 WMO Regional Association for Africa seeks to strengthen early warnings and climate services |
Hollywood has always been the most influential film industry in the world. It has inspired countless filmmakers and maintained its leadership position. However, various movements across the globe began to challenge Hollywood's conventions and filmmaking style. It was the time for Hollywood to upgrade itself and adapt to the changing tide if they want to stay relevant. This led to the rise of a New Hollywood era, marking a significant shift in the American film industry. It challenged traditional studio systems and embraced a more innovative approach to storytelling. Filmmakers like Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, and Steven Spielberg emerged during this period and brought a fresh and dynamic perspective to mainstream cinema.
Although changes started happening much before, the New Hollywood era truly transformed the industry, it was during this time that a new generation of filmmakers began exploring diverse themes and introduced more artistic, thought-provoking, and innovative approaches to storytelling. This led to the creation of more daring and diverse narratives that connected with a younger, more conscious audience.
The movement also contributed to the development of blockbuster filmmaking, shaping the modern Hollywood landscape. Films like "Jaws" (1975) and "Star Wars" (1977) had massive commercial success and became influential in shaping the modern concept of blockbuster movies. These films demonstrated the potential for significant financial gains and commercial success through large-scale productions.
As a result, Hollywood had a taste of success and started producing many budget-driven stories that prioritize commercial returns.
Two of the best movies that came out of that era are 'Taxi Driver' and 'The Godfather.' Both films have elements of New Hollywood. They feature character-driven stories with ambiguous character sketches that blur the lines between good and bad. Both filmmakers are auteurs, not just directors but also the creative minds behind their films. They followed innovative and distinct approaches to storytelling. In the case of 'The Godfather,' Coppola also used montages and a non-linear story structure, which was also ground-breaking at that time.
Watch out for these movies, if you have not already. |
Our final unit explored sexuality and the state; or, specifically, how sex and sexuality are discussed and policed both at the state and private level. For this final unit paper, I would like for you to venture an original argument that demonstrates your own understanding of how sex and sexuality are policed and/or negotiated, using the materials from Unit III. once those words are out in social space, there are reactions to those evocations like censorship, violence, and legislation, but there is also acceptance, world-making, and community building. I am looking for you to make sense and make connections between and among the articles that we read for the final unit. What do they all mean, together?
We covered topics such as obscenity, scholarship and dirty work, policing sexuality, sexuality and state violence (like Guild Press and Womack), and social policing. What do these all mean together? What do they all demonstrate about Critical Sexuality, both past and present? You will be required to bring at least four articles into conversation together. As with other unit papers, no outside research nor use of digital assistance like ChatGPT. You will be graded based on your use of course content to support your claim and argument.
One example of an approach would be to use Kiernan and Rubin to consider what happened to Karl Andersson and Louisa Allen. Another approach might be to consider "Dirty work" as it applies to articles like Allan, Irvine, Andersson, and Clark.
This paper must be thesis-driven, 2-3 pages in length, and must cite from at least four of the articles covered in this unit. MLA formatting required and a works cited page must be included.
Posted inUncategorized |
Table of Contents
Which colonial region had the best education?
Which colonial region had the best education at the beginning? The New England region.
Who received education in the middle colonies?
A variety of local religious groups ran most schools in the middle colonies and stressed the practical aspects of education. All boys learned a skill or trade. Depending on their social class, they might also study classical languages, history and literature, mathematics, and natural science.
What kind of education did the Pennsylvania colony have?
One of the most enterprising of the colonies in the educational sphere was Pennsylvania. The first school, begun in 1683, taught reading, writing, and the keeping of accounts. Thereafter, in some fashion, every Quaker community provided for the elementary teaching of its children.
What was education like in colonial Pennsylvania?
How did Puritans feel about education?
The Puritans, in contrast, believed that everyone needed to be educated so that they could read and follow the teachings of the Bible. They felt if the whole of society would read the bible their society would be right and flourish.
Which colonial region had the strongest ties to Great Britain?
Middle colonies incorporated a number of democratic principles that reflected the basic rights of Englishmen. Southern colonies maintained stronger ties with Britain, with planters playing leading roles in representative colonial legislatures.
Which colonial region had the most flexible society?
the Middle Colonies
As a result, society in the Middle Colonies tended to be more tolerant and flexible than in New England.
What kind of schools did the New England colonies have?
The New England region. Describe the schools in the New England colonies, the middle colonies, and the southern colonies. In New England many students attended schools taught by widows or single ladies called dame schools.
What was education like in the southern colonies?
In the Southern colonies, government had, for all practical purposes, no hand at all in education. In Virginia, education was considered to be no business of the State. The educational needs of the young in the South were taken care of in "old-field" schools.
When did education become compulsory in the Middle Colonies?
In the Middle Colonies there was even less government intervention. In Pennsylvania, a compulsory education law was passed in 1683, but it was never strictly enforced. [11] Nevertheless, many schools were set up simply as a response to consumer demand.
Why was education important in the colonial period?
[2] Dr. Lawrence A. Cremin, distinguished scholar in the field of education, has said that during the colonial period the Bible was "the single most important cultural influence in the lives of Anglo-Americans." [3] Thus, the cornerstone of early American education was the belief that "children are an heritage from the Lord." |
Project Description
The Consume-Less Project, abbreviated as Consume-Less, is a pioneering endeavor focused on mitigating environmental impact in Mediterranean tourist communities. Its primary objective is to curtail the consumption of resources such as energy, water, and waste within coastal and tourist-centric locales. At its core lies the introduction of the "ConsumelessMed Label," a territorial accreditation bestowed upon entities—both public and private—actively engaged in sustainable management practices. These practices encompass strategies aimed at reducing energy usage, water consumption, and waste generation.
Spanning across six pilot areas encompassing Sarada (Albania), Ragusa and Realmonte (Sicily), Gozo (Malta), Naxos (Greece), and Velez Malaga (Spain), Consume-Less strives to instigate a paradigm shift in how tourism impacts these regions. Through the implementation of the ConsumelessMed Label, the project seeks to foster a culture of environmental stewardship and conscientious resource management among local authorities, tourism operators, service providers, and visitors alike.
- Contribute to sustainable water, energy, and waste management by reducing consumption in the tourism sector within Mediterranean cities.
- Promote sustainable tourism models by highlighting local historical heritage, natural resources, and products.
- Encourage responsible behavior among tourists towards the environment and local communities.
Project Outcome
The Consume-Less Project envisions several significant outcomes. Firstly, through the promotion of sustainable practices, there is expected to be a noticeable reduction in water and energy consumption, along with a decrease in waste generation within tourist hubs. This shift towards sustainability not only benefits the environment but also enhances the long-term viability of the tourism industry in these regions. Additionally, the project aims to invigorate local economies by championing sustainable tourism models that celebrate and conserve the unique cultural and natural assets of each participating community. Through targeted marketing initiatives and the ConsumelessMed Label, these areas can distinguish themselves as eco-friendly destinations, appealing to conscientious travelers in search of responsible and authentic experiences. Ultimately, Consume-Less endeavors to cultivate a sense of responsibility and stewardship among tourists, fostering deeper connections between visitors and the places they explore. By advocating for mindful consumption and engagement with local culture and heritage, the project strives to establish a more sustainable and mutually beneficial relationship between tourism and the Mediterranean communities it touches.
Project Duration
Starting date: November 2016
End Date: June January 2020
Total Duration: 39 Months
Budget Allocated: € 2,447,000.00 between 11 project partners.
Energy and Water Agency (Malta): € 356,000.00
External Website: https://www.consumelessmed.org/ |
Grow the Flow
Great Salt Lake is collapsing. Failing to reverse its decline will harm our health and home for generations. Grow the Flow is a citizen-led movement that exists for just one reason: replenish the lake we love and depend on.
A Global Problem
Saline lakes are especially vulnerable to water overuse. More than 100 examples around the world show that when these ecosystems are destroyed, they trigger long-term damage to health, economy, and culture.
We are at a crossroads with Great Salt Lake. Most of the lake is gone, and our chance to prevent total collapse is rapidly evaporating. At the same time, public awareness and support for bold action are very high. Our community has the values and resources to solve this crisis, but it will take profound change to our policies and relationship with our watershed.
A New Approach
Grow the Flow is bringing together community members, professionals, and lawmakers to improve water stewardship and save Great Salt Lake. We are not interested in credit or political statements. We are dead set on saving our home. Together with a diverse coalition, we are unleashing a flood of policy innovation, public engagement, and action-oriented research.
The stakes are high, and no one has succeeded before. Will you help us become the first community to turn things around? Sign up below to join a coalition of more than 100,000 people throughout Utah and beyond. Together, we will grow the flow to restore the lake and ensure a vibrant future for our community.
Get Involved
Connecting with Great Salt Lake
Photo Credit: Charles Roscoe Savage Great Salt Lake is often thought of by Utahns and non-Utahns alike as buggy, boring, smelly, or even a waste of time. However, Great Salt Lake was once the recreational hotspot for Utahns, with dance halls, resorts, campgrounds,...
Hidden Dangers: How a Dried Up Great Salt Lake Could Poison Our Children's Air
Air pollution is a silent killer. We can't always see it, we can't smell it, we can't hear it–yet it fills the lungs of 2.5 million Salt Lake Valley residents. Great Salt Lake's decline has exposed 800 square-miles of lakebed, where toxic levels of arsenic, mercury,...
How does the Utah State Legislative system work?
Even though the Utah Legislative session won't start up again for another nine months, it's never too early to start making plans for what policies we need changed. Because of that, here is a brief overview of how the Utah Legislative bodies operate. Utah state's...
To see older posts, click here |
The Ultimate Guide to Kitchen Sink Repair
Welcome to the ultimate guide to kitchen sink repair, brought to you by White Plumbing Company. As a premier provider of home services in the plumbing industry, we understand the importance of maintaining a fully functional kitchen sink. Whether you're facing a clogged drain, leaks, or any other plumbing issues, our expert team is here to help.
Common Kitchen Sink Problems
When it comes to kitchen sinks, there are several common problems that homeowners often encounter. By understanding these issues, you can quickly identify the need for repair and take necessary action. Let's explore some of the most frequent kitchen sink problems:
- Clogged Drain: A clogged kitchen sink drain is one of the most common issues homeowners face. Food debris, grease, and other substances can build up over time, leading to slow drainage or complete blockage.
- Leaking Faucet: A dripping faucet not only wastes water but can also be annoying. In most cases, a leaking faucet is caused by worn-out internal components that require replacement.
- Cracked Sink: Cracks or chips in the sink can not only affect its appearance but also lead to potential water damage. Immediate repair is crucial to prevent further damage.
- Low Water Pressure: If you're experiencing low water pressure in your kitchen sink, it could be due to mineral buildup in the faucet aerator or a clogged pipe. A professional can diagnose and fix the issue.
Kitchen Sink Repair Solutions
Now that you're familiar with common kitchen sink problems, let's dive into some effective repair solutions that can help restore your sink to perfect working condition.
Clogged Drain
When dealing with a clogged kitchen sink drain, it's important to tackle the issue promptly to avoid further complications. Here's a step-by-step guide to unclog your drain:
- Use a Plunger: Start by using a plunger to dislodge the clog. Create a tight seal around the drain and plunge up and down vigorously. The pressure created should help remove the obstruction.
- Try a Drain Snake: If the plunger doesn't work, a drain snake can be applied. Insert the drain snake into the drain until you reach the clog. Twist and turn the snake to break it up, then pull it out.
- Use Baking Soda and Vinegar: For a natural alternative, mix equal parts baking soda and vinegar and pour it down the drain. Let it sit for a while before rinsing it with hot water. This combination can help break down stubborn clogs.
- Call a Professional: If all else fails, it's best to call a professional plumbing service like White Plumbing Company. Our experienced plumbers have the right tools and expertise to handle even the most stubborn clogs.
Leaking Faucet
A leaking faucet can waste a significant amount of water and increase your water bill. Here's a simple troubleshooting guide to fix a leaking faucet:
- Turn Off the Water Supply: Before you begin any repairs, make sure to turn off the water supply to the faucet.
- Replace the O-Ring: The o-ring is a common culprit behind faucet leaks. Remove the handle, then replace the o-ring inside. Make sure to use the correct size and type.
- Check the Valve Seat: A worn-out or corroded valve seat can also cause leaks. Use a seat wrench to remove the valve seat and replace it with a new one.
- Consider Professional Help: If you're unsure about the repair process or the leak persists, it's recommended to seek assistance from a professional plumber.
Cracked Sink
If you notice cracks or chips in your kitchen sink, it's crucial to address them promptly to prevent further damage. Follow these steps to repair a cracked sink:
- Clean and Dry: Thoroughly clean and dry the cracked area before proceeding with any repairs.
- Apply Epoxy: Using epoxy resin, fill the crack and smooth it out using a putty knife. Allow the epoxy to dry completely according to the manufacturer's instructions.
- Seal the Surface: Apply an acrylic sink repair paint to seal the repaired area. This will help restore the sink's original finish and provide additional protection.
Low Water Pressure
If you're experiencing low water pressure in your kitchen sink, follow these steps to troubleshoot the issue:
- Clean the Faucet Aerator: The aerator at the end of the faucet can accumulate mineral deposits, leading to reduced water pressure. Unscrew the aerator and soak it in vinegar overnight to dissolve the buildup. Rinse it thoroughly before reassembling.
- Inspect Water Supply Valves: Check if the water supply valves under the sink are fully open. If not, turn them counterclockwise to ensure proper water flow.
- Check for Pipe Clogs: In some cases, low water pressure can be caused by clogged pipes. If you suspect a clog, it's best to contact a professional plumber to diagnose and resolve the issue.
Trust White Plumbing Company for Your Kitchen Sink Repair Needs
When it comes to kitchen sink repair, trusting a professional is essential to ensure a successful and long-lasting solution. At White Plumbing Company, we have a team of highly skilled plumbers who are dedicated to providing top-quality services for all your home service needs.
With our expertise in plumbing, water heater installation, and repair, we guarantee efficient and reliable solutions. Contact White Plumbing Company today for your kitchen sink repair needs or any other plumbing services you may require. |
Nowadays, users are not only concerned about the price and printing quality of UV printing machines but also worry about the toxicity of the ink and its potential harm to human health. However, there is no need to be overly concerned about this issue. If the printed products were toxic, they would definitely not pass the qualification inspection and would be eliminated from the market. On the contrary, UV printing machines are not only popular but also enable craftsmanship to reach new heights, allowing products to be sold at a good price. In this article, we will provide accurate information about whether the ink used in UV printing machines can produce harmful substances to the human body.
UV ink has become a mature ink technology with almost zero pollution emissions. Ultraviolet ink generally does not contain any volatile solvents, making it more environmentally friendly compared to other types of products. UV printing machine ink is non-toxic, but it can still cause some irritation and corrosion to the skin. Although it has a slight odor, it is harmless to the human body.
There are two aspects of UV ink's potential harm to human health:
- The irritating smell of UV ink may cause sensory discomfort if inhaled for a long time;
- Contact between UV ink and skin can corrode the skin surface, and individuals with allergies may develop visible red marks.
- During daily operations, technical personnel should be equipped with disposable gloves;
- After setting up the print job, do not stay close to the machine for an extended period;
- If UV ink comes into contact with the skin, immediately wash it with clean water;
- If inhaling the smell causes discomfort, step outside for some fresh air.
UV ink technology has come a long way in terms of environmental friendliness and safety, with nearly zero pollution emissions and the absence of volatile solvents. By following the recommended solutions, such as wearing disposable gloves, and promptly cleaning any ink that comes into contact with the skin, users can safely operate UV printing machines without undue concern about the ink's toxicity.
Post time: Apr-29-2024 |
Leveraging Professional Tree Surveying Services in Argyle for Construction Success
Date May 09, 2024
In Argyle, TX, where development and nature strive to coexist harmoniously, the role of professional tree surveying services becomes crucial. These services not only ensure compliance with local environmental regulations but also significantly enhance the outcomes of construction projects. By understanding the importance and intricacies of professional tree surveying, stakeholders can ensure both the success of their construction projects and the long-term health of the landscape. TreeNewal is committed to the success of all parties involved when it comes to tree surveying.
The Importance of Tree Surveying in Construction
Tree surveying plays a pivotal role in the construction industry, particularly in regions like Argyle, TX, where the preservation of natural landscapes is crucial to maintaining the area's aesthetic and ecological balance. Understanding the significance of tree surveying can help stakeholders ensure that their development projects are both environmentally responsible and compliant with local regulations, thereby enhancing project success and sustainability.
Ensuring Regulatory Compliance
One of the primary reasons tree surveying is critical in construction is its role in ensuring compliance with environmental regulations. Most local governments, including those in Argyle, have strict guidelines protecting certain tree species, particularly those that are aged or contribute significantly to the local biodiversity. A professional tree survey provides detailed information about the trees on a site, including their species, health, and whether they fall under protective regulations. This information is essential for obtaining construction permits as it ensures that all planning respects legal protections for significant trees, thereby avoiding potential legal issues that could arise from non-compliance.
Facilitating Environmental Conservation
Beyond compliance, tree surveys are crucial for environmental conservation efforts. They allow construction projects to be planned in a way that minimizes the impact on existing natural resources. By identifying the location, health, and species of trees, surveyors can advise on which trees can be preserved, which need to be treated or relocated, and how to integrate existing natural elements into new developments. This not only helps in maintaining the ecological fabric of the area but also ensures that the new development can coexist harmoniously with the environment, supporting local wildlife and maintaining green spaces, which are vital for ecological health.
Enhancing Risk Management
Tree surveys also enhance risk management in construction projects. They identify not only the health of trees but also potential risks they may pose to new structures due to factors like root growth patterns and tree stability. This is crucial in preventing future property damage or safety hazards. For instance, a tree that might seem healthy to the untrained eye could have internal decay or other structural weaknesses that make it likely to fall during a storm or high winds. Identifying such risks early on through a detailed tree survey allows construction teams to take preventive measures, such as the removal or stabilization of at-risk trees.
Improving Project Planning and Execution
Accurate tree surveys contribute significantly to better project planning and execution. They provide essential data that can influence the design and placement of buildings, roads, and other infrastructure. Knowing the exact location and canopy size of trees helps architects and planners design layouts that incorporate these natural elements, which can enhance the aesthetic value of the property and reduce the need for later modifications or corrections, thereby saving time and resources.
Promoting Sustainable Development
Finally, tree surveys promote sustainable development by ensuring that construction projects align with broader environmental management goals. They help maintain biodiversity, enhance air quality, and contribute to the reduction of the urban heat island effect by preserving mature trees. This not only benefits the environment but also enhances the quality of life for residents and can increase property values due to the enhanced attractiveness of the development.
In conclusion, the importance of tree surveying in construction extends far beyond simple regulatory compliance. It encompasses a commitment to environmental stewardship, risk management, and strategic project planning that collectively contribute to the successful integration of new developments into the natural landscape of places like Argyle, TX. By leveraging professional tree surveying services, developers and planners can ensure that their projects are sustainable, safe, and successful in the long term.
Key Components of Professional Tree Surveying
Professional tree surveying involves several crucial steps, each contributing to a comprehensive understanding of the project site:
- Tree Inventory: Documentation of each tree's species, size, condition, and exact location.
- Health Assessment: Evaluation of the health and vitality of trees, identifying any that are diseased or dying.
- Impact Assessment: Analysis of how construction will affect individual trees and recommendations for their protection.
- Arboricultural Method Statement: A detailed plan for maintaining tree health during and after construction.
Detailed Process of Tree Surveying
- Initial Consultation: Meeting with stakeholders to understand the scope and requirements of the project.
- Field Data Collection: On-site gathering of data using advanced tools and technology.
- Data Analysis: Expert arborists analyze the data to assess the impact on trees and the environment.
- Reporting: A detailed report is provided, outlining findings and recommendations for proceeding with construction.
Benefits of Utilizing Tree Surveying Services
Employing tree surveying services in Argyle offers numerous benefits:
- Enhanced Project Planning: Allows for more accurate and efficient project planning and design.
- Protection of Natural Resources: Ensures that the local flora is protected and integrated into new developments.
- Increased Property Value: Maintains and can increase property values by preserving mature, healthy trees.
Challenges in Tree Surveying
Despite its benefits, tree surveying can present challenges that require expert handling:
- Complex Local Regulations: Navigating the complex web of local environmental regulations can be daunting.
- Technical Demands: Requires specialized knowledge and equipment to perform accurately.
- Stakeholder Interests: Balancing the various interests of stakeholders can be challenging.
Choosing the Right Tree Surveying Service
When selecting a tree surveying service in Argyle, consider the following factors to ensure high-quality results:
- Certifications and Qualifications: Look for services with certified arborists who have a proven track record.
- Local Experience: Choose a company with extensive knowledge of local ecosystems and regulations.
- Technology and Methods: Ensure the service uses the latest technology and methods for accurate and efficient surveying.
Impact of Tree Surveying on Long-term Landscape Integrity
The long-term impact of professional tree surveying on landscape integrity is profound:
- Sustainability: Supports sustainable development practices that benefit both the environment and communities.
- Biodiversity: Helps maintain biodiversity by ensuring the protection and health of various tree species.
- Aesthetic Value: Contributes to the aesthetic value of the landscape, which is crucial for community satisfaction and property values.
Leveraging professional tree surveying services in Argyle is not just about adhering to legal requirements; it's about ensuring the success and sustainability of construction projects while preserving the natural beauty and integrity of the landscape. By understanding and integrating comprehensive tree survey data into project planning, stakeholders can achieve optimal outcomes that benefit both the built and natural environments. For developers and planners in Argyle, engaging with seasoned professionals like those at TreeNewal can make the difference between a project that merely succeeds and one that thrives, enhancing the community and the environment for future generations.
For effective construction and sustainable development in Argyle, professional tree surveying services are indispensable. TreeNewal offers comprehensive Argyle Tree Surveying Services to ensure your project respects local ecological balance and complies with environmental regulations. Leveraging their expertise not only enhances construction outcomes but also preserves the long-term integrity of the landscape, aligning your project with community and environmental goals. Engage with TreeNewal to integrate essential tree preservation into your development plan, ensuring your project's success and sustainability. Contact TreeNewal today for expert tree surveying services in Argyle. |
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Will restricting right turns on red at dangerous intersections make Indianapolis safer for pedestrians, drivers and bicyclists?
Hopefully, we can all agree that someone should be able to walk or bicycle and make it home safely in Indianapolis. Unfortunately, we have a pedestrian and bicycle safety crisis with no end in sight. One recent week, July 24-30, there were 20 pedestrian/bicycle crashes, nearly three per day. July 2023 had 74 crashes (four fatalities), a 30% increase over July 2022 (this doesn't include motor-vehicle-only crashes).
Data supports no turn on red. After turning right on red became legal nationwide, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found permitting right turns on red increased pedestrian crashes 60% and bike crashes 100%. The 2016 Indianapolis/Marion County Pedestrian Plan recommended no turn on red in the downtown area to address pedestrian crashes. A May 2023 study shows drivers' attention to non-motorized road users is compromised in urban areas.
In addition to saving lives, there is an economic benefit to making Indianapolis more walkable, especially downtown. Walkable urban areas (just 1.2% of land mass of the 35 largest U.S. metropolitan areas) generate 20% of U.S. gross domestic product.
No turn on red is a small step in the right direction, but there are many effective solutions to help address traffic violence. Leading pedestrian intervals, daylighting intersections and raising crosswalks all are effective, more so in conjunction with no turn on red.
The Mayor and City-County Council are allocating significant funding for more greenways, which is great for quality of life for those who can access them, but this will not address the high injury network and high crash intersections identified in the 2022 Indianapolis Metropolitan Planning Organization's Safe Streets and Roads for All Safety Action Plan.
Design determines driver behavior: 60% of crashes occur on 15% of roads. We know where crashes are occurring (IndyMPO Crash Data Dashboard and Indypedcrisis.info). We know how to fix traffic violence (Federal Highway Administration safety countermeasures). We just need to do it. This requires political will to address traffic violence by allocating funds to fix the roads where 60% of crashes occur, an efficient use of resources.
Cities that have solved traffic violence include Hoboken, New Jersey, which has had zero traffic fatalities since 2018 due to infrastructure changes, and Cincinnati, where pedestrian crashes decreased after the city funded a pedestrian safety team and dedicated $8 million (up from $1 million) to the initiative.
What safety measures are the best? NYC studied this and found substantial reductions in serious injuries and fatalities for all roadway users after installing projects like road diets, pedestrian islands, curb extensions and leading pedestrian intervals—all on the order of 30% or more.
No turn on red is a small victory, but in the big picture, we should do everything possible to make it safer for people to walk and bicycle in Indianapolis. It is a solvable crisis. The question is, will we do it?•
Schmucker is advocacy director for Bicycle Garage Indy. Send comments to firstname.lastname@example.com.
Click here for more Forefront columns. |
Can Cbd Oil Help Alcoholism (2024)
Can CBD help reduce alcohol cravings
Researchers found that CBD can help addicts to avoid opioid addiction. CBD can help reduce cravings, and even lessen the pleasure associated with using one of these substances.
Does CBD cause liver damage?
No side effects were reported after taking 1,500mg of CBD for six weeks (1). A 2019 study in mice found that CBD can cause liver damage, causing widespread sensation across the media.
Best CBD Oils of 2023
- Best for Sleep: CBDfx CBD + CBN Sleep Tincture | full review
- Blue Raspberry CBD Vape Juice | full review
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- CBD VAPE PENS | full review
- Delta-9 THC Drops + CBD: Ultimate Chill Blend | full review
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What is the best time to drink alcohol after I have taken CBD Oil?
The effects of alcohol are generally stronger if consumed within 4-8 hours after using CBD. Wine and CBD can interact, resulting in greater motor coordination loss, loss of inhibition and loss of control.
What is the maximum amount of CBD oil I can drink after it has expired?
It doesn't matter if you smoke cbd or consume it orally or topically. Water can still be assimilated normally if it is not. However, it is important to allow the tincture to absorb fully before you drink anything.
Can CBD gummies affect your liver?
New evidence has been found that CBD in high amounts can cause liver damage.
Is it safe for CBD gummies to be taken with alcohol?
Mixing CBD with alcohol has some health benefits. There have been studies that CBD has positive effects on those who suffer from alcohol abuse. CBD has been shown in studies to reduce alcohol intake and prevent relapse after treatment. It has been proven that CBD can reduce alcohol-induced hypothermia.
Can CBD help with fatty liver?
Clinical studies have shown CBD to have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and hepatoprotective properties. Both CBD and THC both have been shown to be effective in treating chronic liver diseases such as fatty degeneration and inflammation.
Can CBD help the liver function?
CONCLUSIONS and IMPLICATIONS. Cannabidiol improves brain function and liver function. The liver, brain and cannabidiol effects may be combined.
Can CBD oil be harmful to the liver or kidneys?
No evidence has been found to indicate that CBD may have an adverse effect on kidney function.
What does CBD oil do for you?
CBD has many positive effects. These research-backed benefits of CBD may even help you to feel more relaxed. It can feel a little like a high but it isn't intoxicating. CBD has been shown to be effective in relieving anxiety and depression symptoms.
What happens to CBD oil if it is swallowed?
CBD oil can also be purchased in capsules. This is a great option for those who wish to keep a steady amount in their bodies. You might need to wait up to 30 minutes for any CBD oil effects to kick in after it is ingested.
Is there any new treatment for cirrhosis
Researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine have demonstrated that a new treatment using blood-vessel-lining cells in order to repair damaged tissue could be used to treat liver disease.
What is the lifespan of CBD high?
What about the effect on your body? It all depends on how much CBD you take and how long you take it. The effects of CBD generally last between 2 and 6 hours.
Is CBD oil good for your blood?
CBD oil can be used to lower blood pressure by acting as a blood thinner. This can present serious risks to someone with high blood pressure. According to a Harvard health blog article, it can also interact with medications via "the exact same mechanism as grapefruit juice does."
Is CBD oil able to affect liver enzymes?
Some studies have shown that CBD inhibits certain liver enzymes required for medicine metabolization. These findings raise concerns about the possibility that CBD could have greater adverse effects on the liver.
Is CBD oil better taken at night?
CBD oil can be used to combat insomnia and promote sleep quality. It is best to apply CBD oil at night approximately one to two hours before bed to ensure that you have enough time to fall asleep. Sublingual use is possible to ensure that CBD oil is quickly absorbed into your bloodstream.
Is CBD dehydrating?
Although CBD, cannabis edibles and other forms can cause side effects such as red eyes and the munchies they don't cause dehydration.
Does CBD lower blood pressure?
Research suggests that CBD products may lower blood pressure. A 2020 study showed that CBD could have vasodilatory properties in the arteries of rats and humans. According to the authors, CBD can increase blood flow by widening blood vessels.
Can you take CBD or antidepressants?
In other words CBD taken with OTC or prescribed medications or substances that cause sleepiness (such as Xanax and Ativan), benzodiazepines (such As Xanax and Ativan), antidepressants, antihistamines(such as Benadryl), and alcohol can lead to increased sleepiness and fatigue.
What does CBD do to the brain?
CBD stimulates the body's endocannabinoid system, allowing it to produce more cannabinoids. It also slows down their breakdown. [2] Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), on the other hand, binds to CB1 and CB2 receptors, activating them and thus changing a person's thinking, memory, pleasure, and pain perception, and concentration.
Best CBD Oils of 2023
- Best for Sleep: CBDfx CBD + CBN Sleep Tincture | full review
- Blue Raspberry CBD Vape Juice | full review
- CBD Cream For Muscle & Joint: Cooling Formula 500-3000mg | full review
- CBD VAPE PENS | full review
- Delta-9 THC Drops + CBD: Ultimate Chill Blend | full review
- CBD FOR PETS | full review |
Discovering the Majestic Hillfort of Maiden Castle (Video)
Maiden Castle is the largest hill fort in Britain and one of the largest in Europe. Built in 600 BC and greatly expanded in 450 BC, the fort is on top of a large hill which is 914 m long, that's about as long as 10 football pitches. In the Iron Age, hundreds of people lived there
Perched atop Dorset's chalky cliffs, Maiden Castle stands as a testament to the might and power of Britain's ancient past. This awe-inspiring hillfort, one of the largest in the country, captivates with its imposing ramparts and ditches that dominate the surrounding landscape. Constructed during the early to mid Iron Age, between 800 and 300 BC, Maiden Castle's remarkable fortifications leave a lasting impression. Despite the passage of over 2,000 years, the fort still retains its visual grandeur, even though it has slumped over time. The chalk-white ramparts, combined with the palisades at the top, were designed to make a bold statement of power and authority. This mighty structure would have been visible from a distance, asserting the dominance of those who oversaw its construction.
Maiden Castle's strategic location and formidable defenses suggest that it was a center of immense significance. While its exact purpose remains shrouded in mystery, evidence of warfare preparations and the presence of round houses within its interior have been unearthed through excavations. As the centuries passed, the significance of Maiden Castle diminished, and smaller farmsteads replaced its prominence. However, the fort's legacy endures, offering a captivating glimpse into the lives of Iron Age communities and their architectural prowess.
- Mementos for the Dead: Surprising Burial Customs in Iron Age Britain
- Own Your Own Piece of Ancient History – Buy an Iron Age Hillfort!
Top image: Maiden Castle, Dorset. Source: David Matthew Lyons / Adobe Stock.
By Robbie Mitchell
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New psychoactive substances: A review and updates
New psychoactive substances (NPS) are a diverse group of substances that are linked with a number of health and social harms on an individual and societal level. NPS toxicity and dependence syndromes are recognised in primary care, emergency departments, psychiatric inpatient and community care settings.
One pragmatic classification system is to divide NPS into one of four groups: synthetic stimulants, synthetic cannabinoids, synthetic hallucinogens and synthetic depressants (which include synthetic opioids and benzodiazepines).
This review explores these four classes of NPS, including their chemical structures, mechanism of action, modes of use, intended intoxicant effects, and their associated physical and mental health harms. |
Clinical governance and infrastructure: Nursing retention toolkit
On this page
- Goal statement
- Initiative – Structured participatory governance: Ensure nursing leadership is present in governance and has meaningful authority
- Initiative – Nursing shared governance: Create nursing structures to connect nurses and involve them in decision making
- Initiative – Nurse-led models of care, initiatives and practice standards: Ensure nursing care provision is defined by nurses and supported by practice standards grounded in nursing knowledge.
Goal statement
Ensure that supportive clinical governance and infrastructure is in place to ensure that nurses have a core role in decision-making and are at the forefront of driving the development of a sustainable health system.
Initiative – Structured participatory governance: Ensure nursing leadership is present in governance and has meaningful authority.
Intended outcome
- Having the voice of point-of-care nurses in decision-making to meet the needs of nurses.
- More efficient decision-making and meaningful participation by allowing time for different point-of-care staff to participate in governance.
This initiative aims to ensure nursing leadership is present across all organizational governance structures, including at the executive table and board, and includes their ability to lead clinical care design, delivery, and evaluation. Participatory governance facilitates executive leadership being informed and accountable to the nursing workforce.
Key activities include:
- Defining the structural elements: A Chief Nurse Executive should participate at the C-suite level, reporting to the CEO and maintaining a seat on the Quality Committee of the Board. Shared decision-making structures should be developed, with clear decision-making authorities. Roles for Advanced Practice Nurses to participate at leadership levels should be well defined.
- Establishing a Nursing Advisory Committee: Ensure that nursing has a voice at the organizational level through the development of a Nursing Advisory Committee, with various levels of nurses represented and participating. This committee should report to the Chief Nursing Executive, who would then bring issues to the Board.
Planning considerations include:
- Long-term organizational commitment: Sustainability and longevity of the structural elements can be supported by updating organizational structure-related documents and organizational policies. These activities can facilitate structured participatory governance that is incorporated into the fabric of the organization. Structural elements, including the governance responsibilities of Chief Nursing Officers (CNOs) in job descriptions, and developing nurse or administration dyads (e.g., CNOs and Chief Operating Officers (COOs)) may support sustained results.
- Creating feedback loops: Develop processes to continuously monitor and evaluate whether elements of structured participatory governance (i.e., specific roles, committees, decision-making structures) exist and are functioning as intended, and whether input from nursing leaders and structures such as Nursing Advisory Committees is actively implemented and used. For example, integration of nurse-initiated protocols that aim to better meet the needs of scope of practice could be audited. Employing methods such as Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA), which is a four-stage problem-solving model, can support the use of evaluation mechanisms.
- Preserving the distinct role of nursing: Organizations need to recognize the need for inclusive leadership structures that enable interprofessional practices and encompass all health care and social services staff while preserving the distinct role of nursing to ensure effective management of the nursing workforce. CNO roles at organizations should be protected roles that enable the CNO to drive a strategic vision that meets the needs of nurses. These roles, where possible, should not be combined with other operational roles and responsibilities.
Target nursing population
All (Student, New Grad, Mid-Career, Late-Career, Managers and Faculty, etc.)
Stakeholder involvement and role of nurses
- Responsible: Boards of directors, Ministry of Health and CEOs, who are able to influence significant structural change.
- Accountable, consulted, informed: Those involved in direct care, which reinforces cascading governance structures.
- Note that CNOs currently have no operational authority in certain provinces. Ensure role clarity to prevent confusion among nurses. A shift to structured participatory governance may help address this.
Reference resources and examples (See appendix for links)
- RNAO Chief Nursing Executive Role Framework: Provides an overview of the Chief Executive role and responsibilities such as participating in a voting role on Quality committees and ensuring forums exist within organizations for nursing decision-making.
- The Ottawa Hospital Nursing Unit Councils: Forums for all nurses to participate in discussion and decision-making related to professional practice and patient care on a unit level.
- The Ottawa Hospital Corporate Nursing Clinical Practice Committee: A forum for clinical nurses representing 60-70 units across the organization to participate in discussion and decision-making that impacts nursing practice.
- Nursing and Allied Health Advisory Council at Island Health, British Columbia: A nurse-led, multidisciplinary Council aligned to the Chief Nurse Executive, directly advising senior executive, leaders, operational care areas, and beyond in policy, direction, strategy, and implementation.
- Saskatchewan Nursing Leadership Network (SNLN): This network consists of provincial nursing regulatory bodies, health authorities, nursing associations, educational institutions, nursing unions, nursing students and government representation. The network aims to support the nursing workforce in Saskatchewan through leadership, collaboration, information sharing and innovation and has defined Terms of Reference for governance.
Initiative – Nursing shared governance: Create nursing structures to connect nurses and involve them in decision making.
Intended outcome
- Solutions are not being re-worked: they are designed with delivery in mind.
- Enablement of varied tasks (e.g., research, quality improvement), as a result of a formal structure with protected time. This also creates more joy in work and may improve retention.
- Greater organizational awareness, efficiency, fiscal responsibility and improved patient outcomes as a result of shared decision-making structures that enable real-time decision-making.
Nursing shared governance is about nurses being involved in decision making. This initiative is about putting nursing shared governance in place. It is centered on developing or refining formal nursing structures to enable nursing practices that connect nurses caring for patients to nurse leaders, nurse educators, and nurse-led research within the organization.
This involves:
- Removing hierarchy and reducing top-down approaches. Decisions need to start at the point-of-care, rather than in a way that applies downward pressure. There is a need for a meaningful voice that impacts decisions, rather than performative inclusion. Nurses should be empowered to initiate the decision-making process as needed.
- Creating a culture of psychological safety to broaden perspectives and allow nurses to feel comfortable bringing opinions to the table.
- Embedding nurse scientists, researchers, and educators, within improvement processes. Specifically, having embedded quality leaders – someone who has worked in the area and works in a team on a long-term basis. This results in better patient outcomes.
- Specific roles for quality improvement in a nursing workplace and unit, or point-of-care representation from all relevant nursing departments in quality improvement processes and initiatives.
- Indigenous perspectives must also be considered in nursing governance to include indigenous ways of knowing in order to improve access to high-quality, culturally relevant health services.
- Intentionality is needed in decision-making, rather than just data collection. A safe space to share ideas is an enabler to ensuring that decision-making is informed by point-of-care nurses' perspectives.
Planning considerations include:
- Participatory governance structures and resources: Creating shared participatory governance structures (detailed in initiative "Structured Participatory Governance") that enable nurse-led decision-making. Governance should include a framework that allows participation of all staff through communication channels. Nurses need to be supported to participate in governance structures through dedicated resources (e.g., communications plan). Governance structures may include a multi-disciplinary and pan-organizational steering group or council with meaningful decision-making authority.
- Empowering nurses to get involved in governance: Encourage nurses to participate in governance through training, and improve communication about opportunities to get involved.
- Embracing a dynamic journey to achieving nursing shared governance: Establishing and refining nursing shared governance is typically a dynamic process. Organizational leadership teams need to develop a tolerance for failure and be willing to test and try different approaches.
- Monitoring efficacy: Existing organizational mechanisms, such as healthcare accreditation surveys, can be leveraged and adjusted to gather feedback from staff annually.
Target nursing population
All (Student, New Grad, Mid-Career, Late-Career, Managers and Faculty, etc.)
Stakeholder involvement and role of nurses
- Responsible: Chief Nursing Officer (if possible), Board of Directors, Unit-level leadership (clinical nurse managers and managers to ensure participation).
- Accountable: Current structures for governance.
- Consulted and informed: Advanced Practice Nurses, point-of-care nurses, clinical nurse educators – (unit or workplace setting specific), union leaders, Canadian communities of practices that can help advance this initiative.
Reference resources and examples (See appendix for links)
- Le Secrétariat international des infirmières et infirmiers de l'espace francophone (SIDIIEF): Community of practice with French-speaking clinicians and nurses to share knowledge.
- Health Standards Organization (HSO) Governance Standards: HSO's governance standards include guidance on how to set up effective approaches to collaboration to make shared clinical decisions at the direct-care level. HSO's Clinical Governance Standards are forthcoming.
- Health PEI Provincial Nursing Leadership Committee (PNLC): provides strategic and operational direction and leadership to nursing and nursing services within Health PEI. The goal of the PNLC is to standardize and advance the professional practice of nursing in all practice contexts to enable quality nursing services to be delivered to the residents of Prince Edward Island.
- Alberta Health Services (AHS) CoACT Collaborative Care: AHS has developed a framework for collaborative care and delivers an introductory course for Unit Leads, including nursing leaders, to support their involvement in implementing and sustaining collaborative care and quality improvement in their practice environments.
- Process and Quality Improvement (PQI) Nurse position at the Royal Alexandra Hospital (RAH) Emergency Department: The PQI nurse facilitates the development and implementation of projects to improve care and experience in the department for patients and staff alike and reports to the Patient Care Manager.
Initiative – Nurse-led models of care, initiatives and practice standards: Ensure nursing care provision is defined by nurses and supported by practice standards grounded in nursing knowledge.
Intended outcome
- By enabling nurses to operate at full capacity and full scope in areas where there is a need may increase feelings of belonging and allow nurses to stay in their organization or community while still gaining career growth opportunities.
- Nurses feel respected and recognized for clinical skills by having a meaningful seat at the table.
- Jurisdictional consistency on nursing models and parity of opportunities.
- Decreased moral injury given nurse-led models are enacted in a way that respects nurses' clinical skills and voices.
This initiative is focused on ensuring that the care that nurses provide is defined by nurses and supported by practice standards grounded in nursing knowledge, and formulated, documented, implemented, evaluated, and refreshed by nursing practice leadership structures. It is critical that nursing staff are able to adjust models of care as patient composition shifts. This change will have a significant impact in the long term but requires patience in the short term.
This involves:
- Nurses having a voice at decision-making tables to design care and influence how care is structured: Making it clear to partners that nurses are experts in their field, are at the center of patient needs, and that they must be involved in the design of models of care.
- Incorporating research from point-of-care nurses in designing action plans, roadmaps and policies (e.g., Staffing Issues Working Group): Ensuring that knowledge translation and actions actually benefit point-of-care nurses.
- Empowering nurse leadership: Refining and strengthening nurse leadership structures, if needed, to ensure that nurses have a significant role in defining care models and practice standards and decision-making processes. In addition, providing nurse leaders with ongoing educational support and access to continuous learning (e.g., new models of care).
Planning considerations include:
- Resources for innovation: Dedicated time, physical space, and funding are required to support nursing innovation.
- Facilitate knowledge translation: Develop mechanisms to translate research and insights from point-of-care nurses into actionable plans and policies, ensuring that nursing knowledge informs care delivery and practice standards.
- Regular feedback mechanisms: Implement regular feedback loops (e.g., surveys, dedicated time at team meetings) involving point-of-care nurses, nurse leaders, and other stakeholders to assess the effectiveness of nurse-led models of care and practice standards in meeting patient needs.
- Outcome metrics: Establish key outcome metrics, such as patient satisfaction scores, care outcomes, and retention outcomes to measure the impact of nurse-led care initiatives.
- Employer policy: Employer policy is a key enabler for nurse practice advisors and experts to participate in the development of nursing standards and innovation.
Target nursing population
All (Student, New Grad, Mid-Career, Late-Career, Managers and Faculty, etc.): This initiative will create a shift in culture enabling full scope and capabilities, affecting all areas of nursing.
Stakeholder involvement and role of nurses
- Responsible and accountable: All staff ranging from point-of-care to Senior Leadership teams, in particular nurse executives or leaders, with a focus on shifting power to the voice of direct care in decision-making.
- Consulted: Educators, regulators employer groups, and nurses specifically with novice experience.
- Informed: Nursing faculty should be involved, as they help create change at the baseline, school level to push forward meaningful long-term culture shifts.
Reference resources and examples (See appendix for links)
- Winnipeg Regional Health Authority Professional Committee: Comprised of roles such as allied health and nursing leadership councils, medical advisory committee, and long-term care representatives to advise the local board of directors on policy issues related to interprofessional clinical practice.
- Leadership Exchange / Leadership Network: Bring together nurse leaders and aspiring nurse leaders for networking and learning opportunities (e.g., Association of Regulated Nurses Manitoba).
- Nursing Innovation Labs: Dedicated time and space for nurses to collaborate on innovative ideas and projects (e.g., UBC Nursing IDEA Lab, Duke University School of Nursing Health Innovation Lab).
- Island Health Innovation Lab: This innovation lab was established within a health authority with the explicit intention of bringing innovation as close to care providers and patients as possible. It has grown to include mentorships for innovation activities in other health authorities and provinces. The innovation lab's annual "Code Hack" event puts 100 hackers into a hospital environment for a design sprint solving crowdsourced problems.
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Articles | Volume 5, issue 3
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the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
© Author(s) 2020. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
A surrogate model approach for associating wind farm load variations with turbine failures
Laura Schröder
DTU Wind Energy, Risø Campus, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
Nikolay Krasimirov Dimitrov
DTU Wind Energy, Risø Campus, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
David Robert Verelst
DTU Wind Energy, Risø Campus, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
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Wind Energ. Sci., 9, 1153–1171, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-9-1153-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-9-1153-2024, 2024
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Tropical cyclone winds are challenging for wind turbines. We analyze a tropical cyclone before landfall in a mesoscale model. The simulated wind speeds and storm structure are sensitive to the boundary parametrization. However, independent of the boundary layer parametrization, the median change in wind speed and wind direction with height is small relative to wind turbine design standards. Strong spatial organization of wind shear and veer along the rainbands may increase wind turbine loads.
David Robert Verelst, Rasmus Sode Lund, and Jean-Philippe Roques
Wind Energ. Sci. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-2024-24, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-2024-24, 2024
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This study discusses key issues when performing simulations of a dynamic power cable that is connected to a floating wind turbine. Such simulations are an important tool to asses if the floater and cable motions cause the power cable to survive or fail specific conditions, and generally assure they can fulfil their intended design life. This work describes how to model such power cables and combine that with a fully coupled model of an operating floating wind turbine.
Moritz Johann Gräfe, Vasilis Pettas, Nikolay Dimitrov, and Po Wen Cheng
Wind Energ. Sci. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-2024-25, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-2024-25, 2024
Preprint under review for WES
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This study explores a methodology using floater motion and nacelle-based lidar wind speed measurements to estimate the tension and damage equivalent loads (DELs) on floating offshore wind turbines' mooring lines. Results indicate that fairlead tension time series and DELs can be accurately estimated from floater motion time series. Using lidar measurements as model inputs for DEL predictions leads to similar accuracies as using displacement measurements of the floater.
Xiaodong Zhang and Nikolay Dimitrov
Wind Energ. Sci., 8, 1613–1623, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-8-1613-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-8-1613-2023, 2023
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Wind turbine extreme response estimation based on statistical extrapolation necessitates using a small number of simulations to calculate a low exceedance probability. This is a challenging task especially if we require small prediction error. We propose the use of a Gaussian mixture model as it is capable of estimating a low exceedance probability with minor bias error, even with limited simulation data, having flexibility in modeling the distributions of varying response variables.
Ásta Hannesdóttir, David R. Verelst, and Albert M. Urbán
Wind Energ. Sci., 8, 231–245, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-8-231-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-8-231-2023, 2023
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In this work we use observations of large coherent fluctuations to define a probabilistic gust model. The gust model provides the joint description of the gust rise time, amplitude, and direction change. We perform load simulations with a coherent gust according to the wind turbine safety standard and with the probabilistic gust model. A comparison of the simulated loads shows that the loads from the probabilistic gust model can be significantly higher due to variability in the gust parameters.
Davide Conti, Nikolay Dimitrov, Alfredo Peña, and Thomas Herges
Wind Energ. Sci., 6, 1117–1142, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-6-1117-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-6-1117-2021, 2021
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We carry out a probabilistic calibration of the Dynamic Wake Meandering (DWM) model using high-spatial- and high-temporal-resolution nacelle-based lidar measurements of the wake flow field. The experimental data were collected from the Scaled Wind Farm Technology (SWiFT) facility in Texas. The analysis includes the velocity deficit, wake-added turbulence, and wake meandering features under various inflow wind and atmospheric-stability conditions.
Davide Conti, Vasilis Pettas, Nikolay Dimitrov, and Alfredo Peña
Wind Energ. Sci., 6, 841–866, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-6-841-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-6-841-2021, 2021
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We define two lidar-based procedures for improving the accuracy of wind turbine load assessment under wake conditions. The first approach incorporates lidar observations directly into turbulence fields serving as inputs for aeroelastic simulations; the second approach imposes lidar-fitted wake deficit time series on the turbulence fields. The uncertainty in the lidar-based power and load predictions is quantified for a variety of scanning configurations and atmosphere turbulence conditions.
Inga Reinwardt, Levin Schilling, Dirk Steudel, Nikolay Dimitrov, Peter Dalhoff, and Michael Breuer
Wind Energ. Sci., 6, 441–460, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-6-441-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-6-441-2021, 2021
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This analysis validates the DWM model based on loads and power production measured at an onshore wind farm. Special focus is given to the performance of a version of the DWM model that was previously recalibrated with a lidar system at the site. The results of the recalibrated wake model agree very well with the measurements. Furthermore, lidar measurements of the wind speed deficit and the wake meandering are incorporated in the DWM model definition in order to decrease the uncertainties.
Gesine Wanke, Leonardo Bergami, Frederik Zahle, and David Robert Verelst
Wind Energ. Sci., 6, 203–220, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-6-203-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-6-203-2021, 2021
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This article regards a rotor redesign for a wind turbine in upwind and in downwind rotor configurations. A simple optimization tool is used to estimate the aerodynamic planform, as well as the structural mass distribution of the rotor blade. The designs are evaluated in full load base calculations according to the IEC standard with the aeroelastic tool HAWC2. A scaling model is used to scale turbine and energy costs from the design loads and compare the costs for the turbine configurations.
Davide Conti, Nikolay Dimitrov, and Alfredo Peña
Wind Energ. Sci., 5, 1129–1154, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-5-1129-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-5-1129-2020, 2020
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We propose a method for carrying out wind turbine load validation in wake conditions using measurements from forward-looking nacelle lidars. The uncertainty of aeroelastic load predictions is quantified against wind turbine on-board sensor data. This work demonstrates the applicability of nacelle-mounted lidar measurements to extend load and power validations under wake conditions and highlights the main challenges.
Gesine Wanke, Leonardo Bergami, and David Robert Verelst
Wind Energ. Sci., 5, 929–944, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-5-929-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-5-929-2020, 2020
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Converting an upwind wind turbine into a downwind configuration is shown to come with higher edgewise loads due to lower edgewise damping. The study shows from modal displacements of a reduced-order turbine model that the interaction between the forces on the rotor, the rotor motion, and the tower torsion is the main reason for the observed damping decrease.
Ozan Gözcü and David R. Verelst
Wind Energ. Sci., 5, 503–517, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-5-503-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-5-503-2020, 2020
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Geometrically nonlinear blade modeling effects on the turbine loads and computation time are investigated in an aero-elastic code based on multibody formulation. A large number of fatigue load cases are used in the study. The results show that the nonlinearities become prominent for large and flexible blades. It is possible to run nonlinear models without significant increase in computational time compared to the linear model by changing the matrix solver type from dense to sparse.
Ásta Hannesdóttir, Mark Kelly, and Nikolay Dimitrov
Wind Energ. Sci., 4, 325–342, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-4-325-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-4-325-2019, 2019
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We investigate large wind speed fluctuations from a 10-year period at the Danish coastal site Høvsøre. The most extreme fluctuations are not turbulent but due to larger-scale weather phenomena. We find how these fluctuations impact wind turbines using simulations. The results are then compared to an extreme turbulence model described in the wind turbine safety standards, and it is found that the loads on the different turbine components are not the same as what the standard describes.
Nikolay Dimitrov, Mark C. Kelly, Andrea Vignaroli, and Jacob Berg
Wind Energ. Sci., 3, 767–790, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-3-767-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-3-767-2018, 2018
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Wind energy site suitability assessment procedures often require estimating the loads a wind turbine will be subject to when installed. The estimation is often time-consuming and requires several iterations. We have developed a procedure for quick and accurate estimation of site-specific wind turbine loads. Our approach employs computationally efficient parametric models that are calibrated to high-fidelity load simulations. The result is a significant reduction in computation efforts.
Alexander R. Stäblein, Morten H. Hansen, and David R. Verelst
Wind Energ. Sci., 2, 343–360, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-2-343-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-2-343-2017, 2017
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Coupling between bending and twist has a significant influence on the aeroelastic response of wind turbine blades. The coupling can arise from the blade geometry or from the anisotropic properties of the blade material. Bend–twist coupling can be utilised to reduce the fatigue loads of wind turbine blades. In this study the effects of material-based coupling on the aeroelastic modal properties and stability limits of the DTU 10 MW Reference Wind Turbine are investigated.
Alfredo Peña, Jakob Mann, and Nikolay Dimitrov
Wind Energ. Sci., 2, 133–152, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-2-133-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-2-133-2017, 2017
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Nacelle lidars are nowadays extensively used to scan the turbine inflow. Thus, it is important to characterize turbulence from their measurements. We present two methods to perform turbulence estimation and demonstrate them using two types of lidars. With one method we can estimate the along-wind unfiltered variance accurately. With the other we can estimate the filtered radial velocity variance accurately and velocity-tensor parameters under neutral and high wind-speed conditions.
Related subject area
Design methods, reliability and uncertainty modelling
Effectively using multifidelity optimization for wind turbine design
Efficient Bayesian calibration of aerodynamic wind turbine models using surrogate modeling
Fast yaw optimization for wind plant wake steering using Boolean yaw angles
A simplified, efficient approach to hybrid wind and solar plant site optimization
Influence of wind turbine design parameters on linearized physics-based models in OpenFAST
Input torque measurements for wind turbine gearboxes using fiber-optic strain sensors
A model to calculate fatigue damage caused by partial waking during wind farm optimization
A fully integrated optimization framework for designing a complex geometry offshore wind turbine spar-type floating support structure
Land-based wind turbines with flexible rail-transportable blades – Part 2: 3D finite element design optimization of the rotor blades
Local-thermal-gradient and large-scale-circulation impacts on turbine-height wind speed forecasting over the Columbia River Basin
Evaluation of the impact of active wake control techniques on ultimate loads for a 10 MW wind turbine
Assessing boundary condition and parametric uncertainty in numerical-weather-prediction-modeled, long-term offshore wind speed through machine learning and analog ensemble
What are the benefits of lidar-assisted control in the design of a wind turbine?
Design procedures and experimental verification of an electro-thermal deicing system for wind turbines
Land-based wind turbines with flexible rail-transportable blades – Part 1: Conceptual design and aeroservoelastic performance
Objective and algorithm considerations when optimizing the number and placement of turbines in a wind power plant
Aeroelastic loads on a 10 MW turbine exposed to extreme events selected from a year-long large-eddy simulation over the North Sea
Optimal scheduling of the next preventive maintenance activity for a wind farm
A method for preliminary rotor design – Part 1: Radially Independent Actuator Disc model
A method for preliminary rotor design – Part 2: Wind turbine Optimization with Radial Independence
Wind farm layout optimization using pseudo-gradients
On the scaling of wind turbine rotors
Reducing cost uncertainty in the drivetrain design decision with a focus on the operational phase
Feature selection techniques for modelling tower fatigue loads of a wind turbine with neural networks
Wind tunnel comparison of four VAWT configurations to test load-limiting concept and CFD validation
Redesign of an upwind rotor for a downwind configuration: design changes and cost evaluation
Fatigue lifetime calculation of wind turbine blade bearings considering blade-dependent load distribution
Reliability analysis of offshore wind turbine foundations under lateral cyclic loading
Operational-based annual energy production uncertainty: are its components actually uncorrelated?
Change-point detection in wind turbine SCADA data for robust condition monitoring with normal behaviour models
Augmented Kalman filter with a reduced mechanical model to estimate tower loads on a land-based wind turbine: a step towards digital-twin simulations
New strategies for optimized structural monitoring of wind farms: experimental campaign
Differences in damping of edgewise whirl modes operating an upwind turbine in a downwind configuration
Assessment of a rotor blade extension retrofit as a supplement to the lifetime extension of wind turbines
Is the Blade Element Momentum theory overestimating wind turbine loads? – An aeroelastic comparison between OpenFAST's AeroDyn and QBlade's Lifting-Line Free Vortex Wake method
Development and feasibility study of segment blade test methodology
Analytical model for the power–yaw sensitivity of wind turbines operating in full wake
Wake steering optimization under uncertainty
Radar-derived precipitation climatology for wind turbine blade leading edge erosion
WESgraph: a graph database for the wind farm domain
Reliability-based design optimization of offshore wind turbine support structures using analytical sensitivities and factorized uncertainty modeling
Optimal relationship between power and design-driving loads for wind turbine rotors using 1-D models
Digitalization of scanning lidar measurement campaign planning
Massive simplification of the wind farm layout optimization problem
System-level design studies for large rotors
Sensitivity analysis of the effect of wind characteristics and turbine properties on wind turbine loads
Performance of non-intrusive uncertainty quantification in the aeroservoelastic simulation of wind turbines
Polynomial chaos to efficiently compute the annual energy production in wind farm layout optimization
Multipoint high-fidelity CFD-based aerodynamic shape optimization of a 10 MW wind turbine
Comparison between upwind and downwind designs of a 10 MW wind turbine rotor
John Jasa, Pietro Bortolotti, Daniel Zalkind, and Garrett Barter
Wind Energ. Sci., 7, 991–1006, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-7-991-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-7-991-2022, 2022
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Using highly accurate simulations within a design cycle is prohibitively computationally expensive. We implement and present a multifidelity optimization method and showcase its efficacy using three different case studies. We examine aerodynamic blade design, turbine controls tuning, and a wind plant layout problem. In each case, the multifidelity method finds an optimal design that performs better than those obtained using simplified models but at a lower cost than high-fidelity optimization.
Benjamin Sanderse, Vinit V. Dighe, Koen Boorsma, and Gerard Schepers
Wind Energ. Sci., 7, 759–781, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-7-759-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-7-759-2022, 2022
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An accurate prediction of loads and power of an offshore wind turbine is needed for an optimal design. However, such predictions are typically performed with engineering models that contain many inaccuracies and uncertainties. In this paper we have proposed a systematic approach to quantify and calibrate these uncertainties based on two experimental datasets. The calibrated models are much closer to the experimental data and are equipped with an estimate of the uncertainty in the predictions.
Andrew P. J. Stanley, Christopher Bay, Rafael Mudafort, and Paul Fleming
Wind Energ. Sci., 7, 741–757, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-7-741-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-7-741-2022, 2022
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In wind plants, turbines can be yawed to steer their wakes away from downstream turbines and achieve an increase in plant power. The yaw angles become expensive to solve for in large farms. This paper presents a new method to solve for the optimal turbine yaw angles in a wind plant. The yaw angles are defined as Boolean variables – each turbine is either yawed or nonyawed. With this formulation, most of the gains from wake steering can be reached with a large reduction in computational expense.
Charles Tripp, Darice Guittet, Jennifer King, and Aaron Barker
Wind Energ. Sci., 7, 697–713, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-7-697-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-7-697-2022, 2022
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Hybrid solar and wind plant layout optimization is a difficult, complex problem. In this paper, we propose a parameterized approach to wind and solar hybrid power plant layout optimization that greatly reduces problem dimensionality while guaranteeing that the generated layouts have a desirable regular structure. We demonstrate that this layout method that generates high-performance, regular layouts which respect hard constraints (e.g., placement restrictions).
Jason M. Jonkman, Emmanuel S. P. Branlard, and John P. Jasa
Wind Energ. Sci., 7, 559–571, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-7-559-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-7-559-2022, 2022
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This paper summarizes efforts done to understand the impact of design parameter variations in the physical system (e.g., mass, stiffness, geometry, aerodynamic, and hydrodynamic coefficients) on the linearized system using OpenFAST in support of the development of the WEIS toolset to enable controls co-design of floating offshore wind turbines.
Unai Gutierrez Santiago, Alfredo Fernández Sisón, Henk Polinder, and Jan-Willem van Wingerden
Wind Energ. Sci., 7, 505–521, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-7-505-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-7-505-2022, 2022
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The gearbox is one of the main contributors to the overall cost of wind energy, and it is acknowledged that we still do not fully understand its loading. The study presented in this paper develops a new alternative method to measure input rotor torque in wind turbine gearboxes, overcoming the drawbacks related to measuring on a rotating shaft. The method presented in this paper could make measuring gearbox torque more cost-effective, which would facilitate its adoption in serial wind turbines.
Andrew P. J. Stanley, Jennifer King, Christopher Bay, and Andrew Ning
Wind Energ. Sci., 7, 433–454, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-7-433-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-7-433-2022, 2022
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In this paper, we present a computationally inexpensive model to calculate wind turbine blade fatigue caused by waking and partial waking. The model accounts for steady state on the blade, as well as wind turbulence. The model is fast enough to be used in wind farm layout optimization, which has not been possible with more expensive fatigue models in the past. The methods introduced in this paper will allow for farms with increased energy production that maintain turbine structural reliability.
Mareike Leimeister, Maurizio Collu, and Athanasios Kolios
Wind Energ. Sci., 7, 259–281, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-7-259-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-7-259-2022, 2022
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Floating offshore wind technology has high potential but still faces challenges for gaining economic competitiveness to allow commercial market uptake. Hence, design optimization plays a key role; however, the final optimum floater obtained highly depends on the specified optimization problem. Thus, by considering alternative structural realization approaches, not very stringent limitations on the structure and dimensions are required. This way, more innovative floater designs can be captured.
Ernesto Camarena, Evan Anderson, Josh Paquette, Pietro Bortolotti, Roland Feil, and Nick Johnson
Wind Energ. Sci., 7, 19–35, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-7-19-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-7-19-2022, 2022
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The length of rotor blades of land-based wind turbines is currently constrained by logistics. Turbine manufacturers currently propose segmented solutions to overcome these limits, but blade joints come with extra masses and costs. This work investigates an alternative solution, namely the design of ultra-flexible blades that can be transported on rail via controlled bending. The results show that this is a promising pathway to further increasing the size of land-based wind turbines.
Ye Liu, Yun Qian, and Larry K. Berg
Wind Energ. Sci., 7, 37–51, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-7-37-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-7-37-2022, 2022
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Uncertainties in initial conditions (ICs) decrease the accuracy of wind speed forecasts. We find that IC uncertainties can alter wind speed by modulating the weather system. IC uncertainties in local thermal gradient and large-scale circulation jointly contribute to wind speed forecast uncertainties. Wind forecast accuracy in the Columbia River Basin is confined by initial uncertainties in a few specific regions, providing useful information for more intense measurement and modeling studies.
Alessandro Croce, Stefano Cacciola, and Luca Sartori
Wind Energ. Sci., 7, 1–17, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-7-1-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-7-1-2022, 2022
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In recent years, research has focused on the development of wind farm controllers with the aim of minimizing interactions between machines and thus improving the production of the wind farm.
In this work we have analyzed the effects of these recent technologies on a single wind turbine, with the aim of understanding the impact of these controllers on the design of the machine itself.
The analyses have shown there are non-negligible effects on some components of the wind turbine.
Nicola Bodini, Weiming Hu, Mike Optis, Guido Cervone, and Stefano Alessandrini
Wind Energ. Sci., 6, 1363–1377, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-6-1363-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-6-1363-2021, 2021
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We develop two machine-learning-based approaches to temporally extrapolate uncertainty in hub-height wind speed modeled by a numerical weather prediction model. We test our approaches in the California Outer Continental Shelf, where a significant offshore wind energy development is currently being planned, and we find that both provide accurate results.
Helena Canet, Stefan Loew, and Carlo L. Bottasso
Wind Energ. Sci., 6, 1325–1340, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-6-1325-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-6-1325-2021, 2021
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Lidar-assisted control (LAC) is used to redesign the rotor and tower of three turbines, differing in terms of wind class, size, and power rating. The load reductions enabled by LAC are used to save
mass, increase hub height, or extend lifetime. The first two strategies yield reductions in the cost of energy only for the tower of the largest machine, while more interesting benefits are obtained for lifetime extension.
David Getz and Jose Palacios
Wind Energ. Sci., 6, 1291–1309, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-6-1291-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-6-1291-2021, 2021
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A methodology to design electrothermal deicing protection for wind turbines is presented. The method relies on modeling and experimental testing to determine the critical ice thickness. The critical ice thickness needed is dependent on the ice tensile strength, which varies with icing conditions. The ice tensile strength must be overcome by the stress that a de-bonded ice structure exerts under centrifugal force at its root region, where it attaches to a non-de-bonded ice region.
Pietro Bortolotti, Nick Johnson, Nikhar J. Abbas, Evan Anderson, Ernesto Camarena, and Joshua Paquette
Wind Energ. Sci., 6, 1277–1290, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-6-1277-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-6-1277-2021, 2021
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The length of rotor blades of land-based wind turbines is currently constrained by logistics. Turbine manufacturers currently propose segmented solutions to overcome these limits, but blade joints come with extra masses and costs. This work investigates an alternative solution, namely the design of ultra-flexible blades that can be transported on rail via controlled bending. The results show that this is a promising pathway for further increasing the size of land-based wind turbines.
Andrew P. J. Stanley, Owen Roberts, Jennifer King, and Christopher J. Bay
Wind Energ. Sci., 6, 1143–1167, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-6-1143-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-6-1143-2021, 2021
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Wind farm layout optimization is an essential part of wind farm design. In this paper, we present different methods to determine the number of turbines in a wind farm, as well as their placement. Also in this paper we explore the effect that the objective function has on the wind farm design and found that wind farm layout is highly sensitive to the objective. The optimal number of turbines can vary greatly, from 15 to 54 for the cases in this paper, depending on the metric that is optimized.
Gerard Schepers, Pim van Dorp, Remco Verzijlbergh, Peter Baas, and Harmen Jonker
Wind Energ. Sci., 6, 983–996, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-6-983-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-6-983-2021, 2021
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In this article the aeroelastic loads on a 10 MW turbine in response to unconventional wind conditions selected from a year-long large-eddy simulation on a site at the North Sea are evaluated. Thereto an assessment is made of the practical importance of these wind conditions within an aeroelastic context based on high-fidelity wind modelling. Moreover the accuracy of BEM-based methods for modelling such wind conditions is assessed.
Quanjiang Yu, Michael Patriksson, and Serik Sagitov
Wind Energ. Sci., 6, 949–959, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-6-949-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-6-949-2021, 2021
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There are two ways to maintain a multi-component system: corrective maintenance, when a broken component is replaced with a new one, and preventive maintenance (PM), when some components are replaced in a planned manner before they break down. This article proposes a mathematical model for finding an optimal time to perform the next PM activity and selecting the components which should be replaced. The model is fast to solve, and it can be used as a key module in a maintenance scheduling app.
Kenneth Loenbaek, Christian Bak, Jens I. Madsen, and Michael McWilliam
Wind Energ. Sci., 6, 903–915, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-6-903-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-6-903-2021, 2021
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We present a model for assessing the aerodynamic performance of a wind turbine rotor through a different parametrization of the classical blade element momentum model. The model establishes an analytical relationship between the loading in the flow direction and the power along the rotor span. The main benefit of the model is the ease with which it can be applied for rotor optimization and especially load constraint power optimization.
Kenneth Loenbaek, Christian Bak, and Michael McWilliam
Wind Energ. Sci., 6, 917–933, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-6-917-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-6-917-2021, 2021
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A novel wind turbine rotor optimization methodology is presented. Using an assumption of radial independence it is possible to obtain the Pareto-optimal relationship between power and loads through the use of KKT multipliers, leaving an optimization problem that can be solved at each radial station independently. Combining it with a simple cost function it is possible to analytically solve for the optimal power per cost with given inputs for the aerodynamics and the cost function.
Erik Quaeghebeur, René Bos, and Michiel B. Zaaijer
Wind Energ. Sci., 6, 815–839, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-6-815-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-6-815-2021, 2021
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We present a technique to support the optimal layout (placement) of wind turbines in a wind farm. It efficiently determines good directions and distances for moving turbines. An improved layout reduces production losses and so makes the farm project economically more attractive. Compared to most existing techniques, our approach requires less time. This allows wind farm designers to explore more alternatives and provides the flexibility to adapt the layout to site-specific requirements.
Helena Canet, Pietro Bortolotti, and Carlo L. Bottasso
Wind Energ. Sci., 6, 601–626, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-6-601-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-6-601-2021, 2021
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The paper analyzes in detail the problem of scaling, considering both the steady-state and transient response cases, including the effects of aerodynamics, elasticity, inertia, gravity, and actuation. After a general theoretical analysis of the problem, the article considers two alternative ways of designing a scaled rotor. The two methods are then applied to the scaling of a 10 MW turbine of 180 m in diameter down to three different sizes (54, 27, and 2.8 m).
Freia Harzendorf, Ralf Schelenz, and Georg Jacobs
Wind Energ. Sci., 6, 571–584, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-6-571-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-6-571-2021, 2021
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Making wind turbines more reliable over their lifetime is an important goal for improving wind turbine technology. The wind turbine drivetrain has a major influence on turbine reliability. This paper presents an approach that will help to identify holistically better drivetrain concepts in an early product design phase from an operational perspective as it is able to estimate and assess drivetrain-concept-specific inherent risks in the operational phase.
Artur Movsessian, Marcel Schedat, and Torsten Faber
Wind Energ. Sci., 6, 539–554, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-6-539-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-6-539-2021, 2021
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The assessment of the structural condition and technical lifetime extension of a wind turbine is challenging due to lack of information for the estimation of fatigue loads. This paper demonstrates the modelling of damage-equivalent loads of the fore–aft bending moments of a wind turbine tower, highlighting the advantage of using the neighbourhood component analysis. This feature selection technique is compared to correlation analysis, stepwise regression, and principal component analysis.
Jan Wiśniewski, Krzysztof Rogowski, Konrad Gumowski, and Jacek Szumbarski
Wind Energ. Sci., 6, 287–294, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-6-287-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-6-287-2021, 2021
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The article describes results of experimental wind tunnel and CFD testing of four different straight-bladed vertical axis wind turbine model configurations. The experiment tested a novel concept of vertically dividing and azimuthally shifting a turbine rotor into two parts with a specific uneven height division in order to limit cycle amplitudes and average cycle values of bending moments at the bottom of the turbine shaft to increase product lifetime, especially for industrial-scale turbines.
Gesine Wanke, Leonardo Bergami, Frederik Zahle, and David Robert Verelst
Wind Energ. Sci., 6, 203–220, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-6-203-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-6-203-2021, 2021
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This article regards a rotor redesign for a wind turbine in upwind and in downwind rotor configurations. A simple optimization tool is used to estimate the aerodynamic planform, as well as the structural mass distribution of the rotor blade. The designs are evaluated in full load base calculations according to the IEC standard with the aeroelastic tool HAWC2. A scaling model is used to scale turbine and energy costs from the design loads and compare the costs for the turbine configurations.
Oliver Menck, Matthias Stammler, and Florian Schleich
Wind Energ. Sci., 5, 1743–1754, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-5-1743-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-5-1743-2020, 2020
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Blade bearings of wind turbines experience unusual loads compared to bearings in other industrial applications, which adds some difficulty to the application of otherwise well-established calculation methods, like fatigue lifetime. As a result, different methods for such calculations can be found in the literature. This paper compares three approaches of varying complexity and comes to the conclusion that the simplest of the methods is very inaccurate compared to the more complex methods.
Gianluca Zorzi, Amol Mankar, Joey Velarde, John D. Sørensen, Patrick Arnold, and Fabian Kirsch
Wind Energ. Sci., 5, 1521–1535, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-5-1521-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-5-1521-2020, 2020
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Storms, typhoons or seismic actions are likely to cause permanent rotation of offshore wind turbine foundations. Excessive rotation jeopardizes the operation of the wind turbine. In this study geotechnical, loads and probabilistic modelling are used to develop a reliability framework for predicting the rotation of the foundation under cyclic lateral loading.
Nicola Bodini and Mike Optis
Wind Energ. Sci., 5, 1435–1448, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-5-1435-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-5-1435-2020, 2020
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Calculations of annual energy production (AEP) and its uncertainty are critical for wind farm financial transactions. Standard industry practice assumes that different uncertainty categories within an AEP calculation are uncorrelated and can therefore be combined through a sum of squares approach. In this project, we show the limits of this assumption by performing operational AEP estimates for over 470 wind farms in the United States and propose a more accurate way to combine uncertainties.
Simon Letzgus
Wind Energ. Sci., 5, 1375–1397, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-5-1375-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-5-1375-2020, 2020
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One of the major challenges when working with wind turbine sensor data in practice is the presence of systematic changes in signal behaviour induced by malfunctions or maintenance actions. We found that approximately every third signal is affected by such change points and introduce an algorithm which reliably detects them in a highly automated fashion. The algorithm enables the application of data-driven techniques to monitor wind turbine components using data from commonly installed sensors.
Emmanuel Branlard, Dylan Giardina, and Cameron S. D. Brown
Wind Energ. Sci., 5, 1155–1167, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-5-1155-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-5-1155-2020, 2020
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The paper presents an application of the Kalman filtering technique to estimate loads on a wind turbine. The approach combines a mechanical model and a set of measurements to estimate signals that are not available in the measurements, such as wind speed, thrust, tower position, and tower loads. The model is severalfold faster than real time and is intended to be run online, for instance, to evaluate real-time fatigue life consumption of a field turbine using a digital twin.
João Pacheco, Silvina Guimarães, Carlos Moutinho, Miguel Marques, José Carlos Matos, and Filipe Magalhães
Wind Energ. Sci., 5, 983–996, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-5-983-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-5-983-2020, 2020
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This paper introduces the Tocha wind farm, presents the different layouts adopted in the instrumentation of the wind turbines and shows initial results. At this preliminary stage, the capabilities of the very extensive monitoring layout are demonstrated. The results presented demonstrate the ability of the different monitoring components to track the modal parameters of the system, composed of tower and rotor, and to characterize the internal loads at the tower base and blade roots.
Gesine Wanke, Leonardo Bergami, and David Robert Verelst
Wind Energ. Sci., 5, 929–944, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-5-929-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-5-929-2020, 2020
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Converting an upwind wind turbine into a downwind configuration is shown to come with higher edgewise loads due to lower edgewise damping. The study shows from modal displacements of a reduced-order turbine model that the interaction between the forces on the rotor, the rotor motion, and the tower torsion is the main reason for the observed damping decrease.
Malo Rosemeier and Matthias Saathoff
Wind Energ. Sci., 5, 897–909, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-5-897-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-5-897-2020, 2020
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A huge number of wind turbines have reached their designated lifetime of 20 years.
Most of the turbines installed were overdesigned.
In practice, these turbines could potentially operate longer to increase the energy yield.
For the use case turbine considered in this work, a simple lifetime extension of 8.7 years increases the energy yield by 43.5 %. When the swept rotor area is increased by means of a blade tip extension, the yield is increased by an additional 2.3 %.
Sebastian Perez-Becker, Francesco Papi, Joseph Saverin, David Marten, Alessandro Bianchini, and Christian Oliver Paschereit
Wind Energ. Sci., 5, 721–743, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-5-721-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-5-721-2020, 2020
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Aeroelastic design load calculations play a key role in determining the design loads of the different wind turbine components. This study compares load estimations from calculations using a Blade Element Momentum aerodynamic model with estimations from calculations using a higher-order Lifting-Line Free Vortex Wake aerodynamic model. The paper finds and explains the differences in fatigue and extreme turbine loads for power production simulations that cover a wide range of turbulent wind speeds.
Kwangtae Ha, Moritz Bätge, David Melcher, and Steffen Czichon
Wind Energ. Sci., 5, 591–599, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-5-591-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-5-591-2020, 2020
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This paper outlines a novel segment test methodology for wind turbine rotor blades. It mainly aims at improving the efficiency of the fatigue test as a future test method at Fraunhofer IWES. The numerical simulation reveals that this method has a significant time savings of up to 43 % and 52 % for 60 and 90 m blades, while improving test quality within an acceptable range of overload. This test methodology could be a technical solution for future offshore rotor blades longer than 100 m.
Jaime Liew, Albert M. Urbán, and Søren Juhl Andersen
Wind Energ. Sci., 5, 427–437, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-5-427-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-5-427-2020, 2020
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In wind farms, the interaction between neighboring turbines can cause notable power losses. The focus of the paper is on how the combination of turbine yaw misalignment and wake effects influences the power loss in a wind turbine. The results of the paper show a more notable power loss due to turbine misalignment when turbines are closely spaced. The presented conclusions enable better predictions of a turbine's power production, which can assist the wind farm design process.
Julian Quick, Jennifer King, Ryan N. King, Peter E. Hamlington, and Katherine Dykes
Wind Energ. Sci., 5, 413–426, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-5-413-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-5-413-2020, 2020
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We investigate the trade-offs in optimization of wake steering strategies, where upstream turbines are positioned to deflect wakes away from downstream turbines, with a probabilistic perspective. We identify inputs that are sensitive to uncertainty and demonstrate a realistic optimization under uncertainty for a wind power plant control strategy. Designing explicitly around uncertainty yielded control strategies that were generally less aggressive and more robust to the uncertain input.
Frederick Letson, Rebecca J. Barthelmie, and Sara C. Pryor
Wind Energ. Sci., 5, 331–347, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-5-331-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-5-331-2020, 2020
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Wind turbine blade leading edge erosion (LEE) is potentially a significant source of energy loss and expense for wind farm operators. This study presents a novel approach to characterizing LEE potential from precipitation across the contiguous USA based on publicly available National Weather Service dual-polarization RADAR data. The approach is described in detail and illustrated using six locations distributed across parts of the USA that have substantial wind turbine deployments.
Erik Quaeghebeur, Sebastian Sanchez Perez-Moreno, and Michiel B. Zaaijer
Wind Energ. Sci., 5, 259–284, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-5-259-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-5-259-2020, 2020
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The design and management of an offshore wind farm involve expertise in many disciplines. It is hard for a single person to maintain the overview needed. Therefore, we have created WESgraph, a knowledge base for the wind farm domain, implemented as a graph database. It stores descriptions of the multitude of domain concepts and their various interconnections. It allows users to explore the domain and search for relationships within and across disciplines, enabling various applications.
Lars Einar S. Stieng and Michael Muskulus
Wind Energ. Sci., 5, 171–198, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-5-171-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-5-171-2020, 2020
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We present a framework for reducing the cost of support structures for offshore wind turbines that takes into account the many uncertainties that go into the design process. The results demonstrate how an efficient new approach, tailored for support structure design, allows the state of the art for design without uncertainties to be used within a framework that does include these uncertainties. This allows more realistic, and less conservative, design methods
to be used for practical design.
Kenneth Loenbaek, Christian Bak, Jens I. Madsen, and Bjarke Dam
Wind Energ. Sci., 5, 155–170, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-5-155-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-5-155-2020, 2020
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From the basic aerodynamic theory of wind turbine rotors, it is a well-known fact that there is a relationship between the loading of the rotor and power efficiency. It shows that there is a loading that maximizes the power efficiency, and it is common to target this maximum when designing rotors. But in this paper it is found that for rotors constrained by a load, the maximum power is found by decreasing the loading and increasing the rotor radius. Max power efficiency is therefore not optimal.
Nikola Vasiljević, Andrea Vignaroli, Andreas Bechmann, and Rozenn Wagner
Wind Energ. Sci., 5, 73–87, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-5-73-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-5-73-2020, 2020
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A WindScanner system consisting of two synchronized scanning lidars potentially represents a cost-effective solution for multipoint measurements. However, the lidar limitations and the site limitations are detrimental to the installation of lidars and number and location of measurement positions. To simplify the process of finding suitable measurement positions and lidar installation locations, a campaign planning workflow was devised. The paper describes the workflow and how it was digitalized.
Andrew P. J. Stanley and Andrew Ning
Wind Energ. Sci., 4, 663–676, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-4-663-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-4-663-2019, 2019
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When designing a wind farm, one crucial step is finding the correct location or optimizing the location of the wind turbines to maximize power production. In the past, optimizing the turbine layout of large wind farms has been difficult because of the large number of interacting variables. In this paper, we present the boundary-grid parameterization method, which defines the layout of any wind farm with only five variables, allowing people to study and design wind farms regardless of the size.
Daniel S. Zalkind, Gavin K. Ananda, Mayank Chetan, Dana P. Martin, Christopher J. Bay, Kathryn E. Johnson, Eric Loth, D. Todd Griffith, Michael S. Selig, and Lucy Y. Pao
Wind Energ. Sci., 4, 595–618, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-4-595-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-4-595-2019, 2019
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We present a model that both (1) reduces the computational effort involved in analyzing design trade-offs and (2) provides a qualitative understanding of the root cause of fatigue and extreme structural loads for wind turbine components from the blades to the tower base. We use this model in conjunction with design loads from high-fidelity simulations to analyze and compare the trade-offs between power capture and structural loading for large rotor concepts.
Amy N. Robertson, Kelsey Shaler, Latha Sethuraman, and Jason Jonkman
Wind Energ. Sci., 4, 479–513, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-4-479-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-4-479-2019, 2019
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This paper identifies the most sensitive parameters for the load response of a 5 MW wind turbine. Two sets of parameters are examined: one set relating to the wind excitation characteristics and a second related to the physical properties of the wind turbine. The two sensitivity analyses are done separately, and the top most-sensitive parameters are identified for different load outputs throughout the structure. The findings will guide future validation campaigns and measurement needs.
Pietro Bortolotti, Helena Canet, Carlo L. Bottasso, and Jaikumar Loganathan
Wind Energ. Sci., 4, 397–406, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-4-397-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-4-397-2019, 2019
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The paper studies the effects of uncertainties in aeroservoelastic
wind turbine models. Uncertainties are associated with the wind
inflow characteristics and the blade surface state, and they are propagated
by means of two non-intrusive methods throughout the
aeroservoelastic model of a large conceptual offshore wind
turbine. Results are compared with a brute-force extensive Monte
Carlo sampling to assess the convergence characteristics of the
non-intrusive approaches.
Andrés Santiago Padrón, Jared Thomas, Andrew P. J. Stanley, Juan J. Alonso, and Andrew Ning
Wind Energ. Sci., 4, 211–231, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-4-211-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-4-211-2019, 2019
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We propose the use of a new method to efficiently compute the annual energy production (AEP) of a wind farm by properly handling the uncertainties in the wind direction and wind speed. We apply the new ideas to the layout optimization of a large wind farm. We show significant computational savings by reducing the number of simulations required to accurately compute and optimize the AEP of different wind farms.
Mads H. Aa. Madsen, Frederik Zahle, Niels N. Sørensen, and Joaquim R. R. A. Martins
Wind Energ. Sci., 4, 163–192, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-4-163-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-4-163-2019, 2019
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The wind energy industry relies heavily on CFD to analyze new designs. This paper investigates a way to utilize CFD further upstream the design process where lower-fidelity methods are used. We present the first comprehensive 3-D CFD adjoint-based shape optimization of a 10 MW modern offshore wind turbine. The present work shows that, with the right tools, we can model the entire geometry, including the root, and optimize modern wind turbine rotors at the cost of a few hundred CFD evaluations.
Pietro Bortolotti, Abhinav Kapila, and Carlo L. Bottasso
Wind Energ. Sci., 4, 115–125, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-4-115-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-4-115-2019, 2019
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The paper compares upwind and downwind three-bladed configurations
for a 10 MW wind turbine in terms of power and loads. For the
downwind case, the study also considers a load-aligned solution
with active coning. Results indicate that downwind solutions are
slightly more advantageous than upwind ones, although improvements
are small. Additionally, pre-alignment is difficult to achieve in
practice, and the active coning solution is associated with very
significant engineering challenges.
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Short summary
We suggest a methodology for correlating loads with component reliability of turbines in wind farms by combining physical modeling with machine learning. The suggested approach is demonstrated on an offshore wind farm for comparing performance, loads and lifetime estimations against recorded main bearing failures from maintenance reports. It is found that turbines positioned at the border of the wind farm with a higher expected AEP are estimated to experience earlier main bearing failures.
We suggest a methodology for correlating loads with component reliability of turbines in wind...
Final-revised paper |
If you're an entrepreneur, I know you dream of transforming your vision into reality. But during that quest, what many don't anticipate is the immense toll this journey can take. Burnout isn't just a buzzword — it's a haunting specter that looms large for many entrepreneurs.
The constant juggling of tasks, the weight of responsibility, and the isolation often accompanying leadership positions can lead to overwhelming stress.
It's a silent morning coffee staring at a never-ending to-do list, it's the missed family gatherings because of "urgent" work, it's the 3 AM worry sessions questioning every decision made. Burnout doesn't just zap your energy; it erodes your passion, the very fire that drove you to entrepreneurship.
But here's the silver lining: it doesn't have to be this way. With the right strategies and tools, you can navigate the tumultuous path of entrepreneurship. This guide will provide you with actionable solutions, tailored specifically for the unique challenges entrepreneurs face, to help you reclaim your passion, drive, and inner peace.
I know the idea of taking breaks might seem counterintuitive. "Time is money," after all. Yet, in the relentless quest to accomplish more, the true cost is often your mental health and overall productivity.
It's a misconception that more work leads to more success. Our brains, magnificent as they are, aren't designed for prolonged, unbroken focus. Like a muscle, they fatigue. Periods of intense work can saturate our cognitive capacities, leading to errors, reduced creativity, and diminished problem-solving abilities.
Studies have repeatedly shown the benefits of taking short breaks during work. These interludes provide a chance for the brain to rest and process information. Especially for entrepreneurs, tasks often require deep cognitive processing, and regular pauses can be the key to enhancing mental performance.
The Pomodoro Technique is a prime example of structured break-taking. It involves dividing work into focused intervals, usually 25 minutes long, termed "pomodoros." After completing 1 Pomodoro, you reward yourself with a 5-minute break. These consistent breaks allow for mental recuperation, ensuring that each of your work intervals is as productive as possible.
As an entrepreneur, your tasks might vary in complexity and urgency. Instead of sticking rigidly to 25 minutes, adjust the intervals to suit your workflow. Maybe you need longer sprints for deep-strategy sessions and shorter ones for email management. The key is consistency in taking those breaks.
Start small: Begin with three intervals a day, gradually increasing as you adjust.
Commit to breaks: When it's time, step away from the desk. Stretch, hydrate, or even do a quick mindfulness exercise.
Evaluate and adjust: After a week, reflect on the impact. Are you feeling less fatigued? Is your productivity enhanced? Adjust your intervals based on your observations.
Remember, in the entrepreneurial world, where innovation and sharp decision-making are paramount,
The quality of work trumps quantity.
Regular breaks aren't an indulgence but a strategic tool for sustained success.
What if the antidote to the tension you experience lies within something as simple as a breath?
If you're burnt out, you might find yourself trapped in a whirlwind of thoughts — financial forecasts, team dynamics, competitor moves, and so much more. Amidst this chaos, the mind yearns for an anchor, something to grounding. Deep breathing serves this exact purpose.
Deep, conscious breathing triggers our parasympathetic nervous system — the body's natural "brake" to counteract stress. It reduces the heart rate, lowers blood pressure, and shifts the body from a state of alert (fight, flight or freeze) to one of relaxation. Even a few minutes of focused breathing can recalibrate the mind, restoring a sense of peace.
Box Breathing: Inhale for a count of four, hold for four, exhale for four, and pause for four. This method is revered for its immediate calming effects.
4–7–8 Technique: Inhale for a count of four, hold for seven, and exhale for eight. This technique not only relaxes but also aids in better sleep.
Create breath awareness: Set aside 3–5 minutes twice a day, perhaps before a significant meeting or after a challenging task, to practice your chosen technique.
Utilize tech: Numerous apps offer guided breathing exercises. They can act as both a tutor and a reminder to incorporate this practice.
Make it a team affair: Introduce short group breathing sessions at the start of team meetings. It will not only benefit individual members but can also enhance group synergy.
Don't view deep breathing techniques to be merely a wellness tip; it's an essential strategy for sustained success.
Entrepreneurs, by nature, are problem solvers. Yet, when it comes to personal stress management, many are left without an actionable strategy. Enter the Four A's, a time-tested approach to handle stressors with finesse and clarity.
Running a business invariably invites stress. While it's impossible to entirely escape it, mastering the art of responding to it is the difference between burnout and sustained success.
Alter Regularly audit your operations. Is a particular partnership draining more energy than it's worth? Is there an outdated process that's becoming a bottleneck? Address these modifiable stress points head-on, be it through restructuring, renegotiation, or complete removal.
Avoid Set clear boundaries. This could mean declining projects outside your business's core mission or avoiding collaborations that don't align with your values. Regularly assess what aligns with your vision and values; if it's peripheral, consider sidestepping it.
Adapt Cultivate a growth mindset. Encountered an unexpected hurdle? Instead of viewing it as a setback, can it be an opportunity for growth or learning? Adjusting your perspective can transform mountains into molehills.
Accept Focus on what you can control: your response and next course of action. Build a support system, be it through mentorship, peer groups, or personal wellness practices. When storms hit, anchor your enterprise with unwavering values and adaptability.
Use meditation apps Platforms like Headspace or Calm offer guided meditation sessions tailored to different needs. Dedicate a few minutes every day, maybe before starting your work or before bed, to meditation. Sitting in complete silence might be very useful too.
Delegate more, stress less It might seem like you're the only one who knows the right way, but it's not a one-man show. Build a reliable team and trust them with responsibilities. By sharing the load, you not only reduce your stress but also empower others, fostering a more positive work environment.
Read mindfulness books Allocate some time each week to read up on mindfulness and stress management. Books like "The Miracle of Mindfulness" by Thich Nhat Hanh or "Wherever You Go, There You Are" by Jon Kabat-Zinn offer invaluable insights into being present.
Rethink your work-life balance I know it's tough but where possible, set boundaries between work and personal time. This might mean designating specific days off, setting "no work" hours, or even just ensuring you have a hobby or activity that's entirely separate from your business.
Curate your knowledge intake What you consume ends up consuming you. Regularly engage with high-quality content that supports your mental well-being. Having a pool of resources to dip into can offer both solace and solutions.
While filled with exhilarating highs, entrepreneurship also brings moments of pressure and self-doubt. Even in the midst of this, there are actionable strategies tailored to refresh, recalibrate, and rejuvenate your spirit.
Set scheduled breaks, ensuring that your brain remains sharp and efficient. To practice deep breathing techniques. The Four A's of Stress Management — Alter, Avoid, Adapt, and Accept. Bonus tips like meditation, strategic delegation, enriching reading, work-life balance, and curating quality content will further support your journey, offering practical methods to enhance your well-being.
Entrepreneurship isn't just about business metrics; it's about holistic success. As you forge ahead, know that burnout doesn't have to be a part of your journey. Use the strategies above and you're poised not just to survive, but to thrive with renewed energy and passion. Stay driven, stay refreshed.
Also published here. |
Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease (HFMD) Overview:
Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease (HFMD) is a common viral illness affecting primarily infants and young children. Caused by enteroviruses, particularly Coxsackievirus A16 and Enterovirus 71, HFMD is characterized by the development of painful sores or lesions on the hands, feet, and inside the mouth.
A mild, infectious viral infection known as "hand, foot, and mouth disease" (HFMD) typically affects babies and children but can sometimes strike adults. Usually, the hands, feet, mouth, and perhaps even the genitalia and buttocks are affected by the infection. Most often, Coxsackievirus A type 16 is the cause of foot and mouth disease, however other enterovirus and coxsackievirus strains can also spread infection. The Picornaviridae family of non-enveloped single-stranded RNA viruses includes the coxsackievirus. French surveillance discovered a substantial rise in HFMD cases in 2021—more than 3400 cases.
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HFMD typically manifests with fever, sore throat, and a distinctive rash or blisters on the hands, feet, and oral mucosa. It spreads easily through direct contact with infected individuals or contact with contaminated surfaces.
Diagnostic Analysis:
Diagnosing HFMD involves clinical examination and may include laboratory tests, such as throat swabs or stool samples, to identify the specific viral strain. Rapid and accurate diagnosis is crucial for timely intervention.
Treatment Analysis:
While there is no specific antiviral treatment for HFMD, supportive care aims to alleviate symptoms. This includes pain relief, hydration, and maintaining good hygiene practices to prevent the spread of the virus.
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Regulatory Framework:
The regulatory landscape surrounding HFMD focuses on prevention, early detection, and management. Health authorities often provide guidelines for surveillance, reporting, and outbreak control to ensure public health safety.
Clinical Assessment:
Ongoing clinical assessments play a key role in understanding the disease's evolution, identifying potential complications, and refining treatment strategies. Regular monitoring is essential, especially in severe cases.
Drug Development:
Research into antiviral drugs and vaccines for HFMD is underway. Advances in drug development aim to provide targeted therapies to reduce symptoms' severity and duration.
Get Full Insight:
Clinical Trial:
Clinical trials are pivotal in evaluating the safety and efficacy of potential treatments and vaccines for HFMD. Participation in well-designed trials is crucial to advancing medical understanding and improving patient outcomes.
Market Trends Analysis:
The HFMD market is influenced by diagnostic advancements, treatment modalities, and vaccine development. Market trends focus on innovative approaches to managing and preventing the disease, reflecting the evolving landscape of pediatric healthcare.
Regional Insights:
HFMD prevalence and management strategies vary across regions. Understanding regional nuances in healthcare infrastructure, socio-economic factors, and public health policies is essential for effective disease control and prevention.
In conclusion, Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease poses a significant health concern, particularly among young populations. Comprehensive understanding, early diagnosis, and evolving treatment strategies are crucial in mitigating the impact of HFMD. Ongoing research and collaboration between healthcare professionals, researchers, and regulatory bodies are instrumental in advancing our ability to manage and prevent this viral illness.
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Are you intrigued by the world of trading, where split-second decisions can lead to significant gains? If so, you might have heard of scalping – a trading strategy that aims to make quick profits from small price movements. In this article, we'll delve into the fascinating realm of scalping and explore how traders employ this technique to pocket profits.
The Scalping Strategy Unveiled
Scalping is like the sprint of trading. It involves making lightning-fast trades to capitalize on even the tiniest price fluctuations. Traders who embrace this strategy, known as scalpers, open and close multiple positions throughout a trading day. Their goal? To accumulate numerous small gains that add up to a tidy profit.
Why Choose Scalping in Trading?
- Quick-Fire Profits: Scalpers thrive on speed. They seize opportunities in real-time, profiting from rapid market movements.
- Reduced Risk Exposure: Unlike longer-term trading, scalpers don't hold positions overnight. This minimizes the risks associated with after-hours market shifts or unforeseen events.
- Market Independence: Scalpers can profit in both bull and bear markets. They don't rely heavily on market direction – just on volatility.
Tools of the Trade
Successful scalpers equip themselves with:
1. Advanced Charting Software
Real-time price charts are a scalper's best friend. These platforms provide insights into price movements, helping scalpers identify potential entry and exit points.
2. Tight Spreads
Low transaction costs are essential. Tight spreads (the difference between buying and selling prices) ensure that scalpers aren't eating into their profits with each trade.
3. Rapid Execution Broker
A dependable broker with lightning-fast order execution is crucial. Delayed execution could mean the difference between a profit and a loss.
The Scalping Process
- Select Your Market: Scalping is versatile. You can focus on forex, stocks, cryptocurrencies, or indices like NAS100.
- Identify Volatile Periods: Scalpers thrive on volatility. Look for market sessions or economic news releases that tend to cause price spikes.
- Spot Entry Points: Analyze charts for short-term price patterns or technical indicators that signal a potential price movement.
- Set Precise Stops and Targets: Scalping leaves no room for guesswork. Set stop-loss and take-profit orders to secure gains and limit losses.
Challenges Faced by Scalpers
- Time-Consuming: Scalping demands constant attention. It's not ideal for those with limited time to monitor the markets.
- Emotional Discipline: Quick trades mean rapid emotional highs and lows. Staying disciplined is paramount.
- Transaction Costs: Frequent trading can rack up transaction fees. It's essential to ensure that profits outweigh costs.
In Conclusion
Scalping is a high-speed trading strategy that demands sharp reflexes, a robust strategy, and nerves of steel. While it's not without its challenges, successful scalpers have shown that it's possible to turn quick, incremental price movements into a sustainable income stream. If you're enticed by the fast-paced world of trading and can handle the pressure, scalping might be your ticket to profiting from market micro-movements.
Remember, mastering scalping takes time and practice. So, equip yourself with knowledge, start with a demo account, and gradually dip your toes into live trading. With dedication and the right approach, you could be on your way to mastering the art of scalping. |
Ultimate Guide to Find Hidden Trail Cameras on Your Property – Introduction
Embarking on the journey to how to find trail cameras on your property begins with comprehending what trail cameras are and their diverse applications. Let's dive in and unravel the intricacies of these fascinating devices.
What Exactly are Trail Cameras?
- Trail cameras are primarily used for surveillance and wildlife monitoring, which are integral in capturing unseen moments.
- These cameras blend advanced technology with rugged durability, making them suitable for diverse environments.
Differentiating Types of Trail Cameras
Understanding the specific types of trail cameras is key to identifying them on your property. Below is a high level information about the two. For detailed differences, you can check our blog Expert Analysis: Game Camera vs Security Camera Pros and Cons
Security Trail Cameras
- Purpose: They serve as vigilant guards, monitoring properties for any signs of intrusion or unusual activities.
- Features:
- Enhanced motion sensors for precise detection.
- Night vision capabilities to capture clear images in low light.
- Common Places: Often installed in strategic locations like property entrances or hidden in less conspicuous areas.
Wildlife Monitoring Cameras
- Purpose: These are the silent watchers of the wild, capturing the natural behavior of wildlife.
- Features:
- Camouflage designs to blend with natural surroundings.
- Long battery life and weather-resistant properties for prolonged field use.
- Common Places: Typically found near water sources, food plots, or along animal trails.
For those eager to delve deeper, our blog post, "How Cellular Trail Cameras Work: A Comprehensive Guide," offers a detailed exploration of the sophisticated world of cellular trail cameras. It's an invaluable resource for anyone interested in remote monitoring and wildlife tracking.
Additionally, "How Does a WiFi Trail Camera Work?" is a must-read for understanding the integration of trail cameras with modern connectivity, offering insights into real-time monitoring and data transmission.
Grasping the nuances of trail cameras is the first step in locating them on your property. Whether for security surveillance or wildlife observation, each type of camera is uniquely designed for its specific role, making them essential tools in our modern world.
Common Locations to Detect Trail Cameras
In our quest to uncover trail cameras on your property, knowing where to look is half the battle. This section will guide you through the most common locations where these elusive devices are typically placed, enhancing your detection skills significantly.
1) Trees and Elevated Areas
Focusing on trees and elevated areas is paramount. These natural high points offer the perfect vantage for discreet surveillance or wildlife observation.
Why Trees and Elevated Areas are Key
- Strategic Placement: Trail cameras are often placed in trees or on elevated structures to maximize the field of view. This elevation advantage is crucial for capturing a wider area, be it for security surveillance or tracking animal movements.
- Camouflage Factor: Trees provide natural camouflage for trail cameras, making them harder to spot. This blending with the environment is a common tactic used to keep the cameras inconspicuous.
Tips for Effective Inspection
- Look Up: Always remember to scan higher branches and tree trunks. Cameras are typically positioned above eye level to avoid easy detection.
- Check for Anomalies: Look for anything that seems out of place, like unusual shapes or colors against the natural backdrop of the tree.
- Inspect Man-Made Structures: Besides trees, elevated structures like hunting stands or utility poles can also house these cameras. So, don't overlook them.
Keeping a keen eye on trees and elevated areas significantly enhances your chances of finding hidden trail cameras. Understanding their strategic placement and the art of camouflage employed in these locations is essential.
2) Water and Food Sources
As we continue our guide on how to find trail cameras on your property, let's turn our focus to water and food sources. These natural gathering spots for wildlife are prime locations for trail cameras.
The Attraction of Water and Food Sources
- Wildlife Hotspots: Animals regularly visit water bodies and food sources, making these areas ideal for observing their behavior.
- Strategic Placement for Cameras: Placing cameras near ponds, streams, or areas with abundant food like oak trees (known for their acorns) increases the likelihood of capturing wildlife activity.
Tips for Spotting Cameras Near Water and Food Sources
- Observe the Surroundings: Look for signs of camera placement like disturbed soil or unusual structures near water sources and feeding areas.
- Check Both Natural and Man-Made Food Sources: This includes naturally occurring food sources as well as feeders or bait piles set up for hunting.
- Be Extra Vigilant During Certain Seasons: Wildlife activity near water and food sources peaks during certain times of the year, making these periods ideal for camera placement.
Understanding why and where cameras are placed near water bodies and food sources can greatly enhance your ability to detect them. Whether for monitoring wildlife patterns or for hunting purposes, these locations are frequently chosen for their high animal traffic.
3) Game Trails
Game trails emerge as critical areas. These natural pathways, etched into the landscape by the regular movement of wildlife, are prime spots for camera placement.
Understanding Game Trails
- Natural Pathways: Game trails are formed by the repeated travel of animals. They are easily recognizable by their worn paths, devoid of undergrowth.
- Wildlife Highways: These trails act as the main routes for animals, leading to water, food sources, or safe resting areas.
Why Game Trails Attract Cameras
- High Animal Traffic: The frequent use of these paths by animals makes them ideal for observing wildlife behavior.
- Strategic Camera Placement: Cameras placed along these trails can capture a wide variety of species as they pass by, providing valuable insights into wildlife patterns.
Tips for Spotting Cameras on Game Trails
- Look for Cleared Paths: Pay attention to the trails themselves. Cameras are often positioned to get the best view of these natural corridors.
- Check Nearby Trees and Bushes: Cameras are usually hidden in vegetation alongside these trails to remain undetected by both humans and animals.
- Be Observant of Seasonal Changes: Wildlife patterns on these trails can change with seasons, influencing where and when cameras are placed.
Game trails offer a unique opportunity to observe the comings and goings of various wildlife species.
By understanding their significance and keeping a watchful eye on these natural pathways, you significantly increase your chances of finding hidden trail cameras.
Visual Indicators to Detect a Hidden Camera on Your Property
1) Camera Flashes and Reflections
Identifying trail cameras can often come down to spotting subtle visual cues, like flashes and reflections.
- Watch for Flashes:
- Many trail cameras have a feature known as "low-glow" or "red glow." These cameras emit a faint red light, especially during the night when their infrared mode is active.
- Red glow infrared flashes are less noticeable but still detectable in the dark.
- Lens Reflections:
- Trail cameras have lenses, and these can sometimes reflect sunlight or other light sources.
- On sunny days, look for reflections caused by the camera lens.
- This method is less effective but can sometimes reveal the presence of a camera.
- Tips for Effective Detection:
- Best observed during early morning or late evening when the light is dim.
- Use binoculars to scan areas where the sun's rays hit directly, as this increases the chance of catching a reflection.
- If you see an unexpected glint or reflection, especially from tree branches or other unusual places, it could be a camera lens catching the light.
Remember, these visual indicators require patience and a keen eye. While the technology of trail cameras aims for discretion, certain environmental conditions can reveal their presence.
2) Straps and Camera Body
Paying attention to the straps and the camera body itself is crucial. Let's explore how to spot these less obvious but telltale signs.
Recognizing the Straps
- Look for Out-of-Place Bands: Trail cameras are often secured to trees with straps. These can be a giveaway.
- Color Contrast: Camera straps might contrast with the tree bark, making them more visible. They're usually green, black, or brown.
- Unnatural Shapes: Man-made materials have distinct shapes and textures. Keep an eye out for anything that doesn't blend with the natural surroundings.
Identifying Camera Body Features
- Shape and Size: Trail cameras are typically rectangular and can stand out against the irregular shapes in nature.
- Color Patterns: While designed to be camouflaged, certain lighting conditions can reveal the subtle differences in color.
- Lens and Sensors: These are often slightly reflective. Look for circular or glass-like components that seem out of place.
Tips for Effective Detection
- Use Binoculars: A pair of binoculars can be invaluable for inspecting higher or distant places.
- Check from Different Angles: Sometimes, walking around the suspected area offers a different perspective, revealing hidden cameras.
- Be Patient and Thorough: Finding trail cameras is a task that requires both patience and attention to detail.
Identifying the straps and body of trail cameras is a key skill in locating them. By learning what to look for and how to look, you can greatly increase your chances of spotting these hidden devices. It's all about observing the minute details that break the natural pattern of the environment.
3) Unusual Wires
When scouting your property for hidden trail cameras, one of the less obvious but telltale signs to look for is the presence of unusual wires.
Trail cameras, depending on their design and intended use, might be equipped with external power sources or other attachments that necessitate the use of wires.
These wires can often be your key to uncovering a camera that's been strategically hidden.
Identifying Suspicious Wires
- Location: Pay close attention to areas where you wouldn't typically expect to find any wiring, especially in a natural, outdoor setting. Wires running along the ground, attached to trees, or draped over bushes can be a giveaway.
- Color and Camouflage: Trail camera wires are often designed to blend in with the natural environment. Look for wires that mimic the color of bark, leaves, or ground cover. However, even the best camouflage isn't perfect, and close inspection can reveal their presence.
- Connections and Direction: Follow the direction of the wires. They often lead directly to the camera itself, or to a power source like a battery pack. This can be particularly useful in dense wooded areas where the camera might be hidden.
Why Wires Matter
- Power Supply: Some trail cameras are equipped with extended power supplies to avoid the need for frequent battery changes. These power sources could be connected via wires.
- Data Transmission: In some sophisticated setups, wires are used for transmitting data to a remote location. This is more common in advanced surveillance systems rather than typical wildlife trail cameras.
4) Unnatural Alterations
Spotting unnatural alterations in the environment is a key strategy. These subtle changes can be indicators of hidden cameras.
Spotting Signs of Disturbance
- Broken Branches: Be on the lookout for snapped twigs or branches. These could suggest human activity, possibly related to camera installation.
- Disturbed Soil: Uneven or freshly turned soil can indicate that someone has been there recently, potentially placing a camera.
- Unusual Markings: Sometimes, individuals mark spots near camera locations. Keep an eye out for unnatural signs or symbols on trees or the ground.
Why These Alterations Matter
- Trail of Human Presence: These signs often point to recent human activity, which is uncommon in undisturbed natural areas.
- Camera Installation Footprints: Installing a trail camera often requires some manipulation of the environment, leaving behind subtle clues.
Tips for Recognizing Environmental Changes
- Compare Surroundings: Look for inconsistencies in the environment. Does a particular area look different from its surroundings?
- Use Your Memory: If you're familiar with the area, recall what it usually looks like and spot any deviations.
- Be Observant of Paths: Unusual paths leading off main trails can be a sign of frequent human passage, possibly to access a camera.
Paying attention to unnatural alterations in the environment can be a significant aid in locating hidden trail cameras. Remember, it's often the small, overlooked details that reveal the bigger picture.
Technological Aids to Look for Trail Cameras
Various technological aids can be powerful allies in your search, enhancing your ability to detect hidden cameras with greater efficiency and precision.
From drones to advanced sensors, technology opens up new possibilities in our quest to locate these elusive devices.
1) Drones and Aircraft
The use of drones and aircraft emerges as a cutting-edge approach. Let's dive into how aerial technology can revolutionize your search.
Embracing Aerial Technology
- Broad Perspective: Drones provide a bird's-eye view, allowing for extensive coverage of large properties.
- Access Hard-to-Reach Areas: They can effortlessly reach elevated or dense areas where manual search is challenging.
Advantages of Using Drones and Aircraft
- Time Efficiency: Covering large areas manually can be time-consuming. Drones expedite this process significantly.
- Improved Visibility: Equipped with high-resolution cameras, drones offer clear, detailed views of potential camera hiding spots.
Tips for Effective Aerial Scanning
- Plan Your Flight Path: Map out areas of interest to ensure thorough coverage. Focus on tree lines, open fields, and edges of water bodies.
- Use of Advanced Features: Utilize drones with zoom capabilities and high-definition cameras for better detail.
- Be Aware of Legal Restrictions: Ensure compliance with local regulations regarding drone flights, especially in residential areas.
Utilizing drones and aircraft in your search for hidden trail cameras adds an advanced layer of efficiency and thoroughness.
This technological approach not only saves time but also increases the likelihood of successful detection, making it an invaluable tool in modern surveillance and wildlife monitoring efforts.
Remember, integrating technology into your strategy can make a substantial difference in uncovering what's hidden from the ground level.
2) Metal Detectors
Metal detectors emerge as an unexpectedly effective tool, especially around areas with high foot traffic. Let's explore how these devices can be used to locate hidden cameras.
Using Metal Detectors to Find Trail Cameras
- Detecting Metallic Components: Trail cameras often contain metal parts. Metal detectors can easily pick up these components.
- Ideal for High-Traffic Areas: Areas frequently visited by people are common places for cameras. Metal detectors are particularly useful here.
How to Use Metal Detectors Effectively
- Sweep Slowly and Thoroughly: Move the detector slowly over potential hiding spots. Patience is key to covering each area comprehensively.
- Listen for Varied Signal Strengths: Different metals produce different signals. Pay attention to the nuances in sound or vibration from your detector.
- Check Unusual Spots: Besides the ground, scan tree trunks, posts, and any man-made structures where a camera might be mounted.
Tips for Successful Detection
- Understand Your Detector's Range: Familiarize yourself with the depth and range capabilities of your metal detector.
- Focus on Likely Areas: Concentrate on spots where you'd expect to find trail cameras based on your property's layout and wildlife paths.
- Combine with Visual Inspection: Use metal detection in conjunction with visual searches for a more comprehensive approach.
Metal detectors offer a practical and efficient means to locate trail cameras, especially in areas with frequent human activities.
While they might not pinpoint every camera, especially those with minimal metal content, they significantly increase your chances of uncovering hidden devices.
3) Thermal Imaging Cameras
Thermal imaging cameras present a unique and effective approach. These devices can detect the heat signatures emitted by electronic devices like trail cameras.
Understanding Thermal Imaging in Camera Detection
- Heat Signature Detection: Trail cameras, being electronic devices, emit heat. Thermal imaging cameras can detect these heat signatures.
- Advantage in Various Conditions: They are particularly useful in low-visibility conditions, like dense foliage or during nighttime.
How to Use Thermal Imaging Cameras Effectively
- Scan Suspected Areas: Sweep the thermal imaging camera across areas where you suspect a trail camera might be hidden.
- Look for Unusual Heat Spots: Trail cameras will show up as spots with a different heat signature compared to their surroundings.
Tips for Maximizing Efficiency with Thermal Imaging
- Utilize at Optimal Times: The contrast between the heat signature of the camera and its environment is more pronounced during cooler times of the day.
- Combine with Other Methods: Use thermal imaging in conjunction with visual inspections for a more thorough search.
- Understand Limitations: Thick covers or certain environmental conditions might mask the heat signatures, so be aware of these limitations.
Utilizing thermal imaging cameras offers a technologically advanced method to detect hidden trail cameras, especially useful in challenging environments.
4) RF Detectors
The use of RF (Radio Frequency) detectors emerges as a crucial tactic. These devices are adept at picking up wireless signals emitted by surveillance equipment, including some types of trail cameras.
The Role of RF Detectors in Locating Trail Cameras
- Detecting Wireless Signals: RF detectors can sense the radio frequencies emitted by trail cameras, especially those with WiFi or cellular capabilities.
- Ideal for Advanced Cameras: These are particularly effective against newer models that transmit data wirelessly.
How to Use RF Detectors Effectively
- Sweep Areas Methodically: Move slowly through your property, allowing the detector to scan for signals thoroughly.
- Pay Attention to Signal Strength: As you get closer to a camera, the signal strength indicated on the RF detector will increase.
Tips for Successful Detection with RF Detectors
- Understand Your Detector's Capabilities: Familiarize yourself with the range and sensitivity of your RF detector.
- Use in Conjunction with Other Methods: RF detectors work best as part of a broader search strategy that includes visual inspection and other technological aids.
- Be Aware of False Positives: Other electronic devices can emit similar frequencies, so cross-reference with visual checks to confirm findings.
Employing RF detectors adds a sophisticated layer to your search for hidden trail cameras, particularly against models with wireless transmission capabilities.
Remember, integrating various methods will provide the most comprehensive results in your search.
5) Smartphone Apps to Help Detect Trail Cameras
Yes, there are apps designed to detect the presence of infrared cameras. These can be a handy tool, especially when conducting a thorough search of your property. Check the below apps
1. Hidden IR Camera Detector – This application identifies concealed cameras emitting infrared rays. Utilizing a unique camera filter, it reveals hidden cameras by displaying the infrared as a vivid white light. You can find it on the Google Play Store with over 100K downloads.
2. Hidden Infrared Camera Finder – Available on the App Store, this app is tailored to pinpoint concealed infrared cameras. It's an invaluable tool for those aiming to uncover hidden cameras or surveillance camera applications.
Additional Strategies to Find Trail Camera On Your Property
In our comprehensive guide on how to find trail cameras on your property, we've covered technological and physical search methods. Now, let's explore additional strategies that can be equally effective.
1) Consulting Neighbors and Online Resources
- Engage with Neighbors: Sometimes, the simplest way to find out about trail cameras is to ask your neighbors. They might be using cameras for their own property's security or wildlife monitoring and could provide valuable insights.
- Leverage Online Forums and Reviews: Online communities and review sites can be treasure troves of information. Here, you can learn about common camera models used in your area, their features, and how best to spot them.
- Participate in Local Groups: Joining local wildlife or neighborhood watch groups can provide insider knowledge on surveillance practices in your area.
2) Understanding Camera Operation and Noise Levels
- Get to Know Camera Functionality: Different cameras have different operating modes. Some may emit low sounds when activated, which can be a giveaway.
- Listen for Operational Sounds: In quieter environments, paying attention to faint noises like a click or a whirr can lead you to a hidden camera.
- Research Common Models: Familiarizing yourself with popular trail camera models can help you understand their operational sounds and behaviors.
3) Tips for Effective Community Engagement and Observation
- Open Communication: Approach your neighbors with a friendly and non-accusatory tone when inquiring about trail cameras.
- Active Participation: Engage actively in online forums. Ask questions, share experiences, and gather as much information as possible.
- Practice Makes Perfect: Spend time in areas where trail cameras are commonly used. This exposure can help you become more attuned to the subtle signs of their presence.
Preventative Measures and Legal Considerations
It's important to discuss preventative measures against unauthorized camera placement and understand the legal aspects surrounding this issue.
Preventative Strategies Against Unauthorized Cameras
- Regular Property Inspections: Conduct routine checks of your property, focusing on common camera hiding spots like trees, elevated areas, and near water or food sources.
- Install Signage: Clearly marked signs stating that surveillance is not permitted can deter potential intruders from placing cameras.
- Fence Your Property: Fencing can act as a physical barrier, making it harder for unauthorized individuals to access your land.
Understanding the Legal Framework
- Privacy Laws: Familiarize yourself with local privacy laws. In many regions, placing a camera on someone else's property without consent is illegal.
- Consult with Legal Experts: If you're unsure about the laws in your area, it's wise to consult with a legal expert.
- Report Unauthorized Cameras: If you find a camera that shouldn't be there, report it to the authorities. This is crucial in protecting your privacy rights.
Tips for Legal and Secure Property Management
- Stay Informed: Laws and regulations can change. Keep yourself updated on the latest legal developments regarding surveillance and privacy.
- Engage with Community: Sharing experiences and knowledge with neighbors can help in creating a more secure environment for everyone.
- Consider Your Own Surveillance: If you're considering installing cameras for security, ensure you're doing so legally and respectfully towards others' privacy.
While finding trail cameras is important, taking steps to prevent unauthorized placement and understanding the legal implications is equally crucial.
By staying informed and proactive, you can safeguard your privacy and ensure you're respecting the privacy of others.
It's a balance of being vigilant and informed, ensuring peace of mind in your personal sanctuary.
Wrapping Up
As we conclude our guide on how to find and detect trail cameras on your property, especially those hidden in the woods, it's clear that understanding the use of these devices is crucial. Whether you're a wildlife enthusiast trying to spot trail cams or concerned about privacy, the insights provided here should prove invaluable. Modern trail cameras come with various features, making them sometimes tough to spot, but with the right knowledge and tools, you can easily locate them.
For those intrigued by the technological aspects of trail camera detection, our blog post "Can Trail Cameras Be Jammed? Insights from Jammer Experts!" offers an intriguing perspective. It delves into whether it's possible to disrupt the functioning of these devices, a question often raised by those concerned about unauthorized surveillance.
Before you go, think about this: Have you ever encountered a trail camera unexpectedly on your property or while in the woods? How did you detect it, and what steps did you take? Share your experiences and join the conversation about the evolving use and detection of trail cameras. Remember, your insights can help others facing similar challenges.
FAQ Section
1. How can I find a trail camera on my property?
To find trail cameras, inspect areas like trees, elevated spots, water sources, and game trails. Look for signs like unusual straps, flashes, and lens reflections. Regular property checks and using technology like drones or RF detectors can also help.
2. What are some tips on how to detect trail cameras in the woods?
Detecting trail cameras in the woods involves looking for unnatural alterations like broken branches, disturbed soil, or unusual shapes and colors on trees. Employing metal detectors and thermal imaging cameras can also be effective.
3. Can smartphones help you find trail cameras?
Smartphones can assist in finding trail cameras, particularly if they're equipped with a camera flash detection app. However, they are less effective than specialized equipment like RF detectors.
4. How do modern trail cameras usually operate?
Modern trail cameras often have motion sensors, night vision, and can send images and videos to your phone or email. Some are equipped with WiFi or cellular capabilities for remote access.
5. What are the common places to place trail cameras?
Common places to place trail cameras include near game trails, food sources, water bodies, and high-traffic areas. They are often positioned to capture images and videos of wildlife or for security purposes.
6. How can I easily detect a hidden trail camera in my area?
To easily detect a hidden trail camera, use a combination of visual inspections for unusual objects, technological aids like RF detectors, and environmental signs such as disturbed areas or unnatural paths.
7. Can trail cameras in the area be used for home security?
Yes, trail cameras are often used for home security. They can monitor property at night and capture images of intruders, making them a versatile security tool.
8. Are there signs of trail cameras that I should look for?
Yes, signs of trail cameras include flashes from the camera lens, unusual straps on trees, disturbed vegetation, and reflective surfaces that don't blend with the natural environment.
9. What should I know about the legal aspects of using trail cameras?
It's important to know that placing a trail camera on someone else's property without consent is generally illegal. Always adhere to local privacy laws and respect others' privacy when using trail cameras.
10. How can I prevent unauthorized trail cameras on my property?
To prevent unauthorized trail cameras, regularly inspect your property, put up signage prohibiting surveillance, and consider fencing. Also, stay informed about the latest technologies used in modern trail cameras.
Related Posts
Rohan, the founder and driving force behind Trail Cam Rookies, first discovered his passion for trail cameras during an expedition in Central Europe. Fascinated by how these devices bridge the gap between humans and wildlife, he has since dedicated himself to exploring and sharing the intricacies of trail camera technology. Through Trail Cam Rookies, he offers beginner-friendly guides, comprehensive product reviews, and practical tips to help enthusiasts connect more deeply with the natural world. |
The network of pipes known as boiler piping links the boiler, heat exchangers, pumps, valves, and other auxiliary equipment to the other parts of the boiler system. These pipes facilitate the transfer of heat and energy by moving water, steam, or other fluids to and from various boiler system components. Because it provides appropriate fluid flow, pressure control, and temperature management, boiler piping is essential to the boiler's safe and effective operation.
To avoid leaks, corrosion, and other problems that could shorten the boiler system's lifespan and performance, boiler pipes must be installed and designed properly. Stainless steel, copper, or carbon steel are common materials used for boiler piping, depending on the application's particular needs. To stop heat loss and guarantee maximum energy efficiency, boiler piping maintenance, and proper insulation are also crucial.
What Is The Cost Of Replacing a Boiler Tube?
The size, construction, and design of the boiler tube, in addition to the personnel and tools needed for installation, can all substantially impact how much it costs to replace one. On average, a few hundred to several thousand dollars can be spent on a tube. Obtaining an accurate quotation requires considering the boiler's particular requirements and speaking with an expert.
Choosing a High-quality Boiler Tube
Selecting high-quality boiler tubes is essential to a boiler system's effective and secure operation. During the selection process, several parameters are considered to ensure the tubes match the system's needs. The following factors should be taken into account while selecting premium boiler tubes:
Tube Material
Alloy or carbon steel can be used to make boiler tubes. While alloy steel tubes offer greater strength and resilience to corrosion and high temperatures, carbon steel tubes are more affordable and ideal for low to medium-pressure applications. The boiler system's particular requirements determine the material selection.
Tube Size and Thickness
Boiler tube design and selection heavily depend on the size and thickness of the tubes. The tube's thickness influences its resistance to pressure and temperature, while its size dictates its flow rate and heat transfer capacity. To ensure maximum performance and safety, the right size and thickness should be selected depending on the particular needs of the boiler system.
Tube Manufacturing Process
A variety of techniques, including seamless and welding, can be used to create boiler tubes. For applications involving high pressure and high temperatures, seamless tubes are recommended due to their superior strength and dependability. For lower-pressure systems, welded tubes are appropriate.
Corrosion Resistance
The term "corrosion resistance" describes a material's capacity to tolerate the deteriorating effects of corrosion, which is caused by a material's chemical reactions with its surroundings. Applications where exposure to moisture, chemicals, or other corrosive substances is anticipated call for the use of corrosion-resistant materials such as stainless steel and specific alloys. These materials are made to be long-lasting and dependable by resisting rust, tarnish, and other types of corrosion.
Tube Quality Standards
Boiler tube design and selection heavily depend on the size and thickness of the tubes. The tube's thickness influences its resistance to pressure and temperature, while its size dictates its flow rate and heat transfer capacity. To ensure maximum performance and safety, the right size and thickness should be selected depending on the particular needs of the boiler system.
Tube Insulation
To stop heat loss, condensation, and freezing, tubes and pipes can be covered with tube insulation. It increases energy efficiency, prevents corrosion, and aids in maintaining the fluid's temperature inside the tube. Mineral wool, foam, and fiberglass are common materials for tube insulation.
Supplier Reputation
The industry's impression of a supplier's dependability, caliber, and credibility is referred to as their supplier reputation. A well-regarded supplier is more likely to supply superior products, offer first-rate customer support, and uphold moral corporate standards. An improved reputation might draw in more business and make a supplier more competitive.
Final Thoughts
For your boiler system to operate safely and effectively, you must use high-quality boiler tubes. To make an informed choice, take into account elements like the type of tube, its size, the manufacturing method, quality requirements, insulation, resistance to corrosion, and the reputation of the provider. You can guarantee the dependability and lifespan of your boiler system by choosing the appropriate tubes. |
Several considerations factor into parents' search for and selection of child care and early education (CCEE) for their children. Parents may consider their income, work or schooling schedules, cultural beliefs, CCEE preferences, and local supply of CCEE. An examination of parents' CCEE search and decision-making using the 2012 National Survey of Early Care and Education (NSECE) Household (HH) survey revealed differences in CCEE search patterns among households seeking CCEE for a child under age 6. Hill et al. (2021) noted that households with lower incomes were less likely to search for CCEE compared to households with higher incomes. A similar study examining CCEE search rates among households with lower incomes also found a lower CCEE search rate among Hispanic or Latino households compared to Black and White households (Mendez & Crosby, 2018).
Among households that conducted a search in 2012, parents with younger children often cited reasons related to meeting parents' needs, such as finding CCEE to accommodate their work or school schedule, as the main reason for their search. In contrast, parents of young children cited reasons related to supporting child's development, such as finding CCEE to provide a specific kind of help or extra-curricular activity, significantly less. In instances where the search for CCEE did not result in a change of care, households with lower incomes were more likely than households with higher incomes to attribute this to cost considerations (Hill et. al, 2021).
Understanding the reasons why parents search for and make decisions about CCEE, and how those reasons may vary across households, can help inform efforts to promote equitable access to CCEE. This snapshot provides updated findings about parents' CCEE search and decision-making using the 2019 (NSECE) HH Survey.1 We present findings on (1) the prevalence of CCEE searches among household respondents, usually parents,2 that reported on children under age 6, (2) the reasons for CCEE searches, (3) the rate at which parents changed their care arrangement following a search, and (4) the reasons why parents ultimately did not change their care. We tested differences in CCEE search and decision-making by household income, child age, and, where sample sizes allowed, the race and ethnicity of the selected child.
To better examine CCEE decisions within the contexts of current research, we utilize a multidimensional defnition of CCEE access ofered by the Access Guidebook3 to categorize parents' reasons for looking for CCEE and reasons for not changing their care arrangement. This definition identifes equitable CCEE access as a process that requires reasonable efort for parents to fnd CCEE that is afordable, supports child development, and meets parents' needs.
This brief is part of the Child Care and Early Education Policy and Research Analysis (CCEEPRA) project. CCEEPRA supports policy and program planning and decision-making with rigorous, research-based information.
1 A similar examination of CCEE search was featured in the 2012 NSECE snapshot, Parents' Reasons for Searching for Early Care and Education and Results of Search. In both examinations, the 200% Federal Poverty Level (FPL) threshold was used to differentiate subsamples because it is a common eligibility threshold for social services; we are not suggesting that households with incomes that are at or above 200% FPL are necessarily households with high incomes. Notably, the current snapshot uses updated terminology to describe income-based subsamples comapred to the 2012 NSECE publication.
2 The HH Survey respondent was an adult living in the household who was "knowledgeable about the ECE usage and schedule of the youngest child in the household." Most respondents identified as a biological, adoptive, or stepparent to at least one child in the household, but a small portion of respondents were another type of guardian or a non-custodial adult in the household.
3 For more information on this access definition, refer to the full Access Guidebook (Defining and Measuring Access to High Quality Early Care and Education (ECE): A Guidebook For Policymakers And Researchers) or a condensed research highlight (Defining and Measuring Access to Child Care and Early Education with Families in Mind).
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Noke, R., 2016. What is driving the range extension of Gibbula umbilicalis (Gastropda, Trochidae) in the eastern English Channel?. Masters Thesis (Masters). Bournemouth University.
Full text available as:
NOKE, Russell_M.Res._2016.pdf 2MB | |
Copyright to original material in this document is with the original owner(s). Access to this content through BURO is granted on condition that you use it only for research, scholarly or other non-commercial purposes. If you wish to use it for any other purposes, you must contact BU via firstname.lastname@example.com. Any third party copyright material in this document remains the property of its respective owner(s). BU grants no licence for further use of that third party material. |
Until around 2000, the marine gastropod Gibbula umbilicalis (Da Costa 1778) was previously only present as far east as the Isle of Wight on the south coast of England. Since 2000 the range of Gibbula umbilicalis has extended 140km eastwards with records now present as far along the coast as Kent. Since the 1990s temperatures in the English Channel have increased faster (and to higher levels) than during any other period recorded. The importance of sea temperature driving the range extension of Gibbula umbilicalis has not been fully evaluated. Field and laboratory studies were carried out between March and September 2015 on populations at two long-established sites in the west of the Channel (Lyme Regis and Osmington) and two recently colonised (since 2000) sites in the east (Cuckmere and Eastbourne) to determine whether: I. reproductive development and spawning was synchronised between different populations, and whether it was correlated to sea temperature; II. there was evidence of recent recruitment at the ―new‖ sites and if there was a difference in population structure at each location;. III. new populations east of the Isle of Wight can now be considered established. Reproductive development was positively correlated to sea temperature, however this was not synchronised between sites; populations at Lyme Regis and Osmington matured before Cuckmere and Eastbourne, although the differences were slight. By September, spawning had begun at the long-established (western) sites but not the recently colonised (eastern) sites. There was evidence of recruitment of a 2014 cohort at all sites. However, the number of juveniles observed was lower in the eastern Channel during spring (March- May) in comparison with western sites, but increased each month from June onwards. The later detection of juveniles in the east is attributed to delayed spawning and settlement. On the evidence of continuing reproductive development and recent recruitment, populations at Cuckmere and Eastbourne can now be considered established. Their proximity to the continent exposes them to colder winters which may intermittently increase mortality. However, it is considered that these populations are now sufficiently large to withstand all but extreme events. The range extension of Gibbula umbilicalis in the eastern English Channel is attributed to multiple factors related to increasing temperatures. Higher summer sea temperatures are likely to have accelerated gonad development and spawning at the previous range limit. This provided juveniles more time to mature before temperatures fell during winter. Increased size/fitness limits winter mortality and promotes recruitment, resulting in growth of the range-edge populations. The larger breeding population resulted in an increase in larval supply, allowing the barrier at the range-limit to be penetrated and new sites seeded. The annual sea temperature increases will have had the same effect on the new arrivals settling in the eastern Channel; recruitment at levels exceeding mortality, allowing the populations to increase and become established.
Item Type: | Thesis (Masters) |
Additional Information: | If you feel that this work infringes your copyright please contact the BURO Manager. |
Uncontrolled Keywords: | Gibbula umbilicalis ; Trochid reproduction ; Climate change |
Group: | UNSPECIFIED |
ID Code: | 24988 |
Deposited By: | Symplectic RT2 |
Deposited On: | 29 Nov 2016 09:49 |
Last Modified: | 14 Mar 2022 14:00 |
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The world should establish a set of rules to regulate artificial intelligence weapons while they are still in their infancy, a global conference said on Tuesday, calling the issue the "Oppenheimer moment" of the era.
Like gunpowder and the atomic bomb, artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to revolutionize warfare, analysts say, by making human conflicts unimaginably different — and far more deadly.
"This is the 'Oppenheimer moment' of our generation where geopolitical tensions threaten to lead a major scientific breakthrough down a very dangerous path for the future of humanity," read the summary at the end of the two-day conference in Vienna.
American physicist Robert Oppenheimer helped invent nuclear weapons during World War II.
Austria organized and hosted the two-day conference in Vienna, which brought together around 1,000 participants, including political leaders, experts and members of civil society, from more than 140 countries.
G7 reportedly agrees to end date for coal-fired power stations
A final statement said the group "reaffirms our strong commitment to work urgently and with all stakeholders on an international legal instrument to regulate autonomous weapons systems."
"We have a responsibility to act and put in place the rules we need to protect humanity… Humane control over the use of force must prevail," said the summary, which is to be sent to the UN secretary-general.
Using AI, all kinds of weapons can be turned into autonomous systems, thanks to sophisticated sensors governed by algorithms that allow the computer to "see".
This will allow human targets — or targets containing human beings — to be identified, selected and attacked without human intervention.
Most of the weapons are still in the concept or prototype stage, but Russia's war in Ukraine has offered a glimpse of their potential.
Gaza is set to dominate the world economic summit hosted by Saudi Arabia
Remotely controlled drones are not new, but they are becoming more independent and used by both sides.
"Autonomous weapons systems will soon fill the battlefields of the world," Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Sallenberg said Monday at the start of the conference.
He warned that now is "the time to agree on international rules and regulations to ensure human control".
Austria, a neutral country keen to promote disarmament in international forums, in 2023 introduced the first UN resolution to regulate autonomous weapons systems, which was supported by 164 states.
Source: AFP |
A collaboration seen as a major step forward in the fight against Anti Microbial Resistance (AMR).
Background - Antibiotics are of utmost importance in the medical professions armoury against pathogenic infections, but each time they're used in an attempt to kill infective bacteria we take a risk. Within a bacterial colony often there are ones that differ genetically from the rest. These carry resistant genes that prevent the antibiotics we use from killing them. If we kill the majority of susceptible bacteria but not the resistant ones, we make space for these resistant bacteria to become dominant. In other words, the antibiotic will no longer work against these resistant infective bacteria. This is also the case with disinfectant and antiseptic products. It seems, the more we clean with disinfectant, or the more we treat infections with antibiotics and antiseptic, the more dangerous the resistant bacteria can become. Bacteria build nests called biofilm on surfaces to protect themselves, for example, plaque on our teeth. When biofilms form, the efficacy of disinfectant, antiseptic and antibiotic technology reduces significantly. Biofilm dominated by resistant bacteria is disastrous. We face therefore, a return to a pre antibiotic era where child birth, simple cuts or grazes, or stomach upsets could become fatal. We have to protect the antibiotics we have, ensuring their efficacy for as long as possible. We have a fight on our hands against resistant bacteria. We have a fight against AMR.
A major breakthrough in this fight is being worked on via a collaboration between Pruex Ltd from Carmarthenshire in Wales and Biowet Drwalew from Warsaw in Poland. Pruex, an innovative one health company, use detergents containing non infective bacteria to compete against infective ones in the environment and consistently demonstrate modulation of biofilm from being dominated by potentially pathogenic colonies of bacteria to non infective types. Biowet Drwalew manufacture antibiotics and have a long history and an established position in the market of veterinary medicinal products in Poland. Both organisations objectives align as they both want antibiotics to keep working for as long as possible without the threat of increasing AMR.
It's known that biofilm on surfaces can contain resistant bacteria that can infect animals including humans. Biowet Drwalew manufacture antibiotics to World Health Organisation standards. Pruex products will be used to ensure the animals have clean water, a dry bed and clean air to breathe. By doing so, the aim is for the contents of the biofilm in the animal housing and water lines to change, increasing the dominance of non-infective bacteria and reducing the numbers of resistant bacteria. Reducing the number of resistant bacteria present will safeguard the use of antibiotics for future generations.
This work was presented by Aled Rhys Davies of Pruex on the 19th April at the prestigious 18th scientific buiatrics conference, specific and non-specific immunoprophylaxis of selected cattle diseases - new achievements and directions of development held at the Polish Buiatric Association, National Veterinary Institute, Puławy. His presentation caught the imagination of the attending veterinary delegation with the trade booth remaining busy over the two day event.
At the conference, Aled Rhys Davies, the founder of Pruex stated that "Nature often has the answer to our man made problems. Nature provides us with bacteria that can out compete the problematic resistant bacteria our medicines by default have encouraged. We have to be scientific in our approach so that we can harness such technology in the fight against AMR. We want to see antibiotic manufacturers continue to provide effective products and are excited that, along with the scientists and staff at Biowet Drwalew that we can conduct work to modulate the contents of biofilm in animal environments and water systems so that we can potentially enable antibiotics that currently are no longer effective to work once more. We have an opportunity to secure the future of prudent antibiotic use without the risk of building resistant bacterial biofilm".
Pruex enables agriculture to remain environmentally beneficial in a circular economy
Chemicals have been used by vets and farmers in an attempt to keep all forms of livestock healthy. Antibiotics, antiseptics, and biocides are technologies that attempt to achieve sterility, but of course, sterility isn't achievable outside of controlled conditions such as those found in a laboratory, and is impossible at farm level. Synthetic chemicals have been used to grow plants, yet our waterways are under pressure from the nitrogen and phosphorus contained in such products as well as from human sludge and animal slurry or muck applied to land.
Pruex aims to lead the fight against antimicrobial resistance and environmental pollution. This video illustrates how we do so. An environmental success, improved animal welfare and animal health, all contributing to improved food production and food density. A one health approach that shows how Pruex can enable environmentally beneficial farming and optimise a circular economy.
At the 2023 National Ploughing Championships, Irish dairy farmers wanted to know more about Thermoduric bacteria and their economic impact.
If milk or milk products are contaminated by thermoduric bacteria on farm, then there are consequences for the whole food chain. These bacteria spoil milk products. Usually, if milk becomes contaminated by bacteria on farm, the process of pasteurisation by processors can eliminate the contamination and prolong the shelf life of the milk or milk products. Thermoduric bacteria, like Streptococcus, Lactobacillus, Corynebacterium, Microbacterium, Micrococcus, Alcaligenes, can all survive the process of pasteurisation which can greatly reduce shelf life and food safety. These bacteria are all too present in the cows environment. They occur in slurry, silage, bedding, and compacted soil. The use of disinfectant to control them being futile as sterile environments are almost impossible to achieve and harder still to maintain in agricultural conditions.
The problem becomes magnified when milk fat and protein fuel the buildup of biofilm within milking plants especially in aged, perished rubberware.
Our research work looking at ways to reverse antimicrobial resistance on farms enabled us at the ploughing event to transfer the knowledge needed by Irish farmers to reduce the risks of their milk being contaminated by thermoduric bacteria. We were able to discuss ways of managing the cows' environments and ways of maintaining clean milking plants without using chemicals.
Tara Lawrence, pictured, states that "If farmers are struggling with thermoduric contamination of their milk, we can help. I can visit the farm to collect swabs, the results of which allows us to devise a farm specific programme where we replace problematic bacteria in the cows environment with non thermaduric, non problematic bacteria".
This strategy has already proved it's worth on parlour and robot milking systems throughout Ireland.
Pruex offer this service in the UK as well. Click here to book a consultation, or call 01558509025 for further information.
Nuffield Leadership Guidance Delivers Team Award
On the 12th May the IOD Wales held their annual Director of the Year Awards in celebration of the talented and successful directors across all industry sectors, and the winner of the Innovation Director of the Year was none other than our very own Aled Davies, director and founder of Pruex Ltd. Aled wanted to thank Nuffield Farming, as well as his colleagues at Pruex and his family for all their ongoing support. Pruex extends its warmest congratulations to all the other winners and finalists.
When asked about the importance of the award, Aled said:
"Nuffield taught me that every business has more than one leader. I'm delighted that the staff at Pruex are taking ownership of the different aspects of running the business. Our customers are an extended family and we all enjoy working with them".
The dominant display of talented female directors was something to celebrate.
But one female was robbed of her recognition - condolences to Poppy the horse who was cropped out the mugshot photo.
QuietWean Tags a customer review
Sometimes in business, especially when you're busy, you forget how important customer feedback is. On Instagram today, we were tagged into a video post that a customer had generated. Our aim in business is to ensure prudent as opposed to excessive antibiotic use, hence our name PruEx. In this video, the Ford Family from Nempnett Pastures tell the story of using Quietwean tags to reduce the need for antibiotics at weaning. It's a great piece of work. The cattle look well. The lack of noise from the calves post weaning speaks volumes for the simplicity and efficacy of the product.
We would like to thank the Ford family for their custom and feedback.
You know they deserve clean non toxic water
Keeping animals healthy during housed periods can be difficult, with farmers tending to notice health issues towards the last third of the housed period. Supplying a dry bed, clean air and water for animals are critical. At Pruex, we work with farmers to ensure they can provide such basic environments for their livestock.
Farmers know that if their animals aren't drinking aggressively like these in the video that the water they are providing their animals is putrid. Animals drinking putrid water are more likely to get sick and require antibiotic treatment. Pruex work with farmers to ensure Prudent as opposed to excessive antibiotic use.
Making the link between improved environment, welfare and increased production
Customers congratulate the Pruex team for winning the Agri Epi UK Innovation award
"The team at Pruex would like to thank our fantastic customers and those that have sent video, texts, emails, letters or have called to congratulate us on winning the Agri Epi Centre award for UK Innovation. We continue to learn with you all how to keep animals healthy and by doing so, reduce the need for antibiotics. Diolch yn Fawr." Aled Rhys Davies, founder.
Agri-EPI Centre's agri-tech awards champions agri-tech innovators that have made a significant sustainable impact on-farm between January 2019- March 2021.
Award winning technology to dry out chicken litter with Pruex bacteria
On the 19th August a group of poultry farmers gathered at Wern Farm, near Welshpool to discuss ammonia and admire extremely dry chicken litter stored in the farm's muck shed!
Kindly hosted by Osian Williams and family, with the support of Farming Connect, Pruex have been working with the farm to autonomize the application of non-infective bacteria within Osians layer sheds.
The use of smoke bombs allows us to visualise air flow within the two 16,000 bird multi- tiered sheds and best place sprayer units. Pruex bacteria is sprayed throughout the shed, adding nature back into industrialized agriculture to provide a healthier environment for the hens and the staff.
Pruex bacteria dry up the chicken litter and testing has revealed that moisture content in the muck on the belts has reduced by over 50% since Pruex bacteria has been applied. This has resulted in the frequency of mucking out of the manure belts being slashed from every three days to once a fortnight, reducing labour requirements by more than 75%.
Alongside drying up litter, ammonia levels have been reduced inside the building and the stored muck; a huge potential for tackling NVZ policies. Air quality is improved within the sheds for birds and staff, alongside the health benefits of reduced risk of disease bacteria dominating. At Wern, mortality has reduced by over 1% and there has been no requirement for antibiotics in the flock. Egg production has been optimised, saving £12,000 per flock, and feed requirements have reduced without losing production, leading to further cost savings.
Pruex's automated spraying systems are increasing in popularity amongst farmers across the UK and have recently led them to being awarded Agri-Epi's prestigious Agri-Tech Excellence award 2021.
To get started with a new farm, Pruex undertake an initial swabbing to identify the disease challenge on individual farms. If you are interested in getting started with Pruex and finding out the benefits of a Pruex system in your shed, please call 01558 509025.
Forequarter udder infections - a call to action
Having conducted two years commercial research work part funded by the the Government through ERDF via the Cornwall Development Company part of Cornwall Council, we have observed fantastic results in cleanliness of udders, feet and bedding. Infections of udders and feet as a result over our R&D period were seen to decrease.
Our cleaning process doesn't involve disinfectant, antiseptic or antibiotics all of which aim to kill bacteria and can contribute to Antimicrobial resistance, AMR. The problem being that the newly cleaned surface quickly get repopulated often with the infective bugs that dominate the area. It's impossible to keep a wound like the ones in the image sterile on commercial dairy farms. We need an innovative strategy, one which Pruex have developed in order to reduce stress on the suffering animal so that her own immune system is maintained at an efficient and effective level. That doesn't mean that the immune system is improved, it means that the cow faces less challenges in her environment so that her immune system is less likely to collapse allowing the infection to flourish.
If you have cows with similar infections then we need to talk. Our office number is +441558509025 |
Pediatric Dentistry
A child's first visit to the dentist should be enjoyable. Children are not born with a natural fear of the dentist, but they can fear the unknown. Our office makes a special effort to use pleasant, non-frightening, simple words to describe each treatment. We want you and your child to feel at ease from the moment your family arrives at our office.
American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends
Children should visit the dentist by his or her first birthday. It is important that your child's newly-erupted teeth (which appear between six and 12 months of age) receive proper dental care, and benefit from proper oral hygiene habits right from the beginning.
When new teeth arrive
Your child's primary or "baby" teeth will begin to emerge between the ages of six to 12 months, and will continue to appear until about age three. During this time, your child's gums may feel tender and sore.
To help alleviate this discomfort, we recommend you soothe the gums by rubbing a clean finger or a cool, wet cloth across them. You may also choose to make use of a teething ring.
Your child's primary teeth are shed at various times throughout childhood. Permanent teeth begin to emerge at age six, and continue until age 21. Adults have 28 permanent teeth — 32,including wisdom teeth.
Adopting healthy oral hygiene habits
As your child's teeth erupt, be sure to examine them every two weeks, to inspect for lines and discoloration that may be caused by decay. Remember that sugary foods and liquids can attack a new tooth, so take care that your child brushes his or her teeth after feeding or eating. We recommend brushing two times a day for optimal oral hygiene.
Brushing can be fun, and your child should brush as soon as the first tooth arrives. When a baby's tooth erupts, parents should brush it with a soft-bristled toothbrush and a pea-sized amount of toothpaste. For children younger than two, do not use fluoride toothpaste unless advised to do so by Dr. Abbey or another healthcare professional. We suggest you review proper tooth-brushing procedures with your child.
Flossing is also a part of good oral hygiene habits, and we will discuss with you the right time to start flossing your child's teeth. If you notice signs of decay, contact us immediately.
Preventing tooth decay with regular checkups
Tooth decay is caused by sugars left in your mouth that bacteria turn into an acid, which can break down your teeth. Children are at high risk for tooth decay for a simple reason: many children and adolescents do not practice regular, good oral hygiene habits. Proper brushing and flossing routines combined with regular dental visits help keep tooth decay away.
Your child should visit our office every six months for regular dental cleanings and checkups. We recommend fluoride treatments twice a year, along with cleanings to keep teeth their strongest.
Tooth sealants are also recommended because they "seal" the deep grooves in your child's teeth, and prevent decay from forming in these hard-to-reach areas. Sealants last for several years, but will be monitored at your child's regular checkups. |
Surname Waldrip - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'W'
Waldrip: What does the surname Waldrip mean?
The last name Waldrip is of German-Swiss origin. It is a patronymic surname derived from the given name Waldo, from Old German words meaning "rule" and "peace." This type of surname is common throughout Europe and was usually given to the son of a man named Waldo.
In Britain, the Waldrip name could have been introduced by traders who traveled to England via Germany's Rhine Valley Group and Switzerland's Waldrich region. Many of these merchants set up businesses or settled in the country, establishing the Waldrip surname.
The Waldrip surname is often an indicator of a family with a long history in the area. Numerous Waldrips have held prominent positions throughout time, including mayors, lords, priests and sheriffs, and they often held leading roles in their communities. The Waldrip family is known for its resourcefulness and industriousness, and contributed largely to the development of the countries they settled in.
Waldrips are also connected to many trades such as carpentry, weaving and masonry. Others became blacksmiths and craftsmen. This surname is still in use today and can be found in various countries, especially in the United States and the United Kingdom.
Order DNA origin analysisWaldrip: Where does the name Waldrip come from?
The surname Waldrip is most commonly found in the United States today. According to the US Census Bureau, the surname Waldrip is ranked as the 13,807th most common surname in the United States, and is most frequently found in the South and the Midwest, particularly in Arkansas, Alabama, and Georgia. Evidence of the Waldrip surname dates back to the early 1800s in the United States, however the origin of the name is unclear. Some speculate it was derived from German or English immigrants, while others believe it is of English origin. Upon further investigation, most Waldrips today are descendants of those who settled in South and Midwestern states.
Most Waldrip descendants trace their name back to one family, which first settled in Searcy County, Arkansas in the early 1800s. This family is believed to have immigrated from either Germany or England. By 1900, the Waldrip family was more wide-spread throughout the Southern states, including Mississippi, Arkansas, Alabama, and Georgia. Over the years, other Waldrip families began to settle in other states, such as California and Wisconsin. Although the Waldrip surname is not overwhelmingly common, its presence is still felt throughout the United States today.
Variations of the surname Waldrip
The surname Waldrip can have several variants, spellings, and surnames associated with it.
The most common variant is 'Walderip'. This variation of the surname is typically found most commonly in English-speaking countries.
Some other common variations include 'Waldrap', 'Walterip', 'Walderipe', 'Walteripe', and 'Walderip'.
In addition to these variations, there are some surnames of different origins which have similar soundings or spellings, such as 'Waldrop', 'Walderopp', 'Walkerdip', 'Walderope', 'Walderap', and 'Walderupp'.
Furthermore, some other spellings or surnames that are associated with Waldrip are 'Waldraff', 'Waldraps', 'Waltherip', 'Waltheripp', 'Walterripp', 'Waltersrip', 'Walterstripp', and 'Walterstepp'.
Additionally, there are other surnames which are of Scottish origin that are similar in sound and spelling, such as 'Walerip', 'Walderick', 'Walderock', 'Walterick', and 'Walterock'.
Finally, there are several German surnames of similar sound and spelling, such as 'Walther', 'Waltherr', 'Waldher', 'Waldherr', 'Waltherr', and 'Walterr'.
Overall, the surname Waldrip can have many variations, including the most common variant, 'Walderip', but also including several other spellings and surnames of different origins such as 'Walkerdip', 'Waltherip', and 'Waltheripp', as well as Scottish and German names.
Famous people with the name Waldrip
- Imri Waldrip: Imri Waldrip is an American actor best known for his role in the film Days of Heaven.
- Paul Waldrip: Paul Waldrip was an American baseball player who played in the Major League from 1893 to 1899.
- Gary Waldrip: Gary Waldrip is an American jazz saxophonist, composer, and sax instructor.
- Kelly Waldrip: Kelly Waldrip is an American entrepreneur, best known for founding the company MSSange.
- Jeff Waldrip: Jeff Waldrip is an American award-winning filmmaker and visual effects artist.
- Barry Waldrip: Barry Waldrip is an American filmmaker and film producer.
- Laine Waldrip: Laine Waldrip is an American country music singer and songwriter.
- Robert Waldrip: Robert Waldrip is an American men's health specialist and television personality.
- Melissa Waldrip: Melissa Waldrip is a professional bodybuilder.
- Debra Waldrip: Debra Waldrip is an American entrepreneur, real estate developer, and philanthropist. |
Dangerous Omicron from Delta
New Delhi. Concern has increased all over the world about the new variant of the corona virus, Omicron. The World Health Organization (WHO) has described it as a variant of concern. Earlier, a dozen variants of Corona have been found, out of which except one were in the category of variant of interest. But Omicron has been considered a variant concern. The reason for this is that this form of the virus is considered to be more dangerous than the delta variant that causes the most havoc. It is worth noting that the Delta variant itself caused havoc in India in the second wave. dangerous omicron from delta
However, the Omicron variant is spreading very fast and due to this most countries including Europe and America have started to stop flights from Africa countries. Many surprising things are coming out about this variant, while it has not been fully studied yet. It is being said that it is spreading six to seven times faster than the Delta variant. In South Africa till two weeks ago, one percent of the cases of this variant were being found, but now 90 percent of the cases in three provinces are of this variant.
The first case of this variant was found in the African country of Botswana on 11 November. In the next two weeks, cases of this variant have been found in many other countries. Its cases were found in Botswana, South Africa and Hong Kong and on Friday it has also been found infected in Israel and Belgium. In view of this, all 27 countries of the European Union have banned flights from seven African countries. In addition to EU countries, Britain, Austria, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands banned flights from African countries. Now many countries including America, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Brazil have also banned the flights of African countries.
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However, amidst the worldwide chaos, there has also been a dispute as to why the WHO named this variant B.1.1. The reason for the controversy is that the WHO started naming variants of the corona virus with the first letter of the Greek alphabet. Alpha, beta, gamma delta etc. were named from the first letter. Till now WHO had named till the 12th letter i.e. Mu. After this, the name was to be named on the basis of the alphabet of 13th and then 14th but WHO directly named Omicron on the basis of 15th letter. The reason for leaving two letters in the middle is because the 13th letter is New and the 14th is Xi. The variant of the virus could not be named as new, so it had to be named Xi. Remember, Xi is the name of the President of China.
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According to the UK newspaper The Telegraph, a WHO source has said that the new variant has not been named after the letter Xi due to its similarity to the name of the Chinese prime minister. Regarding this, US MP Ted Cruz has also questioned the credibility of WHO. Cruz has said – If the WHO is so afraid of the Chinese Communist Party, then how can we trust this health agency at the time of a terrible epidemic. |
Home » C programming language
In this tutorial we are going to learn about complex return statement in c programming using comma operator.
Here we will learn how we can use a return statement for other purpose with returning value to calling function?
In the below code, a complex return statement is using for two purposes:
Consider this program
#include <stdio.h> //global variable int status=0; int testFunction(void){ printf("Body of testFunction...\n"); //complex return statement return (status=10, -3); } int main(){ int return_value=0; printf("Main function started...\n"); return_value=testFunction(); printf("Value of status= %d\n",status); printf("Return value of testFunction is: %d\n",return_value); printf("End of main function...\n"); return 0; }
Main function started... Body of testFunction... Value of status= 10 Return value of testFunction is: -3 End of main function...
Now consider the following complex return statement used in function
return (status=10, -3);
Here, 10 will be assigned to global variable status, that can be used further and -3 will be returned to the calling function main() that can also be used further.
When the statement (staus=10, -3) evaluates, first expression status =10 executes and assigns 10 to variable status and then second expression after comma -3 executes and according to operator precedence and associatively the final returnable value will be (-3).
For better understanding, consider the following statement, which may clear comma operator behaviour:
int x=(10,20);
When this statement executes value of x will be 20 because 10, 20 are in the brackets, so 10,20 will be evaluated first before assigning the value in variable x. Hence the final value inside the bracket will be (20).
Here is another statement:
int x=10,20;
In this statement there is no brackets and = has higher priority than comma (,) operator, so 10 will be assigned to x and the value of x will be 10.
Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comma_operator
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Harnessing the Power of Data: How Technology Can Prevent Future Medical Malpractice Incidents
While thankfully rare, medical malpractice cases can have devastating consequences for patients and healthcare providers. Beyond the emotional and financial toll on individuals, these incidents represent a significant financial burden for businesses within the healthcare industry. The costs associated with legal fees, settlements, and reputational damage can be crippling, highlighting the critical need for proactive measures to prevent such occurrences.
Fortunately, the landscape of healthcare risk management is undergoing a significant transformation with the integration of data-driven technology. By harnessing the power of data from past medical malpractice incidents, businesses can gain valuable insights into potential risk factors and implement preventative strategies to create a safer environment for patients and employees.
Incident Reporting and Analysis Platforms
Comprehensive incident reporting is the foundation of any data-driven approach. It is crucial to implement robust platforms that capture detailed information about near misses, adverse events, and potential malpractice claims. These platforms should be readily accessible to employees, allowing them to report incidents seamlessly without fear of repercussions.
Once collected, this data needs to be meticulously analyzed. Advanced analytics tools can identify patterns and trends within the reported incidents, pinpointing specific areas of concern and potential risk factors. This analysis can reveal recurring issues related to specific procedures, equipment malfunctions, or even individual staff performance.
Predictive Analytics and Risk Mitigation
By leveraging machine learning algorithms, businesses can go beyond analyzing past incidents and begin predicting potential future occurrences. These algorithms can be trained on historical data, incorporating details like patient demographics, specific procedures, and staff involved. By identifying patterns and correlations, the system can flag situations with a higher statistical likelihood of leading to adverse events or malpractice claims.
This predictive capability allows businesses to implement targeted risk mitigation strategies. This might involve:
- Enhanced training and education: Identifying areas where staff require additional training or skill development based on the predicted risk factors.
- Improved communication protocols: Implementing clear communication protocols to ensure timely and accurate information exchange during critical situations.
- Equipment upgrades and maintenance: Prioritizing upgrades or maintenance of equipment identified as potential risk factors in the data analysis.
Building a Culture of Safety
Technology plays a crucial role in facilitating a culture of safety within healthcare organizations. By making incident reporting accessible and transparent, businesses encourage a proactive risk identification and mitigation approach. Additionally, utilizing data-driven insights to implement targeted training and safety protocols demonstrates a commitment to patient safety and staff well-being.
This culture of safety not only minimizes the risk of medical malpractice incidents but also fosters a sense of trust and accountability among employees. This, in turn, leads to improved employee morale and engagement, ultimately contributing to a more positive and productive work environment.
Challenges and Considerations
While the potential benefits of data-driven risk management are undeniable, certain challenges need to be addressed:
- Data Quality and Standardization: Ensuring data accuracy and consistency across various reporting platforms is crucial for reliable analysis. Standardized data formats and clear reporting protocols are essential for effective data aggregation and analysis.
- Ethical Considerations: Data privacy and security are paramount. Businesses must implement robust data protection measures to safeguard sensitive patient and employee information. Additionally, ensuring data collection and analysis transparency is crucial to maintaining trust and ethical conduct.
- Integration and Implementation: Integrating data-driven risk management tools into existing workflows and infrastructure requires careful planning and resource allocation. Businesses need to train personnel to utilize these tools effectively and interpret the generated insights.
The Future of Medical Malpractice Risk Management
While data-driven technology offers immense potential in preventing medical malpractice incidents, a truly comprehensive approach requires collaboration beyond individual healthcare organizations. Fostering a culture of data sharing and collaboration across the broader healthcare industry can significantly amplify the effectiveness of risk management strategies.
Here's how this collaborative approach can be implemented:
Industry-Wide Data Sharing Platforms
Establishing centralized platforms where healthcare providers can anonymously share de-identified data on medical malpractice incidents would create a vast repository of information. This collective data pool would enhance the predictive capabilities of AI algorithms, leading to more accurate risk identification and mitigation strategies that benefit the entire industry.
Standardized Reporting Protocols
Implementing standardized data collection and reporting protocols across healthcare institutions would ensure data consistency and facilitate seamless integration into industry-wide platforms. This would allow for more efficient analysis and broader application of insights gained from individual incidents.
Collaborative Research and Development
Encouraging collaboration between healthcare providers, technology companies, and research institutions can accelerate the development of advanced data-driven risk management tools. By sharing expertise and resources, the industry can create even more sophisticated AI algorithms and predictive models, further enhancing the ability to prevent future incidents.
This collaborative approach fosters a collective responsibility for patient safety and creates a more robust system for identifying and mitigating potential risks. By leveraging the combined knowledge and resources of the healthcare industry, the fight against medical malpractice incidents can become significantly more effective, ultimately leading to a safer environment for patients and healthcare professionals alike.
The integration of data-driven technology into medical malpractice risk management represents a significant leap forward in creating a safer healthcare environment. By analyzing past incidents, predicting potential risks, and implementing targeted preventative measures, businesses can significantly reduce the likelihood of medical malpractice claims, protecting patients, employees, and the organization's financial health.
As technology continues to evolve, its role in data-driven risk management will become increasingly sophisticated, paving the way for a future where medical malpractice incidents become increasingly rare and healthcare safety remains a top priority. |
As part of our HR candidate tips resources content, we are looking into how a HR candidate should craft a standout CV that captures the attention of recruiters. In just nine speedy seconds the average recruiter will have decided whether you are suitable for a job or not. It is therefore vital to ensure that your CV showcases your experience and relevance in the best possible way.
Too many candidates forget that this simple document is often the first stepping stone to a fantastic opportunity, so it's essential that it packs the wow-factor. Here's our top tips on how to create a CV that will help you stand out:
Presentation is key
The cosmetic appearance of your CV completely frames how you are perceived by an employer so it's crucial to get it right. Given that you've got all of nine seconds to make an impression, making your information digestible and accessible is key. Using lists and bullet points is going to make it far easier for a recruiter to pull out the relevant details quickly. What's more, keeping your style (font, colour etc.) consistent, neat and slick will go a long way to creating the right impression.
Get the basics right
The best way to rile a recruiter is to submit a CV littered with spelling and grammar mistakes – it looks lazy, unprofessional and demonstrates poor attention to detail; three traits you wouldn't dream of using to publicise yourself during a job hunt. Don't give someone a reason to discount you for a position before they've been fully exposed to your achievements and experience.
Regularly update your CV
This is obviously hugely important if you are actively on the market for a new role. However, if you're not, it doesn't hurt to freshen up your CV every few months. It's so easy to forget key career milestones and then when it comes to dipping your toe into the job market your CV doesn't accurately reflect all your relevant achievements.
Highlight your personality
The first question a recruiter will ask when reviewing your CV is – are they capable of doing the job? And if the answer's yes, well you're one step closer to securing your next role. The second question is – are they right for the business?
This concerns your sector experience, types of previous employers and your team fit. Whilst fit is best assessed in person, including relevant interests and hobbies on your CV can help highlight your personality and further demonstrate your relevance to the employer.
Tailor your CV to the role
Displaying a firm grasp of the role and the business shows you are really serious about the opportunity. Tailoring your CV to the skillset that is required is imperative for getting that initial foot in the door; it shows both initiative and understanding.
Include a relevant cover letter
A cover letter is a great way to support your CV by demonstrating more of your personality, whilst highlighting what you can bring to the role and business. However, the biggest mistake you can make is enclosing a generic cover letter. A recruiter will translate this to 'you are applying for jobs en masse and are taking a one size fits all approach to your job hunt'.
Strike the right balance between 'just enough detail' and 'too long'
Navigating the fine line between detailing your experience and overwhelming potential employers can be a daunting task. It's essential to strike a balance, presenting a comprehensive yet concise reflection of your professional journey.
Start by focusing on relevancy; highlight experiences and skills that align closely with the job description, trimming down on unrelated details. Use quantifiable achievements to demonstrate your impact and employ clear, concise language.
Prioritise the depth of information over breadth, providing more details for significant roles and accomplishments. Tailor your CV for each application, ensuring it showcases the most relevant aspects of your career, and remember, a well-structured, focused CV can speak volumes more than a lengthy, cluttered one.
Exaggeration… we're all guilty of it at some point or another. Why let a few facts get in the way of a good story, right? Wrong. Your CV really isn't the place for fabrication or exaggeration. Recruiters aren't stupid and realise if you've sprinkled a little pixie dust over your CV to help sell yourself.
We're interested in the facts; tangible achievements, job tenure, job titles, previous employers, qualifications and where possible, some hard statistics. It will soon become very clear if you can't evidence your statements during further conversations. Recruiters will also cross reference your CV with your LinkedIn profile, so it's important that each is aligned.
Explain gaps in your employment
Recruiters are trained to look out for a number of 'red flags' when sifting through CVs such as 'job-hopping' or long gaps in employment. There are many valid reasons why an individual should need or want to take time out from a career that wouldn't be classified as a 'red flag'. So don't leave us guessing! If you've taken time out for studying, to have children, or so on, then tell us.
Concluding thoughts
Crafting a CV is an art form, where presentation, content, and honesty intertwine to portray the best version of your professional self. The nuances of creating a compelling CV can make the difference between landing an interview and getting lost in the shuffle. Remember, it's about striking the right balance: presenting information that's digestible yet detailed, showcasing your personality alongside your achievements, and being truthful while putting your best foot forward.
Regularly updating your CV and tailoring it to each role demonstrates initiative and a deep understanding of your prospective employer's needs. By avoiding a generic approach and paying attention to detail, you show recruiters not only your qualifications but your dedication and respect for the process.
Whether you're actively seeking or just keeping your options open, ensuring your CV is polished, accurate, and reflective of your true self is the key to unlocking the doors of opportunity.
Creating a CV that grabs a recruiter's attention within the crucial first nine seconds requires a mix of presentation skills, attention to detail, and personalisation. To stand out, it's vital to maintain a visually appealing layout, ensure error-free content, update regularly to include all relevant achievements, and tailor the document to the specific role and business.
Highlighting your personality and including a relevant cover letter can further demonstrate your fit for the company. Striking the right balance in detail, avoiding exaggeration, and explaining any employment gaps transparently are also key strategies. These steps, combined with honesty and a clear understanding of the employer's needs, can significantly increase your chances of moving forward in the job application process.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the top HR candidate tips for creating a standout CV?
- Presentation Matters: Ensure your CV is visually appealing with a consistent style, using bullet points for easy readability.
- Error-Free Content: Proofread your CV to eliminate spelling and grammar mistakes, demonstrating professionalism and attention to detail.
- Regular Updates: Keep your CV current by adding new achievements and roles, ensuring it reflects your most recent professional milestones.
- Showcase Your Personality: Include interests and hobbies to give a sense of your personality, making you a more relatable candidate.
- Tailor Your CV: Customise your CV for each application, highlighting the skills and experiences most relevant to the role.
- Include a Relevant Cover Letter: Support your CV with a cover letter that speaks directly to the role and company, avoiding generic content.
- Balance Detail and Brevity: Provide enough detail to showcase your achievements without overwhelming the reader. Focus on relevancy and impact.
- Be Honest: Avoid exaggeration or falsehoods. Be transparent about your experiences and qualifications.
- Explain Employment Gaps: Offer clear explanations for any gaps in employment, turning potential red flags into positive discussions about your growth or contributions outside the workforce.
How can personalising your CV improve your job application success?
Personalising your CV demonstrates a genuine interest in the specific role and company, showing that you have taken the time to understand what they are looking for and how your skills and experiences make you the ideal candidate. This approach helps you stand out from candidates who use a one-size-fits-all CV, as it highlights your initiative and the relevance of your professional background to the role. Tailoring your CV and cover letter to each application can significantly increase your chances of progressing through the selection process, as it directly addresses the employer's needs and how you can meet them.
What strategies are recommended for explaining employment gaps in your CV?
- Be Honest and Positive: Approach any employment gaps with honesty, focusing on what you learned or achieved during these periods.
- Highlight Productive Use of Time: Whether you were studying, volunteering, travelling, or undertaking personal projects, describe how these experiences contributed to your personal or professional growth.
- Keep It Relevant: If possible, relate your activities during the gap to skills or experiences that are relevant to the job you're applying for.
- Brief and to the Point: Provide a concise explanation without going into unnecessary detail. Your aim is to reassure the recruiter or employer, not to dwell on the gap.
- Prepare to Discuss: Be ready to talk about your employment gap in interviews in a positive and confident manner, reinforcing your readiness and enthusiasm for returning to work.
Benefits of Partnering with an HR Recruitment Specialist: A Candidate's Perspective
Access to a Vast Network of Opportunities
As a candidate, partnering with a specialist HR recruitment agency opens up a world of opportunities. These agencies have a broad network of connections across various organisations, which means they can offer you access to a wide array of HR roles that might not be publicly advertised. This network can significantly increase your chances of finding a role that matches your expertise and career aspirations.
Industry-Specific Guidance and Support
Specialist HR recruitment agencies possess in-depth knowledge and expertise in the HR sector. This means they can provide invaluable guidance and support tailored to your specific career goals. They understand the nuances of different HR roles and can offer insights into what different organisations are looking for, helping you position yourself as the ideal candidate.
Streamlined Job Search Process
Working with a recruitment specialist streamlines your job search process. They handle the time-consuming aspects such as identifying suitable positions, making initial enquiries, and setting up interviews. This allows you to focus on preparing for interviews and other important aspects of your job search, saving you valuable time and energy.
Personalised Career Advice
Recruitment agencies offer personalised career advice, helping you to craft a compelling CV and cover letter, and prepare effectively for interviews. They can provide feedback and coaching based on their extensive experience with HR hiring processes, increasing your chances of success.
Confidentiality and Professionalism
When exploring new career opportunities, confidentiality is often key. HR recruitment specialists ensure that your job search remains confidential, protecting your current employment status while you explore new prospects. They maintain high standards of professionalism, which is particularly important for senior-level roles.
Faster Job Placement
Agencies often expedite the job placement process. Their goal is to match you with the right role swiftly and efficiently, which means you could secure a new position faster than if you were searching on your own. Their proactive approach can open doors more quickly, giving you an edge in the competitive job market.
Access to High-Quality Roles
Specialist recruiters focus on the quality of job matches. They aim to place candidates in roles that not only fit their skills and experience but also align with their career growth and personal values. This approach leads to more satisfying and fulfilling career moves.
Ongoing Career Support
Many agencies offer ongoing support even after you've secured a new role. This can include career advice, market insights, and networking opportunities, helping you continue your professional development and stay ahead in your HR career.
Partnering with PEEQ: A Unique Advantage
PEEQ offers distinct benefits with a high fill rate, exclusive partnerships, and access to experienced freelance HR recruiters. Our approach ensures a focused and committed job search process, increasing your chances of securing a desirable HR role. Additionally, own unique services like psychometric insight reports and post-hire executive coaching set you up for long-term success in your new role. With PEEQ, you gain the advantage of an informed, strategic approach to your HR career advancement.
Benefits of Partnering with an HR Recruitment Specialist: An Employers Perspective
Access to a Vast Network of Professionals
A specialist HR recruitment agency has an extensive network of professionals in the human resources field. This network allows them to identify top talent with the right expertise, qualifications, and experience for high-level positions within your organisation.
Industry-Specific Knowledge and Expertise
HR recruitment agencies specialising in your industry have a deep understanding of the specific requirements and challenges of top-level HR roles. This expertise enables them to identify candidates with the ideal skill set and experience to excel in these positions.
Streamlined Recruitment Process
Working with a specialist HR recruitment agency can save your organisation time and resources by streamlining the entire recruitment process. The agency takes care of tasks such as job posting, candidate sourcing, screening, and initial interviews, allowing your HR team to focus on other essential duties.
Tailored Recruitment Strategies
A specialist HR recruitment agency develops customised recruitment strategies that align with your organisation's needs and goals. They take into account factors such as your company culture, values, and objectives to ensure that the candidates they present are an ideal fit for your organisation.
Confidentiality and Discretion
Top-level HR roles often require a high degree of confidentiality and discretion during the recruitment process. A specialist HR recruitment agency is experienced in handling such sensitive information and can ensure that the process is conducted with the utmost professionalism and confidentiality.
Reduced Time-to-Hire
Partnering with a specialist HR recruitment consultant or agency can significantly reduce the time it takes to fill top-level HR positions. By leveraging their network, industry expertise, and recruitment strategies, they can quickly identify, screen, and present the best candidates for your organisation.
Enhanced Quality of Hire
A specialist HR recruiter's primary goal is to identify the highest quality candidates for your organisation. Their expertise and tailored approach ensure that the candidates they present meet the specific requirements of top-level HR roles, leading to a better overall quality of hire.
Long-Term Partnership and Support
Establishing a long-term partnership with a specialist HR recruitment agency can be beneficial for your organisation's ongoing talent acquisition needs. The agency can provide valuable insights, support, and assistance for future recruitment efforts, ensuring a consistent and effective approach to attracting and retaining top HR talent.
Why Choose PEEQ?
The average fill rate amongst HR Recruitment Agencies is 46%, but at PEEQ our average fill rate sits above 90%, So you are twice as likely to make a hire if you choose PEEQ.
This is due to two reasons:
Firstly, we only partner with our clients on an exclusive basis, so we 'own the responsibility'
Secondly, we don't employ recruiters. Instead, we work with trusted and proven freelance HR recruiters, to hire for our clients.
We give them the tools and infrastructure to be successful, and the rest is down to their magic and experience. Our Associates are not employed by us and only get paid for making a successful hire.
This makes them incredibly tenacious and committed to finding the best talent, which is why our fill rate sits above 90%, compared to the industry average of 46%.
More reasons to work with PEEQ
Psychometric insight reports
Obtain a unique insight into your candidates' Cultural Fit, Strengths, Decision Making and Resilience through our accredited assessments.
Post-hire executive coaching
Set your hire up for success with a tailored coaching programme that helps them achieve their full potential personally and professionally.
Up to 6 Month Placement Guarantees
Confidently make your hire under our 2, 3 or 6 Month Placement Guarantee; safe in the knowledge that we'll offer you a free replacement if they leave within our pre-agreed time period.
BeTalent Accredited Approach
We are proud to offer the BeTalent Accredited approach that enables us to deliver scientific candidate assessment, in accordance with the British Psychological Society standards.
This solution is for you if you want:
- An objective way to determine who is the best fit for your role
- A comprehensive understanding into your new hire before they start
- Peace of mind that you've made the right hiring decision.
Get in Touch with PEEQ HR Recruitment Agency
We are here to help you. If you have any questions, queries or would like to discuss a potential hire, a job application, or require clarification on anything detailed on our website, then we would love to hear from you.
Please feel free to call, email or complete the form provided and we will assist you. |
An increasing number of U.S. companies are tapping into Puerto Rico's talent pool, aiming to benefit from the island's strategic location, tax incentives, and lower operational costs. Hiring in Puerto Rico can also offer businesses access to a bilingual workforce, fluent in both English and Spanish, enabling seamless communication with customers and partners throughout the Americas. However, you need to understand the difference between the U.S. and Puerto Rico employment laws.
Many people ask us, "Do US laws apply in Puerto Rico?" While the benefits are numerous, employers must keep in mind that rules for hiring and managing staff in Puerto Rico are not identical to the mainland U.S. Although it's a U.S. territory, employment laws, labor regulations, and cultural norms differ from America in some important ways. Overlooking these nuances can lead to costly missteps and compliance issues for companies expanding their operations to the island.
In this article, we'll guide you through some of the legal and cultural considerations to help you smoothly hire and expand your business to Puerto Rico.
Understanding Puerto Rican employment laws
In general, U.S. employment laws will apply in Puerto Rico. For instance, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and the Fair Labor Standards Act (setting minimum wage and overtime pay), are the same for Puerto Rico as the U.S. mainland.
However, the island does enjoy a certain degree of autonomy in legal matters and has set additional protections for workers, covering areas like sick leave, vacation time, pregnancy discrimination, maternity leave, etc. Below are a few examples:
- Unlike in the mainland United States, all employees in Puerto Rico are entitled to two weeks of paid leave after one year of service.
- Labor law in Puerto Rico also requires employers to provide a one-hour food break after every six consecutive hours of work. This meal period is considered part of the workday and must be compensated.
- Employers must provide employees with one day of paid sick leave for every month worked, up to a maximum of 12 days per year. This is in addition to the unpaid sick leave required by the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).
- Puerto Rico requires employers to pay eligible employees a mandatory Christmas bonus. It can be between 2% and 6% of the employee's wages, depending on the size of the company and some other factors, up to a maximum bonus of $600.
- Maternity leave is also an area where Puerto Rican employees enjoy additional protections. Pregnant employees are entitled to eight weeks of paid maternity leave, four before childbirth and four after. Public sector employees are entitled to 16 weeks.
Complying with these additional labor protections is essential for a smooth hiring experience and a satisfied workforce.
If you need help expanding your business to the island and hiring staff there, take a look at our dedicated Employer of Record (EOR) services for Puerto Rico.
Differences Between U.S. and Puerto Rico Employment Laws
So, let's look at Puerto Rico laws vs U.S. laws. There are some key differences between Puerto Rico employment law and labor regulations in the U.S. For American businesses seeking to hire employees in Puerto Rico, we outline two of the most important differences to consider:
1. Paid leave accrual and carryover
Full-time employees in Puerto Rico accrue vacation leave at a rate of 1.25 days for every month worked, up to a maximum of 15 days per year. On the other hand, sick leave is accrued at one day per month, totaling 12 days per year.
Any unused vacation time must be paid out by the employer at the end of each year, and employees are not allowed to carry over unused vacation days to the next year (although sick leave can be carried over). Unused vacation days are compensated at a rate equal to the employee's standard hourly wage earned in the month when the leave was accrued.
In contrast, in the mainland United States, there is no federal law that requires employers to provide paid vacation leave to employees. Vacation policies, including accrual rates and carryover rules, are generally determined by the employer and specified in the employment contract. And many employers in the U.S. permit employees to carry over some of their unused vacation days from the previous year, within certain limitations.
There are also no fixed federal regulations regarding the payout of unused vacation time upon termination of employment in the U.S.
Puerto Rico, on the other hand, makes it mandatory for employers to pay employees the total vacation leave they've accrued at the time of termination. Hence, these differences in vacation leave accrual and carryover rules can have a great impact on payroll calculations for U.S. companies hiring in Puerto Rico.
2. At-will employment
Most states in the U.S. follow at-will employment. This principle permits either the employer or the employee to terminate the employment relationship at any time, without the need to cite any specific reason. A few exceptions exist for situations like discrimination or violation of public policy.
Puerto Rico does not have at-will employment, but rather a 'just cause' termination system. A Puerto Rican employee on the island will typically have an 'indefinite term contract' after the probation period, and to terminate this contract the employer will need to demonstrate 'just cause'.
This is a legitimate and non-discriminatory reason for termination. Such as misconduct or poor performance on the part of the employee. Or economic necessity on the part of the employer, including redundancy due to business closure.
When terminating an employee for a just cause, employers must demonstrate a documented history supporting their decision. Failure to do so would mean the employee being fired will be entitled to compensation in the form of severance pay. This could encompass a minimum of two months' salary, plus extra compensation based on their length of service.
For companies planning on hiring in Puerto Rico, the need to demonstrate just cause for termination will mean that additional documentation and procedures have to be implemented. This could also have a financial impact, leading to increased legal and operational costs, budgeting for severance payments, etc. There's also a risk of reputational damage for businesses unfamiliar with this aspect of Puerto Rican employment law.
Employing a U.S. national in Puerto Rico
Hiring a U.S. national in Puerto Rico offers advantages, but the process can be somewhat complex. Mentioned below are some of the important steps:
- If you want to employ U.S. nationals in Puerto Rico, your business must first register as an employer with the relevant Puerto Rican government agencies and obtain an employer identification number. This includes registering with the Puerto Rico Treasury Department, the Department of Labor, and more.
- Next, your company will need to set up a Puerto Rico payroll system to properly calculate and process all salary payments, Christmas bonuses, and vacation leave accruals. You must also set up the processes for calculating Puerto Rico taxes and the applicable withholdings.
- You will need to draft employment contracts compliant with Puerto Rico labor and employment laws, as well as with federal laws. These contracts should accommodate provisions for paid leave entitlements, 'just cause' termination requirements, etc. Also, the contracts should ideally be written both in English and Spanish.
TopSource Worldwide's EOR solutions for Puerto Rico
To ensure employment law and payroll compliance, you could consider partnering with a reliable provider of EOR services in Puerto Rico, such as TopSource WorldWide. We handle everything from registration to payroll management, leaving your company's internal staff free to focus on business-critical and revenue-generating activities.
Puerto Rico presents an enticing fusion of cultures and traditions, making it an attractive hub for U.S. businesses looking to expand their talent pool. Despite its compact size, this Caribbean Island boasts modern infrastructure, a well-educated workforce, and a regulatory framework based on that of the U.S., offering access to the mainland's vast consumer market.
TopSource offers local expertise and payroll management services, allowing businesses to expand into the region, hire a workforce there and employ U.S. nationals in Puerto Rico without having to set up a local entity. This expertise can help your business efficiently navigate Puerto Rican employment regulations while remaining compliant with all local and federal laws. Explore our tailored services or contact us to speak to our global employment and HR specialists. |
Browsing Discussion papers (FOR) by Author "Ubøe, Jan"
Now showing items 1-20 of 33
A maximum entropy approach to the newsvendor problem with partial information
Andersson, Jonas; Jörnsten, Kurt; Nonås, Sigrid Lise; Sandal, Leif Kristoffer; Ubøe, Jan (Discussion paper;2011:14, Working paper, 2011-08)In this paper, we consider the newsvendor model under partial information, i.e., where the demand distribution D is partly unknown. We focus on the classical case where the retailer only knows the expectation and variance ... -
Adjusting for Cell Suppression in Commuting Trip Data
Braathen, Christian; Thorsen, Inge; Ubøe, Jan (Discussion paper;13/22, Working paper, 2022-12-13)Maximum entropy methods are used to infer the true trip-distribution matrix in cases where parts of the data are suppressed due to privacy concerns. Large proportions of the suppressed data are found to be inferred correctly ... -
An agent-based computational approach to explaining persistent spatial unemployment disparities
McArthur, David Philip; Thorsen, Inge; Ubøe, Jan (Discussion paper, Working paper, 2008-09)This paper explores possible reasons for persistent spatial unemployment disparities using agent-based computational methods. The method relies on observing the actions of thousands of individuals within an artificial ... -
Aggregation of gravity models for journeys-to-work
Ubøe, Jan (Discussion paper, Working paper, 2001)This paper deals with the use of gravity models to examine journeys-to-work. The purpose of the paper is to study very simple examples demonstrating that gravity models may be subject to serious misspecification in aggregate ... -
Analyzing learning effects in the newsvendor model by probabilistic methods
Andersson, Jonas; Jörnsten, Kurt; Lillestøl, Jostein; Ubøe, Jan (Discussion paper;13/19, Working paper, 2019-10-11)In this paper, we use probabilistic methods to analyze learning effects in a behavioral experiment on the newsvendor model. We argue why we should believe that suggested orders follow a multinomial logit distribution, and ... -
Benefit efficient statistical distributions on patient lists
Ubøe, Jan; Lillestøl, Jostein (Discussion paper, Working paper, 2006)In this paper we consider statistical distributions of different types of patients on the patient lists of doctors. In our framework different types of patients have different preferences regarding their preferred choice ... -
Channel Coordination in a Multi-period Newsvendor Model with Dynamic, Price-dependent Stochastic Demand
Azad Gholami, Reza; Sandal, Leif K.; Ubøe, Jan (Discussion paper;6/16, Working paper, 2016-03-17)In this study, we extend the single-period newsvendor problem with stochastic demand into a multi-period and time-dependent one and find a solution for it. We analyze the multi-period newsvendor problem with stochastic ... -
Congested interregional infrastructure, road pricing and regional labour markets
McArthur, David Philip; Thorsen, Inge; Ubøe, Jan (Discussion paper, Working paper, 2009-04) -
Efficient statistical equilibria in markets
Jörnsten, Kurt; Ubøe, Jan (Discussion paper, Working paper, 2005)In this paper we will study statistical equilibria in commodity markets where agents have a specified utility attached to every transaction in their offer sets. A probability measure on the product of all offer sets is ... -
An empirically based implementation and evaluation of a network model for commuting flows
Gitlesen, Jens Petter; Kleppe, Gisle; Thorsen, Inge; Ubøe, Jan (Discussion paper, Working paper, 2006)In this paper we present empirical results based on a network model for commuting flows. The model is a modified version of a construction introduced in Thorsen et al. (1999). Journeys-to-work are determined by distance ... -
Employment, transport infrastructure and rural depopulation: a new spatial equilibrium model
McArthur, David Philip; Thorsen, Inge; Ubøe, Jan (Discussion paper;09/2013, Working paper, 2013-09)In this paper we propose a new spatial equilibrium model, and use it to discuss issues related to rural depopulation. The discussion focuses on how investments in transport infras- tructure and the spatial distribution ... -
Explicit Solution Algorithms for Order and Price Postponement in Multi-periodic Channel Optimization
Azad Gholami, Reza; Sandal, Leif K.; Ubøe, Jan (Discussion paper;9/19, Working paper, 2019-09-09)Supply channels typically face uncertain and time-varying demand. Nonetheless, time-dependent channel optimization while addressing uncertain demand has received limited attention due to the high level of complexity of the ... -
The impact of pecuniary costs on commuting flows
McArthur, David Philip; Kleppe, Gisle; Thorsen, Inge; Ubøe, Jan (Discussion paper, Working paper, 2010-05) -
Markets With Memory: Dynamic Channel Optimization Models With Price-Dependent Stochastic Demand
Azad Gholami, Reza; Sandal, Leif K.; Ubøe, Jan (Discussion paper;8/19, Working paper, 2019-09-09)Almost every vendor faces uncertain and time-varying demand. Inventory level and price optimization while catering to stochastic demand are conventionally formulated as variants of newsvendor problem. Despite its ubiquity ... -
A microeconomic approach to distance-deterrence functions in modeling journeys to work
Glenn, Paul; Thorsen, Inge; Ubøe, Jan (Discussion paper, Working paper, 2001)In this paper we suggest a microeconomic model for how commuting flows relate to traveling distance. Commuting is the preferred choice of a worker whenever he can obtain an increase in wages greater than the cost of ... -
Misspecifications due to aggregation of data in models for journeys-to-work
Gitlesen, Jens Petter; Thorsen, Inge; Ubøe, Jan (Discussion paper, Working paper, 2004-10)In this paper we develop a new simulation procedure that can be used to examine validity of model extensions. Our testing regime is carried out on a number of different trip distribution models. We test the models on ... -
Mixed contracts for the newsvendor problem with real options
Jörnsten, Kurt; Nonås, Sigrid Lise; Sandal, Leif Kristoffer; Ubøe, Jan (Discussion paper, Working paper, 2011-04) -
Modeling freight markets for coal
Andersson, Jonas; Jörnsten, Kurt; Strandenes, Siri Pettersen; Ubøe, Jan (Discussion paper, Working paper, 2008-12)In this paper we study bulk shipping of coal between the central regions in the world. We compare the performance of cost-minimizing models with a gravity model approach. The main nding in the paper is that cost minimizing ... -
Modeling heterogeneity in trip-distributions with partial information
Jörnsten, Kurt; Kleppe, Gisle; Thorsen, Inge; Ubøe, Jan (Discussion paper, Working paper, 2007)In this paper we propose a modified gravity model that takes into account that a population generally consists of heterogeneous groups, and we suggest a new statistical test for heterogeneity. We apply our new model to two ... -
Modelling social welfare effects of relocation and road pricing
Babri, Sahar; McArthur, David Philip; Thorsen, Inge; Ubøe, Jan (Discussion paper;42/14, Working paper, 2014-12)Road pricing is a popular congestion reduction strategy. However, there may be wider impacts associated with a road toll. We consider a factor which is sometimes overlooked, namely that workers and rms may choose to ... |
Working with a large amount of data in Excel can sometimes be a slow and frustrating process. It's not uncommon to experience lagging, freezing, and crashes, especially when dealing with lots of data. Optimizing the performance of Excel is crucial for improving efficiency, productivity, and overall user experience.
Key Takeaways
- Clear unnecessary formatting to improve Excel performance
- Disable automatic calculations for a smoother user experience
- Use efficient formulas such as INDEX/MATCH and minimize volatile functions
- Avoid using entire column references to optimize formula performance
- Apply these strategies for improved productivity and efficiency
Clear unnecessary formatting
When working with large amounts of data in Excel, unnecessary formatting can slow down the performance of the program. Follow the steps below to clear formatting and make Excel run faster.
A. Selecting all cellsBegin by selecting all the cells in your worksheet. You can do this by clicking on the empty square at the top left corner, where the row numbers and column letters meet. This will select all the cells in the worksheet.
B. Going to the "Home" tabOnce all cells are selected, navigate to the "Home" tab in the Excel ribbon at the top of the screen. This tab contains all the tools and options for formatting and editing your data.
C. Clicking on "Clear" and then "Clear Formats"Within the "Home" tab, locate the "Editing" group on the ribbon. Within this group, you will find the "Clear" option. Click on the drop-down arrow next to "Clear" and select "Clear Formats" from the menu. This will remove all formatting from the selected cells, which can help speed up the performance of Excel when working with lots of data.
Disable automatic calculations
One way to make Excel run faster with large amounts of data is to disable the automatic calculations. By default, Excel recalculates formulas every time a change is made in the worksheet, which can slow down the performance, especially with a lot of data.
A. Going to the "Formulas" tabTo disable automatic calculations, first, you need to go to the "Formulas" tab in the Excel ribbon. This tab contains all the options related to formulas and calculations.
B. Clicking on "Calculation Options"Once you are on the "Formulas" tab, click on the "Calculation Options" button. This will open a drop-down menu with different calculation options.
C. Choosing "Manual"In the drop-down menu, select the "Manual" option. This will instruct Excel to only recalculate formulas when you specifically tell it to, instead of automatically recalculating every time a change is made. This can significantly improve the speed of Excel, especially when working with large datasets.
Use efficient formulas
When working with large amounts of data in Excel, it's important to use efficient formulas in order to make Excel run faster and improve overall performance. Here are some tips for using efficient formulas:
A. Utilizing INDEX/MATCH instead of VLOOKUP- VLOOKUP is a popular function for looking up data in Excel, but it can be slow when working with a large dataset. Instead, consider using the INDEX/MATCH combination, which is generally faster and more versatile.
- INDEX/MATCH can handle larger datasets more efficiently than VLOOKUP, especially when dealing with multiple criteria.
B. Minimizing the use of volatile functions
- Volatile functions, such as NOW, TODAY, and RAND, are recalculated every time there is a change in the workbook, which can slow down the performance of Excel.
- Minimize the use of volatile functions where possible, as they can significantly impact the speed of your Excel workbook.
C. Using array formulas sparingly
- Array formulas can be very powerful, but they can also slow down the performance of Excel, especially when used with large datasets.
- Use array formulas sparingly and only when necessary, as they can be resource-intensive and impact the speed of your calculations.
Limit the use of volatile functions
When working with a large amount of data in Excel, using volatile functions can slow down the performance of the application. It is important to understand the impact of these functions and explore alternatives to improve the speed of Excel.
A. Examples of volatile functionsVolatile functions are those that recalculate every time a change is made in the workbook, regardless of whether the change affects the function's outcome or not. Common volatile functions include:
- NOW() - Returns the current date and time
- RAND() - Returns a random number between 0 and 1
- INDIRECT() - Returns the reference specified by a text string
B. Impact on performance
Using volatile functions can significantly impact the performance of Excel, especially when working with a large dataset. Each time a volatile function is recalculated, it consumes computational resources, leading to slower processing and increased memory usage. This can cause delays in data manipulation and analysis, ultimately affecting productivity.
C. Alternatives to volatile functionsTo improve the speed of Excel when working with a large amount of data, consider using non-volatile functions whenever possible. These functions do not recalculate with every change, allowing for better performance. Some alternatives to volatile functions include:
- INDEX() - Returns the value of a cell in a table based on the column and row number
- COUNTIF() - Counts the number of cells within a range that meet a specific condition
- VLOOKUP() - Looks for a value in the first column of a table and returns the value in the same row from a specified column
By minimizing the use of volatile functions and utilizing non-volatile alternatives, you can optimize the performance of Excel when working with large datasets.
Avoid using entire column references
When working with a large amount of data in Excel, it's important to be mindful of how you reference data ranges in your formulas. Using entire column references, such as A:A or B:B, can significantly impact the performance of your spreadsheet and cause it to run slower.
A. How using entire column references impacts performance
When you use entire column references in your formulas, Excel has to process a much larger amount of data than necessary, which can slow down calculations and overall performance. This is because Excel has to scan the entire column to determine the range of data to be used, even if the actual data only occupies a small portion of the column.
B. Best practices for referencing data ranges
To improve the performance of your Excel spreadsheet, it's best to reference specific data ranges instead of entire columns. Instead of using A:A or B:B, specify the exact range of data that your formula needs to work with, such as A1:A100 or B1:B1000. By doing so, Excel only needs to process the specified range of data, leading to faster calculations and improved performance.
C. Techniques for optimizing formulas with specific ranges
- Use named ranges: Instead of referencing specific cell ranges in your formulas, consider using named ranges. Named ranges can make your formulas more readable and easier to manage, and they can also improve performance by reducing the amount of data that Excel needs to process.
- Utilize INDEX and MATCH functions: The INDEX and MATCH functions can be a more efficient alternative to using entire column references, as they allow you to specify specific data ranges without the need for volatile functions like OFFSET or INDIRECT.
- Consider using array formulas: In some cases, using array formulas can provide better performance when working with large data sets. Array formulas allow you to perform calculations on multiple cells at once, reducing the overall processing time.
In conclusion, optimizing Excel performance with large datasets can significantly improve your productivity and efficiency. By following the tips we discussed, such as filtering data, using table features, turning off automatic calculations, and reducing file size, you can ensure that Excel runs smoothly even with lots of data. We encourage you to apply these strategies to your own Excel usage and experience the benefits of faster and more efficient data processing.
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Understanding N83 ICD 10: A Comprehensive Guide
Understanding N83 ICD 10: A Comprehensive Guide
N83 ICD 10 is a specific code used in medical billing and coding to identify certain conditions related to noninflammatory disorders of the ovary, fallopian tube, and broad ligament. In this comprehensive guide, we will delve into the details of N83 ICD 10, including its significance, diagnostic criteria, common symptoms, treatment options, and more.
### Significance of N83 ICD 10
N83 ICD 10 is primarily used to classify and code conditions such as ovarian cysts, torsion of the ovary, ovarian insufficiency, and other noninflammatory disorders affecting the female reproductive organs. By using this specific code, healthcare providers can accurately document and track these conditions for proper diagnosis and treatment.
### Diagnostic Criteria for N83 ICD 10
To qualify for the N83 ICD 10 code, patients must exhibit symptoms and meet certain diagnostic criteria. These may include pelvic pain, irregular menstrual cycles, abnormal vaginal bleeding, infertility issues, and physical findings such as palpable ovarian masses or enlarged ovaries upon examination. Diagnostic imaging tests like ultrasound or MRI may also be used to confirm the presence of ovarian or fallopian tube abnormalities.
### Common Symptoms Associated with N83 ICD 10
Patients with conditions falling under N83 ICD 10 may experience a range of symptoms depending on the specific disorder. Common signs include pelvic pain or discomfort, bloating, changes in menstrual patterns, pain during intercourse, urinary urgency or frequency, and in some cases, complications like ovarian cyst rupture or ovarian torsion.
### Treatment Options for N83 ICD 10 Conditions
Treatment for N83 ICD 10-related conditions varies based on the specific diagnosis and individual patient needs. Management may involve pain relief medications, hormonal therapy to regulate menstrual cycles, surgical interventions to remove ovarian cysts or address structural abnormalities, and fertility treatments for those experiencing reproductive issues. Lifestyle modifications, such as a healthy diet and regular exercise, may also play a role in managing certain conditions.
### Conclusion
In conclusion, Understanding N83 ICD 10 is essential for healthcare professionals involved in the diagnosis and treatment of noninflammatory disorders of the ovary, fallopian tube, and broad ligament. By familiarizing themselves with the nuances of this code, clinicians can ensure accurate coding, effective patient care, and improved outcomes for individuals affected by these gynecological conditions. |
on Industrial Competition |
By: | Luis Cabral |
Date: | 2014 |
URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ste:nystbu:14-01&r=com |
By: | Ryoma Kitamura (Graduate School of Economics, Kwansei Gakuin University); Tetsuya Shinkai (School of Economics, Kwansei Gakuin University) |
Abstract: | We consider cannibalization in a duopoly model in which firms with diffrent costs supply two vertically differentiated products in the same market. We find that an increase in the difference in quality between the two goods or a decrease in the marginal cost of the high-quality goods leads to cannibalization, such that the high-quality goods keep out the low-quality goods from the market. We show that, in equilibrium, cannibalization aspects the product line of firms. As a result, an inefficient firm may earn more than the efficient firm. If the difference in the quality of the two goods is small enough, an increase in the production costs of the inefficient firm improves social welfare. |
Keywords: | Multi-product firm, Duopoly, Cannibalization, Vertical product differentiation |
Date: | 2014–01 |
URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:kgu:wpaper:113&r=com |
By: | Ding, Yucheng |
Abstract: | A durable good monopolist sells its branded product over two periods. In period 2, when there is entry of a counterfeiter, the branded firm may charge a high price to signal its quality. Counterfeit competition thus enables the branded firm to commit to high future price in period 2, alleviating the classic time-inconsistency problem under durable good monopoly. This can increase the branded firm's profit by encouraging consumer purchase without delay, despite the revenue loss to the counterfeiter. Total welfare can also increase, because early purchase eliminates delay cost and consumers enjoy the good for both periods. |
Keywords: | Counterfeits, Coase Conjecture, Quality Signaling |
Date: | 2014–01–10 |
URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:52933&r=com |
By: | Morasch, Karl |
Abstract: | The related phenomena of learning curve and network effects are quite common in oligopolistic markets. In this context the present paper discusses the incentives of a technological leader to share its exclusive technology with potential competitors. An alliance may be preferable because partner firms may be blocked. On the other hand compeition between the alliance partners will be intensied. It is shown that tha alliance solution will be chosen for medium values of learning curve or network effects. In almost all cases where firms decide to form an alliance this well enhance welfare. -- |
Keywords: | Alliances,Network externalities,Learning curve,Oligopoly |
Date: | 2013 |
URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:ubwwpe:20135&r=com |
By: | Bakó, Barna; Tasnádi, Attila |
Abstract: | In this paper we generalize the results of Kreps and Scheinkman (1983) to mixed-duopolies. We show that quantity precommitment and Bertrand competition yield Cournot outcomes not only in the case of private firms but also when a public firm is involved. |
Keywords: | Mixed duopoly, Cournot, Bertrand-Edgeworth. |
Date: | 2014–01–15 |
URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:52986&r=com |
By: | Huck, Steffen; Schmid, Julia; Wallace, Brian |
Abstract: | We present a laboratory experiment on the impact of price framing on consumer decision making. Consumer subjects face a search market where two sellers offer a homogenous good. We examine six different price frames with linear per-unit pricing (that is displayed as such) serving as a benchmark. We find that all frames deviating from the benchmark have some negative impact on consumer decision making. The most striking result concerns drip pricing (where prices are decomposed into three elements and dripped in during the purchasing process). While leaving the actual decision problem unchanged, drip pricing wipes out 25% of consumer surplus. -- Anhand eines Laborexperiments überprüfen wir den Einfluss verschiedener 'price frames' auf das Entscheidungsverhalten von Konsumenten. Die Konsumenten entscheiden über den Kauf von gleichartigen Gütern, die von zwei Verkäufern auf einem Suchmarkt angeboten werden. Es werden sechs verschiedene Arten, die Preise der Güter zu präsentieren, untersucht, wobei der lineare Stückpreis als Benchmark dient. Es zeigt sich, dass alle Preisrahmungen, die von dem Benchmark abweichen, einen negativen Einfluss auf das Entscheidungsverhalten haben. Das augenfälligste Resultat ist der Effekt des sogenannten drip pricing. Hier ist der Endpreis in drei Bestandteile geteilt, die während des Kaufprozesses nach und nach offenbart werden. Obwohl das eigentliche Entscheidungsproblem unverändert bleibt, sinkt die Konsumentenrente unter 'drip pricing' um 25%. |
Date: | 2013 |
URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:wzbeoc:spii2013314&r=com |
By: | Haucap, Justus; Heimeshoff, Ulrich; Klein, Gordon J.; Rickert, Dennis; Wey, Christian |
Abstract: | Research on bargaining power in vertical relationships is scarce. It remains particularly unclear which factors drive bargaining power between the two negotiating parties in a vertical structure. We use a demand model where the consumer demand determines the total pie of industry profits. Moreover, we apply a bargaining concept on the supply side to analyze how profit is split between retailers and manufacturers. Estimates show that bargaining power can be explained by several decision variables for retailers and manufacturers. Options for both indicate that any analysis of bargaining power has to consider a dynamic view on the relevant parameters. -- |
Keywords: | Bargaining Power,Buyer Power,Antitrust,Discrete Choice,Demand Estimation |
Date: | 2013 |
URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:dicedp:107&r=com |
By: | Takayuki Mizuno (National Institute of Informatics); Wataru Souma (Nihon University); Tsutomu Watanabe (The University of Tokyo) |
Abstract: | In this paper, we investigate the structure and evolution of customer-supplier networks in Japan using a unique dataset that contains information on customer and supplier linkages for more than 500,000 incorporated non-financial firms for the five years from 2008 to 2012. We find, first, that the number of customer links is unequal across firms; the customer link distribution has a power-law tail with an exponent of unity (i.e., it follows Zipf's law). We interpret this as implying that competition among firms to acquire new customers yields winners with a large number of customers, as well as losers with fewer customers. We also show that the shortest path length for any pair of firms is, on average, 4.3 links. Second, we find that link switching is relatively rare. Our estimates indicate that the survival rate per year for customer links is 92 percent and for supplier links 93 percent. Third and finally, we find that firm growth rates tend to be more highly correlated the closer two firms are to each other in a customer-supplier network (i.e., the smaller is the shortest path length for the two firms). This suggests that a non-negligible portion of fluctuations in firm growth stems from the propagation of microeconomic shocks – shocks affecting only a particular firm – through customer-supplier chains. |
Date: | 2014–01 |
URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cfi:fseres:cf339&r=com |
By: | Maximilian Conze; Michael Kramm |
Abstract: | Hotelling's famous "Principle of Minimum Differentiation" suggests that two firms engaging in spatial competition will decide to locate at the same place. Interpreting spatial competition as modeling product differentiation, firms will thus offer products that are not differentiated and equally share the market demand. We extend (a fixed price version of) Hotelling's model by introducing sequential consumer purchases and a second dimension of variation of the goods, quality. Consumers have differential information about the qualities of the goods and uninformed consumers observe the decision of their predecessors. With this extension a rationale for differentiating products emerges: Differentiation makes later consumers' inference from earlier consumers' purchases more informative, so that firms are confronted with two offsetting effects. On the one hand, differentiating one's product decreases the likelihood that it is bought in earlier periods, but on the other hand, by making inference more valuable, it increases the likelihood that later consumers buy the differentiated good. We show that the second effect, the recommendation effect, can dominate, leading to an equilibrium with differentiated products. Our model thus introduces an aspect similar to the herding literature in that consumers might base their decisions on observable actions of others and thus potentially on "wrong" decisions. |
Keywords: | Hotelling; herding; principle of minimum differentiation; consumer learning |
Date: | 2013–12 |
URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:rwi:repape:0460&r=com |
By: | Nilsen, Øivind Anti (Dept. of Economics, Norwegian School of Economics and Business Administration); Sørgard, Lars (Dept. of Economics, Norwegian School of Economics and Business Administration); Ulsaker, Simen A. (Dept. of Economics, Norwegian School of Economics and Business Administration) |
Abstract: | This study develops and uses a successive oligopoly model, with an unobservable non-linear tariff between upstream and downstream firms, to analyze the possible anti-competitive effects of an upstream merger. We nd that an upstream merger may lead to higher average prices paid by downstream firms, but that there is no change in the prices paid by consumers. The model is tested empirically on data for an upstream merger in the Norwegian food sector (specifically, the market for eggs). Consistent with the theoretical predictions of the model, we find that the merger had no effect on consumer prices, but led to higher average prices from the downstream to the upstream firm. |
Keywords: | Upstream merger; non-linear prices; Vertical con- tracts. |
Date: | 2013–12–13 |
URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hhs:nhheco:2013_017&r=com |
By: | Benjamin Kern (University of Marburg) |
Abstract: | The relevant competitors in regard to innovation might, but not necessarily do, correspond to the identified competitors on actual product markets. Hence, the conventional analysis of product markets, in order to assess the potential anticompetitive effects of mergers, is insufficient to capture innovation competition in its full extent. As a consequence, the aim of this article is to introduce and compare the existing alternative approaches which can, in principle, be used for the assessment of anticompetitive innovation effects in merger review. By focusing on the applied U.S. Antitrust, it turns out that none of the existing approaches seems to be appropriate to fully account for innovation competition. However, the 'Innovation Market Analysis', the first framework especially designed for the assessment of innovation aspects, might still serve as a good starting point for the development of a revised assessment framework. |
Date: | 2014 |
URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:mar:magkse:201408&r=com |
By: | Bueren, Eckart; Smuda, Florian |
Abstract: | While private actions for damages by customers against price-cartels receive much attention, the treatment of other groups affected by such conspiracies is largely unresolved. This article narrows the research gap with respect to suppliers to a downstream price cartel. First, we show that such suppliers incur losses driven by a direct quantity, a price and a cost effect. We then analyze whether suppliers are entitled to claim these losses as damages in the two leading competition law regimes. We find that, while the majority view in the US denies standing, the emerging position in the EU and important member states is to grant supplier standing. We argue that this can indeed be justified in view of the different institutional context and the goals assigned to the right to damages in the EU. We finally present an econometric approach based on residual demand estimation that allows to quantify all determinants of cartel suppliers' damages, thereby showing that supplier damage claims are a viable option in practice that can contribute to full compensation and greater cartel deterrence. -- |
Keywords: | competition policy,cartels,suppliers,damage quantification,standing,private enforcement,comparative law |
Date: | 2013 |
URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:zewdip:13063r&r=com |
By: | Clemens, Georg; Rau, Holger A. |
Abstract: | This paper experimentally analyzes the cartel coordination challenge induced by the discrimination of cartel ringleaders in leniency policies. Ringleaders often take a leading role in the coordination and formation of a cartel. A leniency policy which grants amnesty to all whistleblowers except for ringleaders may therefore reduce the incentive to become a ringleader and may disrupt cartel formation. We analyze discriminatory and non-discriminatory leniency policies in a multi-stage cartel formation experiment where multiple ringleaders may emerge. Although theory predicts that cartels will always be reported, whistleblowing rarely occurs. Paradoxically the discriminatory leniency policy induces more firms to become ringleaders, which ultimately facilitates coordination in the cartel. -- |
Keywords: | Cartels,Leniency Programs,Ringleader Discrimination,Experiment |
Date: | 2014 |
URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:dicedp:130&r=com |
By: | Martin Gaynor; Kate Ho; Robert Town |
Abstract: | The US health care sector is large and growing – health care spending in 2011 amounted to $2.7 trillion and 18% of GDP. Approximately half of health care output is allocated via markets. In this paper, we analyze the industrial organization literature on health care markets focusing on the impact of competition on price, quality and treatment decisions for health care providers and health insurers. We conclude with a discussion of research opportunities for industrial organization economists, including opportunities created by the US Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. |
Date: | 2014–01 |
URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:19800&r=com |
By: | Birg, Laura |
Abstract: | This paper analyzes a maximum price system and a reference price system in a vertical differentiation model with a brand-name drug and a generic. In particular, both instruments are compared with respect to their performance in reducing public expenditure, limiting financial exposure of patients, improving access to pharmaceuticals, and stimulating competition. For identical regulatory prices, free pricing under the reference system tends to result in a higher price for the brand-name drug. For identical price reductions of the brand-name drug, the lower reimbursement amount under the reference price system results in lower health expenditure, but higher financial exposure of patients. Total welfare is higher under the maximum price system. -- |
Keywords: | pharmaceutical regulation,reference price,maximum price,price cap,health,policy objectives |
Date: | 2013 |
URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:cegedp:183&r=com |
By: | Kurt R. Brekke (Department of Economics, Norwegian School of Economics); Tor Helge Holmås (Uni Rokkan Centre); Odd Rune Straume (Universidade do Minho - NIPE) |
Abstract: | This paper studies the effects of price regulation and parallel imports in the onpatent pharmaceutical market. First, we develop a theory model in which a pharmacy negotiates producer prices with a brand-name firm and then sets retail prices. We show that the effects of price regulation crucially depend on whether the producer faces competition from parallel imports. While parallel imports improve the bargaining position of the pharmacy, price regulation counteracts this effect and may even be profitable for the producer. Second, we use a unique dataset with information on sales and prices at both producer and retail level for 165 substances over four years (2004-7). Exploiting exogenous variation in the regulated price caps, we show that stricter price regulation reduces competition from parallel imports. While the effect is clearly negative on producer profits for substances without parallel imports, the effect is not significant for substances with parallel imports. Finally, we show that stricterprice regulation reduces total expenditures, but the effect is much stronger for substances with parallel import. Thus, our results suggest that price regulation may promote both static and dynamic efficiency in the presence of parallel imports. |
Keywords: | Pharmaceutical market; Price regulation; Parallel imports |
Date: | 2014 |
URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nip:nipewp:01/2014&r=com |
By: | Csizmazia, Roland Attila |
Abstract: | This case study aims to provide a better understanding of the necessity for regulation in the market for pharmaceuticals and to reveal the impacts of parallel trades in the European Union and how they may affect markets in the future. The pharmaceutical industry up to now has largely been regulated. Although the EU is a single market, it still has variable prices for pharmaceuticals. Consequently, the price gap and other EU-specific factors have created a great environment for parallel trades. The author has confined this study to the price regulations inside the EU before the enlargement in 2004. |
Keywords: | Regulation, pharmaceutical market, European Union, parallel trade |
Date: | 2013–12–01 |
URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:52945&r=com |
By: | Akiyuki Tonogi (Institute of Innovation Research, Hitotsubashi University); |
Abstract: | In this paper, we examine the role of inventory in the price-setting behavior of a distributive firm. Empirically, we show the 5 empirical facts relating to pricing behavior and selling quantity of a certain consumer goods based on daily scanner data to examine the relation between store properties and pricing behavior. These results denote that price stickiness varies by the retailers' characteristics. We consider that the hidden mechanism of price stickiness comes from the retailer's policy for inventory investment. A partial equilibrium model of the retailer's optimization behavior with inventory is constructed so as to replicate the five empirical facts. The results of the numerical experiments in the constructed model suggest that price change frequency depends on the retailer's order cost, storage cost, and menu cost, not on the price elasticity of demand. |
Keywords: | Inventory; Price Stickiness; Numerical Experiment; (S, s) Policy |
Date: | 2013–08 |
URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:upd:utppwp:010&r=com |
By: | Engelstätter, Benjamin; Ward, Michael R. |
Abstract: | This paper investigates how video game publishers' choice of game release date is affected by the expected level of competition within the game's product niche. We identify game niches by genre, age-appropriateness, a four week window cohort, publisher and console system. Our analysis is based on two different video game data sets, one based on industry sales data and the other featuring extensive consumer usage information. We show that consumer substitution across games is stronger within most of the dimensions describing product niches. Sales volumes decay quickly after the opening weekend, so at any point in time, a niche willtypically be served by few current titles. Thus, publishers have incentives to avoid releasing during periods of fierce intra-niche competition. We show that games are more likely to be released so as to avoid weeks when their niche is relatively well served. -- |
Keywords: | Product Entry,Non-Price Competition,Niche,Strategy,Submarkets,Entertainment Goods,Video Games |
Date: | 2013 |
URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:zewdip:13117&r=com | |
FRUIT growers were able to get their first up-close look at John Deere's semi-autonomous sprayer at Hort Connections 2023 in Adelaide.
The spaceship-like machine uses Global Unmanned Spray System (GUSS) technology to move through high value crops.
Together with a combination of GPS and LiDAR (light detection and ranging), vehicle sensors and software, the vehicle presents the possible future of farming.
On a broader context, multiple machines can be remotely monitored by a single operator. It can move through a paddock or orchard with no driver spraying the inputs onto the crops as needed.
John Deere announced a joint venture with California-based GUSS Automation in April last year but the system was not available to Australian producers at the time.
John Deere production systems manager, Stephanie Gersekowski, said the sprayer captured plenty of attention.
"This really is the future of spraying in the high value crop sector, and we are delighted to have a unit on site at the John Deere activation to allow producers to see it up close and understand the capacity this technology has to transform treatment application," Ms Gersekowski said.
"Traditionally, using GPS guidance under orchards and vineyard canopies has been challenging, but GUSS has overcome this issue by developing several additional technologies, including vehicle sensors and software to supplement GPS and guide GUSS safely and efficiently through crops."
GUSS chief operations officer and co-founder, Gary Thompson, said his company had just launched Herbicide GUSS that uses up to nine sensors to spot-spray weeds, meeting needs for in-row hygiene while providing significant cost savings to the grower.
"The whole concept is to have one person supervising the vehicles from the safety of a ute and monitoring anywhere from one to eight of these machines at a time," Mr Thompson said.
"It's a very efficient solution to address labour challenges where lack of workforce is an issue, and we are very excited about bringing this machine to more parts of Australia.
"Being fully robotic and controlled by a computer, the precision that it sprays with is also just phenomenal.
"It does the correct speed at all times and sprays the correct amount of product, turning on and off when it is supposed to.
"It doesn't double-spray a row by accident, it doesn't skip a row - it is just very precise, so it's better for crops, better for the environment and an all-around great machine that is really going to help growers with a lot of their challenges."
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B2B E-Commerce: Transforming Business Transactions
Introduction: The Rise of B2B E-Commerce
In the digital age, where online transactions have become a norm, B2B e-commerce has emerged as a pivotal force reshaping the way businesses operate and interact. This article explores the intricate landscape of B2B e-commerce, delving into its nuances, benefits, challenges, and the transformative impact it has on various industries.
Understanding B2B E-Commerce
B2B e-commerce, short for business-to-business electronic commerce, refers to online transactions between businesses. Unlike traditional commerce, B2B e-commerce involves the exchange of goods, services, or information between businesses through digital platforms.
These transactions can range from bulk orders of raw materials to collaborative ventures between companies.
The Advantages of B2B E-Commerce
- Increased Efficiency and Speed: B2B e-commerce accelerates the procurement process, reducing the time it takes to complete transactions and deliver goods or services.
- Global Reach: Businesses can expand their market reach globally, connecting with partners and clients from different parts of the world.
- Cost-Effectiveness: Online transactions cut operational costs, enabling businesses to offer competitive prices to their clients.
- Data-Driven Decision Making: B2B e-commerce platforms generate valuable data, aiding businesses in making informed decisions based on market trends and customer preferences.
Challenges in B2B E-Commerce
- Security Concerns: Protecting sensitive data and ensuring secure transactions pose significant challenges in B2B e-commerce.
- Integration Complexities: Integrating e-commerce platforms with existing business systems can be intricate and time-consuming.
- Building Trust: Establishing trust between business partners in the digital realm requires consistent effort and transparency.
- Regulatory Compliance: Navigating the complex web of international regulations and standards is essential to conducting seamless cross-border transactions.
The Transformative Impact on Industries
B2B e-commerce has revolutionized various industries, including manufacturing, healthcare, wholesale, and technology. For instance, in the manufacturing sector, companies can streamline their supply chains, source raw materials efficiently, and reduce wastage through online platforms.
In healthcare, the procurement of medical equipment and supplies has become more accessible, ensuring the timely availability of patient care.
Conclusion: Embracing the Future of Business Transactions
In conclusion, B2B e-commerce stands at the forefront of business evolution, redefining how companies engage with one another. Embracing digital transformation and leveraging the benefits of B2B e-commerce can lead to increased efficiency, global expansion, and sustainable growth.
As businesses continue to navigate the digital landscape, adapting to these changes is not just an option but a necessity for staying competitive in the modern world.
Q1: What is B2B e-commerce?
B2B e-commerce, or business-to-business electronic commerce, refers to online transactions between businesses, involving the exchange of goods, services, or information through digital platforms.
Q2: How does B2B e-commerce benefit businesses?
B2B e-commerce offers advantages such as increased efficiency, global market reach, cost-effectiveness, and data-driven decision-making for businesses.
Q3: What challenges are faced in B2B e-commerce?
Challenges in B2B e-commerce include security concerns, integration complexities, building trust, and regulatory compliance issues.
Q4: Which industries have been transformed by B2B e-commerce?
Industries such as manufacturing, healthcare, wholesale, and technology have been significantly transformed by B2B e-commerce, streamlining operations and enhancing accessibility to goods and services.
Q5: How can businesses adapt to the changing landscape of B2B e-commerce?
To adapt, businesses should focus on enhancing cybersecurity measures, investing in seamless platform integration, fostering transparent relationships, and staying updated on international regulations.
For more check the rest of our blogs. |
What is the difference between FHA and Conventional Loans?
There are multiple differences between an FHA loan and a Conventional Loan.
An FHA loan means that the loan is insured by the Federal Housing Administration.
With a Conventional Loan, the mortgage company assumes the risks of issuing the loan. It is not insured by a federal agency.
FHA loans may have more flexible terms for homebuyers. FHA loans often allow for lower credit scores than Conventional loans. FHA loans allow for low down payments, while only a few Conventional loan programs have low down payment options.
FHA loans and Conventional loans have different mortgage rates.
FHA loans require mortgage insurance, while Conventional loans may or may not require it, depending on the down payment amount and terms of a particular loan program.
FHA loan and Conventional loan limits are also different. In 2023, the FHA loan limit is $472,030 in low-cost locations and $1,089,300 in high-cost locations. Certain counties have limits falling between these two numbers. In the Baltimore metro area, the different counties around Baltimore have different loan limits based on that county's general housing market pricing. For Conventional loans, in 2023, the limit is $726,200, while loan amounts above that would be considered "Jumbo" loans with different standards than regular Conventional loans.
Appraisals for FHA loans and Conventional loans are also different. For an FHA loan, the value of the property is assessed, but the safety of the home is also addressed. If the appraiser finds anything about the home to be what they consider to be unsafe, they may require that situation/item to be repaired for the home to "pass" the appraisal.
Conventional loans are more focused on the property value. There is a possibility that with a Conventional loan that an appraiser may find something unsafe that they would require to be repaired in order to assign a value to the property.
This, of course, does not cover every difference or every detail about FHA vs Conventional loans, but hopefully this helps to explain some of the major differences between the loan types.
If you have questions about buying a home in Towson and what loan type may be the best for your situation, please contact me. I have some lenders that I work with regularly who can help guide you, along with me, to getting a mortgage to buy a home! |
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An increasingly influential perspective conceptualizes both obesity and overeating as a food addiction accompanied by corresponding brain changes. Because there are far-reaching implications for clinical practice and social policy if it becomes widely accepted, a critical evaluation of this model is important. We
examine the current evidence for the link between addiction and obesity, identifying several fundamental shortcomings in the model, as well as weaknesses and inconsistencies in the empirical support for it from human neuroscientific research.
At the outset, it is important to acknowledge that the food-addiction literature has largely adopted the clinical model of addiction as defined by the DSM-IV. Although this model has clinical validity, in the addiction research literature it has been supplemented, and to an extent superseded, by powerful neurobiological models that have decomposed the clinical syndrome in terms of its core cognitive processes and their possible neural substrates (BOX 1). This approach, which is based on a growing
understanding of the neurobiology of addiction, is welcome and — as we discuss — may offer new ways of identifying overlap between obesity and addiction. However, this article is primarily concerned with the
existing arguments in favour of addiction as a model for obesity, arguments that draw on clinical definitions.
Food addiction is an emerging area of both clinical and research interest. The current review discussed several definitional and conceptual categorisations that have been put forth to quantify food addiction. However, the YFAS 2·0 concept predominates the literature. Similarly, evidence shows some similarities of food addiction with established eating disorders, particularly BED. Thus, the current review supports two main areas of contention that warrant much more research; considering food addiction as a substance-related addiction or a behavioural-related addiction and if food addiction is distinct from established eating disorders. Further research is needed to continue to delineate and clarify controversies about similarities and differences in food addiction with other concepts and established disorders.
Obesity and the brain how convincing is the addiction model?
Ziauddeen, H., Farooqi, I. S., & Fletcher, P. C. (2012). Obesity and the brain: how convincing is the addiction model? Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 13(4), 279–286. doi:10.1038/nrn3212
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Shipping supervisors oversee the shipping and receiving departments for distribution companies. They usually work in warehouses and ensure the proper shipping and timely delivery of products. Shipping supervisors may be required to work overnight shifts as well as holidays and weekends. This position is usually full time with benefits. These supervisors work closely with different types of personnel, such as truck owners, equipment operators, and customs officials. They usually report to a manager but are expected to perform their supervisory duties independently.
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Shipping Supervisor Duties and Responsibilities
No two shipping supervisor roles are exactly alike, as specific skills vary from employer to employer. However, after analyzing online job postings, we identified serval core duties and responsibilities common to the job:
Oversee General Shipping Activities
The primary objective of a shipping supervisor is to ensure every shipment arrives on time and within budget. These supervisors monitor and oversee outgoing and incoming shipping activities to verify items are shipping to the correct location and in good condition. They make sure weights are correctly posted, that correct charges are applied, and that shipments are moved from shipping points to storage areas, and also resolve issues with shipping orders.
Inspect Loading Operations
These supervisors are responsible for inspecting every aspect of the loading operations to make sure they follow warehouse and shipping specifications and to ensure proper use of warehouse space.
Manage Shipping Orders and Invoices
The shipping supervisor reads all shipping notices, orders, invoices, and other documents to manage priorities and ensure that the correct shipping methods are used. They also make sure shipping records are accurately stored in the database.
Inventory Reconciliation
In warehouses, it is often up to the shipping supervisor to conduct regular inventory reconciliation to ensure adequate supplies to meet the company's production goals. They report to management on damaged goods and any discrepancies with inventory.
Supervise Shipping Staff
The shipping supervisor oversees and supervises warehouse employees and drivers to make sure all items are prepared, shipped, and received on time while complying with company policy. They act as a liaison between workers and management and report on shipping activities and issues.
Maintain Warehouse Safety and Cleanliness
Safety and cleanliness are an essential part of a shipping operation, and it's the shipping supervisor's responsibility to be aware of and enforce safety regulations.
Hire and Train Staff
Shipping supervisors sometimes assist managers with the hiring of new shipping department staff. They often play a significant role in the proper training and orientation of new shipping department employees.
Shipping Supervisor Skills and Qualifications
People who enjoy working as a part of a large team and possess natural leadership abilities thrive as shipping supervisors. Prior experience and verifiable knowledge of logistics and shipping are favored by employers, as are the following skills:
- Communication skills - clear communication is key to making a shipping warehouse run smoothly, and shipping supervisors need to take and give directions in a clear and organized manner
- Multitasking - warehouses are busy places with multiple operations happening at one time. Shipping supervisors need to prioritize and execute tasks accurately in this fast-paced environment
- Problem-solving skills - complex problems arise in shipping logistics, and these supervisors must come up with creative solutions to address any difficulties
- Technical shipping knowledge - these supervisors have strong technical knowledge of the machines and equipment used in shipping, as well as a technical understanding of logistics procedures
- Leadership - successful shipping supervisors competently supervise and lead the shipping staff, making decisions with minimal oversight from management
- Computer competency - most shipping databases and orders are stored and generated with computer programs, so shipping supervisors must be computer savvy
Shipping Supervisor Education and Training
The minimum education requirement for shipping supervisors is a high school diploma or GED. These supervisors often start out as entry-level shipping staff and work their way up. Some employers prefer candidates with an associate's or bachelor's degree in logistics or supply chain management, and most expect at least two years of experience in a warehouse supervisory role.
Shipping Supervisor Salary and Outlook
According to PayScale, the annual salary for shipping supervisors is $48,198. Supervisors in the 10th percentile make a yearly salary of $35,000, while the 90th percentile makes $64,000. Location and experience both impact the pay rate for this job. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, transportation and material moving occupations are projected to grow 6 percent through 2026, about as fast as all occupations.
Helpful Resources
Are you interested in becoming a supervisor? If so, you're in luck. We've come up with a list of resources to help you learn more about the industry and land a job:
"7 Habits of Highly Successful Shipping Managers"
this article by UPS, one of the leading employers of shipping supervisors and managers, is full of insight on the fundamentals that underpin successful shipping supervisors
"How to Become a Good Warehouse Supervisor"
learn everything you need to know about warehouses and how to work in a supervisory role from this easytounderstand article
"Why a Career in Shipping Is a Meaningful One"
this article explores how a job in shipping can have meaning and how those in the industry make a positive difference in the world
The Supervisor's Companion
Jeanne Hugg's practical guide helps readers learn effective supervision and management skills, emphasizing how to develop strong communication skills in an engaging way |
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다음과 같은 기능을 한번의 로그인으로 사용 할 수 있습니다.
NTIS 바로가기Journal of the Korean Society of Integrative Medicine = 대한통합의학회지, v.9 no.3, 2021년, pp.59 - 68
김보혜 (백석대학교 물리치료학과) , 이보영 (백석대학교 물리치료학과) , 이예영 (백석대학교 물리치료학과) , 황수진 (백석대학교 물리치료학과)
Purpose : The purpose of this study was to investigate the lecture method and physical activity level of Korean university students during the COVID-19 pandemic to determine their effect on the students' mental health, self-efficacy, and learning motivation. Methods : A total of 203 participants (53...
Baek YY(2020). A study on college students' perception of online classes : an analysis based on students of Japanese elective courses. Japanese Language Education, 52, 59-74.
Bahk YC, Park KH, Kim NE, et al(2020). Psychological impact of COVID-19 in South Korea: a preliminary study. Kor J Clin Psychol, 39(4), 355-367.
Cha MG(2017). The effects of college students' attributional style, self--encouragement and self-efficacy on learning motivation. Graduate school of Honam University, Republic of Korea, Master's thesis.
Coughenour C, Gakh M, Pharr JR, et al(2020). Changes in depression and physical activity among college students on a diverse campus after a COVID-19 stay-at-home order. J Community Health, 9, Printed Online. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10900-020-00918-5.
Hong YB, Lee SH(2018). Comparison of perceived health status, self esteem and exercise self efficacy by physical activity level in Chinese university students. KSSS, 27(1), 307-317.
Jeong MK, Kim GM, Kwon YC(2016). The relationship between weekly physical activity pattern, health-related physical fitness and depressive levels in university students. KJSS, 25(4), 1433-1441.
Jung HK(2020). College students' satisfaction with the overall implementation of online classes and testing during the corona 19 pandemic. MALL, 23(3), 392-412.
Kim EH, Park SY, Lee YJ, et al(2021). Development and initial validation of the COVID Stress Scale for Korean people. Korean Journal of Counseling, 22(1), 141-163.
Kim MJ, Yoo JI(2017). The relationships between physical activity participation, exercise identity, and mental health among university students. The Journal of KAHPERD, 56(3), 57-68.
Kim NK(2021). The relationship between social isolation, SNS addiction tendency, health promoting behavior, and university adaptation among college students considering effect of COVID-19 pandemic. Graduate school of Inha University, Republic of Korea, Doctoral dissertation.
Kim YR(1993). An analysis on the influences of affective characteristics and its antecedent variables on academic achievement. HIU Journal of Educational Studies, 9, 5-113.
Kwak HS(2021). COVID-19 The effects of social distance on life stress: focused on difference between social anxiety and self-rationalization level. Graduate school of Daegu University, Republic of Korea, Doctoral dissertation.
Lee ER(2021). Changes in the quality of life of university students in Daegu and Gyeongbuk in the epidemic of COVID-19: the relationship with COVID-19 stress, neuroticism, anxiety control Gyeongbuk of Korea. Graduate school of Daegu University, Republic of Korea, Doctoral dissertation.
Lee SH, Kang HS(2018). Relationship between physical activity, body satisfaction and self-esteem of university students. J Educ Sci, 20(2), 237-252.
Lee YK, Ji EG(2017). Development of Self-Efficacy Scale. Korean Journal of Social Science, 36(1), 5-31.
Noh SD(2020). Psychological impact and overcoming factors of college students due to the COVID-19 incident. Theology and Praxis, 72, 331-356.
OH JY, Yang YJ, Kim BS, et al(2007). Validity and reliability of Korean Version of International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) short form. KJFM, 28(7), 532-541.
Park SM(2020). The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health among population. Korean J Health Educ Promo, 37(5), 83-91.
Pieh C, Budimir S, Probst T(2020). The effect of age, gender, income, work, and physical activity on mental health during coronavirus disease (COVID-19) lockdown in Austria. J Psychosom Res, 136, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychores.2020.110186.
Puccinelli PJ, Costa TS, Seffrin A, et al(2021). Reduced level of physical activity during COVID-19 pandemic is associated with depression and anxiety levels: an internet-based survey. BMC Public Health, 21(1), Printed Online. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-021-10470-z.
Shin SI(2001). The validity and reliability of the Korean Version of the General Health Questionnaire KGHQ-20 & KGHQ-30. Korean Journal of Social Welfare, 46, 210-235.
Silva LRB, Seguro CS, de Oliveira CGA, et al(2020). Physical inactivity is associated with increased levels of anxiety, depression, and stress in Brazilians during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study. Front Psychiatry, 11, Printed Online. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.565291.
Son CW, Hegde S, Smith A, et al(2020). Effects of COVID-19 on college students' mental health in the united states: interview survey study. J Med Internet Res, 22(9), https://doi.org/10.2196/21279.
Son MJ, Hong AJ(2021). A narrative study on online education experiences of Korean and Swedish university students during COVID-19. Global Creative Leader: Education & Learning, 11(1), 93-120.
Stanton R, To QG, Khalesi S, et al(2020). Depression, anxiety and stress during COVID-19: Associations with changes in physical activity, sleep, tobacco and alcohol use in Australian adults. Int J Environ Res Public Health, 17(11), Printed Online. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17114065.
Yang HJ(2020). Responding to negative emotions in COVID-19. JCCT, 6(3), 135-143.
Yoo JH(2021). A review on physical activity for health care in the Era of COVID-19. JKEIA, 15(2), 149-157.
Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. Cases of COVID-19 in Korea, 2021a. Available at http://ncov.mohw.go.kr/bdBoardList_Real.do Accessed March 25, 2021.
Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. Community Health Survey, 2020, 2021b. Available at http://www.kdca.go.kr/board/board.es?mida20602010000&bid0034&actview&list_no713308 Accessed April 10, 2021.
Korean Society for Traumatic Stress Studies. COVID-19-Mental-Health-Survey, 2020. Available at http://kstss.kr/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/KSTSS-COVID-19-Mental-Health-Survey.pdf Accessed March 18, 2021.
Ministry of Education. Current Status Data of Corona 19 in Education(4.8.), 2021. Available at https://www.moe.go.kr/boardCnts/view.do?boardID294&boardSeq83704&lev0&searchTypenull&statusYNW&page5&smoe&m020402&opTypeN Accessed March 28, 2021.
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If you purchase plant or machinery that qualifies for the annual investment allowance (AIA), you can deduct the full cost of that asset from your profits before calculating your tax liability.
What is Annual Investment Allowance (AIA)?
The annual investment allowance (AIA) allows businesses to claim tax relief on purchases of certain assets of more than £200,000 for up to £1,000,000 per year.
The AIA is a 100% capital allowance on qualifying expenditure. Capital allowances are a form of tax relief for businesses. They allow you to claim a tax reduction when purchasing business assets.
Every time you enter a new accounting period, a new AIA allowance applies.
Who can claim AIA?
AIA and the capital allowances regime is available to limited companies, sole traders and partnerships.
If you are a sole proprietor or partner with an annual income of £150,000 or less, the cash basis system is usually more suitable.
How much is the annual investment allowance in 2023?
The government imposes a limit on the amount of annual investment allowance a business can claim in a given year, so if you purchase assets costing more than the maximum annual threshold, you will not be able to claim annual investment allowance on all of them.
The annual investment allowance has been permanently set at £1,000,000 for qualifying expenditure on plant and machinery from 1 April 2023.
If you spend more than the AIA on qualifying plant and machinery, the excess amount can be claimed as a writing down allowance.
You get a new allowance for each accounting period.
How do you claim Annual Investment Allowance (AIA) and capital allowances?
You claim for AIA and capital expenses on your annual tax return; either your corporation tax return if you're a limited company or on your self assessment return if you're a sole trader.
Qualifying assets
The vast majority of plant and machinery bought for a business qualify for AIA, meaning you can deduct the whole cost of the item from your profits prior to calculating your tax.
Under the current rules, you can claim capital allowances on "plant and machinery" purchased as business assets. These include:
- "Integral components" of a structure
- Some fixtures, such as equipped kitchens, bathroom suites, fire alarm and CCTV systems changes to a structure to install machinery and equipment (but not repairs)
- Elevators, escalators, and moving walkways; space and water heating systems; and elevators, escalators, and moving walkways are some examples of integral characteristics.
- Systems for air conditioning and air cooling
- Heating and cooling water systems (but not toilet and kitchen facilities)
- Lighting systems and other electrical systems
- External solar shading
You can also claim capital allowances for:
- Demolition costs for the plant and machinery and for .
- Extracting minerals
- Research and development
- 'Know-how' (intellectual property about industrial techniques)
- Patents
- Dredging
- Property renovations in certain disadvantaged areas of the UK
You can claim capital allowances regardless of whether you own or rent the building where your firm is operating, however, only purchased assets can be claimed for.
If you purchase a building from a prior business owner, you can only recover expenses that they reported. This allow the seller to account for the assets correctly, and makes it essential to agree on the value of the fixtures and fittings during the selling process.
You can also claim enhanced capital allowances for certain energy- and water-efficient equipment, such as zero-emission commercial vehicles and some low-CO2 vehicles, provided you have purchased them new and unused.
- electric cars and cars with zero CO2 emissions
- plant and machinery for gas refuelling stations, for example storage tanks, pumps
- gas, biogas and hydrogen refuelling equipment
- zero-emission goods vehicles
- equipment for electric vehicle charging points
- plant and machinery for use in a freeport tax site, if you're a company
What can't I claim AIA for?
You also cannot claim AIA for business cars, items you owned for a different purpose prior to using them in your business, or items gifted to you or your firm; instead you would claim writing down allowances.
Further guidance on categories of plant and machinery expenditure that do not qualify for AIA are set out in section 38B of Capital Allowances Act 2001.
What's the difference between the Annual Investment Allowance and Writing Down Allowances?
Businesses claim the AIA for expenditures that would otherwise qualify for writing down allowances (WDAs). WDAs provide relief for qualifying capital expenditures over multiple tax periods, at either the 'main' or 'special' rates. AIA effectively expedites the tax relief, benefiting companies through improved cash flow.
What can't I claim capital allowances on?
You cannot claim capital allowances for buildings and land structures (incuding doors, gates, shutters, mains water and gas systems, bridges, roads, and docks) or leased items or items used exclusively for business entertainment, such as a yacht and a karaoke machine.
In addition, you cannot claim capital allowances for ordinary, day-to-day operating expenses, items purchased and sold as part of your business, and interest payments or financing charges associated with the purchase of business assets.
How do I calculate the value of the item I want to claim for?
The asset value is typically the price you paid for it. If you owned the asset prior to using it for your business, or if it was a gift, you should use its current market worth.
If your business is registered for VAT, you can deduct the AIA from the entire cost of the asset minus any VAT that can be reclaimed. If your business is not VAT-registered, you can deduct the annual investment allowance from the asset's total cost.
Do purchases for residential lettings businesses qualify?
You can only claim capital allowances if your firm qualifies as a furnished holiday lettings business or if the item in question is located in a residential building's common space, such as a table in the corridor of an apartment building.
What if I operate as a sole trader or in a partnership?
If your annual income is less than £150,000 and you are trading as a sole trader or partner, you may be eligible to use cash-basis accounting. Under the cash-basis accounting system, you only have to declare funds when they come into and out of your business.
Annual Investment Allowance 2023
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Legal disclaimer
The matters contained in this article are intended to be for general information purposes only. This article does not constitute tax, financial or legal advice, nor is it a complete or authoritative statement of the rules and should not be treated as such.
Whilst every effort is made to ensure that the information is correct, no warranty, express or implied, is given as to its accuracy and no liability is accepted for any error or omission.
Before acting on any of the information contained herein, expert tax, financial, legal or other advice should be sought.
Gill Laing is a qualified Legal Researcher & Analyst with niche specialisms in Law, Tax, Human Resources, Immigration & Employment Law.
Gill is a Multiple Business Owner and the Managing Director of Prof Services Limited - a Marketing & Content Agency for the Professional Services Sector.
Gill Lainghttps://www.taxoo.co.uk/author/gill/
Gill Lainghttps://www.taxoo.co.uk/author/gill/
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Gill Lainghttps://www.taxoo.co.uk/author/gill/ |
Since the Industrial Revolution, the environmental impacts of energy have posed a concern. Recently, this has driven researchers to search for viable options for clean and renewable energy sources.
Due to its affordability and environmental friendliness, hydrogen is a feasible alternative to fossil fuels for energy applications. However, due to its low density, hydrogen is difficult to transport efficiently, and many on-board hydrogen generation methods are slow and energy intensive.
Researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing and Tsinghua University, Beijing investigate real-time, on-demand hydrogen generation for use in fuel cells, which are a quiet and clean form of energy. They describe their results in the Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy, from AIP Publishing.
The researchers used an alloy — a combination of metals — of gallium, indium, tin and bismuth to generate hydrogen. When the alloy meets an aluminum plate immersed in water, hydrogen is produced. This hydrogen is connected to a proton exchange membrane fuel cell, a type of fuel cell where chemical energy is converted into electrical energy.
"Compared with traditional power generation methods, PEMFC inherits a higher conversion efficiency," said author Jing Liu, a professor at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Tsinghua University. "It could start rapidly and run quietly. Moreover, a key benefit to this process is that the only product it generates is water, making it environmentally friendly."
They found the addition of bismuth to the alloy has a large effect on hydrogen generation. Compared to an alloy of gallium, indium and tin, the alloy including bismuth leads to a more stable and durable hydrogen generation reaction. However, it is important to be able to recycle the alloy in order to further reduce cost and environmental impact.
"There are various problems in existing methods for post-reaction mixture separation," Liu said. "An acid or alkaline solution can dissolve aluminum hydroxide but also causes corrosion and pollution problems."
Other byproduct removal methods are difficult and inefficient, and the problem of heat dissipation in the hydrogen reaction process also needs to be optimized. Once these difficulties are resolved, this technology can be used for applications from transportation to portable devices.
"The merit of this method is that it could realize real-time and on-demand hydrogen production," said Liu. "It may offer a possibility for a green and sustainable energy era."
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Secretary, Ministry of Steel, Nagendra Nath Sinha said on Friday that the government is working on introducing a green hydrogen-based process in the steel industry where the iron will be directly ...
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Business applications are software that is designed to automatize and streamline business processes, manage information and facilitate decision making within companies. These software applications can help businesses achieve maximum work efficiency and boost the overall health of an organization. They can also improve employee performance and productivity.
Many sources of information have suggested numerous factors that could account for the recent increase in new business applications. Consumers' preferences for flexible working hours as well as the security net that is strong allow families to finance an entrepreneurial venture. Additionally, this Administration's policies have encouraged entrepreneurs to start new businesses by encouraging the growth of small-scale enterprises, which form the economic backbone of our country.
There are various kinds of business software, that are designed to fit specific industries and companies. Time management software is one of them, since it allows users to track the amount of time they are spending on specific tasks. It aids in improving efficiency and increases productivity by allowing them to concentrate on tasks that are high-value. Customer relationship management (CRM) software is a different kind of business software which helps businesses improve their customer satisfaction and retention rates by addressing customer queries, problems and complaints.
The most effective business apps are ones that are adapted to the unique business processes of each company. These apps should be simple to use and offer a pleasant experience to the user. This will decrease the requirement for extensive training in software and will encourage employees to use it. Furthermore, it should be scalable, so that as the business grows, the business app can expand along with it. |
Hello, welcome to KS3 history.
I'm Ms. Dawson.
Today we're starting our first lesson of a six lesson enquiry into when was the turning point in the second world war.
Today, we're going to be looking at something called Blitzkrieg and how the Nazis had control of Europe at the beginning of the second world war.
What I'm going to do now, is get my head out of the way so that you can pause your video and copy down today's title.
Once you've done that, resume the video and we'll get going.
Off we go.
Okay, let's get started.
For today's lesson you're going to need a piece of paper, a pen, a ruler and a pencil.
You'll also need to make sure you're somewhere nice and calm and quiet where you've got space to work and you don't have any distractions.
Well done if you're all ready good to go.
If you need to get something, go ahead, pause the video and get whatever you need and get yourself set up, resume the video when you're ready to start.
I'd like us to start off by taking a look at this image.
This image was taken in June 1940, and it gives us some context into what we're going to talk about today.
If you need to put your video on pause, what can you see in this image that's significant and what might it be telling you about what's happening? Well done if you noticed that we can see at the front of this image, Adolf Hitler, the leader of Nazi Germany.
So this is clearly an important photo of the beginning of the second world war.
What else did we notice? Do you recognise this building in the background? This is the Eiffel tower, a famous monument in Paris, which is in France.
So why might it be in June 1940, really, really significant that Adolf Hitler and his Nazi leaders are taking a picture in front of a famous building in France.
So, as I've already reminded you, this photo was taken in June 1940.
It shows Adolf Hitler, the leader of Germany and his most trusted aides walking through Paris.
The second world war had been happening since September 1939.
So this picture tells us, if the war started in September 1939 and in June 1940 there was a picture of Adolf Hitler and the Nazis in Paris.
How might the war have gone at the beginning for the Nazis? Have a think about it.
What I'd like you to do now, is to use what you've gleaned so far from looking at this image to write up a quick answer about what the picture shows and what that could suggest.
Use some of the clues that I've given you to help you in your answer.
You can also use the sentence starters to help write in full sentences.
Put the video on pause for a minute.
Once you've written something down resume and we'll check it against mine.
Off you go.
Welcome back.
Remember your answer and mine might look different, that doesn't mean that yours is wrong.
Let's take a look at what I put.
This picture shows Adolf Hitler, walking through Paris in June 1940.
This suggests that Germany had defeated France.
So well done if you used historical details from the source, such as Adolf Hitler is walking through Paris and well done if you worked out that the fact that the German leader is in Paris might suggest that Germany defeated France early in the beginning of the war.
Don't panic if you didn't, that's absolutely fine.
Give yourself a big tick.
If you've written anything that looks like this.
Through our enquiry we're going to cover six lessons and we're going to look at different parts of the second world war.
Our question is, when was the turning point of the second world war? And I'm going to talk to you in a bit more detail about what that means shortly.
But you may have worked out from this image we looked at at the beginning that at the start of the war it looked a little bit like Nazi Germany was going to win, but we know that they didn't.
So the turning point, is the point at which Nazis winning became a lot less likely and it became a lot more likely that the Allies would win.
Today we're going to look at the beginning of the war when the Nazis were doing quite well, using their tactics of Blitzkrieg to gain control of Europe.
And then we will follow with five more lessons where the fortunes changed slightly.
The second world war took place between 1939 and 1945.
Really, really recently, it's not that far away from today at all and it's important for us to recognise this when we talk about the second world war.
It's a very significant event that was not that long ago.
I'm going to give us now a very basic chronology, just so we can get ourselves contextualised for today.
And we will have more details on this as we go.
So I've already said the war took place between 1939 and 1945.
So, 1939 was when Britain and France declared war on Germany.
And we're going to talk a bit more about that in a moment.
So that's the beginning of the war.
By 1940 France had surrendered to Germany, so that picture that was taken in Paris shows that the Nazis had successfully defeated and occupied France within less than a year, by 1940.
1941 was a significant year because this was the year that United States entered the war.
So up until 1941, the United States had not been fighting.
And 1945 was when Germany surrendered.
Now this is a very basic chronology of the second world war, there'll be much more to come.
But these are the things you need to know in order to access today's work.
So we're going to talk a little bit about the different sides in the war and the world war two was fought between what we call the Allied powers and the Axis powers.
And I'm going to talk you through who those were in a moment.
Make sure you're paying attention because I'm going to test your knowledge on it in a second.
So, the first of the Allied powers was the United Kingdom, then we have France, then we have the USSR.
The USSR is another word for the Soviet Union.
The Soviet Union, you may note did not become one of the Allied powers until June 1941.
And I'll explain a little bit more about what that means in a moment.
You may have heard that during the first world war, Britain and France were Allied with a country called Russia.
The Soviet Union was a newer country formed after the first world war, that contained Russia and also surrounding territories.
So, by the time the second world war came around, we wouldn't use the word Russia, we would use the word USSR, but some of the territory overlaps.
The United States entered the war in December 1941 and again, we've got another lesson coming up shortly for us to see why it is that they entered then.
And then China had been fighting a war against Japan since 1937 and we're not going to talk about that today, but we are going to look at the war in the Pacific or in the non European theatre of war later on in the enquiry.
So those are who we would consider to be the Allied powers.
Remember, I'm going to test you on these in a moment.
Let's take a look at who they fought against.
The Axis powers.
So the first of the Axis powers was Nazi Germany.
So Germany under the rule of Adolf Hitler.
Then we have Italy, Italy was under the rule of a leader called Mussolini.
Italy was one of the Axis powers until 1943.
And then we've got Japan, and Japan was part of the war in the Pacific, which we will talk about in a few lessons time.
Are you going to be able to remember these? Okay, so I would like us to take a moment now to pause our video and see if we can sort the powers into the correct sides.
You should have a pencil and ruler, so you can draw a table that looks like the one on the left hand side of the screen.
And then in the correct sides of the tables, I want you to note here with the Allied powers and who are the Axis powers.
Pause the video take two or three minutes to do it and resume the video when you're happy and I'll go over the answers.
Off you go.
Welcome back.
Let's see how you did it and we go over the answers.
So on the side of the Allied powers, we've got the United Kingdom, France, the USA, the USSR and China.
Very well done, if you've got those correct.
You may have done even better than me and noted that the USA and the USSR were part of the Allied powers from 1941.
On the right hand side, the Axis powers were Nazi Germany, Italy and Japan.
And again, you might've improved on my answer and written that Italy was part of the Axis powers until 1943.
Tick the answers you've got right and correct the ones you got wrong, then get ready to move on.
I'm going to very briefly start by talking about the reasons that was the second world war.
On the map in front of you can see the major European powers that were part of the second world war.
We're going to talk a bit more about the war in Asia later on in the enquiry.
So one of the reasons there was a second world war was because of the legacy of the first world war.
After the first world war, Germany was treated incredibly harshly.
They had their military reduced by a huge amount, they were forced to pay huge amounts of reparations to their Allied powers.
And they were forced to accept that the first world war was all their fault.
This caused lots of upset and resentment among the German people and it was one of the reasons why Adolf Hitler was able to come to power.
Because he had promised Germany that he was going to reverse this harsh treatment.
Another reason the second world war broke out was because of Economic crash.
In the 1930's there was a great depression which caused huge problems in unemployment, rising prices and political difficulties.
This gave rise to extreme governance in Germany, Italy and in Japan.
The third and final reason for the second world war was what's known as a Policy of Appeasement.
Appeasement, we can remember this because it sounds a little bit like the word please.
Appeasement was a policy followed by Britain and France in order to try and please Hitler and Germany by allowing Germany to expand, hoping that it would not cause another war.
It didn't really help, it backfired.
We're going to look in more detail at what that means in a second.
But these are three reasons why the second world war broke out.
In more detail I'm going to go through the early steps to war and talk you through what they mean.
So in 1936, Germany remilitarized a key area called the Rhineland.
So just a moment ago, I told you that at the end of the first world war Germany was forced to have the size of that army reduced as part of their punishment.
This was because Britain, France and Russia didn't want Germany to be strong and be able to attack them again.
So remilitarizing means that Germany started rebuilding up their military.
They weren't supposed to do this under the agreements they'd signed at the end of the first world war, but they did it anyway, because Hitler felt that it was unfair that Germany wasn't allowed to have an army.
Following this in 1938, Germany united with the territory of Austria.
This is something also that they were told they weren't allowed to do because the Allied power was didn't want Germany to be really strong, big and militarised because they fear that they could attack.
Later on in 1938, Britain and France allowed Germany to annex part of Czechoslovakia.
So this means that Germany was able to absorb or take a part of the neighbouring country Czechoslovakia and make it part of Germany.
These three actions are all things that Germany was not allowed to do under the agreement it was forced to sign at the end of the first world war.
However, public opinion had started to think that perhaps these terms were too harsh and Germany particularly complained about being treated very harshly and not being treated as an equal.
So when they started taking these steps at first they were allowed to, nobody stopped them.
After being allowed to take part of Czechoslovakia in 1938, Germany then decided they were going to invade and take the rest of it.
So this shows that the steps to war are getting a little bit more extreme now.
Finally in September 1939, Germany invaded Poland.
And when Germany invaded Poland, Britain and France, couldn't ignore what they were doing anymore and they declared war on Germany.
So this is when the second world war started.
We've gone through quite a lot of detail in a short space of time.
So we're going to take a break now to check the knowledge that we've looked at so far.
You've got five statements in front of you, some of them are true and some of them are false.
You need to pause the video and work out which is which.
You can either write out the entire statement and if you come across one that is false, you can rewrite it to make it true.
Or you can just write true or false for each one.
I don't mind which one you do, as long as it's the most useful to you.
Once you've worked out which ones are true and which ones are false resume the video and I'll tell you the answers.
Off you go.
Well done, welcome back.
Let's check your answers.
So statement A was true, Germany did want to regain land it had lost in world war one.
Well done if you've got that right.
Statement B, Economic difficulties caused a rise of extreme governments in Italy, Germany and Japan.
Again well done.
That was true.
Statement C.
When Germany placed troops in the Rhineland, Britain and France didn't stop them.
That was also true.
So three ticks there, if you've got those correct.
Statement D.
Britain and France did not declare war on Germany when it annexed Czechoslovakia.
Do you know why that's wrong? I'm going to tell you in a moment.
But well done if you spotted the mistake.
Statement E.
The United States and the USSR both entered the war in 1940.
Is also false, well done if you spotted the mistake there.
Let's go over and have a look at what was wrong with those statements.
So, Britain and France actually allowed Germany to annex part of Czechoslovakia in 1938, then Germany invaded the rest in 1939.
Britain and France did not declare war in Germany until Germany invaded Poland in September 1939.
Very well done if you spotted the mistake there.
The second statement, The United States and the USSR both entered the war in 1940.
What's wrong with this? Did you work out? The United States entered the war in 1941.
The USSR had already been fighting, but they joined the side of the Allied powers in 1941.
Well done.
If you've got that right.
Give yourself a big tick for anything you've got right and if you need to correct any of it, you can pause the video and do so.
If you're ready to move on, let's go.
So, we've already seen this picture from 1940, showing that the Nazis had defeated and occupied France really early on in the war, by 1940.
However, by 1945, Germany had surrendered to the Allies and had lost the war.
This was not a certainty, at the beginning of the war, it seemed like Germany was going to win.
So our question, we're going to try and work out where the turning point of the war was over the course of this enquiry.
A turning point is a time when a decisive change occurs.
So if we're talking about the second world war, the turning point is when it goes from looking like the Nazis are going to win, to looking like they're going to lose.
And over the course of six lessons we're going to work out when that is.
We need to have a good knowledge of what a turning point is because it's in our enquiry question.
So I'm going to ask you to pause the video and write down this definition.
Resume the video when you're ready.
Welcome back.
Now that gone over the context and you know what a turning point is, it's time for you to do your written activity.
I'm going to read you the comprehension questions and direct you to the worksheet where you can answer them.
Question one.
When did Germany invades, Poland? Question two.
When did Britain and France declare war in Germany and why? Question three.
What did Britain and France allow Hitler to do in 1938 and why? Question four.
Why did the USSR sign a non-aggression pact with Germany? Question five.
Why were Germany as an advantage at the beginning of the war? Question six.
What is Blitzkrieg? Question seven.
Which countries did Germany defeats between 1939 and 1940? Question eight.
What was Operation Dynamo? And our challenge question.
Why were Britain in a vulnerable position by June, 1940? And their sentence starters below that you can use in order to answer this question.
You may know the answer to some of these already based on what we've already done.
But a reminder from me, that the answers to all of these questions are contained within the worksheet.
So you should read it carefully before you get started on any of these.
Also remember to try and write in full sentences and use historical detail to back up your answers.
Okay, you're ready to give it a go now, so pause the video and use the worksheet to complete these questions in full.
When you're happy you've answered as best as you can resume the video and we'll take a look at my answers.
Off you go.
Well done, welcome back.
Let's take a look at the answers.
Question one.
When did Germany invade Poland? The acceptable answer is, 1st September 1939.
A good answer in full sentences is, Germany invaded Poland on 1st September 1939.
Question two, When did Britain and France declare war on Germany and why? The acceptable answer is, 3rd September 1939.
Germany had invaded Poland.
A good answer using full sentences is, Britain and France declared war on Germany on 3rd September 1939.
They did this because they had both promised to protect Poland from Germany expansion and Germany invaded Poland on 1st September 1939.
Well done if you used full sentences and historical detail to support your answer.
Remember our answers might look slightly different, but that doesn't mean yours are wrong.
Did you get the date right? If you did give it a big tick.
Let's have a look at question three.
What did Britain and France allow Hitler to do in 1938 and why? The acceptable answer is, Annex parts of Czechoslovakia to prevent war.
Very well done if you answered that.
A good answer with more detail is, in March 1938, Britain and France signed the Munich agreement with Hitler.
This allowed him to annex the German-speaking part of Czechoslovakia, which he believed belonged to Germany.
Britain and France had hoped this would prevent a war, it was part of that policy of appeasement.
Really good job, if you used any of the specific historical vocabulary such as annex or appeasement in your answer.
If you would like to add some more details to your answer at this point, feel free to pause the video and use my notes to help you.
If not, let's take a look at the next question.
Question four.
Why did the USSR sign a non-aggression pact with Germany? The acceptable answer is, because of the Munich agreement.
A good more detailed answer is, although in world war one, Russia had been allies with Britain and France, the USSR signed a non-aggression pact with Germany in August 1939.
They did this because Britain and France had allowed Germany to annex Czechoslovakia in the Munich Agreement in 1938.
This made Joseph Stalin to think that Britain France would not protect the USSR against Germany either.
Very well done if you used full sentences to answer this question.
Let's take a look at question five.
Why were Germany at an advantage at the beginning of the war? The acceptable correct answer is, they had been preparing for a long time.
A good answer with more detail is, Germany were at an advantage at the beginning of the war, because they had been preparing for war for a long time.
One of Hitler's promises to his people was that he would gain them living space, so he had been building up his army since 1935.
In contrast, Britain and France were more focused on trying to prevent a war.
So they had not been preparing for as long.
Really well done if you used key historical vocabulary to answer this question.
If you want to pause the videos to add some details, go ahead, if not let's move on.
Question six.
What is Blitzkrieg? The acceptable answer is, lightning war.
A good more detailed answer is, Blitzkrieg means "lightning war" and it consists of quick and concentrated attacks from land and air the same time.
Nazi Germany used this in order to defeat Poland quickly.
Well done if you've got this answer correct and you've developed the detail, because you may not remember just on it's own what lightning war means, if that's all you wrote down.
So you might want to add some details to this.
Let's have a look at question seven.
Question seven.
Which countries did Germany defeat, between 1939 and 1940? The acceptable correct answer is, Poland, Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, Belgium and France.
A good more detailed answer is, Germany defeated Poland in September 1939 with the help of the USSR and the use of Blitzkrieg.
Then, in the spring of 1940, they used Blitzkrieg to defeat Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, Belgium and France.
They had surrendered by June, 1940.
This answer is better because it uses specific dates and details of exactly when each country was defeated.
Well done if you challenged yourself to do that.
Question eight.
What was Operation Dynamo? The acceptable answer is, the evacuation of British and French forces from Dunkirk.
A good answer with more detail is, Operation Dynamo was the code name used for the evacuation of British and French forces from the beaches of Dunkirk.
It took place between 26th May and 4th June 1940 and 338,000 troops were evacuated.
Really well done if you use specific dates and the statistic like 338,000 troops.
That's historical detail, very well done.
And finally, our challenge question.
Why were Britain in a vulnerable position by June 1940? The acceptable answer is, other countries had surrendered.
A good answer with more detail is, by June 1940, Britain were vulnerable, as they were the only remaining European country that had not surrendered to Germany.
In addition to this, they had lost huge amounts of soldiers and equipment in their failed campaigns in Europe before they had to be evacuated from Dunkirk.
Very well done if you developed with more detail.
Great job.
Now that we've done our comprehension activity, it's time for us to start an activity that's going to take us through this whole enquiry.
The enquiry asks us, what the turning point of the second world war was? And I told you, that is the point at which it stops looking like the Nazis are going to win the war and starts looking like the Allied powers are going to win the war.
So after the end of each lesson, we're going to fill in a turning point table.
So, I'm going to give you a date and you are going to say, in this date who you think, in your opinion, looked the most likely to win the war.
So the date I've picked today, is June 1940, so this is just after, the French have surrendered and the British have evacuated from Dunkirk.
And then in the last column you need some evidence to justify your view.
You're going to need a pencil and ruler in order to draw this table.
And what I would suggest you do is to take a whole page and draw a really big one, because you're going to need to fill this in, six times as we do this over the course of six lessons.
So, draw it nice and big, keep it and bring it to each next lesson.
So now that you know what you need to do, I would like you to pause the video and complete the turning point entry for today's lesson.
At the end of what we've learned today, who looks like they are going to win the war and why? You can pause the video and resume it once you've had a go to take a look at what I wrote.
Well done, welcome back.
Let's take a look at my answer.
So, in my opinion, by June 1940, it looked like Nazi Germany was likely to win the war.
The evidence to justify my view, is the fact that by June 1940, they had defeated Poland, Denmark, Norway, Belgium, the Netherlands and France.
And they had forced the British and French to evacuate.
This is an example of using historical evidence to back up your opinion.
Very well done if you did the same.
If you need to add some evidence to your third column, then go ahead, pause the video and do so.
Great job for today.
Really, really impressed.
If you've made it this far and would like to challenge yourself even further, we can go ahead and complete an extension activity now.
And this is writing up something very similar to what we just did in our turning point activity.
The extension question says, which country had the most success in the second world war by June 1940? To successfully answer this question, you can use these sentence starters on the left hand side and these key words on the right hand side.
Remember to write in full sentences, use historical evidence.
Now that you've had some help from me, you're ready to pause the video and complete the extension question.
Remember, you can look in the worksheet for evidence to help you, so that you've got supporting historical detail, when you're ready, resume the video and we'll go over it.
Well done.
Welcome back.
A reminder, your answer might look different to mine, but that doesn't necessarily mean that yours is wrong.
I'll read you my model and you can compare it with yours.
Give yourself a tick, if you've written any historical evidence that backs up your view.
The most successful country in the war by June 1940 was Nazi Germany.
Evidence to support this point is that they had successfully used Blitzkrieg tactics to force several European countries to surrender.
For example, they defeated Poland in September 1939 and France in June 1940.
They had also mounted a successful invasion from three directions that had forced the British and French forces to be evacuated from Dunkirk.
This meant that Britain and France had lost lots of soldiers and equipment, but gained no territory.
Therefore Germany was the most successful country because they had gained lots of territory and equipment, and defeated many European countries.
They now only had Britain left to defeat.
Really well done if you've challenge yourself to answer this question and if your answer looks anything like mine.
Give yourself a big tick if you use any evidence to support the fact that by June 1940, it looked like Germany was going to win the war.
That takes us to the end of today's lesson.
Really a good job for today.
I'm looking forward to seeing you next time when we'll start working out, when it is that this turning point occurred and why it is that Nazi Germany did not win the war when it really looked like they were going to in June 1940.
Thanks very much and see you next time.
Don't forget after you've closed this window to go and complete the exit quiz to test how much you've managed to learn today.
And if you would like to, you are very free to ask your parent or carer to share your work with us so we can see what you've been up to.
In order to do that, they would need to use Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter and tag @OakNational or #LearnwithOak.
Thanks very much.
I'll see you in lesson two. |
The foliage is perhaps the only clue that these plants are a member of the rose family. With bottlebrush-like flowers interestingly opening from the bottom up, this genus has become quite the fashion, many widely used in prairie style planting. Ideal for a moderately fertile, well drained soil in sun or light shade. The taller S. canadensis may require support. Whereas the lower S. obtusa can spread at the root to invade other plants.
Although Sanguisorba flowers produce very little nectar, their flowers are visited by pollinators such as ladybirds, hoverflies and solitary bees, and make a useful addition to a prairie-style planting or simply a late-summer border. |
Colours aren't just for aesthetics; they can revolutionise your workplace safety and efficiency! Discover the potential of coloured gloves and how they can impact your daily work routine.
Do you know the difference between a blue and white disposable glove?
In the mid-90s, when nitrile disposable gloves were introduced, the difference was the material (and yes, also the colour).
Nitrile disposable gloves were first produced in blue to indicate their difference from latex and vinyl gloves, which were white. This colour difference allowed easy recognition of which gloves were to be used by people with latex irritations and which gloves offered better chemical resistance.
The Glove Company introduced the first commercially available black nitrile disposable glove in Australia and New Zealand in 2007. These black gloves weren't merely a replication of blue medical gloves but signified a completely unique and stronger formulation.
Once black nitrile disposable gloves were introduced, disposable glove wearers had three options to choose from, easily differentiated by colour; white was latex and vinyl, blue was latex-free nitrile, and black was industrial-grade nitrile.
Today, disposable gloves are widely available in all shades and colours, regardless of material.
As indicated above, the most useful purpose for coloured disposable gloves is to be a part of a colour-coded system. Workplaces with multiple departments, applications, or processes can implement a different colour glove for each, preventing cross-contamination and making identification super easy.
Another key benefit is concealing or highlighting contamination on the glove surface. Light coloured gloves such as orange or white allow the wearer to see any hazards on the glove which helps prevent cross-contamination. Meanwhile, dark coloured gloves such as black or purple hide contaminants.
Colours such as pink, yellow, red, etc may be used simply to add some fun colour to a workplace, give employees options to choose from to match scrubs and uniforms or provide contrast when double gloving.
Keep reading for the benefits of the most popular disposable glove colours.
Blue is by far the most popular colour choice for disposable gloves. Available in many shades, blue nitrile disposable gloves are commonly used in medical and food settings for many reasons.
First, blue is the universal colour for health – Nurse scrubs, hair nets, and face masks are all commonly blue. The colour often represents calmness, sensitivity, and trust.
Light blue gloves highlight hazardous contaminants ensuring wearers can see when they must discard their gloves. Meanwhile, dark blue gloves help hide contaminants such as blood to create a more comfortable, reliable, and calm environment. The sharp contrast between the blue glove and skin makes it easy to detect any damage to the glove which could be detrimental if not detected.
Finally, no food is truly blue, therefore glove fragments can immediately be identified when preparing food, eliminating the risk of contamination. Always be sure to look out for the HACCP Food Safe Certified symbol when shopping for gloves to be used with food.
Asking us "What about blueberries?!" Click here for a fun fact – Why Are So Few Foods Naturally Blue
As we mentioned earlier, the introduction of black nitrile gloves indicated a unique formulation that was industrial grade. Black nitrile gloves were more expensive than the original blue nitrile gloves since the formulation included more nitrile to make the gloves thicker and required processes that were harder without today's technology. The formula was also tougher than its thinner, blue medical counterpart and was designed to offer increased protection against chemicals and solvents.
Black is the glove colour of choice for anyone who wants to hide contaminants they may come in contact with. The sleek black colour ensures contaminants such as grease, ink, grime, and more blend into the glove. A dark surface helps alleviate concerns about wearing contaminated gloves, making users more comfortable and preventing overuse. It is popular within the automotive, tattooist, and law enforcement industries.
Orange nitrile gloves were introduced as a high visibility alternative to industrial grade black nitrile gloves. The bright orange colour allows wearers to see exactly what they are doing in low light and dark environments. They also make it easier for others to see the wearer on the job and in emergencies.
Like other light coloured gloves, the high-contrast surface ensures hazardous contaminants are easily detected, helping to prevent cross-contamination and keep your workplace sanitary.
Biodegradable disposable gloves are often green, however, it's important to note that not all green gloves are biodegradable. If you are searching for a biodegradable glove, look for ASTM D5511 certification.
Green gloves offer similar benefits to orange coloured gloves mentioned above and other light coloured gloves.
White gloves are the common industry standard for cleanroom environments. The blank surface allows workers to see contaminants immediately ensuring cleanrooms remain clean.
White gloves are commonly used when double gloving. Wearing a white glove over a coloured glove allows users to notice any imperfections immediately as the coloured glove underneath provides a stark contrast compared to skin.
Disposable gloves are coloured with dye and white gloves require less dye than other colours which reduces the risk of unwanted reactions on skin sensitive to dyes.
While colours traditionally signified a glove's material and purpose, disposable gloves are now available in a variety of combinations. Blue gloves can be latex, white gloves can be industrial grade, black gloves can be medical, and so on.
There are many practical benefits to using coloured gloves in the workplace, so it is helpful to consider what colours best apply to your operations. If there is no need for a specific colour or shade, considering the wants and needs of your business and employees is the best course for deciding which colour to choose. |
CRO for Retailers. Isn't it Just Merchandising?
Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) for Retailers. Is it Just Merchandising?
We have been getting some great questions from online retailers about CRO (Conversion Rate Optimization) and how it is similar or different from merchandising.
So we sat down with our CRO Pro Gary Marx to learn more...
How much of CRO work involves merchandising?
For this discussion we are defining merchandising as how to organize retail products (in this case digital) to convert best around specific SKUs, often utilizing Content Management Systems (CMS) and Data Feeds to ensure optimal customer experience.
At RBL we think about Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) as a prioritized process and system that is definitely not specific to merchandising. We take in quantitative & qualitative data, feedback from all over to inform testing hypotheses. Does some of CRO overlap into merchandising? Absolutely.
So Gary, what do you think?
You're right - CRO is a prioritized process AND there's major overlap with Merchandising.
A mature CRO process at companies like Amazon and others can take a full time team with data scientists, developers, and a Product Manager to lead the task of testing and validating decisions on Merchandising. Naturally, Amazon is Amazon and you are you - so start from a single person or small team and expand as your confidence and skills grow. It's really fun!
Imagine if your merchandising team tested everything the way we test funnels, growth loops, and landing pages via CRO. No brand people (no offense it's just a different mindset) imagining they know better and holding marketing, sales, and development to opaque decisions -- but data driven brand people collaborating with a team of testers to prove increases in sales due to specific placements and proven decisions.
That's the potential and a lot of what Whole Foods has done on their shelves with their data. This is why they move products so much more efficiently than other groceries and why a wonderful startup in Oakland called Bedrock Analytics holds such a promise in the CPG space - a world which does not really utilize the data available.
It's why Amazon eats every online retailer's lunch, breakfast, dinner, afternoon snack, and dessert.
So how would someone execute CRO for Merchandising?
Great question - One word: Segmentation
There are different levels of maturity in any CRO program.
In short, you start out with one version of one page, then as traffic increases, you segment users at a first level (geolocation, device, etc.) then you continue to increase your segments and divide further as you understand what users are worth what real and potential $$ and dial in on increasing the real bucket for each segment.
Here's where the CRO process combines with Merchandising - you increase how customized the product display is per segment as you discover what converts better through testing. This will result in many segments of users and a constantly tested product display that gives weekly (if not daily, pending traffic and sales) feedback to the PM (Product Manager) or CRO lead to make data-driven decisions.
All of it revolves around CRO - get the qualitative data from users, PM's, salespeople, then test it all through A/B testing via segments.
Sure, that's great in theory, but how does it work in real life?
I've done tests that required apparel photoshoots that tested different model personalities (mood, facial expression), backgrounds, models (skin color, diversity, hairstyles), etc. sell better (they do and it depends on your audience).
That's awesome and similar to how we take a rigorous approach to testing nearly every impactful variable in paid marketing: headline, image, call to action, even test matching images of people to their digital targeted counterparts.
Totally! In this apparel example, we ran a small photoshoot on a subset of shirts and pants, using the most popular ones and then ran an A/B test to measure what performed differently. A set of new photos resonated better with the audience and lifted sales!
The client saved money and increased sales because we did a sample test run of multiple photoshoots, got rapid feedback from the testing, then did one major photo shoot to change all products to the new environment with the models having the new expressions & natural background.
We saved time by NOT doing 5 major photoshoots and increased sales by showing customers the RIGHT one -- with the benefit of adjusting the brand guidelines with customer actions/feedback. To this day, that is how this client's website shows their products and it's carved a unique corner for their brand to own. Apparel is a fun industry.
What about this one, how do retailers show a shirt to Stephanie in 75 degrees Santa Barbara but a pullover to Peggy in 55 and raining Portland?
Segmentation based on Geotargeting, and potentially a subset of female visitors - you absolutely should show different locations different things based on different seasons, weather patterns, etc. The Weather Channel does this with Optimizely fantastically - and super complex. Merchandising needs to figure out the things that drive their buyers to different products (qualitative feedback) then validate that information with testing.
If a retailer wanted to sell to both Peggy & Stephanie, I would run a test that identified the geolocation of all users in Portland or Oregon - we are talking Portland, Oregon, not Portland, Maine here - depending on customer feedback about the city or the state sharing Peggy's interest. The rural area outside Portland may not share Peggy's stylish Portland tastes. Portland has over 600,000 residents, so not much concern about traffic being low in the city.
Then, I'd have another test that segments by geolocation of Santa Barbara - a beach town of roughly 90,000 people. This is where traffic considerations come into place - normally, women are about half the population, so forty-five thousand. Then, how many of those are in the adult age group for the shirt and how many of those people love this client? We may need to increase the traffic of this segment to hit statistical significance in a meaningful time period by running paid marketing to feed us more users in that region.
Are there ways we already see this?
Two examples include 'purchased with' or 'most people who buy your cart item also buy…' They're somewhat simple (I believe Shopify has plugins for that and ruby has gems to help with it) and you can either do it manually or have the code continuously analyzing purchases for commonalities.
When you have low traffic levels or are unsophisticated in this approach:
+ a 'best sellers' list or carousel is usually shown - it's the same list for everyone
+ simplistic device type segmentation (iPhone vs. android)
+ no difference in return visitor states
And all of those are GREAT starting points - but test them to ensure they resonate with your visitors. They could turn them off or distract them from existing designs that work really well, That's the wonderful thing about testing - we can be certain what works.
I hope that helps!
Key Takeaway
For top retailers thinking about CRO and Merchandising there are opportunities to collaborate to get maximum results. Building a holistic system that considers both qualitative and quantitative data ranked intelligently against the business's key objectives will get you there and ensure that conversion rates for various customer segments are strongly considered to drive the best possible ROI.
Gary Marx is a CRO lead for Round Barn Labs and has run thousands of A/B tests for brands like CNN, Disney, and Singularity University.
The rich text element allows you to create and format headings, paragraphs, blockquotes, images, and video all in one place instead of having to add and format them individually. Just double-click and easily create content.
Static and dynamic content editing
A rich text element can be used with static or dynamic content. For static content, just drop it into any page and begin editing. For dynamic content, add a rich text field to any collection and then connect a rich text element to that field in the settings panel. Voila!
How to customize formatting for each rich text
Headings, paragraphs, blockquotes, figures, images, and figure captions can all be styled after a class is added to the rich text element using the "When inside of" nested selector system.
Why it matters: As you devise your landing experiences, make sure you ask questions of your customers to drive better conversion. You can do this through:
- Unordered list item 1
- Unordered list item 2
- Unordered list item 3
- Unordered list item 4
- Ordered list item 1
- Ordered list item 2
- Ordered list item 3
- Ordered list item 4
That's it! 👊 we'll add some stuff in the weeks to come. Thanks for taking this journey with us and sharing your inbox with us!
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Find out how classic car e-commerce marketplace Hemmings boosted classified ad checkout rates through rigorously tested landing page design.
Round Barn takes the same approach with our CRO clients, and our partnership with Singularity University is a great example. |
Q.1 Madam, could you please tell our readers about Coconut and why it holds such an important place in our lives?
Coconut is an auspicious fruit used all over India; be it for daily offerings in a temple or any special function like marriages etc. The botanical name of coconut is Cocos nucifera. Coconut palm is known as 'Kalpavriksha' or tree of life as every part of it is being used for one or another purpose. Water from immature coconut fruit of 7 to 8 months maturity is an energising drink. Milk extracted from the kernel or endosperm of a mature coconut, which is 10 to 11 months old is a delicacy. Dried coconut kernel, known as copra is used for extracting coconut oil which is used for edible purposes as well as in cosmetic industries. The key feature of coconut oil is lauric acid. After mother's milk, coconut oil is the richest source of lauric acid that has an important role in providing immunity. Coconut oil has antifungal and antiviral properties. The exocarp of coconut fruit known as the husk is used for extracting fibre that is coir.
Q.2 Could you please give us a broad understanding of the coconut industry and about interesting trends that you have observed over time in the coconut industry?
In India coconut is cultivated in 2.15 million hectares with an annual production of 21,200 million nuts. Coconut is cultivated in the Western and Eastern Coasts. Though it is cultivated in 18 States/Union Territories, nearly 90% of production is from the four Southern States – Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh. In the past few decades, coconut cultivation has expanded to many non-traditional areas. The productivity of coconuts increased from 6000 nuts/ha to 10,000 nuts/ha.
This is mainly due to improved varieties and the adoption of scientific cultivation practices.
India ranks first in coconut productivity and contributes more than 30% of world production. However, almost all coconut produced in the country is consumed domestically. More than half of the production is used for making copra and coconut oil. Fifteen percent is consumed as tender coconut utilization, for another value-added product is only less than 10%. The presence of India in the international trade of coconut is negligible at present except for coir products. In other words, the coconut sector has the potential for growth both in domestic as well as overseas trade.
Changes in coconut consumption are taking place across the globe. People are now considering coconut as a functional and nutritional food rather than an oilseed. On the industry side, large units for integrated processing of coconut are coming up. In India, we have few such large units capable of handling up to 4 lakh nuts a day.
Many coconut products such as desiccated coconut, coconut milk, virgin coconut oil, coconut water concentrates, and value addition of shell and fibre are made in such units.
Q.3 Could you please tell us about the support and facilities provided by ICAR - CPCRI to micro food processing enterprises engaged in coconut processing?
ICAR-CPCRI conducts a large number of training programmes for coconut value addition every year. The training is arranged according to the type and requirements of participants. To bring awareness to technologies, awareness camps are organized at different places. This year owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have adopted online programmes.
Entrepreneurship development programmes are conducted for those who desire to start coconut value addition ventures. The Institute has strong linkage with the Industries Department, MSME Development Institute, Coconut Development Board, Kudumbashree-the Poverty Alleviation Mission, etc. Trainees are thus benefitted to avail of the incentives and subsidies offered by these agencies. Another group of services we provide is under Agri-Business Incubation. The Kalpa Agri-Business Incubator of the Institute provides technologies, pilot-level processing facilities, and linking start-up entrepreneurs with credit agencies. More than 75 individuals and firms graduated from Kalpa Agri-business Incubator. The majority of them are in the coconut micro-food processing sector.
Q.4 Madam, could you please tell us about various micro enterprise level technologies of coconut processing that ICAR – CPCRI has developed for enhancing the livelihood of micro entrepreneurs and marginal farmers?
The novel coconut products developed by CPCRI are coconut chips, virgin coconut oil, kalparasa, and its value-added products, Coconut water-based products, trimmed tender coconut, and snowball tender coconut. In the case of virgin coconut oil or VCO, we have two protocols to obtain it from coconut milk: hot-processing and fermentation processing. The hot processed VCO is superior for more antioxidants and lauric acid. Our technology for collecting coconut inflorescence sap using a coconut sap chiller is unique as we obtain the sap with 0% alcohol. We registered it as a trademark as 'Kalparasa' to make it distinct from neera which will have some alcohol content. The value-added products from Kalparasa are palm sugar, jaggery, and sweets. Palm sugar has many advantages over white sugar. Chocolate, ice-cream, kheer, etc. can be made using palm sugar.
The Institute has several processing protocols in these areas and also provides tailor-made solutions to the entrepreneurs. Coconut chips are thinly sliced coconut kernels that are subjected to osmotic dehydration. Coconut chips from India are ranked one for quality and taste.
By-product utilization is important for increasing economic returns. The pulverized kernel after removing milk can be converted to an extruded product named 'Kalpacrunch'. We have technologies for the value addition of coconut water to make vinegar, squash, jelly, etc.
Another micro-entrepreneur technology is the trimmed tender coconut. The gadgets required for making these products such as shell and test removing machines, milk extractor, VOC cooker, slicers, electrical dryer, etc. were also designed and developed indigenously. The Institute has obtained 8 patents in this area.
Q.5 Could you please tell us about the kind of branding and marketing support provided to micro enterprises and cite some success stories that have come about as a result of ICAR - CPCRI's support?
Primarily we provide data and information to our licensees to promote their products. We also provide technology backstopping. All our licensees are entitled to indicate the source of technology in their product label, which is an authentication for the consumers. We support our licensees for marketing their products through various exhibitions and events conducted by the Institute. We also organize B to B and B to C meetings at different places. As you know, the Coconut Development Board has provision to provide financial support for advertisement and brand development. So we link our licensee with the Board for financial support in this regard. One of the brands we supported is MAGICCO. It was done under the National Agricultural Innovation Project. MAGICCO is mainly marketing coconut chips, and their annual turnover is Rs.1 lakh.
Q.6 Madam, as the PMFME scheme also focuses on reducing food wastage. Please suggest some ways by which one can turn coconut waste to wealth at the micro level.
Unlike in other crops, nothing is wasted in coconut. I already mentioned various products from coconut water and defatted coconut gratings. Coconut shells can be used for making charcoal and activated carbon. Pulverized shell powder can be used for making particle boards etc. There are many industries engaged in this area.
Coir pith is a by-product of fibre extraction units. CPCRI has developed an organic method of composting coir pith termed 'Kalpa Soil Care'. This technology has commercialized 5 rural entrepreneurs. Another technology of this kind is 'Kalpa Organic Gold', which is the vermicomposting of coconut leaves.
Q.7 What are your views about the future of the coconut processing industry and the scope it has for an aspiring entrepreneur especially at the micro food processing level?
There are tremendous opportunities for micro-food processing units in our country. Coconut is used in one or another form everywhere in India. Many such products are produced and consumed very much locally. For instance, one family in Kasaragod is preparing a specially ground coconut having a shelf-life of over one year. In the Konkan region, the demand for fresh coconut milk is very high, and there is a ready market for it. There is an array of bakery and confectionary products specific to different regions. Ball copra, desiccated coconut, defatted coconut gratings, coconut milk, etc. are widely used for making many food products.
In West Bengal, few firms are providing sweets made of Kalparasa. What I feel is coconut micro-food processing units can be started anywhere in India – need not confined to southern states alone. They need not buy coconut but can use desiccated coconut, packaged coconut milk, coconut sugar, coconut chips, etc. to make products having a market in their respective location.
India has an advantage for the export of coconut chips and desiccated coconut for their high-quality standards. But micro-enterprises may find it difficult to achieve production of sufficient quantities for export. By formation of a cluster of micro-enterprises following common quality standards, they can very well attempt export. Various incentives from MSME can also be availed for this purpose.
Q.8 Madam, with the immense experience that you have gathered over the period in the food processing sector and having been closely associated with the PMFME Scheme, according to you, what are some of the areas that micro food processing enterprises need support with and how do you think the PMFME Scheme would be able to support micro food processing enterprises in those areas?
The immediate issue coming to my mind is the lack of awareness among entrepreneurs and researchers on packaging aspects. In all forums, this issue of non-attractive packaging of Indian products is raised. Not only attractive packaging, but the use of apt packaging material specific to the product is a concern. We have experience in this regard; it took more than 4 years to identify the best packaging material for coconut chips. Similar difficulties are faced by all micro-food sector enterprises. They generally get the advice from here and there and try their luck. More efforts on creating awareness on the packaging are required.
Another area that needs attention is the formation of a cluster of micro-food enterprises and ensuring uniform quality standards. At least one quality test laboratory should be made available in every district. Testing of nutrients and microbes in every batch of products is to be made to ensure the quality of products. For this purpose, we should bring testing laboratories near to the firm.
Many factors are affecting the quality of food. The most important factor is the quality of water. Bacterial contamination is a serious problem in our food sector. Continuous education programmes are thus required for entrepreneurs.
I feel a vibrant innovation system is required in the sector to stay globally competitive. With the vast research net-work we have in our country, the Ministry should take a lead role to form a consortium to create an innovative environment.
About Dr. Anitha Karun, Director, ICAR-CPCRI
Dr. Anitha Karun has more than 30 years of experience in the field of Horticulture-Biotechnology and contributed to the development of many tissue and organ culture protocols and cryopreservation protocols in palms and cocoa. She completed her professional degree courses B. Sc (Agri.), M. Sc (Agri.) in Horticulture, and Ph.D. (Horticulture) from the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore. She started her career as Assistant Professor in Horticulture at Kerala Agriculture University in 1988 and was subsequently selected to Agricultural Research Service in 1990. She is working at ICAR-Central Plantation Crops Research Institute, Kasaragod since 1991 and was selected as Head, Division of Crop Improvement in 2012. She was appointed as Director (Acting) of ICAR-CPCRI from January 2019. She had undergone an international training programme on molecular biology at the University of Adelaide, South Australia in 1995. She has been awarded the 'ICAR Award for Team Research' for the biennium 1999-2000' for her major contribution in germplasm exchange of coconut in the form of embryos for the first time in the world. She is also the recipient of The best arecanut scientist for the Biennium 2013-14 by Indian Society for plantation crops for the outstanding contribution in the field of arecanut biotechnology research. As a country expert in the field of embryo culture and cryopreservation, she had visited South Korea, the Philippines, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and El Salvador (Central America). She has published more than 225 research papers in leading national and international journals, 2 books and 21 book chapters, and three technical bulletins and has guided 6 Ph. D and 45 M.Sc students. Three of her technologies viz., arecanut tissue culture, coconut embryo culture, and cryopreservation of coconut pollen, have been commercialized.
(Content provided by ICAR-Central Plantation Crops Research Institute)
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed are those of the above guest and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Ministry of Food Processing Industries. |
CHINA – In a surprising turn of events for the dairy industry, China has opted to ramp up its domestic milk production at a time when global dairy imports are reaching record highs.
While many countries worldwide have been increasing their dairy purchases, China's strategy has diverged, signalling a significant shift in the dynamics of the global dairy market.
As demand for dairy products surged globally, particularly in regions like the Middle East and parts of Southeast Asia, China took a different route.
Instead of increasing its dairy imports, China saw a notable 31% drop in inbound dairy shipments. This stark contrast to the global trend highlights a deliberate move by China to rely less on imported dairy products.
The driving force behind China's decision lies in its efforts to bolster domestic milk production. Chinese farms churned out an impressive 41 million tonnes of milk in 2023, marking a 4.6% increase from the previous year and a remarkable 28% surge since 2019.
However, there are lingering doubts among experts about the accuracy and completeness of Chinese production data, raising questions about the true extent of the country's milk output.
China's pivot towards self-sufficiency in dairy production aligns with broader national objectives aimed at enhancing economic resilience and reducing dependence on foreign food sources.
With a growing population and increasing concerns about food security, China's focus on boosting domestic milk production makes strategic sense.
Furthermore, China's shift towards self-reliance in dairy production is reinforced by tightening environmental regulations in major dairy-exporting regions like the European Union and New Zealand.
These regulatory changes are expected to limit milk production and exports from these regions in the future, further incentivizing China to prioritize domestic production.
The implications of China's strategic pivot in dairy consumption and import patterns extend beyond its borders, resonating across the global dairy market.
China's move towards domestic dairy production is likely to have significant repercussions for global dairy trade dynamics.
As one of the world's largest consumers of dairy products, China's increased self-sufficiency could disrupt traditional dairy supply chains and reshape global trade patterns.
However, challenges remain as China seeks to ramp up domestic milk production. The country will need to address issues such as improving milk quality, enhancing production efficiency, and ensuring environmental sustainability.
Nevertheless, China's proactive steps towards enhancing domestic dairy production signal a new chapter in the global dairy industry.
As China asserts greater control over its dairy supply chain, the landscape of the global dairy market is poised for transformation, with far-reaching implications for producers, traders, and consumers worldwide.
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Here are some potential benefits of push along walkers for babies:
Physical Development: Push along walkers can help babies develop their gross motor skills and strengthen their muscles. As they push the walker and take steps, they engage their leg muscles and improve their coordination and balance.
Walking Skills: Push toys can encourage babies to take their first steps and transition from crawling to walking. The support provided by the walker allows babies to practice walking while holding onto a stable object, boosting their confidence and helping them gain walking skills.
Independence: Push along walkers give babies a sense of independence and autonomy. They can move around and explore their environment on their own, which can be empowering and exciting for them.
Exploration and Curiosity: Babies are naturally curious, and push toys can stimulate their curiosity by allowing them to move around and interact with their surroundings in a new way. This can contribute to cognitive and sensory development.
Spatial Awareness: Using a push along walker can help babies develop a better understanding of spatial relationships and distances. They learn to navigate obstacles, turn corners, and adjust their movements accordingly.
Confidence Building: Successfully using a push toy to move around and explore can boost a baby's self-confidence. As they become more skilled at using the walker, they may gain confidence in their physical abilities.
Encouraging Active Play: Push along walkers promote active play and physical activity, which is important for overall health and well-being. Active play can contribute to the development of strong muscles and bones.
Social Interaction: Push along walkers can facilitate social interactions as babies move around and engage with their caregivers or other children. It can also be a fun activity for parents and babies to enjoy together.
Transition to Standing: Push toys provide a stable surface for babies to hold onto while they practice standing, which is an important step in their physical development.
It's important to note that while push along walkers can offer these benefits, they should be used with caution and under supervision. Caregivers should closely monitor babies while they use the walker and follow recommended guidelines for safe usage.
Product information:
Applicable age: infants and children (10mths-3 years old)
Features: Multifunctional
Product name, multifunctional baby walker and ride on toy Material: Plastic Color: Red and blue Product size: 53x43x45cm
Packing list:
1* Baby Walker
Product picture: |
MoDOT is using a new enhanced pedestrian crossing system at locations across the state. The new crossings make it easier for pedestrians to safely get across busy roads at locations that are not at signalized intersections. It also minimizes traffic delays, because it only operates when a pedestrian activates it.
Before a pedestrian activates the signal, the lights will be off. After the signal button is pressed by a pedestrian, yellow lights will flash warning drivers of the crossing. The signal will change to solid yellow, before two red lights will be displayed, requiring cars to stop. After a few seconds, the red lights will alternately flash indicating that drivers may proceed after stopping IF there are no pedestrians in their lane.
When pedestrians are not present, the lights will not be on and drivers can proceed without stopping.
How does a Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon signal work?
First, when a pedestrian wants to cross the street they press the button which activates the PHB signal. Second, the PHB signal displays a sequence of lights to direct traffic and pedestrians. Pedestrians are then given a "walk" signal to cross the roadway. Third, the PHB signal will display a flashing red light, indicating that traffic may proceed through the crossing with caution.
It's important to note that different jurisdictions may have slightly different signal sequences and that pedestrians and drivers should always follow the specific instructions provided by the PHB signal. |
Crazy-Dense Neutron Stars Reveal Their Secrets
Scientists have uncovered a new key to understanding the strange workings of neutron stars — objects so dense they pack the mass of multiple suns into a space smaller than a city.
It turns out there is a universal relationship linking a trio of properties related to how fast the star spins and how easily its shape deforms. This relationship could help astronomers understand the physics inside neutron stars' cores, and distinguish these stars from their even weirder cousins, quark stars.
Neutron stars are born when massive stars run out of fuel for nuclear fusion and collapse. They expel their outer layers, and their cores fall inward under the pull of gravity to become denser and denser. Eventually, the pressure is so great that even atoms cannot retain their structure, and they collapse. Protons and electrons essentially melt into each other, producing neutrons as well as lightweight particles called neutrinos. The end result is a star whose mass is 90percent neutrons. [Graphic: Inside a Neutron Star]
Quark stars are bizarre theorized objects that are even denser than neutron stars, where even neutrons can't survive and they melt down into their constituent quarks.
"Quark stars haven't been observed," said Nicolas Yunes, a physicist at Montana State University who co-authored the new study with his Montana State colleague Kent Yagi. Their paper was published online today (July 25) in the journal Science.
Part of the problem is that scientists can't definitively tell the difference between neutron stars and quark stars from current observations, so some of the known neutron stars might actually be quark stars. However, the new relationship found by Yagi and Yunes could help distinguish the two super-dense bodies.
The researchers discovered that for all neutron stars there is a relationship between three quantities: a star'smoment of inertia, which defines how quickly it can spin, and its Love number and quadrupolemoment, which reflect how easily the star's shape deforms. The newfound relationship means that if one of these quantities can be measured, the others can be deduced.
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Though scientists previously understood that these properties were connected, they didn't realize that such a standard relationship held true. It turns out to be similar to a relationship known for black holes, which are even denser than neutron and quark stars.
"For black holes there is a well-known definite relation, but that made sense because black holes don't have internal structure," Yunes told SPACE.com. "We all expected that that wouldn't be true once you have objects that do have structure."
Understanding this relationship for neutron stars could also help scientists study general relativity and the laws of physics in a strong gravitational field.
"Since a neutron star is very compact, it offers us a nice test-bed to probe gravitational theory in the strong-field regime," Yagi told SPACE.com via email. Previously, uncertainties about the internal structure of neutron starsprevented researchers from carrying out such tests, he added.
"However, since our universal relations do not depend on the neutron star internal structure, one can perform general relativity tests without being affected by the ignorance of the internal structure," Yagi said.
Follow Clara Moskowitz on Twitter and Google+. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on SPACE.com.
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Clara Moskowitz is a science and space writer who joined the Space.com team in 2008 and served as Assistant Managing Editor from 2011 to 2013. Clara has a bachelor's degree in astronomy and physics from Wesleyan University, and a graduate certificate in science writing from the University of California, Santa Cruz. She covers everything from astronomy to human spaceflight and once aced a NASTAR suborbital spaceflight training program for space missions. Clara is currently Associate Editor of Scientific American. To see her latest project is, follow Clara on Twitter. |
China has started to build a new-generation supercomputer that is expected to be 10 times faster than the current world champion.
This year, China is aiming to build the world's first prototype exascale supercomputer, the Tianhe-3.
The prototype is expected to be completed by 2018. Its computing power is on the next level, cementing China as the world leader in supercomputer hardware.
It would be available for public use and "help us tackle some of the world's toughest scientific challenges with greater speed, precision and scope".
Tianhe-3 will be made entirely in China, from processors to operating system. It will be stationed in Tianjin and fully operational by 2020, earlier than the US plan for its exascale supercomputer.
Tianhe-1, China's first quadrillion-level supercomputer developed in 2009, is now working at full capacity, undertaking more than 1,400 assignments each day, solving problems "from stars to cells". |
"Give me a map to look at, and I am content. Give me a map of country I know, and I am comforted: I live my travels over again; step by step, I recall the journeys I have made. Old maps are old friends, understood only by the man with whom they have travelled the miles."
Alfred Wainwright
Topics on this page:
- The importance of OS maps and map-work skills
- Teaching map skills
- Digimap
- Anticipate challenges
- Resources and ideas for teaching mapwork skills
- Using maps outside the classroom
- Using maps and aerial photographs
- Further reading
The importance of OS maps and map-work skills
People have a fascination with maps – read Mike Parker's Map Addict. Watch how students react when a teacher hands around OS maps to a class – they cannot resist exploring to see what they can find!
OS maps are an integral part of the geography curriculum and students should be taught how to interpret and use different types of maps in the classroom and in the field. OS map skills should be part of the primary curriculum.
In the secondary phase, map skills should be taught from year 7 and revisited with students regularly so that by GCSE exams, the skills should be second-nature with students able to use OS maps in a range of contexts, including outside the classroom.
Since pupils are likely to have transferred from several different primary schools, their prior knowledge of map skills is often extremely varied. Therefore, early in key stage 3, students are often taught map-work skills such as scale, measuring distance, map symbols, grid references and contours.
- Refer to the publication by Owens (no date) for the Ordnance Survey. This indicates what pupils should have covered by the end of key stage 2 and could be used as a basis for writing a diagnostic assessment on entry to secondary school.
It is important that the use of OS maps continues in key stage 3 lessons. The Ofsted Research Review: geography promotes the use of maps as 'an intrinsic part of learning in geography'. Gardner (2015) believes it is best to integrate map-work into geography topics as a matter of routine so that students build up and enhance their skills progressively to attain fluency and automaticity.
Once students become familiar with interpreting Ordnance Survey maps, they no longer need to routinely reference the key, which frees up working-memory space to process the information more efficiently.
- See Maps and Mapping: The view from Ofsted from the GA website.
Teaching map skills
- Read these two key references about teaching map skills: Biddulph et al (2021) p. 112 and Gardner (no date) Planning for pupil progress. The latter is a free publication from the Ordnance Survey and provides a very thorough overview of planning, assessing and pedagogy for teaching map skills.
- Also refer to this Curriculum progression in map work demonstrated in the key stage statements in the National Curriculum (from the GA website).
The four essential aspects of map-work skills to be taught are:
- plan view (perspective, relief)
- arrangement (location, direction, orientation)
- proportion (scale, distance, selection)
- map language (signs, symbols, words, numbers).
When teaching map skills, you should:
- focus on one skill at a time before integrating them with other map skills
- remember that the learning of these skills is seldom linear
- consider a progression in map skills when you plan.
In order to develop graphicacy capability with respect to maps, students need to understand the conventions that geographers use in map drawing, e.g. symbols and contour lines. They also need to understand different views, e.g. a map as 2D or plan view, cross sections, a landscape in a 3D view.
At GCSE, students should be able to analyse a map and use it to illustrate and evaluate geographic information. They should be able to look at a map and describe the features of a location. In other words, they should have map interpretation skills, which include the ability to:
- relate various bits of information on the map together
- use prior knowledge and understanding to help do this
- identify patterns on the map
- visualise an area from the mapped information
- build up a sense of a place from the map.
- See GCSE geography skills (AQA specification).
- See Geo (for GCSE students): Using map resources part 1.
- Find out where map skills are taught in your school's schemes of work. Talk to students of different ages about their understanding of maps.
- Observe map-work skills being taught in some geography lessons and note how the teacher explains and models the skills for students so that they understand.
- Identify any aspects students find difficult and struggle with.
- Identify how the teacher supports them and scaffolds their learning.
- Carry out Task 4.3 p. 112 in Biddulph et al (2021). This suggests further points to explore when observing students' responses to teaching of map skills.
Digimap for Schools is an online mapping service providing current and historical Ordnance Survey maps, as well as contemporary aerial photographs. You can add to and annotate maps.
There is also a library of free Learning Resources that provides numerous ideas for teaching OS map skills to all ages. You should find out if your school has a subscription to give you access to the OS map resources, then you can access:
- Working with Digimap – school examples: This page on the GA website showcases examples of how teachers have used Digimap with their students, including sample lessons and classroom ideas.
- Digimap for Schools to support GCSE.
Anticipate challenges
Students of all abilities can gain a sense of achievement from working with maps. However, some students find using maps a challenge, so it is important that your teaching objectives are appropriate to students' abilities, build on students' existing mapping abilities and take account of their self-esteem. At the same time, make full use of the opportunities that maps offer to stretch the more able and develop their map interpretation skills.
Consider the numeracy demands in some map-skills. A teacher writes:
'Every year I have a feeling of dread when I tell my year 7 students that in our next unit we are going to be studying "map skills" as there are always groans from the class. They know that mapwork – unlike topics such as tectonics or global fashion – inevitably involves complex skills which some perceive to be more closely related to maths than geography. (Hannah Spencer, Teaching Geography, Summer 2016)
- See Learners' difficulties with maps for information about problems some learners face in using, drawing and interpreting maps.
- Refer to Dove (2005), which discusses the problems faced by students when drawing a river valley in cross-section.
When you plan lessons about maps, use Learners' difficulties with maps to help you to anticipate difficulties that might arise.
Discuss with your mentor the challenges map skills might present to your students; how can you avoid difficulties; what learning activities could you use; how can you scaffold learning of map skills?
Resources and ideas for teaching mapwork skills
- Geographical Association Ordnance Survey mapping section.
- See Medley and Snead (2004) for a wide range of activities for using maps in different geography topics.
- See Slater (1996), which suggests a simple, three-level differentiation of map skills.
Using maps outside the classroom
An important aspect of map skills is the ability to use maps in the field. It is worth noting that many adults can struggle to do this. The skills include being able to locate your own position on the map, identifying your destination, orientating the map, planning an appropriate route and following it, and matching landmarks to the map.
- Look at the article by Wood and Walker (2007) that describes some ways to use maps outside of the classroom and Conlan (2017) about using geocaching to teach map skills.
Using maps and aerial photographs
Using digital media gives easy access to view maps alongside photographs in several different forms and also display 3D images. Biddulph et al (2021) provide advice of using maps and aerial photos together and give a suggested progress for developing students' required skills.
For some practical ideas on the use of these resources:
- Refer to Classroom activities and look at the Map and aerial photographs activity, which is from the GA's Making my Place in the World project
- See Why Use Aerial Imagery, which provides background information explaining why aerial imagery is an excellent resource.
Review your teaching
- Download this checklist to evaluate how well you are teaching graphicacy and spatial thinking in your map-work.
- Biddulph, M., Lambert, D. and Balderstone, D. (2021) Learning to Teach Geography in the Secondary School: A Companion to School Experience, 4th edition. Abingdon: Routledge
- Conlan, L. (2017) 'How might geocaching teach map skills?', Teaching Geography, Autumn.
- Dove, J. (2005) 'Between the lines', Teaching Geography, Summer.
- Gardner, D. (no date) Planning for pupil progress. Southampton: Ordnance Survey.
- Gardner, D. (2015) 'Maps as a matter of routine', Teaching Geography, Spring.
- Medley, J. and Snead, C. (2004) 'Using Ordnance Survey maps', Teaching Geography, October.
- Owens, P. (no date) Progression in Mapping. Southampton: Ordnance Survey.
- Parker, M. (2009) Map Addict. Collins.
- Slater, A. (1996) 'Differentiating Mapwork', Teaching Geography, October.
- Wiegand, P. (2006) Learning and Teaching with Maps. London: Routledge.
- Wood, Z. and Walker, J. (2007) 'Learning outside the classroom: what can be done in lesson time?', Teaching Geography, Autumn. |
Nisei Impact: World War II veteran, 99, recounts experience that earned his first Purple Heart distinction
Editor's note: Nisei Impact is a youth storytelling project led by the Honolulu Star- Advertiser and the nonprofit Nisei Veterans Legacy. Each day this week, we will publish a story, written by a high school student, about the nisei veterans in our families and communities.
On a typical day, Jack Seitoku Nakamura, a 100th Infantry Battalion nisei veteran, wakes up and has a good breakfast and sings harmonious tunes that radiate throughout his Good Samaritan Society Pohai Nani cottage in Kaneohe.
Nakamura then chuckles and apologizes to the nurses who listen for his singing and know where to find him.
"I am sorry. I can't hear too well. A bomb fell next to me," explains the 99-year-old Nakamura.
His favorite songs are Hawaiian and Japanese tunes such as "Koko Ni Sachi Ari," as well as songs by Edith Piaf, a well-known French singer.
When Nakamura was honored with the Chevalier dans l'Ordre National de la Legion d'Honneur (Knight in the National Order of the French Legion of Honor) in January 2015 for helping to liberate France from the Nazis during World War II, he proudly sang the American and French anthems.
Nakamura says he faced discrimination when Pearl Harbor was attacked.
"Oh, boy, I had a bad time. They look at me and they call me Jap, Jap, Jap," Nakamura recalls.
To prove his loyalty as an American, at age 19, Nakamura enlisted in the U.S. Army. He stood in formation on the grounds of Iolani Palace for the 442nd Regimental Combat Team farewell ceremony and was sent to train at Camp Shelby in Mississippi. He then traveled by boat to Casablanca, North Africa, before reaching Anzio, Italy.
In vivid detail, Nakamura recounts his first battle and how he earned his first Purple Heart.
As the Germans shot artillery shells, one of the shells hit the shack where Nakamura and two others were hiding. The blast instantly killed Yoshio Nozaki. Nakamura's buddy was thrown 40 feet, and Nakamura, 30 feet. He was unconscious and blinded for a while due to the blood that was in his eyes.
"The bomb is so loud, it's deafening. I thought I was dead. They gave me good lickins," he laughs.
After the liberation of Italy and France, Nakamura was assigned to guard a platoon of German prisoners of war, one of whom inquired, "You look like a Japanese. What are you doing in an American uniform?"
Nakamura proudly announced, "I was born and raised in America, so I am an American."
Recalling the joyous celebrations of gratitude from the French following the liberation, Nakamura provides delightful accounts of children cheering for "Chocolat! Chocolat!" as he gave them American chocolate.
"The children loved it," he says.
"I am not a hero," Nakamura insists. He says he did his job well and nothing more.
After the war, working at Naval Air Station Barbers Point, Nakamura needed a haircut, so he entered a beauty shop where he met Alice Hisae Matsuoka. She refused to serve him since she only did women's hair. But, Nakamura says, "I wanted her to be my lover."
"I chased and chased my (future) wife," he says. Then one day she stopped putting him off "and we got married!"
They had two children, Allan and Pauline, and three grandchildren, Brandon, Kelli-Rae and Stacy. "I have such good and beautiful children and grandchildren," Nakamura says.
As a sansei, or third-generation Japanese American, Allan Nakamura embraces his father's selfless values and has the utmost filial respect for him.
"He gave me everything I wanted, so it's my turn to give back," Allan says.
"I am 99 years old. I can't do too much and cannot remember too many things," Nakamura says.
However, he will never forget the heroic rescue of the Lost Battalion in October 1944, when the 100th Battalion/442nd Regimental Combat Team was deployed to the mountains of northeastern France to extract a Texas National Guard unit surrounded by Nazi troops.
Nakamura says that after the mission, Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower ordered the Japanese American soldiers to take leave for a job well done. He says he and some of his buddies wandered around France.
"We were looking for pretty girls," he says with a hearty laugh.
Nakamura was in utter admiration when he encountered Eisenhower.
"I stood up and saluted him. Then General Eisenhower addressed me, '442nd soldier, I salute you. You did a good job.'
"Wow!" Nakamura says. "I was so happy! I was proud to have met General Eisenhower. I will always remember that for the rest of my life."
Shane Kaneshiro is a sophomore at McKinley High School. |
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