text stringlengths 59 1.12k |
|---|
through July 23 in the MaryLou and George Boone Gallery, coincides with the 150th anniversary of the 1862 Pacific Railroad Act, which led to the rail connection between the Missouri River and the Pacific Ocean. The exhibition features some 200 items, the vast majority from The Huntingtonincluding maps, photographs, ill... |
before been on public display. Visions of Empire is our first large-scale effort to share with the public The Huntingtons trove of materials relating to the history of the American railroad, said David Zeidberg, Avery Director of the Library. With his purchase of a few major collections early in the 20th century, Henry... |
the most significant books and pamphlets on the trans-Mississippi West. Those materials, combined with the scores of invaluable manuscript, photographic, and ephemera collections on the West acquired over the succeeding decades, form a massive foundation for what we hope will be an extraordinary exhibition. Peter Blodg... |
of the exhibition, has chosen to tell a couple of stories. As much as the exhibition will cover the technological marvels, engineering feats, and entrepreneurial audacity of the railroad age, it also tells the story of how the vision of American continental expansion evolved through a range of historical contextsfrom t... |
War, and Gilded Age of the late 19th century, says Blodgett. Beginning with the handful of passionate and obstinate dreamers before the Civil War who first imagined a railroad stretching to the Pacific Ocean, Visions of Empire portrays the drive to move westward in the face of unrelenting geographic obstacles. Publishe... |
depict romanticized landscapes navigable only by foot or on horseback, by wagon or by boat. One such example is the exquisite hand-illustrated diary of British army officer William Fairholme, which captures the landscape of the southern Great Plains in the 1840s; others include several of the hundreds of drawings by go... |
the harrowing overland migration to Gold Rush California. Karl Bodmers hand-colored engravings of steamboats on western rivers from Maximilian of Wieds Travels in the Interior of North America (ca. 1834) not only represent one of the first great visual epics of Western American history, according to Blodgett, but they ... |
beyond the Mississippi, a generation before the arrival of the train. Such images, reflecting the increasing movement of people and goods west in the 1840s, helped to fuel widespread popular debate about railroad expansion across western plains and mountains to the Pacific Coast. In 1845, New York merchant Asa Whitney ... |
construction of a railroad from Lake Michigan to the Pacific Ocean, igniting a debate that would unfold over the ensuing decades. The exhibition features letters, newspaper articles, railroad convention proceedings, and speeches in Congress that depict the points of view in play. These many perspectives echo the multit... |
profit-hungry railroad entrepreneurs and financiers pursuing federal largesse to Chinese and Irish laborers attracted by the promise of work involved in laying nearly 1,700 miles of track. Throughout the exhibition, says Blodgett, visitors will encounter the voices of many Americans celebrating, critiquing, commending,... |
exhibition consists of six sections, beginning with a prologue called Early Visions and Visionaries. From there, visitors will follow the narrative through four major sections: Charting the Course, 184062; Launching the Enterprise, 186265; Spanning the Continent, 186569; and Creating a New Country, 186980. An epilogue ... |
from The Huntingtons collections will be supplemented with several loans for the installation, including artifacts such as hands tools used by railroad laborers, a payroll sheet for Chinese employees of the Central Pacific Railroad, and advertising cards for clipper ships carrying goods and passengers to Gold Rush Cali... |
and Telegraph Act. Here visitors can engage in exploring physical evidence in a more immersive and interactive mode. Hundreds of the Huntington's Alfred A. Hart photographs will be on view for the first time in a striking wall-sized installation. Some of these will also be able to be seen close-up through a stereograph... |
dramatic three-dimensionality to images of landscapes, laborers, campsites, and supplies of the 19th-century West. Other highlights of this area include a hands-on Morse code station, where visitors can try their hand at the new communications system sweeping the country at the time, and a "walkable" map of the United ... |
While the development of California and the West provided the allure for a transcontinental railroad, Visions of Empire tells an even broader, national storyone tied to the railroads place in American aspirations to dominate international trade and commerce with Asia, in the evolving role of the federal government in t... |
the Union during the American Civil War. A ballot from the presidential election of 1856, showing the last name of Republican John C. Frémont emblazoned across an image of a steaming locomotive, advertises the first national candidate to associate himself with the idea of a transcontinental railroad. Abraham Lincoln, t... |
of 1862, mindful of the importance of the West to the preservation of the Union. The launching of the first American transcontinental railroad during the 1860s represented a new and dynamic phase in the enduring struggle among Americans over what role they imagined government should play in building a nation and shapin... |
monumental challenges faced by this great enterprise, as captured in survey reports, engineering sketches, treaties with Indians, photographs and engravings of toiling construction crews, and correspondence highlighting the triumphs and travails of the so-called Big FourMark Hopkins, Charles Crocker, Leland Stanford, a... |
and political cartoons trace the progress of this great endeavor and evolving popular attitudes toward it. Early maps offer glimpses of the young American republic pushing its web of market places and depots westward, while later versions depict the routes and towns that proliferated from Missouri to California in the ... |
the Central Pacific in 1869. Similarly, during the 1850s and early 60s, publications such as Harpers Weekly, Leslies Illustrated News, and the London Illustrated News portrayed these events in human terms through detailed engravings based on the burgeoning practice of photography. By the late 1860s, as photographic tec... |
as Andrew J. Russells The Great West Illustrated (1869). While many of those photographs echoed images from the 1840s with their romanticized views of the open landscape, many also captured the human toll of the brutal labor required to span the continent. Cartoonists, such as the celebrated Thomas Nast, added yet anot... |
wealthy businessmen, lampooned corrupt politicians, or demonized Chinese immigrants. The Transformation of American Society Long before the last spike was hammered in place, when the east- and westbound tracks finally met at Utahs Promontory Summit on May 10, 1869, the first locomotives traveling west unleashed irrevoc... |
of such changes, including the inauguration of other transcontinental lines. To illuminate the decade following completion of the transcontinental railroad, Visions of Empire incorporates the letters and diaries of engineers, travelers, and investors who experienced first-hand the triumphs and the failures that charact... |
the rapid pace of change in the 1870s spurred by this crossing of the continent. The era of exploration and discovery had quickly given way to a new age of tourism, as travelers could now see captivating landscape from their railroad car windows rather than simply in books or newspapers. Transportation became associate... |
colorful lithographic posters to advertise the comforts of traveling east to westand west to eastin elegant compartments and dining cars. John Gasts famous painting American Progress (1872), as reproduced in the 1874 edition of Crofutts Trans-continental Tourist, demonstrates that notions of empire had become as expans... |
as the poetry of Walt Whitman, whose poem A Passage to India, in printed broadside form, is displayed. Singing my days, wrote the beloved poet, Singing the great achievements of the present, Singing the strong, light works of engineers . . . . I see over my own continent the Pacific Railroad, surmounting every barrier;... |
cars winding along the Platte, carrying freight and passengers. Contrasting with Whitmans exuberant and celebratory prose, however, are other texts that remind the viewer of the inextricable link between the expansive march of railroads across the West and the conquest of native peoples such as the Sioux and the Cheyen... |
Types of Arthritis There are over 100 types of arthritis, and these diseases affect more than 46 million individuals in the U.S. alone. This figure is expected to breach the 60 million mark before 2030. Various types of arthritis are unique and distinct from each other and each type has |
its own treatment approach. This highlights the necessity and importance of accurate tests and diagnostic procedures in determining the specific type of arthritis that a person is suffering from. Once you are able to isolate the triggers of the pain and inflammation associated with the disease, then you will be |
able to undertake the necessary steps in finding relief from the effects of the disease and maintain a relatively normal daily routine. Diversity of the Types of Arthritis If you live long enough, there is a strong likelihood that you will experience a touch of at least one of the |
more than 100 types of arthritis. This chronic medical condition can take the form of a mild tendinitis and bursitis or a debilitating systemic disease like rheumatoid arthritis. There are also some forms of arthritis and arthritis-related conditions such as fibromyalgia and systemic lupus erythematosus that are widesp... |
different parts of the body. Arthritis is not a medical condition of the old. There are certain types of the disease that specifically affect infants and children, and these include juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and septic arthritis. There are also a significant number of men and women who are suffering from |
this disease at the prime of their lives. A common denominator for these types of arthritis is the presence of musculoskeletal and joint pain, and this is the primary reason why these conditions are collectively referred to as arthritis. Major types of arthritis include: This type of arthritis is a |
degenerative disease and is also referred to as arthrosis, degenerative joint disease or degenerative arthritis. Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis. It is a medical condition that is characterized by low-grade inflammation which triggers persistent pain in the affected joints. This condition is the res... |
deterioration of the cartilage, and its deteriorated condition affects its capacity to protect and act as cushion of the joints. Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic autoimmune disorder that primarily affects the joints. It is a painful and debilitating inflammatory condition and can lead to substantial impairment of norm... |
a result of the persistent pain and damage to the affected joint. Rheumatoid is also a systemic condition and can affect the extra-articular tissues in various parts of the body. These include the muscles, lungs, hearts, blood vessels and the skin. The highest incidence of the disease is observed in |
men and women within the 30-60 years age range. Gout is characterized by the sudden and severe episodes which usually affect the big toe, although any joint is prone to these gout attacks. This type of arthritis is a metabolic problem brought about by the accumulation of uric acid in |
the bloodstream. The precursor of the condition is the buildup of harmful crystals in the joints and other parts of the body. Specific medications and proper diet are essential in the control and management of gout. Ankylosing spondylitis is a chronic inflammatory disorder that affects the spine. In its advanced |
stage, the condition is characterized by the stiffness of the spine and fusion of the vertebrae. In most cases, it is more difficult to detect and diagnose the disease in women than in men. The persistent pain and discomfort are the results of the inflammation in the vertebrae or spinal |
joints. Aside from the fusion of the vertebrae, the abnormal bone growth can lead to immobility and forward-stooped posture. Ankylosing spondylitis can also lead to stiffness, pain and inflammation on the other parts of the body, including the joints of the hands and feet, heels, ribs, hips and shoulders. There |
are also some rare cases where the disease can affect the eyes, a condition known as Uveitis or Iritis, as well as the heart and lungs. Juvenile arthritis, or simply JA, is a chronic disease that is associated with the inflammation of one or several joints. This disease affects individuals |
below the age of 16. The inflammation is the common denominator of the various forms of juvenile arthritis, although such forms of the disease have distinct nuances and require different treatment modes. Psoriatic arthritis is the type of arthritis that is common in patients who are suffering from a chronic |
skin disorder known as psoriasis. It has some similarities with rheumatoid arthritis, although most patients who have psoriatic arthritis exhibit mild to moderate symptoms. This chronic disorder affects both men and women, and it can lead to further complications and serious health problems when left untreated. The pro... |
disease is generally slow and affects specific joints. Septic arthritis is brought about by haematogenous spread of infection, although there are instances where the condition is triggered by the introduction of infecting agents from adjacent infection, as in the case of osteomyelitis, or through a penetrating wound. T... |
common in children and premature neonates, although it can also affect the elderly and individuals who are immune suppressed. There is no cure for arthritis, but there are several treatment modes that we can use to alleviate or mitigate the effects of the disease. Among your options are several natural |
Dangerous Cooking Habits All men love barbecues but too much of them can be bad. Mom was right (sort of); burnt food can cause cancer so do not eat open-flame grilled food too often. But don't panic just yet; look |
at the details. Studies on animals have shown that charred and burnt meats are carcinogenic, and so is the smoke generated by burnt fat that drips from meat. On a more reassuring note, Alexis Currie-Williams, Nutrition and Physical Activity Manager |
for the American Cancer Society, states that, "while grilling foods may increase the risk for cancer, it's not at the top the cancer-causing list." In other words, grilling is bad, but not very bad, especially if proper cooking measures are |
taken. When grilling food from now on, don't: Avoid Genetically Modified foods for now. The GM food industry is still in its infancy, so we don't know how such foods can affect people. In rare cases, allergic reactions, nerve damage |
and poisoning have all been reported. Food makers must inform people which products are genetically modified so people could at least know what "can" have dangerous effects. Canola seeds, soya and maize are some of the most widely modified foods. |
Cooking foods properly, keeping the kitchen area and utensils clean to avoid cross-contamination, drinking pasteurized milk, and washing food before eating are all practices that can prevent Listeria. Listeria is a pathogen that makes people ill and causes meningitis. Vegetables, |
milk, cheese, meat, and seafood should all be handled carefully and properly. North Americans normally tend to avoid picking mushrooms themselves, but Eastern Europeans and Asians enjoy picking their own shrooms. This practice can be dangerous when the same wild |
species of mushrooms are consumed on different continents. Some mushrooms are safe in one part of the world, but can be poisonous in another, even though they are the same species. Possible microwave risks include increased LDL cholesterol levels (the |
bad kind). The study was conducted by the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology and the University Institute of Biochemistry. On the other hand, most national safety agencies maintain that microwaves are safe. My suggestion is to use microwave ovens as |
little as possible. I myself don't even own one, yet I still manage to survive. Many of the aforementioned habits don't pose an immediate danger to your health, but long-term use and a combination of these might lead to problems |
Researchers Model Fetal-To-Adult Hemoglobin Switching: Important Step Towards Cure For Blood Diseases Researchers have engineered mice that model the switch from fetal to adult hemoglobin, an important step towards curing genetic blood diseases such as sickle cell anemia and beta-thalassemia. The research is published ... |
mouse that synthesizes a distinct fetal-stage hemoglobin, which was necessary for modeling human hemoglobin disorders. These diseases manifest as misshapen hemoglobin, causing anemia, which can be severe, as well as other symptoms, which can range from minor to life-threatening. The cure would lie in causing the body t... |
previous models didn’t do that.” In earlier models, researchers inserted transgenes, large chunks of DNA containing the relevant genes, randomly into the mouse chromosome. In the new model, the investigators removed the adult mouse globin genes, and inserted the human fetal and adult genes in their places. The successf... |
human genes will not die in utero. While the basic principals behind the research are simple, the details are complex. For example, Ryan and Sean C. McConnell, a doctoral student who is the paper’s first author, had to deal with the fact that hemoglobin switching occurs twice in H. sapiens, from embryonic to fetal glob... |
globin chains at birth, while wild type mice have a single switch from embryonic to adult chains early in fetal life. “Instead of the single hemoglobin switch that occurs in wild type mice, our humanized knock-in mice now have two hemoglobin switches, just like humans, from embryonic to fetal in early fetal life, and t... |
is believed to have evolved to enable efficient transfer of oxygen from the mother’s hemoglobin to the higher oxygen affinity fetal hemoglobin in the placenta during fetal life. (S.C. McConnell, Y. Huo, S. Liu, and T.M. Ryan, 2011. Human globin knock-in mice complete fetal-to-adult hemoglobin switching in postnatal dev... |
July Rendezvous with Vesta "We often refer to Vesta as the smallest terrestrial planet," said Christopher T. Russell, a UCLA professor of geophysics and space physics and the mission's principal investigator. "It has planetary features and basically the same structure |
as Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars. But because it is so small, it does not have enough gravity to retain an atmosphere, or at least not to retain an atmosphere for very long. "There are many mysteries about Vesta," Russell |
said. "One of them is why Vesta is so bright. The Earth reflects a lot of sunlight — about 40 percent — because it has clouds and snow on the surface, while the moon reflects only about 10 percent of |
the light from the Sun back. Vesta is more like the Earth. Why? What on its surface is causing all that sunlight to be reflected? We'll find out." Dawn will map Vesta's surface, which Russell says may be similar to |
the moon's. He says he expects that the body's interior is layered, with a crust, a mantle and an iron core. He is eager to learn about this interior and how large the iron core is. Named for the ancient |
Roman goddess of the hearth, Vesta has been bombarded by meteorites for 4.5 billion years. "We expect to see a lot of craters," Russell said. "We know there is an enormous crater at the south pole that we can see |
with the Hubble Space Telescope. That crater, some 280 miles across, has released material into the asteroid belt. Small bits of Vesta are floating around and make their way all the way to the orbit of the Earth and fall |
in our atmosphere. About one in every 20 meteorites that falls on the surface of the Earth comes from Vesta. That has enabled us to learn a lot about Vesta before we even get there." Dawn will arrive at Vesta |
in July. Beginning in September, the spacecraft will orbit Vesta some 400 miles from its surface. It will then move closer, to about 125 miles from the surface, starting in November. By January of 2012, Russell expects high-resolution images and |
other data about surface composition. Dawn is arriving ahead of schedule and is expected to orbit Vesta for a year. Vesta, which orbits the Sun every 3.6 terrestrial years, has an oval, pumpkin-like shape and an average diameter of approximately |
330 miles. Studies of meteorites found on Earth that are believed to have come from Vesta suggest that Vesta formed from galactic dust during the Solar System's first 3 million to 10 million years. Dawn's cameras should be able to |
see individual lava flows and craters tens of feet across on Vesta's surface. "We will scurry around when the data come in, trying to make maps of the surface and learning its exact shape and size," Russell said. Dawn has |
a high-quality camera, along with a back-up; a visible and near-infrared spectrometer that will identify minerals on the surface; and a gamma ray and neutron spectrometer that will reveal the abundance of elements such as iron and hydrogen, possibly from |
water, in the soil. Dawn will also probe Vesta's gravity with radio signals. The study of Vesta, however, is only half of Dawn's mission. The spacecraft will also conduct a detailed study of the structure and composition of the "dwarf |
planet" Ceres. Vesta and Ceres are the most massive objects in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Dawn's goals include determining the shape, size, composition, internal structure, and the tectonic and thermal evolution of both objects, and the |
mission is expected to reveal the conditions under which each of them formed. Dawn, only the second scientific mission to be powered by an advanced NASA technology known as ion propulsion, is also the first NASA mission to orbit two |
major objects. "Twice the bang for the buck on this mission," said Russell, who added that without ion propulsion, Dawn would have cost three times as much. UCLA graduate and postdoctoral students work with Russell on the mission. Now is |
an excellent opportunity for graduate students to join the project and help analyze the data, said Russell, who teaches planetary science to UCLA undergraduates and solar and space physics to undergraduates and graduate students. After orbiting Vesta, Dawn will leave |
for its three-year journey to Ceres, which could harbor substantial water or ice beneath its rock crust — and possibly life. On the way to Ceres, Dawn may visit another object. The spacecraft will rendezvous with Ceres and begin orbiting |
in 2015, conducting studies and observations for at least five months. Russell believes that Ceres and Vesta, formed almost 4.6 billion years ago, have preserved their early record, which was frozen into their ancient surfaces. "We're going back in time |
Why does this galaxy have so many big black holes? No one is sure. What is sure is that NGC 922 is a ring galaxy created by the collision of a large and small galaxy about 300 million years ago. |
Like a rock thrown into a pond, the ancient collision sent ripples of high density gas out from the impact point near the center that partly condensed into stars. Pictured above is NGC 922 with its beautifully complex ring along |
the left side, as imaged recently by the Hubble Space Telescope. Observations of NGC 922 with the Chandra X-ray Observatory, however, show several glowing X-ray knots that are likely large black holes. The high number of massive black holes was |
somewhat surprising as the gas composition in NGC 922 -- rich in heavy elements -- should have discouraged almost anything so massive from forming. Research is sure to continue. spans about 75,000 light years, lies about 150 million light years |
Click Image to Enlarge Thanks to a metal oxide cathode rather than one based on graphite, this lithium-ion battery offers 35% greater range for electric vehicles. “Range anxiety,” or concern that electric vehicles (EVs) don’t pack enough power to get drivers everywhere they need to go in one charge, remains an issue. H... |
that offers 35% more range than existing technologies. The battery achieves this by integrating lithium-ion (Li-ion) cells with metal oxides to offer greater energy density, and thereby greater range. The battery is a result of work performed by battery supplier Axeon, engineering services firm Ricardo, and special-pur... |
of nickel, cobalt and manganese. The engineers packaged the cells into pouch-like modular blocks, a design that reduces cell-level volume by 50% and mass by 30% compared to conventional batteries. A driver-assistance module that integrates radar and vision sensing to provide active safety features such as forward colli... |
RACam, is a single-box system that is small enough (123 x 68 x 38-mm) to be installed on the forward-facing side of a vehicle’s rearview mirror. What’s more, Delphi says it’s cheaper than conventional radar and vision systems, which are typically offered separately. The RACam is expected to launch in 2014. Although nig... |
to become more widespread as automakers look to enhance driver perception in dark and poor weather conditions. Northwestern University’s Center for Quantum Devices (cqd.eecs.northwestern.edu) may have a hand in this: its scientists have developed a next-generation camera that can be tuned to simultaneously absorb a ran... |
which capture thermal radiation emitted by objects, and active systems, which use an infrared light source to provide high-resolution images of objects. Center for Quantum Devices director Manijeh Razeghi says that by absorbing infrared wavelengths and bands, their camera offers the benefits of both active and passive ... |
How Are Women Faring In Ukraine? On the eve of the January 17 presidential elections in Ukraine, Olena Suslova, Chair of the Board at Women’s Information Consultative Center in Kiev, offers a glimpse of the status of women and women’s |
rights there. By Masum Momaya AWID: What is the status of women and women’s rights in Ukraine generally? Olena Suslova (O.S.): Women in Ukraine have equal constitutional rights as men in the economic, political, cultural and social fields, as well |
as in the family, but there is some difference between formal legal equality and reality. For example, women make up 48% of Ukraine’s labor force, and while our Constitution guarantees equal pay for equal work – and this is mostly |
observed – industries dominated by female workers have the lowest relative wages and are the ones most likely to be affected by wage arrears. Moreover, some employers refuse to hire younger women likely to become pregnant or women over 35. |
Generally, women also have fewer opportunities for career advancement. AWID: Will the upcoming (January 17) elections provide an opportunity to elect officials that might advance women’s rights or are the elections simply a formality? O.S.: The upcoming elections will elect |
the President but not officials, who will ultimately influence public policy. Depending on who is elected, new officials may be appointed, including diplomats and the Attorney General. However, under Ukraine’s constitution, the President has limited powers. In general, I don’t |
think that the upcoming elections will radically change public policies related to gender equality. AWID: Are women’s groups mobilizing around the elections? O.S.: No. This time women’s groups are not active themselves, and political parties are not mobilizing women either. |
AWID: Is there much political participation generally by women in Ukraine, as voters, candidates and officials? O.S.: Female voters in Ukraine are more engaged than male voters. As individuals, women more actively participate in campaigns and vote more often. In |
this upcoming election, 3 of the 18 candidates for Parliament are women. And currently, 75.5% of government officials are women, but most are not in positions of power. AWID: Are corruption and bureaucracy major factors in how people experience and |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.