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Renton's Enjoy Your English: A Treasur/Renton, N. E./Paper/1920910697/S014-B
There is much interest in English usage these days. This is a book for writers, editors, teachers, students and the business community. As it is quite unlike other books in this genre it will also have a special appeal to all lovers of words.
Part of the book deals with a number of serious issues of relevance to persons wishing to improve the quality of their writing. The rest of the book is in a lighter vein.
Several valuable summaries deal with many common errors of grammar, spelling, punctuation and word usage. In the course of a few pages these cover about 90 per cent of today's problem areas.
Other topics discussed range from plain English to gobbledegook, from online translations to Basic English, and from gender neutral language to Australian metaphors. Also presented are a number of curiosities of the English language and assorted linguistic lists - some useful, others just tongue-in-cheek. The question of just how many words there are in the English language and in a typical person's vocabulary is analysed.
The book also contains four short stories by the present author and some fascinating pieces by three other writers. While light-hearted, each of these carries an important message.
In an entertaining tailpiece the book features a series of jokes about the English language - these will be particularly useful to public speakers.
This book about words contains much material not found elsewhere. It will assist persons engaged in writing activities at all levels to become more articulate. It will expose readers to the richness and diversity of the living English language. | <urn:uuid:1405bd05-99c7-41dc-b128-30e3eabbc231> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.bookworm.com.au/Rentons-Enjoy-Your-English-A-Treasure-House-for-Writers-Editors-Teachers-Students-and-Lovers-of-Words-9781920910693.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560283689.98/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095123-00355-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.923426 | 363 | 2.4375 | 2 |
With Instructables you can share what you make with the world, and tap into an ever-growing community of creative experts.
The name says it all. This instructable will tell you how to run CMD (Command Prompt) and change the password.
Now you need the Application.Go to http://portableapps.com/apps/utilities/command_prompt_portableI recomend saving it onto a flash drive if you are doing this at school.Join My Group COMPUTERS!!!
Now is the "Fun" Part. Now once you downloaded the Application you need to install it. Fun Fun! NOT. Follow the wizard and if youre using the flash ...
Alright, this is really the fun part. Now you get to use CMDP (Command Prompt Portable) to hack the password of any user. Type net user and you ...
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HOW TO CHANGE/RECOVER ADMINISTRATOR PASSWORDby Techshot
How To Enable, Disable and change password on Windows 7 Administrator accountby T3chguy
Unlock the "Superuser" In Vistaby Zappy1995
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© 2016 Autodesk, Inc. | <urn:uuid:8e89b565-7aed-4961-8843-843b0a62647f> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-run-Command-Prompt-On-a-Computer-that-has-i/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280718.7/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00404-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.829443 | 262 | 2.078125 | 2 |
When Robert "Fighting Bob" LaFollette pushed for the creation of an open-primary system in Wisconsin, his intent was to weaken the power of political party bosses beholden to special interests, like the railroad barrons. A central tenet of the progressive movement, opening up the primaries allowed independent, progressive activists to advance their political causes.
In its purest form, an open-primary system means that anyone can vote in any primary, and anyone can run in any primary.
Wisconsin has arguably the most open primaries in the United States, of the 17 states that currently follow that system. Open primaries aren't just part of a political system in the Badger State; they're part of a Wisconsin tradition. It's the kind of tradition that allowed marijuana rights activist Ben Masel to bring attention to his cause through campaigns for governor and for the U.S. Senate seat held by Herb Kohl.
That tradition is about to face its greatest challenge.
Top Wisconsin Republicans -- the head of the state party and Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald -- have publicly announced their plans to run spoiler candidates in Democratic primaries.
Stephan Thompson, executive director of the Republican Party of Wisconsin, said in a statement that the party advocates the practice to push back the recall election schedule "to ensure that Republican legislators have ample time to communicate with voters throughout their districts after the state budget is approved."
Fitzgerald has echoed those reasons in his support, despite some apparent objection from candidates such as Rep. Dan Kapanke and Rep. Randy Hopper who denied any involvement in the spoiler efforts even though Fitzgerald claimed to have briefed all Republican candidates on the strategy.
False Flag Operation?
During the Wisconsin protests against Walker's collective bargaining bill, Walker received an email from a Republican activist and Indiana prosecutor urging him to employ a "false flag operation" -- to pretend that he was injured or attacked by a "union thug" -- to discredit the unions. The prosecutor lost his job for recommending such a partisan stunt, but the Wisconsin GOP has apparently not learned its lesson.
"To run a sort of fake candidate, a puppet candidate, just to cause a primary to delay an election by a month. I've never seen that done," said Barry Burden, a campaigns and elections expert and political science professor at University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Burden explained that open primaries not only allow flexibility for candidates, but also for voters, who can vote in primaries regardless of party affiliation.
"I think politics in Wisconsin is salient enough right now and there's enough energy around these recall elections and the law is permissive … I would not be surprised to see a fair amount of this crossover voting going on," Burden said.
Taking the High Road
While Wisconsin voters may cross over and vote in another party's primary, Wisconsin Democrats have decided to take the high road and run real candidates for real offices. Wisconsin Democrats announced they will not run fake candidates in Republican primaries, despite encouragement from the We Are Wisconsin PAC to do just that.
"We cannot and will not stoop to the Republicans' level by encouraging candidates to lie about their party affiliation, or recommending that people try to deceive voters. We never have done that, and won't start now. This is something that every single one of our six challengers has said they adamantly oppose," said Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chairman Mike Tate in a statement.
Tate explained that the party will force primaries in the six recalls of Republican senators by running two Democratic candidates, one of whom will be a "placeholder." This would not only bring consistency and predictability to the election schedule, but it would give the Democrats greater control of their ballot line.
Government Accountability Board (GAB) spokesman Reid Magney said there is nothing illegal that the GAB is aware of regarding protest candidates.
While legality may not be an issue, this Republican-driven strategy is completely at odds with the Wisconsin tradition that supports it. Open primaries were established as a progressive effort to weaken the power of political parties. Never before has a party attempted to manipulate that system in such an organized fashion.
Weapons of Mass Deception?
"We've always had exceptionally open politics, and now that's being taken advantage of," said John Nichols, associate editor of the Capital Times and Washington correspondent for The Nation.
Nichols compared the strategy to the development of a new weapon. Once one side develops a weapon, the other will use it. This could lead to a political environment in which "nuisance candidates" are a common occurrence.
This kind of political climate is nothing but confusing for voters, who are already subjected to the confusing process of recall elections.
For that confusion to come directly from an organized political party is completely inappropriate, Nichols said, adding that it leads to a "heightened level of confusion that's bad for democracy." | <urn:uuid:dff5d492-80c4-41d2-8a31-beb38ae55e5f> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://prwatch.org/news/2011/06/10820/false-flag-operation-wisconsins-open-primary | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560284405.58/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095124-00042-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967835 | 985 | 1.507813 | 2 |
Do you want to improve the work of your team and increase productivity? If so, it is important that you do your best to improve your leadership skills. Even a great leader can find ways to improve, and this article is full of valuable tips that can foster improvement and make you a more effective communicator, mentor and leader. Keep reading if you’d like more information.
Always try to simplify things when leading others. Focus on the most important goals as a leader. When you know what the big picture is, you can focus on the details. Make the work simple when possible. Make time for yourself to think.
Any good leader has to focus on times to come. You have to see what will happen and come up with an effective plan. You aren’t always going to see the future, but it is critical that you work on this skill more and more. Keep asking yourself where you’re expecting to be in a year or so and then start planning to make it happen.
You don’t want to have an attitude in which you feel you know everything. Seek advice from your coworkers and listen to their ideas with an open mind. Your team can improve on your idea or find problems you may have overlooked.
Don’t be dishonest or devious. To engender a sense of trust in those you lead, you need to stay true to the promises you make. If you tell others that your business provides great service, you have to make sure your workers know how to provide this.
Prepare yourself ahead of talking to your team. Consider any questions they might have. Think about how you will answer them. It’s this kind of preparation that builds respect. This is also a time-saving skill for being an effective leader.
Now, you have the information you need to become a better leader. Use them when you need some help, or to help others become better leaders too. Your company will be better as a result.
There are tremendous opportunities for small businesses and social entrepreneurs to support their communities through community foundations, donor advised funds and other means of giving back. Find the neighborhoods in Queens County , New York where you can make the most impact on the youth in the community. | <urn:uuid:7fff57f8-c752-4bfa-bf64-a26cd8517e8f> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | http://sixsigmapartner.com/become-a-leader-by-following-these-tips-15/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571210.98/warc/CC-MAIN-20220810191850-20220810221850-00472.warc.gz | en | 0.957828 | 457 | 2.5625 | 3 |
Hello, I'm Catherine, I am a highly trained and experienced therapist who has a specialism in Art Therapy;
What is Art Therapy?
Art Therapy | A form of Psychotherapy
Art Therapy is a form of psychotherapy. It is not essential to use art in therapy; The use of art in the therapy room is used as a tool, aid to or form of communication and or expression in the therapy room. It can be used to help us to untie tricky emotions. It can help us process and understand ourselves, our thoughts or feelings about our past, present or future experiences/anxieties.
Art Therapy is unique in its ability to work within your window of tolerance. There is no pressure to talk or to make art in Art Therapy.It can be incredibly difficult for us to talk about our feelings or experiences sometimes. Making art can feel safer and easier than just talking. Using art helps to access parts of our brains that shut down when things become overwhelming and or traumatic. This in turn can help access, process, understand and move forward form such difficult experiences or feelings.
Art Therapy can be used to help adults, children and young people. Art therapy originally was inspired by psychoanalysis but today Art Therapy draws from many psychological theories and approaches for instance; attachment based theories, neuroscience, metallisation, mindfulness and compassion-focused. Each person is unique and Art Therapy tailors its approach to suit the needs of the individual. The therapeutic relationship and what is Brought to the therapy room is what is most important.
For Art Therapy information leaflet click to download below...
Art Therapy | Interesting and informative Video Links
If you want to know more about Art Therapy please have a look at some of the links below;
- BAAT Youtube Playlist
The British Association of Art Therapists playlist of Art Therapy videos
- Ted Talk : Art can Heal invisible wounds
- Ted Talk : Art Empowerment, the Virtue of Art Therapy | <urn:uuid:0ac224aa-4c25-45b2-85f7-2e5f164a8104> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.ckpsychotherapy.co.uk/art-therapy.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572161.46/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815054743-20220815084743-00473.warc.gz | en | 0.925796 | 482 | 2.6875 | 3 |
Philocetes Essay, Research Paper
Philoctetes, the bowman, is a most haunting and ambiguous character of Sophocles. He represents the pain which the world subjects all creative people to. Keeping his simplicity and innocence in a world of confusion and lies ends up being his greatest challenge. Through intense character portrayal, Sophocles presents the story of Philoctetes in a way so that the reader can empathizes and truly understand the pain of Philoctetes.
The story begins when Odysseus and Neoptolemus are on a beach on the island of Lemnos. They are looking for Philoctetes. Odysseus tells Neoptolemus to find Philoctetes, and tell him that he is the son of Achilles. Odysseus wants him to become friendly with Philoctetes and gain his trust. When he has accomplished that, he is to obtain Philoctetes= bow, so that they can take it back with them. After he receives his instructions from Odysseus, Neoptolemus sets off to find Philoctetes.
He meets up with him, and they start to talk. Philoctetes is overjoyed to find out that eh is talking to the son of Achilles. He tells him the story of how he was left on the island, crippled and dying. He then asks Neoptolemus to take him back with him, and to just not leave him on the island all alone. Neoptolemus agrees to take Philoctetes back with him, and he is overjoyed once again.
A sailor disguised as a trader then enters the scene and tells a tale to Neoptolemus of how he is in great danger and must be very careful. Philoctetes believes that Neoptolemus is actually in great danger so he suggests that they leave as soon as possible. He tells them the few things that he owns, including the bow. Philoctetes is greatly impressed by the bow, and when he admires it, Philoctetes tells him that anything of his is also to be considered Neoptolemus=. He then discloses that he is close to dying and decides to give Neoptolemus the bow for good.
Neoptolemus is then stricken with sympathy and probably guilt. He tells Philoctetes the truth. Philoctetes realizes what has happened to him once again, and begs for his bow to be returned. Odysseus then appears and shows Philoctetes no mercy. After continuing to beg for his bow, with no avail, he tells them he is going to his father, who is dead, and retreats into his cave.
Neoptolemus and Odysseus then start to walk back to the ship with the bow, but suddenly Neoptolemus decides to return to Philoctetes and give him the bow back. Odysseus is infuriated and leaves. Neoptolemus tells Philoctetes that he will take him home. Heracles appears and blesses them, and they start on their way home.
When Neoptolemus and Odysseus are on their way back to the ship and Neoptolemus decides to return to Philoctetes, the reader sees the side of Neoptolemus with a strong conscience. Even though it meant defying Odysseus, he put the life of Philoctetes above his own advancement. This seems to be the point in the story where the reader realizes the internal struggle of Neoptolemus. One side of him wants to help Odysseus, and their people, by bringing the bow back to fight, while the other side of him feels great compassion for Philoctetes, and his struggles. Being the son of Achilles comes with a great responsibility and reputation to live up to. Neoptolemus must decide whether to be the man Odysseus wants him to be, or to truly live up to the reputation set by his father, and do what is right in his own eyes.
The story of Philoctetes does not simply tell the story of one man, but of two, and the struggles which set them apart from the rest of the world. Neoptolemus struggles with an internal fight between personal advancement and moral obligation, while Philoctetes struggles to find his way home. The commonality of these struggles bring the two men together, and from this togetherness comes solution and blessings for both of them. | <urn:uuid:981c6034-b343-45f2-90d2-33d8f434543a> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://mirznanii.com/a/100218/philocetes-essay-research-paper-philoctetes-the-bowman | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280891.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00158-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970163 | 954 | 2.734375 | 3 |
Chinese New Year Worksheets Pdf. Ideal bank of ideas/resources if you are a childminder, preschool/nursery practitioner, early years teacher or parent of a young child. This is an example of how to prepare the worksheet for your classroom.
These chinese new year printables are filled with engaging chinese new year activities and cute clipart images of chinese lanterns, dragons, zodiac animals of the chinese new year, chinese flag, chinese. It is possible to distribute the printed copies as pdf or html documents, enabling you to do so any place you wish. Chinese new year’s day begins on the first day of the first lunar (3) ____ in the chinese calendar.
A Quick Quiz To See What Students Know About Chinese New Year.
All of the worksheets are housed on the teacher's corner. 2022 chinese new year worksheets author: This 4 page pdf explores how to write the two characters for chinese new year.
You Can Do The Exercises Online Or Download The Worksheet As Pdf.
Ideal bank of ideas/resources if you are a childminder, preschool/nursery practitioner, early years teacher or parent of a young child. Free chinese new year math worksheets. Chinese new year special 28th jan.
On Chinese New Year, People Give Children Money In Lucky Money Envelopes.
Chinese new year printable worksheets. Learn more about the most celebrated asian holiday, chinese new year, with this pack of free, printable chinese new year worksheets. The sheets can be used in the classroom or in the house, as well as can be published out.
On Chinese New Year, The Themes Of Happiness, Wealth, And Longevity Are Celebrated.
Free chinese new year early years/ey (eyfs) activities/resources/display. Students can use the chart to find their animal then divide the adjectives i. Learning about holidays around the world is a fabulous way for students to learn about the ways in which other countries and cultures are different, and similar, to their own.
People Celebrate This Holiday All Across The World.
This is a worksheet on the chinese new year and adjectives. The worksheet combines grammar and comprehension exercises: Read about a few traditional chinese new year u0003dishes, then use your counting skills to make your own banquet. | <urn:uuid:5363a58b-01c7-4b0c-8f0c-2fe0a94920fe> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://samairey.com/chinese-new-year-worksheets-pdf/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571987.60/warc/CC-MAIN-20220813202507-20220813232507-00271.warc.gz | en | 0.878419 | 510 | 3.171875 | 3 |
Environmental Health Science (BS)
The BA in global health is a transdisciplinary degree program designed for students who seek a broad and flexible set of skills for understanding contemporary health challenges and thinking about how they might best be solved. Global is understood in the anthropological sense, meaning ways of understanding and addressing disease, health and well-being that can incorporate all cultures, places and time and that can integrate knowledge of health's social, historical, biological and ecological dimensions. The curriculum emphasizes the development of core skills in critical thinking, problem-solving and the importance of direct experience (research, study abroad, service learning and advocacy). The program cultivates capacities to deal with any complex problem with social components: how to identify the critical issues, ask the right questions and create solutions that are meaningful and effective. | <urn:uuid:72dec39e-2852-46a6-975e-c8fe19159112> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://hub.aashe.org/browse/academicprogram/19283/Environmental-Health-Science-BS | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571982.99/warc/CC-MAIN-20220813172349-20220813202349-00077.warc.gz | en | 0.92162 | 163 | 2.0625 | 2 |
An official with the Ministry of Health, responding to a Pasteur Institute analysis that indicated the Kingdom is at high risk of a Zika outbreak in 2017, yesterday said Cambodia’s health service teams were ready to respond.
Ministry spokesman Ly Sovann said Cambodia is employing an existing multi-source surveillance system that includes scanners at airports and key border checkpoints to detect Zika early on. Hospitals across the country have also been ordered to report any suspected cases.
“Our public health measures are in place to respond to an outbreak,” said Sovann, also the director of the ministry’s Department of Communicable Diseases. “We are ready to respond, in collaboration with Pasteur, the World Health Organization, [the US Centers for Disease Control] and other partners.”
The Pasteur Institute’s brief analysis, authored by researchers Dr Didier Fontenille and Dr Philippe Dussart, was posted on its website on October 19.
The Kingdom saw seven Zika cases from 2007 to 2010, but no recent cases have been reported, despite cases cropping up in Vietnam, Thailand and elsewhere in the region.
Multiple attempts to get Fontenille and Dussart to provide the basis for their conclusions over the last two days were unsuccessful.
Sovann, meanwhile, said he couldn’t provide an explanation himself. “We are the public health response officers and we follow advice from our experts to be ready,” he said. | <urn:uuid:0353a619-8f43-41e9-9f67-1eb69bba6eb0> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://phnompenhpost.com/national/health-ministry-insists-system-ready-zika | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570868.47/warc/CC-MAIN-20220808152744-20220808182744-00070.warc.gz | en | 0.953159 | 302 | 2.015625 | 2 |
Lucia Carrano1,ζ* and Elena Urso2,ζ
1Fondazione Istituto Insubrico Ricerca per la Vita, 21040 Gerenzano (Va), Italy. 2Istituto di Ricerche Chimiche e Biochimiche G. Ronzoni, 20133 Milan, Italy. ζBoth authors equally contributed.
Journal of Applied Bioanalysis. Vol.4. No.4. pages 105-108 (2018)
Published 15 October 2018. https://doi.org/10.17145/jab.18.014 | (ISSN 2405-710X)
Carrano L and Urso E. HRMS as a unique Bioanalytical Tool in Natural Product Studies. J Appl Bioanal 4(4), 105-108 (2018).
Open-access and Copyright:
©2018 Carrano L and Urso E. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC-BY) which permits any use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author(s) and source are credited.
Funding/Manuscript writing assistance:
The authors have no financial support or funding to report and also declare that no writing assistance was utilized in the production of this article.
The authors have declared that no competing interest exist.
Natural products (NP), especially, bacterial secondary metabolites, still represent a gorgeous font of chemical compounds for drug discovery. Advances in genome sequencing and mining, in addition to bio-synthetic pathway manipulation, allow the expression of silent (cryptic) gene clusters and provide the access to previously underexplored sources such as new groups of microorganisms, consequently highlighting that is possible to discover new chemical entities. A fundamental role is played by the progress in compound detection technologies. Indeed, the main intent is to shorten the time necessary to discard known compounds and identify the new ones. High resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) has become a reliable detection responding to several analytical challenges. Actually, the employment of Mass Spectrometry has grown up like a giant tree developing many branches and a thick crown that invaded almost all research fields regarding the omics sciences (metabolomics, proteomics, lipidomics, etc.) . Hence, an extraordinary time started to strongly stimulate analytical data acquisition; it became possible to directly analyze crude extracts without the need for purification/ isolation of specific species and large data sets can be processed at once . Several experimental databases, such as Dictionary of Natural Products DNP, ChemSpider, REAXYS, and several software tools such as METLIN, MIDAS and MetFRAg can be used for metabolite identification in metabolomics; molecular structures were provided and matching of measured mass spectra (MS/MS) against the predicted fragments of metabolites can be performed although very often the signals found do not correspond with the described ones . MS based metabolomics became the technique of choice for rapid detection and dereplication of secondary metabolites, not only in natural product microbial cultures. Clear indications for performing this study are available but software tailored to predict all the metabolites modifications have not yet been fully developed, established that not only enzymatic transformations but also exogenous compounds from different environmental factors can contribute to production of new metabolites.
We would like to comment some of advantages and challenges of HRMS and its future potential leading to interesting structural information that can direct the analytical work and newly offers perspectives and insights in numerous branches of life sciences.
Mass resolution, mass accuracy and sensitivity make that HRMS instruments and their LC-MS applications cover a wide range of compounds by combining several targeted and untargeted approaches; in addition, fragmentation experiments and/or additional separation power in mass spectrometry (Ion Mobility) provide complementary structure information useful to complete annotations of the molecules. Particularly, accurate mass measurement allows to define elemental formulae, crucial data for an accurate re-identification of known compounds and mostly for the uncover of unknowns (Dereplication).
At any rate, the list of possible elemental compositions often provides numerous results for small molecules too and therefore, the acquisition of further structural data becomes very important.
Whatever the approach to MS/MS (tandem in space or tandem in time), the introduction of multiple-step MS in HRMS is essential to distinguish isomeric compounds and obtain unambiguous results. The basic principle of MS/MS is the selection of precursor ion and its fragmentation, usually by collision-induced dissociation (CID), but different fragmentation strategies are available . It must be taken into account, as it has been known for a long time, that MS/MS fragmentation shows some technical limitations, for instance fragmentation difficulties of compounds and/or their stable adducts, in addition to poor detection of low molecular weight product ions. Another aspect, worthy of being considered, is represented by compounds showing almost identical fragmentation pathways of positional isomers. A few interesting approaches are proposed, as the measure of relative abundances of specific fragmentation ions or the mass analysis of metal complexes [7, 8], but also in this case, since the spectra are strongly affected by the instrumental parameters, the unambiguous identification cannot be obtained. When the compound of interest is present in low abundance and complementary spectroscopic methods, such as NMR, cannot be performed, new ways are required leading to structure elucidation and mass spectrometry provides the solution by the introduction of ion mobility technology. Recent applications using IM-MS (Ion Mobility mass spectrometry) show the emerging contribution of this technique to the discovery of new compounds via the measure of the ion’s collision cross section (CCS) parameter which incorporates information about size, shape and charge of a molecule (Figure 1) [9-11].
Figures and Tables
[Click to enlarge]
All these recent advances in the analytical field are leading to finding of new antimicrobial compounds and mostly, to reveal very interesting evidence regarding their structure. Particularly, a plethora of scientific papers suggests and/or demonstrates the role of glycosidic residues in numerous antibiotics.
It had been seen that many biologically active small-molecule natural products produced by microorganisms derive their activities from sugar substituents and changing the structures of these sugars can have a profound impact on the biological properties of the parent compounds . A large number of antibiotics are glycosides and in numerous cases the glycosidic moiety results crucial to their activity, for instance by improving their pharmacokinetic parameters . A series of D-glucosamine derivatives were synthesized and evaluated for their antimicrobial activity, suggesting that the presence of sugar moiety is necessary to biological activity . Sugars or carbohydrates found in human breast milk show properties that can protect against bacterial infections .
Our work represented an effective example of novelty determination of a compound exhibiting potential antimicrobial activity via mass spectrometry applications : appropriate combination of HRMS detection and MS/MS fragmentation experiments allowed to obtain the definitive sum formula assignment and identify interesting sugar moieties.
In summary, this letter underlines and stresses the role of advanced HRMS as unique tool in both research and analysis, suggesting that it will play an essential role in discovery and development of carbohydrates based therapeutics, which has been relatively slow so far, mainly due to numerous analytical difficulties. In our opinion, asserted the importance of carbohydrates in several biological events, the recent results can open up new perspectives regarding the preparation and activity correlation of novel glycoside antibiotics.
1. Trivella DB, de Felicio R. The Tripod for Bacterial Natural Product Discovery: Genome Mining, Silent Pathway Induction, and Mass Spectrometry- Based Molecular Networking. mSystems. 3:e00160-17 (2018).
2. Kind T, Fiehn O. Strategies for dereplication of natural compounds using high- resolution tandem mass spectrometry, Phytochem Lett 21, 313-319 (2017) . [CrossRef]
3. Blaženovic I, Kind T, Ji J, Fiehn O. Software Tools and Approaches for Compound Identification of LC-MS/MS Data in Metabolomics. Metabolites 8(2), 31 (2018).
4. Boiteau RM, Hoyt DW, Nicora CD, Kinmonth-Schultz HA, Ward JK and Bingol K. Structure Elucidation of Unknown Metabolites in Metabolomics by Combined NMR and MS/MS Prediction Metabolites. 8(1), 8 (2018).
5. Lu W, Su X, Klein MS, Lewis IA, Fiehn O, Rabinowitz JD. Metabolite measurement: Pitfalls to avoid and practices to follow. Annu Rev Biochem 86, 277–304 (2017). [CrossRef]
6. Nguyen VH, Afonso C, Tabet JC. Comparison of collision-induced dissociation and electron-induced dissociation of singly charged mononucleotides. Int J Mass Spectrom 316-318, 140-146 (2012). [CrossRef]
7. Abad-García B, Garmón-Lobat S, Berrueta LA, Gallo B, Vicente F. Practical guidelines for characterization of O-diglycosyl flavonoid isomers by triple quadrupole MS and their applications for identification of some fruit juices flavonoids. J Mass Spectrom 44, 1017–1025 (2009). [CrossRef]
8. Pikulski M, Brodbelt JS. Differentiation of flavonoid glycoside isomers by using metal complexation and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. J Am Soc Mass Spectrom 14, 1437–1453 (2003). [CrossRef]
9. Gabelica V, Marklund E. Fundamentals of ion mobility spectrometry. Curr Opin Chem Biol 42, 51-59 (2018). [CrossRef]
10. Luzzatto-Knaan T, Melnik AV, Dorrestein PC. Mass spectrometry tools and workflows for revealing microbial chemistry. Analyst 140(15), 4949–4966 (2015). [CrossRef]
11. Touilloux R, Joly L, Goscinny S, De Pauw E, Eppe G. Ion mobility-mass spectrometry as a new approach for the screening of pesticide residues in food. Organohalogen Compd 73, 992–994 (2011)
12. Thibodeaux CJ, Melançon CE, Liu HW. Natural-product sugar biosynthesis and enzymatic glycodiversification. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 47(51), 9814-9859 (2008). [CrossRef]
13. Kren V. and Rezanka T. Sweet antibiotics – the role of glycosidic residues in antibiotic and antitumor activity and their randomization. FEMS Microbiol Rev 32(5), 858-889 (2008). [CrossRef]
14. Appelt HR, Oliveira JS, Santos RC, Rodrigues OD, Santos MZ, Heck EF, Rosa LC. Synthesis and Antimicrobial Activity of Carbohydrate Based Schiff Bases: Importance of Sugar Moiety. Int J Carbohyd Chem 2013 (2013).
15. Ackerman DL, Doster RS, Weitkamp JH, Aronoff DM, Gaddy JA, Townsend SD. Human Milk Oligosaccharides Exhibit Antimicrobial and Antibiofilm Properties against Group B Streptococcus. ACS Infect Dis 3(8), 595-605 (2017). [CrossRef]
16. Carrano L, Naggi A, Urso E. High Resolution Mass Spectrometry for the Recognition and Structural Characterization of a New Antimicrobial Compound. Pharmacol Pharm 9, 135-148 (2018). [CrossRef]
All site content, except where otherwise noted, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License | <urn:uuid:90b250ab-6152-4b93-93ab-d2b379968a1b> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.betasciencepress-publishing.com/10-17145/fulltext/jab/high-resolution-mass-spectrometry-as-a-unique-bioanalytical-tool-in-natural-product-studies/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573172.64/warc/CC-MAIN-20220818063910-20220818093910-00276.warc.gz | en | 0.878448 | 2,552 | 1.726563 | 2 |
Main Page Content
This presentation provides a summary of the opioid-overdose emergency department visits and opioid-related deaths.
Summary of opioid-related hospitalization and mortality surveillance data impacting the residents of Windsor and Essex County.
As part of the Ontario Harm Reduction Program Enhancement, the ONP has expanded access to free naloxone nasal spray kits for clients who are at high risk of an opioid overdose as well as their friends and family.
Naloxone is a fast-acting medication that can temporarily reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (WECHU) is committed to increasing access to harm reduction services to prevent opioid overdose-related deaths.
High-risk workplaces in Ontario will be required to have naloxone kits to protect workers on the job and save lives. For more information, view the full news release, or contact the Ministry of Labour, Training and skills by phone at 1-877-202-0008 or email email@example.com.
Eligible organizations include Community Health Centers, Outreach Organizations, Shelters, and Withdrawal Management programs who work directly with clients who may be at risk of an opioid overdose. To determine if your organization falls into the outreach or withdrawal management program categories, your organization must meet the following criteria:
- Work directly with drug-using populations at risk of opioid overdose through harm reduction programming, outreach and/or social determinants of health;
- Reach a difficult to reach (priority) population not otherwise served where there is known drug using/opioid activity.
- Enter into a Service Agreement with WECHU, after consulting with their own experts about distributing naloxone kits;
- Need to have a general liability insurance coverage of a minimum of $5,000,000;
- Develop and/or adopt program related policies and procedures related to naloxone kit distribution, storage and training; and,
- Arrange training and education for staff with support from WECHU and/or other community partners.
The Health Unit will provide free training and resources to administer and dispense naloxone to your clients. This means that a minimum of one staff member from each agency must receive training from WECHU. The remaining staff must be trained using the train-the-trainer guide provided by WECHU. The training provided by WECHU will encompass recognizing and responding to an overdose, naloxone administration, naloxone distribution, online data entry, storage and handling of naloxone and ordering protocols.
By signing a Service Agreement for naloxone distribution, an agency is committing to:
- Dispensing naloxone kits to eligible clients
- Ensuring that at least one staff is trained by WECHU and then all other staff involved with the distribution of naloxone are trained utilizing the train-the-trainer model
- Ensuring that protocols are followed (including the use, storage and distribution of naloxone)
- Collecting and reporting data to WECHU on a quarterly basis
Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the WECHU, at 519-258-2146, ext. 3100, or email firstname.lastname@example.org.
Overview of opioid misuse in Windsor and Essex County and its burden on the health of our local population. | <urn:uuid:de0a2316-db20-4ea6-88a8-c61510b6b633> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.wechu.org/tags/overdose-opioid | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572021.17/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814083156-20220814113156-00070.warc.gz | en | 0.922824 | 729 | 1.773438 | 2 |
Adobe Experience Manager desktop app links your Digital Asset Management (DAM) solution with your desktop so you can open the files that are available in the AEM web UI directly on desktop. If you save an asset from desktop, it is uploaded to AEM at the appropriate location.
AEM desktop app eliminates chances of you updating incorrect local copies or updating a wrong asset in AEM. desktop app’s easy-to-use workflow is enabled using network share technology that desktop operating systems provide.
Desktop app mounts the AEM Assets repository as a network share on desktop. Therefore, the folders and files appear as if they were local. However, it is not recommended to carry out digital asset management operations directly from the desktop in the mounted network share in Finder or Explorer. Instead, Adobe recommends that you use AEM Assets Web UI to performs operations, such as copying or moving a large number of assets.
Before reading this document, you can review the overall AEM and Creative Cloud integration best practices for a higher-level overview of the topic.
AEM desktop app uses WebDAV (Windows) or SMB (Mac) network shares to mount network shares. The mounted network share is local only. AEM desktop app intercepts the calls (open, read, write) and provides additional local caching. It translates remote calls to the AEM Assets server to optimized AEM HTTP requests. The following diagram depicts the AEM desktop app architecture.
Figure: desktop app architecture
The additional caching on write when a file is saved causes the file to be saved locally first (so that the user doesn’t wait for the network transfer). Then, after a predefined delay (30s) the file is uploaded to AEM in the background, and then asset is uploaded to AEM. AEM desktop app provides a UI for monitoring the status of background file uploads.
Key capabilities of AEM desktop app include:
Opening files from AEM Assets Web UI on desktop. From the web UI, you can reveal assets on desktop (in Finder, Explorer), or open an asset using a desktop application.
Check-out and check-in. Assets can be checked out for editing, they are marked as locked for the user in AEM Assets. After editing, the asset can be checked in to unlock it.
Save changes to files. Any change that you save to the file in the network share is uploaded to AEM automatically, and a new version is created.
Place linked assets in other documents. In applications, such as Creative Cloud (Adobe Photoshop, Adobe InDesign, and Adobe Illustrator), you can place an external file as a link. For example, you can place an image into an InDesign document. In this case, the network share mount lets you browse and select assets from AEM for placement. Placing linked files also works in some non-Adobe apps, such as MS Office.
Reference resolution in AEM. If both, the placed files and the main files with link, are stored in AEM it can automatically provide server-side information about the asset references.
Access the asset from desktop. In the mounted network share, a contextual menu provides a More Info dialog (larger preview, key metadata) and the ability to open an asset in the AEM UI.
Uploading large, hierarchical folders in bulk. If you use the Create > Folder Upload option in AEM UI to upload assets, AEM desktop app uploads the selected folder hierarchy to AEM in the background. Upload progress can be monitored with a dedicated UI in the desktop app.
Do not use AEM desktop app to manage assets from the desktop. AEM desktop app was not built as a replacement for network drives. Use the following capabilities instead:
AEM Assets web UI for digital asset management (finding or sharing assets, metadata, and copy or move).
AEM desktop app Folder Upload to upload large, hierarchical folders.
Do not treat AEM desktop app as a “desktop sync” client for AEM Assets. The key benefit of AEM desktop app here is that it provides “virtual” access to the whole repository, and desktop sync applications typically synchronize just assets belonging to one user. AEM desktop app provides some level of caching and background upload; still, it works very differently from typical “Sync” applications, such as Adobe Creative Cloud desktop app or Microsoft OneDrive.
Do not use AEM desktop app network drives to save assets frequently. All save operations are transmitted to AEM Assets. Therefore, it is impractical to perform intensive edit operations directly in the mounted AEM Assets repository. Editing an asset directly in the mounted repository crams the asset’s timeline with irrelevant versions and imposes additional overheads on the server.
Do not use AEM desktop app for migration of large amounts of data from one AEM instance to another. See the Migration Guide to plan and execute asset migrations. In contrast, desktop app supports bulk uploading large number of assets for the first time in Adobe Experience Manager.
AEM desktop app provides virtual access to the whole DAM repository - and it might be complicated for the creative users on desktop to find and access the right assets on their desktop. Use these best practices to simplify that for them.
Use collaboration features in AEM Assets Web UI to provide more direct access to the right assets for the creative user. Sharing folders or collections, providing Smart Collections (saved searches), or sending notifications with pointers to the right assets are some of them. Creative user can then use desktop actions in the web UI to quickly get access to these assets on their desktop.
Consider the right permissions for assets (access control) to simplify the view into the DAM repository for the creative users, basically limiting their access to only assets they need or are interested in:
Certain areas not relevant to the creative users might be denied for their user groups, to remove them from their view, also on desktop.
Most assets in DAM are final and not intended for changing - these should be read-only for the creative users.
Only assets that require changes or retouching should be write-enabled for the creative users. Some organizations use AEM Projects and the folders they create to host assets that are still subject to changes.
To search for a file that you want to open on desktop :
Use the AEM Assets web UI to locate the asset. Not only is search in AEM Assets powerful (search facets, saved searches), it also provides additional capabilities to find the right asset. These include additional filters, like the ability to search assets based on status (approval, expiry), collections, tasks, notifications, and sharing folders/collections with other users/groups.
After you locate the asset, use Desktop Actions in AEM UI to access the asset on desktop .
If you edit an asset directly at the location mapped from AEM Assets to a local network share, the asset is uploaded to AEM each time you save it on desktop. In addition, AEM creates a version and generates renditions.
If an asset stored in AEM needs an update:
For minor updates, such as minor retouching requests in the approval process:
Check-out the file and open it on desktop.
Update the file.
Save the updated version. The asset is updated, and the timeline displays the original version for comparison.
For major updates, such as a change request that requires a small creative WIP cycle:
Use the Reveal option to open the appropriate folder on desktop.
Copy the file to a WIP folder outside of the mapped AEM Assets share (for example, copy the file into a folder synced with Adobe Creative Cloud desktop app).
Work on the file and save it intermittently. The changes are not saved to AEM Assets.
After the edits are complete, move, copy, or save the file mapped from AEM to upload it as a new version.
Good experience for users using the AEM desktop app greatly depends on good, stable network connectivity between their desktops and the AEM server, as well on the server tuned for good performance, especially around uploading and updating assets. These recommendations are for the network / IT teams in organizations.
To understand best practices around AEM Assets network configuration, please refer to AEM Assets Network Considerations document. Some of the important aspects that help optimize AEM desktop app experience for the users include:
Use properly configured Dispatcher. Use AEM Dispatcher for additional security and ensure that it is configured for AEM desktop app connection to AEM behind a dispatcher
Save bandwidth. Consider turning off icon preview in Finder on Mac - when browsing the mounted repository using Finder. Finder requests each file to generate a preview and causes desktop app to download & cache the asset locally. Please note that while saving bandwidth it would also decrease user experience for the users on desktop, so it should be done when working with repositories with large assets and/or limited bandwidth.
To turn off icon previews, in Finder go to View, select View Options, and then un-check the Show icon preview option. This only works for the current folder - to make it a default, click the Use as default option in the same dialog.
To understand, how AEM Assets server should be optimized for performance, refer to AEM Assets Performance Tuning Guide. Some of the important aspects of the server performance for AEM desktop app are around optimizing workflow configuration so that it performs well for asset uploads:
More performant asset upload. Configure the AEM Asset Update workflow model to be transient.
Limit server CPU for uploads. Ensure that the maximum parallel workflow jobs parameter is set correctly, so that uploads do not exhaust all the CPU. | <urn:uuid:8cd01144-f9fa-48a5-8c33-114d6a740ef4> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://experienceleague.adobe.com/docs/experience-manager-desktop-app/using/archive/best-practices-for-v1.html?lang=en | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570921.9/warc/CC-MAIN-20220809094531-20220809124531-00269.warc.gz | en | 0.904316 | 2,004 | 1.515625 | 2 |
Thick haze lingered along the southern face of the Himalaya in late December 2008. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite captured this image on December 29, 2008. In this image, the haze is thickest immediately south of Nepal and thins out slightly to the east. Isolated reds dots in this image indicate hotspots—thermal anomalies associated with wildfires or agricultural fires. Although these fires may contribute to the haze, they cannot account for all or even most of it. The haze probably results primarily from urban and industrial pollution. | <urn:uuid:78b3acc9-db29-4c72-b987-8a800e89444f> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/36278/haze-over-india-and-bangladesh | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571097.39/warc/CC-MAIN-20220810010059-20220810040059-00277.warc.gz | en | 0.92622 | 121 | 3.265625 | 3 |
The conceptualization and implementation of activities under SWAMP were drawn from the expertise of CIFOR, USDA Forest Service (USFS), and their respective partners ( e.g. Michigan Tech University). USFS contributes scientific expertise and practical knowledge of land management, and the agency’s Office of International Programs maintains ongoing engagement and coordination with US Agency for International Development (USAID) Missions and US Embassies in countries where SWAMP activities occur. USFS and CIFOR work closely with both USAID and US Department of State, and seek to link other related bilateral and regional efforts to SWAMP wherever possible. This partnership reinforces the long-term impact of SWAMP and establishes linkages to ongoing development assistance and policy initiatives supported by the US Government. | <urn:uuid:fe29af14-a664-4c70-bbdd-c028f7df8872> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www2.cifor.org/swamp/about-us/partners/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570879.1/warc/CC-MAIN-20220808213349-20220809003349-00475.warc.gz | en | 0.904599 | 152 | 2.734375 | 3 |
The top tip is: just go. It won’t be the futuristic Babylon that you expected but more the projection of the 80s which dreamt of it, and it will be unparalleled (also might not stay this way forever).
Walking down some well-documented neighborhoods -Shibuya, Akihabara, Ikebukuro, Shinjuku and the like- is enough to dose you on vertical neon, food stalls, high fashion, sararimen, shrines, crazy trinkets, nylon umbrellas. Assuming you’ll evening stroll through one or two of those, here are a few extra, focused, things to look up or under for.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Alleys jammed with tiny izakayas, real sararimen nests.
Celebrated ones: Piss alley in Shinjuku, Nonbei in Shibuya, around and under the railway bridge at Shimbashi.
The artificial islands and the bay
Where you realize that everything solid in your field of vision is manmade.
Radio Center electronics mall
Radio Center is a sensation. A small passage close to Akihabara metro station (35.698316, 139.771861). And an old, half-used, three-storied narrow building next to it. Grab it while you still can.
I remember days spent in constant awe of beauty,
now with memories of people that I don’t know.
I remember the afternoon pulse through a whole city — the corners of countless small izakaya.
Leaving Japan and the far east, inconsolable, following the setting sun…
“At least” the two-and-a-half days’ trip gives one something to keep busy with.
And, right on cue, as the office in the clouds was all about the sun,
the windows without blinds start shunning it spectacularly by changing their transparency.
The rest is lost in a haze of jet lag…
In the campus of RIKEN, Japan’s largest science research center … in the streets of the Brain Science Institute…
…a monument to the innumerable lab mice who lost their lives for science!
I remember a July of a feverish breeze — and in Kappabashi, the tanabata festival, celebrating the yearly reunion of the celestial lovers separated by the milky way.
Outworldly whispering decorations of stars (no, they are really whispering, or rather floofing gently in the wind).
Tons of people, fans, goldfishes, wish-writing, food stands, watermelon selfies…
…and parades by local professional associations. Plus the stars personified by two young people on the left.
The rickshaw drivers I believe, taking turns with swirling their heavy staff.
Lighter stuff swirling happily on its own (well, like the celestial lovers on this night).
Idoru festival; fans waiting for face time with their idols.
Ice cream is the only food that can be eaten in public, ergo vendors on subway platforms.
Fab Cafe, coffee shop with 3D printers and space plants.
Refreshing cucumber on a stick. | <urn:uuid:02038bf5-6adf-4f09-ae3a-3daa15d40c84> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | http://travelog.chapette.net/category/japan/page/2/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573118.26/warc/CC-MAIN-20220817213446-20220818003446-00676.warc.gz | en | 0.906416 | 694 | 1.609375 | 2 |
Greasy or oily hair is one of the common hair problems that we face in our day-to-day lives. A wrong diet can also contribute to an oily and greasy hair. It could be the cause of overactive sebaceous glands. Hence, changing the dietary habits can actually make the hair look a little less oily.
Oily hair can be caused by the excessive production of sebum. Sometimes, it is also a resultant of heredity, environmental factors, bad diet, hormonal imbalances and certain health issues. Even an improper hair care regimen can also result in an oily greasy hair.
There are a lot of products available in the market that help to get rid of the greasiness from the hair. But, the results are temporary. Therefore, eating the right kind of foods is the best way to do away with oily and greasy hair. Also, make sure to follow a right hair care treatment to treat your oily greasy hair.
In this article, we at Boldsky will be sharing with you some of the foods that you should include in your diet to prevent oily and greasy hair. Read on and do include these foods in your diet.
Sunflower Seeds: Including sunflower seeds in the diet can keep the hair clean and fresh. Since it is packed with nutrients, it contributes to healthy and shiny hair. The vitamin B present in it also combats dandruff by regulating the sebum production.
Foods Rich In Vitamins A And E: Eating foods rich in vitamins A and E can combat the production of oil in the body and scalp. The sebum production can also be regulated by consuming foods rich in vitamins A and E that include poultry, fish, meat, fruits and vegetables.
Foods Rich In Zinc: Consuming foods rich in zinc helps to control the sebum production from the hair and skin. These foods improve the texture of the hair and also improve the overall health of the hair. Zinc is extensively found in fish, nuts, legumes and grains.
Limit The Fats: There are two types of fat namely good fats and bad fats. Good fats promote a good health. On the other hand, bad fats are very harmful for both the skin and hair. Therefore, consume less of trans-fats that come from animal products and give-up on fried foods as well.
Follow A Low Sugar Diet: Too much sugar intake is not only bad for health but is also bad for the hair and skin. Foods rich in sugar can increase the glucose levels in the body and that in turn can increase the formation of sebum that ultimately results in an oily skin and hair. Therefore, control your sugar intake. | <urn:uuid:e01a98f3-a383-479e-949b-65f79164ae16> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.boldsky.com/health/wellness/2016/foods-that-prevent-oily-and-greasy-hair-097736.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280761.39/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00094-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955481 | 552 | 2.390625 | 2 |
UNRRA selected records AG-018-023 : Hungary Mission
Consist of correspondence, reports, statistics, newspaper clippings, and articles relating to welfare programs of various agencies, displaced persons in Hungary, and repatriation of Hungarians from Palestine, welfare institutions and projects in Budapest, and to Hungarian journalists.
5,263 digital images : JPEG ; 4.36 GB .
Record last modified: 2022-07-28 18:20:58
This page: https://collections.ushmm.org/search/catalog/irn652257 | <urn:uuid:1ad18140-fcfd-4c48-91b4-71c71c7edc27> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://collections.ushmm.org/search/catalog/irn652257 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573760.75/warc/CC-MAIN-20220819191655-20220819221655-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.76636 | 142 | 1.578125 | 2 |
Yes, most economic numbers are getting better, and various Fed governors are starting to use more optimistic language, leading many to speculate that the central bank will imminently (but slowly) begin the process of easing us off 0% interest rates.
First it will start with a language change. That's the first step.
But while traditional monetary rules (and increasing evidence of inflation) would probably suggest that Bernanke needs to raise, he has a problem.
It's his low rates that are funding the gigantic deficit. Indirectly, of course.
Banks, as has been known for months, are making a mint playing the spread, borrowing cheap from the Fed on the short end, and lending to the Federal government at much higher rates. This is not just convenient for the banks, it's crucial to Washington's ability to borrow, especially as foreign demand begins to wane (supposedly).
That is what's likely to be on Bernanke's mind over the next several weeks and months.
Sure, the real economy can withstand slightly higher rates. But can Washington stomach the end of bank bond buying? | <urn:uuid:c65a4e03-7654-4667-b4de-4e7a84d61959> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.businessinsider.com/bernanke-raising-rates-20104 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280763.38/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00520-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970242 | 229 | 1.796875 | 2 |
Even as emergency medical officials in Maryland consider stricter criteria for flying patients, in the wake of last weekend's fatal medevac helicopter crash in Prince George's County, some trauma specialists think they should be exploring a more fundamental question:
Should accident victims be transported by helicopter at all, especially in urban areas?
The idea borders on heresy in Baltimore, a city whose pioneering trauma center became a global model and where Dr. R Adams Cowley coined the phrase "golden hour," defining how quickly a patient should get to a hospital to have the best chance of survival. "Whenever someone says they want to ratchet it back," says Dr. Thomas M. Scalea, physician in chief at Shock Trauma, "I tell them 'OK, how many people can die next year to make that worthwhile?'"
Yet with more than 500,000 medical transport flights now being operated in the United States each year, and eight fatal accidents in the past year, some trauma specialists question how often they are used.
Skeptics, including a few of the nation's top trauma surgeons, cite studies that cast doubt on some of medevac's basic assumptions - that helicopters get patients to a hospital faster than ambulances, or that they increase a trauma patient's chance of survival.
One study, for example, found that helicopter transport made no difference for patients with severe injuries. Another found that while helicopter patients got initial treatment more quickly, they arrived at a hospital later than patients transported by ground ambulance.
If hospitals and emergency medical systems assessed the research objectively, the skeptics argue, many systems would limit helicopter use to rural emergencies or extreme situations such as high-rise evacuation and offshore rescue.
"In Maryland there's a culture that you ought to use a helicopter and you have to go to Shock Trauma," said Dr. Kenneth L. Mattox, chief of surgery at Ben Taub General Hospital in Houston. "But why? The little data we have says ground ambulances are superior."
Added Dr. Norman E. McSwain Jr., director of trauma at Tulane University and chief of surgery at the trauma center in New Orleans, "There is just too much flying of helicopters for non-medical reasons or for reasons that really have nothing to do with patient care. It's the kind of thing that we have got to get under control."
Questions about medevac safety are inevitably raised after every accident but are often tamped down by emotional anecdotes of high-speed rescues and lives saved.
Numerous medical studies validate one of the main tenets of Baltimore's vaunted trauma system - that critically injured patients fare better when they are treated in a dedicated, well-equipped and well-staffed trauma center like Shock Trauma.
The best way to get the patients there, however, is far from clear.
A detailed study in Phoenix in the 1980s found that helicopter transport didn't make a difference for patients with severe injuries. A similar study in London a decade later indicated helicopter transport might be harmful to patients with minor injuries.
A 2002 study of 16,699 cases in Boston came to a more complex conclusion: Trauma patients transported by helicopter were three times more likely to die than those transported by ambulance, though statistically they fared better when the increased severity of their injuries was taken into account.
Maryland officials are unswayed by the research, which they say is evolving and unclear.
"If it's my family or my patients, and there's no definitive research, then I want to have a paramedic and a helicopter available," said Dr. Robert R. Bass, director of the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems.
Scalea, of Shock Trauma, said he has no doubt that use of helicopters saves lives. There were about 4,500 medevac flights in Maryland last year.
"The accident victim who's staggering and slurring his words: Is he drunk or does he have a brain injury? If the pre-hospital guys had X-ray vision, then they could diagnose every injury at the scene. But as a medical community, and as a country, we've made the decision that over-triage is preferable to the alternative," he said.
"We know injury is a time-related disease."
Dr. Bryan E. Bledsoe, a University of Nevada emergency medicine specialist, published a study in 2006 on more than 37,000 trauma patients flown from the scene of injury to a trauma center and concluded that more than 60 percent did not have life-threatening injuries. A quarter were discharged in less than a day - evidence, he said, that they didn't need to fly.
The statistics might be a mere curiosity, he said, if not for the risk that helicopter transport poses. Ground ambulances crash too, but rarely with such deadly consequences.
By Bledsoe's analysis, a medevac pilot or crew member with a 20-year career has a one-in-three chance of being involved in a fatal crash.
"It clearly needs to be re-evaluated," Bledsoe said "Somewhere along the line, there's been a paralysis of intellect where helicopters are concerned."
Maryland officials are re-evaluating, but they say the unpredictable and potentially deadly nature of trauma care makes easy answers elusive.
Maryland guidelines call for flights to be operated in cases in which a trauma center is longer than a 30-minute drive away. That would seem to preclude almost every accident inside the Beltway, but medics also consider traffic congestion, which sometimes means flying just a few miles.
"You can err on the side of patients, and perhaps fly too many to a trauma center, or you can err on the side of under-triage and potentially lose some patients," Bass said. "There is no perfect way."
The two patients involved in last week's crash in Maryland, one of whom survived, were both alert and talking when they boarded the helicopter, but had been selected to fly the 30-mile trip to the nearest trauma center based on the nature of the car accident that caused their injuries.
The "mechanism" of injury - in their case a 12- to 18-inch dent into their vehicle's passenger compartment - is used throughout the country to predict medical problems that are not otherwise apparent, though recent scientific studies suggest that the technique is inaccurate as much as 80 percent of the time.
Maryland's emergency medical officials say they are re-evaluating their reliance on mechanism of injury to determine the method of transport. McSwain and others said they should also consider having paramedics or emergency technicians quickly transport such patients to a nearby community hospital, where doctors could use X-rays or ultrasound to determine whether they need to go to a trauma center.
Last week's car accident in Waldorf occurred about 10 miles from a community hospital in LaPlata where doctors could conceivably have assessed whether the victims needed to fly.
Advocates of helicopter transport see that as an unnecessary delay in treatment and say it ignores one of a helicopter's greatest assets - its on-board paramedic. While ground ambulances are often staffed by technicians trained in basic life support techniques, helicopters typically carry paramedics trained in advance treatments such as resuscitation and airway intubation. And they are often among the system's most experienced responders, because of the volume of complex cases they see.
"You have to look at it as bringing Shock Trauma to the patient," said Dr. Kevin Hutton, an emergency medicine physician and chairman of the Foundation for Air-Medical Research and Education in Virginia. "When you call a helicopter, you're asking for the highest level of care available at the scene."
In that context, even short flights make sense, Hutton said. He recalled a patient he once treated who had to be delicately removed from a piece of machinery after an industrial accident. Paramedics intubated and stabilized him while a helicopter waited outside. The trauma center was close enough for an ambulance - less than two miles away - but with a helicopter the patient got there within minutes and had already received advanced care.
"Is it better to front-load all of that at the risk of determining later that it wasn't necessary? Or is it better to miss a few and have them die?" he asked. "I think that's a very effective and appropriate use of helicopters."
Yet critics question whether the supposed advantage of advanced on-scene treatment is any more valid than for air transport over ground transport.
A 1996 study in Los Angeles of almost 6,000 patients found that victims of severe trauma fared better when they got a ride to the hospital in a friend's car than if they waited for an ambulance or helicopter. A study in Canada found that the more advanced the on-scene care was, the less likely a patient was to survive - even when physicians responded to accidents.
Mattox said such studies reveal that the biggest need for trauma patients is to be treated at a hospital, not at the scene. And while helicopters travel faster than ground vehicles, the time spent warming up engines and preparing patients for transport can minimize or eliminate the speed advantage. The London study found helicopter patients were treated by paramedics 25 minutes faster, on average, but typically arrived at a hospital 10 to 20 minutes later than patients in ambulances.
"When you see these helicopters on television loading a patient, what do you almost always see in the background? A ground ambulance," said Mattox, who is among the nation's leading researchers into the practice of using intravenous fluid to treat trauma patients. "In many cases, if they had just loaded the patient and gotten to the closest appropriate hospital, instead of waiting for the helicopter, the patient would be better off."
"If we could show a survival difference, or even a morbidity difference, I would be the first to say, 'Let's do it,'" Mattox added. "But we can't."
Bledsoe said he often holds up Maryland's medevac system - state-financed and -maintained, well integrated into the region's emergency response system - as one of the best. In other states, where helicopters are typically privately owned, commercial interests can encourage operators to take unnecessary risks and transport patients to inappropriate facilities. Still, he considers Maryland's helicopter fleet - including 6 commercial aircraft and 12 operated by the state police - to be excessive.
"Whenever people ask me which system is the model, I always say Maryland's. I think conceptually it's very good," Bledsoe said.
"You probably only need two or three helicopters, though. They're easy to justify out in Western Maryland or in other rural areas, but why are they flying people around Baltimore and Washington?"
Helicopter transports have dropped off slightly in the past year, perhaps because emergency medical crews are adhering closely to the state's triage guidelines on when to call for air transport.
But any acceptable system will fly patients who, in hindsight, did not need to fly helicopters, he said. Medics err on the side of caring for a patient. And that won't change.
"I also believe it's not just about cost, and not just about safety," Bass said, "but also the thinking that when you really need that helicopter, you want it to be available." | <urn:uuid:d5609a30-2395-4df7-9b7f-c85fa2bd5bff> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nation-world/bal-te.medevac05oct05-story.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988720962.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183840-00385-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.97041 | 2,321 | 2.453125 | 2 |
Improving patient outcomes with science-based expertise
With 117 million people in the United States suffering from more than one chronic health condition, the task of adequately empowering patients and clients to behavior change has become more challenging than ever. People from all walks of life are living in vicious cycles of successes and failures. They are plagued by lifestyles that contribute to weight gain, high cholesterol, smoking and short-lived exercise routines. An important step in breaking those cycles lies in qualified support and behavior change expertise, support rooted in science and delivered by an appropriately credentialed professional. ACE offers a number of solutions that help you or a member of your team successfully improve patient outcomes long term. In addition to training the most highly competent and qualified health coaches and fitness experts in the country, we are dedicated to finding new ways to support public health by connecting those professionals to people.
ACE’s mission is to get people moving.
Founded in 1985, the American Council on Exercise (ACE) is a nonprofit organization committed to America's health and wellbeing. Over the past 30 years, we have become an established resource for health and fitness professionals, and the public, providing comprehensive, unbiased research and validating ourselves as the country's trusted authority on health and fitness.
Today, ACE is the largest nonprofit health and fitness certification, education and training organization in the world with more than 65,000 certified professionals who hold more than 72,000 ACE Certifications. With a long heritage in certification, education, training and public outreach, we are among the most respected organizations in the industry and a resource the public has come to trust for health and fitness education.
To learn more about how you can expand your healthcare team, call (888) 825-3636, ext. 820 or email firstname.lastname@example.org.
What does a health coach do?
A health coach takes a client-centered approach to helping a person achieve lifestyle behavior changes to improve health. The ACE Certified Health Coach recognizes a client's readiness to change and tailors his or her approach accordingly. ACE offers the only Health Coach Certification accredited by the NCCA, the same body that accredits certifications for pharmacists, nurse practitioners, registered dietitians and numerous other health professionals.
How does health coaching fit in with the patient-centered medical home and Accountable Care Organizations?
Concurrent with implementation of the Affordable Care Act, practice-based and community-based transformations are well under way, including piloting of value-based care models such as patient-centered medical homes, medical neighborhoods, Accountable Care Organizations, and Accountable Care Communities. Each of these entities aims to provide a higher quality of care to optimize patient health outcomes and realize healthcare savings. All of them focus heavily on team-based efforts to engage patients in the prevention and management of disease.
Arguably the most promising modality to do this is through adoption of a coaching model of behavior change. This coincides with a realization that the 'old' methods – advice-giving, health information overload, fear tactics, threats, and disincentives – are ineffective at inspiring and supporting behavior change. Perhaps the most overt acknowledgement of coaching in this transition of medical care delivery is the inclusion of six core standards in order for a practice to achieve certification by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) as a patient-centered medical home. Integration of coaching principles can help a clinic achieve each of these standards.
How can a health coach or medical exercise professional establish relationships with doctors and health systems?
With healthcare reform and increasing attention paid to prevention as well as the role of physical activity and healthy eating in the treatment of many chronic conditions, opportunities continue to increase for ACE Certified Health Coaches and medical exercise professionals to become part of the wider healthcare team. How this occurs varies considerably based on local care environments and dynamics. Currently, ACE Certified Health Coaches have partnered with a wide range of physicians and specialists to turn the doctor's recommendations they receive inside the clinic into actionable results with hands-on guidance outside the clinic walls. Health coaches have also teamed up with schools and community organizations to start prevention programs. In addition to partnering directly with healthcare providers, they have also created diabetes prevention programs for low-income patients, successful weight-loss programs for independent clients, and they've shown numerous individuals how to fuel their bodies and better manage diabetes and other chronic diseases. Continuing to build on those types of services will position ACE Certified Health Coaches to approach healthcare providers and even insurance companies, who are increasingly seeking out services of a multidisciplinary team of professionals.
What services are currently covered by insurance plans?
Benefits offered can vary considerably by plan, although the Affordable Care Act requires new plans to include certain preventive services without patient co-pays. These preventive services include all Grade A and Grade B recommendations from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. In addition, Medicare covers intensive obesity interventions as long as it occurs in the primary care setting. While referral to ACE Certified Health Coaches and medical exercise professionals are not usually covered, some plans offer telephonic health coaching or a reduced rate for coaching or medical exercise services. With a movement toward value-based care, there may be increased opportunity for health coaching and exercise professionals who can provide compelling data to support improved health outcomes as a result of their work.
What scientific evidence supports the effectiveness of health coaching?
A number of scientific studies have shown that effectively implemented health coaching interventions lead to long-term behavioral changes. These changes are critical in the treatment and prevention of numerous diseases, including those typically categorized as "lifestyle diseases," which result from a chronic imbalance of nutrition and physical activity, smoking, and underdeveloped stress management and coping skills. The coaching techniques with the strongest evidence to support them include motivational interviewing, positive psychology and cognitive behavioral coaching.
What scientific evidence supports the effectiveness of exercise in the treatment of chronic diseases like obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer and pulmonary disease?
The scientific evidence is clear that exercise not only prevents the onset of many chronic diseases but it also plays an important role in treatment. The Cochrane Reviews provides a robust analysis and summary of the evidence supporting the importance of exercise in the treatment of an extensive list of diseases.
American Council on Exercise
FROM OUR PRESIDENT
The burden that chronic disease and the obesity epidemic have placed on our country has caused an unchecked increase in healthcare spending, and has pushed our primary care physicians to the limit.
Under those conditions, moving the needle on the health of our people has become a hefty challenge. Now, more than ever, we need cooperation between healthcare providers and well-qualified health and fitness professionals. We need to extend care beyond the clinical setting by making science-based expertise in behavior change, fitness and nutrition, more accessible in communities.
As qualified members of the healthcare team, ACE Certified Health Coaches and other well-qualified professionals with expertise in behavior change, fitness and nutrition can help support physicians and patients, and they can increase quality of care while decreasing costs. They can deliver care within their scope of practice and work collaboratively in a team-based model.
Now is the time to pool our resources, to respond to the need in our country by giving people the information and guidance they need to live healthier lives long term. Now is the time to utilize the science-based, interdisciplinary coaching, counseling and support for behavior change that professionals who hold the only health coaching certification accredited by the NCCA can deliver.
ACE is training the most competent, knowledgeable health coaches and fitness professionals in the country. Now we need your help to connect those professionals to people who need them most, the same people who rely on you for quality care.
Get a more in-depth look at the work ACE has done in the past year, as well as the progress our country has made in responding to the obesity and chronic disease epidemics. | <urn:uuid:b37a0e33-4696-452e-80d1-fee34d8800bc> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | https://www.acefitness.org/health/about.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280761.39/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00093-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959362 | 1,606 | 1.664063 | 2 |
Buffer Zone by Mila Teshaieva was part of Multimedia Night: Women in Multimedia, curated by Laura De Marco and Erica McDonald for Arte fiera, at Spazio Labo'|Center of Photography http://tinyurl.com/spaziolabo in Bologna, Italy, 1/28/2012.
Women in Multimedia is a rich selection of multimedia projects by some of the most important women photographers on the international scene. Multimedia Night: Women in Multimedia was realized in collaboration with Slideluck Potshow slideluckpotshow.com/, Daylight Magazine daylightmagazine.org/, FlakPhoto.com flakphoto.com/, Prospekt prospekt.it/ and DEVELOP DEVELOP Tube: Photography to Watch - with special thanks to Food For Your Eyes foodforyoureyes.tumblr.com, the Vivian Maier/John Maloof Collection and Panos Pictures. See other pieces included in the event: vimeo.com/album/1823033
Buffer Zone: On August 22 2008, ten days after a war between Georgia and Russia had ended, Russia announced the creation of a Buffer Zone on Georgian territory between Gori and Tshinvali. Neither NGOs nor Georgian police were allowed to enter the security zone and more than 50 Georgian villages were left at the mercy of Ossetian paramilitaries and militia.
Soon, this area became a ghost place: houses were burned and plundered, and the dead bodies of villagers laid in gardens or basements. Still, some of the elderly have remained, either too old to move, or to protect their houses from being destroyed. For more than two months these people lived in permanent fear of being harassed by militia, without electricity and drinking water. At the same time, their families, almost fifty thousand, fled from their villages and remained stranded in camps and schools...
One year after the war, less than half of the buffer zone inhabitants have been able to return to their homes. The atmosphere is still very tense in the villages close to newly established border with South Ossetia. Gunshots can be heard almost every night, and thousands of cluster bombs lay untouched in gardens and fields. Permanent lack of water supply destroyed crops, the only income for villagers. Once the wealthiest part of Georgia, now the district of Gori has become a land of despair and poverty. Fear is seen in people eyes and there is less hope for recovery. Their home is still in this designated Buffer zone, thought not officially, so for the villagers war still continues.
In addition to the group slideshow, solo multimedia pieces featuring the works of Aglaé Bory, Alexandra Boulat, Alisa Resnik, Amy Touchette, Anastasia Taylor-Lind , Andrea Diefenbach, Anna Boyiazis, Anna Nemtsova, Anne Huijnen, Audrey Bardou, Betty Ras, Brenda Ann Kenneally, Carolyn Drake, Cristina Vatielli, Elinor Carucci, Erica McDonald, Erika Larsen, Esther Levine, Hayley Austin, Helen Levitt, Helen Twomey, Jenn Ackerman, Jennette Williams, Jen Plaskowitz, Jodi Bieber, Juliana Beasley, Julie Blackmon, Justine Reyes, Katrin Björk, Keliy Anderson-Staley, Kim Reierson, Kirsten Luce, Laura El-Tantawy, Lauren Hermele, Lynette Astair, Maise Crow, Mery Agakhanyan, Mila Teshaieva, Mirjam Siefert, Nandita Raman, Rena Effendi, Rose Marie Cromwell, Sarah Girner, Sarah Pickering, Shannon Jensen, Sophia Wallace, Stephanie Sinclair, Susan Morelock, Susan Worsham, Tatiana Plotnikova, Tatjana Schlör, Wendy Marijnissen and Vivian Maier were presented at Spazio Labo' for Multimedia Night: Women in Multimedia.
DEVELOP Tube is an educational resource which features interviews, lectures & films about photojournalism, documentary & fine art photography. | <urn:uuid:a17050f8-3289-495a-aa8a-b7f77c401476> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | https://vimeo.com/36112438 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560283301.73/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095123-00502-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.894265 | 849 | 2.46875 | 2 |
The problem is we keep eating our highly processed, sugary diets. This is the real link you have to worry about. Sure, candida itself can and does contribute to acne by inhibiting our body's natural functions, but if we weren't eating these crappy diets, there would be no link between acne and candida. It's the same thing as saying that oil, dead skin and bacteria are causing our breakouts; they're not.
- Limit saturated fats — fats that mainly come from animal sources of food, such as red meat, poultry and full-fat dairy products. Look for ways to replace saturated fats with vegetable and nut oils, which provide essential fatty acids and vitamin E. Healthier fats are also naturally present in olives, nuts, avocados and seafood. Limit trans fats by avoiding foods that contain partially hydrogenated oil. - Chilled food, ready meals and take-away meals as they are high in salt and fat. - Crisps and savory snacks as these are very high in salt content and are not nutritious.
Keep the heart healthy, self-controlled or contact the doctor or the de-addiction center. Heart Disease Treatment - Exercise Heart disease can also be avoided with controlled weight and physical well-being. If weight is high then you should exercise on regular exercise and aerovics and remove excess fat stored in the body. Heart Disease Treatment - Healthy Food Oily diet is very harmful for high cholesterol and heart patients. You should consume vegetarianism with adequate salt.
The complications of diabetes can affect almost every part of your body. “In elderly patients for whom the benefits of intensive antidiabetic treatment are limited, the basic objective should be to improve quality of life, preserve functionality and avoid adverse effects, especially hypoglycemia,” (Gomez-Huelgas et al., 2018, para. 1). Eating a healthy diet can control blood sugars and help manage weight. A.M. prefers to eat bread and pastries instead fruit and vegetables. She should be eating foods low in fat and carbohydrates.
During this treatment period, abstinence from alcohol is a MUST. No if 's, and 's, or but 's about it. Doctors also recommend eating a healthy, well balanced diet during the treatment period. Thiamine (Vitamin B) can be administered into the body to improve certain side effects such as difficulties associated within the eye as well as muscle incoordination. If the consumption of alcohol completely comes to a stop and WKS is detected early enough, the patient may be able to recover well and may be able to even learn simple tasks that they may have lost control of because of WKS.
1. Can a consumer go overboard in including flaxseeds in their diet? Yes, eating too many flaxseeds can be potentially harmful. Like any other nutrient, the benefits of flaxseeds are most beneficial when used properly in moderation and eaten in the right amount. Over consuming flaxseeds can can cause diarrhea, lower blood pressure, obstruct the intestines (due to bulk-forming laxative effects) and slow blood clotting.
Management and Treatment General management includes nutritional assessment and support as well as advice on smoking cessation. A big emphasis is placed on diet control and avoiding certain food groups including dairy, yeast and gluten. Eating smaller portions, as well as restricting the amount of carbohydrates and high fibre food consumed has been associated with an improvement in symptoms . Furthermore, an elemental diet containing essential amino acids, vitamins, fats and sugars can be recommended for effective symptomatic control .
People can choose not to eat food that is provided by the farms shown in the documentary. But may also be contaminated and make consumers sick. Also, the food that people consume contains bacteria which can kill them. People need to start reducing their intake of meat and instead eat more organic products such as salads and fruits. Also try to reduce my intake of carbonated and sweetened drinks and instead drink more water which is a healthier alternative.
She explains, “ditching sugar can destroy metabolism and lead to a weakened immune system, poor digestion, impaired sexual/reproductive function accelerated aging. ”(Konie). Stripping sugar from your diet may help you lose some weight, but the affects of neglecting it, affects health drastically. In an article by Sarah Elizabeth Richards she explains sugar affects human health negatively, saying it’s “a host of health ills, such as obesity, diabetes, and an increased risk of cancer.
If you are found to have high cholesterol you are probably going to be offered medication to lower it. Yet in most instances, a healthy lifestyle can lower our LDL cholesterol and improve our HDL levels to keep a good balance. Here are a few simple ways to help produce good HDLs and reduce harmful LDLs: 1.Transfats and saturated fats Reduce both trans fats and saturated fats because they raise LDL and lower HDL. • They’re found in cakes, pastry and fried foods, therefore, laying off the pies, pizza, biscuits and fish and chips (and takeaways in general) will instantly reduce your intake.
The truth of the matter is that all foods are health foods. The variety of foods that are available has their purpose and uses. The food that grows in one region is a balanced food for that region and is not superior to those that grow in another which is also the food that is very appropriate for that region. Everything is where it should be. No amount of hype and sales pitch could change that, and no matter the try, people will remain healthy if people eat in variety and in correct proportions without gorging. | <urn:uuid:3af00a55-0d22-4725-a3a5-1bb7bd024995> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.ipl.org/essay/Irritable-Bowl-Syndrome-Research-Paper-PKQPPDB4N8TV | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571502.25/warc/CC-MAIN-20220811194507-20220811224507-00066.warc.gz | en | 0.959079 | 1,156 | 2.6875 | 3 |
PROVO (ABC4) – Just a couple of decades ago, Dr. Josh Anderson couldn’t have imagined cancer research being where it is today.
Traditional cancer treatments had typically always involved some sort of full-blown chemotherapy, which while somewhat effective in preventing the spread of cancerous cells, doesn’t discriminate against other dividing cells in the body. Symptoms such as mouth sores, stomach issues, and hair loss have long been hallmarks of the pitfalls of chemotherapy.
Nowadays, the understanding of what causes, or drives, the spread of cancer has come leaps and bounds, coining a new term: targeted treatment. A more focused grasp on which particular genes in a cell are driving the cancer can create a far more effective treatment than the spray and pray technique of traditional chemotherapy.
Anderson’s lab at Brigham Young University has recently made enormous strides in targeted treatment by developing a new drug to counteract one of the over 150 known cancer drivers, a gene called TNK1. The collaborative effort between BYU’s team of academics, industry experts in the Silicon Slopes area near Lehi, and students – including many undergrads – is “exciting,” according to Anderson.
“We’re at a point right now where there’s still a lot to learn and a lot to do in identifying cancer drivers and developing therapies, but you can really see now that this is the future of much better way to treat cancer,” Anderson explains.
TNK1 first came onto Anderson’s radar when he identified its cancer-driving properties six years ago. Shortly afterward, he got in touch with one of his former undergraduate classmates, Dr. Steve Warner, who currently works as a Senior Vice President and Head of US Research at SDP Oncology, a cancer treatment company with a branch in Lehi, to see if they could work together on a drug.
Connecting with an old friend to work on a new development in the fight against cancer has been one of the most thrilling parts of the breakthrough, Anderson says.
“It’s crazy how things turn out that way,” Anderson exclaims, remembering the days when he and Warner were working on plant research at BYU back in the late 1990s. “Steve and I had been talking about wanting to collaborate for years for a long time since like undergrad days and so this just offered the perfect opportunity. And the fact that it was successful makes it even that much more fun to be doing this with a friend.”
The two old chums haven’t been working alone on this project, they’ve brought many of the university’s students into the Fritz B. Burns Cancer Research Laboratory with them to develop another stride in targeted treatment. The work in the lab included students from all levels in their academic journeys, from Ph.D. cancer researchers to undergrads just cutting their teeth on the science.
Anderson feels that having so many young scientists in the lab is something that makes BYU’s efforts in cancer research so unique. Listing over 100 undergrads as authors on a major cancer research paper is “unlike anything you’d see at another major university,” he adds.
He laughs that the magnitude of the findings, and their involvement with them, could be lost on some of his younger students.
“It’s all they’ve known,” Anderson states. “Some of them probably won’t realize how unusual it is until they go to graduate school somewhere else and see ‘Wait, there are no undergraduates at all doing the research.’”
As for what’s next, continuing to build the arsenal of targeted treatments by identifying and treating the cancer-driving genes is the best way to chip away at the disease. Knowing exactly what the patient is up against could make a world of difference in what cancer treatment will look like when Anderson’s undergrads are running labs of their own.
“The next breakthrough will be if any patient that presents in the clinic with a tumor, you can determine what the driver is and you can look in your quiver for a drug that will work against that driver. That’s kind of the holy grail right now of targeted therapy.” | <urn:uuid:2db5d41a-ba83-4020-8a96-32316d1a24ba> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.abc4.com/news/the-future-of-targeted-cancer-treatment-developed-byu-students-researchers/?ipid=promo-link-block4 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572198.93/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815175725-20220815205725-00269.warc.gz | en | 0.969534 | 894 | 2.109375 | 2 |
After 140 years, the boulders, canyons, trees and geysers of Yellowstone National Park do not appear to be dramatically worse for wear, according to newly released images.
Photographer William Henry Jackson photographed the Wyoming-based park in 1871, the year before Congress made Yellowstone the first national park in the world.
More than a century later, photographer Brad Boner set out to replicate Jackson’s black-and-white photographs.
Some of his pictures will be displayed next to Jackson’s this summer at the National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
The top picture on this page, The Fishing Bridge, suggests the only change in those 14 decades is a man-made one – the bridge itself, says David Quammen, a contributing writer for National Geographic who wrote the magazine’s May 2016 issue on Yellowstone,.
That is because the geological features of Yellowstone – the rocks and the geysers and the landscape – are still very much the same, he adds.
What has changed is the way people have populated and developed the park in that time, he says, and the photographs do not tell the whole story.
Most people do not realise Yellowstone began as a tourist attraction and only later became a wildlife refuge.
“Yellowstone has changed vastly – in some ways for better, in some ways for the worse,” said Mr Quammen. “Those changes mostly involve ecological changes.”
Animal populations have prospered, he says, with more wolves in the park now than at the time when Jackson took his camera and headed off on that expedition.
As the park has become an increasingly popular tourist destination, there have been huge changes in infrastructure, said Mr Quammen, like the Fishing Bridge, and roads, hotels and tourist concessions.
The people who run the park now are sensitive to the fact that as visitation increases, the supply of scenic resources does not. Limits will have to be placed on how many people can visit. Last year, four million people came to Yellowstone.
“The real changes in Yellowstone are off-screen – it has become a wildlife refuge, and it is filled with people in cars and hotels, and these photos don’t show that,” he said.
Mr Boner, the photographer, said to replicate Jackson’s photographs, he walked around the park holding his photos up to the horizon.
“The whole point of creating Yellowstone was to give future generations an opportunity experience these special places,” he told the AP news agency.
“When I look at these pictures, I take a great deal of comfort in knowing that my kids are going to be able to go to a lot of these places and see the same thing.”
“Things would just sort of click and fall into place. All of a sudden, you’re looking at the landscape that is in the photograph that I was holding, that Jackson took,” Mr Boner said.
“There were definitely times I got goosebumps.”
Reporting by Ashley Gold | <urn:uuid:5d7d8b88-6633-4710-a2bb-4bdb48fccc80> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.oddonion.com/2016/05/24/yellowstone-in-1871-and-today/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280929.91/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00421-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969257 | 640 | 3.15625 | 3 |
Intercalibration of a polycrystalline 3D diamond detector for small field dosimetry
Authors: Kanxheri K., Aisa D., Solestizi LA., Bellini M., Caprai M., Corsi C., Dipilato AC., Iacco M., Ionica M., Lagomarsino S., Morozzi A., Moscatelli F., Passeri D., Sciortino S., Talamonti C., Zucchetti C., Servoli L.
Autors Affiliation: INFN, Sez Perugia, Perugia, Italy; Univ Perugia, Dipartimento Fis & Geol, Perugia, Italy; CNR, INO, Florence, Italy; Lab Europeo Spettroscopie Nonlineari LENS, Florence, Italy; Univ Perugia, Dipartimento Sci Chirurg & Biomed, Perugia, Italy; Osped S Maria Misericordia, Fis Med, Perugia, Italy; INFN, Sez Firenze, Florence, Italy; Univ Perugia, Dipartimento Ingn Elettron, Perugia, Italy; Univ Firenze, Dipartimento Fis & Astron, Florence, Italy; Univ Firenze, Dipartimento Sci Biomed Sperimentali & Clin Mario, Florence, Italy
Abstract: In medical radiation dosimetry, the use of small photon fields is almost a prerequisite for high precision localized dose delivery to delineated target volumes. The accurate measurement of standard dosimetric quantities in such situations depends on the size of the detector with respect to the field dimensions. Polycrystalline diamond devices with 3-dimensional structures are produced by using laser pulses to create graphitic paths in the diamond bulk. By fabricating very narrow and close-by columnar electrodes perpendicular to the detector surface, it is possible to create arrays of 3-D cells (pixels) with a very small sensitive volume. In order to present a solution to the problem of the detector size for small field dosimetry the 3-D technology aims to a new highly segmented larger polycrystalline diamond dosimeter to obtain field profiles in a single measurement, reducing the uncertainty of the delivered dose. To this purpose a 3D all carbon detector with an array of 9 3-D pixels has been produced. Due to the heterogeneous structure of the polycrystalline diamond substrate, it was necessary to study the response of each pixel under a standard field photon beam (10 x 10 cm(2)). For 6 pixels of the array was demonstrated that they present different sensitivities to the radiation beam, but the response is linear and stable hence different calibration factors can be applied to obtain an overall detector response and reduce the uncertainty of the delivered dose.
Journal/Review: NUCLEAR INSTRUMENTS & METHODS IN PHYSICS RESEARCH SECTION A-ACCELERATORS SPECTROMETERS DETECTORS AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT
Volume: 958 Pages from: 162730-1 to: 162730-4
More Information: Conference: 15th Vienna Conference on Instrumentation (VCI)
Location: Vienna, AUSTRIA
Date: FEB 18-22, 2019KeyWords: 3-D polycrystalline diamond detectors; Graphitic columnar electrodes; Detector calibration; Radiotherapy conceptsDOI: 10.1016/j.nima.2019.162730Citations: 2data from “WEB OF SCIENCE” (of Thomson Reuters) are update at: 2022-08-14References taken from IsiWeb of Knowledge: (subscribers only)Connecting to view paper tab on IsiWeb: Click hereConnecting to view citations from IsiWeb: Click here | <urn:uuid:9a990f79-b880-427f-82a8-176ca75fdc02> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://fed.ino.it/?page_id=3403&p=a11301 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573104.24/warc/CC-MAIN-20220817183340-20220817213340-00472.warc.gz | en | 0.782447 | 807 | 1.601563 | 2 |
Market too hasty in adopting US inflation fears
This will go down as the week Australia's market economists suddenly got it into their heads that the inflation dragon is stirring from its lair. While few of them expect the Reserve Bank board to respond by raising the official interest rate after its meeting next week, there's a growing view that it won't be long before rates go up again.
But I find this change of view a bit strange, and think it's overdone. Consider the hard news we got this week. We learnt from the consumer price index that retail prices rose by 0.9 per cent in the March quarter, taking the annual increase to 2 per cent - its lowest in four years. So how on earth could this news have got some economists stirred up about building inflation pressure?
Well, those inflation figures are quite deceptive. The 2 per cent annual increase in the CPI is the product of a 4.1 per cent rise in the prices of "non-tradeable" goods and services, but a fall of 0.5 per cent in the prices of "tradeables" (imports and local goods that compete with them).
Get it? Our overall inflation rate looks so good because it's being held down by the falling prices of imports caused by the rise in our dollar. When you set those aside, you find that purely domestic factors are causing prices to rise quite rapidly.
So is this news a satisfactory explanation for the markets' new-found concern about inflation? Well, no, not really. The analysis is right, but you could have chopped up our inflation performance the same way any time for at least the past 12 months. The Reserve has been banging on about the division of domestic and external inflation pressures in the past two or three of its quarterly statements on monetary policy.
Until now, the markets had not taken any notice of this analysis, preferring to focus on the Reserve's forecast that the inflation rate would fall below the 2 per cent bottom of the target range before heading back up sometime next year.
Their reaction was, in that case inflation isn't a worry, is it? But just this week, the markets have started worrying. Why? Because, last week, the Americans began worrying about inflation and what it might mean for rising interest rates.
So we're witnessing one of the financial markets' bad habits: their tendency to force every economy's prospects into the same formula as the US economy's prospects. If the Yanks have started worrying about inflation, it must be a problem here, too. If the Yanks are wondering how soon interest rates will be rising, rates here must be on the rise, too.
But despite the globalisation of financial markets, things don't work quite so neatly. It's still possible for prospects to be quite different between two economies. (For openers, there's a world of difference between the Yanks' official rate of 1 per cent and ours of 5.25 per cent.)
The Americans have changed their tune on inflation because of a signal from Alan Greenspan, chairman of the US Federal Reserve. He observed that he'd stopped worrying about the risk of deflation - falling prices - with the implication that he'd soon have to think about putting rates back up. With the US economy now recovering, you can't leave the US official interest rate at an emergency-stations level of 1 per cent.
But here we see another of the financial markets' bad habits: the initial over-reaction to news. The tendency to go overboard, then adjust back to something more sensible. All Greenspan was doing was announcing the end of the red alert on deflation. That's hardly the same as saying you are worried about building inflation pressure.
It does seem clear the Fed will be raising rates before too long. How quickly it moves rates back to more normal levels remains to be seen. But the US does not have a pressing problem with inflation at this early stage.
Returning home, the outlook for inflation in Australia isn't greatly changed by the news of the week. The inflation rate is still likely to go lower before eventually going back up. So we may need to push interest rates higher at some point, but there's little urgency. And with households now so heavily indebted, the extent of the rate rises needed to curb borrowing is much reduced. A sustained revival in new lending for housing (not just housing debt) might be sufficient to prompt the Reserve to raise the official rate again before next November, but not the outlook for inflation. | <urn:uuid:0e83eb0d-0bd0-4932-9878-7691a9432361> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/04/30/1083224582036.html?from=storyrhs | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280929.91/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00425-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965716 | 917 | 1.578125 | 2 |
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Tri-State Vapors Hemp and CBD Shop near Hanna 46340 IN : Buy CBD Protein Bars, eliquid by premium companies just like 120 Strawberry Pop, Drip Line eJuice and Run The Vape E-Liquid
A Total Guide to Utilize CBD
If you have come across CBD, you could be questioning what it is, what it in fact does and also if lives up to the buzz. Several existing customers promise that CBD can do anything from reducing anxiety to relieving acute discomfort. By the end of this short article, you will be able to make an informed choice concerning whether CBD is the appropriate selection for you.
What is CBD?
CBD is just one of the 100 cannabinoids that is found in marijuana plant. Marijuana and also industrial hemp contain phytocannabinoids like CBD as well as THC. Cannabidiol has been recommended to reduce stress, pain, inflammation and also boost state of mind. Considering that CBD bind with the receptors in endocannabinoid, it can likewise be used to treat signs like lowering high blood pressure, diabetes mellitus, Schizophrenia, PTSD, etc. JustCBD is a leading on the internet market shop for purchasing CBD products. They market large range of CBD gummies, CBD tincture, CBD oils, and so on to help in total health and wellness and health. To purchase CBD oil online at budget-friendly rates, do have a look at their internet site.
Ways to Utilize CBD
As a whole, there are 4 main approaches to take CBD oils.
When you ingest a CBD product by mouth, it is metabolized by liver once it passes with digestive system as well as all the energetic compounds begin flowing in your blood stream. You can conveniently take CBD capsules with water or instill CBD oil in your early morning coffee.
To carry out CBD sublingually, you need to hold it under your tongue to make sure that mucus membrane layers can take in the active components of oil. This procedure avoids the absorption procedure by digestive system and also permits the energetic oil elements to reach bloodstream quickly. If you are trying to find quick discomfort alleviation, sublingual CBD products are best for you. CBD oil, CBD casts and also CBD concentrates are some of the products designed to be taken sublingually.
The following means to use CBD is via topical like cosmetics, patches and lotions. For skin treatment, some business also create CBD body care and also oil bath collections such as hair shampoo, conditioner, body clean and hydrating lotions.
CBD can also be used by breathing in the active ingredients launched during evaporation of CBD oil. You inhale the energetic components via your lungs, which releases them directly into bloodstream. Because it doesn't have to go through the digestion system much faster, less CBD is shed and also enters your flow much faster.
Hope these methods will certainly assist internet you in choosing you the best choice for you.
They offer wide range of CBD gummies, CBD tincture, CBD oils, etc. to aid in overall health and well-being. When you ingest a CBD product by mouth, it is metabolized by liver once it passes through digestion system and also all the active substances start moving in your blood stream. You can conveniently take CBD capsules with water or instill CBD oil in your early morning coffee.
CBD oil, CBD tinctures and also CBD focuses are some of the products created to be taken sublingually.
CBD can also be used by breathing in the energetic ingredients released throughout evaporation of CBD oil.
These nicotine shots are 10ml bottles that come in 18mg strength & when mixed with your much larger bottle of nicotine will dilute and turn your 0mg nicotine e liquid into 3mg or more powerful, dependant upon Anything you demand.
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Rainbow by Gumball eLiquid
properly, We have now some good news to suit your needs – we have reviewed and Primal Elixir in contrast many of the preferred eliquid brands on the united kingdom market.
If you currently smoke one particular pack of cigarettes daily, when you switch to vaping, you'll be able to go for an First strength of in between 18mg and 20mg. You can then reduce slowly into a decrease energy like 12mg or 6mg, finally Performing all the way down to 3mg or perhaps 0mg. It’s crucial to get the extent of nicotine in your ejuice correct. If the extent is too reduced, you’ll really need to vape additional typically. Alternatively, if it’s also large, you could start to feel unwell.
The EU’s TPD places limitations on e-liquids bought in the EU, so you may well be pondering how this affects our best e-liquid United kingdom checklist as well as brands in it. The quick Variation is that some countries covered with the TPD permit cross-border profits, as well as UK is one of them.
There are many of things to think about With regards to choosing the Primal Elixir finest ejuice to suit your needs, so here are some of your components to keep in mind.
Also, the power you end up picking may well rely on your vaping device as diverse devices like vaporizer pen plus much more strong devices this article (like mods) for sub-ohm vaping have to have distinctive liquid toughness.
Which means Although the TPD limitations the utmost bottle measurement to ten ml and the maximum nicotine power to twenty mg/ml, if you purchase from outside the house the EU for private use, these rules don’t utilize. You should buy nicotine liquid in britain from other countries, Despite the fact that this isn’t the case for individuals residing in Several other EU nations around the world.
just one bottle should previous you a minimum of 1 month give or acquire. any time you purchase your CBD Eliquid acquire into consideration your needs, the toughness of one's liquid, and how frequently you are going to utilize it.
the united kingdom does permit cross-border marketing so, Despite the fact that the most dimensions of the bottle of ejuice is restricted because of the TPD to 10ml along with the nicotine strength is restricted to 20mg/ml, You should buy e-liquids from out on the EU to utilize your self and people laws won’t apply.
It’s unlikely that you’ll be stopped by customs in the event you import e-juices from overseas, so in theory, you should not have any concerns when you’re importing e-liquid from The united states for private use (but bear in mind that you simply may well find yourself being forced to pay back a customs payment).
even though PG may perhaps trigger a dry mouth often and doesn't generate check huge vapour clouds, it does Have a very beneficial perform for bettering the carrying of flavour, which is why it is actually utilized to make e-liquids.
PG stands for propylene glycol. It’s among the primary bases for eliquids (together with with VG). PG has a thicker regularity than VG and fewer sweeter taste. | <urn:uuid:39d9004a-430f-463c-9981-a3d4116c9456> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://glamuour.com/tri-state-vapors-hemp-and-cbd-shop-based-in-hanna-46340-in-37901 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571989.67/warc/CC-MAIN-20220813232744-20220814022744-00469.warc.gz | en | 0.949849 | 1,559 | 1.609375 | 2 |
The Health Benefits of Playing Golf
A world class sport, golf is played by millions across the globe both for competition and relaxation. Only recently have researchers begun to study the health benefits of this challenging pastime. As it turns out, golf is more than a pastime – it’s a great way to tone muscle, lose weight, and relieve stress. Advantage HoleInOne’s team has a passion for helping golfers enjoy the game while encouraging them to stay fit, and encourages golfers to explore the sport’s health benefits.
For most golfers, a typical 18-hole course requires walking a distance of nearly a mile. When choosing to walk instead of ride in a cart, golfers can expect to burn more than 100 calories by simply navigating a golf course and more than 700 calories if carrying their gear. According to a study referenced by the American Society of Golf Course Architects, some people can burn up to 1,500 calories during a single game. Active adults seeking a fun, relaxing way to burn calories turn to golf for weight loss and healthy weight management.
Playing Golf can improve Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Health
Between walking, carrying gear, and perfecting their swing, golfers do more than dominate the course – they benefit from improved heart and lung functioning. The heart and lungs are two of the hardest working organs in the body and often are the first to be affected by aging, disease, or injury. During a golf match, men and women can improve the overall functioning of their heart and lungs simply by enjoying the game.
Golf is a Stress Management Activity
Chronic stress concerns for many adults, particularly those who have been diagnosed with disease, suffered a personal loss, or are coping with the natural effects of aging. Stress can affect every aspect of health, from sleep cycles and emotions to memory and body weight. Mayo Clinic reports that individuals who spend time participating in relaxing activities and communing with friends benefit from a natural form of stress relief known to reduce the overall impact stressors can have on one’s health. In addition to fishing, meditating, and socializing, golfing is a great way to manage stress.
Advantage Hole In One supports the efforts of golfers everywhere that enjoy the sport’s unique challenges and have a passion for staying healthy. | <urn:uuid:98044eec-aa7f-4355-b56c-eb91ba5ab676> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.advantagehio.com/2015/07/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573699.52/warc/CC-MAIN-20220819131019-20220819161019-00269.warc.gz | en | 0.949805 | 474 | 2.171875 | 2 |
Do you have plans for the summer?
You could be planning a family vacation. You may have plans to work in your garden or to get more exercise.
While you are working on those things, why not do something for yourself. Restorative dentistry can give you a boost of self-confidence and bring back the function of your teeth as well.
If you’ve been putting off repairing a tooth or replacing missing teeth, then it’s time to take charge of your smile. It’s time to call (561) 877-3802 or contact our dentist office online if you live or near Boynton Beach, FL.
Today is the day to schedule a consultation at the office of Hugh B Rosenblatt, DMD.
Any number of issues could affect the appearance of your smile. Some also can affect how your teeth function.
Fortunately, we can help you find solutions to the problems listed below along with several other oral health issues.
◼ Broken teeth
Millions of people across the country have one or more broken teeth. If you have one, then you know this problem can occur without any notice.
All it takes is one bite into an unexpected olive pit or an unpopped kernel of popcorn. If you miss a ball during a game of catch (or someone else misses near you), you could receive a traumatic injury to your mouth.
A dental crown can be used to repair the tooth for large breaks. For smaller ones, dental bonding or a dental veneer may be enough to bring back your smile.
◼ Cracked teeth
Cracked teeth can develop gradually. They may be the result of grinding your teeth together in your sleep, or they too can occur from a traumatic injury or a bite into something harder than expected.
The solution for this problem will depend on the size and severity of the crack.
Dental bonding or a dental veneer could be the perfect fix for a small crack, while a dental crown would be better for a larger crack. If the crack is deep, then a root canal may be in order. For really deep cracks, you may need to have the tooth removed and replaced.
◼ Decayed teeth
Like the previous problems, the right fix depends on the extent of the damage. The extent of the damage depends on how long the decay breaks down your teeth before you get help.
Small cavities can be fixed with a dental filling. We used a tooth-colored resin for these problems. This allows you to regain the function of your teeth, protect against more infections, and avoid unsightly metal fillings.
As the decay spreads, it may damage so much of your tooth that a dental filling won’t do the job. A dental crown would be used in those instances.
And if the decay gets deep enough to cause toothaches and increase tooth sensitivity, then we can remove the infection with a root canal procedure.
◼ Missing teeth
You may not realize it but the average American will lose a few teeth in his or her lifetime. Some will even lose every tooth in their mouths. Whether you are missing a single tooth or several, Dr. Rosenblatt can help.
A dental crown placed on a dental implant is the closest thing to a regrowing a new tooth that you can get in modern dentistry. A dental bridge is another option for filling in the gap created by one or more missing teeth.
If the gap is three teeth or larger, then you may want to consider an implant-supported dental bridge. Our bridges are made with the same materials used to make our dental crown. That means your bridge will look natural and provide the durability needed to function as well as a real tooth.
The dental implants we mentioned earlier also can be used with dentures. A series of implants can create a secure foundation to hold your dentures in place and allow you to eat practically as well as someone who still has a full set of healthy teeth.
Dr. Rosenblatt has been practicing dentistry for close to 20 years. He’s helped hundreds, if not thousands, of patients bring back the natural appearance of their smiles and the full function of their damaged and lost teeth.
Give yourself a new reason to smile this summer. Start by scheduling a consultation at our Boynton Beach, FL, dentist office. Contact us online or call (561) 877-3802.
COVID-19: What to Expect at Your Dental Appointment The COVID-19 pandemic has changed a lot of things about our daily...Read More | <urn:uuid:589cdadc-af9a-4f2b-9cbd-100fe99c18b1> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://boyntondentist.com/blog/this-summer-work-on-your-new-improved-smile/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570651.49/warc/CC-MAIN-20220807150925-20220807180925-00469.warc.gz | en | 0.932646 | 935 | 1.945313 | 2 |
Its name derived from the world's most famous explorer, the space shuttle Columbia surveyed the heavens for more than 20 years - longer than any shuttle in NASA's fleet. Now, go inside the cockpit for the shuttle's final mission and meet the men and women who boldly went where so few had gone before. Follow the crew as they conduct scientific experiments in orbit - from studies on ways to treat bone loss, to the launch of a mini-spacecraft to better understand the Earth's climate - and join them as they grapple with working, sleeping and even eating in zero gravity. Get a unique glimpse into the final days of these seven brave astronauts - and learn why these passionate individuals risk everything to go into space.
When a Las Vegas performer-turned-snitch named Buddy Israel decides to turn state's evidence and testify against the mob, it seems that a whole lot of people would like to make sure he's no longer breathing.
Based on Frank Miller's graphic novel, "300" is very loosely based the 480 B.C. Battle of Thermopylae, where the King of Sparta led his army against the advancing Persians; the battle is said to have inspired all of Greece to band together against the Persians, and helped usher in the world's first democracy.
Everyone deserves a chance to follow their dreams, but some people only get one shot. Tyler Gage is a rebel from the wrong side of Baltimore¹s tracks and the only thing that stands between him and an unfulfilled life are his dreams of one day making it out of there.
To test its top-secret Human Hibernation Project, the Pentagon picks the most average Americans it can find - an Army private and a prostitute - and sends them to the year 2505 after a series of freak events.
James Bond goes on his first ever mission as a 00. Le Chiffre is a banker to the world's terrorists. He is participating in a poker game at Montenegro, where he must win back his money, in order to stay safe among the terrorist market.
Chaos reigns at the natural history museum when night watchman Larry Daley accidentally stirs up an ancient curse, awakening Attila the Hun, an army of gladiators, a Tyrannosaurus rex and other exhibits.
In this third installment of the Final Destination series, a student's premonition of a deadly rollercoaster ride saves her life and a lucky few, but not from death itself which seeks out those who escaped their fate.
As the war between the vampires and the Lycans rages on, Selene, a former member of the Death Dealers (an elite vampire special forces unit that hunts werewolves), and Michael, the werewolf hybrid, work together in an effort to unlock the secrets of their respective bloodlines.
Have you watched Columbia: The Final Mission yet? What did you think about it? | <urn:uuid:a65f4d8f-4b5e-449e-a223-1b69312e0e79> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.movie-trailer.co.uk/trailers/2006/columbia-the-final-mission/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560281419.3/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095121-00482-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957704 | 593 | 1.601563 | 2 |
Sri Lankan food has been shaped by many historical, cultural and other factors. Contact with foreign traders who brought brand-new food items, cultural influences from neighboring countries along with the regional traditions of the country’s ethnic groups among other things have all helped shape Sri Lankan cuisine. Influences from Indian, Indonesian and also Dutch cuisines are most obvious with Sri Lankan food sharing close connections to other neighboring South and Southeast Asian cuisines. Today, a few of the staples of Sri Lankan cuisine are rice, coconut and also flavors. The latter are used due to the country’s history as a spice producer and trading post over several centuries.
About Foods of Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, being an island with a tropical climate, coconuts and fish are 2 of the most prominent parts of Sri Lankan cuisine. Fish is made into curries, and coconut in some kind or another, is a dominant ingredient in cooking.
Rice and curry is the Sri Lankan staple, though different kinds of bread, both roti style flatbreads and even loaves of bread, are very common.
8 Dishes Everyone Should Try in Sri Lanka
1. Fish Curry and Mixed Rice
There’s nothing more common to eat as consume as Sri Lankan food than a nutritious plate of rice and curry. You normally get a plate of rice piled with a few of the everyday veggie curries as well as a choice of fish curry also.
Sri Lnaka Tour Packages
Pricing and Itinerary
A plate like the one over price me 120 LKR ($ 1.09), but without fish it would have even been less.
Kottu is an additional conventional Sri Lankan dish made from roti (level bread), vegetables, oil, seasonings as well as egg/chicken or cheese (optional). The bread is cut extremely carefully on a hot plate with two blunt blades as well as you can hear them swiftly slicing Kottu from a mile away! It is the matching of a cheeseburger in America and Pad Thai in Thailand. Rapid, delicious, affordable as well as oily! We attempted this a few times as well as each cook had their very own flavour spin. Definitely challenging on the waist though.
3. String Hoppers (Noodles)
These were given to us at most of our homestays and are a very popular morning meal food in Sri Lanka. We can’t claim we are as well used to noodles at 8:00 am in the morning RIGHT NOW however it’s always enjoyable to eat the way the locals do. The noodles are made totally with rice flour and after that pushed right into a noodle form and steamed. They are then eaten with coconut sambal, dahl curry and a coconut milk curry.
Suggested Read:- How to Reach Sri Lanka
4. Kukul Mas Curry (Chicken Curry)
Simple to make, chicken curry is a common household dish in Sri Lanka. There are several variations depending on region and taste preferences.
Spices like fennel seeds, cardamom, cloves and also cinnamon sticks are tempered in hot oil before being combined with poultry and seasonings like chili powder, curry powder, turmeric, pandan leaves, and lemongrass and also curry fallen leaves.
Coconut milk contributes to the rich base of the curry gravy. Depending on the recipe, a puree of tomato is often included.
5. Eggplant moju (eggplant pickle)
Everything tastes better fried, and eggplant moju is no exception. Consisting of onions, chilies, sugar, mustard seeds, and vinegar, this classic eggplant dish is made by deep-frying eggplant strips as well as blending them with all the aforementioned ingredients. The result is a tongue-enveloping wonderful umami flavor that will motivate you to turn this side dish into a main.
6. Chili Fish Curry
This particular fish curry in Sri Lanka reminded me of the Burmese food curry that I also highly taken pleasure in, except it was often a bit heavier on the spice blend, which I loved.
Suggested Read:- Packing Tips for Sri Lanka
The fish curry in Sri Lanka was extremely fragrant, oily, as well as the sauce was marvelous with a large plate of rice.
7. Deep Fried Hen Fried Rice
So more countries on the planet learnt about fried hen fried rice, it would be integrated into foods around the worldwide … guaranteed.
8. Spicy Sri Lankan Crab Curry
An unforgettably flavorful and glorious Spicy Sri Lankan Crab Curry! Made in a splendidly aromatic as well as simple curry base with timeless Sri Lankan curry flavors. One taste of this as well as you’ll recognize why Sri Lankan Crab Curry is world renowned as well as a preferred for any anyone who visits Sri Lanka!
Top 5 Vegetarians Foods of Sri Lanka
Here are some of our favourite Sri Lankan vegetarian dishes to order on your next trip to this foodie’s paradise.
1. Kottu roti
It’s a sure sign the kottu roti isn’t far away. Hot, greasy and also satisfying, it’s a vegie burger; however not as you recognize it. Kottu vendors prepare to purchase, chopping roti bread into fine pieces over an oven, till it resembles fried rice. Then they’ll mix it with whichever vegetables you pick. Finally, your kottu is served with hot curry dipping sauce for you to soak right into or just pour over the top.
Suggested Read:- Fairs and Festivals in Sri Lanka
2. Masoor dhal
This red lentil curry is cousin to the Nepalese and Indian versions, yet has a definitely Sri Lankan flavour. While the main ingredient is the same, this dhal is made with coconut milk and also more spices than you can poke a pandan leaf at. The end result is a looser, soupier version of dhal with layer upon layer of flavours. This staple of Sri Lankan food is eaten morning meal, lunch as well as dinner.
One of the most popular dishes amongst Sri Lankan Muslims is Watalappan, a Malay-influenced egg custard, spiced with cardamom as well as nutmeg. The sweet taste from the meal originates from kitul juggery, thick, rich treacle made from the sap of the kitul hand. Watalappan is so popular it is the go-to dessert for any kind of special occasion. Surely simply being in Sri Lanka is a special enough reason to try it.
4. Gotu Kola Mallung
Gotu kola mallung is an super green salad that loads a punch of vitamins. If you believe the press, it’s said to be helpful for your eyes, hair and skin. Whether you leave Sri Lanka with an added radiance or otherwise, gotu kola mallung is absolutely helpful for your tastebuds. The salad is made by mixing the fallen leaves of the gotu kola plant with onion, coconut, lime juice as well as environment-friendly chillies. It’s lightly fried as well as served as a side with your curry. The ‘mallung’ part of the name simply means ‘mixed up’.
5. Sri Lankan Coconut Curries
Yes there is a lot of coconut milk in Sri Lankan cuisine as well as it is used in a number of the curries that are made throughout the country. Utilizing a variety of similar spices as well as components like onions, peppers, garlic, curry fallen leave, turmeric extract, cardamom, cloves, as well as mustard seed as well as cinnamon the dishes are then sautéed with poultry, beef, seafood or vegetarian active ingredients.
Frequently Asked Question & Answer
Q1. What is traditional Sri Lankan food?
Ans. Milk rice or Kiribath is a traditional Sri Lankan dish made from rice. It is a popular festive dish or any auspicious moment. The recipe is prepared by cooking rice with coconut milk, therefore this name. The dish for Kiribath is fairly easy.
Q2. Is Sri Lankan food spicy?
Ans. Rice as well as curry is Sri Lankan comfort food. Dhal curry is made from red lentils (masoor dhal) cooked in coconut milk. Onions, tomatoes as well as fresh green chilies, are sautéed and also mixed with solidified seasonings like cumin seeds, turmeric, fenugreek, mustard seeds as well as pandan leaves.
Q3. What kind of food do they eat in Sri Lanka?
Ans. The central feature of Sri Lankan food is boiled or steamed rice, served with a curry of fish, chicken or mutton, in addition to other curries made with vegetables, lentils, or fruits. Recipes are gone along with by pickled fruits or vegetables, chutneys, and also sambols.
For more information about foods of Sri Lanka and holiday packages contact Swan Tours or call 011 23415601. | <urn:uuid:b56a1d9a-6015-4869-83e8-b64fe7c5cbdb> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.swantour.com/blogs/sri-lankan-foods/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573623.4/warc/CC-MAIN-20220819035957-20220819065957-00667.warc.gz | en | 0.96101 | 1,932 | 2.15625 | 2 |
If you are a long time reader, you have followed me through my $1,500 projects that started back in 2007 and concluded in 2009. The goal was to create or save the equivalent of $1,500 on a monthly basis so my wife can stop working. In May 2009, my wife quit her job and we became a single income household. I read this post again recently and found it interesting that I had 2 plans back in 2009 in order to cover my wife’s income:
#1 Make a lot of money online (currently at 10K/month of gross income with 50% participation in this amount)
#2 Work hard and earn a big pay check.
Back in 2007, my total income was at $63,000 (read how I went from 30K to 176K in 8 years). In 2009, my total income (not base income) was $103,000. It was then easy to make the decision to go with a single income household. In that year, my bonus was literally more than what my wife used to make in a year. Since then, I have never looked back. Today, my base income is at $79,000. That alone covers $1,333 of my $1,500 per month. I also have to add my bonus and online income to the equation in order to cover the $1,500/month my wife used to make.
When you only look at numbers, living on a single income appears quite easy as I make a lot more than I used to. Unfortunately, the expenses increased accordingly too! It is true that it requires sacrifices from time to time but it’s really worth. Let me tell you why…
My wife and I have a simple way of taking care of our household:
She takes care of the house and kids.
I take care of making money.
This seems quite simple and even stupid when you say it that way. But the key lies in simplicity. Since my wife takes care of our house and kids (this includes not only chores but everything), I can focus on one of the thing I do best: making money.
I don’t have to bother with when I need to bring that cat costume for my daughter’s presentation or when they go to the dentist or when the latest arrival has an appointment with the pediatrician. I don’t even have to wonder what we will eat at night! Mind you, I still cook, but everything is ready when I get home. This is why I can focus on being awesome at work and awesome in my business. This is probably how I can grow both my career and business at the same pace simultaneously without burning out! My brain power is focused on a very limited number of things. This is likely how I can become better and faster.
So while I was looking to make more money so my wife could stop working, the answer was in the goal. As soon as she had stopped working, we saw our household income increase significantly! Believe it or not – having my wife stop working was the fastest way to earn a stable 6 figure income.
Another impact of having my wife at home is the free time that we all benefit from. Every weekend, we wonder which activities we will do as all the chores and boring stuff have been done during the week. Therefore, we are all set to enjoy the weekend the way it should be. We have enough time to work on landscaping or renovation, going to the park, inviting friends over for a nice lunch, etc.
It’s basically like having mini-vacation each week!
There is a long list of advantages for having only one person work while the other takes care of the household. Among them, I would only list the *most* important:
– More time with the kids
– Quality time to help them to do their homework
– Time for community volunteering
– No more “gotta run to catch the daycare on time”
– More time to start a garden and eat better food
– More time to try new things (activities, recipes, hobbies, etc)
– You save money on afterschool daycare
– You save money on clothing (only 1 person needs to dress for work)
– You save money on dining out (how many time you eat out because you’re too tired?)
– More activities
– More fun
– Less stress
– Less arguments with your better half
– More energy… which leads to more S…..X (don’t laugh, it’s true!)
All right… I should have put the Energy advantage first… 😉
I now look back at my previous life back in early 2009 and really don’t have any regrets today. In fact, if I had known this, I would have started on my $1,500 project before my wife gave birth to our first son! Life is just easier and more fun… in fact, life is now the way it should be!
|How I Suck at Not Paying Debts||Hitting 6 Figures Income at 28|
|How I Get a Huge Income Raise Each Year||Making $125K Online in 12 months|
|How I Buy Blogs||Most Debated Articles: The Primerica Saga|
|How I Have Survived My MBA||What is So Wrong With Making Money?|
|How I run multiples blogs and makes money without burning out| | <urn:uuid:465d87b1-7566-4d79-9aeb-ef42efad08ff> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.thefinancialblogger.com/single-income-household-the-best-kept-secret-for-happiness/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560282202.61/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095122-00550-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972441 | 1,128 | 1.53125 | 2 |
Desert plants have special adaptations that allow them to survive the harsh environment in which they live. DesertUSA describes these adaptations as both "physical and behavioral mechanisms."Continue Reading
According the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, "Desert plants tend to look very different from plants native to other regions. They are often swollen, spiny, and have tiny leaves that are rarely bright green." This different appearance represents the adaptations the plants have made to survive in the arid desert conditions.
Succulents are plants that have adaptations to store water in their leaves, stems and roots. They include all cacti as well as some non-cactus plants found in the desert, including aloe, agave and elephant trees.
Opening the stoma of the leaf of a plant allows it to take in the carbon dioxide needed for photosynthesis but also makes the plant susceptible to losing water. Scientists classify many desert dwelling plants as CAM plants. They open their stoma at night to take in carbon dioxide and use it to form malic acid in the morning, giving them a bitter taste early in the day. As the plant undergoes photosynthesis during the day, it breaks down the malic acid to release the carbon dioxide it requires to form glucose, while the stoma remains closed.Learn more about Botany | <urn:uuid:9e9690ba-aae9-4695-aef9-4b715a489363> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | https://www.reference.com/science/plants-survive-desert-1bf038103e951ac5 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280929.91/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00426-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965578 | 266 | 4.03125 | 4 |
The definition of biotechnology, as defined by the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity is: "Any technological application that uses biological systems, living organisms, or derivatives thereof, to make or modify products or processes for specific use." Pretty cool, right? That is if you can understand it. If your chosen field is biotechnology then the chances are pretty good that you have an idea as to what biotechnology is. If you're a person who didn't understand what the definition of biotechnology means then you probably won't have much use for the information we're about to relay.
What information is that exactly? Well, we're going to help people interested in biotechnology by telling them about the career options there are out there in the field of biotechnology. You don't even have to leave your home! Having a career in biotechnology doesn't exactly mean becoming a white coat wearing laboratory scientist that sits in an office building tweaking with formulas for clean water solutions, much like what you would see here from day to day.
The field of biotechnology is much more than that. There are a wide range of career options out there in the field of biotechnology. You can have a job in the biotechnology field such as marketing pharmaceutical products manufactured through the science of biotechnology. As well as selling any pharmaceutical drugs created through biotechnology.
Biotechnology also relies heavily on research and development which means that there are a lot of jobs in the field of biotechnology dedicated solely to researching and developing studies of genes and chromosomes. That's got to be more interesting than writing term papers, don't you think? At least it sounds cooler.
A few examples of jobs in the field of biotechnology include genetics researcher, media prep technician, forensics technician, biostatistican, quality assurance auditor, patent agent, fermentation scientist, molecular biology technician and manufacturing associate, just to name a few. As you can see those are a wide range of jobs. You can find career opportunities for biotechnology jobs in such places as manufacturing firms, universities, drug companies and institutes devoted to private research.
Some people go into careers that are safe, like a real estate agent for example, in which they spend hours going over houses for sale. Others take a chance and go into something more daring such as biotechnology. Now that you know what types of jobs are available in the field of biotechnology, what will you choose to do with your life? | <urn:uuid:d26602f1-48e6-4963-a2ce-28b82475d155> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.bcbiotech.ca/Career_Options.asp | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571584.72/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812045352-20220812075352-00678.warc.gz | en | 0.964852 | 498 | 2.671875 | 3 |
Supercontinuum generation in fused fibre couplers
Birks, T. A., Wadsworth, W. J. and St J Russell, P., 2001. Supercontinuum generation in fused fibre couplers. In: Lasers and Electro-Optics, 2001. CLEO '01. Technical Digest. Summaries of papers presented at the Conference on, 2001-01-01.
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Summary form only given. Supercontinuum (SC) light with a 400-1600 nm spectrum has been generated in optical fibres using unamplified femtosecond Ti:sapphire lasers. The fibre can be a special microstructure (photonic crystal) fibre with a core surrounded by large air holes, or it can be a standard telecommunications fibre that is tapered-narrowed by heating and stretching. In both cases, the waveguide is essentially silica (diameter ~2 μm) surrounded by air. The small diameter and large refractive index step give high intensities and desirable dispersion characteristics. We demonstrate SC generation in fused couplers made by tapering two fibres together
|Item Type||Conference or Workshop Items (Paper)|
|Creators||Birks, T. A., Wadsworth, W. J. and St J Russell, P.|
|Uncontrolled Keywords||unamplified femtosecond ti,high intensities,sapphire lasers,photonic crystal fibre,tapered fibres,optical beam splitters,400 to 1600 nm,large refractive index step,optical fibre dispersion,microstructure fibre,sc generation,dispersion characteristics,beam splitters,common narrow waist,2 micron,light sources,supercontinuum generation,photonic band gap,optical fibre couplers,fused fibre couplers|
|Departments||Faculty of Science > Physics|
Actions (login required) | <urn:uuid:7b00cae4-3550-4f77-9ea1-ee676bcf7a1c> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://opus.bath.ac.uk/9287/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988721555.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183841-00180-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.760812 | 433 | 2.203125 | 2 |
The presence of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in food products is a hot-button issue, one that caused jam and jelly maker Smucker's some embarrassment in 2014. The company posted a statement in support of GMOs on its website, and the post quickly caused consumers to complain on its Facebook page.
Smucker's quickly deleted the complaints, and to make matters worse, it "released a statement saying that the comments were considered spam, when they weren't," according to ReputationManagement.com's Fish.
Deleting those comments "upset consumers who in some cases were simply asking for clarification on what is in the product," says Vanessa Camones, CEO of theMIX agency. "This social media fail resulted in an expanded number of customers boycotting the brand." | <urn:uuid:5c493e66-42d8-4233-9c70-f22ece0a7026> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.itworld.com/article/2902228/12-shockingly-stupid-social-media-misfires.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560279915.8/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095119-00282-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977895 | 160 | 1.585938 | 2 |
Wayne’s Heating and Cooling - Exceeding Expectations
The weather conditions all over the world fluctuate a lot; the mercury reaching a high in summers and a low in winters. Regardless of the external weather conditions, staying comfortable indoors has become a necessity for us, whether it’s working at home or in the office. For that to happen, proper maintenance of our HVAC systems is essential. Although there are a large number of HVAC installation companies in Georgia, no company offers the same level of service and commitment to excellence that we at Wayne’s heating and Air conditioning do in North Georgia. Not all air-conditioning systems are the same and neither are the installation, maintenance, and repair companies. In this article, we will discuss what sets us apart from the competition and the types of air-conditioners in use today.
Air Conditioning Installation Company
A lot of people assume that air conditioners are just limited for cooling purposes, but that’s not true. Today Air conditioners use the principles of thermodynamics, heat transfer, and fluid dynamics, which make them work both as an air cooler and heater. Air conditioners are also known as HVAC systems, are one of the best solutions for maintaining climate control indoors. Our company provides a variety of comprehensive HVAC services. We are a well-known air-condition installation company in northern Georgia mountain areas, and our professionals specialize in providing regular maintenance and repairing services.
Type Of Air-Conditioners
There are three basic types of conditioners that we at Wayne’s Heating and Air conditioning install for our clients according to their requirements
1. Window air conditioners
These types of Air conditioners are the cheapest ones to purchase and require less maintenance as the other options. Yet, they have some limitations and drawbacks; they can only cool a limited area. They also make strange noises while working because their compressor is situated right next to the blower unit. They are not efficient and consume more power as compared to the other types and when they are not functioning properly, they consume even more energy.
2. Split air conditioners
Such types of AC are also called split systems. They consist of two parts:
a) Outdoor unit: That contains compressor and container
b) Indoor unit: That has an evaporator
Both work in conjunction to provide climate control in a limited area such as a room or floor.
3. Central air conditioners
These are the ACs that operate on the central air conditioning system. These ACs can be cheaper than split units depending on their capacity. They efficiently provide cooling or heating in all the rooms of any building through a duct system. Our professionals usually install them on the roof since it is much larger than the split or window variant.
Size Requirements Of Air-Conditioners
The type of air conditioner you need depends upon the size of your indoor area. At Wayne’s heating and Air conditioning company, our professionals first take the complete measurements of the indoor space where you want to install the air-conditioner. It is vital for proper efficiency and cooling of the AC because inaccurate measurements will result in either high electricity bills or low cooling issues. So, if you are looking for a reliable Air conditioning installation company, then look no further visit our website and contact us now.
Punctuality, Quality, Responsiveness, Value These guys are amazing!! Had to have a new heat pump and air handler installed and they treated us right. Jeff, Toby and Brad came out and installed our system quickly and efficiently! I can honestly say that I will never use anyone else for our heating and air needs. If you want a quick response and to be treated right, look no further!- Thea Headrick | <urn:uuid:ee47badf-b051-4530-8bf0-6e675a2b30fd> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://wayneheatingandair.com/news/wayne%E2%80%99s-heating-and-cooling-exceeding-expectations | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572043.2/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814143522-20220814173522-00472.warc.gz | en | 0.93892 | 774 | 1.625 | 2 |
Webinar 1: The Elderly — Our Future: A New Document from the Pontifical Academy for Life
This webinar will set the stage for a four-event series to unpack the themes and share successful practices to assist elders and caregivers. The webinar will include a message from the document's primary author, Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, and an insightful review of the document and its themes and the call it offers to the elderly and those who care for them.
Revered by some cultures and pushed aside and forgotten by others, elders are more and more in our midst. This webinar series will open a conversation starting from the newest Vatican document, Old Age: Our Future – The elderly after pandemic, and stretch thinking on possibilities for how Catholic and fellow faith-based ministries as well as others must partner and innovate to meet the critical needs of the growing population of elders and the impact on them from the pandemic.
A reflection on the lessons to be learned from the tragedy of the pandemic, on its consequences for today and for the immediate future of our societies, the Pontifical Academy for Life, together with the Dicastery for Integral Human Development, published the document on Feb. 9, 2021. Review the document
To emphasize its messages and create opportunities for sharing between ministries, CHA, the Community of Sant’Egidio and Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA), are co-sponsoring a four-part webinar series to highlight the themes of the document. | <urn:uuid:99b87e34-0a40-48ec-9458-1683144cb26f> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.chausa.org/online-learning/detail/the-elderly-our-future-webinar-1-a-new-document-from-the-pontifical-academy-for-life | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571982.99/warc/CC-MAIN-20220813172349-20220813202349-00071.warc.gz | en | 0.923097 | 313 | 1.757813 | 2 |
Caring for Our Nation's "Living Legends" -- Wild Mustangs and Burros
"Bob," trained by Judy Ballenger for the 2008 Extreme Mustang Makeover.
Volunteering Your Time and Services
The BLM is always looking for people to assist the Wild Horse and Burro Program. Volunteering your time and services is a very rewarding experience and assists the program in educating the public about mustangs and burros. There are many ways you can help to promote the animals -- showcase your adopted and trained wild horse or burro at adoption events; post flyers in your area to help promote local BLM adoptions; provide assistance and guidance to new and inexperienced adopters; or, if qualified, halter-train a mustang or burro to enhance the animal's adoptability. Please check with you local office on how you can volunteer. Please Visit More Information on Volunteering.
"Mooch." Trained by
BLM volunteer Dixie LaFountain.
Donating Funds to Assist Wild Horses and Burros
The BLM established a national donation fund to help animals gathered from Western rangelands due to extreme drought and wildland fires. Donations may be submitted to: 4 Mustangs and Burros, Bureau of Land Management, P.O. Box 12000, Reno, Nevada 89520-0006, Attn: Business Manager. Please make your checks payable to "4 Mustangs and Burros."
Save the Mustangs Fund
The Save the Mustangs Fund was established in May 2005 by the Ford Motor Company in collaboration with the BLM and Take Pride in America. The fund was created to accept donations to help raise public awareness of the urgency of wild horse and burro issues and to find good homes for them. All donations are tax deductible. Submit to: BLM, Save the Mustangs Fund, 1849 C Street, NW, Mail Stop 314 LS, Washington, D.C. 20240. Please make your checks payable to: "Save the Mustangs Fund".
Mustang Heritage Foundation
The Mustang Heritage Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to facilitating successful adoptions of America's mustangs and burros. Founded in 2001, its mission is to help promote the BLM's Wild Horse and Burro Program and increase the number of successful adoptions through innovative programs such as the Extreme Mustang Makeover. All donations are tax-deductible and may be submitted electronically to "www.mustangheritagefoundation.org" or sent to Mustang Heritage Foundation, P.O. Box 979, Georgetown, TX 78626.
Please visit Interest Groups for several other organizations that assist wild horses and burros.
Ashlyn and "Cochese."
Cochese was adopted by Pam Wilson.
"Lucy." Halter-trained by the National Wild Horse Association (NWHA). Please visit the NWHA's Website for more halter-trained animals available for adoption.
Back to Get Involved
Back to Home Page | <urn:uuid:10a73006-6bd5-4cbd-97cc-ab989a6be4a0> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | https://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/prog/wild_horse_and_burro/whb_get_involved_/how_can_i_help.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560281450.93/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095121-00179-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.900064 | 607 | 1.609375 | 2 |
Download PDF | Download color brochure
As the fiscal crisis deepens in California and throughout the nation, teachers and other public employees have increasingly been scapegoated as a large part of the problem — specifically because they have earned pensions as part of their compensation package. It’s time to set the record straight.
The economic collapse is the result of many factors, including the subprime mortgage crisis, Wall Street banking scandals, the deregulation of financial institutions, high corporate and consumer debt levels, a high unemployment level, and unbridled corporate greed. It is an epic global crisis, and it affects all of us. It was not caused by middle-income teachers and education support professionals who worked hard and contributed part of their pay toward their pension throughout the years so they could live modestly during their retirement. It was caused largely by Wall Street bankers, who, instead of going to prison, continue to receive outrageous pay raises and $100 million bonuses.
In California, most educators belong to the California State Teachers’ Retirement System (CalSTRS), the second-largest public retirement fund in the country. The retirement fund is not a taxpayer giveaway, as critics have charged. Over the span of their careers, CalSTRS members contribute 8 percent of their monthly pay to help finance their retirement. Employers kick in an equal 8.25 percent of monthly pay, the state contributes a little more than 2 percent (which previously was 4.7 percent but was reduced a decade ago, saving the state over $3 billion), and the returns garnered by CalSTRS investments do the rest.
Unlike most workers, educators in California do not earn any Social Security benefits, and teachers who previously worked in the private sector often see their Social Security benefits reduced or eliminated from federal Social Security offsets, despite the fact that they paid into the Social Security system.
Teachers’ retirement benefits, secured over nearly three decades of service, replace about 62 percent of their working income. As such, the CalSTRS pension represents the only source of reliable monthly income a retired teacher receives. In addition, most public school educators in the state retire without employer-sponsored health care after age 65.
Teachers are not the only ones to gain from having a secure retirement. California gains as well. Here’s why:
- Retiree spending from CalSTRS and CalPERS, the California Public Employee’s Retirement System, benefits create more than $34.5 billion in economic output for the state each year.
- As recently as 2007, almost 61,000 jobs were created due to the economic activity of retirement benefit plans.
- Each $1 in taxpayer contributions to California’s state and local pension plans creates $7.91 in total economic output for the state.
Defined benefit payments to retired educators have been a powerful economic engine in California’s 58 counties and have a trickle-down effect on the local, state and national economies as well.
Without question, CalSTRS, like pension funds worldwide, has taken a hit due to the global recession, but it is not bankrupt, nor will it bankrupt the state. CalSTRS has historically been a sound system, and until the market collapse had consistently met or exceeded its assumed rate of return. Even under current economic conditions, CalSTRS is 71 percent funded and has sufficient assets and projected contributions to pay benefits until 2044.
Why the attack on public employee pensions? Who really benefits by their elimination? Again, the answer is Wall Street and those who seek to undermine the middle class. The elimination of public pension systems would be a huge boon for financial planners and companies that stand to invest that money while making profit off of the fees they can charge each individual. But Wall Street will also gain in an even bigger way. Institutional investors, like CalSTRS, have been the biggest champions of executive compensation reform and regulatory reform of the financial industry. Without institutional investors, no one would be keeping watch over bad corporate behavior, and there would be no guarantee that the money would go back into the state and national economies as it does now.
Some critics claim that CalSTRS is heading toward insolvency, and therefore should be eliminated. Although it is true that CalSTRS has a $56 billion shortfall, this does not have to be paid overnight. Like a mortgage, this is an amount that will need to be closed over a 30-year period. The shortfall has to be addressed, and teachers are committed to partnering with CalSTRS in finding a long-term funding solution, as they have since the system’s inception in 1913.
All Californians should have a safe and secure retirement system, just like teachers and other public servants. The real problem is not that teachers, firefighters and other public servants have defined benefit plans, but that many private-sector workers do not. That’s because the private sector systemically eliminated defined benefit pension plans in favor of risky 401(k) plans to reduce costs to corporate America at the expense of the American worker.
Instead of attacking teachers over their modest retirement benefits, we should be having discussions about how to create better retirement options for everyone. Eliminating the retirement options for teachers and public employees will not add to anyone’s retirement security and will not balance the state budget. | <urn:uuid:e43f8568-8788-46f7-8056-78030a1f3659> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.cta.org/Issues-and-Action/Retirement/Where-We-Stand-Pensions.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560281424.85/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095121-00330-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963909 | 1,083 | 2.25 | 2 |
Packing a powerful punch, this lightweight taildragger threatens to topple the Super Cub as short-field supremo and the glider tug of choice
As the rope goes taut I push the throttle open and the EuroFOX begins to move. When the throttle hits the stop there’s the tiniest pause?then the turbocharger cuts in and the combination surges forward. Suddenly there’s fifteen per cent more power than there was a second ago. There’s an urgent shove in the back and (believe it or not) the sensation reminds me of the moment when a jet engine’s afterburner lights, albeit scaled down considerably. The airspeed is building rapidly, and a glance in the mirror shows the glider is already airborne. This really is a tasty tow plane!
Over the years a surprisingly wide range of aircraft have been used as tugs, from Tiger Moths and Super Cubs to DC-3s and Stirling bombers, the incredible twin fuselage, five-engine He 111-Z1 and even a C-141 Starlifter! However, the most popular tow aircraft for many years have been Morane/Socata Rallyes, Robins, Piper Super Cubs and Pawnees?although a ‘double whammy’ of increasing fuel costs and spiralling maintenance bills (most of these airframes are at least thirty years old) has seen many gliding clubs examining the feasibility of using instead modern lightweight tugs powered by efficient, liquid-cooled engines.
Buckminster GC has been considering replacing its Robin DR400 Remorquer with an Aeropro EuroFOX for some time now, and as the club’s Tug Master I have enjoyed evaluating several different variants over the past eighteen months, powered by carburetted Rotax 912ULS, injected 912iS and turbocharged 914UL engines, and in both nosewheel and tailwheel versions. The emphasis of this flight test is on the latest?and most powerful?iteration, the 914-powered taildragger, which is proving to be quite a little hot-rod.
The EuroFOX can actually trace its lineage as far back as 1983, when the Avid Flyer was first introduced. This morphed into the very successful Kitfox, which despite initially earning a somewhat unsatisfactory reputation (due to a combination of relaxed stability and considerable adverse yaw produced by excessive aileron drag) eventually became a very successful kitplane. The basic type has continued to evolve, and the EuroFOX, which is manufactured in kit form by Aeropro in Slovakia, is a much more sophisticated machine than its American ancestors, and is very different. In fact, EuroFOX UK’s Roger Cornwell said that, “it’s like comparing a 1980s Mini to this year’s model. Everything but the wing fold is different.” He and Adrian Lloyd had also brought an iS-powered nosedragger across to Saltby to complement the turbocharged taildragger, and having flown a few tows in this very nicely equipped aircraft I finally got my hands on G-ZTUG, which is (as Jeremy Clarkson would intonate) the only 914-powered EuroFOX… in the World.
I immediately like the look of ‘Uniform Golf’. The tailwheel undercarriage really suits it, and the retro look is enhanced by the bright yellow paint scheme, which is strongly reminiscent of Piper’s classic Cub. However, although it may have a vintage vibe, Uniform Golf is the very model of a modern machine. The turbocharged engine’s horses are turned into thrust by a three-blade ground-adjustable Duc propeller, and its composite blades feature intriguing spoon-shaped tips. I don’t fully comprehend the physics, as propellers are extremely complex devices, but it is my understanding that the unusually shaped tips reduce induced drag.
The engine is tightly cowled but the fibreglass cowlings can be removed quickly, making a full inspection of the engine and its ancillaries easy. Powerful LED landing and taxi lights are located in the lower cowling, just below the radiator air intake. The main undercarriage uses a cantilever GRP bow, and is fitted with fat ‘Tundra’ tyres and slotted disc brakes. The fuselage and tail feathers are made of TIG-welded steel tube, while the wings use all aluminium spars and ribs, although the Junkers-type flaperons (combined flaps and ailerons) are attached to a composite steel/aluminium tube.
The wings can be folded quickly and easily?a very useful feature when the club hangar is particularly cramped. Struts brace the wings and tailplane, and the whole structure is very nicely covered with Stits PolyFiber. Uniform Golf is fitted with a traditional Tost hook, although an electric cable retraction winch is an option. The pneumatic tailwheel is steered by the rudder pedals up to about 30° each way: beyond that it breaks out and free-castors. The port elevator carries a large trim tab.
Access to the cockpit is good. The top-hinged doors open wide and are supported by gas struts, but it is at this juncture that pilots converting to a EuroFOX from a Pawnee or Super Cub just need to remind themselves that the design philosophies between a 21st century ‘lightweight’ and a utility aircraft built in the 1950s are very different. Basically, the prototype Pawnee was almost certainly built first and then weighed, while the components of modern lightweight machines are weighed first and then the aircraft is built. You do not, for example, slam the door and then use the rudder pedals to shove yourself back in the seat. If you do, things will soon start to break. This isn’t meant as a criticism of the EuroFOX – it’s just the way it is. If the rudder pedals, doors, etc weighed as much as a Pawnee’s then it simply wouldn’t work. The doors can be opened in flight at speeds up to 70kt, making DV panels superfluous. They are locked shut by a neat rotary catch at the bottom of the door which also actuates a cable operated latch pin at the rear. This would be better if it was at the front where the air loads are.
Wider cockpit than a C172’s
With a maximum width of 1.21m, the cockpit is actually wider than a Cessna 172s, and the extensive glazing gives it a very airy feel. The baggage bay behind the seats can take up to 20kg. The seats and pedals don’t adjust, so different sizes of pilot are catered for by changing the seat squabs. There are toe brakes for the left-seated PIC (a dual brake option is available, priced at £350) while levers for the flaps and trim are carried on a longitudinally mounted tube just forward of, and between the seats. The knobs for flap and trim are different shapes, but strictly speaking the trim should be colour-coded green. The throttle is mounted centrally, adjacent to the very nicely located (but incorrectly coloured) cable release. There’s another T-handle for the choke, mounted quite close to the cable release: it would be better if this were to be a different shape?or at least a lot smaller than the cable release. Below the two T-handles is the knob for the oil cooler flap. This is a great idea, as many Rotax installations are rather over-cooled and can take ages to warm up. Surprisingly, although thermostatic control is an option, in standard form operation is purely manual. Even the seventy-year-old P-51 Mustang has an auto setting for its cooling system (see ‘Mustang Conversion’, p.22?Ed).
The fuel system consists of two aluminium wing tanks?important if you’re planning on using mogas, which can attack composite materials these days?that feed into a six-litre polyethylene header tank. There’s a fuel cock for each tank and a master shut-off under the left side of the panel. Personally, I’d leave both tanks on all the time, as they seem to cross-feed quite naturally. Quantity remaining is shown by sight-tubes in the wing roots, which are difficult to read at a glance. There should be clear scales behind the sight-tubes, and also some sort of float within them. Excess fuel is returned to the left tank, and as soon as the header tank starts to empty, the ‘Bingo’ (low fuel) light illuminates. Although it may not sound like much when you’re told there’s only five litres of fuel left (the last litre is considered unusable), you could probably eke this out to as much as thirty minutes at the ‘max conserve’ power setting. Interestingly, our Remorquer also has a Bingo light – but it comes on at fifteen litres remaining!
The flight and engine instruments are all analogue, the ASI, VSI and altimeter being poitioned directly in front of the pilot, along with the tachometer, manifold pressure and CHT gauges. There are also several status indicator lights on the left side of the panel for the main and back-up fuel pumps, ‘low fuel’, ‘charge control’, and warnings from the TCU (turbo control unit). The GPS, transceiver and transponder are mounted in the centre of the panel, while the oil pressure and temperature, fuel pressure and voltmeter are on the right, along with the circuit breakers, most of the electrical switches and a very useful glove box.
Overall, it’s quite nicely laid out, although my preference would be for all the annunciators to be in a single block and for the tachometer and MP gauge to be adjacent to each other. But, of course, the EuroFOX is a kitplane, and the customer can choose exactly the panel layout and instruments that they want. The panel also contains twin, guarded mag switches and a key-operated rotary unit for the starter. Some people say that this is because you’re supposed to crank the engine and then turn on the mags, but I would much rather have my other hand on the throttle. However, this arrangement does allow you to crank the engine prior to starting, which is probably helpful for sloshing the oil around a bit.
The 914 starts easily and runs smoothly, but I am soon reminded of what has to be the worst feature of any nine-series Rotax: those ridiculously powerful throttle bias springs. These are arranged to give full power should the throttle cable break, so unless you have the throttle friction wound tight, then the second you let go of the throttle that’s what happens. Of course, like most of us I generally keep my hand on the throttle when I’m on the ground, but even briefly setting the flaps, adjusting the trim, or any other task, can have the engine accelerating alarmingly quickly. And when the friction is wound right down, you have no finesse. I absolutely detest it, don’t understand Rotax’s logic in making the springs so strong and was glad to hear that Aeropro offers both significantly softer springs and a Vernier throttle as options.
Anyway, as soon as the Ts & Ps are good I conclude the simple takeoff checks and taxi into position in front of the waiting sailplane. The field of view over and each side of the nose is good, while the tailwheel steering and differential braking combine to allow precise directional control. The rear-view mirror is excellent. It provides a fine field of view and appears impervious to vibration?unlike some tugs I’ve flown! At the ‘up slack’ signal I roll slowly forward and turn on the backup fuel pump, then wait for the rope to go taut and the ‘all-out’ before opening up to full power. Ambient conditions are an OAT of +4°C, which gives a density altitude of just below sea level, with a gentle crosswind from port. When taking off, Roger recommends setting half-flap and then putting the flaps to zero as soon as the tug is airborne, but I’m not convinced. Although this may be a good tactic when taking off from grass (to reduce rolling resistance) we are operating from concrete so resistance isn’t a factor. Indeed, there may be something to be said for the tug being on the ground a little bit longer, as with the heavier gliders the tug actually takes off first, which isn’t ideal. I’m also doubtful about the virtues of re-configuring so close to the ground. Talking of heavy gliders, the EuroFOX is currently cleared to tow sailplanes up to 750kg (800kg approval is being sought for the 914UL) on a 300kg weak link.
The first glider is an ASK-21 and it is two-up, yet the initial acceleration and ground roll seem to me to be essentially the same as they would be if I were in the 180hp Remorquer. The 914’s extra power is really noticeable in the EuroFOX, and clubs based on short grass strips would do well to consider the Turbo model. Pulling away at 65kt gives broadly comparable climb performance and although the EuroFOX’s field of view isn’t quite as good as the Remorquer’s, because the high-wing configuration inevitably creates a bit of a blind spot, all you have to do is raise the wing on the side you want to turn, before rolling into the turn. Once established in the turn you can see into it, courtesy of the clear roof panel.
Operating the engine is very simple, but not as easy as the injected iS version, as you do need to monitor the manifold pressure gauge and take care not to exceed the five-minute full power limit. Once the K-21 releases, I turn off the back-up fuel pump, smoothly but firmly close the throttle, trim forward and dive towards the airfield with the ASI’s needle at ‘the top of the green’. This is where the Rotax really scores as, being liquid-cooled, the cylinder-heads are in no danger of either being cooked in the climb or shocked in the descent. Consequently the total time for the tow (from ‘all-out’ to touchdown) is broadly the same, although of course the EuroFOX not only burned less than half the fuel than the Remorquer would’ve consumed, but the fuel that it burned is almost fifty per cent cheaper. And it’s not just about the money (although the costs of both maintenance and consumables are an order of magnitude lower too) it’s also about noise, and here there is almost no comparison?the EuroFOX is that quiet! It’s also an easy machine to handle in the circuit, so long as pilots converting onto it from a Robin, Rallye or Piper remember that it has considerably less inertia than these older, and heavier, machines. The Vfe is usefully high at 81kt, but full flap should be avoided unless you’re trying to get into a really short field on a nil-wind day, because as soon as you close the throttle and flare, the speed bleeds away at (quite literally) a rate of knots! Conversely, when landing in a crosswind of any strength I think that ‘flaps up’ is the way to go, as this improves aileron authority. Fifty-five knots on final seems about right.
Having towed some heavy gliders, I try a lightweight machine. The K-8 likes a slow tow, but on some tugs the combination of high power and slow speed can create excessive engine temperatures. However, the liquid-cooled cylinder-heads and efficient oil cooler ensure that everything stays comfortably within limits.
Taildragger handles best
While descending from the various tows I try some steep turns and other manoeuvres in order to reacquaint myself with the general handling. As I’ve been flying the iS-powered ‘nosedragger’ this morning, this also gives me the chance to compare the two types?with particular emphasis on the stability and control.
As expected, the taildragger’s directional stability is stronger, as there is less keel area in front of the centre of pressure. Interestingly, although the stall speeds are essentially the same, the nosedragger’s elevator seems to have less authority at very slow speeds, possibly because the C of G is further forward. Both aircraft reluctantly stall at an IAS of about 38kt, and with no tendency to drop a wing. As mentioned earlier, the early-model Avid’s and Kitfox’s Achilles heel was excessive adverse yaw when the flaps were lowered, but the EuroFOX has a taller fin, longer fuselage (and consequently greater moment arm) and although the adverse yaw is still there?particularly when the flaps are lowered?correct use of the rudder is all that is required to keep the slip ball centred. Control around all three axes is very good, with the roll rate being particularly noteworthy.
As well as being a neat little tug, the EuroFOX is also a capable tourer. Although cruise speeds in excess of 110kt are possible, around 95 seems to be a comfortable compromise, giving a claimed fuel burn of 14 lit/hr on the 914 engine and 11.2 lit/hr on the 912iS. The latter offers a range of over 700nm and the comfy seats, spacious cockpit and generous baggage bay make the EuroFOX a perfectly practical ‘going places’ machine. The typical useful load is 270kg, large enough to allow full 20kg baggage to be carried even two-up with full fuel. Finally, the sparkling STOL performance ensures that whatever your destination, not only will you be able to get in, you’ll also be able to get back out!
So, which one to choose?
Having reviewed the data and collated the pilot’s impressions of the various gliders I towed, plus the experience of being towed in a Duo Discus (140kg heavier than the EuroFOX tug, but no problem for even the 100hp version), it was time to draw some conclusions. The data confirmed what I already knew: the Turbo logged the fastest tows, the iS and the Remorquer being about the same. While I enjoyed flying the Turbo taildragger (and it really is a hoot) you may be surprised to learn that I have actually recommended to the Buckminster GC’s executive committee that we buy the iS-powered nosedragger.
Basically, as we have about 900 metres of tarmac runway and clear, unobstructed approaches at Saltby we simply don’t need the extra power offered by the 914, while as we do often operate in a crosswind the inherent directional stability provided by the nosewheel configuration means it’s much easier to land. It will obviously struggle a bit with very heavy gliders?as does the Remorquer?while the faster speed required when towing these water-ballasted behemoths is also considerably greater than the EuroFOX’s Vy. However, on most days, and for most gliders, the performance will be perfectly adequate. (At the same time, the extra power would certainly make the Turbo more attractive to clubs that operate from grass.)
The quiet engine—912 or 914 are equally good in this respect—will keep our neighbours happy and the greatly reduced towing costs should improve the members’ collective demeanour!
To avoid the ‘costly and onerous’ EASA permit system, the EuroFOX is sold in the UK only as a kit. The Light Aircraft Association requires builders to complete no less than 51 per cent of an aircraft, and under its ‘Advanced’ kit construction scheme, the EuroFOX builder visits the factory with the UK agents and, under supervision, covers the wings and fuselage. At the same time, the builder is able to observe how the Aeropro workers complete the ready to fly EuroFOX aircraft (useful for the builder when the Advanced kit arrives in the UK). The factory applies the paint to ensure the UK fleet has the same quality finish (a requirement of Aeropro, if reducing their product to kit form) and the kit is then shipped to the builder’s home for finishing. It’s a unique system, a consistent factory finish but in a kit.
Throughout the rest of the world, the EuroFOX is available factory built — only the UK requires a kit.
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KEITH WILSON (c) SINGLE USE PILO | <urn:uuid:a5264488-6057-4f6e-ac78-763e9fc57fe5> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.pilotweb.aero/news/flight-test-aeropro-eurofox-turbo-6250772 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570868.47/warc/CC-MAIN-20220808152744-20220808182744-00073.warc.gz | en | 0.955813 | 4,415 | 1.65625 | 2 |
Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) affects 3% of the world’s population and causes serious liver ailments including chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. HCV is an enveloped RNA virus belonging to the family Flaviviridae. Current treatment is not fully effective and causes adverse side effects. There is no HCV vaccine available. Thus, continued effort is required for developing a vaccine and better therapy. An HCV cell culture system is critical for studying various stages of HCV growth including viral entry, genome replication, packaging, and egress. In the current procedure presented, we used a wild-type intragenotype 2a chimeric virus, FNX-HCV, and a recombinant FNX-Rluc virus carrying a Renilla luciferase reporter gene to study the virus replication. A human hepatoma cell line (Huh-7 based) was used for transfection of in vitro transcribed HCV genomic RNAs. Cell-free culture supernatants, protein lysates and total RNA were harvested at various time points post-transfection to assess HCV growth. HCV genome replication status was evaluated by quantitative RT-PCR and visualizing the presence of HCV double-stranded RNA. The HCV protein expression was verified by Western blot and immunofluorescence assays using antibodies specific for HCV NS3 and NS5A proteins. HCV RNA transfected cells released infectious particles into culture supernatant and the viral titer was measured. Luciferase assays were utilized to assess the replication level and infectivity of reporter HCV. In conclusion, we present various virological assays for characterizing different stages of the HCV replication cycle.
20 Related JoVE Articles!
Avian Influenza Surveillance with FTA Cards: Field Methods, Biosafety, and Transportation Issues Solved
Institutions: Wageningen University, Linnaeus University, Simon Fraser University .
Avian Influenza Viruses (AIVs) infect many mammals, including humans1
. These AIVs are diverse in their natural hosts, harboring almost all possible viral subtypes2
. Human pandemics of flu originally stem from AIVs3
. Many fatal human cases during the H5N1 outbreaks in recent years were reported. Lately, a new AIV related strain swept through the human population, causing the 'swine flu epidemic'4
. Although human trading and transportation activity seems to be responsible for the spread of highly pathogenic strains5
, dispersal can also partly be attributed to wild birds6, 7
. However, the actual reservoir of all AIV strains is wild birds.
In reaction to this and in face of severe commercial losses in the poultry industry, large surveillance programs have been implemented globally to collect information on the ecology of AIVs, and to install early warning systems to detect certain highly pathogenic strains8-12
. Traditional virological methods require viruses to be intact and cultivated before analysis. This necessitates strict cold chains with deep freezers and heavy biosafety procedures to be in place during transport. Long-term surveillance is therefore usually restricted to a few field stations close to well equipped laboratories. Remote areas cannot be sampled unless logistically cumbersome procedures are implemented. These problems have been recognised13, 14
and the use of alternative storage and transport strategies investigated (alcohols or guanidine)15-17
. Recently, Kraus et al
introduced a method to collect, store and transport AIV samples, based on a special filter paper. FTA cards19
preserve RNA on a dry storage basis20
and render pathogens inactive upon contact21
. This study showed that FTA cards can be used to detect AIV RNA in reverse-transcription PCR and that the resulting cDNA could be sequenced and virus genes and determined.
In the study of Kraus et al
a laboratory isolate of AIV was used, and samples were handled individually. In the extension presented here, faecal samples from wild birds from the duck trap at the Ottenby Bird Observatory (SE Sweden) were tested directly to illustrate the usefulness of the methods under field conditions. Catching of ducks and sample collection by cloacal swabs is demonstrated. The current protocol includes up-scaling of the work flow from single tube handling to a 96-well design. Although less sensitive than the traditional methods, the method of FTA cards provides an excellent supplement to large surveillance schemes. It allows collection and analysis of samples from anywhere in the world, without the need to maintaining a cool chain or safety regulations with respect to shipping of hazardous reagents, such as alcohol or guanidine.
Immunology, Issue 54, AI, Influenza A Virus, zoonoses, reverse transcription PCR, viral RNA, surveillance, duck trap, RNA preservation and storage, infection, mallard
A Novel Surgical Approach for Intratracheal Administration of Bioactive Agents in a Fetal Mouse Model
Institutions: KU Leuven, KU Leuven, KU Leuven, KU Leuven, KU Leuven.
Prenatal pulmonary delivery of cells, genes or pharmacologic agents could provide the basis for new therapeutic strategies for a variety of genetic and acquired diseases. Apart from congenital or inherited abnormalities with the requirement for long-term expression of the delivered gene, several non-inherited perinatal conditions, where short-term gene expression or pharmacological intervention is sufficient to achieve therapeutic effects, are considered as potential future indications for this kind of approach. Candidate diseases for the application of short-term prenatal therapy could be the transient neonatal deficiency of surfactant protein B causing neonatal respiratory distress syndrome1,2
or hyperoxic injuries of the neonatal lung3
. Candidate diseases for permanent therapeutic correction are Cystic Fibrosis (CF)4
, genetic variants of surfactant deficiencies5
and α1-antitrypsin deficiency6
Generally, an important advantage of prenatal gene therapy is the ability to start therapeutic intervention early in development, at or even prior to clinical manifestations in the patient, thus preventing irreparable damage to the individual. In addition, fetal organs have an increased cell proliferation rate as compared to adult organs, which could allow a more efficient gene or stem cell transfer into the fetus. Furthermore, in utero
gene delivery is performed when the individual's immune system is not completely mature. Therefore, transplantation of heterologous cells or supplementation of a non-functional or absent protein with a correct version should not cause immune sensitization to the cell, vector or transgene product, which has recently been proven to be the case with both cellular and genetic therapies7
In the present study, we investigated the potential to directly target the fetal trachea in a mouse model. This procedure is in use in larger animal models such as rabbits and sheep8
, and even in a clinical setting9
, but has to date not been performed before in a mouse model. When studying the potential of fetal gene therapy for genetic diseases such as CF, the mouse model is very useful as a first proof-of-concept because of the wide availability of different transgenic mouse strains, the well documented embryogenesis and fetal development, less stringent ethical regulations, short gestation and the large litter size.
Different access routes have been described to target the fetal rodent lung, including intra-amniotic injection10-12
, (ultrasound-guided) intrapulmonary injection13,14
and intravenous administration into the yolk sac vessels15,16
or umbilical vein17
. Our novel surgical procedure enables researchers to inject the agent of choice directly into the fetal mouse trachea which allows for a more efficient delivery to the airways than existing techniques18
Medicine, Issue 68, Fetal, intratracheal, intra-amniotic, cross-fostering, lung, microsurgery, gene therapy, mice, rAAV
The CYP2D6 Animal Model: How to Induce Autoimmune Hepatitis in Mice
Institutions: Goethe University Hospital Frankfurt.
Autoimmune hepatitis is a rare but life threatening autoimmune disease of the liver of unknown etiology1,2
. In the past many attempts have been made to generate an animal model that reflects the characteristics of the human disease 3-5
. However, in various models the induction of disease was rather complex and often hepatitis was only transient3-5
. Therefore, we have developed a straightforward mouse model that uses the major human autoantigen in type 2 autoimmune hepatitis (AIH-2), namely hCYP2D6, as a trigger6
. Type 1 liver-kidney microsomal antibodies (LKM-1) antibodies recognizing hCYP2D6 are the hallmark of AIH-27,8
. Delivery of hCYP2D6 into wildtype FVB or C57BL/6 mice was by an Adenovirus construct (Ad-2D6) that ensures a direct delivery of the triggering antigen to the liver. Thus, the ensuing local inflammation generates a fertile field9
for the subsequent development of autoimmunity. A combination of intravenous and intraperitoneal injection of Ad-2D6 is the most effective route to induce a long-lasting autoimmune damage to the liver (section 1). Here we provide a detailed protocol on how autoimmune liver disease is induced in the CYP2D6 model and how the different aspects of liver damage can be assessed. First, the serum levels of markers indicating hepatocyte destruction, such as aminotransferases, as well as the titers of hCYP2D6 antibodies are determined by sampling blood retroorbitaly (section 2). Second, the hCYP2D6-specific T cell response is characterized by collecting lymphocytes from the spleen and the liver. In order to obtain pure liver lymphocytes, the livers are perfused by PBS via the portal vein (section 3), digested in collagen and purified over a Percoll gradient (section 4). The frequency of hCYP2D6-specific T cells is analyzed by stimulation with hCYP2D6 peptides and identification of IFNγ-producing cells by flow cytometry (section 5). Third, cellular infiltration and fibrosis is determined by immunohistochemistry of liver sections (section 6). Such analysis regimen has to be conducted at several times after initiation of the disease in order to prove the chronic nature of the model. The magnitude of the immune response characterized by the frequency and activity of hCYP2D6-specific T and/or B cells and the degree of the liver damage and fibrosis have to be assessed for a subsequent evaluation of possible treatments to prevent, delay or abrogate the autodestructive process of the liver.
Medicine, Issue 60, autoimmunity, liver, autoantigen, fibrosis, perfusion
Two Methods of Heterokaryon Formation to Discover HCV Restriction Factors
Institutions: Twincore, Centre for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research, The Rockefeller University, NY.
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a hepatotropic virus with a host-range restricted to humans and chimpanzees. Although HCV RNA replication has been observed in human non-hepatic and murine cell lines, the efficiency was very low and required long-term selection procedures using HCV replicon constructs expressing dominant antibiotic-selectable markers1-5
. HCV in vitro
research is therefore limited to human hepatoma cell lines permissive for virus entry and completion of the viral life cycle. Due to HCVs narrow species tropism, there is no immunocompetent small animal model available that sustains the complete HCV replication cycle 6-8
. Inefficient replication of HCV in non-human cells e.g. of mouse origin is likely due to lack of genetic incompatibility of essential host dependency factors and/or expression of restriction factors.
We investigated whether HCV propagation is suppressed by dominant restriction factors in either human cell lines derived from non-hepatic tissues or in mouse liver cell lines. To this end, we developed two independent conditional trans
-complementation methods relying on somatic cell fusion. In both cases, completion of the viral replication cycle is only possible in the heterokaryons. Consequently, successful trans
-complementation, which is determined by measuring de novo
production of infectious viral progeny, indicates absence of dominant restrictions.
Specifically, subgenomic HCV replicons carrying a luciferase transgene were transfected into highly permissive human hepatoma cells (Huh-7.5 cells). Subsequently, these cells were co-cultured and fused to various human and murine cells expressing HCV structural proteins core, envelope 1 and 2 (E1, E2) and accessory proteins p7 and NS2. Provided that cell fusion was initiated by treatment with polyethylene-glycol (PEG), the culture released infectious viral particles which infected naïve cells in a receptor-dependent fashion.
To assess the influence of dominant restrictions on the complete viral life cycle including cell entry, RNA translation, replication and virus assembly, we took advantage of a human liver cell line (Huh-7 Lunet N cells 9
) which lacks endogenous expression of CD81, an essential entry factor of HCV. In the absence of ectopically expressed CD81, these cells are essentially refractory to HCV infection 10
. Importantly, when co-cultured and fused with cells that express human CD81 but lack at least another crucial cell entry factor (i.e. SR-BI, CLDN1, OCLN), only the resulting heterokaryons display the complete set of HCV entry factors requisite for infection. Therefore, to analyze if dominant restriction factors suppress completion of the HCV replication cycle, we fused Lunet N cells with various cells from human and mouse origin which fulfill the above mentioned criteria. When co-cultured cells were transfected with a highly fusogenic viral envelope protein mutant of the prototype foamy virus (PFV11
) and subsequently challenged with infectious HCV particles (HCVcc), de novo
production of infectious virus was observed. This indicates that HCV successfully completed its replication cycle in heterokaryons thus ruling out expression of dominant restriction factors in these cell lines. These novel conditional trans
-complementation methods will be useful to screen a large panel of cell lines and primary cells for expression of HCV-specific dominant restriction factors.
Virology, Issue 65, Immunology, Molecular Biology, Genetics, cell fusion, HCV, restriction factor, heterokaryon, mouse, species-specificity
ampliPHOX Colorimetric Detection on a DNA Microarray for Influenza
DNA microarrays have emerged as a powerful tool for pathogen detection.1-5
For instance, many examples of the ability to type and subtype influenza virus have been demonstrated.6-11
The identification and subtyping of influenza on DNA microarrays has applications in both public health and the clinic for early detection, rapid intervention, and minimizing the impact of an influenza pandemic. Traditional fluorescence is currently the most commonly used microarray detection method. However, as microarray technology progresses towards clinical use,1
replacing expensive instrumentation with low cost detection technology exhibiting similar performance characteristics to fluorescence will make microarray assays more attractive and cost-effective.
The ampliPHOX colorimetric detection technology is intended for research applications, and has a limit of detection within one order of magnitude of traditional fluorescence11
, with a main advantage being an approximate ten-fold lower instrument cost compared to the confocal microarray scanners required for fluorescence microarray detection. Another advantage is the compact size of the instrument which allows for portability and flexibility, unlike traditional fluorescence instruments. Because the polymerization technology is not as inherently linear as fluorescence detection, however, it is best suited for lower density microarray applications in which a yes/no answer for the presence of a certain sequence is desired, such as for pathogen detection arrays. Currently the maximum spot density compatible with ampliPHOX detection is ˜1800 spots/array. Because of the spot density limitations, higher density microarrays are not suitable for ampliPHOX detection.
Here, we present ampliPHOX colorimetric detection technology as a method of signal amplification on a low density microarray developed for the detection and characterization of influenza viruses (FluChip). Although this protocol uses the FluChip (a DNA microarray) as one specific application of ampliPHOX detection, any microarray incorporating biotinylated target can be labeled and detected in a similar manner. The microarray design and biotinylation of the target to be captured are the responsibility of the user. Once the biotinylated target has been captured on the array, ampliPHOX detection can be performed by first tagging the array with a streptavidin-label conjugate (ampliTAG). Upon light exposure using the ampliPHOX Reader instrument, polymerization of a monomer solution (ampliPHY) occurs only in regions containing ampliTAG-labeled targets. The polymer formed can be subsequently stained with a non-toxic solution to improve visual contrast, followed by imaging and analysis using a simple software package (ampliVIEW). The entire FluChip assay from un-extracted sample to result can be performed in about 6 hours, and the ampliPHOX detection steps described above can be completed in about 30 min.
Immunology, Issue 52, microarrays, colorimetric detection, ampliPHOX, diagnostic, low-density, pathogen detection, influenza
Gene Transfer for Ischemic Heart Failure in a Preclinical Model
Institutions: Mount Sinai School of Medicine .
Various emerging technologies are being developed for patients with heart failure. Well-established preclinical evaluations are necessary to determine their efficacy and safety.
Gene therapy using viral vectors is one of the most promising approaches for treating cardiac diseases. Viral delivery of various different genes by changing the carrier gene has immeasurable therapeutic potential.
In this video, the full process of an animal model of heart failure creation followed by gene transfer is presented using a swine model. First, myocardial infarction is created by occluding the proximal left anterior descending coronary artery. Heart remodeling results in chronic heart failure. Unique to our model is a fairly large scar which truly reflects patients with severe heart failure who require aggressive therapy for positive outcomes. After myocardial infarct creation and development of scar tissue, an intracoronary injection of virus is demonstrated with simultaneous nitroglycerine infusion. Our injection method provides simple and efficient gene transfer with enhanced gene expression. This combination of a myocardial infarct swine model with intracoronary virus delivery has proven to be a consistent and reproducible methodology, which helps not only to test the effect of individual gene, but also compare the efficacy of many genes as therapeutic candidates.
Medicine, Issue 51, Myocardial infarction, Gene therapy, Intracoronary injection, Viral vector, Ischemic heart failure
Rescue of Recombinant Newcastle Disease Virus from cDNA
Institutions: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, University of Rochester.
Newcastle disease virus (NDV), the prototype member of the Avulavirus
genus of the family Paramyxoviridae1
, is a non-segmented, negative-sense, single-stranded, enveloped RNA virus (Figure 1)
with potential applications as a vector for vaccination and treatment of human diseases. In-depth exploration of these applications has only become possible after the establishment of reverse genetics techniques to rescue recombinant viruses from plasmids encoding their complete genomes as cDNA2-5
. Viral cDNA can be conveniently modified in vitro
by using standard cloning procedures to alter the genotype of the virus and/or to include new transcriptional units. Rescue of such genetically modified viruses provides a valuable tool to understand factors affecting multiple stages of infection, as well as allows for the development and improvement of vectors for the expression and delivery of antigens for vaccination and therapy. Here we describe a protocol for the rescue of recombinant NDVs.
Immunology, Issue 80, Paramyxoviridae, Vaccines, Oncolytic Virotherapy, Immunity, Innate, Newcastle disease virus (NDV), MVA-T7, reverse genetics techniques, plasmid transfection, recombinant virus, HA assay
Aseptic Laboratory Techniques: Plating Methods
Institutions: University of California, Los Angeles .
Microorganisms are present on all inanimate surfaces creating ubiquitous sources of possible contamination in the laboratory. Experimental success relies on the ability of a scientist to sterilize work surfaces and equipment as well as prevent contact of sterile instruments and solutions with non-sterile surfaces. Here we present the steps for several plating methods routinely used in the laboratory to isolate, propagate, or enumerate microorganisms such as bacteria and phage. All five methods incorporate aseptic technique, or procedures that maintain the sterility of experimental materials. Procedures described include (1) streak-plating bacterial cultures to isolate single colonies, (2) pour-plating and (3) spread-plating to enumerate viable bacterial colonies, (4) soft agar overlays to isolate phage and enumerate plaques, and (5) replica-plating to transfer cells from one plate to another in an identical spatial pattern. These procedures can be performed at the laboratory bench, provided they involve non-pathogenic strains of microorganisms (Biosafety Level 1, BSL-1). If working with BSL-2 organisms, then these manipulations must take place in a biosafety cabinet. Consult the most current edition of the Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories
(BMBL) as well as Material Safety Data Sheets
(MSDS) for Infectious Substances to determine the biohazard classification as well as the safety precautions and containment facilities required for the microorganism in question. Bacterial strains and phage stocks can be obtained from research investigators, companies, and collections maintained by particular organizations such as the American Type Culture Collection
(ATCC). It is recommended that non-pathogenic strains be used when learning the various plating methods. By following the procedures described in this protocol, students should be able to:
● Perform plating procedures without contaminating media.
● Isolate single bacterial colonies by the streak-plating method.
● Use pour-plating and spread-plating methods to determine the concentration of bacteria.
● Perform soft agar overlays when working with phage.
● Transfer bacterial cells from one plate to another using the replica-plating procedure.
● Given an experimental task, select the appropriate plating method.
Basic Protocols, Issue 63, Streak plates, pour plates, soft agar overlays, spread plates, replica plates, bacteria, colonies, phage, plaques, dilutions
Genetic Manipulation in Δku80 Strains for Functional Genomic Analysis of Toxoplasma gondii
Institutions: The Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth.
Targeted genetic manipulation using homologous recombination is the method of choice for functional genomic analysis to obtain a detailed view of gene function and phenotype(s). The development of mutant strains with targeted gene deletions, targeted mutations, complemented gene function, and/or tagged genes provides powerful strategies to address gene function, particularly if these genetic manipulations can be efficiently targeted to the gene locus of interest using integration mediated by double cross over homologous recombination.
Due to very high rates of nonhomologous recombination, functional genomic analysis of Toxoplasma gondii
has been previously limited by the absence of efficient methods for targeting gene deletions and gene replacements to specific genetic loci. Recently, we abolished the major pathway of nonhomologous recombination in type I and type II strains of T. gondii
by deleting the gene encoding the KU80 protein1,2
. The Δku80
strains behave normally during tachyzoite (acute) and bradyzoite (chronic) stages in vitro
and in vivo
and exhibit essentially a 100% frequency of homologous recombination. The Δku80
strains make functional genomic studies feasible on the single gene as well as on the genome scale1-4
Here, we report methods for using type I and type II Δku80Δhxgprt
strains to advance gene targeting approaches in T. gondii
. We outline efficient methods for generating gene deletions, gene replacements, and tagged genes by targeted insertion or deletion of the hypoxanthine-xanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (HXGPRT
) selectable marker. The described gene targeting protocol can be used in a variety of ways in Δku80
strains to advance functional analysis of the parasite genome and to develop single strains that carry multiple targeted genetic manipulations. The application of this genetic method and subsequent phenotypic assays will reveal fundamental and unique aspects of the biology of T. gondii
and related significant human pathogens that cause malaria (Plasmodium
sp.) and cryptosporidiosis (Cryptosporidium
Infectious Diseases, Issue 77, Genetics, Microbiology, Infection, Medicine, Immunology, Molecular Biology, Cellular Biology, Biomedical Engineering, Bioengineering, Genomics, Parasitology, Pathology, Apicomplexa, Coccidia, Toxoplasma, Genetic Techniques, Gene Targeting, Eukaryota, Toxoplasma gondii, genetic manipulation, gene targeting, gene deletion, gene replacement, gene tagging, homologous recombination, DNA, sequencing
High-throughput Detection Method for Influenza Virus
Institutions: Blood Research Institute, Mount Sinai School of Medicine , Blood Research Institute, City of Milwaukee Health Department Laboratory, Medical College of Wisconsin , Medical College of Wisconsin .
Influenza virus is a respiratory pathogen that causes a high degree of morbidity and mortality every year in multiple parts of the world. Therefore, precise diagnosis of the infecting strain and rapid high-throughput screening of vast numbers of clinical samples is paramount to control the spread of pandemic infections. Current clinical diagnoses of influenza infections are based on serologic testing, polymerase chain reaction, direct specimen immunofluorescence and cell culture 1,2
Here, we report the development of a novel diagnostic technique used to detect live influenza viruses. We used the mouse-adapted human A/PR/8/34 (PR8, H1N1) virus 3
to test the efficacy of this technique using MDCK cells 4
. MDCK cells (104
or 5 x 103
per well) were cultured in 96- or 384-well plates, infected with PR8 and viral proteins were detected using anti-M2 followed by an IR dye-conjugated secondary antibody. M2 5
and hemagglutinin 1
are two major marker proteins used in many different diagnostic assays. Employing IR-dye-conjugated secondary antibodies minimized the autofluorescence associated with other fluorescent dyes. The use of anti-M2 antibody allowed us to use the antigen-specific fluorescence intensity as a direct metric of viral quantity. To enumerate the fluorescence intensity, we used the LI-COR Odyssey-based IR scanner. This system uses two channel laser-based IR detections to identify fluorophores and differentiate them from background noise. The first channel excites at 680 nm and emits at 700 nm to help quantify the background. The second channel detects fluorophores that excite at 780 nm and emit at 800 nm. Scanning of PR8-infected MDCK cells in the IR scanner indicated a viral titer-dependent bright fluorescence. A positive correlation of fluorescence intensity to virus titer starting from 102
PFU could be consistently observed. Minimal but detectable positivity consistently seen with 102
PFU PR8 viral titers demonstrated the high sensitivity of the near-IR dyes. The signal-to-noise ratio was determined by comparing the mock-infected or isotype antibody-treated MDCK cells.
Using the fluorescence intensities from 96- or 384-well plate formats, we constructed standard titration curves. In these calculations, the first variable is the viral titer while the second variable is the fluorescence intensity. Therefore, we used the exponential distribution to generate a curve-fit to determine the polynomial relationship between the viral titers and fluorescence intensities. Collectively, we conclude that IR dye-based protein detection system can help diagnose infecting viral strains and precisely enumerate the titer of the infecting pathogens.
Immunology, Issue 60, Influenza virus, Virus titer, Epithelial cells
An Affordable HIV-1 Drug Resistance Monitoring Method for Resource Limited Settings
Institutions: University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa, Jembi Health Systems, University of Amsterdam, Stanford Medical School.
HIV-1 drug resistance has the potential to seriously compromise the effectiveness and impact of antiretroviral therapy (ART). As ART programs in sub-Saharan Africa continue to expand, individuals on ART should be closely monitored for the emergence of drug resistance. Surveillance of transmitted drug resistance to track transmission of viral strains already resistant to ART is also critical. Unfortunately, drug resistance testing is still not readily accessible in resource limited settings, because genotyping is expensive and requires sophisticated laboratory and data management infrastructure. An open access genotypic drug resistance monitoring method to manage individuals and assess transmitted drug resistance is described. The method uses free open source software for the interpretation of drug resistance patterns and the generation of individual patient reports. The genotyping protocol has an amplification rate of greater than 95% for plasma samples with a viral load >1,000 HIV-1 RNA copies/ml. The sensitivity decreases significantly for viral loads <1,000 HIV-1 RNA copies/ml. The method described here was validated against a method of HIV-1 drug resistance testing approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Viroseq genotyping method. Limitations of the method described here include the fact that it is not automated and that it also failed to amplify the circulating recombinant form CRF02_AG from a validation panel of samples, although it amplified subtypes A and B from the same panel.
Medicine, Issue 85, Biomedical Technology, HIV-1, HIV Infections, Viremia, Nucleic Acids, genetics, antiretroviral therapy, drug resistance, genotyping, affordable
Detection of the Genome and Transcripts of a Persistent DNA Virus in Neuronal Tissues by Fluorescent In situ Hybridization Combined with Immunostaining
Institutions: CNRS UMR 5534, Université de Lyon 1, LabEX DEVweCAN, CNRS UPR 3296, CNRS UMR 5286.
Single cell codetection of a gene, its RNA product and cellular regulatory proteins is critical to study gene expression regulation. This is a challenge in the field of virology; in particular for nuclear-replicating persistent DNA viruses that involve animal models for their study. Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) establishes a life-long latent infection in peripheral neurons. Latent virus serves as reservoir, from which it reactivates and induces a new herpetic episode. The cell biology of HSV-1 latency remains poorly understood, in part due to the lack of methods to detect HSV-1 genomes in situ
in animal models. We describe a DNA-fluorescent in situ
hybridization (FISH) approach efficiently detecting low-copy viral genomes within sections of neuronal tissues from infected animal models. The method relies on heat-based antigen unmasking, and directly labeled home-made DNA probes, or commercially available probes. We developed a triple staining approach, combining DNA-FISH with RNA-FISH and immunofluorescence, using peroxidase based signal amplification to accommodate each staining requirement. A major improvement is the ability to obtain, within 10 µm tissue sections, low-background signals that can be imaged at high resolution by confocal microscopy and wide-field conventional epifluorescence. Additionally, the triple staining worked with a wide range of antibodies directed against cellular and viral proteins. The complete protocol takes 2.5 days to accommodate antibody and probe penetration within the tissue.
Neuroscience, Issue 83, Life Sciences (General), Virology, Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV), Latency, In situ hybridization, Nuclear organization, Gene expression, Microscopy
Isolation of Fidelity Variants of RNA Viruses and Characterization of Virus Mutation Frequency
Institutions: Institut Pasteur .
RNA viruses use RNA dependent RNA polymerases to replicate their genomes. The intrinsically high error rate of these enzymes is a large contributor to the generation of extreme population diversity that facilitates virus adaptation and evolution. Increasing evidence shows that the intrinsic error rates, and the resulting mutation frequencies, of RNA viruses can be modulated by subtle amino acid changes to the viral polymerase. Although biochemical assays exist for some viral RNA polymerases that permit quantitative measure of incorporation fidelity, here we describe a simple method of measuring mutation frequencies of RNA viruses that has proven to be as accurate as biochemical approaches in identifying fidelity altering mutations. The approach uses conventional virological and sequencing techniques that can be performed in most biology laboratories. Based on our experience with a number of different viruses, we have identified the key steps that must be optimized to increase the likelihood of isolating fidelity variants and generating data of statistical significance. The isolation and characterization of fidelity altering mutations can provide new insights into polymerase structure and function1-3
. Furthermore, these fidelity variants can be useful tools in characterizing mechanisms of virus adaptation and evolution4-7
Immunology, Issue 52, Polymerase fidelity, RNA virus, mutation frequency, mutagen, RNA polymerase, viral evolution
High-throughput Screening for Broad-spectrum Chemical Inhibitors of RNA Viruses
Institutions: Institut Pasteur, CNRS UMR3569, Institut Pasteur, CNRS UMR3523, Institut Pasteur.
RNA viruses are responsible for major human diseases such as flu, bronchitis, dengue, Hepatitis C or measles. They also represent an emerging threat because of increased worldwide exchanges and human populations penetrating more and more natural ecosystems. A good example of such an emerging situation is chikungunya virus epidemics of 2005-2006 in the Indian Ocean. Recent progresses in our understanding of cellular pathways controlling viral replication suggest that compounds targeting host cell functions, rather than the virus itself, could inhibit a large panel of RNA viruses. Some broad-spectrum antiviral compounds have been identified with host target-oriented assays. However, measuring the inhibition of viral replication in cell cultures using reduction of cytopathic effects as a readout still represents a paramount screening strategy. Such functional screens have been greatly improved by the development of recombinant viruses expressing reporter enzymes capable of bioluminescence such as luciferase. In the present report, we detail a high-throughput screening pipeline, which combines recombinant measles and chikungunya viruses with cellular viability assays, to identify compounds with a broad-spectrum antiviral profile.
Immunology, Issue 87, Viral infections, high-throughput screening assays, broad-spectrum antivirals, chikungunya virus, measles virus, luciferase reporter, chemical libraries
A Restriction Enzyme Based Cloning Method to Assess the In vitro Replication Capacity of HIV-1 Subtype C Gag-MJ4 Chimeric Viruses
Institutions: Emory University, Emory University.
The protective effect of many HLA class I alleles on HIV-1 pathogenesis and disease progression is, in part, attributed to their ability to target conserved portions of the HIV-1 genome that escape with difficulty. Sequence changes attributed to cellular immune pressure arise across the genome during infection, and if found within conserved regions of the genome such as Gag, can affect the ability of the virus to replicate in vitro
. Transmission of HLA-linked polymorphisms in Gag to HLA-mismatched recipients has been associated with reduced set point viral loads. We hypothesized this may be due to a reduced replication capacity of the virus. Here we present a novel method for assessing the in vitro
replication of HIV-1 as influenced by the gag
gene isolated from acute time points from subtype C infected Zambians. This method uses restriction enzyme based cloning to insert the gag
gene into a common subtype C HIV-1 proviral backbone, MJ4. This makes it more appropriate to the study of subtype C sequences than previous recombination based methods that have assessed the in vitro
replication of chronically derived gag-pro
sequences. Nevertheless, the protocol could be readily modified for studies of viruses from other subtypes. Moreover, this protocol details a robust and reproducible method for assessing the replication capacity of the Gag-MJ4 chimeric viruses on a CEM-based T cell line. This method was utilized for the study of Gag-MJ4 chimeric viruses derived from 149 subtype C acutely infected Zambians, and has allowed for the identification of residues in Gag that affect replication. More importantly, the implementation of this technique has facilitated a deeper understanding of how viral replication defines parameters of early HIV-1 pathogenesis such as set point viral load and longitudinal CD4+ T cell decline.
Infectious Diseases, Issue 90, HIV-1, Gag, viral replication, replication capacity, viral fitness, MJ4, CEM, GXR25
Testing the Physiological Barriers to Viral Transmission in Aphids Using Microinjection
Institutions: Cornell University, Cornell University.
Potato loafroll virus (PLRV), from the family Luteoviridae infects solanaceous plants. It is transmitted by aphids, primarily, the green peach aphid. When an uninfected aphid feeds on an infected plant it contracts the virus through the plant phloem. Once ingested, the virus must pass from the insect gut to the hemolymph (the insect blood ) and then must pass through the salivary gland, in order to be transmitted back to a new plant. An aphid may take up different viruses when munching on a plant, however only a small fraction will pass through the gut and salivary gland, the two main barriers for transmission to infect more plants. In the lab, we use physalis plants to study PLRV transmission. In this host, symptoms are characterized by stunting and interveinal chlorosis (yellowing of the leaves between the veins with the veins remaining green). The video that we present demonstrates a method for performing aphid microinjection on insects that do not vector PLVR viruses and tests whether the gut is preventing viral transmission.
The video that we present demonstrates a method for performing Aphid microinjection on insects that do not vector PLVR viruses and tests whether the gut or salivary gland is preventing viral transmission.
Plant Biology, Issue 15, Annual Review, Aphids, Plant Virus, Potato Leaf Roll Virus, Microinjection Technique
Titration of Human Coronaviruses Using an Immunoperoxidase Assay
Institutions: INRS-Institut Armand-Frappier.
Determination of infectious viral titers is a basic and essential experimental approach for virologists. Classical plaque assays cannot be used for viruses that do not cause significant cytopathic effects, which is the case for prototype strains 229E and OC43 of human coronavirus (HCoV). Therefore, an alternative indirect immunoperoxidase assay (IPA) was developed for the detection and titration of these viruses and is described herein. Susceptible cells are inoculated with serial logarithmic dilutions of virus-containing samples in a 96-well plate format. After viral growth, viral detection by IPA yields the infectious virus titer, expressed as 'Tissue Culture Infectious Dose 50 percent' (TCID50). This represents the dilution of a virus-containing sample at which half of a series of laboratory wells contain infectious replicating virus. This technique provides a reliable method for the titration of HCoV-229E and HCoV-OC43 in biological samples such as cells, tissues and fluids. This article is based on work first reported in Methods in Molecular Biology (2008) volume 454, pages 93-102.
Microbiology, Issue 14, Springer Protocols, Human coronavirus, HCoV-229E, HCoV-OC43, cell and tissue sample, titration, immunoperoxidase assay, TCID50
A Swine Model of Neonatal Asphyxia
Institutions: University of Alberta, University of Alberta.
Annually more than 1 million neonates die worldwide as related to asphyxia. Asphyxiated neonates commonly have multi-organ failure including hypotension, perfusion deficit, hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, pulmonary hypertension, vasculopathic enterocolitis, renal failure and thrombo-embolic complications. Animal models are developed to help us understand the patho-physiology and pharmacology of neonatal asphyxia. In comparison to rodents and newborn lambs, the newborn piglet has been proven to be a valuable model. The newborn piglet has several advantages including similar development as that of 36-38 weeks human fetus with comparable body systems, large body size (˜1.5-2 kg at birth) that allows the instrumentation and monitoring of the animal and controls the confounding variables of hypoxia and hemodynamic derangements.
We here describe an experimental protocol to simulate neonatal asphyxia and allow us to examine the systemic and regional hemodynamic changes during the asphyxiating and reoxygenation process as well as the respective effects of interventions. Further, the model has the advantage of studying multi-organ failure or dysfunction simultaneously and the interaction with various body systems. The experimental model is a non-survival procedure that involves the surgical instrumentation of newborn piglets (1-3 day-old and 1.5-2.5 kg weight, mixed breed) to allow the establishment of mechanical ventilation, vascular (arterial and central venous) access and the placement of catheters and flow probes (Transonic Inc.) for the continuously monitoring of intra-vascular pressure and blood flow across different arteries including main pulmonary, common carotid, superior mesenteric and left renal arteries. Using these surgically instrumented piglets, after stabilization for 30-60 minutes as defined by Z<10% variation in hemodynamic parameters and normal blood gases, we commence an experimental protocol of severe hypoxemia which is induced via normocapnic alveolar hypoxia. The piglet is ventilated with 10-15% oxygen by increasing the inhaled concentration of nitrogen gas for 2h, aiming for arterial oxygen saturations of 30-40%. This degree of hypoxemia will produce clinical asphyxia with severe metabolic acidosis, systemic hypotension and cardiogenic shock with hypoperfusion to vital organs. The hypoxia is followed by reoxygenation with 100% oxygen for 0.5h and then 21% oxygen for 3.5h. Pharmacologic interventions can be introduced in due course and their effects investigated in a blinded, block-randomized fashion.
Medicine, Issue 56, Developmental Biology, pigs, newborn, hypoxia, asphyxia, reoxygenation
Interview: HIV-1 Proviral DNA Excision Using an Evolved Recombinase
Institutions: Heinrich-Pette-Institute for Experimental Virology and Immunology, University of Hamburg.
HIV-1 integrates into the host chromosome of infected cells and persists as a provirus flanked by long terminal repeats. Current treatment strategies primarily target virus enzymes or virus-cell fusion, suppressing the viral life cycle without eradicating the infection. Since the integrated provirus is not targeted by these approaches, new resistant strains of HIV-1 may emerge. Here, we report that the engineered recombinase Tre (see Molecular evolution of the Tre recombinase , Buchholz, F., Max Planck Institute for Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden) efficiently excises integrated HIV-1 proviral DNA from the genome of infected cells. We produced loxLTR containing viral pseudotypes and infected HeLa cells to examine whether Tre recombinase can excise the provirus from the genome of HIV-1 infected human cells. A virus particle-releasing cell line was cloned and transfected with a plasmid expressing Tre or with a parental control vector. Recombinase activity and virus production were monitored. All assays demonstrated the efficient deletion of the provirus from infected cells without visible cytotoxic effects. These results serve as proof of principle that it is possible to evolve a recombinase to specifically target an HIV-1 LTR and that this recombinase is capable of excising the HIV-1 provirus from the genome of HIV-1-infected human cells.
Before an engineered recombinase could enter the therapeutic arena, however, significant obstacles need to be overcome. Among the most critical issues, that we face, are an efficient and safe delivery to targeted cells and the absence of side effects.
Medicine, Issue 16, HIV, Cell Biology, Recombinase, provirus, HeLa Cells
Building a Better Mosquito: Identifying the Genes Enabling Malaria and Dengue Fever Resistance in A. gambiae and A. aegypti Mosquitoes
Institutions: Johns Hopkins University.
In this interview, George Dimopoulos focuses on the physiological mechanisms used by mosquitoes to combat Plasmodium falciparum and dengue virus infections. Explanation is given for how key refractory genes, those genes conferring resistance to vector pathogens, are identified in the mosquito and how this knowledge can be used to generate transgenic mosquitoes that are unable to carry the malaria parasite or dengue virus.
Cellular Biology, Issue 5, Translational Research, mosquito, malaria, virus, dengue, genetics, injection, RNAi, transgenesis, transgenic | <urn:uuid:9c4af40d-086f-45d2-b168-71e382167645> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.jove.com/visualize/abstract/21829641/first-isolation-hepatitis-e-virus-genotype-4-europe-through-swine | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560281353.56/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095121-00070-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.894059 | 9,785 | 3.0625 | 3 |
A study published in the journal Science reveals that a combination of climate change and deforestation is destroying ancient trees, and stunting younger ones. Add forest wildfires to the equation, most natural forest ecosystems in the world are getting lost forever.
Although various factors are responsible for the loss of trees and forests all over the world, the global results are the same – stripping the Earth of her forests and laying it bare to the vagaries of the elements to the hurt of wildlife that live in them. With the loss of forests and the death of old trees and stunting of younger ones comes the disappearance of critically endangered species such as the orangutan and the Sumatran tiger that enrich its biodiversity.
Nate McDowell, the lead author of the study and staff at the US Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, identified climate change, forest wildfires, deforestation, and insect outbreaks as the major causes of tree loss around the world. According to him, there seems to be no end in sight to the logging of ancient trees and the shortening of younger ones.
“Perhaps more concerning is that the trajectory of all these disturbances are generally increasing over time and are expected to continue increasing into the future,” he said.
Together with 20 other forestry specialists, McDowell and his team sifted through more than 160 previous studies on tree mortality and applied current satellite data and modeling to determine worldwide loss of tree habitats to date.
Kristina Anderson-Teixeira, an ecologist and leader of the ForestGEO Ecosystems and Climate Program at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, noted that virgin forests in Siberia, Australia, and the Amazon have witnessed massive fires in recent years, and illegal logging of trees continues unabated in Brazil and Southeast Asia.
McDowell noted that human activities are hitting the global forests so hard and so rapidly in many different places that the forests cannot keep up with it. Given that forests contain carbon-dioxide and increase its presence in the atmosphere, the loss of natural trees and the shortening of many others will do the Earth a lot more harm than good.
“I would recommend that people try to visit places with big trees now, while they can, with their kids,” McDowell says. “Because there’s some significant threat, that might not be possible sometime in the future. A future planet with fewer large, old forests will be very different than what we have grown accustomed to.” | <urn:uuid:e3679c5e-a51d-4d81-b96e-930e4cd1cf1b> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://theusbport.com/climate-change-deforestation-killing-worlds-oldest-trees-stunting-younger/32444 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571538.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812014923-20220812044923-00476.warc.gz | en | 0.951955 | 510 | 3.75 | 4 |
[Edu-sig] Re: Best approach to teaching OOP and graphics
ajsiegel at optonline.net
Sat Mar 26 16:40:34 CET 2005
> -----Original Message-----
> From: John Zelle [mailto:john.zelle at wartburg.edu]
> Arthur wrote:
> I agree that graphics programming is a great, concrete way, to teach
> about objects. That is the point of my 2D graphics library. VPython is
> also a great tool. The one caveat I would make here is that many OO
> designers would say that the approach taken by VPython allowing direct
> attribute access is not good style. Objects should generally be
> manipulated through methods, not by twiddling fields. I know this is
> fairly common in Python, but maybe Vpython is not the best first example
> of object-oriented design.
I don't fully grasp what you are saying. Probably mostly because my primary
understanding of OOP comes directly from Python, and how and to what extent
Python differs from other approaches is not an area of much clarity for me.
There are also OOP designers who, I know, would argue that the absence of
access modifiers in Python is violation of good OOP. I have heard that
argument used as a reason why Java is a more appropriate introductory
language than Python - establishing good OOP habits early.
I would stay out of the argument as to whether access modifiers are
essential to enterprise level development efforts.
But would note that I do have Java in a Nutshell, Second Edition,
publication date 1996 in my library - because that is where I first started
in trying to learn programming. And would say that access modifiers were a
key impediment to my taking off with Java. I sensed, I think completely
correctly, that I was approaching a language whose structure was complicated
by concerns that were no way immediate to my own concerns. If enterprise
development were to become an interest it would be many moons from my
starting point, and I would be able to deal with the issues involved at that
time - a natural ordering in time that a language like Java I don't think
allows very well.
And I don't think we need to be afraid of teaching Python, exactly as it is,
as a developed OOP approach. It has grown enough in stature, I think, to
have proven itself to be another fully legitimate approach - trading
productivity for what others might consider to be necessary stricture.
Which brings us back around to TDD, in some sense.
More information about the Edu-sig | <urn:uuid:a56893f4-ecb0-437c-9584-68bbc776e702> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | https://mail.python.org/pipermail/edu-sig/2005-March/004572.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280221.47/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00228-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963059 | 557 | 1.851563 | 2 |
NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries invites the public to participate in the first step in the process to potentially designate a new national marine sanctuary off the coast of New York and New Jersey. The Wildlife Conservation Society submitted a nomination for a Hudson Canyon National Marine Sanctuary in November 2016, noting that the area provides a wide range of benefits to New York and New Jersey residents such as clean air, fresh water, recreation, and food.
About the Area Under Consideration
Hudson Canyon is the largest submarine canyon along the U.S. Atlantic coast and is one of the largest in the world. Beginning approximately 100 miles southeast of New York City, the canyon extends about 350 miles seaward, reaches depths of 2 to 2.5 miles, and is up to 7.5 miles wide. Hudson Canyon's grand scale and diverse structure—steep slopes, firm outcrops, diverse sediments, flux of nutrients, and areas of upwelling—make it an ecological hotspot for a vast array of marine wildlife.
Hudson Canyon provides habitat for a range of protected and sensitive species, including sperm whales, sea turtles, and deep-sea corals. The area's rich biodiversity is integral to the regional economy, underpinning commercial and recreational fisheries, recreational diving, whale watching, and birding. Hudson Canyon could also serve as a sentinel site for NOAA to monitor the impacts of climate change on submarine canyons, which are vulnerable to the effects of ocean acidification and oxygen depletion.
The waters surrounding Hudson Canyon also hold historical and cultural importance to those living along its shores in New York and New Jersey. The ancestors of the Indigenous communities in this area have inhabited the region for more than 10,000 years and have relied upon the natural resources of Hudson Canyon. There are also several shipwrecks in the nominated area, with some dating to the mid-19th Century.
The primary goals of the proposed national marine sanctuary designation are to 1) support conservation of the area's marine wildlife, habitats, and maritime cultural resources, 2) work closely with Indigenous Tribes and Nations to identify and raise awareness of Indigenous connections to the area, 3) highlight and promote sustainable uses of the area, 4) expand ocean science and monitoring in, and education and awareness of the area, and 5) provide a platform for collaborative and diverse partnerships that support effective and inclusive long-term management of the area.
During the initial public comment period, NOAA will "scope out" or solicit the public's views on the proposed sanctuary designation. This is a critical step in NOAA's consideration to move forward with the process. Should designation proceed, scoping comments also assist NOAA in its future development of sanctuary designation documents, including a draft environmental impact statement, draft management plan, and proposed rulemaking.
While NOAA will consider all relevant comments during this scoping process, we are seeking input on the following specific topics:
- boundary options for the proposed sanctuary that strive to meet the goals identified above;
- the location, nature, and value of natural and cultural resources in the area under consideration;
- specific threats to these resources;
- information on Indigenous Tribes and Nations' heritage and connections to the area;
- the non-regulatory actions (e.g., education or research programs) NOAA should prioritize within its draft management plan for the proposed sanctuary;
- the regulations most appropriate for management of the proposed sanctuary;
- the benefits to the "Blue Economy" of the region, including promotion of sustainable tourism and recreation; and
- a permanent name for the proposed sanctuary.
The public can comment on the proposed action June 8, 2022, through August 8, 2022. Comments may be submitted by any one of the following methods:
In order to gather public input on the proposed designation, ONMS will host virtual and in-person meetings on the dates listed below. Individuals who plan on attending the virtual public meetings to give oral comments, and any other interested parties, must register in advance of the meeting using the registration links below. Oral public comments are limited to three minutes. Public comment will be accepted during the virtual meetings by advanced registration only. In order to provide oral public comment, participants must join the webinar online. Participants can sign up to speak by typing "public comment sign up" and their name in the webinar question box at any point before public comment begins.
Virtual public meeting 1:
Date and Time: Thursday, June 23, 2022, 3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. ET
Virtual public meeting 2:
Date and Time: Wednesday, August 3, 2022, 5:00 PM - 7:00 p.m. ET
In-person public meeting 1:
Date and Time: Tuesday, July 19, 2022, 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. ET
Location: Alexander Hamilton U.S. Customs House, Naval Officers Room
1 Bowling Green
New York, NY, 10004
UPDATE: Because of current high transmission levels of COVID-19 in New York City, masks will be required to be worn while inside the U.S. Customs House and food and drink will be prohibited.
In-person public meeting 2:
Date and Time: Thursday, July 21, 2022, 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. ET
Location: Monmouth University, Urban Coast Institute, Edison Building Atrium-E201
400 Cedar Ave.
West Long Branch, NJ 07764
Submit all electronic public comments through the Federal eRulemaking Portal, www.regulations.gov. The docket number is NOAA-NOS-2022-0053. Click the "Comment Now!" icon, complete the required fields, and enter or attach your comments.
1325 East-West Hwy, Floor 3
Silver Spring, MD 20910
Please note the docket number (NOAA-NOS-2022-0053) at the top of your comment.
For more information, contact:
LeAnn Hogan, Eastern Region Operations Coordinator
NOAA Sanctuaries Eastern Regional Office
NOAA's National Marine Sanctuary System
NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries serves as the trustee for a network of underwater parks encompassing more than 620,000 square miles of marine and Great Lakes waters from Washington state to the Florida Keys, and from Lake Huron to American Samoa. The network includes a system of 15 national marine sanctuaries and Papahānaumokuākea and Rose Atoll marine national monuments. Through the National Marine Sanctuaries Act, NOAA can identify, designate, and protect areas of the marine and Great Lakes environment that have special national significance. | <urn:uuid:5ba4d93a-26fe-4d17-8b74-fa5c5c3dd086> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/hudson-canyon/?fbclid=IwAR3xNYX8D-WJEsVTqDnWoVEctQfnmc5aLLszztHcs5Hkla_vT-t8Iso6ml0 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572043.2/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814143522-20220814173522-00466.warc.gz | en | 0.898014 | 1,476 | 2.984375 | 3 |
As regions of space become more crowded, the threat of collision is expected to rise. Eventually, some regions of space could become too crowded for future launches. LLNL is considering nanosatellites to improve our situational awareness of space objects.
One type of nanosatellite (defined as an artificial satellite with a launch mass between 1 and 10 kilograms, or 2.2 and 22 pounds) is the “cube satellite.” CubeSats, as they are nicknamed, measure 10 centimeters on a side, just a bit larger than a Rubik’s cube. A pair of three-unit CubeSats (called 3U CubeSats) equipped with optical imaging payloads (pictured) will demonstrate the main elements of the Space-Based Telescopes for Actionable Refinement of Ephemeris (STARE) concept. During launch, large satellites require ballast to balance the spacecraft. By taking the place of ballast dead weight, CubeSats can ride along as auxiliary payload, making them fairly inexpensive to launch.
In the first phase of the STARE project, software tools are being developed for enabling operators to predict collisions with high accuracy, using the improved positional information that nanosatellites will provide. Later this year, in the proof-of-concept phase, the Livermore-developed technology that makes use of these common small satellites will be launched into space. The Laboratory’s idea could be described as using traffic cameras in orbit to track space objects. A multidisciplinary team of physicists and engineers at Livermore developed the STARE project with funding from Livermore’s Laboratory Directed Research and Development Program. To develop this new technology, Livermore established a multi-institution joint venture between Boeing, an aerospace company with a history of bringing satellite products to market; Texas A&M University and the Naval Postgraduate School, two academic institutions with research expertise in this area; and the National Reconnaissance Office, the federal sponsor of the first-mission CubeSats.
If the initial mission is successful, Livermore could begin building nanosatellites for various applications, such as space weather and other scientific missions. Eventually, the Laboratory could develop a full constellation of nanosatellites proposed as a later phase of STARE. For an 18-nanosatellite constellation, STARE has the capability to reduce the collision false-alarm rate by 99 percent, up to 48 hours ahead of the closest approach, which would be attractive to satellite owners or providers. While typical single satellites cost several hundred million dollars to one billion dollars, a full constellation of 18 nanosatellites to track space debris costs only a fraction of that—about $30 million.
For more details, see the Science and Technology Review article Launching Traffic Cameras into Space.
Also see the Science and Technology Review article Preventing Close Encounters of the Orbiting Kind. | <urn:uuid:6288d0ee-b3fb-4c6a-aea6-6ff30088d527> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://gs.llnl.gov/intelligence/space-traffic | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573118.26/warc/CC-MAIN-20220817213446-20220818003446-00677.warc.gz | en | 0.928393 | 587 | 4.125 | 4 |
Scrabble word: DEFRAYAL
In which Scrabble dictionary does DEFRAYAL exist?
Definitions of DEFRAYAL in dictionaries:
- noun - the act of paying money
- verb - to give money or something of value in exchange for goods or services
There are 8 letters in DEFRAYAL: A A D E F L R Y
Scrabble words that can be created with an extra letter added to DEFRAYAL
All anagrams that could be made from letters of word DEFRAYAL plus a wildcard: DEFRAYAL?
Scrabble words that can be created with letters from word DEFRAYAL
8 letter words
7 letter words
6 letter words
5 letter words
4 letter words
3 letter words
2 letter words
Images for DEFRAYAL
SCRABBLE is the registered trademark of Hasbro and J.W. Spear & Sons Limited. Our scrabble word finder and scrabble cheat word builder is not associated with the Scrabble brand - we merely provide help for players of the official Scrabble game. All intellectual property rights to the game are owned by respective owners in the U.S.A and Canada and the rest of the world. Anagrammer.com is not affiliated with Scrabble. This site is an educational tool and resource for Scrabble & Words With Friends players. | <urn:uuid:a2b9b5f5-d9b7-46b2-8a01-e74ee32dc9d3> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://www.anagrammer.com/scrabble/defrayal | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988720941.32/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183840-00519-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.887973 | 288 | 1.835938 | 2 |
But the question that is not being asked is why Russia's crude-oil customers within the EU find themselves so heavily reliant on the Druzhba pipeline. Have no alternative routes been considered in the past, and if there were, why were they rejected?
A case can be made that Russian skullduggery, combined with European miscalculations and inactivity, set the stage for recent events. This is best illustrated by the case of the Odesa-Brody pipeline in Ukraine. Origins Of A Pipeline
Ukraine built the 674-kilometer Odesa-Brody pipeline in the hope of competing with other routes for the lucrative job of moving Caspian oil to the West. Azerbaijani and Kazakh crude oil, a high-quality blend, needed to avoid being transported by Russian pipelines where it could mix with the sour Urals blend.
Constructing the Odesa-Brody route, which runs from the Black Sea to the Polish border, was seen as the ideal solution. The pipeline's first phase was put into operation in May 2002. It boasted a throughput capacity of 9 million tons with the capability to reach 14.5 million tons yearly.
This pipeline was intended to transport Caspian oil from the newly built Pivdenny terminal to the existing Druzhba pipeline for transport to European refineries. From there it would be sold to distributors in Europe and elsewhere. Both projects came under the direct jurisdiction of the Ukrainian state-owned oil and gas monopoly, Naftohaz Ukrayiny, and its subsidiary company, UkrTransNafta, the manager of oil pipelines in Ukraine.
As these projects were under construction, "Alexander's Oil And Gas" on June 9, 2000, reported that U.S. Energy Secretary Bill Richardson said the U.S. government supported Ukraine's plans to build the new Pivdenny oil terminal and the Odesa-Brody oil pipeline. Richardson added that the new terminal would help Ukraine diversify its energy sources and thus make the country less dependant on Russia.
The Ukrainian side was encouraged by the European Union and the United States to build the Odesa-Brody pipeline. However, after it was completed, Ukraine did not have the money required to fill it with Caspian crude and none of the European states were willing to build the connecting pipelines needed to link Odesa-Brody to refineries. As "Stratfor Commentary" noted on September 8, 2003, "The end result was that Kiev found itself saddled with a white elephant rusting picturesquely in the Ukrainian countryside." A New Direction
But serious doubts were also expressed as to the direction oil in the Odesa-Brody would take. Matthew Sagers of Cambridge Energy Research Association was quoted by Interfax on August 15, 2003, as saying that there was no demand for Caspian oil in Northern Europe due to its high price and that there would be no problems if the pipeline were to transport oil south, to the Pivdenny terminal and then via the Bosporus. Sagers claimed that an additional 9 million tons of oil per year would not overburden the heavily trafficked straits.
At this time the Russian-British firm TNK-BP began a massive lobbying campaign in Kyiv to reverse the flow of the Odesa-Brody -- sending its oil south to the Black Sea.
Despite a decision by Ukraine's Cabinet of Ministers to send oil in the northerly direction, Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma suddenly began agreeing that Russian oil should be put into the pipeline and pumped south.
On April 29, 2003, the head of Kazakh state oil firm KazMunaiGas announced that Kazakhstan would start filling the Odesa-Brody pipeline in the second half of that year and that a deal had been made with other members of the Tengizchevroil consortium that included ChevronTexaco, ExxonMobil, BP, and LUKoil to supply 6 million tons per year to the pipeline. The only matter that needed clarification was the price the Ukrainians would charge.
The Astana headquarters of Kazakhstan's KazMunaiGas (official site)
"The Moscow Times" quoted the Kazakh official as saying that the interested Western companies were completing commercial negotiations with oil refineries in Southern Europe to receive their oil from Odesa-Brody and that initial agreements had been reached.
But despite a decision by Ukraine's Cabinet of Ministers to send oil in the northerly direction, Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma suddenly began agreeing with Russian oil majors that Russian oil should be put into the pipeline and pumped south. Russia Gets A Boost
The TNK-BP lobbying effort was apparently making progress. On April 28, 2003, Interfax-Ukraine announced that Kuchma said at a press conference that "the shipment of Caspian oil via the Odesa-Brody pipeline is unlikely to take place because it would be a money-losing proposition, so Ukraine must reconsider the use of the pipeline for Russian oil shipments from Brody to Odesa." This view was rapidly seconded by Deputy Prime Minister for Fuel and Energy Andriy Klyuyev.
Interfax quoted the Ukrainian president as saying that "the fact is that, as of today, there is neither a Caspian oil seller nor a buyer. Visit Baku and speak to analysts and learn if there is Caspian oil. There is none and there will not be any. As for Russian oil, it exists, and we can earn $90 million in profits from the reversed use of the pipeline."
The following day, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Steven Pifer strongly contradicted Kuchma's statement and said that Ukraine had not done anything to insure Caspian supplies that could fill the Odesa-Brody pipeline. Pifer reminded the Ukrainian president that Germany and Slovenia both had refineries working with Caspian oil and that Ukraine was in an excellent position to utilize its pipeline to send Caspian oil to these refineries. Interfax-Ukraine, which reported Pifer's statement, also added that Pifer went on to say that if Ukraine wanted to integrate into Europe, "this is a wonderful way to unify its energy system with the European one."
A pressing issue over the years was where Kazakh oil would be routed. The United States and Europe were placing their money into the construction of the $3 billion Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline. This pipeline, when finished, would have a throughput capacity of 1 million barrels per day. But for it to be commercially viable, it would need Kazakhstan to send its oil through it. Kazakhstan Comes Up Short
A few weeks after the KazMunaiGas announcement, the Kazakh ambassador to Ukraine made an unexpected statement contradicting the head of his country's gas and oil monopoly. Speaking to reporters in Kyiv on May 19, 2003, Interfax-Ukraine quoted him as saying that Kazakhstan, in fact, did not have the required oil to fill Odesa-Brody. Why this rapid about-face took place was not explained.
It is inconceivable that the Kazakh ambassador would make such a statement without the approval of Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev and without the knowledge of KazMunaiGas. In effect, the revelation that there was no oil available for Odesa-Brody from Kazakhstan immensely strengthened TNK-BP's (and Kuchma's) hand and seemed to deal a serious blow to the effort to diversify Caspian oil-transit routes.
In mid-June 2003, Russian Industry and Energy Minister Viktor Khristenko traveled to Kyiv, where he met with Serhiy Tulub, the Ukrainian minister for fuel and energy. A few days after this meeting, Khristenko sent a letter to Tulub explaining his government's position on the Odesa-Brody pipeline. According to Interfax on June 18, 2003, the Russian minister wrote that Russia was not interested in seeing Odesa-Brody flow in a northerly direction -- to Brody. Khristenko explained this by saying that there were no markets for Russian light oil in Northern Europe and that sending oil north to Brody would destabilize the markets in Southern Europe for Russian and Kazakh light oil.
Khristenko said Russia was still interested in seeing the Odesa-Brody pipeline used in reverse mode, but at lower volumes than originally planned. In effect, he was telling the West that Odesa-Brody was off-limits.
At the same time, Khrystenko noted that Russia was still interested in seeing the Odesa-Brody pipeline used in reverse mode, but at lower volumes than originally planned.
In effect, Khristenko was telling the West that Odesa-Brody was off-limits to them. The argument that Russian light crude did not have a market in Northern Europe was somewhat exaggerated since most Russian crude is Urals blend. Khristenko also chose to speak on behalf of the Kazakh oil industry, which had already agreed to supply oil to fill the Odesa-Brody pipeline.
The Yuzhny terminal of the Odesa-Brody pipeline (TASS file photo)
Writing in "The Wall Street Journal Europe" on October 10, 2003, former Reagan-era national security adviser Robert McFarlane noted: "When Ukrainian Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych was in Washington this week, certainly one issue for discussion was last week's decision by Ukraine's state pipeline company to move forward toward reversing the use of the Odesa-Brody oil pipeline in Russia's favor.... Russian oligarchic interests, however -- with Britain's BP unfortunately in tow -- wish to use that pipeline themselves, in the opposite direction.... This would cancel all the hopes that had been vested in the Ukrainian pipeline." Return To Sender
David O'Reilly, the head of ChevronTexaco, sent a letter to Kuchma on January 29, 2004, in which he wrote, "We are prepared to continue to work actively with UkrTransNafta and the other pipeline along the route to implement this project and make shipment through Odesa-Brody to Central Europe a reality." The letter has apparently gone unanswered.
It was only in August 2005, with oil prices skyrocketing and Russian behavior becoming more aggressive, that the EU realized the value of Odesa-Brody as an alternative route for Caspian oil to reach Europe. The European Commission agreed to award a contract to a consortium of European companies to finalize the technical, economic, and legal studies required for the construction of the pipeline to the Polish refinery in Plock, Poland.
The press release issued by the European Commission to Ukraine and Belarus on August 8, 2005, noted, "The construction of the Black Sea-Ukraine-Poland oil transportation corridor is a crucial infrastructure project in the context of EU and Ukrainian policies for security of oil supplies."
According to the latest reports, little if anything has been done by this consortium of European companies to further the project to completion. | <urn:uuid:48cf09b4-f9a8-44c4-8511-b01818f8945a> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://www.rferl.org/a/1073974.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988720000.45/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183840-00024-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973173 | 2,291 | 2.390625 | 2 |
M.A.- Criminal Justice;, Ph.D.- Criminal Justice
The M.A. program in Criminal Justice is designed to serve as a first stage of training for students wishing to eventually pursue more advanced graduate work. It also prepares students who will terminate their studies at the master's level. For the latter group, including many engaged in part-time study, the M.A. program is designed to serve students who, upon graduation, will begin or rejoin professional careers in management, administration, or specialist positions in governmental and private criminal and juvenile justice and related agencies. The M.A. degree requires the completion of 30 hours of coursework and a thesis—or completion of 36 hours of coursework. The curriculum is structured around a set of core requirements that provides substantive grounding in decision-making and operational aspects of the criminal justice system, and a theoretical, legal, policy, and methodological foundation for understanding crime and society.
The Ph.D. degree program in Criminal Justice is designed to produce criminal justice scholars who will provide the future leadership for the field in academia, private and governmental research agencies, and policy-level positions in criminal justice and related organizations. The Ph.D. degree requires the completion of a minimum of 48 hours of coursework. although students may take additional courses to prepare themselves for subsequent stages of their graduate career.
International Student Requirements:
International students whose first language is not English are required to complete TOEFL or equivalent requirements. See http://www/temple.edu/grad for details.
Facts & Figures
International Financial Aid:
In State Tuition (per year): | <urn:uuid:5660dfb8-a0d0-4021-936f-c95be6cef48c> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | https://www.gradschools.com/graduate-schools-in-united-states/pennsylvania/temple-university-philadelphia/criminal-justice-86818 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560282926.64/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095122-00400-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.915389 | 331 | 1.851563 | 2 |
Her website describes her as a rebel, a fighter, a "gutsy broad" -- just as Julia Roberts played her in the movie.
Now Erin Brockovich, the environmental crusader, is heading to Fridley to dig into its long history of industrial pollution.
But some are wondering whether the investigation, which started with a grass-roots movement on Facebook, is stirring up something more toxic than chemicals.
Brockovich is expected to be the star attraction at a June 27 town meeting at Fridley High School to talk about concerns of a possible "cancer cluster" in the Anoka County suburb.
Yet scientists and some local residents worry that Brockovich, and the Facebook group, may succeed only in spreading fear and suspicion that pollution is making people sick.
"In science, unfortunately, too often we have to say: 'I don't know' or 'We're not sure,' and that doesn't go over well," said Joe Schwarcz, director of the Office for Science and Society at McGill University in Montreal. "It goes over better when [someone] like Erin Brockovich comes in and says: Yeah, you've got cancer and there's TCE in the water and that's what's doing it."
Brockovich was not available for comment, according to a spokeswoman. Robert Bowcock, who works with her as an environmental investigator, said the pair have not reached any conclusions about the Fridley case yet. But the level of public concern, he said, along with Fridley's history of pollution, tell him it's worth investigating.
Concerns in Fridley have spread for months since Jason McCarty, a onetime resident, created a Facebook page called "Fridley Cancer Cluster." He invited friends and strangers to weigh in on a puzzle: Could Fridley's cancer rates be tied to the toxic waste -- including TCE (trichloroethylene), a suspected carcinogen -- discovered there in the 1980s?
Since January, the Facebook group has drawn 2,700 members and joined forces with Brockovich, who now runs a company, Brockovich Research & Consulting, investigating suspected environmental poisoning around the world.
State and local officials acknowledge that Fridley has more than its share of toxic pollution, with five sites on the federal Superfund cleanup list, including Fridley Commons, the town well field. But they say they've spent three decades cleaning up, monitoring and containing the chemicals, and they believe they pose no danger to health.
"On these sites, we're fairly confident that there hasn't been any exposure ... for a very long time," said Sandeep Burman, head of the Superfund program at the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.
McCarty, though, says he's eager to hear what Brockovich has to say. "She's been through this before. She has experience looking into these types of things."
Fact or fiction?
The California investigator burst to fame with the 2000 movie, "Erin Brockovich," which won Julia Roberts an Oscar. It tells the story of a struggling single mother who goes to work for a lawyer and, with no formal training, uncovers an environmental nightmare. She learns that a utility company, Pacific Gas and Electric, has allowed a dangerous chemical (chromium-6) to contaminate the water in the small California town of Hinkley, which turns out to be riddled with cancers and other illnesses. Brockovich (Roberts) sums it up with the line: "They poisoned people and lied about it." In 1996, the company paid $333 million to settle those claims.
But Schwarcz, of McGill University, has called the story "largely fiction" -- at least in terms of the health effects. "There was an environmental issue," Schwarcz said, "but there was no increase in cancer." The California Health Department reported in 2010 that Hinkley actually had fewer cases than average from 1996 to 2008, and that rates were virtually unchanged since 1988.
"That's the thing that really gets under my skin," he said. Brockovich "knows no chemistry whatsoever, knows no toxicology, and yet she is looked up to as an expert basically because of that movie."
Bowcock dismisses the criticism, noting that PG&E ultimately paid more than $700 million. "For what?" he asks. "They must have thought she had something."
He also defends Brockovich's expertise, saying she's investigated more than 500 cases. "Erin is not a doctor," he said. "[But] she has as much of a seat at the table as any of those scientists because she draws people out, she causes them to talk about the issue."
In Fridley, Bowcock said, state and local officials "have been extremely cooperative." So far, he said no pattern of has emerged in terms of the types of cancers that people are reporting.
Science by Facebook
In April, the Minnesota Health Department reported that Fridley's cancer rate is 7.6 percent above the state average. Officials say that's not unusual and might just reflect the high rates of smoking and lung cancer across Anoka County.
McCarty, however, said he isn't satisfied with the state's assurances. Through his Facebook group, he has asked people to do their own data collection -- gathering information about Fridley residents, past or present, who developed cancer, and forwarding it to Brockovich's investigators. A local news site, the Fridley Patch, created an interactive map for readers to post cases block by block (www.startribune.com/a1393).
Scientists, though, say this kind of "crowdsourcing" is simply unreliable; if people go looking for cancer cases, that's all they're going to find, experts say. At the same time, roughly half of Minnesotans will develop cancer no matter where they live, so the challenge is to find if the numbers are above normal.
"It is really a catastrophe waiting to happen if you just take a map out and place push pins wherever there's a cancer case," said Lawrence Silbart, co-director of the Center for Environmental Health at the University of Connecticut. "The patterns can be very misleading."
Bowcock doesn't dispute that. Yet, he said, people from Fridley have flooded him with e-mails about more than 2,000 cases of cancer, going back decades. "Is it scientific data?" he said. "No. Does it tell me something? Absolutely."
Not everyone in Fridley, though, supports the Facebook campaign.
"People have either jumped on the bandwagon ... or they are turned off by the tone," said Mandy Meisner, 37, who has lived in Fridley for 12 years.
Meisner, who writes a blog for the Fridley Patch website, said McCarty deserves credit for raising questions, but that the Facebook site has become an echo chamber of conspiracy theories and finger-pointing. In a May 30 blog post called "Waiting for Erin Brockovich," she wrote: "They are a large, influential group and their misinformation and fear mongering are spreading."
Fridley Mayor Scott Lund said the city has been testing the water for years, and it has never violated safe drinking water levels. "We publish that every year. We're required to. And yet people say we're hiding something," he said. "All of a sudden, it's got a life of its own."
McCarty said that he's received praise and hate mail about the Facebook site, and that it was never intended to sow dissension.
"I don't want to panic anybody," he said. But he can't shake the feeling that too many neighbors and classmates have fallen to cancer in their 30s or 40s. "It was always a joke in Fridley: 'If you make it to 50, you lived a long life," he said. "Nothing is going to change the past," he added. "Hopefully, we can change the future."
Maura Lerner • 612-673-7384 | <urn:uuid:e7bce9df-2746-46e0-8cb3-bb199acfe8a1> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.startribune.com/june-16-fridley-may-never-find-cancer-answers/159316955/?c=y&page=1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560281419.3/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095121-00486-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977048 | 1,672 | 1.554688 | 2 |
About Modifying Block Definitions
You can modify a block definition using several methods.
Modify a Block Definition
There are several methods for redefining a block definition. The method you choose depends on whether you want to make changes in the current drawing only or in a source drawing also.
Modify the block definition in the current drawing.
The Block Editor provides the easiest way to modify a block in the current drawing. The changes you make and save in the Block Editor replace the existing block definition, and all references to that block in the drawing are immediately updated.
An alternative way to modify a block definition is to create a new block definition, but enter the name of the existing block definition. You can insert and explode an instance of the original block and then use the resulting objects in creating the new block definition.
Modify the block definition in the source drawing and reinsert it into the current drawing.
Updating a block that was created in another drawing and then inserted into the current drawing does not trigger an automatic update (unlike inserting xrefs). To update a block that has been updated in another drawing, you must reinsert it.
Update a block definition that originated from an inserted drawing file.
Block definitions created in your current drawing by inserting a drawing file are not updated automatically when the original drawing is modified. You must insert the drawing again to update a block definition from the drawing file.
Update a block definition that originated in a library drawing (advanced).
Inserting a block using DesignCenter does not overwrite an existing block definition. To insert a block definition that has been updated in a block library, for example, use WBLOCK to save the block as a separate drawing. Then, insert the drawing to overwrite the outdated block definition.
Block descriptions are stripped off when using INSERT. Use the Clipboard to copy and paste a block description displayed in the Block Definition dialog box from one block definition to another.
Remove a Block Definition
The block definition remains in the drawing, even when all references to that block are erased. In order to remove the block definition, you need to purge it.
About Inserting Blocks
Save time and control the drawing size by inserting references to a set of objects that have been combined to form a block. Sources of Block Definitions You can insert blocks from these sources: Blocks defined in the current drawing. Other drawing ...
About Defining Blocks
You can create blocks by associating objects and giving them a name or by creating a drawing to be used as a block. Block Definitions Whenever you create a block or insert a drawing as a block, all of the block information in the block definition, ...
Understanding the Blocks Palette
Blocks can be inserted into a drawing with the Blocks Palette, the Tool Palettes window, or Design Center, depending on which of these tools best suits the user's needs. This article focuses on the Blocks Palette. To access the Blocks Palette, enter ...
Blocks are compound objects that are commonly used for symbols, parts, detail views, and title blocks. A block is one or more objects combined to create a single object. The following are some examples of blocks inserted into drawings. Using blocks ...
Stretch a Segment You can select a grip to make changes directly. Select the polyline to display its grips. Select a grip and drag it to the new location. Menu Options for Modifying Polylines Several options become available when you select a ...
Microvellum Foundation Library Release Notes | Build 22.0729
The following release notes apply to Microvellum Foundation Library, Build 22.0729 Note: This build (22.0729) contains the necessary requirements to support the new Microvellum "Library Update Utility". If your library version is older than 22.0729, ...
Toolbox Release Notes | Build 22.1.0720.641
The following Release Notes apply to Toolbox Build 22.1.0720.641 Processing Stations Resolutions: Resolved an issue with the saw file output for Ardis processing stations when you have “None” set as the picture type. Resolved a refresh issue when ...
Toolbox Release Notes | Build 22.1.0712.641
The following Release Notes apply to Toolbox Build 22.1.0712.641 Workbook Designer Resolutions: Resolved an issue with Part Properties updating the wrong 2D Plan Token workbook cells. Resolved an issue with saving formula materials through Workbook ...
Microvellum Foundation Library Release Notes | Build 22.0625
The following release notes apply to Microvellum Foundation Library, Build 22.0625 Additions: Added Access Panel Subassembly (from legacy component library) Added the prompts "Extend Left Side To Floor" and "Extend Right Side To Floor" to all ...
Asking to Re-Activate Software on Start Up
If your license is current, but you keep getting the Activate Software window when starting up Toolbox, this is the fix. Instead of entering your serial number and password every time, go to your MV Toolbox icon on your desktop and Right-click then ... | <urn:uuid:68f23542-eb21-4623-8118-0ef480aa50a5> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://community.microvellum.com/portal/en/kb/articles/about-modifying-block-definitions | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572833.95/warc/CC-MAIN-20220817032054-20220817062054-00472.warc.gz | en | 0.869075 | 1,099 | 2.734375 | 3 |
Covering every aspect of world building from life and places to cultures and beyond, this course will help you decide what you need to invent for your setting, based on story needs. When done, you'll have a completed checklist and a better understanding of what it takes to invent everything - even things you've decided to skip.
Are You Ready To...
Stop wondering what you should create and why?
Eliminate indecision & get the work done with confidence, excitement, & purpose?
|Module: About the Course
Module: Do We Need To Create Gods?
Module: Do We Need To Create Species/Races?
Module: Do We Need To Create World Figures?
Module: Do We Need To Create Animals?
Module: Do We Need To Create Plants?
Module: Do We Need To Create Monsters?
Module: Do We Need To Create Undead?
Module: How Much Setting Do We Need to Invent?
Module: Do We Need To Create Places of Interest?
Module: Do We Need To Create Maps?
|Module: Do We Need to Alter Time and Create History?
Module: Do We Need To Create Culture?
Module: Do We Need To Create Organizations?
Module: Do We Need To Create Armed Forces?
Module: Do We Need To Create Religions?
Module: Do We Need To Create the Supernatural?
Module: Do We Need To Create Magic Systems
Module: Do We Need To Create Other Systems?
Module: Do We Need To Create Items?
Module: Do We Need To Create Languages?
Get started now!
This course is based on material in the best-selling book series, The Art of World Building, by course instructor Randy Ellefson. It's the longest and most thorough series on the subject and has sold thousands of copies to aspiring world builders around the world. Best-selling author Piers Anthony, and The Forgotten Realms inventor Ed Greenwood, have both praised the series.
He also runs a related podcast, with over 40,000 downloads, from which additional material for the course is drawn. The numerous Facebook groups and forums he frequents have also made clear the need for the step-by-step process he employs here.
A Letter From Randy
Founder of World Building University
When I first started inventing worlds, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. But I've come to love everything about the process.
I love to joke that I find it hard to believe that God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh, because it takes me forever. Wouldn't it be great to speed up the process? Since I've been inventing worlds for over 30 years, you can save considerable time by learning from an expert.
Even if you disagree with some of my approach, you'll have learned from my experience to make that decision and strike out on your own. "Know the rules before you break them" goes the expression, but there are no rules. Just things to do, and things to avoid.
Mostly, there are many things to know. And that knowledge is now yours for the taking.
StartDo We Need to Create Gods? (7:56)
StartDo We Need to Create Species/Races? (8:31)
StartDo We Need to Create World Figures? (4:13)
StartDo We Need to Create Animals? (5:29)
StartDo We Need to Create Plants? (5:19)
StartDo We Need to Create Monsters? (4:11)
PreviewDo We Need to Create Undead? (9:21)
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Author Randy Ellefson has been building worlds since the late 1980s and bring his extensive experience and passion to World Building University (WBU). His popular non-fiction series, The Art of World Building, is the inspiration for WBU and includes a podcast with scores of episodes.
While Ellefson has created multiple worlds, he's also spent 3 decades on a single planet, his main setting. In doing so, he's created seven unique species (in addition to humans), with multiple races of each. Few have his extensive experience or passion for world building, or take so much time out to teach others the art.
Ellefson has authored a half dozen non-fiction books, another six fantasy books, and over a dozen stories, three of which received Honorable Mentions in the prestigious Writers of the Future contest.
For support, you can email [email protected] and he'll respond to any issues you are facing. In some instances, he may have to refer you to Teachable's support (the platform hosting the courses), as some tech issues are on their end. | <urn:uuid:b877b9ac-74c4-470e-9811-8f8a25dc0770> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://worldbuildinguniversity.teachable.com/p/accelerated-worldbuilding | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571719.48/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812140019-20220812170019-00266.warc.gz | en | 0.917165 | 1,018 | 2.171875 | 2 |
According to Professor Kwame Karikari, Dean of School of Communication Studies at Wisconsin International College, that would help maintain sanity before and after the elections.
Prof. Karikari said this at a forum on Election 2016 organised by the Faith Congregation of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana for faith- based organisations in the Madina Municipality.
It was on the theme, ‘Be of one mind, live in peace’.
According to Prof. Karikari, party communicators should be held responsible for their comments, since many citizens took decisions based on some of their comments in the media.
“When we wake up, we want to hear from our leaders words of wisdom, sanity and of inspiration that will give us enlightenment, and not abusive words,” he stated.
He said hosts and representatives of political parties on radio programmes should substantiate allegations made against their opponents and to desist from false accusations, falsifying information and manufacturing allegations that did not exist.
He advised the public to shun political parties that promote culture of intolerance on our media airwaves.
He however called for an independent judiciary that is defended and protected at all times. “If the rule of law is allowed to prevail, democratic institutions can be used to restrain media from becoming a dangerous weapon of violence and destruction of society,” he added.
On her part the chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Mrs. Charlotte Osei said though the Commission was doing its part in ensuring free and fair elections, all must ensure that, they cast their votes on the day of elections in peace.
She opined that, the role of citizens in the electoral process is very important since without them, leaders cannot assume office to rule as a President and parliamentarians.
“We must all ensure that we vote peacefully to help elect the right leaders to lead and govern this dear nation of ours,” she added.
Mrs. Osei said that, unlike previous years when copies of the electoral register was given to political parties a day before voting, the register would be made available 42 days to the day of elections to help political parties get abreast with activities of the Commission before the election day.
The moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana and chairman for the occasion, Rev. Professor Emmanuel Martey in his remarks said the budget for the Electoral Commission must be met to help ensure credible elections.
He was of the view that, there was intense pressure on the Electoral Commission due to the slim victories of political parties in the country.
“The Electoral Commission can’t perform its duties effectively without sufficient funds, hence the need for the government to ensure that the Electoral Commission is adequately resourced to function well,” he added.
Prof. Karikari further cautioned media practitioners to be firm and guided by experiences of other countries to desist from external forces that might influence their daily activities.
He expressed that, the media must avoid politicians who influence their professional integrity and reputation since bad reportage will not help in promoting the country’s democratic credentials.
By Daniel N. Amparbeng | <urn:uuid:3c821ded-76ed-4e08-8dde-14b95fe7433e> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.ghanaiantimes.com.gh/mind-your-language-political-parties-communicators-told/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280292.50/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00348-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968168 | 636 | 2.125 | 2 |
Shades or sun glasses are a type of defensive eye wear outlined principally to anticipate splendid daylight and high-vitality obvious light from harming or discomforting the eyes. They can here and there additionally work as a visual guide, as differently termed displays or glasses exist, highlighting lenses that are shaded, energized or obscured.
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>100% UV & UVB Protection | <urn:uuid:88eabc1f-d7c0-4843-bb6b-2c331ee62482> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.kaymu.com.np/rayban-design-shaded-blue-wayfarer-sunglasses-1668127.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560279410.32/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095119-00164-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.893029 | 104 | 1.570313 | 2 |
Thursday, 12 January 2017
In order to help you make this decision let me ask you how you feel right now. Can you cope with another three to five years of study? Do you feel like a rest? Do you want to carry on with your studying and get it behind you? Do you think a rest from the books might be a good idea? How do you really feel?
The majority of young people leaving school, whose parents can afford the costs involved, normally decide to go straight to varsity. This is historic and appears to be the “done thing”. Whether it is right or wrong is a matter of personal opinion. It is a choice you must make and one that needs careful consideration.
Too many young people leave school and go straight into university only to find that they have made the wrong choice. They end up very unhappy, they do not cope with varsity life, they choose the wrong faculty, they fail their first year, or they just waste their time and normally someone else’s money.
This then has a very traumatic effect on the person involved. They immediately feel that they have failed. In many instances others see them and treat them as failures.
How often have you heard it said that so and so “dropped out” of varsity? He or she could not cope or could not make the grade.
With hindsight, there is nothing necessarily wrong. The reason for pulling out or giving up is what should have been important. For the applicant to have been afforded the opportunity of admitting that a mistake was made, that he or she pulled out of varsity in order to re-assess the situation, would have put a whole new light on the issue. This takes maturity; levelheaded thinking and the ability to admit a mistake had been made.
Taking some time out!
The advantage of taking a sabbatical or some time away from studies is that you can try out or investigate further a career that you feel might be of interest to you. You can also just work on a part-time basis just to earn money and support yourself while you consider and weigh up your options.
Should you decide on this approach try to avoid “job hopping”. Take a position and stick with it. Learn all you can and gain from the experience. Be honest with your employer as to why you want to work and do not try to create the impression that you intend making this occupation your chosen career.
Approach companies that offer, or that might be convinced at a later stage to offer, a loan or bursary to you. If you have worked with a company for a year or two and shown what you are capable of then they may not want to lose you and might therefore be prepared to assist financially.
Do not wait for the opportunity to come to you, get out there and create the opportunity for yourself. This requires commitment and determination on your part. Are you prepared for this?
By taking this approach, you might find that you could kill two birds with one stone. You might find a happy medium. In some instances where companies offer financial assistance and bursaries the individual is allowed to work and study part-time. This then would have major advantages, as you are no longer required to study or work full-time.
You need to make decisions regarding both the career and the direction in which the requirements of the position push you in terms of your chosen field of study. Again this is not an easy decision to make and requires careful consideration and discussion.
An option some people make, but which of late has become expensive, is to travel and work at the same time. This is an option available to only a few people. It requires financial support, guts and maturity. It can be exciting and challenging but it also has its drawbacks. Being away from family and friends in a foreign country is not easy. It can be lonely and can be full of danger, worry and uncertainty. There are no guarantees that you will find work and in many countries, you will not be allowed to work. The temptation is then to work as an illegal and this in itself can be dangerous.
A post-matric year is an alternative you might want to consider. This again can be expensive and is not available to all. This can be a fun year where new challenges are created and opportunities are given to try something different. You can make new friends, enjoy all sorts of new experiences and at the same time complete some preliminary studies in a new field of interest. It can be a tough year but at the same time a very rewarding and enlightening year. This can be a year for development and finding yourself and your direction in life.
Life is full of change and you are now facing one of the many you will have to make.You have important decisions to make, do not try to make them alone.
Talk to your parents and teachers about your life and your future. Seek help and assistance from responsible people. Seek guidance from councilors and other qualified people. Weigh up your options and consider your choices. Most of all you should be adult in your approach and bear in mind, the decisions you make will have an influence on the rest of your life. | <urn:uuid:f967575c-79c7-4567-b153-df5c12b2b34e> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://careersportal.co.za/careers/careers-advice/459-should-i-go-to-varsity-or-should-i-work-for-a-year-or-two.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560279368.44/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095119-00329-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975794 | 1,068 | 1.945313 | 2 |
Following the de facto collapse of the Warsaw Pact, NATO alliance officials are desperately dreaming up new tasks for the hundreds of thousands of U.S. troops stationed in Europe. But why must America's defensive role remain immutable?
Today a Soviet attack is inconceivable. Moscow is reducing defense spending and withdrawing forces from Eastern Europe, while the Warsaw Pact is effectively dead. A regime willing to accept the end of communism in its one-time satellites is unlikely to launch a war of conquest against the West.
As a result, Washington has a unique opportunity to achieve what once would have seemed to be its primary goal: the elimination of Soviet troops from Eastern Europe. Czechoslovakia and Hungary have already arranged for the withdrawal of the Red Army and in a year or two Moscow may find the rest of its erstwhile allies demanding the unilateral pull-out of its forces; the U.S.S.R. would be better off negotiating a mutual disengagement with the U.S. Even if Gorbachev is not willing to go so far so quickly, he might agree to a superpower demilitarization of Central Europe, or extraordinarily deep conventional cuts that would make a full withdrawal inevitable.
Yet earlier this year President Bush told the nation that " in a new Europe, the American role may change in form but not in fundamentals," apparently even if Europe changes fundamentally. True, he allowed, there might come a "utopian day" when NATO is not needed, but it could be a century away. Encouraged by the President's dedication to the status quo, NATO enthusiasts, instead of celebrating the elimination of the military threat that warranted the creation of the alliance, are now -- as if to proved the truth of public choice economics -- concocting new duties for America's troops in Europe.
Why must America's role remain immutable? The argument that glasnost and perestroika are merely a clever Leninist ploy is now confined to the fringe, such as John Birch Society head G. Allen Bubolz, who says that "nothing's really changed." Nevertheless, some analysts worry about the potential military threat from a post-Gorbachev regime. But once Soviet troops are out of Eastern Europe, they won't be invited back. And what Soviet leader -- whether Gorbachev, Ligachev, or even Brezhnev -- would risk war merely to move soldiers forward?
What if a new threat nevertheless develops? A European-based alliance centered around Western European Union would be sufficient to deter war. A Western Europe that greatly outperforms the U.S.S.R. economically and possesses a larger population can defend itself. Indeed, Europe could easily devote far more resources to its defense. Until now, West Germany, the frontline state, has made less than half the defense effort than the U.S.; American citizens spend more on Europe's defense alone than do Europeans. With the collapse of the Soviet Union's nominal allies in Eastern Europe, no one can seriously contend that Europe still requires an American defense subsidy.
The British magazine Economist suggests NATO will be needed in the future to respond to other security threats, such as in the oil-rich Persian Gulf. But the U.S. has often met resistance from its NATO allies to its policies in Europe, let alone those elsewhere in the world. Without a common Soviet threat, allied cooperation will become increasingly difficult.
Other commentators talk vaguely about promoting European stability. But while superpower involvement may discourage change, that is not necessarily a benefit -- remember Czechoslovakia in 1968? Disengagement would help insulate the East from pernicious Soviet meddling, presumably the reason that leaders in Czechoslovakia, East Germany, and Hungary have all suggested that the Soviet soldiers soon "go home."
But can't NATO help "manage" the changes in Eastern Europe? As the bloody Romanian revolution demonstrates, there is little that the outside world can do to "manage" anything in the region. Anyway, there are plenty of forums outside the alliance in which to discuss the rebuilding of an independent Central Europe. Riots between Hungarians and Romanians in Transylvania may be unfortunate, but they do not justify America's participation in a European military alliance. Indeed, the presence of the superpowers' troops merely risks drawing the U.S. and U.S.S.R. into otherwise local disputes.
America's continued involvement in NATO has also been advanced as a means of ensuring that Europe achieves economic unity in 1992. But its neither clear that such a development is in America's interest nor that there is anything hundreds of thousands of U.S. soldiers in Europe can do to encourage it to occur.
What about other tasks? David Abshire suggests helping promote ecology; Robert Hormats speaks of encouraging student exchanges and fighting drug abuse. Perhaps American soldiers could also help eliminate illiteracy by turning their tanks into book mobiles. Surely a better argument is required for America to maintain hundreds of thousands of troops in Europe.
Finally, there is the German question. In the view of some observers, NATO can control the unification process or forestall Germany's economic "domination" of the continent. James Chace of Columbia has even proposed an allied occupation force after Germany reunites. But a German attack on its neighbors, some of which possess nuclear weapons, seems about as unlikely as a Napoleonic revival in France, and Germany's economic success relative to its neighbors is of no concern to Washington.
Whatever the final outcome of the changes sweeping the one-time "Soviet bloc," America will remain deeply involved -- culturally, economically, and politically -- in European affairs. But the only serious argument for a trans-Atlantic military alliance backed by U.S. troops is to continue to guarantee the security of Western Europe from the U.S.S.R. Since the de facto collapse of the Warsaw Pact has eliminated the need for that protection, alliance officials, instead of desperately dreaming up new tasks for NATO, should begin preparing to retire the American-dominated pact. | <urn:uuid:9faef1d8-a1ad-4c80-9022-ff28a8bb0835> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://www.reformed.org/webfiles/antithesis/v1n5/ant_v1n5_NATO.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988721558.87/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183841-00046-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946144 | 1,224 | 2.3125 | 2 |
Rats! Another perplexing space mystery solved by science. New analysis of the famous “cold spot” in the cosmic microwave background reveals, and confirms, actually, that the spot is just an artifact of the statistical methods used to find it. That means there is no supervoid lurking in the CMB, and no parallel universe lying just beyond the edge of our own. What fun is that?
Back in 2004, astronomers studying data from the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) found a region of the cosmic microwave background in the southern hemisphere in the direction of the constellation of Eridanus that was significantly colder than the rest by about 70 microkelvin. The probability of finding something like that was extremely low. If the Universe really is homogeneous and isotropic, then all points in space ought to experience the same physical development, and appear the same. This just wasn’t supposed to be there.
Some astronomers suggested the spot could be a supervoid, a remnant of an early phase transition in the universe. Others theorized it was a window into a parallel universe.
Well, it turns out, it wasn’t there.
Ray Zhang and Dragan Huterer at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor say that the cold spot is simply an artifact of the statistical method–called Spherical Mexican Hat Wavelets–used to analyze the WMAP data. Use a different method of analysis and the cold spot disappears (or at least is no colder than expected).
“We trace this apparent discrepancy to the fact that WMAP cold spot’s temperature profile just happens to favor the particular profile given by the wavelet,” the duo says in their paper. “We find no compelling evidence for the anomalously cold spot in WMAP at scales between 2 and 8 degrees.”
This confirms another paper from 2008 also by Huterer along with colleague Kendrick Smith from the University of Cambridge who showed that the huge void could be considered as a statistical fluke because it had stars both in front of and behind it.
And in fact, one of the earlier papers suggesting the cold spot by Lawrence Rudnick from the University of Minnesota does indeed say that statistical uncertainties have not been accounted for.
Oh well. Now, on to the next cosmological mysteries like dark matter and dark energy! | <urn:uuid:e4b8c3d9-6246-4d91-ba15-921e28a591ef> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.universetoday.com/40413/what-no-parallel-universe-cosmic-cold-spot-just-data-artifact/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280364.67/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00028-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944342 | 482 | 3 | 3 |
Rana died of age-related ailments. He was laid to rest near the safari centre of the Bandipur Tiger Reserve.
"Even though he had retired and we have got another dog, Rana's place nobody can replace Rana," he said.
The child could not sleep all night due to the trauma, alleged Urmila adding, that such behaviour is unpardonable. As the child had sustained multiple injuries.
A portrait in the City Palace Museum in Jaipur shows Ibrahim Adil Shah II with a mark on the forehead, similar to the sacred mark common among several sects of Hindus.
Endo spoke about opportunities in India in areas such as smart cities, emerging technologies and an innovative effort to encourage learning of Japanese in India.
Canine distemper, a naturally occurring viral infection, is considered fatal for canine families such as fox, dogs and wolves.
Mount Merapi is the most active of more than 120 active volcanoes in Indonesia and has repeatedly erupted with lava and gas clouds recently.
With the induction of 31 canines into the police department, the total strength of canines in the Telangana Police department has reached 260.
The canines passing out will include Belgian Malinois, Labrador, Golden Retriever and German Shepherd.
The eruption left a thick layer of volcanic ash blanketing Tonga’s main island, tainting much of its drinking water, several small settlements on outlying islands were wiped out.
Wanaparthy Superintendent of Police K Apoorva Rao expressed shock at the demise of Lovely and paid his last respects.
The main airport runway has been cleared of ash spewed when the nearby Hunga Tonga Hunga Ha’apai volcano erupted a week ago.
U.N. humanitarian officials report that about 84,000 people more than 80% of Tonga’s population have been impacted by the volcano’s eruption.
A towering ash cloud that has engulfed the islands since the volcanic eruption on January 15 had prevented earlier flights.
In fact, almost 12 hours after that, i.e., on Sunday morning, an amateur weather enthusiast from Goa, Atul Naik, posted on Twitter another graph that showed the second peak too.
Satellite images showed the spectacular eruption that took place Saturday evening, with a plume of ash, steam and gas rising like a mushroom above the blue Pacific waters.
Satellite images showed a huge eruption, a plume of ash, steam and gas captured from the space rising like a mushroom above the blue Pacific waters.
Video posted to social media showed large waves washing ashore in coastal areas. The Tonga Meteorological Services said a tsunami warning had been put in force for all of Tonga.
Mount Semeru on the island of Java ejected volcanic ash high into the sky and rained hot mud on Saturday.
Mount Semeru’s sudden eruption in Lumajang district in East Java province left several villages around its slopes blanketed with falling ash. | <urn:uuid:d06f6334-123d-4241-bf5a-82af71dbf952> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.newindianexpress.com/topic/CANI | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571909.51/warc/CC-MAIN-20220813051311-20220813081311-00277.warc.gz | en | 0.960517 | 618 | 1.890625 | 2 |
Ed and I got some more of our plants into the ground this afternoon. And here are some rare pictures of me in the act of planting! I forced asked Ed to take them for me.
We planted the seedlings I started so long ago… the green beans, nastertium, basil, and tomatoes. We also planted some parsley, chive and sunflower seeds. Ed’s in charge of the layout of the garden, although I mapped it originally, he field verified all of my measurements, haha. Ed also dug some of the holes, but I planted everything. I feel that it’s important to note that I usually do all of my own digging, and I planted a whole bunch of annuals in front and back of the house earlier in the afternoon. I’ll post pictures of those gardens at some point, too. I just don’t want you to think Ed does all the hard work. Only most of it.
So what have I learned from this adventure in gardening so far? Here’s the top 10 list…
- Label your seedlings. Just because you’re a botany teacher and were a farm kid and can tell the difference between plants, that doesn’t mean you’ll be able to tell apart four different kinds of tomato plants. I’m just hoping I have some slicers and some plum tomatoes in my garden. But I’m not sure.
- It is not necessary to plant all of the seeds in the packet, especially, again, four different types of tomatoes. When there’s only enough room for 12 tomato plants in your garden, you can afford to cut back. Ditto for basil.
- Don’t start green beans at the same time you start peas. Although they fit in the same category in my mind, they don’t in the garden.
- A formal dining area is about a million times more useful to start seeds than it is as a formal dining area. Especially when you don’t have a dining room table.
- Ed can build lots of cool stuff, especially when I nag ask politely, repeatedly.
- My best tools are my trowel, my husband, and my hands.
- My nail scrubber is my favorite inside tool.
- Watering cans are for house plants.
- If a deer jumps into our garden, I’m pretty sure he or she won’t be able to get out. There’s not enough room for a running start. So we may have built a deer trap. I’ve always wanted another pet deer.
- You could only grow one giant pumpkin plant in our garden. Hey, that sounds easy… mayble we’ll do that next year. Yes, Jon, I know it’s not easy to grow them. But one day we will have a giant pumpkin growing competition. And we’ll see who wins. No atlantic giants. They’re squash, and they’re for cheaters.
So at this point we’re about half done with planting. We still have to plant the cukes, summer squash, butternut squash, spaghetti squash, and pumpkins (little ones!) Don’t think that will all fit? Me either. But we’re going to try. | <urn:uuid:b7f1a86a-5488-423d-b803-d6e73d74cacf> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | https://farmersdaughterct.wordpress.com/2008/05/17/planting/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560281353.56/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095121-00070-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.932718 | 703 | 1.59375 | 2 |
Global Economics 101
Five Things Everyone Should Know About the IMF, World Bank, and WTO
Eric S. Piotrowski
We live today in a laboratory of human suffering as vast and terrible as that in which Dickens and Dostoevsky wrote. The only real difference being that the England of Dickens and the Russia of Dostoevsky could not afford the soundscreens and the smokescreens with which we so ingeniously conceal our true condition from ourselves.
On Saturday 15 April 2000, I arrived in Washington, D.C. with four other people from my hometown of Gainesville, Florida, to engage in a weekend of protests against the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF). Everyone else who was there probably has more exciting and important stories to tell of the protests themselves (I did not risk arrest for a variety of reasons, including my own fear, and was sick all day Monday). Instead, I would like to share the information that compelled me to travel so far to add my voice to the Mobilization for Global Justice.
Over the past few years, I have closely studied the World Bank and IMF, as well as the World Trade Organization (WTO), which faced protests of its own in Seattle in November of 1999. I am not an expert by any stretch of the imagination, but I have a general sense of what's going on. Here then is a summary of what I have learned; I feel it is essential information for citizens in the new global economy.
1. The History of the World Bank and IMF
After World War II left Europe devastated (and centuries of colonialism and resource plunder had severely impoverished what is now called the Third World), a conference was convened at Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, to create institutions separate from the United Nations that could oversee the regulation of international trade and assist in the rebuilding of Europe. The result was the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, which became the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The stated goal of the World Bank was to aid Europes reconstruction and help to develop poor countries around the world. The original mandate for the IMF was to facilitate global trade while leaving countries free to establish their own economic guidelines.
One of the main tenets of the IMF for many years was strict control of capital the ability of corporations and other monied interests to move production facilities from country to country. This system was the basic framework of the Bretton Woods system of 1944, including the charter of the IMF, writes Noam Chomsky in his 1999 book Profits Over People. Economic policy planners of the time, Chomsky notes, worried that deregulation of capital would create what some international economists call a virtual senate, in which highly concentrated financial capital imposes its own social policies on reluctant populations, punishing governments that deviate by removing their capital.
Unfortunately, this is more or less what has happened. Global trade was radically liberalized in the 1970s at the behest of the United States and Britain two of the IMFs main donor countries, who are able to exert considerable influence as a result of their large contributions to the fund. This has allowed capital to move quickly and freely around the world, resulting in tremendous power for transnational corporations and the institutions that serve them (and severe disempowerment for the rest of us).
Perhaps the most troubling aspect of these international financial institutions is their profoundly undemocratic nature. The executive directorate are not elected or chosen by any sort of democratic means, and the institutions themselves are accountable to no one except their paymasters. Renato Ruggerio, Director General of the World Trade Organization, has said We are writing the constitution of a single global economy. If this is in fact the case, dont we as citizens of the world deserve a voice in what that constitution includes?
The IMF and World Bank claim to wage war on global poverty through development. But there are serious questions to be asked about what is meant by development. Gross National Product (GNP) is often the main measure used to assess the health of a nations economy. If the GNP is growing, then all is well by the standards of the World Bank. High levels of starvation, massive numbers of desperately poor workers, and rampant disease are acceptable losses, so long as the GNP is healthy.
Development usually means that the governments of poor countries are forced to allow foreign corporations in to extract resources (as in the current plans for an oil pipeline in Chad and Cameroon), pay the workers near-slave wages (as Disney does in Haiti and many corporations do in the maquiladoras of Mexico), and endanger the lives of the people (as Union Carbide did when it killed 8,000 people in Bhopal, India in 1984).
The other main effect of IMF and World Bank policy is the imposition of crippling austerity measures on countries that seek aid, in the form of Structural Adjustment Programs.
2. Structural Adjustment Programs (SAPs)
When a country or region appeals for aid, the World Bank and IMF often agree to provide assistance only if the receiving government promises to make certain changes to the structure of the nation. Thus they are able to impose their Structural Adjustment Program (SAP).
Officially, of course, writes Joseph Stiglitz, who was chief economist at the World Bank until 1996, the IMF doesnt impose anything. It negotiates the conditions for receiving aid. But all the power in the negotiations is on one side the IMFs and the fund rarely allows sufficient time for broad consensus-building or even widespread consultations with either parliaments or civil society. Sometimes the IMF dispenses with the pretense of openness altogether and negotiates secret covenants.
The force with which the IMF and World Bank must enact SAPs is indicative of how unwelcome they are in the target country. Usually, SAPs encourage the reduction of social spending, the elimination of land reform (meaning that land must be opened up to private purchase), and less investment in things like education and infrastructure.
In a recent editorial, Pakistans most widely circulated English newspaper, DAWN, said: The entire burden of this process falls on the poor because it accentuates inequalities, creates unemployment, transfers national assets to foreigners in the form of privatization, causes financial instability as a result of high-paced liberalization, makes essential utilities expensive, and so on.
Perhaps the most notorious example of an SAP gone awry was in Indonesia in the late 1990s. Ravaged by decades of extreme corruption by the Suharto dynasty, intensive resource extraction by foreign interests, and massive speculative investment, Indonesia was ordered to impose austerity measures on its already-suffering population in order to stabilize its turbulent economy. The resulting hardship and chaos resulted in riots and demonstrations, which eventually forced Suharto out of power. Today, the people of Indonesia are still suffering under neoliberal economic policies and practices that reward elite forces at the expense of the majority of the population (of which union-busting Nike sweatshops are but one example).
The crippling debt in which many Third World countries find themselves has a variety of causes. Artificial re-valuation of US currency is one major cause, as is the explosion in transnational speculative investment over the past twenty years. As interest rates fell in the 1970s, Western banks lent out money to governments trying to forestall economic crises in their own countries, which was often used for purposes other than stabilizing the economy. When these governments defaulted or threatened to default on their loans, the IMF and World Bank came in and provided bailouts (which carried strict SAP guidelines).
As a result of this massive debt, many Third World governments find themselves in a devastating cycle of dependence and obligation to the banks. The Jubilee 2000 campaign, which seeks the cancellation of the unpayable debts of the worlds poorest countries, reports that developing countries pay the West nine times more in debt repayments than they receive in grants. In order to service this debt (usually only the interest can be covered by developing governments), severe restrictions have to be placed on services to the general population such as health care, education, employment, environmental preservation, and housing.
The debt is not the result of the will of the people governmental agents, encouraged and instructed by local elites and foreign investors, are the ones who accrued the debt. These agents of capital are the ones who have received the profits from investments and pork-barrel spending, but it is the public who must pay the costs. The bailouts orchestrated by the IMF and World Bank pay little attention to such nuances. If the government of Indonesia owes money to Swiss banks because they spent all their money buying tanks and bombs from the United States, then it is the people of Indonesia who must starve themselves and work for slave wages in order to pay it back.
The countries of Africa are in very deep debt, which cannot be separated from the history of Western imperialism, colonialism, and exploitation experienced by these countries. Jubilee 2000 notes that sub-Saharan Africa owes . . . 83 per cent of its total GNP [to other countries and banks]. Small wonder, then, that Ethiopia is once again poised on the brink of a massive epidemic of starvation.
4. The Multilateral Agreement on Investment
In May of 1995, the private Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) composed of delegates from countries which house 477 of the Global Fortune 500 corporations began to negotiate a comprehensive new treaty called the Multilateral Agreement on Investment (MAI). Because of the sweeping changes proposed in the MAI, efforts to pass it were carried out in secret. Business Week described it as the explosive trade deal youve never heard of, which remains more or less true today. Although the potential impact of the MAI is dramatic indeed, most Americans have never heard of it, an effect that seems quite deliberate.
Because it is an investors agreement, the MAI is designed to secure the rights of investors to gain more profits and increase the return on their investments. The rights of people, on the other hand, are of limited importance, and dont come up much in the treatys language. In fact, many analysts believe the MAI will strike a significant blow against the rights of people and workers.
One of the main components of the MAI is the further liberalization of capital. Government interference would be restricted, reducing the power of ordinary people to control their labor, the resources of their land, and the environmental conditions of that land.
Under the MAI, investors (including corporations themselves, who have the rights of persons under U.S. law) would be able to sue governments for violations of free trade. Such a violation allegedly occurred in 1997, when the Canadian government banned MMT, a gasoline additive classified in Canada as a dangerous toxin. The Ethyl Corporation brought a $250 million suit against Canada for losses caused by the ban. The Canadian government, unable to face such a crushing financial loss, lifted the ban.
The MAI also contains language requiring countries to trade with one another on equal footing, regardless of either countrys record of human rights, use of torture, environmental standards, etc. This would destroy the power of solidarity legislation such as the Massachusetts/Burma law, which was enacted to protest the horrendous human rights record of Burmas military government. The anti-apartheid divestment programs of the 1980s would have been illegal under the MAI.
No one knows exactly what would come of the MAI if it were signed by the world powers, largely because the text of the agreement has been kept secret and is intentionally vague. Still, policy analyst Cheryl Bishop says that the agreement threatens to give multinational corporations the same standing as nation-states, a scary prospect to say the least.
The target date for member countries to sign the MAI was April 27, 1998, but a serious lack of consensus kept it from being instituted. The treaty is now in a new round of negotiations: hurt by the setback, but not defeated by any means.
While certain nations were concerned that the MAI would erode their cultural and political sovreignty, another significant reason for the failure of the MAIs passage was overwhelming popular pressure against it. The Internet was used with remarkable force not only to reveal the existence of the MAI French activists posted the first public drafts online but also to organize grassroots resistance to it. Londons Financial Times reported that the OECDs efforts have been ambushed by a horde of vigilantes in other words, ordinary people who dont wish to see their democratic rights swept away in the constitution of a single global economy.
5. The Impact at Home
While the policies of the global financial institutions wreak havoc on the Third World, they have corresponding negative impacts in the West as well. Perhaps the most significant is the requirement that American taxpayers pay for IMF/World Bank bailouts. The banks take in all the profits from slipshop investing practices, but the American public is forced to front the money needed to bail them out. Note the similarity to Third World workers obligation to shoulder the debt costs for the irresponsible debtors of their countries.
Meanwhile, the United States has debt of its own; in fact, the U.S. is one of the most indebted industrialized nations in the world. The consequences of this debt are similar to those in the Third World were told that we have no money to spend on schools, housing, and heating assistance to poor families, because we have to pay down the debt. Naturally, of course, these obligations dont stand in the way of corporate subsidies, but this should come as a surprise to no one.
Another important benefit of the IMF and World Bank for the wealthy is the effect that liberal capital flow has on local labor conditions. If a corporation is allowed to move production very easily, then it can use the threat of such a move to break up a union, force concessions from workers, and so on. Some employers admit, in fact, that the North American Free Trade Agrement (NAFTA) has allowed them to use the threat of moving production to Mexico as a way to command obedience from their workers. This results in demoralized and unorganized work forces, which can then be pitted against each other (both between countries and within the United States).
Furthermore, the desperation of poor communities (both at home and abroad) has led to a nice shot in the arm for industries designed to quell turbulence in those communities. Prison construction is one of the largest growth industries in the United States, with privatized facilities leading the charge. Weapons manufacturers are handling the fallout from troublemakers overseas, resulting in a flat-funding for the Pentagon at Cold War-era levels. Weapons sales to repressive governments around the world enjoy a considerable boost when restrictions on such sales cannot be attached to human rights records, the use of torture, the use of child soldiers, or internal repression.
This is all leading to a kind of Third World model of economic development right here at home. In the richest country in the history of the world, one third of all children live below the poverty line. Meanwhile, one percent of the U.S. population owns 40% of the wealth. Working people are having to work harder and harder just to keep their heads above water. Unemployment may be at a record low, but many people are having to take second jobs because benefits have been cut from many jobs by corporations who would rather funnel the money into profits for investors.
Its interesting to note, also, that corporate profits are no longer studied in terms of their size alone. Profit growth is the key term in the modern era: how much more has the corporation made this year than it did last year? If Exxon makes 5% more money in 1998, and only 4% more in 1999, it is facing financial trouble. These are only some of many consequences of a society that focuses primarily on the needs of investors.
Those of us who wish to remain active as democratic citizens with a voice in the structures of our civilization should take it as a compliment that the powers that be are so threatened by our work. The same horde of vigilantes that helped to derail the MAI also halted the WTO meeting in Seattle and stood in the way of the IMF/World Bank gathering in Washington, DC. We must continue to exert our influence as citizens, as workers, as environmentalists, as labor advocates, as human rights activists, as members of the world community.
The protestors in Seattle and DC were not, as many media reports claimed, confused kids with noplace better to be, who travelled in search of a good time and an expression of youthful rebellion. We took action because the policies of the IMF, World Bank, and WTO are causing untold suffering, misery, poverty, and death. We spoke out because we want to live in a world based not on greed and profit, but on human needs, equality, and economic justice. We want everyone to have food, housing, medical care, and a decent standard of living. In a world as wealthy and bountiful as ours, there is no reason for caring people to accept the suffering that exists all around us.
The struggle goes on.
There is a wealth of information available on these topics (and many others directly related to issues of global justice and economic organization). Unfortunately, most of it is kept out of the corporate media and requires diligence and work to locate. Here are some important resources, many of which provided essential data for this report.
The New American Crisis, edited by Greg Ruggiero & Stuart Sahulka, contains many excellent essays about the myriad problems facing America in the modern era. Particularly relevant to this discussion are NAFTA, GATT, and the World Trade Organization: The New Rules for Corporate Conquest by Kristin Dawkins; Global Village or Global Pillage?: Resistance to Top-Down Globalization by Jeremy Brecher; and A Sustainable Economy for the Twenty-first Century by Juliet Schor.
Noam Chomsky has written a number of important texts about global economic power, but his book Profit Over People is the most useful for understanding the issues in an historical context.
Corporate Watch has good information on Bhopal and the Union Carbide disaster: http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=874
Joseph Stiglitz, the former chief economist at the World Bank, has written many damning critiques of the practices of the IMF, World Bank, and WTO. His volume Globalization and Its Discontents is required reading. | <urn:uuid:cae7ce73-34f5-456b-847d-873673a1d8aa> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | http://www.just-text.org/global1.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572304.13/warc/CC-MAIN-20220816120802-20220816150802-00478.warc.gz | en | 0.962 | 3,784 | 2.609375 | 3 |
Since its beginning EIUC organises conferences on topical issues with the COHOM (Working Party on Human Rights) which is responsible for shaping the EU Human Rights policy in its external relations. The annual Diplomatic Conference is a unique opportunity for enhancing the dialogue among academics and diplomats on common human rights issues of interest. Conferences like these, enabling to tackle a same question with a practical and theoretical angle, represent a source of mutual enrichment both for diplomats and academics. It usually takes place in Venice in the third weekend of July which coincides with the Redentore Festival. Besides the “Diplomatic Conferences”, EIUC regularly organises high level conferences, seminars and workshops on the latest scientific and academics developments.
Trade and Human Rights (DC 2013)
The 2013 Diplomatic Conference took place on 13 July in Venice Lido. Programme
The EU and the Economic Social and Cultural Rights (DC 2012)
The 2012 Diplomatic Conference took place on 14 July in Venice Lido. Programme
Comparative Approaches to Democratic Transitions (DC 2011)
The 2011 Diplomatic Conference was opened by Prof. Horst Fischer, EIUC President. The first part of the conference was introduced by Ms Véronique Arnault, Director for Human Rights and Democracy, European External Action Service (EEAS) and the second part by Mr. Aristotelis Bouratsis, Director of DEVCO.D “Human and Society Development”, European Union. Mr. Engelbert Theuermann, COHOM Chair, closed the conference.
The 2011 Diplomatic Conference aimed at comparing periods of democratic transition from the experiences of the central and Eastern Europe countries and the actual situation of Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, Libya, etc.
The conference saw the participation of several international specialists and professors of the MENA region.
The 2011 Review of the UN Human Rights Council (DC 2010)
The 2010 Diplomatic Conference discussed the first four years of life of the UN HRC and the review of its status, work and functioning. This review had to take the HRC mandate as basis and comprise two different but complementary processes to be conducted in New York and Geneva. Whilst the HRC status was to be reviewed by the General Assembly, its work and functioning would have been examined by the Council itself. The aim of the conference was to examine the impact of the HRC institutional status on the implementation of its mandate. On the other hand, it tackled some challenges relating to the review of the HRC work. Special attention was given to the review of the Universal Periodic Review, as an innovative HRC instrument for the protection of human rights, and to the analysis of the several proposals made to improve the functioning of the system of Special Procedures.
The impact of the global economic crisis on human rights (DC 2009)
The 2009 Diplomatic Conference discussed the impact of the global financial and economic crisis on human rights. Specific focus was devoted to themes such as the environment, social rights and the impact on civil society. The aim of the conference was to reflect on how to put human rights principles and not only economic interests at the heart of crisis responses and global economic governance.
Living the UDHR after 60 Years: Knowledge, Technology and Human Rights (DC 2008)
The 2008 Diplomatic Conference has been organised in celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It was devoted to exploring the ability of the UDHR to respond to pressing global challenges that have emerged on the international agenda in the decades after the adoption of the UDHR.
Taking into account a diversity of institutional perspectives on current opportunities and challenges in international human rights, the conference examined three main themes: Human rights policy challenges for the European Union; Globalisation, Poverty and scientific progress; and Urbanisation and environment. A particular focus of the conference was to identify guidelines for the role of the EU in the UN Human Rights Council.
The implementation of the EU Guidelines on Human Rights
The primary purpose of the conference was to evaluate the state of implementation of the EU Guidelines on Human Rights and to explore possible means of enhancing such implementation. This involved examining the working relations between the three main EU institutions as well as the role of civil society and academia, etc., in exhorting the EU to work consistently with the guidelines.
The EU Guidelines on death penalty, torture, protection of children in armed conflict, and protection of human rights defenders (i.e. all guidelines except the guidelines on human rights dialogues) have been addressed at the conference with the aim of exploring the cross-cutting issues (e.g. what is the state of implementation and how to enhance this?; what does this imply with respect to EU inter-institutional cooperation and cooperation with civil society?) by drawing on the experience derived from working with the different guidelines.
The role of the European Union in the newly established UN Human Rights Council
The principal aim of the Conference was to engage all participants in a deliberation on various aspects and implications of the newly established UN Human Rights Council, including issues related to the need for preserving inclusiveness in the UN human rights system, synergies between human rights and the two other main branches of the UN system, namely security and development, etc. Such issues were examined in view of the priorities set by the European Union policies in support of human rights and democratisation, as well as in view of the policy priorities of other international organisations.
In Larger Freedom – Reform of the UN Human Rights Mechanisms (DC 2005)
The principal aim of the 2005 Diplomatic Conference, was to engage all participants in a deliberation on “In Larger Freedom – an examination and evaluation of Kofi Annan’s proposal for reform of the UN system, and in particular its human rights mechanisms”, notably in line with the priorities set by the European Union policies in support of human rights and democratisation.
Human Rights and Counterterrorism Strategies
International terrorism poses a threat to the protection of human rights in several ways. Terrorism poses a direct threat to the human rights of populations worldwide, both in terms of the immediate danger to life and integrity of person and by the destruction of infrastructure and hindrance of economic prosperity that is an inescapable consequence of terrorist attacks. But there is also an indirect threat to human rights, so to speak, in so far as measures adopted by governments in their efforts to counter terrorism – or passed by governments with a sometimes tenuous reference to terrorism – often have a tendency to place human rights in jeopardy. This is a very unfortunate consequence as it allows the enemies of human rights, democracy and rule of law to profoundly shape the contemporary agenda of international relations and policy-making at the domestic level. In effect such a yielding of the centre stage to the detractors of human rights already marks a defeat of the cause which counter-terrorist measures are ostensibly designed to protect. It is therefore of crucial importance that governments, academia, and civil society organisations join forces in an effort to reverse this trend and conceive of effective counter-terrorism strategies that are compliant and compatible with established, hard won human rights standards.
How to improve the EU input into UN human rights policies (DC 2003)
The principal aim of the 2003 Diplomatic Conference was to engage all participants in a working group deliberation on how to improve the EU input into UN human rights policies, notably in light of the difficulties experienced at the last session of the UN Human Rights Commission as well as challenges presenting themselves in the post-conflict reconstruction of Afghanistan and Iraq.
Relations between the EU and third countries with specific reference to the intercultural dialogue, human rights and fight against terrorism (DC 2002)
The aim of the 2002 Diplomatic Conference was to engage all participants in a working group exercise on the relations between the EU and third countries with specific reference to the intercultural dialogue, human rights and the fight against terrorism.
The Master in Human Rights and Democratisation (DC 2001)
The aim of the 2001 Diplomatic Conference was to consolidate the relationship already established with the EU member states Ministries of Foreign Affairs in the occasion of the previous year’s first edition of the Diplomatic Conference, with a view to strengthen the core operational aspects of the E.MA programme: the training of human rights monitors and observers as well as experts in technical assistance to the development of democratic institutions.
The EU and the central role of human rights and democratic principles in relations with third countries
The Conference was organised under the Portuguese Presidency of the European Union, in cooperation with E.MA. This initiative was launched in response to the successful Human Rights Discussion Forum that was held in Brussels on 30 November/ 1 December 1999. The Forum offered members of the EU institutions and representatives from academic institutions and NGOs their first opportunity to discuss together EU human rights priorities and policies. The Conference main objective was therefore to collect ideas and suggestions of governments, civil society partners, academics, and international organisations - governmental and non governmental -, on methods and instruments to carry out in order to strengthen coherence, consistency and effectiveness of EU human rights action in external relations. | <urn:uuid:5c23e772-190b-49c6-af2c-4723fb853620> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | https://www.eiuc.org/research/conferences.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280761.39/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00094-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.939197 | 1,842 | 1.515625 | 2 |
In an update providing the necessary context to Israel’s rejection of a ceasefire at this stage of its offensive in Gaza, The Israel Project‘s Omri Ceren writes:
Leaks have begun to trickle out on what Israeli interogators are learning from captured Hamas fighters. One plot in particular is getting overwhelming attention.
Hamas was apparently a few months away from conducting a mass attack on Israeli civilians during the upcoming Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashana, on September 24. The raid would have been like something out of a movie: hundreds of heavily-armed Hamas fighters would have emerged from over a dozen underground tunnels in the dead of night, jogged 10 minutes to their targets, and then infiltrated a set of lightly-populated and lightly-guarded Israeli communities. Casualties could have reached the thousands, and some of the victims would have been taken back alive as hostages.
The offensive attack tunnels seem to quite literally have been built for this kind of purpose. The IDF recently published a map of how they were dug to spill out on both sides of nearby communities (https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BtYjL4mCAAAI6c6.png). Israeli soldiers have been reporting that just inside some of the tunnels were storage units filled with tranquilizers, handcuffs, ropes, and so on.
The reports on this are mostly in Hebrew right now (the original one is here if you want it: http://www.nrg.co.il/online/1/ART2/600/825.html?hp=1&cat=875&loc=1). There are bits and pieces are getting translated on blogs and in think tank bulletins. The Gatestone Institute’s Lawrence Franklin has the best English-language I’ve seen so far, and I’ve pasted it below.
If the reports are confirmed, there are some immediate adjustments that analysts, journalists, and diplomats will all but certainly make:
(1) A ceasefire without at least the destruction of Hamas’s tunnel network would likely becomes a non-starter. It would be militarily untenable – and probably politically impossible – for Israeli leaders to accept anything less.
(2) The inevitable Israeli investigation into pre-conflict failures – and the Israelis always hold these, no matter how well things go – will have to take into account both how so many tunnels got built and why Israeli intelligence failed to crack the tunnel plot earlier. There’s a lot of focus right now on the former, but a lot of the digging and earth moving happened underground. It’s the latter debate, about sigint and humint, that has the potential to cost people careers.
(3) Confirmation of the plot would raise the stakes in the growing controversy over how human rights groups and diplomatic bodies pressured the Israelis into liberalizing restrictions on cement imports. Kilometers and kilometers of reinforced tunnels were being built deep into Israeli territory while Gaza-based offiicals railed against cement shortages. Some critics have already begun to name names, and the debate is already become very granular: TIP held a conference call yesterday in which one expert described how Hamas filled emptied UNRWA relief bags with dirt and then drove them away in UN-painted trucks, so that drones overhead saw what looked like a UN-sanctioned aid convoy.
(4) The public debate over the degree to which Operation Protective Edge was a “war of choice” for the Israelis would become constrained. A full-blown war would be seen as in some sense inevitable, with the only difference being whether it came before or after the Jewish High Holidays this fall.
Here is Lawrence Franklin’s column, cited above. I thought that readers trying to understand the course of the war would find this information useful.
JOHN adds: Israel’s refusal to enter into a week-long cease-fire agreement also likely had something to do with this: REPORT: HAMAS MORALE COLLAPSING, TERRORISTS FLEE IDF:
The source added that in recent days, a recognizable wave of demoralization has washed over Hamas’s combat battalions. “They simply escape, leaving behind weapons and suicide bomb vests that were laid out for battle. This morning we stormed a position, and they just weren’t there. I don’t see a determined enemy. We have encountered stronger pockets of fighting in the past. But now, I would not give them a high grade for fighting spirit.”
“The spirit of Hamas terrorists is weakening,” Southern Region Commander Maj. Gen. Sami Turgeman says. “I see terrorists in distress, abandoned by their commanders who deserted them at the front and stayed behind…and facing them, our reserve and standing army units led by commanders leading the force.”
Leading from behind! It doesn’t work for Hamas any better than it does for President Obama. | <urn:uuid:953c894f-ee27-4e51-8410-fbae1e1a4d40> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2014/07/hamass-big-plan-disrupted.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560283689.98/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095123-00350-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963653 | 1,028 | 1.546875 | 2 |
Electrical Safety Certificate
Electrical Safety Certificate
An electrical safety certificate is a document that certifies that electrical installations, wiring, and fuses are safe. It is an important part of ensuring that your property is fit to live in. If you are a homeowner (or want to become one), or renting out your property or selling it out, you are legally required to obtain and update an electrical safety certificate.
What is an electrical safety certificate? How do I get one? What exactly is tested when carrying out electrical safety tests? And how often do you need to test your property’s electrical infrastructure?
What is an electrical safety certificate?
It is a document which is issued by a qualified and registered electrician. It is used to determine the electrical safety of your home and ensure that it meets the requirements. It is noticed that an Electrical Safety Certificate can only be issued once an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) has been carried out. Your Electrical Safety Certificate or EICR must be updated regularly and new checks are required every 5 years.
Why is an electrical safety certificate important?
An electrical safety certificate is an important part of a landlord’s legal duty to keep their properties safe and habitable under the Housing (Fitness for Habitation) Act 2018. This legislation helps to ensure that privately rented properties are safe to occupy for the duration of the tenancy.
Electrical safety is the most important aspect among all households. According to the Home Office, electrical faults cause more than 10% of house fires in the UK. If electrical wiring is neglected for long periods of time, it increases the risk of electrical fires such as overloaded sockets, exposed wires, or outdated appliances.
What is the Electrical Safety Certificate Act?
There is no specific legislation covering the issue and renewal of EICR certificates. However, the legislation that came into force in June 2020 is made in exercise of the powers in sections 122 and 123 of the Housing and Planning Act 2016(1) and section 234 of and paragraph 3 of Schedule 4 to the Housing Act 2004(2).
The legislation applies to all new private rented properties from 1 July 2020 and all existing private rented properties from 1 April 2021.
What do the Electricity Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2021 do?
From 1st April 2021, all existing private landlords must comply with legislation requiring them to have regular electrical safety checks carried out by a registered electrician every few years.
The results of these checks must be given to the tenant occupying the property within 28 days. If requested by the local authority, landlords must also provide a copy of the certificate within 7 days.
Landlords must also keep a copy for their archives so that they can always show it to an inspector, the local authority, or a prospective tenant.
What does an EICR look like?
There is no specific format for an EICR. This can be frustrating for some landlords as each electrician’s EICR may look slightly different. However, this is not always a problem. Landlords just need to ensure that the report contains all the relevant information, which we describe in more detail below.
What does the electrical safety certificate show?
To ensure compliance with the legislation, the EICR report must detail all inspections carried out. Where deficiencies or potential problems are identified in electrical safety, the report will detail any recommended remedial actions or improvements that owners will need to take to secure certification, or consider in the future, to make the property as safe as possible.
The purpose of an electrical safety inspection is to:
- Identify any potential safety risks in the property’s permanent installations (lighting, sockets, fixtures, electrical storage boilers, etc.).
- Identify poorly carried out electrical work that is dangerous or potentially dangerous.
- Ensure that electrical circuits or equipment are not overloaded.
- Ensure that earthing and bonding are carried out correctly and that there is sufficient resistance to trip circuit breakers in the event of an overvoltage.
- What will be checked and tested?
- The EICR applies to all ‘fixed’ installations in your home. Essentially this means all parts of your electrical infrastructure that are permanently connected to the property.
- All light fittings
- All sockets
- All internal and external wiring
- Property fuse boxes
- All permanently connected electrical appliances such as storage heaters, showers, or fans.
The EICR test does not cover portable appliances such as a fridge, washing machine, or electric oven. However, it is a good idea to check these appliances regularly too. Let’s look at them in more detail immediately. | <urn:uuid:526ef991-238f-446d-b14d-6f421f3531af> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.londonpropertyinspections.co.uk/electrical-safety-certificate/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571090.80/warc/CC-MAIN-20220809215803-20220810005803-00072.warc.gz | en | 0.936401 | 962 | 2.53125 | 3 |
Scandium Facts – What is scandium?
Scandium is a transition metal found in the first row of the third column on the periodic table of elements.
Its chemical symbol is Sc, and its atomic number is 21.
This is because it has 21 protons and 21 electrons.
The atomic weight of scandium is 44.96, and it is solid at room temperature.
Scandium’s melting point is a very high 1541 degrees Celsius, and its boiling point is also very high at 2836 degrees Celsius.
This means that scandium can retain its shape, structure, and overall form even at very high temperatures.
Lars Fredrik Nilson is credited with the discovery of scandium in the year 1879.
Characteristics and Properties
The standard appearance of scandium is a solid metal that has a silvery and white color to it. It is known to be quite soft in nature, and is very lightweight, much like aluminum.
Scandium does have very minor reactions, and when exposed to air it will become tarnished from its silvery color to a lighter pink or yellowish color.
Similarly, scandium has only minor reactions with acids. However, when exposed specifically to pure oxygen, scandium has no reaction.
In general it is protected and resistant to corrosion from exposure to other elements, and rust and decomposition.
It is generally very much like aluminum in appearance and function, except that it retains its shape and general form in very high temperatures.
This means that sometimes aluminum needs to be replaced with scandium for certain functions.
Where is scandium found on Earth?
Scandium is not a very common element to come across on Earth, and it is known to be only the 50th most abundant element found in the world.
Generally, scandium can only be found in small amounts at a time, mixed with other minerals in the Earth’s crust.
Scandium is not commonly mined or produced on its own, and is much more commonly found as a side result of mining and purifying fluorine, tantalum, and even uranium.
How scandium is used today
Scandium is a useful element when combined with others into a new metal alloy.
However, the cost of finding and using scandium outweighs its ability to be useful, and thus it is generally not a commonly used element.
Aluminum and titanium are much more common in use than scandium, due to their similar properties, strength, and cost effectiveness.
Combined, alloys of scandium and aluminum can make very strong and highly durable products.
Examples of products that come from aluminum and scandium alloys include aircraft parts, firearms, baseball bats, and golf clubs.
Another example of a scandium-based product is extremely bright light, commonly used in movie production and to light arenas for major events.
It is very hard to isolate and purify scandium. It is much more common to both find and use it in some form of compound, ore, or alloy.
The first pound of purified scandium wasn’t produced until the year 1960.
Fun Scandium Quiz!
- What year was the first pound of scandium produced?
- Who discovered scandium?
- How common is scandium on Earth?
- Which other element is scandium most like?
- What are some uses of scandium today?
- Lars Frederik Nilson
- The 50th most common element
- Bright lights, baseball bats, aircraft parts, golf clubs, and firearms | <urn:uuid:b74e0689-5933-4097-8fee-1231805c8c13> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | http://kuzdjafilmlopasellen.org/index-54.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572043.2/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814143522-20220814173522-00469.warc.gz | en | 0.958691 | 771 | 3.5625 | 4 |
What is myeloma?
In Canada, there was an estimated 3,400 new cases of myeloma in 2020.
You are not alone.
What happens next?
Managing your new reality
Coping with fear, anxiety and stress
Taking care of your body
Managing fatigue and cognitive challenges
Understanding insurance and organizing finances
Resources on myeloma
Why the type of myeloma matters
There are many types of myeloma. Doctors divide myeloma into groups that describe how fast or slowly the disease is progressing. The treatment for myeloma varies according to the type You may find that learning about your diagnosis once you know the type of myeloma involved will help you better understand the disease and its treatment.
Doctors classify myeloma into subtypes by using various tests. The subtype plays a large part in deciding the type of treatment. | <urn:uuid:9ab6a818-e873-4ad0-85a8-073595dd8c04> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.bloodcancers.ca/i-have-blood-cancer/myeloma | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573172.64/warc/CC-MAIN-20220818063910-20220818093910-00274.warc.gz | en | 0.913577 | 210 | 2.625 | 3 |
Ramsay, Edward Bannerman, Lld
Ramsay, Edward Bannerman, LL.D.
a Scottish clergyman and author, was born at Balmain, Kincardineshire, January 31, 1793, and graduated from St. John's College, Cambridge, in 1815. He took orders in the Church of England, and was a curate in Somersetshire for seven years. In 1830 he became minister of St. John's, Edinburgh, and in 1841 dean of the Reformed Episcopal Church of Scotland, He died at Edinburgh, December 27, 1872. His publications include, a annual of Catechetical Instruction (6th ed. Edinburgh, 1851; 9th ed. 1863): — Sermons for Advent (1850): — Scripture Doctrine of the Eucharist (1858): — Reminiscences of Scottish Life and Character (eod.): — Diversities of Christian Character Illustrated in the Lives of the Four Great Apostles (eod.): — Present State of our Canon Law Considered (1859): — Christian Life (1862): — Episcopal Church of Scotland (eod.): — Two Lectures on Handel (eod.): — Christian Responsibility (1864): — Thomas Chalmers, D.D.: — Biographical Notice (1867): — Pulpit Table- talk (1868), and other works. See Allibone, Dict. of Brit. and Amer. Authors, s.v. | <urn:uuid:d6af5eab-45b3-49e6-b552-318e859da72f> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.biblicalcyclopedia.com/R/ramsay-edward-bannerman-lld.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571234.82/warc/CC-MAIN-20220811042804-20220811072804-00075.warc.gz | en | 0.923475 | 305 | 1.71875 | 2 |
Throw yourself off a cliff and you only have yourself to blame for what happens next. The consequences of adventure sports are brought most clearly into focus when you think about what could go wrong in a pastime as dangerous as BASE jumping. Defined as a parachute leap from a building, antenna, span (bridge) or the earth (cliff), it’s among the most life threatening of all human endeavors. Though preparation, training, and skill can mitigate many of the incredible risks involved, there’s always the possibility of severe injury or even death. Despite meticulous planning any number of things can go wrong. Complete safety is impossible to assure.
On November 19, 2012 professional BASE jumper Jill Kuzman experienced the full impact of sudden unforeseen circumstances. It was a beautiful day in late fall on the high sandstone cliffs near Moab, Utah. No wind, 60 degrees, conditions were perfect for BASE Jumping.
“I was doing an unpacked jump that we call a TARD over. TARD = totally awesome rapid deployment,” Kuzman said in an exchange on Facebook. “I had a 180 (opened backwards) on inflation. I tried to stop it from flying towards the cliff, but because it was already open it was already flying.”
A parachute that opens backwards is never a good thing. She hit the cliff face twice before attempting a hard left turn to escape. But that just made matters worse. At such a sharp angle out of control she dove the canopy straight for the desert floor.
“I broke my femur when I impacted the ground,” she said. “I had three military medics and a doctor on the jump with me. They got to me fast, hit their spot for rescue, and had me in traction from a splint they had in the car within 20 mins. Those guys are my heroes, big time.”
Kuzman was very lucky. This was actually her fourth jump of the day after three safe and successful landings. If not for her expertise in handling a jump gone wrong and the emergency medical training of her partners she might not have survived the crash. But after a long hospital stay and extensive surgery she made a miraculous recovery. A little more than a month after the accident she was able to spend Christmas back home in Philadelphia with her family. In the weeks that followed she was able to walk without crutches. As her health improves she looks forward to one day BASE jumping again. But it will still be a while before Kuzman is fully recovered from her fall. Without health insurance to cover her treatment and time in the hospital she’s now on the hook for $120,000 in medical bills.
Though many might suggest BASE jumping without insurance is a foolish thing to do, there are many extreme sports athletes that don’t have even basic medical coverage. Personally from the time I was 26 right up to the day my wife and I got married at the age of 35 I had no health insurance what so ever. For that nine-year period I paddled, rock climbed, and skied with reckless abandon, keeping my fingers crossed for luck all the while knowing that I was one emergency room visit away from bankruptcy. Healthy as a horse, with no pre-existing conditions and gainfully self-employed, I made the reckless decision to go without. Only much later would I realize what a grave mistake that was.
So when Kuzman reached out via Facebook for financial help I was more than willing to make a contribution to her cause with a donation that could buy groceries and help pay down a growing pile of medical bills. A website was set up to take in donations on her behalf. It was easy to imagine myself in a similar position if I were more bold or less lucky 15 years ago. Dropping a couple of bucks online was the least I could do to help out.
Several of her friends felt the same way. To date 130 donors have chipped in almost $10,000 to literally help Kuzman get back on her feet.
“When I was in the hospital, I would check the donation site every day,” she said. “The amount of people who selflessly gave, all the kind words that were written to me, the stories of injuries that people shared, all those things helped me through the pain more than you could know.”
But with this positive upwelling of support there is also a vocal cadre of those who object to Kuzman’s alternative to health insurance and her having publicly reached out for support. An anonymous writer to the blog BASEJumper.com who goes by the handle Grown_Up says in a post riddled with sarcasm that engaging in risky activities without medical coverage is blatantly irresponsible. He suggests, tongue in cheek, that going without insurance as a BASE jumper, for which he pays $239 a month, could have been a great way to save money.
“All I had to do, was to always jump unpacked, regardless of the technicality of the jump or the winds, and if I would ever get hurt (highly unlikely) I would just put some sad pictures up on the Internet, have a friend set up a donation page for me and have all my friends (and their friends) chip in for my hospital and rescue bills (I would make sure to promote the donation page myself as much as I can),” wrote Grown_Up. “I wouldn’t even feel bad about doing it, since everyone can afford a $5 donation (price of a cup of coffee, for god’s sake). Luckily, I have 1500 ‘friends’!”
Although Kuzman is never mentioned specifically in the post several of those who replied to the thread indicated they believe she is the uninsured BASE jumper that Grown_Up is referring to. In a subsequent post the anonymous writer denied that his or her comments were directed at Kuzman. Instead Grown_Up insists that there is a growing trend among action sports athletes without insurance to seek assistance online when they get injured.
“The original post was not about one single case, just prompted by a recent one,” Grown_Up wrote. “This past year, FB and some other sites have been flooded with the donation pages. Not just BASE, there are climbing, surfing, skiing, swimming (!!!) accidents. It seems like it was becoming a norm to have others bail you out.”
My attempt to reach Grown_Up via email through BASEJumper.com went unanswered. That person has chosen to remain unnamed for fear of personal attacks online. Snarky comments in the posts notwithstanding Grown_Up does make several important points though most readers might perceive the expression of his or her opinions as an indirect attack upon Kuzman. In light of the inherent dangers of BASE jumping, comprehensive medial insurance should be just as mission critical as a parachute. A cohort of charitable well-meaning friends is no substitute.
To her credit Kuzman made a good faith effort to acquire health insurance. Unfortunately as a single payer with three pre-existing conditions, including seasonal allergies, the cost was prohibitively expensive. Without coverage she found herself, as many do at the prime of life with a passion for adventure, facing a very difficult choice.
“I’m not saying it was the smartest decision I’ve made. I didn’t not get insurance because I wanted to be a financial burden on my friends,” she said. “It’s just a crappy situation that I, among many people these days, found myself in. Do I let that one thing be the magnetic pull in my life or do I keep following my passion? In retrospect, I’d do it all over again.”
When you’re young, healthy, and unattached with the rest of your life ahead of you it’s hard not to feel indestructible. I know I did. After 20 years of hard falls and close calls I never once spent a night in a hospital bed. But all that wear and tear takes a toll. As the years go by you’ll start to slow down with little aches and pains that just might indicate something more serious. In my case an untreated low-back injury from a fall off a chinning bar in an Iowa City hotel room in 1992 resulted in a relatively minor dislocation of my left hip that was never corrected. I “walked off” the injury, but without medical care it grew progressively worse. My activity level began a steady decline over several years until I finally walked with a persistent limp. In late December 2012 I was diagnosed with advanced osteo-arthritis in both my left hip and my right. Now at the age of 46 I write this story from an orthopedic recovery room after the first of two complete hip replacements.
On the bright side, thanks to group health insurance through my wife’s employer, I’ll have my operations with very little out of pocket expense. At an estimated average cost of $30,000 for each of two surgeries there’s no way I could pay for treatment without assistance. Though I might have launched a fund-raising campaign online I’m grateful that I won’t have to ask of my friends and family for anything other than gifts of home-cooked meals and get well cards while I’m in recovery.
Had I been a bit more prudent in my youth I might have purchased health insurance. Then when I was originally injured I might have been more inclined to see a doctor and keep the soreness in my hip from becoming the agonizing pain in the ass it is today. At current rates though often with high deductibles the cost of health insurance is infinitely more affordable than the alternative. Even with high risk activities like BASE jumping there are policies available that will cover virtually all the expenses related to a medical emergency or catastrophic injury.
In the post to BASEJumper.com Grown_Up offers some good advice for adventure athletes shopping for health insurance. It’s suggested that anyone looking for a worthwhile policy ask at least these four basic questions:
“1- Is any parachute activity (such as skydiving, paragliding or BASE jumping) covered by the plan I want to get?
2- Is any parachute activity (such as skydiving, paragliding or BASE jumping) mentioned in any way in the exclusions?
3 – If I get injured (short or long term) while participating in any parachute activity (such as ….) will I be covered?
4 – Just for good measure, I also asked if a helicopter ride to a hospital would be covered.”
Some insurance policies have very specific exclusions for injuries sustained in high risk activities. Sports with inherent hazards that may include skiing, mountain biking, or surfing could be exempt from claims. It’s important that every insured person is well aware of their levels of coverage. And it’s important to ask what might appear to be silly questions.
“I’d rather sound like a moron, than fall through a loophole,” Grown_Up wrote.
Starting in 2014 the Affordable Health Care Act signed into law by President Obama will go into full effect. At that time everyone in the United States, with the exception of those in poverty and some with religious objections, will be required to have health insurance or face a fine of $695 per year. With a much deeper pool of potential policy holders the understanding is that premium costs will go down as market competition rises. But it remains to be seen. Even when health insurance is more accessible will those of us involved in adventure sports and prone to risky behavior decide to buy an affordable policy or simply pay the fine?
At the heart of the matter is the safety and well being of the adventure sports community as a whole. In the balance are those at risk of injury and those who aim to push the limits of their abilities for an ecstatic experience that can only come from an adrenaline-charged sport like BASE jumping. What happens when too many athletes are injured or even killed because their safety plan failed to include adequate medical coverage.
“The bottom line isn’t so much about the problems with health care, and insurance in the USA,” wrote StealthyB on BASEJumping.com. “The problem is that every incident in Moab that gets attention is one more black mark against BASE no matter how little difference you think it makes. If you burn sites like Moab… you are going to run out of playgrounds.”
There are only so many places in the world where BASE jumping off natural features is possible or even legal. Concerns over the personal safety of athletes eager to throw caution and themselves to the winds have resulted in the prohibition of the sport at areas across the U.S. in places with high cliffs like Yosemite. Moab, one of the last lawful BASE jumping sites in the country, could be next.
Without advocating for massive regulation of the sport it stands to reason that an affordable insurance policy with mandatory eligibility requirements for safety could help to reduce the number injuries like Kuzman’s. Certainly she survived and with the help of her friends and family she’ll eventually dig out from under that mountain of debt. The adventure community is supportive that way. But even though she did everything right at the time of her accident shouldn’t the final check of her BASE rig have been up to date medical coverage? Or should a broken and dysfunctional healthcare system be allowed to stifle the creative expression of flight and freedom at the core of the sport? For now it’s up to each individual to decide for themselves.
The Joy Trip Project is made possible with the support of sponsors Patagonia, Rayovac and the New Belgium Brewing Company. | <urn:uuid:d75ba631-fabe-4f9a-956d-9ff30b0b280e> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://adventureblog.nationalgeographic.com/2013/02/07/the-adventurers-insurance-conundrum-and-how-obamas-affordable-health-care-act-will-change-it/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280292.50/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00337-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975116 | 2,875 | 2.609375 | 3 |
Power: You Have It
As human beings we are interested in power and understanding how power exists and of course, how we can obtain more power in our lives. Let’s face it: Most of our conflicts are power-based, meaning that when you get right down to it, at the heart of the conflict you have two people who are trying to gain power or equalize the power in their relationship.
The concept of power is a funny thing because as we discuss in my classes, power is perceived in a relationship and most of the time we perceive there to be a power imbalance. Power is negotiated in our relationships each and everyday, sometimes in very small ways. Allowing your office mate to pick where you go for lunch allows power to temporarily shift in their favor. Maybe you’re doing that so that when you need to make a power play your office mate is more willing to allow the power to shift to you—you can think of power as currency in a sense.
Sometimes when it comes to our relationships we feel powerless. While we are never truly powerless (we always have the power to leave a relationship) we can feel as though the power is out of balance and that can become a problem for our relationship. As I tell my students: It is important to know what type of power you have and what type of power your relational partner has so that you can successfully negotiate power (with the end goal ideally being that you equalizing the power in your relationship).
So, what types of power are there? There are two different power source models that I teach in my classes and I’ll share with you both.
Power (Bases) Sources (Paraphrased from an article originally published by American psychologists John French and Bertram Raven, 1959)
- Expert Power: Pretty self-explanatory, when you know more about a specific area than someone else you would have expert power. Think of this as occurring when you know how to work the latest technology device but your boss doesn’t. Your boss needs your knowledge/expertise and thus, in that instance you have power.
- Legitimate Power: This type of power is “granted” to someone based on a title or position that a society or culture has deemed as being worthy of power. An example of people with legitimate power might be: law enforcement, politicians, and your boss. We respect the person’s title and thus, give them power.
- Referent Power: My students seem to love when I talk about this type of power! This power exists because of who you are as a person. Are you charismatic? Engaging? Do people gravitate to you? You might have referent power. This is probably a reason why we let celebrities sell us products—we like them and give them power over us.
- Reward/Coercive Power: Many of us in the work world have experienced these types of power. Someone has reward power when they can give someone else something they want (i.e. better hours, a pay raise, etc.). That same person probably also has coercive power where they can take away a reward and/or punish the other person (i.e. giving them less hours, bad shifts, etc.). Finding the balance between using reward and coercive power is tricky and parents are always trying to figure out this balance!
R.I.C.E. (Paraphrased from the work of William Wilmot and Joyce Hocker, leading Interpersonal Conflict scholars)
- Resource Power: Very similar to reward power in that if you have something someone wants you can have power over them. Siblings everywhere know this all too well if there was only one family car that everyone wanted to drive it. Know your resources and know what they are worth—it will matter in your life.
- Interpersonal Linkages Power: The phrase, “It’s not what you know, but who you know,” rings true here. We can have power in a situation simply because we know the right people. Just be careful that you don’t “name-drop” too often—no one likes that person.
- Communication Skills Power: A personal favorite of mine for obvious reasons: If you know how to communicate and use your words correctly that can provide you with a lot of power, not just in your relationships but in life. Communication majors, rejoice!
- Expertise Power: See expert power above.
Know what type of power you have and how to leverage it, it could make a difference in your next conflict situation.
As I remind my students though: Use your power for good, not evil. | <urn:uuid:cdc37e93-e83a-4e73-923a-5a2fc767ba01> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://careergirlnetwork.com/power/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280221.47/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00231-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963886 | 963 | 2.625 | 3 |
Have You Been Following The CCBC Debate Over "We Are the Ship"?
The thread began with the question of whether it should or should not have been eligible for the Caldecott — some see the art in the book as more point for point illustration of single beats in the story, rather than as a form of narration on its own. That set of questions in turn has led to a discussion of nonfiction and plot. Is plot central to nonfiction? And, if it is not, does — as some over at CCBC seem to think — that mean nonfiction which does not have a plot is necessarily dry. I don’t agree at all — but that is also because I think there is a false dichotomy in the assumption that plot is the same as narrative propulsion, and plotless is the same as isolated (dessicated) facts.
My English professor wife tells me that plot is events arranged in a fashion that furthers the development and undestanding of characters, and which moves a book towards the resolution of its central conflict. All that can, of course, be true of nonfiction. The problem is that while a fiction writer has complete freedom to arrange plot, we don’t. We have to be true to the actual events and individuals we are writing about. But that does not mean we need to trudge wearily from fact to fact, date to date. We can begin a nonfiction book at any moment in the history we plan to recount. We can use foreshadowing, suspense, dramatic conflict, cliff-hanging chapter endings to engage readers. One of my favorite devices is to introduce a small thread early on in a book which, later, will come to play a crucial dramatic part. I love teasing the reader that way, and then delivering a dramatic jolt at the moment when all of the seemingly far flung threads come together.
One advantage we have in NF is that our books can be held together by the unfolding of ideas. Novels can too — but some readers resist that in fiction, finding novels-of-ideas to be dry. But in our books, the thrilling formation of a grand idea — say Evolution — is a form of plot, but entirely a plot of intellectual discovery. For some readers (for me) the unfolding of ideas, the solving of mysteries (I mean mysteries of nature, of science, of engineering, of math, of physics, of history) has a compelling interest. That is why some guys really love reading manuals — the thrill of understanding The Way Things Work makes them pick up a book. They do not want character and story, they want knowledge. I would caution anyone against arguing that knowledge is inherently less interesting than story.
I have to confess that I am writing this from a hotel room in Paris. Marinia and I had the good fortune to come here because the Jewish Museum is about to open a show about Yiddish book art that includes some of my father’s earliest work. Here is a link if you are interested www.mahj.org/fr/3_expositions/expo_FuturAnterieur.php There is a link between being here and this theme about plot — museums have gotten very good at using space to create narrative, which is also what we do in illustrated nonfiction — the pace of images and the design of the book also creates a kind of propulsion, a narration, that has nothing to do with plot. More on this anon | <urn:uuid:552cb059-e2f2-49dd-b127-c4aa2e786f81> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://blogs.slj.com/nonfictionmatters/2009/02/09/nonfiction-and-plot/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560281226.52/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095121-00378-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967855 | 715 | 1.929688 | 2 |
Three and a half years after the catastrophic Rana Plaza building collapse, major apparel brands and retailers that are part of the Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety are failing to fulfill their commitments to make their supplier factories safe, leaving hundreds of thousands workers at risk, according to a new report by labor rights groups. The report, “Dangerous Delays on Worker Safety,” is the first independent study on progress at factories producing for Alliance members. It reveals that rather than hold member companies accountable, the Alliance is concealing their lack of action by refusing to publish detailed information on factory progress and by reporting some factories as “On Track” on safety renovations when, in fact, they have failed to implement key renovations by mandated deadlines.
While the Alliance published corrective action plans (CAPs) for each of the 674 factories employing an estimated 1.18 million workers following initial inspections, it has, since those inspections were done, published no updates on factory-by-factory progress apart from overall status labels such as “On Track” or “Needs Intervention.” Using detailed progress updates published by the Bangladesh Accord on Fire and Building Safety on factories supplying members on both programs, the labor rights groups – International Labor Rights Forum, Worker Rights Consortium, Clean Clothes Campaign, and Maquila Solidarity Network – found substantial delays in key safety renovations at Alliance suppliers, a problem which the Alliance has not acknowledged publicly. Moreover, the report shows that the Alliance’s decision to grant factories until 2018 to complete fire, electrical, and structural renovations meant that the “On Track” labels for factories as listed on the Alliance website have no relation to the status of progress on the original deadlines, which in most cases were due in 2014 and 2015.
“We are very concerned by the Alliance’s decision to waive original safety deadlines because this reduces the urgency of compliance for brands and factories,” said Liana Foxvog, Director of Organizing and Communications at the International Labor Rights Forum. “Each day that the Alliance allows the delays to linger is another day workers' lives are at risk.”
Of the 107 “On Track” Alliance factories examined, the labor rights groups found that 41% have uncorrected structural problems, 57% have compromised fire exits, and 58% do not have a properly functioning fire alarm system.
Any of the hazards in these categories could be the cause of injury or death to workers.
Structural problems that factories in the sample have failed to address include loads in multistory factories heavier than the floors can reliably bear, cracks in beams holding up the floors, over-stressed structural columns, and similar deficiencies. Fire exit deficiencies include stairwells discharging inside buildings, rather than leading outside to safety, stairwells lacking fire-rated doors, exit routes compromised by unsealed openings that would allow smoke to enter during a fire, and related issues. Problems with fire alarm systems involve delayed installation of a system or the installation of a system that does not meet standards.
The report showed that approximately 120,000 workers are employed in Walmart factories without completed fire exits. There are 74,000 workers in VF factories, 55,000 in Gap factories, 28,000 in Target factories, and 14,000 in HBC factories with the same problem.
“The Alliance’s approach to reporting safety progress legitimately raises the question whether the Alliance is prioritizing the protection of its member brands’ reputations over the protection of workers,” said Scott Nova, Executive Director of the Worker Rights Consortium. | <urn:uuid:9596146d-a531-4fae-92f7-0d044373880b> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://old.laborrights.org/releases/alliance-bangladesh-worker-safety-overstates-progress | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572089.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814234405-20220815024405-00074.warc.gz | en | 0.952141 | 734 | 1.65625 | 2 |
You can download chapter 9 of Knowing God below. Please read this before considering the reflection questions below.
For your reflection:
- In your journal, write out J.I.Packer’s definition of ‘wisdom’. Do you agree with it? Would you change it or qualify it in any way?
- “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” (James 1:5) | <urn:uuid:1e76acd1-d53e-43d8-b5ce-b96cc60c8e31> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://growingdisciples.net.au/2022/01/17/god-only-wise-knowing-god-chapter-9-part-1/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573104.24/warc/CC-MAIN-20220817183340-20220817213340-00467.warc.gz | en | 0.895862 | 109 | 1.945313 | 2 |
AT THE ANNUAL MEETING 2008 OF THE GLOBAL HUMANITARIAN FORUM
“THE HUMAN FACE OF CLIMATE CHANGE”
Geneva, 24 June 2008
Let me first thank former Secretary-General Kofi Annan for bringing so many leaders and experts together at the first Annual Meeting of the Global Humanitarian Forum.
I was very touched by the statements just made by the climate witnesses. Their reports are a stark illustration of how the impact of global warming will change all of our lives if we do not act decisively.
Climate change is anything but abstract: it is people who are suffering increased floods and droughts, its is people who have to face re-emerging diseases linked with climate change, it is still people, and often the most vulnerable of them, who may have to leave their village or their countries when climate damages become too intense to cope with. The topic of climate refugees is no longer a concept: it is a sad fact.
Climate change affects nearly every aspect of human activity. Its implications range from the environment, health, security, and migration, to energy, good governance and economic development, as is also reflected in the program of the Global Humanitarian Forum.
Each nation, each city, each town, each community and individual has a stake. It is clear therefore that the solutions must be global and that we need to forge a global alliance for action.
The United Nations has a crucial role. It is best placed to provide an integrated response to the complementary challenges of addressing climate change and sustainable development. And I commend the leadership of Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in this regard.
Climate change has become the flagship issue of the 62nd session of the General Assembly. World leaders spoke passionately about the urgent need to address climate change in the General Debate last September and sent a strong political message that gave the necessary impetus to ensure agreement in Bali.
In February of this year I convened a high-level debate of Member States to discuss with different stakeholders how to forge partnerships in order to rise to the challenge of climate change. All participants agreed that without an effective global partnership we will not be able to overcome the scale of the challenge that climate change presents to our way of life.
Mayor Bloomberg of New York spoke of the leadership role for cities. Let us not forget: over half of the world’s population lives in urban areas!
Sir Richard Branson spoke about the role of private business and advanced his idea to create a “war room” to fight global warming. Indeed, we need the private sector to foster innovation, develop and transfer new technologies, leverage green investment and change our economic future.
The President of the European Parliament, Hans Poettering, addressed the responsibility of national parliaments to adopt legislation and hold governments accountable on behalf of citizens. And non-governmental organizations spoke of their role to galvanise public support. The media need to raise awareness and bring the human faces of climate change into all our living rooms.
We all know that addressing the threats posed by climate change will be tremendously expensive. The numbers we are talking about are immense: in 2030, it is estimated that additional global investment and financial flows of over 200 billion USD would be necessary just to return emissions to current levels.
Lord Stern made clear in his report that, unless major investments were made to address the issue, worldwide economic losses would correspond to a 5-10% loss in global GDP. In fact, poorer countries would suffer losses in excess of 10% of their GDP.
According to recent estimates global annual economic losses resulting from extreme weather events and natural disasters will be up to 1 trillion USD by 2040. These numbers are not merely statistic data. They are simply frightening!
The UNFCCC estimates that up to 86% of all financial flows needed to respond to climate change will not come from public sources, but from private investors.
Therefore in early June, I initiated a debate of Member States with representatives from financial institutions – pension funds, investment banks, hedge funds, insurance companies, representing trillions of dollars of assets, on the role that private investments could play as part of the solution.
Panelists made quite clear that the global climate regime will need to provide stability and long-term planning security and regulation if it is to successfully provoke the needed private investments to address climate change. Governments need to provide stable and smart regulatory regimes.
In early July, I will convene a meeting to discuss the impact and concerns of the most vulnerable countries, such as small island states and least developed countries.
Our response must also be seen in the context of our broader international development agenda. The links with ongoing United Nations initiatives on Financing for Development, achieving the Millennium Development Goals, improving international environmental governance and most recently in addressing the global food crisis are clear.
We need to reconcile the economic aspirations of developing countries, in particular the poor, with the necessity to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The challenge is to find policies, instruments and technologies that can create low-carbon economies which promote sustainable economic growth and provide incentives for individuals to change behaviour.
In all of this it is the human face that we should consider when making policy decisions. And we all need to take greater individual responsibility for our actions if we are to secure the planet for future generations to enjoy.
The United Nations is ready. I hope you are also ready. We need you as our partners!I thank you. | <urn:uuid:8fe0afe6-952a-4787-9a4c-563ad94f93a8> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.un.org/ga/president/62/statements/ghfg240608.shtml | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560279410.32/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095119-00166-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95186 | 1,110 | 1.789063 | 2 |
Near Farson in Sweetwater County, Wyoming — The American West (Mountains)
Tri-Territory Historic Site
France ceded its claims to Spain in 1762 but regained them in 1800 and sold the region of “Louisiana” to the United States in 1803.
Great Britain claimed the western portion of the site in 1792 and the United States laid formal claims in 1818 until the 42 parallel was accepted as the boundary between United States and Spain in 1819. Mexico, after gaining independence from Spain in 1821, reconfirmed the boundary lines. In 1824, Great Britain relinquished her claims to the area of the Columbia River basin, reaffirming this action by the treaty of 1846 establishing the right of the United States to the “Oregon Country.” On July 4, 1848, the cession of territory by Mexico was proclaimed giving to the United States the undisputed right to all of Wyoming.
The monument on this site was constructed
Erected by U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management.
Location. 42° 0′ N, 108° 55.02′ W. Marker is near Farson, Wyoming, in Sweetwater County. Marker is on BLM Road 4102 near County Route 83, on the left when traveling south. Click for map. Marker is in this post office area: Farson WY 82932, United States of America.
Other nearby markers. At least 1 other marker is within walking distance of this marker. A different marker also named Tri-Territory Historic Site (a few steps from this marker).
More about this marker. It is a 31 mile drive on dirt and gravel roads to the location of the Tri-Territory Historic Site. From Wyoming Highway 28 take Sweetwater County Road 21 (Bar X Road) and Sweetwater County Road 83 (Freighter Gap Road) to BLM Road 4102, then turn south for 2 or 3 miles. The route to Tri-Territory Historic Site is well-marked by BLM signs.
Regarding Tri-Territory Historic Site. It is hard to imagine that anything ever
Also see . . .
1. Ti--Territory Site - American Surveyor. The first half of the Nineteenth Century was a time of great excitement about what was west of the Mississippi River, that great, mostly unexplored land that was yet to become part of the United States. This vast wilderness was, in fact, claimed in part by Spain, France, England, Mexico and Texas Republic and was inhabited by many Native American tribes and numerous, thus far unfamiliar, wild animals. (Submitted on August 10, 2016, by Barry Swackhamer of San Jose, California.)
2. Territorial evolution of the United States - Wikipeidia. Very enlightening! (Submitted on August 10, 2016, by Barry Swackhamer of San Jose, California.)
3. Territorial evolution of North America since 1763 - Wikipeidia. Very enlightening! (Submitted on August 10, 2016, by Barry Swackhamer of San Jose, California.)
Categories. • Landmarks • Political Subdivisions •
Credits. This page originally submitted on , by Barry Swackhamer of San Jose, California. This page has been viewed 86 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on , by Barry Swackhamer of San Jose, California. This page was last revised on August 10, 2016. | <urn:uuid:00c2c340-84be-4968-8211-5614fcce104b> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=96679 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988719286.6/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183839-00497-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.938667 | 732 | 3.015625 | 3 |
36 organisations (including Kiwiblog) have put their name to an open letter to the Auckland Council urging them to adopt the Unitary Plan, which will allow Auckland to grow up and out.
The letter says:
On 20th of July, the Independent Hearings Panel issued their findings on the Unitary Plan. These recommendations include a range of strategies to allow for more housing across the City. The Unitary Plan is not the only action that is needed from Auckland Council and the Government to address the housing crisis – but it is an urgent first step.
The Unitary Planning process, including the Independent Hearing Panel review, has taken four years. The time for deliberating is over, the process has been followed, it’s time to get on with it.
I don’t agree with everything in the Unitary Plan. I’d like to see the Metropolitan Urban Boundary abolished (as Phil Twyford has proposed) rather than just expanded. But I think it takes a large step in the right direction, and that the time is past for tinkering with it. The time is here for the Auckland Council to adopt it in its entirety.
Individuals can add their support to the open letter also. Please do so if you agree with it. Even if like me you don’t live in Auckland, what happens in Auckland affects the entire country. If more land is not made available for housing, then house price inflation will continue at unsustainable levels, which threatens the overall economy.
- NZ Initiative
- Property Council of NZ
- Generation Zero
- Bays Community Housing Trust
- The Morgan Foundation
- The Salvation Army
- Transport Blog
I doubt there are any other issues all these groups agree on. But they do all agree that the Council should pass the Unitary Plan as proposed. | <urn:uuid:144ff7d0-9c65-49ba-b66c-e464be713e7a> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | https://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2016/08/the_coalition_for_more_homes.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560282140.72/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095122-00133-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955801 | 375 | 1.617188 | 2 |
President Barack Obama predicted Tuesday that continued military and diplomatic pressure will force Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi to "ultimately step down."
In an interview with NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams a day after he addressed the nation to explain his Libya policy , Obama refused to rule out providing direct U.S. military assistance to the rebels fighting Gadhafi's government. But he said that was unlikely and that his comments shouldn't be interpreted as signaling wider U.S. intervention in the region.
"Gadhafi's been greatly weakened," Obama said. "He does not have control over most of Libya at this point, and so for us to continue to apply this pressure, I think, will allow us the space and the time to forge the kind of political solution that's necessary."
Top stories: Turmoil in the Middle East
Obama said that nine days into the U.S. action in Libya, "The degree to which we've degraded Gadhafi's forces ... has been significant."
His comments came after U.S. ships and submarines were reported to have fired cruise missiles at Libyan missile facilities in and around Tripoli overnight.
"Our primary military goal is to protect civilian populations and to set up the no-fly zone," he said, but "we're not taking anything off the table at this point."
"One of the questions that we want to answer is do we start getting to a stage where Gadhafi's forces are sufficiently degraded where it may not be necessary to arm opposition groups," he said.
Asked whether the U.S. could take that step, Obama said: "I'm not ruling it out, but I'm not ruling it in. We're still making an assessment partly about what Gadhafi's forces are going to be doing."
Gadhafi 'back on his heels'
The president appeared to go further in discussing direct military assistance than did diplomats from 40 countries who met Tuesday in London to discuss Libya's future. British Foreign Secretary William Hague said the possibility of arming the rebels did not come up at the meeting, which was attended by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.
Like the allies at the London meeting, Obama made it clear in the interview that "our primary strategic goal is for Gadhafi to step down so the Libyan people have an opportunity to live a decent life."
"At this point, in addition to maintaining a no-fly zone protecting civilian populations, we also have political tools, diplomatic tools, sanctions freezing his assets — all of which continue to tighten the noose," he said. "And so our expectation is that as we continue to supply steady pressure, not only militarily but also through these other means, that Gadhafi will ultimately step down."Video: NATO takeover in Libya delayed (on this page)
The president said he was reluctant to get involved in Libya because of lessons learned from the U.S. campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan, each of which he said "weighs heavily on making these decisions." But he maintained that the uprising in Libya was "a unique circumstance" where the U.S. could "save a lot of lives."
"We had an international mandate to do it and an international coalition that was prepared to share the burdens," he said, and "what we've ... done is put Gadhafi back on his heels."
Obama acknowledged that the U.S. intervention had raised international concerns that the door had been opened for American forces to take action in other regional hot spots, like Syria, Bahrain, Sudan, Yemen and the Ivory Coast.
But Obama said "there are a whole range of tools available" to work out those problems.
He added: "It's my job as president to make those decisions based on all the consequences, understanding that we have some experience here in trying to impose our will in places like Iraq, and I think the American people understand a cost of that."
© 2013 msnbc.com Reprints | <urn:uuid:19970f2d-6196-4515-9ecb-607e12ca98d1> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.nbcnews.com/id/42326264/ns/nbcnightlynews/t/obama-gadhafi-will-ultimately-step-down/41766236 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560281331.15/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095121-00218-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977342 | 817 | 1.679688 | 2 |
The IGERT: Evaluating resilience of ecological and social systems in changing landscapes of Idaho and Costa Rica recruited a total of 24 doctoral students that will work in interdisciplinary teams in Idaho and Costa Rica beginning in 2010 and 2011. The project is being implemented jointly with the University of Idaho and the Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center (CATIE) in Costa Rica.
University of Idaho (left) and CATIE (right).
Accepted IGERT doctoral students will receive for the first 2.5 years a stipend of $30,000 per year with an additional $10,500 per year for educational allowances (i.e. student fees, etc.). Associated faculty and students will identify other sources of funding to complete the doctorate degree. Doctoral students will receive their doctoral degrees from the departments they are enrolled in, not IGERT.
Prospective doctoral students with experience in the following subject areas are being recruited:
entomology ° soil science ° agricultural ecology ° restoration plant ecology ° forest resources ° forest ecology ° fire ecology ° landscape ecology °plant virus ecology invasive species ecology ° conservation social sciences ° rural sociology environmental sociology ° rural and community economics ° resource economics hydrology and watershed management ° environmental science
Soil Science IGERT Graduates.
- Idaho/ Idaho Northern Rockies Team
- Idaho/ Palouse Team
- Idaho/ Sagebrush Team
- Costa Rica/ Hojancha Team-Chorotega Biological Corridor
Students in the program will conduct their dissertation research as part of interdisciplinary teams addressing resilience of social-ecological systems in temperate and tropical settings. Students will be mentored in these efforts by participating faculty from diverse disciplines. The research projects will be conducted in one of six geographic regions with diverse ecologies and socio-economic challenges, three in the inland Pacific Northwest (PNW), USA and three in Costa Rica. These locations are sites of ongoing projects by participating faculty. Each student will produce a dissertation that will include at least one interdisciplinary chapter co-authored with other team members. The students will work together within their teams and among teams through conferences, workshops, and interactive courses at the University of Idaho and at CATIE. Graduates of the program will be uniquely prepared to contribute effectively to interdisciplinary teams addressing conservation and sustainability as they begin their careers.
Please contact the IGERT Project Director, Dr. Bosque-Perez (208) 885-7544.
- Thursday, September 17, 2009: University of Idaho Wins $3.2 Million Renewal of Interdisciplinary Graduate Research and Education Project. READ MORE...
- GRADUATE STUDENT WINS NATIONAL CONSERVATION AWARDS. Improving our understanding of risks to threatened species populations worldwide is the ambition of Jan Schipper, a University of Idaho graduate student. He is the recent winner of the William T. Hornaday Conservation Award, a national award from the American Society of Mammalogists that recognizes Schipper's significant contribution as a student to the conservation of mammals and their habitats. Schipper currently is a graduate student in a joint doctoral program between the University of Idaho and the Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center (CATIE) in Costa Rica, and is part of the Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT) program funded by the National Science Foundation. READ MORE... | <urn:uuid:73590987-4400-410a-b321-a223e03b7e19> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.cals.uidaho.edu/igert2/prstudents.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280587.1/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00559-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.898648 | 680 | 2.0625 | 2 |
pointe is a major goal in a dancer life. Dancing on pointe, or your toes, requires tremendous strength of the legs and feet
plus good posture of the spine. The Ballet Center has strict requirements for children and teens starting pointe
work. Adults should be at an intermediate level of ballet. How do you know when you're ready for pointe shoes? Following
are 6 requirements that must be met before considering starting pointe ballet classes - age, posture, level of training,
frequency of ballet classes, proper ballet body placement and emotional maturity.
Age for Pointe
The proper age to start pointe work is controversial. Many experts believe that a ballet dancer can begin dancing
on pointe if she is at least 10 or 11 years old. Some teachers don't attach a number at all, they simply rely on
ability. However, because growth of the foot is about complete at age 11 or 12, many agree that pointe work could be introduced
at this time. Never try dancing on pointe shoes if an instructor tells you to wait, as it's easy to become injured.
Pointe (dancing on the toes)
This class is offered only to students who are technically and physically capable
of dancing on pointe. Permission is required from Artistic Director, Debra Punzi, to attend this class. Pointe must be taken
in addition to regular ballet class. This is a 30 minute class.
Tuesday 8:30pm Tuesday
9:00pm Wednesday 6:30pm
Thursday 7:00pm Thursday 9:00pm
Tuition - $58 per month | <urn:uuid:944278e3-8df0-4fc3-a42e-3dd105f9e62f> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://theballetcenter.org/id114.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280504.74/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00136-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935984 | 333 | 2.40625 | 2 |
In Search of a Meaningful "Dropout Rate"
December 18, 2001
With the current emphasis on public school quality, test scores, attendance figures, teacher performance measurements and dropout rates have assumed huge importance. But dropout rates, in particular, are hard to compare -- because there are so many definitions and few can agree on how and what to measure.
Agreeing on a standard definition is particularly important because Congress is about to pass an education bill that requires all states to look at graduation rates to determine whether their schools meet new progress goals. Schools with chronically low test scores and graduation rates face sanctions that range up to takeovers by private managers.
For their part, 23 states already use graduation or dropout rates to help decide which schools share in reward money or face overhaul.
But there is wide disagreement on how to calculate the proportion of dropouts a state, district or school has.
- The U.S. Department of Education -- which will spend about $22.5 billion on K-12 schools next year -- doesn't compel states to report their dropout rates at all -- and still won't despite the new bill.
- When the department calculated dropout rates most recently, only 37 states reported their numbers, and only 27 of those used the standards and definitions the department asked them to use.
- When Standard & Poor's started a project this year to bring some marketplace rigor to school records, only Michigan and Pennsylvania signed up to cooperate -- but even they can't agree on a definition of a dropout, with Michigan's definition being anyone "who cannot be accounted for."
Further complicating the issue, some states have multiple dropout numbers. Texas has four numbers it uses for different policy purposes, and Maryland has two. Even the federal Department of Education has two measurements.
Source: June Kronholz, "Various Ways of Calculating Dropout Rate Leaves Subject Open to Much Interpretation," Wall Street Journal, December 18, 2001.
For text (interactive subscription required)
Browse more articles on Education Issues | <urn:uuid:44925c72-ebb3-4005-8460-15a2bc488d9a> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.ncpa.org/sub/dpd/index.php?Article_ID=7366 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280310.48/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00189-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957803 | 420 | 2.859375 | 3 |
Genealogical Research rests at the core of the Coming to the Table Approach and its focus on Facing History openly and honestly. Many members of CTTT are active and skilled genealogists. If you would like help with your own research, or if you have skills you are willing to share with others in their research, please contact us here.
Below is a list of some of the many resources available to support those doing genealogical research:
Operated by CTTT member Sharon Leslie Morgan; Our Black Ancestry provides information and services that help people explore and appreciate African American family history and culture.
The complete African American Genealogy Workshop, “Searching Your Past to Strengthen Your Future” (prepared by Sharon Morgan) is available to download FREE, or to view HERE.
Genealogy Resources by Veritas Prep and NYC Genealogy Recommended to CTTT by students in the Genealogy Club of the After School Care Program in El Paso County, Colorado. These young people found the resources listed below on the CTTT website to be very helpful as they track down their ancestral roots and wanted to suggest these additional resources as a thank you to CTTT.
History at Home: A Guide to Genealogy – Another great article recommended to CTTT by Isabella, one of the students in the after-school program referenced just above.
Getting Started with Genealogy on the Web – good info and easy to understand.
AfriGeneas – a site devoted to African American genealogy & researching African Ancestry in the Americas
Ancestry.com – the largest for-profit genealogy company in the world
- Genealogy.com – another extensive genealogy site owned by Ancestry.com
- RootsWeb – “Finding our roots together” – an Ancestry.com community
- Start Your Family Tree – publicly-available, specialized page to start your family tree online for free
FamilySearch – a nonprofit family history organization
Fold3 – large collection of original military records
MyHeritage – dedicated to using the power of the internet to make it easier for people to discover their heritage
American Ancestors – focus on New England; founded by the New England Genealogical Society
The Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade Database – a searchable database with information on more than 35,000 slave voyages
USGenWeb – a volunteer-run, non-commercial genealogical research site committed to free access for everyone
WorldVitalRecords – “to provide simple and affordable access to more than 4.2 billion names in family history collections worldwide
Professional Genealogy Boards:
The Association of Professional Genealogists – an independent organization that supports professional genealogists in all phases of their work
The International Commission for the Accreditation of Professional Genealogists – a professional credentialing organization dedicated to testing an individual’s competence in genealogical research
Board for Certification of Genealogists – an independent certifying organization for genealogists and consumers seeking professional genealogical assistance | <urn:uuid:75bba575-81fc-4b58-9c8f-5cc56de66dbe> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://comingtothetable.org/resources/genealogy-support/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560279933.49/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095119-00123-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.916213 | 624 | 2.28125 | 2 |
The Metropolitan Center at Florida International University (FIU) for the Metropolitan Planning Organization in conjunction with the Miami-Dade County Park & Recreation Department is conducting a study. The survey will help better Miami-Dade County local non-motorized shared use paths trails and greenways for their users and the whole community.
The MPO is responsible for the transportation planning process of Miami-Dade County.
Take the Shared-Use Trail Maintenance Program Survey
(should take no more than 5 minutes) | <urn:uuid:58ea673b-60f3-4e4b-8926-1b3a9046f8a5> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.themiamibikescene.com/2009/04/survey-says.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560281069.89/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095121-00272-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.848499 | 103 | 1.53125 | 2 |
By Bishop Andrew Cozzens
As a parent, you desire to help your children discern and develop their various gifts and talents so they can become the unique individuals God intends them to be. The best partner you can ask for in that important endeavor is our Catholic schools.
- We believe that every child is uniquely created by God with gifts to make this world better.
- We seek to create a loving and supportive environment where children can discover the beauty God himself put within them. Our teachers focus on nurturing both academic and spiritual growth.
- Your children will be encouraged to reach their full potential in mind, body and soul.
- This emphasis on forming the whole child is a hallmark of Catholic education and what sets us apart from other types of schools.
Our schools actively engage students in learning about themselves and their relationship to God just as much as mastering math, science and reading. They offer high-quality academics, athletics and extracurricular activities, but it is all underpinned by the values articulated in Sacred Scripture. The investment you make today in a Catholic education will continue paying dividends as your children develop into adolescents and then adults who make the most of their God-given gifts. We are educating for this life and for eternity!
Catholic schools are different — and they make a difference in the lives of students and communities. | <urn:uuid:b70c99a7-e6cd-4e20-a1c2-8167ab81c9d4> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://cscoe-mn.org/the-catholic-school-difference/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572163.61/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815085006-20220815115006-00669.warc.gz | en | 0.963044 | 270 | 1.96875 | 2 |
"By using", redundant words? - (Jan/18/2012 )
I feel a little bit wrong when read or write "by using"!
"By" and "using" both point to the same meaning, so why some people use both words in the same clause?
Why not using only "by..." or "using" alone.... ?
When you say "using ...", there is no need to add a "by" in front of it. This kind of redundance is very common in literature.
You might find that the "by using" is used a bit more frequently where there is an extended clause describing more than one step. For example (made up on the spot, not a real scenario, so ignore the science) "...we performed the reaction by using 50 mm acetic acid as a wash and precipitating the resulting crystals..." where the by is referring to the action and the using is referring to the solution.
Thank you for your answers.
@bob, what about: "
The meaning doesn't change, but colloquialisms rarely make sense. | <urn:uuid:5c72d0eb-297a-4a83-83aa-5071d2d4a6ef> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://www.protocol-online.org/science-forums-2/posts/24067.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988718296.19/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183838-00538-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.937265 | 224 | 2.453125 | 2 |
RELIGIOUS EXPRESSION 8
The focus of winter trimester humanities classes is on approaching issues and ideas from different perspectives--deepening one's appreciation for the roots and branches of familiar points of view, and seeking an understanding of different ways of observing, understanding and acting.
Religious Expression: Why are we here? What does it mean to be human, to be alive? What happens when we die? What does it mean to be a good person, a moral person? Throughout the ages people have come together in religious communities to explore these questions. This class offers an introduction to the essential purpose of religion and the ways that it is expressed throughout the world. We will explore the intersection between religious perspectives and the ways in which they are expressed through politics. We will take a closer look at the concept of freedom of religious expression in this country and its limits. We will note the role religion has played both in conflict and in creating an improved social condition. | <urn:uuid:51fe3793-0dff-4a2c-9fa3-e5ed90de5edc> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://billingsmiddleschool.org/religious-expression | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560284352.26/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095124-00197-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950241 | 195 | 3.59375 | 4 |
Should smoking be banned in parks, reserves and playgrounds in the Tasman district?
A Nelson Mail opinion poll has shown strong public support for a planned council policy that would ban smoking in parks.
As of 4pm Thursday, the informal online poll of 210 readers showed that 63.2 of respondents would back the smokefree policy covering parks, reserves and playgrounds around the Tasman district.
34.8 per cent were against the idea, with 2 per cent not caring either way.
Councillors voted unanimously in favour of the smokefree parks policy at a community services committee meeting in Richmond. It was one of the recommendations in a document outlining management plans for the district's reserves that had been reviewed by a working party including deputy mayor Tim King and councillors Judene Edgar and Eileen Wilkins.
Although councillors supported the draft document they agreed with a recommendation that a smokefree parks policy would not require a bylaw. Council reserves manager Beryl Wilkes said a bylaw would be difficult to police and penalising smokers in reserves could also be a costly process.
Instead, Ms Wilkes suggested the smokefree parks policy would be aimed at encouraging people to change their behaviour and it would be self-policing. Smokefree signs would be installed in the district's parks to promote the smokefree message, she said.
Passive smoking was a health risk and she said the aim of the policy was to improve the health of Tasman residents. "It's a very gentle change," she said.
However, Mr King said the council did not want the policy to become a barrier for smokers. He said that the "softly softly approach that sent a message to think about where you smoke" was best.
Mayor Richard Kempthorne agreed that the best way to encourage residents to stop smoking in parks and reserves would be to generate community support for the policy.
Ms Wilkes said the policy had also been supported by the Nelson Marlborough District Health Board which was concerned about smoking in reserves and playgrounds.
The document will now go out for public consultation.
Do you agree with the city council's decision to put a 30-minute limit on buskers' performances?Related story: (See story) | <urn:uuid:586f476d-7a5c-43e0-bb80-da0643d194a3> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.stuff.co.nz/nelson-mail/news/7978960/Softly-softly-path-to-smoking-in-parks | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560281151.11/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095121-00110-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976807 | 451 | 1.84375 | 2 |
What a Difference a President Makes When It Comes To Outrage Over Abuse by Our Soldiers
Who could forget Abu Ghraib? How could you? The news was saturated with the disgusting and sick photographs of soldiers with prisoners. We were shocked and horrified. The media couldn’t get enough. There was practically 24/7 coverage for weeks on end about it. Every aspect of the story was covered in print, online, and the news. Fingers pointed everywhere. But the media and the left insisted the blame rested at the top, with Pres. Bush. The leftwing pundits couldn’t utter the words, “Abu Ghraib,” without including the name, “Pres. Bush.”
The right insisted it was an isolated incident that was reported to officials, and the people involved punished. But the left and the media made the most of this red meat story. Never mind what it made the Middle East and the rest of the world think of us. Never mind that it made the entire military look guilty, when it was an isolated few. Damaging the reputation of our military didn’t matter, as long as it made Pres. Bush look bad.
What a difference a President makes.
You may or may not have heard about the equally (or arguably worse because the victims were completely innocent Afghans) horrifying photographs of soldiers disrespecting and abusing corpses in Afghanistan. They were published in German news weekly Der Spiegel. You may not have heard about it because the media is practically ignoring it. This time there is no wall to wall coverage. Other than the normal reporting on a international story, there has been no night after night coverage. This time Pres. Obama’s name is never even mentioned. It seems the left doesn’t get as upset about abuse if it falls on one of their own’s watch. The New York Times, which devoted untold number of front pages to Abu Ghraib, has only to my knowledge run one story on this. The article appeared on p. 4, under the headline “Photos Imperil U.S. Relations With Afghans.” In comparison, The New Times ran 56 stories on Abu Ghraib. That is not counting the editorials, which were unending.
I waited a bit to report on this, because I wanted to see if our media would pick it up and go with it as they did Abu Ghraib. It came as no surprise to me that they did not.
The right doesn’t really report on this either because we are so devoted to our military. We know what wonderful men and women serve. We also know that in the millions that serve in the military, there will be bad apples. For that reason we are reluctant to run a story that paints our military in a bad light.
So, you have an equally terrible story, but a much different take on it. Make no mistake. This story is just as horrifying as Abu Graib. According to Der Spiegel, not only were these people tortured, but they were abused after they died. Cut off fingers were kept as “souvenirs.” Photos include one of a severed head and another showing a pair of blown off legs. Add to this, they were civilians. It’s completely sickening and evil. We on the right should not be afraid to write about this just because we know that this is an isolated incident. Abuse should never be tolerated.
The first two soldier’s to be court-martialed in the case are Spc. Jeremy Morlock and Private First Class Andrew Holmes (who is pleading innocence). They are among five Stryker Brigade soldiers that faced court-martial on charges of premeditated murder from the deaths of three Afghan villagers whose killings were allegedly staged to look like legitimate combat casualties.
Morlock has pled guilty to three counts of murder and other offenses. Under the plea deal, he has received a 24-year prison sentence, as opposed to the life term he faced if convicted of all charges in a trial.
In one case, Morlock said that Sgt. Calvin R. Gibbs urged them to kill the innocent Afghans, and then planted a grenade next to the body to make it seem as if the man had tried to attack them.
Despicable and evil.
Army prosecutor Capt. Andre Leblanc has called the crimes acts of “unspeakable cruelty” by “a few extraordinarily misguided men. We don’t do this. This is not how we’re trained. This is not the Army.”
This is very true, and needs to not be forgotten, as it was in the Abu Ghraib story.
Seven other soldiers in the platoon were charged with lesser crimes, including assaulting the witness in the drug investigation, drug use, firing on unarmed farmers and stabbing a corpse.
The difference in coverage between this and Abu Ghraib speaks to the hypocrisy of the left and the media. It also speaks to their loyalty to Pres. Obama. Heaven forbid he be slandered with this as Bush was with Abu Graib. Of course, Obama is no more responsible for this than Bush was with Abu Graib, but that didn’t keep the media and the left for making it seem so. No, the media wants Obama to win re-election. If this became a big story, that might not happen.
This is where we have come with the dishonesty of journalism.
It is so important to the left punditry to not have this story blow up, the fact that Morlock is from Wasilla, Alaska and was a friend and hockey teammate of Sarah Palin’s son, Track, hasn’t caused them to go bat crazy exploiting that little factoid, which you know, if it were any other story that didn’t make Obama look bad, they would be all over it like fleas on an hound dog.
The left and media believe in “protect and defend” when it comes to Pres. Obama. Outrage over abuse is muted. Once again, if you don’t practice what you preach, then you have no credibility with me.
Follow me on twitter! @KatMcKinley
Even though my father, brother, uncles and grandfather were in the military, I seldom handled guns growing up. That’s because unlike many of the other people in my family, I’ve...Read More
Time For The First Military Tribunal: Remember this ugly face? When last we heard from Ramzi Binalshibh, he was claiming
The Flight 93 Conspiracy: Like most tragic events of recent times, a myriad of conspiracy theories have sprung up about
W. And The Upside-Down Book: I received an email today from RWN reader Doug Weinberg commenting on the doctored photo | <urn:uuid:ee0e28ef-5367-46a3-a0d2-ed9e18e9308f> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://rightwingnews.com/uncategorized/what-a-difference-a-president-makes-when-it-comes-to-outrage-over-abuse-by-our-soldiers/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988718296.19/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183838-00538-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977021 | 1,416 | 1.507813 | 2 |
In response, Universe Today put a call out to several people with knowledge of those spacesuits that were used in the Apollo 1 mission, which ended fatally in January 1967 when all three crew members died in a pad fire. Howell interviewed Walt Cunningham, Shawn McLeod, field operations manager for David Clark Co., former NASA suit tech Ron Woods, Nicholas de Monchaux, author of "Spacesuit: Fashioning Apollo" and the Smithsonian's spacesuit curator, Cathy Lewis.
A lot of redesigns were made to the equipment to prevent the same situation from happening again, but it appears the flags were not that crucial to the spacesuit design — even though a new spacesuit was used in Apollo 7.
Weeks of searching later, we have some great theories from the experts about why the flags were switched, but no definitive answer. Feel free to let us know if you have heard anything!
As commenters on Universe Today have suggested, the change to the left shoulder (after Apollo 1) may have been to follow the U.S. flag code (about the direction of the flag in travel) but it does not explain why the Apollo 1 crew's suits had the flag on the right shoulder.
The Apollo 1 flag placement may have just been aesthetic, given the use of the American flag as a border on their mission patch, the placement allowed the two flags to be near each other and play off each other — but that is just speculation.
Conjecture aside, a couple of possibly related-points with regards to how the flags came to be on the suits and when and how they were sewn on.
1) The Gemini 4 crew considered the U.S. flag to be their mission patch (they were the first crew to wear the flag). In fact, the crew bought the flags themselves, as Jim McDivitt relates in "All We Did Was Fly to the Moon" by Dick Lattimer.
"Ed White and I used the American flag on our shoulders as our patch. This was the first time the American flag had been worn on a pressure suit and it has continued to be used there ever since. The original flags we had sewn on we purchased ourselves. Later on, of course, NASA made this an integral part of the pressure suit."
Given that it was the GT-4 crew's choice to add the flag, it is not unreasonable to believe they selected the placement too (which in their case was the left shoulder).
2) There was a difference between the U.S. flags worn by the Apollo 1 crew (and earlier crews) and those worn by every crew member since, which could have affected when and how they were sewn on: the material.
The Apollo 1 (and earlier mission) flags were nylon; the post-Apollo fire flags (and all mission patches, name tags, etc.) were silk-screened on non-flammable Beta cloth, which was also used as the outer layer of the redesigned suits.
The Beta patches and flags therefore, had to be specially produced — not something the crew could just purchase themselves — and as such became a more formal part of the preparing the suit for flight. | <urn:uuid:d40e250c-64a6-4170-8cad-510885ef032c> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.collectspace.com/cgi-bin/postings.cgi?action=reply&forum=Patches+%7CAMP%7C+Pins&number=18&topic=001055.cgi&TopicSubject=Apollo+1:+American+flag+sewn+on+the+right+shoulder | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280872.69/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00320-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.980718 | 649 | 2.59375 | 3 |
Large scale patterns in the structure of firefly assemblages are very rarely described, and the factors driving these patterns are thus very poorly understood. One of the reasons for this is because of the difficulty of obtaining complete sampling of firefly assemblages, due to their high diversity, and the pragmatic difficulties of working in remote locations at night. Numerous statistical methods are available to provide species richness estimates despite incomplete sampling. Here, we use a recently developed technique by Hsieh et al. 2016 that is implemented in the iNEXT package in R version 2.0.12. This tool kit estimates species richness by unifying sample-size and coverage-based rarefaction and extrapolation with the effective number of species, known as Hill numbers. We test the reliability of this method for estimating firefly species richness using a series of increasingly conservative tests that assess repeatability of richness estimates from sampling conducted in the same location: i) on consecutive nights, ii) five months apart, and iii) three years apart. Our samples are primarily derived from intensive sampling of firefly communities along five elevational gradients (200-1900 m above sea level) on the main mountain range in Peninsular Malaysia (Banjaran Titiwangsa) in 2015 with additional samples from two locations in 2016. This additional two locations were also sampled in 2013 and sampled twice in 2016 at 5 months apart. This sampling programme comprises the first systematic assessment of south-east Asian firefly assemblages along elevational gradients. All fireflies were classified into morphospecies, and all Luciolinae fireflies (which comprised 50.2% of collected individuals) were identified to species level. We use our results to explore the validity of the technique for reliably estimating firefly species richness. This enables numerous ecological questions that focus on the factors determining the structure of firefly assemblages to be addressed despite the difficulties of completely sampling firefly assemblages. We also use our data for a preliminary analysis of elevational patterns in firefly diversity, including using the Sorensen dissimilarity index to assess spatial turnover and nestedness of firefly composition along each elevational gradient and between transects. In addition, within the 15 species of Luciolinae fireflies that were identified we discovered 6 previously undescribed species, which includes members of a previously undescribed genera. These findings provide additional evidence for the vastly under-recorded diversity of fireflies in south-east Asia.
|Number of pages||1|
|Publication status||Published - Apr 2017|
|Event||2017 International Firefly Symposium - Taipei Zoo, Taipei, Taiwan, Province of China|
Duration: 24 Apr 2017 → 28 Apr 2017
https://web.archive.org/web/20170522165404/http://www.ifs2017taipei.org:80/about/ (Conference website)
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59028899b3db2bade49af818/t/59b2d35149fc2b50d078b3d1/1504891730888/Proceedings+of+2017+IFS.pdf (Conference proceedings)
|Conference||2017 International Firefly Symposium|
|Country/Territory||Taiwan, Province of China|
|Period||24/04/17 → 28/04/17|
|Other||On behalf of all my colleagues in the organizing committee, it gives me a great pleasure to announce as well as invite you at our International Firefly Symposium 2017 (IFS 2017) during April 24-28, 2017 at Taipei, Taiwan. |
The major firefly season and people celebrate the beauty of twinkling around the island is between late March and June. Following the tradition of previous firefly symposia, we will hold this meeting at the peak of firefly season. The symposium has been designed to bring all the firefly researchers to exchange their professional experiences to update the participants with current research advances. Please encourage your colleagues and students to attend the symposium and share, in either way of oral or poster presentation, the latest results of firefly researches with participants from all around the world.
In addition to a serial of oral and poster presentations in the first three days, all participants are invited to take a free field trip to Alishan National Scenic Area (ANSA). About 2/3 of firefly species in Taiwan have been recorded in this beautiful area so far. The eco-tourism for firefly in ANSA became vigorously since 2000. We will have a 2-day workshop in ANSA on the issues of conservation and eco-tourism of firefly. Thanks to the Administration of ANSA, this field trip is fully supported by the Administration and no extra cost to our participants! | <urn:uuid:84c71eb5-dbbe-415c-a432-438d9e99aa16> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://researchoutput.csu.edu.au/en/publications/estimating-the-diversity-of-the-elusive-fireflies | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570765.6/warc/CC-MAIN-20220808031623-20220808061623-00269.warc.gz | en | 0.9243 | 1,038 | 2.671875 | 3 |
SANA, Yemen — Thousands of pro- and anti-government demonstrators held peaceful protests in this impoverished capital on Thursday, playing out themes that have rocked nations across the Arab world as autocratic leaders struggle to press back the roaring demands of movements hungry for democracy, accountability and the rule of law.
Yemen’s tribal culture and its heavily armed population raised fears of violence as events here seemed to unfold at a consolidated pace, with all sides trying to draw lessons from popular uprisings in Tunisia and then Egypt. But the events in the city appeared to end peacefully one day after the president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, went on television to offer his own concession to large opposition protests. He promised that he would not run — and that his son would also not run — when his term expired in 2013.
He also saw to it that the capital was full of supporters when the opposition arrived. “I came here today to take part in the rally against extremism and to promote democracy,” said Sadiq al-Qadoos, a pro-government demonstrator joined by thousands who were camped in Sana’s Tahrir Square, or Liberation Square, for the last two days. “And to show I am against chaos.”
The events in Yemen, a sliver of a nation at the foot of the Arabian Peninsula, were among the many fires racing across a region that has long been a bastion of autocratic rule. The flames licked across the landscape of Algeria, too, a former French colony in North Africa ruled by a clique of the elite: a president, Abdelaziz Bouteflika, the military, businessmen and a bureaucracy. The president announced plans to lift a state of emergency imposed in 1992, initially to combat terrorism but often used, critics contend, to silence political opposition. He did not say when it would be lifted, but in a meeting with cabinet ministers he also called for state-controlled television to give more of a voice to all political parties.
His announcement came with a major opposition demonstration planned for the middle of the month.
The day’s events were both driven by — and helped propel — a popular movement for change that drew its inspiration from the revolt in Tunisia that forced the president to flee into exile. Nationwide, crowds of protesters turned to the streets in seven provinces, and while most were peaceful, one person was killed and seven were wounded in clashes between demonstrators and the police in the southern port city of Aden.Continue reading the main story
Opposition protesters wore pink bandannas in Sana, a sign of what has become known as the Jasmine Revolution in Tunisia. The opposition had hoped to demonstrate in Tahrir Square but had to move to the campus of Sana University. Still, the excited crowds chanted, “The people want to topple the regime.”
“We need real reforms, otherwise there will be a revolution,” said Watha Thaha, 23, a student at Sana University who was wearing a pink bandanna and a scarf with the Palestinian flag.
The day’s events in Yemen suggested that all sides had carefully watched and tried to learn from the vicious battle taking place in Egypt to control the course of change. Yemen’s opposition tried to pick up momentum, calling for a “day of rage” and pressing for nationwide participation, while the president and his supporters sought to avoid what they might have perceived as the missteps of Egypt’s president, Hosni Mubarak, and his ruling party. The government supporters came into central Sana in droves from outside the city, encouraged by their tribal chiefs and the president, in what proved an effective hedge against the opposition call for protests.
“In an attempt to avoid the mistakes made by Mubarak by responding too little too late, the Yemeni government sought to try to get out ahead of the opposition,” said Christopher Boucek, a Middle East associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
But as Mr. Boucek pointed out, events are so fluid, reactions so unpredictable and societies so different, it appeared that Mr. Saleh’s effort might have backfired by emboldening the opposition. “While Saleh’s announcement was an effort to reduce tensions in advance of Thursday’s scheduled protests, it appears to have had the opposite effect,” he said, noting the size and energy of the opposition crowd.
But a demonstration that many feared would explode into violence tapered off on a peaceful note around lunchtime. Opposition protesters went on their way promising to return every Thursday until their demands were met.
“This requires the opposition to be prepared to continue with its demands and political rallies,” said Yayha al-Shami, a member of the political bureau of the opposition Socialist Party.
As with President Bouteflika in Algeria, while Mr. Saleh’s promise was well received, skepticism remained. Some wondered if his statement was strategic, intended to siphon vigor from the anti-government protests. A week earlier the opposition staged the largest protests against Mr. Saleh, who has ruled for 32 years. He promised in 2005 not to run again, but then reneged and secured another term.Continue reading the main story | <urn:uuid:397f3bc9-2fbe-41d6-90d4-644e26ec613e> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/04/world/middleeast/04yemen.html?_r=2&adxnnl=1&emc=rss&adxnnlx=1297022482-45QFg0loVILccE/VpOwKew | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560281162.88/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095121-00531-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.97855 | 1,081 | 1.820313 | 2 |
GUEST COLUMN: Investing in our future
I don’t know about you, but fall is the most enjoyable time of the year for me, especially here in the lakes area. Nothing beats a crisp, sunny fall day with the changing of colors on our trees and football at Don Adamson Field. For many of you, running through the trails at the arboretum is what makes the fall days special. It really is all about one’s quality of life. Activities, athletics, arts and education help to round us out and give each one of us a reason to look forward to our futures. I can’t tell you what makes your quality of life best, we have different interests and aspirations, so I would be presumptuous to even try. It’s OK to have different goals, to enjoy different activities and to interact with each other in our own way, but having said that, some quality of life drivers remain constant for each of us. I believe at the forefront is the enhanced quality of life we get from education.
From early childhood classes that work with our babies and toddlers and preschoolers to the elementary schools that help shape and nurture young minds as they progress on to our middle school. What a change our children experience during those extremely impressionable middle school grades. They enter middle school as a little boy or girl and exit as a maturing teenager trying to figure out what their world is all about. Then it’s off to high school, first south campus then the “Big” school, Brainerd High. Now our children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, cousins and neighborhood friends really are trying to make their mark. Once they don their graduating cap and gown everything we have invested in them throughout their years of education will come front and center. Knowing that makes it very clear how important their education is and what it means to our community that we produce well-rounded, well-educated young men and women.
On Nov. 8, we have an opportunity to say yes to maintain a high standard of education in our community. To maintain one of those quality of life programs that is constant and necessary in our lives. It is not overstating it to say that most of the young people who graduate from Brainerd High School will either now or sometime in the future be our “community”. They will be the ones who open businesses, work for local businesses, raise families, attend our churches, volunteer at our charities and live as our neighbors. Quite frankly, who we are as a community can be directly tied to how we raise and educate our kids. I can’t raise your kids, but I can make sure we are providing them with the highest standard of education possible.
By voting yes-yes on the Nov. 8 ballot it will be the next step in the long journey we are taking in producing young men and women who are ready for the challenges of life. It’s not just the money that will aid in this journey, but just like any other entity trying to stay relevant, increasing revenues is very important to maintain what we have and to be able to move forward. By investing in our schools we will help give our district a renewed sense of community and hopefulness that the future of our children will be as good as it was for us.
I do understand the importance of being fiscally sound, of making sure we don’t overspend, but we should never put the education of our kids, grandkids and neighbors at risk because we aren’t willing to put our own resources towards their future. Please vote yes-yes on Nov. 8. The young people of ISD 181 will appreciate it, the community as a whole will appreciate it.
THOMAS HOFIUS is executive director of the Brainerd Public Schools Foundation, an independent, nonprofit 501 (c) 3. | <urn:uuid:efa7e5b0-7fe8-42ba-bc8d-84ce09b07648> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.brainerddispatch.com/opinion/guest-columns/2011-10-31/guest-column-investing-our-future | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560279410.32/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095119-00163-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96767 | 803 | 1.617188 | 2 |
In nearly all industrial processes it is important that the temperature is known and within certain limits.
To ensure that the measurements are carried out with a sufficient accuracy, the measurement instruments have to be calibrated.The temperature laboratory at Danish Technological Institute offers calibration of all types of thermometers by comparison to a reference thermometer in the range -80 °C to 1100 °C.
We have high-end facilities that allow us to calibrate Standard Platinum Resistance Thermometers (SPRT) in fixed points according to ITS-90 in all ranges from the Argon triple point to the freezing point of aluminium (-190 °C to 660 °C). As a supplementary service we offer electrical calibration, temperature simulators and - calibrators.
For many years we have offered consultancy services concerning correct temperature measurements and uncertainty analysis to producers of measuring equipment, pharmaceutical industry, process industry and calibration laboratories. The temperature laboratory is appointed National Reference Laboratory for Contact Thermometry by the Danish Agency for Trade and Industry.
As a Metrology Laboratory (MI) we take part in intercomparisons with other European NMI’s at the highest international level.
We regularly invite industry and laboratories to participate in accredited intercomparisons -
see Proficiency testing.
The laboratory is accredited by The Danish Accreditation Service (DANAK) – see www.danak.dk registration No. 200 for detailed specifications of the calibration services and uncertainties.
We offer calibration of instruments for temperature measurement
- RTD’s such as Pt100, Pt500, Pt1000 and indicators
- SPRT’s both by comparison and in fixed points
- Thermocouples and indicators
- Air-temperature sensors and indicators
- Dry-block calibrators including homogeneity check according to the EURAMET/cg-13 guideline
- Temperature dataloggers
Electrical calibration of
- Temperature indicators
- Temperature simulators
- Temperature transmitters
- Data loggers and recorders
Coordinator for several national and international temperature intercomparison schemes.
Participant in several international projects and intercomparisons e.g.:
EUROMET 1318: EURAMET.T-K9 Regional key comparison: ITS-90 SPRT Calibration from the
Ar TP to the Zn FP
EUROMET 1149: Comparison of surface temperature calibrations
EUROMET 1061: Comparison of Air Temperature Calibrations
EUROMET 1058: Bilateral Comparison of the realisations of the ITS-90 at the Mercury point
EUROMET 899: EURAMET.T-K7: key comparison of water triple point cells
EUROMET 820: EURAMET-T K4: Comparison of the realizations of the ITS-90 at the freezing
points of Al (660,323 °C) and Ag (961,78 °C)
EUROMET 552: Comparison of the realisation of the ITS-90 in the range 83.805 K to 692.677 K
EUROMET 440: Uncertainties in Temperature Measurements.
EUROMET 411: Traceability in infrared radiation thermometry from -50 °C to 800 °C (TRIRAT).
EUROMET 391: Intercomparison of the freezing point of Indium
EUROMET 278: Intercomparison of water triple-point cell
EUROMET 260: Determination of non-uniqueness of the ITS-90 in the range between the
aluminium and silver freezing points.
EUROMET 253: Comparison of temperature scales | <urn:uuid:bf1c4452-84b8-496c-ac8f-b36ead9bc4f6> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.dti.dk/services/temperature/danish-national-metrology-laboratory/22646 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560282140.72/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095122-00131-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.823578 | 755 | 1.914063 | 2 |
Human Rights, Environmental Duties: People, Planet & State
Mitchell, M. J. M. (2012). Human Rights, Environmental Duties: People, Planet & State (Thesis, Master of Laws (LLM)). University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/10289/6499
Permanent Research Commons link: http://hdl.handle.net/10289/6499
All elements of human well-being are ultimately dependent upon a natural environment which provides access to sufficient food and water, promotes both mental and physical health, and ultimately, permits life itself. In seeking the universal achievement of these goods, international human rights law must begin to require States to take strong action to meet the challenges posed by escalating environmental disintegrity. This thesis examines the extent to which the existing international human rights regime provides a means to achieve this. The role of population management as one means of meeting environmental obligations will be discussed, with the goal of demonstrating that the existing law provides a powerful tool both for the advancement of individual rights and for environmental protection. The latter half will consider how the current law incorporates explicit environmental duties, as well as the potential scope for development of these in the future. The debate surrounding the introduction of an 'environmental human right' will be outlined, with the ultimate conclusion that the law as it already exists is more than capable of adequately addressing environmental degradation – all that is required is that it be interpreted and realised in an environmentally cognisant way.
University of Waikato
All items in Research Commons are provided for private study and research purposes and are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated.
- Masters Degree Theses | <urn:uuid:626955ac-521c-4140-9690-b57dbecd9894> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://researchcommons.waikato.ac.nz/handle/10289/6499 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280266.9/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00503-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.888289 | 352 | 2.4375 | 2 |
The data entry process is always recognized as a manual job. In this, the data is entered manually by a human into the datasheets. But due to the technological revolution, this sector has also undergone some changes. Nowadays, many software has been developed like robots to enter the data into the datasheets. These robots or bots provide a middle ground between the manual and automatic data operations.
What is RPA?
Robotic Process Automation is a software that carries out a human's tasks on a repetitive process by mimicking the activities. In other words, this software does repetitive work quickly, errorlessly, and efficiently without getting tired. So, humans may engage in doing something more productive than just entering the data into the ERP system.
Working Principle of RPA
Why Choose RPA?
RPA has got many benefits over manual entering of data by humans into the ERP systems. They are as follows:
RPA improves the Legacy System: When the right technology is implemented, RPA extracts data from some of the most common forms, too, in the right format. The processing server captures the images, processes the obtained raw data, and finally, the gained information is transferred to the RPA bot. The formatted data is then shifted by the intelligent bot to the legacy systems, although it may require keystrokes to complete the action. Thus, accepting the data through keystrokes is an easy way of storing the data efficiently.
Latest data entry Outcomes used by RPA
RPA uses data entry outputs in the following ways: | <urn:uuid:b77ec646-0905-4a57-8437-8f70889a8b2c> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.ardatagroup.com.au/blog-details.php?id=14 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572089.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814234405-20220815024405-00068.warc.gz | en | 0.934918 | 319 | 2.671875 | 3 |
Portia was one of the first people I met when I started college. She was a sophomore with a welcoming attitude, eager to help the freshmen feel welcome. I sat next to her on the bus to band camp and as we chatted about our lives, church came up. When I told her I went to a United Methodist church she was delighted. “I go to an AME church – African Methodist Episcopal. We’re the same!”
Basically, I grew up in the white Methodist church and she grew up in the black Methodist church. Portia could have focused on the differences between us instead of finding our common ground. She chose to welcome me. Twenty years later I still love her for that.
Christena Cleveland’s insightful book, Disunity in Christ, is about that choice: the choice to welcome and find common ground in Jesus, or to divide and define ourselves in opposition to and fear of each other.
I grew up attending a United Methodist Church. My family had a generations-long connection with Methodism and I loved our church.
I fell in love with a boy who grew up attending a Lutheran Church. His family had a generations-long connection with Lutheranism and he loved his church.
I don’t think I’d ever heard of Lutherans before college. But I married that Lutheran boy, and he went on to seminary, and I joined a Lutheran church.
Changing denominations was a bumpy path for me until I realized it was not so much about leaving one group and joining another, as it was about reconciling two perspectives and understanding my Christian faith more deeply. I am thankful for the way my history has enriched and shaped my relationship with God and others.
This isn’t just about denominations. It’s about politics. It’s about race. It’s about every way we categorize ourselves and others.
I appreciate that Cleveland explains herself clearly. Sometimes discussions about differences are stymied by our assumptions, our unwillingness or inability to explain what we think. Cleveland is clear-minded and funny in describing the “devilishly subtle” ways we separate ourselves from others. She helps me think about those separations, too.
Cleveland is also honest about her own weaknesses. She uses herself as an example of many of the things she calls us to change. As a reader I felt free to agree with some of her arguments and disagree with others. I felt motivated to learn more, to try something different.
To live justly we need to be capable of living with differences, to see people who are culturally different as God’s gift to us. Cleveland’s book helps us see the path to doing just that. | <urn:uuid:e59c183f-56d9-4efc-b897-2b204a6ff0c2> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.livingjustly.us/book-review-disunity-in-christ/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571198.57/warc/CC-MAIN-20220810161541-20220810191541-00275.warc.gz | en | 0.977 | 571 | 1.515625 | 2 |
What is iPhone error code 9?
iPhone error code 9 is an error that may be caused by a software issue like a firewall blocking access to servers during the update. It could also be due to a hardware issues.
How can you fix iPhone error code 9?
Some of the solutions to this error include testing the USB ports and cable, and testing the hardware.
Please see our in-depth walk-through solutions below.
1. Test USB port and USB cable
iPhone error code 9 is usually caused by the connection between your iPhone and your iTunes. Mostly this is due to faulty USB cable, USB port, and software including iTunes. To test your connection, please see below.
- Remove all USB connected devices except for the keyboard and mouse.
- Disable any anti-virus installed on your PC or OS X.
- Make sure you are using IPSW (Firmware) that is compatible with your iPhone.
- Use the iPhone USB cable or a high-speed USB cable to connect to your computer.
- Test all USB ports.
- Borrow a USB cable, then try again.
2. Test hardware
iPhone error code 9 may also occur due to faulty hardware. Test the hardware to determine which one is faulty and fix the issue accordingly.
NOTE: If the device is out of warranty, go to a cellphone repair shop that has chip level repair skill especially the hardware below.
- Dismantle LCD, battery, and camera. Detach the LCD from the iPhone and do a Device Firmware Upgrade (DFU). If it does not proceed, reconnect LCD back, and then disconnect the camera and do a DFU. If one of the detached parts is causing the error, it could be replaced easily. The battery is tested using the voltage meter. Check the voltage output and check the sign in the battery if they are the same. It should be around 3.82volts. If the battery output is 0, the battery is dead.
- The error may also be related to corrupted NAND chip, also known as the storage device on your iPhone. Mostly, corrupted NAND chip is replaced to fix the iPhone, but some are fixed by just reballing the chip. Reballing reconnects your NAND chip to your mainboard to remove loose solder joints.
- A common cause of loosening connection of the CPU and NAND chip to the mainboard is due to a physical impact such as falling.
- The error may also occur if your iPhone Mainboard is faulty. The mainboard may not communicate with your NAND chip, or the CPU could not communicate to your NAND chip due to the defect. Consider replacing the whole Mainboard module or buy a new phone because Mainboard module is very expensive. | <urn:uuid:02532544-cbc3-4b53-8c7d-220df35fa933> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.errorsolutions.tech/error/iphone-error-code-9/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571536.89/warc/CC-MAIN-20220811224716-20220812014716-00276.warc.gz | en | 0.919803 | 568 | 2.046875 | 2 |
- Lic. Marcos Alberto Covarrubias VillaseñorGobernador de Baja California Sur
- Ing. Juan José Guerra Abud.Secretario de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales
- Lic. Mario Gilberto Aguilar SánchezComisionado Nacional de Acuacultura y Pesca de la Secretaría de Agricultura
- Lic. Francisco Alejandro Moreno MerinoProcurador Federal de la Procuraduría Federal de Protección al Ambiente
- MC. Luis Fueyo Mac DonaldComisionado Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas
- Presidente Enrique Peña NietoPresident of Mexico
Presidente Enrique Peña Nieto: End the Killing of Loggerhead Sea Turtles in Baja Gillnets
Endangered loggerhead sea turtles migrate thousands of miles across the entire Pacific ocean through deadly longlines and plastic pollution from their nesting grounds in Japan to feed on the abundance of red crabs along the Baja California peninsula in Mexico. Too often they are met at the end of this arduous journey by an invisible wall of death - hundreds of gillnets stretched across Baja's coast.
Last summer a horrific 600% increase in dead sea turtles was observed in Gulf of Ulloa along Baja's Pacific coast, an area famous for its friendly gray whales and ecotourism. A stunning 483 dead loggerheads were found just in July on one 40km beach, and scientists estimate over 2,000 loggerheads were killed last year in gillnets alone off of Baja's coast.
The bycatch rate of loggerheads in Mexican gillnets is one of the highest in the world — and it is jeopardizing their continued survival. This photo to the right of dead sea turtles was captured on-board a Baja gillnet vessel.
The President of Mexico must respond immediately to protect these sea turtles. Despite decades of cooperative conservation efforts by sea turtle and fisheries teams, the gillnet fleets continue unchecked. No fishery should be allowed to continue when it is killing this many endangered loggerhead sea turtles!
Please click the check-box before signing to receive updates from SeaTurtles.org about our campaign.
- Gobernador de Baja California Sur
Lic. Marcos Alberto Covarrubias Villaseñor
- Secretario de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales
Ing. Juan José Guerra Abud.
- Comisionado Nacional de Acuacultura y Pesca de la Secretaría de Agricultura
Lic. Mario Gilberto Aguilar Sánchez
- Procurador Federal de la Procuraduría Federal de Protección al Ambiente
Lic. Francisco Alejandro Moreno Merino
- Comisionado Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas
MC. Luis Fueyo Mac Donald
- President of Mexico
Presidente Enrique Peña Nieto
I support immediate action to protect critically endangered loggerhead sea turtles from fleets of gillnet fishermen in the waters off Baja California. The catastrophic death of thousands of endangered loggerheads in gillnets can not be repeated every year. As President, I urge you to please take action to end the needless slaughter of turtles as bycatch in gillnet fisheries.
The North Pacific population of loggerhead sea turtles are in danger of extinction. Nesting loggerheads have declined by as much as 90 percent in recent years.They nest in Japan and after migrating across the entire Pacific Ocean to their Mexican nursery grounds where they need a safe haven to grow and mature for up to 20 years.
Scientists estimate that thousands of endangered sea turtles die every year as bycatch in the nets of Mexican fishing boats, specifically those fishing in Baja California Sur.
As President, please take immediate action to establish a marine protected area or sea turtle sanctuary where loggerheads can feed in safety in their critical feeding areas in Baja California Sur.
As President, please take action to phase out all unsustainable, indiscriminate fishing practices, like gillnets, that harm the long term public resources of Mexico.
Your prompt attention to this urgent matter is greatly appreciated.
SeaTurtles.org started this petition with a single signature, and now has 29,971 supporters. Start a petition today to change something you care about. | <urn:uuid:a2460dd4-caaa-41b9-af87-a06ed3d9b6f6> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | https://www.change.org/p/presidente-enrique-pe%C3%B1a-nieto-end-the-killing-of-loggerhead-sea-turtles-in-baja-gillnets | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280835.22/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00050-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.814134 | 914 | 2.1875 | 2 |
Press Release – Waikato University
A group of University of Waikato academics say rather than narrowing the New Zealand curriculum through assessment driven teaching and reporting to standards, schools should be focussing on engaging, challenging and inspiring their students; do that …Creative and Integrated Learning in the Classroom
A group of University of Waikato academics say rather than narrowing the New Zealand curriculum through assessment driven teaching and reporting to standards, schools should be focussing on engaging, challenging and inspiring their students; do that and achievement will follow.
Deborah Fraser, Viv Aitken, and Barbara Whyte from Waikato’s Faculty of Education have just released a new book called Connecting Curriculum, Linking Learning. The trio is advocating integrated learning where the arts, including drama, play a major role in the classroom.
Dr Fraser has been researching curriculum integration since 1998 when she and Barbara Whyte won a contract with the Ministry of Education to research curriculum integration. Dr Fraser went on to win contestable funding from the government research fund, the Teaching and Learning Research Initiative (TLRI) to support two further research projects on the arts and integration. More recently the New Zealand Council for Educational Research (NZCER) agreed to publish a book on the topic.
The academics worked in five primary schools of varying deciles in the Waikato and Bay of Plenty, covering a range of year levels. They observed the students and their teachers, taking note of the language, the interactions and the work produced; they also interviewed staff and students. Seven different in-depth case studies are included in their book.
They include investigating the Kaimanawa wild horses, the Samoan tsunami (which resulted in a community fund raising drive), poetry writing, a study of mauri (life force) and the creation of an interactive museum.
“So for example, with the Kaimanawa horses the students used drama, an approach known as mantle of the expert, and were able to look at the issue from so many different perspectives,” says Dr Fraser.
“From saving the animals, to culling, and conservation of native flora and fauna and animal health – the children took on fictional job roles and had to consider contesting and competing points of view and weigh and balance the evidence. They had to consider DOC’s perspective on the need to keep horse numbers down to protect the unique flora of the region. This challenged them to weigh their emotive response against the bigger picture of preserving an ecosystem. From start to finish their work included literacy and numeracy, ICT and science.”
Dr Fraser says before she and her colleagues researched and wrote the book, there’d been plenty of stories, but very little empirical research on integrated learning. “We were onto this before national standards were even on the agenda. Our research shows that teachers can work creatively – we’re not saying you need to integrate everything – just where it fits. The levels of student engagement in a subject can be outstanding when working this way.”
For teachers it can be demanding and challenging, says Dr Fraser. “The teacher’s role is crucial. It demands that they negotiate with their students so they have a say in what and how they learn, and the teacher needs to be highly skilled in engaging and leading the class. They need to help drive the process, but with a focus on learning, not achievement and benchmarks.”
Dr Fraser says the book is primarily aimed at teachers, principals, and those training to be teachers.
“This type of teaching can work alongside current Ministry demands – but it reminds teachers that they don’t have to sell their souls – it’s a creative, responsive form of teaching that serves the needs of students and is relevant to them. It also offers students multiple opportunities to initiate, collaborate with others, and contribute to their community. Such agency in itself is motivating and makes school a place where knowledge is viewed as provisional and contestable rather than merely ingested.”
Connecting Curriculum, Linking Learning is published by and available from NZCER for $44.95. | <urn:uuid:12682307-f7d7-42c3-86dd-a49496ec4cf2> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://community.scoop.co.nz/2013/05/creative-and-integrated-learning-in-the-classroom/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560279224.13/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095119-00485-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968478 | 854 | 2.4375 | 2 |
Vision with AMD
AMD is the leading cause of blindness in people over 50 years of age. It is a slow progressive disease of the macula, the central part of the retina. The macula is responsible for focusing vision and controls the ability to read, drive a car, recognize faces or colors, and see objects in fine detail.
AMD is a massive problem affecting approximately 1 in 4 people over the age of 70, increasing to 1 in 3 people over the age of 80. Globally, AMD is predicted to affect approximately 196 million people by 2020. As the aging population continues to grow so will the number of patients afflicted with AMD.
Normal retina with the macula and fovea identified.
Growth of Age-Related Macular Degeneration from 2000 to 2010 in the U.S.
Dry AMD is associated with yellow deposits in the retina called drusen. As the disease progresses these deposits can enlarge (called soft drusen) and grow together along with the presence of pigment changes within the macula. In advanced cases of dry AMD atrophy occurs in the center of the macula in a geographic configuration that is called geographic atrophy (GA). The formation of GA is the greatest cause of vision loss in patients with dry AMD. There is currently no FDA approved treatment to prevent its formation or slow the progression GA.
Soft, yellow drusen (white arrows) in the macula of an eye with intermediate or moderate dry AMD. A large confluent drusen (blue arrow) is present in the fovea with some linear pigment formation.
Advanced Dry AMD with well defined geographic atrophy (white arrows) involving most of the macula.
Wet AMD is an advanced form of AMD that is associated with new blood vessel growth called choroidal neovascularization (CNV). CNV causes vision loss from the accumulation of fluid and blood in the macula. Left untreated the abnormal blood vessel will scar leading to permanent vision loss. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZe7VxtuQB0). The progression of wet AMD can be treated with monthly injections in the eye of Lucentis® (ranibizumab), Eylea® (aflibercept), or Avastin® (bevacizumab). These drugs are FDA approved and block blood vessel growth factors called VEGF.
Hemorrhage in the macula in an eye with Wet AMD.
Video of the progression from normal to Dry AMD followed by the formation of Wet AMD. | <urn:uuid:a61d201f-6637-4e83-9547-fc6ef6a540c5> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.hemerabiosciences.com/what-is-amd/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570741.21/warc/CC-MAIN-20220808001418-20220808031418-00065.warc.gz | en | 0.909604 | 540 | 2.609375 | 3 |
Sussex County’s annual tax season is here, and soon tens of thousands of annual tax bills will begin making their way to mailboxes and inboxes alike.
The county’s billing office has begun issuing tax bills for the 2015 fiscal year, totaling an estimated $117 million in tax revenue. Bills will be issued throughout August, both by standard mail and electronically. Payment is due Sept. 30.
This year’s tax bills once again feature an easier-to-read format, unveiled in 2013, to help taxpayers better understand their bills and payment options. Meantime, a number of payment options are available for the public’s convenience. A tutorial explaining how to view account information and make payments is available at www.sussexcountyde.gov/property-tax-portal-tutorial.
“The county has worked diligently over the past several years to put on its website as much information as possible, and in a format that is easy for the public to understand and use,” County Finance Director Gina A. Jennings said. “We believe that, along with an improvement payment process, makes for a better customer service experience all the way around.”
The county will mail 128,300 paper copies, while the remaining 42,700 bills will be sent electronically to mortgage lenders, requiring no paper or postage. Property owners not receiving a paper bill should check with their lender to ensure billing and has occurred.
Property owners can view their tax bills online in an information portal, and those who no longer receive a statement still can request a paper copy of their account’s status, if needed.
Annual tax bills include county property taxes, and county sewer and water, tax ditch and street lighting fees, where applicable. Additionally, tax bills include local school district taxes, which are collected by the county, but turned over to the state. Delaware law requires Sussex County to bill property owners for school taxes on behalf of the eight public school districts. Roughly 10 percent to 14 percent of the typical residential tax bill is for county property taxes.
Sussex County accepts tax payments by cash, check, money order, and debit or credit cards. Taxpayers have different options to make their payments. These include:
Many taxpayers have their annual taxes paid out of escrow accounts by their mortgage lenders. If these taxpayers have any questions regarding the status of their escrow accounts, they should contact their lenders.
Payment can be made on the Internet, with the use of most major credit cards or by check. Go to www.sussexcountyde.gov and select “Online Payment” at the top right of the page.
Property owners can mail their tax payments using the return envelopes included in their statements. Checks and money orders should be made payable to “Sussex County Government” and addressed to the Sussex County Treasury Division, PO Box 429, Georgetown, DE 19947. All payments sent by mail must be postmarked by Sept. 30 to be considered received on time. Unpaid balances are subject to monthly interest charges.
The county’s payment center is open weekdays from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. The office is located on the first floor of the County Administrative Offices building, 2 The Circle, in Georgetown. A convenient and secure after-hours payment drop box also is available, located in the lobby. For those making payment by telephone, call 1-866-791-9802. Callers must have their statement available when making a telephone payment.
For more information or general questions, call 302-855-7871. | <urn:uuid:1c24b6aa-ab17-48f4-9fee-2ec855a9169b> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.capegazette.com/node/69944 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280761.39/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00092-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956445 | 753 | 1.523438 | 2 |
Worldwide sales of legally downloaded music tripled to $1 billion last year, according to a report released today by the industry’s leading trade body.
But despite 20,000 court actions launched against individuals across the world in 2005, the level of illegal file-sharing remained unchanged.
The International Federation of Phonographic Industry estimates that there are currently 885 million copyrighted music files available on the internet for illegal download.
By comparison, the number of tracks legally available doubled to over two million songs. In total, music fans downloaded 420 million tracks legally last year.
The IFPI warns that the growth in legal | <urn:uuid:64941445-d955-4146-a5a0-f482a6456ea7> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/arts/music/article2418137.ece | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560281649.59/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095121-00438-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.909345 | 127 | 1.570313 | 2 |
Video: Three Joinery Jigs
In this video, DIY Creators take a look at three Rockler jigs and how to get the most out of them in your workshop.
DIY Creators gives an overview of the Rockler Doweling Jig, Beadlock Pro and Corner Key Doweling jigs, taking a look at how to use them in your workshop.
You can find more great projects and techniques from DIY Creators at their website.
Glen: Today, we'll be looking at three different jigs that I think will be quite useful to have in the shop. Out of these three, the dowel jig is the only one I'm familiar with just by looking at it but we'll still go over that one. I'll show you how to do a few joints with that. Since this one is more common, we'll run through this one first, and then we'll check out the other ones. Big thanks to Rockler for sponsoring this video.
One thing to keep in mind, all these jigs are the same. No matter if it's the quarter-inch, the three-eighths, or the half-inch jig. Let's look at the front of the jig. Over here to the left, you have a depth. When you place a bit inside, you can adjust it based on the depth you need. If we look at the bottom, you'll see there's a hole here, which you can use to hang it on the backside. It's labeled as a clamp zone. As we move up, you'll see there's two holes in the top of the jig, which is spaced three-quarters of an inch part off-center.
From the edge of the jig to center of the holes, you'll see it's five-eighths of an inch. All these lines are a great indication to help you line this jig up to your work. Speaking of that, this window allows you to quickly adjust the jig to align with your reference mark. Let's say I need to join these two boards to make them longer. What you want to do is, butt them together then place a mark going across both boards. Make sure these lines are long enough so you can see them through the window of the jig. Now I'll take the jig and place it on the reference line that was here.
Now I'll make sure I'll line up whichever hole I want to, to that line. You can get dowels in different length. I usually drill the holes beyond the depth of the halfway mark of each dowel. Whenever it's possible, try to set up a test piece to do all your trial and error. Assuming you have the color set right on your bit after drilling your first hole, shift the jig over to your next mark, lock it down with the clamp and drill a second hole. While I am doing this freehand, it's best if you have these parts clamped down. It's the safer way to go about this.
Let's see how I did on the first attempt using this jig. One thing I noticed, there's a slight edge on here, and I felt like I could have did a better job with that but what I also notice is there's just enough movement in here. Once I put a clamp on, I can line it up perfectly. This demonstration's going to be a representation as if I'm doing some sort of casing and we'll line these up just like this here. We'll also do the same thing. Place a couple of reference mark on this. Now I clamp the jig onto the first piece and drill the first hole.
One thing to keep in mind here, the part I just drill will be going on top as such. To drill the other part, I need to turn the jig around and drill right into this part. I almost caught myself slipping here. One thing I had to keep in mind is you can't drill the same depth in this part as you would in this other part. Chances are if I were to drill the hole in both parts, I'd likely come out the side of this other part here. The setting that I currently have will not work for this. I need to make some adjustment. Now I need to adjust the bit so I can drive into this part deeper and then not so deep into this face.
Now it's a matter of applying wood glue and putting on a clamp. One thing I never done is try to use dowels on a miter joint. We're going to give that a shot and see if that works out. To make this happen, we'll take our two pieces of wood and put the joint together. I'll show you how to mark the lines. I've already done that and I did it with a square. Draw your first line out. Then you'll pull this towards the edge and draw your second line out. Once you have two lines, make sure the bit is set up to you're deep enough into both parts. That way you don't have to go back and redo it.
You may have noticed, but I didn't of this clamp tight enough when I drew the first hole. I can see the indication here and by looking at it, I am a little bit to the left of the line that I drew. In this case, I'll make sure to mark the next piece so it aligns with the new hole. While the second hole came up pretty good, one of the common mistake is not having parts clamp tight enough, which can make the jig shift. Look at that. I'm super excited about that.
That's great right there. That's great. I just covered three different joints that you can make using a dowel jig. If you want to use casing, butt two joints together, you can go this way or this way, same concept. If you need to do miter joints, the dowel jig works as well. One of the features I didn't mention, and that's the end stops. You can easily slide these off, reposition them and slide them back on. While this is not the only way, I'll cover one quick way to use this. This should give you some ideas.
Let's say I have a lot of joints I need to make, and I'm doing this over and over again, I can use this stop as a way to speed things up and not have to mark. Now that both parts are drilled, I can now align the two parts with dowels. If you drill both parts using the stops, you can only put this together one way. If you happen to put it together the wrong way, you'll see an offset like here. Just flip the boards around and you'll be good to go.
Let's say you want to join a larger stock material such as this, anything bigger than a three-quarter-inch piece of material, maybe inch and a half or so on.
Dowels, woodwork but if you want something stronger, you're going to have to do something different. I'm going to be using a B-Lock system and we'll see what's the difference between that and the dowel. This is the B-Lock jig. This blue part here is known as the frame, and this black block is known as the bit guide. It includes the three-inch bit, an Allen wrench, and a couple of knobs. This set-up comes as a kit, but there are other assessors that you can add to this to expand it. Here are a couple of notable attachments.
There's a quarter-inch guide and also a half-inch guide. There's also a spacer kit. As shown, there are three different positions on here, a half-inch, three-eighths, and also a quarter-inch as shown in this frame, except three different drill guides. All the holes are in different positions based on the individual drill guide. To attach the guides to the frame, you need to pick the right guide and line it up to the proper holes. In this case, we'll use the three-eighths guide. We'll line up the first hole and then line it up to the three-eighths hole.
As we take a close look, you'll see there's an A indication and the B indication. Once you loosen up the three-wing knob, you can slide it to a different position. With the guide locked in place, the next thing we want to do is set the color on the bit, and I've already set this up. If you're going with a quarter-inch guide, you'll want to stop your bit here. If you're going with a half-inch guide, you want to stop this section of your bit here, not the point, but this section. The one thing I want to try to do here is to get the holes that I'm about to drill to be as center as possible in this piece of wood.
This is a three-quarter-inch piece of select pine. We're going to use a spacer and this is an eight-inch spacer. I'm going to place that here and just double-check on both sides and see if that can be as center as possible and it is. I know I'm going with this hole and this hole. I'll go ahead and insert the knobs. Then I'll set the eighth-inch spacer in place. Then I'll take the guide and sit that on that. I'll tighten this in position A, and lock it down. Now, the next thing I want to do is this reference line I have here is line it up to the indicator on the jig.
After you drill the first set of holes, the next thing you want to do is loosen up the guide and push it to the B position. Now we're going to go ahead and drill the second set of holes. All right. The moment of truth, let's see if we can get this down in there. Here's my next reference line on the second part of this. I'm going to place the jig on that and line it up to the line that I mark. I'm going to make sure that the jig is back into the A position. Then I'm going to drill, loosen it up, move it to the B position and drill again.
Right now we have the two holes cleaned out. We're going to take the 10-inch stock, place that inside. All you'll need to do is glue this joint up and you have a very strong joint here. Now, I'm going to use a thicker lumber for this demonstration. Now, I'll just try to find a center and just mark the line out. Now we're going to move the focus over to drilling directly in the center of a wider material.
The first thing you want to do is make a line, find a center of your stock. Then you can take the frame and I've already figured out what I needed. I'm going to take these spacers and just place them within the frame. By the time I put this one in, it lines up with the indication I have here. Now that I know what I need, I'll take the longer knobs and attach the guide.
All right, now that I'm almost at the end of the road, I want to make sure I put the jig in the same position in point A. Then we're going to lock it down. Now I'll take this jig and line it up. Just make sure you go down and up until you get all the wood chips out of the way. It'll make things a little easier. Now I'm going to loosen up the jig and slide it to the B position.
From my experience, it seems the harder the wood, the better the cutout is. Now I'll take the tenon stock and see. Look at that, nice fit. I have the next piece of stock in the vertical position. I'll do the same thing. I clamp the jig on the line and try to line it up as perfect as possible.
If we take a look at what I did here, this was the first one I did. It came out pretty good. The second one, maybe I got a bit too comfortable. I didn't lock it down as tight as I did on the first one. Then when I was drilling the second hole in the B position, the jig shift on me. So that's what happened, but I don't think it's going to affect what we're doing here. Let's slide this guy in and you see that went just fine. Slide this one in and that went just fine.
This is a joint that I'd be extremely happy with. Came out very nice. One thing that specifically set the dowel jig and the Beadlock jig apart is that there are affordable joining methods that's going to give you clean and strong joints. This next jig is perfect for anyone looking to add style and strength to their miter joints. This is the corner key jig. Over to my left is the clamping block that attaches to the drilling plate. These are the bushings.
There are three different size, eight-inch, quarter-inch, and three-eights. This red piece here is the key to securing the bushings into the drilling plate. It includes two screws to secure the backing to the clamping block, alongside that you have a washer, a hex bolt, and a knob. Let's start off by grabbing the clamping block, insert the hex bolt. Each one of these bushings slides into here just like that, then you'll want to take this key and lock these bushing into place. You want to make a separate backing for each bit.
The instructions suggest you use a half-inch piece of MDF, but in this case, I have plywood. Now I'll secure the backer board with the two screws. I cut this miter joint on a table saw, and it's a pretty good starting point. It's as tight as I can get it. Now, once you have your material, you'll now need to adjust the jig for the thickness of your material. To fine-tune the jig for precision, you'll definitely want to do that on a test piece first before committing to your final piece. Start by loosening up the knob to adjust this to the thickness of your board.
There are a few different board thickness labeled on the side of the jig. For me, the hardest part was finding the exact location for the thickness of the material. From what I can experience, the inside line here of this notch is where I want to reference from. I'll set the back edge of this notch to the front edge of this piece of wood. Then I'll adjust the backer board to make sure I fall within that three-quarter range. It's important to test this first to make sure you have a good feel for the jig and have a better understanding of it.
I feel pretty good about that so let's call it ready. Here's another decision you'll need to make. With three bits available, you'll need to pick the right one you want to use. I only have three-eight style on hand so I have to use a three-eight bit to drill all three holes. If you're planning this ahead, you can be as fancy as you like and mix the different size bits. These are extended bits so you can see a difference between regular bits and those. I know I want three holes in this joint. I'll draw three six-inch lines which is long enough to extend past the length of the jig.
If I was building a box, I'd likely glue the joint first, then drill the holes after. It'll be easier to manage that way. In this case, the joint is not glued and I just have them clamped to the workbench. Now I'll take the jig and align it to the reference mark I placed earlier. Adding tape to the bit will let me know when to stop drilling so I don't go all the way through the backer board.
It may look like I have a lot of clamps here, but there's only two holding the jig down and the others are holding the workpiece to the workbench. If I were drilling a box and the joints were all tight together, I wouldn't have to set up all of this stuff I have going on here. Because I have this setup, I'm limited on where I can drill so once I drill the first two holes, I didn't have to put this on top of the workbench and drill the final hole.
Now I need to cut down some dowels to plug the holes. Something you have to consider is trying to find the right dowels to either contrast your work or blend it perfectly. I would assume that most would want to show off the dowels and use something contrasting so that it stands out a bit more. I place tape behind the dowels to avoid cutting into the wood.
Now sand the dowels down to the surface while removing any saw marks. At this point, you can finish this off however you like. Using the corner key jig, this is a nice way to finish off a box or drawer. We are at the end of the road. I took three jigs and showed you how to make all of these joints. The more you use them, the more comfortable you'll get with them.
I can personally see a use for all three of them, but I would suggest you start off with the one that interests you the most. While this is not a project video, I really enjoyed this video because I got a chance to try these out for the first time and you were able to see. If you find it's interesting and you'd like to see more videos like this, let me know what you'd like to see me try out next. | <urn:uuid:3e680364-f810-47ff-8026-58ecadf0d431> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.rockler.com/learn/video-three-joinery-jigs | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570879.1/warc/CC-MAIN-20220808213349-20220809003349-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.977399 | 3,728 | 1.929688 | 2 |
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