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When you live as an ancient Greek, you find an inherent flow of the Greek spirit through you before you even realize it. For example, today I purchased a new book on the way of ancient Greek life, which stated that the enjoyment of life and the acknowledgement of how delightful the world is, constitutes the hallmark of the Greek spirit. This is what I have felt and told people in philosophy for the longest time, but had never read it in actual context until now. When Greek lives within you, it's like all that is Greek also comes with it. You don't have to always willfully put it there. The Gods reach down and mold you into the identity of their people.
I have said in the past that Hellenism has made me religiously the happiest I have ever been in my life, and this is true. A large part of that reality is the simple fact that I experience so much joy, wonder and intrigue on a daily basis with the Gods, Spirits, Heroes, and the stories, myths and customs of ancient Greece.
My first pleasure is that I wake up each day knowing that I am part of a vibrant, growing and supportive community. When I first began joining the national group Hellenion, I attended a libation rite to Hermes through their online broadcast. It was one of the most spiritually uplifting times of my life; to be there with people who felt like brothers and sisters, who believed in the same Gods as me, as we worshiped together in union and friendship.
Of course, the real and ultimate beauty is the Gods and the spirituality of the religion. I love waking up to the beautiful sunshine, knowing that my day begins and ends with Gods all around me. The morning begins with Eos, Helios and Hemera, the latter two throughout the entire day. During which time I can pray to, worship and honor so many wonderful Gods relevant to everything, from Zeus in the sky, Artemis over the forests, hills, wildlife, and animals, Aphrodite in love, Poseidon of the seas and rivers, Athena for my strength and protection, Apollon for healing, light and inspiration, Hera for Motherly guidance and nurturing, Hermes on my travels and publishing endeavors, Demeter for my great foods and beautiful fields, Dionysos for life and joy itself, Hephaitsos for creativity and invention, Ares for success in the battles of life, I could go on and on even beyond the Olympians. When night draws close, I am in the presence of wonderful Gods like Nyx and Selene. There is never a time when the Gods are not there.
As such, I love building beautiful worship spaces, sanctuaries and temples to the Gods, as I have many of such structures at my home. At the Shrine of The Dodekatheon, incense burns throughout the day to all of the Gods, focusing on the 12 Olympians. Below it rests a shrine to the Heroes and on the last level an altar to the dead and ancestors. I also have an outside sanctuary to my town and region's Patron Goddess, Artemis.
I also love the fact that there are so many wonderful Heroes and Heroines in our religion we can pray to and interact with, some of which are my Patron Heroes, namely Theseus. As with the Gods, the Heroes can encompass a wide range of epithets. Unfortunately, there's no ancient list, so we have to use fact-based reasoning behind it. For example, in His story, we know that Theseus traveled on foot across the Greek landscape to Athens, and along the way, put an end to criminals and monsters. Therefore, when I go out during the day, I may invoke Theseus the Traveler to see me safely there and back, especially if I am walking somewhere. So when I take my evening walks, I pray something like, Theseus the Traveler, bless and watch me on my journey tonight. Another example might be Antigone. We know She died for Her choice to do what She thought was right, despite being ordered to do what was wrong. So in tough decisions of right and wrong, I may call on Antigone of Honor. My prayer may state something along the lines of, Antigone of Honor, help me to do what's right, instead of what's desired.
As a devout Hellene, you'll also notice that ancient Greece is always on your mind, and flows through your whole body and life. I can open, for example, Plato or Homer for the answer to literally anything I am going through or want advice on. These sources of philosophy, myth and religion alone are 2,400 pages long. And keep in mind, these men are only 2 sources for the religion and worldview. I never run out of things to learn from or stories to experience.
I'll never give it up. I have only one regret; that I didn't find Hellenism sooner.
In the Goodness of the Gods, | <urn:uuid:acd0b7f4-a139-408a-b03a-8e3ec1ab56d7> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.caldridge.net/2017/09/the-daily-joys-wonders-of-hellenic.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573699.52/warc/CC-MAIN-20220819131019-20220819161019-00265.warc.gz | en | 0.963485 | 1,020 | 1.664063 | 2 |
Sex discrimination in education
This may not be a complete list of all recordings associated with this subject. Search the entire catalog here.
|PRA Archive #||Title||Description||Genre||Broadcast Date|
|BB0521.11||Suffocation in suburbia 3: the emergence of womanpower / Jean Paul Mather (Episode 11 of 15)||
Part 11 of KPFA's presentation of the University of California's Medical Center Conference "The...
|American Women -- Feminism||KPFA, June 25, 1965|
|BB0521.12||Suffocation in suburbia 4: Education: training ground or playground? / Kate Mueller (Episode 12 of 15)||
Part 12 of KPFA's presentation of the University of California's Medical Center...
|American Women -- Education, American Women -- Work and unions, American Women -- Feminism||KPFA, June 22, 1965|
|BB2366.03||Education for the weaker sex (Episode 3 of 7)||
Marjorie Uren, a graduate student in English at the University of California (Berkeley) and part...
|American Women -- Feminism, American Women -- Women of Color and discrimination, American Women -- Education||KPFA, February 1, 1970|
|BB2366.04||Women in the universities (Episode 4 of 7)||
Maryjean Suelzle, a graduate student in sociology at the University of California (Berkeley) and...
|American Women -- Education, American Women -- Feminism||KPFA, February 2, 1970| | <urn:uuid:ecd50966-dda6-4e3c-a9dd-bcb929a9ef3d> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://pacificaradioarchives.org/subject-tags/sex-discrimination-education | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570977.50/warc/CC-MAIN-20220809124724-20220809154724-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.815008 | 342 | 1.757813 | 2 |
Covid vaccination Photograph:( Reuters )
The researchers have so far found just a single case of this formidable combination, but genetic analysis suggested that the variant had been acquired in the community and did not arise in the patient
Scientists in Oregon have spotted a homegrown version of a fast-spreading variant of the coronavirus that first surfaced in Britain — but now it's combined with a mutation that may make the variant less susceptible to vaccines.
The researchers have so far found just a single case of this formidable combination, but genetic analysis suggested that the variant had been acquired in the community and did not arise in the patient.
“We didn’t import this from elsewhere in the world — it occurred spontaneously,” said Brian O’Roak, a geneticist at Oregon Health and Science University who led the work. He and his colleagues participate in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s effort to track variants, and they have deposited their results in databases shared by scientists.
The variant originally identified in Britain, called B.1.1.7, has been spreading rapidly across the United States, and accounts for at least 2,500 cases in 46 states. This form of the virus is both more contagious and more deadly than the original version, and it is expected to account for most U.S. infections in a few weeks.
The new version that surfaced in Oregon has the same backbone, but also a mutation — E484K, or “Eek” — seen in variants of the virus circulating in South Africa, Brazil and New York City.
Lab studies and clinical trials in South Africa indicate that the Eek mutation renders the current vaccines less effective by blunting the body’s immune response. (The vaccines still work, but the findings are worrying enough that Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna have begun testing new versions of their vaccines designed to defeat the variant found in South Africa.)
The B.1.1.7 variant with Eek also has emerged in Britain, designated as a “variant of concern” by scientists. But the virus identified in Oregon seems to have evolved independently, O’Roak said.
O’Roak and his colleagues found the variant among coronavirus samples collected by the Oregon State Public Health Lab across the state, including some from an outbreak in a health care setting. Of the 13 test results they analyzed, 10 turned out to be B.1.1.7 alone, and one the combination.
Other experts said the discovery was not surprising, because the Eek mutation has arisen in forms of the virus all over the world. But the mutation’s occurrence in B.1.1.7 is worth watching, they said.
In Britain, this version of the variant accounts for a small number of cases. But by the time the combination evolved there, B.1.1.7 had already spread through the country.
“We’re at the point where B.1.1.7 is just being introduced” into the United States, said Stacia Wyman, an expert in computational genomics at the University of California, Berkeley. “As it evolves, and as it slowly becomes the dominant thing, it could accumulate more mutations.”
Viral mutations may enhance or weaken one another. For example, the variants identified in South Africa and Brazil contain many of the same mutations, including Eek. But the Brazilian version has a mutation, K417N, that is not present in the version from South Africa.
In a study published Thursday in Nature, researchers compared antibody responses to all three variants of concern — the ones identified in Britain, South Africa and Brazil. Consistent with other studies, they found that the variant that pummeled South Africa is most resistant to antibodies produced by the immune system.
But the variant circulating in Brazil was not as resistant, even though it carried the Eek mutation. “If you have the second mutation, you don’t see as bad an effect,” said Michael Diamond, a viral immunologist at Washington University in St. Louis, who led the study.
It’s too early to say whether the variant in Oregon will behave like the ones in South Africa or Brazil. But the idea that other mutations could weaken Eek’s effect is “excellent news,” Wyman said.
Overall, she said, the Oregon finding reinforces the need for people to continue to take precautions, including wearing a mask, until a substantial portion of the population is immunized.
“People need to not freak out but to continue to be vigilant,” she said. “We can’t let down our guard yet while there’s still these more transmissible variants circulating.” | <urn:uuid:8a523d1a-a63f-43a4-9092-6b35ae1dcfb7> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.wionews.com/science/in-oregon-scientists-find-a-virus-variant-with-a-worrying-mutation-368426 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573699.52/warc/CC-MAIN-20220819131019-20220819161019-00265.warc.gz | en | 0.95781 | 992 | 2.609375 | 3 |
Sage Outpatient’s Day Neuro Program has the ability to provide extensive treatment to the traumatic brain injury (TBI) population. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, every day 153 people in the United States die from injuries that include TBI. Those who survive can face symptoms that last for a few days or disabilities that have the potential to last a lifetime. Therapy plays an important role in the brain injury recovery process and helping individuals return to doing activities that they love.
What is a Brain Injury?
A head injury is any type of injury to your brain or skull which can range from mild, such as a bump on the head to severe, which is often termed as traumatic. Brain injuries are usually associated with motor vehicle accidents, falls, physical assaults, and sports-related injuries. A head injury can be closed or open depending on the type of injury. It is difficult to assess the seriousness of a closed head injury and often requires the assessment of a doctor. There are several types of brain injury:
- Hematoma – collection or clotting of blood
- Hemorrhage – uncontrolled bleeding
- Concussion – result of the brain hitting the hard walls of the skull
- Edema – brain swelling
- Skull Fracture – broken skull
- Diffuse axonal injury – sheer injury caused by the walls of the skull tearing the brain
How can therapy help?
Therapy can help individuals suffering from brain injury in a variety of ways.
- Physical Therapy – A physical therapist can help individuals after brain injury to improve their ability to move. The physical therapist can help with stretching, proper positioning, the identification of appropriate equipment, increase the patient’s ability to move in bed, sit without support and to stand up, facilitate improvement in balance, strengthen weakened muscles, and help patient’s return to sports or fitness activities if they are capable.
- Occupational Therapy – An occupational therapist is a necessary part of recovery after brain injury. Their job is to help you to return to performing activities of daily living which include bathing, grooming, writing, eating, going to the bathroom, cooking, cleaning your home, managing medication and finances, and eventually help you return to previous job roles if that is an achievable goal. An occupational therapist can help individuals reach these goals through upper extremity strengthening/re-education, visual training, training with compensatory tools (i.e. sock aid or adaptive utensils), and cognitive training.
- Speech Therapy – A speech therapist plays a vital role in brain injury recovery. Their job is to help improve a patient’s overall communication ability after brain injury. Communication can be effected through a decrease in speech intelligibility secondary to muscle weakness or decreased coordination, decreased voice strength or control, changes in word finding ability and language comprehension, altered cognition, as well as changes in behavior or social skills. The speech therapist can help strengthen muscles, increase language functioning, train on the use of alternative and augmentative means of communication, train patients in specific scenarios to improve social and behavioral skills, provide partner education and communication training and much, much more. Patients with brain injury can present with swallowing disorders and it is also within a speech therapists scope of practice to strengthen swallowing musculature to
Cognitive Changes after Brain Injury
Cognitive and psychological deficits are often times long-lasting changes that are invisible to the untrained eye. A patient with cognitive deficits after brain injury often think and act very differently than they used to which can be one of the most difficult and confusing changes for the individuals loved ones and caregivers. Some of these changes include:
- Decreased attention and concentration
- Problems with processing and understanding information
- Decreased ability to learn or remember new information
- Decreased ability to plan and organize
- Decreased ability to make good decisions
- Decreased reasoning
- Inappropriate in social situations
- Changes in personality and ability to manage emotions (i.e. more tearful, laughing inappropriately, angered easily)
- Behavioral changes
- Increased impulsivity
A speech therapist, occupational therapist, social worker, and neuropsychologist are some of the best professionals to help individuals and their loved ones manage these cognitive, psychological, and emotional changes after a brain injury.
Brain Injury can have a life-changing and long-lasting effect on an individual’s life. It is important to have therapists that are well versed in the treatment of these deficits to help you or your loved one rehabilitate to the best of their ability. The therapists at Sage Outpatient specialize in the treatment of brain injury. Our team includes speech therapists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, a social worker, neuropsychologist, and tech trained staff that know how to help you or your loved one in the best possible way. Please contact us at 225-906-4097, if you are interested in learning more about our therapy program or would like a tour of our facility. | <urn:uuid:ca055f89-3235-4749-83ae-01ecf68f84b8> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.sage-rehab.org/rehabilitation-after-brain-injury/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570977.50/warc/CC-MAIN-20220809124724-20220809154724-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.944529 | 1,008 | 2.8125 | 3 |
Why is agriculture considered the backbone of the economy?
The agriculture sector is the backbone of an economy which provides the basic ingredients to mankind and now raw material for industrialisation. Raising supply of food by agricultural sector has, therefore, great importance for economic growth of our country.
Why is agriculture important in the economy of the Philippines?
Agriculture dominates Philippine economy. It furnishes employment to about 3 million persons or about 60 per cent of the gainfully employed workers. Agricultural operations provide 40 to 45 per cent of the total national income and about 75 to 80 per cent of the country’s exports.
Why agriculture is backbone of Tanzania?
Agriculture is the backbone of Tanzania’s economy accounting for more than one-quarter of gross domestic product (GDP), providing 85% of exports and employs about 80% of the workforce. They offer vocational training courses in agriculture for youths, farmers, and young single mothers who are socially excluded.
Why agriculture is the backbone of the country?
It is amazing to realize how agriculture impacts our lives. Food and fiber products play a major role in each part of our lives and without them we would perish. Today, that same farmer supplies food for more than 144 people in the U.S. and abroad. …
What is the role of agriculture in the economy?
Agriculture plays a crucial role in the economy of developing countries, and provides the main source of food, income and employment to their rural populations. However, improvements in agriculture and land use are fundamental to achieving food security, poverty alleviation and overall sustainable development.
What are the main problems of farmers?
Biggest problems faced by farmers in India?
- Small and fragmented land-holdings:
- Manures, Fertilizers and Biocides:
- Lack of mechanisation:
- Soil erosion:
- Agricultural Marketing:
The agriculture sector is the backbone of an economy which provides the basic ingredients to mankind and now raw material for industrialisation. If agriculture fails to meet the rising demand of food products, it is found to affect adversely the growth rate of the economy.
What is the backbone of the Philippine economy?
MSMEs are the backbone of the Philippine economy, accounting for 63 percent of employment and 99 percent of registered businesses in the country.
What are the main problems of agricultural in the Philippines?
The results revealed that common problems encountered by rice farmers were: high cost of inputs, low price of palay, lack of capital, labor problem, lack of postharvest facilities, pest and diseases and irrigation system.
What are the main problems of agriculture in the Philippines?
Climate change is also an important challenge as its adverse impacts such as increased flooding incidence, drought, soil degradation, water shortages and increased pests and diseases constantly threaten agricultural output and productivity.
What is the backbone of the economy?
Small businesses don’t get a whole lot of attention in the business world. Yet, 99 percent of all businesses in the United States are small businesses. Small businesses are the lifeblood that keeps the American economy functioning.
What is the backbone of our economic system?
“Small businesses are the backbone of any economy”
Why is agriculture the backbone of the economy?
DAVAO CITY, Philippines – President Rodrigo Duterte said even as technological advances are evolving, the government should see to it that it is providing assistance to the agriculture sector. “It is, after all, considered as the backbone of the economy. It forms the basis for food and nutrition security and provide raw materials for …
Why is agriculture so important to the Philippines?
It forms the basis for food and nutrition security and provide raw materials for industrialization. These are important factors that allow progress to take place in the society,” Duterte said during a gathering of agricultural sectors’ stakeholders lead by the Department of Agriculture Tuesday.
Which is the backbone of the country’s economy?
Agriculture, the backbone of the country’s economy Author: Mr Strydom Schoonraad, Deputy Director: Training at Grootfontein Agricultural Development Institute
What is the role of Agriculture in economic development?
The development of agricultural sector would tend to increase the purchasing power of agriculturists which will help the growth of the non-agricultural sector of the country. It will provide a market for increased production.
DAVAO CITY, Philippines – President Rodrigo Duterte said even as technological advances are evolving, the government should see to it that it is providing assistance to the agriculture sector. “It is, after all, considered as the backbone of the economy. It forms the basis for food and nutrition security and provide raw materials for
What was the role of Agriculture in the Philippines?
The COVID-19 pandemic emphasized the role of agriculture in Philippine economy. When import and export grounded to a halt due to strict social distancing measures, it showed the need for the country to be self-sustainable. With this in mind, the government aimed to strengthen the agricultural sector.
How is agriculture the backbone of the Tanzanian economy?
2. Agriculture is the lead sector in the Tanzanian economy and it is going to continue to occupy that position for several decades to come. The sector contributes approximately 50% to G.D.P., food crops contributing about 35% of the agricultural GDP followed by livestock production which accounts for 30% of the agricultural GDP. | <urn:uuid:88d7b928-91f6-43f8-b5df-c0ff863f4968> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.nosubjectlosangeles.com/why-is-agriculture-considered-the-backbone-of-the-economy/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571538.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812014923-20220812044923-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.931952 | 1,131 | 3.0625 | 3 |
Learn Something New with UniversalClass
With a generous gift from Toyota Motor Manufacturing Alabama, Huntsville-Madison County Public Library was able to add to our growing workforce development offerings with a subscription to UniversalClass!
UniversalClass offers over 600 online courses - all for free and available to HMCPL card holders. With UniversalClass, you get 24/7 access, feedback from certified instructors, self-paced classes, and Continuing Education Units on select courses.
In addition to workforce development and technology skills topics, there are courses that cover personal enrichment and development, such as spiritual studies, crafts and hobbies, alternative medicine, and parenting and family!
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It's easy to get started with UniversalClass. If you already have the Libby app and are signed in, scroll down to "Extras" on the main screen of Libby and and click "UniversalClass." This will take you to the UniversalClass page for HMCPL, and you will click the green button that says "Register Now!" Here is where you will create a UniversalClass account, which requires an email address.
If you do not have a Libby account yet, you can download the Libby app for free through the App Store or Google Play. You can also access Libby through a web browser at https://libbyapp.com/. You will get started with Libby using your HMCPL account number (on the back of your library card) and PIN.
Continue your education on your schedule today! | <urn:uuid:85bf187b-b5aa-4a51-868c-733168c4e3f3> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://blog.hmcpl.org/learn-something-new-universalclass | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571210.98/warc/CC-MAIN-20220810191850-20220810221850-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.894066 | 442 | 1.84375 | 2 |
xvi, 364 pp.; 2 p.l., 397 pp. Two vols. 8vo (220 x 140 mm.), 19th-century polished calf (joints a trifle rubbed), spines gilt, red & green morocco lettering-pieces on spines. London: R. Ackermann, 1824.
First edition of an essential firsthand history of the mass British acquisitions of Old Masters in the first decades of the 19th century. “William Buchanan (1777-1864), a Scottish lawyer turned art dealer, was to benefit most from the turmoil caused by the Napoleonic Wars, although he started too late to participate in the Orléans sales. He employed mainly James Irvine of Drum, Aberdeenshire, in Italy and George Augustus Wallis in Spain and Portugal as agents to scour the cities for available works of art and ship them back to London…”–J. Stourton and C. Sebag-Montefiore, The British as Art Collectors, p. 159.
Buchanan structures this work around the celebrated collections to which he added or from which he extracted magnificent works. He describes the collections of Michael Bryan, de Calonne, Fagel, Robit, Vitturi, Lebrun, Sebastiani, Lucien Bonaparte, and Talletrand. He cites prices and provides numerous insights into the dispersal of many of the early great 19th-century art collections. The sections beginning “Mr. Buchanan’s Importations…” (Vol. II, pp. 95-180; 203-50; 294-304; 349-77), are perhaps of the greatest interest, due to the author’s candor and to the excerpts of private (and revealing) correspondence between Buchanan and his foreign agents regarding the pursuit of great works.
Nice set, internally fine. Presentation inscription on front fly-leaf: “James McDouall from his sincere friend Charles F. Rushout, on his leaving Eton, Election 1857.” Engraved armorial bookplate of “Jacobi McDouall de Logon” on front paste-down.
❧ Oxford Art online (Buchanan). “His book is by far the frankest ever written by any dealer anywhere, and by printing many of the original documents and letters that passed between him and his agents Buchanan conveys much of the profitable excitement of the pursuit — bliss indeed was it to be a collector in that dawn, but to be a dealer was very heaven.”–Francis Haskell, Rediscoveries in Art: Some Aspects of Taste, Fashion & Collecting in England & France (1976), p. 27.
Item ID: 6693 | <urn:uuid:4ddac9db-23fc-4de9-894c-0f3cfb6db480> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.jonathanahill.com/pages/books/6693/william-buchanan/memoirs-of-painting-with-a-chronological-history-of-the-importation-of-pictures-by-the-great | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571538.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812014923-20220812044923-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.933573 | 580 | 1.5625 | 2 |
Q&A Article For West MagazinePosted on: 9th June 2017
Q: I have always enjoyed the sun but I am almost approaching my mid 50’s so what damage has really been done to my skin?
A: Although most people love the warmth and light of the sun as well as how it makes them feel, too much sun exposure can significantly damage the human skin. The sun’s heat dries out areas that are unprotected and can deplete the skin’s supply of natural lubricating oils. In addition, the sun’s ultra violet ( UVA/ UVB) radiation can cause burning and long term changes in the skin’s structure.
UVA rays tend to cause the ageing effects on the skin and the UVB rays tend to be responsible for skin burning issues.
The most common types of sun damage to the skin are:
These lesions tend to be an early sign of skin cancer. About 10 -15% of actinic keratoses eventually change into squamous cell cancers of the skin.
Over a lifetime,repeated episodes of sunburn and unprotected sun exosre can increase a persons risk of malignant melanoma and other forms of skin cancer. White Caucasians have less of a dark pigment called melanin, which helps to protect the skin from the effects of UV radiation.
There is no way any one can avoid the sun as it also has its benefits from making feel more positive, alert with increased energy. The sun is also essential for the formation of Vitamin D , an essential vitamin that is necessary for healthy bones. It is recommended to harness the suns Vitamin D producing power by allowing 20 mins of sunlight only per day only.
To avoid DNA damage as much as possible, make sure a physical sunscreen is used daily. I recommend a product that tends to be bought in a Medical Aesthetic Clinic as this will tend to work in the live part of your skin, the dermis. I personally use Image Prevention Plus moisturiser with built in physical sunscreen . This then protects my skin and allows the skin in the deeper layers to start repairing to reduce even further damage to the collagen matrix.
Skin Analysis machines are great at discovering what real damage has been done to the skin. It harnesses different light modalities to help you see how much sun damage , pigmentation and vascular lesions are under your skin , sometimes without the person knowing.
Skin Southwest are offering a COMPLIMENTARY Skin Analysis for every reader. Quote ‘Skin check’ when booking.« Back to All Blogs | <urn:uuid:c9bf02f4-2d67-48c6-b31c-2caf772ff272> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://skinsouthwest.co.uk/1257-2/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571210.98/warc/CC-MAIN-20220810191850-20220810221850-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.937975 | 524 | 2.234375 | 2 |
Coronavirus vaccine Photograph:( Reuters )
The Russian military had earlier announced the vaccine it had developed was 'safe' after conducting clinical trials since June 18
UK on Thursday accused Russian hackers of trying to steal research on potential coronavirus vaccines.
Britain's National Cyber Security Centre said a Russian group linked to the country's intelligence services called APT29 has also attacked US and Canadian vaccine research organizations. The group is also called "Cozy Bear" or "the Dukes".
"The NCSC assesses that APT29, also named the Dukes or Cozy Bear, almost certainly operate as part of Russian Intelligence Services," the National Cyber Security Centre said.
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said: "It is completely unacceptable that the Russian Intelligence Services are targeting those working to combat the coronavirus pandemic."
"While others pursue their selfish interests with reckless behaviour, the UK and its allies are getting on with the hard work of finding a vaccine and protecting global health," UK's foreign minister asserted.
"The UK will continue to counter those conducting such cyber attacks, and work with our allies to hold perpetrators to account," Raab added.
On Wednesday, the Russian military had announced the vaccine it had developed was "safe" after conducting clinical trials since June 18. The Russian defence ministry said it expects clinical trials to be fully completed by the end of July.
Russian military researchers worked with scientists at the Gamaleya Institute in Moscow to come up with the vaccine. The Russian military added that the vaccine demonstrated "safety and good tolerability". | <urn:uuid:4b7f2fa0-9d7d-4e4b-b418-45d1e2c325fa> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.wionews.com/world/group-linked-to-russian-intelligence-hacking-covid-19-vaccine-research-uk-313781 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571538.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812014923-20220812044923-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.975782 | 323 | 2.140625 | 2 |
A federal bill introduced in late January would authorize the U.S. Postal Service to use energy savings performance contracts to improve the efficiency of its fleet of delivery vehicles.
The bill, HR 3963, is known as the Federal Leadership Energy Efficient Transportation (FLEET) Act. Reps. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) and Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) co-sponsored the proposal.
ESPCs allow companies, governments, and other organizations to finance projects based on the expected energy savings over a 25-year time frame. The contracts are usually used for infrastructure improvements.
Using these contracts could help the USPS, which operates the nation's largest civilian fleet, save about 150 million gallons of fuel a year, according to Huffman.
During fiscal-year 2012, the 212,530 USPS vehicles consumed 148.8 million gallons of fuel and traveled 1.28 billion miles. The USPS spent $1.7 billion on more than 650 million gallons of fuel in 2010, includes fuel for aircraft and contracted vehicles, according to USPS data.
About 80 percent of the USPS' fuel costs stem from contracted transportation services to move mail by truck, airplane, ship, and rail, USPS data shows.
The FLEET Act would require the postal service to reduce its petroleum consumption by 2 percent a year for the next 10 years. The more than 141,000 USPS Grumman LLVs average 10 miles per gallon, according to Huffman.
"The Postal Service is crippled by an inefficient, outdated fleet, and the vast majority of these vehicles are reaching the end of their operational lives," Huffman said. "The FLEET Act will help us invest in a modern, efficient Postal Service fleet. Our nation's largest civilian fleet should serve as a global leader in efficiency and innovation."
Most of the Grumman LLVs are between 18 and 25 years old with an expected life cycle of 24 years. It costs $1.168 per mile to operate USPS vehicles, which includes maintenance costs, according to the 2012 Federal Fleet Report.
The FLEET Act would also set tailpipe emissions standards for new fleet vehicles at 34.1 mpg; require USPS to replace aging vehicles requiring costly maintenance; and require USPS to incorporate new technologies to reduce tailpipe emissions.
Editor's note: View an excerpt of Rep. Huffman's speech from the House floor announcing the act here. | <urn:uuid:826b88a4-0606-40ec-a5ed-d57c5be54e3d> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.greenfleetmagazine.com/124951/fleet-act-would-green-u-s-postal-fleet | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570977.50/warc/CC-MAIN-20220809124724-20220809154724-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.949744 | 492 | 1.90625 | 2 |
Objective: to validate the positive and negative predictive values of two diagnostic procedures for celiac disease (CD) based on the use of antibodies without the use of biopsy.
Design: multicentre cohort study for diagnostic test validation.
Setting: 13 paediatric gastroenterology units in hospitals in Europe.
Study participants: children aged 5 months to 18 years scheduled for duodenal biopsy to confirm or refute CD. The following patients were excluded: patients already diagnosed with CD, on a gluten-free diet, who had received immunosuppressive therapy within the past 8 weeks, expected to be noncompliant or participating in other trials. A total of 949 participants were enrolled, and 898 were included in the final analysis.
Evaluation of diagnostic procedures: each participating centre continued its standard practices to prescribe a gluten-free diet and make the final diagnosis. For each patient, data on clinical manifestations, local antibody, HLA typing and IgA results were documented, with collection of local serology samples and samples for the blinded measurement of IgA antibodies against tissue transglutaminase (TTG) and IgG antibodies against deamidated gliadin peptides (DGL). The study evaluated two diagnostic procedures and their results. The first procedure involved the investigation of TTG. Three diagnostic categories were defined: no CD if assay results were < 1-fold the upper limit of normal (ULN), uncertain between 1- and 10-fold the ULN, and CD if results were > 10-fold the ULN. The second procedure involved the investigation of TTG-DGL: CD was ruled out if both were < 1-fold the ULN, confirmed if both were > 10-fold the ULN, and results were otherwise considered inconclusive (with biopsy required for diagnosis).
Outcome measurement: the authors calculated positive predictive values (PPVs) and negative predictive values (NPVs). The diagnosis of CD, no CD or no final diagnosis was made based on biopsy results, serologic test results and follow-up data. Patients without a final diagnosis were considered false positives or false negatives based on the results of serologic testing. The diagnostic procedure was considered reliable if the estimated PPV and NPV were greater than 95% and the lower bounds of their confidence intervals (LCBs) were greater than 90%.
Main results: the study analysed 898 patients, with a final diagnosis of CD in 529 and of no CD in 345, with 24 patients remaining undiagnosed at the end of the study.
Of all patients with CD, 76.4% had TTG results that were at least 10-fold the ULN (404 out of 529), while the results of TTG were negative in 84.9% of patients without CD (293 of 345). Based on this criterion, less than one fourth of patients required a biopsy.
The PPV for the TTG procedure was 0.988 (95 LCB: 0.975) and the NPV was 0.934 (95 LCB: 0.908). For the TTG-DGL procedure, the PPV was 0.988 (95 LCB: 0.975) and the NPV was 0.958 (95 LCB: 0.934). The authors created a model for the extrapolation of the predictive values to determine the prevalence range for which these procedures would be reliable. Applying the established criteria, the procedures were estimated to be reliable for prevalences ranging between 0.04 and 0.53 for TTG, and from 0.04 to 0.63 for TTG-DGL.
Five patients had false positive results, two of whom had associated autoimmune disease. The other three did not have a final diagnosis by the time the study ended.
Twenty-one patients had false negative (FN) results with the TTG procedure, 20 of who were symptomatic. Fifteen received a diagnosis of CD and achieved remission with resolution of symptoms with a gluten-free diet. Using the TTG-DGL procedure, there would be 13 FN, 9 of them with CD.
In all patients with CD and TTG more than 10-fold the ULN, the levels of antiendomysium antibodies were positive and HLA status was compatible with CD (in those patients in who it had been performed).
The study included asymptomatic patients who had risk factors for CD, such as a family history of CD or a personal history of disease associated with an increased risk of CD (e.g. type 1 diabetes). Of the 47 patients with TTG > 10-fold the ULN, 46 received a diagnosis of CD. Symptomatic patients with CD were not more likely to be classified as positive than asymptomatic patients with CD using the diagnostic procedures based on TTG and TTG-DGL (76% versus 80%).
Conclusion: this prospective study validated the TTG and TTG-DGL procedures for the identification of patients with and without CD without the use of biopsy.
Conflicts of interest: two authors received grants from EUROIMMUN unrelated to this study, and two authors had registered the patent for the use of peptides for the diagnosis of CD.
Funding source: the study was funded by the European Regional Development Fund and an unrestricted grant from EUROIMMUN (Lübeck, Germany; the laboratory that performed the analyses). | <urn:uuid:632c2085-4575-40da-834a-e58f6449d4c5> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://evidenciasenpediatria.es/articulo/7169/se-podria-diagnosticar-la-enfermedad-celiaca-solo-con-serologia | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571538.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812014923-20220812044923-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.965492 | 1,118 | 1.828125 | 2 |
It is impossible to understand or act on the intense collapse of the American and global economy without taking the ethical failures into consideration.
(From New York) IN HIS INAUGURAL ADDRESS, watched by one of the largest global audiences in history, Barack Obama, the new president of the world’s largest economy, pointed out in reference to the current international economic crisis: Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some; he emphasized that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous.
“For the leader of the masses, ethics matters” Likewise, he warned: The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our Gross Domestic Product, but on the reach of our prosperity, on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart – not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.
For the leader of the masses, who emerged from the Black population – one of the most discriminated in history and one whose ancestors were sold as slaves – ethics matters.
SOME INDISPUTIBLE FIGURES
For him, it is impossible to understand or act on the intense collapse of the American and global economy without taking the ethical failures into consideration.
“The food funds created by NGOs have gone 69 percent over their limit due to the explosive increase in the number of people in need of them” More jobs were shed in 2008 than in any other year since 1945: in the third quarter, 199,000 per month; in the final quarter, 510,000. The level of people who are either unemployed or underemployed rose to 13.5 percent: in other words, 21 million Americans.
The social consequences have been very harsh. In New York City, the number of people dependent on food stamps has reached 1.2 million, while there are a record 50,000 people living on the streets. The food funds created by NGOs have gone 69 percent over their limit due to the explosive increase in the number of people in need of them, which climbed 59 percent in 2008.
The strongest economies have been greatly affected. England’s has fallen the most that it has in the last thirty years: its GDP fell 1.5 percent during the final quarter of 2008. In Germany, industrial production fell 3.5 percent in December in comparison with October; in France, 3.4 percent. According to the predictions for China, the Asian giant will post its smallest level of growth of the last nineteen years.
WHAT’S FUELING THE CRISIS
The markets’ unchecked greed, as Obama has called it: the extreme weakening of the public policies in charge of regulating them, and of their true ability to act, were at the base of the American crisis.
“The need for clear regulations to protect the public interest is being continually stressed”
According to all of the available evidence, wild speculation, top executives’ engagement in highly risky behavior in order to obtain the greatest personal gain, the grave mistake made by the risk calculating agencies, who failed miserably, and multiple forms of corporate corruption – exposed in cases like the Madoff fund – fed the crisis and added fuel to its flames.
In contrast, the State stepped aside. Arthur Levitt, the president of the Securities and Exchange Commission during Clinton’s time in office, declared before Congress: A strong supervisor was needed in an overheating market, in order to reign in its dangerously risky behavior. The SEC remained on the sidelines too often.
The Economist, in turn, describes the Commission’s situation as such: It is in chaos, like the markets that it was supposed to monitor.
The need for clear regulations to protect the public interest is being continually stressed. According to Reich in The New York Times, ABC News asked sixteen banks that received money from the 700 billion dollar rescue plan how they used that money, and if they used it to pay bonuses. The majority did not want to answer. Reich highlights: Congress couldn’t get an answer either. “The former Chairman of the Federal Reserve declared that he was in a state of shock in light of the financiers’ conduct”
Meanwhile, the deregulation gurus continue to admit the grave fallacies of the system of ideas that was happily exported to all of Latin America, among other regions. Recently, Alan Greenspan , the former Chairman of the Federal Reserve, declared to Congress that he was in a state of shock in light of the financiers’ conduct. He stated: I thought they were going to defend the interests of their shareholders and investors, and they didn’t.
In his recently completed letter of resignation from his post as Senior Counselor at Citigroup , former Secretary of the Treasury Robert Rubin expressed his great regret, at not having recognized the serious possibility of the extreme circumstances that the financial system faces today.
VALUES: REAL THINGS
“Obama laid out one final warning in his speech: that 60 years ago his father would not have been served in a restaurant in Washington, due to the color of his skin”As a minimum, the following appear to be the guidelines that Latin America should follow: putting ethics back into the economy, mobilizing public regulatory action in defense of the collective interest, technically strengthening and deeply professionalizing the regulating bodies, increasing the citizens ability to exercise social control, and leaving behind the fundamentalist economic ideas that promoted and facilitated the explosion of perverse incentives, which are now negatively impacting the lives of a large part of the planet’s population.
These are all mentioned in Obama’s inauguaration address. But above all, it is necessary to be spurred to action by this warning that achieving the common good is subordinate to the creation of a society with opportunities for all. This has a special resonance in a region that has managed to be the most unequal of all.
Obama laid out one final warning in his speech: that 60 years ago his father would not have been served in a restaurant in Washington, due to the color of his skin. He highlighted that values are real things and that they serve as pillars. He called for solidarity and civil service. He emphasized the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break; the firefighter’s courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke; a parent’s willingness to nurture a child. Values like these, he stressed, decide our fate.
This touch of ethical realism is very practical for Latin America and Argentina. As Obama pointed out, putting values back into the economy and the daily life, and systematically educating the population in them before doing anything else, will mark the future of our societies, which are extremely hungry for ethics. | <urn:uuid:f72c20a8-dbb0-4384-80c8-e5341281d38c> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | http://english.safe-democracy.org/2009/02/25/obamas-ethical-warnings/print/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571210.98/warc/CC-MAIN-20220810191850-20220810221850-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.964394 | 1,417 | 2.078125 | 2 |
A security operations center, or SOC, is more than just a physical or virtual location that collects, analyzes and acts upon data. It requires an organizational structure that is not only well funded, but also works harmoniously so it can function effectively to continuously monitor and analyze enterprise security procedures, as well as defend against security breaches and actively isolate and mitigate security risks.
Today's SOCs play a critical role in any enterprise. This has to do with more than cybersecurity alone -- it has to do with the business entirely.
The operations in the security operations center starts with measurement. Everything must be measured. If everything isn't measured, it is probably not even worth doing. Remember, security is a service provider to the business -- for example, onboarding a new tool, creating a metric or dashboarding those metrics. Providing a constant feedback loop that enables forecasting and provides retrospective insight into tools that may not be providing value yet is a financial drain as it goes into the annual renewal budget cycle by default.
5 SOC roles and their responsibilities
There are five key technical roles in a well-run SOC: incident responder, security investigator, advanced security analyst, SOC manager and security engineer/architect.
1. Incident responder
As the SOC's first responder, the incident responder is responsible for configuring and monitoring security tools, as well as using these tools to identify threats. The job, which maps to the Tier 1 level in the SOC, involves looking into the hundreds of alerts received daily to triage, classify and prioritize them. Once this is done, the information is ultimately handed off to the security investigator.
2. Security investigator
Using sophisticated allies, such as threat intelligence, the security investigator's job is to identify affected hosts and devices and then evaluate running and terminated processes. This usually also involves deeper investigation to identify sources of attack, lateral movement analysis, methodologies used and duration of residence of the attack vector in the environment. Security investigators, which map to Tier 2, are also responsible for crafting and deploying mitigation and eradication strategies.
3. Advanced security analyst
The advanced security analyst, who is in Tier 3, is the most experienced of the SOC crew. These analysts usually work in the background to identify unknown vulnerabilities, review past threats and mitigations, and assess vendor health and product vulnerabilities. They make recommendations to change products, processes and tools.
4. SOC manager
This role encompasses managing the entire SOC team. Referred to as Tier 4, SOC managers have an intimate understanding of all SOC tiers. In addition, communication with the CISO, other business leaders, partners, and audit and compliance heads is mandatory. Strong people management and crisis management skills are also needed.
5. Security engineer/architect
Security engineers and architects are responsible for the enterprise's overall security architecture and ensure this architecture is part of the development cycle. They evaluate and test monitoring and analysis tools from vendors. Sometimes, this role also includes security compliance, which involves documenting, adhering to and constantly updating security practices against industry and internal frameworks.
Depending on size and vertical, some SOCs may have additional team members, such as compliance auditors, threat hunters or forensic investigators.
3 best practices for a successful SOC teams
The SOC will continue to play an ever-critical part in enterprise cybersecurity strategies. Creating and appointing the appropriate roles and investing in -- as well as jettisoning -- tools and processes are of the utmost importance. SOC teams must constantly be willing to reevaluate priorities and best practices to create and maintain a secure company.
To ensure the different SOC roles operate in cohesion and with maximum efficiency, there are three best practices that should be followed.
1. Automate, automate, automate
With the explosion of devices and the need for metric collection to identify lurking threats, the days of an incident responder looking at logs manually is long gone. AI-based tools help analysts identify patterns and find high-priority issues. This automation enables the SOC roles to operate efficiently and enables efficient handover from one tier to another. Automation also helps make reporting and documentation -- a common time sink for SOCs -- more efficient.
2. Go beyond the four walls -- or virtual walls -- of a SOC
By pairing DevOps engineers in the enterprise with incident responders and security investigators, for example, both can learn from each other. DevOps can share their deep IT expertise and state-of-the-art software craft to help educate their SOC peers. In return, DevOps engineers can learn about threat identification, response and mitigation from SOC team members, which can help them build more secure products.
3. Consider outsourcing
Some or all SOC operations can be outsourced to a third party, especially for industries where hiring and retaining cybersecurity talent is an ongoing challenge. Given the influx of IoT, hyperinstrumentation and sophisticated forms of newer attacks coupled with the long tail of existing threats, the need for a SOC efficient enough to predict, detect, prevent and triage attacks is going to be paramount. However, depending on the industry -- hyperregulated ones, such as finance, or national security-related ones, such as defense, for instance -- outsourcing may not be feasible. | <urn:uuid:e43330d7-9b9d-48da-b2c5-f2ad65ffd6db> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/tip/5-key-enterprise-SOC-roles-and-responsibilities | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571538.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812014923-20220812044923-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.938309 | 1,059 | 2.265625 | 2 |
How long is my lupus patient likely to stay in remission? What will happen down the road if my RA patient fails to respond to a new biologic? What is the likely next step in osteoarthritis (OA) progression, and when can my patient expect to start noticing changes in mobility? It’s tough to predict the course of rheumatologic disease, but a new statistical approach using multi-state models can help.
“Multi-state models are growing in popularity because clinical research questions are becoming a lot more complex,” said Cynthia S. Crowson, PhD, Associate Professor of Biostatistics and Professor of Medicine at Mayo Clinic. “These new tools allow us to get better answers because they allow us to simultaneously model multiple outcomes over time.”
Dr. Crowson is co-moderator for Stats Bootcamp 3: Intro to Multi-State Models for Time-to-Event Data Analysis on Tuesday from 9:00 – 10:00 am in Room B306, Building B, in the Georgia World Congress Center.
Most rheumatologists are familiar with time-to-event analysis for a single outcome such as mortality or time to treatment response, said Dr. Crowson, Lead Statistician in Biomedical Statistics and Informatics and in Rheumatology at Mayo Clinic. Multi-state models extend that type of analysis to multiple outcomes, including quality of life, as well as competing risks.
Multi-state models are ideal for clinical studies with patient populations that typically move through multiple health states during the course of a trial. They have seen the greatest use in epidemiological studies and studies involving large claims databases, said co-moderator Jamie Collins, PhD, Senior Biostatistician at the Orthopaedic and Arthritis Center for Outcomes Research and Assistant Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at Harvard Medical School.
“Maybe you move through different complications of your disease at different times, or maybe there is a flare and remission cycle that we can begin to predict,” Dr. Collins said. “Multi-state models allow researchers to take into account multiple events and multiple potential outcomes. This method expands traditional time-to-event analyses to more flexible approaches that can consider different outcomes at different times.”
Multi-state models are relatively new to rheumatology, she said. Few rheumatologic researchers have worked with multi-state models directly, but a growing number of peer reviewers are encountering them in articles they are asked to review for journals in the field. As these tools become more familiar, more researchers will be incorporating multi-state analysis in their own research programs — but only if they know how to use them.
Multi-state analysis is so new that few mainstream statistical software programs have added the models to their products. For now, working with multi-state models usually requires familiarity with R programming. Most new statistical models enter the research world in R because it can be written and manipulated by the end user, Dr. Crowson said.
“The nice thing about R is that it is free, so software is available to researchers whatever their budget,” she said. “The plan for this bootcamp is to introduce these models, give people clues on what to look for, and how to know if they are using the model correctly or not. As statisticians, we need to inform researchers on what they are looking at and how to interpret it.”
Multi-state models may be the newest wave in statistical analysis for clinical studies, but they are not the most appropriate approach for every researcher or for every study.
“Multi-state models bring some significant advantages to the analysis, but there are important limitations, too,” Dr. Collins said. “This is an advanced analytic tool and people may not be able to implement it immediately. But everybody should walk away being able to understand these methods and to be able to read and critique a paper that is using multi-state models.” | <urn:uuid:d0d7eb7d-cd0d-4ee0-bf86-8dd8e27b385c> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.acrconvergencetoday.org/work-more-effectively-with-multi-state-statistical-models/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570767.11/warc/CC-MAIN-20220808061828-20220808091828-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.949781 | 827 | 2 | 2 |
Marcus Zillman’s guide is a comprehensive and selective bibliography including search engines, world wide web resources, services and sites currently offering free, value added content on the web. As more and more of the global population is accessing the web, making informed choices about what content to use to obtain reliable, accurate, actionable information becomes more critical. This guide provides an extensive range of reliable, relevant information to leverage – whether you are an educator, a librarian, a researcher, a lawyer, a student, a professional working on mission critical organizational objectives, or in the interest of current awareness. Gaining insight into your resources can be a challenging process if undertaken without benchmarks and skillfully researched pathfinders. This guide comprises a wide range of resources for everyone who regularly engages with web content for knowledge discovery, producing work product, and creating value added content related to specific sectors, issues or topics.
Implementation of new content management systems that govern the web and often render older pages and sites inaccessible create access barriers for researchers seeking to access older content across subject areas. TeleRead Editor Chris Meadows describes the problem, the implications and a possible solution.
The market quote for Bitcoin on October 15, 2016 at 5:00 pm EST was $255.64 US according to CoinDesk.com on the site’s Price & Data page. At that same moment, Alan Rothman was attending a presentation entitled the Bitcoin Seminar. Rothman expertly documents the facets, vocabulary, instances and key components of the quickly emerging technologies that comprise bitcoin, blockchain and cryptocurrency, and their impact on the financial sector.
This commentary by financial analyst Ryan Davis supports the position that the price of Bitcoin should not be the primary measure of the state of Bitcoin, nor should any one metric be the primary measure of the state of Bitcoin. The true measure of the state of Bitcoin is a combination of everything from activity in GitHub repositories to the number of daily bitcoin transactions.
Financial analyst Ryan Davis describes the landscape of exchanges based in and outside of the U.S. that have begun to offer trading in bitcoin derivatives. TeraExchange completed the first bitcoin derivative trade on a regulated exchange in the U.S. on October 8, 2014 with its Bitcoin Non-Deliverable Forward (NDF) contracts. More recently, LedgerX has submitted applications to become the first regulated bitcoin options exchange in the U.S. Additionally, some exchanges are based outside of the U.S. but may have significant customer bases in the U.S. Bitcoin derivatives offered on these exchanges include futures, forwards, and options.
In Part 4 of a 5 Part series, Librarian and Educator Lorette Weldon focuses on a core issue related to STEM education – high school students are not guaranteed success in college when they have completed college-preparatory courses. Weldon outlines the curriculum requirements that substantiate a progression to higher education. | <urn:uuid:48a9ac64-9cd3-495d-8318-e0d7db9130a7> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.llrx.com/2015/11/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571538.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812014923-20220812044923-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.920117 | 592 | 1.804688 | 2 |
Source: eJewish Philanthropy
Our Rabbinics curriculum should press us to ask crucial questions about what it means to cultivate Jewish identity in the 21st century. What types of encounter with Torah should we be creating for our students? What exactly will inspire young adults to make a passionate and long-term commitment to Torah and to the community that is its steward? In the vast world of Rabbinic tradition, what types of content should we prioritize? How do we define our main objectives?...
Rabbinics faculties at schools around the country are starting to think seriously about these challenges. Individual educators are examining Rabbinics teaching through the lens of curricular design. Experienced educators have also been joined by an influx of new teachers with deeper expertise in Rabbinic Literature. In addition to the established seminaries and education schools, there is a network of new institutions that offer extensive Talmud training in a progressive framework. For alumni of the Pardes Educators’ Program, the Conservative Yeshiva, Yeshivat Chovevei Torah, and other programs, pluralistic schools are a natural home.
Moreover, as several of the newer high schools grow into maturity, teachers who move between schools have begun to share methods, materials, and philosophies of teaching Rabbinics. Academic work from Jon Levisohn and colleagues at the Mandel Center at Brandeis University, especially the work of “The Initiative on Bridging Scholarship and Pedagogy in Jewish Studies”, have begun to more clearly define the competing goals and concerns that Rabbinics teachers balance and to challenge some of our assumptions about how to reach those goals. We are in a position to have a richer community-wide conversation about what it means to teach Rabbinics, and thus to shape a concept of “Judaism” for our students, than we could ever have had before.
Rabbinics educators should seize this moment to start treating Rabbinics as a discipline. We must start talking about these big picture questions not only within schools, but across schools as well. We need to discuss what the study of Rabbinics should be in our schools and how we get there. To do that, we need to start to develop clear language in which to describe both our goals and our methods. A common language will allow us to have a real conversation about the merits and challenges of different orientations toward rabbinic texts, in Levisohn’s language. We need to challenge ourselves to more carefully define our goals; to more precisely pair methods with goals; and to look together for effective ways to test our methods and assess whether and to what extent we have achieved those goals.
The product of such a dialogue will not be a single set of guidelines for what specific content schools should be teaching or which goals are most valuable. Articulating and teaching a Judaism worth upholding is not about choosing a single truth – we know that there is no such thing.
Rather, such a dialogue can clarify the bases and challenges of different approaches, so that curricular decisions reflect a school’s values and vision. It can challenge us to continuously question and refine our practice and to consider different approaches to both understanding and teaching this material. Most of all, it would be the beginning of a profoundly important conversation about what rabbinic texts should mean in a non-Orthodox context. This is a conversation that needs multiple voices and perspectives, experienced educators who are prepared to learn from each other.
The lessons we learn from such a dialogue have the potential to transform how we think about the challenge of building the Jewish future. They can help us to recover the core values that should animate our work. Our Rabbinics classrooms, like our communities, should be constantly engaged with a principle that, despite its importance, is too easily sidelined: the belief that a serious and expansive conversation about the many different ways to approach our texts and tradition can itself serve as the core around which a truly modern Judaism can flourish.
Read the entire article at eJewish Philanthropy. | <urn:uuid:6332872d-47a6-470b-b535-25ab59d7aae2> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://education.jed.macam.ac.il/article/1902 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571538.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812014923-20220812044923-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.960726 | 825 | 2.65625 | 3 |
Seoul – In several provinces across South Korea, there are no ICU beds available to treat the rapidly rising number of COVID-19 patients. As of Monday, the government confirmed that there were only 42 beds available nationwide. In the Seoul metropolitan area, home to half of the country’s population and the majority of its recent infections, there were just six.
The latest explosion of coronavirus cases in South Korea has put the country on edge in a way that it has not been since the beginning of the pandemic. If cases can’t be brought under control and the strain on hospitals continues to deteriorate, the government may for the first time impose Level 3 restrictions, the highest level of social-distancing rules short of a lockdown in South Korea. | <urn:uuid:6cf0fd48-7c8e-427b-b904-4d7e8511e645> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2020/12/23/asia-pacific/south-korea-battle-covid-19/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570767.11/warc/CC-MAIN-20220808061828-20220808091828-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.943937 | 158 | 1.757813 | 2 |
I was prepared for everything that could happen in class that day, except, that is, a hypoglycemic episode.
As a writing teacher, a lot of my work is interpersonal and hands on: I meet with students, review their work, discuss options for structure and language, workshop their drafts, and teach from published models. Occasionally, though, I stand up in front of a group of 20, 40, or even 80 students and lecture on some aspect of scientific communications. To do that, I have to bring a lot of gear to the classroom: laptop, power cord, VGA adapter, wireless presenter, handouts, and USB drive, just in case. As I pack my Timbuktu bag before a big lecture, I go through a mental checklist so that I don’t forget anything I need for teaching from slides.
On this one day, however, I forgot to go through another important checklist: the one of everything I need for caring for my diabetes. I saw my glucose meter kit swimming around in the depths of my bag, and that was enough assurance for my diabetic peace of mind.
The classroom, in an old building on campus, was overheated when my colleagues and I (we often team-teach) arrived. I took off my extra layer (this is deep winter in the snowy Northeast) and began to greet the engineering students and introduce their upcoming writing task. I had rehearsed and I wasn’t nervous, so I chalked up my feelings of agitation and dampness to the warm room and adrenalin.
I always build in activities into my lectures. At the first pause, as the students were working in groups to analyze a model text’s features, I went over to my bag, took out my glucose meter, and discreetly checked my blood sugar: 60. Ah, sweatiness explained. I reached to the bottom of my bag, where one or two 6 oz. juice boxes typically reside. I checked the zippered pockets for an old roll of glucose tablets. My hands came out empty.
Sixty. For me, that number signals low and going lower. I can function on 60, but less well on 50. And it doesn’t take long for 50 to go south, especially if I don’t introduce any quick-acting carbohydrate into the equation of insulin and metabolism.
My mind quickly reviewed options. I tried to picture where in the building I had seen vending machines and realized there were none. I could make a scene, and tell my colleagues, both of whom do not even know I have Type 1 diabetes, that I had to leave suddenly and ask them to improvise for the rest of the hour. I could take a risk and proceed as planned, and secretly hope that my blood sugar would hover at 60 until the end of the class period, when I could walk to a nearby cafe and get some juice or fruit. Oh, what I wouldn’t have given in that moment for a glass of orange juice to appear and save me!
I felt cornered by a set of circumstances that I believed were my own creation: not having told these colleagues about my diabetes, not having packed enough supplies, and not having controlled my blood sugar well enough that day so that my numbers would be more “normal.” Under pressure of the ticking clock — I had only a few minutes until the students would be done with the activity — I was also under pressure to resolve the dilemma on my own.
What did I do? I came up with a solution more wily than prudent. I turned off my insulin pump, hoped my blood sugar would stay at 60, and taught through the rest of the class. Then I packed up my gear, said “See you later” to my colleagues, and turned left in the direction of the nearest cafe, where I fed my hunger and restarted my insulin.
I hope I have learned a lesson. Later I told my colleagues about my diabetes and what was happening to me during lecture while they were unaware. And I have added an item to my checklist, for when I leave the house in the morning and when I prepare for class: juice box, juice box, juice box. | <urn:uuid:9af91fa7-c006-4d9d-bfbd-2d9d66ee5874> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://asweetlife.org/a-hypoglycemics-dilemma/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571538.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812014923-20220812044923-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.97578 | 864 | 1.648438 | 2 |
Let's build off the ideas in my last post about present participial phrases and how to use them. In that post, we were mostly talking about placement issues. (Modifiers go next to the words they modify, right? Right.)
This time, let's take a look at a common mistake made with present participial phrases that signify an underlying weakness in the main clause rather than a technical problem with the participial phrase. Take a look at this sample sentence.
She danced alone in the empty ballroom, twirling and jumping as if nobody could see her.
What Is a Modifier?
We've already made the point that present participial phrases are modifiers which either function as adjectives (modifying a single noun) or as cumulative modifiers (modifying a clause in its entirety). But what about the present participial phrase in our sample sentence above? What, exactly does it modify?
1. to restrict the meaning of a grammatical construction
2. to make minor changes in
3. to make basic or fundamental changes in, often to give a new orientation to or to serve a new end
Modifiers change the meaning of existing words or groups of words. Those changes can be big or small, but they are still changes.
So here's where we run into our problem. Sometimes a main clause is so inherently weak that a writer instinctively knows it needs more oomph, but instead of fixing the weak main clause, they tack on a present participial phrase that restates the main clause without really modifying it.
alone in the ballroom = as if nobody could see her
If she's alone in the ballroom, presumably nobody can see her. Unless they can see through walls? Or have some kind of hidden cameras? But then the sentence should be altered to reflect that.
She danced alone in the ballroom, heedless of the tiny security cameras mounted along the musicians' gallery.
Heedless of the tiny security cameras mounted along the musicians' gallery, she danced alone in the ballroom.
Now the modifying phrase adds a new dimension to the sentence rather than just restating the main clause.
For that matter, twirling and jumping really just restate danced. They're more specific and vibrant than danced, but danced is a perfectly respectable verb. I'm not sure that it needs that kind of restatement. Isn't twirling and jumping more or less implied in the act of dancing? Hmm.
In any event, we see sentences like that all the time, and the usual fix is to cut ruthlessly to eliminate the repetitions. Pick the action word that has more precision and the noun with more built-in description, and dump the rest.
She fell to the ground, dropping suddenly onto the hard earth
She dropped suddenly onto the hard earth.
(And we might cut the adverb while we're at it.) | <urn:uuid:fb608aa5-f76a-4d72-b9bf-8285f6bdca45> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://edittorrent.blogspot.com/2008/10/modifiers-change.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571538.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812014923-20220812044923-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.949039 | 610 | 2.625 | 3 |
While not the most practical, there’s just something about gadgets / devices made from wood that give them a classy look. For example, the handmade Xbox console above could be released as a limited edition with plenty of buyers, or so we think. Continue reading to see them all.
1. Wooden Computer
In addition to being eco-friendly, this stunning custom-built wooden computer by Jeffrey Stephenson of SlipperySkip.com boasts a design unlike any other, complete with slot-loading disc drive and small form factor.
2. Wooden Xbox
If nothing else, this cool wooden Xbox console is sheer eye candy, and it even comes complete with a detailed controller. When sculptor Ben Winfield isn’t carving wooden masterpieces, he can be found gaming.
3. Wooden Ferrari V12 Engine
At $6000, this amazing V12 Ferrari engine is the first ever to be handcrafted from wood — “based on the Ferrari 365GTB V12 engine and it’s about the same size as the original engine, weighing about 25kg.”
4. Wooden NES Portable
Unlike other homemade portable game consoles, Ben Heck forums user c_mon decided to go the classy route, with this wooden NES portable. It features a 3.5-inch LCD display, an original NES motherboard, and draws power from 4xAA NiMh batteries at 2500mAh (4-hours of gameplay).
5. MP3 Player
If you’ll be using your MP3 player only for listening to a few tracks, you can pick up this camera-inspired gadget. The player is handcrafted from wood and unfortunately, only has 256MB of internal memory. Available now, from this store.
Despite looking suspiciously similar to its metal counterpart, this Vespa was crafted entirely from wood. Yes, even the seat, wheels, handlebars, and wheels were hand-made. Project page.
7. Nokia Wood Phone
Not just for looks, this Nokia wooden phone concept actually works. That’s right, Nokia commissioned its eco-team to build the 8.0-megapixel beauty above, complete with working display. Project page.
8. SNES Controller
Yes, the giant SNES controller above actually works is crafted from wood and does more than just sit pretty. Put simply, a standard SNES pad was hacked for the PCB (Printed Circuit Board), placed inside the giant wood sculpture, and then wired up to the new buttons.
9. Jupiter Mouse
The handmade Jupiter wooden mouse boasts a built-in accelerometer to determine the direction in which it’s being moved and calculates the velocity using a tilt sensor. Product page.
10. SNES Portable
An engineer decided to put a Super Nintendo he had laying around to good use by cramming it inside a custom-built wooden case, complete with speakers, modified PSOne (LED backlight) display, and headphone jack. | <urn:uuid:f7ea8b85-1116-4d72-ac58-002ffc0c0d8c> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.techeblog.com/top-10-coolest-wooden-gadgets-and-devices/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571538.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812014923-20220812044923-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.92058 | 613 | 1.5625 | 2 |
Although cigarette smoking is known to exacerbate asthma, only a few clinical asthma studies have been conducted involving smokers. Here we show, by comparing paired sputum and blood samples from smoking and non-smoking patients with asthma, that smoking associates with significantly higher frequencies of pro-inflammatory, natural-cytotoxicity-receptor-non-expressing type 3 innate lymphoid cells (ILC3) in the sputum and memory-like, CD45RO-expressing ILC3s in the blood. These ILC3 frequencies positively correlate with circulating neutrophil counts and M1 alveolar macrophage frequencies, which are known to increase in uncontrolled severe asthma, yet do not correlate with circulating eosinophil frequencies that characterize allergic asthma. In vitro exposure of ILCs to cigarette smoke extract induces expression of the memory marker CD45RO in ILC3s. Cigarette smoke extract also impairs the barrier function of airway epithelial cells and increases their production of IL-1β, which is a known activating factor for ILC3s. Thus, our study suggests that cigarette smoking increases local and circulating frequencies of activated ILC3 cells, plays a role in their activation, thereby aggravating non-allergic inflammation and the severity of asthma.
Asthma is a heterogeneous, chronic inflammatory disease that associates with bronchial obstruction and excessive mucus production. It was initially thought to be a solely allergic disease that is mediated by type 2 immune responses, including the production of interleukin (IL)−4, IL-5, IL-9, and IL-13. These cytokines typically associate with immunoglobulin E production, eosinophilia, mast cell activation, and mucus secretion by airway epithelial cells1. However, it has been shown more recently that 10–33% of people with asthma have nonallergic asthma (i.e., asthma in which allergic sensitization cannot be demonstrated)2. Unlike allergic asthma, nonallergic asthma is triggered by ozone exposure, obesity, and air pollutants; it is also typically more severe than allergic asthma3. However, the causes of nonallergic asthma remain poorly understood and there are few studies on asthma with low or non-type 2 helper T cells (Th2)-mediated inflammation. As a result, although several therapies are currently under clinical development for asthma characterized by Th2 immune responses, the same is not true for non-allergic asthma.
Cigarette smoking has adverse health effects4. In particular, there is a close correlation between smoking and asthma, and many clinical studies show that cigarette smoke significantly reduces lung function and increases the risk of developing asthma5. Smoking also enhances the risk of pathogen invasion by destroying the epithelial barrier and impairing airway tight junctions6. In addition, cigarette smoke has known immunomodulatory properties throughout the body7, including increasing alveolar macrophage numbers in the airway and elevating neutrophil recruitment to the lung8. However, many questions remain, including how cigarette smoke changes airway immunity in asthma and whether these changes increase asthma severity.
Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) are recently discovered lymphoid cells that reside and self-renew in mucosal tissues9. There are three types of innate lymphoid cells, namely, ILC1, ILC2, and ILC3. They lack antigen-specific receptors and are instead rapidly activated by innate cytokines that are secreted in the site of inflammation. Once activated, they control immune responses by secreting specific effector cytokines: ILC1s, ILC2s, and ILC3s, respectively secrete interferon (IFN)-γ, IL-5, and IL-13, and IL-17A and IL-2210. In the present study, we focused on the effect of cigarette smoking on ILCs for several reasons. First, ILCs are key coordinators of immunological homeostasis and immunity in the respiratory tract11,12. Second, many studies have highlighted the importance of ILC2s in the development of allergic asthma while ILC1s and ILC3s appear to contribute to the pathogenesis of non-allergic asthma11,12. Third, we reported previously that ILCs not only modulate macrophage polarization in the airways of asthma patients, different ILC populations are also expanded in different types of asthma13. Finally, despite the reported roles of distinct ILC subsets in various diseases14, little is known about airway ILCs in smokers, let alone about these cells in smokers with asthma, on whom there are no published data.
Here, we examined whether cigarette smoke alters airway immune cells, especially innate lymphoid cells, and how this affects lung function in patients with asthma. We showed that smokers with asthma have higher frequencies of induced sputum ILC3s than non-smokers with asthma; they also have higher frequencies of CD45RO-expressing memory-like ILC3s in their peripheral blood. In addition, these increased ILC3 frequencies correlated with the smoking amount, disease severity, and M1 macrophage and circulating neutrophil numbers, but not with circulating eosinophil numbers. Moreover, we showed that cigarette smoke impairs the integrity of airway epithelial cells and causes them to express IL-1β, which is critical for the proliferation and activation of ILC3s10. These findings suggest that cigarette smoke induces activation of ILC3s, which are involved in the exacerbation of asthma. Therefore, ILC3s might participate in the pathogenesis of non-allergic asthma by sensing the environmental changes caused by smoking.
Cigarette smoking in asthma associates with higher ILC3 frequencies in induced sputum
To investigate the effect of cigarette smoking on ILCs in patients with asthma, we recruited 58 current or previous smokers with asthma, 33 non-smokers with asthma, 11 healthy smokers, and 13 healthy non-smokers (Table 1). Compared to the non-smokers with asthma, the smokers with asthma had significantly impaired lung function, as shown by (i) lower forced expiration volume of 1s% (FEV1%), a ratio of FEV1/FVC, and asthma control test (ACT) scores, and (ii) higher asthma control questionnaire (ACQ) scores. As indicated by the PC20 value, the two groups did not differ in airway hyperresponsiveness (Table 1).
We first analyzed the ILC subsets in induced sputum. Total ILCs were defined as CD45+Lineage−IL-7R+ lymphocytes, after which the ILC1s (ST-2−C-kit−cells), ILC2s (ST-2+ cells), and ILC3s (ST-2−C-kit+ cells) were identified (Fig. 1a). Smoking in both asthma and healthy groups tended to associate with higher frequencies of total airway ILCs but these differences did not achieve statistical significance (Fig. 1b). Smoking in the healthy group was associated with higher ILC1 frequencies (Supplementary Fig. 1a), but this was not observed for the asthma group (Fig. 1c). The four groups had similar ILC2 frequencies (Fig. 1d and Supplementary Fig. 1a). By contrast, smoking associated with significantly greater sputum ILC3 frequencies in the asthma group (Fig. 1e) but not in the healthy group (Supplementary Fig. 1a).
ILC3s can be further subdivided according to their expression of natural cytotoxicity receptors (NCRs): NCR+ILC3s secrete IL-22 to maintain epithelial barrier integrity, whereas NCR−ILC3s mainly produce IL-17A and IL-17F, which are known to induce pathogenic inflammation15. We observed that smoking in asthma associated with a greater frequency of NCR negative sputum ILC3s (Fig. 1f). By contrast, smoking did not have this effect on the healthy controls (Supplementary Fig. 1b). These data suggest that cigarette smoking may provoke harmful changes in the ILC3 subset in the asthmatic airways.
To exclude the possibility that the smoking-related changes in ILC subset frequencies were merely due to the severity of asthma, we selected the 32 non-smokers and 34 smokers in the asthma group who had normal lung function (defined as FEV1 > 80%). Again, smoking associated with higher total ILC and ILC3 frequencies in the asthmatic airway (Supplementary Fig. 2a, b).
Smoking in asthma associates with CD45RO-expressing ILC3s in the peripheral blood
The effect of smoking on the ILCs in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from the four groups was analyzed in the same way as for the sputum ILCs (Fig. 2a). Smoking associated with a modest (statistically insignificant) increase in total ILC frequencies in the PBMCs from asthma patients but significantly lower total ILC frequencies in the healthy group (Fig. 2b). ILC subset analyses then showed that smoking slightly increased ILC1 and ILC3 frequencies and had no effect on ILC2s in the asthma group (Fig. 2c) but significantly decreased ILC1 and ILC2 frequencies and had no effect on the ILC3s in the healthy group (Supplementary Fig. 3a). Thus, at first glance, smoking in asthma did not appear to have a marked effect on the ILC3 frequencies in the peripheral blood, unlike in the sputum.
Nonetheless, we decided to explore the PBMCs further. Since smoking significantly increased NCR−ILC3s in the airway of asthma patients (Fig. 1f) but circulating ILC3s do not express NCR16, we asked whether the PBMCs of the smoking asthma patients contained higher frequencies of an airway disease-associated ILC3 subset, namely, CD45RO-expressing ILC3s. These cells are elevated in the lung and tonsils of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)17. Moreover, CD45RO-expressing blood ILC2s are elevated in steroid-resistant asthmatic patients18. While it is not yet clear what CD45RO expression signifies in terms of ILC functions, it is well-known that in T cells (the adaptive immunity equivalents of ILCs), CD45RO is a marker of activated/memory T cells while CD45RA is expressed on naïve T cells19. Indeed, when we assessed the CD45RA and CD45RO expression of the blood ILCs (Fig. 2d), we observed that smoking in the asthma group, but not the healthy group, associated with a modest increase of CD45RO+ILC3s in the PBMCs (Fig. 2e and Supplementary Fig. 4a). By contrast, the four groups did not differ significantly in terms of circulating CD45RA+ILC3s (data not shown).
Retinoic acid induces RORγt expression in NCR−CD4−ILC3 precursors, and RORγt differentiates them into NCR−CD4+ILC3s, in mice20. Assuming that the CD4-expressing NCR−ILC3s would be in a more differentiated form, we further confirmed CD4 expression. We noted that the CD45RO+ILCs could be further divided into CD4+ and CD4− subsets (Fig. 2f). Analysis of these CD4+ expressing subsets showed that smoking in the asthma group, but not the healthy group, associated with significantly increased blood frequencies of CD4+CD45RO+ILC3s (Fig. 2g and Supplementary Fig. 4b). Thus, smoking in asthma specifically increased the frequencies of CD4+CD45RO+ILC3s in the blood. Moreover, the blood CD4+CD45RO+ILCs were significantly more likely to express IL-17A, a major cytokine released from ILC3s, than the CD4−CD45RO+ILCs or CD45RA+ILCs (Fig. 2h), which suggests that they are more active than the other subsets. Similar analyses with the asthma patients with normal lung function showed again that although smoking did not significantly alter the blood frequencies of total ILCs or the three ILC subsets (Supplementary Fig. 5a, b), it did associate with significantly higher circulating CD4+CD45RO+ILC3 frequencies (Supplementary Fig. 5c).
It should be noted that smoking in the asthma group was also associated with slightly higher circulating ILC1 (Fig. 2c) and CD45RO+ILC1 (Fig. 2e) frequencies; however, it did not associate with higher CD4+CD45RO+ILC1 frequencies (Fig. 2g). By contrast, smoking in the healthy group associated with significantly fewer ILC1s, CD45RO+ILC1s, and CD4+CD45RO+ILC1s (Supplementary Figs. 3a and 4a, b). Thus, unlike the equivalent subset in ILC3s, CD4+CD45RO+ILC1s are not specifically expanded in the blood of smoking patients with asthma. This suggests that the expansion of ILC1s in the blood of smoking patients with asthma may be secondary to decreased pulmonary function rather than playing a pathogenic role.
We also examined the CD4+ T cells in the peripheral blood of the four groups. While smoking associated with significantly reduced CD4+ T cell frequencies in the healthy group, this was not observed in the asthma patients. The frequencies of CD4+ T cells that expressed IFNγ, IL-5, or IL-17A were also similar between smoking and non-smoking asthmatics (Supplementary Fig. 6a–c). Moreover, smokers in the asthma group did not have higher frequencies of memory CD45RO+ T cells than non-smokers (Supplementary Fig. 6d). Thus, memory T cells do not appear to be augmented by smoking in asthma.
In vitro cigarette smoke exposure induces memory-like ILC3s in PBMCs from asthma patients but not healthy individuals
Since cigarette smoke appeared to augment sputum ILC3s and circulating CD4+CD45RO+ILC3s in patients with asthma (but not healthy individuals), we assessed whether the smoking amount, as expressed by Pack/Year (PY), correlated with the frequencies of these ILC3 populations in asthma patients. Indeed, both populations in the asthma group correlated positively and significantly with PY (Fig. 3a, b).
Since CD45RO is a key marker for primed memory T cells19 and we observed that the circulating CD4+CD45RO+ILCs from asthma patients were more likely to express IL-17A than the corresponding CD4−CD45RO+ILCs or CD45RA+ILCs (Fig. 2h), we speculated that when asthma patients (but not healthy individuals) are exposed to cigarette smoke, the biological properties of ILC3s may change, including acquiring an activated memory-like phenotype (CD4+CD45RO+). To test whether the CD4+CD45RO+ circulating ILC3s are maintained after quitting smoking (i.e., whether they display a memory function), we divided the asthma patients according to their current smoking status (non-smokers, former smokers, and current smokers). Indeed, both former and current smokers had significantly higher frequencies of CD4+CD45RO+ILC3s in the blood than non-smoker asthma patients (Fig. 3c). These data suggested that smoking induces the CD4+CD45RO+ILC3 subset that persists even after quitting smoking like memory immune cells (memory-like ILC3s).
Next, we asked whether in vitro culture of PBMCs from the non-smoking healthy and asthma groups with 0.1% cigarette smoke extract (CSE) directly altered the phenotype of their ILC populations (Fig. 3d). Treatment with CSE did not alter the CD45RA or CD45RO expression of the circulating ILC1s from any of the groups (Fig. 3e, f). By contrast, CSE treatment significantly increased the expression of CD45RO by the ILC3s in asthma patients but this was not observed in the healthy individuals (Fig. 3g). CSE treatment did not alter the CD45RA expression of the ILC3s of any group (Fig. 3h). Thus, in asthma patients but not healthy controls, CSE treatment readily activated ILC3s in the blood into memory-like CD45RO+ILC3s. These data together suggest that cigarette smoke directly induces memory-like CD45RO expressing ILC3s (but not ILC1s) only in patients with asthma.
Cigarette smoke-induced damage to airway epithelial cells generate an ILC3-activating environment
Cigarette smoke can damage airway epithelial cells, thereby increasing mucosal permeability and the infiltration of inflammatory immune cells6,21. To examine whether CSE affects the barrier function of airway epithelial cells, we treated the A549 human alveolar basal epithelial cell line with CSE. The treatment decreased A549 expression of E-cadherin (which associates with epithelial tight junction functions22) and destroyed the close-knit epithelial layer (Fig. 4a). To further assess the effect of CSE on epithelial barrier function, we treated the A549 cell line, the RPMI2650 human nasal epithelial cell line, the BEAS-2B human bronchial epithelial cell line, and the MLE12 mouse lung epithelial cell line with CSE and measured their transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER). CSE significantly decreased TEER in all lines (Fig. 4b).
Since damaged epithelial cells can release alarmins such as IL-1, IL-23, and IL-33, all of which are essential for ILC activation10,14, we examined the effect of CSE treatment on A549 expression of these innate cytokines. CSE treatment elevated IL1B expression in a dose-dependent manner, decreased IL23A expression at the highest dose, and had no effect on IL33 expression (Fig. 4c). Increasing the duration of CSE treatment also augmented the IL-1β mRNA and protein levels in the A549 cells (Supplementary Fig. 7a). In addition, CSE treatment elevated IL1B expression in the other epithelial cell lines (Fig. 4d). However, the expression of IL23A and IL33 did not differ according to CSE treatment with the exception of RPMI2650 (Supplementary Fig. 7b, c).
Since IL-1β engages an IL-1 receptor on ILC3s and promotes their proliferation and IL-17A production14, these findings suggest that the smoking-induced sputum ILC3s and circulating memory-like CD4+CD45RO+ILC3 subset in asthma patients could be generated by smoke-damaged airway epithelial cells rather than circulating immune cells. Notably, the whole PBMCs or circulating immune cell subsets from the four healthy and asthmatic smoker/never-smoker groups did not differ in terms of IL-1β-producing cell frequencies (Supplementary Fig. 8a–c): this analysis supports the notion that the IL-1β potentially driving the smoking-induced generation of ILC3s in asthma is produced locally rather than systemically.
The increased ILC3 frequencies in asthma patients correlate with asthma severity
To understand the clinical significance of the increased ILC3 frequencies in smoking asthma patients, we analyzed the relationships between the frequencies of sputum ILC3s and blood CD4+CD45RO+ILC3s and asthma severity, as measured by (i) the pulmonary function indices FEV1 and FEV1/FVC ratio or (ii) asthma control, as measured by the ACQ and ACT scores. ACQ and ACT quantify asthma control and play a prominent role in Global Initiative for Asthma guidelines23:patients with well-controlled asthma have higher ACT and lower ACQ values. ILC3 frequencies in the sputum of asthma patients correlated negatively with FEV1 (Fig. 5a), FEV1/FVC ratio (Fig. 5b), and ACT score (Fig. 5c) and positively with ACQ score (Fig. 5d). The CD4+CD45RO+ILC3 frequencies in the peripheral blood also correlated negatively with the pulmonary function indices but not the asthma control indices (Fig. 5e–h). Thus, the frequencies of ILC3 subsets in the induced sputum and blood of asthma patients correlated with their disease severity.
The increased ILC3 frequencies in smoking asthma patients associate with a non-Th2 asthma phenotype
Asthma is a heterogeneous disease that can be divided into eosinophilic (type 2 immunity-dominant) and non-eosinophilic (type 1/3 immunity-dominant) asthma. Some forms of non-eosinophilic asthma also associate with neutrophilia24. Therefore, we asked whether the increased ILC3 frequencies in asthma patients correlated with their circulating eosinophil and neutrophil counts. The sputum ILC3s and circulating CD4+CD45RO+ILC3s correlated positively with circulating neutrophils (Fig. 6a, b). Despite the fact that the smoker and non-smoker asthma patients had similar numbers of circulating neutrophils, circulating neutrophils correlated positively with smoking amount (PY) (Supplementary Fig. 9a, b). By contrast, circulating eosinophil counts did not correlate with either blood/sputum ILC3 frequencies and negatively correlated with smoking amount (PY) (Fig. 6c, d, and Supplementary Fig. 9c, d). Since blood/sputum ILC3 frequencies also correlated with smoking amount (Fig. 3a, b), impaired lung function (Fig. 5), and neutrophil counts (Fig. 6a, b), these findings suggest that smoking-upregulated ILC3 subsets in asthma patients associate with neutrophilic but not eosinophilic immune responses that are harmful to lung function.
We previously reported that ILCs regulate macrophage polarization in patients with asthma: ILC1 and ILC3 associate with classical macrophage (M1) polarization and non-eosinophilic asthma, whereas ILC2 associates with alternative macrophage (M2) polarization and eosinophilic asthma13. Therefore, we also analyzed the macrophages in the induced sputum of the smoking and non-smoking asthma patients by flow cytometry and then determined their relationship with ILC3 frequencies. Thus, total macrophages were gated as CD45+CD68+ cells and then divided into M1 (CD11c+CD206−) and M2 (CD11c−CD206+) macrophages (Supplementary Fig. 9e). Smoking in asthma associated with elevated total and M1 type macrophage frequencies but a similar association with M2 type macrophage frequencies was not observed (Supplementary Fig. 9f, g). Moreover, sputum ILC3 frequencies correlated positively with M1 (Fig. 6e), but not M2 (Fig. 6f) macrophage frequencies. Blood CD4+CD45RO+ILC3 frequencies did not correlate with either M1 or M2 macrophage frequencies (Fig. 6g, h). Notably, sputum M1 macrophage frequencies did not associate with impaired lung function, unlike neutrophil counts (Supplementary Fig. 10a–d). This suggests that neutrophils interact more closely with ILC3 subsets in the pathogenesis of smoking asthma than M1 macrophages.
Taken together, these data suggest that the cigarette smoking-related increase in ILC3 frequencies that are seen in asthma patients may reflect a non-eosinophilic phenotype of asthma that is characterized by non-Th2 type inflammation such as M1 macrophages and neutrophils.
Many clinical, functional, and pathological studies have been conducted on the effect of cigarette smoking on COPD and other smoking-induced airway diseases. By contrast, little is known about the relationship between active smoking and asthma. The scanty data that do exist suggest that exposure to cigarette smoke aggravates asthma symptoms25 and increases asthma-related mortality26. Moreover, the intensity of smoking associates with the risk of new-onset asthma in allergic adults26. However, the mechanisms by which cigarette smoke worsens asthma are unclear. This hampers the development of treatment options for smoking-related asthma disease. We demonstrated here for the first time that compared to non-smoking asthma patients, smokers with asthma had increased frequencies of ILC3s in the airway along with increased frequencies of memory-like ILC3s (CD4+CD45RO+ILC3s) in the peripheral blood. Significantly, these alterations correlated with increased smoking amount and decreased lung function. Thus, smoking may worsen asthma by elevating ILC3 frequencies in the airway and peripheral blood. These findings are supported by several studies that suggest ILC3s are linked to smoking. First, COPD patients have increased NKp44−ILC3(NCR−ILC3) frequencies in their blood compared to control groups27,28. Second, the lungs of cigarette smoke-exposed mice have elevated IL-17A- or IL-22-expressing ILC3 frequencies29.
The notion that the adverse consequences of smoking in asthma may be due to altered immune responses in the airway was initially advanced by studies showing that cigarette smoke causes critical changes in the macrophages and neutrophils of asthma patients30. In particular, cigarette smoke was found to induce alveolar macrophages and neutrophils to produce pro-inflammatory cytokines, reactive oxygen species, matrix metalloproteinases, and various chemokines31. Indeed, we observed that smoking in asthma associated with elevated frequencies of pro-inflammatory M1 macrophages in the sputum. However, M1 macrophages did not associate with decreased lung function. By contrast, we did observe that circulating neutrophils correlated with both smoking amount and decreased pulmonary function. Given that the elevated ILC3 frequencies in smokers with asthma correlated positively with not only smoking amount and decreased lung function but also M1 macrophage and circulating neutrophil frequencies, it may be the key player in the pathogenesis of smoking-related asthma is the ILC3s.
It should be noted that another ILC subtype, ILC2s, is thought to play an important role in allergic asthma: these cells help to orchestrate and propagate type 2 inflammation in the airways32. However, two studies have suggested that tobacco smoke directly inhibits the function of ILC2s, thereby affecting the pathogenesis of two respiratory diseases, namely, asthma and COPD. One study showed that murine and human ILC2s express the α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor, a receptor for the tobacco component nicotine, and that nicotine agonists inhibit ILC2 cytokine production by decreasing Gata3 expression and dampening NF-kB pathway activation33. The other study reported that chronic exposure to cigarette smoke silences ILC2s by regulating the IL-33-ST2 axis34. These findings appeared to contradict the notion that smoking is a risk factor for asthma.
In the current study, we found that cigarette smoke exposure in patients with asthma changed ILC3s rather than ILC2s. Our experiments also suggested that cigarette smoke may affect ILC3s both directly and indirectly. The indirect effects were shown by treating airway epithelial cells with CSE: this exposure caused these cells to release IL-1β in a CSE-dose and culture time-dependent manner. IL-1β is an important cytokine for ILC3s since it promotes their differentiation and activation14. Notably, Wang et al. reported that cigarette smoke exposure also induces airway epithelial cells to produce CCL20, a chemoattractant for CCR6-expressing cells35, which include ILC3s36. Thus, the findings of Wang et al. and our study suggest that smoking may generate an environment that promotes the airway retention of ILC3s and their activation, respectively. The direct effects of cigarette smoke on ILC3s that we observed were shown by treating PBMCs with CSE: this treatment upregulated ILC3 expression of CD45RO in the asthma patients but not the healthy individuals. It remains at present unclear how ILC3s recognize CSE. Cigarette smoke contains more than 5000 chemicals that are toxic to our body, including our immune system37: for example, they increase reactive oxygen species production and modulate immune functions7, while nicotine, which is abundant in CSE, suppresses T cells by inducing anergy and apoptosis38,39. It is possible that the tar, nicotine, and carbon monoxide in cigarette smoke40 activate ILC3s by binding to toll-like receptors and aryl hydrocarbon receptors41.
Our study showed not only that CSE generates CD45RO+ILC3s in vitro but also that smokers with asthma had greater frequencies of CD45RO+ILC3s in their peripheral blood. CD45 is one of the most abundant glycoproteins on the surface of immune cells; it also has phosphatase activity that suppresses signal transduction such as that by JAK and LCK42,43. Since CD45RO has less phosphatase activity than CD45RA44, the transition of CD45RA to CD45RO suggests that immune cells have become more sensitive to external stimuli45. This isoform switch is well observed during T cell activation: antigen-naïve T cells express CD45RA whereas activated/memory T cells express CD45RO19. Recently, it was reported that ILCs can also express CD45RO on their surface, which suggests they have been primed17,18. In line with our observation that smoking asthma patients had higher frequencies of blood CD45RO+ILC3s, Shikhagie et al. showed that compared to control subjects, smokers and patients with COPD have higher frequencies of lung NRP1+ILC3s that highly express CD45RO; moreover, those cells were observed to secrete more cytokines than NRP1−ILC3s17. Thus, cigarette smoke may increase the peripheral blood frequencies of CD45RO+ILC3 cells that are highly primed to produce inflammatory cytokines.
In conclusion, this study showed for the first time that the ILC3s in both the airways and peripheral blood of smoking asthma patients undergo marked smoking-specific changes that correlate significantly with asthma severity. These data also suggest that cigarette smoke may mediate some of its adverse effects on asthma by altering airway immunity toward non-Th2 type inflammation. Our findings are supported by the fact that ILC3 gene signatures are highly enriched in adult-onset asthma, which is often more severe than childhood-onset asthma and associates with a worse prognosis46. Severe asthma and steroid-resistant asthma also associate with elevated IL-17A levels in the lung tissue47. The potential importance of ILC3s in asthma is also supported by the fact that ILC3s are the most abundant ILCs in the lungs of healthy individuals under homeostatic conditions28. It should be noted that our study largely focused on associations between smoking and immune cells in patients with asthma; consequently, it cannot yet be concluded that ILC3 cells play a prime role in asthma pathogenesis. However, if our findings are supported by additional clinical and experimental studies, they may open the door to efficient and personalized treatment regimens that target pulmonary ILC3s and could help manage asthma exacerbations caused by smoking. Our present study also suggests that sputum ILC3s and blood CD45RO-expressing ILC3s could serve as possible biomarkers for asthma severity in smokers.
We recruited 33 non-smokers with asthma (non-smoker; who have never smoked), 58 smokers with asthma who are currently smoking or have smoked previously, 13 non-smoking healthy controls, and 11 healthy smoking controls from Seoul National University Hospital (Seoul, South Korea) and Chung-Ang University Hospital (Seoul, South Korea) between December 2016 and June 2017. All patients with asthma met one of the following criteria: FEV1 changed over 12% and 200 mL after bronchodilator response, and/or there was significant airway hyperresponsiveness to methacholine or mannitol provocation (Table 1). Patients with cancer, severe medical conditions, or other pulmonary diseases were excluded along with patients on medications such as antibiotics, antifungal agents, antiviral drugs, probiotics, or any systemic steroids. Patients treated with immunotherapy were also excluded. We checked and followed the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) guidelines.
All participants enrolled in this study provided written informed consent. The study protocol was approved by the Chung-Ang University Hospital Institutional Review Board (IRB number 1600-002-253) and the Seoul National University Hospital Institutional Review Board (IRB number 1608-163-788).
Immune cell isolation from induced sputum and peripheral blood
To eliminate mucus from sputum samples, the same volume of 0.1% dithiothreitol (Sigma, MO, USA) was added, the tube was shaken for 20 min at 37 °C, and the mixture was filtered through a 70 μm strainer. After centrifugation at 1400 rpm for 6 min, the cell pellet was resuspended with 100 μL FACS buffer (PBS containing 2% fetal bovine serum) for staining. Peripheral blood (PB) mononuclear cells (PBMC) were isolated by using Ficoll-Paque PLUS density gradient media (GE Healthcare, IL, USA). Briefly, PB was centrifuged at 2000 rpm for 10 min at 4 °C to separate the plasma from the cells. After removing the plasma, the remaining cell pellet was resuspended with PBS and loaded onto a Ficoll-Paque layer. After centrifuging at 1800 rpm for 30 min, the PBMC layer was collected and washed with PBS.
To stimulate PBMCs, they were cultured in RPMI 1640 containing 10% FBS and 10 μg/mL gentamycin. 1 μg/mL ionomycin and 100 ng/mL phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate were added to the culture media with 0.01% Protein Transport Inhibitor (BD GolgiStopTM, BD biosciences, NJ, USA). After 3 h at 37 °C, the PBMCs were harvested.
Flow cytometry analysis
Cells isolated from induced sputum and PBMCs were blocked with anti-CD16/CD32 and stained with the following fluorochrome-labeled monoclonal antibodies: anti-CD45 (HI30; BD Biosciences, NJ, USA); anti-CD3ε (UCHT1), anti-CD11c (3.9), anti-CD11b (ICRF44), anti-CD14 (HCD14), anti-CD19 (HIB19), anti-CD49b (P1E6-C5), and anti-FcεRIα (AER-37), which were used as lineage markers and were from BioLegend (CA, USA); anti-CD68 (Y1/82A), anti-CD117 (C-Kit, 104D2), anti-CD127 (IL-7R, A019D5), anti-CD206 (15-2), anti-HLA-DR (L243), anti-CD4 (OKT4), anti-CD45RO (UCHL1), anti-CD45RA (HI100), anti-CD56 (HCD56), anti-CD16 (3G8), anti-NKp44 (P44-8), anti-IFNγ (4S.B3), anti-IL-5 (TRFK5), anti-IL-17A (BL168), and anti-IL-1β (H1b-98), which were from BioLegend (CA, USA); and anti-ST-2 (B4E6; MD Bioproducts, MN, USA). To analyze cytokine production, PBMCs were fixed and permeabilized with the Fixation/Permeabilization Solution Kit (BD CytoFix/CytoPermTM, BD biosciences, NJ, USA). Flow cytometry was performed using BD LSRFortessa™ and BD LSRFortessa™ X-20 (BD, NJ, USA) and analyzed by FlowJo (V10) software (BD, NJ, USA). Detailed information about the antibodies is provided in Supplementary Table 1.
Preparation of cigarette smoke extract
Cigarette smoke extract (CSE) was generated from a single pack of Marlboro Red cigarettes (Philip Morris, VA, USA) containing 8 mg tar and 0.7 mg nicotine. The smoke from this pack of cigarettes was dissolved in 20 mL PBS (considered to be 100% CSE) by using a vacuum pump. After dissolving the cigarette smoke, CSE was sterilized by filtration through a 0.2 μm filter.
Cigarette smoke extract treatment
To analyze the direct effects of CSE on ILCs, PBMCs isolated from healthy controls and asthma patients were cultured for 48 h with RPMI1640 containing 10% FBS and 0.1% of CSE. The cells were then harvested and analyzed by flow cytometry.
The effect of CSE treatment on epithelial cells was assessed with the human alveolar basal epithelial cell line A549, the human nasal epithelial cell line RPMI2650, the human bronchial epithelial cell line BEAS-2B, or the mouse lung epithelial cell line MLE12. Thus, 1 × 105–5 × 105 cells were seeded for 48 h and then cultured with 1, 5, or 10% CSE for 6–48 h. To analyze IL-1β secretion, 5 mM ATP (Sigma, MO, USA) was added to the culture media for the last 6 h before harvest.
Confocal microscopy to measure airway epithelial cell layer integrity
To determine the effect of CSE on epithelial intercellular adhesion, coverslips were coated with poly-L-lysine solution (Sigma, MO, USA) for 5 min at RT, washed with PBS, and dried for 1 h at 60 °C. Coated coverslips were loaded into a culture plate and cultured with A549 cells as described above for 48 h. The coverslips were then washed with PBS and the cells were fixed with 4% PFA for 15 min, washed with 0.05% Tween 20 (Promega, WI, USA) diluted in PBS (PBST), permeabilized with 0.2% Triton X-100 (Promega, WI, USA) for 10 min, and blocked with 3% BSA in PBST for 3 h. The cells were stained for 2 h at RT with anti-human E-cadherin antibody (Invitrogen, CA, USA) that was diluted in PBST containing 1% BSA. The cells were then incubated with Alexa Fluor 488-labeled anti-mouse IgG antibody (Thermofisher, MA, USA) for 1 h. The coverslips were flipped over onto ProLong diamond antifade mountant with DAPI (Invitrogen, CA, USA)-loaded slide glasses and incubated overnight at 4 °C. The slides were imaged with a Confocal-A1 (Nikon, Tokyo, Japan) confocal microscope and analyzed by Image J software (NIH, MD, USA). Detailed information about the antibodies is provided in Supplementary Table 1.
TEER measurements of airway epithelial cell layer integrity
TEER measurements were conducted with an Epithelial Voltohmmeter (World Precision Instruments, FL, USA). A549, RPMI2650, BEAS-2B, or MLE12 cells were seeded on 12 well-transwell inserts (Corning, ME, USA) for 24 h before CSE treatment and then, cells were cultured with 10% CSE-containing media for 48 h, rinsed with PBS. The electrodes were swiped with 70% ethanol and rinsed with PBS prior to use. TEER was calculated by using the following equation48: TEER (Ω cm2) = [Rtotal (Ω) – Rblank (Ω)] × membrane area (cm2).
The total RNA of cultured epithelial cell lines was extracted by using TRIzol (Invitrogen, CA, USA) reagent according to the manufacturer’s protocol. cDNA was synthesized with the iScript cDNA Synthesis Kit (Bio-Rad, CA, USA). RT-qPCR assay was performed with IQ Supermix (Bio-Rad, CA, USA). Primers of IL1B, IL23A, and IL33 were purchased from Thermofisher Scientifics (TaqMan Gene Expression Assay; Thermofisher, CA, USA).
ELISA of supernatant IL-1β (BD Biosciences, NJ, USA) was conducted according to the instructions of the manufacturer.
The data are presented as mean ± standard deviation. To determine the normality of data, Shapiro-Wilk normality tests were conducted. Two groups were compared by using two-tailed Mann-Whitney U test or two-tailed unpaired t-test. Three or more groups were compared with one-way ANOVA following by a Bonferroni’s post-test or two-way ANOVA. All correlation analyses were conducted with Spearman r correlation test. P values of <0.05 were considered to indicate statistical significance. GraphPad Prism 7 was used for statistical analysis.
Further information on research design is available in the Nature Research Reporting Summary linked to this article.
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J.H. received a scholarship from the BK21 FOUR education program. This research was supported by a grant (code: 2016-ER6705-00) from the Research of Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to J.W.J.; by grants from the Korea Healthcare Technology R&D Project of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Korea (HI15C3083) to H.Y.K.; and a grant from the National Research Foundation of Korea (SRC 2017R1A5A1014560, NRF-2019R1A2C2087574 and NRF-2022R1A2C3007730) to H.Y.K. Cartoon in Fig. 3d was created with BioRender.com.
The authors declare no competing interests.
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Ham, J., Kim, J., Sohn, KH. et al. Cigarette smoke aggravates asthma by inducing memory-like type 3 innate lymphoid cells. Nat Commun 13, 3852 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-31491-1 | <urn:uuid:57f43156-1f92-46c5-aa7e-fa86d726a2f3> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-31491-1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570977.50/warc/CC-MAIN-20220809124724-20220809154724-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.913791 | 11,605 | 2.625 | 3 |
In common usage, the word ‘charity’ is often used to refer to any not-for-profit organization. However, legally, registered charities and non-registered not-for-profit organizations are treated differently for tax purposes in important ways.
While not-for-profits are generally exempt from income tax, registered charities have broader tax exemptions including the ability to issue charitable tax receipts to donors. Consequently, the rules governing registered charities are much stricter than those governing non-registered not-for-profits.
To attain charitable status an organization (including not-for-profit corporations, trusts and organizations created by constitution) must file an application with the Canada Revenue Agency (“CRA”) that meets the requirements set out in the Income Tax Act and at common law.
An organization’s purposes must be exclusively charitable and the organization must devote its resources to charitable activities supporting those purposes. “Charitable purposes” are narrowly defined as falling within four categories: relief of poverty, advancement of education, advancement of religion, and certain other purposes that benefit the community in a way that the courts have said is charitable. Political purposes are expressly prohibited, though charities may engage in limited non-partisan political activities to further their charitable objects.
Additionally, an organization must pass the “public benefit” test: the organization’s charitable purposes must be capable of delivering a charitable benefit either to the public or a sufficiently broad section of the public. Thus, charities cannot be used for the benefit of private individuals or private social clubs.
Lastly, the application must possess the requisite amount of detail and clarity to be approved by the CRA. The governing documents for the organization must include the charitable purpose category that the organization falls under, the means of providing the charitable benefit, and the eligible beneficiary group. One must also explain how each activity engaged in, or planned to be engaged in, relates to one or more of the stated charitable purposes in enough detail that the CRA can find a sufficient correlation.
To ensure compliance with CRA standards, it is advisable to have a lawyer experienced in charity law prepare and submit your application for charitable status.
Nick Wright is a Toronto lawyer with extensive experience in not-for-profit and charity law including applying for charitable status. Contact him now at nick[at]wrightbusinesslaw.ca to arrange a time to discuss setting up and registering your charitable organization.
This article and the contents herein are for informational purposes only and do not constitute legal advice. Readers are advised to seek legal counsel prior to acting on any matter discussed herein. We take no responsibility for any third-party sites linked, nor is the presence or absence of a link an indication of endorsement of views expressed. | <urn:uuid:1e6c426a-f4ff-47a9-b12c-1e6661ec31e4> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://wrightbusinesslaw.ca/registering-a-charity-what-you-need-to-know/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571210.98/warc/CC-MAIN-20220810191850-20220810221850-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.942787 | 553 | 2.328125 | 2 |
President Joe Biden named a leader of the Atlanta Jewish community to the United Nations Human Rights Council, a body that has been widely criticized as overly hostile to Israel.
The Atlanta Jewish Times reported Friday that Biden’s choice is Michèle Taylor, who is the daughter of a Holocaust survivor, a founder of the Or Hadash congregation outside of Atlanta, a past member of the US Holocaust Museum Memorial Council and someone who has been involved in the Atlanta Jewish community in other capacities.
She has also been involved in senior fundraising positions for the Democratic Party and is currently a member of the board of the National Center for Civil and Human Rights.
The Trump administration quit the Human Rights Council because of its consistent focus on what the body alleged were Israeli human rights abuses, while allowing other countries with controversial human rights records, including China, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Saudi Arabia, to be members and help set the agenda. Israel has never been on the council and has refused to cooperate in the Council’s investigations.
Biden and past Democratic administrations acknowledge the council’s bias against Israel but say the United States is better served as a member of the group working to advance its human rights agenda — and to tamp down anti-Israel rhetoric. Biden rejoined the Council late last week.
The White House’s nomination statement noted that Taylor is the daughter of a Holocaust survivor and said Taylor “has served in a number of roles advocating for protection of fundamental human and political rights.” | <urn:uuid:ef817d9c-6f02-4ad3-b345-a591a4269209> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.jpost.com/american-politics/biden-names-atlanta-jewish-leader-as-envoy-to-un-human-rights-council-682922 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571210.98/warc/CC-MAIN-20220810191850-20220810221850-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.966599 | 305 | 1.640625 | 2 |
As Linda Li creates her one-of-a-kind bubble tea, her customers look around the Bubble Cafe in awe.
“It’s separated from the typical feel of Athens, the cafe itself feels like a bubble in way,” said Emelia Fischer, a regular customer.
When you walk into this miniature, underground cafe, you are swallowed by a room full of naturalistic designs, and a menu that offers a variety of bubble tea options.
Since 2016, Bubble Cafe has specialized in serving bubble tea as well as traditional Asian cuisine. Bubble tea is a unique drink which starts with a tea base, including oolong tea, flower tea, and plain black tea, that can be tied with a variety of flavors including sweetened milk and strawberry. It is then finished off with the mixture of chewy tapioca ‘boba’ balls.
Ever since opening day, Li’s goal has been to educate others on a part of her and her family’s Chinese culture using food and drink.
“I know that coffee is very popular in America, and I just wanted to give people something different,” said Li. “I wanted to introduce them to a special type of drink from my culture.”
Li’s inspirations for opening this restaurant come from her personal experiences with the drink.
“I drank bubble tea throughout my childhood,” she said. “But the flavor was always just straight black tea, so when I opened this cafe, I wanted to make sure there were many different flavors for the people to enjoy,” she said.
Being a family-run business, Li’s whole family is involved.
“My daughter sometimes helps me with the customers,” she said. “I like having my family here, it makes me feel at home.”
Many customers adore not only the food, but the setting of the cafe.
“It’s a very welcoming environment,” said Fischer. “It’s cute and comfortable and I love the underground aspect.”
Customers believe Bubble Cafe greatly contributes to people’s awareness of the diversity in Athens.
“I think the success of minority owned businesses often gets overlooked and this cafe really allows people to become more aware and interested in other people’s cultures,” said Courtney Grant, customer.
“The cafe introduces an array of options for drinks that people wouldn’t normally be able to get which is great,” said Fischer. | <urn:uuid:833307ee-a798-4db6-bcb0-7ec6ebe4136a> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | http://cedarblueprints.com/2018/05/10/spilling-the-tea-at-bubble-cafe/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571911.5/warc/CC-MAIN-20220813081639-20220813111639-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.969505 | 534 | 1.671875 | 2 |
OF THE HOLY FATHER
JOHN PAUL II
TO THE BISHOPS AND CLERGY
RELIGIOUS ORDERS AND CONGREGATIONS
SOCIETIES OF APOSTOLIC LIFE
AND ALL THE FAITHFUL
ON THE CONSECRATED LIFE AND ITS MISSION
IN THE CHURCH AND IN THE WORLD
1. The Consecrated Life, deeply rooted in the example and teaching of Christ the Lord, is a gift of God the Father to his Church through the Holy Spirit. By the profession of the evangelical counsels the characteristic features of Jesus — the chaste, poor and obedient one — are made constantly "visible" in the midst of the world and the eyes of the faithful are directed towards the mystery of the Kingdom of God already at work in history, even as it awaits its full realization in heaven.
In every age there have been men and women who, obedient to the Father's call and to the prompting of the Spirit, have chosen this special way of following Christ, in order to devote themselves to him with an "undivided" heart (cf. 1 Cor 7:34). Like the Apostles, they too have left everything behind in order to be with Christ and to put themselves, as he did, at the service of God and their brothers and sisters. In this way, through the many charisms of spiritual and apostolic life bestowed on them by the Holy Spirit, they have helped to make the mystery and mission of the Church shine forth, and in doing so have contributed to the renewal of society.
Thanksgiving for the consecrated life
2. Because the role of consecrated life in the Church is so important, I decided to convene a Synod in order to examine in depth its significance and its future prospects, especially in view of the approaching new millennium. It was my wish that the Synodal Assembly should include, together with the Bishops, a considerable number of consecrated men and women, in order that they too might contribute to the common reflection.
We are all aware of the treasure which the gift of the consecrated life in the variety of its charisms and institutions represents for the ecclesial community. Together let us thank God for the Religious Orders and Institutes devoted to contemplation or the works of the apostolate, for Societies of Apostolic Life, for Secular Institutes and for other groups of consecrated persons, as well as for all those individuals who, in their inmost hearts, dedicate themselves to God by a special consecration.The Synod was a tangible sign of the universal extension of the consecrated life, present in the local Churches throughout the world. The consecrated life inspires and accompanies the spread of evangelization in the different parts of the world, where Institutes from abroad are gratefully welcomed and new ones are being founded, in a great variety of forms and expressions.Consequently, although in some parts of the world Institutes of Consecrated Life seem to be experiencing a period of difficulty, in other places they are prospering with remarkable vitality. This shows that the choice of total self-giving to God in Christ is in no way incompatible with any human culture or historical situation. Nor is the consecrated life flourishing within the Catholic Church alone. In fact, it is particularly vibrant in the monasticism of the Orthodox Churches, where it is an essential feature of their life. It is also taking root or re-emerging in the Churches and Ecclesial Communities which originated in the Reformation, and is the sign of a grace shared by all of Christ's disciples. This fact is an incentive to ecumenism, which fosters the desire for an ever fuller communion between Christians, "that the world may believe" (Jn 17:21).
The consecrated life: a gift to the Church
3. Its universal presence and the evangelical nature of its witness are clear evidence — if any were needed — that the consecrated life is not something isolated and marginal, but a reality which affects the whole Church. The Bishops at the Synod frequently reaffirmed this: "de re nostra agitur", "this is something which concerns us all".In effect, the consecrated life is at the very heart of the Church as a decisive element for her mission, since it "manifests the inner nature of the Christian calling"and the striving of the whole Church as Bride towards union with her one Spouse.At the Synod it was stated on several occasions that the consecrated life has not only proved a help and support for the Church in the past, but is also a precious and necessary gift for the present and future of the People of God, since it is an intimate part of her life, her holiness and her mission.The present difficulties which a number of Institutes are encountering in some parts of the world must not lead to a questioning of the fact that the profession of the evangelical counsels is an integral part of the Church's life and a muchneeded incentive towards ever greater fidelity to the Gospel.The consecrated life may experience further changes in its historical forms, but there will be no change in the substance of a choice which finds expression in a radical gift of self for love of the Lord Jesus and, in him, of every member of the human family. This certainty, which has inspired countless individuals in the course of the centuries, continues to reassure the Christian people, for they know that they can draw from the contribution of these generous souls powerful support on their journey towards the heavenly home.
Gathering the fruits of the Synod
4. In response to the desire expressed by the Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops which met to discuss the theme "The Consecrated Life and its Mission in the Church and in the World", I intend to set forth in this Apostolic Exhortation the results of the Synod processand to point out to all the faithful — Bishops, priests, deacons, consecrated persons and laity, and to any others who might be interested — the wondrous things which today too the Lord wishes to accomplish through the consecrated life.
This Synod, coming after the ones dedicated to the lay faithful and to priests, completes the treatment of the distinctive features of the states of life willed by the Lord Jesus for his Church. Whereas the Second Vatican Council emphasized the profound reality of ecclesial communion, in which all gifts converge for the building up of the Body of Christ and for the Church's mission in the world, in recent years there has been felt the need to clarify the specific identity of the various states of life, their vocation and their particular mission in the Church.Communion in the Church is not uniformity, but a gift of the Spirit who is present in the variety of charisms and states of life. These will be all the more helpful to the Church and her mission the more their specific identity is respected. For every gift of the Spirit is granted in order to bear fruit for the Lordin the growth of fraternity and mission.
The work of the Spirit in the various forms of the consecrated life
5. How can we not recall with gratitude to the Spirit the many different forms of consecrated life which he has raised up throughout history and which still exist in the Church today? They can be compared to a plant with many brancheswhich sinks its roots into the Gospel and brings forth abundant fruit in every season of the Church's life. What an extraordinary richness! I myself, at the conclusion of the Synod, felt the need to stress this permanent element in the history of the Church: the host of founders and foundresses, of holy men and women who chose Christ by radically following the Gospel and by serving their brothers and sisters, especially the poor and the outcast.Such service is itself a sign of how the consecrated life manifests the organic unity of the commandment of love, in the inseparable link between love of God and love of neighbour.
The Synod recalled this unceasing work of the Holy Spirit, who in every age shows forth the richness of the practice of the evangelical counsels through a multiplicity of charisms. In this way too he makes ever present in the Church and in the world, in time and space, the mystery of Christ.
Monastic life in the East and the West
6. The Synod Fathers from the Eastern Catholic Churches and the representatives of the other Churches of the East emphasized the evangelical values of monastic life,which appeared at the dawn of Christianity and which still flourishes in their territories, especially in the Orthodox Churches.
From the first centuries of the Church, men and women have felt called to imitate the Incarnate Word who took on the condition of a servant. They have sought to follow him by living in a particularly radical way, through monastic profession, the demands flowing from baptismal participation in the Paschal Mystery of his Death and Resurrection. In this way, by becoming bearers of the Cross (staurophoroi), they have striven to become bearers of the Spirit (pneumatophoroi), authentically spiritual men and women, capable of endowing history with hidden fruitfulness by unceasing praise and intercession, by spiritual counsels and works of charity.In its desire to transfigure the world and life itself in expectation of the definitive vision of God's countenance, Eastern monasticism gives pride of place to conversion, self-renunciation and compunction of heart, the quest for hesychia or interior peace, ceaseless prayer, fasting and vigils, spiritual combat and silence, Paschal joy in the presence of the Lord and the expectation of his definitive coming, and the oblation of self and personal possessions, lived in the holy communion of the monastery or in the solitude of the hermitage.he West too from the first centuries of the Church has practised the monastic life and has experienced a great variety of expressions of it, both cenobitic and eremetical. In its present form, inspired above all by Saint Benedict, Western monasticism is the heir of the great number of men and women who, leaving behind life in the world, sought God and dedicated themselves to him, "preferring nothing to the love of Christ".The monks of today likewise strive to create a harmonious balance between the interior life and work in the evangelical commitment to conversion of life, obedience and stability, and in persevering dedication to meditation on God's word (lectio divina), the celebration of the Liturgy and prayer. In the heart of the Church and the world, monasteries have been and continue to be eloquent signs of communion, welcoming abodes for those seeking God and the things of the spirit, schools of faith and true places of study, dialogue and culture for the building up of the life of the Church and of the earthly city itself, in expectation of the heavenly city.
The Order of Virgins; hermits and widows
7. It is a source of joy and hope to witness in our time a new flowering of the ancient Order of Virgins, known in Christian communities ever since apostolic times.Consecrated by the diocesan Bishop, these women acquire a particular link with the Church, which they are commited to serve while remaining in the world. Either alone or in association with others, they constitute a special eschatological image of the Heavenly Bride and of the life to come, when the Church will at last fully live her love for Christ the Bridegroom.
Men and women hermits, belonging to ancient Orders or new Institutes, or being directly dependent on the Bishop, bear witness to the passing nature of the present age by their inward and outward separation from the world. By fasting and penance, they show that man does not live by bread alone but by the word of God (cf. Mt 4:4). Such a life "in the desert" is an invitation to their contemporaries and to the ecclesial community itself never to lose sight of the supreme vocation, which is to be always with the Lord.Again being practised today is the consecration of widows,known since apostolic times (cf. 1 Tim 5:5, 9-10; 1 Cor 7:8), as well as the consecration of widowers. These women and men, through a vow of perpetual chastity as a sign of the Kingdom of God, consecrate their state of life in order to devote themselves to prayer and the service of the Church.
Institutes completely devoted to contemplation
8. Institutes completely devoted to contemplation, composed of either women or men, are for the Church a reason for pride and a source of heavenly graces. By their lives and mission, the members of these Institutes imitate Christ in his prayer on the mountain, bear witness to God's lordship over history and anticipate the glory which is to come.
In solitude and silence, by listening to the word of God, participating in divine worship, personal asceticism, prayer, mortification and the communion of fraternal love, they direct the whole of their lives and all their activities to the contemplation of God. In this way they offer the ecclesial community a singular testimony of the Church's love for her Lord, and they contribute, with hidden apostolic fruitfulness, to the growth of the People of God.hus there is good reason to hope that the different forms of contemplative life will experience continued growth in the younger Churches as an evident sign that the Gospel has taken firm root, especially in those areas of the world where other religions predominate. This will make it possible to bear witness to the vitality of the traditions of Christian asceticism and mysticism and will contribute to interreligious dialogue.
Apostolic religious life
9. The West has also known, down the centuries, a variety of other expressions of religious life, in which countless persons, renouncing the world, have consecrated themselves to God through the public profession of the evangelical counsels in accordance with a specific charism and in a stable form of common life,for the sake of carrying out different forms of apostolic service to the People of God. Thus there arose the different families of Canons Regular, the Mendicant Orders, the Clerics Regular and in general the Religious Congregations of men and women devoted to apostolic and missionary activity and to the many different works inspired by Christian charity.
This is a splendid and varied testimony, reflecting the multiplicity of gifts bestowed by God on founders and foundresses who, in openness to the working of the Holy Spirit, successfully interpreted the signs of the times and responded wisely to new needs. Following in their footsteps, many other people have sought by word and deed to embody the Gospel in their own lives, bringing anew to their own times the living presence of Jesus, the Consecrated One par excellence, the One sent by the Father. In every age consecrated men and women must continue to be images of Christ the Lord, fostering through prayer a profound communion of mind with him (cf. Phil 2:5-11), so that their whole lives may be penetrated by an apostolic spirit and their apostolic work with contemplation.
10. The Holy Spirit, who wondrously fashions the variety of charisms, has given rise in our time to new expressions of consecrated life, which appear as a providential response to the new needs encountered by the Church today as she carries out her mission in the world.
One thinks in the first place of members of Secular Institutes seeking to live out their consecration to God in the world through the profession of the evangelical counsels in the midst of temporal realities; they wish in this way to be a leaven of wisdom and a witness of grace within cultural, economic and political life. Through their own specific blending of presence in the world and consecration, they seek to make present in society the newness and power of Christ's Kingdom, striving to transfigure the world from within by the power of the Beatitudes. In this way, while they belong completely to God and are thus fully consecrated to his service, their activity in the ordinary life of the world contributes, by the power of the Spirit, to shedding the light of the Gospel on temporal realities. Secular Institutes, each in accordance with its specific nature, thus help to ensure that the Church has an effective presence in society. valuable role is also played by Clerical Secular Institutes, in which priests who belong to the diocesan clergy, even when some of them are recognized as being incardinated in the Institute, consecrate themselves to Christ through the practice of the evangelical counsels in accordance with a specific charism. They discover in the spiritual riches of the Institute to which they belong great help for living more deeply the spirituality proper to the priesthood and thus they are enabled to be a leaven of communion and apostolic generosity among their fellow clergy.
Societies of Apostolic Life
11. Also worthy of special mention are Societies of Apostolic Life or of common life, composed of men or women. These pursue, each in its own particular way, a specific apostolic or missionary end. In many of them an explicit commitment to the evangelical counsels is made through sacred bonds officially recognized by the Church. Even in this case, however, the specific nature of their consecration distinguishes them from Religious Institutes and Secular Institutes. The specific identity of this form of life is to be preserved and promoted; in recent centuries it has produced many fruits of holiness and of the apostolate, especially in the field of charity and in the spread of the Gospel in the Missions.
New expressions of consecrated life
12. The perennial youth of the Church continues to be evident even today. In recent years, following the Second Vatican Council, new or renewed forms of the consecrated life have arisen. In many cases, these are Institutes similar to those already existing, but inspired by new spiritual and apostolic impulses. Their vitality must be judged by the authority of the Church, which has the responsibility of examining them in order to discern the authenticity of the purpose for their foundation and to prevent the proliferation of institutions similar to one another, with the consequent risk of a harmful fragmentation into excessively small groups. In other cases it is a question of new experiments which are seeking an identity of their own in the Church and awaiting official recognition from the Apostolic See, which alone has final judgment in these matters.These new forms of consecrated life now taking their place alongside the older ones bear witness to the constant attraction which the total gift of self to the Lord, the ideal of the apostolic community and the founding charisms continue to exert, even on the present generation. They also show how the gifts of the Holy Spirit complement one another.In this newness however the Spirit does not contradict himself. Proof of this is the fact that the new forms of consecrated life have not supplanted the earlier ones. Amid such wide variety the underlying unity has been successfully preserved, thanks to the one call to follow Jesus — chaste, poor and obedient — in the pursuit of perfect charity. This call, which is found in all the existing forms of consecrated life, must also mark those which present themselves as new.
Purpose of the Apostolic Exhortation
13. Gathering together the fruits of the Synod's labours, in this Apostolic Exhortation I wish to address the whole Church in order to offer not only to consecrated persons but also to the Bishops and the faithful the results of a stimulating exchange, guided by the Holy Spirit with his gifts of truth and love.
During these years of renewal, the consecrated life, like other ways of life in the Church, has gone through a difficult and trying period. It has been a period full of hopes, new experiments and proposals aimed at giving fresh vigour to the profession of the evangelical counsels. But it has also been a time of tension and struggle, in which well-meaning endeavours have not always met with positive results.The difficulties however must not lead to discouragement. Rather, we need to commit ourselves with fresh enthusiasm, for the Church needs the spiritual and apostolic contribution of a renewed and revitalized consecrated life. In this Post-Synodal Exhortation I wish to address religious communities and consecrated persons in the same spirit which inspired the letter sent by the Council of Jerusalem to the Christians of Antioch, and I am hopeful that it will meet with the same response: "When they read it, they rejoiced at the encouragement which it gave" (Acts 15:31). And not only this. I also hope to increase the joy of the whole People of God. As they become better acquainted with the consecrated life, they will be able with greater awareness to thank Almighty God for this great gift.In an attitude of heartfelt openness towards the Synod Fathers, I have carefully considered the valuable contributions made during the intense work of the Assembly, at which I made a point of being present throughout. During the Synod, I also sought to offer the entire People of God a number of systematic talks on the consecrated life in the Church. In them I presented anew the teachings found in the texts of the Second Vatican Council, which was an enlightening point of reference for subsequent doctrinal developments and for the reflections of the Synod during the busy weeks of its work. I am confident that the sons and daughters of the Church, and consecrated persons in particular, will receive this Exhortation with open hearts. At the same time, I hope that reflection will continue and lead to a deeper understanding of the great gift of the consecrated life in its three aspects of consecration, communion and mission. I also hope that consecrated men and women, in full harmony with the Church and her Magisterium, will discover in this Exhortation further encouragement to face in a spiritual and apostolic manner the new challenges of our time.
THE ORIGINS OF THE CONSECRATED LIFE
IN THE MYSTERY OF CHRIST
AND OF THE TRINITY
Icon of the Transfigured Christ
14. The evangelical basis of consecrated life is to be sought in the special relationship which Jesus, in his earthly life, established with some of his disciples. He called them not only to welcome the Kingdom of God into their own lives, but also to put their lives at its service, leaving everything behind and closely imitating his own way of life.
Many of the baptized throughout history have been invited to live such a life "in the image of Christ". But this is possible only on the basis of a special vocation and in virtue of a particular gift of the Spirit. For in such a life baptismal consecration develops into a radical response in the following of Christ through acceptance of the evangelical counsels, the first and essential of which is the sacred bond of chastity for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven.This special way of "following Christ", at the origin of which is always the initiative of the Father, has an essential Christological and pneumatological meaning: it expresses in a particularly vivid way the Trinitarian nature of the Christian life and it anticipates in a certain way that eschatological fulfilment towards which the whole Church is tending.n the Gospel, many of Christ's words and actions shed light on the meaning of this special vocation. But for an overall picture of its essential characteristics, it is singularly helpful to fix our gaze on Christ's radiant face in the mystery of the Transfiguration. A whole ancient spiritual tradition refers to this "icon" when it links the contemplative life to the prayer of Jesus "on the mountain."ab ipso Domino familiarissime celebrata, ab eius discipulis ipso praesente concupita: cuius transfigurationis gloriam cum vidissent qui cum eo in monte sancto erant, continuo Petrus ... optimum sibi iudicavit in hoc semper esse" (Ad Fratres de Monte Dei, I, 1: PL 184, 310).] Even the "active" dimensions of consecrated life can in a way be included here, for the Transfiguration is not only the revelation of Christ's glory but also a preparation for facing Christ's Cross. It involves both "going up the mountain" and "coming down the mountain". The disciples who have enjoyed this intimacy with the Master, surrounded for a moment by the splendour of the Trinitarian life and of the communion of saints, and as it were caught up in the horizon of eternity, are immediately brought back to daily reality, where they see "Jesus only", in the lowliness of his human nature, and are invited to return to the valley, to share with him the toil of God's plan and to set off courageously on the way of the Cross.
"And he was transfigured before them ..."
15. And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain apart. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his garments became white as light. And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. And Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is well that we are here; if you wish, I will make three booths here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah". He was still speaking, when lo, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him". When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces, and were filled with fear. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, "Rise, and have no fear". And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.
And as they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, "Tell no one the vision, until the Son of man is raised from the dead" (Mt 17:1-9).The event of the Transfiguration marks a decisive moment in the ministry of Jesus. It is a revelatory event which strengthens the faith in the disciples' hearts, prepares them for the tragedy of the Cross and prefigures the glory of the Resurrection. This mystery is constantly relived by the Church, the people on its way to the eschatological encounter with its Lord. Like the three chosen disciples, the Church contemplates the transfigured face of Christ in order to be confirmed in faith and to avoid being dismayed at his disfigured face on the Cross. In both cases, she is the Bride before her Spouse, sharing in his mystery and surrounded by his light.This light shines on all the Church's children. All are equally called to follow Christ, to discover in him the ultimate meaning of their lives, until they are able to say with the Apostle: "For to me to live is Christ" (Phil 1:21). But those who are called to the consecrated life have a special experience of the light which shines forth from the Incarnate Word. For the profession of the evangelical counsels makes them a kind of sign and prophetic statement for the community of the brethren and for the world; consequently they can echo in a particular way the ecstatic words spoken by Peter: "Lord, it is well that we are here" (Mt 17:4). These words bespeak the Christocentric orientation of the whole Christian life. But they also eloquently express the radical nature of the vocation to the consecrated life: how good it is for us to be with you, to devote ourselves to you, to make you the one focus of our lives! Truly those who have been given the grace of this special communion of love with Christ feel as it were caught up in his splendour: he is "the fairest of the sons of men" (Ps 45:2), the One beyond compare.
"This is my beloved Son": listen to him!
16. The three disciples caught up in ecstasy hear the Father's call to listen to Christ, to place all their trust in him, to make him the centre of their lives. The words from on high give new depth to the invitation by which Jesus himself, at the beginning of his public life, called them to follow him, to leave their ordinary lives behind and to enter into a close relationship to him. It is precisely this special grace of intimacy which, in the consecrated life, makes possible and even demands the total gift of self in the profession of the evangelical counsels. The counsels, more than a simple renunciation, are a specific acceptance of the mystery of Christ, lived within the Church.
In the unity of the Christian life, the various vocations are like so many rays of the one light of Christ, whose radiance "brightens the countenance of the Church."The laity, by virtue of the secular character of their vocation, reflect the mystery of the Incarnate Word particularly insofar as he is the Alpha and the Omega of the world, the foundation and measure of the value of all created things. Sacred ministers, for their part, are living images of Christ the Head and Shepherd who guides his people during this time of "already and not yet", as they await his coming in glory. It is the duty of the consecrated life to show that the Incarnate Son of God is the eschatological goal towards which all things tend, the splendour before which every other light pales, and the infinite beauty which alone can fully satisfy the human heart. In the consecrated life, then, it is not only a matter of following Christ with one's whole heart, of loving him "more than father or mother, more than son or daughter" (cf. Mt 10:37) — for this is required of every disciple — but of living and expressing this by conforming one's whole existence to Christ in an all-encompassing commitment which foreshadows the eschatological perfection, to the extent that this is possible in time and in accordance with the different charisms.By professing the evangelical counsels, consecrated persons not only make Christ the whole meaning of their lives but strive to reproduce in themselves, as far as possible, "that form of life which he, as the Son of God, accepted in entering this world."By embracing chastity, they make their own the pure love of Christ and proclaim to the world that he is the Only-Begotten Son who is one with the Father (cf. Jn 10:30, 14:11). By imitating Christ's poverty, they profess that he is the Son who receives everything from the Father, and gives everything back to the Father in love (cf. Jn 17:7, 10). By accepting, through the sacrifice of their own freedom, the mystery of Christ's filial obedience, they profess that he is infinitely beloved and loving, as the One who delights only in the will of the Father (cf. Jn 4:34), to whom he is perfectly united and on whom he depends for everything.By this profound "configuration" to the mystery of Christ, the consecrated life brings about in a special way that confessio Trinitatis which is the mark of all Christian life; it acknowledges with wonder the sublime beauty of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and bears joyful witness to his loving concern for every human being.
I. IN PRAISE OF THE TRINITY
"A Patre ad Patrem": God's initiative
17. Contemplation of the glory of the Lord Jesus in the icon of the Transfiguration reveals to consecrated persons first of all the Father, the Creator and Giver of every good thing, who draws his creatures to himself (cf. Jn 6:44) with a special love and for a special mission. "This is my beloved Son: listen to him!" (cf. Mt 17:5). In response to this call and the interior attraction which accompanies it, those who are called entrust themselves to the love of God who wishes them to be exclusively at his service, and they consecrate themselves totally to him and to his plan of salvation (cf. 1 Cor 7:32-34).
This is the meaning of the call to the consecrated life: it is an initiative coming wholly from the Father (cf. Jn 15:16), who asks those whom he has chosen to respond with complete and exclusive devotion.The experience of this gracious love of God is so deep and so powerful that the person called senses the need to respond by unconditionally dedicating his or her life to God, consecrating to him all things present and future, and placing them in his hands. This is why, with Saint Thomas, we come to understand the identity of the consecrated person, beginning with his or her complete self-offering, as being comparable to a genuine holocaust.
"Per Filium": in the footsteps of the Son
18. The Son, who is the way which leads to the Father (cf. Jn 14:6), calls all those whom the Father has given to him (cf. Jn 17:9) to make the following of himself the whole purpose of their lives. But of some, those called to the consecrated life, he asks a total commitment, one which involves leaving everything behind (cf. Mt 19:27) in order to live at his sideand to follow him wherever he goes (cf. Rev 14:4).
In the countenance of Jesus, the "image of the invisible God" (Col 1:15) and the reflection of the Father's glory (cf. Heb 1:3), we glimpse the depths of an eternal and infinite love which is at the very root of our being.Those who let themselves be seized by this love cannot help abandoning everything to follow him (cf. Mk 1:16-20; 2:14; 10:21, 28). Like Saint Paul, they consider all else as loss "because of the surpassing worth of knowing Jesus Christ", by comparison with which they do not hesitate to count all things as "refuse", in order that they "may gain Christ" (Phil 3:8). They strive to become one with him, taking on his mind and his way of life. This leaving of everything and following the Lord (cf. Lk 18:28) is a worthy programme of life for all whom he calls, in every age.The evangelical counsels, by which Christ invites some people to share his experience as the chaste, poor and obedient One, call for and make manifest in those who accept them an explicit desire to be totally conformed to him. Living "in obedience, with nothing of one's own and in chastity,"consecrated persons profess that Jesus is the model in whom every virtue comes to perfection. His way of living in chastity, poverty and obedience appears as the most radical way of living the Gospel on this earth, a way which may be called divine, for it was embraced by him, God and man, as the expression of his relationship as the Only-Begotten Son with the Father and with the Holy Spirit. This is why Christian tradition has always spoken of the objective superiority of the consecrated life.Nor can it be denied that the practice of the evangelical counsels is also a particularly profound and fruitful way of sharing in Christ's mission, in imitation of the example of Mary of Nazareth, the first disciple, who willingly put herself at the service of God's plan by the total gift of self. Every mission begins with the attitude expressed by Mary at the Annunciation: "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word" (Lk 1:38).
"In Spiritu": consecrated by the Holy Spirit
19. "A bright cloud overshadowed them" (Mt 17:5). A significant spiritual interpretation of the Transfiguration sees this cloud as an image of the Holy Spirit.Like the whole of Christian life, the call to the consecrated life is closely linked to the working of the Holy Spirit. In every age, the Spirit enables new men and women to recognize the appeal of such a demanding choice. Through his power, they relive, in a way, the experience of the Prophet Jeremiah: "You have seduced me, Lord, and I have let myself be seduced" (Jer 20:7). It is the Spirit who awakens the desire to respond fully; it is he who guides the growth of this desire, helping it to mature into a positive response and sustaining it as it is faithfully translated into action; it is he who shapes and moulds the hearts of those who are called, configuring them to Christ, the chaste, poor and obedient One, and prompting them to make his mission their own. By allowing themselves to be guided by the Spirit on an endless journey of purification, they become, day after day, conformed to Christ, the prolongation in history of a special presence of the Risen Lord.With penetrating insight, the Fathers of the Church have called this spiritual path philokalia, or love of the divine beauty,which is the reflection of the divine goodness. Those who by the power of the Holy Spirit are led progressively into full configuration to Christ reflect in themselves a ray of the unapproachable light. During their earthly pilgrimage, they press on towards the inexhaustible Source of light. The consecrated life thus becomes a particularly profound expression of the Church as the Bride who, prompted by the Spirit to imitate her Spouse, stands before him "in splendour, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish" (Eph 5:27).The same Spirit, far from removing from the life of humanity those whom the Father has called, puts them at the service of their brothers and sisters in accordance with their particular state of life, and inspires them to undertake special tasks in response to the needs of the Church and the world, by means of the charisms proper to the various Institutes. Hence many different forms of the consecrated life have arisen, whereby the Church is "adorned by the various gifts of her children ... like a bride made beautiful for her spouse (cf. Rev 21:2)"and is enriched by the means necessary for carrying out her mission in the world.
The evangelical counsels, gift of the Trinity
20. The evangelical counsels are thus above all a gift of the Holy Trinity. The consecrated life proclaims what the Father, through the Son and in the Spirit, brings about by his love, his goodness and his beauty. In fact, "the religious state reveals the transcendence of the Kingdom of God and its requirements over all earthly things. To all people it shows wonderfully at work within the Church the surpassing greatness of the force of Christ the King and the boundless power of the Holy Spirit."The first duty of the consecrated life is to make visible the marvels wrought by God in the frail humanity of those who are called. They bear witness to these marvels not so much in words as by the eloquent language of a transfigured life, capable of amazing the world. To people's astonishment they respond by proclaiming the wonders of grace accomplished by the Lord in those whom he loves. To the degree that consecrated persons let themselves be guided by the Spirit to the heights of perfection they can exclaim: "I see the beauty of your grace, I contemplate its radiance, I reflect its light; I am caught up in its ineffable splendour; I am taken outside myself as I think of myself; I see how I was and what I have become. O wonder! I am vigilant, I am full of respect for myself, of reverence and of fear, as I would be were I before you; I do not know what to do, I am seized by fear, I do not know where to sit, where to go, where to put these members which are yours; in what deeds, in what works shall I use them, these amazing divine marvels!"The consecrated life thus becomes one of the tangible seals which the Trinity impresses upon history, so that people can sense with longing the attraction of divine beauty.
Reflection of Trinitarian life in the evangelical counsels
21. The deepest meaning of the evangelical counsels is revealed when they are viewed in relation to the Holy Trinity, the source of holiness. They are in fact an expression of the love of the Son for the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit. By practising the evangelical counsels, the consecrated person lives with particular intensity the Trinitarian and Christological dimension which marks the whole of Christian life.
The chastity of celibates and virgins, as a manifestation of dedication to God with an undivided heart (cf. 1 Cor 7:32-34), is a reflection of the infinite love which links the three Divine Persons in the mysterious depths of the life of the Trinity, the love to which the Incarnate Word bears witness even to the point of giving his life, the love "poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit" (Rom 5:5), which evokes a response of total love for God and the brethren.Poverty proclaims that God is man's only real treasure. When poverty is lived according to the example of Christ who, "though he was rich ... became poor" (2 Cor 8:9), it becomes an expression of that total gift of self which the three Divine Persons make to one another. This gift overflows into creation and is fully revealed in the Incarnation of the Word and in his redemptive death.Obedience, practised in imitation of Christ, whose food was to do the Father's will (cf. Jn 4:34), shows the liberating beauty of a dependence which is not servile but filial, marked by a deep sense of responsibility and animated by mutual trust, which is a reflection in history of the loving harmony between the three Divine Persons.The consecrated life is thus called constantly to deepen the gift of the evangelical counsels with a love which grows ever more genuine and strong in the Trinitarian dimension: love for Christ, which leads to closeness with him; love for the Holy Spirit, who opens our hearts to his inspiration; love for the Father, the first origin and supreme goal of the consecrated life.The consecrated life thus becomes a confession and a sign of the Trinity, whose mystery is held up to the Church as the model and source of every form of Christian life.Even fraternal life, whereby consecrated persons strive to live in Christ with "one heart and soul" (Acts 4:32), is put forward as an eloquent witness to the Trinity. It proclaims the Father, who desires to make all of humanity one family. It proclaims the Incarnate Son, who gathers the redeemed into unity, pointing the way by his example, his prayer, his words and above all his death, which is the source of reconciliation for a divided and scattered humanity. It proclaims the Holy Spirit as the principle of unity in the Church, wherein he ceaselessly raises up spiritual families and fraternal communities.
Consecrated like Christ for the Kingdom of God
22. The consecrated life, through the prompting of the Holy Spirit, "constitutes a closer imitation and an abiding re-enactment in the Church"of the way of life which Jesus, the supreme Consecrated One and missionary of the Father for the sake of his Kingdom, embraced and proposed to his disciples (cf. Mt 4:18-22; Mk 1:16-20; Lk 5:10-11; Jn 15:16). In the light of Jesus' consecration, we can see in the initiative of the Father, the source of all holiness, the ultimate origin of the consecrated life. Jesus is the One whom "God anointed ... with the Holy Spirit and with power" (Acts 10:38), the One "whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world" (Jn 10:36). Accepting his consecration by the Father, the Son in turn consecrates himself to the Father for the sake of humanity (cf. Jn 17:19). His life of virginity, obedience and poverty expresses his complete filial acceptance of the Father's plan (cf. Jn 10:30; 14:11). His perfect offering confers an aspect of consecration upon all the events of his earthly existence.
Jesus is the exemplar of obedience, who came down from heaven not to do his own will but the will of the One who sent him (cf. Jn 6:38; Heb 10:5, 7). He places his way of living and acting in the hands of the Father (cf. Lk 2:49). In filial obedience, he assumes the condition of a servant: he "emptied himself, taking the form of a servant ... and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross" (Phil 2:7-8). In this attitude of submissiveness to the Father, Christ lives his life as a virgin, even while affirming and defending the dignity and sanctity of married life. He thus reveals the sublime excellence and mysterious spiritual fruitfulness of virginity. His full acceptance of the Father's plan is also seen in his detachment from earthly goods: "though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich" (2 Cor 8:9). The depth of his poverty is revealed in the perfect offering of all that is his to the Father.The consecrated life truly constitutes a living memorial of Jesus' way of living and acting as the Incarnate Word in relation to the Father and in relation to the brethren. It is a living tradition of the Saviour's life and message.
II. BETWEEN EASTER AND FULFILMENT
From Tabor to Calvary
23. The dazzling event of the Transfiguration is a preparation for the tragic, but no less glorious, event of Calvary. Peter, James and John contemplate the Lord Jesus together with Moses and Elijah, with whom, according to the Evangelist Luke, Jesus speaks "of his departure, which he was to accomplish at Jerusalem" (9:31). The eyes of the Apostles are therefore fixed upon Jesus who is thinking of the Cross (cf. Lk 9:43-45). There his virginal love for the Father and for all mankind will attain its highest expression. His poverty will reach complete self-emptying, his obedience the giving of his life.
The disciples are invited to contemplate Jesus raised up on the Cross, where, in his silence and solitude, "the Word come forth from silence"prophetically affirms the absolute transcendence of God over all created things; in his own flesh he conquers our sin and draws every man and every woman to himself, giving to all the new life of the Resurrection (cf. Jn 12:32; 19:34, 37). It is in the contemplation of the Crucified Christ that all vocations find their inspiration. From this contemplation, together with the primordial gift of the Spirit, all gifts, and in particular the gift of the consecrated life, take their origin.After Mary, the Mother of Jesus, it is John who receives this gift. John is the disciple whom Jesus loved, the witness who together with Mary stood at the foot of the Cross (cf. Jn 19:26-27). His decision to consecrate himself totally is the fruit of the divine love which envelops him, sustains him and fills his heart. John, together with Mary, is among the first in a long line of men and women who, from the beginning of the Church until the end, are touched by God's love and feel called to follow the Lamb, once sacrificed and now alive, wherever he goes (cf. Rev 14:1-5).
The Paschal dimension of the consecrated life
24. In the different forms of life inspired by the Spirit throughout history, consecrated persons discover that the more they stand at the foot of the Cross of Christ, the more immediately and profoundly they experience the truth of God who is love. It is precisely on the Cross that the One who in death appears to human eyes as disfigured and without beauty, so much so that the bystanders cover their faces (cf. Is 53:2-3), fully reveals the beauty and power of God's love. Saint Augustine says: "Beautiful is God, the Word with God ... He is beautiful in heaven, beautiful on earth; beautiful in the womb, beautiful in his parents' arms, beautiful in his miracles, beautiful in his sufferings; beautiful in inviting to life, beautiful in not worrying about death, beautiful in giving up his life and beautiful in taking it up again; he is beautiful on the Cross, beautiful in the tomb, beautiful in heaven. Listen to the song with understanding, and let not the weakness of the flesh distract your eyes from the splendour of his beauty."The consecrated life reflects the splendour of this love because, by its fidelity to the mystery of the Cross, it confesses that it believes and lives by the love of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. In this way it helps the Church to remain aware that the Cross is the superabundance of God's love poured out upon this world, and that it is the great sign of Christ's saving presence, especially in the midst of difficulties and trials. This is the testimony given constantly and with deeply admirable courage by a great number of consecrated persons, many of whom live in difficult situations, even suffering persecution and martyrdom. Their fidelity to the one Love is revealed and confirmed in the humility of a hidden life, in the acceptance of sufferings for the sake of completing in their own flesh "what is lacking in Christ's afflictions" (Col 1:24), in silent sacrifice and abandonment to God's holy will, and in serene fidelity even as their strength and personal authority wane. Fidelity to God also inspires devotion to neighbour, a devotion which consecrated persons live out not without sacrifice by constantly interceding for the needs of their brothers and sisters, generously serving the poor and the sick, sharing the hardships of others and participating in the concerns and trials of the Church.
Witnesses to Christ in the world
25. The Paschal Mystery is also the wellspring of the Church's missionary nature, which is reflected in the whole of the Church's life. It is expressed in a distinctive way in the consecrated life. Over and above the charisms proper to those Institutes which are devoted to the mission ad gentes or which are engaged in ordinary apostolic activity, it can be said that the sense of mission is at the very heart of every form of consecrated life. To the extent that consecrated persons live a life completely devoted to the Father (cf. Lk 2:49; Jn 4:34), held fast by Christ (cf. Jn 15:16; Gal 1:15-16) and animated by the Spirit (cf. Lk 24:49; Acts 1:8; 2:4), they cooperate effectively in the mission of the Lord Jesus (cf. Jn 20:21) and contribute in a particularly profound way to the renewal of the world.
The first missionary duty of consecrated persons is to themselves, and they fulfil it by opening their hearts to the promptings of the Spirit of Christ. Their witness helps the whole Church to remember that the most important thing is to serve God freely, through Christ's grace which is communicated to believers through the gift of the Spirit. Thus they proclaim to the world the peace which comes from the Father, the dedication witnessed to by the Son, and the joy which is the fruit of the Holy Spirit.Consecrated persons will be missionaries above all by continually deepening their awareness of having been called and chosen by God, to whom they must therefore direct and offer everything that they are and have, freeing themselves from the obstacles which could hinder the totality of their response. In this way they will become true signs of Christ in the world. Their lifestyle too must clearly show the ideal which they profess, and thus present itself as a living sign of God and as an eloquent, albeit often silent, proclamation of the Gospel.The Church must always seek to make her presence visible in everyday life, especially in contemporary culture, which is often very secularized and yet sensitive to the language of signs. In this regard the Church has a right to expect a significant contribution from consecrated persons, called as they are in every situation to bear clear witness that they belong to Christ.Since the habit is a sign of consecration, poverty and membership in a particular Religious family, I join the Fathers of the Synod in strongly recommending to men and women religious that they wear their proper habit, suitably adapted to the conditions of time and place.Where valid reasons of their apostolate call for it, Religious, in conformity with the norms of their Institute, may also dress in a simple and modest manner, with an appropriate symbol, in such a way that their consecration is recognizable.Institutes which from their origin or by provision of their Constitutions do not have a specific habit should ensure that the dress of their members corresponds in dignity and simplicity to the nature of their vocation.
Eschatological dimension of the consecrated life
26. Since the demands of the apostolate today are increasingly urgent, and since involvement in temporal affairs risks becoming ever more absorbing, it is particularly opportune to draw attention once more to the eschatological nature of the consecrated life.
"Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also" (Mt 6:21). The unique treasure of the Kingdom gives rise to desire, anticipation, commitment and witness. In the early Church, the expectation of the Lord's coming was lived in a particularly intense way. With the passing of the centuries, the Church has not ceased to foster this attitude of hope: she has continued to invite the faithful to look to the salvation which is waiting to be revealed, "for the form of this world is passing away" (1 Cor 7:31; cf. 1 Pet 1:3-6).t is in this perspective that we can understand more clearly the role of consecrated life as an eschatological sign. In fact it has constantly been taught that the consecrated life is a foreshadowing of the future Kingdom. The Second Vatican Council proposes this teaching anew when it states that consecration better "foretells the resurrected state and the glory of the heavenly Kingdom."It does this above all by means of the vow of virginity, which tradition has always understood as an anticipation of the world to come, already at work for the total transformation of man.Those who have dedicated their lives to Christ cannot fail to live in the hope of meeting him, in order to be with him for ever. Hence the ardent expectation and desire to "be plunged into the Fire of Love which burns in them and which is none other than the Holy Spirit",an expectation and desire sustained by the gifts which the Lord freely bestows on those who yearn for the things that are above (cf. Col 3:1).Immersed in the things of the Lord, the consecrated person remembers that "here we have no lasting city" (Heb 13:14), for "our commonwealth is in heaven" (Phil 3:20). The one thing necessary is to seek God's "Kingdom and his righteousness" (Mt 6:33), with unceasing prayer for the Lord's coming.
Active expectation: commitment and watchfulness
27. "Come, Lord Jesus!" (Rev 22:20). This expectation is anything but passive: although directed towards the future Kingdom, it expresses itself in work and mission, that the Kingdom may become present here and now through the spirit of the Beatitudes, a spirit capable of giving rise in human society to effective aspirations for justice, peace, solidarity and forgiveness.
This is clearly shown by the history of the consecrated life, which has always borne abundant fruit even for this world. By their charisms, consecrated persons become signs of the Spirit pointing to a new future enlightened by faith and by Christian hope. Eschatological expectation becomes mission, so that the Kingdom may become ever more fully established here and now. The prayer "Come, Lord Jesus!" is accompanied by another: "Thy Kingdom come!" (Mt 6:10).Those who vigilantly await the fulfilment of Christ's promises are able to bring hope to their brothers and sisters who are often discouraged and pessimistic about the future. Theirs is a hope founded on God's promise contained in the revealed word: the history of humanity is moving towards "a new heaven and a new earth" (Rev 21:1), where the Lord "will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away" (Rev 21:4).The consecrated life is at the service of this definitive manifestation of the divine glory, when all flesh will see the salvation of God (cf. Lk 3:6; Is 40:5). The Christian East emphasizes this dimension when it considers monks as angels of God on earth who proclaim the renewal of the world in Christ. In the West, monasticism is the celebration of memory and expectation: memory of the wonders God has wrought and expectation of the final fulfilment of our hope. Monasticism and the contemplative life are a constant reminder that the primacy of God gives full meaning and joy to human lives, because men and women are made for God, and their hearts are restless until they rest in him.
The Virgin Mary, model of consecration and discipleship
28. Mary is the one who, from the moment of her Immaculate Conception, most perfectly reflects the divine beauty. "All beautiful" is the title with which the Church invokes her. "The relationship with Mary most holy, which for every believer stems from his or her union with Christ, is even more pronounced in the life of consecrated persons ... Mary's presence is of fundamental importance both for the spiritual life of each consecrated person and for the solidity, unity and progress of the whole community".Mary in fact is the sublime example of perfect consecration, since she belongs completely to God and is totally devoted to him. Chosen by the Lord, who wished to accomplish in her the mystery of the Incarnation, she reminds consecrated persons of the primacy of God's initiative. At the same time, having given her assent to the divine Word, made flesh in her, Mary is the model of the acceptance of grace by human creatures. Having lived with Jesus and Joseph in the hidden years of Nazareth, and present at her Son's side at crucial moments of his public life, the Blessed Virgin teaches unconditional discipleship and diligent service. In Mary, "the temple of the Holy Spirit,"all the splendour of the new creation shines forth. Consecrated life looks to her as the sublime model of consecration to the Father, union with the Son and openness to the Spirit, in the knowledge that acceptance of the "virginal and humble life"of Christ also means imitation of Mary's way of life.In the Blessed Virgin Mary, consecrated persons also find a Mother who is altogether unique. Indeed, if the new motherhood conferred on Mary at Calvary is a gift for all Christians, it has a specific value for those who have completely consecrated their lives to Christ. "Behold your mother!" (Jn 19:27): Jesus' words to the disciple "whom he loved" (Jn 19:26) are particularly significant for the lives of consecrated persons. They, like John, are called to take the Blessed Virgin Mary to themselves (cf. Jn 19:27), loving her and imitating her in the radical manner which befits their vocation, and experiencing in return her special motherly love. The Blessed Virgin shares with them the love which enables them to offer their lives every day for Christ and to cooperate with him in the salvation of the world. Hence a filial relationship to Mary is the royal road to fidelity to one's vocation and a most effective help for advancing in that vocation and living it fully.
III. IN THE CHURCH AND FOR THE CHURCH
"It is well that we are here": the consecrated life in the mystery of the Church
29. In the episode of the Transfiguration, Peter speaks on behalf of the other Apostles: "It is well that we are here" (Mt 17:4). The experience of Christ's glory, though completely filling his mind and heart, does not set him apart but rather unites him more closely to the "we" of the Apostles.
This dimension of "we" invites us to consider the place which the consecrated life occupies in the mystery of the Church. In recent years, theological reflection on the nature of the consecrated life has deepened the new insights which emerged from the teaching of the Second Vatican Council. In the light of that teaching it has been recognized that the profession of the evangelical counsels indisputably belongs to the life and holiness of the Church.This means that the consecrated life, present in the Church from the beginning, can never fail to be one of her essential and characteristic elements, for it expresses her very nature.This is clearly seen from the fact that the profession of the evangelical counsels is intimately connected with the mystery of Christ, and has the duty of making somehow present the way of life which Jesus himself chose and indicated as an absolute eschatological value. Jesus himself, by calling some men and women to abandon everything in order to follow him, established this type of life which, under the guidance of the Spirit, would gradually develop down the centuries into the various forms of the consecrated life. The idea of a Church made up only of sacred ministers and lay people does not therefore conform to the intentions of her divine Founder, as revealed to us by the Gospels and the other writings of the New Testament.
New and special consecration
30. In the Church's tradition religious profession is considered to be a special and fruitful deepening of the consecration received in Baptism, inasmuch as it is the means by which the close union with Christ already begun in Baptism develops in the gift of a fuller, more explicit and authentic configuration to him through the profession of the evangelical counsels.This further consecration, however, differs in a special way from baptismal consecration, of which it is not a necessary consequence.In fact, all those reborn in Christ are called to live out, with the strength which is the Spirit's gift, the chastity appropriate to their state of life, obedience to God and to the Church, and a reasonable detachment from material possessions: for all are called to holiness, which consists in the perfection of love.But Baptism in itself does not include the call to celibacy or virginity, the renunciation of possessions or obedience to a superior, in the form proper to the evangelical counsels. The profession of the evangelical counsels thus presupposes a particular gift of God not given to everyone, as Jesus himself emphasizes with respect to voluntary celibacy (cf. Mt 19:10-12).This call is accompanied, moreover, by a specific gift of the Holy Spirit, so that consecrated persons can respond to their vocation and mission. For this reason, as the liturgies of the East and West testify in the rite of monastic or religious profession and in the consecration of virgins, the Church invokes the gift of the Holy Spirit upon those who have been chosen and joins their oblation to the sacrifice of Christ.he profession of the evangelical counsels is also a development of the grace of the Sacrament of Confirmation, but it goes beyond the ordinary demands of the consecration received in Confirmation by virtue of a special gift of the Spirit which opens the way to new possibilities and fruits of holiness and apostolic work. This can clearly be seen from the history of the consecrated life.As for priests who profess the evangelical counsels, experience itself shows that the Sacrament of Holy Orders finds a particular fruitfulness in this consecration, inasmuch as it requires and fosters a closer union with the Lord. The priest who professes the evangelical counsels is especially favoured in that he reproduces in his life the fullness of the mystery of Christ, thanks also to the specific spirituality of his Institute and the apostolic dimension of its proper charism. In the priest, in fact, the vocation to the priesthood and the vocation to the consecrated life converge in a profound and dynamic unity.Also of immeasurable value is the contribution made to the Church's life by religious priests completely devoted to contemplation. Especially in the celebration of the Eucharist they carry out an act of the Church and for the Church, to which they join the offering of themselves, in communion with Christ who offers himself to the Father for the salvation of the whole world.
Relationships between the different states of Christian life
31. The different ways of life which, in accordance with the plan of the Lord Jesus, make up the life of the Church have mutual relationships which merit consideration.
By virtue of their rebirth in Christ, all the faithful share a common dignity; all are called to holiness; all cooperate in the building up of the one Body of Christ, each in accordance with the proper vocation and gift which he or she has received from the Spirit (cf. Rom 12:3-8).The equal dignity of all members of the Church is the work of the Spirit, is rooted in Baptism and Confirmation and is strengthened by the Eucharist. But diversity is also a work of the Spirit. It is he who establishes the Church as an organic communion in the diversity of vocations, charisms and ministries.he vocations to the lay life, to the ordained ministry and to the consecrated life can be considered paradigmatic, inasmuch as all particular vocations, considered separately or as a whole, are in one way or another derived from them or lead back to them, in accordance with the richness of God's gift. These vocations are also at the service of one another, for the growth of the Body of Christ in history and for its mission in the world. Everyone in the Church is consecrated in Baptism and Confirmation, but the ordained ministry and the consecrated life each presuppose a distinct vocation and a specific form of consecration, with a view to a particular mission.For the mission of the lay faithful, whose proper task is to "seek the Kingdom of God by engaging in temporal affairs and by ordering them according to the plan of God",the consecration of Baptism and Confirmation common to all members of the People of God is a sufficient foundation. In addition to this basic consecration, ordained ministers receive the consecration of ordination in order to carry on the apostolic ministry in time. Consecrated persons, who embrace the evangelical counsels, receive a new and special consecration which, without being sacramental, commits them to making their own — in chastity, poverty and obedience — the way of life practised personally by Jesus and proposed by him to his disciples. Although these different categories are a manifestation of the one mystery of Christ, the lay faithful have as their specific but not exclusive characteristic, activity in the world; the clergy, ministry; consecrated men and women, special conformity to Christ, chaste, poor and obedient.
The special value of the consecrated life
32. Within this harmonious constellation of gifts, each of the fundamental states of life is entrusted with the task of expressing, in its own way, one or other aspect of the one mystery of Christ. While the lay life has a particular mission of ensuring that the Gospel message is proclaimed in the temporal sphere, in the sphere of ecclesial communion an indispensable ministry is carried out by those in Holy Orders, and in a special way by Bishops. The latter have the task of guiding the People of God by the teaching of the word, the administration of the sacraments and the exercise of sacred power in the service of ecclesial communion, which is an organic communion, hierarchically structured.As a way of showing forth the Church's holiness, it is to be recognized that the consecrated life, which mirrors Christ's own way of life, has an objective superiority. Precisely for this reason, it is an especially rich manifestation of Gospel values and a more complete expression of the Church's purpose, which is the sanctification of humanity. The consecrated life proclaims and in a certain way anticipates the future age, when the fullness of the Kingdom of heaven, already present in its first fruits and in mystery,will be achieved, and when the children of the resurrection will take neither wife nor husband, but will be like the angels of God (cf. Mt 22:30).The Church has always taught the pre-eminence of perfect chastity for the sake of the Kingdom,and rightly considers it the "door" of the whole consecrated life.She also shows great esteem for the vocation to marriage, which makes spouses "witnesses to and cooperators in the fruitfulness of Holy Mother Church, who signify and share in the love with which Christ has loved his Bride and because of which he delivered himself up on her behalf".In this perspective, common to all consecrated life, there are many different but complementary paths. Men and women Religious completely devoted to contemplation are in a special way an image of Christ praying on the mountain.Consecrated persons engaged in the active life manifest Christ "in his proclamation of the Kingdom of God to the multitudes, in his healing of the sick and the suffering, in his work of converting sinners to a better life, in his solicitude for youth and his goodness to all".Consecrated persons in Secular Institutes contribute in a special way to the coming of the Kingdom of God; they unite in a distinctive synthesis the value of consecration and that of being in the world. As they live their consecration in the world and from the world,"they strive to imbue everything with an evangelical spirit for the strengthening and growth of the Body of Christ".For this purpose they share in the Church's evangelizing mission through their personal witness of Christian living, their commitment to ordering temporal affairs according to God's plan, and their cooperation in service of the ecclesial community, in accordance with the secular way of life which is proper to them.
Bearing witness to the Gospel of the Beatitudes
33. A particular duty of the consecrated life is to remind the baptized of the fundamental values of the Gospel, by bearing "splendid and striking testimony that the world cannot be transfigured and offered to God without the spirit of the Beatitudes".The consecrated life thus continually fosters in the People of God an awareness of the need to respond with holiness of life to the love of God poured into their hearts by the Holy Spirit (cf. Rom 5:5), by reflecting in their conduct the sacramental consecration which is brought about by God's power in Baptism, Confirmation or Holy Orders. In fact it is necessary to pass from the holiness communicated in the sacraments to the holiness of daily life. The consecrated life, by its very existence in the Church, seeks to serve the consecration of the lives of all the faithful, clergy and laity alike.
Nor must it be forgotten that consecrated persons themselves are helped by the witness of the other vocations to live fully and completely their union with the mystery of Christ and the Church in its many different dimensions. By virtue of this mutual enrichment, the mission of consecrated persons becomes more eloquent and effective: this mission is to remind their other brothers and sisters to keep their eyes fixed on the peace which is to come, and to strive for the definitive happiness found in God.
The living image of the Church as Bride
34. In the consecrated life, particular importance attaches to the spousal meaning, which recalls the Church's duty to be completely and exclusively devoted to her Spouse, from whom she receives every good thing. This spousal dimension, which is part of all consecrated life, has a particular meaning for women, who find therein their feminine identity and as it were discover the special genius of their relationship with the Lord.
A moving sign of this is seen in the New Testament passage which portrays Mary with the Apostles in the Upper Room, in prayerful expectation of the Holy Spirit (cf. Acts 1:13-14). We can see here a vivid image of the Church as Bride, fully attentive to her Bridegroom and ready to accept his gift. In Peter and the other Apostles there emerges above all the aspect of fruitfulness, as it is expressed in ecclesial ministry, which becomes an instrument of the Spirit for bringing new sons and daughters to birth through the preaching of the word, the celebration of the Sacraments and the giving of pastoral care. In Mary the aspect of spousal receptivity is particularly clear; it is under this aspect that the Church, through her perfect virginal life, brings divine life to fruition within herself.The consecrated life has always been seen primarily in terms of Mary — Virgin and Bride. This virginal love is the source of a particular fruitfulness which fosters the birth and growth of divine life in people's hearts.Following in the footsteps of Mary, the New Eve, consecrated persons express their spiritual fruitfulness by becoming receptive to the Word, in order to contribute to the growth of a new humanity by their unconditional dedication and their living witness. Thus the Church fully reveals her motherhood both in the communication of divine grace entrusted to Peter and in the responsible acceptance of God's gift, exemplified by Mary.God's people, for their part, find in the ordained ministry the means of salvation, and in the consecrated life the incentive to make a full and loving response through all the different forms of Christian service.
IV. GUIDED BY THE SPIRIT OF HOLINESS
A "transfigured" life: the call to holiness
35. "When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces, and were filled with fear" (Mt 17:6). In the episode of the Transfiguration, the Synoptic Gospels, with varying nuances, point out the fear which overcomes the disciples. Their fascination at the transfigured face of Christ does not prevent them from being fearful before the divine Majesty which overshadows them. Whenever human beings become aware of the glory of God, they also become aware of their own insignificance and experience a sense of fear. Such fear is salutary. It reminds man of God's perfection, and at the same time urges him on with a pressing call to "holiness".
All the sons and daughters of the Church, called by God to "listen to" Christ, necessarily feel a deep need for conversion and holiness. But, as the Synod emphasized, this need in the first place challenges the consecrated life. In fact the vocation of consecrated persons to seek first the Kingdom of God is first and foremost a call to complete conversion, in self-renunciation, in order to live fully for the Lord, so that God may be all in all. Called to contemplate and bear witness to the transfigured face of Christ, consecrated men and women are also called to a "transfigured" existence.The Final Report of the Second Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops made a significant observation in this regard: "Holy men and women have always been the source and origin of renewal in the most difficult circumstances throughout the Church's history. Today we have a tremendous need of saints, for whom we must assiduously implore God. The Institutes of Consecrated Life, through the profession of the evangelical counsels, must be conscious of their special mission in today's Church, and we must encourage them in that mission".The Fathers of the Ninth Assembly of the Synod of Bishops echoed this conviction: "Throughout the Church's history, consecrated life has been a living presence of the Spirit's work, a kind of privileged milieu for absolute love of God and of neighbour, for witness to the divine plan of gathering all humanity into the civilization of love, the great family of the children of God".The Church has always seen in the profession of the evangelical counsels a special path to holiness. The very expressions used to describe it — the school of the Lord's service, the school of love and holiness, the way or state of perfection — indicate the effectiveness and the wealth of means which are proper to this form of evangelical life, and the particular commitment made by those who embrace it.It is not by chance that there have been so many consecrated persons down the centuries who have left behind eloquent testimonies of holiness and have undertaken particularly generous and demanding works of evangelization and service.
Faithfulness to the charism
36. In Christian discipleship and love for the person of Christ there are a number of points concerning the growth of holiness in the consecrated life which merit particular emphasis today.
In the first place, there is the need for fidelity to the founding charism and subsequent spiritual heritage of each Institute. It is precisely in this fidelity to the inspiration of the founders and foundresses, an inspiration which is itself a gift of the Holy Spirit, that the essential elements of the consecrated life can be more readily discerned and more fervently put into practice.Fundamental to every charism is a threefold orientation. First, charisms lead to the Father, in the filial desire to seek his will through a process of unceasing conversion, wherein obedience is the source of true freedom, chastity expresses the yearning of a heart unsatisfied by any finite love, and poverty nourishes that hunger and thirst for justice which God has promised to satisfy (cf. Mt 5:6). Consequently the charism of each Institute will lead the consecrated person to belong wholly to God, to speak with God or about God, as is said of Saint Dominic,so that he or she can taste the goodness of the Lord (cf. Ps 34:8) in every situation.Secondly, the charisms of the consecrated life also lead to the Son, fostering an intimate and joyful communion of life with him, in the school of his generous service of God and neighbour. Thus the attitude of consecrated persons "is progressively conformed to Christ; they learn detachment from externals, from the tumult of the senses, from all that keeps man from that freedom which allows him to be grasped by the Spirit".As a result, consecrated persons are enabled to take up the mission of Christ, working and suffering with him in the spreading of his Kingdom.Finally, every charism leads to the Holy Spirit, insofar as it prepares individuals to let themselves be guided and sustained by him, both in their personal spiritual journeys and in their lives of communion and apostolic work, in order to embody that attitude of service which should inspire the true Christian's every choice.In fact it is this threefold relationship which emerges in every founding charism, though with the specific nuances of the various patterns of living. This is so because in every charism there predominates "a profound desire to be conformed to Christ to give witness to some aspect of his mystery".This specific aspect is meant to take shape and develop according to the most authentic tradition of the Institute, as present in its Rule, Constitutions and Statutes.
37. Institutes of Consecrated Life are thus invited courageously to propose anew the enterprising initiative, creativity and holiness of their founders and foundresses in response to the signs of the times emerging in today's world.This invitation is first of all a call to perseverance on the path of holiness in the midst of the material and spiritual difficulties of daily life. But it is also a call to pursue competence in personal work and to develop a dynamic fidelity to their mission, adapting forms, if need be, to new situations and different needs, in complete openness to God's inspiration and to the Church's discernment. But all must be fully convinced that the quest for ever greater conformity to the Lord is the guarantee of any renewal which seeks to remain faithful to an Institute's original inspiration.In this spirit there is a pressing need today for every Institute to return to the Rule, since the Rule and Constitutions provide a map for the whole journey of discipleship, in accordance with a specific charism confirmed by the Church. A greater regard for the Rule will not fail to offer consecrated persons a reliable criterion in their search for the appropriate forms of a witness which is capable of responding to the needs of the times without departing from an Institute's initial inspiration.
Prayer and asceticism: spiritual combat
38. The call to holiness is accepted and can be cultivated only in the silence of adoration before the infinite transcendence of God: "We must confess that we all have need of this silence, filled with the presence of him who is adored: in theology, so as to exploit fully its own sapiential and spiritual soul; in prayer, so that we may never forget that seeing God means coming down the mountain with a face so radiant that we are obliged to cover it with a veil (cf. Ex 34:33); in commitment, so that we will refuse to be locked in a struggle without love and forgiveness. All, believers and non-believers alike, need to learn a silence that allows the Other to speak when and how he wishes, and allows us to understand his words".In practice this involves great fidelity to liturgical and personal prayer, to periods devoted to mental prayer and contemplation, to Eucharistic adoration, to monthly retreats and to spiritual exercises.
There is also a need to rediscover the ascetic practices typical of the spiritual tradition of the Church and of the individual's own Institute. These have been and continue to be a powerful aid to authentic progress in holiness. Asceticism, by helping to master and correct the inclinations of human nature wounded by sin, is truly indispensable if consecrated persons are to remain faithful to their own vocation and follow Jesus on the way of the Cross.It is also necessary to recognize and overcome certain temptations which sometimes, by diabolical deceit, present themselves under the appearance of good. Thus, for example, the legitimate need to be familiar with today's society in order to respond to its challenges can lead to a surrender to passing fashions, with a consequent lessening of spiritual fervour or a succumbing to discouragement. The possibility of a deeper spiritual formation might lead consecrated persons to feel somehow superior to other members of the faithful, while the urgent need for appropriate and necessary training can turn into a frantic quest for efficiency, as if apostolic service depended primarily on human means rather than on God. The praiseworthy desire to become close to the men and women of our day, believers and non-believers, rich and poor, can lead to the adoption of a secularized lifestyle or the promotion of human values in a merely horizontal direction. Sharing in the legitimate aspirations of one's own nation or culture could lead to embracing forms of nationalism or accepting customs which instead need to be purified and elevated in the light of the Gospel.The path to holiness thus involves the acceptance of spiritual combat. This is a demanding reality which is not always given due attention today. Tradition has often seen an image of this spiritual combat in Jacob's wrestling with the mystery of God, whom he confronts in order to receive his blessing and to see him (cf. Gen 32:23-31). In this episode from the beginnings of biblical history, consecrated persons can recognize a symbol of the asceticism which they need in order to open their hearts to the Lord and to their brothers and sisters.
39. Today a renewed commitment to holiness by consecrated persons is more necessary than ever, also as a means of promoting and supporting every Christian's desire for perfection. "It is therefore necessary to inspire in all the faithful a true longing for holiness, a deep desire for conversion and personal renewal in a context of ever more intense prayer and of solidarity with one's neighbour, especially the most needy".To the degree that they deepen their friendship with God, consecrated persons become better prepared to help their brothers and sisters through valuable spiritual activities such as schools of prayer, spiritual exercises and retreats, days of recollection, spiritual dialogue and direction. In this way people are helped to grow in prayer and will then be better able to discern God's will in their lives and to commit themselves to the courageous and sometimes heroic demands which faith makes of them. Consecrated persons "at the deepest level of their being ... are caught up in the dynamism of the Church's life, which is thirsty for the divine Absolute and called to holiness. It is to this holiness that they bear witness".The fact that all are called to become saints cannot fail to inspire more and more those who by their very choice of life have the mission of reminding others of that call.
"Rise, and have no fear": a renewed trust
40. "Jesus came and touched them, saying, "Rise, and have no fear" (Mt 17:7). Like the three Apostles in the episode of the Transfiguration, consecrated persons know from experience that their lives are not always marked by the fervour which makes us exclaim: "It is well that we are here" (Mt 17:4). But it is always a life "touched" by the hand of Christ, a life where his voice is heard, a life sustained by his grace.
"Rise, and have no fear". Obviously, the Master's encouragement is addressed to every Christian. All the more does it apply to those called to "leave everything" and thus to "risk everything" for Christ. This is particularly true whenever one descends from the "mountain" with the Master and sets off on the road which leads from Tabor to Calvary.When Luke relates that Moses and Elijah were speaking with Christ about his Paschal Mystery, it is significant that he uses the term "departure" (éxodos): "they spoke about his departure, which he was to accomplish at Jerusalem" (9:31). "Exodus" is a basic term in Revelation; it evokes the whole of salvation history and expresses the deep meaning of the Paschal Mystery. It is a theme particularly dear to the spirituality of the consecrated life and well expresses its meaning. It inevitably includes everything that pertains to the mysterium Crucis. But this difficult "exodus journey", when viewed from the perspective of Tabor, is seen to be a road situated between two lights: the anticipatory light of the Transfiguration and the definitive light of the Resurrection.From the standpoint of the Christian life as a whole, the vocation to the consecrated life is, despite its renunciations and trials, and indeed because of them, a path "of light" over which the Redeemer keeps constant watch: "Rise, and have no fear".
CONSECRATED LIFE AS A SIGN
OF COMMUNION IN THE CHURCH
I. PERMANENT VALUES
In the image of the Trinity
41. During his earthly life, the Lord Jesus called those whom he wished in order to have them at his side and to train them to live, according to his example, for the Father and for the mission which he had received from the Father (cf. Mk 3:13-15). He thus inaugurated the new family which down the centuries would include all those ready to "do the will of God" (cf. Mk 3:32-35). After the Ascension, as a result of the gift of the Spirit, a fraternal community formed around the Apostles, gathered in the praise of God and in a concrete experience of communion (cf. Acts 2:42-47; 4:32-35). The life of that community and, even more, the experience of complete sharing with Christ lived out by the Twelve, have always been the model to which the Church has looked whenever she has sought to return to her original fervour and to resume with fresh evangelical vigour her journey through history.The Church is essentially a mystery of communion, "a people made one with the unity of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit".The fraternal life seeks to reflect the depth and richness of this mystery, taking shape as a human community in which the Trinity dwells, in order to extend in history the gifts of communion proper to the three divine Persons. Many are the settings and the ways in which fraternal communion is expressed in the life of the Church. The consecrated life can certainly be credited with having effectively helped to keep alive in the Church the obligation of fraternity as a form of witness to the Trinity. By constantly promoting fraternal love, also in the form of common life, the consecrated life has shown that sharing in the Trinitarian communion can change human relationships and create a new type of solidarity. In this way it speaks to people both of the beauty of fraternal communion and of the ways which actually lead to it. Consecrated persons live "for" God and "from" God, and precisely for this reason they are able to bear witness to the reconciling power of grace, which overcomes the divisive tendencies present in the human heart and in society.
Fraternal life in love
42. The fraternal life, understood as a life shared in love, is an eloquent sign of ecclesial communion. It is practised with special care in Religious Institutes and in Societies of Apostolic Life, where community living acquires special significance.Nor is the dimension of fraternal communion alien to Secular Institutes, or even to forms of the consecrated life lived individually. Hermits, in their profound solitude, do not withdraw from ecclesial communion but serve that communion by their specific charism of contemplation. Consecrated virgins in the world live out their consecration in a special relationship of communion with the particular and universal Church. The same is true of consecrated widows and widowers.
All these people, by practising evangelical discipleship, commit themselves to fulfilling the Lord's "new commandment", to love one another as he has loved us (cf. Jn 13:34). Love led Christ to the gift of self, even to the supreme sacrifice of the Cross. So too, among his disciples, there can be no true unity without that unconditional mutual love which demands a readiness to serve others generously, a willingness to welcome them as they are, without "judging" them (cf. Mt 7:1-2), and an ability to forgive up to "seventy times seven" (Mt 18:22). Consecrated persons, who become "of one heart and soul" (Acts 4:32) through the love poured into their hearts by the Holy Spirit (cf. Rom 5:5), experience an interior call to share everything in common: material goods and spiritual experiences, talents and inspirations, apostolic ideals and charitable service: "In community life, the power of the Holy Spirit at work in one individual passes at the same time to all. Here not only does each enjoy his own gift, but makes it abound by sharing it with others; and each one enjoys the fruits of the other's gift as if they were his own".n community life, then, it should in some way be evident that, more than an instrument for carrying out a specific mission, fraternal communion is a God-enlightened space in which to experience the hidden presence of the Risen Lord (cf. Mt 18:20).This comes about through the mutual love of all the members of the community, a love nourished by the word and by the Eucharist, purified in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and sustained by prayer for unity, the special gift of the Spirit to those who obediently listen to the Gospel. It is the Spirit himself who leads the soul to the experience of communion with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ (cf. 1 Jn 1:3), a communion which is the source of fraternal life. It is the Spirit who guides communities of the consecrated life in carrying out their mission of service to the Church and to all humanity, in accordance with their original inspiration.In this perspective, special importance attaches to Chapters (or similar meetings), whether particular or general, at which Institutes are called to elect Superiors according to the norms set out in their Constitutions, and to discern, in the light of the Spirit, the best ways to preserve and adapt their charism and their spiritual patrimony to changing historical and cultural situations.
The task of authority
43. In the consecrated life the role of Superiors, including local Superiors, has always been of great importance for the spiritual life and for mission. In these years of change and experimentation, the need to revise this office has sometimes been felt. But it should be recognized that those who exercise authority cannot renounce their obligation as those first responsible for the community, as guides of their brothers and sisters in the spiritual and apostolic life.
In an atmosphere strongly affected by individualism, it is not an easy thing to foster recognition and acceptance of the role which authority plays for the benefit of all. Nevertheless, its importance must be reaffirmed as essential for strengthening fraternal communion and in order not to render vain the obedience professed. While authority must be above all fraternal and spiritual, and while those entrusted with it must know how to involve their brothers and sisters in the decision-making process, it should still be remembered that the final word belongs to authority and, consequently, that authority has the right to see that decisions taken are respected.
The role of the elderly
44. Caring for the elderly and the sick has an important place in the fraternal life, especially at times like the present, when in some parts of the world the percentage of elderly consecrated persons is increasing. The care and concern which these persons deserve arises not only from a clear obligation of charity and gratitude but also from an awareness that their witness greatly serves the Church and their own Institutes, and that their mission continues to be worthwhile and meritorious, even when for reasons of age or infirmity they have had to abandon their specific apostolate. The elderly and the sick have a great deal to give in wisdom and experience to the community, if only the community can remain close to them with concern and an ability to listen.
More than in any activity, the apostolate consists in the witness of one's own complete dedication to the Lord's saving will, a dedication nourished by the practice of prayer and of penance. The elderly are called in many ways to live out their vocation: by persevering prayer, by patient acceptance of their condition, and by their readiness to serve as spiritual directors, confessors or mentors in prayer.
In the image of the apostolic community
45. The fraternal life plays a fundamental role in the spiritual journey of consecrated persons, both for their constant renewal and for the full accomplishment of their mission in the world. This is evident from the theological motivations which sustain it, and is amply confirmed by experience. I therefore exhort consecrated men and women to commit themselves to strengthening their fraternal life, following the example of the first Christians in Jerusalem who were assiduous in accepting the teaching of the Apostles, in common prayer, in celebrating the Eucharist, and in sharing whatever goods of nature and grace they had (cf. Acts 2: 42-47). Above all I call upon men and women religious and members of Societies of Apostolic Life to show generous mutual love, expressing it in ways which are in keeping with the nature of each Institute, so that every community will be revealed as a luminous sign of the new Jerusalem, "the dwelling of God with men" (Rev 21:3).
The whole Church greatly depends on the witness of communities filled "with joy and with the Holy Spirit" (Acts 13:52). She wishes to hold up before the world the example of communities in which solitude is overcome through concern for one another, in which communication inspires in everyone a sense of shared responsibility, and in which wounds are healed through forgiveness, and each person's commitment to communion is strengthened. The nature of the charism in communities of this kind directs their energies, sustains their fidelity and directs directs the apostolic work of all towards the one mission. If the Church is to reveal her true face to today's world, she urgently needs such fraternal communities, which, by their very existence, contribute to the new evangelization, inasmuch as they disclose in a concrete way the fruitfulness of the "new commandment".
"Sentire cum Ecclesia"
46. A great task also belongs to the consecrated life in the light of the teaching about the Church as communion, so strongly proposed by the Second Vatican Council. Consecrated persons are asked to be true experts of communion and to practise the spirituality of communionas "witnesses and architects of the plan for unity which is the crowning point of human history in God's design".The sense of ecclesial communion, developing into a spirituality of communion, promotes a way of thinking, speaking and acting which enables the Church to grow in depth and extension. The life of communion in fact "becomes a sign for all the world and a compelling force that leads people to faith in Christ ... In this way communion leads to mission, and itself becomes mission"; indeed, "communion begets communion: in essence it is a communion that is missionary". In founders and foundresses we see a constant and lively sense of the Church, which they manifest by their full participation in all aspects of the Church's life, and in their ready obedience to the Bishops and especially to the Roman Pontiff. Against this background of love towards Holy Church, "the pillar and bulwark of the truth" (1 Tim 3:15), we readily understand the devotion of Saint Francis of Assisi for "the Lord Pope",the daughterly outspokenness of Saint Catherine of Siena towards the one whom she called "sweet Christ on earth",the apostolic obedience and the sentire cum Ecclesia of Saint Ignatius Loyola,and the joyful profession of faith made by Saint Teresa of Avila: "I am a daughter of the Church".We can also understand the deep desire of Saint Theresa of the Child Jesus: "In the heart of the Church, my mother, I will be love".These testimonies are representative of the full ecclesial communion which the Saints, founders and foundresses, have shared in diverse and often difficult times and circumstances. They are examples which consecrated persons need constantly to recall if they are to resist the particularly strong centrifugal and disruptive forces at work today.A distinctive aspect of ecclesial communion is allegiance of mind and heart to the Magisterium of the Bishops, an allegiance which must be lived honestly and clearly testified to before the People of God by all consecrated persons, especially those involved in theological research, teaching, publishing, catechesis and the use of the means of social communication.Because consecrated persons have a special place in the Church, their attitude in this regard is of immense importance for the whole People of God. Their witness of filial love will give power and forcefulness to their apostolic activity which, in the context of the prophetic mission of all the baptized, is generally distinguished by special forms of cooperation with the Hierarchy.In a specific way, through the richness of their charisms, consecrated persons help the Church to reveal ever more deeply her nature as the sacrament "of intimate union with God, and of the unity of all mankind".
Fraternity in the universal Church
47. Consecrated persons are called to be a leaven of communion at the service of the mission of the universal Church by the very fact that the manifold charisms of their respective Institutes are granted by the Holy Spirit for the good of the entire Mystical Body, whose upbuilding they must serve (cf. 1 Cor 12:4-11). Significantly, "the more excellent way" (1 Cor 12:31), the "greatest of all" (cf. 1 Cor 13:13), as the Apostle says, is charity, which brings all diversity into one and strengthens everyone to support one another in apostolic zeal. This, precisely, is the scope of the particular bond of communion which the different Institutes of Consecrated Life and the Societies of Apostolic Life have with the Successor of Peter in his ministry of unity and missionary universality. The history of spirituality amply illustrates this bond and shows its providential function both in safeguarding the specific identity of the consecrated life and in advancing the missionary expansion of the Gospel. The vigorous spread of the Gospel message, the firm rooting of the Church in so many areas of the world, and the Christian springtime which the young Churches are experiencing today, would be unthinkable — as the Synod Fathers observed — without the contribution of numerous Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life. Down the centuries they have maintained strong bonds of communion with the Successors of Peter, who found in them a generous readiness to devote themselves to the Church's missionary activity with an availability which, when necessary, went as far as heroism.
All this brings out the character of universality and communion proper to Institutes of Consecrated Life and to Societies of Apostolic Life. Because of their supra-diocesan character, grounded in their special relation to the Petrine ministry, they are also at the service of cooperation between the particular Churches,since they can effectively promote an "exchange of gifts" among them, and thus contribute to an inculturation of the Gospel which purifies, strengthens and ennobles the treasures found in the cultures of all peoples.Today too, the flowering of vocations to the consecrated life in the younger Churches demonstrates the ability of the consecrated life to make present in Catholic unity the needs of different peoples and cultures.
The consecrated life and the particular Church
48. Again, a significant role is played by consecrated persons within the particular Churches. On the basis of the Council's teaching on the Church as communion and mystery, and on the particular Churches as portions of the People of God in which "the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church of Christ is truly present and operative",this aspect of the consecrated life has been systematically explored and codified in various postconciliar documents. These texts bring out clearly the fundamental importance of cooperation between consecrated persons and Bishops for the organic development of diocesan pastoral life. The charisms of the consecrated life can greatly contribute to the building up of charity in the particular Churches.
The various ways of living the evangelical counsels are in fact the expression and fruit of spiritual gifts received by founders and foundresses. As such, they constitute an "experience of the Spirit, transmitted to their disciples to be lived, safeguarded, deepened and constantly developed by them, in harmony with the Body of Christ continually in the process of growth".The identity of each Institute is bound up with a particular spirituality and apostolate, which takes shape in a specific tradition marked by objective elements.For this reason the Church is concerned that Institutes should grow and develop in accordance with the spirit of their founders and foundresses, and their own sound traditions.onsequently, each Institute is recognized as having a rightful autonomy, enabling it to follow its own discipline and to keep intact its spiritual and apostolic patrimony. It is the responsibility of local Ordinaries to preserve and safeguard this autonomy.Thus, Bishops are asked to welcome and esteem the charisms of the consecrated life, and to give them a place in the pastoral plans of the Diocese. They should have a particular concern for Institutes of diocesan right, which are entrusted to the special care of the local Bishop. A Diocese which lacked the consecrated life would not only be deprived of many spiritual gifts, of suitable places for people to seek God, of specific apostolic activities and pastoral approaches, but it would also risk a great weakening of that missionary spirit which is characteristic of the majority of Institutes.There is a duty then to respond to the gift of the consecrated life which the Spirit awakens in the particular Churches, by welcoming it with generosity and thanksgiving.
Fruitful and ordered ecclesial communion
49. The Bishop is the father and pastor of the particular Church in its entirety. It is his task to discern and respect individual charisms, and to promote and coordinate them. In his pastoral charity he will therefore welcome the charism of the consecrated life as a grace which is not restricted to any one Institute, but which benefits the whole Church. Bishops will thus seek to support and help consecrated persons, so that, in communion with the Church, they open themselves to spiritual and pastoral initiatives responding to the needs of our time, while remaining faithful to their founding charism. For their part, consecrated persons will not fail to cooperate generously with the particular Churches as much as they can and with respect for their own charism, working in full communion with the Bishop in the areas of evangelization, catechesis and parish life.
It is helpful to recall that, in coordinating their service to the universal Church with their service to the particular Churches, Institutes may not invoke rightful autonomy, or even the exemption which a number of them enjoy, in order to justify choices which actually conflict with the demands of organic communion called for by a healthy ecclesial life. Instead, the pastoral initiatives of consecrated persons should be determined and carried out in cordial and open dialogue between Bishops and Superiors of the different Institutes. Special attention by Bishops to the vocation and mission of Institutes, and respect by the latter for the ministry of Bishops, with ready acceptance of their concrete pastoral directives for the life of the Diocese: these are two intimately linked expressions of that one ecclesial charity by which all work to build up the organic communion — charismatic and at the same time hierarchically structured — of the whole People of God.
A constant dialogue animated by charity
50. Constant dialogue between Superiors of Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life and Bishops is most valuable in order to promote mutual understanding, which is the necessary precondition for effective cooperation, especially in pastoral matters. Thanks to regular contacts of this kind, Superiors, both men and women, can inform Bishops about the apostolic undertakings which they are planning in Dioceses, in order to agree on the necessary practical arrangements. In the same way, it is helpful for delegates of the Conferences of Major Superiors to be invited to meetings of the Bishops' Conferences and, in turn, for delegates of the Episcopal Conferences to be invited to attend the Conferences of Major Superiors, following predetermined formats. It would be a great help if, where they do not yet exist, mixed commissions of Bishops and Major Superiorswere set up at the national level for the joint study of problems of common interest. Likewise, better reciprocal knowledge will result if the theology and the spirituality of the consecrated life are made part of the theological preparation of diocesan priests, and if adequate attention to the theology of the particular Church and to the spirituality of the diocesan clergy is included in the formation of consecrated persons.Finally, it is reassuring to mention that, at the Synod, not only were there many interventions on the doctrine of communion, but great satisfaction was expressed for the experience of dialogue conducted in a climate of mutual trust and openness between the Bishops and the men and women religious present. This led to a desire that "this spiritual experience of communion and cooperation be extended to the whole Church", even after the Synod.It is my hope too that all will grow in the understanding and spirituality of communion.
Fraternity in a divided and unjust world
51. The Church entrusts to communities of consecrated life the particular task of spreading the spirituality of communion, first of all in their internal life and then in the ecclesial community, and even beyond its boundaries, by opening or continuing a dialogue in charity, especially where today's world is torn apart by ethnic hatred or senseless violence. Placed as they are within the world's different societies — societies frequently marked by conflicting passions and interests, seeking unity but uncertain about the ways to attain it — communities of consecrated life, where persons of different ages, languages and cultures meet as brothers and sisters, are signs that dialogue is always possible and that communion can bring differences into harmony.
Consecrated men and women are sent forth to proclaim, by the witness of their lives, the value of Christian fraternity and the transforming power of the Good News,which makes it possible to see all people as sons and daughters of God, and inspires a self-giving love towards everyone, especially the least of our brothers and sisters. Such communities are places of hope and of the discovery of the Beatitudes, where love, drawing strength from prayer, the wellspring of communion, is called to become a pattern of life and source of joy.In an age characterized by the globalization of problems and the return of the idols of nationalism, international Institutes especially are called to uphold and to bear witness to the sense of communion between peoples, races and cultures. In a climate of fraternity, an openness to the global dimension of problems will not detract from the richness of particular gifts, nor will the affirmation of a particular gift conflict with other gifts or with unity itself. International Institutes can achieve this effectively, inasmuch as they have to face in a creative way the challenge of inculturation, while at the same time preserving their identity.
Communion among different Institutes
52. Fraternal spiritual relations and mutual cooperation among different Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life are sustained and nourished by the sense of ecclesial communion. Those who are united by a common commitment to the following of Christ and are inspired by the same Spirit cannot fail to manifest visibly, as branches of the one Vine, the fullness of the Gospel of love. Mindful of the spiritual friendship which often united founders and foundresses during their lives, consecrated persons, while remaining faithful to the character of their own Institute, are called to practise a fraternity which is exemplary and which will serve to encourage the other members of the Church in the daily task of bearing witness to the Gospel.
Saint Bernard's words about the various Religious Orders remain ever timely: "I admire them all. I belong to one of them by observance, but to all of them by charity. We all need one another: the spiritual good which I do not own and possess, I receive from others ... In this exile, the Church is still on pilgrimage and is, in a certain sense, plural: she is a single plurality and a plural unity. All our diversities, which make manifest the richness of God's gifts, will continue to exist in the one house of the Father, which has many rooms. Now there is a division of graces; then there will be distinctions of glory. Unity, both here and there, consists in one and the same charity".
53. A significant contribution to communion can be made by the Conferences of Major Superiors and by the Conferences of Secular Institutes. Encouraged and regulated by the Second Vatican Counciland by subsequent documents,these bodies have as their principal purpose the promotion of the consecrated life within the framework of the Church's mission.
By means of these bodies, Institutes express the communion which unites them, and they seek the means to reinforce that communion, with respect and esteem for the uniqueness of their different charisms, which reflect the mystery of the Church and the richness of divine wisdom.I encourage Institutes of Consecrated Life to work together, especially in those countries where particularly difficult situations increase the temptation for them to withdraw into themselves, to the detriment of the consecrated life itself and of the Church. Rather, these Institutes should help one another in trying to discern God's plan in this troubled moment of history, in order better to respond to it with appropriate works of the apostolate.In the perspective of a communion open to the challenges of our time, Superiors, men and women, "working in harmony with the Bishops", should seek "to make use of the accomplishments of the best members of each Institute and to offer services which not only help to overcome eventual limits but which create a valid style of formation in consecrated life". exhort the Conferences of Major Superiors and the Conferences of Secular Institutes to maintain frequent and regular contacts with the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, as a sign of their communion with the Holy See. An active and trusting relationship ought also to be maintained with the Episcopal Conference of each country. In the spirit of the document Mutuae Relationes, these contacts should be established on a stable basis, in order to provide for constant and timely coordination of initiatives as they come up. If all of this is done with perseverance and a spirit of faithful adherence to the directives of the Magisterium, the organizations which promote coordination and communion will prove to be particularly helpful in formulating solutions which avoid misunderstandings and tensions both on the theoretical and practical levels.In this way they will make a positive contribution not only to the growth of communion between Institutes of Consecrated Life and the Bishops, but also to the advancement of the mission of the particular Churches.
Communion and cooperation with the laity
54. In recent years, one of the fruits of the teaching on the Church as communion has been the growing awareness that her members can and must unite their efforts, with a view to cooperation and exchange of gifts, in order to participate more effectively in the Church's mission. This helps to give a clearer and more complete picture of the Church herself, while rendering more effective the response to the great challenges of our time, thanks to the combined contributions of the various gifts.
Contacts with the laity, in the case of monastic or contemplative Institutes, take the form of a relationship that is primarily spiritual, while for Institutes involved in works of the apostolate these contacts also translate into forms of pastoral cooperation. Members of Secular Institutes, lay or clerical, relate to other members of the faithful at the level of everyday life. Today, often as a result of new situations, many Institutes have come to the conclusion that their charism can be shared with the laity. The laity are therefore invited to share more intensely in the spirituality and mission of these Institutes. We may say that, in the light of certain historical experiences such as those of the Secular or Third Orders, a new chapter, rich in hope, has begun in the history of relations between consecrated persons and the laity.
For a renewed spiritual and apostolic dynamism
55. These new experiences of communion and cooperation should be encouraged for various reasons. They can in fact give rise to the spread of a fruitful spirituality beyond the confines of the Institute, which will then be in a position to ensure the continuity in the Church of the services typical of the Institute. Another positive consequence will be to facilitate more intense cooperation between consecrated persons and the laity in view of the Institute's mission. Moved by the examples of holiness of the consecrated members, lay men and women will experience at first hand the spirit of the evangelical counsels, and will thus be encouraged to live and bear witness to the spirit of the Beatitudes, in order to transform the world according to God's design.The participation of the laity often brings unexpected and rich insights into certain aspects of the charism, leading to a more spiritual interpretation of it and helping to draw from it directions for new activities in the apostolate. In whatever activity or ministry they are involved, consecrated persons should remember that before all else they must be expert guides in the spiritual life, and in this perspective they should cultivate "the most precious gift: the spirit".For their part, the laity should offer Religious families the invaluable contribution of their "being in the world" and their specific service.
Associates and lay volunteers
56. A significant expression of lay people's sharing in the richness of the consecrated life is their participation in various Institutes under the new form of so-called associate members or, in response to conditions present in certain cultures, as people who share fully for a certain period of time the Institute's community life and its particular dedication to contemplation or the apostolate. This should always be done in such a way that the identity of the Institute in its internal life is not harmed.his voluntary service, which draws from the richness of the consecrated life, should be held in great esteem; it is however necessary to provide proper formation so that, besides being competent, volunteers always have supernaturally motivated intentions and, in their projects, a strong sense of community and of the Church.Moreover, it should be borne in mind that initiatives involving lay persons at the decision-making level, in order to be considered the work of a specific Institute, must promote the ends of that Institute and be carried out under its responsibility. Therefore, if lay persons take on a directive role, they will be accountable for their actions to the competent Superiors. It is necessary for all this to be examined and regulated by special directives in each Institute, to be approved by higher authority; these directives should indicate the respective responsibilities of the Institute itself, of its communities, associate members and volunteers.
Consecrated persons, sent by their Superiors and remaining subject to them, can take part in specific forms of cooperation in lay initiatives, particularly in organizations and institutions which work with those on the margins of society and which have the purpose of alleviating human suffering. Such collaboration, if prompted and sustained by a clear and strong Christian identity and respectful of the particular character of the consecrated life, can make the radiant power of the Gospel shine forth brightly even in the darkest situations of human life.In recent years, many consecrated persons have become members of one or other of the ecclesial movements which have spread in our time. From these experiences, those involved usually draw benefit, especially in the area of spiritual renewal. Nonetheless, it cannot be denied that in certain cases this involvement causes uneasiness and disorientation at the personal or community level, especially when these experiences come into conflict with the demands of the common life or of the Institute's spirituality. It is therefore necessary to take care that membership in these ecclesial movements does not endanger the charism or discipline of the Institute of origin,and that all is done with the permission of Superiors and with the full intention of accepting their decisions.
The dignity and role of consecrated women
57. The Church fully reveals her varied spiritual richness when she overcomes all discrimination and welcomes as a true blessing the gifts lavished by God upon both men and women, considering them in their equal dignity. By virtue of their dedication lived in fullness and in joy, consecrated women are called in a very special way to be signs of God's tender love towards the human race and to be special witnesses to the mystery of the Church, Virgin, Bride and Mother.This mission of theirs was noted by the Synod, in which many consecrated women participated and made their voices heard. Those voices were listened to and appreciated. Thanks also to their contribution, useful directions for the Church's life and her evangelizing mission have emerged. Certainly, the validity of many assertions relating to the position of women in different sectors of society and of the Church cannot be denied. It is equally important to point out that women's new self-awareness also helps men to reconsider their way of looking at things, the way they understand themselves, where they place themselves in history and how they interpret it, and the way they organize social, political, economic, religious and ecclesial life.
Having received from Christ a message of liberation, the Church has the mission to proclaim this message prophetically, promoting ways of thinking and acting which correspond to the mind of the Lord. In this context the consecrated woman, on the basis of her experience of the Church and as a woman in the Church, can help eliminate certain one-sided perspectives which do not fully recognize her dignity and her specific contribution to the Church's life and pastoral and missionary activity. Consecrated women therefore rightly aspire to have their identity, ability, mission and responsibility more clearly recognized, both in the awareness of the Church and in everyday life.Likewise, the future of the new evangelization, as of all other forms of missionary activity, is unthinkable without a renewed contribution from women, especially consecrated women.
New possibilities of presence and action
58. It is therefore urgently necessary to take certain concrete steps, beginning by providing room for women to participate in different fields and at all levels, including decision-making processes, above all in matters which concern women themselves.
Moreover, the formation of consecrated women, no less than that of men, should be adapted to modern needs and should provide sufficient time and suitable institutional opportunities for a systematic education, extending to all areas, from the theological-pastoral to the professional. Pastoral and catechetical formation, always important, is particularly relevant in view of the new evangelization, which calls for new forms of participation also on the part of women.Clearly, a more solid formation, while helping consecrated women to understand better their own gifts, cannot but encourage within the Church the reciprocity which is needed. In the field of theological, cultural and spiritual studies, much can be expected from the genius of women, not only in relation to specific aspects of feminine consecrated life, but also in understanding the faith in all its expressions. In this regard, the history of spirituality owes much to Saints like Teresa of Jesus and Catherine of Siena, the first two women to be given the title "Doctor of the Church", and to so many other mystics for their exploration of the mystery of God and their analysis of his action in believers! The Church depends a great deal on consecrated women for new efforts in fostering Christian doctrine and morals, family and social life, and especially in everything that affects the dignity of women and respect for human life.In fact, "women occupy a place, in thought and action, which is unique and decisive. It depends on them to promote a new feminism' which rejects the temptation of imitating models of ?male domination', in order to acknowledge and affirm the true genius of women in every aspect of the life of society, and overcome all discrimination, violence and exploitation".here is reason to hope that a fuller acknowledgement of the mission of women will provide feminine consecrated life with a heightened awareness of its specific role and increased dedication to the cause of the Kingdom of God. This will be expressed in many different works, such as involvement in evangelization, educational activities, participation in the formation of future priests and consecrated persons, animating Christian communities, giving spiritual support, and promoting the fundamental values of life and peace. To consecrated women and their extraordinary capacity for dedication, I once again express the gratitude and admiration of the whole Church, which supports them so that they will live their vocation fully and joyfully, and feel called to the great task of helping to educate the woman of today.
II. CONTINUITY IN THE WORK OF THE SPIRIT: FAITHFULNESS IN THE COURSE OF CHANGE
59. The monastic life of women and the cloister deserve special attention because of the great esteem in which the Christian community holds this type of life, which is a sign of the exclusive union of the Church as Bride with her Lord, whom she loves above all things. Indeed, the life of cloistered nuns, devoted in a special way to prayer, to asceticism and diligent progress in the spiritual life, "is nothing other than a journey to the heavenly Jerusalem and an anticipation of the eschatological Church immutable in its possession and contemplation of God".In the light of this vocation and ecclesial mission, the cloister responds to the need, felt as paramount, to be with the Lord. Choosing an enclosed space where they will live their lives, cloistered nuns share in Christ's emptying of himself by means of a radical poverty, expressed in their renunciation not only of things but also of "space", of contacts, of so many benefits of creation. This particular way of offering up the "body" allows them to enter more fully into the Eucharistic mystery. They offer themselves with Jesus for the world's salvation. Their offering, besides its elements of sacrifice and expiation, takes on the aspect of thanksgiving to the Father, by sharing in the thanksgiving of the beloved Son.
Rooted in this profound spiritual aspiration, the cloister is not only an ascetic practice of very great value but also a way of living Christ's Passover.From being an experience of "death", it becomes a superabundance of life, representing a joyful proclamation and prophetic anticipation of the possibility offered to every person and to the whole of humanity to live solely for God in Christ Jesus (cf. Rom 6:11). The cloister brings to mind that space in the heart where every person is called to union with the Lord. Accepted as a gift and chosen as a free response of love, the cloister is the place of spiritual communion with God and with the brethren, where the limitation of space and contacts works to the advantage of interiorizing Gospel values (cf. Jn 13:34; Mt 5:3, 8).Even in the simplicity of their life, cloistered communities, set like cities on a hilltop or lights on a lampstand (cf. Mt 5:14-15), visibly represent the goal towards which the entire community of the Church travels. "Eager to act and yet devoted to contemplation",the Church advances down the paths of time with her eyes fixed on the future restoration of all things in Christ, when she will appear "in glory with her Spouse (cf. Col 3:1-4)",and Christ will deliver "the Kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power ... that God may be everything to everyone" (1 Cor 15:24, 28).To these dear Sisters, therefore, I extend my gratitude and I encourage them to remain faithful to the cloistered life according to their particular charism. Thanks to their example, this way of life continues to draw many vocations, attracting people by the radical nature of a "spousal" existence dedicated totally to God in contemplation. As an expression of pure love which is worth more than any work, the contemplative life generates an extraordinary apostolic and missionary effectiveness.he Synod Fathers expressed great esteem for the cloistered life, while at the same time giving attention to requests made by some with respect to its concrete discipline. The Synod's suggestions in this regard and especially the desire that provision be made for giving Major Superiors more authority to grant dispensations from enclosure for just and sufficient reasons,will be carefully considered, in the light of the path of renewal already undertaken since the Second Vatican Council.In this way, the various forms and degrees of cloister — from papal and constitutional cloister to monastic cloister — will better correspond to the variety of contemplative Institutes and monastic traditions.As the Synod itself emphasized, associations and federations of monasteries are to be encouraged, as already recommended by Pope Pius XII and the Second Vatican Council,especially where there are no other effective forms of coordination or help, with a view to safeguarding and promoting the values of contemplative life. Such bodies, which must always respect the legitimate autonomy of monasteries, can in fact offer valuable help in adequately resolving common problems, such as appropriate renewal, initial and continuing formation, mutual economic support and even the reorganization of the monasteries themselves.
60. According to the traditional doctrine of the Church, the consecrated life by its nature is neither lay nor clerical.For this reason the "lay consecration" of both men and women constitutes a state which in its profession of the evangelical counsels is complete in itself.Consequently, both for the individual and for the Church, it is a value in itself, apart from the sacred ministry.
Following the teaching of the Second Vatican Council,the Synod expressed great esteem for the kind of consecrated life in which religious brothers provide valuable services of various kinds, inside or outside the community, participating in this way in the mission of proclaiming the Gospel and bearing witness to it with charity in everyday life. Indeed, some of these services can be considered ecclesial ministries, granted by legitimate authority. This requires an appropriate and integral formation: human, spiritual, theological, pastoral and professional.According to the terminology currently in use, Institutes which, by reason of their founders' design or by legitimate tradition, have a character and purpose which do not entail the exercise of Holy Orders are called "Lay Institutes".Nonetheless the Synod pointed out that this terminology does not adequately express the particular nature of the vocation of the members of these Religious Institutes. In fact, although they perform many works in common with the lay faithful, these men do so insofar as they are consecrated, and thereby express the spirit of total self-giving to Christ and the Church, in accordance with their specific charism.For this reason the Synod Fathers, in order to avoid ambiguity and confusion with the secular state of the lay faithful,proposed the term Religious Institutes of Brothers.This proposal is significant, especially when we consider that the term "brother" suggests a rich spirituality. "These Religious are called to be brothers of Christ, deeply united with him, ?the firstborn among many brothers' (Rom 8:29); brothers to one another, in mutual love and working together in the Church in the same service of what is good; brothers to everyone, in their witness to Christ's love for all, especially the lowliest, the neediest; brothers for a greater brotherhood in the Church".By living in a special way this aspect of Christian and consecrated life, Religious Brothers are an effective reminder to Religious Priests themselves of the fundamental dimension of brotherhood in Christ, to be lived among themselves and with every man and woman, and they proclaim to all the Lord's words: "And you are all brothers" (Mt 23:8).In these Religious Institutes of Brothers nothing prevents certain members from receiving Holy Orders for the priestly service of the religious community, provided that this is approved by the General Chapter.However, the Second Vatican Council does not give any explicit encouragement for this, precisely because it wishes Institutes of Brothers to remain faithful to their vocation and mission. The same holds true with regard to assuming the office of Superior, since that office reflects in a special way the nature of the Institute itself.The vocation of Brothers in what are known as "clerical" Institutes is different, since, according to the design of the founder or by reason of legitimate tradition, these Institutes presuppose the exercise of Holy Orders, are governed by clerics, and as such are approved by Church authority.In these Institutes the sacred ministry is constitutive of the charism itself and determines its nature, purpose and spirit. The presence of Brothers constitutes a different form of participation in an Institute's mission, through services rendered both within the community and in the apostolate, in collaboration with those who exercise the priestly ministry.
61. Some Religious Institutes, which in the founder's original design were envisaged as a brotherhood in which all the members, priests and those who were not priests, were considered equal among themselves, have acquired a different form with the passing of time. It is necessary that these Institutes, known as "mixed", evaluate on the basis of a deeper understanding of their founding charism whether it is appropriate and possible to return to their original inspiration.
The Synod Fathers expressed the hope that in these Institutes all the Religious would be recognized as having equal rights and obligations, with the exception of those which stem from Holy Orders.A special Commission has been established to examine and resolve the problems connected with this issue; it is necessary to await this Commission's conclusions before coming to suitable decisions in accordance with what will be authoritatively determined.
New forms of the evangelical life
62. The Spirit, who at different times has inspired numerous forms of consecrated life, does not cease to assist the Church, whether by fostering in already existing Institutes a commitment to renewed faithfulness to the founding charism, or by giving new charisms to men and women of our own day so that they can start institutions responding to the challenges of our times. A sign of this divine intervention is to be found in the so-called new Foundations, which display new characteristics compared to those of traditional Foundations.
The originality of the new communities often consists in the fact that they are composed of mixed groups of men and women, of clerics and lay persons, of married couples and celibates, all of whom pursue a particular style of life. These communities are sometimes inspired by one or other traditional form adapted to the needs of modern society. Their commitment to the evangelical life also takes on different forms, while, as a general rule, they are all characterized by an intense aspiration to community life, poverty and prayer. Both clerics and lay persons share in the duties of governing according to the responsibilities assigned to them, and the apostolate focuses on the demands of the new evangelization.If, on one hand, there is reason to rejoice at the Holy Spirit's action, there is, on the other, a need for discernment regarding these charisms. A fundamental principle, when speaking of the consecrated life, is that the specific features of the new communities and their styles of life must be founded on the essential theological and canonical elements proper to the consecrated life.This discernment is necessary at both the local and universal level, in order to manifest a common obedience to the one Spirit. In dioceses, Bishops should examine the witness of life and the orthodoxy of the founders of such communities, their spirituality, the ecclesial awareness shown in carrying out their mission, the methods of formation and the manner of incorporation into the community. They should wisely evaluate possible weaknesses, watching patiently for the sign of results (cf. Mt 7:16), so that they may acknowledge the authenticity of the charism.In a special way, Bishops are required to determine, according to clearly established criteria, the suitability of any members of these communities who wish to receive Holy Orders.orthy of praise are those forms of commitment which some Christian married couples assume in certain associations and movements. They confirm by means of a vow the obligation of chastity proper to the married state and, without neglecting their duties towards their children, profess poverty and obedience.They do so with the intention of bringing to the perfection of chariry their love, already "consecrated" in the Sacrament of Matrimony.However, by reason of the above-mentioned principle of discernment, these forms of commitment cannot be included in the specific category of the consecrated life. This necessary clarification regarding the nature of such experiences in no way intends to underestimate this particular path of holiness, from which the action of the Holy Spirit, infinitely rich in gifts and inspirations, is certainly not absent.In view of such a wealth of gifts and creative energies, it seems appropriate to set up a Commission to deal with questions relating to new forms of consecrated life. The purpose of this Commission will be to determine criteria of authenticity which will help discernment and decision-making.Among its other tasks, this Commission will evaluate, in the light of the experience of recent decades, which new forms of consecration can, with pastoral prudence and to the advantage of all, be officially approved by Church authority, in order to be proposed to the faithful who are seeking a more perfect Christian life.New associations of evangelical life are not alternatives to already existing Institutions, which continue to hold the pre-eminent place assigned to them by tradition. Nonetheless, the new forms are also a gift of the Spirit, enabling the Church to follow her Lord in a constant outpouring of generosity, attentive to God's invitations revealed through the signs of the times. Thus the Church appears before the world with many forms of holiness and service, as "a kind of instrument or sign of intimate union with God, and of the unity of mankind".The older Institutes, many of which have been tested by the severest of hardships, which they have accepted courageously down the centuries, can be enriched through dialogue and an exchange of gifts with the Foundations appearing in our own day.
In this way the vigour of the different forms of consecrated life, from the oldest to the most recent, as well as the vitality of the new communities, will renew faithfulness to the Holy Spirit, who is the source of communion and unceasing newness of life.
III. LOOKING TO THE FUTURE
Difficulties and future prospects
63. The changes taking place in society and the decrease in the number of vocations are weighing heavily on the consecrated life in some regions of the world. The apostolic works of many Institutes and their very presence in certain local Churches are endangered. As has already occurred at other times in history, there are Institutes which even run the risk of disappearing altogether. The universal Church is profoundly grateful for the great contribution which these Institutes have made to building her up through their witness and service.The trials of the present do not take away from their merits and the positive results of their efforts.
For other Institutes, there is the problem of reassessing their apostolate. This task, which is difficult and often painful, requires study and discernment in the light of certain criteria. For example, it is necessary to safeguard the significance of an Institute's own charism, to foster community life, to be attentive to the needs of both the universal and particular Church, to show concern for what the world neglects, and to respond generously and boldly to the new forms of poverty through concrete efforts, even if necessarily on a small scale, and above all in the most abandoned areas.he various difficulties stemming from the decline in personnel and apostolates must in no way lead to a loss of confidence in the evangelical vitality of the consecrated life, which will always be present and active in the Church. While individual Institutes have no claim to permanence, the consecrated life itself will continue to sustain among the faithful the response of love towards God and neighbour. Thus it is necessary to distinguish the historical destiny of a specific Institute or form of consecrated life from the ecclesial mission of the consecrated life as such. The former is affected by changing circumstances; the latter is destined to perdure.This is true of both the contemplative and apostolic forms of consecrated life. On the whole, under the ever creative guidance of the Spirit, the consecrated life is destined to remain a shining witness to the inseparable unity of love of God and love of neighbour. It appears as the living memory of the fruitfulness of God's love. New situations of difficulty are therefore to be faced with the serenity of those who know that what is required of each individual is not success, but commitment to faithfulness. What must be avoided at all costs is the actual breakdown of the consecrated life, a collapse which is not measured by a decrease in numbers but by a failure to cling steadfastly to the Lord and to personal vocation and mission. Rather, by persevering faithfully in the consecrated life, consecrated persons confess with great effectiveness before the world their unwavering trust in the Lord of history, in whose hands are the history and destiny of individuals, institutions and peoples, and therefore also the realization in time of his gifts. Sad situations of crisis invite consecrated persons courageously to proclaim their faith in Christ's Death and Resurrection, that they may become a visible sign of the passage from death to life.
Fresh efforts in the promotion of vocations
64. The mission of the consecrated life, as well as the vitality of Institutes, undoubtedly depend on the faithful commitment with which consecrated persons respond to their vocation. But they have a future to the extent that still other men and women generously welcome the Lord's call. The problem of vocations is a real challenge which directly concerns the various Institutes but also involves the whole Church. Great spiritual and material energies are being expended in the sphere of vocational promotion, but the results do not always match expectations and efforts. Thus, while vocations to the consecrated life are flourishing in the young Churches and in those which suffered persecution at the hands of totalitarian regimes, they are lacking in countries traditionally rich in vocations, including vocations for the missions.
This difficult situation puts consecrated persons to the test. Sometimes they ask themselves: Have we perhaps lost the capacity to attract new vocations? They must have confidence in the Lord Jesus, who continues to call men and women to follow him. They must entrust themselves to the Holy Spirit, who inspires and bestows the charisms of the consecrated life. Therefore, while we rejoice in the action of the Spirit, who rejuvenates the Bride of Christ by enabling the consecrated life to flourish in many nations, we must also pray unceasingly to the Lord of the harvest, that he will send workers to his Church in order to meet the needs of the new evangelization (cf. Mt 9:37-38). Besides promoting prayer for vocations, it is essential to act, by means of explicit presentation and appropriate catechesis, with a view to encouraging in those called to the consecrated life that free, willing and generous response which carries into effect the grace of vocation.The invitation of Jesus, "Come and see" (Jn 1:39), is the golden rule of pastoral work for promoting vocations, even today. Following the example of founders and foundresses, this work aims at presenting the attraction of the person of the Lord Jesus and the beauty of the total gift of self for the sake of the Gospel. A primary responsibility of all consecrated men and women is therefore to propose with courage, by word and example, the ideal of the following of Christ, and then to support the response to the Spirit's action in the heart of those who are called.After the enthusiasm of the first meeting with Christ, there comes the constant struggle of everyday life, a struggle which turns a vocation into a tale of friendship with the Lord. In view of this, the pastoral work of promoting vocations should make use of suitable help, such as spiritual direction, in order to nourish that personal response of love of the Lord which is the necessary condition for becoming disciples and apostles of his Kingdom. Moreover, if the flourishing of vocations evident in some parts of the world justifies optimism and hope, the lack of them in other areas must not lead either to discouragement or to the temptation to practise lax and unwise recruitment. The task of promoting vocations should increasingly express a joint commitment of the whole Church.It calls for the active collaboration of pastors, religious, families and teachers, as required in something which forms an integral part of the overall pastoral plan of every particular Church. In every Diocese there should be this common endeavour, which coordinates and promotes the efforts of everyone, not jeopardizing, but rather supporting, the vocational activity of each Institute.he effective cooperation of the whole People of God, with the support of Providence, cannot but give rise to an abundance of divine gifts. Christian solidarity should abound in meeting the needs of vocational formation in countries which are economically poorer. The recruitment of vocations in these countries should be carried out by the various Institutes in full accord with the Churches of the region, and on the basis of an active and long-term involvement in their pastoral life.The most authentic way to support the Spirit's action is for Institutes to invest their best resources generously in vocational work, especially by their serious involvement in working with youth.
Commitment to initial formation
65. The Synod Assembly paid special attention to the formation of those who wish to consecrate themselves to the Lord,and recognized its decisive importance. The primary objective of the formation process is to prepare people for the total consecration of themselves to God in the following of Christ, at the service of the Church's mission. To say "yes" to the Lord's call by taking personal responsibility for maturing in one's vocation is the inescapable duty of all who have been called. One's whole life must be open to the action of the Holy Spirit, travelling the road of formation with generosity, and accepting in faith the means of grace offered by the Lord and the Church.Formation should therefore have a profound effect on individuals, so that their every attitude and action, at important moments as well as in the ordinary events of life, will show that they belong completely and joyfully to God.Since the very purpose of consecrated life is conformity to the Lord Jesus in his total self-giving,this must also be the principal objective of formation. Formation is a path of gradual identification with the attitude of Christ towards the Father.If this is the purpose of the consecrated life, the manner of preparing for it should include and express the character of wholeness. Formation should involve the whole person,in every aspect of the personality, in behaviour and intentions. Precisely because it aims at the transformation of the whole person, it is clear that the commitment to formation never ends. Indeed, at every stage of life, consecrated persons must be offered opportunities to grow in their commitment to the charism and mission of their Institute.For formation to be complete, it must include every aspect of Christian life. It must therefore provide a human, cultural, spiritual and pastoral preparation which pays special attention to the harmonious integration of all its various aspects. Sufficient time should be reserved for initial formation, understood as a process of development which passes through every stage of personal maturity — from the psychological and spiritual to the theological and pastoral. In the case of those studying for the priesthood, this initial formation coincides with and fits well into a specific course of studies, as part of a broader formation programme.
The work of those responsible for formation
66. God the Father, through the unceasing gift of Christ and the Spirit, is the educator par excellence of those who consecrate themselves to him. But in this work he makes use of human instruments, placing more mature brothers and sisters at the side of those whom he calls. Formation then is a sharing in the work of the Father who, through the Spirit, fashions the inner attitudes of the Son in the hearts of young men and women. Those in charge of formation must therefore be very familiar with the path of seeking God, so as to be able to accompany others on this journey. Sensitive to the action of grace, they will also be able to point out those obstacles which are less obvious. But above all they will disclose the beauty of following Christ and the value of the charism by which this is accomplished. They will combine the illumination of spiritual wisdom with the light shed by human means, which can be a help both in discerning the call and in forming the new man or woman, until they are genuinely free. The chief instrument of formation is personal dialogue, a practice of irreplaceable and commendable effectiveness which should take place regularly and with a certain frequency.
Because sensitive tasks are involved, the training of suitable directors of formation, who will fulfil their task in a spirit of communion with the whole Church, is very important. It will be helpful to establish appropriate structures for the training of those responsible for formation, preferably in places where they can be in contact with the culture in which their pastoral service will later be carried out. In the work of formation, the more solidly established Institutes should help those of more recent foundation by contributing some of their best members.
Formation in community and for the apostolate
67. Since formation must also have a communal dimension, the community is the chief place of formation in Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life. Initiation into the hardships and joys of community life takes place in the community itself. Through the fraternal life each one learns to live with those whom God has put at his or her side, accepting their positive traits along with their differences and limitations. Each one learns to share the gifts received for the building up of all, because "to each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good" (1 Cor 12:7).At the same time, from the moment of initial formation, community life must disclose the essential missionary dimension of consecration. Thus, during the period of initial formation, Institutes of Consecrated Life do well to provide practical experiences which are prudently followed by the one responsible for formation, enabling candidates to test, in the context of the local culture, their skills for the apostolate, their ability to adapt and their spirit of initiative.
On the one hand, it is important for consecrated persons gradually to develop a critical judgement, based on the Gospel, regarding the positive and negative values of their own culture and of the culture in which they will eventually work. On the other hand, they must be trained in the difficult art of interior harmony, of the interaction between love of God and love of one's brothers and sisters; they must likewise learn that prayer is the soul of the apostolate, but also that the apostolate animates and inspires prayer.
The need for a complete and updated "ratio"
68. A definite period of formation extending up to final profession is recommended both for women's Institutes, and for men's Institutes as regards Religious Brothers. Essentially, this is also true for cloistered communities, which ought to set up suitable programmes, aimed at imparting a genuine preparation for the contemplative life and its particular mission in the Church.
The Synod Fathers earnestly asked all Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life to draw up as soon as possible a ratio institutionis, that is, a formation programme inspired by their particular charism, presenting clearly and in all its stages the course to be followed in order to assimilate fully the spirituality of the respective Institute. The ratio responds to a pressing need today. On the one hand, it shows how to pass on the Institute's spirit so that it will be lived in its integrity by future generations, in different cultures and geographical regions; on the other hand, it explains to consecrated persons how to live that spirit in the different stages of life on the way to full maturity of faith in Christ.While it is true that the renewal of the consecrated life depends primarily on formation, it is equally certain that this training is, in turn, linked to the ability to establish a method characterized by spiritual and pedagogical wisdom, which will gradually lead those wishing to consecrate themselves to put on the mind of Christ the Lord. Formation is a dynamic process by means of which individuals are converted to the Word of God in the depths of their being and, at the same time, learn how to discover the signs of God in earthly realities. At a time when religious values are increasingly being ignored by society, this plan of formation is doubly important: as a result of it, consecrated persons will not only continue to "see" God with the eyes of faith in a world which ignores his presence, but will also be effective in making his presence in some way "perceptible" through the witness of their charism.
69. Continuing formation, whether in Institutes of apostolic or contemplative life, is an intrinsic requirement of religious consecration. As mentioned above, the formation process is not limited to the initial phase. Due to human limitations, the consecrated person can never claim to have completely brought to life the "new creature" who, in every circumstance of life, reflects the very mind of Christ. Initial formation, then, should be closely connected with continuing formation, thereby creating a readiness on everyone's part to let themselves be formed every day of their lives.Consequently, it will be very important for every Institute to provide, as part of its ratioinstitutionis, a precise and systematic description of its plan of continuing formation. The chief purpose of this plan is to provide all consecrated persons with a programme which encompasses their whole life. None are exempt from the obligation to grow humanly and as Religious; by the same token, no one can be over-confident and live in self-sufficient isolation. At no stage of life can people feel so secure and committed that they do not need to give careful attention to ensuring perseverance in faithfulness; just as there is no age at which a person has completely achieved maturity.
In a constant search for faithfulness
70. There is a youthfulness of spirit which lasts through time; it arises from the fact that at every stage of life a person seeks and finds a new task to fulfil, a particular way of being, of serving and of loving.In the consecrated life the first years of full involvement in the apostolate are a critical stage, marked by the passage from a supervised life to a situation of full responsibility for one's work. It is important that young consecrated persons be supported and accompanied by a brother or sister who helps them to live to the full the freshness of their love and enthusiasm for Christ.The next stage can present the risk of routine, and the subsequent temptation to give in to disappointment because of meagre results. Middle-aged consecrated persons must therefore be helped, in the light of the Gospel and the charism of their Institute, to renew their original decision, and not confuse the completeness of their dedication with the degree of good results. This will enable them to give a fresh impulse and new motivations to their decision. This is the time to search for what is essential.The stage of maturity, while it brings personal growth, can also bring the danger of a certain individualism, accompanied either by a fear of not being in line with the times, or by forms of inflexibility, self-centredness or diminished enthusiasm. At this point continuing formation is aimed at helping not only to bring back a higher level of spiritual and apostolic life, but also at discovering the special characteristics of this stage of life. For at this time, after refining certain features of the personality, the gift of self is made to God more genuinely and with greater generosity; it extends to others with greater serenity and wisdom, as well as with greater simplicity and richness of grace. This is the gift and experience of spiritual fatherhood and motherhood.Advanced age poses new problems, which can be prepared for by a discerning programme of spiritual support. The gradual withdrawal from activity, sometimes caused by sickness or forced immobility, can be a very formative experience. Often a time of suffering, advanced age nonetheless offers to elderly consecrated persons the chance to be transformed by the Paschal experience,by being configured to the Crucified Christ who fulfils the Father's will in all things and abandons himself into the Father's hands, even to the surrendering of his spirit to him. This configuration represents a new way of living one's consecration, which is not tied to effectiveness in carrying out administrative responsibilities or apostolic work.When the moment finally comes for uniting oneself to the supreme hour of the Lord's Passion, the consecrated person knows that the Father is now bringing to completion the mysterious process of formation which began many years before. Death will then be awaited and prepared for as the supreme act of love and self-offering.It should be added that, independently of the different stages of life, any period can present critical situations due to external factors — such as a change of place or assignment, difficulties in work or lack of success in the apostolate, misunderstandings and feelings of alienation — or resulting from more directly personal factors such as physical or mental illness, spiritual aridity, deaths, difficulties in interpersonal relations, strong temptations, crises of faith or identity, or feelings of uselessness. When fidelity becomes more difficult, the individual must be offered the support of greater trust and deeper love, at both the personal and community levels. At such times, the sensitive closeness of the Superior is most essential. Great comfort can also come from the valuable help of a brother or sister, whose concerned and caring presence can lead to a rediscovery of the meaning of the covenant which God originally established, and which he has no intention of breaking. The person undergoing such a trial will then accept purification and hardship as essential to the following of Christ Crucified. The trial itself will appear as a providential means of being formed by the Father's hands, and as a struggle which is not only psychological, carried out by the "I" in relation to itself and its weaknesses, but also religious, touched each day by the presence of God and the power of the Cross!
Dimensions of continuing formation
71. If the subject of formation is the individual at every stage of life, the object of formation is the whole person, called to seek and love God "with all one's heart, and with all one's soul, and with all one's might" (cf. Dt 6:5), and one's neighbour as oneself (cf. Lev 19:18; Mt 22:37-39). Love of God and of the brethren is a powerful force which can ceaselessly inspire the process of growth and fidelity. Life in the Spirit is clearly of primary importance. Living in the Spirit, consecrated persons discover their own identity and find profound peace; they grow more attentive to the daily challenges of the word of God, and they allow themselves to be guided by the original inspiration of their Institute. Under the action of the Spirit, they resolutely keep times for prayer, silence and solitude, and they never cease to ask the Almighty for the gift of wisdom in the struggles of everyday life (cf. Wis 9:10).
The human and fraternal dimensions of the consecrated life call for self-knowledge and the awareness of personal limitations, so as to offer its members the inspiration and support needed on the path towards perfect freedom. In presentday circumstances, special importance must be given to the interior freedom of consecrated persons, their affective maturity, their ability to communicate with others, especially in their own community, their serenity of spirit, their compassion for those who are suffering, their love for the truth, and a correspondence between their actions and their words.The apostolic dimension opens the hearts and minds of consecrated persons and prepares them for constant effort in the apostolate, as the sign that it is the love of Christ which urges them on (cf. 2 Cor 5:14). In practice, this will involve updating the methods and objectives of apostolic works in fidelity to the spirit and aims of the founder or foundress and to subsequently emerging traditions, with continuous attention to changing historical and cultural conditions, at the general and local levels where the apostolate is carried out.The cultural and professional dimensions, based upon a solid theological training which provides the means for wise discernment, involve continual updating and special interest in the different areas to which each charism is directed. Consecrated persons must therefore keep themselves as intellectually open and adaptable as possible, so that the apostolate will be envisaged and carried out according to the needs of their own time, making use of the means provided by cultural progress.Finally, all these elements are united in the dimension of the charism proper to each Institute, as it were in a synthesis which calls for a constant deepening of one's own special consecration in all its aspects, not only apostolic but also ascetical and mystical. This means that each member should study diligently the spirit, history and mission of the Institute to which he or she belongs, in order to advance the personal and communal assimilation of its charism.
MANIFESTATION OF GOD'S LOVE IN THE WORLD
Consecrated for mission
72. In the image of Jesus, the beloved Son "whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world" (Jn 10:36), those whom God calls to follow him are also consecrated and sent into the world to imitate his example and to continue his mission. Fundamentally, this is true of every disciple. In a special way, however, it is true of those who, in the manner that characterizes the consecrated life, are called to follow Christ "more closely", and to make him the "all" of their lives. The task of devoting themselves wholly to "mission" is therefore included in their call; indeed, by the action of the Holy Spirit who is at the origin of every vocation and charism, consecrated life itself is a mission, as was the whole of Jesus' life. The profession of the evangelical counsels, which makes a person totally free for the service of the Gospel, is important also from this point of view. It can therefore be said that a sense of mission is essential to every Institute, not only those dedicated to the active apostolic life, but also those dedicated to the contemplative life.
Indeed, more than in external works, the mission consists in making Christ present to the world through personal witness. This is the challenge, this is the primary task of the consecrated life! The more consecrated persons allow themselves to be conformed to Christ, the more Christ is made present and active in the world for the salvation of all.Thus it can be said that consecrated persons are "in mission" by virtue of their very consecration, to which they bear witness in accordance with the ideal of their Institute. When the founding charism provides for pastoral activities, it is obvious that the witness of life and the witness of works of the apostolate and human development are equally necessary: both mirror Christ who is at one and the same time consecrated to the glory of the Father and sent into the world for the salvation of his brothers and sisters.eligious life, moreover, continues the mission of Christ with another feature specifically its own: fraternal life in community for the sake of the mission. Thus, men and women religious will be all the more committed to the apostolate the more personal their dedication to the Lord Jesus is, the more fraternal their community life, and the more ardent their involvement in the Institute's specific mission.
At the service of God and humanity
73. The consecrated life has the prophetic task of recalling and serving the divine plan for humanity, as it is announced in Scripture and as it emerges from an attentive reading of the signs of God's providential action in history. This is the plan for the salvation and reconciliation of humanity (cf. Col 2:20-22). To carry out this service appropriately, consecrated persons must have a profound experience of God and be aware of the challenges of their time, understanding the profound theological meaning of these challenges through a discernment made with the help of the Spirit. In fact, it is often through historical events that we discern God's hidden call to work according to his plan by active and effective involvement in the events of our time.Discerning the signs of the times, as the Council affirms, must be done in the light of the Gospel, so as to "respond to the perennial questions which people ask about this present life and the life to come, and about the relationship of the one to the other".It is necessary, therefore, to be open to the interior promptings of the Holy Spirit, who invites us to understand in depth the designs of Providence. He calls consecrated men and women to present new answers to the new problems of today's world. These are divine pleas which only souls accustomed to following God's will in everything can assimilate faithfully and then translate courageously into choices which are consistent with the original charism and which correspond to the demands of the concrete historical situation.Faced with the many and pressing problems which sometimes seem to compromise or even overwhelm the consecrated life, those called to it cannot fail to feel the commitment to bear in their hearts and in their prayer the entire world's needs, while at the same time they work with zeal in the fields determined by the founding charism. Clearly, their dedication must be guided by supernatural discernment, which distinguishes what is of the Spirit from that which is contrary to him (cf. Gal 5:16-17,22; 1 Jn 4:6). By means of fidelity to the Rules and Constitutions, this discernment safeguards full communion with the Church. In this way the consecrated life will not be limited to reading the signs of the times but will also contribute to elaborating and putting into effect new initiatives of evangelization for present-day situations. All this will be done in the certainty of faith that the Spirit can give satisfactory replies even to the most difficult questions. In this regard, we would do well to remember what the great champions of apostolic activity have always taught, namely, that we need to trust in God as if everything depended on him and, at the same time, to work generously as if everything depended on us.
Ecclesial cooperation and apostolic spirituality
74. Everything must be done in communion and dialogue with all other sectors of the Church. The challenges of evangelization are such that they cannot be effectively faced without the cooperation, both in discernment and action, of all the Church's members. It is difficult for individuals to provide a definitive answer; but such an answer can arise from encounter and dialogue. In particular, effective communion among those graced with different charisms will ensure both mutual enrichment and more fruitful results in the mission in hand. The experience of recent years widely confirms that "dialogue is the new name of charity",especially charity within the Church. Dialogue helps us to see the true implications of problems and allows them to be addressed with greater hope of success. The consecrated life, by the very fact that it promotes the value of fraternal life, provides a privileged experience of dialogue. It can therefore contribute to creating a climate of mutual acceptance in which the Church's various components, feeling that they are valued for what they are, come together in ecclesial communion in a more convinced manner, ready to undertake the great universal mission.
Institutes involved in one or other form of the apostolate must therefore foster a solid spirituality of action, seeing God in all things and all things in God. In fact, "it is necessary to know that, just as a well-ordered life tends to pass from the active to the contemplative, so the soul generally returns with profit from the contemplative life to the active life, in order more perfectly to sustain the active life with the flame ignited in contemplation. Thus, the active life ought to lead to contemplation and, sometimes, from what we see interiorly, contemplation should more effectively call us back to action".Jesus himself gave us the perfect example of how we can link communion with the Father to an intensely active life. Without a constant search for this unity, the danger of an interior breakdown, of confusion and discouragement, lurks always near. Today as yesterday, the close union between contemplation and action will allow the most difficult missions to be undertaken.
I. LOVE TO THE END
Loving with the heart of Christ
75. "Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. And during supper ... Jesus rose ... and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which he was girded" (Jn 13:1-2,4-5).
In the washing of feet Jesus reveals the depth of God's love for humanity: in Jesus, God places himself at the service of human beings! At the same time, he reveals the meaning of the Christian life and, even more, of the consecrated life, which is a life of self-giving love, of practical and generous service. In its commitment to following the Son of Man, who "came not to be served but to serve" (Mt 20:28), the consecrated life, at least in the best periods of its long history, has been characterized by this "washing of feet", that is, by service directed in particular to the poorest and neediest. If, on the one hand, the consecrated life contemplates the sublime mystery of the Word in the bosom of the Father (cf. Jn 1:1), on the other hand it follows the Word who became flesh (cf. Jn 1:14), lowering himself, humbling himself in order to serve others. Even today, those who follow Christ on the path of the evangelical counsels intend to go where Christ went and to do what he did.He continually calls new disciples to himself, both men and women, to communicate to them, by an outpouring of the Spirit (cf. Rom 5:5), the divine agape, his way of loving, and to urge them thus to serve others in the humble gift of themselves, far from all self-interest. Peter, overcome by the light of the Transfiguration, exclaims: "Lord, it is well that we are here" (Mt 17:4), but he is invited to return to the byways of the world in order to continue serving the Kingdom of God: "Come down, Peter! You wanted to rest up on the mountain: come down. Preach the word of God, be insistent both when it is timely and when it is not; reprove, exhort, give encouragement using all your forbearance and ability to teach. Work, spend yourself, accept even sufferings and torments, in order that, through the brightness and beauty of good works, you may possess in charity what is symbolized in the Lord's white garments".The fact that consecrated persons fix their gaze on the Lord's countenance does not diminish their commitment on behalf of humanity; on the contrary, it strengthens this commitment, enabling it to have an impact on history, in order to free history from all that disfigures it.The quest for divine beauty impels consecrated persons to care for the deformed image of God on the faces of their brothers and sisters, faces disfigured by hunger, faces disillusioned by political promises, faces humiliated by seeing their culture despised, faces frightened by constant and indiscriminate violence, the anguished faces of minors, the hurt and humiliated faces of women, the tired faces of migrants who are not given a warm welcome, the faces of the elderly who are without even the minimum conditions for a dignified life.The consecrated life thus shows, with the eloquence of works, that divine charity is the foundation and stimulus of freely-given and active love. Saint Vincent de Paul was deeply convinced of this when he explained to the Daughters of Charity this programme of life: "The spirit of the Society consists in giving yourselves to God in order to love our Lord and to serve him in the person of the materially and spiritually poor, in their houses and elsewhere, in order to teach poor young girls, children, in general anybody whom Divine Providence sends you".oday, among the possible works of charity, certainly the one which in a special way shows the world this love "to the end" is the fervent proclamation of Jesus Christ to those who do not yet know him, to those who have forgotten him, and to the poor in a preferential way.
The specific contribution of the consecrated life to evangelization
76. The specific contribution of consecrated persons, both men and women, to evangelization is first of all the witness of a life given totally to God and to their brothers and sisters, in imitation of the Saviour who, out of love for humanity, made himself a servant. In the work of salvation, in fact, everything comes from sharing in the divine agape. Consecrated persons make visible, in their consecration and total dedication, the loving and saving presence of Christ, the One consecrated by the Father, sent in mission.Allowing themselves to be won over by him (cf. Phil 3:12), they prepare to become, in a certain way, a prolongation of his humanity.The consecrated life eloquently shows that the more one lives in Christ, the better one can serve him in others, going even to the furthest missionary outposts and facing the greatest dangers.
The first evangelization: proclaiming Christ to the nations
77. Those who love God, the Father of all, cannot fail to love their fellow human beings, whom they recognize as brothers and sisters. Precisely for this reason, they cannot remain indifferent to the fact that many men and women do not know the full manifestation of God's love in Christ. The result, in obedience to Christ's commandment, is the missionary drive ad gentes, which every committed Christian shares with the Church which is missionary by nature. This drive is felt above all by the members of Institutes, whether of the contemplative or of the active life.Consecrated persons, in fact, have the task of making present even among non-ChristiansChrist who is chaste, poor, obedient, prayerful and missionary.While remaining ever faithful to their charism they must know that they have a special share in the Church's missionary activity, in virtue of their interior consecration made to God.The desire so often expresssed by Theresa of Lisieux, "to love you and make you loved", the ardent longing of Saint Francis Xavier that many, "meditating on what the Lord God will expect from them and from the talents he has given them, would be converted, using the right means and the spiritual exercises to know and feel within themselves the divine will, and so, adapting themselves more to that will than to their own inclinations, they would say: Lord, here I am, what do you want me to do? Lead me wherever you will'",and other similar testimonies of countless holy men and women, manifest the unsuppressible missionary drive which distinguishes and ennobles the consecrated life.
Present in every part of the world
78. "The love of Christ impels us" (2 Cor 5:14): the members of every Institute should be able to repeat this truth with Saint Paul, because the task of the consecrated life is to work in every part of the world in order to consolidate and expand the Kingdom of Christ, bringing the proclamation of the Gospel even to the most far-off regions.In fact, the history of the missions testifies to the great contribution made by consecrated men and women to the evangelization of peoples: from ancient monastic Families to recent Foundations committed exclusively to the mission ad gentes, from Institutes of active life to those devoted to contemplation.Countless consecrated persons have given their whole lives in this primary activity of the Church, which is "essential and never-ending"because it is addressed to the growing number of those who do not know Christ.
Today too this duty continues to present a pressing call to Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life: they are expected to make the greatest possible contribution to the proclamation of the Gospel of Christ. Also those Institutes which are being established and are at work in the younger Churches are invited to open themselves to the mission among non-Christians, inside and outside their own countries of origin. Despite the understandable difficulties which some of them will meet, it is good to remind everyone that just as "faith is strengthened when it is given to others",so the mission strengthens the consecrated life, gives it new enthusiasm and new motivation, and elicits faithfulness. For its part, missionary activity offers ample room for all the different forms of the consecrated life.The Church's mission ad gentes offers consecrated women, religious brothers and members of Secular Institutes special and extraordinary opportunities for a particularly fruitful apostolate. The members of Secular Institutes, by their presence in fields more suited to the lay vocation, can engage in the valuable work of evangelizing all sectors of society, as well as the structures and the very laws which regulate it. Moreover, they can bear witness to Gospel values, living in contact with those who do not yet know Jesus, thus making a specific contribution to the mission.It should be emphasized that in countries where non-Christian religions are firmly established, the presence of the consecrated life is of great importance, whether through its educational, charitable and cultural activities, or through the witness of the contemplative life. For this reason the establishment of communities devoted to contemplation should be encouraged in the new Churches, since "the contemplative life belongs to the fullness of the Church's presence".It is necessary, then, to use appropriate means to foster an equitable distribution of the various forms of the consecrated life in order to give new momentum to evangelization, either by sending missionaries or by Institutes of Consecrated Life giving special help to poorer Dioceses.
The proclamation of Christ and inculturation
79. The proclamation of Christ "is the permanent priority of mission"and is directed towards conversion, that is, to full and sincere allegiance to Christ and his Gospel.In the context of missionary activity the process of inculturation and interreligious dialogue have a role to play. The challenge of inculturation ought to be taken up by consecrated persons as a call to fruitful cooperation with grace in facing cultural diversity. This presupposes serious personal preparation, mature gifts of discernment, faithful adherence to the indispensable criteria of doctrinal orthodoxy, moral integrity and ecclesial communion.Supported by the charism of their founders and foundresses, many consecrated persons have been able to approach cultures other than their own with the attitude of Jesus, who "emptied himself, taking the form of a servant" (Phil 2:7). With patient and courageous efforts to initiate dialogue, they have been successful in establishing contact with the most diverse peoples, proclaiming to all of them the way of salvation. Today too, many consecrated persons are looking for and are finding in the history of individuals and of entire peoples the traces of God's presence, a presence guiding all humanity towards the discernment of the signs of his saving will. Such a search proves to be advantageous for consecrated persons themselves: the values discovered in the different civilizations can in fact prompt them to deepen their own understanding of the Christian tradition of contemplation, community sharing, hospitality, respect for persons and attention to the environment.
A genuine inculturation requires attitudes similar to those of the Lord when he became man and walked among us in love and meekness. In this sense the consecrated life makes its members particularly well suited to face the complex work of inculturation, because it accustoms them to being detached from things, even from many features of their own culture. Applying themselves with these attitudes to the study and understanding of other cultures, consecrated persons can better discern the real values in them, and the best way to accept them and perfect them with the help of their own charism.However, it should not be forgotten that in many ancient cultures religious expression is so deeply ingrained that religion often represents the transcendent dimension of the culture itself. In this case true inculturation necessarily entails a serious and open interreligious dialogue, which "is not in opposition to the mission ad gentes" and "does not dispense from evangelization".
The inculturation of the consecrated life
80. For its part, the consecrated life itself is the bearer of Gospel values and, where it is authentically lived, it can make an innovative contribution in meeting the challenges of inculturation. As a sign of the primacy of God and his Kingdom, it can, through dialogue, elicit a positive reaction in people's consciences. If the consecrated life maintains its prophetic impact, it serves as a Gospel leaven within a culture, purifying and perfecting it. This is demonstrated by the lives of many Saints who in different periods of history were able to immerse themselves in their time without being overcome by it, but opening new paths to the people of their generation. The Gospel way of life is an important source for proposing a new cultural model. A great many founders and foundresses perceiving certain needs of their time, with all the limitations which they themselves recognized, have given these needs an answer which has become an innovative cultural proposal.
Communities of Religious Institutes and of Societies of Apostolic Life can, in fact, offer concrete and effective cultural proposals when they bear witness to the evangelical manner of practising mutual acceptance in diversity and of exercising authority, and when they give an example of sharing material and spiritual goods, of being truly international, of cooperating with other Institutes, and of listening to the men and women of our time. The manner of thinking and acting of those who follow Christ more closely gives rise to a true and proper point of reference for culture; it serves to point out all that is inhuman; it bears witness that God alone strengthens and perfects values. In turn, a genuine inculturation will help consecrated persons to live the radical nature of the Gospel according to the charism of their Institute and the character of the people with whom they come into contact. This fruitful relationship can give rise to ways of life and pastoral approaches which can bring enrichment to the whole Institute, provided that they are consistent with the founding charism and with the unifying action of the Holy Spirit. In this process, which entails discernment, courage, dialogue and the challenge of the Gospel, a guarantee of being on the right path is offered by the Holy See, whose task it is to encourage the evangelization of cultures, as well as to authenticate developments and to sanction results in the area of inculturation.This is "a difficult and delicate task, since it raises the question of the Church's fidelity to the Gospel and the Apostolic Tradition amidst the constant evolution of cultures".
The new evangelization
81. If the great challenges which modern history poses to the new evangelization are to be faced successfully, what is needed above all is a consecrated life which is continually open to challenge by the revealed word and the signs of the times.The memory of the great evangelizers, both men and women, who were themselves profoundly evangelized, shows that in order to face the world of today it is necessary to have people who are lovingly dedicated to the Lord and his Gospel. "Consecrated persons, because of their specific vocation, are called to manifest the unity between self-evangelization and witness, between interior renewal and apostolic fervour, between being and acting, showing that dynamism arises always from the first element of each of these pairs".The new evangelization, like that of all times, will be effective if it proclaims from the rooftops what it has first lived in intimacy with the Lord. It calls for strong personalities, inspired by saintly fervour. The new evangelization demands that consecrated persons have a thorough awareness of the theological significance of the challenges of our time. These challenges must be weighed with careful joint discernment, with a view to renewing the mission. Courage in proclaiming the Lord Jesus must be accompanied by trust in Providence, which is at work in the world and which "orders everything, even human differences, for the greater good of the Church".mportant elements enabling Institutes to play a successful part in new evangelization are fidelity to the founding charism, communion with all those who in the Church are involved in the same undertaking, especially the Bishops, and cooperation with all people of good will. All this requires a careful discernment of the calls which the Holy Spirit makes to each Institute, whether in areas where no great immediate progress is foreseen or in other areas where a consoling rebirth is anticipated. In every place and circumstance, consecrated persons should be zealous heralds of Jesus Christ, ready to respond with the wisdom of the Gospel to the questions posed today by the anxieties and the urgent needs of the human heart.
Preference for the poor and the promotion of justice
82. At the beginning of his ministry, in the synagogue at Nazareth, Jesus announces that the Spirit has consecrated him to preach good news to the poor, to proclaim release to captives, to give sight back to the blind, to set the oppressed free, to declare a year of favour from the Lord (cf. Lk 4:16-19). Taking up the Lord's mission as her own, the Church proclaims the Gospel to every man and woman, committing herself to their integral salvation. But with special attention, in a true "preferential option", she turns to those who are in situations of greater weakness, and therefore in greater need. "The poor", in varied states of affliction, are the oppressed, those on the margin of society, the elderly, the sick, the young, any and all who are considered and treated as "the least".
The option for the poor is inherent in the very structure of love lived in Christ. All of Christ's disciples are therefore held to this option; but those who wish to follow the Lord more closely, imitating his attitudes, cannot but feel involved in a very special way. The sincerity of their response to Christ's love will lead them to live a life of poverty and to embrace the cause of the poor. For each Institute, according to its charism, this involves adopting a simple and austere way of life, both as individuals and as a community. Strengthened by this living witness and in ways consistent with their choice of life, and maintaining their independence vis-à-vis political ideologies, consecrated persons will be able to denounce the injustices committed against so many sons and daughters of God, and commit themselves to the promotion of justice in the society where they work.In this way, even in present circumstances, through the witness of countless consecrated persons, there will be a renewal of that dedication which was characteristic of the founders and foundresses who spent their lives serving the Lord in the poor. Christ "is poor on earth in the person of his poor ... As God he is rich, as man he is poor. With his humanity he has gone up to heaven and, prosperous, is seated at the right hand of the Father, and yet, here on earth, still poor, he suffers hunger, thirst and nakedness".he Gospel is made effective through charity, which is the Church's glory and the sign of her faithfulness to the Lord. This is demonstrated by the whole history of the consecrated life, which can be considered a living exegesis of Jesus' words: "As you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me" (Mt 25:40). Many Institutes, especially in modern times, were established precisely to address one or other of the needs of the poor. But even when such a purpose was not the determining factor, concern and care for the needy — expressed in prayer, assistance and hospitality — was always a normal part of every form of the consecrated life, even of the contemplative life. And how could it be otherwise, since the Christ encountered in contemplation is the same who lives and suffers in the poor? In this sense, the history of the consecrated life is rich with marvellous and sometimes ingenious examples. Saint Paulinus of Nola, after distributing his belongings to the poor in order to consecrate himself fully to God, built the cells of his monastery above a hospice for the poor. He rejoiced at the thought of this singular "exchange of gifts": the poor, whom he helped, strengthened with their prayers the very "foundations" of his house, wholly dedicated to the praise of God.Saint Vincent de Paul, for his part, loved to say that, when one is obliged to leave prayer to attend to a poor person in need, that prayer is not really interrupted, because "one leaves God to serve God".erving the poor is an act of evangelization and, at the same time, a seal of Gospel authenticity and a catalyst for permanent conversion in the consecrated life, since, as Saint Gregory the Great says, "when charity lovingly stoops to provide even for the smallest needs of our neighbour, then does it suddenly surge upwards to the highest peaks. And when in great kindness it bends to the most extreme needs, then with much vigour does it resume its soaring to the heights".
Care of the sick
83. Following a glorious tradition, a great number of consecrated persons, above all women, carry out their apostolate in the field of health care, according to the charism of their respective Institutes. Down the centuries, many consecrated persons have given their lives in service to victims of contagious diseases, confirming the truth that dedication to the point of heroism belongs to the prophetic nature of the consecrated life.
The Church looks with admiration and gratitude upon the many consecrated persons who, by caring for the sick and the suffering, contribute in a significant way to her mission. They carry on the ministry of mercy of Christ, who "went about doing good and healing all" (Acts 10:38). In the footsteps of the Divine Samaritan, physician of souls and bodies,and following the example of their respective founders and foundresses, those consecrated persons committed to this ministry by the charism of their Institute should persevere in their witness of love towards the sick, devoting themselves to them with profound understanding and compassion. They should give a special place in their ministry to the poorest and most abandoned of the sick, such as the elderly, and those who are handicapped, marginalized, or terminally ill, and to the victims of drug abuse and the new contagious diseases. Consecrated persons should encourage the sick themselves to offer their sufferings in communion with Christ, crucified and glorified for the salvation of all.Indeed they should strengthen in the sick the awareness of being able to carry out a pastoral ministry of their own through the specific charism of the Cross, by means of their prayer and their testimony in word and deed.oreover, the Church reminds consecrated men and women that a part of their mission is to evangelize the health-care centres in which they work, striving to spread the light of Gospel values to the way of living, suffering and dying of the people of our day. They should endeavour to make the practice of medicine more human, and increase their knowledge of bioethics at the service of the Gospel of life. Above all therefore they should foster respect for the person and for human life from conception to its natural end, in full conformity with the moral teaching of the Church.For this purpose they should set up centres of formationand cooperate closely with those ecclesial bodies entrusted with the pastoral ministry of health care.
II. A PROPHETIC WITNESS IN THE FACE OF GREAT CHALLENGES
The prophetic character of the consecrated life
84. The prophetic character of the consecrated life was strongly emphasized by the Synod Fathers. It takes the shape of a special form of sharing in Christ's prophetic office, which the Holy Spirit communicates to the whole People of God. There is a prophetic dimension which belongs to the consecrated life as such, resulting from the radical nature of the following of Christ and of the subsequent dedication to the mission characteristic of the consecrated life. The sign value, which the Second Vatican Council acknowledges in the consecrated life,is expressed in prophetic witness to the primacy which God and the truths of the Gospel have in the Christian life. Because of this pre-eminence nothing can come before personal love of Christ and of the poor in whom he lives.The Patristic tradition has seen a model of monastic religious life in Elijah, courageous prophet and friend of God.He lived in God's presence and contemplated his passing by in silence; he interceded for the people and boldly announced God's will; he defended God's sovereignty and came to the defence of the poor against the powerful of the world (cf. 1 Kg 18-19). In the history of the Church, alongside other Christians, there have been men and women consecrated to God who, through a special gift of the Holy Spirit, have carried out a genuinely prophetic ministry, speaking in the name of God to all, even to the Pastors of the Church. True prophecy is born of God, from friendship with him, from attentive listening to his word in the different circumstances of history. Prophets feel in their hearts a burning desire for the holiness of God and, having heard his word in the dialogue of prayer, they proclaim that word with their lives, with their lips and with their actions, becoming people who speak for God against evil and sin. Prophetic witness requires the constant and passionate search for God's will, for self-giving, for unfailing communion in the Church, for the practice of spiritual discernment and love of the truth. It is also expressed through the denunciation of all that is contrary to the divine will and through the exploration of new ways to apply the Gospel in history, in expectation of the coming of God's Kingdom.
Significance for the contemporary world
85. In our world, where it often seems that the signs of God's presence have been lost from sight, a convincing prophetic witness on the part of consecrated persons is increasingly necessary. In the first place this should entail the affirmation of the primacy of God and of eternal life, as evidenced in the following and imitation of the chaste, poor and obedient Christ, who was completely consecrated to the glory of God and to the love of his brethren. The fraternal life is itself prophetic in a society which, sometimes without realizing it, has a profound yearning for a brotherhood which knows no borders. Consecrated persons are being asked to bear witness everywhere with the boldness of a prophet who is unafraid of risking even his life.
Prophecy derives a particularly persuasive power from consistency between proclamation and life. Consecrated persons will be faithful to their mission in the Church and the world, if they can renew themselves constantly in the light of the word of God.Thus will they be able to enrich the other faithful with the charismatic gifts they have received and, in turn, let themselves be challenged by the prophetic stimulus which comes from other sectors of the Church. In this exchange of gifts, guaranteed by full harmony with the Church's Magisterium and discipline, there will shine forth the action of the Holy Spirit who "gives [the Church] a unity of fellowship and service; he furnishes and directs her with various gifts, both hierarchical and charismatic".
Faithfulness to the point of martyrdom
86. In this century, as in other periods of history, consecrated men and women have borne witness to Christ the Lord with the gift of their own lives. Thousands of them have been forced into the catacombs by the persecution of totalitarian regimes or of violent groups, or have been harassed while engaged in missionary activity, in action on behalf of the poor, in assisting the sick and the marginalized; yet they lived and continue to live their consecration in prolonged and heroic suffering, and often with the shedding of their blood, being perfectly configured to the Crucified Lord. The Church has already officially recognized the holiness of some of these men and women, honouring them as martyrs for Christ. They enlighten us by their example, they intercede that we may be faithful, and they await us in glory.
There is a widespread desire that the memory of so many witnesses to the faith will remain in the consciousness of the Church as an invitation to celebrate and imitate them. The Institutes of Consecrated Life and the Societies of Apostolic Life can contribute to this endeavour by gathering the names of all those consecrated persons who deserve to be inscribed in the Martyrology of the twentieth century, and by compiling testimonies about them.
The major challenges facing the consecrated life
87. The prophetic task of the consecrated life is brought into play by three major challenges addressed to the Church herself: they are the same challenges as ever, posed in new ways, and perhaps more radically, by contemporary society, at least in some parts of the world. These challenges relate directly to the evangelical counsels of chastity, poverty and obedience, impelling the Church, and consecrated persons in particular, to clarify and testify to the profound anthropological significance of the counsels. The decision to follow the counsels, far from involving an impoverishment of truly human values, leads instead to their transformation. The evangelical counsels should not be considered as a denial of the values inherent in sexuality, in the legitimate desire to possess material goods or to make decisions for oneself. Insofar as these inclinations are based on nature, they are good in themselves. Human beings, however, weakened as they are by original sin, run the risk of acting on them in a way which transgresses the moral norms. The profession of chastity, poverty and obedience is a warning not to underestimate the wound of original sin and, while affirming the value of created goods, it relativizes them by pointing to God as the absolute good. Thus, while those who follow the evangelical counsels seek holiness for themselves, they propose, so to speak, a spiritual "therapy" for humanity, because they reject the idolatry of anything created and in a certain way they make visible the living God. The consecrated life, especially in difficult times, is a blessing for human life and for the life of the Church.
The challenge of consecrated chastity
88. The first challenge is that of a hedonistic culture which separates sexuality from all objective moral norms, often treating it as a mere diversion and a consumer good and, with the complicity of the means of social communication, justifying a kind of idolatry of the sexual instinct. The consequences of this are before everyone's eyes: transgressions of every kind, with resulting psychic and moral suffering on the part of individuals and families. The reply of the consecrated life is above all in the joyful living of perfect chastity, as a witness to the power of God's love manifested in the weakness of the human condition. The consecrated person attests that what many have believed impossible becomes, with the Lord's grace, possible and truly liberating. Yes, in Christ it is possible to love God with all one's heart, putting him above every other love, and thus to love every creature with the freedom of God! This testimony is more necessary than ever today, precisely because it is so little understood by our world. It is offered to everyone — young people, engaged couples, husbands and wives and Christian families — in order to show that the power of God's love can accomplish great things precisely within the context of human love. It is a witness which also meets a growing need for interior honesty in human relationships.
The consecrated life must present to today's world examples of chastity lived by men and women who show balance, self-mastery, an enterprising spirit, and psychological and affective maturity.Thanks to this witness, human love is offered a stable point of reference: the pure love which consecrated persons draw from the contemplation of Trinitarian love, revealed to us in Christ. Precisely because they are immersed in this mystery, consecrated persons feel themselves capable of a radical and universal love, which gives them the strength for the self-mastery and discipline necessary in order not to fall under the domination of the senses and instincts. Consecrated chastity thus appears as a joyful and liberating experience. Enlightened by faith in the Risen Lord and by the prospect of the new heavens and the new earth (cf. Rev 21:1), it offers a priceless incentive in the task of educating to that chastity which corresponds to other states of life as well.
The challenge of poverty
89. Another challenge today is that of a materialism which craves possessions, heedless of the needs and sufferings of the weakest, and lacking any concern for the balance of natural resources. The reply of the consecrated life is found in the profession of evangelical poverty, which can be lived in different ways and is often expressed in an active involvement in the promotion of solidarity and charity. How many Institutes devote themselves to education, training and professional formation, preparing young people and those no longer young to become builders of their own future! How many consecrated persons give themselves without reserve in the service of the most disadvantaged people on earth! How many of them work to train future educators and leaders of society, so that they in turn will be committed to eliminating structures of oppression and to promoting projects of solidarity for the benefit of the poor! Consecrated persons fight to overcome hunger and its causes; they inspire the activities of voluntary associations and humanitarian organizations; and they work with public and private bodies to promote a fair distribution of international aid. Nations truly owe a great deal to these enterprising agents of charity, whose tireless generosity has contributed and continues to contribute greatly to making the world more human.
Evangelical poverty at the service of the poor
90. Even before being a service on behalf of the poor, evangelical poverty is a value in itself, since it recalls the first of the Beatitudes in the imitation of the poor Christ.Its primary meaning, in fact, is to attest that God is the true wealth of the human heart. Precisely for this reason evangelical poverty forcefully challenges the idolatry of money, making a prophetic appeal as it were to society, which in so many parts of the developed world risks losing the sense of proportion and the very meaning of things. Thus, today more than in other ages, the call of evangelical poverty is being felt also among those who are aware of the scarcity of the planet's resources and who invoke respect for and the conservation of creation by reducing consumption, by living more simply and by placing a necessary brake on their own desires.
Consecrated persons are therefore asked to bear a renewed and vigorous evangelical witness to self-denial and restraint, in a form of fraternal life inspired by principles of simplicity and hospitality, also as an example to those who are indifferent to the needs of their neighbour. This witness will of course be accompanied by a preferential love for the poor and will be shown especially by sharing the conditions of life of the most neglected. There are many communities which live and work among the poor and the marginalized; they embrace their conditions of life and share in their sufferings, problems and perils.Outstanding pages in the history of evangelical solidarity and heroic dedication have been written by consecrated persons in these years of profound changes and great injustices, of hopes and disappointments, of striking victories and bitter defeats. And pages no less significant have been written and are still being written by very many other consecrated persons, who live to the full their life "hid with Christ in God" (Col 3:3) for the salvation of the world, freely giving of themselves, and spending their lives for causes which are little appreciated and even less extolled. In these various and complementary ways, the consecrated life shares in the radical poverty embraced by the Lord, and fulfils its specific role in the saving mystery of his Incarnation and redeeming Death.
The challenge of freedom in obedience
91. The third challenge comes from those notions of freedom which separate this fundamental human good from its essential relationship to the truth and to moral norms.In effect, the promotion of freedom is a genuine value, closely connected with respect for the human person. But who does not see the aberrant consequences of injustice and even violence, in the life of individuals and of peoples, to which the distorted use of freedom leads?
An effective response to this situation is the obedience which marks the consecrated life. In an especially vigorous way this obedience reproposes the obedience of Christ to the Father and, taking this mystery as its point of departure, testifies that there is no contradiction between obedience and freedom. Indeed, the Son's attitude discloses the mystery of human freedom as the path of obedience to the Father's will, and the mystery of obedience as the path to the gradual conquest of true freedom. It is precisely this mystery which consecrated persons wish to acknowledge by this particular vow. By obedience they intend to show their awareness of being children of the Father, as a result of which they wish to take the Father's will as their daily bread (cf. Jn 4:34), as their rock, their joy, their shield and their fortress (cf. Ps 18:2). Thus they show that they are growing in the full truth about themselves, remaining in touch with the source of their existence and therefore offering this most consoling message: "The lovers of your law have great peace; they never stumble" (Ps 118:165).
Carrying out together the Father's will
92. This testimony of consecration takes on special meaning in religious life because of the community dimension which marks it. The fraternal life is the privileged place in which to discern and accept God's will, and to walk together with one mind and heart. Obedience, enlivened by charity, unites the members of an Institute in the same witness and the same mission, while respecting the diversity of gifts and individual personalities. In community life which is inspired by the Holy Spirit, each individual engages in a fruitful dialogue with the others in order to discover the Father's will. At the same time, together they recognize in the one who presides an expression of the fatherhood of God and the exercise of authority received from God, at the service of discernment and communion.Life in community is thus the particular sign, before the Church and society, of the bond which comes from the same call and the common desire — notwithstanding differences of race and origin, language and culture — to be obedient to that call. Contrary to the spirit of discord and division, authority and obedience shine like a sign of that unique fatherhood which comes from God, of the brotherhood born of the Spirit, of the interior freedom of those who put their trust in God, despite the human limitations of those who represent him. Through this obedience, which some people make their rule of life, the happiness promised by Jesus to "those who hear the word of God and keep it" (Lk 11:28) is experienced and proclaimed for the good of all. Moreover, those who obey have the guarantee of truly taking part in the mission, of following the Lord and not pursuing their own desires or wishes. In this way we can know that we are guided by the Spirit of the Lord, and sustained, even in the midst of great hardships, by his steadfast hand (cf. Acts 20:22-23).
A decisive commitment to the spiritual life
93. One of the concerns frequently expressed at the Synod was that the consecrated life should be nourished from the wellspring of a sound and deep spirituality. This is a primary requirement, inscribed in the very essence of the consecrated life by the fact that, just as every other baptized person, and indeed even more so, those who profess the evangelical counsels must aspire with all their strength to the perfection of charity.This commitment is clearly evidenced in the many examples of holy founders and foundresses, and of so many consecrated persons who have borne faithful witness to Christ to the point of martyrdom. To tend towards holiness: this is in summary the programme of every consecrated life, particularly in the perspective of its renewal on the threshold of the Third Millennium. The starting point of such a programme lies in leaving everything behind for the sake of Christ (cf. Mt 4:18-22, 19:21,27; Lk 5:11), preferring him above all things, in order to share fully in his Paschal Mystery.
Saint Paul understood this well when he said: "Indeed I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord ... that I may know him and the power of his resurrection" (Phil 3:8,10). This is the path marked out from the beginning by the Apostles, as testified to in the Christian tradition of the East and the West: "Those who now follow Jesus, leaving everything for his sake, remind us of the Apostles who, in answer to his invitation, gave up everything. As a result, it has become traditional to speak of religious life as apostolica vivendi forma".The same tradition has also emphasized in the consecrated life the aspect of a particular covenant with God, indeed of a spousal covenant with Christ, of which Saint Paul was a master by his example (cf. 1 Cor 7:7) and by his teaching, proposed under the Spirit's guidance (cf. 1 Cor 7:40).We may say that the spiritual life, understood as life in Christ or life according to the Spirit, presents itself as a path of increasing faithfulness, on which the consecrated person is guided by the Spirit and configured by him to Christ, in full communion of love and service in the Church.All these elements, which take shape in the different forms of the consecrated life, give rise to a specific spirituality, that is, a concrete programme of relations with God and one's surroundings, marked by specific spiritual emphases and choices of apostolate, which accentuate and re-present one or another aspect of the one mystery of Christ. When the Church approves a form of consecrated life or an Institute, she confirms that in its spiritual and apostolic charism are found all the objective requisites for achieving personal and communal perfection according to the Gospel.The spiritual life must therefore have first place in the programme of Families of consecrated life, in such a way that every Institute and community will be a school of true evangelical spirituality. Apostolic fruitfulness, generosity in love of the poor, and the ability to attract vocations among the younger generation depend on this priority and its growth in personal and communal commitment. It is precisely the spiritual quality of the consecrated life which can inspire the men and women of our day, who themselves are thirsting for absolute values. In this way the consecrated life will become an attractive witness.
Listening to the word of God
94. The word of God is the first source of all Christian spirituality. It gives rise to a personal relationship with the living God and with his saving and sanctifying will. It is for this reason that from the very beginning of Institutes of Consecrated Life, and in a special way in monasticism, what is called lectio divina has been held in the highest regard. By its means the word of God is brought to bear on life, on which it projects the light of that wisdom which is a gift of the Spirit. Although the whole of Sacred Scripture is "profitable for teaching" (2 Tim 3:16), and is "the pure and perennial source of spiritual life",the writings of the New Testament deserve special veneration, especially the Gospels, which are "the heart of all the Scriptures".It is therefore of great benefit for consecrated persons to meditate regularly on the Gospel texts and the New Testament writings which describe the words and example of Christ and Mary and the apostolica vivendi forma. Founders and foundresses were inspired by these texts in accepting their vocation and in discerning the charism and mission of their Institutes.
Meditation of the Bible in common is of great value. When practised according to the possibilities and circumstances of life in community, this meditation leads to a joyful sharing of the riches drawn from the word of God, thanks to which brothers or sisters grow together and help one another to make progress in the spiritual life. Indeed it would be helpful if this practice were also encouraged among other members of the People of God, priests and laity alike. This will lead, in ways proper to each person's particular gifts, to setting up schools of prayer, of spirituality and of prayerful reading of the Scriptures, in which God "speaks to people as friends (cf. Ex 33:11; Jn 15:14-15) and lives among them (cf. Bar 3:38), so that he may invite and draw them into fellowship with himself".s the Church's spiritual tradition teaches, meditation on God's word, and on the mysteries of Christ in particular, gives rise to fervour in contemplation and the ardour of apostolic activity. Both in contemplative and active religious life it has always been men and women of prayer, those who truly interpret and put into practice the will of God, who do great works. From familiarity with God's word they draw the light needed for that individual and communal discernment which helps them to seek the ways of the Lord in the signs of the times. In this way they acquire a kind of supernatural intuition, which allows them to avoid being conformed to the mentality of this world, but rather to be renewed in their own mind, in order to discern God's will about what is good, perfect and pleasing to him (cf. Rom 12:2).
In communion with Christ
95. An indispensable means of effectively sustaining communion with Christ is assuredly the Sacred Liturgy, and especially the celebration of the Eucharist and the Liturgy of the Hours.
In the first place, the Eucharist "contains the Church's entire spiritual wealth, that is, Christ himself, our Passover and living bread, who, through his very flesh, made vital and vitalizing by the Holy Spirit, offers life" to the human family.This is the heart of the Church's life, and also of the consecrated life. How can those who are called, through the profession of the evangelical counsels, to choose Christ as the only meaning of their lives, not desire to establish an ever more profound communion with him by sharing daily in the Sacrament which makes him present, in the sacrifice which actualizes the gift of his love on Golgotha, the banquet which nourishes and sustains God's pilgrim people? By its very nature the Eucharist is at the centre of the consecrated life, both for individuals and for communities. It is the daily viaticum and source of the spiritual life for the individual and for the Institute. By means of the Eucharist all consecrated persons are called to live Christ's Paschal Mystery, uniting themselves to him by offering their own lives to the Father through the Holy Spirit. Frequent and prolonged adoration of Christ present in the Eucharist enables us in some way to relive Peter's experience at the Transfiguration: "It is well that we are here". In the celebration of the mystery of the Lord's Body and Blood, the unity and charity of those who have consecrated their lives to God are strengthened and increased.Alongside the Eucharist, and intimately connected with it, the Liturgy of the Hours, celebrated in union with the prayer of the Church, either in community or individually according to the nature of each Institute, expresses the call proper to consecrated persons to raise their hearts in praise and intercession.The Eucharist is also closely connected with the commitment to continual conversion and necessary purification which consecrated persons bring to maturity in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. By their frequent encounter with God's mercy, they purify and renew their hearts, and through the humble recognition of their sins achieve openness in their relationship with him. The joyful experience of sacramental forgiveness, on the journey shared with one's brothers and sisters, makes the heart eager to learn and encourages growth in faithfulness.Confident and humble recourse to spiritual direction is of great help on the path of fidelity to the Gospel, especially in the period of formation and at certain other times in life. Through it individuals are helped to respond with generosity to the movements of the Spirit, and to direct themselves resolutely towards holiness.Finally, I exhort all consecrated persons, according to their own traditions, to renew daily their spiritual union with the Blessed Virgin Mary, reliving with her the mysteries of her Son, especially by saying the Rosary.
III. SOME NEW FIELDS OF MISSION
Presence in the world of education
96. The Church has always recognized that education is an essential dimension of her mission. The Master of her inner life is the Holy Spirit, who penetrates the innermost depths of every human heart and knows the secret unfolding of history. The whole Church is enlivened by the Holy Spirit and with him carries out her educational work. Within the Church, however, consecrated persons have a specific duty. They are called to bring to bear on the world of education their radical witness to the values of the Kingdom, proposed to everyone in expectation of the definitive meeting with the Lord of history. Because of their special consecration, their particular experience of the gifts of the Spirit, their constant listening to the word of God, their practice of discernment, their rich heritage of pedagogical traditions built up since the establishment of their Institute, and their profound grasp of spiritual truth (cf. Eph 2:17), consecrated persons are able to be especially effective in educational activities and to offer a specific contribution to the work of other educators.
Equipped with this charism, consecrated persons can give life to educational undertakings permeated by the Gospel spirit of freedom and charity, in which young people are helped to mature humanly under the action of the Spirit.In this way a community of learning becomes an experience of grace, where the teaching programme contributes to uniting into a harmonious whole the human and the divine, the Gospel and culture, faith and life.The history of the Church, from antiquity down to our own day, is full of admirable examples of consecrated persons who have sought and continue to seek holiness through their involvement in education, while at the same time proposing holiness as the goal of education. Indeed, many of them have achieved the perfection of charity through teaching. This is one of the most precious gifts which consecrated persons today can offer to young people, instructing them in a way that is full of love, according to the wise counsel of Saint John Bosco: "Young people should not only be loved, but should also know that they are loved".
Need for a renewed commitment in the field of education
97. With respectful sensitivity and missionary boldness, consecrated men and women should show that faith in Jesus Christ enlightens the whole enterprise of education, never disparaging human values but rather confirming and elevating them. Thus do consecrated persons become witnesses and instruments of the power of the Incarnation and the vitality of the Spirit. This task of theirs is one of the most significant manifestations of that motherhood which the Church, in the image of Mary, exercises on behalf of all her children.It is for this reason that the Synod emphatically urged consecrated persons to take up again, wherever possible, the mission of education in schools of every kind and level, and in Universities and Institutions of higher learning.Making my own the proposal of the Synod, I warmly invite members of Institutes devoted to education to be faithful to their founding charism and to their traditions, knowing that the preferential love for the poor finds a special application in the choice of means capable of freeing people from that grave form of poverty which is the lack of cultural and religious training.Because of the importance that Catholic and ecclesiastical universities and faculties have in the field of education and evangelization, Institutes which are responsible for their direction should be conscious of their responsibility. They should ensure the preservation of their unique Catholic identity in complete fidelity to the Church's Magisterium, all the while engaging in active dialogue with present-day cultural trends. Moreover, depending on the circumstances, the members of these Institutes and Societies should readily become involved in the educational structures of the State. Members of Secular Institutes in particular, because of their specific calling, are called to this kind of cooperation.
98. Institutes of Consecrated Life have always had great influence in the formation and transmission of culture. This was true in the Middle Ages, when monasteries became places for the study of the cultural riches of the past, and for the development of a new humanistic and Christian culture. The same has happened every time the light of the Gospel has spread to new nations and peoples. Many consecrated persons have been promoters of culture, and frequently have studied and defended indigenous cultures. The need to contribute to the promotion of culture and to the dialogue between culture and faith is deeply felt in the Church today.Consecrated persons cannot fail to feel challenged by this pressing need. In their proclamation of the word of God, they too are called to discover the methods most suited to the needs of the different social groups and various professional categories, so that the light of Christ will penetrate all sectors of society and the leaven of salvation will transform society from within, fostering the growth of a culture imbued with Gospel values.At the threshold of the Third Christian Millennium, such a commitment will enable consecrated men and women to renew their response to the will of God, who reaches out to all those who, knowingly or not, are searching for the Truth and the Life (cf. Acts 17:27).But in addition to this service of others, within the consecrated life itself there is a need for a renewed and loving commitment to the intellectual life, for dedication to study as a means of integral formation and as a path of asceticism which is extraordinarily timely, in the face of present-day cultural diversity. A lessened commitment to study can have grave consequences for the apostolate, by giving rise to a sense of marginalization and inferiority, or encouraging superficiality and rash initiatives.With all respect for the diversity of charisms and the actual resources of individual Institutes, the commitment to study cannot be limited to initial formation or to the gaining of academic degrees and professional qualifications. Rather, study is an expression of the unquenchable desire for an ever deeper knowledge of God, the source of light and all human truth. Consequently, a commitment to study does not isolate consecrated persons in an abstract intellectualism, or confine them within a suffocating narcissism; rather, it is an incentive to dialogue and cooperation, a training in the capacity for judgment, a stimulus to contemplation and prayer in the constant quest for the presence and activity of God in the complex reality of today's world.When they allow themselves to be transformed by the Holy Spirit, consecrated persons can broaden the horizons of narrow human aspirations and at the same time understand more deeply people and their life stories, going beyond the most obvious but often superficial aspects. Countless challenges are today emerging in the world of ideas, in new areas as well as those in which the consecrated life has traditionally been present. There is an urgent need to maintain fruitful contacts with all cultural realities, with a watchful and critical attitude, but also with confident attention to those who face the particular difficulties of intellectual work, especially when, in response to the unprecedented problems of our times, new efforts of analysis and synthesis have to be attempted.A serious and effective evangelization of these new areas where culture is developed and transmitted cannot take place without active cooperation with the laity involved in them.
Presence in the field of social communications
99. Just as in the past consecrated persons successfully used all kinds of means at the service of evangelization and skilfully met difficulties, today too they are challenged anew by the need to bear witness to the Gospel through the communications media. The media, thanks to impressive developments in technology, have reached every corner of the earth. Consecrated persons, especially those who have the institutional charism of working in this field, have a duty to learn the language of the media, in order to speak effectively of Christ to our contemporaries, interpreting their "joys and hopes, their griefs and anxieties",and thus contributing to the building up of a society in which all people sense that they are brothers and sisters making their way to God.
Nevertheless, it is necessary to be vigilant with regard to the distorted use of the media, especially given their extraordinary power of persuasion. The problems which can result for the consecrated life should not be ignored; instead they should be faced with careful discernment.The Church's response is above all educational: it aims at promoting a correct understanding of the dynamics underlying the media and a careful ethical assessment of their programmes, as well as the development of healthy habits in their use.In this work of education, aimed at training discerning listeners and expert communicators, consecrated persons are called to offer their specific witness regarding the relative nature of all created realities. In this way they help people to use the media wisely and in accordance with God's plan, but also to free themselves from an obsessive interest in "the form of this world which is passing away" (1 Cor 7:31).All efforts in this important new field of the apostolate should be encouraged, so that the Gospel of Christ may be proclaimed also through these modern means. The various Institutes should be ready to cooperate, by contributing resources and personnel, in order to implement joint projects in all sectors of social communications. Furthermore, consecrated persons, especially members of Secular Institutes, should willingly lend their help, wherever pastorally appropriate, for the religious formation of leaders and workers in the field of public and private social communications. This should be done in order to offset the inappropriate use of the media and to promote higher quality programmes, the contents of which will be respectful of the moral law and rich in human and Christian values.
IV. ENGAGED IN DIALOGUE WITH EVERYONE
At the service of Christian unity
100. Christ's prayer to the Father before his Passion, that his disciples may be one (cf. Jn 17: 21-23), lives on in the Church's prayer and activity. How can those called to the consecrated life not feel themselves involved? The wound of disunity still existing between believers in Christ and the urgent need to pray and work for the promotion of Christian unity were deeply felt at the Synod. The ecumenical sensitivity of consecrated persons is heightened also by the awareness that in other Churches and Ecclesial Communities monasticism has been preserved and is flourishing, as is the case in the Eastern Churches, and that there is a renewal of the profession of the evangelical counsels, as in the Anglican Communion and in the Communities of the Reformation.
The Synod emphasized the close connection between the consecrated life and the cause of ecumenism, and the urgent need for a more intense witness in this area. Since the soul of ecumenism is prayer and conversion,Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life certainly have a special duty to foster this commitment. There is an urgent need for consecrated persons to give more space in their lives to ecumenical prayer and genuine evangelical witness, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit the walls of division and prejudice between Christians can be broken down.
Forms of ecumenical dialogue
101. Sharing of the lectio divina in the search for the truth, a participation in common prayer, in which the Lord assures us of his presence (cf. Mt 18:20), the dialogue of friendship and charity which makes us feel how pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity (cf. Ps 133), cordial hospitality shown to brothers and sisters of the various Christian confessions, mutual knowledge and the exchange of gifts, cooperation in common undertakings of service and of witness: these are among the many forms of ecumenical dialogue. They are actions pleasing to our common Father, which show the will to journey together towards perfect unity along the path of truth and love.Likewise, the knowledge of the history, doctrine, liturgy, and charitable and apostolic activity of other Christians cannot but help to make ecumenical activity ever more fruitful.I wish to encourage those Institutes which, either because they were founded for this purpose or because of a later calling, are dedicated to promoting Christian unity and therefore foster initiatives of study and concrete action. Indeed, no Institute of Consecrated Life should feel itself dispensed from working for this cause. My thoughts likewise turn to the Eastern Catholic Churches with the hope that also through the monastic life of both men and women — the flourishing of which is a grace to be constantly prayed for — they may help to bring about unity with the Orthodox Churches, through the dialogue of charity and the sharing of a common spirituality, itself the heritage of the undivided Church of the first millennium.In a special way, I entrust to the monasteries of contemplative life the spiritual ecumenism of prayer, conversion of heart, and charity. To this end I encourage their presence wherever Christian communities of different confessions live side by side, so that their total devotion to the "one thing needful" (cf. Lk 10:42) — to the worship of God and to intercession for the salvation of the world, together with their witness of evangelical life according to their special charisms — will inspire everyone to abide, after the image of the Trinity, in that unity which Jesus willed and asked of the Father for all his disciples.
102. Because "interreligious dialogue is a part of the Church's evangelizing mission",Institutes of Consecrated Life cannot exempt themselves from involvement also in this field, each in accordance with its own charism and following the directives of ecclesiastical authority. The first form of evangelization in relation to our brothers and sisters of other religions should be the testimony of a life of poverty, humility and chastity, imbued with fraternal love for all. At the same time, the freedom of spirit proper to the consecrated life will favour that "dialogue of life"which embodies a basic model of mission and of the proclamation of Christ's Gospel. In order to foster reciprocal knowledge, respect and charity, Religious Institutes can also promote appropriate forms of dialogue, marked by cordial friendship and mutual sincerity, with the monastic communities of other religions.
Another area for cooperation with men and women of different religious traditions is that of a shared concern for human life, extending from compassion for those who are suffering physically and spiritually to commitment to justice, peace and the protection of God's creation. In these areas, Institutes of active life especially will seek an understanding with members of other religions, through that "dialogue of action"which prepares the way for more profound exchanges.A particular field for successful common action with people of other religious traditions is that of efforts to promote the dignity of women. In view of the equality and authentic complementarity of men and women, a valuable service can be rendered above all by consecrated women.hese and other ways in which consecrated persons are engaged in the service of interreligious dialogue require an appropriate training, both in initial formation and in continuing formation. They require study and research,since in this very delicate area a profound knowledge of Christianity and of other religions is needed, accompanied by solid faith and by spiritual and personal maturity.
Spirituality as a response to the search for the sacred and the desire for God
103. Because of the very nature of their choice, all who embrace the consecrated life, men and women alike, become privileged partners in the search for God which has always stirred the human heart and has led to the different forms of asceticism and spirituality. Today, in many places, this search is insistently emerging as a response to cultural forces which tend to marginalize the religious dimension of life, if not actually to deny it.
When consecrated persons live consistently and fully their freely assumed commitments, they are able to offer a response to the longings of their contemporaries, and can help to free them from solutions which are for the most part illusory and often involve a denial of the saving Incarnation of Christ (cf. 1 Jn 4:2-3), such as those proposed, for example, by the sects. By practising a personal and communal asceticism which purifies and transfigures their entire existence, they bear witness, against the temptation to self-centredness and sensuality, to the true nature of the search for God. They constitute a warning against confusing that search with a subtle search for self or a flight into gnosticism. Every consecrated person is committed to strengthening the interior life, which in no way involves withdrawal from reality or a turning in upon oneself. Listening in obedience to the word, of which the Church is the guardian and interpreter, the consecrated person points to Christ loved above all things and to the mystery of the Trinity as the response to the profound longings of the human heart and the ultimate goal of every religious journey sincerely open to transcendence.For this reason, consecrated persons are in duty bound to offer a generous welcome and spiritual support to all those who, moved by a thirst for God and a desire to live the demands of faith, turn to them.
104. Many people today are puzzled and ask: What is the point of the consecrated life? Why embrace this kind of life, when there are so many urgent needs in the areas of charity and of evangelization itself, to which one can respond even without assuming the particular commitments of the consecrated life? Is the consecrated life not a kind of "waste" of human energies which might be used more efficiently for a greater good, for the benefit of humanity and the Church?
These questions are asked more frequently in our day, as a consequence of a utilitarian and technocratic culture which is inclined to assess the importance of things and even of people in relation to their immediate "usefulness". But such questions have always existed, as is eloquently demonstrated by the Gospel episode of the anointing at Bethany: "Mary took a pound of costly ointment of pure nard and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the ointment" (Jn 12:3). When Judas, using the needs of the poor as an excuse, complained about such waste, Jesus replied: "Let her alone!" (Jn 12:7).This is the perennially valid response to the question which many people, even in good faith, are asking about the relevance of the consecrated life: Could one not invest one's life in a more efficient and reasonable way for the betterment of society? This is how Jesus replies: "Let her alone!"
Those who have been given the priceless gift of following the Lord Jesus more closely consider it obvious that he can and must be loved with an undivided heart, that one can devote to him one's whole life, and not merely certain actions or occasional moments or activities. The precious ointment poured out as a pure act of love, and thus transcending all "utilitarian" considerations, is a sign of unbounded generosity, as expressed in a life spent in loving and serving the Lord, in order to devote oneself to his person and his Mystical Body. From such a life "poured out" without reserve there spreads a fragrance which fills the whole house. The house of God, the Church, today no less than in the past, is adorned and enriched by the presence of the consecrated life.What in people's eyes can seem a waste is, for the individuals captivated in the depths of their heart by the beauty and goodness of the Lord, an obvious response of love, a joyful expression of gratitude for having been admitted in a unique way to the knowledge of the Son and to a sharing in his divine mission in the world."If any of God's children were to know and taste divine love, the uncreated God, the incarnate God, the God who endured suffering, the God who is the supreme good, they would give themselves completely to him, they would withdraw not only from other creatures but even from their very selves, and with all their being would love this God of love, to the point of being completely transformed into the God-man, who is the supreme Beloved".
The consecrated life in the service of the Kingdom of God
105. "What would become of the world if there were no Religious"?Beyond all superficial assessments of its usefulness, the consecrated life is important precisely in its being unbounded generosity and love, and this all the more so in a world which risks being suffocated in the whirlpool of the ephemeral. "Without this concrete sign there would be a danger that the charity which animates the entire Church would grow cold, that the salvific paradox of the Gospel would be blunted, and that the ?salt' of faith would lose its savour in a world undergoing secularization".The Church and society itself need people capable of devoting themselves totally to God and to others for the love of God.
The Church can in no way renounce the consecrated life, for it eloquently expresses her inmost nature as "Bride". In the consecrated life the proclamation of the Gospel to the whole world finds fresh enthusiasm and power. There is a need for people able to show the fatherly face of God and the motherly face of the Church, people who spend their lives so that others can have life and hope. The Church needs consecrated persons who, even before committing themselves to the service of this or that noble cause, allow themselves to be transformed by God's grace and conform themselves fully to the Gospel.The whole Church finds in her hands this great gift and gratefully devotes herself to promoting it with respect, with prayer, and with the explicit invitation to accept it. It is important that Bishops, priests and deacons, convinced of the evangelical superiority of this kind of life, should strive to discover and encourage the seeds of vocation through preaching, discernment and wise spiritual guidance. All the faithful are asked to pray constantly for consecrated persons, that their fervour and their capacity to love may grow continually and thus contribute to spreading in today's society the fragrance of Christ (cf. 2 Cor 2:15). The whole Christian community — pastors, laity and consecrated persons — is responsible for the consecrated life, and for welcoming and supporting new vocations.
To young people
106. To you, young people, I say: if you hear the Lord's call, do not reject it! Dare to become part of the great movements of holiness which renowned saints have launched in their following of Christ. Cultivate the ideals proper to your age, but readily accept God's plan for you if he invites you to seek holiness in the consecrated life. Admire all God's works in the world, but be ready to fix your eyes on the things destined never to pass away.
The Third Millennium awaits the contribution of the faith and creativity of great numbers of young consecrated persons, that the world may be made more peaceful and able to welcome God and, in him, all his sons and daughters.
107. I address you, Christian families. Parents, give thanks to the Lord if he has called one of your children to the consecrated life. It is to be considered a great honour — as it always has been — that the Lord should look upon a family and choose to invite one of its members to set out on the path of the evangelical counsels! Cherish the desire to give the Lord one of your children so that God's love can spread in the world. What fruit of conjugal love could be more beautiful than this?
We must remember that if parents do not live the values of the Gospel, the young man or woman will find it very difficult to discern the calling, to understand the need for the sacrifices which must be faced, and to appreciate the beauty of the goal to be achieved. For it is in the family that young people have their first experience of Gospel values and of the love which gives itself to God and to others. They also need to be trained in the responsible use of their own freedom, so that they will be prepared to live, as their vocation demands, in accordance with the loftiest spiritual realities.I pray that you, Christian families, united with the Lord through prayer and the sacramental life, will create homes where vocations are welcomed.
To men and women of good will
108. To all the men and women who are willing to listen to my voice, I wish to address an invitation to seek the paths which lead to the living and true God, including the path marked out by the consecrated life. Consecrated persons bear witness to the fact that "whoever follows after Christ, the perfect man, becomes himself more of a man".How many consecrated men and women have bent down, and continue to bend down, as Good Samaritans, over the countless wounds of the brothers and sisters whom they meet on their way!
Look at these people seized by Christ, who show that in self-mastery, sustained by grace and God's love, lies the remedy for the craving to possess, to seek pleasure, to dominate. Do not forget the charisms which have shaped remarkable "seekers of God" and benefactors of humanity, who have provided sure paths for those who seek God with a sincere heart. Consider the great number of saints who have flourished in this way of life; consider the good done to the world, in the past and in the present, by those who have devoted themselves to God! Does not this world of ours need joyful witnesses and prophets of the beneficent power of God's love? Does it not also need men and women who, by their lives and their work, are able to sow seeds of peace and fraternity?
To consecrated persons
109. But it is above all to you, consecrated women and men, that at the end of this Exhortation I appeal with trust: live to the full your dedication to God, so that this world may never be without a ray of divine beauty to lighten the path of human existence. Christians, immersed in the cares and concerns of this world but also called to holiness, need to discover in you purified hearts which in faith "see" God, people docile to the working of the Holy Spirit who resolutely press on in fidelity to the charism of their call and mission.
You know well that you have set out on a journey of continual conversion, of exclusive dedication to the love of God and of your brothers and sisters, in order to bear ever more splendid witness to the grace which transfigures Christian life. The world and the Church seek authentic witnesses to Christ. And the consecrated life is a gift which God offers in order that everyone can recognize the "one thing necessary" (cf. Lk 10:42). To bear witness to Christ by one's life, works and words is the particular mission of the consecrated life in the Church and in the world.
You know the one in whom you have put your trust (cf. 2 Tim 1:12): give him everything! Young people will not be deceived: when they come to you, they want to see what they do not see elsewhere. An immense task awaits you in the future: in a special way young consecrated persons, by witnessing to their consecration, can lead their contemporaries to a renewal of their lives.An impassioned love of Jesus Christ is a powerful attraction for those other young people whom Christ in his goodness is calling to follow him closely and for ever. Our contemporaries want to see in consecrated persons the joy which comes from being with the Lord.Consecrated women and men, old and young alike, live faithfully your commitment to God, in mutual edification and mutual support! Despite the difficulties you may occasionally encounter, and despite the lessening of esteem for the consecrated life in certain quarters, you have the task of once more inviting the men and women of our time to lift their eyes, not to let themselves be overwhelmed by everyday things, to let themselves be captivated by the fascination of God and of his Son's Gospel. Do not forget that you, in a very special way, can and must say that you not only belong to Christ but that "you have become Christ"!
Looking to the future
110. You have not only a glorious history to remember and to recount, but also a great history still to be accomplished! Look to the future, where the Spirit is sending you in order to do even greater things.
Make your lives a fervent expectation of Christ; go forth to meet him like the wise virgins setting out to meet the Bridegroom. Be always ready, faithful to Christ, the Church, to your Institute and to the men and women of our time.In this way you will day by day be renewed in Christ, in order with his Spirit to build fraternal communities, to join him in washing the feet of the poor, and to contribute in your own unique way to the transfiguration of the world.As it enters the new Millennium, may our world, entrusted to human hands, become ever more human and just, a sign and anticipation of the world to come, in which the Lord, humble and glorified, poor and exalted, will be the full and lasting joy for us and for our brothers and sisters, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit.
Prayer to the Holy Trinity
111. Most Holy Trinity, blessed and the source of all blessedness, bless your sons and daughters whom you have called to praise the greatness of your love, your merciful goodness and your beauty.
Father Most Holy, sanctify the sons and daughters who have consecrated themselves to you, for the glory of your name. Enfold them with your power, enabling them to bear witness that you are the Origin of all things, the one Source of love and freedom. We thank you for the gift of the consecrated life, which in faith seeks you and in its universal mission invites all people to draw near to you.Jesus our Saviour, Incarnate Word, as you have entrusted your own way of life to those whom you have called, continue to draw to yourself men and women who will be, for the people of our time, dispensers of mercy, heralds of your return, living signs of the Resurrection and of its treasures of virginity, poverty and obedience. May no tribulation separate them from you and from your love!Holy Spirit, Love poured into our hearts, who grant grace and inspiration to our minds, the perennial Source of life, who bring to fulfilment the mission of Christ by means of many charisms, we pray to you for all consecrated persons. Fill their hearts with the deep certainty of having been chosen to love, to praise and to serve. Enable them to savour your friendship, fill them with your joy and consolation, help them to overcome moments of difficulty and to rise up again with trust after they have fallen; make them mirrors of the divine beauty. Give them the courage to face the challenges of our time and the grace to bring to all mankind the goodness and loving kindness of our Saviour Jesus Christ (cf. Tit 3:4).
112. Mary, image of the Church, the Bride without spot or wrinkle, which by imitating you "preserves with virginal purity an integral faith, a firm hope and a sincere charity",sustain consecrated persons on their journey towards the sole and eternal Blessedness.
To you, Virgin of the Visitation, do we entrust them, that they may go forth to meet human needs, to bring help, but above all to bring Jesus. Teach them to proclaim the mighty things which the Lord accomplishes in the world, that all peoples may extol the greatness of his name. Support them in their work for the poor, the hungry, those without hope, the little ones and all who seek your Son with a sincere heart.To you, our Mother, who desire the spiritual and apostolic renewal of your sons and daughters in a response of love and complete dedication to Christ, we address our confident prayer. You who did the will of the Father, ever ready in obedience, courageous in poverty and receptive in fruitful virginity, obtain from your divine Son that all who have received the gift of following him in the consecrated life may be enabled to bear witness to that gift by their transfigured lives, as they joyfully make their way with all their brothers and sisters towards our heavenly homeland and the light which will never grow dim.We ask you this, that in everyone and in everything glory, adoration and love may be given to the Most High Lord of all things, who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Given in Rome, at Saint Peter's, on 25 March, the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord, in the year 1996, the eighteenth of my Pontificate.
© Copyright 1996 - Libreria Editrice Vaticana
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On March 27, 2021, the College of Education (COE) Department of Learning Design & Technology (LTEC) got creative to host its annual networking event, LTEC Connections. This year’s event, which took place entirely online using video conferencing, brought together over 60 students, alumni, faculty, and staff around a theme of celebrating creativity and community, virtually.
The two-hour event featured a “Creating Creativity” workshop facilitated by guest speaker Dr. Brad Hokanson, Professor of Graphic Design at the University of Minnesota. Following the workshop, the department took the opportunity to recognize Paul Stanley*, the 2019 recipient of the LTEC Distinguished Alumni Award. This award recognizes outstanding alumni who have contributed to their field through professional excellence and significant career achievements, inspirational leadership, or innovative service benefiting their communities.
One of the highlights of the event was “breaking virtual bread.” Participants were provided free, prepaid lunches from Zippy’s, thanks to the the LTEC graduate student organization, Association for Educational Communications and Technology Hawai‘i (AECT-HI), and the Student Activity and Program Fee Board (SAPFB). This was an effort to bring people together for a virtual meal while supporting the local economy. During lunch, attendees broke into groups for a game of “No Connectivity Trivia,” which required them to answer questions the old-fashioned way – without the internet.
“No smartphones, no Google, no Alexa or Siri,” said event host Dr. Dan Hoffman. “When all the guesses were entered and the answers revealed, LTEC master’s student, Skyler Smela, emerged the winner. She won a brand new, eight-quart, 7-in-1 Instant Pot! The success of our virtual LTEC Connections is evidence that people can still connect and support one another amidst the challenges of social distancing.”
LTEC Connections was organized by Drs. Ari Eichelberger, Dan Hoffman, Grace Lin, Peter Leong, and Seungoh Paek with major support from Office Manager Kitty Hino and AECT-HI board members, Johnny Zhou and Waynele Yu.
*LTEC Distinguished Alumni
Paul Stanley, who earned his MEd in Educational Technology, BEd in Elementary Education, and PD in Secondary Education from the COE, is an educator and musician. He currently teaches yearbook and advanced media design at Mililani Middle School and has served as a state resource teacher for Teleschool, technology coordinator, computer teacher, and high school band director. He has also taught various core and elective subjects at several Hawai‘i schools throughout his teaching career of 30 years. He plays soprano, alto, tenor and baritone saxophones, clarinet, Yamaha WX5 wind synthesizer, and is a performing artist for GMS Saxophones. For more info, see http://pstanley.net/Bio.html | <urn:uuid:9b804328-5243-4705-8e89-7c822b729738> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://coe.hawaii.edu/ltec/news/ltec-connections-physically-but-not-socially-distanced/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571210.98/warc/CC-MAIN-20220810191850-20220810221850-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.961542 | 621 | 1.59375 | 2 |
One of the great falsehoods of the Iran lobby and the appeasers of the clerical regime in Tehran is that any effort at regime change would inevitably lead to war. This by-line can be seen in every article by the Iran lobby and the appeasers attempting to underscore the growing global support for the Iranian opposition (MEK/PMOI) and the Iranian people’s quest for regime change.
History teaches us though that the longevity of any regime born out of violent conquest is ultimately short-lived.
The Iranian regime that was born out of a revolution overthrowing the Shah, which was in turn hijacked by the mullahs and turned into a religious oligarchy. The original aim of the revolution was the formation of a secular, pluralistic democracy. That dream still exists in the hearts and minds of the overwhelming majority of the Iranian people and resonates in the various forms of protest in Iran, despite the repressive measures by the regime. Therefore, the call for “regime change” is primarily the Iranian people’s demand.
Since the early days after the 1979 revolution, the mullahs have relied on the typical tools of oppression to keep their grip on power, including the creation of a paramilitary and judiciary system so vast, it touches nearly every sector of Iranian society. At the same time, the Iranian regime and its apparatus (including the regime lobbies and appeasers) have been quick in attacking any publication or personalities who dare speaking about the Iranian people’s quest for freedom and particularly “regime change” in Iran. It goes without saying that those more in line with the regime have targeted MEK/PMOI, since MEK/PMOI is the most dedicated and the organized opposition with extensive routes and support at home that can materialize the regime change. The people’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran, PMOI (usually referred to as MEK) has therefore been the subject of dubious propaganda campaigns by the Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) at home and by the regime lobbies and appeasers abroad. The idea is to say that there is no democratic alternative to this regime. Hence, the only option is to put up with the dictatorship in Iran, otherwise there will be war!
A look at the back ground of the MEK/PMOI, Iran’s democratic opposition can be helpful in shedding light on the reasons for sometimes unprecedented campaigns against them. The People’s Mojahedin of Iran (PMOI/MEK) is the oldest, largest, and contrary to the mullahs’ propaganda, the most popular resistance organization in Iran. The PMOI/MEK was founded in September 1965 by three Iranian engineers, who sought to replace the Shah’s repressive monarchy with a democratic government.
The PMOI/MEK enjoys broad popularity in Iran because of its longstanding support for democracy and its modern interpretation of Islam. The MEK/PMOI believe Islam is inherently tolerant and democratic, thus fully compatible with the values of modern-day civilization. This vision is in fact the cure to the growing expansion of Islamic extremism funded and supported by the mullahs in Iran.
The MEK/PMOI participated in a united front against the Pahlavi monarchy, which violently opposed democratic reforms and had one of the worst human rights records in the world. After the Shah fled Iran, the MEK/PMOI worked to establish a democratic government, but Ayatollah Khomeini hijacked the Revolution and instead created an Islamic theocracy.
The MEK/PMOI shifted course and directed its opposition against the Ayatollah, continuing its struggle to restore democracy in Iran. In June 1980, the PMOI/MEK organized a rally in Tehran to protest Khomeini’s escalating despotism. More than 200,000 people participated in the demonstration.
With each passing day, the PMOI/MEK gained strength and, in July 1980, Khomeini openly considered the possibility of defeat, stating, “Never have I so much feared the Islamic Revolution end in failure.” He lashed out at the PMOI/MEK, declaring the resistance organization as the main enemy. Khomeini said, “Our enemy is neither the United States, nor the Soviet Union, nor Kurdistan, but sitting right here in Tehran under our nose [the PMOI/MEK].”
Revolutionary Guards escalated their attacks on the PMOI/MEK, which continued to promote its pro-democracy campaign. The turning point came on June 20, 1981. The MEK/PMOI organized rallies across Iran to protest Khomeini’s oppressive rule. More than a half million Iranians attended the demonstration in Tehran.
On direct fatwa by Khomeini, the Hezbollah blocked off streets and fired weapons into the growing crowds, killing hundreds of Iranians and injuring many more, with thousands arrested. The reign of terror had begun. The following day, Khomeini’s henchmen executed hundreds of PMOI/MEK supporters who had been arrested, including young girls.
The bloodbath was unrelenting. In the months and years that followed, more than 120,000 PMOI/MEK members and supporters were killed by Khomeini and the ruling mullahs. In only one occasion in summer of 1988, over 30,000 political prisoners (mainly members and supporters of the MEK/PMOI) were mass murdered in Iran, based on a direct fatwa of the mullah’s Supreme Leader, Khomeini. The savagery removed any legitimacy the Islamic Republic may have once had. The regime is now viewed by the people of Iran as fascist, maintaining power through fear and brutality.
Members and supporters of the PMOI/MEK have suffered greatly in their struggle to restore democracy to Iran. Iranians respect the many sacrifices made by the MEK/PMOI and revere its martyrs.
Through the years, the MEK/PMOI has been steadfast in its battle to rid Iran of the mullahs’ nightmare regime, overcoming severe hardships and setbacks. Contrary to the Iranian lobby’s claim, the support by the Iranian people for the PMOI/MEK is also steadfast. The resistance organization has earned their respect and trust and it gives voice to their aspirations for a free and democratic Iran. This can be seen in the latest activities of the supporters of the MEK/PMOI, in Tehran and other major cities across Iran, during the recent uprising in 142 cities show.
Hundreds of video clips and photos of banners and placards hanging from pathways over highways and auto routes on billboards, or in the shape of graffiti on walls in Tehran and other major cities, are published on various Telegram and YouTube channels, showcasing the vast magnitude of these activities. This is while activists have been prosecuted and some even executed for far less “crimes” in the past decades.
Another hallmark for understanding the extent of activities of MEK/PMOI and its popularity among youth, is the recent expressions of concerns followed by crackdowns on the youth under the pretext of cybercrimes. Last year, AbdolsamadKhoramabadi, regime’s deputy public prosecutor said that cyberspace have become extremely worrisome for Tehran. Referring to “Telegram”, by far the most popular social media platform in Iran with over 40 million users, he said:
“More than 30% of these Telegram channels are involved in criminal activities against the country’s security and disrupting the entire nation.”
“The MEK Telegram channel inside Iran is very active… all the regime’s opponents are providing the people all their books and written material through this online platform. If you sought to purchase them you have to pay huge amounts of money. If you wanted to publish a book, it would be very demanding, but on the Internet it is quite easy,” added the regime’s deputy public prosecutor.
The Iranian regime has time and again negotiated with Telegram’s managers to block the MEK/PMOI website and associated channels, only to be rejected each time. This has left Tehran facing an impasse.
Either accept the MEK/PMOI’s vast network with all its grave consequences or pay the ultimate price of blocking Telegram. Ultimately blocked the telegraph network, and raised more dissatisfaction that can even trigger a protest.
The uprisings of early 2018 and massive protests that were viciously put down sent shivers down the mullahs’ spines and served as a sharp reminder that their hold on power is tenuous at best. Hence, they actively repress a free press, continually arresting and imprisoning journalists, editors, photographers, and now bloggers, who voice, print, transmit or illustrate any hint of dissent.
On January 2, Rouhani spoke by phone with French President Emmanuel Macron and complained that the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran-PMOI/MEK, was causing unrest in Iran. The PMOI is the main constituent of the National Council of Resistance of Iran-NCRI, and Rouhani asked his French counterpart to restrict the activities of the group, which is headquartered outside Paris. On January 9, Ali Khamenei, the regime’s leader, underscored that the PMOI was the main force behind the recent uprising and had planned it for months in advance. Khamenei’s startling admission and Rouhani’s desperate appeal show that the PMOI poses a growing threat to the clerical regime.
The regime invests heavily in the massive propaganda effort it mobilizes through state-controlled media and via its lobbies and paid agents abroad, in order to discourage more support for the MEK/PMOI, which is the main driver for regime change in Iran. The extent of the anti MEK/PMOI propaganda has increased, especially after the protests of early 2018 and the election of John Bolton as Donald Trump’s national security adviser, which had a clear message: “Which showed that the Mullahs are very concerned about the change”. A nightmare for the criminal mullahs that cannot be avoided.
This is why it serves the regime’s purposes to continually dangle the threat of war over the heads of its people. It also helps the Iran lobby’s PR efforts to cast Iran like some poor, defenseless nation under threat by the big bad U.S. and its allies, such as Saudi Arabia or the Iranian resistance movement, the MEK/PMOI.
But the situation is so hazardous that a senior ayatollah, JavadiAmoli, on April 27, 2018, frankly said: “if there will be an uprising, all of us will be thrown into the sea.” He added, “Of course many of the officials fled, many have created a safe place to escape to but we have nowhere to escape to.”
It clearly describes the Iranian regime’s need to seek to demonize and neutralize its main and unique alternative, the MEK.
Author: Mahdavi (Reporter, and Opposition Activist to the Iranian regime)
You can follow him on Twitter @mahdavi85 | <urn:uuid:ff39af47-4f66-4d93-9f44-d0277b5ccdb4> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://tgme.org/2018/05/iranian-regime-on-brink-of-overthrown-and-the-role-of-its-alternative-pmoi-mek/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571210.98/warc/CC-MAIN-20220810191850-20220810221850-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.960476 | 2,351 | 1.8125 | 2 |
Designing and Manufacturing a New Generation of Biotherapeutics
XpressCF® and XpressCF+® Platforms
Conventional methods for expressing proteins utilize cell lines originating from bacteria, yeast, insects, plants, or mammals. Because these methods require intact, functioning cells, the biochemical and biophysical parameters under which proteins are produced using these methods are inherently limited, often failing to produce many proteins and biologics. Using cell-based expression systems to produce protein variants is also a cumbersome way to enable selection of the best therapeutic candidates.
Our technology is different. Sutro’s technology platform is made possible by the separation, into an extract, of the cellular components required to produce proteins from the process of protein generation itself. The extract includes all the necessary biochemical components for energy production, transcription and translation and can be used to support cell-free biochemical protein synthesis by the addition of the specific DNA sequence for the desired protein. The process produces single proteins at g/L yields in 8-10 hours at any scale
A wide variety of protein products have been produced using Sutro’s platform. These range from small peptides to multimeric complex mammalian proteins such as monoclonal antibodies. Uniquely, production of proteins in our cell free system can be scaled rapidly from sub-1mL scale to manufacturing scale; the platform is effectively a liquid handling solution to protein synthesis. The advantages of such a flexible platform over conventional cell-based expression systems are enormous:
Proteins can be rapidly engineered and optimized by producing many variants in parallel in 96-well plates from DNA libraries
Master Cell Bank
A single master cell bank used for extract generation can provide the manufacturing platform for many different proteins, leading to accelerated development
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Large quantities of a particular protein can be produced within days from first DNA synthesis, allowing pharmacology and safety assessments to be performed during the design and discovery phase of development
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Sutro designs, discovers, characterizes, and manufactures therapeutic proteins for the treatment or prevention of diseases for itself and for its partners using its proprietary XpressCF® platform technologies. Our XpressCF® technology allows us to provide customized manufacture, design and development of therapeutic proteins using cell-free protein synthesis. XpressCF® also enables our non-natural amino acid conjugation technology XpressCF+® and our discovery technology ProteinSAR™.
XpressCF+® allows customized manufacture, design and development of therapeutic proteins that contain an non-natural amino acid in addition to the 20 natural amino acids. Using XpressCF+® to incorporate an non-natural amino acid results in a protein that can be conjugated to one or more chemicals of interest in a site specific manner, enabling homogenous single-species protein-drug conjugates. For example, XpressCF+® is used to make Sutro’s clinical ADC products, STRO-001 and STRO-002, in which a cytotoxin is conjugated to an antibody containing non-natural amino acids.
In addition, Sutro uses ProteinSAR™ to conduct research to identify and characterize the structure, function and the relationship of the therapeutic proteins. Sutro’s advanced technology allows a rapid and deep analysis of structure-function relationship that is not practical with traditional cell-based methods for protein expression. | <urn:uuid:8eb6ed70-ae08-4a19-bb01-f5d1ac4afb0c> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.sutrobio.com/technology/xpress-cf/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571210.98/warc/CC-MAIN-20220810191850-20220810221850-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.903786 | 743 | 1.8125 | 2 |
Clashes in rural districts of Anbar province and shelling on the cities of Fallujah and Ramadi continued to fuel Iraq’s cycle of violence, whilst over 140,000 civilians have reportedly fled their homes since the outbreak of the crisis in December 2013, in the most important displacement of population since 2006-2008.
Although levels of violence remained high, with northern and central provinces continuing to attract most incidents, mass-casualty attacks have been largely avoided this week, with only a few VBIEDs reported. In the midst of a security crisis which weakens the position of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki ahead of determinant elections in April, the government appears to be seeking new strategies to consolidate Shia support.
Indeed, as the situation in Anbar remains stagnant and Sunni-dominated areas across the country are increasingly vulnerable to militant attacks, political divisions have been exacerbated by levels of violence unseen since 2008. On 21 January, Maliki announced a plan to convert four administrative districts into provinces.
The decision concerns areas in Salahuddin, Nineveh and Anbar governorates. This controversial move is likely to be driven by electoral considerations, in an attempt to weaken Sunni strongholds and foster the perception that central authorities are protecting Shia interests, with two Shia-dominated districts incorporated in the plan.
As ISIL militants continue to focus their efforts on northern provinces and shift away from southern governorates, such superficial measures could benefit Maliki and mitigate the political impact of the country’s worsening security environment.
The stalemate in Anbar will provide militants with unchanged opportunities to strike surrounding provinces, and levels of violence are therefore expected to be sustained over the next reporting period. | <urn:uuid:9669938c-c710-40be-8a5f-ce7ebabcc26c> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.iraq-businessnews.com/2014/01/30/weekly-security-update-21-27-jan-2014/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571210.98/warc/CC-MAIN-20220810191850-20220810221850-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.9431 | 341 | 1.703125 | 2 |
451 – Attila the Hun sacked the town of Metz and attacked other cities in Gaul.
1348 Charles University was founded in Prague.
1521 Ferdinand Magellan arrived at Cebu.
1541 Francis Xavier left Lisbon on a mission to the Portuguese East Indies.
1718 Hugh Blair, Scottish preacher and man of letters, was born (d. 1800).
1770 William Wordsworth, English poet, was born (d. 1850).
1788 – American Pioneers to the Northwest Territory arrived at the confluence of the Ohio and Muskingum rivers, establishing Marietta, Ohioas the first permanent American settlement of the new United States in the Northwest Territory, and opening the westward expansion of the new country.
1795 France adopted the metre as the basic measure of length.
1803 Flora Tristan, French feminist and socialist philosopher, was born (d. 1844).
1827 John Walker, an English chemist, sold the first friction match that he had invented the previous year.
1856 New Zealand’s first state secondary school, Nelson College, opened.
1860 Will Keith Kellogg, American cereal manufacturer, was born (d. 1951).
1862 American Civil War: Battle of Shiloh ended – the Union Army under General Ulysses S. Grant defeated the Confederates.
1868 Thomas D’Arcy McGee, one of the Canadian Fathers of Confederation was assassinated.
1890 Completion of the first Lake Biwa Canal.
1908 Percy Faith, Canadian composer and musician, was born (d. 1976).
1906 Mount Vesuvius erupted and devastated Naples.
1906 – The Algeciras Conference gave France and Spain control over Morocco.
1908 H. H. Asquith of the Liberal Party took office as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
1915 Billie Holiday, American singer, was born (d. 1959).
1922 Teapot Dome scandal: United States Secretary of the Interior leased Teapot Dome petroleum reserves in Wyoming.
1927 First distance public television broadcast (from Washington, D.C. to New York City, displaying the image of Commerce Secretary Herbert Hoover).
1933 Prohibition in the United States was repealed for beer of no more than 3.2% alcohol by weight, eight months before the ratification of the XXI amendment.
1934 Ian Richardson, Scottish actor, was born (d. 2007).
1938 Spencer Dryden, American drummer (Jefferson Airplane), was born (d. 2005).
1939 World War II: Italy invaded Albania.
1939 Francis Ford Coppola, American film director, was born.
1939 Sir David Frost, English broadcaster and TV host, was born.
1940 Booker T. Washington became the first African American to be depicted on a United States postage stamp.
1941 Gorden Kaye, British actor, was born (d. 2017).
1943 The Holocaust: Germans ordered 1,100 Jews to undress to their underwear and march through the city of Terebovlia to the nearby village of Plebanivka where they were shot dead and buried in ditches.
1944 Gerhard Schröder, former Chancellor of Germany, was born.
1945 World War II: The Japanese battleship Yamato, the largest battleship ever constructed, was sunk 200 miles north of Okinawa while en-route to a suicide mission in Operation Ten-Go.
1945 – World War II: Visoko was liberated by the 7th, 9th and 17th Krajina brigades from the Tenth division of Yugoslav Partisan forces.
1946 Syria‘s independence from France was officially recognised.
1948 The World Health Organisation was established by the United Nations.
1948 A Buddhist monastery burned in Shanghai, leaving twenty monks dead.
1951 Janis Ian, American singer and songwriter, was born.
1954 U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower gave his “domino theory” speech during a news conference.
1954 Jackie Chan, Chinese actor, director, producer, and martial artist., was born.
1956 Spain relinquished its protectorate in Morocco.
1963 Yugoslavia was proclaimed to be a Socialist republic and Josip Broz Tito was named President for life.
1964 IBM announced the System/360.
1964 Russell Crowe, New Zealand actor, was born.
1971 U.S. President Richard Nixon announced his decision to increase the rate of American troop withdrawals from Vietnam.
1977 German Federal Prosecutor Siegfried Buback and his driver were shot by two Red Army Faction members while waiting at a red light.
1978 Development of the neutron bomb was canceled by U.S. President Jimmy Carter.
1985 Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev declared a moratorium on the deployment of middle-range missiles in Europe.
1989 Soviet submarine Komsomolets sank in the Barents Sea killing 42 sailors.
1990 John Poindexter was found guilty of five charges for his part in the Iran Contra Affair (the conviction was later reversed on appeal).
1992 Republika Srpska announced its independence.
1994 Massacres of Tutsis begin in Kigali, Rwanda.
1999 The World Trade Organisation ruled in favour of the United States in its long-running trade dispute with the European Union over bananas.
2001 Mars Odyssey was launched.
2003 U.S. troops captured Baghdad.
2009 Former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori was sentenced to 25 years in prison for ordering killings and kidnappings by security forces.
2009 – Mass protests began across Moldova under the belief that results from the parliamentary election are fraudulent.
2017 – 2017 Stockholm attack on Drottninggatan in central Stockholm, Sweden. A stolen truck slammed into people at high speed, killing five and injuring fifteen others.
Sourced from NZ History Online & Wikipedia | <urn:uuid:ef65719e-5082-4ee8-98c7-f149ae5f25e4> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://homepaddock.wordpress.com/tag/william-wordsworth/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570977.50/warc/CC-MAIN-20220809124724-20220809154724-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.971098 | 1,224 | 2.421875 | 2 |
Protesters marched in the capital and several southern cities including Najaf, Nasiriyah and Basra to renew demands proclaimed a year ago to bring an end to corruption by politicians.
Mustafa Hussein, in his 20s, participated in the demonstrations last year and returned to Baghdad’s Tahrir Square on Sunday. He said little had changed.
“Our demands that we wrote with the blood of our martyrs are still on the lists of officials without implementation,” he said.
More than 500 people were killed during the months-long movement that began last year, many of them protesters shot by Iraqi security forces who used live ammunition and tear gas to disperse crowds. In some cases, tear gas cannisters struck the heads of demonstrators, killing them instantly.
By February, the protests had petered out in the wake of coronavirus lockdowns and restrictions, prompting activists to call off mass marches and sit-ins.
An order by the Baghdad Operations Command, which oversees security forces in the capital, kept many hundreds more demonstrators from entering the city on Sunday from the provinces of Babylon and Diwanieh.
In Baghdad’s Tahrir Square, which has been the epicentre of the protest movement, Iraqi youth carried banners with portraits of those killed by Iraqi security forces. The protesters erected tents and created their version of utopia replete with food vendors, cinemas and bookshops.
“Today we mark the memory of the October Revolution, especially those fallen,” said Fadel Ahmed, 25, a graduate of economics. “Our demands are against corrupt parties in power and against the failed parliament.”
In October of last year, tens of thousands of Iraqis — mostly young people — marched in Baghdad and cities in the south to decry government graft, unemployment and poor services. Demonstrators took over public squares in Baghdad and camped out for months, refusing to leave until their demands were met.
The movement had early successes. Pressure from demonstrators lead to the resignation of Adil Abdul-Mahdi’s government. Mustafa al-Kadhimi assumed the premiership after months of political deadlock and after two previous candidates failed to garner enough support among elites.
Al-Kadhimi has presented himself a champion of the protesters’ demands, appointing long-time activists among his close group of advisors. He promised that early elections, a key demand of protesters, would be held next June.
Despite crackdowns from militias and the government, protesters say their movement is still alive.
“We have only this revolution to achieve our goals,” Ahmed said. “If it can’t, Iraq will be lost.” | <urn:uuid:1fc76027-3175-474e-b452-9ae1a9910fc1> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://globalnews.ca/news/7420793/iraq-1-year-of-protests/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571538.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812014923-20220812044923-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.970439 | 556 | 1.585938 | 2 |
Delivering mobile-enabled agricultural services (‘mAgri services’) to women in developing countries is a major market opportunity for the mobile industry that also offers substantial social benefits. The mAgri services market is nascent but growing—GSMA has tracked 106 active, global deployments by mobile network operators (MNOs) and third party providers. Women working in agriculture account for an estimated 556 million potential users globally, but are underserved as a unique customer segment.
women and agriculture
This case study examines the information channels and use of ICTs by men and women farmers around Nakuru and Thika in Kenya. It contributes to a growing body of literature that aims to understand how ICTs can close gender gaps in agriculture and lead to more equitable opportunities for farmers. | <urn:uuid:2d9de317-7642-41ad-a9e5-5e6d762ebc0d> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://unapcict.org/keywords/women-and-agriculture | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571538.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812014923-20220812044923-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.940122 | 160 | 2.171875 | 2 |
Fleming: The story of early settler Eliza Jane Tanner
An animal activist long before the culture nurtured such views, advocate for the welfare of children and owner of a unique book of autographs, Eliza Jane Marshall Tanner once had a fountain honoring her in Lincoln Park, now called Library Park.
The granddaughter of a veteran of the Revolutionary War and niece of Supreme Court Chief Justice John Marshall was born in 1840. She graduated from Oberlin College in Ohio at a time when very few women achieved college degrees. (The town of Oberlin was an active station of the Underground Railroad for escaping slaves.)
During the Civil War, with her husband, Abraham, in the thick of the fighting, Eliza decided to collect as many autographs of Union soldiers as she could. Her autograph book became a treasured memento of that devastating conflict, and she often displayed it when friends came to visit her.
In 1889, Eliza came to Fort Collins with her son, Hubert Tanner, so he could attend the agricultural college here. Right away, she plunged into the civic life of her new town, joining the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Women’s Christian Temperance Union, or WCTU. At the time she arrived here, Fort Collins was still replete with watering holes. Though the WCTU was hard at work to rid the town of “demon rum,” prohibition did not happen here until the next decade.
Sadly, she lost young Hubert to typhoid fever, which was on a rampage here around the turn of the 20th century, with no known remedies. The advent of the epidemic ultimately resulted in Fort Collins’ first hospital a short while later and in the construction of a new, more sanitary water treatment plant in 1904.
Eliza rented rooms in her house on Mathews Street to college students at a low rate, enabling them to more easily complete their education. Close to the campus, her home was convenient and, no doubt, hospitable. Nothing could compensate for the loss of her son, but we could imagine that helping out struggling students mitigated her grief somewhat.
During her long life, she continued to speak out for temperance — liquor could be had just outside the limits of our borders if one knew where to look for it — and for humane treatment of domestic animals and responsible care of children. She became well enough known here that the fountain was erected in her memory after she died in 1938 at age 98. It read: “In honor of Mrs. Eliza M. Tanner, pioneer teacher, temperance crusader, ardent worker for animal protection.”
A few decades after her death, the fountain in the park on the Peterson Street side, east of the Carnegie Library, was dismantled to make way for the new library building, leaving only memories behind.
Contact history author Barbara Fleming at firstname.lastname@example.org. | <urn:uuid:3a939d89-9e64-4e05-b543-a99f2f9d4b20> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.coloradoan.com/story/news/local/2014/11/30/fleming-story-early-settler-eliza-jane-tanner/19713093/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571538.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812014923-20220812044923-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.97611 | 599 | 2.765625 | 3 |
(New York) – The top of the Empire State Building will turn a bright blue to honor Human Rights Watch on December 10, 2013, the international day to celebrate human rights around the world. The Empire State Building decided to use blue lights in recognition of Human Rights Watch’s 35 years of work worldwide to protect and promote human rights.
“We’re delighted to see New York’s landmark building highlighting the work of Human Rights Watch,” said Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch. “We hope the blue light will inspire everyone to think about the importance of safeguarding human rights at home and abroad.”
The 400-plus staff at Human Rights Watch works in more than 90 countries to end human rights violations by investigating and exposing abuses, and pressing the powerful to bring about change and hold abusers to account. Human Rights Watch stands with victims and activists to prevent discrimination, to uphold political freedom, to protect people from inhumane conduct in wartime, and to bring offenders to justice. We challenge governments and those who hold power to end abusive practices and respect international human rights law.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted on December 10, 1948, sets out a broad range of rights and freedoms guaranteed to all people around the globe without distinction. In recognition of these rights, the world celebrates Human Rights Day. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. As UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said to commemorate this milestone: “Let us intensify our efforts to fulfill our collective responsibility to promote and protect the rights and dignity of all people everywhere.” | <urn:uuid:9744a860-9f3b-46c2-9d06-de9343319524> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.hrw.org/news/2013/12/10/empire-state-building-honors-human-rights-watch | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570977.50/warc/CC-MAIN-20220809124724-20220809154724-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.897844 | 336 | 2.5625 | 3 |
Download and display the Form and Textureposters available on this website.
View and discuss several images of clay pots.
Share information about pottery, for example, - pottery is one of the earliest crafts humans invented - prehistoric humans figured out how to use clay to line woven grass baskets - the clay shrunk inside the basket, but held its shape - they discovered they could make the clay hard and strong by heating it in fire - from as early as 400 BCE pottery was made in large quantities to be sold or traded - Egyptians created kiln - a special oven for baking clay - Greeks perfected the form and decoration of their clay pots - people in medieval times figured out how to make pots strong enough to cook with - pots can be made using a pottery wheel, or by using handbuilding techniques
Explain that they are going to learn how to make their own clay pot using a handbuilding techniques. - they will be rolling long snakes of clay called coils, which is why this pot is called a coil pot
Introduce the challenge.
Create a small, sturdy coil pot.
Use slip and score technique to join coils of clay.
Explain your process.
Express opinions about the works.
Demonstrate technical accomplishment and creativity.
Make sure everyone understands the challenge.
Establish success criteria with your students, for example, I know I am successful when I have: - constructed a pot using skillful handbuilding techniques - rolled straight, even coils - used score and slip joining technique correctly - created a pot that is sturdy and in good condition
Guide students through the steps outlined in this lesson plan.
Encourage students to always join clay using the score and slip technique.
Observe students as they work.
Provide individual assistance and encouragement.
Have students work with a partner.
Ask them to take turns discussing the completed pots. They must find: - 3 things that interest them about how the work was made; - what the artist found challenging; - what the artist thought was easy; and - how the artist felt about making this coil pot and why.
Once everyone has had a chance to share ask students to report back to the whole class.
Have students tell what they learned about their partner’s work/process.
Observe students as they work – thoughtful focus, discriminating, seeking more information, elaborating, experimenting
Observe students as they share and discuss their pots – active listening, insightful contributions, supporting ideas with evidence found in the artwork and from personal experience.
Use a checklist to track progress. (Downloads - CoilPotl_tracking.pdf)
Have students use the self-assessment form to reflect on their work. (Downloads - CoilPot_self-assessment.pdf) | <urn:uuid:bce9c732-2620-437a-8d12-0058d496fffe> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://crayolateachers.ca/lesson/air-dry-clay-how-to-make-a-coil-pot/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571538.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812014923-20220812044923-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.952771 | 581 | 4.15625 | 4 |
High Blood Pressure: Prevention Treatment And Research
We all have blood pressure. This simply refers to the way blood pushes against the walls of your arteries as your heart pumps. However, one in three American adults have a potentially dangerous condition known as high blood pressure, also called hypertension. For those with high blood pressure, blood moves more forcefully through the arteries than it should.
Its normal for blood pressure to increase when you exercise or are under stress. But when the pressure is too high even when youre at rest, and stays too high for too long, it can stretch and damage your arteries. The resulting health problems from high blood pressure can include heart disease, heart failure, stroke, kidney damage, vision loss, and memory loss and cognitive decline.
How To Understand High Blood Pressure Readings
Two numbers create a blood pressure reading. Systolic pressure indicates the pressure in your arteries when your heart beats and pumps out blood. Diastolic pressure is the reading of the pressure in your arteries between beats of your heart.
Five categories define blood pressure readings for adults:
- Healthy: A healthy blood pressure reading is less than 120/80 millimeters of mercury .
- Elevated: The systolic number is between 120 and 129 mm Hg, and the diastolic number is less than 80 mm Hg. Doctors usually dont treat elevated blood pressure with medication. Instead, your doctor may encourage lifestyle changes to help lower your numbers.
- Stage 1 hypertension: The systolic number is between 130 and 139 mm Hg, or the diastolic number is between 80 and 89 mm Hg.
- Stage 2 hypertension: The systolic number is 140 mm Hg or higher, or the diastolic number is 90 mm Hg or higher.
- Hypertensive crisis: The systolic number is over 180 mm Hg, or the diastolic number is over 120 mm Hg. Blood pressure in this range requires urgent medical attention. If any symptoms like chest pain, headache, shortness of breath, or visual changes occur when blood pressure is this high, medical care in the emergency room is needed.
A blood pressure reading is taken with a pressure cuff. For an accurate reading, its important you have a cuff that fits. An ill-fitting cuff may deliver inaccurate readings.
Medicines For High Blood Pressure
Several types of medicine can be used to help control high blood pressure.
Many people need to take a combination of different medicines.
- if you’re under 55 years of age you’ll usually be offered an ACE inhibitor or an angiotensin-2 receptor blocker
- if you’re aged 55 or older, or you’re any age and of African or Caribbean origin you’ll usually be offered a calcium channel blocker
You may need to take blood pressure medicine for the rest of your life. But your doctor might be able to reduce or stop your treatment if your blood pressure stays under control for several years.
It’s really important to take your medicine as directed. If you miss doses, it will not work as well.
The medicine will not necessarily make you feel any different, but this does not mean it’s not working.
Medicines used to treat high blood pressure can have side effects, but most people do not get any.
If you do get side effects, do not stop taking your medicine. Talk to your doctor, who may advise changing your medicine.
High Blood Pressure In Cats Faqs
What is a normal blood pressure for cats?
Only the top number, or the systolic blood pressure , is considered in determining normal or high blood pressure in cats. This number should be less than 150 mmHg.
What is considered high blood pressure for cats?
Only the top number, or the systolic blood pressure , is used in determining high blood pressure in cats. Hypertension in cats is marked by a systolic blood pressure greater than 160 mmHg.
Can high blood pressure cause seizures in older cats?
Yes, hypertension can cause seizures in older cats.
Can stress cause high blood pressure in cats?
Yes, stress can definitely cause hypertension in cats, especially stress caused by being at the vets office. This is why your vet will try to allow your cat to relax before taking a reading, and they should do several readings and average them together.
Symptoms Of High Pressure
As discussed above, high blood pressure does not show any symptoms even when the blood pressure becomes tremendously high. Some people notice some minor symptoms like headache, bleeding from nose or breathlessness. However, these are very minor symptoms and it does not show up until the problem becomes too severe that can be life threatening.
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Hypertension: What You Need To Know As You Age
You cant see high blood pressure, also called hypertension. And most ofthe time, you cant feel it. But if youre among the 78 million Americanswith hypertension or are one of the 70 million with prehypertension, its important to understandits effects on your healthand to take action today to bring your numbersdown to healthier levels.
Blood pressure is the force of blood against the inner walls of yourarteries. It has normal fluctuations throughout the dayfalling when yourerelaxed or asleep, rising naturally in the morning, and increasingtemporarily when youre under stress, excited or exercising. But when yourresting blood pressure level rises too high, it can scar, stiffen and/orweaken blood vessels. This effect can double your risk for aheart attack quadruple your odds for astroke raise your risk forheart failure, vision loss, kidney problems,dementiaand circulation problems such asperipheral artery disease weaken your bones and contribute toerectile dysfunctionin men.
Consume A Mostly Plant
Consuming a plant-based diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes effectively lowers inflammation, improves vascular function, and increases potassium intake. Focusing on consuming plant-based whole foods ensures that you are mainly eating foods that are dense in all of the nutrients needed to protect your heart and lower your blood pressure.
A plant-based diet can reduce inflammation. Systemic inflammation means that your immune system is aggravated, leading to the activation of cells that are responsible for immune response, like macrophages, cytokines, T cells, and lymphocytes. Under normal circumstances, these cells are activated to fight off an infection, heal a wound, or repair damaged cells.
Food is a significant mediator for inflammation. A diet high in refined sugar, trans fats, saturated fat, processed meats, and dairy products exacerbate inflammation in the body. On the other hand, a plant-based diet consisting mainly of whole foods soothes inflammation, repairs inflammatory damage, and protects against further damage.
Dr. Michael Greger describes how certain foods influence blood pressure in his book How Not to Die. Try incorporating the foods he suggests into your diet as part of an antihypertensive lifestyle.
Beets and Other Foods with Nitrate
Note: Keep in mind that the natural sources of nitrate in vegetables have a vastly different effect than those added to preserved meats.
- Chia seeds
Also Check: What Foods Bring Down Blood Pressure
Why Lowering Your Bp Matters
Over time, high blood pressure can lead to an array of health complications. HBP does not have symptoms, so its especially important to visit your primary physician on a regular basis. They will be able to determine if your blood pressure is abnormal and prescribe a treatment plan for you.
HPB can lead to:
- Damage to your heart and arteries
- Memory loss
- Vision loss
Potential Complications Of High Blood Pressure
If high blood pressure is left untreated over a long period of time, it can raise your chances of developing related conditions. The constant pressure in your blood vessels causes damage, resulting in narrow, stiffened arteries that restrict blood flow. When blood flow is limited, all organs in your body are in jeopardy of receiving inadequate oxygen and nutrients. Hypertension-related artery damage markedly increases your risk of developing cardiovascular disease and experiencing a heart attack or stroke.
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So How Can I Lower My High Blood Pressure
For more information on lowering your blood pressure through lifestyle changes, you can browse this website.
If having a more structured approach would be beneficial, then take a look at my guide to lowering blood pressure naturally:
As the imaginative title suggests, the book is laid out in nine easy-to-follow steps. Each of these covers different things you can do to lower your blood pressure. Choosing tasty nutritious foods to eat and drink which can benefit your blood pressure. Finding ways to be more active in your daily life. Making time to relax properly.
You can follow these steps at whatever pace suits you. And slowly but surely bring yourself and your blood pressure into better balance and optimal health.
I should emphasise that following this guide does not lead to a life of denial! Lowering your blood pressure, and getting healthier and happier is actually very enjoyable. Who doesnt like good food and drink ? And there are many ways to be more active. Of course, now you also have a good reason to make sure you get more quality down time as well.
However you do it, and whatever your genetic predisposition, I wish you all the best in getting your blood pressure to healthier levels. If I can do it, you can do it!
Is high blood pressure hereditary? References and further information
Fighting Back Against The Silent Killer
High blood pressure is a symptomless silent killer that quietly damages blood vessels and leads to serious health problems.
While there is no cure, using medications as prescribed and making lifestyle changes can enhance your quality of life and reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke, kidney disease and more.
Read Also: What Is The Pathophysiology Of Hypertension
Can Fibromyalgia Cause Shortness Of Breath
Sharing is caring!
Fibromyalgia is a long-term status that causes pain all over the body. Its not known what causes fibromyalgia, but its thought that both genetic and environmental factors can contribute to developing the condition.
It causes widespread musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, and other symptoms such as dizziness and headaches. Shortness of breath is as common as it is alarming for those with fibromyalgia.
Avoid Unhealthy Alcohol Use
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Third Misconception About High Blood Pressure: It’s Ok As Long As One Number Is Normal
You may notice that when your doctor measures your blood pressure, the reading includes two numbers, one written on top of the other. These numbers can be confusing. The top number is called your systolic blood pressure. This number represents the force of blood through your blood vessels during your heartbeat.
- 119 or below is normal systolic blood pressure
- 120-129 is considered elevated
- 130 and greater is high blood pressure
The bottom number is called your diastolic blood pressure. This number represents the force of blood through your blood vessels in between heartbeats, while your heart is resting.
- 79 or below is normal diastolic blood pressure
- 80 and greater is hypertension
Many people pay more attention to the systolic rate than the diastolic, but experts say that the heart can tolerate a high top number better than a high bottom number. As you age, though, the systolic number tends to take on additional significance as the risk of heart attack and especially stroke increases.
Blood pressure does change throughout the day, depending on your activities. Blood pressure changes over time, as well. Systolic blood pressure tends to rise as you get older. Diastolic blood pressure may decrease as you get older.
If either of your blood pressure readings is consistently above normal, then you need to take action right away. You and your doctor can develop a plan to treat high blood pressure or even prehypertension before damage to your organs occurs.
If You Need Two Medications
Many types of blood pressure drugs work best when taken together. When taking two drugs together, diuretics have been shown to lower blood pressure with a beta-blocker, ACE inhibitor and an ARB. A calcium channel blocker lowers blood pressure with the same drugs that work well with a diuretic. Other drug combinations are necessary when taking three or more blood pressure medications. There may be other reasons why your doctor may prescribe two blood pressure medications. For example, after heart attacks, doctors will prescribe a beta-blocker and an ACE inhibitor, but this is not primarily to reduce blood pressure.
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Fifth Misconception About High Blood Pressure: Treatment Doesn’t Work
In fact, if you work with your doctor to develop a comprehensive program for managing your high blood pressure, that plan can work. To maximize the benefits of your plan, follow these steps:
- Check your blood pressure as often as recommended by your doctor.
- Follow your treatment plan consistently. Let your doctor know right away if you have problems with parts of the plan. Your doctor may refer you to other health care professionals who can help.
- See your doctor as often as requested. Bring your blood pressure records to show your doctor how the plan is working.
- Ask your doctor or pharmacist for information about medication side effects. Know when to call your doctor if there is a problem.
- Reduce how much salt you take in.
Learning about high blood pressure and how it can harm your health is the first step in controlling this condition so you can remain healthy for years to come.
Fourth Misconception About High Blood Pressure Is About Treatment
Give up your favorite foods. Take drugs with annoying side effects. These are some things you might fear when you think about high blood pressure treatment. It is true that it may take some time to develop a treatment plan that works best for you, because high blood pressure often has several underlying causes. In many cases, the specific cause of high blood pressure may not be evident.
Your doctor will work closely with you to determine which combination of treatments works to best control high blood pressure. Your treatment plan is likely to include the following elements:
The DASH eating plan. The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension plan includes eating less fat and saturated fat as well as eating more fresh fruits and vegetables and whole-grain foods. Limiting use of salt and alcohol can also help lower your high blood pressure. A dietitian can help you find ways to meet these goals without giving up your favorite foods or great flavor.
Weight Control. Being overweight increases your risk of developing high blood pressure. Following the DASH eating plan and getting regular exercise can help you lose weight. Ask your doctor to help you determine a goal. Your doctor can also refer you to other health care professionals for assistance in setting up a weight loss plan.
Alcohol may increase your blood pressure, as well, especially if you are drinking too much. Cutting back or abstaining might be essential.
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Drugs To Treat High Blood Pressure
There are several types of drugs used to treat high blood pressure, including:
- Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors
- Angiotensin II receptor blockers
- Combination medications
Diuretics are often recommended as the first line of therapy for most people who have high blood pressure.
However, your doctor may start a medicine other than a diuretic as the first line of therapy if you have certain medical problems. For example, ACE inhibitors are often a choice for people with diabetes. If one drug doesn’t work or is disagreeable, additional medications or alternative medications may be recommended.
If your blood pressure is more than 20/10 points higher than it should be, your doctor may consider starting you on two drugs or placing you on a combination drug.
Set Weight Loss Goals
If your doctor has recommended you lose weight, talk with them about an optimal weight loss goal for you. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends a weight loss goal of one to two pounds a week. This can be achieved through a more nutritious diet and increased physical exercise.
Employing the help of a trainer or fitness app, and possibly even a dietician, are all methods to help you learn how to make the best choices for your body and your lifestyle.
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Patients Can Take These Steps To Lower Their High Blood Pressure
High blood pressure is typically symptomless, can quietly damage blood vessels and leads to serious health problems. While there is no cure for high blood pressure, it is important for patients to take steps that matter, such as making effective lifestyle changes and taking BP-lowering medications as prescribed by their physicians. In turn, those changes can enhance their quality of life and reduce their risk of heart and kidney disease, stroke and more.
What To Expect When Hospitalized For High Blood Pressure
You will most likely be monitored in the ICU when you are hospitalized for high blood pressure with concerns about possible organ damage. You can expect to have the following treatments and monitoring:
- Intravenous blood pressure lowering medications as an IV drip
- Heart monitor
- Frequent blood tests
- Multiple IV lines
The most important aspect of treating dangerously high blood pressure in the hospital is not to bring it down too fast. That may surprise you because it goes against your intuition. Knowing you have dangerously high blood pressure, you may think that you need to lower it fast. However, lowering very high blood pressure too fast can be more dangerous. The sudden drop in pressure may cause more damage to the organs at risk. That is why you need very close monitoring of your blood pressure. They will adjust your blood pressure medication slowly and watch the effects closely.
It is generally recommended to not lower your blood pressure more than 25% in the first hour. After that, they recommend keeping your blood pressure slightly below the danger threshold for the next 24 hours. After 24 hours, blood pressure can be lowered to normal, but it is not necessary to do so in the hospital. Once the blood pressure is down to an acceptable label, you can safely go home. You will continue to adjust your blood pressure safely during your regular doctor visits.
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Acid Adam and eve coupons 2015 Reflux Information You Need To Know About
Acid reflux is one of the most uncomfortable conditions that anyone could have. Acid reflux can be created and exacerbated by many factors, including diet, weight, smoking, and even your clothing. You can learn what causes acid reflux and how to get rid of it with the information in this article.
Keep a diet diary. Everyone is different, and which foods will trigger your acid reflux may not be the same as mine. Write down how you feel before, during and after each meal, and include a list of what you eat and drink all day. After a month, you should have a clearer picture of which foods cause you the most grief.
The way you sit after eating can affect acid reflux and can keep Kohls coupon codes 30% it from traveling up your esophagus. After eating, try to remain sitting upright for around two to three hours before lying down. If you’re having problems when you lay down later, prop your head up about six inches.
High fat foods may be tasty, but that can be troublesome for anyone who suffers from acid reflux. Foods that are high in fat cause the sphincter of the lower portion of the esophagus to become relaxed and increase the time it takes for the stomach to empty. Both of these conditions make it possible for acid reflux to occur. Eat a healthy balanced diet of vegetables, fiber, grains, and lean protein.
You should consider quitting smoking if you are a sufferer of acid reflux. Stomach acid levels increase with nicotine consumption. Kohls coupon codes 30% off This makes acid reflux worse. Don’t stress yourself by stopping smoking all at once as this could also exacerbate your problem. Take your time when quitting.
Do you suffer from respiratory problems? Do you have a chronic couch or wheeze often? If so, it could be an acid reflux problem. Heartburn could cause these symptoms. Your doctor might suggest a pH test. This procedure is done on an outpatient basis over the course of 24 hours and can determine if reflux is a problem.
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Poetry That Will Get You Through a Hard Time
I stood there, not breathing, clutching the phone as the voice-mail lady repeated: "To replay this message, press one." Then, out of nowhere, I heard these words in my mind: Before you know what kindness really is / you must lose things....
Though I'd heard Naomi Shihab Nye's "Kindness" before, I had never really been drawn to the poem. And I certainly didn't know it was in my memory. Nevertheless, the next lines unfurled in my mind like a karaoke crib sheet.
Of course, there were suddenly a thousand things I needed to do: contact my lawyer and my accountant, figure out how to pay the bills I'd accrued when I thought I had money—not to mention rent, food, and health insurance. But all I could think to do was google "Kindness." That poem became the prayer that carried me in the days and months that followed.
Before you know what kindness really is
you must lose things,
feel the future dissolve in a moment
like salt in a weakened broth.
What you held in your hand,
what you counted and carefully saved,
all this must go so you know
how desolate the landscape can be
between the regions of kindness.
How you ride and ride
thinking the bus will never stop,
the passengers eating maize and chicken
will stare out the window forever.
Before you learn the tender gravity of kindness,
you must travel where the Indian in a white poncho
lies dead by the side of the road.
You must see how this could be you,
how he too was someone
who journeyed through the night with plans
and the simple breath that kept him alive.
Before you know kindness as the deepest thing inside,
you must know sorrow as the other deepest thing.
You must wake up with sorrow.
You must speak to it till your voice
catches the thread of all sorrows
and you see the size of the cloth.
Then it is only kindness that makes sense anymore,
only kindness that ties your shoes
and sends you out into the day to mail letters and purchase bread,
only kindness that raises its head
from the crowd of the world to say
It is I you have been looking for,
and then goes with you everywhere
like a shadow or a friend.
—Naomi Shihab Nye
Kim Rosen is the author of Saved by a Poem (Hay House) and the cocreator of four albums of music and poetry.
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Having the car crank but not start is stressful enough but what really adds insult to injury is replacing parts that don't solve the problem.
What complicates a no-start problem with your Ford vehicle is that a lot of different things can cause it not to start. You might be wondering, ‘Is it the fuel pump?’, or ‘Is it the ignition coil?’ and the list goes on.
Well, in this article (which covers both the coil pack and distributor equipped Ford 3.0L and 3.8L vehicles), I'm gonna' talk about the three areas most no-start problems reside in and then I'm gonna' offer you some ideas of where to start testing.
Armed with this info and where to find specific testing articles, you should be able to find the cause of your no-start issue without the whole thing turning into a nightmare.
Contents of this tutorial:
Important Tips And Suggestions
TIP 1: This may be stating the obvious but just in case it's not clear, a no-crank and a no-start condition are not the same thing. This article only concentrates on testing a no-start condition.
The difference is that in a no-start condition the starter motor in your vehicle does crank the engine but the engine does not start. In a no-crank condition, the starter motor does not turn over the engine when you turn the key to start your vehicle.
No Start Condition Basics
For the engine to start, in your 3.0L or 3.8L Ford car (mini-van, pick up), it needs three very important things: air, fuel, and spark.
If spark is missing from the formula, the engine will not start and so it goes with any of the other components (if they're missing from the mix).
So, knowing that the majority of the no-start problems start in one of these three areas gives you a major advantage when troubleshooting the issue. Let's discuss these three main areas:
1.) Ignition System.
- Depending on the age of your specific Ford, Mercury or Lincoln vehicle, it'll have either a distributor ignition system or a distributor-less ignition coil pack system. Both of these work on the same basic principles.
- In my experience (and in my opinion), the majority of no-start problems lie in a no-spark condition.
- The major components that can cause an ignition system related no-start are but not limited to:
- Distributor Type Ignition
- Ignition coil
- Ignition control module (ICM)
- PIP (Profile Ignition Pickup) sensor, which is Ford's name for the crank sensor.
- Coil Pack Type Ignition
- Crank sensor
- Coil pack.
- Coil pack ignition systems do not use an ignition control module (ICM). The PCM (Powertrain Control Module) is the one that takes care of this function.
- Distributor Type Ignition
- All of the above ignition system components can be tested.
2.) Fuel System
- All of the Ford models covered by this article use an electric fuel pump and if you've been driving a car for any length of life, you know that fuel pumps don't last forever. But fuel pumps are not the only component of the fuel system that can fail.
- The fuel system components that are synonymous with a no-start no-fuel problem are:
- The fuel pump.
- Fuel pump relay.
- Fuel pump inertia switch.
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Is it cost effective? Where do we get it from?
We are working on developing industrial solutions to the Sargassum crisis hitting the Caribbean each summer. We want to create sustainable uses for the seaweed biomass whilst also working towards cleaner beaches which will encourage tourists to return to the area.
Tourism in Mexico alone accounts for around 8% (over $20 billion) of its total income each year. Since Sargassum began to cover the coastline in 2011, the tourism has taken a hit, leading to huge annual losses, around $3.5 billion in 2018 alone.
Sargassum clean up cost are increasing every year and previously have fallen to local councils and beach concessionaires to organise community beach cleans using limited manual equipment and light machinery. The Mexican Navy have now been asked to lead the operation from the ocean, along with 4 new barges to help collect the seaweed at sea and large floating barriers which prevent the biomass washing ashore.
Both methods, whilst effective are expensive and time consuming but it is thought that ocean clean up systems may pose some benefits. Perhaps the biggest benefit to ocean clean up methods is the impact on Mexico's tourism industry. Sargassum will be prevented from reaching, the otherwise pristine, beaches, meaning that tourist will return to the area and reestablish the economy.
The new vessels are expected to collect at least 80 tons per day (360 between 4 vessels) and take 4 personnel to operate verses over 100 volunteers collecting on shore at around 35 tons per day. The collected biomass is currently disposed of at landfill or buried in less used areas of the beach. We are taking an in-depth look at the economics surrounding Sargassum collection to get a better understanding of the opportunities surrounding a viable biorefinery. We will be releasing our findings in the near future.
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To prepare for the CompTIA A+ Exam 220 1001 Core 1, you must familiarize yourself with its objectives. These objectives give you a clear picture of the topics covered in the exam. Knowing what to expect on the exam can also help you plan your study strategies and study guide. The CompTIA A+ certification covers different branches of IT, and as a result, you need to understand computer operating systems, computer hardware and acronyms. It is also essential to know how to troubleshoot common computer issues.
Managing your time during the CompTIA A+ Exam is one of the most important things you can do to pass this exam. Make sure you reread all the 220-1001 Practice test Software Questions and double-check your answers before moving on to the next one. You can usually know your results immediately if you take the exam at a testing center. You can obtain your certified results at the front desk of the testing center.
The CompTIA A+ certification is among the most popular and widely recognized IT certifications. It will help employers understand a person’s abilities in technical support and end-point management. It will also confirm that the individual has a working knowledge of multimedia devices. The certification is also regularly updated to stay current with the latest technology and the industry needs. However, it is not a walk in the park.
Questions relating to cloud-based technologies
To prepare for the exam, you should review study guides and objectives. You should have a solid understanding of domain concepts and know how to answer questions that are a combination of multiple-choice, drag-and-drop, and performance-based questions. You can self-study with the CompTIA A+ Knowledge4sure Study Guide or opt for a training course tailored to your learning style and pace.
The A+ certification test is divided into two parts, and the Core 1 exam focuses on hardware and the other on software. To pass the exam, you must understand and master many different aspects of computers and network equipment. It is advisable to take a practice test before attempting the exam. The CompTIA A+ exam requires you to know various computer acronyms and operating systems and a thorough understanding of how to troubleshoot common issues.
Time management for CompTIA A+ Exam 220-1001 Core 1
One of the first tips you must master when preparing for the CompTIA A+ 220-1001 Knowledge4sure. The test has ninety minutes, and the questions are not in the same order as in other training materials. The test’s objectives are found in a question bank, meaning each candidate’s exam will differ. You can cross-reference the exam’s objectives with your study materials to determine the questions and the order of answers.
The Knowledge4sure CompTIA A+ certification series is a globally recognized and trusted entry-level credential. It demonstrates knowledge and experience in various IT skills, from hardware to networking to operating systems. The exam is also relevant to the latest technology, including virtualization and mobile devices. You need to be aware of the latest hardware and software to answer questions and how they work together to make a successful network.
The A+ certification is the industry’s first vendor-neutral entry-level credential and teaches many skills relevant to computer networking, hardware, and software. In addition to the basics, the test covers advanced software troubleshooting procedures and cloud computing. It also includes the knowledge and understanding of all major operating systems. To prepare for the exam, students should be familiar with the following topics:
The Knowledge4sure Exam format for CompTIA A+ Exam varies depending on the exam. The exam is 90 minutes long and requires no prior experience. You must score a minimum of six hundred and seventy to pass. To succeed, you should aim for a score of 675 on a scale of 900. To achieve this score, you must answer at least 80% of the questions correctly.
The CompTIA exam contains many technical performance-based questions. Exam questions may include drag and drop, command prompt, and matching. Understanding the objectives of the exam is essential for answering the questions. To help you prepare, the CompTIA A+ website provides a comprehensive study guide for the exam. In addition to studying with study guides, you can opt to join an instructor-led training course. Experts conduct this course with complete knowledge of the subject.
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Illustrators bear witness.
Nothing could be more important.
One hundred years from now, when someone wants to know what it was like to be a seven-year-old girl in New York City on her birthday – or what it was like to be a Mexican-American child growing up in Texas – they won’t go to a reference book and look it up. They will look at a picture.
Illustrators, we must:
See with our fingers.
See with our hands.
See with our pencils.
So much depends upon it.
The world “literally” depends upon it!
The process for the bilingual picture book – A Surprise for Teresita/Una Sorpresa Para Teresita, written by Virginia Sánchez-Korrol (Arte Publico, 2016) – I knew I needed to concentrate on community. I looked at 10, 000 photographs of New York City. I’ve been to New York City before – so I tried to remember it and “breathe” it in.
A Surprise for Teresita is about a little girl in a Nuyorican (Puerto-Rican/New York) neighborhood.
I loved the idea of the tropical Puerto Rican culture splashed against the New York City buildings and brownstones.
I got to work immediately.
I made models from foamboard.
I ordered a snow cone machine.
I studied the difference between “snow cones”, “raspas”, and “piraguas.” Delicious!
It became obvious to me that my color palette was going to be “snow cones.”
But … there was a dilemma.
How to capture the intense color I needed, using only the mediums of pencil and watercolor?
The answer: I couldn’t.
I needed oil paint – the brilliant color of oil paint!
And, thankfully, it worked!
Here is what I did:
1. Oil paint takes five months to a year and a half to dry.
2. Oil paint on a “raw” surface, such as untreated cloth or cardboard, tends to bleed and is very difficult to control.
1. Liquin medium. “One stroke” at a time. I squeeze each tube of oil paint separately onto my palette. I dip my brush into each color. Then I dip it into the Liquin. I mix the colors as I paint, directly on the cardboard.
2. After each application, I clean the brush, and start again.
3. Similar to “watercolor technique,” I use the “cardboard” as my “white.” In the close-up of Teresita (below) – the highlights in Teresita’s hair are cardboard showing through.
4. As I paint, the oil seeps deep into the cardboard.
5. The cardboard remains wet for weeks “on the inside” – but the “skin” of the painting dries within four and a half hours! It is ready to scan immediately!
This process enabled me to paint A Surprise for Teresita without bleed, quickly, and using the saturated colors that I desperately wanted! All the difference in the world! | <urn:uuid:34d13cc5-7b0c-41be-a0e6-d2ef3ec74064> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://cynthialeitichsmith.com/2016/12/guest-post-carolyn-dee-flores-on/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571538.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812014923-20220812044923-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.939158 | 709 | 2.171875 | 2 |
BUDAPEST (Reuters) – The head of Hungary’s oldest scientific institute said it was considering taking legal action to challenge government moves to take more control over research work and budgets.
FILE PHOTO: People gather outside the Hungarian Academy of Sciences to protest against government plans to weaken the institution in Budapest, Hungary, February 12, 2019. REUTERS/Tamas Kaszas/File Photo
The nationalist administration of Prime Minister Viktor Orban has proposed a shake-up of the 200-year-old Hungarian Academy of Sciences that it says is meant to encourage more lucrative research.
Opposition critics have condemned it as Orban’s latest move to tighten the state’s grip on public life, after overhauls of the courts, the media and a top university that have put him on a collision course with the European Union.
The legislation would strip the Academy of its network of research bodies and hand them over to a committee with a chairman appointed by Orban and half its members from the government.
Another part of the bill would make the academy give state organizations free use of its research facilities.
Academy President Laszlo Lovasz told Reuters late on Tuesday that the institution was considering challenging the legislation in the constitutional court.
“One of the highly problematic aspects is the excessive influence of the government by European standards,” he said in an interview.
“There is no precedent for a government to delegate half the members of the governing body of a research network.”
Lawyers still needed to study the final version of the law, he added, and would wait for a regular legal review by President Janos Ader – a former member of Orban’s Fidesz party who has rarely blocked legislation – before filing any appeal.
“We should also examine the independence and freedom of scientific research, as the fact that the government demands a say in both organization and financing terms could represent excessive influence,” Lovasz said.
Lovasz said there was a risk that some fields of research in social sciences and other areas, might struggle to get funding.
“There appears to be a very strong pressure to provide financing only for research producing direct economic benefits,” said the mathematician, who has recently won a 10-million-euro EU grant with two other scientists to study the mathematical foundations of network theory.
Younger Hungarian scientists might also choose to stay in foreign institutions to keep out of the turmoil at home, he added.
Lovasz said he had considered resigning over the changes but later abandoned the idea.
Scientists and anti-government protesters have taken to the streets to protest against the proposed changes.
The European Commission has said it will monitor the developments and has urged Budapest “to refrain from any decision restricting scientific and academic freedom.”
Any new confrontation with the Commission would come at a sensitive time for Orban as he tries to prevent the expulsion of his ruling Fidesz from the mainstream European People’s Party, which suspended his nationalist group in March.
Reporting by Gergely Szakacs; Editing by Andrew Heavens | <urn:uuid:f2af9ec0-d74c-4aef-8d16-868b7bdb1888> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://weekdaypress.com/2019/06/12/hungarian-scientists-mull-legal-action-over-government-controls/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571538.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812014923-20220812044923-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.96355 | 653 | 1.742188 | 2 |
Advice and information for food businesses
The Food Safety Team provides advice and information to food businesses in the local area to ensure all food supplied is wholesome and produced in a clean, hygienic manner. This is most effective when a food safety officer calls at your particular premises to give the specific advice that you need. The Food Standards Agency website provides information that you will find useful.
Last updated Friday, 8th November 2019 | <urn:uuid:74bb8036-a482-422b-ac0a-f10f7097e3ba> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.nuneatonandbedworth.gov.uk/info/20082/food_safety/243/food_safety/3 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571538.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812014923-20220812044923-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.931176 | 91 | 1.75 | 2 |
In July 2020, a series of 18 essays appeared on the Disorder of Things blog under the umbrella title, Yugosplaining the World.
Elma Hodžić, curator at the Historical Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina, discusses the museum’s memory-making activities and Bosnian post-war identity.
Remembering Yugoslavia started with an idea of covering various aspects of the disappeared country’s memory politics, from Tito to products to architecture.
Dalibor Mišina. Shake, Rattle and Roll: Yugoslav Rock Music and the Poetics of Social Critique. London: Routledge, 2013.
Rieff, David. In Praise of Forgetting: Historical Memory and Its Ironies. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2016.
Olick, Jeffrey, Vered Vinitzky-Seroussi, and Daniel Levy, eds. The Collective Memory Reader. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011.
Connerton, Paul. The Spirit of Mourning: History, Memory and the Body. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2011. | <urn:uuid:b001cb63-239a-4fbe-80e2-8c778abb7048> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://rememberingyugoslavia.com/tag/collective-memory/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571538.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812014923-20220812044923-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.779181 | 226 | 2.046875 | 2 |
In Australia, communities at the suburb level have the power to decide whether to fluoridate water or not.
In an America dominated by indulgence, privilege and the nonsensical, raw water is a thing.
Nellie Bowles of the New York Times writes at Rainbow Grocery, a cooperative in Culver, Oregon, one brand of water is so popular that it’s often out of stock. But one recent evening, there was a glittering rack of it: glass orbs containing 2.5 gallons of what is billed as “raw water” — unfiltered, untreated, unsterilized spring water, $36.99 each and $14.99 per refill, bottled and marketed by a small company called Live Water.
“It has a vaguely mild sweetness, a nice smooth mouth feel, nothing that overwhelms the flavor profile,” said Kevin Freeman, a shift manager at the store. “Bottled water’s controversial. We’ve curtailed our water selection. But this is totally outside that whole realm.”
Here on the West Coast and in other pockets around the country, many people are looking to get off the water grid.
Start-ups like Live Water in Oregon and Tourmaline Spring in Maine have emerged in the last few years to deliver untreated water on demand. An Arizona company, Zero Mass Water, which installs systems allowing people to collect water directly from the atmosphere around their homes, began taking orders in November from across the United States. It has raised $24 million in venture capital.
And Liquid Eden, a water store that opened in San Diego three years ago, offers a variety of options, including fluoride-free, chlorine-free and a “mineral electrolyte alkaline” drinking water that goes for $2.50 a gallon.
What adherents share is a wariness of tap water, particularly the fluoride added to it and the lead pipes that some of it passes through. They contend that the wrong kind of filtration removes beneficial minerals. Even traditional bottled spring water is treated with ultraviolet light or ozone gas and passed through filters to remove algae. That, they say, kills healthful bacteria — “probiotics” in raw-water parlance.
The quest for pure water is hardly new; people have been drinking from natural springs and collecting rainwater from time immemorial. The crusade against adding fluoride to public water began in the 1950s among Americans who saw danger in the protective measures that had been adopted over decades to protect the populace from disease and contamination.
But the off-grid water movement has become more than the fringe phenomenon it once was, with sophisticated marketing, cultural cachet, millions of dollars in funding and influential supporters from Silicon Valley. | <urn:uuid:db20d030-4fa5-4935-808b-b6182916d0dd> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.barfblog.com/2018/01/raw-water-its-a-thing/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571210.98/warc/CC-MAIN-20220810191850-20220810221850-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.948364 | 567 | 2.25 | 2 |
When teaching my advanced bioinorganic chemistry course, I extensively incorporate structures from Protein Data Bank in both my assignments and classroom discussions and mini-lectures. I also have students access structures both in and out of class as they complete assignments.
In the past, I have used Metal MACiE to help find metal-containing biological macromolecules and to access information about the metal function and coordination environment. Unfortunately, this site, while still available, has not been updated in several years. I have recently found the MetalPDB website which was created at CERM (University of Florence). This site "collects and allows easy access to the knowledge on metal sites in biological macromolecules" and can be used to explore structures deposited in the PDB.
I also expect my students to use this site to obtain information for their assignments and presentations.
When using this website, students are able to:
- obtain statistics pertaining to the number of metal-containing structures in the PDB,
- determine the most common geometry observed for a particular metal in a biological structure,
- identify the most common ligands attached to the metal when bound in a biological macromolecule, and
- find information such as the function of, the coordination geometry of, and the coordinated ligands bound to a metal ion in a specific structure from the PDB.
These learning goals are incorporated in the associated in-class activity, which is posted separately.
I used this site for the first time in my Bioinorganic Chemistry course during the Spring 2018 semester. I routinely use the PDB to access structures of metal-containing biological macromolecules, but it can be very hard to find structures wth specific metals. I used this site to find structures that I could use as examples in class.
To learn how to use the site, I assigned an associated activity (posted separately) that I have the students complete before coming to class. This experience allows the students to use the site to get background information about metal geometry and common ligands for their assignments and presentations.
I kept track of how much my students used information obtained from this site during their literature presentations.
The students had little difficulty accessing or using the site. Most of my students used information obtained from the site in their presentations and during in-class dicsussions. | <urn:uuid:b28be10b-cdb5-4490-882f-b525d6fc7f28> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.ionicviper.org/web-resources-and-apps/metalpdb-website | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571538.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812014923-20220812044923-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.93665 | 530 | 2.625 | 3 |
Acoustic metasurfaces represent a family of planar wavefront-shaping devices garnering increasing attention due to their capacity for novel acoustic wave manipulation. By precisely tailoring the geometry of these engineered surfaces, the effective refractive index may be modulated and, consequently, acoustic phase delays tuned. Despite the successful demonstration of phase engineering using metasurfaces, amplitude modulation remains overlooked. Herein, we present a class of metasurfaces featuring a horn-like space-coiling structure, enabling acoustic control with simultaneous phase and amplitude modulation. The functionality of this class of metasurfaces, featuring a gradient in channel spacing, has been investigated theoretically and numerically and an equivalent model simplifying the structural behavior is presented. A metasurface featuring this geometry has been designed and its functionality in modifying acoustic radiation patterns experimentally validated. This class of acoustic metasurface provides an efficient design methodology enabling complete acoustic wave manipulation, which may find utility in applications including biomedical imaging, acoustic communication, and non-destructive testing.
Acoustic wavefront modulation is of great interest given the numerous promising applications such as acoustic communication and biomedical imaging, among others. Traditionally, acoustic wavefront modulation has been realized in the context of phased array transducers, which, due to their complexity, are considered expensive in terms of both design and implementation aspects. In recent years, following successful achievements in electromagnetic wave manipulation using metamaterials and metasurface science1,2,3,4, ongoing efforts have been made to utilize metasurfaces for acoustic wavefront modulation5,6,7,8,9,10,11. Metasurfaces, engineered surfaces of subwavelength thickness, offer a unique approach to acoustic manipulation in which a desired wave pattern may be achieved by precisely designing the constituent unit cell structures. Among the unit cell structures reported to date, space-coiling structures9, 10, 12,13,14,15,16,17 are drawing growing attention due to their incredibly simple structure, ease of fabrication, and demonstration of successful wavefront manipulation capacity. In these structures, the space-coiling geometry is designed to generate the desired phase shift in the radiated acoustic signal, while mitigating the impedance mismatch in order to optimize power transmission and amplitude uniformity18. Despite the fact that low transmission loss in such phase-based wavefront modulation yields high conversion efficiency19, the complexity of the design process required to obtain a desired metasurface phase map remains a fundamental limitation. Typically, iterative or stochastic algorithms are required to derive the ideal phase map, relying on an appropriate initial guess in order to reach the global minimum20. Moreover, transitioning from two-dimensional (2D) to three-dimensional (3D) phase-based wavefront manipulation approaches radically increases the design cost and complexity.
In the context of complete acoustic wave modulation, in which both phase and amplitude are simultaneously modulated, the additional degree of freedom leads to a marked simplification of the metasurface design process. As opposed to complicated optimization procedures required with phase-based wavefront modulation, complete acoustic wave modulation may leverage the time-reversal technique in which the required phase and amplitude map may be readily obtained. Furthermore, by extending the properly designed unit cell structure to the 3D domain without additional complexity, acoustic metamaterial bricks or holograms may be generated to render 3D acoustic field patterns.
Although prior work has focused primarily on phase engineering, herein we demonstrate the possibility of simultaneous phase and amplitude modulation in a class of horn-like space-coiling metasurfaces. Utilizing a gradient in channel spacing of the unit cells, full acoustic control over wavefront modulation is realized. We first demonstrate that conventional space-coiling metamaterials possess a fundamental limitation in the simultaneous modulation of both phase and amplitude of transmitted wave acoustic waves. Specifically, the complex transmission through conventional space-coiling structures is shown to be inherently bounded in certain complex regions. Subsequently, we extend the applicability of the presented bound to the general case of the metasurface and infer the necessary conditions for the realization of complete acoustic wavefront modulation. Ultimately, a modified, horn-like space-coiling metamaterial structure is presented that satisfies the necessary conditions for complete acoustic wave modulation. Finally, the functionality of the horn-like space-coiling metamaterial structure is theoretically and experimentally validated with regards to its capacity for simultaneous phase and amplitude modulation. This study seeks to shift the paradigm in acoustic metasurfaces through the realization of simultaneous control of phase and amplitude, thereby paving the way for a new generation of acoustic devices.
Complete wave modulation in space-coiling metamaterials
The concept of space-coiling metamaterials was initially proposed by Liang et al.21. It was demonstrated that acoustic waves with frequencies above a given cutoff value would propagate along an elongated path within an assembly of zigzag channels (Fig. 1a). The elongated path of the acoustic wave leads to the occurrence of a phase delay in the transmitted wave and, consequently, a higher refractive index is realized. Moreover, phenomena such as negative refractive index22, zero index23, and Dirac-like dispersion24 have been also demonstrated using space-coiling structures. Space-coiling metamaterials possess marked advantages due to their simple structure and ease of design. It has been demonstrated that when the channel width (d) is sufficiently small with respect to the wavelength, the relative refractive index of the coiled structure (nr: effective refractive index of coiled structure normalized by the original fluid index) can be precisely calculated using the path length of the acoustic wave shown in Fig. 1a21. The relative refractive index can be expressed as:
where t is the overall length of the coiled structure and Leff can be estimated as:
where N denotes the number of coils (for example, N = 7 in the structure depicted in Fig. 1a) and L is the length of each branch and is approximated as:
Given the expression for the relative refractive index of the coil structure, it can be represented as an equivalent model of the same dimensions but comprised a straight channel filled with a medium of refractive index of nrn0 (shown in Fig. 1b) in which n0 represents the refractive index of the original fluid. Please note that from another perspective, the space-coiling structure can also be modeled as a single straight channel structure similar to Fig. 1b and filled with the original fluid with refractive index of n0 but with an overall length of Leff. By employing the equivalent model of the space-coiling structure, one can derive the transmission coefficient, denoted as T, for a normally incident plane wave as follows:
where k0 is wave number associated with the medium inside the zigzag channel, a, d, and t (shown in Fig. 1a) represent the unit cell width, channel width, and unit cell length, respectively, and nr is the relative refractive index discussed above. Through the rearrangement of terms in Eq. (4) (see Supplementary Note 1), the relationship between the phase and amplitude of the transmission coefficient is derived as follows:
Considering the fact that the term S in Eq. (6) is always greater than unity (S ≥ 1), the amplitude of the transmission coefficient for any transmitted phase (θ) is bounded by:
The lower bound occurs when the channel width (d) is significantly smaller than unit cell width (a). To further validate the presence of the aforementioned bound on sound transmission through a space-coiled structure, the transmission coefficient has been derived analytically using the transfer matrix method (TMM). In this method, by employing modal analysis and applying boundary conditions within each coil, the transfer matrix has been obtained and, consequently, the transmission coefficient of the entire unit cell has been derived. Additional information regarding the details of the TMM solution are discussed in Supplementary Note 2. Using the TMM solution and by varying the geometries of the traditional space-coiling structure, a large set of solutions has been investigated and the resultant transmission phases and amplitudes are depicted in Fig. 2. By comparing the bound (pink region) predicted by Eq. (7) resulting from the equivalent model and the set of results from the TMM-based solution, it can be observed that the set of results using the TMM fall within the predicted transmission bound, thereby ensuring the validity of the bound represented in Eq. (7). Given the presented transmission bound shown in Fig. 2, it is apparent that the conventional space-coiling structure cannot be used for simultaneous phase and amplitude modulation. The bounded nature of the transmission phase and amplitude results in large portions of the phase-amplitude diagram being inaccessible and simultaneous modulation of phase and amplitude is essentially precluded. Of note, however, the conventional space-coiling structure is capable of modulating the amplitude of the transmitted acoustic wave in specific instances. By tailoring the unit cell design and targeting a transmission phase of either π/2 or – π/2, the complete range of amplitude modulation is accessible (0–1). Nevertheless, the capacity for simultaneous and independent modulation of phase and amplitude is highly limited in the conventional class of space-coiling structures.
Importantly, the transmission bound presented herein is generalizable for any arbitrary metasurface and is not limited to space-coiling structures. Herein we investigate the origin of this transmission bound and analyze approaches to overcome this bound in order to yield full wavefront control below.
Considering a general metasurface with thickness of Lm, equivalent acoustic impedance of Zm and wave number of Km placed in infinite space with acoustic impedance of Z, one may derive the following:
In which R and T denote the reflection and transmission coefficients of the metasurface in a 2D space, respectively. Assuming a metasurface with purely real acoustic impedance (Zm), the validity of the complex conjugate form of Eq. (9) is ensured.
in which the asterisks denote the complex conjugate operator. By multiplying the two sides of Eq. (8) and Eq. (10) with each other and assuming a passive, lossless metasurface (|R|2 + |T|2 = 1), the following may be derived:
in which (θ) is the transmitted phase. Equation (13) demonstrates the general coupling between the transmission phase and amplitude from which the aforementioned bound shown in Eq. (7) can be inferred. Notably, this bound exists for any arbitrary, passive, lossless metasurface with real acoustic impedance, regardless of the internal structure. Please note that for ultrathin metasurfaces, cos(KmLm) goes to unity and the transmission amplitude will approach cos(θ), similar to its electromagnetic counterpart’s reported bound25. The results obtained herein indicate that the key element for realizing full wavefront modulation is the presence of the acoustic reactance term in the metasurface acoustic impedance. For metasurfaces with complex acoustic impedance, Eq. (10) is no longer valid and may be altered to an alternate form from which a similar bound cannot be derived. Hence, in order to realize full acoustic control of the transmitted wave, we present a horn-like class of space-coiling structures featuring a gradient in channel spacing that possess complex acoustic impedance and investigate its capacity for simultaneous phase and amplitude modulation.
Horn-like space-coiling metamaterials
To date, space-coiling metamaterial structures have been designed such that the zigzag channel width (d) remains constant throughout the length of the unit cell. In the previous section, we have demonstrated that this design methodology imposes a limited internal bound on acoustic transmission phase and amplitude, regardless of unit cell size or working frequency. Herein, a horn-like space-coiling structure is presented in which the gradual change in channel width leads to the presence of an imaginary term in the acoustic impedance of the metasurface. Although the variation in channel width may be realized in many distinct forms (linear, periodic, arithmetic, geometric, etc.), this study will focus on a unique case of geometric progression of channel width, which resembles a horn-like shape. The horn-like structure presented herein (shown in Fig. 3a), instead of having a constant channel width throughout its length, features a change in width at each step governed by a constant common ratio (CR), defined as:
In which d n and dn−1 are the channel width of nth and n−1th coil, respectively. By this definition, a structure with CR = 1 simply represents the conventional space-coiling metamaterial structure depicted in Fig. 1a. However, for structures with CR > 1, the zigzag channel can be well approximated as an exponential horn with a flare constant of:
where N is the number of coils and Leff is the effective length of the zigzag structure, which can be calculated using the aforementioned acoustic path length (see Supplementary Note 3 for details of derivation). By employing the equivalent horn-like model (shown in Fig. 3b) to investigate the behavior of the gradient space-coiling structures, the acoustic transmission coefficient may be analytically derived using Webster’s horn equation for velocity potential26:
where \(\emptyset\) is the velocity potential, m is the flare constant, and k is wave number. The solutions of Eq. (16) are in the form of:
By calculating the pressure and velocity from the velocity potential and applying the boundary conditions at the horn’s mouth and throat, the resultant transmission coefficient appears as (see Supplementary Note 3):
where din and dout are the channel width at the input and output ports, respectively, a is unit cell width, k is wave number, and γ and β are defined as:
Eq. (20) represents the generalized form of the transmission coefficient for the gradient space-coiling structure with a geometric progression. It can readily be demonstrated that in the case of the conventional space-coiling structure in which the channel width is constant (CR = 1), the flare constant (m) will reach zero and Eq. (20) can be simplified to the form of Eq. (4). From Eq. (20), an expression relating phase and amplitude of the transmission coefficient, similar to Eq. (5), may be derived for the horn-like space-coiling structure as follows (see Supplementary Note 3):
It can readily be demonstrated that S ≥ 1 and CRN/2 + CR−N/2 ≥ 2; therefore, the transmission amplitude will be bounded:
Based on Eq. (25), both the upper and lower bounds of the transmission amplitude are functions of the CR and the number of coils (N), and increasing these two parameters results in lowering both bounds. Thus, in order to validate Eq. (25) and the bounds on the transmission coefficient for the horn-like space-coiling metamaterials, a limited range of the number of coils (N = 1–15) for four different values of the CR (CR = 1.1–1.4) are considered. In addition, from the TMM-based approach, the set of results for different unit cell geometries, in accordance with the aforementioned range of N for each value of CR, have been obtained and are shown in Fig. 4. For each structure with a distinct CR, the upper bound is constructed with a value of N = 1, with a tiny decrease in the upper bound as a function of CR (e.g., ≈ 0.98 for CR = 1.4). However, the lower bound is related to the highest N (N = 15, in this example analysis) and the effect of variations in CR is enhanced and the lower bound may be significantly decreased (e.g., ≈ 0.16 for CR = 1.4). Of note, there exists a tradeoff between CR and the maximum allowable range of N given the fact that channel width at the output port (dout) must remain smaller than the unit cell width (a). As illustrated in Fig. 4, this class of horn-like space-coiling structures enables marked expansion of the coverage of the phase-amplitude diagram well beyond the inherent limits encountered in conventional space-coiling metamaterials. The expansion of the coverage of the phase-amplitude diagram yields the realization of full wavefront manipulation through simultaneous phase and amplitude modulation in gradient space-coiling metamaterials. Please note that expanding coverage of the phase-amplitude diagram is not the only criteria requisite to realizing full wavefront modulation using the proposed structure. Of critical importance is also the fact that, due to the classical and simple shape of the horn-like space-coiling metamaterials, the presentation of an analytical formulation is enabled, thereby easing the complexity of the design process.
Metasurfaces for complete acoustic wave modulation
Subsequent to demonstrating the capability of gradient space-coiling metamaterials to expand the accessible transmission phase-amplitude region, metasurfaces comprising these structures have been designed, targeting two distinct functionalities: sound focusing and acoustic beam splitting. The metasurfaces thusly designed herein feature 30 horn-like space coiling unit cells of identical width (a = λ/6) and length (t = λ/2) but distinct internal structures. Although constant width and length of the unit cells is not requisite to achieving the intended functionalities, these constraints have been implemented to further demonstrate the ease of design using this class of horn-like space-coiling metamaterials. Please note that the unit cell’s width has a critical role in conversion efficiency, with smaller widths being preferable for optimal performance (see Supplementary Note 4 for detailed discussion). The internal structure of each unit cell (N, w, din, and CR) has been designed to generate the desired phase and amplitude in order to shape the transmitted acoustic wavefront. The first step undertaken herein in designing the metasurfaces was to derive the required phase and amplitude of the transmitted wave from each unit cell of a particular metasurface. To this end, the concept of time-reversal or the phase-conjugation method in the frequency domain have been utilized, given the capability for simultaneous phase and amplitude modulation. Implementing the aforementioned approaches in designing the metasurface allows for a drastic reduction in the computational expense when compared with phase-based metasurfaces in which rigorous optimization is required. The desired transmission amplitude-phase profile of the metasurface with regards to a given functionality may be obtained from both numerical and analytical approaches. Herein, numerical techniques have been utilized for this step, as this approach may readily be generalized for any complicated profile, such as 3D acoustic holograms. Following the derivation of the requisite phase and amplitude of transmission at each unit cell, the internal geometry of the metasurface’s unit cell has been designed analytically using the TMM approach and, ultimately, the entire metasurface in both lossy and lossless conditions has been simulated to visualize the targeted performance.
In the case of focusing of the acoustic wave shown in Fig. 5a, the metasurface has been designed to focus the sound at a focal point located two wavelengths from the metasurface. In order to determine the proper wavefront, a hypothetical monopole point source has been considered on the desired focusing spot and the resultant complex conjugate pressure has been calculated over the transmission side of the metasurface (right-hand-side). Next, given the plane wave incident on the left-hand-side of the metasurface, the desired transmission coefficient for each unit cell is computed and the unit cell structures have been designed accordingly. With regards to the acoustic beam splitting shown in Fig. 5b, two plane waves with angles of π/12 and – π/12 have been assumed on the transmission side of the metasurface and the desired transmission coefficients at each unit cell have been calculated. The details of the unit cell geometry, along with the resultant transmission coefficient have been detailed in Supplementary Table 1.
The sound focusing results are shown in Fig. 5a in which the transmitted wave has been focused at the desired focal spot. As a common aim in focusing applications is the confinement of the acoustic wave power, the squared pressure (p2) in Fig. 5a, c is depicted and corresponds to the resultant power. By employing the horn-like space-coiling design, a high degree of focusing has been obtained and the resultant focal region demonstrates a distinguishable high power region on the transmission side. In order to quantify the resultant focusing, p2 is probed along the cut-line (shown in Fig. 5a) and is depicted in Fig. 5c. Notably, the pressure at the focal point is ~ 2.5 times the incident pressure, yielding a power confinement on the order of 6. Moreover, the pressure profile depicted in Fig. 5c successfully mimics the form of the Hankel function as the monopole source and a pressure power ratio of ~ 8 (6.3 peak at focal region and 0.8 at nearest peak to focal region) have been obtained. Finally, the acoustic beam splitting results are shown in Fig. 5b in which the normally incident plane wave on the metasurface has been divided into the two equi-amplitde beams in the desired directions. In order to quantify the results, an absolute pressure profile normalized by the incident beam’s amplitude has been probed along the cutline and depicted in Fig. 5d. It can be observed that the split beams maintain an amplitude of ~ 65% of the incident beam and an amplitude resolution of ~ 3 (0.65 in the beam regions and 0.2 in the region between the 2 beams) may be achieved with the designed metasurface.
In order to experimentally validate the proposed design methodology, a metasurface featuring the horn-like space coiling metamaterial design has been fabricated and tested. To this end, for the sake of simplicity, the reverse form of the sound focusing case has been experimentally validated in order to avoid the complexity associated with the practical generation of a plane wave in the near-field regime. Given the time-reversible nature of the proposed structure, if the point source is placed at a distance of two wavelengths from the metasurface, an identical metasurface to that having been designed for sound focusing may be employed to convert a cylindrical wave to a plane wave. Figure 6a demonstrates the simulated resultant pressure profile in which the cylindrical wavefront originating from the monopole source has been reformed to yield a laterally confined plane waveform on the transmission side of the metasurface. In order to visualize the experimental wave pattern, the resultant pressures on the transmission side of the metasurface (shown in Fig. 6a) have been measured both with and without the presence of the metasurface (results shown in Fig. 6b, c). In Fig. 6b, the normalized pressure in the absence of the metasurface is shown in which the acoustic wavefront represents a diverging cylindrical waveform. Please note that although the experimental domain is bounded with absorbing foam to mitigate reflection, the impedance mismatch at the domain boundary resulted in minor and localized deviation of the pressure from the ideal form. Figure 6c demonstrates the resultant pressure field on the transmission side of the fabricated metasurface. The experimentally derived and normalized pressure field in the presence of the metasurface clearly demonstrates a laterally confined plane wavefront, which is in a good agreement with the pattern expected from the numerical solution, shown in Fig. 6a.
Acoustic wave focusing, cylindrical-to-plane wave conversion, and beam splitting represent simple examples of acoustic wavefront manipulation analyzed herein in order to demonstrate the capability of gradient space-coiling metamaterials. Beyond acoustic wavefront manipulation, including the realization of more complicated acoustic patterns, metasurfaces may also be employed to mitigate the effects of aberrant layers by aberration correction. In all these cases, the precise design of the metasurface is simplified by the capacity for modulating both phase and amplitude. Moreover, the added degree of freedom to modulate amplitude, in addition to phase, offers opportunities for performance that surpasses the capabilities of phase-based approaches (see Supplementary Note 4 for additional details).
The work presented herein, founded on the basis of a well-known acoustic metamaterial structure, namely space-coiling metamaterials, introduces a class of horn-like space-coiling metamaterials, which provides sufficient degrees of freedom for full acoustic wave control. Initially, the limitations of conventional space-coiling metamaterials for simultaneous phase and amplitude modulation are investigated, demonstrating that transmission through conventional space-coiling structures possesses topological-like bound, which is not frequency or unit cell dimension dependent. Moreover, we have demonstrated that this bound applies to any passive, lossless metasurface with real acoustic impedance and highlighted the importance of the reactance term for full wavefront modulation. Next, horn-like space-coiling structure capable of phase-amplitude modulation beyond conventional space-coiling structure limits is proposed and analyzed. Finally, metasurfaces featuring the proposed structures have been designed and simulated with the aims of sound focusing and acoustic beam splitting, whereas cylindrical to plane wave conversion has been experimentally validated. Horn-like space-coiling metamaterials offer a new methodology in metasurface design, in which phase and amplitude of the transmitted wave can simultaneously be modulated and tuned, yielding the capacity for complete wavefront shaping for myriad applications.
Experimental setup and procedure
The acoustic metasurface with the dimensions detailed in Supplementary Table 1 (Focusing Metasurface) was fabricated with a commercial 3D printer (Dimension SST 1200es) from Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene plastic with a resolution of 0.2 mm. The experimental setup is shown in Fig. 7 and is composed of two thick plywood sheets of dimensions 250 cm × 250 cm × 2.5 cm placed in parallel with a spacing of 2 cm to create a 2D domain. Domain boundaries were confined with an absorbing foam 5 cm in thickness to mitigate the back reflection with an optimal performance at 1 KHz. In order to realize an acoustic point source within this domain, a loudspeaker was coupled to a narrow tube outlet to generate a localized point source. In order to ultimately map the acoustic field, a measurement region defined with appropriate offset from boundaries (~ 40 cm) was meshed with 190 equally spaced probing points with center-to-center spacing of 9 cm. The experimental procedure was designed to be performed at a frequency of 1 KHz and associated dimensions and spacing have been realized accordingly. To map the field within the measurement region, two initially calibrated microphones (Audix TM1) have been used in which one microphone is fixed throughout the entire mapping procedure and the second microphone moved to sample all probing points. At each probing location, the complex transfer function between the two microphone signals was calculated and averaged over 10 readouts (experimental data for both cases have been detailed in Supplementary Table 2). Finally, spline interpolation was utilized to visualize the resultant acoustic field in finer mesh.
All simulations were performed with finite element solver COMSOL Multiphysics using the pressure-acoustic module in the frequency-domain. In the lossy model simulations, the narrow region acoustic module has been used, which incorporates the effect of thermal and viscous losses. For obtaining the resulting transmission coefficient from each horn-like unit cell, the 2D wave-guide model, similar to the impedance tube, has been utilized and the transmission coefficients have been calculated using the microphone transfer function method27. The waveguide and all unit cells are considered perfectly rigid medium and the perfectly matched layer has been implemented to enclose the computational domain to mitigate the subsequent reflections.
The authors declare that all data supporting the results of the study are available within the published article and its Supplementary Information section.
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We thank Boston University Materials Innovation Grant and Dean’s Catalyst Award. We also thank the Boston University Photonics Center for technical support.
The authors declare no competing interests.
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Ghaffarivardavagh, R., Nikolajczyk, J., Glynn Holt, R. et al. Horn-like space-coiling metamaterials toward simultaneous phase and amplitude modulation. Nat Commun 9, 1349 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-03839-z
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Systems Engineering Patterns
Developments in Systems Engineering
Featured Society: International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA™)
Systems Engineering Software Tools News
Systems Engineering Books, Reports, Articles and Papers Conferences and Meetings
Education People Related News
Systems Engineering-Relevant Websites Standards and Guides
PPI News PPI Events
A Quotation to Open On
“Each problem that I solved became a rule which served afterwards to solve other problems” – Rene Descartes (1596-1650), Discours de la Methode
Systems Engineering Patterns
By Cecilia Haskins, PhD, CSEP
Have you ever sat down to think about a problem, and felt that there was something familiar about it? Then you wrack your brain to remember what you did the last time this problem posed itself. Drawing on experience, or rules-of-thumb derived from experience, is called “business smarts”, and most of us avail ourselves of these shortcuts to finding workable solutions.
What if it were possible not only to learn from our own experience but also from those of experienced and respected colleagues? This shared learning is the essence of the systems engineering pattern. As early as 1998, during the 8th Annual INCOSE symposium, Barter first proposed the use of patterns as a way to supplement the systems engineering body of knowledge. In 2002, Maier and Rechtin mention patterns as a useful form of heuristics. The author applied personal pattern-writing experience to systems engineering problems and documented this approach in two symposium papers in 2003 and 2005. She also describes the results of a patterns writing tutorial conducted during the symposia from 2004-2006 (Haskins, 2008). Others who have joined the chorus include Merrick and Barrow, Simpson and Simpson, Cloutier and Verma, and Forsberg and Mooz, to name a few. Dr. Cloutier of Stevens Institute of Technology is extending his research into systems engineering patterns one step further with the creation of an online repository. He has established the following pattern form for capturing System Engineering Architecture Patterns:
The full pattern can be viewed at http://patterns4se.com/reference/Multi_Disciplinary_Teams.PDF
The references given with this article include examples of systems engineering patterns and more information about how to create your own literature. The author welcomes additional questions on this subject – email@example.com.
References on Patterns
- 1. R. H. Barter, “A Systems Engineering Pattern Language,” Proceedings of the 8th Annual INCOSE International Symposium (Vancouver, BC, July, 1998).
- R. Cloutier, Center for Patterns and Systems Engineering, http://www.patterns4se.com.
- R. Cloutier and D. Verma, “Applying the concept of patterns to systems architecture,” Systems Engineering, Volume 10, Issue 2, 2007, pp 138-154.
- K. Forsberg and H. Mooz, “Simple Yet Profound Enterprise Impact,” Proceeding of the 17th Annual International Symposium of the INCOSE (San Diego, 25-28th June, 2007).
- C. Haskins, “Using Patterns to Share Best Results – A Proposal to Codify the SEBOK”, Proceedings of the 13th Annual International Symposium of the INCOSE (Washington, DC, June 30 – July 3, 2003).
- C. Haskins, “Application of Patterns and Pattern Languages to Systems Engineering,” Proceedings of the 15th Annual International Symposium of the INCOSE (Rochester, New York, USA, July, 2005).
- C. Haskins, “Using patterns to transition systems engineering from a technological to social context,” Systems Engineering, Volume 11, Issue 2, 2008, pp 147-155.
- D. Leonard and W. Swap, “Deep Smarts: How to Cultivate and Transfer Business Wisdom.” Boston, Mass.: Harvard Business School Press, 2005.
- M. W. Maier and E. Rechtin, “The Art of Systems Architecting”, 2nd ed., CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, USA, 2002.
- P. Merrick and P. Barrow, “Testing a Requirements Pattern Language through Reverse Engineering.” Proceedings of the 14th Annual International Symposium of the INCOSE (Toulouse, France, June, 2004).
- J. Simpson and M. Simpson, “Foundational Systems Engineering Patterns for a SE Pattern Language,” Proceedings of the 16th Annual International Symposium of the INCOSE (Orlando, FL, USA, July, 2006).
Developments in Systems Engineering
INCOSE Introduces Free Webinars for Corporate Advisory Board (CAB) Member Companies
About INCOSE and CAB membership: www.incose.org
The International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE) has introduced free monthly webinars for CAB member companies. Soon to be presented are:
19 November, “SE Professional Certification”, Dave Walden 10 December: “Incremental Commitment Model”, Barry Boehm
Business Process Modelling Notation (BPMN) Forum
Cris Kobryn, Editor, BPMN Forum, email: firstname.lastname@example.org
In response to the increased interest in using Business Process Modelling Notation (BPMN) for Business Process Modelling, a BPMN Forum discussion group has been launched in GoogleGroups. Participants are invited to use this forum to discuss anything related to the specification and application of the BPMN, such as:
BPMN specifications BPMN modelling tools BPMN processes BPMN publications.
If you are interested in joining the BPMN Forum, you can search GoogleGroups, or access it directly at http://groups.google.com/group/BPMNforum
In addition to this mailing list, other information related to BPMN may be found on the BPMN Forum website: http://www.bpmnforum.com
Featured Society: International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA™)
Five years old, the IIBA is a rapidly-growing, international, independent, non-profit, member-based professional association serving the field of business analysis. The IIBA defines enterprise business analysis as a way for organizations to:
identify, analyze and solve business problems and opportunities determine the feasibility of a solution
define the solution scope and develop the business case
continue to assess, refine, and validate the business need and solution evaluate the business benefits brought about by a solution.
The IIBA states that the work of business analysts can also include:
driving business architecture discussion and development creating-functional decomposition of business areas providing thought leadership within their enterprises
assisting business areas in understanding the big picture (rather than talking in terms of project teams and business lines)
aligning project portfolios with overall business strategy
creating feasibility studies for new products, markets and systems
making strategic recommendations for process improvements and streamlining across departmental boundaries and geographical locations.
The IIBA aims to serve professionals in roles relating to business systems such as requirements management, systems analysis, business analysis, requirements analysis, project management, and consulting. The IIBA’s programs and activities are designed to promote the role of the business analysis professional throughout the world. Some key activities include:
The creation and publication of the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge® (BABOK®)
The creation and administration of the Certified Business Analysis Professional™ (CBAP®) designation
Chapters for local member networking Endorsed Education Provider (EEP™) services.
The BABOK® is a collection of knowledge within the field of Business Analysis which aims to reflect current, generally accepted practices. The BABOK® describes Business Analysis areas of knowledge, their associated activities and the tasks and skills thought to be necessary to be effective in their execution. The BABOK® is growing and evolving. The IIBA regards each release as a move toward a complete body of knowledge. The IIBA criteria for including information in the guide are that it is proven, generally accepted and widely applied. The BABOK® provides the basis for the IIBA Certified Business Analysis Professional™ (CBAP®) Certification. In that the BABOK® is concerned with problem definition and development of system solutions, the BABOK® emphasizes many principles and practices common to other systems engineering- related societies such as INCOSE.
The current official version of the BABOK® is version 1.6. Version 2 is expected to be finalized in late 2008, and the CBAP® exam is intended to be updated following its release.
The IIBA serves its 5000 (and growing) members from headquarters in Toronto, Canada, and locally via a rapidly-growing international network of Chapters. The IIBA functions primarily as a virtual organization, via the members of its Board of Directors, Senior Leadership Team, and several committees.
Note: IIBA is a trademark owned by International Institute of Business Analysis. This trademark is used with the express permission of International Institute of Business Analysis. BABOK® and Business Analysis Body of Knowledge® are registered trademarks owned by International Institute of Business Analysis. CBAP® is a certification mark owned by International Institute of Business Analysis. This certification mark is used with the express permission of International Institute of Business Analysis.
Systems Engineering Software Tools News
Vitech Expands Webinar and Training Courses for Systems Engineering, Systems Architecture and CORE®
Vitech Corporation, the developer of the integrated systems engineering and architecture software suite, CORE, is expanding its webinar and training courses with new offerings beginning in October 2008.
EmbeddedPlus SysML Toolkit 2.5.0 Now Available
EmbeddedPlus has announced the general availability of “SysML Toolkit” release 2.5.0. SysML Toolkit is a modelling tool that allows systems engineering modellers to create models based on the Systems Modelling Language (SysML). SysML toolkit provides support for the SysML 1.1 standard which assists in modelling of a broad range of systems including hardware, software, data, personnel, procedures, and facilities.
SEER for IT: Estimate the Other 60% of IT Systems Costs
The concept for SEER-IT began five years ago when a major customer requested a model to capture the non-software portions of an IT system. In April 2008, SEER for IT (SEER-IT) was introduced. A datasheet is available. Also available is an introduction to SEER for IT video and a press release. Contact a Galorath representative or email@example.com for more information.
Estimate Anything By Comparison with the new SEER Estimate by Comparison
SEER Estimate by Comparison is Galorath’s next generation comparison sizing tool, replacing SEER- AccuScope. With Estimate by Comparison, estimates can be performed for any parameter found in all flagship SEER models, including those for Hardware, Manufacturing, IT and Software. Estimate by Comparison shares copy/paste functionality with the entire SEER model suite.
Click here for Dan Gallorath’s blog entry about Estimate by Comparison.
SEER for Software (SEER-SEM) Version 7.3
Galorath has released version 7.3 of SEER for Software (SEER-SEM). Version 7.3 includes numerous enhancements, including improved metrics and benchmarking, availability of the ISBSG database with over 4,000 completed projects, enhanced schedule / cost modelling for overextended schedules, and knowledge bases for items such as Agile and SAAS. SEER Estimate by Comparison Pro is included with all SEER-SEM editions (see article above). Also the central server based installation has been improved.
Click here to read the press release. Refer to the SEER for Software 7.3 Release Notes for detailed descriptions of all of the new features and enhancements. Click here for a blog entry on Software Estimating.
SEER for Manufacturing (SEER-MFG, Formerly SEER-DFM) Version 6.0 Enhanced With New Processes
SEER for Manufacturing (SEER-MFG) version 6.0 for part, process and assembly is now available. Its major development focus is additional processes. Refer to the SEER for Manufacturing 6.0 Release Notes for detailed descriptions of all of the new features and enhancements. Click here for a blog entry on Manufacturing Estimating.
No Magic Mitigates Risk through Data Interoperability
No Magic, Inc., a provider of business architecture and modelling software, has announced the release of Cameo DataHub 2.0. Cameo DataHub is an enterprise-class product offering enabling the import, export, continuous synchronization and creation of relationships between popular business products including No Magic’s own Cameo™ Requirements+, MagicDraw®, SysML and DoDAF/UPDM as well as Telelogic’s DOORS, IBM Rational’s RequisitePro and CSV formatted files. No Magic says that compatibility with additional tools is to be announced soon.
Artisan GSN Modeler Early Availability Program
Artisan GSN Modeler, states Artisan, provides developers of safety-critical systems with a powerful and easy- to-use visual modelling environment for the creation of well-structured, complex Safety Arguments using the Goal Structuring Notation (GSN).
Artisan Studio 7.0
Artisan Software Tools recently announced Artisan Studio 7.0 model-driven development tool suite. The company states that Artisan Studio provides complete support for UML, OMG SysML™, and Architectural Frameworks in a single, integrated environment. Artisan Studio 7.0 includes major new features and tool improvements for both systems and software engineers.
First-Time MagicDraw® Course Offered in South Africa
Due to the increased popularity of MagicDraw® and recent requests for formal training in South Africa, No Magic has announced a new training course “Practical UML and URDAD-based Business Analysis Using MagicDraw®”.
MagicDraw®, SysML plugin and DoDAF plugin version 16.0 beta 2 are released
No Magic has announced the beta releases of MagicDraw, SysML plugin and DoDAF plugin version 16.0 beta 2. MagicDraw 16.0 release is focused on the latest UML 2.2 specification, including improvements in support and usability, model merge, DSL, code engineering, Report Wizard, Teamwork server and SVN communication. This new release uses MDA/MDD to enable generation of code for Oracle databases. In addition, model merge now adds capability to visually merge diagram changes. Diagramming improvements now enable conversion of diagrams to other types of compatible diagrams.
Systems Engineering Books, Reports, Articles and Papers
Writing Software Requirements Specifications
by Donn Le Vie, Jr.
What is a Software Requirements Specification?
Why Should Technical Writers be Involved with Software Requirements Specifications? What Kind of Information Should an SRS Include?……………..
How to Do Systems Analysis (Wiley Series in Systems Engineering and Management)
Synopsis: This book focuses on systems analysis, broadly defined to also include problem formulation and interpretation of proposed alternatives in terms of the value systems of stakeholders. Therefore, the book is a complement, not a substitute to other books when teaching systems engineering and systems analysis. The nature of problem solving discussed in this book is appropriate to a wide range of systems analyses. Thus the book can be used as a stand-alone book for teaching the analysis of systems. Also unique is the inclusion of broad case studies to stress problem solving issues, making How to Do Systems Analysis a complement to the many fine works in systems engineering available today.
OMG Advances Standards at Technical Meeting in Orlando, FL
Members of the Object Management Group™ (OMG™) met in Orlando, FL during the week of September 22-26, 2008. At this meeting, nine new and revised specifications finished the adoption process and were approved by the OMG Board of Directors.
Method Framework for Engineering System Architectures
By Donald G. Firesmith, Charles B. Hammons, Peter Capell, DeWitt Latimer, Tom Merendino
Synopsis: The publisher states that the Method Framework for Engineering System Architectures enables system architects and process engineers to efficiently create methods for engineering system architectures. Each method is composed of three components: work products to be produced, work units to be performed, and those roles that perform the work units which produce the products. The book covers the engineering of architectures of software-intensive systems. That includes systems consisting of combinations of data, equipment, facilities, hardware, human roles, procedures, materials, and software. These practical frameworks, designed for wide applicability, have the ability to grow and evolve from the system’s earliest concept until it is retired.
Handbook of Research on Modern Systems Analysis and Design Technologies and
By Mahbubur Rahman Syed, Sharifun Nessa Syed
Synopsis: Due to unawareness of the development cycle of systems from its conceptualization to implementation, almost half of corporate IS projects are delayed or abandoned before completion. The introduction of system analysis and design concepts and their implementations have proven to significantly enhance the success rate of system delivery. ‘The Handbook of Research on Modern Systems Analysis and Design Technologies and Applications’ provides a compendium of terms, definitions, and explanations of concepts in various areas of systems and design, as well as a vast collection of cutting-edge research articles from the field’s leading experts that, together, convey the current state of knowledge on systems analysis and design. Further, this incisive reference source fully contextualizes the best contemporary understanding of current and emerging tools by guiding readers through the evolution of systems analysis and design practices.
SysML for Systems Engineering
By Jon Holt, Simon Perry, Institution of Engineering and Technology
Synopsis: Systems modelling is an essential enabling technique for any systems engineering enterprise. These modelling techniques, in particular the Unified Modelling Language [or UML], have been employed widely in the world of software engineering and very successfully in systems engineering for many years. However, in recent years there has been a perceived need for a tailored version of the UML that meets the needs of today’s systems engineering professional. This book provides a pragmatic introduction to the systems engineering modelling language, the SysML, aimed at systems engineering practitioners at any level of ability, ranging from students to experts. The theoretical aspects and syntax of SysML are covered and each concept is explained through a number of example applications. The book also discusses the history of the SysML and shows how it has evolved over a number of years. All aspects of the language are covered and are discussed in an independent and frank manner, based on practical experience of applying the SysML in the real world.
9 Steps to a Hassle Free and Effective Software Development Project
Following these nine steps may be the ultimate secret weapon to winning business and successfully delivering new easy-to-use software that meets and exceeds expectations…………..
Systems Engineering Competencies Framework
By Robert Halligan
An issue identified by the United Kingdom Chapter of the International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE) Advisory Board (UKAB) was the inability of individuals and enterprises to identify the competencies that are required to conduct good systems engineering. Some enterprises found that they “did not know what it is they did not know” about systems engineering and that individuals did not have a clear career path to become a “chartered systems engineer”.
An objective determined by the INCOSE UKAB was ‘to have a measurable set of competencies for systems engineering which will achieve national recognition and will be useful to the enterprises represented by the UKAB’.
Subsequently, the UKAB through a series of workshops defined a set of Competencies for Systems Engineering, and a competency framework intended to enable both employers and employees to define the required systems engineering skills needed from both individuals and teams.
Participants in the development were:
BAE Systems EADS Astrium
General Dynamics United Kingdom Limited Loughborough University
UK Ministry of Defence Thales
University College London
together with a number of other organizations which provided comment.
The competencies that were considered to be predominantly associated with Systems Engineering are grouped into three themes: Systems Thinking, Holistic Lifecycle View, and Systems Engineering Management.
Systems Thinking contains the under-pinning systems concepts and the system/super-system skills, including the enterprise and technology environment.
Holistic Lifecycle View contains all the skills associated with the systems lifecycle from need identification, requirements, and design for the whole of the system lifecycle through to, ultimately, disposal.
Systems Engineering Management deals with the skills of choosing the appropriate lifecycle and the planning, monitoring and control of the systems engineering activities.
For each competency, a table provides: A description
Why it matters
Effective indicators of knowledge and experience Awareness
Supervised Practitioner Practitioner
An Annex to the Framework “Guide to Competency Evaluation”, gives guidance on how to evaluate individuals against the competency framework.
Both the Systems Engineering Competencies Framework Issue 2, and the Guide to Competency Evaluation, may be downloaded at: http://www.incose.org.uk/products.htm
Is Agile a Fad?
I attended today’s Agile Denver meeting – this time in Boulder – to hear Mary Poppendieck’s presentation, “Is Agile a Fad?”
I’ll summarize some of her material here, mostly in reverse order, starting with the key points and conclusions of the talk, followed by some of the contextual info she presented leading up to those conclusions………..
Is Product Management Agile?
There’s a lot of talk about Agile Product Management these days, and for obvious reasons. The thinking is that because of Agile development, Product Managers need to change how they function and adapt themselves to a new way of developing software and become “agile”……………
Designing Complex Systems: Foundations of Design in the Functional Domain (Complex and Enterprise Systems Engineering)
By Erik W. Aslaksen
Synopsis: Emphasizing a top-down approach, this book considers the purpose and basic features of design and how the concept of value can provide a quantitative measure of the wider interaction of the engineered object with its environment. This work also develops the domain in which functional design takes place and explores how the system concept can be embedded in that domain. The book proposes a number of functional design elements and develops them in considerable detail, outlining how they can be applied as part of a coherent design framework. For greater understanding of the discussed concepts, numerous examples and analogies are included.
A Practical Guide to SysML: The Systems Modeling Language
By Sanford Friedenthal, Alan Moore, Rick Steiner
Synopsis: SysML is a general purpose graphical modelling language used to specify, analyze, and design systems that may include hardware, software, and personnel. It aims to allow engineers to describe how a system interacts with its environment, and how its parts must interact to achieve the desired system behaviour and performance.
This book provides a guide for modelling systems with SysML. The book includes a full description of the language, along with a quick reference guide, and shows how the language can be applied to specify, analyze, and design systems. It contains examples to help readers understand how SysML can be used in practice. The book also includes guidance on how an organization or project can transition to model-based systems engineering using SysML, with considerations for processes, methods, tools, and training.
Complex Requirements on an Agile Project Addressing the challenges of complex requirements
The real world is a complex place, resulting in complex requirements for any system that has to work there. This is true regardless of development paradigm. Although “agile in the small” methodologies such as Scrum and Extreme Programming (XP) have done much to show us how to improve our approach, too many people have thrown out the requirements management baby with the bureaucracy bathwater after putting too much faith in the overly simplistic strategies of those processes. Luckily, with a bit of discipline, it is straightforward to address the inherent challenges of complex requirements in an agile manner without resorting to the documentation-heavy practices favoured by the traditional community……….
Opinion: Defence industry can tackle climate change
Can – indeed, should – the global aerospace and defence (A&D) industry save the planet from catastrophic climate change? According to a number of observers and industry insiders, the time to address this question is now……….
Conferences and Meetings
INCOSE UK 2009 Events Calendar
Project World/World Congress of Business Analysts – Beyond the BABOK® and PMBOK® – National Flagship Event
Orlando, FL, Nov. 18-21, 2008 http://www.iirusa.com/projectworld/welcome.xml
INCOSE U.K. Autumn Assembly – “Best Practice in Systems Engineering”
Heythrop Park, Oxfordshire, England, November 24-25, 2008 http://www.incose.org.uk/events.htm
The Fourth International Joint Conferences on Computer, Information, and Systems Sciences, and Engineering (CISSE 2008)
December 5-13, 2008 http://www.cisse2008.org/
INCOSE International Workshop (IW) 2009
January 31 – February 3, 2009, San Francisco, CA www.incose.org/newsevents/events/details.aspx?id=44
INCOSE Los Angeles Chapter (INCOSE-LA) 2009 Mini-Conference
February 7, 2009, Loyola Marymount University (LMU), Los Angeles CA http://www.incose-la.org
MBSE’09, Second International Conference on Model-Based Systems Engineering
Herzeliya and Haifa, Israel, March 2-5, 2009 http://eventseer.net/e/8077/35491/
SAC 2009, 24th Annual ACM Symposium on Applied Computing
Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort & Spa Waikiki Beach, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA, March 8 – 12, 2009 http://www.acm.org/conferences/sac/sac2009
Third Workshop on Engineering Complex Distributed Systems (ECDS 2009)
March 16-19, 2009, Fukuoka, Japan http://voyager.ce.fit.ac.jp/conferences/ecds2009/
International Conference on Complex, Intelligent and Software Intensive Systems (CISIS) 2009
March, 16th – 19th 2009, Fukuoka Institute of Technology (FIT), Fukuoka, Japan http://www.cisis-conference.eu/conf/
European Joint Conferences on Theory and Practice of Software (ETAPS) 2009
22-29 March 2009, York, UK http://www.cs.york.ac.uk/etaps09/
Fifth Workshop on Model-Based Testing (MBT) 2009
March 22, 2009, York, UK http://react.cs.uni-sb.de/mbt2009/
The 2nd International Conference on Industrial Informatics and Systems Engineering (IISE 2009)
Leipzig, Germany, 23-25 March 2009 http://siwn.org.uk/2009leipzig/IISE09.htm
INCOSE U.K. Annual Spring Conference
March 30 – April 1, 2009 http://www.incose.org.uk/events.htm
The International Council on Systems Engineering Spring 09 Conference
April 2 – 4, 2009
Hosted by INCOSE Region V Chapters at the Virginia Modeling, Analysis and Simulation Center (VMASC), Suffolk Facility, VMASC West, 1030 University Blvd., Suffolk, VA 23435
IDEAS 2009- XII Iberoamerican Conference on Requirements Engineering and Software Environments
Medellín, Colombia, 13-17 April 2009 http://ideas09.eafit.edu.co/
Conference on Systems Engineering Research (CSER) 2009
Loughborough, UK, 20 – 22 April, 2009 http://cser.lboro.ac.uk
Software & Systems Engineering Essentials 2009
Steigenberger Hotel Berlin, Los-Angeles-Platz 1, 10789 Berlin, Germany Workshops – 25th May 2009,
Conference – 26th & 27th May 2009 http://2009.see-conf.de/
ICMISE 2009: International Conference on Medical Information Systems Engineering
Tokyo, Japan, May 27-29, 2009 http://www.waset.org/wcset09/tokyo/icmise/
EJC 2009 – 19th European Japanese Conference on Information Modelling and Knowledge Bases
Maribor, Slovenia, June 1-5, 2009 http://www.pori.tut.fi/ejc/
INCOSE 19th Annual International Symposium (IS) 2009
July 20-23, 2009, Singapore http://www.incose.org/symp2009
2009 International Conference of the System Dynamics Society
Albuquerque, New Mexico, July 26 – 30, 2009 http://www.systemdynamics.org/conferences/current/index.htm
PICMET ’09 Conference: “Technology Management in the Age of Fundamental Change”
August 2 – 6, 2009, Hilton Portland and Executive Tower, Portland, Oregon, USA http://www.picmet.org/main
Associate/Assistant Professor in Requirements Eng. at DTU
DTU Informatics, the Department of Informatics and Mathematical Modelling at the Technical University of Denmark in Lyngby, offers a position as associate/assistant professor in the area of Requirements Engineering to strengthen its Software Engineering Section.
Further information may be obtained from Head of Section Hubert Baumeister, phone +45 4525 3729, e-mail: firstname.lastname@example.org
Annual Elections are underway at the International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE). Positions up for ballot, and nominees, are:
Secretary: Bob Kenley (USA)
Director Commercial Outreach: Henk van der Linden (Netherlands)
Member Board Representative, Region III: Jean-Philippe Lerat (France), Asmus Pandikow (Sweden) Member Board Representative, Region V: Jim Armstrong (USA), Bob Robinson (USA)
Member Board Representative, Region VI: Yeoh Lean Weng.
Special Issue on Traceability in Model-Driven Engineering
The European Conference on Model-Driven Architecture has hosted four successful workshops on traceability in MDE. As a result of the success of these workshops, the Journal on Software and Systems Modeling therefore invites original, high-quality submissions for its theme issue on “Traceability”, focusing on topics related to traceability in Model-Driven Engineering. We especially seek contributions presenting practical solutions that address traceability issues, as well as papers that present traceability tool solutions. We also seek papers that address how and when traceability information should be added to models, how it should be kept up-to-date, and how, when and for what purposes it can be used. Some specific topics of interest include:
How, when and for what purposes traceability information should/can be added to models and artefacts generated and used in an MDE process.
How traceability information should be kept up-to-date Tools supporting traceability of model and code artefacts
Novel theoretical and technical approaches to handle model-driven traceability, e.g., semantics of trace links.
Practical applications and experience with traceability
Distributed Systems Engineering
Web based systems are becoming increasingly popular as tools for user-driven access to information and services. They are increasingly being used to access multimedia systems, information systems, legacy applications and high-performance computational environments. The Distributed Systems Engineering Research Group is investigating systematic and rigorous techniques and integrated tools for the development of such applications. The group’s underlying theoretical foundations are mainly in the areas of internet based systems design and modelling.
INCOSE Central Office has changed
From the INCOSE eNote: Volume 5 Issue 10, 8 November 2008
After over 10 years of INCOSE Central offices being located in Seattle, Washington, USA, we announce the transition of all INCOSE Central services to a new office in San Diego, CA, USA effective immediately. The new office address and staff are as follows:
International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE) Central Office, 7670 Opportunity Road, Suite 220
San Diego, CA 92111-2222 Phone: 858.541.1725
Toll Free: 800.366.1164
Holly Witte, Managing Executive
Christine Kowalski, Manager/Administrator Carol Berardino, Certification Administrator Carrie Lopez, Administrative Assistant
Global Earth Observation System of Systems needs INCOSE members
From the INCOSE eNote: Volume 5 Issue 10, 8 November 2008
Over the next decade, a Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) will revolutionize our understanding of the Earth and how it works. With benefits as broad as the planet itself, this U.S.-led initiative promises to make peoples and economies around the globe healthier, safer and better equipped to manage basic daily needs. The aim is to make 21st century technology as interrelated as the planet it observes, predicts and protects, providing the science on which sound policy and decision-making must be built. Building an integrated, comprehensive and sustained global Earth Observation System opens a world of possibilities.
INCOSE has been selected to act as the GEOSS System Integration agent and architecture lead during the Architecture Implementation Pilot (AIP).
INCOSE has immediate need for 11 System Engineers trained and experienced in using UML and SySML syntax. Work is estimated to require approximately 600 hours of labor. This will be divided amongst 11 system engineers and 1 lead architect. So an average of 50 hours per engineer is expected. Artisan architecture development tool software will be provided for development of the architecture.
Included in references is a presentation of the five views required to be built for each of the societal benefit scenarios. The INCOSE team will hold interviews with societal benefit teams and develop required UML and SySML views. Contact Lawrence McGovern to participate in the GEOSS effort. No labour dollars will be expended but travel costs will be paid.
Some Systems Engineering-Relevant Websites
Systems Engineering: Simple (Not Easy) To Extremely Complicated – Fostering practitioner conversations about sustainable Systems Engineering for small to medium engineering groups in commercial, public and non-profit enterprises.
Practical Software and Systems Measurement (PSM) was developed to meet today’s software and system technical and management challenges. It is an information-driven measurement process that addresses the unique technical and business goals of an organization. The guidance in PSM represents the best practices used by measurement professionals within the software and system acquisition and engineering communities.
Syntegration is a suite of powerful, science-based processes that optimize large group interaction.
These processes are an unprecedented breakthrough for addressing complex business and social challenges. They greatly accelerate and radically improve planning, decision making and alignment-building, and they elicit changes in behaviour that are necessary for real impact.
Why patterns for Systems Engineering? What are Systems Engineering patterns? These are a few topics that will be discussed on this blog. This blog is directed by Dr. Robert Cloutier of Stevens Institute of Technology.
This website is under direction of Dr. Robert Cloutier from the School of Systems & Enterprises at Stevens Institute of Technology. Dr. Cloutier wrote his Thesis on the topic of Applicability of Patterns to Complex Systems and has a natural Interest in the subject. This website was therefore set up as a source of information on System Architecture Patterns. It contains both current and ongoing research in the field of System Architecture Patterns. One main goal of this website is to be a public repository for System Architecture Patterns.
http://softreq-requirements-management.blogspot.com This blog discusses requirements management.
What Is Systems Engineering? A Consensus of Senior Systems Engineers
CPN Tools is a tool for editing, simulating and analysing Coloured Petri Nets.
The functionality of the simulation engine and state space facilities are similar to the corresponding components in Design/CPN, which previously was distributed as a free tool for Coloured Petri Nets. Design/CPN has been replaced by CPN Tools and it is no longer possible to download or to get support or licenses for Design/CPN.
Business Process Management Tools
Innovative approaches and tools in the areas of process management and process-based Web applications including Workflow Control.
Micro Analysis and Design is a consulting services and software products company providing expertise in computer simulation and modelling, human factors engineering and custom software development. Working with our talented people and valuable software products will keep your organization on top.
SIMSCRIPT II.5® is a simulation package for discrete-event and combined discrete-event/continuous simulation.
Teknowledge Corporation sells software products and service solutions, and is increasingly focused on solutions for the financial services industry.
This site covers software models, design methods and CASE tools for Linux, Macintosh and Windows. Supported methods and notations include UML, OMT, Booch, Shlaer/Mellor, Yourdon/DeMarco, Gane & Sarson, Hatley/Pirbhai, CRC cards and Martin’s Information Engineering. These tools promote an engineered approach to software development with integrated models, requirements traceability, code generation and reengineering of code to design.
http://decisiondriven.wordpress.com/decision-driven-strategy/ Decision Driven Strategy:
There is a decision pattern behind every strategy and every product. Exposing that pattern as a Decision Network gives you a unique set of controls.
Standards and Guides
ISO/IEC standard to increase international acceptance of certification of software engineering professionals
The increasing globalization of the software industry implies that a software engineering professional is likely to work in different countries over the course of a career. It is therefore important to develop ways to increase the international acceptance of professional certifications in this domain.
From 1 November ConsensusBuilder Will Be Shut Down.
Standards Australia has introduced Standards Hub – an upgraded system of developing Standards. From September to November 2008, projects are being transferred to the new Standards Hub from ConsensusBuilder. From 1 November Consensus Builder will no longer be operational.
Standards Hub is a one-stop-shop for all committee materials. Its simple user interface will allow for quick and easy communication with other committee members and streamline the public comment and ballot phases of Standards development.
Some Definitions to Close On
The Free Dictionary by Farlex defines “state”:
- A condition or mode of being, as with regard to circumstances: a state of confusion.
- A condition of being in a stage or form, as of structure, growth, or development: the fetal state.
- A mental or emotional condition: in a manic state.
- Informal – A condition of excitement or distress.
- Physics – The condition of a physical system with regard to phase, form, composition, or structure: Ice is the solid state of water.
The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines “state” 1.
- mode or condition of being <a state of readiness>
- i. condition of mind or temperament <in a highly nervous state>
ii. a condition of abnormal tension or excitement
- a condition or stage in the physical being of something <insects in the larval state> <the gaseous state of water>
- any of various conditions characterized by definite quantities (as of energy, angular momentum, or magnetic moment) in which an atomic system may exist
The Free Dictionary by Farlex defines “mode”:
- a manner, way, or method of doing or acting: modern modes of travel. See Synonyms at method.
- a particular form, variety, or manner: a mode of expression.
- a given condition of functioning; a status: The spacecraft was in its recovery mode.
The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines “mode”:
- a particular form or variety of something <flying and other modes of transport>
- a form or manner of expression : STYLE
2. a possible, customary, or preferred way of doing something <a spacecraft in reentry mode> <a computer operating in parallel mode>
- a manifestation, form, or arrangement of being; specifically : a particular form or manifestation of an underlying substance
- a particular functioning arrangement or condition : STATUS <a spacecraft in reentry mode> <a computer operating in parallel mode>
Note that both of these U.S. sources for definitions of words in the English language emphasise the fundamental distinction between state and mode:
each emphasizes, through word and examples (some technical), the nature of “state” as a condition of something.
each emphasises, through word and examples (some technical), the nature of “mode” as a condition of doing (function).
The definitions also reflect the overlap between the two concepts. As is pointed out in guidance on the application of states and modes, where the level of abstraction relationship of “states used to express dynamics required of the system at the highest level of abstraction” and “modes used to express required dynamics at a lower level of abstraction” is employed, a mode is, in fact, a class of sub-state.
Technical standards, especially requirements specification standards, relevant to engineering have used the terms “state” and “mode” extensively over the years, in most cases without defining these terms (e.g. DI- CMAN-80008, 80008A, 80025, 80025A, the corresponding DI-IPSCs).
Project Performance International News
PPI announces the introduction of a new international location for delivery of its Systems Engineering 5-day training – the beautiful La Spezia, on the north-west coast of Italy. The first course will be conducted over 16- 20 February, 2009.
La Spezia is a city in the Liguria region, at the head of the La Spezia Gulf. The city is home to one of Italy’s major commercial and military harbours, located between Genoa and Pisa on the Ligurian sea. La Spezia also hosts one of the biggest military companies of Italy, OTO Melara.
Project Performance International Events
Systems Engineering 5-Day Courses
Upcoming locations include:
Las Vegas, USA Amsterdam, Netherlands La Spezia, Italy
Sydney, Australia London, UK
View 2008-2009 Systems Engineering Course Schedule
Requirements Analysis and Specification Writing 5-Day Courses
Upcoming locations include:
Melbourne, Australia Sydney, Australia London, UK
Las Vegas, USA
View 2008-2009 RA&SW Course Schedule Requirements Engineering 5-Day Courses Upcoming locations include:
View 2008-2009 Requirements Engineering Course Schedule
OCD/CONOPS 5-Day Courses
Upcoming locations include:
Melbourne, Australia Adelaide, Australia
View 2008-2009 OCD/CONOPS Course Schedule Software Engineering 5-Day Courses Upcoming locations include:
Amsterdam, Netherlands Melbourne, Australia Adelaide, Australia
View 2008-2009 Software Engineering Course Schedule
Kind regards from the SyEN team:
Julie May, Production, email: email@example.com
Michael Halligan, Production, email: firstname.lastname@example.org
Project Performance International
PO Box 2385, Ringwood, Vic 3134 Australia Tel: +61 3 9876 7345
Fax: +61 3 9876 2664
Copyright 2008 Project Performance (Australia) Pty Ltd, trading as Project Performance International Tell us what you think of SyEN: email to email@example.com
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This email is an advertisement complying with the CAN -SPAM Act 2003. Disclaimer
No person should rely on the contents of this publication without first obtaining advice from a qualified professional person. This publication is provided free as a public service on the understanding that (1) the authors, consultants and editors are not responsible for the results of any actions taken on the basis of information in this publication, nor for any error in or omission from this publication; and (2) the publisher is not engaged in rendering professional or other advice or services. The publisher, and the authors, consultants and editors, expressly disclaim all and any liability and responsibility to any person, whether a reader of this publication or not, in respect of anything, and of the consequences of anything, done or omitted to be done by any such person in reliance, whether wholly or partially, upon the whole or any part of the contents of this publication. Without limiting the generality of the above no author, consultant or editor shall have any responsibility for any act or omission of any other author, consultant or edi tor.
COPYRIGHT PROJECT PERFORMANCE (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD, ABN 33 055 311 941. May only be copied and distributed in full, and with this Copyright Notice intact. | <urn:uuid:52232756-40f3-4f19-ab1f-10bdd6483166> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.ppi-int.com/systems-engineering-newsjournal/ppi-syen-2/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571538.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812014923-20220812044923-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.88884 | 9,719 | 2.140625 | 2 |
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There may be hope to lives with Weak Erection.
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Officer Positions and Elections
The officers of the society shall be President, Vice President, Recording Secretary, Treasurer, and Immediate Past President.
They shall hold office for two years or until successors are elected.
They shall be active members in good standing and left to the discretion of the nominating committee with dues paid by December 31.
They must have previously held a chapter officer position
The President shall:
A. Preside at all meetings of this society.
B. Appoint with the approval of the Executive Board all committee chairpersons.
C. Be an ex officio member of all standing committees EXCEPT the nominating committee.
D. Perform no act which changes policy without the approval of the Executive Board or Executive Council between meetings.
E. Appoint the corresponding secretary.
F. Appoint the Parliamentarian and Historian.
G. Designate either the Vice-President or Immediate Past President as coordinator of the Education or Membership Committee.
H. Appoint a three-member auditing committee with the approval of the Executive Board at each Annual Convention to audit the Treasurer's records.
I. Perform such other duties as usually pertain to this office.
J. Be first delegate to the National Convention.
K. Be an active member in good standing.
The Recording Secretary shall:
A. Record resolutions and proceedings of all meetings of the Society, Executive Board and Executive Council.
B. Within 10 days of such meeting shall submit a copy of the minutes to the following:
1. Advisory Board
2. Each member of the Executive Board
3. Chairperson of the Bylaws Committee
C. Keep a roster of the members of the Society.
D. Have charge of all Society ledgers and records of business conducted by this organization.
E. Be responsible for notifying in writing all members of the Executive Council or Executive Board of any called meeting ten days prior to such meeting.
F. Be first alternate to the National Convention.
G. Be an active member in good standing.
The Vice President shall:
A. Assist the president throughout the year.
B. Assume the duties of the President in the President's absence.
C. Succeed to the office of President in the event of a vacancy in the office.
D. Be coordinator of wither the Education or Membership committee.
E. Appoint a committee of three of which he/she is the chairperson to judge the bulletin entries from the component chapters for annual contest at the Annual convention.
F. Confer with the Treasurer to ascertain the winner of the membership contests.
G. Be second delegate to the National Convention.
H. Be an active member in good standing
The Treasurer shall:
A. Collect all money due to the society.
B. Pay out money only on original bills and vouchers signed by the President.
C. Prepare an annual financial statement.
D. Be bonded to cover the amounts entrusted to his/her care with premium paid by the South Dakota Society of Medical Assistants.
E. Submit all accounts and financial records to an auditing committee at the Annual Convention.
F. Be chairperson of the Budget and Finance Committee.
G. Submit a proposed budget for the following year at each Annual House of Delegates.
H. Be second alternate to the National Convention.
I. Be an active member in good standing.
Immediate Past President
The Immediate Past President shall:
A. Serve on the Executive Board.
B. Assist any group of medical assistants qualified to organize as a Component Chapter.
C. Serve as coordinator of either the Education or Membership Committee.
D. Be third alternate to the National Convention.
E. Be an active member in good standing.
Eligibility, Nomination and Election of Officers
All officers shall be active members in good standing and state officers must have held office on a committee. The President, Vice President Secretary and Treasurer may be elected to a consecutive term for state positions.
The Nominations Committee shall present at the Annual Convention a slate in full, consisting of one and not more than three candidates for each of the following offices: Vice President, Recording Secretary, and Treasurer. Upon receiving the report of the Nominations Committee, additional nominations may be made from the floor by a member of the House of Delegates. The nominating Chairman must have written consent of the candidate and the written endorsement of the nominee’s local chapter before the name is placed in nomination.
Election shall be by written ballot and a majority of the voting delegates is necessary to elect.
If after nominations from the floor of the House of Delegates, a slate in full consists of only one candidate for each of the following offices: Vice President, Recording Secretary, and Treasurer; then the Recording Secretary shall cast a written ballot to accept the slate of officers as presented. | <urn:uuid:cb1b685a-32cf-4fde-8a57-ec7582fe0a28> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.sdsma.us/officer-elections | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571538.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812014923-20220812044923-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.938501 | 1,032 | 1.507813 | 2 |
The pandemic has shifted so much in our lives, including how we pursue academic and professional education goals. Do you have questions about online learning? We have answers for both degrees and Continuing Professional Education (CPE). In addition, with stay-at-home orders and other pandemic restrictions still in place in many areas, more people turn to online programs to earn their undergraduate, graduate degrees or CPE. In other words, where we have commonly seen you in live, in-person all-day events, we must meet with you online for CPE. If you are one of these people looking for online learning opportunities, you have likely done a little research on your own. If you still have questions, the following links and resources in this article may answer them.
Which topics are available online?
Almost like mobile phone apps, pretty much all topics are available online. “There’s an app for that.” Some CPE courses are free, and some have a charge such as those from K2, ACPEN, or Western CPE. Quality CPE usually has a charge associated with it. You know the adage; you get what you pay for. If you do not pay for it with money; you pay for it somehow. Therefore, you must decide what quality of education and learning you desire.
From focused topics on technology in accounting, to tax and audit, you should find significant coverage in online offerings. For instance, if you are interested in generalized knowledge for your benefit, and do not need a degree, consider one of the many MOOCs available. However, if you want a degree, then that is another story.
Which degrees are available online?
Think of a degree, and chances are you can earn it online. With so many universities trying to adapt to the new “normal” of the pandemic, finding an online degree program has become easier than ever. Even Ivy League and top-tier schools are offering online classes to keep students safe. Above all, if you are still undecided, we have a few suggestions that might help.
If you are savvy with tech and already have a bachelor’s, you could investigate an online IT master’s program. For example, obtaining a master’s in data science, data analytics, cybersecurity, or information technology management from a highly respected institution can boost your income potential and put you ahead of the competition. Even established CPAs can benefit from obtaining a master’s degree in IT: information technology has been a game-changer in the accounting field. For instance, many companies are looking to hire CPAs with this specialized knowledge to help keep their finances running smoothly.
Recent reports from US News also rank aeronautical engineering, mechanical engineering, and several other tech-based degrees as having the highest-earning potential. You can research top institutions for these programs online, but many are offering online classes. If you already have an accounting degree and want to branch out into interesting, high-earning fields, the opportunities continue to abound.
What are some challenges in online classes?
Both students and teachers can find the transition to online learning difficult. For professors used to teaching in a physical classroom, making the jump to online-only classes can leave them scrambling to adjust their syllabus and lectures. Even though I have expertise in technology and have taught online since the mid-1990’s, making the full transition to online learning teaching has not been easy. Similarly, many college students find virtual learning less engaging. They may feel like they are missing out on other experiences.
If you are concerned about these potential drawbacks, know that overcoming them can be simple. For instance, let us say you are worried about being less active because you will not be walking from class to class or between meetings each day. In this case, you can fill your study breaks with virtual workouts to keep yourself active and healthy. You can find yoga, HIIT, dance, and other fitness classes online.
What are the perks of earning a degree online?
While you may miss out on specific aspects of traditional college education, pursuing a degree online has some decided benefits. More flexibility is just one of these top benefits. Choosing virtual classes can be especially beneficial for students who need to work full-time or for non-traditional students who may have a family to care for at home.
Many virtual degree programs are also less expensive than traditional ones. Better yet, if you choose an accredited university, you can still use financial aid to cover expenses. Similarly, all of which means you can earn your bachelor’s or master’s degree for a fraction of the usual costs.
More questions about online learning?
With any luck, we will be able to move past this pandemic in the coming year with successful vaccination programs. If you choose an online program, you could be well on your way to earning your degree by then. Plus, taking classes online can free up your schedule so you can focus on other areas of your life. Just be sure to research your options carefully to decide if this is the right choice for you. Do you have questions about online learning? We can speak directly. Above all, we have answers for Continuing Professional Education (CPE) at K2 that can help you succeed.
For expert advice on software, technology, business development and management, and so much more, look at the other great content (AccountingSoftwareWorld, CPAFirmTech, or TotallyPaperless) by Randy Johnston, a nationally recognized writer, educator, and consultant. If you have questions, call 888-542-9390 or Book a meeting to speak with Randy. | <urn:uuid:ce747f7c-c12b-408b-9832-22789fc86838> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.cpetoday.com/r/articles/have-questions-about-online-learning-we-have-answers/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571538.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812014923-20220812044923-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.961401 | 1,164 | 1.867188 | 2 |
Ocean Legacy Foundation (OLF), a Canadian non-profit organization, has launched EPIC Academy, a free online program that will provide knowledge about ocean plastic pollution.
EPIC Academy is providing communities around the world with essential knowledge regarding ocean plastic pollution, cleanup efforts, and solutions for creating plastic-free lands and waters.
The digital curriculum includes 10 unique lessons pertaining to ocean plastic pollution, the environmental impact of plastic pollution, and how different communities across the globe can take action managing plastic waste and solving the ocean plastic pollution crisis.
With EPIC Academy OLF aims to provide any individual, business or organization interested in learning more about ocean plastic pollution with an easily accessible and free resource to start the learning journey. Ultimately it hopes the program will build a global community working to advance plastic pollution cleanup efforts, evidence-based policy expansion and infrastructure development to better manage plastic resources.
EPIC Academy is available in French, Spanish, and English and each of the 10 online lessons takes approximately 90 minutes to complete. Level 1 (beginner lessons 1 to 5) is targeted towards the individual learner and includes special guidance for high school teachers (i.e., classroom guides and assignments) to help them lead their students through the lessons.
Level 1 Courses: Introduction – The Ocean Plastics Issue
- 1) Introduction to Ocean Plastics
- 2) What are Microplastics?
- 3) The Journey of Plastics to the Ocean
- 4) Why is Plastic Pollution a Problem?
- 5) Creating a Circular Economy for Plastics
Level 2 (advanced lessons 6 -10) is targeted towards individuals and organizations, especially local leaders and waste management and recycling professionals, who are concerned about plastic pollution and want to learn how to take action to stem the flow of plastics into the environment.
Level 2 Courses : Advanced Learning: Ocean Plastics Action & Advocacy
- 6) Ocean Plastics 201 – A Deeper Dive into the Ocean Plastics Issue
- 7) Moving to Action – Encouraging Behaviour Change
- 8) Taking Action – Creating a Plastics Recycling System
- 9) Using Policy to Make a Difference
- 10) Advocating for Change
Once participants have completed each lesson, they receive an EPIC Academy digital badge that can be shared on social media. At the completion of Level 1 and completion of Level 2 they receive an EPIC Academy Certificate of Completion.
“Communities around the world have specific environmental and emergency needs when managing ocean plastic pollution. EPIC Academy can provide essential knowledge regarding plastic pollution and solutions for communities to create plastic-free lands and oceans,” explains Chloé Dubois, president and co-founder of OLF.
“During our cleanup efforts we see single-use disposable plastics, cigarette butts, derelict fishing gear, and polystyrene littered all over the coastlines. Without intervention, global ocean plastics are expected to double by 2035. If practices remain unchanged there will be more plastic than fish in the ocean, by weight, by 2050. OLF believes that every action towards eliminating ocean plastic pollution counts, and EPIC Academy is a step in that direction.”
OLF is recognized as an international leader in ocean plastic pollution reduction, collection and processing and continues to collaborate with community organizations and businesses around the world to reduce and process plastics collected from ocean plastic cleanups.
Since OLF’s inception, it has been creating accessible platforms to assist with the restoration of critical natural ecosystems for improved human and wildlife health, as well as assess and develop long-term plastic collection, processing infrastructure and policy to mitigate oceanic plastic pollution sources. In 2019, in collaboration with Nestlé Waters Global, OLF rebranded its existing integrated approach, naming it EPIC, which combines Education, Policy, Infrastructure and Cleanup. EPIC Academy is OLF’s latest EPIC project.
Plastic debris can be found on every beach in the world and recent studies have found that marine plastic pollution have been ingested by 100 percent of marine turtles, 59 percent of whales, 36 percent of seals and 40 percent of seabird species examined. Ocean plastic pollution causes the deaths of more than a million seabirds and 100,000 marine mammals every single year. Plastics have also been found in drinking water, beer, seafood, table salt, and in the human body. | <urn:uuid:4ced1a6d-1155-4886-8e32-c3d2b993b5d7> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.wasterecyclingmag.ca/oceans/free-academy-to-provide-ocean-plastics-education/1003284995/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570977.50/warc/CC-MAIN-20220809124724-20220809154724-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.908287 | 898 | 2.890625 | 3 |
We can find one thousand articles on how to speak to other people – and that’s definitely important. But what advice is there to listen to to others? There’s such an emphasis to get our points across, but listening is just as important as speaking. We all love the sensation of being listened to. The more comprehensively we are listened to, the more we respond. It’s powerful stuff. We fall in love with people who listen to us; we vote for people who listen to us; we buy the products and services of people who listen to us. The ability to listen is one of the most profound influencing skills available to us!
We’ve got to stop worrying about what we’re going to say and focus on what’s being said. We sometimes listen to have your opinions validated or your ego stroked – but that’s not okay. We need to listen to be challenged and to learn something new. We’re not always right, so it’s okay to stop pretending we know everything and humble ourselves to others. If we desire to be listened to, then we must give others the courtesy of listening to them.
Even beyond personal relationships, listening is still important. Let’s face it — we’ve all experienced the horrible effects of the lack of active listening within the workplace at some point. For those of us who’ve spent any significant amount of time in the workforce, we know what it’s like to attend a meeting in which we have little input on what goes on in the cooperation we work for. The result of those feelings is not only a lack of happiness – the result is a general lack of commitment, engagement and productivity.
Being leaders in the workforce and being good partners in any of our relationships means we just need to listen! It’s really that simple. One of the best compliments we can be paid is to be known as a good listener. Being recognized in this fashion will open doors, surface opportunities, and take us places talking never could. Listening demonstrates that we respect others, and is the first step in building trust and rapport. Listening to our bosses when they have a concern shows that we’re open to feedback and listening to learn and understand – and listening to our friends rant about their lives shows that we care about their wellbeing and love them.
Clearly, listening is a skill that we can all benefit from improving. By becoming a better listener, our productivity will increase, as well as our ability to influence, persuade and negotiate. What’s more, we’ll avoid conflict and misunderstandings – what’s not to love about that? Listening is the most powerful tool we can use – so let’s start doing exactly that.
You might also enjoy reading: Dealing with Negativity on Social Media
If you found that this post brought some kind of value into your life, make sure you share it with your friends on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram or just shoot an email to a friend and let them know you enjoyed this specific post. Encourage them to join the #SheBecameFearless community.
One more thing! Remember… go out there and be Fearless! No matter what you set your mind to, YOU CAN DO IT! Did you download my free e-book yet? I know that you’ll love it!
Rayven – Team #SheBecameFearless | <urn:uuid:e60f943a-eda5-42c2-9364-ece5b662f5fb> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | http://shebecamefearless.com/master-your-listening-skills/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571210.98/warc/CC-MAIN-20220810191850-20220810221850-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.943685 | 718 | 2.203125 | 2 |
The Islamic Finance industry is a thriving US $3 trillion industry. It spans across several sectors such as banking, capital markets, insurance and investment funds. These sectors are regulated by several Shariah principles and Shariah standards. Generally, several principles are cited as the core framework which highlight key Shariah principles for Economics and Finance. However, what is the common thread between all the various principles and teachings? What is the root for all these principles? What is the prohibition of Riba, Gharar and gambling ultimately seeking? This article explores the answer to these questions.
Islamic Finance is quite literally the Islamic way to do business, finance and economics. And Islamic means nothing more than a paradigm of submitting & acknowledging God. Thus, Islamic Finance is a paradigm of finance which recognises, submits & is appreciative to the Creator and Lord. Every principle, every framework and every standard flows from this reality and root. Without God in the equation, Islamic Finance is just finance.
The ultimate objective of Islamic Finance is just that; to develop an economy and financing mechanism which makes people transact according to God’s framework and guidelines. Of course, Islamic Finance prohibits Riba due to the several harms Riba embeds. Islamic Finance also bans uncertainty in contracts as the tendency to quarrel increases. And lastly, Islamic Finance prohibits gambling for the harms it does to the society. All these rulings are not just for the immediate benefit of humanity and their worldly life, but ultimately to allow humanity to recognise their purpose of creation and their Creator. These prohibitions remove the roadblocks in recognising God.
The source of Islamic Finance is the Qur’an – the final revelation from God. And the purpose of the Qur’an is for humanity to reconnect with God. Although the teachings of the Qur’an serve a beneficial purpose in the world, ultimately, the guidance is there for us to find our way back to our Creator.
The prohibition of Riba is not there as the end, rather it is the means to an end. The end is the recognition of God. Through avoiding Riba, mankind can trade and transact the way God wants us to, and as a result, have a non-exploitative, more equal and just society. Consequently, the environment is more conducive in recognising God. When there is no Riba in society, all these ills are removed from the society, making it a reflection of the bounty of peace and serenity enjoyed in the Heavens.
The same applies to all the teachings of Islamic Finance. They are all there to allow mankind to walk on the path of guidance and appreciate the majesty and grandeur of the Creator. Islamic Finance is not just an ethical form of finance where the teachings have come from society, culture or random values, instead, these principles and values have been revealed to us from God for humanity.
The financial system should not destabalise the beautiful kingdom of God. Riba, Gambling and Gharar do just that. Hence, Islamic Finance is the way to maintain the balance in the kingdom of God. Islamic Finance allows the economy and finance to be in sync and harmony with the submission in the Heavens. When all is said and done, all economic agents will return to God for accountability. Those who persevered in trying to maintain the balance on Earth with a genuine intention to win the pleasure of God, will be duly rewarded and welcomed by God. Those who left no stone unturned to destabalise the beautiful kingdom of God through exploitative financial means will be accountable to God.
Perhaps, the better way to frame this discussion is to flip it on its head. God does not want anyone to be exploited, harmed or unjustly enriched. He does not want us to commit these crimes and nor does He want His servants to suffer from this. He loves His creation and wants the inhabitants of the Earth to do what is in their best interest. Hence, Islamic Finance is ultimately about reconnecting with God and recognising God through our economic policies and financial transactions.
In conclusion, the entire Islamic Finance is there to ultimately recognise God through our financial and economic affairs. This one principle flows through the veins of the entire Islamic Finance. | <urn:uuid:928d42fa-5a66-48c4-a057-ff402d16a91a> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://amanahadvisors.com/islamic-finance-in-one-principle/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571538.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812014923-20220812044923-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.95062 | 857 | 2.375 | 2 |
Data Protection and Recovery Services
Data Protection Service
Data is growing daily and segmented across various location and environment both on-premises and cloud. Data protection service is the only mean the IT expert or consultant or organization can reduce the risk and cost of delivering the required service level.
Business and Recovery Service.
IT systems and their availability are mission-critical to the smooth running of organizations. Any interruption to these systems can effectively halt the ability of a company to do business and affect customer confidence. Why would any company want to put their business at risk?
The Business Challenge
Businesses of all sizes are exposed to risks from unplanned outages, and face the challenge of operating “non-stop” if they are to stay competitive in today’s on-demand business environment. Interruptions due to unexpected system failures, software corruption, maintenance windows, human errors, outside threats or disasters have proven to affect sales, service and productivity, and in many cases threaten a company’s survival.
Our Professional Services
- Audit the existing Data management solution and Data size.
- Assess DR and BCP requirements, advise on best practice
- Architecting solutions to support RPO and RTO objectives
- Implementation of data protection solution, failover and replication at network, application and storage layers
- Creation, testing and maintenance of Recovery test plans
- Ability to consult, execute and manage Data Protection and DR solutions | <urn:uuid:38f43117-1759-4e4a-aca6-630374ea11b3> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://elzogroup.com/data-protection-and-recovery-services/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573699.52/warc/CC-MAIN-20220819131019-20220819161019-00265.warc.gz | en | 0.913068 | 294 | 1.5 | 2 |
It's not hard to make decisions when you know what your values are.
India is a country with one third of the population being young who are & will play a major role in transforming India economically and socially. We believe the essence of unique values to be in equilibrium along with imparting knowledge to these young guns and ourselves as the catalyst in process of nation building.
Here are the values that we stand for
One should love his country, patriotism at the top of values. Unlikely to the other values patriotism cannot be taught but definitely can be poised with ethics and goals.
Necessity is the mother of all innovations which elevates progress and growth of the nation. We have platforms where talents meet opportunity resulting innovation followed by success stories.
With patriotism and innovation it is equally important to sustain at the same time. We teach students uniformity in leadership and how it helps in decision making also to constantly motivate them becoming a change maker of tomorrow.
With great position comes huge responsibility, Leadership needs to be cultured and dignified. At DYP we respect each other from management to staff to students and stakeholders.
When all the above values come together with all the people around DYP it results in a great team. Together all these values makes an outstanding brand, institution, student, staff and management. | <urn:uuid:223b4aa3-ebd9-42dd-a807-9515c3785946> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.dyppharmaakurdi.ac.in/values | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571210.98/warc/CC-MAIN-20220810191850-20220810221850-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.94743 | 284 | 1.6875 | 2 |
|Rights||No Copyright - United States (NoC-US)|
|Publisher||Digitized by J. Willard Marriott Library, University of Utah|
BILLINGTQNS STATEMENT. He Protests His Innocence for of the Crime JChich he wets Convicted'. E. A. Billington is now in the Penitentiary, under a three years sentence for being connected with the robbery of the Nephi bank. The evidence against him was to the efiect that he was the accomplice of Justensen and Allred, who actually committed the robbery. Ceitain temarks alleged to have been made by him regarding the affair, directed suspicion toward him, and were published in The Ensign shortly after the robbety. Mr. liillington, after his conviction, wrote a statement to the Provo Enquirer and requests us to publish it. It is as follows: "As your paper is noted for the fearless advocation of truth, if permitted by you I will, through the medium of its columns, make a statement in regard to my case, which has just been tried in the First Judicial District Court at Provo, found when twelve of my fellow-me- n me guilty of attempting to rob the Nephi Bank on November 17, 1887. I find no fault with them. No doubt they were prompted bv the run of the evidence to find me guilty. But I want to declare to my friends, enemies, and all classes, through these columns, that I am innocent, so help me God; and the evidence that convicted me, I declare to the world is false, and was cut and dried for the purpose it accomplished. It was written down, learned by heart, and recited like poetry upon the witness stand to convict me, by relations of the guilty parties. I now declare to the world, and stake my life and everything that is near and dear to me, that every word that has been said to convict me has been to convict an innocent man. I stated the truth on the witness stand; that was the foundation of all their evidence, only I did not get to explain what I should have explained, and that would have made it plainer. My intended wife knew just as much about it as I did. I told her just what Justensen told me on the evening of November 17, 1887. I told her I did not think that he meant it, but it showed that he was not contemplating keeping tne promise he had made to his brothers, not two months previous, that if he got aiutof hi.- - then present trouble, he would never get hi any more. 1 tuM Her 4 him, and told hint what he had better do instead of having such ideas as that, and supposed that that would be the last of it. and But, alas! where am 1 where is that noble.woman I promised to prove tiue to? I am in jail, convicted of a crime of which 1 am not guilty; and she, I believe, is 011 her deathbed, weighed down by grief, and almost heart broken, caused bv persons, once supposed friends, whom we have pleaded with to be just and right in their action, but who have turned the hand of friendship into a hammer of destruction, and left us prostrate as we are now font d I have fought for justice with all my power, and have fought on just principles, but could not combat with the falsemob. and will hood of a liberty-robbin- g therefore have to resign myself to look through prison bars until it is the will of God to reinstate me back to my loved one at home. Kind friends, fare well. E. A. Bii.ungton. County Jail, Provo, Match 20, 1S89 this beautiful spriug morning are we, as impulse drives us, reasserting our pledges to the public that af nuntairiing an honest and manly independence. The Ensign continues with hopes renewed of finding a home in the hearts of the best people of every class and condition in life. It renews and increases its efforts to foster and promote the best interests and the principles of most enduring happiness to all. As in the past, with this purpose in view, we shall continue to labor, aiming to command public respect and patronage, but be it understood that we make no pretense to infallibility. On the contrary, being human we expect to err, but we only hope that the instant pressure of public criticism, more pronounced than it has been in the past, will be brought to bear to set us right. The editor 01 this paper is free to admit that lie has either mistaken his calling, or else the supposition that editors know everything is erroneous. Feeling thus and wishing The Ensign to be a public journal, the mouthpiece of the people it represents and not a repeater of the editors views only, the columns of this paper are open for the use of its patrons, or those interested in public matters pertaining to its locality. It is well known that a man, firm or company, never undertaketo run a newspaper unless he or they expect to be paid for it. It is also understood that any community of any importance can well afford to support a newspaper and in fact, that no better investment can be made by the public than in supporting a good newspaper, one that they can be proud of as their representative. Whether or no The Ensign has been that, we, of course, must leave to the public to decide, but it has been and is our sole object to make it such. Wherein we nave failed or erred in the past or wherein we shall err or fail in the future we shall be more than pleased to have it pointed out to us, not only in a personal, but a public manner through the of the paper, as by doing so our object will be the sooner reached to the better satisfaction of all concerned. We have by no means got rich yet through our enterprise, nor do we expect to right away, but it we can live comfoitably and decently and continue to improve the paper that it may grow in the confidence of the people and approach nearer and nearer the ideal journal of the day, we shall be satisfied, knowing full well that continuing thus we are in the right path- "The Ensign has its convictions religiously, politically and socially, but its columns are open and it will cheerfully welcome communications from any and all whether of views opposed or in conformity with ours and we guarantee fair and honest treatment. Our aim is to make a thorough business and progressive paper and give fair play to all discussions of public questions, and to this end we extend a cordial invitation for assistance from the public, not only bv way of financial support, but by giving expression to both sides and all sides of public questions and matters. This is the way we feel and the path we are aiming to follow and we are anxious not only that the public should know it, but that they should watch us constantly and when they see us digressing, through error or otherwise, check us as it will be for their btst interests as the paper is run fur their lest interest?. col-um- A TIMELY SUGGESTION. Editor Ensign: TO THE PUBLIC. It is Sunday afternoon, sit down to break the Sabbath by asking you to call the attention of our the beginning of a new volume to write City Fathers to an abominal nuisance a column or so ahout their future prom- which . ought to be immediately U is usually the custom lor editors on yet I or about January 1st of a new year or ises and policy and reviewing their past efforts showing up in Bowery language and with much gusto, what they have accomplished in the past. At present it is neither the beginning of a new year nor, with us, the beginning of a new volume, but still we feel constrained at the pre sent time to say a few words about ourselves, the past and future of The En sign. We feel as though one could not choose a more propitious time to speak of the things this article contains, and we are positive that the present seasun, with all nature smiling and everything and everybody imbued with new life after the refreshing spring time showers we have just been blessed with, and every condition and circumstance promising immediate abundant prosperity encouraging frail humanity to renew lagging efforts, leads us to renewed energies and to speak and,promise as we d j. I11 connection with the good it has done, The Ensign in the past has made some mistakes, but through mistakes we learn and through our mistakes the editor has been if not the public, has improved taught lessons very valuable to him, which lessons he very sincerely trusts will be applied to the improvement of his future work and general features of The Ensign as the paper will be in the future, making it more worthy the support of the intelligent public and a better and more able factor in the develope-meand progress of its section of the fair Territory of Utah. We are making no change in principle or policy pertaining to any public matter; merely on nt tepress-ed- to the seizure, every Sunday afternoon, of a part of Main Street by a gang of young hoodlums who desecrate I re-te-r the Sabbath bv plaving baseball or foat-bal- l. If I am not mistaken, there is no such thing as a Territorial Sunday lau but it seems reasonable that there should be a city statute bearing on this. This is only one of a half dozen or more places in the town where these games are being carried on every Sunday. Y'ery Truly, Citizen. AN EXPLORING EXPEDITION. In consequence of the belief of so many people in Utah in the truthfulness of the Book of M irmon, the work of the syndicate formed by A. J. Miller, of Evansville, Indiana, for the scientific xeploration of Central America, will be watched with nterest in these parts. Mr Miller, who stands at the head of this movement, has for a long time been interested in the mystery which overshadows the ruined cities and temples of Central America There are voices in those old ruins if they can only be made to speak. They are the monuments of a lost civilization, and if possible they should be made to relate whence it came, how it rose and how it sank into decay, that the present generation of men tnay have the benefit of the experience of those great nations that once inhabited this splendid con tinent. That these nations were great, that their civilization was far advanced, even grand, we have ample evidence. The remains of their mighty works of art, their pyramids, temples and ruined cities, though silent, are witnessess competent to establish those facts. Let no one doubt their extent and grandeur. One of the most thoughtful of American historians has said: Considering the vast extent of these remains (that is, the remains of ancient American civilization,) spreading over more than half the continent, and that in Mexico and South America, after a lapse ol an unknown series of ages, they still retain much ancient grandeur which Times effacing lingers have failed to obliterate; it is certainly no wild flight of the imagination to conjecture that in ancient times, even coeval with the spread of science in the east, empires may have flourished here that would vie in power and extent the Babylonian, the Median or with the Persian; and cities that might have rivaled Nineveh, and V'yre and Sidon; for of these empires and these cities, the plains of Asia now exhibit fewer, and even less imposing relics, than are of the former inhabitants of this We wish Mr. Miller and the country. syndicate of leading daily papers engaged in this enterprise great success. Wrest if you can, gentlemen, from the silent lips of these njonuments of ancient civilization, the story they must know. INDICATIONS OF A NATIONAL BOOM. Manv careful observers all over the country believe the time has come for a general revival. Mr. John E. Leet of Denver makes the following points in support of this view: "The whole country is on the eve of a boom. There is more money in circulation now than ever before, and the prices of all commodities are tending upward. On the first of February the total circulation was I25.538.27x more than on the same date in 1888, and $90, 000,0 00 more than on the same day two years ago. This is a tremendous inflation, but it is of the gold and silver sort. During the year gold services have increased $26, 132.621, and silver certificates $66,016,385. From July, 1877, to November, 1888. the actual gold in the country has increased from $167,500,000 Jo $711 ,700,000. The wheat crop is selling for more than didt hat of last year; cotton hoi is its own, while the corn crop is the greatest ever known, is bringing the most money and is filling the land with prosperity. But maladministration of railroad affairs keeps stock down and investors are turning to western real estate as never before. Mines will have their inning next. The tide of immigration has filled up Kansas and Nebraska, and is now pouring through Denver into the mountain valleys beyond, even to the Pacific Ocean. Every settler going w est of Denver helps her. Capital is coming even faster than labor. The actual work of making Colorado another Pennsylvania is just beginning. BABYS SLEEPING TIME. The following pertinent suggestions found in Babyhood, tor the care of baby during sleeping time, are so practical we feel every mother should give them careful attention: I wonder if all mothers know that baby likes to be turned ovet after he has slept an hour or two on one side? When he stretches and wriggles, and finally, perhaps, cries out, try turning him on his other side, or almost on his back, and see if he does not relapse into another sound nap without further effort on your part. Do not forget to turn the pillow over also sometimes. The one or two-vea- r old who wakes in the night and sits up in bed, rubbing his little fists into his sleepy eyes, feels, perhaps, hot and uncomfortable. Tty turning the pillow. If he is like some children the writer knows of, he will wait for the sound- - of the turning pillow, and then drop hack on it into a renewed sleep. Remember also to keep a childs clothes smooth under him. Drawing down the rumpled night clothes and smoothing the cover has much to do with quieting the restless tossings of the little sleeper. COMFORTING ADVICE. W1IAT DllKSS COSTS? OUR YOUNQ LADIES COME HIGH, BUT THEY MUST HAVE PRETTY THINGS. for a cold is to get drunk. Jinks (with emotion) A friend need is a friend indeed. Lets take drink. New York Weekly. in a Litti IVebutaata Gifu Soma DeThat Coat S300 Meat TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS. Hava a New Dig for Each llall Tea leversl Example of the Havoc Caused by Gowns, Hllupera, Kte. a Hlipland Letter. Ia, 1 want 1200 for my Patriarchs ball Who is there, says The London Echo, that dress." Thunder! my dear. Didnt you got a new aas any claim to the name of author that has one for the Assembly ball? Do you want a uot been shocked or amused, at some time or new gown every week! Wneu your mother other of bis existence, by the appearance wa a girl slio wore a white muslin frock to (n print of a word or a sentence that he has written, which, by the simple change of every ball of the season." a letter, has turned perhaps a sublime "Yes, papa dear, but you know Shakeinto perfect nonsense? Of oourse, in speare savs, Costly thy habit aa thy purse thought can buy, and its my first, season, and you newspapers misprints of this character are to a certain extent excusable, and particularly wouldnt luive uie look like a fright" when it is remembered how rapidly they Oh, yes, that is very pretty, but doesnt the same gentleman rumurk somewhere that have to be produced in order to satisfy the Our purses should Lie proud, our garments demands of a public ever clamoring for the very latest. Still, errors sometimes creep poor. "But he didnt live in Now York, papa, and into tbe oolumns of our daily journals for which there is no accounting hurry, bad go to Delmonico balls." And then poor papa, and everything else considered. "copy," Lut meek u American millionbeing nothing Sir Robert Peel was the victim of a misaire, grumbled and fumed a little, aud in tbe earlier part of tbe present finally put two crisp greenbacks into a little print rosebud hand, and, wnth a kiss as light as century, which was contained in one of the thistle down aud after calling him "you most ludicrous announcements that ever appeared, perhaps, in a newspaper. 8ir Robert darling old dear," she ran away. An unwilling but interested listener to the was with a shooting party in Ireland, and the chagrin of the politician may be imagined Interesting conversation, 1 began to wonder what it cost to dross a youag lady of when he read that Sir Robert Peel and a fashion. At tho rate of $200 a week it would party of friends are shooting peasant in Irebe over fiO.iXXj a year, aud as my inoome was land. Speaking of Ireland, a curious blunder only half that and my lady love a person of tho other day in an editorial on tbe fashion 1 pondered. 1 asked a young married man at the club how much his wife all absorbing question, wherein it was inI tended to state that a reduction of rents on spent a year on her clothes. I know I put a oertain estate was to the tenants a matter the question meekly, but he howled at me to of living and thriving of life and death;" "go to tbuuder with my impertinence, and so 1 went or, rather, I went to visit but tbe alteration of a oouple of words made an aged female relative. She told me it read a matter of tying and thieving," and thus somewhat diverted tho seme. that clothes had gotten beyond her, said Poets just budding forth, of an unsuspectall she knew was that her granddaughter could dance a 1300 ball dress to ribbons in ing nature, have suffered muck from the a night. Then 1 became frightened, and so oonfldanoe they have plaoed in overworked consulted a nice littie debutante who volun- proof readers. What must have been tbe thought of the man who wrote teered to post me 011 clothes. Sea, the pale martyr in a sheet of fire! "Of oourse there is no limit to the amount when he saw his effusion translated you can spend on clothes, she began. "If Bee, the pale martyr with his shirt on Orel you want to go to Worth and Pingat, or, in fact, to any of the fashionable Paris dress- Of course the error was discovered by some makers, you will be obliged to pay a pretty lynx eyed reviewers, with the result that the reasonable price. 1 have a very nice ward- aspiring poet was momentarily extinguished robe this year, and it cost papa, just $3,000. Burns has not escaped the misprint misforWhen we cams home from Europe I brought tune, for there is an edition of his works well just two Paris dresses, because, dont you known to book collectors which contains tbe know, if you caut say, Some of my things line, O gin my love were von red easel are imported, you are really nobody. One was a perfect love of a ball dress, you know. This is an old substitution tbe word "nose" I wore it the other night, that pale yellow for "rose' a passage in one of the Christmas tulle, all embroidered in silver, with the big books a year or two sinoe, relating that ladies sometimes affected, yellow sash and satin bodice, it looked very though young simple, but it cost me $300, and then papa through coynees, a dislike to be kissed under hail lots of duty to pay on it. It was made the mistletoe, "they did not object to it under from a special design and the design de- the nose." Misprints of substitution and ommision stroyed, so that it could uot be duplicated. Then i brought over a carriage dress. I are not tbe only errors poets have to reckon havent woru it yet Im waiting until the with. Pope had an addition made to some other girls wear theirs, then I shall come out abbreviations, which gave quite another in mina It was quite a cheap gown; only color to their meaning. In a note in Meascost $1 50. It is in four shades of fawn and ure for Measure, he gave as an authority Cinthlo, deo. 8 nov. 5, meaning eighth of silk and velvet, made in one of those long directoire rediugotes that are so much worn, decade and fifth novel The abbreviations with a sash of crimson. It was made for the were distasteful to the printer, who altered Cinthio, Deoember 8th, Princess Somebody, I believe, but she would the note thus; not pay her last bill, so they sold it to me for November 6th." Numerous other instances, just as ludihalf price. You need uot say anything crous, might be given. For instance, where about that, though. Hei e she paused for a moment and I asked a railway train is described as running into her if her dresses ware as costly as those of a cow and cutting it into calves instead of or a soldier is called a "bottle "halves; the Misses do Batteur up the avenue. scarred instead of "battle scarred veteran; 1 should hope so! Why, those girls employ a $5 dressmaker, and do all the plain or a lady is spoken of as having sung very sewing themselves, aud their father dresses sweetly Gounods "Avenue Maria and a the whole five of them 011 $3, 000 a year I I piauiste entranced hor audience by her rendo uot tmiik 1 am at all extravagant, but I dering of a celebrated symphony in A Fat Major." But these suilica Oue other form could not dress 011 $1100 a year." Then we came back to tbe subject of her of error tnay, however, be mentioned, and this is that of mixing up two separate items clothes and what they cosh Some sweet little dancing gowns, one for of news in the same paragraph. An Instance lately occurred. It read: each of the Delmonico balls, my cost me $100 A each. 1 have a specially nice one for tho large cast iron wheel, revolving 900 times a Patriarchs a white silk crepe minute, exploded in that city yesterday, leise. with uu accordion plaited skirt all after a long and painful Illness. Deceased tucked with white satin ribbou, and a jar- was a prominent member of the local temg. diniere of lilies of the vulley down one side perance association. Printers, however, are only human, and and about tbe waist of the brocade, and an empire sash of cloth of bilver. Ghonnley have the same propensity to err os any other of their race. So, probubly, thought Tom made that. "Then tbei 0 is one for the New Years ball, Moore, when, In his "Fudges in England," of light red Brussels net, all caught up with he recounts where To please my own aunt I had tried tiny black humming birds, and one for the To oonunemorate some saint of her clique who last usseinbly, of ruse pink gauze, made a la had died. 1 have Groeq ue awfully sweet gown just seven of thoin. i need u fresh one for eaoli Having said, he had taken up In heaven hi position," ball, you know, and then 1 wear each one They made ft, he had taken up to heaven his five or at times small dances and the four physician." With my imported A request was once sent to rare Bon Jonson opera and dinners. dress, that makes only eight ball dresses to revise some proofs full of typographical uot ut ull extravagant, do you think I errors, but he respectfully declined, and After assuring her that I would not dosneb recommended sending them to the house of a thing, we proceeded. oorrection. Many an author has wished an needed I two new street unfortunate proof reader there, no doubt, Well, you see, costumes, so 1 went down to Redfera, and erenow. he turned me out two beaiTtiea for $130 each, both with hats and jackets to match. One Max ORell on Americans. is that dark green nml black doth gown that Max ORell, the stern critic of England, fits like a glove. 1 wore it yesterday, you English women and English customs, whose remember big buttous down the front books occasioned such feelings in the and long, straight Haps to the polonaise. breasts of numbers ofangry the inhabitants of direo-toirknow. Directoire, you Great Britain, has been giving us the benefit Everything is) and empire this year. I have a plain of his opinion on America and Americans. cloth jacket with that and a little velvet Ho delivered a lecture with this title on toque, with a prince's feather in it This Wednesday last at tho Birbeck institution, blue cloth, touched up with the silver braid, and though his criticisms on our cousins is the other dress. I wear it with a long boa." across the Atlantic are not altogether favorBut when 1 asked about the coat to go with able, he is certainly kinder to them than he 1 was uoue was informed thut it required, is to us. He told us on Wednesday that, because the gown was liued all through with all their openness aud there with chamois skin, nud was as warm as exists in some American citiescordiality certain circles a sealskin without the bulk of tbs lat- more reserved and select than any in Mayfair ter. 80 do not imagine when you see one or the Faubourg St Germain." of your feminine friends walking about withOn the Journey out from Liverpool Mr. out a jacket, and the thermometer down to ORell traveled with a party of American she She is silently freezing. isnt. men, who played poker incessantly, with an zero, that If she hasnt a chamois lining to her drees the entirely fresh oath for every card they threw has oue of cotton batting; but this latter down." On the Sunday morning a young only in case she is very thiu, when it serves a lady was playing sacred airs on the piano, twofold purpose of giving her warmth and and the poker party, ooming into the saloon, stood around and for two hours sang hymns rounding out her angles. M tea gowns were marvelously cheap. and psalms with the greatest energy and aDd You know that green Mr. ORell seems surprised at pink brocade, all cheerfulness. bordered with bamming birds wings, so this, and remarked that he had, he was sorry bIzarra f continued my tutor. Wall, I to say, met men in other countries who swore, A I $83 that. for was be also to bargain perfect he paid bad met men only glad say that call it. Then 1 have that morning dress of who sang hymns, but he adds; I believe that made flannel white Is and America Marguerite tbe only place which prodnoe pink fashion, and the one of pearl gray cashmere. men who do both with equal facility. Even I made at had them this hard critio of the feminine faults has not They cost me $30 each. home. 1 should like two more tea gowns. 1 entirely escaped tbe fascinations of the hear one of the Van Vantry girls has seven, beautiful women, for be confesses to us that but 1 cannot afford it this year, shoes and the American girl is quite charming, while the only thing he can find to say against her stockings cost so much, you know." It was quite shockiug to bear that hall is that she overdresses. He says that the slippers of satin were $12 a pair, and you word simplicity isjnot included in the vocaboould pay more for thorn if yon wished. ulary of a New York dressmaker. Mr. Swell walking shoes, with patent leather ORslls ideas on dress may be different to tips, were either $3 or $3, and house slippers tbat of most people or else the Amerioan girls $2, aud as for ailksu stockings, $3 and $4 we see over here must be exceptions to the were the prices always paid for plain ones, rule, for they are generally dressed quietly and I was told you could dance a hole in the and always In good taste. London Letter to heels In one evening without much trouble. Philadelphia Telegraph. A cbuaeb dress is quite nqqeseam It is A Nice tail Dretwea , ... 1 The Inoculation of Cattle. New South Walts Theexperiments u ltb the object by the uguits of M. of combating that malignant malady in cattle ami sheep known as tue Cumberland disease, nhich takes the form of a carbuncle, accompanied with gangrene of the cellular tissue, ure repelled to be briliiautly successful, it is estimated thut the inoculation process now saves m New South IVuics nlouo 110 fewer than AKi.UuO sheep aud 40.IKX) cattle every year, ail of which would have been destroyed if iasteur had uot come to the rescue. Tbe charge for inoculating a sheep is 2d., and fur a cow or a steer 4d., which amounts to a. considerable tax, but the money is cheerfully paid in view of tbe great advantage that the sheep and cattle raisej have derived from the introduction of il. Pasteurs method. Newark Advertiser. 111 mi-.i- r. Consumption of Orange. There is no fruit grown more valuable to both consumer and grower than the orangu. Think of the good times if every person 10 the laud really had his twenty oranges (present average). By the end of the century the average to each person will be not less than 100, for most of the best groves are just coming into bearing. This is true of California a well as of Florida. The enormous consumption of oranges is tallied by the equally increased consumption of grapes and berried. St. lxuis t. Shakespeare spelled his name in forty three different ways. 3Ve:ii'rr. City h... rains on Y. u, . ..1 Mr. Hayseed ad I'd try raisin of garden truck. - :.i, Mr Well, heavy Ive fish for the 1. Lowell C'itic Capt. Boycott. Ca.pt Boycott, despite his terrible experienced in Ireland, dwells absolutely in no hatred either of the country or of Its race. In a letter he made use of this remark: 1 go for my (annual holiday to dear old Ireland Detroit Free It is my 0119 treat of the year. Press. The Buck Chased the Hunter. John A. Beard, of Anthony Creek, Greenbrier county, W. Va., while walking along tbe edge of a wood came across bis dog engaged in a battle with a big buck. The deer was getting the better of the dog when Beard ran up and gave the deer a savage kick in the side. The blow brought the vengeance of the deer down upon Beard, who in a second was knocked down and would have been gored to death but for the faithful deg. While the deer was defending itself from the dog Beard got on a high fence and sat there, while the buck tried an hour to reach him. Mr. Beard was about worn out when a neighbor arrived with a gun and shot the deer. It was oue of the oldest and largest bucks seen this season, having seven prongs on its horns and weighing 163 pounds, dressed. New York World. for-ha- lf Copyright. A title may be entered, but tbe copyright covers the book and not the title. A title , alone cannot be copyrighted; it can bs pro tected solely ns a trade mark. What is a copyrighted manuscript? Copyright per tnins to u published book only. So long as u book is in manuscript it is protected by n common law of property; no one cau print without authority unless he steals it. It when a book is published that the copyrigh; law steps in to protect it. Every day we have evidence that authors have wrong notions ol copyright; they muke a point of having oL tained a copyright, as if it were something difficult like a patent and think they have in some wav secured their book and their title by entering the latter. They have se cured nothing. Nothing whatever is gained by entering a title except a preliminary step to be followed by filing copies of the book. The Critic. 11 Tarantula Causes a Panic. Louis Nevin, of Louisville, recently undertook to bring from Hot Springs an ini mense tarantula which he had captured VV bile on there. tho road, between Hot Springs and Little Rock, tho spider escaped from the bottle in which it had been im; and started in a promenade down the aisle of the car. For half an hour confusion reigned and tbe ugly insect had all the passengers at his mercy. Finally he was saiely corralled and bottled up. Mr. Nevin was forced to take himself and his pet off at the next station. A Mr. Doing Him a Rank Injustice. Pumley ito Brown) Brown, I understand that Robinson referred te me yesterday as an old fooL 1 dont tbiuk that sort of thing is right. Brown Why, of course, it aint fight, Dumley. You cant he more than 40 at the outside. Harpers Bazar. e f First Friend "Hello, Jinks! got a had cold, I see. Bathe your feet in hot water and drink a pint of hot lemonade. Second Friend "Inhale ammonia, or menthol. Third Friend "Take four hours active exercise in the open air. Fourth Friend "Sponge with salt water, and remain in a warm room. Fifth Friend Put on all the winter things youve got. and spend half a day sawing wood. Sixth Friend The best cure I know tho fashion to be very plaiu at church, aud the women, 1 believe, try to see who can dress the plainest. A black alpaca, with a very quiet short goal jacket or a cloth with scroll braid, is tbe correct thing, and a small velvet or cloth bonuet, without strings. This rig, without the sacque, can be procured for something like $50. New York Herald. Probably AU He Had. Alexander Newell, a little newsboy of Al bauy, Ga., was standing on the railroad traclq unmindful of an approaching train, when a negro pulled him off just in the nick of time. Alexander gave his rescuer a quarter. Drawing the Line. Landlady (trying to start the conversation) Are you fond of the antique, Mr. Slim? Um-e- r New Boarder (suspiciously) not at table. New York Weekly. A brother of Lord W olseley, Mr. Frederick Wolseley, an Australian squatter, claims attention for having invented a sheep shearing machine by which one man can shear 149 sheep a day clean a a whistle. Close observers say that between the London policeman and tbe African lion there is a difference in bravery, with the odds in favor of the animal. You will always find it harder to listen is better than the tongue. than to talk ; hut the ear The wise man is the man who knows Thai to do when the time comes. Miss Shawsgarden (of St. Louis) Oh, yes. I am proud of our city. We have chan;- tho saying about Naples to "See St- - Lou., and die. Miss Dearborn (of Chicago) Indeed! Is it so sudden? America. | <urn:uuid:fe56c622-1761-4627-856c-5fb53b246ccd> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://newspapers.lib.utah.edu/details?id=24575219&page=9&facet_paper=%22Nephi+Ensign%22 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570767.11/warc/CC-MAIN-20220808061828-20220808091828-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.968692 | 7,920 | 1.710938 | 2 |
Today (March 2, 2010) is the 10th anniversary of the Pet Travel Scheme which was originally championed by Lady Mary Fretwell. For more than 100 years prior to the approval of the Pet Travel Scheme, the United Kingdom had a strictly enforced quarantine program in effect. Bring in a dog, cat, guinea pig or rabbit, and they had to spend six months in one of 80 quarantine kennels in Great Britain, with virtually no exercise and with only the kennels’ contracted veterinarians to check them out. There were no uniform statutes governing these kennels–the kennel owners voluntarily agreed to provide respectable care, but this often was lacking.
“My husband was in the Foreign Service, so this meant that each time we returned to England from a post our basset hound had to go through that awful quarantine,” says Lady Mary Fretwell. “Over the years, we could see how the quarantine conditions got worse and worse.”
The final straw came in 1987, when Lady Mary and Sir John Fretwell returned to England from their final post in Paris. “We came back with our basset hound,” Lady Fretwell says, “and it was a terrible quarantine experience. Our beloved Bertie, our favorite of all the bassets we’ve had over the years, was a different dog after this horrible experience, and died soon afterwards. This pushed us into doing something about the quarantine situation in the UK.”
The result was an organization called “Passports for Pets,” and because of the untiring efforts by the Fretwells and 10,000 members and many volunteers who pushed for changes in the pet entry system, there is now in place a specific method of bringing cats and dogs into the UK without going through quarantine.
A happy note is that over 10,000 pets have been brought into the UK without any incident of rabies since the inception of the program as of the 10th anniversary. The Pet Travel Scheme was certainly a victory for pets traveling to the UK!
Updated information on bringing a pet to the UK. | <urn:uuid:799cadb0-a57d-4875-b96e-3ce27718f82a> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://blog.pettravel.com/index.php/10th-anniversary-of-the-pet-travel-scheme-avoid-quarantine-entering-the-uk/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571911.5/warc/CC-MAIN-20220813081639-20220813111639-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.977642 | 441 | 2.21875 | 2 |
As much a political weapon as miracle treatment for myriad physical and mental ailments, cannabis has endured decades of embarrassingly inaccurate propaganda meant to instill an air of criminality and shame with its use — in particular, claims spewed by drug warrior politicians and the corporate press, that regular pot smokers are damaging their IQs.
Unsurprisingly — at least to the untold thousands of people benefiting medically, psychologically, and, yes, recreationally, as well as to the researchers of a voluminous, cumulative body of evidence proving cannabis’ sweeping potential — they were wrong.
Examining the relationship between IQ and cannabis use, researchers from the United States and United Kingdom “found that youth who used cannabis … had lower IQ at age 18, but there was little evidence that cannabis use was associated with IQ decline from age 12 to 18. Moreover, although cannabis use was associated with lower IQ and poorer executive functions at age 18, these associations were generally not apparent within pairs of twins from the same family, suggesting that family background factors explain why adolescents who use cannabis perform worse on IQ and executive function tests.”
And, in fact, “Short-term cannabis use in adolescence does not appear to cause IQ decline or impair executive functions, even when cannabis use reaches the level of dependence.”
Adolescent cognitive performance suffered negative impacts from various “family background factors” — not, as the anti-cannabis crowd long assumed, from weed — adding to a growing body of evidence pot doesn’t actually wreak havoc the Drug Enforcement Administration, Jeff Sessions, and other drug warriors keep vomiting, wholly ignorant of fact.
“In the largest longitudinal examination of marijuana use and IQ change,” researchers from the University of California Los Angeles and the University of Minnesota concluded in a cognate 2016 study, “we find little evidence to suggest that adolescent marijuana use has a direct effect on intellectual decline. …[T]he lack of a dose–response relationship, and an absence of meaningful differences between discordant siblings lead us to conclude that the deficits observed in marijuana users are attributable to confounding factors that influence both substance initiation and IQ rather than a neurotoxic effect of marijuana.”
Another study published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology the same year mimicked those results, AlterNet notes. Assessing the intelligence quotient and academic fitness of 2,235 adolescent twins, investigators found — after accounting for external factors like tobacco and alcohol — teen cannabis enthusiasts “did not differ from never-users on either IQ or educational performance.”
Then, this month, conclusions by University of Florida researchers in still another study — a 14-year analysis of cannabis exposure and intelligence — affirmed results of the others. Writing in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence on August 1, investigators asserted, “our findings did not reveal a significant association between cumulative marijuana use and changes in intelligence scores.”
Much of the vocal anti-cannabis cadre cite impossibly flawed research from New Zealand, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in 2012, which found — thanks to their failure to account for extenuating factors such as the consumption of additional substances — a minimal reduction of six to eight points in IQ among those smoking cannabis beginning in early adolescence, and continuing through age 38.
Two subsequent related studies verily dispute the oft-cited lower-IQ analysis, contending the original authors’ skewed research too significantly — through the omission of both subject socioeconomic data and on individual use of tobacco and so on — to merit peer confirmation of the results.
It would be entirely possible, in other words, for the drop in IQ over the tested time period to have resulted from factors other than the cannabis studied — and that persistent adolescent consumption of the herb on academic performance should imperatively be considered “non-significant after controlling for persistent alcohol and tobacco use.”
Politicians, desperate to continue manning the helm as the titanic travesty known as the Drug War tanks ever quicker beneath the surface under the monumental burdens of overcriminalization, excessive-incarceration, and asinine propaganda so insulting to the public in an age where information sits split seconds away.
Thankfully, Americans have had enough of politicized, harmful laws, like cannabis prohibition, and — thanks in large part to disinfo-busting studies like those cited here — refuse to have their intelligence insulted by the stalest of all the mothball-laden anti-pot propaganda.
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Contributed by Claire Bernish of The Daily Sheeple. | <urn:uuid:2ea2d137-2592-495b-a66e-376fbc538f1e> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.thedailysheeple.com/yet-again-science-says-teen-pot-smoking-does-not-lower-iq-even-with-habitual-use/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571538.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812014923-20220812044923-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.937612 | 962 | 1.835938 | 2 |
Herbert F. Hitzeman Jr., senior vice chancellor emeritus and chief architect of the nation’s first campaign by a university to exceed $500 million, died Jan. 16, 2009. He was 81.
Under Hitzeman’s leadership, Washington University completed three successful fund-raising campaigns, culminating in the Alliance for Washington University, which raised $630.5 million upon its completion in December 1987. At that time, the Alliance campaign was the first campus-based campaign in United States history to raise more than $500 million.
At the time of his retirement in 1990, Hitzeman had become one of the most successful fund-raisers in the history of American higher education. During his more than two decades at Washington University, he raised in excess of $1 billion in gift support.
A lifelong resident of St. Louis and a graduate of Washington University, where he earned a bachelor of fine arts degree in 1953, Hitzeman returned to Washington University 13 years later as an entry-level development officer in 1966.
During his 24 years at Washington University, Hitzeman designed and implemented the University’s development and alumni programs. Under his leadership, total yearly giving to the University increased from about $5 million annually in the late 1960s to approximately $50 million annually by fiscal year 1989. He also oversaw the revitalization of the overall public relations program, which significantly improved the University’s national recognition. Today, Washington University is ranked among America’s top dozen research universities.
Chancellor Emeritus William H. Danforth, who worked with Hitzeman for two decades, said, “It is hard to imagine Washington University’s successes without the significant leadership of Herb Hitzeman. He secured gifts for literally thousands of student scholarship recipients, many endowed professorships for our faculty, major support for our teaching and research programs, and much-needed resources for building projects. Were it not for Herb Hitzeman’s efforts, Washington University would be a lesser institution today.”
Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton said, “In many ways, Herb Hitzeman’s strong support and dedication to Washington University throughout the years has touched every person here. He was a great friend and creative contributor to our University. His commitment to our teaching and research mission will have an impact for generations to come.”
In 1968, Hitzeman was named director of the University’s “Seventy By ‘Seventy’ ” Campaign, after serving as director of the campaign’s medical and alumni phases. The $70 million goal was reached a year ahead of schedule in 1969, the same year he was promoted to be the University’s overall director of development.
He was promoted to associate vice chancellor in 1970, and, under his leadership, the Alumni Board of Governors was organized to strengthen relations between the University’s graduates, the University and its Board of Trustees.
From 1973-76, Hitzeman headed a second major campaign that raised $120 million and was successfully completed two years ahead of schedule. Hitzeman was promoted to vice chancellor in 1975 and was ultimately named senior vice chancellor for university relations in 1983.
Additionally, in preparation for the Alliance campaign, Hitzeman established the Commission on the Future of Washington University, which consisted of 10 task forces and included University trustees and administrators and key alumni, friends and academic leaders from across the nation. Members of the task forces studied the various schools and units of the University and made recommendations to the Board of Trustees on programs to significantly strengthen all of the schools of the University. The task forces continue today as National Councils — ongoing advisory groups to the schools and units of the University.
In 2007, he and his wife, Jane, established the Jane Reuter Hitzeman and Herbert F. Hitzeman, Jr., Professor of Art in the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts.
In 1991, Hitzeman received the University’s distinguished alumni award and also was honored with the William Greenleaf Eliot Society’s prestigious Search Award.
Upon his retirement in 1990, the University dedicated the Herbert F. Hitzeman, Jr. Residence Hall in his honor and, in 2005, established the Herbert F. Hitzeman, Jr. Leadership Award, given annually to a resident of the hall.
The Hitzemans have been fellows of the William Greenleaf Eliot Society, a philanthropic organization that Hitzeman helped expand to encourage increased annual giving to Washington University.
Active in community affairs, Hitzeman was elected to serve as a member and secretary of the board of education of the then-newly consolidated Parkway School District.
Hitzeman was president and chairman of the board of the United Cerebral Palsy Association. He was chairman of the building committee of award-winning Trinity Lutheran Church in Town and Country. He also served as a member and chairman of the board of education of Trinity Lutheran School. He also was a board member of the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis.
He was volunteer consultant to the board and staff of the Saint Louis Science Center during the planning and development of that institution. He served as adviser to the St. Louis Archdiocese for their Today and Tomorrow Campaign.
From 1945-48, Hitzeman served on active duty as a radioman, first class, in the U.S. Coast Guard, patrolling in the Aleutian Islands and the Bering Sea. In 1950, he was an organizing member of the Coast Guard Reserve Unit in St. Louis.
Hitzeman and his wife, Jane, were avid sailors and longtime members of the Carlyle Yacht Club. He served as officer and director and was elected commodore in 1989.
In 1983, Hitzeman, his wife, and his son, John, incorporated American Model Builders Inc., a company that builds models and prototypes for architects, engineers, business, television and industry. Under the name LASERKitTM, it produces a line of scale model kits for hobbyists and modelers worldwide. Since 1990, the company has been owned and operated by his son, John. However, Hitzeman continued as a consultant to the company until the time of his death.
He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Jane Reuter Hitzeman, as well as: son John Hitzeman; grandchildren John P. Hitzeman and Molly E. Hitzeman; sister Lois Jean Whitesitt (nee Hitzeman); and nieces and nephews.
A memorial service for Herbert F. Hitzeman, Jr. at Washington University’s Graham Chapel is being planned and will be announced at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Washington University for the Jane Reuter Hitzeman and Herbert F. Hitzeman, Jr., Professor of Art in the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts. | <urn:uuid:ecbb787c-3635-43f6-b92a-8e6b6d9ee050> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://source.wustl.edu/2009/01/herbert-f-hitzeman-jr-senior-vice-chancellor-emeritus-dies-at-81/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571210.98/warc/CC-MAIN-20220810191850-20220810221850-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.974057 | 1,436 | 1.5625 | 2 |
We are happy to help show you the ropes of AKC breed conformation. Learn how to handle your dog including: gaiting, stacking, and examination. Your dog will learn to accept a judge going over them and how to gait correctly for proper movement.
We are happy to get you ready for your first show regardless of age, experience level, or goals!
HUNT / BIRD DOG TRAINING
Every hunter is only as good as their dog. Whether you are looking forward to duck season with your lab, or would like to hunt upland birds with your pointer, we can help you get there! For the deer hunter, teach your dog how to track wounded game as a sure backup next season. We will teach you foundations and skills to get your spaniel, retriever, setter, or pointer into the field.
Not all dogs or handlers thrive in a group setting, others prefer the more intense nature of one on one lessons, whereas others choose to do a rotation of a variety of events. We can book a private program to get you started in a variety of AKC performance events, including: trick dog training, agility, rally obedience, dock diving, and more!
SERVICE DOG TRAINING
Our 8 month intensive trainer-guided program helps you train the service dog of your dreams! We will work alongside your condition and symptoms to ensure your dog is a vital asset to your overall health and wellbeing. We have trained service dogs for:
Mobile Assistance / Brace Work
Psych Assistance Dogs
PTSD Assistance Dogs
Autism Assistance Dogs
Fibromyalgia Assistance Dogs
Our program includes everything required for a service dog:
Impeccable obedience and manners
Public Access Skills in different environments
Specialty tasks trained to suit your needs
As part of the program, owners will work alongside a certified professional to achieve training goals. At times, the trainer may work the dog more intensively on a drop-off basis to advance or fine-tune behaviors. Regular outings in real world situations is an integral part of this process. Travel including by bus, train, and plane is included in this program.
All individuals interested in service dog training must have a letter with an explicit diagnosis and need for a service dog in order to be considered for this program. All our graduates meet the national ADA and Virginia local government requirements for service dogs. We do NOT train / provide services for emotional support dogs. | <urn:uuid:36abcccb-0efc-41f1-85f6-857e2619fb54> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.k9ocenter.com/specialty | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571210.98/warc/CC-MAIN-20220810191850-20220810221850-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.92827 | 536 | 1.5 | 2 |
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School or College.-The agricultural department of the University College, Reading, receives an annual grant from the County Council, while use is made of the Dauntsey Agricultural School, West Lavington, and of the Agricultural Institute, Ridgmont, Bedfordshire.
Agriculture.—The staff instructor gives instruction in three secondary schools for one hour a week at each school. Courses of three to six lectures were also given at six centres to an average attendance of about ten. Milk-testing experiments were also conducted at three centres.
Field Experiments.—Experiments were carried out at seven centres through the University College, Reading, on the manuring of swedes and the determination of the influence on the yield and quality of swedes of wide and narrow setting out of the plants.
Experimental Farm. The work on the experimental farm attached to the University College, Reading, is conducted for the benefit of this county, together with other counties working in connection with the College.
Horticulture.-Instruction is provided in this subject by means of lectures and demonstrations in private gardens and allotments. Courses of six lectures were given at 19 centres to an average attendance of about 32. Reports were received from every centre expressing appreciation of the services rendered and the hope that the lectures may be continued at a later date.
School and other Gardens.—There were three gardens attached to Day Schools, all of which were worked on the individual plot system. The total number of pupils who received instruction was 53. There were also six Evening School gardens at which 96 pupils received instruction.
Training of Elementary School Teachers.
School or other Gardens.—There were nine gardens attached to Elementary Day Schools, six of which were worked on the collective plot system and three on the individual plot system. The total number of pupils who received instruction was 135. In addition there were three Evening School gardens, at which 71 pupils received instruction. Apart from the above there are experimental gardens attached to the Cambridge and County School for boys, and there is a staff instructor in horticulture at the school. The gardens consist of one acre of vegetable garden, and three-quarters of an acre of experimental fruit garden. In addition, there is a space devoted to the growth of some of the
Experimental Farm.-There is an experimental farm attached to the Agricultural and Horticultural College, Holmes Chapel.
Dairying.---A permanent fixed dairy school is maintained by the county at Worleston. Three courses are held during the year, each of 15 weeks' duration. Generally about 16 to 18 pupils from the county attend each course. Some of these, however, do not remain during the full course, but all persons holding county council scholarships must do so. The school has been kept well filled, and at times--especially in the spring terms—there have been more applicants than could be taken.
Training of Elementary School Teachers.-Evening classes and Saturday classes were held at six centres at which instruction was given in Nature Study. During the year 190 teachers attended these classes. The lecturer also visited Elementary Schools and gave model lessons in Nature Study. His whole time is employed in this work. At one centre, also, an advanced class was held for those who had attended the ordinary class in the preceding year and done well in the examination. In connection with these classes four excursions or botanical rambles were arranged.
Agriculture.-Instruction is given in this subject to the students at Truro by means of lectures, laboratory work in agricultural chemistry and botany, practical work in the garden and visits to farms. 84 evening lectures and 190 day lectures were given at this centre. The average attendance at the evening lectures was 24 and at the day lectures seven.
Courses of lectures were also given by the above staff instructor at five centres in the county. The lectures numbered from 30 to 32 at each centre, and comprised instruction in agriculture from the chemical and botanical side, and also in the management of farm stock, their feeding, housing, &c. The average attendance at these courses was 16.
Field Experiments.—These were conducted on four different farms and were as follows :- Manurial and variety experiments on mangolds, swedes, cabbages, and potatoes ; rotation experi. ments and experiments to determine the residual manurial value of linseed cake, decorticated cotton cake, and maize on pastures and in rotation ; experiments on “ finger-and-toe," on green manuring, and denitrification ; feeding experiments with cattle | <urn:uuid:a18fb5b4-049c-4463-9645-cbdbe3b38bb5> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://books.google.com.ng/books?id=3ucLAQAAIAAJ&pg=RA10-PA106&vq=staff&dq=editions:STANFORD36105117910856&lr=&hl=en&output=html_text | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571911.5/warc/CC-MAIN-20220813081639-20220813111639-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.978142 | 958 | 2.34375 | 2 |
DBM Technologie designs and produces high performance soft thermal and acoustic insulation for protection up to 1400°.
Insulation can be assembled in two ways :
- Detachable : Insulation is an independent part
- Integrated : Insulation is assembled onto the part to be insulated
DBM Technologie offers a large range of insulation and encapsulation materials, depending on your specifications. These certified high performance materials provide solutions to all conditions such as temperature, weight, fluid resistance, etc. According to assembly needs, several types of fasteners are available.
Acoustic applications :
Acoustic insulation is especially tailored to aerospace applications. Acoustic fibers are specifically sewn into fabrics.
Typical applications :
- Pipe insulation, exhaust manifolds, catalytic converters
- Valve insulation
- Thermal blankets
- Acoustic insulation | <urn:uuid:43c96311-9575-4c14-97c1-c0e1f8e07b02> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.dbm-technologie.co.uk/.php?dbm=Soft-Insulation | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570977.50/warc/CC-MAIN-20220809124724-20220809154724-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.861269 | 178 | 1.84375 | 2 |
On Saturday night, I found myself at a party honouring Nelson Mandela and raising money for his children’s fund. It was a lovely affair and only a very rude person would have pointed out that the party was packed with many of the banking and mining executives who refused to pull their investments out of apartheid-run South Africa for decades.
Similarly, only someone with no sense of timing would have mentioned that, as the Liberals were making Mr. Mandela an honorary Canadian citizen, they were also trying to ram through an anti-terrorism bill that would have sabotaged the anti-apartheid movement on several fronts had it been in place at the time.
The Canadian anti-apartheid movement raised money for the African National Congress, which would easily have fit Bill C-36’s sloppy definition of a terrorist organization. Furthermore, anti-apartheid activists deliberately caused “serious disruption” to companies that invested in South Africa, eventually forcing many to pull out. These disruptions would also have been illegal under C-36.
Only someone with absolutely no sense of propriety would have muttered, amidst all the self-congratulation last weekend, that many in South Africa insist that apartheid still exists, and requires a new resistance movement. But two weeks ago, I met Trevor Ngwane, a former ANC municipal council member, who says just that. “Apartheid based on race has been replaced with apartheid based on class.”
Confronted with a country where eight million people are homeless and nearly five million are HIV positive, some try to paint deep inequality as a sad but unavoidable legacy of racial apartheid. Mr. Ngwane says it is the direct result of a specific economic “restructuring” program, embraced by the current government and nurtured by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.
When Mr. Mandela was freed from prison, his vision was of a South Africa that offered economic, as well as democratic, freedom. Basic needs for housing, water and electricity would be met through massive public works programs.
But as power came into the ANC’s reach, writes South African professor Patrick Bond in his new book Against Global Apartheid,enormous pressure was put on the party to prove it could govern with “sound macroeconomic policies.”
It became clear that, if Mr. Mandela tried genuine redistribution of wealth, the international markets would punish South Africa. Many within the party understandably feared that an economic meltdown would be used as an indictment not just of the ANC, but of black rule itself.
So, instead of its policy of “growth through redistribution,” the ANC, particularly under President Thabo Mbeki, adopted the cookie-cutter program of trying to “grow” the economy by pleasing foreign investors: mass privatizations, layoffs and wage cuts in the public sector, corporate tax cuts, and the like.
The results have been devastating. Half a million jobs have been lost since 1993. Wages for the poorest 40 per cent have dropped by 21 per cent. Poor areas have seen their water costs go up by 55 per cent, electricity by as much as 400 per cent. Many have resorted to drinking polluted water, leading to a cholera outbreak that infected 100,000 people. In Soweto, 20,000 homes have their electricity cut off each month. And the investment? They’re still waiting.
This is the type of track record that has turned the World Bank and the IMF into international pariahs, drawing thousands to the streets of Ottawa last weekend, with a “solidarity protest” in Johannesburg. The Washington Post recently told the heart-breaking story of one Soweto resident, Agnes Mohapi.
The reporter observed, “For all its wretchedness, apartheid never did this: It did not lay her off from her job, jack up her utility bill, then disconnect her service when she inevitably could not pay. ‘Privatization did that,’ [Ms. Mohapi] said.”
In the face of this system of “economic apartheid,” a new resistance movement is inevitable. There was a three-day general strike against privatization in August. (Workers held up signs that read, “ANC We Love You But Not Privatizations.”)
In Soweto, unemployed workers reconnect their neighbours’ cutoff water, and the Soweto Electricity Crisis Committee has illegally reconnected power in thousands of homes. Why don’t the police arrest them? “Because,” Mr. Ngwane says, “when the police officers’ electricity is disconnected, we reconnect them, too.”
It looks as if the Bay Street executives, so eager to have their pictures taken with Nelson Mandela last weekend, have a second chance to fight apartheid — this time while it’s still going on. They can do it not only through good-hearted charity, but by questioning the economic logic that is failing so many around the world.
Which side will they be on this time?
The Globe and Mail Wednesday, November 21, 2001 | <urn:uuid:f60e55dd-f758-4c3d-b073-ba8dc70797df> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://zcomm.org/zcommentary/its-not-enough-to-bring-soweto-to-rosedale-by-naomi-klein/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571538.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812014923-20220812044923-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.976011 | 1,059 | 2.171875 | 2 |
Air red banner
Science South is the first of two new science facilities at Lincoln University. When completed will deliver a modern, state-of-the-art teaching, research and collaboration spaces. Students will learn the skills necessary to support New Zealand’s transition to a more productive, low-emissions economy.
Stage two, Science North, is the flagship project of a wider campus development programme. It has already seen the launch of new student social spaces and landscaping projects to promote a positive learning, teaching and research community.
Supreme Diamond-V hand dryers have been chosen for the new bathrooms in Science South. With fast 12 second drying time and the lowest power consumption (300W-700W), these hand dryers are a compliment to the student’s motivation of creating and sustaining a low emission economy.
To learn more about Supreme Diamond-V hand dryers click here. | <urn:uuid:48308731-ff35-490e-b11d-acccfe6a8267> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.splwashrooms.co.nz/lincoln-university-science-south-/direct/1/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571210.98/warc/CC-MAIN-20220810191850-20220810221850-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.909036 | 186 | 1.648438 | 2 |
On Saturday, August 13, 2022 we will be working on the Adafruit Customer Support Forums. If you visit over the weekend and things are not complete yet, please check back later, https://adafruit.com/forumupdates
The subscription is a part of a larger project by Maryland’s public schools and Microsoft to bring students together with technology. The company will also provide a one-year license for its Microsoft IT Academy program to 25 schools across the state in order to prepare students for future careers working with tech.
“We are deeply committed to working with educational leadership to use the power of technology to provide schools and homes the software services, training, and tools that empower instruction and learning,” Jamie Harper, Microsoft’s General Manager for U.S. Education, said in a press release. “We are pleased to work with the State of Maryland on these programs that will bring students skills and certifications to better help prepare them for college and the modern workforce.”
Each Tuesday is EducationTuesday here at Adafruit! Be sure to check out our posts about educators and all things STEM. Adafruit supports our educators and loves to spread the good word about educational STEM innovations!
Stop breadboarding and soldering – start making immediately! Adafruit’s Circuit Playground is jam-packed with LEDs, sensors, buttons, alligator clip pads and more. Build projects with Circuit Playground in a few minutes with the drag-and-drop MakeCode programming site, learn computer science using the CS Discoveries class on code.org, jump into CircuitPython to learn Python and hardware together, TinyGO, or even use the Arduino IDE. Circuit Playground Express is the newest and best Circuit Playground board, with support for CircuitPython, MakeCode, and Arduino. It has a powerful processor, 10 NeoPixels, mini speaker, InfraRed receive and transmit, two buttons, a switch, 14 alligator clip pads, and lots of sensors: capacitive touch, IR proximity, temperature, light, motion and sound. A whole wide world of electronics and coding is waiting for you, and it fits in the palm of your hand. | <urn:uuid:6a1974f4-9b5d-4f48-8712-4184866e9b1d> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://blog.adafruit.com/2015/01/20/microsoft-offers-maryland-public-school-students-free-office-makereducation/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571911.5/warc/CC-MAIN-20220813081639-20220813111639-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.920074 | 449 | 1.953125 | 2 |
The risk of death from cancer increases sharply after 50 years of age and most cancers occur in middle-aged and older persons. The incidence of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and thyroid cancer are increasing along with the nation’s population of elderly Americans. Consequently, more hospitalization will be required for this increasing number of elderly patients undergoing surgery and other treatments for head and neck cancer.
On average, elderly patients have more concurrent illnesses than younger persons, thus one might anticipate that the risk of major medical complications (such as heart failure, pneumonia, or acute renal failure) would be greater in elderly patients hospitalized for equivalent surgeries. Patient length of stay (LOS) is influenced directly by admission diagnosis, treatment, patient age, underlying medical disorders, and occurrence of complications.
In addition to age, other demographic variables that influence length of stay and the risk of medical complications are sex and race. Three otolaryngologist—head and neck surgeons hypothesized that elderly (older than 74 years) patients undergoing surgery for head and neck malignancies would experience a higher rate of medical complications and death, and longer average length of stay than younger patients. They also examined the influence of other variables, such as race, sex, and surgical site on these outcomes and on sources of payment for services, to estimate their impact on utilization of hospital resources.
The authors of “The Impact of Race and Age on Major Medical Complications and Resource Utilization Among Head and Neck Cancer Patients,” are Andrew G. Sikora MD PhD, Mark D. DeLacurel MD, both at the Department of Otolaryngology, New York University Medical School; and Arnold Komisar MD DDS, with the Department of Otolaryngology, Lenox Hill Hospital, all in New York City, NY. Their findings are being presented at the 107th Annual Meeting of The Triological Society, being held April 30-May 3, 2004, at the J.W. Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa, Phoenix, AZ.
The present study consists of a cross-sectional assessment of an aggregate dataset created from the NHDS National Hospital Discharge Survey for 2001 and 2002. This national survey of inpatient hospital discharge data is generated by sampling medical records from 500 private and public short-stay hospitals in the US, approximately eight percent of the total. The NHDS database abstracts standardized information from patient discharge summaries, including demographic (race, age, sex), medical (medical diagnoses by ICD-9 codes; procedures performed by CPT codes), and administrative and resource utilization information (length of stay, hospital type and location, discharge status, insurance status).
From this aggregate database a separate dataset was created consisting of patients with malignant tumors of the head and neck. A database search yielded 682 records for patients who had undergone head and neck surgical procedures, specifically all ablative, reconstructive, and other surgical procedures of the head and neck (diagnostic procedures, i.e. laryngoscopy, esophagoscopy, were excluded). Patients whose only head and neck surgical procedure was tracheotomy were also excluded.
Cases were analyzed for the following variables: age, sex, race, medical diagnoses (by ICD-9 codes), procedures performed during the admission (by CPT code), length of stay, sources of payment, and discharge status (alive or dead). Head and neck surgical procedures and medical complications were abstracted from the relevant CPT and ICD-9 codes respectively. Outcome measures included: occurrence of any medical complication; death; LOS; and payment source.
Patient age was recoded into two groups: elderly (older than 74 years of age) and non-elderly (74 years of age or less). Patient race was recoded into four groups: white, black, other (primarily Asians), and unknown. Surgical procedures were assigned by type of surgery into two groups: patients undergoing surgery of the thyroid, parathyroid, or salivary glands; and patients undergoing any other head and neck surgeries. When more than one surgical procedure was performed for a given admission, the rank order of CPT codes was used to determine which procedure was given priority.
The most frequent sites for surgical procedures were the thyroid/parathyroid, neck, oral cavity, and larynx. Forty-one patients (six percent) experienced a medical complication during hospitalization, the most common being pneumonia. There were 14 deaths, of which two were associated with other medical complications.
The risk of major medical complications differed significantly according to age, sex, and surgery type. While the incidence of complications in non-elderly patients was only 4.5 percent, the corresponding incidence in patients older than 74 old was 13.1 percent. The incidence also differed according to sex and surgery type. The only variables found to be significantly associated with increased complications were age (older than 74) and surgical site other than thyroid/parathyroid/salivary.
Increased length of stay was associated with both demographic (age older than 74 years, male sex, and black race) and other variables (occurrence of medical complication, surgery other than thyroid/parathyroid/salivary). Age, sex, and surgery type were associated with a length of stay longer than seven days.
When the source of payment was examined according to patient race, blacks were found to be more likely than whites to list Medicaid (11.3 percent vs. 5.4 percent) or self pay/no charge (8.1 percent vs. 2.2 percent) as the primary payer. The difference in the proportion of patients who listed Medicaid or self pay/no charge as primary payer differed significantly between whites and blacks, but not between whites and persons of other or unknown race.
These findings indicate that elderly patients have a higher rate of complications and in-hospital deaths, and a longer average length of stay than younger patients undergoing surgery for head and neck malignancies. Blacks and whites have a similar incidence of complications, but blacks have a longer average LOS, and are less likely to have sources of health insurance other than Medicaid. The site of surgery significantly influences the incidence of major medical complications and average LOS, and the occurrence of a major medical complication significantly increases LOS. | <urn:uuid:1c6649d8-32d3-49b4-bfa3-de15830dd94a> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.news-medical.net/news/2004/04/30/1086.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571538.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812014923-20220812044923-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.9588 | 1,291 | 1.859375 | 2 |
This filter was introduced in MariaDB MaxScale 2.1.
The Maxrows filter is capable of restricting the amount of rows that a SELECT, a prepared statement or stored procedure could return to the client application.
If a resultset from a backend server has more rows than the configured limit or the resultset size exceeds the configured size, an empty result will be sent to the client.
The Maxrows filter is easy to configure and to add to any existing service.
[MaxRows] type=filter module=maxrows [MaxRows-Routing-Service] type=service ... filters=MaxRows
The Maxrows filter has no mandatory parameters. Optional parameters are:
Specifies the maximum number of rows a resultset can have in order to be returned to the user.
If a resultset is larger than this an empty result will be sent instead.
Zero or a negative value is interpreted as no limitation.
The default value is
Specifies the maximum size a resultset can have in order to be sent to the client. A resultset larger than this, will not be sent: an empty resultset will be sent instead. The size can be specified as described here.
The default value is 64Ki
Specifies what the filter sends to the client when the rows or size limit is hit, possible values:
- an empty result set
- an error packet with input SQL
- an OK packet
The default result type is 'empty'
Example output with ERR packet:
MariaDB [(test)]> select * from test.t4; ERROR 1415 (0A000): Row limit/size exceeded for query: select * from test.t4
An integer value, using which the level of debug logging made by the Maxrows filter can be controlled. The value is actually a bitfield with different bits denoting different logging.
0b00000) No logging is made.
0b00001) A decision to handle data form server is logged.
0b00010) Reached max_resultset_rows or max_resultset_size is logged.
0. To log everything, give
debug a value of
Here is an example of filter configuration where the maximum number of returned rows is 10000 and maximum allowed resultset size is 256KB
[MaxRows] type=filter module=maxrows max_resultset_rows=10000 max_resultset_size=256000 | <urn:uuid:e39d95fd-f2cd-4294-bf81-e81e7a9a6a1f> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://mariadb.com/kb/en/mariadb-maxscale-6-maxrows/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571538.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812014923-20220812044923-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.680974 | 602 | 1.921875 | 2 |
By April 2020, only a month into the nationwide lockdown, 49% of workers felt warm and fuzzy about how they were being treated by their employers, nearly double the typical 25% who felt that way before the pandemic.
“Employees felt companies responded quickly at the beginning of the pandemic with genuine concern for them, their work and their lives,” said Jim Harter, Gallup’s chief scientist of workplace management and well-being.
But those feelings didn’t last.
Employees’ perceptions of their employers as caring and concerned began to drop in early 2021, according to Gallup numbers. And it didn’t matter what type of job — the decline of well-being affected all industries.
Gallup surveys showed that by February 2022 employee cynicism had returned to pre-pandemic levels, with only 24% of the workplace saying their bosses had their best interest at heart.
Why would 1 in 4 American employees revert to such a poor opinion of their employers?
“There was a response from employers during 2020 that employees found encouraging,” Harter said. “Leaders did a good job of conveying a sense of hope in an unknown situation, they made future plans clear and kept people informed on how they were going to help people work from where they were at, all of which is an element of caring.
“And then I think employers just went back to their normal way of doing things.”
Communication and flexibility key
When the country first went into lockdown in March 2020, employers stepped up, Harter said. Many set up pandemic plans focused on keeping workers safe, and they quickly communicated those measures to employees.
Increasing communication was one key to a higher sense of well-being in workers, according to the survey.
When employees felt their bosses had communicated a clear plan of action in dealing with the emerging coronavirus threat, 73% of them strongly agreed that their employer cared about their overall well-being.
When employees said their supervisor kept them informed about what was going on in their company, 78% strongly agreed that bosses cared, Harter said.
Another huge plus — many employers allowed employees to work from home and were also more flexible about work schedules during the day, Harter said. That allowed people to juggle ever-changing childcare, schooling and home responsibilities during the pandemic, while also doing their jobs well.
“Flexibility was key,” Harter said.
“Ironically, that was the most desired perk pre-Covid and then ‘bam!’ People got to really experience it. What was a really slow-moving trend and pattern before the pandemic got turbocharged and became one of those events that just changes the workplace forever,” he said.
Why is this so important? The key reasons are reduced commute times and better work-life balance, he said.
Gallup survey results point to that permanent shift, Harter said: “We’ve asked people what their preferences are going forward. For those in remote-ready jobs, about 9 in 10 want at least some form of either flexible scheduling, like hybrid work or want to work fully remote.
“I think it is important for employers to address this issue,” he added. “Because when we see a gap between preference and how people expect their employer to react, we see lower levels of worker well-being, higher rates of burnout and lower levels of engagement.”
The Gallup survey found the decline in well-being was especially high among managers. That makes sense, Harter said, due to the extra stresses on those key positions during the pandemic.
New strains of the coronavirus challenged return-to-work plans, making communication with staff more difficult. A record number of Americans retired, quit or changed jobs during 2021, either in response to Covid-19, more pay and benefits, or age discrimination.
But those were not the primary reasons workers quit, Harter said. Gallup research found about two-thirds of the reasons people left their job revolved around how engaged they felt at work and whether they felt they were treated with respect.
In addition to worker shortages and an ever-shifting landscape, not all managers had received the training they needed to adjust to the new normal of flexible work, Harter said.
“Every employee has a different work-life situation that only managers can understand. Good managers need their companies to coach them into how to give people feedback and have at least one meaningful conversation every week with each employee,” Harter said.
“That helps understand what each employee is working on and how they’re progressing, so they can make adjustments. Those conversations need to happen more,” he added.
Why employee well-being matters
Focusing on employee well-being does more than just keep employees from jumping ship, Harter said.
Gallup research has shown that teams who feel the company cares about their well-being, achieve higher profitability, productivity and higher customer engagement and have fewer safety incidents, he said.
In fact, employees who feel cared for are 71% lessb likely to report burnout, three times more likely to be engaged at work, and five times more likely to strongly advocate for their company as a good place to work. In addition, workers are 36% more likely to say they are thriving in their overall lives.
“This spring and summer will be a huge opportunity for organizations going forward to put things in motion that can lift workers’ well-being,” Harter said. “They can talk to employees about flexible work arrangements and what makes them more productive individually. What leads to better collaboration with your team, and how do we bring the best customer value in this flexible environment?
“Employees want to do these things,” Harter added. “So if leaders can use a framework of how work gets done and how it can fit into an individual’s life, employee well-being will likely rise.” | <urn:uuid:4b88afef-81ee-4ff3-8b08-e295086bccd4> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.lymestudio.com/does-your-boss-care-about-you-heres-what-most-workers-say/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570977.50/warc/CC-MAIN-20220809124724-20220809154724-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.983794 | 1,267 | 1.96875 | 2 |
When it comes to car insurance policy, there are several distinct features that impact your insurance plan top quality. Being Secure and liable as part of your driving can lessen your quality. While you are evaluating premiums, it is vital to choose into consideration your vehicle’s product and design, the price, along with the frequency you push it. If you regularly drive lengthy distances, you usually tend to be associated with incidents. Locating the appropriate plan in your case is the greatest strategy to lower your insurance policy fees.
Auto owners that are common of their paying out might be accountable for shelling out everywhere in between $1100 and $5,000. Rates differ considerably between states and. In certain states, the price for comprehensive protection is twice that of bare minimum protection. Here are some guidelines that will help get the most beneficial Charge. Some states need only an level of liability least. Whole coverage includes a $500 most deductible.
Deciding on the correct vehicle is vital since some automobiles are costlier than Some others, resulting in greater insurance policy rates. Insurance policies rates will also be larger for cars which can be a lot more high-priced to keep up and exchange. Drivers with superior driving information are more likely to get lessen rates. Insurance policy charges are influenced by gender and age. Young drivers are generally far more dangerous than drivers of older ages. Insurers may use credit scores to compute the expense of coverage. Selected states have handed legal guidelines that prohibit this sort of use.
There are 6 essential kinds of car insurance coverage coverages. This protection allows for the modification of one’s coverage to protect a variety of scenarios. Additionally it is crucial that you have legal responsibility insurance plan. Legal responsibility coverage is required by regulation in most states, having said that you may pick a distinct kind of protection if you’d choose. Legal responsibility coverage handles the driver of your automobile and you also within the occasion you might be at fault in a collision. It handles the costs of Other individuals’s injuries and damages, too health-related payments.
A standard plan will have quite a few varieties of coverage, including liability, collision, comprehensive, uninsured/underinsured motorist, and health-related payments. All these coverages are important, so be sure you have the proper sum. Sure of such coverages is likely to be obligatory in some states, while others may not be. To find out the most suitable auto insurance policies coverage for your requirements, pay a visit to a internet site including Freeway Insurance policy. This can Enable you to save money and time by giving a number of coverage options.
Each condition has its individual list of minimal standards for vehicle insurance policy. These laws could be damaged into 3 numbers. California involves you to obtain minimal protection of fifteen/thirty/5 for bodily personal injury legal responsibility insurance coverage and 30/50/5 for house harm legal responsibility. These quantities can be quite unique, and you will need to Examine the requirements of the state prior to driving. Alternate insurance options are an option, but It’s not at all usually the best option.
Most states have bare minimum prerequisites for protection. But some lenders require full coverage. Entire coverage refers to both collision and detailed insurance policies. It could be needed because of the lender once you finance your vehicle. Whilst legal responsibility insurance policy covers harm to home of Other people, it doesn’t defend your automobile or you. To ensure the best coverage and quite possibly the most very affordable Value, you can mix house damage liability and bodily harm coverage.
It all depends upon what your problem is. It’s not needed by regulation but lenders will more than likely have to have it if they’re financing your car. Should you have a house loan or financial loan, the lender could require you to obtain collision insurance. For most of us financing a vehicle both new or 2nd hand, this coverage is required.
Collision coverage pays the complete worth of your automobile in the event that you’re involved with a collision. The insurance company may well include the total cost of repairs but it surely is probably not able to exchange your car if the vehicle is destroyed past restore or stolen. You might also have to pay some individual cash to interchange the vehicle. This kind of insurance could need you to understand the phrases right before you purchase car or truck insurance. You should also realize the deductible, which happens to be different from your collision deductible.
There are various areas to just take into consideration when deciding on a car coverage Invoice. Specific states involve minimum amount levels of Residence in addition to Uninsured motor automobile insurance policies. It handles the distinction between your prices along with the policy limits of the at-fault motorist. Other states Never require underinsured driver protection. Here are a few practical tips to assist you discover the finest insurance plan to fulfill your preferences. The following tips are meant to assist you narrow your quest and spend less.
To guarantee your safety from accidents as well as house damages, you can call for legal responsibility insurance on your own auto insurance policies. When you are found being at fault in a collision, this coverage will protect the price of settlement or protection. There are a selection of possibilities out there from which to choose for insurance policy. It is important that you recognize the distinctions involving them to stay away from expensive unexpected costs. Condition Farm delivers an average price for differing kinds of protection. A medium coverage stage may perhaps confirm for being more advantageous.
In nearly all of states, it’s mandatory to acquire liability insurance policy within your plan, which covers damages to your house of Other folks as well as injuries to Other individuals. This type of insurance policy may also address you in the event that you lead to a collision with other motorists. Here is the regular plan in many states and recommended For a lot of drivers throughout the world. It is vital to are aware that the bounds for legal responsibility insurance coverage in every condition are distinct. Your liability Restrict will figure out the amount of protection you will require.
In almost every state in virtually all states, driving without having liability insurance coverage is against the law. Legal responsibility protection will protect repair service fees for those who induce damage to house. Your vehicle coverage policy won’t be in a position to include damage to your car. There could exist unique necessities inside the state you live in for legal responsibility protection. It is vital which you confirm your insurance plan coverage prior to purchasing it. Also, you require home insurance plan to safeguard your money safety. It is possible to prevent big insurance policies expenses during the party inside the function of an accident.
In order to include you in case of a crash the plan you end up picking to invest in have to consist of insurance policies for property hurt. This protection addresses any damage you need to do on the car or truck of One more and involves repairs. Also, it covers the elimination of debris subsequent an accident. Three numbers are generally used to go over property. This addresses bodily injuries insurance coverage for each personal and residence destruction protection per particular person. Larger limitations present better protection. If you will discover restrictions or exclusions, make sure you review the policy.
Ny regulation permits you to assert uninsured driver coverage if One more driver does not have enough insurance. This kind of coverage is out there in the event that the motive force who induced the collision will not be identifiable along with the incident was a hit-and–run. The Insurance plan Law SS 5217 states which the uninsured motorist insurance policies has to be bought in any physical collision, having said that courts have interpreted this provision to only apply inside of a physical collision.
In selected states, the uninsured motorist and underinsured protection can be obtained as an alternative. In other states, even so The 2 are needed to be purchased. Equally of these coverages are able to be put together to provide further defense in the party of health-related expenditures together with other expenses. Uninsured motorist coverage will pay for repairs if the motorist just isn’t insured. It isn’t obligatory, but it may be useful to have the bare minimum liability protection.
For those who have not considered automobile insurance policy, It truly is a great way to save cash although also getting environmentally friendly. Minimize your insurance rates by purchasing an automobile with security functions like airbags and antilock brakes. Other protection characteristics, such as anti-theft alarms/daytime functioning lights, may help you get reductions. Payment concerns might be eliminated should you fork out your high quality each year in the entire volume. About 50 percent of insurance organizations offer a discount in this manner of having to pay.
Your coverage may very well be eligible for bargains if it’s been in existence for several years. The discount rates available range according to how long you have already been Along with the coverage. However there are various providers which offer special discounts for faithful customers. If you purchase your plan in 7 times of the renewal date, you could be suitable for a further fifteen p.c price reduction. These special discounts are not the sole Added benefits provided by particular companies. Some providers also offer you discounts to staff in selected professions. Academics, As an illustration, get 10% off in their premiums by Liberty Mutual. Geico provides 15% lower price for navy staff.
Are you presently a young driver in search of inexpensive car insurance prices. There are a selection of stuff you can perform to economize when getting car insurance plan. The following tips can save you a huge selection of dollars annually on the auto insurance plan. You will also have the ability to get the very best premiums. Keep reading for more information. You’ll be glad for it.
Youthful drivers can cut down on their auto insurance policies expenditures by using safer driving, driving fewer and permitting the insurance company observe their driving conduct. You can also cut down your premiums by browsing close to for automobile insurance policy. It is best to look around for essentially the most cost-effective auto insurance charges for yourself. This is a snap Using the no-Expense on line quote Device for comparison. Moreover, various automobiles can be set alongside one another and provided a reduction in the exact same insurance service provider.
In case you are looking for a plan, make sure to compare numerous estimates prior to deciding on the one particular with the highest cost and the highest top quality. It’s also probable to search out an insurance provider who will work together with you. This allows you to adjust the plan as your driving practices transform. You’ll want to take a look at insurance policies that supply comparable sorts of coverage during the perception that the deductibles and boundaries could make a an infinite difference. A very good plan need to include things like sufficient protection for motorists who’re younger in order to avoid economical spoil.
Discounts for no statements on vehicle insurance policy is an effective way in your case to save cash with your premiums. Inquire your insurance company how they apply the price reduction. Dependant upon the insurance provider the low cost can selection in between 30 and 65% in the first calendar year approximately 65% in 5 years. Do not forget that if you have a mishap, You will be liable for two several years of no claims bonus. Many promises can also get rid of the no-claims reward. It really is crucial to inform your insurance company quickly For anyone who is injured in a mishap. If this isn’t done, subsequent statements could be denied.
Insurance plan providers supply no-assert price cut security for around PS25. You can make a predetermined quantity of claims for every annum without worrying about the expense of your coverage rising. It is achievable to add it to an present policy In case you have no-statements reward. On top of that, you could possibly transfer your no-promises price reduction to another insurance company if you want. Switching suppliers each and every year is a great way to maintain the no-claims discounted.
Should you be looking for very low-Price automobile insurance policies, expanding your deductibles will assist in acquiring lessen prices. Increase your deductibles to avoid wasting 15%-30% on your cost, determined by particular estimates. The price savings you can get will count on your driving behaviors and also your driving background as well as legislation within your state. Your annually quality may be lessened by elevating your deductibles to as much as 40%
Even though increasing your deductible may not be the right choice for each man or woman, it could generate a distinction in preserving you A huge number of bucks In the long term. Experts advise that you simply save at the very least two months of dwelling expenses, despite exactly how much you decide to raise your deductible. It will also reduce the price of insurance coverage you spend every month. It will even help you save you an important amount of money in the event you ever need to file an insurance assert.
For all those with bad credit, it can be done to get a coverage via an insurance company which is regional. This can help you lower your expenses every month on the expense of your monthly insurance policy in addition to supply superb client assistance and Distinctive discounts. It is feasible to find the policy in all 50 states. It is probable to also Assess charges throughout states to determine by far the most inexpensive price. It is crucial to remember that you could need constructing your credit rating more than the course of. Specified drivers with poor credit score histories will pay greater than $four hundred each year.
Erie Coverage gives inexpensive automobile insurance coverage. The organization is found in Pennsylvania and it is operating given that. Erie delivers automobile insurance, as Along with residence and life insurance policy. Erie features protection only in unique states. There greater than 13,000 unbiased brokers during the United States. You may pick out among an agent or an insurance provider that is regional according to your requirements. Having said that, it is recommended which you study all great print before making a call.
It is best to compare vehicle coverage estimates if you’re a substantial hazard driver. Locate the most suitable plan for your preferences. Check out the amount of protection that is available in your location to find out if it is feasible to acquire more affordable fees. It might be additional very affordable to get extra coverage if there is significantly less threat. It really is all depending on your specifications. There are many options.
If you’re looking for the cheapest car or truck insurance coverage offers for top-possibility drivers, Then you really are in luck. With only two or three clicks, you can Identify a person. World-wide-web can offer you a lot of estimates and protection for under classic insurance plan for autos. The web tends to make signing around insurance policy uncomplicated. It can be all You must do is fill out a web-based application and pay out your premium. You are going to get a card from your insurance company as evidence of your coverage coverage. As soon as that’s carried out, you can begin driving using your insurance coverage policy.
Lots of insurance policies businesses view you as a large-risk driver when you have a inadequate credit score rating. Because you are not as likely to be able to file an insurance plan claim than anyone with excellent credit history, this is due to the fact that: Credit score scores are a very important Think about the way insurance plan businesses see you. A DUI/DWI may well lead to your top quality to increase by as superior as sixty five %. This quantities to the $677 boost on the six month plan. Insurance firms also take into account your driving document. A DUI/DWI could enhance your coverage premium by up to $174. In addition the price of a dashing ticket could increase your top quality by forty five%..
A DUI conviction on the document could help you end up picking quite possibly the most very affordable insurance company. There are a selection of selections, together with American Family, Progressive, State Farm and American Family. These companies deliver lower charges to superior-danger drivers. They’ll also consider your credit history rating in identifying the quality. Insurance coverage corporations look at these elements when selecting how much you spend for your policy. You can get your insurance coverage premiums better For those who have poor credit history. Before you make an financial investment, it is important to evaluate your credit history score.
There are a number of factors to choose into account when choosing probably the most reasonably priced car insurance plan for motorists that are young. Your marital standing as well as the age of Your kids are sizeable in the cost of your auto insurance plan. Your top quality may additionally depend on the kind of automobile that you choose to travel. It really is more expensive to insure higher-functionality motor vehicles in comparison with minimal-overall performance autos. It’s important to decide on a automobile with many security features to receive the bottom car insurance policies.
A great way to reduce the price of car insurance plan for younger drivers is to lower the quantity of quantity of protection you demand. Insurance plan companies generally offer you reductions for college students and motorists who will be in coaching. In case you are hurt in a collision nevertheless, slicing your protection can lead to large out-of-pocket costs. That is why you should meticulously weigh the benefits and choose the most value.
It is hard for teens to find reasonably priced automobile insurance plan. A coverage for just a sixteen-year outdated driver is costlier than 1 for an adult. Even so, you are able to reduce the Expense by including a teenager on to an present coverage. The common Expense is enhanced by $1,461 annually, but is usually cheaper than acquiring an insurance plan policy By itself. Should you be a younger driver, you may qualify for reductions along with other Advantages.
The price of auto insurance policy may differ In accordance with who you will be. This may bring about Individuals with high possibility desires the least economical insurance plan. Coverage companies choose into account various elements when deciding whether they need to insure you. These involve your driving history and demographics together with your All round risk profile. Five crucial areas to keep in mind when comparing insurance policies prices. Remember that reduced prices don’t require you to definitely sacrifice high quality.
First of all, consider your zip code. Individuals living in places with high criminal offense charges will deal with dearer costs. Insurance businesses get the quantity of website traffic under consideration. Insurance plan firms also contemplate targeted traffic quantity. This can effects the expense of your insurance policies. Remember to Evaluate your month to month premiums so that you can steer clear of shelling out extra. In case you have multiple procedures with the same insurance company, you could be capable to avail a reduction for numerous guidelines.
Whilst credit history scores may not be legally utilized by insurance policies businesses in just about every point out having said that, they have to be considered when comparing automobile policy costs. Hawaii drivers with poor credit history will likely be billed 168% a lot more than identical cleanse motorists. Massachusetts superior-risk drivers make thirty per cent in excess of normal motorists. Rates will rise for motorists who’re new due to DUI, rushing tickets and bad credit rating. It is crucial to have a look at a number of rates before you decide to decide.
The cost of insurance coverage is significantly influenced by where you reside. If you reside in a location with an excessive amount of crime and superior rates of accidents, you may hope to become charged a lot more for coverage estimates. The price of insurance could be affected by factors like targeted traffic volume or incident background. Insurance organizations also choose into consideration a driver’s driving file in deciding the price they ought to demand for their coverage. Usually, motorists that has a bad driving historical past are billed additional above whoever has a great driving record.
As the price of wellness treatment proceeds to increase, auto insurance plan has enhanced by 50-100 percent in the last 5 years. Uninsured and PIP coverage are mandatory for motorists. These prerequisites are higher than regular. The big apple, compared with other states, calls for motorists have PIP and legal responsibility insurance coverage. These optional coverages raise the cost of insurance coverage and might increase the expense of insurance coverage. Also, it is important to be familiar with their protection restrictions due to the fact some insurance policies present you with a decrease minimum degree of coverage than other procedures.
New Yorkers expend 2.8 % on their automobile insurance plan. This really is slightly reduced in comparison to the countrywide ordinary of two.40 %. The typical human being can pay a little bit a lot less than People inside their 30s and 40s. The premiums are higher for those aged 70and more than than These with much less driving practical experience. Partners will pay a little much more, but nonetheless reduced than single people.
Besides reduced costs, drivers may enroll in defensive driving lessons. The classes operate for approximately 3 several hours and incorporate discussion about driver Perspective and traffic policies. They teach defensive driving which can help to lower insurance costs. They can also assist to improve their driving abilities by completing a class, which could decreased the price of a car insurance estimate. Even so the Insurance plan Facts Institute is able To help you in determining the precise coverage you demand.
While fuel charges may well vary throughout states, car or truck insurance policy fees in other states could be Substantially roughly as opposed to rates in just your personal state. The proportion of drivers who’re uninsured, state insurance regulations and the rate for theft might all Perform a role With this. Undesirable climate also can influence the price of insurance coverage. The next desk illustrates the cost of car or truck coverage in each and every condition. These estimates had been based on an Assessment of your insurance plan needs of each and every state.
Missouri is the only condition which delivers vehicle insurance plan coverage with entire protection for under the cost of Louisiana. Missouri expenses just $944 much more than Louisiana. It also has the bottom Price tag per capita and it is fifth in price of dwelling. Texas motorists commit 33% in their earnings on auto insurance policy. This is probably going as a result of significant quantities of drivers who will be not insured in Texas and many lawsuits.
The typical countrywide cost of total coverage automobile insurance coverage in The usa is $one,771 per annum. The condition that has the most expensive coverage Price tag is Louisiana, with a premium of $2,839, a 19% boost from 2020. Maine’s insurance typical high quality is $858. It is because no-fault states have larger coverage premiums. It is feasible that the price of automobile insurance in An additional state is substantially costlier than here. You ought to consider a lot of aspects, including the guidelines within your point out pertaining to coverage.
Do you think you’re in search of high-risk driver insurance policy in your town? Superior-danger drivers often fork out larger premiums for insurance than ordinary motorists. It is because they tend to acquire extra incidents or violations on their own documents. The condition could Restrict time for this for being 3 a long time, five many years, as well as longer. Sometimes, discount rates could be supplied if you’re taking a driver basic safety instruction system.
When the national averages for prime danger driver auto insurance policy around me are very dependable, you will find that premiums change wildly from state to condition. There are many companies that adapt their rates according to the condition They can be in. You could uncover a single insurance coverage provider which offers quite possibly the most extensive defense in a decrease Expense even when your state just isn’t included. The most cost effective superior-chance driver motor vehicle insurance policies in the vicinity of me comes from Point out Farm, that has a lengthy-standing status for providing superb services.
You can find superior-threat driver car or truck insurance policies close to me by typing within your ZIP code and comparing estimates. Even though higher-threat insurance coverage on cars might be priced in a different way in numerous states, the vast majority of large insurers will present the protection. National Common and also other high-chance firms present insurance policy protection. When you’ve got exceptional grades, a low threat car or truck, and will be able to acquire an insurance policy policy that is definitely decrease you could possibly get a single.
Comparing car or truck insurance policies firms has quite a few Rewards. We are going to examine An important features, including scores and reductions as well as customer service. It is critical to select the greatest coverage for your safety. So get the perfect time to go from the procedures of varied companies. By the time you end studying this submit, you’ll need a clear concept of which insurance provider offers the most beneficial coverage at one of the most cost-effective cost. Here are some ideas that will help you choose the greatest a person.
You can evaluate offers from unique companies to ascertain probably the most competitive car insurance policy fee. Coverage expenditures are determined by a lot of aspects. It is crucial To guage your certain requirements and Examine quotes from several firms. It truly is costlier to insure athletics cars than regular cars. Your driving document and your house of residence can influence on the prices you fork out. It is achievable to match fees and identify the bottom Expense While using the similar protection together with the similar deductibles through the use of a comparison Instrument.
The cost of insurance is issue to considerable versions. It really is consequently crucial to discover the way Each individual policy operates. The principle elements that impact the expense of insurance coverage contain driving record, age, as well as credit heritage. Assess the advantages supplied by Each and every corporation, for example incident forgiveness or roadside support. This may look challenging on the other hand It is really doable to check quotations from different corporations and choose the best suited 1. Below are a few ideas to help you get likely.
When it comes to the comparison of automobile coverage businesses it is recommended to start with the J.D. The J.D. Electrical power ranking of car coverage firms. They are really based upon the outcome of shopper gratification surveys that go ahead and take form of surveys that study thousands of consumers of vehicle insurance policy nationwide. These scores are converted into numerical scores which replicate the common consumer fulfillment rating. These rankings are published as soon as a yearly. The gold medals are awarded to the best-rated insurance firms for each course. How do you discover whether the insurance corporations you are looking at are dependable?
There are a number of approaches to evaluate the economical power of auto insurance plan firms. For starters, you can Check out the AM Finest insurance company ranking, which gives economical steadiness scores for motor vehicle insurance policy companies. Ahead of choosing the appropriate plan, it can be crucial to find out Should the insurance company is secure. This is a vital aspect of customer support. Prior to deciding to make a option, you should definitely experience the many testimonials and high-quality specifics.
There are several special discounts made available from insurance policy corporations. The bargains supplied by motor vehicle insurance policy companies are usually not available to all prospects. So, It really is vital to Check out the website to determine no matter if you qualify for the special discounts. A great deal of organizations supply various discount rates. It is feasible to request your agent When you are certified to acquire any reductions. The procedure is typically brief and normally takes much less that one hour. Down below are some examples of possible automobile coverage savings.
Legacy Discounts: Motorists who are new may very well be qualified for a discount should they acquire their coverage throughout the dad and mom. The lower price ordinarily is about ten%. This price cut can be employed to thank your mother and father through the years for his or her help of your small business. It could also make it easier to save money on insurance policy for your car. Quite a few insurance corporations present bargains for more mature drivers. It’s worth wanting into regardless of whether your enterprise presents this sort of reductions. It is usually doable to look at the policies supplied by American Household, Farmers, or USAA.
There are many businesses that constantly supply exceptional customer treatment in the insurance plan sector. Esurance, such as, acquired a rating of four out of five during the J.D. Customer support Electric power Rankings are a fantastic indicator which the mother or father enterprise has higher specifications. The corporation scored much better than its rivals in all other areas, together with pricing and plan solutions as well as its Internet presence and connect with centre Reps. (customized company)
Even though coverage is An important factor for shoppers when obtaining insurance for their motor vehicle, the customer support is Similarly vital. Customers want to have the ability to Speak to their insurers quickly and have courteous company. What this means is customers choose to listen to back from their insurers speedily and have the ability to talk with somebody that is prepared to pay attention and supply solutions. Even though all vehicle insurance organizations may provide good customer service, certain are much better than Some others. (Rideshare coverage) (just two clicks).
There are plenty of aspects that influence the rates of motor vehicle insurance plan firms. Driving historical past and age are two big factors. Premiums will increase for motorists with negative driving records or very low credit scores. The cost of dwelling in the area you reside in may also effects the rates. For this reason, it’s important to compare fees of different insurance policies providers to determine the one that is best suited to your spending budget along with your driving tactics. There are a number of methods to reduce the price of insurance policy, like cutting your coverage or getting a defensive driving course. It’s also possible to pay back upfront for the full 12 months of coverage. (bill on-line) (staff discounted) (at fault accident or lined accident
Other factors could raise your top quality Except for People talked about. Your insurance policies supplier may possibly reassess the top quality When you’ve got recently manufactured a declare or had been charged with a traffic violation. You may additionally be qualified for a reduction if you total a secure driving program. Insurance policies companies continually modify their styles to be able to establish the premiums they cost. If you do not Possess a driving heritage, chances are you’ll observe a lower in the cost of your insurance policy. (utilization-dependent insurance policy) (rental vehicles);(car or truck repairs);(safe driver price reduction).
A comparison of insurance can assist you to prevent unreliable companies. If a quote isn’t going to consist of particular coverage or assumes improperly regarding the driving habits of your driver, it might be inaccurate. You are able to look at the score of insurance plan providers as well as their A.M. Ideal ratings to find out probably the most reputable insurance coverage service provider within your area. Find out how car or truck insurance plan comparisons could make it easier to save cash. Following, Assess the very best insurance coverage providers to discover the most reasonably priced offer in your case. (incident free)
Your rating on insurance plan based on credit could be a great indicator of the danger you’re most probably to take on, but you mustn’t Permit it dictate your charges. Insurance policies organizations are not allowed to use credit history history by itself to boost fees. California, Massachusetts Massachusetts, Oregon, Utah and Vermont have rules from insurers from employing credit rating background to find out the prices of insurance coverage. (could help you save)(new car)(car claim)
This type of coverage is not really offered in each and every state. People can not choose if a business employs your credit rating rating to ascertain the quantity they’ll be charging. California, Hawaii and Massachusetts prohibit insurance coverage determined by credit. Other states have very similar limitations. The ultimate selection is your choice as towards the degree to which your credit rating rating is appropriate for you. (bike insurance),(roadside guidance protection),(bundling vehicle)(pet coverage),(true price of dollars price),(remarkable assert services) (yacht coverage).
The cost of car or truck insurance policy savings is motivated by many different elements, which includes age. Age incorporates a larger impression around thirty % of the costs. In certain states, younger drivers has the capacity to pay just about four occasions just as much for car or truck insurance policies to be a 30-yearold. Inexperience is an additional important reason, since youthful motorists usually tend to be involved in accidents. You may get lower fees by comprehending the components that have an affect on your prices. These are generally just some of the some ways that the age could have an effect on your insurance policies for your vehicle.
Generally speaking the more mature you tend to be the lessen your insurance plan premiums is going to be. The cost of automobile insurance policies will probably be influenced once the male is more mature. Whilst younger male motorists are more affordable than more mature counterparts, rates for drivers who’re in their sixties and seventies increase significantly. Stats indicate that males are 2 times as more likely to be in a car or truck incident than ladies. The gender hole as we age also shrinks. (coverage selections)(homeowners coverage)
It is not surprising to learn that auto coverage premiums for males are costlier than women. There are lots of explanation why men travel inadequately, bringing about far more mishaps and claims. But there are numerous things which make Adult men additional costly to insure. These are typically the highest good reasons. Learn more in regards to the leading components that impact car insurance policy premiums by gender. The following pointers can assist you decrease your rates When you are still Uncertain. (automobile coverage procedures)(car insurance policy quote)(auto insurance policies price)
Oregon Division of economic Regulation has issued Directions to vehicle coverage corporations to accept folks who usually do not specify their gender. Insurance policy companies are needed to report charges commencing January 1, 2019 within the function of discrimination from non-binary people today. These premiums can be bigger than Individuals for female and male drivers. Gals can save cash providing they don’t seem to be way too higher. You should not be worried about the “non-binary” level for young motorists. (car insurance policies claim), (gap Insurance coverage) (car policy). | <urn:uuid:2663a219-3823-4f8b-bc1b-91bbfc944cb6> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://joubonjatra.com/are-car-insurance-rates-going-up/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571210.98/warc/CC-MAIN-20220810191850-20220810221850-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.958402 | 7,041 | 1.625 | 2 |
There are almost limitless possibilities to be creative. Toward this end, here are some basic resources, including reading guides from Monsterville, to get you started in using movies to inspire creativity in students! (appropriate for grades five through eight).
For Non-Readers. Not every kid wants to spend their weekend reading books. Sometimes, there needs to be a hook, or maybe something visual to engage the non-reader. Movies – and the process of film-making – can be that tool. If you think outside the box, students will too! Here are five film-related exercises for the non-readers in your classroom. The PDF of this page may be accessed here.
Reading Questions – General. These questions cover the entire scope of MONSTERVILLE: A LISSA BLACK PRODUCTION. Feel free to choose those that would facilitate the liveliest discussion! (And note that there are spoilers contained within these questions). The PDF of this page may be accessed here.
Visits! I love getting kids excited about reading and writing. If you are an educator in the Atlanta or St. Louis areas, I am available for in-person school visits. (An example of a presentation is here). For those of you who are a bit farther away, I’m always available to Skype. There is no charge for any of this – I only ask that kids have the opportunity to purchase a signed copy of Monsterville during my visit. (To arrange a visit, please contact me at firstname.lastname@example.org). | <urn:uuid:83356661-58ee-4e9a-9715-98205d08f4ca> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://lissablackproductions.com/teachers/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570977.50/warc/CC-MAIN-20220809124724-20220809154724-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.93218 | 317 | 2.296875 | 2 |
published on 4/13/2017 12:01:00 PM in World and Machinery
Dear readers, on our blog today we’re taking a closer look at some different harvester types on the market. What’s the difference between a harvester with an axial or a hybrid threshing unit? How to make the right choice? Let’s go and take a look into the main features of these pieces of equipment!
Axial or hybrid threshing: what are their main features?
A whole year of hard work and effort is at stake. So, performance is clearly a must for any harvester. Thinking of the accuracy obtained in traditional tilling operations by hand, perfection through a mechanical device seems to be an impossible task. Optimizing and fine-tuning the harvester’s operations is the best way to make the most of your farming machinery.
Here are the profiles of two different types of harvesters: based on either axial or hybrid technology. Let’s discover them right now!
- Axial harvesters. Designed for large areas such as you can find in Northern America, this farming equipment has been engineered based on the functional principle of maize ginners. They have become well established on the European market thanks to their good performance in obtaining quality grains from soybean and maize crops. The advantages of these pieces of equipment compared to traditional harvesters are quite evident: whilst the latter threshes crops over a path of about 0.8 and 1 m, axial harvesters can develop their job over an at least four times longer path. Not only does this stand for major production capacity, but it also means a more delicate and respectful grains processing. The only weak point might be the major power required by this type of machinery compared to European standards.
- Hybrid harvesters. Their functioning basically works like the traditional ones: thresher, counter-thresher and rotors in the straw walkers for separation. What makes the difference is the higher versatility of operating speed. Hence, hybrid harvesters enable to harvest the yield without losses and in less time, even under harsh conditions when green trunks or wet surfaces are present.
However, if you aim at having perfectly ed stems, hybrid harvesters can’t offer a 100% precision, since the product is coiled around the rotor. Anyway, this process doesn’t compromise your yield’s integrity and the options of final usage.
The latest products on the market also offer advantages in terms of reduced energy consumption, excellent maneuverability and a more accurate cleaning thanks to special fans.
BKT recommends… Agrimax Teris
It’s always a good thing being demanding with your equipment and expecting best performance from your tires.
This is why BKT recommends Agrimax Teris specially designed for high-power combine harvesters. Excellent flotation properties and high load capacity are its essential features providing best performance in all harvesting and threshing operations. In addition, Agrimax Teris reduces soil compaction even if carrying heavy loads. Moreover, its sidewall protection increases resistance - thus extending the product life-cycle – also in harsh conditions and if there are stubbles in the fields.
Whether your combine harvester is axial or hybrid, Agrimax Teris is the right choice, isn’t it? Discover all available sizes on our website | <urn:uuid:9e094497-03e4-4362-a574-7ea209bf7d7d> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.bkt-tires.com/ww/en/blog/world-and-machinery/combine-harvesters-axial-vs-hybrid-technology | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571210.98/warc/CC-MAIN-20220810191850-20220810221850-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.940659 | 710 | 2.140625 | 2 |
Do you think of bananas when you hear about potassium?
Potassium is a vital component that should not be overlooked in our diet because it helps to maintain the health of the heart, kidneys, and a variety of other organs.
Increased daily potassium consumption of 1,640mg. can also reduce the incidence of brain issues by up to 21%, according to a study published in the American Journal of Cardiology.
Find out more about: Its Healing Properties Were Discussed 3,000 Years Ago: It Heals The Heart, Nerve Cells And Bones!
Dates also include potassium and phosphorus, which are essential for bone health and osteoporosis prevention.
Furthermore, they include a substantial amount of fiber, which helps the digestive system function properly.
True, they have a lot of sugar in them, but it’s unprocessed sugar that helps to “soothe” the situation. | <urn:uuid:8b2c20ab-14ba-4aed-bfa5-fe368cf93fe5> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://myhealthygram.com/2022/03/22/dates-for-a-healthy-heart-kidneys-and-against-osteoporosis/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570977.50/warc/CC-MAIN-20220809124724-20220809154724-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.93628 | 187 | 2.84375 | 3 |
Combinatorics is concerned with counting discrete structures of various types, it has applications in computer science, statistical physics, molecular biology, and many other fields.
Combinatorics is the branch of mathematics concerned with counting discrete structures of various types (permutations, graphs, lattice points, etc.) it has applications in computer science, statistical physics, molecular biology, and many other fields. In particular, the interface between theoretical computer science and combinatorics has been an extremely important catalyst in the subject's modern development.
There is a long and distinguished history of combinatorics at UCL, indeed the first recorded use of the term "graph" in the sense of a network is found in a Nature article from 1878 by the former UCL student J.J.Sylvester.
Recent research at UCL into combinatorics centres on three main areas: 1) the interface of combinatorics with analysis and in particular the positivity of Taylor series of inverse powers of various combinatorially defined polynomials. 2) Discrete geometry including Tverberg-type theorems and problems concerning lattice points. 3) Extremal and probabilistic problems in graphs and hypergraphs.
Our regular Combinatorics and Discrete Geometry Seminar is on Tuesdays at 5pm during Autumn and Spring term. | <urn:uuid:4e0a87b4-5727-445a-99fc-6d3c6a00d87a> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.ucl.ac.uk/maths/research/combinatorics | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571538.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812014923-20220812044923-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.937187 | 274 | 2.453125 | 2 |
Thanks to technology, education resources for nurses has gotten better and more efficient. To begin with there are several tools set aside for nurse educators to use as they train nurses. These include:
- Classroom Tools: this entails videos and presentations to show to students.
- Instructor Modules: guidelines for educators to use to inspire learning nurses.
- Course Adoption Program: this program credits nursing schools that have completed their coursework.
- Desk Copies: these are available for instructors who need to introduce course titles.
Different Education Resources for New Nurses
1) Learning Nurse Resources Network
This is an online professional development centre for nurses at all levels and educational backgrounds. For the nurses pursuing a nursing degree online, this is a great website that provides independent and free resources. To maintain and continue education for nurses, the website is divided into three main sections which are the assessment section, an e-learning section, and a library section.
The assessment part of the website contains apps, quizzes, and nursing games for students. The e-learning section complements the assessments by providing an online space to learn new skills through courses and modules. Finally, the library entails professional development advice, nursing articles, and helpful links to other resources.
2) American Nurses Association
The Educational Resource Center of the American Nurses Association (ANA) is an online portal meant to provide learning resources for continuing nurses. This organization provides a good number of sheets and tips covering topics that relate to the nursing profession. ANA publishes three nursing periodicals namely: The American Nurse, American Nurse Today, and The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing(OJIN). These medical journals cover a wide range of topics about the nursing industry.
3) Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)
This organization works to ensure that all nurses have access to the wide spectrum of public health services. They have several bureaus that are working to provide medical education to professionals in various fields. Within the HRSA, the Bureau of Health Workforce works to address shortages of basic care physicians, dentists, nurses, and other healthcare professionals in The United States.
The bureau also provides scholarships and loans to encourage nurses to work in disadvantaged communities. If you’re pursuing a nursing degree online or in a traditional setting, you can find loans and scholarships to help you continue your education and find the right first job after you graduate.
4) The Nursing and Allied Health Resources Section
This website shares links to a multitude of resources for nurses including lists of e-books, nursing websites, dissertations, anatomy resources, and much more. The site itself is a great platform for nurses looking to build up online nursing resources. This platform has links to style and plagiarism guides, powerful tools for those who don’t have the hard copies. For those currently undertaking an online nursing education, this resource is very important in helping you research and write papers.
This website also includes educational and professional advice, together with career resources. Nurse.com is a consistent and innovative space for nurses to develop professionally, learn relevant skills and read upcoming news.
In addition, Nurse.com provides several financial aid links and resources for continuing your education. If you are attending a university currently or plan to in the future, this resource is crucial to help you learn about nursing education and nursing leadership opportunities. | <urn:uuid:13f9a391-076c-4e82-953f-560e2a7d5229> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://anursingresearchpaper.com/2021/11/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571911.5/warc/CC-MAIN-20220813081639-20220813111639-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.944408 | 690 | 2.671875 | 3 |
This post is one of a series of posts about what open source software projects can do (if they wish to) to make it easier for companies to participate in their projects.
When a company wants to get involved in an open source software, often they need some help understanding how things work. Sometimes it’s the developer who wants to contribute that has questions. Sometimes it’s their management who wants to understand what type of commitment they are making and what they can expect.
An open source software project can make it easier for a corporate contributor to participate by being clear about:
What the release process and schedule looks like.
How long it takes for a PR to be reviewed and how to best position it for acceptance.
Who makes decisions and how.
What roles people in the project play and how they get to those roles.
Where and how to ask questions.
Who is working on the project and what their motivations are. (Is this software to make apps run faster on watches or is it to make apps run on car computers?)
How to find out and stay informed of security issues.
As an open source software maintainer, the more you can help organizations understand how you work and how to work effectively with you, the more likely they are to engage.
I get asked a lot what the difference between a contributor and a maintainer is. Mike does a great job of explaining it around minute 4:00. Contributors are people who write code or docs or do triage for your project but who need help from others to get their work included. Maintainers are people that review and merge contributions.
You should users as your source for contributors. The type of contributor that is not a user is not likely someone you want.
Once maintainers are not users, they are not likely to continue contributing. So if you stop using your project, you need to start recruiting someone else to maintain it because it’s unlikely that you’ll continue to maintain it.
Most maintainers are talked into it. Nobody thinks they are qualified at first.
I did wonder what Mike would think about open source software projects where most of the contributors are people paid by a company to work on it. There are projects that are unlikely to be used by individuals, that are primarily supported by paid contributors. Do the same rules apply? | <urn:uuid:500f64a0-7463-44f8-a1d9-9494d6338488> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | http://stormyscorner.com/tag/maintainers | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570977.50/warc/CC-MAIN-20220809124724-20220809154724-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.967703 | 481 | 2.125 | 2 |
Weaning baby off the breast can be a stressful experience for mom and baby. As with most other parenting challenges, there is not one correct way to do it. You must find the solutions that fits you and your family.
What is weaning?
For the purpose of this blog, weaning refers to stopping breastfeeding. In many countries ‘weaning’ is the term used for introducing solid foods. This is part of eventually getting baby off the breast and onto other food and drink, but it is very normal to continue breastfeeding after a baby has started solids.
READ MORE: Age appropriate feeding guidelines
First things first, congratulations on feeding as long as you did!
Give yourself a pat on the back mom, wether you breastfed for one day or one year, well done! It is normal to feel guilty when one stops breastfeeding, but try not to do so. You do the best that you can and your baby has benefited from getting breast milk for this long.
So how long is one supposed to breastfeed?
When looking at a baby’s immune system and the enzymes in their tummies, they need breast milk until 2 years. This is also the recommendation from the World Health Organisation. There are many benefits to feeding babies beyond this period as well. But not all moms want to feed that long. This is of course a personal choice.
Many factors influence the choice on how long to breastfeed. Firstly, most moms have to go back to work which often complicates breastfeeding. Remember that working and breastfeeding is possible, so don’t just assume that you need to stop. But for some moms it may mean the end of their breastfeeding journey.
How you go about weaning will really depend on baby’s age. It will also depend on the reason for weaning.
Weaning for medical reasons
As a lactation consultant I see many mothers who have been advised by healthcare professionals to stop breastfeeding for a medical reason. It may be due to a medical condition, the need to take medication or before a surgical procedure. This is quite a big decision with a big impact on your baby’s health. I would like to urge moms to seek a second opinion.
Many healthcare professionals are not up to date on good breastfeeding practices. Moms are often advised to stop for something which would have done no harm to her or her breastfeeding baby. You want peace in your heart that this really was the best decision.
Gradual or immediate weaning?
It would always be gentler on mom and baby to wean gradually. This gives your body time to naturally tone-down production. Your baby also has the chance to gradually let go of both his main nutritional source and his biggest comfort.
For some, immediate weaning is the only option. Remember, if you stop suddenly you will need to manage the milk your body still produces to reduce the risk of mastitis.
Remove milk from the breast when you feel uncomfortable to provide relief, being careful not to encourage additional milk production. You will notice your milk gradually coming in less often, eventually stopping after about a week or so.
Will babies self-wean?
Yes they will, eventually. If you continue feeding and allow baby to set the tone, most will wean themselves somewhere between 2 and 4 years. Occasionally it may take longer than that.
Allowing babies to self-wean is a beautiful process. They typically just ask for it less and less, eventually only feed before bed-time, and then one day just stop on their own.
Babies are unlikely to self-wean before the age of two years, although many mothers will say that they did. Those babies were typically already taking a bottle.
Weaning a smaller baby (younger than 9 months)
If you need to stop breastfeeding your smaller baby, the easiest would be to introduce formula systematically, gradually increasing the amount of bottles given in a day. This will give your body time to gradually reduce your milk supply.
If you need to wean immediately, continue reading for more tips:
The first challenge here would be to get baby to take a bottle. Babies older than 3-4 months can be very resistant to this. Try the following tips:
- Read on paced bottle feeding, a method of feeding that allows baby to control the flow of milk and that works better for breastfed babies.
- Slightly heat the teat before putting it in baby’s mouth.
- Give the bottle to someone else to feed to baby, as he is unlikely to take it from you (or if you are in the vicinity).
- Try not to stress about it as baby will sense your anxiety and will respond by resisting more.
- Older babies sometimes skip a bottle and drink from a sippy-cup.
Weaning an older baby
Older babies and toddlers have formed a strong bond with mom through breastfeeding, thus weaning will be more challenging. Please don’t see this as a negative thing, that bond is one of the biggest gifts of breastfeeding. But you will need a bit more patience when it comes to weaning.
Once again you should first try gradual weaning, but be prepared for it to take some time. You can read more below on immediate weaning.
- Don’t refuse when he really wants to feed (as this will make him more anxious), but also don’t offer the breast. Even though you have been using it as a soothing tool until now, you will need to find other tools.
- Wear clothes through which your breasts are not easily accessible.
- Wear a bright coloured shirt at certain times and let your little one know that no feeding can happen when mommy is wearing a red shirt.
- Distract his attention when he wants to feed by singing a song, playing a game or just letting him wait while you complete a task. Sometimes they forget and the moment passes.
- Change routines in times when he normally would have fed.
- Have other snacks or drinks at hand for when he is hungry.
- He will need lots of love and reassurance; expect some emotional reaction.
- Pull in the help from the other people in your family with all of the above.
This is far more tricky. Drinking at night is also one of the main reasons why many moms choose to wean.
- If he is older, you can talk to him and explain why he cannot drink anymore at night.
- Offer a bottle or sippy cup (but remember that after the age of 18 months or so they really don’t need to have milk anymore at night and it would almost be better to not get them used to it, so rather offer water).
- Let someone else take over the nighttime routine. This person will need to have patience though.
- You can try moving him to his own bed, but see how your child responds as this is another big change in his world.
- Try Natura’s Rescue Remedy for both of you.
If you need to wean immediately:
- Wear clothes that makes your breast inaccessible.
- Wear a supportive top, but not one so tight that it places pressure on your breasts.
- Don’t express all the time as this will overstimulate, but if your breasts get too full you should express to relieve the worst pressure.
- Put cabbage leaves on your breasts a few times a day for 20-30 minutes (unless you are allergic to sulphide).
- Give baby lots of love and attention.
- Alternatively you can let baby stay with someone for a few days, but this will depend on whether your little one has been separated from you before and are OK with it. You don’t want to make this more traumatic for your both.
- Use Natura’s Rescue Remedy.
- Eventually baby will adapt and take milk from another source.
Medication for weaning
When wanting to stop breastfeeding, moms will often ask their doctor for a prescription to dry up their milk. Cabergoline is the medication given for this purpose that works against prolactin (the hormone responsible for making milk).
However, this medication is only truly effective before your milk ‘comes in’ (so if in the first 2-3 days after birth), and then to a degree in the early weeks of breastfeeding. It won’t help much for an older baby, and you will likely keep producing milk despite the medication.
Moms that have been breastfeeding for longer are sometimes given Pyridoxine (Vitamin B6) in high dosages to help reduce supply. The evidence on this is inconclusive, but you can talk to a lactation consultant for some guidance on whether this option would be suitable for you.
You should know though that medication is only supportive, and that you need to follow a holistic approach to make your process as easy as possible. | <urn:uuid:e810ed80-cc36-4c03-a95e-381d001906d0> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://babywombworld.co.za/an-expert-guide-to-weaning/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571911.5/warc/CC-MAIN-20220813081639-20220813111639-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.96515 | 1,858 | 2.328125 | 2 |
(Natural News) A group of scientists from the University of Cambridge and Karolinska Institute in Sweden has revealed that our skin plays an important role when it comes to regulating blood pressure and heart rate.
Even though the discovery was made while observing mice, the researchers posit that the same also holds true for humans. The study shows that skin, our largest organ that covers two square meters in humans, aids in the regulation of blood pressure and heart rate, depending on changes in oxygen level of the environment.
High blood pressure is linked to cardiovascular disease like heart attack and stroke. In most cases, causes remain unknown. The condition is often associated with reduced blood flow through small blood vessels in the skin and other parts of the body, which is a symptom that might worsen should hypertension remain untreated.
Earlier studies determined that a tissue starved of oxygen – like when in areas of high altitude, or because of pollution, smoking, or obesity – blood flow to that tissue will increase. In these cases, the increase in blood flow is partly managed by the “HIF” (Hypoxia-inducible factors) family of proteins.
The team of scientists from Cambridge and Sweden looked into the role of the skin in the flow of blood through small vessels by exposing mice to low-oxygen conditions. The mice were genetically modified to make them unable to produce specific HIF proteins in the skin. (Related: 3 Miracle Ingredients You Need to Detox Your Skin.)
Professor Randall Johnson from the Department of Physiology, Development, and Neuroscience at the University of Cambridge said, “Nine of ten cases of high blood pressure appear to occur spontaneously, with no known cause. ” He continued, “Most research in this areas tends to look at the role played by organs such as the brain, heart, and kidneys, and so we know very little about what role other tissue and organs play. Our study was set up to understand the feedback loop between the skin and the cardiovascular system. By working with mice, we were able to manipulate key genes involved in this loop.”
Based on the results of the study, the loss of the HIF proteins or other proteins used in response to “oxygen starvation in the skin,” displays a significant change when this process starts and its duration.
First author Dr. Andrew Cowburn, who is also from Cambridge, explained that the results imply that our skin’s response to low oxygen levels could be linked to how the heart pumps blood around the body. Cowburn hopes that their study can be used to learn more about how the body’s response to similar conditions can increase our risk of, and maybe even cause hypertension.
Professor Johnson concluded, “Given that skin is the largest organ in our body, it perhaps shouldn’t be too surprising that it plays a role in the regulation of such a fundamental mechanism as blood pressure. But this suggests to us that we may need to take a look at other organs and tissues in the body and see how they, too, are implicated.”
Natural remedies for dry skin
Now that a link between skin, blood pressure, and heart rate has been established by this study, consider these natural remedies for dry skin:
- Olive oil cleanser – You can use olive oil as a natural cleanser and moisturizer. Rub the oil into your skin and out a warm, damp cloth over your face until it cools. Wipe away the excess oil.”
- Avocado mask – Make a homemade avocado mask to soothe dry skin. Puree half an avocado and mix it with a teaspoon of olive oil. For very dry skin, add a tablespoon of honey. Apply the mask to your face, and leave it on for 15 to 20 minutes, then wash it off.
You can read more articles about other natural remedies at Healing.news. | <urn:uuid:3c70d799-10f3-4af2-8e09-759ffc2117a8> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.naturalnews.com/2017-12-20-researchers-discover-your-skin-regulates-blood-pressure-heart-rate.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571210.98/warc/CC-MAIN-20220810191850-20220810221850-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.954641 | 795 | 3.671875 | 4 |
The interest in what we have classed liberally as "Oriental Vegetables" increases every year. They can be used raw in salads, or lightly cooked for use in stir frys and numerous Chinese style meals. We hope you will be tempted to give something different a try.
Cape Gooseberry is also known as Physalis and is a tall growing plant of up to 2 metres high. The perennial plant produces star shaped flowers in July and August which are then followed by green cyclos which turn bright orange-red when the fruits are ripe. They are delicious when eaten raw or can alternatively be made into a delicious jam. They also make a beautiful garnish for desserts to show off to your friends and family.
- Pack size: 450 Seeds
WHEN TO SOWFebruary to April
WHERE TO SOWUnder glass sow seeds on the surface of a good quality seed compost and lightly cover the seed with vermiculite at a temperature of 18-21°C
WHAT TO DO NEXTOnce seedlings are large enough to handle, transplant into individual 9cm (3in) pots and grow them on at a minimum temperature of 15°C until they are 20cm (8") tall. Transplant into larger containers or growbags and grow under glass or once all risk of frost has passed move containers outside to a sunny patio.
HARVESTJuly to September
NUTRITIONAL VALUESExcellent source of Vitamin A, C and B
HANDY TIPPlants can look attractive grown in large containers on a sunny patio. Once plants start to produce flowers, feed once a week with a high potash tomato food to encourage the small fruits to develop.
- Manufacturer Code85015A | <urn:uuid:3572d4af-93be-4cb7-ab74-6aeaee7dd5d4> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.grovesnurseries.co.uk/kings-cape-gooseberry-seeds | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570977.50/warc/CC-MAIN-20220809124724-20220809154724-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.938419 | 369 | 2.34375 | 2 |
Whether rural, suburban or urban dweller, transportation is a critical lifeline to meet the needs of daily living, maintain independence and enable social connection.
Walking and bicycling are important transportation alternatives to motor vehicle travel. They are also important sources of physical activity and social connectedness. Creating and/or enhancing environments to be more supportive of walking and bicycling has been a significant initiative within the transportation and health communities for over a decade, with important progress in many locations. Rates of walking and bicycling are up in California, and active transportation policies have become more institutionalized at the state and local level (e.g., Caltrans’ “Toward An Active California State Bicycle/Pedestrian Plan” and the City of Los Angeles Complete Streets Design Guide).
With the increased focus on walking and bicycling comes opportunities to improve the safety of the transportation environment for all users. This guide provides communities with background information on walking and bicycling safety for older adults and tools to make transportation in California communities age-friendly for all. | <urn:uuid:deb10b20-7e86-4b3f-828e-fef0a3d0d8b7> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://safetrec.berkeley.edu/publications/safe-routes-older-adults-guide | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571538.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812014923-20220812044923-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.923265 | 212 | 3.046875 | 3 |
- 1 What can I use instead of milk?
- 2 Can you replace water with milk in waffle mix?
- 3 Is there a substitute for milk in cooking?
- 4 Can I add water to waffle batter?
- 5 Can you use water as a substitute for milk?
- 6 Can I use mayo instead of milk?
- 7 What makes a waffle crispy?
- 8 What to add to pancake mix to make it better?
- 9 Can I use half and half instead of milk for waffles?
- 10 Can you use milk instead of cream?
- 11 What can I use in place of milk for mashed potatoes?
- 12 Is pancake and waffle mix the same?
- 13 What is the difference between pancake batter and waffle batter?
- 14 Can you use milk instead of water in Krusteaz waffle mix?
What can I use instead of milk?
Best substitutes for milk
- Yogurt: Yogurt is thicker than milk.
- Sour cream: Use the same notes as yogurt.
- Heavy cream: Cream has much more milk fat than milk.
- Half and half: Also has more fat than milk.
- Water: If the recipe calls for a small amount of milk like ¼ cup or less, water could work.
Can you replace water with milk in waffle mix?
You’ll just substitute the milk for something else that you always easily have on hand, right at the kitchen sink: water. While water does nothing to improve your waffles’ flavor, using equal parts water for the milk your waffle recipe calls for can result in slightly crispier waffle edges and a lighter crumb texture.
Is there a substitute for milk in cooking?
Heavy cream is a great substitute for milk in a baking recipe, but it does need to be diluted slightly. Because heavy cream boasts a fat content of 36% to 40%, using a half cup of heavy cream mixed with a half cup of water will be your best bet for replacing one cup of milk.
Can I add water to waffle batter?
You’ll get delicious golden brown waffles and light & fluffy pancakes, every time in just a matter of minutes. No extra ingredients needed, just water!
Can you use water as a substitute for milk?
Water. In an absolute pinch, water can sometimes be used as a substitute in a recipe that calls for milk…but you might experience some changes in flavor and texture. Try adding a tablespoon of butter for each cup of water you use—it’ll account for some of the milkfat you’re missing out on.
Can I use mayo instead of milk?
Add it to your scrambled eggs instead of milk or water. In Alton Brown’s cookbook EveryDayCook, he suggests adding a dollop of mayonnaise to your eggs instead of milk or water to keep them moist — and if the man himself swears by it, it must be good.
What makes a waffle crispy?
Waffle recipes rely on sugar to help the surface of the waffle caramelize—cooked sugar helps the waffle get crispy and stay crispy. You don’t have to use standard white granulated sugar, though.
What to add to pancake mix to make it better?
Perk up boxed pancake mix by adding a dash of baking soda, lemon juice, vanilla and sugar. For maple flavor, add a small splash of maple syrup to the pancake batter. For a sweet-and-spicy touch, sprinkle some vanilla and cinnamon into the batter.
Can I use half and half instead of milk for waffles?
Made using equal parts whole milk and heavy cream, half and half still adds significant richness without being too heavy. Half and half can easily be used in place of whole milk with the addition of a little water. Combine ¾ cup half and half and ¼ cup water for every cup of whole milk you’re substituting.
Can you use milk instead of cream?
You can use whole milk or opt for skim milk to help slash the calories and fat content of your recipe. This substitute is especially useful in cooking, but it may alter the texture of baked goods and won’t whip as well as heavy cream. won’t whip as well as heavy cream.
What can I use in place of milk for mashed potatoes?
Replace milk with any of the following: Cooking water from the potatoes – reserve it in a heatproof container such as a glass measureing cup when you drain the potatoes. Veggie or chicken stock. Unsweetened milk alternative.
Is pancake and waffle mix the same?
What’s the Difference Between the Batters? Both waffle and pancake recipes share some of the same basic ingredients, like eggs, milk and flour, but their batters are not the same. The additional fat helps turn out waffles that are crispy on the outside and soft and chewy inside, as opposed to a floppy pancake.
What is the difference between pancake batter and waffle batter?
Sure, pancakes and waffles both contain eggs, flour and leavening, and they’re both served for breakfast. A few more key differences: Waffle batter contains a higher percentage of sugar (for caramelization) and a bit more fat (for a crisp exterior) than pancake batter. In short, no, the batters are not interchangeable.
Can you use milk instead of water in Krusteaz waffle mix?
Use milk/ alternative milk instead of water Even though the mix may call for water, you can easily substitute that for an alternative milk (I like oat milk ). You may have to add a dash more due to the difference in consistency, but it’ll taste so much better! | <urn:uuid:32ec526e-b904-44e2-be3c-9c4b8d808b02> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://royalmilcinc.com/milk-substitute/readers-ask-what-to-substitute-for-milk-in-waffles.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571538.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812014923-20220812044923-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.91675 | 1,218 | 2.328125 | 2 |
The Panchen Lamas became, along with the Dalai Lamas, the most important religious figures in Tibet. The three previous Abbots of Tashi Lhunpo Monastery were then retrospectively given the title ‘Panchen Lama’. And thus began the lineage of the Panchen Lamas as under:
|The 1st Panchen Lama||Khedrup Gelek Palsang||1385 – 1438|
|The 2nd Panchen Lama||Sonam Choekyi Lanpo||1439 – 1504|
|The 3rd Panchen Lama||Lobsang Dhondup||1505 – 1566|
|The 4th Panchen Lama||Lobsang Choekyi Gyaltsen||1570 – 1662|
|The 5th Panchen lama||Lobsang Yeshi||1663 – 1737|
|The 6th Panchen Lama||Lobsang Palden Yeshi||1738 – 1780|
|The 7th Panchen lama||Lobsang Tenpel Nyima||1782 – 1853|
|The 8th Panchen Lama||Lobsang Tenpal Wangchuk||1855 – 1882|
|The 9th Panchen lama||Lobsang Choekyi Nyima||1883 – 1937|
|The 10th Panchen Lama||Lobsang Choekyi Gyaltsen||1938 – 1989||The 11th Panchen Lama||Gedhun Choekyi Nyima||1989 –|
The 10th Panchen Lama, Lobsang Choekyi Gyaltsen, was born in Amdo, Eastern Tibet in 1938. He was recognized as the Panchen’s reincarnation by Alak Lhako Rinpoche, and in 1951 was confirmed by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama as the 10th Panchen Lama. He met the Dalai Lama in Lhasa in 1952, and then took up his seat in Tashi Lhunpo Monastery in Shigatse.
Whilst maintaining good relationships with the Chinese, the Panchen Lama was skillfully promoting the welfare of the Tibetan people. Realizing that the Communist Chinese government was designing to deliberately destroy Tibetan culture, contrary to their stated policies of freedom of religion and racial equality, he submitted a 70,000 character petition demanding that the Chinese government implement their stated policies in the constitution.
The Chinese Government accused the Panchen Lama of being anti- Chinese and counter-revolutionary. In 1964, in a public meeting in Lhasa, he was removed from all public positions of authority. He was openly criticized and humiliated, and later taken to China. In 1966, he was subjected to series of ‘struggle sessions’ in the National Institute of Minorities in Beijing, and was imprisoned for nine years and eight months. He was released in 1975.
In 1979, realizing his popularity with the Tibetan people, the Panchen Lama was appointed Deputy Chairman of the National People’s Politics Consultative Committee and Deputy Chairman of the National People’s Congress. He travelled widely in the Tibetan regions of Amdo and Kham. He urged Tibetans to maintain good relations with the Chinese. At the same time, he strongly advised them to keep alive the spirit of being a Tibetan and be true to the cause of Tibet. In 1989 in the Monlam Festival after the Tibetan New Year in Lhasa, the Panchen Lama stated, “His Holiness the Dalai Lama and I are spiritual friends. There are no differences between His Holiness the Dalai Lama and me. Some people are trying to create discord between us. This will not succeed.“
At Tashi Lhunpo Monastery, the Panchen Lama built a memorial Stupa which he consecrated and inaugurated to replace the silver Stupas of past Panchen Lamas destroyed during the Cultural Revolution. Shortly after this ceremony, on 28th January 1989, the Panchen Lama passed away in Tashi Lhunpo Monastery.
From his childhood, the Panchen Lama was brought up under the supervision of the Communist Chinese government, and had little opportunity to follow the traditional education of his predecessors. However, he developed within him a strong faith in the Buddhist doctrine, and an allegiance to the Tibetan cause. Since his death, he has been remembered as one of the most misunderstood Lamas in Tibetan history, and one of the most courageous critic of Mao’s regime.
When the Central Tibetan Administration learnt about His Holiness the Panchen Lama’s demise, the search for his reincarnation began immediately. Thirty names of possible candidates were received both from within and outside Tibet. In March 1991, it was confirmed that the Panchen Lama’s reincarnation was born in Tibet.
The 14th Dalai Lama in India, repeatedly contacted the Chinese authorities regarding the reincarnation of the Panchen Lama. He wrote to Jiang Zemin in 1995, “ I have a responsibility to honor and uphold the unique historical relationship between the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lama. For example, in my own case, I am personally greatly indebted to the 9th Panchen Lama, who took a special interest and responsibility in the search for the reincarnation of the 13th Dalai Lama.” All His requests fell on deaf ears!
By December 1994 the signs were clear that it was time to finalize the recognition process and in January 1995 it was revealed that Gedun Choekyi Nyima, son of Kunshok Phuntsok and Dechen Choedon of Lhari District in Nagchu, north of Lhasa, was the most likely candidate. On 14th May 1995, His Holiness the Dalai Lama officially proclaimed the six year old Gedun Choekyi Nyima as the reincarnation of the 10th Panchen Lama, the second highest spiritual leader in Tibet, giving him the name of Tenzin Gedun Yeshi Thinley Phuntsok Pal Sangpo.
Within days of the announcement , the six year old boy and his parents disappeared from his home, reportedly taken into Chinese police custody. It was not until 28th March 1996 that the Chinese authorities admitted that they were indeed holding the young boy and his parents, stating, “He has been put under the protection of the Government at the request of his parents.” According to Mr. Wu Jianmin, the PRC’s permanent Representative of the United Nations in Geneva, “the boy was at risk of being kidnapped by separatists and his security had been threatened.” Ever since, he has been held in complete secrecy, unable to receive religious instructions in Tashi Lhunpo Monastery.
Denouncing His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s proclamation of the reincarnation of the Panchen Lama as illegitimate, on 29th November, 1995, the Chinese authorities held a ceremony during which they drew lots from a golden urn to select their own Panchen Lama. Six year old Gyaltsen Norbu was selected, and subsequently enthroned on 8th December 1995.
Shortly after His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s announcement, Chinese military forces arrested a number of monks, including Chadrel Rinpoche, Abbot of Tashi Lhunpo Monastery in Tibet. Chadrel Rinpoche had been appointed head of China’s search committed for the reincarnation of the 10th Panchen Lama in August 1989. However, he had angered the Chinese authorities by rejecting their plan to select their own Panchen Lama, and by supporting His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s candidate.
Sentenced to six years imprisonment and three years deprivation of political rights for “plotting to split the motherland” and “leaking state secrets”, Chadrel Rinpoche is being held in the top secret Chuandong No. 3 prison in Eastern Sichuan province today.
Other monks who protested against the Chinese government have been imprisoned, (more than 80 people in all) and the administration of Tashi Lhunpo Monastery in Tibet is now controlled by Shigatse Religious Department, which appoints the management personnel with the approval of the Chinese Authorities in Shigatse. Currently a nine-member “Work Team” controls the monastery. The team holds educational sessions twice a week, during which the monks are ordered to oppose the Dalai Lama and his chosen reincarnation.
The whereabouts of Gedun Choekyi Nyima and his family remain unknown to this day! | <urn:uuid:28092c5a-042f-463a-b37b-3dca4ce05376> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://tashilhunpo.org/the-panchen-lamas/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571538.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812014923-20220812044923-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.966068 | 1,755 | 3.296875 | 3 |
Navigate: Exploring College and Careers
This resource for 7th through 9th graders introduces students to planning for careers and college.
Many students may not be familiar with the pathways to education and jobs after high school. Navigate gives them tools to investigate a career they’re interested in, find out what education they’ll need, prepare to apply for college and determine how to pay for it.
In six units, Navigate guides students through important steps:
- Examine various careers and educational requirements.
- Evaluate different educational opportunities after high school.
- Identify academic choices and extracurricular activities that will enhance college applications.
- Research the cost of education options after high school.
- Explore types of financial aid and educational assistance.
- Imagine their own path to success.
Download Navigate materials below, or order free copies of the student workbook and teacher handbook. Teachers can use the parent letter to inform families about Navigate and invite them to explore it along with their student. | <urn:uuid:443adcb4-3419-468f-91cd-3e42d7fabc1f> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.dallasfed.org/en/educate/navigate.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571538.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812014923-20220812044923-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.929626 | 214 | 3.546875 | 4 |
A NASA telescope celebrates 12 years in space over the weekend, and the agency has released a free digital calendar packed with gorgeous images to mark the occasion.
The new calendar features a dozen of the best pictures captured by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, which blasted off on Aug. 23, 2003, and continues to observe the heavens today.
"You can't fully represent Spitzer's scientific bounty in only 12 images," Spitzer project scientist Michael Werner, of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, said in a statement. "But these gems demonstrate Spitzer's unique perspectives on both the nearest, and the most distant, objects in the universe."
You can download the calendar, which also highlights some of Spitzer's most important discoveries over the years, here: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/images/spitzer/20150820/Spitzer12thAnniversaryCalendar.pdf
The sun-orbiting Spitzer was the last of four space telescopes in NASA's Great Observatories program to get off the ground. The other three were the Hubble Space Telescope(which blasted off in 1990), the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (1991) and the Chandra X-ray Observatory (1999).
Spitzer is optimized to study the universe in infrared light. Scientists have used the observatory to investigate faraway galaxies and alien planets as well as objects much closer to home, such as comets and asteroids in Earth's solar system.
In 2005, Spitzer became the first telescope ever to detect light from an alien world, and the observatory recently helped confirm the existence of HD219134b, which at 21 light-years away is the nearest known rocky exoplanet to Earth.
Spitzer's main mission was designed to last 2.5 years. The telescope ran out of coolant in May 2009, rendering two of its three onboard instruments unusable. However, Spitzer continues to observe the universe with its Infrared Array Camera during a "warm mission" that could conceivably last until late in this decade, NASA officials said. | <urn:uuid:7023091a-f7a7-434b-9ffb-13f2b832016a> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.space.com/30334-spitzer-space-telescope-images-calendar.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571538.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812014923-20220812044923-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.934123 | 422 | 2.96875 | 3 |
Every four years when we vote for President there are stories about ballots being miscounted or results being manipulated. It’s an American tradition to wonder if a close election was stolen, especially when your candidate unexpectedly lost. That tradition has only gotten stronger as electronic voting machines have become more common.
When I voted two weeks ago, I pushed invisible buttons on a big screen that made little ‘X’s appear, followed by a red button marked “Cast Your Vote”. As always, I assumed my votes were accurately transmitted somewhere and were properly counted. It’s a matter of trusting our political institutions and civil servants.
But these days it’s also a matter of trusting the private companies that sell the machines and software that count millions of votes. That’s why, for years now, experts on voting have called for changes that would make electronic voting more secure and easier to audit. For instance, all voting machines should create a paper trail that could be used to check the results (I don’t even know if the machines we use in our county create a paper trail that could be reviewed if the results were audited).
This year, of course, there is another reason to wonder about the election results. Russia has some of the best computer hackers in the world and it’s almost certain that they successfully interfered with our election. National security officials released a statement in October accusing Russia hackers of collecting and distributing thousands of personal emails from the Clinton campaign. We don’t know precisely what effect the publication of those emails had on the campaign, but it’s fair to say it didn’t help the Democrats.
Stolen emails weren’t the only subject of that October statement:
Some states have also recently seen scanning and probing of their election-related systems, which in most cases originated from servers operated by a Russian company… [Our agencies] assess that it would be extremely difficult for someone, including a nation-state actor, to alter actual ballot counts or election results by cyber attack or intrusion. This assessment is based on the decentralized nature of our election system in this country and the number of protections state and local election officials have in place. States ensure that voting machines are not connected to the Internet, and there are numerous checks and balances as well as extensive oversight at multiple levels built into our election process.
Nevertheless, [the Department of Homeland Security] continues to urge state and local election officials to be vigilant and seek cyber-security assistance from DHS. A number of states have already done so. DHS is providing several services to state and local election officials to assist in their cyber-security. These services include cyber “hygiene” scans of Internet-facing systems, risk and vulnerability assessments, information sharing about cyber incidents, and best practices for securing voter registration databases and addressing potential cyber threats.
All right, so considering the longstanding concerns about electronic voting in general, and the likelihood that Russia tried to access some of our election systems this year, it isn’t crazy to be more concerned than usual about this election. Throw in Clinton’s surprising defeat in a few key states where she was expected to win, plus some strange-looking results from those states, and we’re now seeing stories like these from the Guardian:
“Hillary Clinton urged to call for election vote recount in battleground states” (here)
“Jill Stein prepares to request election recounts in battleground states” (here)
It should be noted that it wasn’t the Clinton campaign (or even the Stein campaign) that began calling for an audit of the election results. Two election experts, Ron Rivest and Philip Stark, made their case a few days ago in USA Today. (Rivest is the Institute Professor at MIT and a member of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission Technical Guidelines Development Committee, while Stark is Associate Dean of Mathematical and Physical Sciences at UC Berkeley and a member of the board of advisers of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission).
They’ve been joined by J. Alex Halderman, who is Professor of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Michigan and the Director of Michigan’s Center for Computer Security & Society. Halderman is an acknowledged expert in the field of electronic voting security. This is from a statement he posted today:
Were this year’s deviations from pre-election polls the results of a cyberattack? Probably not. I believe the most likely explanation is that the polls were systematically wrong, rather than that the election was hacked. But I don’t believe that either one of these seemingly unlikely explanations is overwhelmingly more likely than the other. The only way to know whether a cyberattack changed the result is to closely examine the available physical evidence — paper ballots and voting equipment in critical states like Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. Unfortunately, nobody is ever going to examine that evidence unless candidates in those states act now, in the next several days, to petition for recounts.
Halderman also explains how a foreign power might tamper with the election in a few key counties in a few key states, giving an unearned Electoral College victory to a walking disaster.
We don’t know yet whether Clinton will request recounts in Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, and possibly pull out her own Electoral College victory. It’s rumored that some senior Democrats don’t want to rock the boat and give credence to T—p’s claim that the election would be “rigged”. I sincerely hope that’s not the case. This isn’t one of those times when it would be better for the country if everyone relaxed and supported the apparent President-elect. (That’s what many leading Democrats said during the 2000 election fiasco and look where it got us.)
Finally, as an example of the kind of unaudited result that’s drawing attention, below are the voting histories of two counties in Michigan going back to 1980. Macomb and Oakland counties have usually shown similar levels of support for Democrats and Republicans in presidential elections.
For some reason, however, this year the two counties swerved apart. It looks like Macomb County’s support for the Democrat went way down and its support for the Republican went way up. That’s in comparison to Oakland County’s vote this year and Macomb County’s election history. Maybe it’s just one of those things. Maybe it’s the beginning of a new voting pattern in Macomb County. Or maybe it’s evidence that something went seriously wrong in a key county in Michigan and needs to be looked into. Who knows? (Outside Russia, I mean.)
Curious, isn’t it? This is why we need to #AuditTheVote before it’s too late. We don’t have anything to lose by fighting for the truth. | <urn:uuid:bed61d20-c19b-4542-b189-72dfa0782013> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://whereofonecanspeak.com/2016/11/23/audit-the-vote-fight-for-truth/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571210.98/warc/CC-MAIN-20220810191850-20220810221850-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.948846 | 1,821 | 2.1875 | 2 |
Dallas Willard shares the following in Hearing God:
I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, bur Christ who lives in me. (Galatians 2:20)
The faith but which Jesus Christ lived, his faith in God and his kingdom, is expressed in the Gospel He preached- the good news that the kingdom rule of God is available to humankind here and now. His followers did not have this faith within themselves, and they long regarded it is only His faith, not theirs. Even after they came to have faith in Him they did not share his faith. Once, in the middle of the sea of Galilee, The disciples boat was almost beaten under by the way why Jesus slept calmly. His disciples woke him crying, “Save us Lord, we are perishing (Matthew 8:25) Jesus reproachfully replied, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith? (Matthew 8:26). Now the disciples obviously had great faith in Jesus. They called upon him,, counting on him to save them. But they did not have his great faith in God. It was because they did not have his faith that he spoke of have a little faith they had. Some Christians too commonly demonstrate that the notions of “faith in Christ” and “love for Christ” leave Christ outside the personality as a believer. One wonders whether the modern translations of the Bible or not being governed by the need to turn our weakened practice into the norms of faith. Such exterior notions cannot provide the mutual abiding (John 15:5) that causes us branches to bring forth much fruit and without which we can do nothing. It is as such abiding branches that we, “we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son; so that, “much more now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by His life (Romans 5:10). Our additional life though is still our life, is also God’s life in us, His thoughts, His faith, His love, all literally imparted to us, by His word and Spirit.
Two things the disciples asked of Jesus, “Lord teach us to pray, and Lord increase our faith.” One day Jesus took Peter, James, and John up the mountain. While they were there, o father brought his son to the other nine disciples asking them to deliver him from the demons. They tried for almost the whole day. I imagine they used everything they had seen and observed Jesus do. They probably spoke the same words He had spoken. They might have laid hands as He had. After all their effort, nothing happened. Jesus comes down from the mountain, addresses the situation and immediately the boy is released and well. The disciples asked Jesus why all they did hadn’t worked and He had just spoke and it was done. Jesus said, This comes by prayer and fasting. Now before we run off and created another ritual, let’s remember that Jesus didn’t offer a formula but a pattern. When you read the Gospels, you will see that Jesus spent huge amounts of time connecting to the Father. He went often to be alone with God. You will remember that it was after a forty day fast that Satan came to Jesus in the wilderness. To have Jesus kind of faith requires living His kind of life. Let me sum up. He both prayed and fasted. He constantly surrendered His will and plans to the Father. He committed Himself to only do what the Father instructed Him to do. He stayed focused and committed to the plan of God. This is possible for each of us and any of us. Lord, teach us to pray and increase our faith in these troubled days! | <urn:uuid:6062b4fd-dde1-47e5-a31d-383db19cf86d> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.pccob.org/2020/04/21/christs-faith-my-faith/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571210.98/warc/CC-MAIN-20220810191850-20220810221850-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.987409 | 764 | 1.53125 | 2 |
HAUNTED MICHIGAN: The Ghost of the Ladies’ Library, Ypsilanti
This haunted structure is located in Ypsilanti, and its creepiness really stands out from all the others in the neighborhood.
Edwin Mills built this old house in 1858 at the junction of (what is now) Washtenaw and M-17 (N. Huron Street). The home was later occupied by the Starkweather family.
Mary Ann Starkweather wanted her home to someday be used as a library, and in 1890 she handed it over to the Ladies Library Association. Once called the Ypsilanti Ladies' Library on the campus of Eastern Michigan University, the library stayed in operation until 1964.
Then some ‘genius’ decided to turn the old house into an office building. According to locals and nearby EMU students, this change of operations did not go over well with Mary Starkweather’s spirit.
Her original intentions for her house were being changed by the mortals, so she decided to get even by haunting the structure. Her restless apparition has been seen by employees walking the upstairs hall, with the faint sound of footsteps occurring when no one else is around. A janitor claimed he was working in the basement when unseen hands began touching him.
Next time you’re near Ypsilanti’s EMU, stop in…maybe you’ll get a tour. Either way, just ask any college student or employee about the building…chances are they will confirm the haunting.
130 N. Huron Street, Ypsilanti. | <urn:uuid:c897a01d-9dd7-43f4-b30d-0c688ead0389> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://wkmi.com/haunted-ladies-library/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571538.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812014923-20220812044923-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.970885 | 331 | 2.03125 | 2 |
From Talos, the giant bronze automaton who guarded the princess Europa in ancient Greek myths, to Cylons and Terminators, the idea of artificial humans has both fascinated and creeped us out for centuries.
Now, we’re closer than ever to making a robot look remarkably like a human, with the development of living robot skin. This icky-looking substance is water repellent, self healing, and has a texture just like our own skin.
Because it’s actually made of human skin cells.
“I think living skin is the ultimate solution to give robots the look and touch of living creatures since it is exactly the same material that covers animal bodies,” said University of Tokyo tissue engineer Shoji Takeuchi.
The researchers have successfully coated a three-jointed, functioning robot finger with a prototype of this lab-grown skin.
“The finger looks slightly ‘sweaty’ straight out of the culture medium,” says Takeuchi. “Since the finger is driven by an electric motor, it is also interesting to hear the clicking sounds of the motor in harmony with a finger that looks just like a real one.”
Previous attempts to graft skin onto robotic surfaces have proved challenging, so University of Tokyo tissue engineer Michio Kawai and colleagues took an approach that allows the skin to mold itself onto the device.
“It is difficult to cut, glue, or suture the endpoints of skin equivalent without damaging the soft, fragile tissue,” Kawai and team explain in their paper.
Instead, they dipped the robotic structure into a solution of collagen and dermal fibroblast – cells that produce the proteins that form our skin’s structural matrix. These are the main parts of skin’s connective tissue.
They then coated this primer layer with epidermal cells (keratinocytes), the main component of our outermost skin layer. Without this extra layer, the material would lack water repellence of the same kind that animals have.
In the footage below, the electrostatically charged polystyrene bead sticks to the finger without an epidermis, making it harder for the finger to manipulate.
While the gooey material could handle repeated stretching and contracting of the robotic finger’s movements, it is still much weaker than human skin. The team suggests a greater concentration of collagen in the initial solution as well as further maturation of the cells may improve this.
Remarkably, the artificial skin can also be healed with a collagen bandage, which the living cells take and integrate into their system to help fill in the damage.
While the results are quite amazing, the lab-grown tissue is still very limited. It cannot last long outside its nutrient solution – just like our skin, it requires a consistent supply of water to avoid drying out, but the artificial skin layers lack the complicated components of circulatory and sweat gland systems to supply such hydration.
“Building perfusion channels within and beneath the dermis equivalent to mimic blood vessels to supply water, as well as the integration of sweating glands in the skin equivalent, are important directions for future research,” Kawai and colleagues write.
They also propose adding ‘nerves’ and sensors so that lab-made skin can be multi-talented just like ours – serving as both protection and a sensory organ.
“We are surprised by how well the skin tissue conforms to the robot’s surface,” says Takeuchi. “But this work is just the first step toward creating robots covered with living skin.”
The researchers hope making robots appear more human will help us relate to and like them more, so they can better communicate with us, serving in the medical, care, and service industries. (That is, of course, if we can progress artificial humanoids beyond the uncanny valley.)
“These findings show the potential of a paradigm shift from traditional robotics to the new scheme of biohybrid robotics that leverage the advantages of both living materials and artificial materials,” the researchers conclude.
Their research was published in Matter. | <urn:uuid:62e6c2fd-793d-42ea-8b70-0f661eea04eb> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | http://scienceglobalnews.com/tech/scientists-have-developed-living-skin-for-robots-and-its-quite-something/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571538.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812014923-20220812044923-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.936871 | 855 | 3 | 3 |
A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding
From: Brendan Kinch
Date: 2014 Oct 14, 07:41 +0200
Sorry John…..I misread your original post. You said "JOH NYMAN" was actually on the cross-arm……..that would have been the name of the original owner most likely. But I would still guess at Benjamin Messer as the manufacturer.
From: email@example.com [mailto:firstname.lastname@example.org] On Behalf Of Brendan Kinch
Sent: 13 October 2014 22:16
Subject: [NavList] Re: C. 1830 Octant
Not too much comes to the fore when looking for a suitable diagram.
This may give you the general idea.
There has been discussion here before as to how practical all this was – but not relevant to your question as to what the vertical slot was (though I always saw this as a horizontal gap).
The open slot between both mirrors was so that the shades could be used on the upper or lower mirrors – they can be slipped out of one position and into the second without too much trouble. I am sure you can test that on your own octant.
First we can have a look at the name Mefser. That is old English for Messer and quite likely this octant was made by Benjamin Messer (1729-1827) and as such will be an older octant than that previously enquired about on this site. I say this because of the construction - it would fall in with Benjamin Messer dates. Is there any chance that ‘JOH NYMAN’ as you have quoted is BENJAMAN or similar. (Sometimes the spelling on old instruments – even names – leaves one wondering).
John Crichton (mentioned yesterday) was an apprentice of Benjamin Messer.
As for the lower mirror – this was for back sights. The slot in the middle was for viewing the back horizon……I’ll have a look see if I can find a diagram to better explain. (Or perhaps someone else has one handy?)
Bill & All,
Those are two good looking octants. The one in the attached pic is not in quite as good shape. But can anyone comment on this octant. On the frame's cross arm it says "JOH NYMAN" and on the left end of the arc it says "Mefser" above the scale, and "London" below the scale. The letter "s" in "Mefser" is not very clear, and neither is the "r."
The mirror below the horizon mirror is mirrored on both sides with a clear vertical slot down the center. Whay this for? And what is the open slot in the frame between these two mirrors for??
(Octant-2.jpg: Open and save) | <urn:uuid:8afc41bb-52a5-4178-b4be-877ee2765175> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | http://fer3.com/arc/m2.aspx/C-1830-Octant-BrendanKinch-oct-2014-g28961 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570767.11/warc/CC-MAIN-20220808061828-20220808091828-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.957336 | 633 | 2.265625 | 2 |
The range of healthcare professionals who can prescribe ‘low-risk’ medicines is to increase, the Government has announced.
In the Queen’s speech yesterday (14 October), it was announced that the Medicines and Medical Devices bill would ‘capitalise on opportunities’ for patients to have faster access to medicines by increasing the number of professions who can prescribe them.
According to the Government, the bill will: ‘Enable Government to increase the range of professions able to prescribe low-risk medicines to make the most effective use of the NHS workforce, as well as developing more innovative ways of dispensing medicines, where recommended by scientific experts.’
However, the Government did not elaborate on which professions would be able to prescribe these low-risk medicines under the bill.
It follows the news that the NHS is looking at removing the need for GPs to prescribe statins, and instead allowing pharmacists to give high-dose statins over the counter as part of the NHS Long-Term Plan's goal to discuss heart disease and stroke. | <urn:uuid:4e678aaa-30e1-448b-8d45-02083cd7e8b1> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.thepharmacist.co.uk/news/range-of-professions-who-can-prescribe-low-risk-medicines-to-increase/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571210.98/warc/CC-MAIN-20220810191850-20220810221850-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.957207 | 215 | 2.015625 | 2 |
NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) – Smoking behavior is linked to shifts in the methylation patterns for at least one cardiovascular-related gene, a new study suggests.
German researchers used microarrays to gauge methylation patterns in blood samples from nearly 200 individuals who smoke, have been smokers in the past, or have never smoked. The study, which appears online today in the American Journal of Human Genetics, suggests smokers have lower than usual methylation in a region of the genome falling in coagulation factor II receptor-like 3, or F2RL3 — a blood clotting gene that is thought to have additional roles in the cardiovascular system.
Those involved in the study argue that the previously unappreciated link may help explain how smoking affects the cardiovascular system and might ultimately lead to new strategies for treating individuals who can't kick the habit.
"Our results show that the gene coding for a potential drug target of cardiovascular importance features altered methylation patterns in smokers," corresponding author Lutz Breitling, a clinical epidemiology and aging researcher at the German Cancer Research Center, said in a statement.
Because smoking has previously been tied to methylation shifts across the genome and at cancer-related genes, the researchers reasoned that it might be possible to learn more about the pathogenic mechanisms of smoking by comparing epigenetic marks in individuals who smoke and those who don't. In particular, Breitling and his colleagues focused on CpG methylation, methylation occurring in situations where cytosine and guanine nucleotides neighbor one another.
"Given the recent accessibility of genome-wide locus-specific methylation methodology and previous support for a role of methylation changes in smoking-related pathologies, we conducted a genome-wide screen for CpG sites that are differentially methylated by tobacco-smoking status in peripheral-blood DNA," they explained.
Using the Illumina HumanMethylation 27K BeadChip array, they assessed CpG methylation patterns at nearly 27,600 sites in the genomes of 177 smokers, non-smokers, or former smokers. The participants ranged in age from 50 to 60 years old and were recruited through the ESTHER project, a population-based epidemiological study centered in southwest Germany.
Overall, the researchers' methylation array data pointed to decreased CpG methylation in smokers compared to non-smokers. When they looked for regions in the genome with statistically significant methylation changes, though, they found a lone site that reached genome-wide significance: a region within the F2RL3 gene.
This F2RL3 locus showed substantially lower methylation levels in smokers compared to both non-smokers and former smokers, the team found — findings they verified in a subset of samples from the initial cohort and in more than 300 more individuals using a Sequenom MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry MassArray assay.
Because the F2RL3 gene is known to participate in blood clotting, a process that seems to be negatively affected in smokers, the researchers speculated that this methylation difference might be a harbinger of smoking-related damage to the cardiovascular system.
Though they noted that more research is needed to explore that possibility and determine the functional consequences of these methylation differences, if any, the study authors argued that the gene may eventually serve as an attractive target for smoking-related drug development.
"Intriguing perspectives lie in the possibility that variants in this gene could be causally involved at a very initial stage of smoking-related cardiovascular pathology through the gene's role in endothelial physiology and platelet activation," they concluded. "In this case, better understanding of its role might open up avenues for preventing the development of associated disease in subjects unable to give up smoking." | <urn:uuid:19379646-26ce-46f9-896c-471aabb4d9aa> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.genomeweb.com/arrays/german-team-finds-smoking-related-methylation-change-cardiovascular-gene | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571538.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812014923-20220812044923-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.945698 | 771 | 2.828125 | 3 |
Quick Dental Implants in Rochester Hills, MI
How To Replace Missing Teeth With Dental Implants!
A great way to replace broken, chipped, or decayed teeth is through dental implant technology. An implant option looks, functions, and operates like a regular tooth and is a permanent procedure that has long-lasting results in improving your overall dental health. The benefits of this treatment are not just cosmetic or functional in nature, implants also help preserve the bone and health of all the surrounding teeth. In Rochester Hills, MI, implant dentistry is performed by Dr. David M. Juliani, DDS, with optimum results.
Whatever the cause of a missing tooth, losing them can be scary and frustrating for a patient. It can affect your smile, confidence, and can also cause pain inside your mouth. There are several reasons why you may need a tooth replacement option:
- Gum Disease
If you want a natural-looking, safe, and long-lasting result, then this procedure will suit you well. An implanted tooth is much like your original natural tooth- right down to the root connection. Implants will feel and look like the tooth you once had and it will naturally adjust to the gum tissue in your mouth, allowing the prosthetic tooth to blend in and match your regular teeth.
The Benefits of Tooth Replacement
- Smile Improvement – Your new tooth can improve your smile and gum health
- Confidence – You no longer have to worry about not having a tooth in place. Your smile, bite, and bone should look normal and healthy again
- Improved Oral Health – Having an implant in place to replace a lost tooth can add to your gum health. The new implant allows the overall area to be brushed, flossed, and it provides support to other teeth
- Eating and Talking – You can now eat and talk normally with all your teeth in their proper place
Who Qualifies for Tooth Replacement?
The best candidates for implant dentistry are those that have healthy bone and support in the gum area of the mouth. Having the right support is crucial to providing an environment that will make the procedure a success. The first step is to meet with Dr. David Juliani and get a full examination and consultation. He will also review your full medical and dental history.
The procedure is fairly straightforward and not too complicated, but it will require patience. The new prosthetic tooth is connected to an implant- a titanium root that will replace the original root inside the gum. The new root will be placed into the gum and over time it will fuse with the gum tissue to create a solid, natural, and supportive area for the new tooth. Once it fuses, a piece called an “abutment” will be placed on top of the implant. The last step is to attach the new prosthetic tooth to the abutment to fill in the space where your natural tooth once resided.
All steps leading up to the exam will be catered to your needs and schedule. Below are the basic steps of implant dentistry.
The basic steps include:
- Numbing the area with a local anesthetic to alleviate any discomfort during the procedure.
- The new tooth root made of titanium will be positioned into the bone socket to replace the old root and prepare the area for the new tooth.
- Once the tooth root has adapted and all support for the gums, root, and area is ready, the abutment is placed on the root. The abutment will be the attachment site for your crown.
- Your customized crown will be created with CEREC Technology to match the old tooth. This restoration will be attached to the abutment and will provide you with a brand new functioning tooth.
You should experience little to mild discomfort following the procedure. You can take pain relievers like Tylenol to remedy any small amounts of pain. Normal life and activities are resumed fairly quickly with little interruption. The great benefit of dental implants is that they should last you a lifetime if well cared for with a routine maintenance plan in place.
FAQs on Dental Implants
Who is considered a good candidate for dental implants?
Almost anyone with one or more missing or damaged teeth may benefit from dental implants in Rochester Hills, MI. Dr. Juliani will examine your teeth and let you know if implants are right for your situation.
How long do dental implants last?
Dental implants look and function like natural teeth; which also means they may be affected by sudden trauma or similar circumstances. Otherwise, it is entirely possible for implants to last a lifetime.
Are dental implants susceptible to decay?
You will want to take care of all your teeth on a regular basis, including any implants you have inserted. However, dental implants are made of titanium, so they are not susceptible to decay.
Are dental implants covered by insurance?
In some instances, dental implants may be covered to some extent by dental insurance. Every situation is different, however, so you will want to check with your insurance provider to determine what applies to your coverage for dentistry in Rochester Hills, MI.
Can implants be a substitute for dentures?
Dental implants are fixed to the bone and not removable, so they are not an exact substitute for dentures. But if there is a need to stabilize existing dentures, it might be possible to insert implants underneath them. Whether or not this is appropriate for your situation can be discussed during your initial visit to our dentist in Rochester Hills, MI.
Reach Out to Your Trusted Dentist Today
Call our staff at the office today to book your appointment about implant dentistry and learn more about our dental services in Rochester Hills, MI. You may also fill out the online form to contact us for more information on dental implants or any of these other specializations: | <urn:uuid:55ce931a-abd3-42b1-a61a-4e060f2e25b8> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://davidjuliani.com/services/dental-implants-rochester-hills-mi/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571538.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812014923-20220812044923-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.921836 | 1,207 | 1.515625 | 2 |
London: George Virtue, 1853. Hardcover. An important Victorian magazine, known for its honest viewpoints on the fine arts. Includes 36 full page plates reproducing paintings and sculptures from artists of the day. Articles address art, fashion, architecture, museums, photography, exhibitions, reviews, and more. Ex-library with stamps to fore-edge of textblock and copyright page and sticker to spine. Red cloth library binding with gilt title to spine. Minor sunning to spine, rubbing to hinges and edges of boards, and minor wear to corners. Minor soiling to boards. Closed tears and chipping to some pages. Clean and bright overall with occasional foxing. Some tissue guards creased or removed. A folio sized heavy volume. 324 plus The Exhibition of Art-Industry in Dublin, 64 pages. May require an extra shipping fee. ART/032119. Very Good.
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New York: D. Appleton and Co., 1875. Hardcover. The American version of this popular English magazine about the fine arts. Lacks 5 of the 36 engraved full page plates based on paintings and sculptures by Turner, Morris, Millet, Raffaelle, Dore, Bierstadt, Lombardi, and more. Articles on British and American artists, architecture, decorative arts, art schools, shoe collection in Museum of Costume in Paris, and more. Ex-library from MICA with stamp to front free endpaper. Dark brown leather spine and corners over brown cloth covered boards with gilt title to spine. Raised bands and gilt decoration to spine. Wear, rubbing, and chipping to spine ends, hinges, and corners. Both hinges are starting with cracks. Rubbing to covers and tear to book cloth on front board. Small dampstain along top margins of most pages. Very slight browning to margins, but clean and bright overall. Offsetting from plates to facing pages. Previous ownership signature in pencil dated 1961 to front free endpaper. Full gilt edges. An attractive volume despite the noted wear. 384 pages. This is a heavy, folio sized volume and it may require an extra shipping fee. ART/032619. Very Good.
New York: D. Appleton and Co., 1879. Hardcover. The American version of this popular English magazine about the fine arts. A total of 36 engraved full page plates based on paintings and sculptures by Gerome, Landseer, Lucas, Millais, Newton, Armitage, and more. Articles on British and American artists, architecture, decorative arts, poetry, and more. Ex-library from MICA with stamp to copyright page and fore-edge of textblock. Dark brown leather spine and corners over reddish-brown cloth covered boards with gilt title to spine and front cover. Minor wear to spine ends, hinges, and corners. Very slight browning to margins, but clean and bright overall. Chip to front free endpaper. Full gilt edges. Laid-in fold out supplemental illustration dated December 1879. An attractive volume despite the noted wear. 380 pages. This is a heavy, folio sized volume and it may require an extra shipping fee. ART/032619. Very Good.
London: Virtue and Co, 1867. Hardcover. An important Victorian magazine, known for its honest viewpoints on the fine arts. Includes the full year of 1867 plus issues through August of 1868. A total of 43 engraved full page plates based on paintings and sculptures by Leslie, Eastlake, Ward, Solomon, Hook, Dore, and more. Articles on art, sculpture, photography, architecture, fashion, art clubs, exhibitions, reviews, decorative arts, and more. Ex-library from MICA with stamp to copyright page and fore-edge of textblock. Dark green leather spine and corners over brown cloth covered boards and maroon title label to spine with raised bands and gilt decoration to compartments. Minor wear and chipping to spine ends and corners. Rear hinge is starting. Minor soiling and sunning to boards. Slight browning to margins, occasional spots of foxing, and some smudge marks, but clean and bright overall. Full marbled edges and endpapers. An attractive volume despite the noted wear. 276 pages plus 164 pages. This is a heavy, folio sized volume and it may require an extra shipping fee. ART/032619. Very Good.
New York: The Kalon Publishing Company, Inc, 1917. Paperback. Includes articles on Degeneracy in art, town and country embellishments, Japanese ideas in an American House, Craftsman houses, Fruit Trees, Bird Houses, 19th century painting, and more. Illustrated white paper wrappers with black title to spine and front cover. Chipping and tears to paper on spine. Both wrappers are detached but present. Minor spotting and soiling to covers, but clean interior. Includes many full page black and white photographic reproductions of art. About 100 pages. PER/061020. Very Good.
New York: The Kalon Publishing Company, Inc, 1917. Paperback. Includes articles on photography, mission furniture, craftsman houses, the aesthetic ideal, and more. Illustrated white paper wrappers with black title to spine and front cover. Chipping and tears to paper on spine. Minor spotting and soiling to covers, but clean interior. Includes many full page black and white photographic reproductions of art. About 100 pages. PER/061020. Very Good.
New York: The Kalon Publishing Company, Inc, 1917. Paperback. Includes articles on 19th century painting, G.F. Watts and Arnold Boecklin, the Real Aims of the NY Central, Library of Congress, and more. Illustrated white paper wrappers with black title to spine and front cover. Chipping and tears to paper on spine. Both wrappers are detached but present. Minor spotting and soiling to covers, but clean interior. Includes many full page black and white photographic reproductions of art. About 100 pages. PER/061020. Very Good.
Boston: New England Manufacturers' and Mechanics' Institute, 1884. Hardcover. One of 2000 copies. An interesting albeit short-lived publication that was done for the Institute by Arthur B. Turnure, proprietor at the time of the Art Age Press in NY. Turnure also created Vogue Magazine in 1882 and was a founder of the Grolier Club in January 1884. This year-book's preface states that the object of the publication "is to present to the world a volume, in which the highest American art products of the year are represented by means of suitable graphic arts, and produced entirely by means of American brains, labor, and materials." The first section offers a history and policy of the Institute, which was incorporated in 1879. The next section, the largest, provides an overview of 1884 art exhibits, the work of various prominent artists, and activities in various fields such as architecture, bookmaking, ceramics brass work, furniture, and jewelry. It is followed by a section with eleven examples of various graphic processes. All are in black and white except for a stunning lithograph from a painting by H. Hamilton Gibson. There are then several pages titled "Catalogue of Exhibits," and 16 pages of advertisements. Bound in cream paper covered boards with title with color design on front cover. Quite soiled , chipped and bumped. Interior pages are generally very good, with some foxing or spotting on some of the types of paper used. Measures 9.5 x 12.5 inches. Unpaginated (about 100 pages). ART/050619. Very Good.
London: Raithby, Lawrence & Co., Ltd, 1901. Hardcover. Bound in maroon cloth covered boards with maroon leather spine titled in gilt. The leather on the spine is split along the front hinge and there is a large chip to the spine leather. The boards remains attached; although, the front board is a little loose. Ex-library with library stamps to fore edge and copyright page. Clean interior filled with samples of color printing and many articles. Browning and foxing to margins of most pages. Occasional smudge marks. Previous owner signature dated 1902 to front free endpaper. Full marbled edges and endpapers. An attractive interior and an interesting publication. 320 pages plus 72 pages of ads to rear. ART/090220. Very Good.
Berlin: Gebr. Mann Verlag, 1973, 1975, 1980. Hardcover. Three volumes in four. This is a monumental and comprehensive German reference work on the posters produced in Europe and the United States in the 19th and 20th centuries. Volume I covers Great Britain and the United States; Volume II covers France and Belgium; Volume III with text and Volume IV with plates cover Germany. Multiple authors and scholars have cataloged and described thousands of posters, accompanied by black and white and color reproductions of each. Bound in gray cloth with paper title labels to spines and front covers. All volumes are in brightly colored dust jackets with titles to spines and covers. All but Volume I are housed in simple cardboard slipcases. In very good to near fine condition. Volume I: 227 pages; Volume II: 421 pages; Volume III: 506 pages: Volume IV: 363 pages. Heavy set requiring extra postage. ART/080122. Near Fine / Very Good.
Paris: Abbé de la Chau and Abbé Le Blond, 1780 and 1784. Hardcover. These two sumptuous French volumes describe the Duc of Orléans's magnificent collection of pierre gravées - "engraved stones or gems" - that was acquired over the years. This was the collection of Louis Philippe (1725-1785) that was inherited by his son Louis Philippe II (1747-1798), The son had the collection for two years but it was sold to Catherine, Empress of Russia in 1787. The volumes include descriptions of every stone included along with beautiful and intricate engravings of each. Most of the subjects are the Greek and Roman divinities. There are also a number of vignettes and cul de lampes throughout the text. There is also an engraving of the Duc designed by the artist Charles-Nicolas Cochin. The two folio volumes are bound in brown speckled calf skin, with gilt rulings to edges of covers, and gilt titling and ornaments to spine compartments. Leather is scuffed and mottled, and gilt has faded in places, with a skillfully rebacked spine in both volumes. Marbled paper endpapers. All edges gilt. Interior pages are in very good to near fine condition. Volume I, published in 1780, is 303 pages; Volume II, published in 1784, is 215 pages. Small folios measuring 8 x 12.5 inches. ART/122820. Very Good.
New York: Poster Auctions International, 1991. Hardcover. A catalog issued by Poster Auctions International for their poster auction held May 5, 1991. This hardcover volume includes a letter to the recipient offering the catalog, with instructions for those planning to attend. Also inserted is a folded sheet with the prices realized for the posters offered. There were total sales of $1,513,160. Bound in purple cloth with title in gilt and illustration of a poster affixed to the front cover. Some signs of light wear and fading to spine. Interior is bright and clean with color and b&w images of every poster along with a description and auction estimate. Very good condition. 12 inches. 434 pages plus bibliography and conditions of sale. ART/072822. Very Good.
Paris: Chez Poinçot, 1789. Hardcover. A collection of 44 beautiful handcolored botanical plates of which 38 are of various flowers and 6 comprise a visual dictionary of botanical terms. Each plate is accompanied by a page of text describing the plant and its qualities. The plates are in near fine condition but unfortunately the leather binding is not. It is chipped, scuffed, and bumped, and the top half of the spine is missing. The front board is almost detached although the text block is firm. Endpapers have spotting and the title page has browning to edges. Small octavo. Unpaginated. NATURE/072021.
Madrid: Sotheby's, 1989. Hardcover. A catalogue in Spanish for a major auction held in Barcelona of 305 of Miro's graphic works. With illustrations of each item auctioned. Accompanied by an insert with prices realized. Hardcover bound in green cloth with gilt titling to front cover. Damp staining to bottoms of covers not affecting interior pages. In a green pictorial dust jacket with titling on front. Very good. Measures 11 inches. Unpaginated. ART/071122. Very Good.
(Baltimore): Allen C. Abend, 2015. Hardcover. Includes chapters on Baltimore as an art center, opportunities for women to study fine arts (both abroad and in Baltimore), exhibition opportunities for women artists (nationally and locally), biographies of sixteen Baltimore artists, and more. The artists covered include: Alice Worthington Ball, Camilia Whitehurst, Mary A. Kremelberg (Gibson), Josephine Granger Cochrane, Maude Drein (Bryant), Ruth A. Anderson (Temple), Mary de Ford Keller, Dora Louise Murdoch, Margaret Moffett Law, Florence MacKubin, Lilian Giffen, Rosalie Lorraine Gill, Gabrielle DeVeaux Clements, Louisa Wright Neilson (Ford), Mary Worthington Crummer, and M. Louisa Steuart. Oblong, bound in black cloth boards. In white illustrated dust jacket with black title to spine panel. Pristine with numerous color illustrations. 123 pages. BALT/122016. New / New.
Baltimore: Blurb, Inc., 2021. Hardcover. "A history of the 138 year old artist association, the Charcoal Club of Baltimore. The first few chapters begin with the founding of the Club in 1883 and with the history of its highly regarded art school and popular annual Exhibition of American Contemporary Art. The book then turns to the social aspects of the Club including the Bal des Arts costume ball, its hilarious endeavors, and combative positions sometimes veiled in humor. The book continues with a chronicle of the Club's history followed by a sampling of artworks by Club members." Oblong, bound in black cloth boards. In illustrated dust jacket with title to front and spine panels. Numerous color illustrations. 167 pages. New / New.
(Baltimore): Allen C. Abend, 2018. Hardcover. Allen Abend's latest book about the art of Baltimore focuses on the history of the Peabody Institute's art collection and how it was assembled, cared for, and divested of over the last century. He "chronicles the management of the collection after the gallery closed in 1925 through its present day status. The book explores the dichotomy associated with the Peabody Art Collection as both a treasure and a burden" (jacket). Chapters include: Baltimore's Need for the Peabody Institute, Founding of the Peabody Institute, Gallery Organization, Peabody Art Collection, Gallery Exhibitions 1879 - 1925, Gallery Closes - Changing Priorities, and Collection Becomes the Property of the State of Maryland. Also includes an appendix that lists the artworks in the Peabody Collection. Oblong, bound in black cloth boards. In black illustrated dust jacket with black title to orange spine panel. Pristine with numerous color illustrations. 139 pages. BALT/112818. New / New.
New York: Crown Publishers, Inc. 1975. Hardcover. An essential reference for the collector of posters and also for all those interested in the work of Marc Chagall. The book is divided into three parts: the first include Chagall's own posters engraved by him; the second includes Chagall posters engraved by Charles Sorlier; the third includes posters made from Chagall's earlier paintings, engravings, and sketches [dust jacket flap]. Bound in blue cloth with title in white to spine and front cover. In a lovely blue and white pictorial dust jacket with title in black to white spine. Light wear to jacket edges. Interior pages are bright and clean. Very good condition. Measures 10 x 12.75 inches. 146 pages plus several pages of b&w images from Chagall's work. ART/072522. Very Good.
Leigh-on-Sea: F. Lewis Publishers, 1968. Hardcover. 4to. Orange cloth covered boards with gilt title to front board and to spine. Interior is clean and bright and filled with illustrations, 4 of which are in full color. Slight yellowing to edges of pages. Red dust jacket with black title to front and spine panels. Minor wear to dust jacket includes fading to spine and a few tiny light spots of soiling to the rear panel. Ltd. Edition, one of 600 copies. A lovely book. Art. ART908291. Near Fine in Near Fine Dust Jacket.
London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner & Co., Ltd, 1925. Hardcover. Includes 36 color plates and 48 in text illustrations. "In these days it is unnecessary to say how bold a German publisher must be, to give so many coloured plates, at a time when with us all economic ideas are upside down. I hope this boldness will be rewarded. When we were excavating Ashur the wish became stronger, with every new find of this coloured Assyrian art, one day to convey the discoveries to posterity complete and as unaltered as possible. Photography alone did not suffice for this; as far as possible every piece was copied in water-colours immediately after being found, and later we took the trouble to take colour photographs with Lumiere plates" (page 77). A folio bound in olive green buckram boards with gilt and leather title label to spine. Bumping to corners, wear to spine ends, wear to edges, minor soiling to boards, and rubbing to spine. Chipping to leather spine label. Bookplate to front pastedown. Evidence of removed library sticker to foot spine and evidence of removed library marking to rear free endpaper. Clean, bright interior aside from occasional light finger smudges to margins and minor browning to margins of plates. Tissue guards are present; however, some have creases and tears. 78 pages of text plus plates to rear. ART/021921. Very Good.
Baltimore: Aquarius Press, 1971. This is a stunning production from Baltimore's Aquarius Press that showcases the masterful etchings of Warrington Colescott. There were 122 copies numbered, titled, dated and signed by the artist. In addition there were eight portfolios lettered A through H also signed and dated reserved for the collaborators. This is portfolio C. The contents are loose as issued in a brown wrappers and housed in gilt-lettered blue paper-covered clamshell folding case. Accompanied by a copy of Thomas Mann's classic Death in Venice printed by Alfred Knopf in New York, 1965, also housed in the clamshell case. Warrington Wickham Colescott Jr. (1921 – 2018) was an American artist best known for his satirical etchings. He was a master printmaker and operated Mantegna Press in Hollandale, Wisconsin for several years. Colescott first gained critical notice in the 1950s and exhibited frequently throughout the subsequent decades and was honored with numerous grants, fellowships, and awards. Critics likened Colescott's work to his contemporaries as well as historic antecedents such as Goya, Daumier, and Grosz. In fine condition. Elephant folio measuring about 24 inches. PRI/070822. Fine.
Charlottesville: Thomasson-Grant, 1988. Hardcover. 4to. Introduction by Wendy Shadwell. Dark green cloth boards with gilt title to spine. Clean, bright interior with tight binding. Filled with full color illustrations by Catlin, Bodmer, McKenney, Audubon, Catesby, De bry, and more. Grey illustrated dust jacket with black and maroon title to spine. There is a one and a half inch closed tear to the front panel of jacket. Creasing to top edge of jacket. 127 pages. ART/082406. Near Fine in Very Good Minus dj.
New York: New York Times Book Co., 1979. Hardcover. John James Audubon is considered one of the finest painters of American wildlife. This publication was the first to bring together his 655 octavo-sized Birds and Quadrupeds in full size and full color. Quarto. Red paper-covered boards with tan cloth spine. White dust jacket with illustrations to front and back; black title to front and spine. Pages are fine and bright. Cover is fine. Minor wear to edges of dust jacket, including a few short closed tears and minor browning. 674 pages. NAT/052622. Fine / Very Good.
London: George Bell and Sons, 1901. Hardcover. Herkomer (1849 - 1914) was a German born painter, who lived mostly in England but spent many summers in his native Bavaria. He was known for painting scenes of poor people and also the Queen on her deathbed. He was also an early film director and composer. Sadly, none of his seven films are in existence any longer. Ex-library with sticker removed from spine, pocket to rear, bookplate to front endpaper, and stamp to copyright page. Bound in the original blue cloth boards with gilt title to spine. Leather and gilt title to front board is mostly detached and no longer present; however, embossed title remains legible. Chipping to leather author label to front board. Heavy chipping and wear to spine ends. Minor wear to corners and minor rubbing to boards. Closed tear to bookcloth along rear hinge, but binding remains secure. Filled with full page plates including photogravures of Herkomer's works. 133 pages plus plates. A heavy folio that may require an extra shipping fee. ART/040219. Very Good. | <urn:uuid:b24454d0-7dbe-449b-9451-34f19b3cf90b> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.kelmscottbookshop.com/searchResults.php?category_id=213&action=browse&browseLetter=A&cat_conj=or&orderBy=author&recordsLength=25&view=list | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571210.98/warc/CC-MAIN-20220810191850-20220810221850-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.932924 | 4,655 | 1.671875 | 2 |
An interesting but so far unidentified shipwreck rests in a sheltered bay to the west of Zabargad Island. Many rumours circulate about the roughly 70 m long vessel: some say it was a freighter, while others say it was a fishing vessel or even a surveillance ship. Many clues suggest that the latter is correct. Though its origin has never been resolved, the remaining signs within are written in Cyrillic, and in some places also in English, suggesting that it was originally from the former Eastern Bloc. The small size of the cargo holds also make it unlikely that the ship was a freighter. There are however remains of antennas, consoles, and an independent power source in the form of a large number of batteries on board—though much of the equipment was removed some time ago. Furthermore, the vessel’s design is similar to that of Russian ships of the MOMA-class (861M), which, though originally built for scientific exploration, were frequently used as surveillance ships.
urveillance ship ormer USSR nknown
The cause and date of the ship’s sinking are unknown. Two large openings are found in the bow and stern, where a lot of water entered, probably leading to the sinking. Whether they came about through sabotage or just a series of unfortunate events is, however, unknown, though the amount of coral growing on the wreck suggests that it must have happened around 1970. A few lifeboats lie on the beach of the bay at the site of the wreck, and though people like to associate them with it, their size makes it is more likely that they came from another ship.
Exploring the Wreck The roughly 70 m long wreck is broken in two just behind the bow A. The bow itself rests on its port side, while the remaining ship lies keel downwards with a slight lean on the seabed. Up to the point where it broke A, the wreck is relatively undamaged and lies at a depth of up to 24 m. The bow and the superstructures rise up to about 10 m below the surface, while the mainmast A rises up to 2 m. The wreck’s depth makes it easy to dive to, and you also do not have to worry about the currents within the bay. The hull, deck and superstructures are all covered on the outside with corals and provide excellent photo opportunities. Entrances into the wreck are found all around, and the cargo holds at the bow A, the bridge within the superstructures A and the engine room A is particularly easy to reach. At the bow A and at the stern A, you will find large winches with heavy anchor chains A hanging towards the seabed, and extended davits are found on the middle deck A A from where you can also reach the engine room through the hatches. On the bridge A you can still see the remainders of the helm, the chart room and the control rooms, from where the electronic equipment was run. However, they can only be reached through a narrow stairwell and should therefore be penetrated exclusively by experienced divers. Note that the main mast A is ideal for the safety stop at the end of the dive and offers a magnificent view of the wreck.
Tips / Hazards • Interesting and easily explorable shipwreck • Beautiful photo motifs • The interior is mostly spacious • Inexperienced divers should avoid the narrow spaces • The dive site may at times be temporarily closed by the military | <urn:uuid:0416b9d4-ad9e-4ece-b50b-aea896ae8f82> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.redsea-diving.com/the-shipwreck-of-zabargad/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571538.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812014923-20220812044923-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.972373 | 708 | 2.84375 | 3 |
Recent years, lace closure has been a necessary hair accessory for wig wearers to get a natural hair look. But there are different types of lace closures in the market like 5x5 and 4x4 lace closure. For new comers, if you want to choose the right one, you should know the difference between them.
First, let us figure out what is 4x4 lace closure?
A 4x4 lace closure is a hairpiece that suggests that the lace is 4 inches in length and 4 inches in width. The hair strands are stitched on the lace by hand. This type of wig provides wearers with a simple hair part, so it is the simplest hairline. It also brings a natural and beautiful hairline to the user.
What is 5X5 lace closure?
5x5 inches is larger than 4x4 lace closure. This type of closure is also used to close off your sew-in styles. 5x5 lace closure is recommended to people who are new to wearing lace closures compared with lace frontal.
Besides, 5X5 lace closure covers more part of your forehead and it is more natural and invisible.
What is the difference between 5x5 lace closure vs 4x4 lace closure?
As their name implies, the direct difference is the size of lace. 4x4 closure provides 4 inches of lace, a 5x5 closure provides 5 inches of lace. Let’s check out the chart below.
Obviously, 5x5 lace closure is more expensive than 4x4 lace closure since it needs more lace and hair to finish the whole look.
Larger lace space can have more fullness and versatilities. Compared to 4x4 lace closure, 5x5 closure can give a frontal look and get a deeper part.
5x5 lace closure vs 4x4 lace closure, How to choose?
The whole process is the same, sewing in the hair strands on the lace by hand. All of them are made of virgin human hair with no shedding, tangle and chemistry.
4x4 lace closure, it allows you to part 4 inches across and 4 inches back and forth. This is a beginner’s wig unit and it is recommended for women who prefer to put on and remove their wig without having to style their hair.
The 4x4 closure wig gives a natural and beautiful hairline to the wig wearers. A full head sew-in would require at least 3 bundles with closure.
5x5 lace closure creates an invisible part which makes your wig more undetectable. It is easy to operate on hair weft, the baby hair around gives you a good hairline. So how to choose the right one, it depends on your requirements and budget.
But 5x5 lace closure has more versatility, parting space and styling options, you can choose this one if you want everything is perfect.
Where can I buy the premium 4x4 and 5x5 lace closure?
With a combination of hair experts and stylists and over 10 years of industry experience, Sunber Hair devotes to designing fashionable and premium human hair closure and wigs for women to achieve a natural and stunning look. | <urn:uuid:b1a3f049-cabd-4431-9b50-ae22691bbe13> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.sunberhair.com/blogs/news/4x4-lace-closure-vs-5x5-lace-closure-whats-the-difference | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571538.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812014923-20220812044923-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.957697 | 665 | 1.585938 | 2 |
Lately, that’s what my brain sounds like.
“What’ll happen to the economy?”Zing!
“Is it really safe to travel again?”Zing!
“Will there be another season of Ozark?” Zing!
(Okay, the last one isn’t actually keeping me up at night, but you get the idea.)
We all share a lot in common these days, including a myriad of stress. Though we might each feel stressed, we aren’t all stressed in exactly the same ways.
During a crisis, your Dormant Advantage goes berserk.
Your Dormant Advantage is your most awkward, stressful mode of operating. When you’re forced to operate in the area of your Dormant Advantage, you’ll quickly become frustrated and discouraged. Ugh. Massive energy suck.
Unlike your Primary Advantage, which is your most energizing and productive mode, your Dormant feels draining and aggravating.
When you feel threatened, your Dormant Advantage can take over your brain's control panel.
By understanding your Dormant Advantage, you can recognize what’s really going on under the surface.
For instance, if you have Dormant Passion, you probably dread schmoozing at networking events, and random chit-chat with strangers. You crave solitude and space to recharge. Too much contact feels smothering. For you, having a 6-foot radius around you didn’t seem so bad.
But during the pandemic, if you were stuck sheltering in close quarters with others, it wasn’t easy to find your much-needed solitude. No wonder you were feeling irritable, with all the constant togetherness.
Or maybe you have Dormant Trust and you were thriving with the lack of regular schedule that came with working at home? And now, the prospect of returning to the office is filling you with dread. When you’re suddenly forced into your Dormant mode, the activities that feel draining can be hyper-intensified.
We are triggered by specific and predictable situations. Our response may be different than that of others around us.
When you understand your Dormant Advantage, you can predict how you are most likely to feel paralyzed.
You can take steps to understand those fears and overcome them.
Once you can identify the type of situation that makes you most anxious, you can recognize what’s actually triggering the anxiety.
If you have Dormant Innovation, you're unnerved by ambiguity. You dread not knowing what’s going to happen next.
What can you do to overcome that? Focus on what you CAN control. For instance, plan out your meal schedule including all ingredients. Set regular time to visit in person or virtually with friends. Stick to a workday routine, both at home and at the office.
If you have Dormant Passion, you want straight facts. Not how everyone feels about the facts. You dislike the social media outpouring of raw emotion (it all feels over the top). How to cope: Stick to a step-by-step plan to keep moving forward. How often should you immerse yourself in the headlines, versus being with family?
Here’s a handy chart, to understand each Dormant Advantage.
By identifying the ways we are naturally inclined to respond, we’re equipped with valuable tools to understand our internal dialogue and stay focused on our goals.
Do you have Dormant Alert, and you are dreading the prospect of going back to traveling for work, with all the required expense tracking?
If you’re Dormant Mystique these past two years of little in-person collaboration have likely been rough.
Don’t know what your Dormant Advantage is? No problem!
Log back into your report here to discover your own Dormant Advantage and how it affects the way you cope.
If you don't yet have a Complete Fascinate Profile with information about your Dormant Advantage, you can upgrade your Fascinate Test results when you log into your account here. Or if you’ve never taken the test, get started now. | <urn:uuid:0b6df56b-bdad-46ac-8bad-ea444d289a0e> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.howtofascinate.com/7-ways-you-might-be-freaking-out | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570977.50/warc/CC-MAIN-20220809124724-20220809154724-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.93843 | 899 | 1.5 | 2 |
French Polynesia is often considered one of the best diving destinations in the world. Indeed, between its heavenly islands and its seabed of exceptional beauty, both in terms of flora and fauna, the island offers an idyllic setting for divers. French Polynesia is divided into 5 large archipelagos which represent 118 islands of which only 67 are inhabited by mankind. Two of these archipelagos are particularly interesting for scuba diving in French Polynesia.
Tiputa Pass, Rangiroa.
The pass of Tiputa is located in Rangiroa. The site is undoubtedly one of the best dive sites in the world. In fact, the Tiputa pass has more or less fifteen distinct diving sites such as the shark cave, canyons, walking, crossing and many more.
This pass is particularly known for its pelagic. It is very common to dive with grey sharks, huge hammerhead sharks such as M. Mokarran, Manta rays, large banks of leopard rays or eagle rays, beautiful dolphins, as well as turtles, tuna, napoleons and many others.
In addition, it is possible to observe the migration of whales, from August to October. It is an incredible show that should not be missed if you have the chance to dive in French Polynesia at this time. Finally, detail of crucial importance, the visibility is simply extraordinary and can reach up to 60 meters. This is why this scuba diving site in French Polynesia is a must do for divers.
The interest of the passe comes from the tidal current that crosses it. Most of its dive sites offer drift dives. Indeed, the atoll can be considered as a large bath that fills up and empties itself according to the tides. As a result, when the center of the atoll empties, the current is outgoing, when it is filled, the current is ingoing. The pass is therefore the place where the most powerful current is concentrated. Large shark walls often gather at the pass of Tiputa to enjoy this current.
Garuae Pass, Fakarava
The pass of Guaruae is simply extraordinary. Some consider that this dive site is more interesting than Tiputa in Rangiroa. Moreover, it is a less difficult to dive. Walls of reef sharks are fleeing in front of imposing hammerhead sharks or gray sharks. The shark density is so great that the diver even instinctively ignores barracudas, trevallies, napoleons, tunas and other fishes that would have caught his attention during a classic dive. The immense and graceful manta rays are also present. This site is clearly a must. It is better to have a level 2 or a PADI advanced to take full advantage of the diving sites of the pass of Garuae.
Tumakohua Pass, Fakarava
A true natural underwater garden, Fakavava is classified by UNESCO as a protected reserve for its biosphere. The pass of Tumakohua, also called South Pass, offers some of the most beautiful dive sites in the Pacific and is accessible to all scuba diving levels. The current is less strong than in the Tiputa pass. The concentration of shark there is impressive and if you want to dive with gray sharks or reef sharks, look no further. Only Tiputa Pass or maybe Garuae Pass offers such a great concentration of sharks.
The pass is relatively isolated and usually not very crowded with divers. Also, be aware that, given the absolutely exceptional visibility, the depth of some dive sites and the diving conditions, the spot is perfect for nitrox diving.
Avatoru Pass, Rangiroa
Dolphins, manta rays, turtles, eagle and leopard rays, barracudas, sailfish fish and many other species wander around this wonderful pass. Enormous schools of jacks are also regularly spotted in the pass. Although the Tiputa is the definitely the main star for any scuba diver coming to Rangiroa, Avatoru is definitely worth a visit. The Avatoru pass is shallower than Tiputa and its orientation is slightly different. As a result, currents are less powerful.
Tapu, Bora Bora
The Tapu dive site is probably the best diving site of Bora Bora. Located at the extreme west of the island, the place is particularly famous for shark diving in Bora Bora. Indeed, more than 10 different species of sharks were counted there and, in particular, the magnificent lemon shark. There are some more common species such as scorpion fish or moray eels. Do not expect to see beautiful corals as you do not dive into Tapu for it.
There is very few diving wreck in French Polynesia. The wreck of the Nordby is probably the most beautiful of them. Moreover, it lies at 29 meters and is, therefore, accessible to all levels of diving including the PADI open water level. Indeed, in Polynesia, the visibility is so good that level 1 allows to descend up to 28 meters instead of 18.
The Nordby is a large 3 masts boat made of metal of 50 meters long and 7 wide. In 1900, when he was returning from New Caledonia, passing through Tahiti, he sunk on a sandbank, west of Raiatea, Uturoa, because of a strong storm. The masts, the hull and the stern are still well preserved and the wreck is inhabited by many species and in particular, loaches and nudibranchs.
Catalina and Cargo ship, Tahiti
This dive wreck is exceptional for the simple and good reason that the scuba diving spot does not have one but two wrecks. The dive site is between 13 and 25 meters deep, granting therefore access to PADI Open water diver. The wreck of the boat is relatively old but the structure of old wires, large pipe and collapsed beams is inhabited by many species and recalls the skeleton of a giant lying on the side. The second wreck is a WWII aircraft that crashed in 1964. Both wrecks are inhabited by many clown fish and anemones as well as large trigger fishes.
The scuba-diving site that is relatively typical of the region but is particularly interesting thanks to the high density of nudibranchs that live on the dive spot. You will also come across Napoleons, reef sharks and large trevallies, morays and snappers.
Miri Miri and Roses, Raiatea
The beautiful site of miri miri, also called Rose hold its name from its large fields of pink monipora corals. The site is also visited by many reef sharks, turtles and Napoleons wrasse.
Tupitipiti, Bora Bora
Few divers have the chance to visit the Tupitipiti scuba diving spot. Indeed, the dive site is very south of bora bora. It is particularly interesting for its small caverns and cavities. The interest here is not underwater life although you can dive with reef sharks and sea turtles. The rocky structures of the site and the flora, especially developed with green and orange sponges and blue and red corals, represents the main interest of this exceptional site. Lovers of underwater photography will particularly appreciate it.
The aquarium, Tahiti
This site is probably the most famous dive site of Tahiti and certainly the most visited. It is not really one of the best sites of Polynesia but we wanted to make it appear in this article because it is pretty well known for scuba diving in French Polynesia and Tahiti. Moreover, the interest of this site comes especially from its three wrecks, two schooners and a Cessna that allow beginner divers to discover wreck diving. | <urn:uuid:e8fd873d-11c1-4763-9eef-0116c8918f16> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.spotmydive.com/en/travel/what-are-the-best-dive-sites-of-french-polynesia/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571538.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812014923-20220812044923-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.961097 | 1,620 | 1.867188 | 2 |
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