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A new study concluded that children with ADHD can sometimes have more difficulties on math and reading tests compared to their peers.
Researchers used identical and fraternal twins to look at the genetic and environmental influences underlying ADHD behaviors, reading, and math skills in children in an attempt to understand the relationship among them.
AdvertisementSara Hart, of the Florida State University, said by focusing on twins specifically, psychological scientists were able to tease out the difference between nature and nurture.
To do this, scientists compared identical twins, who have nearly the same DNA, with fraternal twins, who generally only share about half of their DNA.
The researchers found that ADHD behaviors, reading achievement, and math achievement were all influenced by the same genetic influences; this doesn't prove anything about what causes what, but some psychological scientists think that all three might be linked through the working memory system.
Although common genetic influences are a typical result from twin studies, the exciting aspect of this work was that that ADHD behaviors, reading achievement, and math achievement are also associated by common environmental influences.
Although it is not known what the actual environmental influences are, Hart and her colleagues suggest that it could be related to aspects of the classroom and homework environment.
The study is published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.
You May Also Like | <urn:uuid:675d630d-ac65-4a37-86c5-191750690d13> | CC-MAIN-2016-50 | http://www.medindia.net/news/Children-With-ADHD-More-Likely-To-Face-Math-and-Reading-Difficulties-77958-1.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-50/segments/1480698540839.46/warc/CC-MAIN-20161202170900-00454-ip-10-31-129-80.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960852 | 269 | 3.21875 | 3 |
I'm currently visiting India, and I went to the town of Cuddalore in Tamil Nadu. It contains a place called Thiruvahindram, one of the 108 Divya Desams. As I discuss in this question, the Alwars (also spelled Azhwars) are a group of 12 ancient Vaishnava saints who lived in Tamil Nadu and are famous for their poetry in praise of Vishnu. The Alwars are crucially important figures in the development of Vaishnavism; it is the principles and beliefs embodied in the Alwars' poems that ultimately gave rise to the Sri Vaishnava sect (of which I'm a member). The Alwars praised many Vishnu temples and other sacred places of Vishnu in their poetry; a sacred place of Vishnu that was praised by at least one Alwar is called a Divya Desam, and there are 108 of them; see the list here.
In any case, there are many special things about Thiruvahindrapuram. The main Vishnu deity is called Devanatha Perumal:
Once the gods needed help to defeat some Asuras, so they prayed to Vishnu in Thiruvahindrapuram. Vishnu appeared and killed the Asuras with his Sudarshana Chakra (discus weapon). Afterwards he wanted water, so his bird vehicle Garuda started digging for water with his beak, creating a body of water known as Garuda Theertham. But he was taking too long, so Vishnu's serpent Adiseshan used his tail to quickly dig a well for Vishnu. Another thing about this place is that right next to the Devanatha Perumal temple is a hill, formed from a part of Mount Oushadi which fell while Hanuman was carrying it. (I discuss that story in my answer here.) And on top of that hill is a temple to Vishnu's incarnation Hayagriva, who appeared before the Sri Vaishnava Acharya Vedanta Desikan.
I could ask so many questions about this sacred place, but for now let me just ask one. The priest of the Devantaha Perumal Vishnu temple said that the sage Markandeya and Bhumidevi engaged in Tapasya (deep meditation) here, and Vishnu appeared before them. When I heard this, at first I just assumed that this was about Vishnu's wife Bhumidevi, goddess of the earth; Vishnu married her after she engaged in Tapasya. But then I went to the famous Upillaiappan Vishnu Temple near Kumbakonam. That is where Vishnu, in his Venkateshwara form, married the sage Markandeya's daughter. Markandeya's daughter was an incarnation of Lakshmi and her name was Bhumadevi.
So my question is, who is it that Vishnu appeared before in Thiruvahindrapuram? Did he appear before Bhumidevi goddesss of the Earth, or before Bhumadevi daughter of Markandeya? The latter seems more plausible to me, since it would make sense that Markandeya and his daughter would together engage in Tapasya in order to get Vishnu as a groom. | <urn:uuid:a0a0051f-a735-4026-ab4a-67e4812e7fb2> | CC-MAIN-2021-25 | https://hinduism.stackexchange.com/questions/5294/who-did-vishnu-appear-before-in-thiruvahindrapuram-bhumidevi-or-bhumadevi?noredirect=1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-25/segments/1623487621273.31/warc/CC-MAIN-20210615114909-20210615144909-00180.warc.gz | en | 0.980662 | 684 | 2.78125 | 3 |
A leading road safety expert has warned that today’s futuristic cars are thoroughly retro when it comes to security, saying that smart cars risk being hacked unless security protections are upgraded. Professor Andry Rakotonirainy from the Queensland University of Technology Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety said that while cars will become safer and offer greater technological improvements, security is in need of a major update in order for the cars to be truly smart.
“The security protection on cars is virtually non-existent, it is at a level of protection that a desktop computer system had in the 1980s, the basic security requirements such as authentication, confidentiality and integrity are not strong,” he said.
According to Rakotonirainy, all new cars are equipped with something known as CAN-BUS technology which acts like the “brain” of the car, allowing “microcontrollers within a car to communicate to each other”. CAN-BUS can be used to control everything from airbags and cruise control to power steering systems and brakes, and this kind of functionality is just “the tip of the iceberg” for what the future holds.
“The development of intelligent transport systems meant future cars would be connected to wireless networks as standard and would offer a higher level of automation,” said Professor Rakotonirainy. | <urn:uuid:fb587a6e-f85e-4843-9486-91634473dc27> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | http://www.securitytoday.in/international-news/cars-of-the-future-prone-to-hacking/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560627999163.73/warc/CC-MAIN-20190620065141-20190620091141-00025.warc.gz | en | 0.960924 | 276 | 2.703125 | 3 |
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - View original article
|This article needs additional citations for verification. (January 2011)|
|Positional systems by base|
|List of numeral systems|
Decimal notation often refers to a base-10 positional notation such as the Hindu-Arabic numeral system; however, it can also be used more generally to refer to non-positional systems such as Roman or Chinese numerals which are also based on powers of ten.
Decimals also refer to decimal fractions, either separately or in contrast to vulgar fractions. In this context, a decimal is a tenth part, and decimals become a series of nested tenths. There was a notation in use like 'tenth-metre', meaning the tenth decimal of the metre, currently an Angstrom. The contrast here is between decimals and vulgar fractions, and decimal divisions and other divisions of measures, like the inch. It is possible to follow a decimal expansion with a vulgar fraction; this is done with the recent divisions of the troy ounce, which has three places of decimals, followed by a trinary place.
Decimal notation is the writing of numbers in a base-10 numeral system. Examples are Roman numerals, Brahmi numerals, and Chinese numerals, as well as the Hindu-Arabic numerals used by speakers of many European languages. Roman numerals have symbols for the decimal powers (1, 10, 100, 1000) and secondary symbols for half these values (5, 50, 500). Brahmi numerals have symbols for the nine numbers 1–9, the nine decades 10–90, plus a symbol for 100 and another for 1000. Chinese numerals have symbols for 1–9, and additional symbols for powers of 10, which in modern usage reach 1044.
However, when people who use Hindu-Arabic numerals speak of decimal notation, they often mean not just decimal numeration, as above, but also decimal fractions, all conveyed as part of a positional system. Positional decimal systems include a zero and use symbols (called digits) for the ten values (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9) to represent any number, no matter how large or how small. These digits are often used with a decimal separator which indicates the start of a fractional part, and with a symbol such as the plus sign + (for positive) or minus sign − (for negative) adjacent to the numeral to indicate whether it is greater or less than zero, respectively.
Positional notation uses positions for each power of ten: units, tens, hundreds, thousands, etc. The position of each digit within a number denotes the multiplier (power of ten) multiplied with that digit—each position has a value ten times that of the position to its right. There were at least two presumably independent sources of positional decimal systems in ancient civilization: the Chinese counting rod system and the Hindu-Arabic numeral system (the latter descended from Brahmi numerals).
Ten is the number which is the count of fingers and thumbs on both hands (or toes on the feet). The English word digit as well as its translation in many languages is also the anatomical term for fingers and toes. In English, decimal (decimus < Lat.) means tenth, decimate means reduce by a tenth, and denary (denarius < Lat.) means the unit of ten.
The symbols for the digits in common use around the globe today are called Arabic numerals by Europeans and Indian numerals by Arabs, the two groups' terms both referring to the culture from which they learned the system. However, the symbols used in different areas are not identical; for instance, Western Arabic numerals (from which the European numerals are derived) differ from the forms used by other Arab cultures.
Decimal fractions are commonly expressed without a denominator, the decimal separator being inserted into the numerator (with leading zeros added if needed) at the position from the right corresponding to the power of ten of the denominator; e.g., 8/10, 83/100, 83/1000, and 8/10000 are expressed as 0.8, 0.83, 0.083, and 0.0008. In English-speaking, some Latin American and many Asian countries, a period (.) or raised period (·) is used as the decimal separator; in many other countries, particularly in Europe, a comma (,) is used.
The integer part, or integral part of a decimal number is the part to the left of the decimal separator. (See also truncation.) The part from the decimal separator to the right is the fractional part. It is usual for a decimal number that consists only of a fractional part (mathematically, a proper fraction) to have a leading zero in its notation (its numeral). This helps disambiguation between a decimal sign and other punctuation, and especially when the negative number sign is indicated, it helps visualize the sign of the numeral as a whole.
Trailing zeros after the decimal point are not necessary, although in science, engineering and statistics they can be retained to indicate a required precision or to show a level of confidence in the accuracy of the number: Although 0.080 and 0.08 are numerically equal, in engineering 0.080 suggests a measurement with an error of up to one part in two thousand (±0.0005), while 0.08 suggests a measurement with an error of up to one in two hundred (see significant figures).
If the rational number's denominator has any prime factors other than 2 or 5, it cannot be expressed as a finite decimal fraction, and has a unique eventually repeating infinite decimal expansion.
100 − 1 = 99 = 9 × 11:
1000 − 1 = 9 × 111 = 27 × 37:
That a rational number must have a finite or recurring decimal expansion can be seen to be a consequence of the long division algorithm, in that there are only q-1 possible nonzero remainders on division by q, so that the recurring pattern will have a period less than q. For instance, to find 3/7 by long division:
0.4 2 8 5 7 1 4 ... 7 ) 3.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 8 30/7 = 4 with a remainder of 2 2 0 1 4 20/7 = 2 with a remainder of 6 6 0 5 6 60/7 = 8 with a remainder of 4 4 0 3 5 40/7 = 5 with a remainder of 5 5 0 4 9 50/7 = 7 with a remainder of 1 1 0 7 10/7 = 1 with a remainder of 3 3 0 2 8 30/7 = 4 with a remainder of 2 2 0 etc.
The converse to this observation is that every recurring decimal represents a rational number p/q. This is a consequence of the fact that the recurring part of a decimal representation is, in fact, an infinite geometric series which will sum to a rational number. For instance,
Every real number has a (possibly infinite) decimal representation; i.e., it can be written as
Such a sum converges as more and more negative values of i are included, even if there are infinitely many non-zero ai.
|This section needs additional citations for verification. (March 2012)|
Consider those rational numbers which have only the factors 2 and 5 in the denominator, i.e., which can be written as p/(2a5b). In this case there is a terminating decimal representation. For instance, 1/1 = 1, 1/2 = 0.5, 3/5 = 0.6, 3/25 = 0.12 and 1306/1250 = 1.0448. Such numbers are the only real numbers which do not have a unique decimal representation, as they can also be written as a representation that has a recurring 9, for instance 1 = 0.99999…, 1/2 = 0.499999…, etc. The number 0 = 0/1 is special in that it has no representation with recurring 9.
This leaves the irrational numbers. They also have unique infinite decimal representations, and can be characterised as the numbers whose decimal representations neither terminate nor recur.
So in general the decimal representation is unique, if one excludes representations that end in a recurring 9.
A version of this even holds for irrational-base numeration systems, such as golden mean base representation.
Decimal computation was carried out in ancient times in many ways, typically in rod calculus, with decimal multiplication table used in ancient China and with sand tables in India and Middle East or with a variety of abaci.
Modern computer hardware and software systems commonly use a binary representation internally (although many early computers, such as the ENIAC or the IBM 650, used decimal representation internally). For external use by computer specialists, this binary representation is sometimes presented in the related octal or hexadecimal systems.
For most purposes, however, binary values are converted to or from the equivalent decimal values for presentation to or input from humans; computer programs express literals in decimal by default. (123.1, for example, is written as such in a computer program, even though many computer languages are unable to encode that number precisely.)
Both computer hardware and software also use internal representations which are effectively decimal for storing decimal values and doing arithmetic. Often this arithmetic is done on data which are encoded using some variant of binary-coded decimal, especially in database implementations, but there are other decimal representations in use (such as in the new IEEE 754 Standard for Floating-Point Arithmetic).
Decimal arithmetic is used in computers so that decimal fractional results can be computed exactly, which is not possible using a binary fractional representation. This is often important for financial and other calculations.
Many ancient cultures calculated from early on with numerals based on ten: Egyptian hieroglyphs, in evidence since around 3000 BC, used a purely decimal system, just as the Cretan hieroglyphs (ca. 1625−1500 BC) of the Minoans whose numerals are closely based on the Egyptian model. The decimal system was handed down to the consecutive Bronze Age cultures of Greece, including Linear A (ca. 18th century BC−1450 BC) and Linear B (ca. 1375−1200 BC) — the number system of classical Greece also used powers of ten, including, like the Roman numerals did, an intermediate base of 5. Notably, the polymath Archimedes (c. 287–212 BC) invented a decimal positional system in his Sand Reckoner which was based on 108 and later led the German mathematician Carl Friedrich Gauss to lament what heights science would have already reached in his days if Archimedes had fully realized the potential of his ingenious discovery. The Hittites hieroglyphs (since 15th century BC), just like the Egyptian and early numerals in Greece, was strictly decimal.
The Egyptian hieratic numerals, the Greek alphabet numerals, the Roman numerals, the Chinese numerals and early Indian Brahmi numerals are all non-positional decimal systems, and required large numbers of symbols. For instance, Egyptian numerals used different symbols for 10, 20, to 90, 100, 200, to 900, 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000, to 10,000.
According to Joseph Needham, decimal fractions were first developed and used by the Chinese in the 1st century BC, and then spread to the Middle East and from there to Europe. The written Chinese decimal fractions were non-positional. However, counting rod fractions were positional.
The Persian mathematician Jamshīd al-Kāshī claimed to have discovered decimal fractions himself in the 15th century, though J. Lennart Berggren notes that positional decimal fractions were used five centuries before him by Arab mathematician Abu'l-Hasan al-Uqlidisi as early as the 10th century.
Khwarizmi introduced fractions to Islamic countries in the early 9th century. . This form of fraction with the numerator on top and the denominator on the bottom, without a horizontal bar, was also used in the 10th century by Abu'l-Hasan al-Uqlidisi and again in the 15th century work "Arithmetic Key" by Jamshīd al-Kāshī.
Telugu language uses a straightforward decimal system. Other Dravidian languages such as Tamil and Malayalam have replaced the number nine tondu with 'onpattu' ("one to ten") during the early Middle Ages, while Telugu preserved the number nine as tommidi.
The Hungarian language also uses a straightforward decimal system. All numbers between 10 and 20 are formed regularly (e.g. 11 is expressed as "tízenegy" literally "one on ten"), as with those between 20-100 (23 as "huszonhárom" = "three on twenty").
A straightforward decimal rank system with a word for each order 10十,100百,1000千,10000万, and in which 11 is expressed as ten-one and 23 as two-ten-three, and 89345 is expressed as 8 (ten thousands) 万9 (thousand) 千3 (hundred) 百4 (tens) 十 5 is found in Chinese languages, and in Vietnamese with a few irregularities. Japanese, Korean, and Thai have imported the Chinese decimal system. Many other languages with a decimal system have special words for the numbers between 10 and 20, and decades. For example in English 11 is "eleven" not "ten-one".
Some psychologists suggest irregularities of the English names of numerals may hinder children's counting ability.
Some cultures do, or did, use other bases of numbers. | <urn:uuid:dc07dc4d-c905-4209-9738-aefa3cacb32d> | CC-MAIN-2014-42 | http://blekko.com/wiki/Decimal?source=672620ff | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-42/segments/1413507446323.3/warc/CC-MAIN-20141017005726-00256-ip-10-16-133-185.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.93381 | 2,884 | 4.125 | 4 |
It is often easier to find citations for articles than to find their full text. The instructions below will help you track down cited articles in the High Library's databases. This guide uses Harvard Business Review to demonstrate, but it will work for any journal for which the library has a subscription.
If you know the exact title of the article you are looking for, you can search for it using Quick Search.
If that doesn't work, try one of the following methods to find your article.
Note: If you aren't searching for a business journal, follow the instructions for BROWSE below.
If you are looking for a partial title, articles on a particular topic, or would just prefer to narrow your search to a specific journal, you can go directly to Business Source Complete and add the following to your search: JN "Harvard Business Review"
(Replace "Harvard Business Review" with the title of your journal.)
Another option is to enter the title of your journal, surrounded by quotation marks (ie: "Harvard Business Review"), into the search field and select "SO Publication Name" from the dropdown menu.
If you would like to browse through the recent issues of a journal, or you would like to track down a specific article from a citation, follow these steps.
1. Use Journal Finder on the library's home page to search for the title of your journal, such as Harvard Business Review.
2. Select the correct journal from your results.
3. Click on Available Online, then select a database.
4. If you are searching from off-campus, you will be asked to log in.
5. From the menu on the right, select the year, then the issue you are interested in.
Note: If you are searching from a citation, look for the year, volume, and issue. In the following example, 2017 is the year, 95 is the volume, and 6 is the issue:
Ignatius, A. (2017). The new reality of business. Harvard Business Review, 95(6), 10.
6. This will take you to a list of the articles in that issue. From here, you can read the articles as plain text or as a PDF.
7. You can also view a detailed record for the article by clicking on its title.
8. From the PDF view, you can navigate to other articles in the same issue by using the Table of Contents on the left. You can also use the tools embedded in the PDF viewer to print or save the article to your computer.
Please note: If you are searching for Harvard Business Review, there are 500 articles which the publisher has identified as their most popular articles, which are read-only and unavailable for downloading. (An alert will notify you.) You can still read those articles using these steps. | <urn:uuid:4e5fbb44-bc2b-4ffa-b21b-58d3c30ef4b3> | CC-MAIN-2020-05 | http://libraryguides.etown.edu/findingjournals | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250594101.10/warc/CC-MAIN-20200119010920-20200119034920-00056.warc.gz | en | 0.920071 | 583 | 2.53125 | 3 |
Presentation on theme: "The Era of Good and Hard Feelings"— Presentation transcript:
1The Era of Good and Hard Feelings By: Kaitlin McGuire, Christine Kovell, Emily Gillin, Chris Cassidy, and Jack SeifriedThe Era of Good and Hard Feelings
2The Demise of the Federalist Party By Emily Gillin
3The Demise of the Federalist Party The Federalist Party was split and weakened during the War of 1812.James Monroe easily defeated the Federalist Party in the election of 1816.The election showed how much the party had declined.Federalists had joined the Republican party and voted for Monroe.Monroe was so well liked in the country that when he ran for second term no one opposed and this meant the federalist party had disappeared.
4Domestic Affairs The Era of Good Feeling Henry Clay’s American System By Kaitlin McGuire
5The Era of Good Feeling In 1816 James Monroe became president This election showed that the Federalist Party was demising in popularityJames Monroe was a very well liked personMonroe hoped to help create a sense of unity.When Monroe ran in 1820 no candidate opposed him and the federalist part disappeared
6Henry Clay’s American System America was introduced top sectionalismThe Tariff included three main sectionsThe payment for the tariff would be gotten from tariffs and sales of public lands
7Foreign Affairs Tariff of 1816 Adam-Onis Treaty 1819 Monroe Doctorine By Christine Kovell
8Tariff of 1816A protective tariff that taxes foreign goods to make the American products more successful in sales.Southerners bought many British goods, so the Southerners complained that the tariff made the Northerners rich and themselves at expense.
9Adam-Onis Treaty of 1819An 1821 treaty between Spain and the US in which Spain agreed to give Florida to the US in the exchange for five million dollars.Made by Secretary of State John Quincy Adams
10Monroe DoctrineForeign policy statement warning European nations not to interfere with Latin AmericaAmerica agreed to not interfere with European colonies European nationsMade by President James Monroe (5th president)
11Favorite Son’s Election of 1824 Candidates and issuesDecisions reached by House of Representatives‘corrupt bargain’Favorite Son’s Election of 1824By Jack Seifred
12Candidates and IssuesCandidates for the election: John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson, Henry Clay, William CrawfordIssues: There was no clear winner of the election. Jackson won the popular vote, but no candidate won the majority (more than half) of the electoral votes.
13Decisions reached by House of Representatives John Quincy Adams won
14‘Corrupt Bargain’Henry Clay and John Quincy Adams were accused of a “corrupt bargain” for stealing the election from Jackson
15John Quincy Adam’s Administration (1825-1829 The Era of Hard FeelingsTariff of AbominationBy Chris Cassidy
16The Era of Hard Feelings (Rise of Sectionalism) The sectionalism in that time period was the argument of a States right to endorse slavery - or really the balance of power in congress between southern states and northern statesthe underlying issue was the south’s fear of the rapid population grown in the northThe major sectionalism event during the era of good feelings was the Missouri crisis that led to the Missouri compromise - crafted by Henry Clay in 1820.The nationalism of that time period was the after effect of the war of 1812America became resource independent around that time period. Cities were growing and people all around America were becoming Americans.
17Tariff of Abomination-1828 Duties on imports set by the Tariff of 1828 were so high that its opponents denounced it as the Tariff of Abominations.Northern bankers, merchants, and manufacturers favored high duties, or taxes, on imports to protect American goods from foreign competition
18BibliographyPrentice Hall The American Nation By James West Davidson | <urn:uuid:e74fb606-5d53-426b-aa16-0e83daa87c46> | CC-MAIN-2017-22 | http://slideplayer.com/slide/4387753/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-22/segments/1495463608870.18/warc/CC-MAIN-20170527055922-20170527075922-00049.warc.gz | en | 0.949932 | 836 | 3.390625 | 3 |
Polo is a team sport played on horseback. The objective is to score a goal against opposing team. Players score by driving a small white plastic or wooden ball into the opposing team’s goal using a long-handled mallet. A polo match last about one and one-half hours and is divided into timed periods called chukkers. Each chukker is 7 minutes long.
Polo is arguably the oldest recorded team sport in known history, with the first matches being played in Persia over 2500 years ago. Initially thought to have been created by competing tribes of Central Asia, it was quickly taken up as a training method for the King’s elite cavalry. These matches could resemble a battle with up to 100 men to a side. As mounted armies swept back and forth across this part of the world, conquering and re-conquering, polo was adopted as the most noble of past times by the Kings and Emperors, Shahs and Sultans, Khans and Caliphs of the ancient Persians, Arabs, Mughals, Mongols and Chinese. It was for this reason it became known across the lands as “the game of kings”.
British officers themselves re-invented the game in 1862 after seeing a horsemanship exhibition in Manipur, India. The sport was introduced into England in 1869, and seven years later, sportsman James Gordon Bennett imported it to the United States. After 1886, English and American teams occasionally met for the International Polo Challenge Club. Polo was on several Olympic games schedules, but was last an Olympic sport in 1936.
Polo continues, as it has done for so long, to represent the pinnacle of sport, and reaffirms the special bond between horse and rider. The feeling of many of its players is epitomized by a famous verse inscribed on a stone tablet next to a polo ground in Gilgit, Pakistan: “Let others play at other things. The king of games is still the game of kings.”
As a rough, disorganized, warlike spectacle polo has evolved into a highly refined, sophisticated sport, combining all the excitement of horse racing, hockey and soccer. Polo is played now all over the planet and over 50 countries worldwide are involved in the game. The dominant nations are Argentina, the USA and Britain, each of which has a thriving polo scene and industry. Other polo hotspots include New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Dubai and Spain.
One of the most prestigious resorts in Europe is Santa Maria Polo Club located in Sotogrande (San Roque – Cadiz – Spain). Polo first appeared in the region in 1965, with the construction of the area’s first polo field. Today, Santa Maria Polo Club has grown into one of the most important and prestigious polo clubs in the world. Currently, the club has nine polo fields, and a number of exercise tracks, boxes, etc... And due to its location and climate, it is without a doubt and incomparable spot to play polo. The Summer Polo Tournament is undoubtedly the most elite sport event in Spain, and one of the most exclusive in the world.
Contrary to popular belief, most polo games are cheap to watch. Entry to Cowdray Park for its biggest day, the Gold Cup final, costs under £20 per person in advance. Many smaller clubs around the world don’t charge entry at all. Most polo clubs are open for public viewing on weekends. You can enjoy a polo match played by some of the greatest athletes in the world right rom the sidelines. Just bring a blanket or beach chair. Polo clubs allow spectators to bring food and drinks. So pack a picnic lunch of items that will travel well for an afternoon sporting event. Polo is an outdoor sport, so dress according to the weather. You really can’t be over or under dressed. Spectators at a polo match wear everything from jeans to high fashion.
It is customary at polo match to invite the public onto the field at half time to tread in the divots kicked up by the horses. Divot stomping is a long standing tradition. Spectators wander all over the field stomping down the torn up turf. It’s fun and you can meet great people just wandering the field. Even at high goal tournaments the players often walk divots to keep limber at the half, and often they take breaks or change ponies close to the stands. Many times you can say hello to the best athletes in the world. Just remember not to be too distracting, these are athletes who need to get back to work. | <urn:uuid:d1e0b76b-1fa3-4355-a29d-72e31451e8a4> | CC-MAIN-2021-04 | http://aboutcostadelsol.blogspot.com/2015/06/polo-is-team-sport-played-on-horseback.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-04/segments/1610704804187.81/warc/CC-MAIN-20210126233034-20210127023034-00311.warc.gz | en | 0.961096 | 955 | 2.796875 | 3 |
Many researchers believe that slowing the buildup of amyloid in the brain holds the key to delaying or preventing Alzheimer’s disease. Scientists previously reported that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)—a class of commonly used antidepressants—suppressed Aβ and lowered amyloid plaque load in mice. Now, a follow-up report claims that the drugs inhibit Aβ production in people, as well. Yvette Sheline, formerly at Washington University in St. Louis and now at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, and John Cirrito at WashU, published the human data in the May 14 Science Translational Medicine.
A single dose of the SSRI citalopram, marketed under the brand name Celexa, cut Aβ production by a third in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of healthy volunteers. Future studies may reveal whether chronic dosing produces the same effect, and if this would lessen amyloid buildup in the brain, Sheline said. If there is a sustained benefit, then SSRIs may join immunotherapy and BACE inhibitors as another possible route to curb amyloid pathology. Many SSRIs have been approved by the FDA and they have acceptable safety profiles.
Other researchers called the findings promising, while noting that the road to a potential therapy remains long. “It seems clear that citalopram decreases Aβ production and aggregation in both mice and humans. The big question is, can that translate into a clinical preventative or therapeutic effect?” asked William Klunk at the University of Pittsburgh.
SSRIs block the reuptake of serotonin by neurons, making this neurotransmitter more available in the synaptic cleft and pumping up its signaling. Several groups have shown that serotonin dampens Aβ production in vitro, and also lightens plaque load and preserves cognition in 3xTg AD model mice (see Robert et al., 2001; Arjona et al., 2002; Nelson et al., 2007). In previous studies, Sheline and colleagues found that a single dose of any of several SSRIs cut Aβ levels in the interstitial fluid (ISF) of young APP/PS1 mice by a quarter, and four months of treatment halved plaque load.
The authors wondered if people taking SSRIs might be similarly protected from amyloid buildup. To investigate this, the researchers recruited 186 cognitively normal volunteers with an average age of 69. Amyloid PET scanning revealed that participants who had used any antidepressants in the last five years had significantly less amyloid in their brains than those who had not taken the drugs (see Cirrito et al., 2011). This retrospective study could not establish if SSRI use suppressed amyloid production, however.
To explore a direct connection, Sheline and colleagues used stable isotope labeling kinetics (SILK), a technique developed by Randall Bateman at WashU to measure production of new proteins in the brain. Researchers intravenously administer 13C-labeled leucine to track newly generated Aβ, then collect CSF samples at regular intervals (see Apr 2009 news story). This allows them to determine rates of Aβ production and clearance. Sheline recruited 23 healthy adult volunteers below the age of 50. SILK revealed that two 30 mg doses of citalopram two hours apart suppressed Aβ production by 37 percent over the next 45 hours, without affecting clearance. The authors arrived at the dosage based on dose-response studies in mice. This amount is on the high end of what people take for depression, the authors note.
What might citalopram do long term? For this question, human data is not available, but Sheline and colleagues looked at the effects of chronic citalopram administration in 6-month-old APP/PS1 mice, which actively deposit amyloid. The authors followed the fate of individual plaques in live animals using high-power, two-photon microscopy. Four weeks of citalopram arrested the growth of existing plaques and prevented new ones from forming. It did not clear deposits.
Commentators praised the methodology of the study, but cautioned that many questions about the therapeutic potential of SSRIs remain. Mark Mattson at the National Institute on Aging, Bethesda, Maryland, noted that the current study lacks behavioral data in mice, leaving open the question of clinical efficacy. Richard Wurtman at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge suggested that before advancing to large-scale human trials, it would be worth mining large epidemiological datasets to see if antidepressant use correlates with a lower risk of AD. Paul Aisen at the University of California, San Diego, wrote to Alzforum, “There is not yet strong evidence that citalopram reduces brain amyloid in humans; the effect on CSF Aβ42 is intriguing, but the relationship between CSF amyloid peptides and brain amyloid is complex.”
Nonetheless, researchers agreed that the data merit further human studies. “I think trials in people with mild cognitive impairment or who have biomarker evidence of AD should be seriously considered,” Constantine Lyketsos at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, told Alzforum. Citalopram may not be the best SSRI to use, however. A recent trial for agitation in AD found that the drug causes some adverse effects, including accelerated cognitive decline and abnormal heart rhythms, said Lon Schneider at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles (see Feb 2014 news story). The Food and Drug Administration now recommends that people take no more than 40 mg/day of citalopram. It further specifies that people over 60 should take no more than 20 mg/day, because the drug builds up in the blood of older adults and can increase the risk for heart arrhythmias.
For this reason, Sheline plans to use a different SSRI in future studies. All drugs in this class have similar effects on Aβ in mice, she told Alzforum. She will investigate the effect of chronic dosing by treating cognitively normal volunteers between the ages of 65 and 85 with an SSRI for two weeks, comparing baseline and final levels of Aβ in spinal fluid. If Aβ stays low, the next step would be a larger study using PET amyloid imaging to look for any changes in brain amyloid load. These studies might eventually pave the way for a longer clinical trial in cognitively healthy older adults at risk for AD, Sheline said.—Madolyn Bowman Rogers.
Research Models Citations
- Studies Reveal New Hope, Old Problems With AD Biomarkers
- Citalopram Calms Agitation in Alzheimer’s, but Carries Risks
- Robert SJ, Zugaza JL, Fischmeister R, Gardier AM, Lezoualc'h F. The human serotonin 5-HT4 receptor regulates secretion of non-amyloidogenic precursor protein. J Biol Chem. 2001 Nov 30;276(48):44881-8. PubMed.
- Arjona AA, Pooler AM, Lee RK, Wurtman RJ. Effect of a 5-HT(2C) serotonin agonist, dexnorfenfluramine, on amyloid precursor protein metabolism in guinea pigs. Brain Res. 2002 Sep 27;951(1):135-40. PubMed.
- Nelson RL, Guo Z, Halagappa VM, Pearson M, Gray AJ, Matsuoka Y, Brown M, Martin B, Iyun T, Maudsley S, Clark RF, Mattson MP. Prophylactic treatment with paroxetine ameliorates behavioral deficits and retards the development of amyloid and tau pathologies in 3xTgAD mice. Exp Neurol. 2007 May;205(1):166-76. PubMed.
- Cirrito JR, Disabato BM, Restivo JL, Verges DK, Goebel WD, Sathyan A, Hayreh D, D'Angelo G, Benzinger T, Yoon H, Kim J, Morris JC, Mintun MA, Sheline YI. Serotonin signaling is associated with lower amyloid-β levels and plaques in transgenic mice and humans. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2011 Sep 6;108(36):14968-73. PubMed.
- Sheline YI, West T, Yarasheski K, Swarm R, Jasielec MS, Fisher JR, Ficker WD, Yan P, Xiong C, Frederiksen C, Grzelak MV, Chott R, Bateman RJ, Morris JC, Mintun MA, Lee JM, Cirrito JR. An antidepressant decreases CSF Aβ production in healthy individuals and in transgenic AD mice. Sci Transl Med. 2014 May 14;6(236):236re4. PubMed. | <urn:uuid:51fed8cc-dec3-4096-94f6-59e081eac806> | CC-MAIN-2015-22 | http://www.alzforum.org/news/research-news/antidepressant-citalopram-shows-promise-future-anti-amyloid-agent | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-22/segments/1432207928864.73/warc/CC-MAIN-20150521113208-00209-ip-10-180-206-219.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.877824 | 1,837 | 2.609375 | 3 |
A washer disinfector is used for the automated cleaning and disinfection of instruments in practices, clinics, dental offices, medical centers and hospitals. The reliable monitoring and documentation of the relevant process parameters ensures standardized and reproducible decontamination procedures.
What is a Washer Disinfector?
Whether you run a dental clinic, veterinary or a medical practice, keeping clean and hygienic is of paramount importance. The battle against germs is a critical one, and that’s where washer disinfectors come in.
A washer disinfector is the best way to clean and disinfect reusable dental, medical and veterinary instruments. Medical guidelines in fact suggest that, where possible, the use of equipment such as washer disinfectors is preferred to manual hand cleaning. This is because the cleaning and disinfecting process is much more effective.
What happens in a Washer Disinfector?
Firstly, its important to note that there are different washer disinfectors depending on your requirements. For example, a dentist may require a smaller washer disinfector, so that it fits in the clinic. They also tend to see less patients than a hospital, who will see several at one time. A hospital will therefore require a much large machine to cope with the demand of washing a large quantity or reusable medical equipment.
However, the core of each of these washer disinfectors remains the same. All are machines that use heat to thoroughly disinfect instruments so that they can be reused again.
The first stage of a washer disinfectors cycle is to clean the instruments within. Using cold water, the machine will perform a pre-rinse, removing any thick soiling. Next, a detergent cycle will work to remove any remaining agents to ensure instruments are thoroughly cleaned.
Next, comes the disinfection. This is performed at a high heat, around 90°C, over a period of time that can be set by the user. Dekomed Washer disinfectors also come pre-programmed to ensure the correct length of time for the disinfecting process. This process is critical, without it, your instruments may not be safe. Ensuring the equipment is kept at high heat for a period of time ensures any bacteria is killed off so the equipment is safe to use again.
The final stage is the drying stage. Using a washer disinfector helps to save time, as not only do you not have to clean the equipment by hand, but you also save the tedious process of drying it too!
Using a HEPA filter, the washer disinfector will ensure that no additional bacteria or microorganisms transmit onto the equipment during the drying process. The result? Medical equipment that is ready and safe to use right out of the washer disinfector.
Advantages of a Washer Disinfector
Using a washer disinfector has many benefits. Firstly, as we know, Dentists, vets and those in the medical profession don’t have much time. Washer disinfectors help give back some time by providing a level of cleaning that is both effective and efficient. With the machine cleaning and drying, it means that’s one thing less to worry about. It also means you can concentrate on providing care rather than doing the washing up!
Furthermore, with viruses being ever more prevalent, improving the health and safety of your practice can never be underestimated. By thoroughly cleaning your instruments using washer disinfectors, you’re subjecting the utensils to high heat for a prolonged period of time. This kills off bacteria, protecting your patients as well as your staff. Furthermore, instruments can be safely packed away inside the washer disinfector, rather than being handled by your staff, which in itself can lead to injury.
What about maintenance?
To get the most out of your washer disinfector, we recommend that, like many appliances, they are serviced regularly. Fortunately, with Dekomed, we can support you with full maintenance and servicing. This means that any potential issues are prevented rather than having to be reacted to. So your practice and cleaning process can continue uninterrupted. | <urn:uuid:fb6416e4-0db7-4119-a3ee-b0a8fa251222> | CC-MAIN-2021-43 | http://www.lionsdentalsupply.com/Tiva-2-Medical-Dental-Washer-Disinfector.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-43/segments/1634323588246.79/warc/CC-MAIN-20211028003812-20211028033812-00049.warc.gz | en | 0.944605 | 837 | 2.796875 | 3 |
The sort command in Linux sorts lines of input files based on sorting criteria. This command is quite useful for many sysadmins who handle text files daily. In addition to this, the sort command is very flexible and sorts efficiently according to your needs.
One of the advantages of sort is that since it is part of the GNU Core Utils you can use it natively in the system. That is to say, that you do not have to install or to configure something extra.
Like many other commands, the sort command has options that modify its behavior. In this post, we will help you to use them according to the circumstances with examples.
Let’s go for it.
The basic syntax of the
sort command is as follows
sort [option] [file]
sort [OPTION]... --files0-from=F
Below are some of common options supported by this command, you can refer man sort page for more details.
- b – ignore leading blanks
- d – dictionary-order (consider only blanks and alphanumeric characters)
- f – ignore case while sorting
- g -general-numeric-sort (compare according to general numerical value)
- i – ignore-nonprinting consider only printable characters
- M – month-sort compare (unknown) < ‘JAN’ < … < ‘DEC’
- h – human-numeric-sort compare human readable numbers (e.g., 2K 1G)
- n – numeric-sort compare according to string numerical value
- R – random-sort shuffle, but group identical keys. –random-source=FILE get random bytes from FILE
- r – reverse reverse the result of comparisons
Using sort command
The basic use of sort command is to sort the file. Let’s consider a file
example.txt whose contents are as follows
Motor Scar Car Op
Now, simply run sort command with file name as input.
You gets an output screen like the following one
Car Motor Op Scar
To reverse the order, use the
sort -r example.txt
This are basic uses. The Sort command support differnet options which change the behavour of the command. Let’s try to cover some common option with examples below.
Sort Command Examples
As I always say, upper and lower case can be a problem in text files. To make the sort ignore them, just use the
sort -f example.txt
Another useful option is the
-u option, which allows us to check if the file is already sorted.
sort -u example.txt
If you do not get any output on the screen, it is already sorted.
If you want to sort and at the same time remove duplicates, you can use the
sort -u example.txt
-k option and a number, you can specify which field is to be referenced.
For example, let’s start from a file named
example2.txt that has the following content
1010 Aaron Trunk 1598 Zac Eron 3578 Fabian mo
We can set it to be sorted by name. That is to say, by the second field of the text line.
sort -k 2 example2.txt
1010 Aaron Trunk 3578 Fabian mo 1598 Zac Eron
As you can see, it is basic to use the
sort command. If you are going to sort numbers, then use the
sort -n file.txt
You can combine it with the
sort -nr file.txt
Or if you have a file with months, the right option is
sort -M file.txt
So enjoy it.
In this post, you have learned how to use the sort command to sort text files. Quite useful in configurations and especially for manipulating this kind of files via the terminal. | <urn:uuid:cebf9737-af55-4561-bf29-a714f7f26712> | CC-MAIN-2023-40 | https://www.imaginelinux.com/sort-command-linux/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-40/segments/1695233510358.68/warc/CC-MAIN-20230928031105-20230928061105-00705.warc.gz | en | 0.846212 | 853 | 3.203125 | 3 |
We are bombarded by noise in our home, social, and work life. It is important to realize when noise has reached a level that it becomes a hazard. Sometimes we can reduce noise at home with a few simple measures, like not sitting near the refrigerator when the ice-maker is cycling, using noise cancelling headphones or protective ear plugs when using the snowblower or a chain saw, and keeping the sound of personal electronic devices at a reasonable level. But if noise is part of our employment, that’s a different matter.
If you work in a noisy environment, consider a hearing evaluation at Advanced Hearing Solutions to set a base level so your hearing can be monitored and any hearing loss can immediately be addressed. Hearing loss at an occupation that exposes you to noise each day can be subtle and you need to stay on top of the issue to ensure your optimal hearing health.
More than 22 million workers are in a job that exposes them to potentially damaging noise. In 2018, U.S. businesses paid out more than $1.5 million in penalties for failing to protect their workers from noise in the workplace. An estimated $242 million is spent annually on workers’ compensation for hearing loss disability. There are specific Occupational Safety and Health Administration guidelines that address noise in the workplace. Hearing loss in the workplace is pervasive, but you can also protect yourself against it.
Exposure to loud noise, over a period of time or in one single incident, kills the nerve endings in the inner ear. For a time, the other nerve endings can compensate, but eventually, the damage becomes so severe hearing loss is the result. The first signs are ringing in your ears hours after leaving work and a sensation that seems like your ears are full or stuffed with cotton. Conversations may seem muffled. Noise induced hearing loss limits your ability to hear high frequency sounds, like women and children’s voices, and also limits the ability to process conversation.
In addition, loud noise in the workplace can create physical and psychological stress, reduce productivity, interfere with communication and concentration, and contribute to workplace accidents and injuries because it is difficult to hear warning signals, according to OSHA representatives.
Employers who are aware their employees are being subjected to noise in the workplace should provide devices that protect the hearing as well as instructions on how to use the hearing protection. At the bare minimum range is ear plugs. They need to be replaced when dirty or worn, and they should be compressed and rolled and then inserted in the ear canal where they expand to block the noise.
Custom ear plugs can be ordered and fitted if ear canal structure does not allow for the use of standard ear plugs.
In cases where noise is quite higher than the 85-decibel range, noise cancelling headphones and ear plugs may be necessary. In some cases where employees are subjected to continuous loud machine generated noise, quiet areas where employees can take breaks should be provided. Employees can be rotated on work stations so they are only exposed to loud machinery for a limited duration and then moved to a quieter area. Sometimes noise buffers like sound proof walls or curtains can be installed to reduce the noise and making sure equipment says lubricated and operating at peak efficiency will also reduce noise. Moving work stations away from noisy machinery will decrease the decibel exposure and even a small reduction makes the workplace safer.
Workplace noise sampling will help identify areas and employees near those areas that are at risk due to noise. Making sure noise protection is used and used properly is important as is regular hearing tests to make sure workers are not being affected even if they are using ear protection.
Hearing loss is a result of cumulative exposure, and it is important that workers realize the dangers of noise exposure. OSHA inspectors report on numerous occasions they have observed workers wearing noise cancelling headphones, but having one ear exposed so they can continue to talk to a co-worker.
We can help you out with a full industrial or military hearing evaluation and Advanced Hearing Solutions can also provide you with customized hearing protection. Call today for an appointment. | <urn:uuid:100f9c40-b1b0-47c1-a8d3-fe4a8f912b89> | CC-MAIN-2019-39 | https://www.hearlife.org/blog/category/occupational-hearing-hazards | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-39/segments/1568514574662.80/warc/CC-MAIN-20190921190812-20190921212812-00509.warc.gz | en | 0.956777 | 824 | 3.078125 | 3 |
The abscissa is the x-coordinate of a point on the coordinate plane.
The distance along the horizontal axis.
- Pronounced "ab-siss-ah" (the 'c' is silent).
- The y-coordinate of a point is called the "ordinate".
- For more see Coordinates of a point.
(C) 2011 Copyright Math Open Reference.
All rights reserved | <urn:uuid:dd7dda90-a537-4625-b01f-235b70214c28> | CC-MAIN-2020-16 | https://mathopenref.com/abscissa.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-16/segments/1585370494064.21/warc/CC-MAIN-20200329074745-20200329104745-00101.warc.gz | en | 0.776079 | 88 | 3.015625 | 3 |
Table of contents
The debate over whether abortion should be legalized is a complex and contentious issue, raising ethical, medical, and societal considerations. In this essay, we will delve into the compelling reasons why abortion should be legalized, focusing on the importance of women's autonomy, safeguarding public health, reducing inequality, and providing safe access to reproductive healthcare.
Respecting Women's Autonomy and Rights
One of the foremost reasons to legalize abortion is rooted in the principle of women's autonomy and their fundamental rights. Just as individuals have the freedom to make choices about their bodies, careers, and lives, women should have the right to make informed decisions about their reproductive health. Denying women access to safe and legal abortion services restricts their agency and infringes upon their bodily autonomy.
Legalizing abortion recognizes that women are capable of making responsible decisions about their reproductive futures. It acknowledges the diverse circumstances in which women find themselves and respects their ability to choose the path that aligns with their life goals and circumstances. By legalizing abortion, societies affirm their commitment to upholding women's autonomy and agency.
Safeguarding Public Health and Safety
The legalization of abortion is also critical for the sake of public health and safety. When abortion is illegal or heavily restricted, many women resort to unsafe and often life-threatening methods to terminate pregnancies. Legalization enables governments to regulate and provide safe medical procedures, effectively reducing the health risks associated with dangerous alternatives.
Legal abortion services contribute to public health by minimizing complications and risks that arise from unsafe procedures. Moreover, by ensuring that individuals have access to medically supervised procedures and accurate information, societies prioritize the well-being of those seeking abortion care. This approach aligns with broader public health goals and ethical responsibilities.
Reducing Inequality and Empowering Women
Legalizing abortion addresses societal inequalities by ensuring that all women, regardless of their socioeconomic status, have equal access to reproductive healthcare. Restrictions on abortion disproportionately affect marginalized communities, exacerbating existing disparities in healthcare access. Legalization affirms the principle that healthcare should not be contingent upon economic privilege.
Furthermore, legalizing abortion empowers women by acknowledging that their worth extends beyond traditional notions of motherhood. It allows women to make choices about their reproductive health based on their unique circumstances and aspirations. This empowerment contributes to gender equality and societal progress by recognizing and valuing women's diverse roles and contributions.
Safe and Regulated Access to Reproductive Healthcare
Legalizing abortion facilitates the establishment of safe and regulated facilities where individuals can access abortion services under the supervision of qualified medical professionals. This ensures that procedures are carried out in sanitary conditions, reducing the risks of complications. Additionally, regulated access provides individuals with the counseling and support necessary to make informed decisions about their pregnancies.
By offering a legal and safe option for abortion, societies eliminate the need for unsafe and clandestine methods that individuals may resort to when abortion is illegal. Legalization mitigates the risks associated with dangerous practices and protects the well-being of those seeking reproductive healthcare services.
The reasons to legalize abortion are rooted in principles of autonomy, public health, equality, and safe access to reproductive healthcare. Legalizing abortion respects women's rights, empowers them to make choices about their bodies and lives, and ensures their well-being through safe and regulated medical procedures.
By embracing the legalization of abortion, societies affirm their commitment to creating an inclusive and equitable environment where women's rights and health are prioritized. Ultimately, the act of legalizing abortion contributes to fostering a compassionate and progressive society that values the autonomy and agency of all individuals.
Cite this Essay
To export a reference to this article please select a referencing style below | <urn:uuid:aa15658d-76d4-4ad6-b833-8fd5c581f0a0> | CC-MAIN-2023-40 | https://writingbros.com/essay-examples/reasons-why-abortion-should-be-legalized-a-comprehensive-exploration/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-40/segments/1695233506669.30/warc/CC-MAIN-20230924191454-20230924221454-00409.warc.gz | en | 0.933821 | 743 | 2.84375 | 3 |
Pumpkin is the common name for large-fruited varieties of several species of trailing and climbing plants of the genus Cucurbita, characterized by a round, pulpy, orange or orange-yellow fruit with a thick rind. In particular, it applies to various varieties of Cucurbita pepo, but also can refer to cultivars of C. moschata, C. mixta, and C. maxima. The term pumpkin also refers to the large, edible, globe-shaped fruit, which is a popular vegetable. Cucurbita belongs to the gourd family, Cucurbitaceae, which also includes squash, watermelon, and muskmelon.
The pumpkin fruit and flowers, while advancing the plant's own function of reproduction, also provides larger functions for the ecosystem and for humans. Ecologically, the fruit and flowers are a food source for many animals, including bee pollinators that themselves are necessary for fertilization of the pumpkins. For humans, the pulp is used as a table vegetable and in pies and soups, the seeds are popular snacks, and pumpkin seed oil is used for cooking and as a salad dressing. Pumpkin pie is a traditional staple of the Thanksgiving holiday in Canada and the United States and carving of the rind of the hollowed-out fruit into jack-o'-lanterns is a popular activity around Halloween.
Pumpkins are members of the genus Cucurbita of the family Cucurbitaceae. Members of the Cucurbitaceae commonly are known as melons, gourds, or cucurbits, and includes crops like cucumbers, squashes (including pumpkins), luffas, melons, and watermelons. The stems are hairy and pentangular, leaves are exstipulate alternate simple, palmately lobed or palmately compound, and tendrils are present at 90° to the leaf petioles at nodes. The flowers are unisexual, with male and female flowers usually on different plants (dioecious), or less common on the same plant (monoecious). The female flowers have inferior ovaries. The fruit is often a kind of berry called a pepo.
The term pumpkin commonly applies to particular varieties within the genus Cucurbita, whose members may more generally be known as squash. It is a common name for cultivars of any one of the following species: Cucurbita pepo, Cucurbita mixta, Cucurbita maxima, and Cucurbita moschata. In particular, it is used to apply for the long-trailing species with large, round, orange colored fruit, while the non-trailing, smaller varieties are known as squash. The distinction between squash and pumpkin is not a botanical distinction. Since some squash share the same botanical classifications as pumpkins, the names are frequently used interchangeably. In general, pumpkins have stems which are firmer, more rigid, pricklier, have a +/- 5 degree angle, and are squarer in shape than squash stems, which are generally softer, more rounded, and more flared where joined to the fruit (Considine and Considine 1995; Encyclopedia Americana 1992).
The fruit, also known as pumpkins, range in size, shape, color, and appearance (Orzolek et al. 2000). They range in size from less than five pounds to varieties over 40 to 60 pounds (18 to 27 kilograms) (Orzolek et al. 2000). Some get very large: As of 2007, the world record for pumpkins was 1689 pounds (767.7 pounds) (PumpkinNook 2007). Typically, pumpkins are globe-shaped, but may be oblong. The rind may be smooth or ribbed. Pumpkins typically are orange or orange-yellow, although fruits may be dark green, pale green, orange-yellow, white, red and gray (PumpkinNook 2008).
Pumpkins are monoecious, having both male and female flowers, the latter distinguished by the small ovary at the base of the petals. These bright and colorful flowers have extremely short life spans, and may only open for as short a time as one day.
The word pumpkin originates from the word "pepon," which is Greek for "large melon." The French adapted this word to "pompon," which the English changed to "pompion" and later American colonists changed that to the word we use today, "pumpkin" (PP 2007). Pumpkins originated in the Americas. Stem, seed, and fruit fragments have been recovered and identified from cliff dweller ruins in southwestern United States (Orzolek et al. 2000). Some varieties are believed to have originated in Mexico and Central America, and others in Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia (Orzolek et al. 2000). The oldest evidence, pumpkin-related seeds dating between 7000 and 5500 B.C.E., were found in Mexico (PP 2007). Some varieties may have been cultivated since at least 3500 B.C.E. (Orzolek et al. 2000).
Although native to the Western hemisphere, pumpkins are grown all around the world for a variety of reasons ranging from agricultural purposes (animal feed) to commercial and ornamental sales (Wolford and Banks 2008a). Out of the seven continents only Antarctica is unable to produce pumpkins. The biggest international producers of pumpkins include the United States, Mexico, India, and China (PP 2007; WHF 2008).
As one of the most popular crops in the United States, 1.5 billion pounds of pumpkins are produced each year (Orzolek et al. 2000). The top pumpkin producing states in the United States include Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and California (Wolford and Banks 2008). The traditional American pumpkin is the Connecticut Field variety (PP 2007).
Pumpkins are a warm weather crop that are usually planted in early July in North America. The specific conditions necessary for growing pumpkins require that soil temperatures at at depth of three inches be at least 60 degrees Fahrenheit, and that the soil be a type that holds water well. Pumpkin crops may suffer if there is a lack of water or due to cold temperatures (in this case, below 65 degrees; frost can be detrimental), and sandy soil or soil with poor water filtration. Pumpkins are, however, rather hardy and even if many leaves and portions of the vine are removed or damaged, the plant can very quickly re-grow secondary vines to replace what was removed (Orzolek et al. 2000).
Pumpkins produce both a male and female flowers; honeybees play a significant role in fertilization (Orzolek et al. 2000). Pumpkins have historically been pollinated by the native squash bee Peponapis pruinosa, but this bee has declined, probably due to pesticide sensitivity, and today most commercial plantings are pollinated by honeybees. One hive per acre (4,000 m² per hive) is recommended by the United States of America (U.S.) Department of Agriculture. If there are inadequate bees for pollination, gardeners often have to hand pollinate. Inadequately pollinated pumpkins usually start growing but abort before full development. An opportunistic fungus also is sometimes blamed for abortions.
The largest pumpkins are cultivars of Cucurbita maxima. They were cultivated from the Hubbard squash genotype, crossed with kabocha-pumpkin types by enthusiast farmers through intermittent effort since the early 1800s. As such germplasm is commercially provocative, a U.S. legal right was granted for the rounder phenotypes, levying them as constituting a variety, with the appellation "Atlantic Giant." This phenotype has graduated back into the public domain, except now it had the name Atlantic Giant on its record (see USDA PVP # 8500204).
“Weigh-off” competitions for giant pumpkins are a popular festival activity. Until 1981, 460 pounds held the world record for the largest pumpkin. At that time, Howard Dill(of Nova Scotia) broke the record with a pumpkin near 500 pounds. Dill patented the seeds used to grow this giant pumpkin, deeming them Dill’s Atlantic Giant seeds, and drawing growers from around the world. Howard Dill is accredited for all of the giant pumpkins today, most of which are borne from crossing and re-crossing his patented seed with other varieties (Raver 2007). By 1994, the Giant Pumpkin crossed the 1000 pound mark. In September 2007, Joe Jutras (of Rhode Island) obtained the title of grower of the world’s largest pumpkin with a 1,689 pound, cream colored fruit (BP 2007). He is currently said to be working on producing a giant orange pumpkin, as orange pumpkins tend to be smaller and have thinner shells, but are more desirable in appearance (Raver 2007).
Nutritional value per 100 g
|Energy 10 kcal 60 kJ|
|Percentages are relative to US
recommendations for adults.
Source: USDA Nutrient database
Pumpkin is a rich source of vitamin A, being high in beta-carotene, a precursor to vitamin A. It provides substantial fiber, niacin, and lutein (important antioxidant). Pumpkin seeds have many health benefits, some of which include a good source of protein, zinc, and other vitamins, and are even said to lower cholesterol (WHF 2008). One gram of pumpkin seed protein contains as much tryptophan as a full glass of milk (Whitby 2007).
Pumpkins are very versatile in their uses for cooking, from the fleshy shell, to the seeds, to even the flowers; most parts of the pumpkin are edible. The flesh has a mild, sweet flavor and the seeds, when husked and roasted, are "deliciously nutty" (Herbst 2001). Traditionally, pumpkin is a very popular Halloween and Thanksgiving staple. Although most people use store bought canned pumpkin, home-made pumpkin puree can serve the same purpose (Roberts 2006).
When ripe, pumpkin flesh can be boiled, baked, steamed, or roasted. Often, it is made into various kinds of pie, which is a traditional staple of the Canadian and American Thanksgiving holiday. Pumpkins that are still small and green may be eaten in the same way as the vegetable marrow/zucchini. Pumpkins can also be eaten mashed or incorporated into soup. In the Middle East, pumpkin is used for sweet dishes; a well-known sweet delicacy is called halawa yaqtin. In South Asian countries like India, pumpkin is cooked with butter, sugar, and spices; this dish is called kadu ka halwa. In Australia, pumpkin is often roasted in conjunction with other vegetables. In Japan, small pumpkins are served in savory dishes, including tempura. In Thailand, small pumpkins are steamed with custard inside and served as a dessert. Pumpkin can be used to flavor both alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages.
Pumpkin seeds, also known as pepitas, are small, flat, green, edible seeds. Most pumpkin seeds are covered by a white husk, although some pumpkin varieties produce seeds without them. Pumpkin seeds are a popular snack that can be found hulled or semi-hulled at grocery stores. Roasting pumpkin seeds (usually scooped out of jack-o-lanterns) is a popular Halloween treat.
In Guangxi province, China, the leaves of the pumpkin plant are consumed as a cooked vegetable or in soups.
Pumpkin seed oil is a thick, green oil that is produced from roasted pumpkin seeds. When used for cooking or as a salad dressing, pumpkin seed oil is generally mixed with other oils because of its robust flavor (Herbst 2001). It is used in cooking in central and eastern Europe, and, long believed to be a folk remedy for prostate problems, has in fact been shown to combat benign prostatic hyperplasia (WHF 2008).
In North America, pumpkins today are commonly carved into decorative lanterns called jack-o'-lanterns for the Halloween season.
Throughout Britain and Ireland, there is a long tradition of carving lanterns from vegetables, particularly the turnip, mangelwurzel, or swede. Some trace the name jack-o'-lantern, and its association with carved vegetables and Halloween, to Ireland, Scotland, and Britain centuries ago, with the tradition brought from the British Isles to North America (Wolford and Banks 2008b).
However, historian David J. Skal (2002) disputes these accounts, maintaining that the carved lantern labeled as a jack-o'-lantern and associated with Halloween first occurred in North America, not in Britain or Ireland:
Although every modern chronicle of the holiday repeats the claim that vegetable lanterns were a time-honored component of Halloween celebrations in the British Isles, none gives any primary documentation. In fact, none of the major nineteenth-century chronicles of British holidays and folk customs make any mention whatsoever of carved lanterns in connection with Halloween. Neither do any of the standard works of the early twentieth century.
It was in 1837, that "jack-o'-lantern" is recorded as first appearing in print as a term for a carved vegetable lantern, in the American novelist Nathaniel Hawthorne's Twice-Told Tales
Hide it [the great carbuncle] under thy cloak, say'st thou? Why, it will gleam through the holes, and make thee look like a jack-o'-lantern! (Hawthorne, 1837).
By 1866, the carved lantern is specifically associated with Halloween in North America:
The old time custom of keeping up Hallowe'en was not forgotten last night by the youngsters of the city. They had their maskings and their merry-makings, and perambulated the streets after dark in a way which was no doubt amusing to themselves. There was a great sacrifice of pumpkins from which to make transparent heads and face, lighted up by the unfailing two inches of tallow candle (Daily News, Kingston, Ontario, November 1, 1866).
In 1885, Agnes Carr Sage noted:
It is an ancient Scottish custom to light great bonfires on Halloween, and carry blazing fagots about on long poles; but in place of this American boys delight in the funny grinning jack-o'-lanterns made of huge yellow pumpkins with a candle inside.
The earliest reference to associate carved vegetable lanterns with Halloween in Britain is Ruth Edna Kelley in Chapter 8 of the 1919 publication The Book of Hallowe'en, which mentions turnip lanterns in Scotland.
In America, the carved pumpkin was first associated with the harvest season in general, long before it became an emblem of Halloween. Articles on Thanksgiving entertaining in the New York Times in 1895 and 1900, recommended a lit jack-o'-lantern as part of the festivities, encouraging kids and families to join together to make their own jack-o-lanterns (NYT 1895, 1900).
Pumpkin chucking is a competitive activity in which teams build various mechanical devices designed to throw a pumpkin as far as possible. Catapults, trebuchets, ballistas, and air cannons are the most common mechanisms. Some pumpkin chuckers breed and grow special varieties of pumpkin under specialized conditions in order to improve the pumpkin's chances of surviving a throw.
Pumpkin growers often compete to see whose pumpkins are the most massive. Festivals are often dedicated to the pumpkin and these competitions.
Painted mini pumpkins on display in Ottawa, Canada
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Note: Some restrictions may apply to use of individual images which are separately licensed. | <urn:uuid:357e7f81-a19a-4a20-a750-380fa622f8fd> | CC-MAIN-2017-13 | http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Pumpkin | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-13/segments/1490218189686.31/warc/CC-MAIN-20170322212949-00556-ip-10-233-31-227.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944173 | 3,417 | 3.6875 | 4 |
For most of the world’s history, breastfeeding was the way babies ate. It did not require a social movement or national and international organizations to support, promote, and protect it. Maybe some day that will be true again. For now though, breastfeeding, like endangered species, requires protection and support across the globe.
North Americans love to celebrate anniversaries and birthdays ending in zeros and fives. 2020-2021 is a celebration of (and directory for) the history of breastfeeding support worldwide.
1956 – 65 years
La Leche League is the mother of breastfeeding organizations. It was established in 1956 in Chicago by seven mothers who wanted to breastfeed their babies and to help other women do the same. La Leche League is now a worldwide organization, with presence and groups in 75 countries. It remains committed to its mission and history of mother-to-mother support and education.
1981 – 40 years
In 1977, the Infant Formula Action Coalition (INFACT) began a very successful boycott of Nestle products to protest unethical and deadly formula marketing practices, primarily in developing countries. The boycott spread throughout the world and resulted in the UN World Health Organization passing the WHO Code for Marketing Breast Milk Substitutes. The Code continues to inform organizations, policies, legislation, and practices throughout the world, related to breastfeeding and far beyond.
1985 – 35 years
The first milk bank in North America opened in 1910 at Floating Hospital for Children, now Tufts Children’s Hospital (see photos). By the mid 1980s, there were 53 milk banks in North America. Justifiable fears about HIV transmission closed all but a handful of them almost overnight. These remaining milk banks established the Human Milk Banking Association of North America in 1985. Its original mission was to create evidence-based guidelines for safe pasteurized donor human milk. HMBANA is now the accrediting organization of nonprofit milk banks in North America. In 2020 its 31 members distributed over seven million ounces of donor milk throughout the US and Canada.
1991 – 30 years
In 1991, the Innocenti Declaration, written at a WHO/UNICEF policy meeting, called for governments to implement specific policy measures and agencies to support, promote, and protect breastfeeding. This included a national committee to bring together stakeholders to establish and implement national priorities in this area.
World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) is a global network of organizations and individuals who work globally to eliminate barriers to breastfeeding. WABA acts on the Innocenti Declaration and works in close liaison with UNICEF. They also organize World Breastfeeding Week.
The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative was launched by WHO/UNICEF following the Innocenti Declaration. It is a global initiative with evidence-based practices to promote breastfeeding among healthy newborns in hospitals. In the US there are over 600 Baby-Friendly facilities in all states, Puerto Rico, and DC. 28% of births in the US occur in Baby-Friendly hospitals. There are more than 20,000 Baby-Friendly birthing facilities in over 150 countries worldwide.
1995 – 25 years
United States Breastfeeding Committee (USBC) was established in compliance with the Innocenti Declaration call for national organized breastfeeding support. USBC now has over 100 member organizations, governmental agencies, and state breastfeeding coalitions in all US states, territories, and tribal lands.
2006 – 15 years
For decades, formula companies have offered free formula to hospitals in exchange for the distribution of promotional bags, including formula samples to new mothers. Research shows that these giveaways, seen as an endorsement from the hospital, undermine breastfeeding. Ban the Bags began its national campaign in 2006 to eliminate this profitable and harmful practice. To date, 1,318 hospitals (41%) throughout the US have “banned the bags.” Four states—Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Delaware, and Maryland, plus Washington, DC—are bag-free in all their hospitals and birthing facilities. We look forward to more states coming on board soon.
Baby Cafés, which originated it the United Kingdom, are “free, drop-in, informal breastfeeding support groups offering ongoing professional lactation care and intervention.” In 2006, Baby Café started its first group in the US, in Melrose, MA. Today Baby Café USA hosts groups in 32 states across the country.
2006 / 2011 – 15 years/10 years
Mothers’ Milk Bank Northeast has both a “zero” and a “five” celebration in our history this year. In 2006, we held our first meeting to discuss opening a milk bank to serve our community and region. In 2011, five and a half years later, we were certified by HMBANA, and we processed and dispensed our first bottles of milk. Recently we screened our 9,000th donor, and in 2020 we dispensed over 500,000 ounces of milk.
2010 – 10 years
The European Milk Banking Association was established in 2010 “to promote milk banking in Europe and to encourage international co-operation between the human milk banks of the countries of Europe.” There are currently 263 active milk banks and 17 planned milk banks in 28 European countries.
Congratulations and our deepest thanks to all who work tirelessly to achieve these organization’s missions and for the unique contribution each makes to breastfeeding history, support, promotion, and protection.
Thanks to Tufts Medical Center for the historical photographs featured in this post. | <urn:uuid:10c4d9bf-2217-4971-b076-93be03435e67> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://milkbankne.org/2021/07/a-history-of-breastfeeding-support-and-advocacy/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030335058.80/warc/CC-MAIN-20220927194248-20220927224248-00277.warc.gz | en | 0.938068 | 1,120 | 3.109375 | 3 |
LED Lighting vs CFL Lighting
To understand LED light and CFL light benefits, it’s important to understand the difference between them. LED products emit light when a current pass through them. While in CFL bulbs, light is emitted when electric current flows between electrodes in the gas-filled tube. Even in physical appearance, LED is the long light bulb and CFL is curly. But which one to choose is always the question.
Let us find about them over there advantage and disadvantages.
As we know, CFL term as compact fluorescent appears much like the incandescent light when we used them. They can fit in standard light sockets without any adaptor.
CFL lights consist of the mercury contained in the bulb which is the biggest disadvantages of them. Mercury is a dangerous heavy metal, and when the blub breaks then proper cleanup is critical.
LED makes very nice lighting for effect and decorative purposes and they are cost-effective with a longer life span. These bulbs fit in standard light fixtures without any adaptor.
Generally buying cost of LED Lights is more to than CFLs. These lights are directional, meaning they are excellent for lights under high ceiling or cabinetry, but can not be used to table lamps. New advent in LED lights with dimmer which can help some.
Both are efficient ways to light your home and commercial space work with all lamps and fixtures which already exist. For general lightings, such as illuminating a room, CFL bulb is best, but if want directional light for illuminating the home, you might prefer the LED bulbs | <urn:uuid:ef4b3284-a6ec-407a-a9ae-f5fa4bfa1213> | CC-MAIN-2022-27 | https://www.hykolity.com/pages/led-lighting-vs-cfl-lighting | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-27/segments/1656103922377.50/warc/CC-MAIN-20220701064920-20220701094920-00330.warc.gz | en | 0.955441 | 338 | 2.578125 | 3 |
UNEP, established in 1972 to be the watchdog of the world environment, has it’s headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya. The organization’s mission is to provide leadership and encourage partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing, and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations. UNEP follows the guidance and requests of the ministers of the environment of member-countries, sitting in the UNEP Governing Council.
I. UNEP/ROWA’s mission
UNEP through its regional office (ROWA) is providing a variety of services to West Asia member states including policy advice, technical assistance, capacity development, networking opportunities, knowledge generation and dissemination, technology transfer and implementation of environmental projects, in additional to the convening role for environmental discussions and negotiations."
The West Asia Region is made up of two geographic sub-region covering in total 12 countries: the Mashriq sub-region (Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, the Occupied Palestinian Territories and Syria) and the Arabian Peninsula sub-region consisting of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates) and Yemen. The region contains diverse terrestrial eco-systems, including vast deserts, mountains, forests, extensive coastal areas spread over three regional seas and two ocean, and fertile pastures.
The United Nations Environment Programme’s Regional Office for West Asia (ROWA), established in Manama, Bahrain, is one of the six regional offices that make up UNEP’s Division of Regional Cooperation (DRC). ROWA has a complete of experts who advice on the environmental machinery and technical requirements, review project proposals, and recommend action by governments and other organizations.
UNEP/ROWA’s mission is to coordinate UNEP’s Programme of Work in West Asia, provide the link between UNEP’s Divisions and the countries of the region. To achieve this mission, ROWA strategy is to promote collaboration between UNEP and all sectors of West Asia society, including governmental institutions, private sector and civil society groups.
ROWA works with a wide range of experts from within UNEP and also from the region, to provide advisory services, capacity building and technology transfer in the priority areas of the region under a series of umbrella programmes.
ROWA’s main objective is to develop relevant programmes to respond to the needs of the region, with a focus on enabling member states to achieve their visions for sustainable development.
II. Environmental Challenges in West Asia
ROWA encourages governments to implement the multilateral environmental agreements in order to reduce the environmental threats that are particularly challenging in West Asia.
Experts define the main environmental challenges in West Asia as following:
- Water management. With only 1 000 m3 per inhabitant per year, Arab countries `are now among most water-scarce in the world. Groundwater is being mined causing saline intrusion into coastal aquifers. Ambitious strategies and actions must be developed to conserve water resources.
- Land degradation. Among the key factors causing land degradation are the serious overgrazing, inefficient erosion and loss of productivity which have been aggravated by climatic factors, population growth, urbanization and clearing vegetation for agricultural.
Coastal degradation, marine pollution and fishery decline. Coastal and marine ecosystems, with their resources of inestimable value, strain under pressures from human activities. Pollution, excessive urbanization and unsustainable tourism have irreparably damaged much of the region’s coastline, while at sea, overfishing, oil spills and pollution from maritime transport have led to deterioration in fish stocks, the primary source of protein and income in some of the Arab countries. Again, food security is further undermined and coastal communities reliant on fishing face a real risk of impoverishment
- Loss of biodiversity and Habitat destruction.
Biodiversity in the Arab region is declining due to development pressures. In the past thirty years, overexploitation of ecosystems in the region has caused a loss of habitats, especially coastal and wetland habitats. This has caused a decline in numbers and variety in many species, and has changed their natural territorial distribution. There are currently 1 084 endangered species in Arab countries; 24 per cent of these are fish or marine life, 22 per cent are birds and mammals account for a further 20 per cent.
- Chemicals and Waste Management.
Chemicals and wastes are an important issue in the region with hazardous substances used in a variety of industrial and medical applications, and the management of these as well as more general wastes requiring environmental safeguards.
III. UNEP in the region
ROWA works with United Nations agencies notably, ESCWA and UNDP as well as with a wide range of governmental and inter-governmental partners to respond to the needs of the region. For instance, ROWA supports the council of Arab Ministers Responsible for the Environment (CAMRE), the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and other regional and sub-regional intergovernmental mechanisms by active involvement in the preparation and follow-up of the programme of work and by regular reporting on activities and progress in implementing the global environment programme and providing policy guidance and advice to Technical teams. | <urn:uuid:719baa15-d072-47f4-a431-71e61a37b990> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://unep.org/rowa/UNEPinWestAsia/tabid/78519/Default.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644066017.21/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025426-00137-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.92528 | 1,088 | 2.578125 | 3 |
- upper respiratory infection or common cold
- deviated septum (when the wall of tissue that separates your nostrils is displaced to one side)
- nasal polyps (noncancerous growths in the lining of your sinuses or nasal passages)
- dental infections
- enlarged adenoids (sections of tissue located behind your nasal cavity where your nose meets your throat)
- swimming (water can block the flow of your nasal secretions)
- exposure to secondhand smoke
- trauma to the nose and face
- foreign objects in the nose
- facial swelling
- runny nose lasting longer than seven to 10 days
- thick nasal secretions
- post-nasal drip (mucus that moves down the back of your throat)
- sore throat
- bad breath
- decreased sense of smell and taste
- over-the-counter pain relievers, such as acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and aspirin
- steroid nasal drops, such as fluticasone (Flonase)
- antibiotics, such as amoxicillin or azithromycin (Zithromax)
- decongestants, such as pseudoephedrine (Sudafed)
- nasal irrigation (using a saline solution to flush out your sinuses)
- warm compress
- inhaling steam
- oral steroids
- nasal irrigation
- staying hydrated
- inhaling steam to cleanse the nasal passages
- using a humidifier, especially in dry environments
- using saline drops to keep nasal passages moist
- sleeping with your head elevated
- avoiding blowing your nose too often
- blowing your nose gently when necessary
- avoiding antihistamines, unless directed by your doctor
- avoiding the overuse of decongestants
Ethmoid sinusitis refers to an infection that has developed in the ethmoid sinuses, which are located near the bridge of your nose. Sinuses are air-filled pockets located in your skull and facial bones. There are four sets of sinuses: maxillary, sphenoid, frontal and ethmoid. While the exact function of the sinuses is unknown, it is commonly accepted that they filter and humidify the air we breathe. The sinuses drain into the nose.
Sinusitis occurs when mucus gets backed up in your sinuses and they become infected. This is usually due to swelling of the nasal passages, which can be caused by upper respiratory infections or allergies.
An infection of the ethmoid sinuses can also affect the frontal and maxillary sinuses, which are located in the forehead and cheekbone. This is because the fluid from these sinuses needs to drain out through the ethmoid sinuses.
Sinusitis may also be called rhinosinusitis or nasal congestion.
Conditions that affect the structure of the sinuses or the flow of nasal secretions can cause sinusitis. Causes of sinusitis include:
Ethmoid sinusitis tends to cause pain between the eyes and tenderness when touching the bridge of your nose. Sometimes, the area around your eyes will swell, especially upon waking.
However, even if your infection is in the ethmoid sinuses, you may not feel pain in this area. Many people with sinusitis feel pain throughout the face, regardless of which sinus the infection is actually located.
Other symptoms of sinusitis include:
Usually, ethmoid sinusitis can be diagnosed based on your symptoms and an examination of your nasal passages. Your doctor will use a special light called an otoscope to look up your nose and in your ears for evidence of a sinus infection. The doctor may also take your temperature, listen to your lung sounds, and examine your throat.
If your doctor notices thick nasal secretions, he or she may use a swab to take a sample. This sample will be sent to a lab to check for evidence of a bacterial infection. Your doctor may also order blood tests to check for evidence of infection.
Sometimes, doctors will order imaging tests to check for sinusitis and to rule out other potential causes of your symptoms. X-rays of your sinuses can help identify any blockages. A computerized tomography (CT) scan, which provides much more detail than an X-ray, can also be used to check for blockages, masses or growths, and infection.
Your doctor may also use an endoscope (a small tube fitted with a camera) to check for blockages in your nasal passages.
Treatment for ethmoid sinusitis involves treating the infection and easing your symptoms. Treatment varies depending on the severity of your symptoms and the cause of your sinusitis.
Ethmoid sinusitis treatment may include:
Ethmoid sinusitis usually improves with these treatments. However, if these techniques are not successful, surgery is an option. Sinus surgery may involve removing damaged tissue, widening your nasal passages, and correcting anatomical abnormalities, such as nasal polyps or a deviated septum.
Keeping your nasal passages clear can help to prevent sinusitis. These methods may also be helpful for allergy sufferers. Prevention methods include: | <urn:uuid:fdc302fa-ea8a-4233-820a-b00941f2e37e> | CC-MAIN-2013-48 | http://www.healthline.com/health/ethmoiditis | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-48/segments/1386164960531/warc/CC-MAIN-20131204134920-00048-ip-10-33-133-15.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.924672 | 1,076 | 3.4375 | 3 |
Christmas books for kids 2012, but Jennifer Adams thinks outside the box when it comes to babies and their board books. Told in a direct manner with simple terms and beautiful illustations, A Christmas Carol is part of the Little Master Dickens series; a group of board books for children who wouldn't yet understand the timelessness of Charles Dickens and his stories of Scrooge.
What can I expect in this version of A Christmas Carol?
This book is condensed into a board book, perfect for children 3 and up. The key elements of the larger written version are detailed through colorful pictures and few words, allowing kids to get the 'jist' of the tale without feeling overwhelmed by extensive vocabulary. The tale introduces Ebenezer Scrooge -- a crochety old man with a penchant for overworked employees, strict conditions, and no compassion. He's visited by the usual ghosts -- past, present, and future. The tale skips quickly along through creative pictures and limited word usage, detailing how Scrooge's outlook changes to reveal a remorseful and kinder man.
This version of A Christmas Carol is less morose than the original, because it's meant to entertain children -- not scare or depress them. The ghosts aren't terrifying, but they retain their reflective manner -- while Scrooge keeps his "Bah Humbug!" declaration without the mild profanity from the Dickens novel.
Clever, simple text teaches toddlers how to recognize certain words, while bold illustrations offer understanding. This is a board book of a different breed, since parents usually don't consider the lengthy versions of A Christmas Carol to be attention-appropriate for their growing children. However, Jennifer Adams believes kids shouldn't be left out of the magic of classic literature. With these easy-to-understand board books, Scrooge can become an integral part of your brilliant toddler's seasonal to-read list. | <urn:uuid:fdfdbaa2-a502-42d0-8623-7bfe17d4aed8> | CC-MAIN-2017-22 | http://best-reading-for-kids.blogspot.com/2012/07/a-christmas-carol-little-master-dickens.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-22/segments/1495463608956.34/warc/CC-MAIN-20170527152350-20170527172350-00207.warc.gz | en | 0.932455 | 385 | 2.671875 | 3 |
Research has consistently shown that nuts are one of the healthiest snacks you can eat: a daily 30 gram serving can reduce your chances of developing many different health problems, including heart disease, diabetes and cancer.
And as long as they’re not coated in salt or chocolate and you don’t scoff too many, nuts are also associated with long-term weight control despite their typically high calorie levels — a surprising finding that scientists are still researching (it may be the combo of fat, fibre and protein is effective at making us feel satisfied, so we eat less).
So next time you’re standing in the nut aisle at the supermarket, which type should you buy? Which kind is the healthiest, in a nutshell?
“Walnuts stand out as a clear winner,” according to nutritionist and founder of the Shape Me program Susie Burrell.
“Walnuts are known as a superfood because they contain exceptionally high amounts of long chain polyunsaturated (LCP) fats, which are crucial to optimize fat metabolism,” Burrell explains.
“For this reason individuals with high cholesterol especially can reap many benefits of adding 10 walnuts a day to their daily diet prescription.”
A 2014 study found that when overweight adults ate 30-35g of walnuts, fat oxidation in their bodies was significantly elevated, and the inclusion of walnuts in their diet appeared “to reverse or normalize impaired fat oxidation.”
The benefits of walnuts don’t end there. They also have one of the highest concentrations of the plant source of omega 3 fat alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), which has anti-inflammatory properties and contributes to good heart health.
So how many walnuts should you eat per day? Thirty grams, or about 10 walnuts, is the ideal amount to reap the benefits without blowing out your caloric intake.
“Aim for a nut-based snack late in the afternoon,” Burrell suggests.
“Not only will this help ward off the pre-dinner munchies, as nuts are a great source of protein and fibre, but the low carbohydrate content will help to taper off your fuel intake towards the second half of the day, which is conducive to weight control.”
It’s easy to lose track of how many nuts you’ve popped in your mouth if you’re eating them straight from the bag at your desk or in the car, so portion control is key.
“If you buy your nuts in large bags, repackage them immediately into portion controlled serves,” Burrell advises.
If you like some variety in your nuts, go for a mix of walnuts, almonds and brazil nuts.
“Generally speaking, a handful or 15-20 mixed nuts is the way to go from both a portion perspective and to get the range of nutrients found in the different types.”
So long as you don’t go nuts and have too many, nuts could be the ultimate healthy snack. | <urn:uuid:9dd6b79e-b269-46cf-9dcf-fdad1837953f> | CC-MAIN-2017-22 | http://coach.nine.com.au/2017/05/17/11/14/walnuts-healthiest-type-of-nut | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-22/segments/1495463612008.48/warc/CC-MAIN-20170529014619-20170529034619-00107.warc.gz | en | 0.953579 | 634 | 2.625 | 3 |
Closed-Loop Actuator with 2-Way Valve
This example shows the use of a 2-way valve in a closed-loop circuit together with a double-acting hydraulic cylinder, fixed orifice, mass, spring, damper, and control blocks.
The valve is initially opened by 0.42 mm to assure that the cylinder force is close to zero at the start of simulation. The PS Gain block represents a lever through which a control signal is applied to the valve.
Simulation Results from Simscape Logging
The plot below shows the measured and commanded position of the piston as well as the pressures in the hydraulic cylinder. | <urn:uuid:f677c512-c484-486f-bd1b-2217e2a804d7> | CC-MAIN-2023-50 | https://ch.mathworks.com/help/hydro/ug/closed-loop-actuator-with-2-way-valve.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-50/segments/1700679100545.7/warc/CC-MAIN-20231205041842-20231205071842-00440.warc.gz | en | 0.935438 | 131 | 2.53125 | 3 |
Handheld Medical Computers
This is Gwen Outen with the VOA Special English DEVELOPMENT REPORT.
Computers are increasingly important in health care. But can they also help poor people escape poverty? Vikram Sheel Kumar thinks so. Mr. Kumar is a doctor, an engineer and the head of a small business in Boston, Massachusetts. And, in September, this twenty-eight-year-old received an award for Technology in Service to Humanity. That award came from Technology Review magazine.
His goal is to improve health care in poor nations with the help of computers small enough to hold in one hand. These devices are known as personal digital assistants, or P.D.A.'s.
Doctor Kumar started his company two years ago. It is called Dimagi, which means "smart guy" in Hindi. His parents came from India. There, Dimagi computer programs are used to organize medical information on more than seventy thousand patients.
Doctor Kumar says health care workers had problems at first, but then learned quickly how to use the devices. Nurses no longer have to carry heavy documents whenever they travel to villages. And they no longer have to copy large amounts of health information by hand.
In South Africa, health workers are using a Dimagi program for a different purpose in the KwaZulu-Natal area. They use it to provide patients with results from tests for H.I.V., the virus that causes AIDS. People who get tested must enter a secret identification code to see the results.
And, in Boston, children with diabetes are using a Dimagi system to learn about their disease and how to control it. The software includes games and ways for the children to communicate with others with diabetes.
Doctor Vikram Kumar says it is important to get patients involved in their own health care by helping them gain information. He says there are endless possible uses for this technology, especially in developing countries. And he urges people to suggest ways to improve it. Dimagi programs are written in code that is open to anyone.
You can learn more about Dimagi at dimagi.com. The name is spelled d-i-m-a-g-i.
This VOA Special English DEVELOPMENT REPORT was written by Gary Garriott. This is Gwen Outen. | <urn:uuid:b448619a-affc-48d1-9cb8-aa74e1fd727a> | CC-MAIN-2016-07 | http://www.manythings.org/voa/0/11445.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-07/segments/1454701165378.58/warc/CC-MAIN-20160205193925-00020-ip-10-236-182-209.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966462 | 475 | 2.75 | 3 |
Targeting the host immune system to fight back against cancer has seen recent breakthroughs. The protein Heme Oxygenase-1 (HO-1) has recently been shown to suppress the immune system in breast cancer and that inhibiting HO-1 had therapeutic benefit. In this project, we will show that HO-1 is important in osteosarcoma and that inhibiting HO-1 with already-approved drugs can block osteosarcoma development and metastasis.
Osteosarcoma is a devastating malignancy that affects patients of all ages. Chemotherapy and limb-sparing surgery has improved over the past years, however, the 5-year survival rate has not changed in nearly 30 years. This is because one of the most difficult complications is cancer spread and metastasis, and in the case of osteosarcoma, this is mainly to the lungs. There are great efforts made to understand the genetic basis of osteosarcoma and metastasis, but there are still many unanswered questions about what signals are present in the tumours that are driving cells to leave the primary tumour and metastasise to the lungs.
One of the current breakthroughs in the cancer field is in understanding how the immune system can be boosted to help fight back against the cancer. This is important because the standard chemotherapy treatment suppresses the immune system, allowing the cancer to escape attack from immune cells.
There has been intensive research into special cells called macrophages, normally present in all of us, which are important for our normal development. In cancer, macrophages are hijacked and altered by the cancer cells. Once hijacked, these cells are called Tumour Associated Macrophages (TAMs). It is these TAMs that are largely responsible for allowing cancer cells to evade attack by the host immune system, and these TAMs are generally present in all tumours, including in osteosarcoma. Therefore, in order to “kick-start” the body’s own defence system, these TAMs need to be targeted.
Professor Grigoriadis has been encouraged by recent work conducted by a collaborator (Professor James Arnold) at Kings College London, who recently demonstrated that TAMs in breast cancer make factors called Fibroblast Activation Protein (FAP) and Heme Oxygenase-1 (HO-1), and that HO-1 can promote the growth of tumours by blocking the immune system. Therefore, it would be of great benefit to block HO-1. Fortunately, there are already drugs being used against HO-1. HO-1 is important in neonatal jaundice, and a drug called SnMP is used routinely to treat this. A breakthrough published recently shows that in pre-clinical models, treatment with SnMP was more effective at reducing tumour growth when compared to chemotherapy alone. This is very exciting and suggests there is scope for human cancer treatment.
Encouraged by this data, Professor Grigoriadis and his team established a collaboration with Professor Arnold to see if a similar mechanism might be operating in osteosarcoma. Preliminary experiments suggested that osteosarcoma also expresses high levels of FAP and HO-1. This prompted Professor Grigoriadis and his team to propose a simple initial study to confirm if these proteins are functional in osteosarcoma, and if the SnMP drug, either with or without chemotherapy, will reduce osteosarcoma growth and metastasis. This would represent a significant advance in the osteosarcoma field.
How will it improve the lives of patients?
One of the goals of fundamental basic research is to discover and provide information on novel targets that are relevant to specific cancers, and that can be targeted in a therapeutic setting to treat cancer. It has also become evident in recent years that drugs that are already on the market and used for treating other diseases might provide therapeutic benefit for additional diseases – this is referred to as drug re-purposing. This project will investigate one such target, HO-1 for which there is already an inhibitor being used for neonatal jaundice, and the goal is to show that this would be effective in osteosarcoma. This work would be performed using pre-clinical studies, which are essential before translating to a human setting. It is anticipated that once this fundamental question is proven, that rapid progress can be made with patients that have bone cancers such as osteosarcoma.
The Bone Cancer Research Trust would like to thank the Clive and Sylvia Richards Charity for helping to make this project a reality. | <urn:uuid:d6c803c3-5be7-4f11-861d-f39028f18eb8> | CC-MAIN-2021-31 | https://www.bcrt.org.uk/research/current-research-projects/haem-oxygenase-1-(ho-1),-a-novel-druggable-target-for-prevention-of-osteosarcoma-growth-and-metastasis | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-31/segments/1627046154796.71/warc/CC-MAIN-20210804045226-20210804075226-00226.warc.gz | en | 0.962802 | 942 | 2.703125 | 3 |
South Dakota Department of Health
Office of Disease Prevention - 605-773-3737 — (1-800-592-1861 in South Dakota only)
This material is provided for informational purposes only and is not a substitute
for medical care. We are not able to answer personal medical questions. Please see your
health care provider concerning appropriate care, treatment or other medical advice.
What is sporotrichosis?
Sporotrichosis is a fungal infection, usually of the skin, caused by a microscopic fungus called Sporothrix schenckii.
Who gets sporotrichosis?
Anyone can get the disease but people handling thorny plants, sphagnum moss or baled hay contaminated with this particular fungus are at increased risk. Outbreaks have occurred among nursery workers handling sphagnum moss, rose gardeners, children playing on baled hay and greenhouse workers handling barberry thorns contaminated by the fungus.
How is the fungus spread?
The fungus enters the skin through small cuts or pricks from pine needles, thorns or barbs. Fortunately it is not spread from person to person.
What are the symptoms of sporotrichosis?
The first symptom is a small pink, red or purple painless bump resembling an insect bite. The bump, or lesion, usually appears on the finger, hand or arm where the fungus first entered through a break in the skin. This is followed by the appearance of one or more additional raised bumps or nodules which open and may resemble a boil. Eventually, the skin lesions look like ulcers and are very slow to heal.
How soon after exposure do symptoms appear?
The skin lesions may appear one to 12 weeks after exposure but usually within three weeks.
How is sporotrichosis diagnosed?
Sporotrichosis can be confirmed when a doctor obtains a swab of a freshly opened skin nodule and submits it to a laboratory for fungal culture. The diagnosis can also be verified by a blood or biopsy specimen. It is important for the diagnosis to be confirmed by a doctor so that proper treatment can be provided.
What is the treatment of sporotrichosis?
Sporotrichosis is generally treated with iodides taken orally in droplet form which must be prescribed by a doctor. Treatment is often extended over a number of weeks.
What are the complications associated with sporotrichosis?
The vast majority of the infections are limited to the skin. Cases of joint, lung and central nervous system infection have occurred but are very rare and usually occur only in people with diabetes or other disorders of the immune system.
How can sporotrichosis be prevented?
Control measures include wearing gloves and long sleeves when handling pine seedlings, rose bushes, hay bales or other plants that may cause minor skin breaks. In addition, it may be prudent to use pine seedling packing materials other than sphagnum moss which has been implicated as a source of the fungus in a number of outbreaks. | <urn:uuid:9a46c989-e835-45ae-8462-7d08f2089df1> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | https://doh.sd.gov/diseases/infectious/diseasefacts/sporotrichosis.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644064503.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025424-00339-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.930568 | 622 | 2.84375 | 3 |
Scientists have developed groundbreaking telescopic contact lenses which can give elderly people superhero vision.
The magnifying lenses, produced with the help of US defence funding, were originally designed to aid special forces in the field.
But now experts believe they could be rolled out to help pensioners with their fading sight and people suffering eyesight problems.
The groundbreaking lenses consist of two parts. The inner area offers normal vision and the outer one magnifies everything around them by three times.
Dr Eric Tremblay, of the Federal Polytechnic School of Lausanne in Switzerland, who led the research, said: “We think these lenses hold a lot of promise for low vision and age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
“A lot of people with severe AMD are really desperate for things they can try. The lenses would mostly be used for distance work, maybe when driving, and also for recognising faces.”
So far five volunteers have worn the prototypes, developed with support from the US Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa).
Speaking at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) yesterday, Dr Tremblay said: “Darpa fund things that are really out there - forward-thinking stuff.
“They’re really interested in super-vision. They’d like to produce a pair of binoculars you can put on in the blink of an eye, which is really cool but it’s further than where we are today.”
The lens system works by using polarised light to switch from normal to magnified vision.
Sensors on the glasses respond to reflected light bouncing off the contact lenses by allowing only those rays polarised in a certain direction to reach the contact lenses. Each lens component is sensitive to a different twist of polarised light.
Dr Tremblay said the lenses could be rolled out to help AMD patients and elderly people within two years.
He added: “People with AMD use their peripheral vision to see to the side of their blind spot. When they try to read it’s difficult because your visual acuity really falls off away from the centre.”
Scientists are now trying to find a way to make the lenses more “breathable” so they are less irritating to wear. | <urn:uuid:97fb5e89-5455-425c-bce1-c7e91062829a> | CC-MAIN-2021-31 | https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/technology-science/science/superhero-vision-becomes-reality-elderly-5158726 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-31/segments/1627046152000.25/warc/CC-MAIN-20210726031942-20210726061942-00693.warc.gz | en | 0.955482 | 484 | 2.765625 | 3 |
Lafayette Elementary School Programs
The Six Pillars of Character is a framework for teaching good character and is composed of six ethical values (characteristics) everyone can agree upon: Trustworthiness; Respect; Responsibility; Fairness; Caring; and Citizenship. Each of the six character traits are used within our CHARACTER COUNTS! program to help instill a positive learning environment for students and a “culture of kindness” making schools a safe environment for students to learn. The Six Pillars of Character values are not political, religious, or culturally biased. LES promotes these six pillars throughout the year with different events.
LES parents volunteer to sponsor grade specific events to help bond the classes and families outside of school.
LES is equipped to handle emergencies should they occur. Team ensures packs and procedures are in place should an emergency arise.
Our Garden Club manages and engages kids on our various garden boxes throughout the campus. Boxes are planted and maintained throughout the year.
Lafayette Elementary School continues our work to encourage conservation and build awareness of our potential to have a positive impact on the environment. We work hard to make sure our school events and community celebrations are gentle on the planet. From kindergarten to 5th grade, our students have many experiences learning about our environment and how to protect it.
Making kindness matter is a priority for Lafayette Elementary. Our club helps foster events and activities that teach kids that kindness matters.
The Lafayette Elementary School Library has a vast variety of books for children of all ages. The library sponsors author visits and the annual book fair. If you would be interested in helping in the library, please indicate on the Volunteer Interest form.
Students (K - 2nd & 3rd - 5th teams) think outside the box and develop creative solutions to technical or theatrical problems. They learn how to identify challenges and solve those problems collaboratively. Teams develop skit writing, costume and set design, engineering principles, and mostly teamwork!
Coaches (aka parents) can teach skills, but otherwise serve only as guides - the teams must solve the problems themselves! No adults tell them how to do it - and the students love that!
Teams are grouped into two age brackets (K-2 and 3-5) and those teams can each be 1 to 7 students. Each team should have at least two volunteer coaches. Parents are coaches and volunteer team supporters.
LES is forming an interest list for the 2023/24 school year. Teams will be formed on/by September 6th, so please reach out before then. To be placed on this list, and because forming teams requires coordination and communication, please email Andi Brown at email@example.com to get the process started. We are so excited to be bringing this program back to our school!
Attend our various parent education nights with guest speakers and special guests.
PTA is a strong supporter of the arts. National PTA provides one of the few programs for students that extends from elementary school, all the way through high school. LES PTA hosts a school-wide Reflections art contest each year. The winners move on to state and national competition.
Meets Wednesday mornings for a set number of times. Kids must be accompanied by adults. Laps are tracked and awards are given out. Fun way to start off the morning and meet our LES community! Get details and sign up.
LES works with Town Hall to put on an annual school play involving our 4th and 5th graders.
Both Boy and Girls Scout programs are available for LES students wishing to participate. Some meetings are held on campus after school.
SEED provides a wide range of support and resources to families of children with special and diverse learning needs, as well as training programs for educators who work with these children. The programs include recess facilitation, after school social skills play groups, educational seminars, support groups and socials for parents and teacher training.
Spanish language classes are led by native speakers. Students will learn vocabulary related to a variety of everyday themes, practice using it in sentences, and master useful phrases. The program uses a full-immersion approach, and students learn while singing songs, playing games, and doing hands-on projects. Numerous optional culturally-oriented field trips and activities are offered throughout the year. Maximum enrollment of 12 students per instructor. Space is limited.
Stanley Middle School is the middle school kids at Lafayette Elementary feed into. We have an advisory contact that helps spearhead information and activities to help familiarize students with Stanley especially for those in 5th grade.
We LOVE our teachers at LES, and it is fun to treat them from time to time! If you love delighting and encouraging the people who invest in our kids every day, this is a great place to start. Each teacher fills out a "wish list" at the beginning of the school year. If you ever want to give them a surprise or are the parent in charge of celebrating their birthday or appreciation week, check here first! Each teacher's "Favorites" may be found under Information | Treat-A-Teacher and the staff member's name.
Keepsake yearbooks are created each year with the help of some great volunteers. If you are interested in helping memorialize your child's time here at LES, consider volunteering to work with the team!
Last Updated: July 2023 | <urn:uuid:ba1193fb-fc08-4d33-985c-4d9cad62725c> | CC-MAIN-2023-40 | https://lafayettepta.membershiptoolkit.com/programs | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-40/segments/1695233510498.88/warc/CC-MAIN-20230929054611-20230929084611-00553.warc.gz | en | 0.951406 | 1,106 | 3.03125 | 3 |
Social media has made exotic animals more accessible than ever. Just search for “weird pets” on YouTube, and you will be inundated with videos of baby capuchins getting baths in the sink, serval kittens chasing wand toys across the floor and capybaras lounging on the bed eating watermelon.
Most people would never seriously consider keeping a capuchin, serval or capybara as a pet. Yet few people have the same reservations about liking, sharing or following an exotic pet online.
The truth is that having a social media presence can be harmful for exotic animals. Being in the public eye is no guarantee of good welfare — whether in front of or behind the camera. Even when exotic pets are well cared for, social media can still be damaging. Here are just a few of the risks:
Social media can make exotic animals seem like suitable pets
Simply seeing an image of an exotic animal and a person together changes how the animal is viewed. Research conducted with chimpanzees found that people were 30 per cent more likely to think of chimpanzees as appealing pets when shown a photo of a person with a chimpanzee compared to a photo of a chimpanzee alone.
Social media can increase the demand for exotic pets
Seeing exotic animals online convinces some people to make the leap to ownership. A scientific study analyzed responses to a viral video of slow lorises, small nocturnal primates facing extinction in their native habitat in Asia, and found that one in 10 people who viewed the video expressed a desire to have a loris as a pet.
While not all people who say they want an exotic pet will go on to purchase one, research carried out by World Animal Protection showed that 15 per cent of exotic pet owners were inspired to get their pets after watching videos online.
Social media can mask the threats faced by exotic animals in the wild
Having an increased presence on social media does not necessarily lead to an increased awareness of the plight of the animal in the wild. The same chimpanzee study found that people were 36 per cent more likely to think of wild chimpanzee populations as stable and healthy when shown a photo of a chimpanzee in a typically human setting compared to a photo of a chimpanzee in a natural environment.
Research has also found that people interested in buying an exotic pet are not likely to be dissuaded by learning about the negative impact of the exotic pet trade on species in the wild.
What you can do for exotic animals
Fortunately, help for exotic animals is right at your fingertips! Your behaviour online can go a long way in protecting them from exploitation.
1. Think twice before you like a post
Ask yourself whether the animal is likely experiencing stress or being portrayed in an unnatural way — such as being dressed up in costumes or made to carry out typically human behaviour.
2. Be careful who you follow on social media
Sadly, exotic animals are sometimes just props for people looking to increase their social media following. Instead, search for legitimate conservation organizations making a real difference for these animals in the wild.
3. Do a little digging before you share a video
Viral videos cross our paths all the time, but it only takes a moment to do some valuable research first. Sharing a video you think is cute only to find out later caused animal suffering is not a good feeling!
4. Support organizations like the BC SPCA who are working to protect exotic animals
The BC SPCA takes a strong stance on exotic pet ownership, and your support ensures that we can continue raising this issue at all levels of government.
5. Share this article on social media
Not everyone stops to think critically about the role that social media plays in perpetuating animal suffering. The more people who know about the welfare issues surrounding exotic pets, the better.
Read more about what you can do for exotic animals in your community.
Want to receive more stories like this, right in your inbox? Subscribe to WildSense, our bi-monthly wildlife newsletter. | <urn:uuid:f5b4905a-f1c5-46a7-b127-3c8840eaae7e> | CC-MAIN-2023-50 | https://spca.bc.ca/news/5-ways-to-help-exotic-animals-right-now/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-50/segments/1700679100942.92/warc/CC-MAIN-20231209170619-20231209200619-00537.warc.gz | en | 0.94873 | 815 | 3.0625 | 3 |
Even though daytime temperatures still climb into the 90s, it's time to prepare for fall gardens. • I hope you are ready to try at least a few vegetables. This can be a difficult area to grow edible plants, but the effort is worth it. Start with a few herbs to almost guarantee success.
Tuck herbs among your ornamental plants or plant a designated bed. Here's a list of herbs that are hardy and usually successfully grown in our area. Start with a plant, not seeds, and your success rate will be much higher. Try basil (a favorite of mine), bay laurel, ginger, horehound, lemon balm, marjoram, Mexican tarragon, mint, oregano and thyme.
Basil comes in many different flavors including lemon, so try a number of them if you have the room.
Don't forget rosemary, but make sure you plant it in a location where it will be happy for years to come. It doesn't like wet feet, so good drainage is a must. And remember, this shrub can get quite large — a good 4 feet by 4 feet.
Prepare the soil before planting herbs by adding compost. Keep the roots moist and pinch back foliage regularly to encourage a bushy plant.
Now make a list of vegetables your family enjoys and see if you can't make room for them in your garden. Cool-season vegetables include beans (easy), broccoli (surprisingly successful last year), cabbage, celery, collards, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, English peas, lettuce (plant multiple crops throughout the fall and winter), mustard, onions (both bulbing and green), pepper, radish, Southern peas, strawberries (requires a little more preparation for a good crop), summer squash, tomatoes and turnips.
I encourage everyone to try one or two vegetables if you have the room. They taste so much better when picked fresh than when purchased at the grocery store.
Soil, fertilizer and pests
Good soil is a must, so add compost now and some slow-release fertilizer before planting. Most vegetables are easier if starter plants are used instead of seed, but corn, lettuce, radishes and peas are exceptions.
Now is a good time to decide whether you are going organic or not. If you are, be prepared to share some of your bounty with insects. There are a number of insect and disease controls that are organic, and they are often found in the big box stores. Check your plants every day, and hand-pick the large pests and wash the small ones away with a stream of soapy water.
Take care of tools
This is also the time to clean, repair or replace your tools. After working in the garden for many years, there are only a limited number of hand tools that I wouldn't want to be without. The tool I carry around the yard almost all the time is a good, sharp pair of hand pruners. There always seems to be a wilted flower, erratic branch or broken stem that needs to be cut away. If you think you have used your pruners on a diseased plant, wipe the blades with rubbing alcohol. It pays to purchase a quality pair. With proper care, hand pruners will last many years. I had a pair that lasted almost 20 years before I needed a replacement.
A small, folding 7-inch hand saw is also a necessity in my tool box. It works well for pruning midsized branches on the crape myrtles and the smaller branches of oak and maple trees. The wooden handle needs little care to remain in good shape. Don't buy a cheap pair or you will regret it. Spend a little on quality, and they will serve you well.
The one point hand hoe is a multiuse tool. I use the hoe to clear weeds while the point draws channels for seeding and transplanting.
Trowels come in different sizes, shapes and materials but one of good quality will last for years. With the sandy soil, it is usually easier to dig a small hole with the trowel than to go get the shovel. I have an inexpensive molded plastic trowel, but I really prefer my trowel with the hardened steel head and wood handle. It just seems to slip through the soil easier.
If you have a few favorite tools, clean them and prepare them for the fall planting season. Lightly sand and then oil wood handles. Remove rust and grime from the metal parts. A bucket of sand mixed with a little oil is a good place to store hand tools. After use, wipe the tools clean and bury the metal portion in the bucket of sand. They will be ready for the next use and, if cared for properly, will serve you for many years.
Mary Collister can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.org. | <urn:uuid:9ea33978-a059-4dad-9eec-54581c5630da> | CC-MAIN-2015-22 | http://www.tampabay.com/features/homeandgarden/prepare-now-for-fall-garden-dont-forget-garden-tools/1120308 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-22/segments/1432207928907.65/warc/CC-MAIN-20150521113208-00123-ip-10-180-206-219.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95058 | 1,002 | 2.546875 | 3 |
Burkina Faso is phasing out genetically modified cotton. It says it produces a poor quality crop which fetches low prices. This hasn't stop other African states from using genetic technology, or trying it out.
Burkina Faso's "white gold" was famous. For years, the cotton grown in the West African country was regarded as the best on the continent until the harvests were destroyed by pests and drought in the 1990s, ruining the livelihoods of thousands of cotton farmers. The US agricultural seed manufacturer Monsanto promised Burkina Faso a remedy: genetically modified cotton seeds that would be resistant to a changing climate, simplify pest protection and produce bumper yields. Burkina Faso's government signed a deal with Monsanto in 2003 and six years later genetically modified seeds were distributed to cotton farmers. Soon 70 percent of cotton fields were sown with genetically modified seed.
Recently, there has been a change in policy. In April 2016, Burkinabe President Roch Marc Christian Kabore announced that permission to grow genetically modified cotton would be withdrawn from 2018 onwards. Farmers had complained that genetically modified cotton yielded shorter fibers than the conventional variety and it was no longer possible to manufacture the smooth and stable thread which was essential for textile production. Cotton produced by Burkinabe famers therefore now fetches relatively low prices on the world market.
Burkina Faso's cotton producers estimate their losses between 2011 and 2016 at around $82 million (74 million euros) and are demanding compensation from Monsanto. The US-based company does not believe this is justified. It told AFP their seed had boosted the farmers' harvests and reduced pesticide use.
GM crops in Africa
Monsanto is under pressure. The brand leader in seed and pesticides faces a possible take-over by Germany's chemical and pharmaceuticals giant Bayer. Uncertainty also surrounds future sales of its glyphosate weedkiller, with EU member states due to decide this week whether or not to revoke the license for the suspected carcinogen.
Burkina Faso's decision to abandon genetically modified cotton is unlikely to have much impact elsewhere. South Africa, Egypt and Sudan cultivate genetically modified crops and will likely continue to do so. "Trials are underway in Malawi, Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria and Ghana," South African Haidee Swsanby from the African Center for Biodiversity told DW. The environmentalist group Greenpeace says that 90 percent of genetically modified crops are produced by Monsanto.
African governments find it difficult to confront the US genetic technology lobby, says Swanby. African countries are only just beginning to learn how to restrict the spread of genetically modified crops. This is partly due to the influence of US science and research. "US experts help African countries draft legislation which serve their companies' interests," said Swanby.
In the United States, there are hardly any restrictions on the sale or production of genetically modified foods. The US government has assisted many African scientists with their research, Swanby said. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has pumped large sums of money into agricultural projects involving genetically modified seed, Swanby said in an article written for news website Commondreams. The promise made by the donors is that genetic technology can defeat hunger in Africa.
Following Burkina Faso's decision to phase out genetically modified cotton, environmentalists had hoped other African nations would follow suit. It was not to be. In April, Nigeria's National Biosafety Management Agency gave Monsanto permits for trials with genetically modified maize and cotton. "We were very surprised that Nigeria had issued a permit for genetically modified cotton after Burkina Faso had decided to phase it out," Swanby said.
Environmentalists' hopes that other African nations would join Burkina Faso in rejecting GM cotton have not been realized
"The decision was taken on a Sunday when nobody was around," said Mariann Bassey Orovwuje, from Friends of the Earth Nigeria. "They was an outcry in Nigeria," she told DW. Around five million Nigerians, farmers, women traders, members of civil society and others had signed a petition listing their concerns which they presented to the authorities. "We are worried that Nigeria is adopting this technology without proper scrutiny. We have learned nothing from the experiences of our neighbors in Burkina Faso," said Bassey Orovwuje.
She is convinced that small-scale farmers could grow produce in sufficient quantities using conventional crops. "But they need assistance from the government," Bassey Orovwuje said.
The African Center for Biodiversity in Johannesburg estimates that 80 percent of food in Africa is produced by small-scale farmers. Swanby said that they are the losers when genetically modified seed is sown. "Genetic technology is extremely expensive. A farmer needs at least 500 hectares (1200 acres) before it pays its way. Most small scale farmers own much smaller plots of land.
In South Africa, farmers have to pay twice, sometimes five times as much for genetically modified maize than for the conventional variety. They can't even extract seeds for replanting from their own crop and have to buy a new batch every year. Monsanto also sells fertilizer, pesticides, weedkiller - such as glyphosate - to the customers of its genetically modified seed at the same time.
Swanby said that if the EU were to withdraw the authorization for glyphosate it would be "a dream come true." If suspicions about the health hazard it presents are confirmed, then she hopes her home country South Africa will reconsider its excessive use on maize, soya, wine grapes, and sugar cane, Perhaps, it might even rethink its policy on genetically modified crops. | <urn:uuid:e424cc35-a896-4ecc-9259-64fe42d9cbc2> | CC-MAIN-2017-43 | http://www.dw.com/en/burkina-faso-abandons-gm-cotton/a-19362330 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-43/segments/1508187826840.85/warc/CC-MAIN-20171023221059-20171024001059-00697.warc.gz | en | 0.970643 | 1,142 | 2.890625 | 3 |
We know that temperature decreases with increasing altitude. This is mainly due to convection currents in the troposphere - the lowermost (and most dense) region of the earth's atmosphere). As you know that the surface of the earth gets heated up on account of solar radiation and it also heats the air which is in immediate contact with the surface. This gives rise to convection currents which continuously transport air from lower region to higher ones and vice versa. When the air from sea level rises to the upper atmosphere of lower pressure it expands i.e. the volume increases. While expanding, the molecules push aside the neighbouring molecules. In doing so the molecules lose their kinetic energy and it is this energy loss which is reflected in a decrease in temperature. The same amount of energy is gained by the gas molecules when they are compressed while descending and thus the temperature increases. Such a change in temperature where no addition or substraction of heat takes place between the system and the surrounding is called adiabatic change. | <urn:uuid:af961464-e7b9-475e-be3b-95e8fc29f6be> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.expertsmind.com/questions/altitudinal-variations-30124998.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560279368.44/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095119-00454-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.936254 | 201 | 4 | 4 |
This week we continue the story of Abraham. Abraham is sitting in the heat of the day in his tent. While being visited by God, he sees some strangers, and runs out to them to show hospitality. After a big meal, they tell him that he and Sarah will have a son within a year, which makes Sarah laugh. When these strangers start back on their way towards Sodom, they tell Abraham that they are to destroy Sodom and the other cities of the plain. Abraham has a debate with God if this is a good idea and even bargains down what it will take to save the city. We then cut to Sodom and the experiences of two angels in the Big City, who decide the only one worth saving is Abraham’s nephew Lot and his family. They escape, but not without casualties and misunderstandings. Abraham then moves into the land of the Philistines, and once again uses the “sister” excuse describing his relationship with Sara. After this adventure, Sara conceives and has a son, Isaac, which causes more sibling and maternal rivalry with Hagar and Ishmael. The last major story in this section is, of course, God telling Abraham to go to a mountain and to sacrifice Isaac.
The British potter Bernard Leach once watched the Japanese pottery master Shoji Hamada take a lump of clay, pinch it into a smooth pot and fire it in a raku Kiln within half an hour. When Leach remarked on this feat, Hamada objected: “Thirty minutes? No, it took forty years to make that pot!” Similarly it’s taken thirteen years to write this D’var.
The portion starts on a word which becomes a theme through the piece: Vayera. The root of this word means to see. Seeing things becomes critical in understanding the stories here. In this first occurrence, God appears, he causes himself to be seen. In the second, a verse later we read:
2. And he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him; and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself to the ground,[Gen 18:2]
Later, Hagar has a moment when she sees something.
19. And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad to drink.[Gen 21:19]
And at the Akedah, Abraham sees something:
13. And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns; and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in place of his son.[22:13]
Key to these three places when someone sees is what they see with – their eyes. This should be obvious. Yet, something is done with the eyes in these three cases, lifting up and opening. Is there is difference?
Let’s start with Hagar opening her eyes. We know from the text she is not a happy lady.
16. And she went, and sat down opposite him a good way off, as it were a bowshot; for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat opposite him, and lifted up her voice, and wept. 17. And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven, and said to her, What ails you, Hagar? fear not; for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is. 18. Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in your hand; for I will make him a great nation. 19. And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad to drink.[Gen 21:16-19]
It is not Hagar’s crying but heard the voice of the lad that God reacts to. Similarly in Psalm 28 we read of King David: Hear the voice of my supplications, when I cry to you… Blessed be the Lord, because he has heard the voice of my supplications. What is the difference between Hagar and Ishmael? Hagar is self absorbed, while Ishmael prays. In order for Hagar to see the solution which is right in front of her God has to open her eyes. Sometimes we so self limit ourselves, we are so much on our own issue, we cannot see the things in front of us.
It’s a rare event within Torah to have someone actually have their eyes open. Generally its related to someone we might say is an outsider. Besides Hagar, Baalam for example, also has such an experience within Torah. In these cases to open the eyes is when God directly intercedes. My return to Judaism was such an event, as one on the outside. For a decade, I was involved in Taoism and Zen, not Judaism, even refusing to go to High Holiday services. While on a study abroad program to Rome in early July of 1995 I had a dream. In the dream, A Hasidic rabbi and I were alone in a room freshly plastered, yet without doors. The Rabbi told me to fresco on the walls some passages in Hebrew, though he did not tell me what. Though I did not know how to read Hebrew at the time, I began to write perfectly, and even knew what I was writing: the Shema. As I got through the fresco of the third wall, the room begun to spin, and the letters spun upwards towards Heaven like a tornado.
All I knew at that time was I needed to look into my heritage more. When I returned to the states, I did begin to look into it. That dream opened my eyes, and brought me back to Judaism. Opening of the eyes is for those who do not believe, but need to.
Unlike Hagar, Abraham has his eyes lifted. This expression is a lot more common. People lift their eyes and all of a sudden see things they didn’t before. In this portion, there are two expressions. In this first, we read he lifted up his eyes(18:2). In the last, Abraham lifted up (et)his eyes(22:13). Grammatically, the first is weaker than the second. The first is all pronouns. We could easily assume God lifted up Abraham’s eyes. The second case is a lot stronger, with Abraham as the subject, and the direct object marker et. Why is one weaker and the other stronger?
The dream above was not my only experience in Rome. A year later, I was back and with nothing to do on the Saturday between classes, I went with some people to the former seaport of Rome, Ostia Antica. Unlike Rome itself, where construction for the last two millennia has destroyed much of the ancient city, the ancient streets of 1900 years ago still exist in the ruins of Ostia including many rather intact remains of restaurants and offices and apartment buildings which went out of business in the 2nd century CE. Walking down these streets, I looked up to see an odd looking capitol in the ruins of a building. It had a menorah, etrog and lulav. I was standing in a synagogue. When I think of it now I still wonder if I stood where many a Rabbis stood after disembarking a ship from Israel en route to an audience with the Emperor, or saying tefilat haderech here on their way home. Three days later, I finally had walked into the central synagogue of Rome and visited the small Holocaust museum. I met a few people who were holocaust survivors, some visiting from elsewhere some now living in Rome. I heard their stories. I heard most of these grand synagogues in Italy cannot even get minyans. I wondered, is this our fate, museums in empty synagogues and ruins?
1. And the Lord appeared to him in the plains of Mamre; and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day; 2. And he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him; and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself to the ground,[Genesis 18:1-2]
At the beginning of Vayera, Abraham is recovering from his circumcision. God appears to him, and only after that does he see the three strangers. The weakness in the grammar may indicate Abraham was not acting alone here. God gave a little help in this case, one that the Midrash notes. Abraham was sulking that now that he was circumcised he would have no guests. God replies that before he was circumcised he was only fit to receive the uncircumcised, now he is fit to receive angels, and then he lifted up his eyes to see the three wayfarers. [Gen R. XLVIII:9]
My experience at Ostia and Abraham’s seeing the approaching men are experiences still missing complete commitment. Unlike Hagar, where things are impossible, there is faith, yet still some doubt. By that time I was privately exploring Judaism and Buber’s stories of the Hasidic masters. To actively join a community still seemed difficult for me. Yet the answer seemed much clearer after Italy: I needed to be involved. By Purim, I was attending a synagogue. A year after Ostia I signed up for a beginning Biblical Hebrew class at Spertus College. Abraham and I were alike: we were still working the path out. We needed a little help, and God was there to give that little extra push.
My Hebrew classes led me to take the plunge and enter the Spertus College’s Masters in Jewish Studies Program. It’s been a difficult program, not just in terms of the work load but in my personal, spiritual and professional life. The worst was during the doctoral level class on Jewish continuity. The numbers from the AJIS and NJPS are not very encouraging. Demographic trends put us nearer to museums and ruins, than a thriving culture. The scholarly literature claims the ones to blame the most are our own self destructive tendencies. I wrote the papers and got the A’s always wondering as I wrote if there really was any hope out there. One of these papers I wrote was a model for a new vision of a synagogue to combat the problems and reverse the trends. As I finished the final edits, I attended Shavuot services at a different synagogue, one I had been to only once before for a friend’s farewell party. The first time it did not make an impression. As I spent the evening through the night and then sunrise on a nearby beach at this Tikkun L’eil I lifted my eyes: With a few exceptions, this place was that model.
There are a lot of interpretations of the Akedah. Mine is that Abraham knew the outcome, and that Isaac would not be sacrificed, but he had to do the motions until he saw another solution – he was after the good grade here. That is why he says My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering; in Genesis 21:8. Yet he got to the mountain and didn’t see anything. He’s too busy making sure it all follows the correct procedure, to do what his teacher wanted, and at the same time wondering if there any way he doesn’t have to sacrifice his son. Things are not looking too good as he reaches for the knife…
10. And Abraham stretched out his hand, and took the knife to slay his son 11. And the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham; and he said, Here am I. 12. And he said, Lay not your hand upon the lad, nor do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, seeing that you did not withheld your son, your only son from me. 13. And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns; and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in place of his son.[Genesis 22:10-13]
Abraham looked everywhere but behind himself. Only when the angel speaks for the first time, when all the procedures are done, and there is a bit of relief from this tension does he think to look behind himself and there waiting for him is the solution. We learn from the Perkei Avot that the Ram was put there at the twilight of the sixth day of creation.[5:6] The world which God gave us to steward has everything in it already, all we need to know is how and where to look.
When someone opens our eyes, like Hagar we are passive. When one lifts up the eyes it is a personal act, not completely an act of God. Sometimes we have help, sometime we do not. We need to do things to get to that point of opening the eyes, of revelation, of seeing miracle. Miracles are around all the time. The siddur I used at the first synagogue I returned to said it best to be is a miracle. Everything is miracles. If we know what to look for, we will see them appear.
Only after Abraham sacrifices the ram instead of Isaac, we read that the covenant, in the name of God will be fulfilled. It is only then that the trials of Abraham are over. Abraham and Sarah’s want of a child is only fulfilled after Abraham runs out to the strangers. Ishmael is spared dehydration only when Hagar fills a bottle and brings him a drink. It was taking the opportunity that the eyes found that was the key. In each of the three cases we can be given miracles, but what we do with them determines our outcome for the better. When they took action, then they graduated to the next level.
When we understand that, then we graduate. I graduated with a Jewish identity in July of 2005, I graduated into practicing Judaism in July of 2006. I learned a lot in the last few years. As I now graduate with my Master’s Degree, and look forward to July 2008 when I receive my Diploma officially, I now turn my eyes towards action. My learning can help me lift my eye to the opportunities and possibilities out there, but it is up to me to do something with it.
Shlomo Drash’s slogan from Brachot 62a was originally intended as a bit of ironic humor. It is a matter of Torah and I am required to Learn was the first passage of Talmud I ever learned, a joke talking about students barging into bathrooms to watch a teacher’s toilet habits. Yet as I learned in my last class at Spertus, it means something more*. It means that our actions are far more important than our words. As an educator, in everything I do from now on, my actions are critically important to the lesson. And so, with all seriousness I now can say:
It is a matter of Torah and I am required to Learn
*for the full unpacking of the text see the Unpacking Gemara page on shlomosdrash.com | <urn:uuid:a890b6e3-e462-4921-9cee-591be927c66d> | CC-MAIN-2018-51 | https://shlomosnewdrash.wordpress.com/2007/10/24/parshat-vayera-5768-graduation-and-seeing-things/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-51/segments/1544376823318.33/warc/CC-MAIN-20181210055518-20181210081018-00436.warc.gz | en | 0.980279 | 3,191 | 2.953125 | 3 |
Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) belongs to the family retroviridae. It is an infectious disease found in cats and is similar to the HIV virus found in humans. FIV weakens the immune system of the infected animal and makes it susceptible to infections and diseases that do not normally attack healthy cats. There is no cure for FIV.
The condition is fatal in the long run but there is no reason why an infected cat cannot live for a reasonable long time by being treated aggressively for secondary infection. It is heartening to know that FIV in cats does not lead to AIDS as often as HIV does in humans. It should also be noted that apart from domestic cats, FIV can afflict pumas, cougars, lions, tigers–basically all species in the cat family.
In the U.S, one to three percent of the domestic cats are afflicted by the condition. Common modes of transmission include from saliva to blood, which means bite wounds. A cat delivering kittens can pass on the virus to kittens; however, this mode of transmission is not observed very frequently. Similarly sexual transmission of the virus too is not considered a common cause. It is best that pet cats not be allowed to mingle with strays.
Once inside a cat’s body, the virus travels to the lymph nodes where it attacks the T cells, which are a type of white blood cells responsible for maintaining the body’s immunity against bacterial, viral, and fungal attacks. This is followed by a reduction in the RBC and WBC count. The virus can then go into a period of hibernation which may last for years. The infected cat appears outwardly normal but is infected all the same. Over a period of time, signs and symptoms indicating immunodeficiency appear; the cat can take ill even when faced with viruses and bacteria which it otherwise is equipped to tackle.
Loss of interest in eating and pain in chewing are common clinical symptoms of the condition. Recurrent infections of the skin, urinary bladder, and kidney are noted. Seizures and sleep disorders may be noted in some cats. Weight loss and wasting are noted in the later stages.
The condition is diagnosed using the FIV antibody test; positive results are corroborated using an ELISA test kit. The FIV test which checks for antibodies is popular because detecting the virus in the blood is difficult. The virus concentrations are often too low to appear in the test results. Some clinics may prefer to perform the Western blot or immunoblot procedure.
Because FIV itself is not treatable, vets try to treat the secondary conditions that arise. Antibiotics are administered regularly depending upon the nature of infection. Blood transfusions may have to be given. Particular care needs to be taken about the pet cat’s diet. A high calorie and protein rich diet should be followed to counter weight loss and wasting. Vitamins and anti-oxidants should be given.
Because the disease-causing agent is a retrovirus and there are multiple strains of the virus, it is difficult for researchers to develop a vaccine. However, single strain vaccines have been developed and these have exhibited good results in immunizing cats. | <urn:uuid:5f89003c-1222-473c-ab34-c99be629a472> | CC-MAIN-2017-22 | http://cattime.com/cat-facts/lifestyle/104-fiv-feline-immunodeficiency-virus-causes-symptoms-treatment-pet-insurance-101 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-22/segments/1495463612003.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20170528235437-20170529015437-00282.warc.gz | en | 0.960949 | 658 | 3.375 | 3 |
How does Jesus define happy and blessed? In his opening to the Sermon on the Mount, our Savior gave a new definition that is centered on knowing God rather than worldly comforts. We’ve collected the following Bible studies, lessons, sermons, and devotionals to help you reflection on this important scripture.
Devotions on Matthew 5:1-12
Its beauty sparkled in the bright sunlight, but my heart was not touched … When I came to the Mount of the Beatitudes, I was standing in the very .
PDF [In the year 1873, Mr. Spurgeon delivered what he called “a series of … There are now, however, four Sermons upon the Beatitudes, three of which have already …
The Beatitudes and the Gospel of the Kingdom. Jan 26, 1986. Scripture: Matthew 5:1–12. John Piper. Jan 26, 1986.
Billy Graham … When He delivered His Sermon on the Mount (known as the Beatitudes) He spoke to a specific … That was the first Beatitude
Billy Graham explains the key to the secret of happiness. … Jesus was not issuing a command in this Beatitude nor saying, “You ought to be …
Meditation Verse: Matthew 5:12
Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Commentary on Matthew 5:12
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers(12) Rejoice, and be exceeding glad.–The second word implies a glorious and exulting joy. The same combination is found, possibly as an actual echo of its use here, in 1Peter 1:8; 1Peter 4:13; Revelation 19:7.
Your reward.–The teaching of Luke 17:10 shows that even here the reward is not “of debt, but of grace” (Romans 4:4). It may be added that the temper to which the “reward” is promised practically excludes the possibility of such claim as of right. The reward is for those only who suffer “for righteousness, for Christ,” not for those who are calculating on a future compensation.
In heaven.–Literally, in the heavens, as in the phrase, the “kingdom of heaven.” the plural being used possibly with reference to the Jewish belief in three (2Corinthians 12:2) or seven heavens, more probably as implying, in its grand vagueness (like the “many mansions” of John 14:2), the absence of any space limits to the promised reward. As with the “kingdom of heaven,” so here, the word is not to be thrown forward into the far-off future, but points to the unseen eternal world which is even now present to us, and of which all true disciples of Christ are citizens (Philippians 3:20).
Teaching Helps for Kids
- Beatitude crafts and Sunday School lessons on the Beatitudes
- Children’s Sermon on the Beatitudes
- Preschool Bible lesson on the Beatitudes
- Sunday School Lesson: The Beatitudes in Matthew 5:1-12
Prayer of Devotion
O God,Church of Ireland – Book of Common Prayer
who knowest us to be set
in the midst of so many and great dangers,
that by reason of the frailty of our nature
we cannot always stand upright;
Grant to us such strength and protection,
as may support us in all dangers,
and carry us through all temptations;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
who in the beginning
commanded the light to shine out of darkness:
We pray that the light of the glorious gospel of Christ
may dispel the darkness of ignorance and unbelief,
shine into the hearts of all your people,
and reveal the knowledge of your glory
in the face of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Matthew 5:1-12 (NIV) The Beatitudes
5 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them. He said: 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.Matthew 5:1-12 NIV
4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Ferenczy, Károly, 1862-1917. Sermon on the Mount, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. http://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=56296 [retrieved January 26, 2020]. Original source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Sermon_on_the_Mount_K%C3%A1roly_Ferenczy.jpg. | <urn:uuid:2916116b-f166-4e27-a535-f45467b8201b> | CC-MAIN-2023-50 | https://devotionalchristian.com/daily_devotional/devotions-matthew-51-12-the-beatitudes-of-jesus/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-50/segments/1700679103810.88/warc/CC-MAIN-20231211080606-20231211110606-00670.warc.gz | en | 0.936023 | 1,200 | 2.625 | 3 |
Getting to the Roots of Mathematics Vocabulary Levels 6-8 ebook
Interest Level 5-10
Make learning mathematics vocabulary fun and interesting with a roots-based approach! This resource, geared towards secondary grades, focuses on root words for mathematics. Teaching tips and strategies, standards-based lessons, and student activity pages are included to make teaching a breeze and learning fun! By implementing these resources into your vocabulary instruction, students will expand their vocabularies by learning how words are built from the roots up!
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Sept. 25, 2014
Excellent resource to extend my students'mathematical vocabulary and understanding.
Sept. 24, 2014
One of the very best Teacher Created Materials I've purchased in a career that spans five decades in education. The strategy provides an integral foundation for higher mathematics that is ... | <urn:uuid:ecd31030-6fca-4a12-be30-cf2579a8be03> | CC-MAIN-2022-21 | https://www.teachercreatedmaterials.com/parents/p/getting-to-the-roots-of-mathematics-vocabulary-levels-6-8-ebook/50866E/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-21/segments/1652662530066.45/warc/CC-MAIN-20220519204127-20220519234127-00405.warc.gz | en | 0.876712 | 1,174 | 4.125 | 4 |
Implied powers are powers which a government is deemed to have on the basis of its role, like the right to make laws, raise taxes,etc. However- The 'implied' element doesn't always extend to actual powers, and implied powers can be required to be tested by a senior court. In many cases implied powers have been found to be ultra vires, exceeding constitutional powers. This is a typical situation with implied powers, where a constitution, the government's actual powers, removes some powers.
Examples of Implied Powers:
|The right of a national government to conduct foreign policy.|
Constitutional power vs. implied power: The Amendments to the United States Constitution.
Against the Constitutionality of the Bank of the United States
For the Constitutionality of the Bank of the United States | <urn:uuid:ae874b57-8e69-4f39-898c-e0e825df5f2c> | CC-MAIN-2017-51 | http://www.examplesof.com/law/implied_powers.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-51/segments/1512948588420.68/warc/CC-MAIN-20171216181940-20171216203940-00723.warc.gz | en | 0.91952 | 164 | 3.84375 | 4 |
This chapter focuses on postapocalyptic fiction, which imagine the life that human beings might lead after the apocalyptic event has passed. It references large-scale works of literary fiction that stage how new forms of life emerge from catastrophe, how survivors adapt to the altered conditions of existence, and the various ways in which the past asserts its claims on them. It also elaborates the immediate past of the world that is lost and the deep past of prehistory and the anthropological imagination that returns with this loss. The chapter describes postapocalyptic fiction as political theory and a mode of persuasion in fictional form, which shows what it would be like to live that life. It discusses modern postapocalyptic fiction with Mary Shelley's The Last Man in 1826, which stages the return of small-scale agrarianism in the aftermath of catastrophe.
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- Building Emergency Action Plan (BEAP) for Admin & Classrooms
General Terrorism Information
Terrorism has emerged as a very real threat across our nation and internationally. Any organization, group or individual can be a target or innocent victim of terrorism.
In the past 20 years, terrorist attacks upon Americans have included the bombing of the Oklahoma City Federal Building, the 1996 bombing of the Olympics in Atlanta, and the 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon.
Terrorism can take many forms, from an individual with a gun or bomb to groups using chemical, biological or nuclear weapons. Depending on the nature of the attack and type of weapon used, the campus community may be affected by either an on or off campus attack. In many instances the incident may not be immediately identifiable as a terrorist attack.
Your response to an incident should follow the guidelines for the type of event that occurs (a detonated bomb should be treated as an explosion).
The following general information on terrorism is taken from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) website. Refer to the FEMA website for additional information on terrorism.
Terrorism is the use of force or violence against persons or property in violation of criminal laws for purposes of intimidation, coercion or ransom.
Terrorists often use threats to:
- Create fear among the public.
- Try to convince citizens that their government is powerless to prevent terrorism.
- Get immediate publicity for their cause.
Acts of terrorism include bomb scares and bombings, cyber (computer-based) attacks, and the use of chemical, biological, nuclear and radiological weapons.
Within the immediate area of a terrorist event, you need to rely on police, fire and other officials for instructions. However, you can prepare in much the same way you would prepare for other crisis events.
General Safety Guidelines
- Be aware of your surroundings.
- Move or leave if you feel uncomfortable or if something does not seem right.
- Take precautions when traveling. Be aware of conspicuous or unusual behavior. Do not accept packages from strangers. Do not leave luggage unattended.
- Promptly report unusual behavior, suspicious or unattended packages, and strange devices to the University Police or call 9-1-1.
- Learn where emergency exits are located in buildings you frequent. Plan how to get out in the event of an emergency.
- Be prepared to do without services you normally depend on - electricity, telephone, natural gas, gasoline pumps, cash registers, ATMs and internet transactions. | <urn:uuid:aca943c5-3b49-41a9-a899-500b03365a1f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://und.edu/emergency-management/terrorism-general.cfm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700842908/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104042-00091-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.88819 | 626 | 3.25 | 3 |
(STUDY FINDS) -- LONDON — People living in areas with high levels of air pollution are more likely to experience depression or take their own lives, according to an alarming study by researchers at the University College London.
The study used data from 16 countries in what authors say is the first systematic review and meta-analysis of links between fine particulate matter — small airborne particles including dust and soot — and various mental health problems. By the researchers’ calculations, if the relationship between depression, suicide, and air pollution is causal, then lessening the world-wide average exposure to fine particulate matter from 44 micrograms per meter cubed (μg/m3) to 25 μg/m3 would cause a 15% reduction in the global risk of depression.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), fine particulate matter pollution should be under 10 μg/m3 for safety.
Advertisement - story continues below | <urn:uuid:d18d418c-403c-4332-8865-15b6b927161f> | CC-MAIN-2021-49 | https://www.wnd.com/2019/12/choke-time-air-pollution-tied-depression-suicide-risk/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-49/segments/1637964363290.39/warc/CC-MAIN-20211206042636-20211206072636-00145.warc.gz | en | 0.896783 | 192 | 2.84375 | 3 |
A new bill has been introduced in the Minnesota Legislature calling for a five-year moratorium on wolf hunting and trapping. There were 412 wolves killed in last year's first regulated wolf hunt, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, and the issue remains contentious among residents and lawmakers.
Many opponents feel that the hunt threatens the state's wolf population, and proponents believe that without a hunting season, wolves would become overpopulated, threatening deer, livestock and their own safety.
Howard Goldman, Minnesota senior state director of The Humane Society of America, and Minnesota Deer Hunters Association Executive Director Mark Johnson will discuss the wolf hunt on The Daily Circuit Tuesday Feb. 26.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE MINNESOTA WOLF HUNT:
Minnesota wolf hunting (DNR)
Primer: Minnesota's wolf hunt (MPR News)
Minnesota bill calls for 5-year moratorium on wolf hunting, trapping (Star Tribune)
The Minnesota wolf hunt (Star Tribune)
Ojibwe bands ban wolf hunting - but only on Indian-controlled lands (MPR News) | <urn:uuid:014aec42-e713-4ba9-bb1c-d2e3d556bebb> | CC-MAIN-2014-15 | http://www.mprnews.org/story/2013/02/26/daily-circuit-wolf-hunt | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-15/segments/1397609526252.40/warc/CC-MAIN-20140416005206-00210-ip-10-147-4-33.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.893425 | 219 | 2.671875 | 3 |
Feminine or masculine, that is the question you often ask yourself as a French learner. After hours trying to figure out why “cheveux” (hair) is masculine and “chaise” (chair) feminine, you came to the inevitable conclusion: the gender of French nouns was randomly chosen by a bunch of sadistic linguists.
You may have heard that there is only one way to know the gender of a noun, to learn it by heart.
Luckily this is one of many myths about the French language, and you can actually know the gender of a French noun with more than 80% accuracy just by looking at its ending.
Why French genders matter
You can’t master French if you don’t master French genders. Luckily, the use of French genders is pretty straightforward, even if your language doesn’t use genders for nouns.
Before you discover how to easily know the gender of French nouns with 80% accuracy, you need to know that the gender has an influence on:
You’ll discover how genders change these elements in the last section of this article, but before you do, here is how to easily know the gender of French words
How to know the gender of French nouns with 80% accuracy
Associate each gender with a vivid image
Your French teacher told you to do this, and this may be the only solution in some cases. But instead of simply learning each word and its gender by heart, it can be smart to associate each gender with an action in your brain.
You could imagine that masculine nouns fall into water while feminine nouns are eaten by a monster. Associating each noun with such a vivid image helps you remember its gender more easily.
The association needs to be personal, this must be something you will easily remember. For example, If you love to sing, you could sing each word with a different tone depending on its gender.
Guess the gender based on the word’s ending
According to a study by McGill University, a noun’s ending indicates its gender in 80% of cases . Based on this study, here is a list of typically masculine and typically feminine noun endings.
Nouns with these endings were found to be of the same gender in more than 90% of cases.
I don’t recommend you to learn these endings by heart since it would be extremely boring. Instead, bookmark this page and regularly look at this list.
After a while, you will see that you can intuitively guess the gender of a noun based on its ending.
I also created a simplified list that’s easier to remember. You’ll find it below this first list :).
Typically masculine noun endings (+90%)
- -an, -and, -ant, -ent, -in, -int, -om, -ond, -ont, -on (but not after s/c¸)
- -eau, -au, -aud, -aut, -o, -os, -ot
- -ai, -ais, -ait, -es, -et
- -ou, -out, -out, -oux
- -i, -il, -it, -is, -y
- -at, -as, -ois, -oit
- • -u, -us, -ut, -eu
- -er, -é after C (C=t)
- -age, -ege, – ème, -ome, -aume, -isme
- -as, -is, -os, -us, -ex
- -it, -est
- -al, -el, -il, -ol, -eul, -all
- -if, -ef
- -ac, -ic, -oc, -uc
- -am, -um, -en
- -air, -er, -erf, -ert, -ar, -arc, -ars, -art, -our, -ours, -or, -ord, -ors, -ort, -ir, -oir, -eur
- -ail, -eil, -euil, -ueil
Typically feminine noun endings (+90%)
- -aie, -oue, -eue, -ion, -te, – ée, -ie, -ue
- -asse, -ace, -esse, -ece, -aisse, -isse/-ice, -ousse, -ance, -anse, -ence, -once
- -enne, -onne, -une, -ine, -aine, -eine, -erne
- -ande, -ende, -onde, -ade, -ude, -arde, -orde
- -euse, -ouse, -ase, -aise, -ese, -oise, -ise, -yse, -ose, -use
- -ache, -iche, -eche, -oche, -uche, -ouche, -anche
- -ave, -eve, -ive
- -iere, -ure, -eure
- -ette, -ete, – ête, -atte, -otte, -oute, -orte, -ante, -ente, -inte, -onte
- -alle, -elle, -ille, -olle
- -aille, -eille, -ouille
- -appe, -ampe, -ombe
- • -igue
A simplified list of endings
The previous list has the advantage of being exhaustive, but as French Together reader Amosnliz notes in the comment section, you can learn a simplified, and shorter list.
While there is no precise data available, you can consider that you’ll be right 80% of the time if you use this simplified list.
Feminine noun endings
- The majority of words that end in -e or -ion.
- Except words ending in -age, -ege, -é, or -isme (these endings often indicate masculine words).
Masculine noun endings
Most words with other endings are masculine.
French gender rules explained
You now know how to easily identify the gender of French nouns. Now let’s see why knowing the gender of French words is so important.
Here is what changes based on genders:
In English, you always use “the”. In French, you have a masculine “the” (le) and a feminine “the” (la).
Similarly, you have a masculine “a” (un) and a feminine “a” (une).
Finally, while you say “some” in English. You need to make the distinction between “du” (masculine) and “de la” (feminine) in French.
Like in English, pronouns change depending on the subject’s gender.
He = il
she = elle
however, unlike English, there are two ways to say “they”.
Elles (feminine subject)
Ils (masculine subject)
French adjectives change based on the gender and number of the noun they modify. This means the adjective is either:
- Masculine singular
- Feminine singular
- Masculine plural
- Feminine plural
Let’s take several adjectives as examples. These are adjectives you can use to guess how other adjectives with similar endings will change.
Masculine singular: content
Feminine singular: contente
Masculine plural: contents
Feminine plural: contentes
Masculine singular: fatigué
Feminine singular: fatiguée
Masculine plural: fatigués
Feminine plural: fatiguées
Masculine singular: bon
Feminine singular: bonne
Masculine plural: bons
Feminine plural: bonnes
Read 13 common French mistakes that’ll make you feel awkward before you use it.
Masculine singular: triste
Feminine singular: triste
Masculine plural: tristes
Feminine plural: tristes
There are of course exceptions, but if you know these patterns, you’ll know how most adjectives change based on the gender of the noun they modify.
The passé composé tense is the most striking example of the influence of genders and number on conjugation.
Je suis allé(e)
Tu es allé(e)
Il/elle est allé(e)
Nous sommes allé(e)s
Vous êtes allé(e)(s)
Ils/elles sont allé(e)s
As you can see, the verb changes based on the subject’s number and gender. This is also true for other compound tenses.
These differences are only noticeable in written French since the pronunciation remains the same.
If there is only one thing you should remember for this lesson, it’s that the majority of words ending in -e or -ion are feminine while words with other endings are mostly masculine. It’s not going to work all the time, but you’re much more likely to be right if you follow this rule than if you simply guess.
What about you? How do you determine the gender of new French nouns you encounter? Share your tips and experience in the comment section below this article! | <urn:uuid:34ddf4fd-438c-41a0-aab0-ff96db8dda73> | CC-MAIN-2019-43 | https://frenchtogether.com/french-nouns-gender/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-43/segments/1570986675409.61/warc/CC-MAIN-20191017145741-20191017173241-00143.warc.gz | en | 0.845334 | 2,031 | 2.890625 | 3 |
Items About Areas That Could Break Out Into A Long War
March 15, 2011: The war in Libya is fought along an 1,822 kilometer highway that passes through dozens of cities and large towns that contain over 80 percent of the country's population. The oil workers, and a few nomads and residents of remote villages, live in the vast interior. Most Libyans live and work along the coastal highway. That's where the war is being fought. The rebels have more armed men, but most are civilian volunteers, armed with assault rifles and not much else. There is not much training or discipline, and little experienced military leadership. The government has some warplanes and armed helicopters, as well as some tanks and artillery. The government forces also have some civilian volunteers and a growing number of foreign mercenaries (from Tuareg tribes to the south, as well as Eastern Europe and Syria). The government forces also have better discipline. Many senior men from the security forces and the military have remained with Kadaffi, for the moment.
The government strategy involves deployment of lots of cash (several hundred million dollars worth), post-war promises, and a small force of loyalist troops and foreign mercenaries. The foreign troops (mostly from African nations to the south), are the most reliable. Pro-government Libyan troops still occasionally have loyalty problems. This much is known from the few that have been captured, and incidents where government forces halted, and seemed to settle some internal dispute with gunfire.
But the basic government strategy is working, so far. Several brigade size (1-3 thousand men) units are being sent along the coastal highway to recapture towns and cities. These assault brigades are equipped with Russian made tanks, and other armored vehicles, including artillery. The brigades are backed up by a few dozen fighter-bombers and helicopter gunships, as well as a few warships off the coast. Once the rebels in a town are killed or driven out (or into hiding), the government forces bring in less heavily armed security troops, and contact local government loyalists (or recruits some new ones) and proceed to terrorize the locals into obeying orders and not demonstrating or taking up arms. There aren't a lot of loyalists right now, so terror is the primary weapon. The foreign mercenaries are particularly trigger-happy, and shoot anyone who appears to be resisting. Restoring the old Kadaffi will take months, or years, because of all the killings and the extent of anti-government hatred among the population. Hostility that has been growing for decades is suddenly out in the open. Many Libyans the Kaddafi clan thought they could trust, turned out to be rebels. The Kaddafis only have the support of 5-10 percent of the population. But properly organized (and bribed), this is enough to dominate the majority.
On the west end of the country, dictator Muamar Kaddafi never lost control of the capital, Tripoli, along with its many nearby military bases. Yet most of the Tripoli population is probably pro-rebel. On the east end, there is Benghazi, still in the hands of rebels. In the middle (closer to Benghazi) is the oil shipping facility at Ras Lanuf. Control the oil and you control the national wealth. Kaddafi's forces control the city of Sirte (Kaddafi's home town), just to the west of Ras Lanuf (which is 620 kilometers from Tripoli). Rebels still hold the third largest city (after 1.1 million Tripoli and 671,000 in Benghazi), Misarata, which is 210 kilometers east of Tripoli and has a population of 550,000. Despite its proximity to Tripoli, government forces have been unable to take Misarata. But the government shock troops have retaken most of the oil ports and refineries, and Misarata is under siege.
Oil production has largely halted. Before the unrest began in February, Libya was producing 1.7 million barrels a day, with 1.2 million being exported (mostly to Europe). Now only about 200,000-300,000 barrels a day are reaching coastal refineries. Most electricity is produced using local natural gas, and fuel is produced in Libyan refineries from Libyan oil. The government forces have concentrated on capturing the refineries and oil export terminals. Most of these are in central Libya, and directly inland, in the center of the country, are the main oil fields. A minority of the oil is found in the west, south of the capital, Tripoli.
The rebels have no central command, and are divided by tribe and area of origin. There are some deep divisions among the rebels about how the "new" Libya should be run. If Kaddafi and company disappeared tomorrow, the civil war might well continue because of the animosities between rebel factions. The rebellion is not just against the rule of Kaddafi, but against the rule of an "outsider". Libya is a very divided (mainly by tribal loyalty) country. There could easily be four or five major tribal coalitions fighting each other, if Kaddafi were gone. And each coalition would consider other rebel groups unwanted outsiders.
As the rebels lost more ground over the last two weeks, they became more united in their calls for foreign assistance. A month ago, such foreign intervention was not wanted. Actually, no one really wanted to get involved with the Libyan civil war. Arab nations did not want to risk exposing the incompetence of their armed forces, and Western nations know intervention was a no-win situation. Even if invited by the rebels, Western troops going in would soon be widely denounced as "infidel invaders." Moreover, many Western nations (plus Russia, and China) do not want Kaddafi removed because that would threaten economic arrangements already in place (and liable to be cancelled by a new rebel government). Kaddafi was the devil you knew, but the exact nature of any new government was quite murky. Even a "no-fly" zone to destroy Kaddafi's air power is likely beyond the political will of nearby European and Arab nations. Right now, it appears that the rebels will be left alone, to be crushed, and the population brutally terrorized back into submission. Kaddafi will be condemned, but oil shipments will resume, and life will go on.
March 14, 2011: Government forces are appear to be massing forces for a move on the last major rebel city, Benghazi. If this city falls, and it probably will, the rebellion will be defeated, possibly by the end of the month. After that, months of massacres, executions and other newsworthy tragedies, as the Kaddafi clan restores its dictatorship.
March 13, 2011: Government troops drove rebels out of the town of Brega. This is a small place, with a population of about 8,000. But it contains an oil refinery, a port and an airport. Nearby is the larger city of Ajdabiya (population 135,000), where many key roads from the interior converge. Only 160 kilometers to the north, along the coastal road, is the second largest city, Benghazi.
March 12, 2011: The Arab League agrees that a no-fly zone is required along the Libyan coast, and asks the UN to authorize one. The UN is unlikely to authorize the no-fly zone, because key nations (with a veto), like Russia, oppose any action against the Libyan government. Russian stands to lose billions in arms sales and other contracts, if the current Libyan government is overthrown. Many other nations, both Arab and Western, prefer that the current Libyan dictatorship remain in power. | <urn:uuid:41de608d-0511-4ab9-ab5f-57fc21106fe5> | CC-MAIN-2020-40 | https://strategypage.com/qnd/pothot/articles/20110315.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-40/segments/1600402127075.68/warc/CC-MAIN-20200930141310-20200930171310-00150.warc.gz | en | 0.965309 | 1,552 | 2.625 | 3 |
Edmund Charles Blunden CBE MC is remembered as a well-travelled poet and war hero but fewer people are aware of his impact on the early development of rugby in Japan.
Born in London in 1896, he was educated at Christ’s Hospital and Queen’s College, Oxford. He had published his first book of poems while still a teenager and was posted to the Western Front as a Second Lieutenant in the Royal Sussex Regiment in 1915 at the age of 19.
He fought at both the Battle of the Somme and the Third Battle of Ypres, more commonly known as the Battle of Passchendaele. In October 1917 he was gassed but survived and was later awarded the Military Cross. He continued to write poetry throughout the conflict and wrote specifically about his wartime experiences in Undertones of War (1928).
In 1924 he accepted a position of Professor of English at the University of Tokyo and made the journey to Japan. There he was introduced to a student called Shigeru Kayama, who would go on to become one of the most significant individuals in the development of rugby in Japan.
Blunden himself had enjoyed playing rugby and cricket in his youth and though it is unknown whether he personally coached Kayama, it is known that he would assist him in his appreciation of the sport.
In 1925 Kayama travelled to England and served a rugby apprenticeship with Richmond and Harlequins. On his return he helped to found the Japanese Rugby Football Union (JRFU) in 1926. In 1930 Japan played its first game as a national side and Kayama was coach.
While still a player Kayama had written a book explaining his philosophy on the playing of the game that would influence future generations of Japanese players. Included in the book was a poem written by Blunden. While in England Kayama presented a copy of his book to the Rugby Football Union. This copy was displayed in the World Rugby Museum’s special exhibition ‘Brave Blossoms: The History of Rugby in Japan’ from November 2018 – August 2019.
In later life Blunden would become Professor of Poetry at Oxford University. He was awarded a CBE in 1951 and his name is one of 16 recorded in the Poet’s Corner of Westminster Abbey. His rugby poem was called ‘UP, UP!’ and is as follows: | <urn:uuid:6a2353ac-1bf3-4602-8c35-fd53e8938dee> | CC-MAIN-2020-10 | https://worldrugbymuseum.blog/2019/02/25/edmund-blunden-the-war-poet-who-went-to-japan/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-10/segments/1581875145859.65/warc/CC-MAIN-20200223215635-20200224005635-00010.warc.gz | en | 0.992714 | 488 | 3.203125 | 3 |
Beijing Temple of Confucius
The temple was built in 1302, and officials used it to pay their respects to Confucius until 1911. The compound was enlarged twice, during the Ming and Qing dynasties and now occupies some 20,000 square meters. From 1981 until 2005, the Temple of Confucius also housed part of the art collection of the Capital Museum. It stands on Guozijian Street near the Imperial Academy.
The complex includes four courtyards aligned along a central axis. From south to north, noteworthy structures includes the Xianshi Gate (先师门), Dacheng Gate (Gate of Great Accomplishmen, 大成门), Dacheng Hall (Hall of Great Accomplishment, 大成殿) and Chongshengci (崇圣祠). Inside the temple there are 198 stone tablets positioned on either side of the front courtyard, and they contains more than 51,624 names of Jinshi (advanced scholars) of the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, and 14 stone stele pavilions of the Ming and Qing dynasties that hold various historical documents of ancient China.
The temple also contains stone tablets recording the names of many generations of scholars who passed the Imperial Examination, a reproduction of a Western Zhou period stone drum made during the reign of Qianlong (1735–96), and stone steles containing the Thirteen Confucian Classics, presented by the city of Jintan in Jiangsu Province.
There is set of carved stone drums made between 1736–1795 during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty held within the Gate of Great Accomplishment, and there is also a large collection of ancient Chinese musical instrument located within the Hall of Great Perfection, along with the central shrine to Confucius.
There are various carvings inside the temple ground. One notable example is a famous carving of "two flying dragons playing a pearl among clouds"; this rare image is seldom to be found in other Confucius temples in China or East Asia, and it is often used in the imperial palaces as dragon is usually solely reserved for emperors.
The Temple has many old trees, including one Cypress tree known as the "Touch Evil Cypress" (Chu Jian Bai), that has been made famous by folklore through the ages. Its name derives from a story from the Ming Dynasty that when a famously corrupt official was passing by, the tree knocked off his hat, and since then people have thought this particular tree could distinguish between good and evil.
|Wikimedia Commons has media related to Beijing Temple of Confucius.|
- Full Virtual Walk & Info on Confucius Temple, Beijing
- http://baike.baidu.com/view/23902.htm (in Chinese) | <urn:uuid:2b056cff-1662-4365-9773-7c652cac6bd1> | CC-MAIN-2013-48 | http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beijing_Temple_of_Confucius | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-48/segments/1387345776439/warc/CC-MAIN-20131218054936-00009-ip-10-33-133-15.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953475 | 594 | 3.6875 | 4 |
Accessibility and Usability
What is accessibility and usability?
Accessibility is the degree to which a product, device, service, or environment is available to as many people as possible. Accessibility can be viewed as the "ability to access" and benefit from some system or entity. The concept often focuses on people with disabilities or special needs (such as Web Accessibility) and their right of access, enabling the use of assistive technology.
Accessibility is not to be confused with usability, which is the extent to which a product (such as a device, service, or environment) can be used by specified users to achieve specified goals with effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction in a specified context of use.
Accessibility is strongly related to universal design when the approach involves "direct access." This is about making things accessible to all people (whether they have a disability or not). An alternative is to provide "indirect access" by having the entity support the use of a person's assistive technology to achieve access (for example, computer screen readers).
Tamara Mariotti, ADA/504 Coordinator
Payne Hall, Room 104H
Educational Technology Services
James Lynch, Director of Educational Technology
Academic Building, Room 137
Marketing & Communications
Matthew Snyder, Director of Marketing & Communications
Payne Hall, Room 345 | <urn:uuid:56b17a2c-bafd-4ff5-9a82-a53dc080cd3d> | CC-MAIN-2016-22 | https://www.mvcc.edu/disability-services/accessibility-and-usability | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-22/segments/1464049276305.39/warc/CC-MAIN-20160524002116-00157-ip-10-185-217-139.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.928312 | 273 | 3.453125 | 3 |
Kinesthetic awareness is important to successfully navigate the environment. When we interact with our daily surroundings, some aspects of movement are deliberately planned, while others spontaneously occur below conscious awareness. The deliberate component of this dichotomy has been studied extensively in several contexts, while the spontaneous component remains largely under-explored. Moreover, how perceptual processes modulate these movement classes is still unclear. In particular, a currently debated issue is whether the visuomotor system is governed by the spatial percept produced by a visual illusion or whether it is not affected by the illusion and is governed instead by the veridical percept. Bistable percepts such as 3D depth inversion illusions (DIIs) provide an excellent context to study such interactions and balance, particularly when used in combination with reach-to-grasp movements. In this study, a methodology is developed that uses a DII to clarify the role of top-down processes on motor action, particularly exploring how reaches toward a target on a DII are affected in both deliberate and spontaneous movement domains.
26 Related JoVE Articles!
Investigating the Neural Mechanisms of Aware and Unaware Fear Memory with fMRI
Institutions: University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Pavlovian fear conditioning is often used in combination with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in humans to investigate the neural substrates of associative learning 1-5
. In these studies, it is important to provide behavioral evidence of conditioning to verify that differences in brain activity are learning-related and correlated with human behavior.
Fear conditioning studies often monitor autonomic responses (e.g. skin conductance response; SCR) as an index of learning and memory 6-8
. In addition, other behavioral measures can provide valuable information about the learning process and/or other cognitive functions that influence conditioning. For example, the impact unconditioned stimulus (UCS) expectancies have on the expression of the conditioned response (CR) and unconditioned response (UCR) has been a topic of interest in several recent studies 9-14
. SCR and UCS expectancy measures have recently been used in conjunction with fMRI to investigate the neural substrates of aware and unaware fear learning and memory processes 15
. Although these cognitive processes can be evaluated to some degree following the conditioning session, post-conditioning assessments cannot measure expectations on a trial-to-trial basis and are susceptible to interference and forgetting, as well as other factors that may distort results 16,17
Monitoring autonomic and behavioral responses simultaneously with fMRI provides a mechanism by which the neural substrates that mediate complex relationships between cognitive processes and behavioral/autonomic responses can be assessed. However, monitoring autonomic and behavioral responses in the MRI environment poses a number of practical problems. Specifically, 1) standard behavioral and physiological monitoring equipment is constructed of ferrous material that cannot be safely used near the MRI scanner, 2) when this equipment is placed outside of the MRI scanning chamber, the cables projecting to the subject can carry RF noise that produces artifacts in brain images, 3) artifacts can be produced within the skin conductance signal by switching gradients during scanning, 4) the fMRI signal produced by the motor demands of behavioral responses may need to be distinguished from activity related to the cognitive processes of interest. Each of these issues can be resolved with modifications to the setup of physiological monitoring equipment and additional data analysis procedures. Here we present a methodology to simultaneously monitor autonomic and behavioral responses during fMRI, and demonstrate the use of these methods to investigate aware and unaware memory processes during fear conditioning.
Neuroscience, Issue 56, fMRI, conditioning, learning, memory, fear, contingency awareness, neuroscience, skin conductance
Irrelevant Stimuli and Action Control: Analyzing the Influence of Ignored Stimuli via the Distractor-Response Binding Paradigm
Institutions: Trier University, Trier University.
Selection tasks in which simple stimuli (e.g.
letters) are presented and a target stimulus has to be selected against one or more distractor stimuli are frequently used in the research on human action control. One important question in these settings is how distractor stimuli, competing with the target stimulus for a response, influence actions. The distractor-response binding paradigm can be used to investigate this influence. It is particular useful to separately analyze response retrieval and distractor inhibition effects. Computer-based experiments are used to collect the data (reaction times and error rates). In a number of sequentially presented pairs of stimulus arrays (prime-probe design), participants respond to targets while ignoring distractor stimuli. Importantly, the factors response relation in the arrays of each pair (repetition vs. change) and distractor relation (repetition vs. change) are varied orthogonally. The repetition of the same distractor then has a different effect depending on response relation (repetition vs. change) between arrays. This result pattern can be explained by response retrieval due to distractor repetition. In addition, distractor inhibition effects are indicated by a general advantage due to distractor repetition. The described paradigm has proven useful to determine relevant parameters for response retrieval effects on human action.
Behavior, Issue 87, stimulus-response binding, distractor-response binding, response retrieval, distractor inhibition, event file, action control, selection task
Making Sense of Listening: The IMAP Test Battery
Institutions: MRC Institute of Hearing Research, National Biomedical Research Unit in Hearing.
The ability to hear is only the first step towards making sense of the range of information contained in an auditory signal. Of equal importance are the abilities to extract and use the information encoded in the auditory signal. We refer to these as listening skills (or auditory processing AP). Deficits in these skills are associated with delayed language and literacy development, though the nature of the relevant deficits and their causal connection with these delays is hotly debated.
When a child is referred to a health professional with normal hearing and unexplained difficulties in listening, or associated delays in language or literacy development, they should ideally be assessed with a combination of psychoacoustic (AP) tests, suitable for children and for use in a clinic, together with cognitive tests to measure attention, working memory, IQ, and language skills. Such a detailed examination needs to be relatively short and within the technical capability of any suitably qualified professional. Current tests for the presence of AP deficits tend to be poorly constructed and inadequately validated within the normal population. They have little or no reference to the presenting symptoms of the child, and typically include a linguistic component. Poor performance may thus reflect problems with language rather than with AP. To assist in the assessment of children with listening difficulties, pediatric audiologists need a single, standardized child-appropriate test battery based on the use of language-free stimuli.
We present the IMAP test battery which was developed at the MRC Institute of Hearing Research to supplement tests currently used to investigate cases of suspected AP deficits. IMAP assesses a range of relevant auditory and cognitive skills and takes about one hour to complete. It has been standardized in 1500 normally-hearing children from across the UK, aged 6-11 years. Since its development, it has been successfully used in a number of large scale studies both in the UK and the USA. IMAP provides measures for separating out sensory from cognitive contributions to hearing. It further limits confounds due to procedural effects by presenting tests in a child-friendly game-format. Stimulus-generation, management of test protocols and control of test presentation is mediated by the IHR-STAR software platform. This provides a standardized methodology for a range of applications and ensures replicable procedures across testers. IHR-STAR provides a flexible, user-programmable environment that currently has additional applications for hearing screening, mapping cochlear implant electrodes, and academic research or teaching.
Neuroscience, Issue 44, Listening skills, auditory processing, auditory psychophysics, clinical assessment, child-friendly testing
Automated, Quantitative Cognitive/Behavioral Screening of Mice: For Genetics, Pharmacology, Animal Cognition and Undergraduate Instruction
Institutions: Rutgers University, Koç University, New York University, Fairfield University.
We describe a high-throughput, high-volume, fully automated, live-in 24/7 behavioral testing system for assessing the effects of genetic and pharmacological manipulations on basic mechanisms of cognition and learning in mice. A standard polypropylene mouse housing tub is connected through an acrylic tube to a standard commercial mouse test box. The test box has 3 hoppers, 2 of which are connected to pellet feeders. All are internally illuminable with an LED and monitored for head entries by infrared (IR) beams. Mice live in the environment, which eliminates handling during screening. They obtain their food during two or more daily feeding periods by performing in operant (instrumental) and Pavlovian (classical) protocols, for which we have written protocol-control software and quasi-real-time data analysis and graphing software. The data analysis and graphing routines are written in a MATLAB-based language created to simplify greatly the analysis of large time-stamped behavioral and physiological event records and to preserve a full data trail from raw data through all intermediate analyses to the published graphs and statistics within a single data structure. The data-analysis code harvests the data several times a day and subjects it to statistical and graphical analyses, which are automatically stored in the "cloud" and on in-lab computers. Thus, the progress of individual mice is visualized and quantified daily. The data-analysis code talks to the protocol-control code, permitting the automated advance from protocol to protocol of individual subjects. The behavioral protocols implemented are matching, autoshaping, timed hopper-switching, risk assessment in timed hopper-switching, impulsivity measurement, and the circadian anticipation of food availability. Open-source protocol-control and data-analysis code makes the addition of new protocols simple. Eight test environments fit in a 48 in x 24 in x 78 in cabinet; two such cabinets (16 environments) may be controlled by one computer.
Behavior, Issue 84, genetics, cognitive mechanisms, behavioral screening, learning, memory, timing
Design and Construction of an Urban Runoff Research Facility
Institutions: Texas A&M University, The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company.
As the urban population increases, so does the area of irrigated urban landscape. Summer water use in urban areas can be 2-3x winter base line water use due to increased demand for landscape irrigation. Improper irrigation practices and large rainfall events can result in runoff from urban landscapes which has potential to carry nutrients and sediments into local streams and lakes where they may contribute to eutrophication. A 1,000 m2
facility was constructed which consists of 24 individual 33.6 m2
field plots, each equipped for measuring total runoff volumes with time and collection of runoff subsamples at selected intervals for quantification of chemical constituents in the runoff water from simulated urban landscapes. Runoff volumes from the first and second trials had coefficient of variability (CV) values of 38.2 and 28.7%, respectively. CV values for runoff pH, EC, and Na concentration for both trials were all under 10%. Concentrations of DOC, TDN, DON, PO4
, and Ca2+
had CV values less than 50% in both trials. Overall, the results of testing performed after sod installation at the facility indicated good uniformity between plots for runoff volumes and chemical constituents. The large plot size is sufficient to include much of the natural variability and therefore provides better simulation of urban landscape ecosystems.
Environmental Sciences, Issue 90, urban runoff, landscapes, home lawns, turfgrass, St. Augustinegrass, carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, sodium
From Voxels to Knowledge: A Practical Guide to the Segmentation of Complex Electron Microscopy 3D-Data
Institutions: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
Modern 3D electron microscopy approaches have recently allowed unprecedented insight into the 3D ultrastructural organization of cells and tissues, enabling the visualization of large macromolecular machines, such as adhesion complexes, as well as higher-order structures, such as the cytoskeleton and cellular organelles in their respective cell and tissue context. Given the inherent complexity of cellular volumes, it is essential to first extract the features of interest in order to allow visualization, quantification, and therefore comprehension of their 3D organization. Each data set is defined by distinct characteristics, e.g.
, signal-to-noise ratio, crispness (sharpness) of the data, heterogeneity of its features, crowdedness of features, presence or absence of characteristic shapes that allow for easy identification, and the percentage of the entire volume that a specific region of interest occupies. All these characteristics need to be considered when deciding on which approach to take for segmentation.
The six different 3D ultrastructural data sets presented were obtained by three different imaging approaches: resin embedded stained electron tomography, focused ion beam- and serial block face- scanning electron microscopy (FIB-SEM, SBF-SEM) of mildly stained and heavily stained samples, respectively. For these data sets, four different segmentation approaches have been applied: (1) fully manual model building followed solely by visualization of the model, (2) manual tracing segmentation of the data followed by surface rendering, (3) semi-automated approaches followed by surface rendering, or (4) automated custom-designed segmentation algorithms followed by surface rendering and quantitative analysis. Depending on the combination of data set characteristics, it was found that typically one of these four categorical approaches outperforms the others, but depending on the exact sequence of criteria, more than one approach may be successful. Based on these data, we propose a triage scheme that categorizes both objective data set characteristics and subjective personal criteria for the analysis of the different data sets.
Bioengineering, Issue 90, 3D electron microscopy, feature extraction, segmentation, image analysis, reconstruction, manual tracing, thresholding
Whole-cell MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometry is an Accurate and Rapid Method to Analyze Different Modes of Macrophage Activation
Institutions: Aix Marseille Université, Hôpital de la Timone.
MALDI-TOF is an extensively used mass spectrometry technique in chemistry and biochemistry. It has been also applied in medicine to identify molecules and biomarkers. Recently, it has been used in microbiology for the routine identification of bacteria grown from clinical samples, without preparation or fractionation steps. We and others have applied this whole-cell MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry technique successfully to eukaryotic cells. Current applications range from cell type identification to quality control assessment of cell culture and diagnostic applications. Here, we describe its use to explore the various polarization phenotypes of macrophages in response to cytokines or heat-killed bacteria. It allowed the identification of macrophage-specific fingerprints that are representative of the diversity of proteomic responses of macrophages. This application illustrates the accuracy and simplicity of the method. The protocol we described here may be useful for studying the immune host response in pathological conditions or may be extended to wider diagnostic applications.
Immunology, Issue 82, MALDI-TOF, mass spectrometry, fingerprint, Macrophages, activation, IFN-g, TNF, LPS, IL-4, bacterial pathogens
Contextual and Cued Fear Conditioning Test Using a Video Analyzing System in Mice
Institutions: Fujita Health University, Core Research for Evolutionary Science and Technology (CREST), National Institutes of Natural Sciences.
The contextual and cued fear conditioning test is one of the behavioral tests that assesses the ability of mice to learn and remember an association between environmental cues and aversive experiences. In this test, mice are placed into a conditioning chamber and are given parings of a conditioned stimulus (an auditory cue) and an aversive unconditioned stimulus (an electric footshock). After a delay time, the mice are exposed to the same conditioning chamber and a differently shaped chamber with presentation of the auditory cue. Freezing behavior during the test is measured as an index of fear memory. To analyze the behavior automatically, we have developed a video analyzing system using the ImageFZ application software program, which is available as a free download at http://www.mouse-phenotype.org/. Here, to show the details of our protocol, we demonstrate our procedure for the contextual and cued fear conditioning test in C57BL/6J mice using the ImageFZ system. In addition, we validated our protocol and the video analyzing system performance by comparing freezing time measured by the ImageFZ system or a photobeam-based computer measurement system with that scored by a human observer. As shown in our representative results, the data obtained by ImageFZ were similar to those analyzed by a human observer, indicating that the behavioral analysis using the ImageFZ system is highly reliable. The present movie article provides detailed information regarding the test procedures and will promote understanding of the experimental situation.
Behavior, Issue 85, Fear, Learning, Memory, ImageFZ program, Mouse, contextual fear, cued fear
Cortical Source Analysis of High-Density EEG Recordings in Children
Institutions: UCL Institute of Child Health, University College London.
EEG is traditionally described as a neuroimaging technique with high temporal and low spatial resolution. Recent advances in biophysical modelling and signal processing make it possible to exploit information from other imaging modalities like structural MRI that provide high spatial resolution to overcome this constraint1
. This is especially useful for investigations that require high resolution in the temporal as well as spatial domain. In addition, due to the easy application and low cost of EEG recordings, EEG is often the method of choice when working with populations, such as young children, that do not tolerate functional MRI scans well. However, in order to investigate which neural substrates are involved, anatomical information from structural MRI is still needed. Most EEG analysis packages work with standard head models that are based on adult anatomy. The accuracy of these models when used for children is limited2
, because the composition and spatial configuration of head tissues changes dramatically over development3
In the present paper, we provide an overview of our recent work in utilizing head models based on individual structural MRI scans or age specific head models to reconstruct the cortical generators of high density EEG. This article describes how EEG recordings are acquired, processed, and analyzed with pediatric populations at the London Baby Lab, including laboratory setup, task design, EEG preprocessing, MRI processing, and EEG channel level and source analysis.
Behavior, Issue 88, EEG, electroencephalogram, development, source analysis, pediatric, minimum-norm estimation, cognitive neuroscience, event-related potentials
A Microfluidic-based Electrochemical Biochip for Label-free DNA Hybridization Analysis
Institutions: University of Maryland, University of Maryland.
Miniaturization of analytical benchtop procedures into the micro-scale provides significant advantages in regards to reaction time, cost, and integration of pre-processing steps. Utilizing these devices towards the analysis of DNA hybridization events is important because it offers a technology for real time assessment of biomarkers at the point-of-care for various diseases. However, when the device footprint decreases the dominance of various physical phenomena increases. These phenomena influence the fabrication precision and operation reliability of the device. Therefore, there is a great need to accurately fabricate and operate these devices in a reproducible manner in order to improve the overall performance. Here, we describe the protocols and the methods used for the fabrication and the operation of a microfluidic-based electrochemical biochip for accurate analysis of DNA hybridization events. The biochip is composed of two parts: a microfluidic chip with three parallel micro-channels made of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), and a 3 x 3 arrayed electrochemical micro-chip. The DNA hybridization events are detected using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) analysis. The EIS analysis enables monitoring variations of the properties of the electrochemical system that are dominant at these length scales. With the ability to monitor changes of both charge transfer and diffusional resistance with the biosensor, we demonstrate the selectivity to complementary ssDNA targets, a calculated detection limit of 3.8 nM, and a 13% cross-reactivity with other non-complementary ssDNA following 20 min of incubation. This methodology can improve the performance of miniaturized devices by elucidating on the behavior of diffusion at the micro-scale regime and by enabling the study of DNA hybridization events.
Bioengineering, Issue 91, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, DNA hybridization, biosensor, biochip, microfluidics, label-free detection, restricted diffusion, microfabrication
High Resolution Whole Mount In Situ Hybridization within Zebrafish Embryos to Study Gene Expression and Function
Institutions: Royal Victoria Hospital, McGill University Health Centre Research Institute.
This article focuses on whole-mount in situ
hybridization (WISH) of zebrafish embryos. The WISH technology facilitates the assessment of gene expression both in terms of tissue distribution and developmental stage. Protocols are described for the use of WISH of zebrafish embryos using antisense RNA probes labeled with digoxigenin. Probes are generated by incorporating digoxigenin-linked nucleotides through in vitro
transcription of gene templates that have been cloned and linearized. The chorions of embryos harvested at defined developmental stages are removed before incubation with specific probes. Following a washing procedure to remove excess probe, embryos are incubated with anti-digoxigenin antibody conjugated with alkaline phosphatase. By employing a chromogenic substrate for alkaline phosphatase, specific gene expression can be assessed. Depending on the level of gene expression the entire procedure can be completed within 2-3 days.
Neuroscience, Issue 80, Blood Cells, Endoderm, Motor Neurons, life sciences, animal models in situ hybridization, morpholino knockdown, progranulin, neuromast, proprotein convertase, anti-sense transcripts, intermediate cell mass, pronephric duct, somites
Correlating Behavioral Responses to fMRI Signals from Human Prefrontal Cortex: Examining Cognitive Processes Using Task Analysis
Institutions: Centre for Vision Research, York University, Centre for Vision Research, York University.
The aim of this methods paper is to describe how to implement a neuroimaging technique to examine complementary brain processes engaged by two similar tasks. Participants' behavior during task performance in an fMRI scanner can then be correlated to the brain activity using the blood-oxygen-level-dependent signal. We measure behavior to be able to sort correct trials, where the subject performed the task correctly and then be able to examine the brain signals related to correct performance. Conversely, if subjects do not perform the task correctly, and these trials are included in the same analysis with the correct trials we would introduce trials that were not only for correct performance. Thus, in many cases these errors can be used themselves to then correlate brain activity to them. We describe two complementary tasks that are used in our lab to examine the brain during suppression of an automatic responses: the stroop1
and anti-saccade tasks. The emotional stroop paradigm instructs participants to either report the superimposed emotional 'word' across the affective faces or the facial 'expressions' of the face stimuli1,2
. When the word and the facial expression refer to different emotions, a conflict between what must be said and what is automatically read occurs. The participant has to resolve the conflict between two simultaneously competing processes of word reading and facial expression. Our urge to read out a word leads to strong 'stimulus-response (SR)' associations; hence inhibiting these strong SR's is difficult and participants are prone to making errors. Overcoming this conflict and directing attention away from the face or the word requires the subject to inhibit bottom up processes which typically directs attention to the more salient stimulus. Similarly, in the anti-saccade task3,4,5,6
, where an instruction cue is used to direct only attention to a peripheral stimulus location but then the eye movement is made to the mirror opposite position. Yet again we measure behavior by recording the eye movements of participants which allows for the sorting of the behavioral responses into correct and error trials7
which then can be correlated to brain activity. Neuroimaging now allows researchers to measure different behaviors of correct and error trials that are indicative of different cognitive processes and pinpoint the different neural networks involved.
Neuroscience, Issue 64, fMRI, eyetracking, BOLD, attention, inhibition, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, MRI
A Protocol for Conducting Rainfall Simulation to Study Soil Runoff
Institutions: University of Maryland Eastern Shore, USDA - Agricultural Research Service, University of Maryland Eastern Shore.
Rainfall is a driving force for the transport of environmental contaminants from agricultural soils to surficial water bodies via surface runoff. The objective of this study was to characterize the effects of antecedent soil moisture content on the fate and transport of surface applied commercial urea, a common form of nitrogen (N) fertilizer, following a rainfall event that occurs within 24 hr after fertilizer application. Although urea is assumed to be readily hydrolyzed to ammonium and therefore not often available for transport, recent studies suggest that urea can be transported from agricultural soils to coastal waters where it is implicated in harmful algal blooms. A rainfall simulator was used to apply a consistent rate of uniform rainfall across packed soil boxes that had been prewetted to different soil moisture contents. By controlling rainfall and soil physical characteristics, the effects of antecedent soil moisture on urea loss were isolated. Wetter soils exhibited shorter time from rainfall initiation to runoff initiation, greater total volume of runoff, higher urea concentrations in runoff, and greater mass loadings of urea in runoff. These results also demonstrate the importance of controlling for antecedent soil moisture content in studies designed to isolate other variables, such as soil physical or chemical characteristics, slope, soil cover, management, or rainfall characteristics. Because rainfall simulators are designed to deliver raindrops of similar size and velocity as natural rainfall, studies conducted under a standardized protocol can yield valuable data that, in turn, can be used to develop models for predicting the fate and transport of pollutants in runoff.
Environmental Sciences, Issue 86, Agriculture, Water Pollution, Water Quality, Technology, Industry, and Agriculture, Rainfall Simulator, Artificial Rainfall, Runoff, Packed Soil Boxes, Nonpoint Source, Urea
Training Synesthetic Letter-color Associations by Reading in Color
Institutions: University of Amsterdam.
Synesthesia is a rare condition in which a stimulus from one modality automatically and consistently triggers unusual sensations in the same and/or other modalities. A relatively common and well-studied type is grapheme-color synesthesia, defined as the consistent experience of color when viewing, hearing and thinking about letters, words and numbers. We describe our method for investigating to what extent synesthetic associations between letters and colors can be learned by reading in color in nonsynesthetes. Reading in color is a special method for training associations in the sense that the associations are learned implicitly while the reader reads text as he or she normally would and it does not require explicit computer-directed training methods. In this protocol, participants are given specially prepared books to read in which four high-frequency letters are paired with four high-frequency colors. Participants receive unique sets of letter-color pairs based on their pre-existing preferences for colored letters. A modified Stroop task is administered before and after reading in order to test for learned letter-color associations and changes in brain activation. In addition to objective testing, a reading experience questionnaire is administered that is designed to probe for differences in subjective experience. A subset of questions may predict how well an individual learned the associations from reading in color. Importantly, we are not claiming that this method will cause each individual to develop grapheme-color synesthesia, only that it is possible for certain individuals to form letter-color associations by reading in color and these associations are similar in some aspects to those seen in developmental grapheme-color synesthetes. The method is quite flexible and can be used to investigate different aspects and outcomes of training synesthetic associations, including learning-induced changes in brain function and structure.
Behavior, Issue 84, synesthesia, training, learning, reading, vision, memory, cognition
Non-radioactive in situ Hybridization Protocol Applicable for Norway Spruce and a Range of Plant Species
Institutions: Uppsala University, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences.
The high-throughput expression analysis technologies available today give scientists an overflow of expression profiles but their resolution in terms of tissue specific expression is limited because of problems in dissecting individual tissues. Expression data needs to be confirmed and complemented with expression patterns using e.g. in situ
hybridization, a technique used to localize cell specific mRNA expression. The in situ
hybridization method is laborious, time-consuming and often requires extensive optimization depending on species and tissue. In situ
experiments are relatively more difficult to perform in woody species such as the conifer Norway spruce (Picea abies
). Here we present a modified DIG in situ
hybridization protocol, which is fast and applicable on a wide range of plant species including P. abies
. With just a few adjustments, including altered RNase treatment and proteinase K concentration, we could use the protocol to study tissue specific expression of homologous genes in male reproductive organs of one gymnosperm and two angiosperm species; P. abies, Arabidopsis thaliana
and Brassica napus
. The protocol worked equally well for the species and genes studied. AtAP3
were observed in second and third whorl floral organs in A. thaliana
and B. napus
and DAL13 in microsporophylls of male cones from P. abies
. For P. abies
the proteinase K concentration, used to permeablize the tissues, had to be increased to 3 g/ml instead of 1 g/ml, possibly due to more compact tissues and higher levels of phenolics and polysaccharides. For all species the RNase treatment was removed due to reduced signal strength without a corresponding increase in specificity. By comparing tissue specific expression patterns of homologous genes from both flowering plants and a coniferous tree we demonstrate that the DIG in situ
protocol presented here, with only minute adjustments, can be applied to a wide range of plant species. Hence, the protocol avoids both extensive species specific optimization and the laborious use of radioactively labeled probes in favor of DIG labeled probes. We have chosen to illustrate the technically demanding steps of the protocol in our film.
Anna Karlgren and Jenny Carlsson contributed equally to this study.
Corresponding authors: Anna Karlgren at Anna.Karlgren@ebc.uu.se and Jens F. Sundström at Jens.Sundstrom@vbsg.slu.se
Plant Biology, Issue 26, RNA, expression analysis, Norway spruce, Arabidopsis, rapeseed, conifers
Perceptual and Category Processing of the Uncanny Valley Hypothesis' Dimension of Human Likeness: Some Methodological Issues
Institutions: University of Zurich.
Mori's Uncanny Valley Hypothesis1,2
proposes that the perception of humanlike characters such as robots and, by extension, avatars (computer-generated characters) can evoke negative or positive affect (valence) depending on the object's degree of visual and behavioral realism along a dimension of human likeness
) (Figure 1
). But studies of affective valence of subjective responses to variously realistic non-human characters have produced inconsistent findings 3, 4, 5, 6
. One of a number of reasons for this is that human likeness is not perceived as the hypothesis assumes. While the DHL can be defined following Mori's description as a smooth linear change in the degree of physical humanlike similarity, subjective perception of objects along the DHL can be understood in terms of the psychological effects of categorical perception (CP) 7
. Further behavioral and neuroimaging investigations of category processing and CP along the DHL and of the potential influence of the dimension's underlying category structure on affective experience are needed. This protocol therefore focuses on the DHL and allows examination of CP. Based on the protocol presented in the video as an example, issues surrounding the methodology in the protocol and the use in "uncanny" research of stimuli drawn from morph continua to represent the DHL are discussed in the article that accompanies the video. The use of neuroimaging and morph stimuli to represent the DHL in order to disentangle brain regions neurally responsive to physical human-like similarity from those responsive to category change and category processing is briefly illustrated.
Behavior, Issue 76, Neuroscience, Neurobiology, Molecular Biology, Psychology, Neuropsychology, uncanny valley, functional magnetic resonance imaging, fMRI, categorical perception, virtual reality, avatar, human likeness, Mori, uncanny valley hypothesis, perception, magnetic resonance imaging, MRI, imaging, clinical techniques
Measuring Oral Fatty Acid Thresholds, Fat Perception, Fatty Food Liking, and Papillae Density in Humans
Institutions: Deakin University.
Emerging evidence from a number of laboratories indicates that humans have the ability to identify fatty acids in the oral cavity, presumably via fatty acid receptors housed on taste cells. Previous research has shown that an individual's oral sensitivity to fatty acid, specifically oleic acid (C18:1) is associated with body mass index (BMI), dietary fat consumption, and the ability to identify fat in foods. We have developed a reliable and reproducible method to assess oral chemoreception of fatty acids, using a milk and C18:1 emulsion, together with an ascending forced choice triangle procedure. In parallel, a food matrix has been developed to assess an individual's ability to perceive fat, in addition to a simple method to assess fatty food liking. As an added measure tongue photography is used to assess papillae density, with higher density often being associated with increased taste sensitivity.
Neuroscience, Issue 88, taste, overweight and obesity, dietary fat, fatty acid, diet, fatty food liking, detection threshold
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for Investigating Causal Brain-behavioral Relationships and their Time Course
Institutions: University College London.
Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a safe, non-invasive brain stimulation technique that uses a strong electromagnet in order to temporarily disrupt information processing in a brain region, generating a short-lived “virtual lesion.” Stimulation that interferes with task performance indicates that the affected brain region is necessary to perform the task normally. In other words, unlike neuroimaging methods such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) that indicate correlations between brain and behavior, TMS can be used to demonstrate causal brain-behavior relations. Furthermore, by varying the duration and onset of the virtual lesion, TMS can also reveal the time course of normal processing. As a result, TMS has become an important tool in cognitive neuroscience. Advantages of the technique over lesion-deficit studies include better spatial-temporal precision of the disruption effect, the ability to use participants as their own control subjects, and the accessibility of participants. Limitations include concurrent auditory and somatosensory stimulation that may influence task performance, limited access to structures more than a few centimeters from the surface of the scalp, and the relatively large space of free parameters that need to be optimized in order for the experiment to work. Experimental designs that give careful consideration to appropriate control conditions help to address these concerns. This article illustrates these issues with TMS results that investigate the spatial and temporal contributions of the left supramarginal gyrus (SMG) to reading.
Behavior, Issue 89,
Transcranial magnetic stimulation, virtual lesion, chronometric, cognition, brain, behavior
The Use of Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy as a Tool for the Measurement of Bi-hemispheric Transcranial Electric Stimulation Effects on Primary Motor Cortex Metabolism
Institutions: University of Montréal, McGill University, University of Minnesota.
Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a neuromodulation technique that has been increasingly used over the past decade in the treatment of neurological and psychiatric disorders such as stroke and depression. Yet, the mechanisms underlying its ability to modulate brain excitability to improve clinical symptoms remains poorly understood 33
. To help improve this understanding, proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1
H-MRS) can be used as it allows the in vivo
quantification of brain metabolites such as γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glutamate in a region-specific manner 41
. In fact, a recent study demonstrated that 1
H-MRS is indeed a powerful means to better understand the effects of tDCS on neurotransmitter concentration 34
. This article aims to describe the complete protocol for combining tDCS (NeuroConn MR compatible stimulator) with 1
H-MRS at 3 T using a MEGA-PRESS sequence. We will describe the impact of a protocol that has shown great promise for the treatment of motor dysfunctions after stroke, which consists of bilateral stimulation of primary motor cortices 27,30,31
. Methodological factors to consider and possible modifications to the protocol are also discussed.
Neuroscience, Issue 93, proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy, transcranial direct current stimulation, primary motor cortex, GABA, glutamate, stroke
Studying Food Reward and Motivation in Humans
Institutions: University of Cambridge, University of Cambridge, University of Cambridge, Addenbrooke's Hospital.
A key challenge in studying reward processing in humans is to go beyond subjective self-report measures and quantify different aspects of reward such as hedonics, motivation, and goal value in more objective ways. This is particularly relevant for the understanding of overeating and obesity as well as their potential treatments. In this paper are described a set of measures of food-related motivation using handgrip force as a motivational measure. These methods can be used to examine changes in food related motivation with metabolic (satiety) and pharmacological manipulations and can be used to evaluate interventions targeted at overeating and obesity. However to understand food-related decision making in the complex food environment it is essential to be able to ascertain the reward goal values that guide the decisions and behavioral choices that people make. These values are hidden but it is possible to ascertain them more objectively using metrics such as the willingness to pay and a method for this is described. Both these sets of methods provide quantitative measures of motivation and goal value that can be compared within and between individuals.
Behavior, Issue 85, Food reward, motivation, grip force, willingness to pay, subliminal motivation
Simultaneous Multicolor Imaging of Biological Structures with Fluorescence Photoactivation Localization Microscopy
Institutions: University of Maine.
Localization-based super resolution microscopy can be applied to obtain a spatial map (image) of the distribution of individual fluorescently labeled single molecules within a sample with a spatial resolution of tens of nanometers. Using either photoactivatable (PAFP) or photoswitchable (PSFP) fluorescent proteins fused to proteins of interest, or organic dyes conjugated to antibodies or other molecules of interest, fluorescence photoactivation localization microscopy (FPALM) can simultaneously image multiple species of molecules within single cells. By using the following approach, populations of large numbers (thousands to hundreds of thousands) of individual molecules are imaged in single cells and localized with a precision of ~10-30 nm. Data obtained can be applied to understanding the nanoscale spatial distributions of multiple protein types within a cell. One primary advantage of this technique is the dramatic increase in spatial resolution: while diffraction limits resolution to ~200-250 nm in conventional light microscopy, FPALM can image length scales more than an order of magnitude smaller. As many biological hypotheses concern the spatial relationships among different biomolecules, the improved resolution of FPALM can provide insight into questions of cellular organization which have previously been inaccessible to conventional fluorescence microscopy. In addition to detailing the methods for sample preparation and data acquisition, we here describe the optical setup for FPALM. One additional consideration for researchers wishing to do super-resolution microscopy is cost: in-house setups are significantly cheaper than most commercially available imaging machines. Limitations of this technique include the need for optimizing the labeling of molecules of interest within cell samples, and the need for post-processing software to visualize results. We here describe the use of PAFP and PSFP expression to image two protein species in fixed cells. Extension of the technique to living cells is also described.
Basic Protocol, Issue 82, Microscopy, Super-resolution imaging, Multicolor, single molecule, FPALM, Localization microscopy, fluorescent proteins
Using the Threat Probability Task to Assess Anxiety and Fear During Uncertain and Certain Threat
Institutions: University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Fear of certain threat and anxiety about uncertain threat are distinct emotions with unique behavioral, cognitive-attentional, and neuroanatomical components. Both anxiety and fear can be studied in the laboratory by measuring the potentiation of the startle reflex. The startle reflex is a defensive reflex that is potentiated when an organism is threatened and the need for defense is high. The startle reflex is assessed via electromyography (EMG) in the orbicularis oculi muscle elicited by brief, intense, bursts of acoustic white noise (i.e.
, “startle probes”). Startle potentiation is calculated as the increase in startle response magnitude during presentation of sets of visual threat cues that signal delivery of mild electric shock relative to sets of matched cues that signal the absence of shock (no-threat cues). In the Threat Probability Task, fear is measured via startle potentiation to high probability (100% cue-contingent shock; certain) threat cues whereas anxiety is measured via startle potentiation to low probability (20% cue-contingent shock; uncertain) threat cues. Measurement of startle potentiation during the Threat Probability Task provides an objective and easily implemented alternative to assessment of negative affect via self-report or other methods (e.g.
, neuroimaging) that may be inappropriate or impractical for some researchers. Startle potentiation has been studied rigorously in both animals (e.g
., rodents, non-human primates) and humans which facilitates animal-to-human translational research. Startle potentiation during certain and uncertain threat provides an objective measure of negative affective and distinct emotional states (fear, anxiety) to use in research on psychopathology, substance use/abuse and broadly in affective science. As such, it has been used extensively by clinical scientists interested in psychopathology etiology and by affective scientists interested in individual differences in emotion.
Behavior, Issue 91,
Startle; electromyography; shock; addiction; uncertainty; fear; anxiety; humans; psychophysiology; translational
Examining the Characteristics of Episodic Memory using Event-related Potentials in Patients with Alzheimer's Disease
Institutions: Vanderbilt University.
Our laboratory uses event-related EEG potentials (ERPs) to understand and support behavioral investigations of episodic memory in patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) and Alzheimer's disease (AD). Whereas behavioral data inform us about the patients' performance, ERPs allow us to record discrete changes in brain activity. Further, ERPs can give us insight into the onset, duration, and interaction of independent cognitive processes associated with memory retrieval. In patient populations, these types of studies are used to examine which aspects of memory are impaired and which remain relatively intact compared to a control population. The methodology for collecting ERP data from a vulnerable patient population while these participants perform a recognition memory task is reviewed. This protocol includes participant preparation, quality assurance, data acquisition, and data analysis. In addition to basic setup and acquisition, we will also demonstrate localization techniques to obtain greater spatial resolution and source localization using high-density (128 channel) electrode arrays.
Medicine, Issue 54, recognition memory, episodic memory, event-related potentials, dual process, Alzheimer's disease, amnestic mild cognitive impairment
EEG Mu Rhythm in Typical and Atypical Development
Institutions: University of Washington, University of Washington.
Electroencephalography (EEG) is an effective, efficient, and noninvasive method of assessing and recording brain activity. Given the excellent temporal resolution, EEG can be used to examine the neural response related to specific behaviors, states, or external stimuli. An example of this utility is the assessment of the mirror neuron system (MNS) in humans through the examination of the EEG mu rhythm. The EEG mu rhythm, oscillatory activity in the 8-12 Hz frequency range recorded from centrally located electrodes, is suppressed when an individual executes, or simply observes, goal directed actions. As such, it has been proposed to reflect activity of the MNS. It has been theorized that dysfunction in the mirror neuron system (MNS) plays a contributing role in the social deficits of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The MNS can then be noninvasively examined in clinical populations by using EEG mu rhythm attenuation as an index for its activity. The described protocol provides an avenue to examine social cognitive functions theoretically linked to the MNS in individuals with typical and atypical development, such as ASD.
Medicine, Issue 86, Electroencephalography (EEG), mu rhythm, imitation, autism spectrum disorder, social cognition, mirror neuron system
Protocols for Microapplicator-assisted Infection of Lepidopteran Larvae with Baculovirus
Institutions: Iowa State University.
Baculoviruses are widely used both as protein expression vectors and as insect pest control agents. . This video shows how lepidopteran larvae can be infected with microapplicator techniques in the gut with baculovirus polyhedra and in the hemolymph with budded virus. This accompanying Springer Protocols section provides an overview of the baculovirus lifecycle and use of baculoviruses as insecticidal agents. Formulation and application of baculoviruses for pest control purposes are described elsewhere.
Plant Biology, Issue 18, Springer Protocols, Baculovirus insecticides, recombinant baculovirus, insect pest management
Cross-Modal Multivariate Pattern Analysis
Institutions: University of Southern California.
Multivariate pattern analysis (MVPA) is an increasingly popular method of analyzing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data1-4
. Typically, the method is used to identify a subject's perceptual experience from neural activity in certain regions of the brain. For instance, it has been employed to predict the orientation of visual gratings a subject perceives from activity in early visual cortices5
or, analogously, the content of speech from activity in early auditory cortices6
Here, we present an extension of the classical MVPA paradigm, according to which perceptual stimuli are not predicted within, but across sensory systems. Specifically, the method we describe addresses the question of whether stimuli that evoke memory associations in modalities other than the one through which they are presented induce content-specific activity patterns in the sensory cortices of those other modalities. For instance, seeing a muted video clip of a glass vase shattering on the ground automatically triggers in most observers an auditory image of the associated sound; is the experience of this image in the "mind's ear" correlated with a specific neural activity pattern in early auditory cortices? Furthermore, is this activity pattern distinct from the pattern that could be observed if the subject were, instead, watching a video clip of a howling dog?
In two previous studies7,8
, we were able to predict sound- and touch-implying video clips based on neural activity in early auditory and somatosensory cortices, respectively. Our results are in line with a neuroarchitectural framework proposed by Damasio9,10
, according to which the experience of mental images that are based on memories - such as hearing the shattering sound of a vase in the "mind's ear" upon seeing the corresponding video clip - is supported by the re-construction of content-specific neural activity patterns in early sensory cortices.
Neuroscience, Issue 57, perception, sensory, cross-modal, top-down, mental imagery, fMRI, MRI, neuroimaging, multivariate pattern analysis, MVPA | <urn:uuid:2e7a7310-de7f-4009-ae21-640f8f52a2f8> | CC-MAIN-2017-13 | https://www.jove.com/visualize/abstract/24642834/naturalizing-sense-agency-with-hierarchical-event-control | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-13/segments/1490218186774.43/warc/CC-MAIN-20170322212946-00647-ip-10-233-31-227.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.912679 | 10,225 | 2.625 | 3 |
Q: Does one’s blood pressure go down after eating a large amount of cold ice cream or ice desserts?
A: Studies have shown drinking ice water can produce some changes on an EKG tracing of the heart. I do not know how this correlates with eating cold desserts. In response to cold temperatures, heart rate and blood pressure increase to keep the body warm. Based on this, my guess would be
that if large enough amounts of a frozen concoction are consumed quickly enough, blood pressure would increase. However, I would think this might be painful to accomplish. Most people savor ice cream and cold desserts so they are warmed by the mouth prior to swallowing.
High Blood Pressure Climbs in Winter – WebMD.com | <urn:uuid:d87d7534-010b-4930-a2bb-76e0ddd9c5c0> | CC-MAIN-2014-15 | http://www.lowerpressure.com/the-effect-of-cold-deserts-on-bp/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-15/segments/1397609524259.30/warc/CC-MAIN-20140416005204-00031-ip-10-147-4-33.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946029 | 151 | 2.625 | 3 |
Parenting: When to Cope-When to Heal
Lately the new “buzz word” in my field is teaching children “coping skills.” Coping by definition:
Coping means to invest one’s own conscious effort, to solve personal and interpersonal problems, in order to try to master, minimize or tolerate stress and conflict.
I see it everywhere and here I’ll explain the difference in coping and healing; or why I (in this case) refer to coping as “applying a band-aid.”
Scratch or Gash
When you get a paper cut or skin your knee a band-aid is appropriate. It’s a wound but it’s superficial, it hurt but it will easily heal in a day, maybe two; you can cope.
If you have a car accident and get seriously hurt or fall on a piece of glass and find yourself in a hospital emergency room that’s a different wound, it’s deep and it will take serious care and time to heal. A band-aid isn’t appropriate; it could kill you; a great deal of care and healing must happen before you can cope.
Cope with It or Heal It
How does this relate to teaching coping skills and therapy…
Coping skills are recommended for a myriad of things; for “paper cut” type wounds, they’re stressful but given some time you can cope! Things like:
- New school/teacher
- New job/job relocation
- Broken heart
Teaching coping skills (applying a band-aid) to kids that have a deep wound versus getting to it and cleaning it up (pulling out that shard of glass) can kill them. Things like:
- Absent parent(s)
See the difference? Is it a scratch or a gash? What’s the level of care required? A child shouldn’t be expected to “learn to” cope with (band-aid) and carry deep, hurtful wounds.
As an Example
My own personal story is an example that I’ve shared many times. I grew up in a home with an alcoholic abusive father. I learned to cope with it most of my life. After making what I call “messes” in my adult life and running from the hurt of the deep wound I carried I decided to seek out the care it required and heal. At 30 yrs. old I got the counseling and therapy I needed; I tore off the band-aid and cleaned it up once and for all. I now live a healthy responsible life; my only regret is that I didn’t do it sooner.
If you suspect your child is suffering from a deep wound, don’t teach him coping skills, get it cleaned up! Do your homework, seek out a Licensed Professional Counselor and be specific that you aren’t looking for coping skills, you want healing!
As an additional resource, pick up a copy of my books “Saving Our Sons” and “Generation of Men,” both provide valuable insight to what boys need.
Leave a Comment | <urn:uuid:466137ac-2f20-44df-9396-08a97fd4fb54> | CC-MAIN-2023-23 | https://thequestproject.com/parenting-cope-heal/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-23/segments/1685224643388.45/warc/CC-MAIN-20230527223515-20230528013515-00468.warc.gz | en | 0.942799 | 687 | 2.96875 | 3 |
Born in 1904, Herman De Cuyper belonged to the “Generation of 1900”. In fact, these were the artists of the Interbellum, who succeeded the generation of the expressionists. They were subjected to the dominance of Flemish expressionism, which urged to deformation and even malformation of reality. But as from 1930, the sculptors showed a tendency towards “back to nature”. Paul Haesaerts (1901-1974) – an important Belgian art critic – published a book in 1942, in which he gave a name to this way of thinking of the “retour à l’humain”, i.e. animism. He unfortunately named the anthropological notion the way he did and borrowed the term from an anthropologist called E.B. Tylor, who developed the idea in his book Primitive Culture (1871) that a soul inhabits all objects as a basis of the coming into being of primitive religion. Later, Haesaerts, driven by criticism to do so, also used the terms “réalisme poétique” and intimism. Although the terms intimism and intimist much better reflect the spiritual state of these artists, the notion animism and the movement of animists is still to date the most commonly used term in the literature. It is rather the approach or attitude towards a reality that is perceived as a spiritualised harmony and suggested as such in the plastic representation. They try to lay a soul, a spirit (to in-spire) in their forms to evoke the deeper content behind what is actually depicted.
Kneeling mother and child, 1954 (Scaldis 1956)
Mother and child, bluestone, 1940 (Middelheim, 1952)
Herman De Cuyper got acquainted with Paul Haesaerts only after the latter published about animism.
Young girl, cherry, 1937 (Apport, 1942)
As an expert he even purchased works for third parties and invited the artist to exhibit his work as the sole “sculpteur invité” at the summer salon of the group Apport (1942) in the Galeries Apollo in Brussels. After World War II, De Cuyper practically never exhibited, although he was present at the opening exhibit of Middelheim in 1952 with a taille directe in bluestone: Mother and child (1940).
His beautiful Kneeling mother and child (1954) was also exhibited at the big travelling Scaldis-exhibition in Antwerp in 1956. | <urn:uuid:8da797a2-2bb4-47ed-bd20-683eb622e589> | CC-MAIN-2016-36 | http://www.museumhermandecuyper.be/evolutie_animisme_en.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-36/segments/1471982295264.30/warc/CC-MAIN-20160823195815-00090-ip-10-153-172-175.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957372 | 536 | 2.59375 | 3 |
What does "co-occurring disorders" mean?
The term co-occurring disorders refers to mental disorders that are independent of substance use but that occur at the same time with a substance use disorder.
A person with co-occurring disorders has at least one mental health problem and one substance use problem. Many of those with co-occurring disorders have more than one mental illness and more than one substance use issue resulting in multiple life problems.
Mental health problems can range from mild depression or anxiety, to severe and persistent mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. Substance use problems may range from abuse of alcohol or marijuana, to dependence on intravenous drugs such as heroin or methamphetamine. | <urn:uuid:24d53d28-5cc0-461f-aac1-b4cf6ab25bb6> | CC-MAIN-2020-34 | https://www.centerpointe.org/get_info/faq.html/title/what-does-co-occurring-disorders-mean- | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-34/segments/1596439735810.18/warc/CC-MAIN-20200803111838-20200803141838-00514.warc.gz | en | 0.952043 | 143 | 2.921875 | 3 |
Title Pollution from fat lingers in your kitchen, warn scientists Degree of recognition International Media name/outlet Telegraph Media type Duration/Length/Size 1 Country/Territory United Kingdom Date 9/12/20 Description By Olivia Rudgard ENVIRONMENT CORRESPONDENT
POLLUTION from frying food survives in your kitchen for several days, scien- tists warned, as they explained why fatty particles linger for longer.
Researchers at the University of Bir- mingham said they had unlocked the mystery of why pollution from cooking with fat seemed to hang around in the air for days longer than other types.
Indoor air pollution from cooking is increasingly being seen as a risk to peo- ple’s health. Gas hobs also release nitro- gen dioxide and carbon monoxide, with many people exposed indoors to levels of dirty air that would be illegal outside.
Scientists recommend using an extractor fan or opening windows to reduce these levels, but the paper, pub- lished in the journal Faraday Discus- sions, suggests that this pollution is also an issue for the wider atmosphere.
The team also said that policymakers should consider regulating pollution created by fast food restaurants, which
is not currently taken into account. In the UK up to 10 per cent of air pollution is thought to come from this source, ris- ing to up to 39 per cent in Hong Kong and 22 per cent in some of China’s cities.
Dr Christian Pfrang, the lead author, said this was a particular issue when cooking with fat at high temperatures, such as deep fat frying.
The pollution is caused by unsaturated fatty acids such as oleic acid, emit- ted when cooking with fat, which interact with water in the atmosphere.
This creates a crust preventing them from being broken down by ozone in the atmosphere, as normally happens with air pollution.
They can also join up with other sub- stances including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons that are emitted by car exhausts and are carcinogenic, causing these to linger too. The process could also affect the weather by affecting the ability of water droplets to form clouds.
Dr Pfrang said: “The implications of this should be taken into account in city planning.”
Producer/Author Olivia Rudgard (The Telegraph's ENVIRONMENT CORRESPONDENT) Persons Christian Pfrang | <urn:uuid:7cd852f2-dc85-40f6-a450-8f4a2ae743a4> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://research.birmingham.ac.uk/en/clippings/pollution-from-fat-lingers-in-your-kitchen-warn-scientists | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030336674.94/warc/CC-MAIN-20221001132802-20221001162802-00438.warc.gz | en | 0.948612 | 505 | 2.90625 | 3 |
Hans A. Krebs first proposed a series of breakdown of pyruvate in the presence of oxygen, therefore the cycle is called Krebs Cycle. The cycle is also called citric acid cycle because formation of an important intermediate citric acid. krebs cycle takes place in the matrix of mitochondria.
Entry of Pyruvate in to Mitochondria
The pyruvate produced in the cytosol enters through impermeable inner membrane of mitochondria with the help of a trans-locater (pyruvate trans-locater) that catalyze exchange of pyruvate and OH” across the inner membrane.
Acetyl Coenzyme A (CO A) Formation
The pyruvate produced in glycolysis does not enter the Krebs cycle directly, rather it is decarboxylated in the presence of oxygen in a coordinated series of reactions catalyze by a multicomponent complex of several enzymes to a 2-C compound, acetyl Co A (CH3Co – CoA). The reaction requires participation of several coenzymes including NAD+ and coenzyme A (Co A). the enzyme catalyzing the reaction is pyruvic acid dehydrogenase. NADH2 is generated during the reaction. The overall reaction can be summarized as following:
Pyruvic acid + Co A + NAD+ ——————– Acetyl Co A + CO2 + NADH2
Biochemistry of Krebs Cycle
Krebs cycle involves the following steps:
- Formation of Citric Acid
The Krebs cycle starts with condensation of 2-C acetyl group (CH3CO) in acetyl coenzyme A with oxaloacetic acid (a 4-C acid produced during the cycle) and water to yield citric acid (a 6-C tricarboxylic acid). Enzyme citrate synthase catalyzes the steps.
- Isomerization of Citric Acid to Isocitrate
Citric acid undergoes isomerization to Isocitric acid by enzyme aconitase. A molecule of NADH2 is produced during this step.
- Oxidative Decarboxylation
Next two steps involve successive oxidative decarboxylation, each of which produces molecule of NADH2 and releases a molecule of CO2.
Isocitric acid is converted to alpha-ketogluteric acid by isocitrate dehydrogenase.
Alpha-ketogluteric acid produces succinyl Co A in the presence of Co A and alpha-ketogluetric acid dehrogenase.
- Regeneration of Oxaloacetic Acid
Up to this point three molecules of CO2 have been produced for each pyruvate, so complete oxidation of glucose has actually taken place. The remainder of Krebs cycle involves conversion of succinyl Co A to oxaloacetic acid to allow continued operation of the cycle. The following steps involved in the regeneration of oxaloacetic acid.
Steps Involved in Regeneration of Oxaloacetic Acid
- Succinyl Co A under the catalytic activity of succinyl Co A synthetase is converted to succinate. Coenzyme A is released and ATP is generated.
- The succinate is oxidized to fumarate (fumaric acid) by succinate dehydrogenase. The electron removed from succinate reduce FAD+ to FADH2.
- Fumaric acid is hydrated to produce malate (malic acid) by fumarase.
- The malate is oxidized by malate dehydrogenase to oxalacetic acid. A molecule of NADH2 is produced during this step.
The oxaloacetic acid is produced is now able to react another acetyl Co A and continue the process the cycle.
Products of Krebs Cycle
The stepwise oxidation of each pyruvate in the Krebs cycle give rise to the following products.
- Three molecules of CO2.
- Four NADH2 and one FADH2 molecules which store free energy released during these oxidations.
- One molecule of ATP is produced through substrate level phosphorylation. | <urn:uuid:1a860241-580e-47e9-80ea-e2fd5fdee6a2> | CC-MAIN-2017-43 | http://botanystudies.com/krebs-cycle/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-43/segments/1508187824357.3/warc/CC-MAIN-20171020211313-20171020231313-00226.warc.gz | en | 0.91054 | 874 | 3.609375 | 4 |
Middle School Class Institute
A four week long workshop to assist Georgia middle school teachers with implementation of new curriculum standards in earth science. The class consisted of morning discussions by Dr. E. Ingall on a wide variety of earth science topics followed by discussions by Margaret Tarver covering the details of standard implementation and effective teaching tips. In the afternoon, laboratory exercises prepared by M. Grantham reinforced the topics covered in morning discussions. In addition, to the classroom and laboratory activities several all-day field trips were taken to expose the teachers to local earth science teaching resources and to generally widen their appreciation for earth science. Additionally, these trips provided opportunities for teachers to collect rock and fossil specimens to use as classroom materials. A key goal of the class was to provide the teachers with a wide array of teaching materials to take back to their schools. In addition to the materials collected on the field trips, teachers assembled large collections of minerals, rocks and fossils in the lab. Teachers were also given copies of topographic mapping software, books and equipment useful for teaching earth science. During the last two days of class the teachers presented complete lesson plans covering different elements of an earth science teaching standard. These lesson plans and associated materials were assembled for the teachers and should allow them to hit the ground running with their earth science classes. | <urn:uuid:64dfccae-6837-4c0b-928f-5d1a493f3cfb> | CC-MAIN-2017-22 | http://eas.gatech.edu/outreach/middle | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-22/segments/1495463607860.7/warc/CC-MAIN-20170524192431-20170524212431-00167.warc.gz | en | 0.957868 | 262 | 3.28125 | 3 |
*Troy. Ancient city in Asia Minor that is ruled by King Priam. Faced with an unrelenting siege by the more powerful Greeks, the Trojans debate the wisdom of continuing their resistance. Troilus, who loves the Greek woman Cressida, represents the Trojans, who idealize love as integral to chivalrous behavior. Hector, a reasonable man epitomizing Troy’s best values and strengths, urges his brothers to abandon the war as neither justified nor worth the cost.
Greek camp. Military encampment outside Troy, which the Greeks have been besieging for seven years. In contrast to the idealistic Trojans, the Greeks, who are soldiers, not courtiers, are pragmatic and ego-centered—differences reflected in the play’s two centers. Lack of progress in the siege has demoralized the Greek leaders, whom Agamemnon, the overall commander, tries to hearten by declaring that the long siege has been a test of Greek stamina. Ulysses argues that the problems of the Greeks lie in a lack of order and discipline, not in Trojan strength. Rather than debate their motive for war, the leaders urge their greatest hero, Achilles, to fight.
Battlefield. The two sides meet with the strength initially on the Trojan side. The Greek victory spells the end of Troy and its chivalric code as well. | <urn:uuid:ec2da8b3-6e85-4fb9-b64c-107995ba8d7e> | CC-MAIN-2017-09 | https://www.enotes.com/topics/troilus-and-cressida/in-depth | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-09/segments/1487501170404.1/warc/CC-MAIN-20170219104610-00455-ip-10-171-10-108.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934104 | 284 | 3.5625 | 4 |
In this lesson, we will learn about subtracting fractions. Here, we will be using some examples to explain this lesson.
About This Lesson
The basic idea behind subtracting fractions is the same as adding fractions. So, once you know how to add fractions, it is very easy to subtract fractions.
In this lesson, we will learn how to subtract fractions that involve:
- proper fractions with like denominators
- proper fractions with unlike denominators
- proper and mixed fractions with unlike denominators
The study tips and math video below explain more.
Math Video Transcript
In this lesson, we will learn about subtracting fractions.
Now, the idea behind subtracting fraction is similar to adding fraction.
To recall, let's add 3/5, with 1/5.
Now, we know that, since the fractions have like denominators, we can just add the numerators together, and keep the denominator the same.
Hence, we get 3 plus 1,/5.
From this observation, we can see that, when we subtract the fractions, 3/5 with 1/5, we just need to subtract the numerators, and keep the denominators the same.
Hence, we get 3 minus 1/5.
Next, subtract 3 with 1. This gives 2. Finally, we get the fraction, 2/5.
Alright, let's visually see how subtracting fractions work. We can see that, by subtracting these 3 green parts with this 1 green part, we get 2 green parts.
The 2 green parts represent the numerator 2, and all the 5 parts in this bar represent the denominator 5.
Next example, let's subtract, 1/3, with 2/9.
Notice that, these 2 fractions have unlike denominators. This means that, the size of these parts are not the same, as you can see here.
Because of this, we can visually see that, we cannot subtract these two fractions as they are.
Therefore, the only way to subtract these fractions, is to make all the parts to have the same size. This means that, these fractions must have like denominators.
To do so, we need to use Equivalent Fractions.
Now, using Equivalent Fractions, we can change this denominator to 9, by multiplying both the numerator and denominator of this fraction with 3.
This gives the fraction, 3/9.
Now, these fractions have like denominators. This means that, all the parts will have the same size. As you can see right here.
With this, we can now subtract these two fractions just like the previous example. By doing so, we get, 3 minus 2/9.
Minus 3 with 2. This gives 1. Finally, we have the fraction, 1/9.
Next example, let's subtract, 1/3 with 1 1/2.
Notice that, this fraction is a mixed fraction. To minimize mistakes, it is advisable to convert it to an improper fraction.
Note that, when doing the conversion, we just need to focus on this mixed fraction, and ignore this minus sign. Now, we multiply 2 with 1. This gives 2.
Next, we add 2 with 1. This gives 3, which becomes the improper fraction's numerator. Now, we have the improper fraction, 3/2.
Notice that, we cannot subtract these 2 fractions because they have unlike denominators.
Therefore, the only way to subtract these fractions, is to make them to have like denominators. We can do so, by using equivalent fractions.
Here's how. We can make the denominators the same by multiplying the numerator and denominator of 1/3, with the other fraction's denominator 2, and by multiplying the numerator and denominator of 3/2, with the other fraction's denominator 3.
Let's do so. Multiplying 1/3 with 2, and multiplying 3/2 with 3. This gives the equivalent fractions, 2/6, and 9/6 respectively. The denominators are now the same.
Now, we subtract these two fractions. This gives 2 minus 9/6.
Subtracting 2 with 9, gives negative 7.
Notice the negative sign here? We can rewrite it this way so that it looks neater. With this, we have the fraction, negative 7/6.
Notice that, negative 7/6 is an improper fraction. So, rather than leaving the answer like this, it is recommended to change it to a mixed fraction, using long division.
Now, when doing the conversion, we just need to focus on this fraction, and ignore this sign.
Let's start. 7/6 is the same as 7 divides 6. Now, this division gives the quotient as 1. This quotient is actually the whole number for the mixed fraction.
Next, we multiply 1 with 6. This gives 6. 7 minus 6 gives the remainder as 1.
This remainder, 1, is actually the mixed fraction's numerator.
So here, we have the final answer as, negative 1 1/6.
That is all for this lesson. Try out the practice question to test your understanding.
Practice Questions & More
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ)
Now, let's try some MCQ questions to understand this lesson better.
You can start by going through the series of questions on subtracting fractions or pick your choice of question below.
Site-Search and Q&A Library
Please feel free to visit the Q&A Library. You can read the Q&As listed in any of the available categories such as Algebra, Graphs, Exponents and more. Also, you can submit math question, share or give comments there. | <urn:uuid:dfeefa6c-1846-47b4-b55f-10611c66218e> | CC-MAIN-2021-04 | https://www.mathexpression.com/subtracting-fractions.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-04/segments/1610703517159.7/warc/CC-MAIN-20210118220236-20210119010236-00508.warc.gz | en | 0.900967 | 1,207 | 4.375 | 4 |
Coronary Heart Disease which is also known as Coronary artery disease (CAD) is caused when the blood vessels are blocked or damaged; these blood vessels supply blood, oxygen and nutrients to the heart. is Coronary heart disease is one of the most common forms of heart disease, which is found in both men and women. The disease is caused due to building up of cholesterol, fats and other material, also known as plaque, on the inner walls of arteries.
The plaque basically builds up in four primary coronary arteries including right coronary artery, right posterior descending artery, left circumflex artery and left anterior descending artery. As the plaque grows, the heart gets less oxygen to function and the heart muscles weaken over time. This can result in heart failure and other life-threating heart-related diseases. Hence, coronary heart disease treatment is a necessity.
Coronary heart disease starts with an injury or damage to the inner layer of a coronary artery, the damage causes the plaque to deposit at the site of injury. Over a period of time, the plaque hardens and restricts the blood flow, which is known as atherosclerosis. One must understand that CAD does not develop overnight, but it takes some noticeable amount of time. Some common causes of coronary heart disease are as follows:
- High level of stress
- Unhealthy diet
- High levels of cholesterol
- Excessive Alcohol consumption
- Continuous stress
- High blood pressure
- Physical Inactivity
The chances of CAD become higher with age, it is a proven fact that risk of coronary heart disease begins at the age of 45 for men, while for women, the problem begins to occur at the age of 55.
Coronary heart disease (CAD) does not cause symptoms until it is at an advanced stage. However, patients can feel cogent symptoms like indigestion, dizziness, fatigue, lack of energy. One of the most common symptoms of CAD is shortness of breath and chest pain. Other symptoms include:
- Chest pain or angina
- Discomfort in the chest
- Shortness of breath
- Sudden loss of consciousness
- Swelling in legs
- Loss of appetite
- Heart palpitations
It is important to note here that most of the symptoms of CAD are often confused with heartburn or indigestion; in this case people may tend to self-diagnose the problem, which at the end makes it even more complicated. If you are feeling the above-stated symptoms, then one should take a medical advice from a cardiologist. The doctor will ask a few questions about yourself, your personal and family medical history and will perform some physical exams. After that, the doctor may ask for few tests which may include:
- Stress Test: In this procedure, the doctor places the patches of ECG all the over body and then asks the patient to do some physical exercises. The doctor then monitors the heart rate of the patient.
- Blood Test: this test is done to check the vital signs for heart disease that includes cholesterol level, fats and lipid components.
- Electrocardiogram (ECG): This is the most common test of diagnosing CAD and in this procedure; doctors record the speed and rhythm of the heart.
- Echocardiogram: This test is performed using ultrasound waves to capture an image of the heart. This helps the doctor to determine the exact location where the supply of blood is poor.
- CT scan: Cardiac computerized tomography or CT scan is a test that is used to collect images of the heart and chest.
- Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI): The test is performed to get a 3D image of the heart; it helps the doctors in determine the heart problem of the patient.
- Holter Monitoring: In this, a portable device, this is generally of a size of action-camera and has wires with silver dotted electrodes, which helps in observing the rate and rhythm of heart. The patient needs to wear the Holter monitor to record a continuous ECG.
- Cardiac Catheterization: The test is performed to examine the pressure and flow of the blood.
Once the diagnosis is completed, the doctors advise for the best suitable option for coronary heart disease treatment. Here is the list of some common treatment options, which are meant for treating CAD:
- Lifestyle changes: Your doctor will advise you to change your lifestyle in order to treat the CAD. He might ask you to quit smoking, eat a low-fat diet, exercise regularly, and reduce stress and more.
- Medications: Doctors will prescribe or recommend preventive or other cardiac medications and in addition to this he may also recommend medications to decrease cholesterol levels.
- Stent Placement: In this procedure, the doctor places a thin mesh-like tube made of metal inside the narrowed part of the artery. A wire with a deflated balloon is then passed through this tube and then inflated, which compress the deposit of the plaque. This keeps the arteries open and the blood flows smoothly.
- Pacemaker: The pacemaker or an implantable cardioverter defibrillator also known as ICD is a portable device that is placed under the skin. The device basically monitors the electrical signals to stimulate a heartbeat at a specific rate.
- Bypass surgery: In this surgery, the doctors take out a healthy blood vessel from other parts of the body, which is usually area around leg, chest or arm and graft it to the artery to create a new passage for the blood to flow.
Max Institute of Heart and Vascular Sciences, is termed as one of the best hospitals for coronary heart disease treatment in India. The facility provides unparalleled treatments for conditions like angina, heart attack, heart failure, and coronary artery disease treatment in Delhi NCR.
Max healthcare is known for offering world-class healthcare services and is equipped with extremely advance cutting-edge technologies to offer top-of-the-line cardiac care program to its patients. The hospital also offers procedures like Pacemaker, ACD, CRT, Heart Hole surgeries (ASD, VSD, PDA), Paediatric Cardiac Surgery, Angioplasty/Angiography. The centers are equipped with state of the art Cath Labs, operation theatres, and several other heart care technologies.
Each multi-specialty hospital of Max Healthcare offers 24*7 emergency services, has a blood bank, pharmacy, ATM, and other important amenities for proper patient care. And lastly as advised by every doctor across every Max Hospital "Keep enthusiastic pets away until you have healed completely". | <urn:uuid:0ad34ec1-d66a-40c0-9018-cfef6fb0de2a> | CC-MAIN-2019-30 | https://www.maxhealthcare.in/top-procedures/coronary-heart-disease-treatment | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-30/segments/1563195524475.48/warc/CC-MAIN-20190716015213-20190716041213-00359.warc.gz | en | 0.932851 | 1,356 | 3.375 | 3 |
This story is a supplement to the feature "The Migration History of Humans: DNA Study Traces Human Origins Across the Continents" which was printed in the July 2008 issue of Scientific American.
Geneticists can track the path of ancient migrations by examining genetic markers in Y chromosomes from men who hail from different parts of the world. Each marker, such as M168 or M89, identifies a lineage of men and where the lineage originated. By building an evolutionary tree based on observing many living people with the markers, investigators can determine the approximate ages of the lineages.
The out-of-Africa theory postulates that humans with modern traits left Africa from 50,000 to 60,000 years ago to settle the world. Along the way, they replaced archaic hominids, such as Homo erectus, that left Africa as early as 1.8 million years ago. The competing multiregional theory holds that modern characteristics evolved not just in Africa but in archaic hominid populations in Asia and Europe. Interbreeding among all these groups (horizontal arrows below) ensured that they remained a single species. | <urn:uuid:1b99f511-7ff1-4cf6-a187-de3ba95aee53> | CC-MAIN-2017-34 | https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/tracking-y-chromosomes-through-time/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-34/segments/1502886105195.16/warc/CC-MAIN-20170818233221-20170819013221-00195.warc.gz | en | 0.943593 | 227 | 4.1875 | 4 |
Fever In Children
Fever In Children
Fever is a higher-than-normal body temperature. Normal temperature is usually defined as 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit (F) or 37 degrees Celsius (C), when measured orally. Many healthcare professionals would say a child truly has a fever when his or her temperature is greater than 99.5 degrees F or 37.5 degrees C. In infants a rectal temperature of 100.4 F or over is considered a fever.
What is going on in the body?
Normally, body temperature changes throughout the day. Exercise,
stress, or dehydration may cause a child's temperature to go up. In these cases, it is not considered a true fever.
Fever is a symptom, not a disease. Fever helps the body fight infections by making its defense systems work more efficiently. Bacteria and viruses cannot live at higher temperatures and so are killed by fever.
In very young children, even minor ailments can create fevers of 105 degrees F or more. On the other hand, serious viral infections sometimes bring only moderate fevers.
What are the causes and risks of the symptom?
Usually, fevers in children are caused by viral infections. The most common are
colds, flu, and gastroenteritis, which tend to be more inconvenient than dangerous. Other viral illnesses in children include fifth disease, chickenpox, and other rash-related illnesses.
Some other common causes of fever in children include the following:
acute otitis media, or middle ear infection bacterial meningitis, which is inflammation of the spinal cord lining
- childhood immunizations, such as the
DTaP vaccine heat emergencies, such as heatstroke or heat exhaustion pneumonia
- rheumatoid diseases, such as
- skin infections
strep throator scarlet fever urinary tract infections
- overbundling or overdressing a small child
What can be done to prevent the symptom?
Immunizations are available for some of the illnesses that cause fevers in children. The MMR vaccine, for example, protects against measles, mumps, and rubella. Good hand-washing can prevent the spread of other illnesses to children.
How is the symptom diagnosed?
Temperature is measured with an oral or rectal thermometer, or one that takes the temperature in the ear.
The diagnosis of fever in a child starts with a medical history and physical exam. The healthcare provider may order additional tests, including the following:
- blood cultures for
aerobicor anaerobic organisms antibody titerblood tests
- blood tests, such as a complete blood count, or
CBC, which includes a white blood cell count chest X-ray throat culture urinalysisor urine culture
Long Term Effects
What are the long-term effects of the symptom?
Parents often worry that a high fever may lead to brain damage. Brain damage can occur with a fever of 106 degrees F to 107 degrees F. This level of fever is very unusual. It is most often associated with unusual conditions such as
heat emergencies, severe meningitis, or preexisting brain problems. Brain damage from fevers brought on by common illnesses is almost unheard of.
What are the risks to others?
Fever itself is not contagious. However, many of the infections that cause fever in children are highly contagious.
What are the treatments for the symptom?
Treatment of fever is fairly simple. Parents need to keep in mind that most fevers are part of the body's defense against infection. Treatment should be directed at making the child more comfortable. A fever should be treated only if it is above 104 degrees F or if it is causing discomfort. Fevers of 100 degrees F to 102 degrees F that go along with many common illnesses do not need treatment.
When necessary, fever can be treated the following way:
- The child should stay cool by dressing in light clothes such as shorts and a T-shirt. If the child is cold or is shivering, he or she should not be bundled up in blankets. Shivering means that the body is raising its temperature. Bundling the child will only insulate the body and make the temperature go higher. Letting the child wrap up in a bedsheet is a better idea.
- A child with a temperature of 103 degrees F or higher may be given a sponge bath in a shallow tub of warm water for 10 minutes. This will help to lower the fever. Cold water or alcohol rubs should be avoided because these make the child too uncomfortable.
- The child can be given medicines such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen if he or she seems uncomfortable. Aspirin should not be used in children or adolescents. The use of aspirin, especially in cases of
chickenpoxor flu, has been connected with a serious disease called Reye's syndrome. This complication causes severe inflammation of the brain and liver.
- A child with a fever needs more fluids, so generous amounts of liquids should be offered.
The healthcare provider may prescribe antibiotics, such as amoxicillin, for bacterial infections. These infections include
strep throat, urinary tract infections, and acute otitis media.
What are the side effects of the treatments?
Acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and antibiotics may cause stomach upset or
What happens after treatment for the symptom?
Children generally recover from fever with no further problems. They can generally resume normally activities when they feel well enough to do so.
How is the symptom monitored?
It is important to monitor the mental status of a child with fever. Children with minor illness may be fussy and uncomfortable. But they will be alert and responsive to their surroundings. Children who have serious illnesses, however, will seem "out of it." They may appear "glassy-eyed" or not quite aware of what is going on around them. These symptoms are not specific to a particular illness. These are indications that a child is very ill and should get medical attention promptly. Any new or worsening symptoms should be reported to the healthcare provider. | <urn:uuid:6d9c5bea-bcd7-4e7b-b972-c3c6ce15c53b> | CC-MAIN-2016-40 | https://www.activeforever.com/articlelist-all/a-fever-in-children | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-40/segments/1474738660548.33/warc/CC-MAIN-20160924173740-00041-ip-10-143-35-109.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934661 | 1,243 | 3.953125 | 4 |
Normal resting heart rate graphs (men & women)
"You can use our normal resting heart rate graphs to determine your fitness level and to guage by how much you need to improve..."
Our resting heart rate can be a good indication of how fit and healthy we are. However there are many other factors that can influence our resting heart rate (mentioned further down).
For simplicity sake a normal heart rate range lies between 60 and 100 beats per minute (bpm).
Note: These normal resting heart charts are to be used as a guide only. Always consult a doctor before beginning an exercise regime.
Generally speaking a low resting heart rate signifies good heart function and also a higher cardiovascular fitness.
When should I measure my resting heart rate?
The best time is 1st thing when you wake up. This is because your body hasn't been effected by movement, anxiety, food, medication etc.
How to measure your heart rate at home:
Note: There are many factors that can effect our resting heart rate:
What is my target heart rate?
Your target heart rate is an aerobic zone (50% - 85% max heart rate) where you get maximum benefits from exercising. By pacing yourself and keeping within this range you can burn more energy (calories) more efficiently while your heart and lungs operate at optimal performance. Discover your best heart rate zone with our target heart rate chart.
Note: As you become fitter and your blood is circulated throughout your body more efficiently your resting heart rate will lower. So every now and then you will need to recalculate your normal resting heart rate to determine your target heart rate.
Do you know your recommended daily calorie intake? Visit our daily calorie intake calculator.
We hope you enjoyed our info about normal resting heart rate. Now navigate from normal resting heart rate to target heart rate chart. Or go to burn belly fat home.
Top Fat Burning Tips
Target heart rate chart
"Page copy protected against web site content infringement by Copyscape. Do not copy!" | <urn:uuid:3de9b6bd-e080-469f-a8df-b70888dd03dc> | CC-MAIN-2015-11 | http://www.fatburn-secrets.com/normal-resting-heart-rate.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-11/segments/1424936460577.67/warc/CC-MAIN-20150226074100-00044-ip-10-28-5-156.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.892364 | 414 | 2.765625 | 3 |
Molybdenum is a silver/gray metal. Its name is derived from the Greek word “molybdaena”, meaning “lead”. The name was also used to describe galena and graphite, which have similar appearances in natural form. In 1778, Karl Scheele had been able to distinguish molybdenite from graphite by noting that molybdenite formed a white powder when treated with nitric acid, whereas graphite did not. Molybdenum metal was isolated and proven to be a new element in 1790 by P.J. Hjelm, drawing on the earlier work of Scheele.
In the 1800s, molybdenum was used primarily in dyes and the preparation of certain chemical compounds, but little else was done with it. However, in 1893 German chemists Sternberg and Deutsch developed an economical process to produce 96% pure molybdenum metal. Although the product still contained 3% carbon, the sales price of $0.86 per pound generated interest in possible commercial uses. Tests designed to evaluate molybdenum’s ability to replace tungsten as an additive in tool steel were unsuccessful, primarily because of sulfur and phosphorus impurities in the molybdenum.
In 1894, grey molybdenum oxide was produced in an electric furnace. The oxide contained 9% carbon, which made the compound hard enough to scratch glass. This inspired French chemist Henri Moissan to do his own electric furnace experiments. He succeeded in producing molybdenum which was 99.98% pure. He then set about determining the atomic weight and other properties of molybdenum.
Due to a variety of economic conditions and the difficulty in reliably producing pure molybdenum, very little commercial use was seen until World War I when molybdenum was widely used as an additive to toughen armor plating. Even after that, molybdenum did not enjoy immediate success. Speculation on whether or not there would ever be a market for molybdenum gained it the moniker “the metallurgical mystery”.
The use of molybdenum has increased steadily, and today it is in demand both in pure form and as a steel additive. Most molybdenum is currently mined in China, the United States, and Chile – in that order. Strangely enough, an ancient Japanese sword blade made by Masamuné in 1330 was found to contain molybdenum.
Molybdenum is one of the refractory metals. It does not have the density of tungsten, but still has a relatively high melting point and is somewhat easier to machine.
MTS provides molybdenum rod, bar, plate, and sheet stock. We also provide material trays, heat shields, nuts, and threaded rod for the vacuum furnace industry, as well as glass melting electrodes and vacuum evaporation boats.
Have a question?
Let us assist you to get the answers that you need. | <urn:uuid:4b27d838-986c-4b24-9fc7-8cae30418609> | CC-MAIN-2019-30 | https://www.molybdenum.com/properties/general-molybdenum-information/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-30/segments/1563195529481.73/warc/CC-MAIN-20190723172209-20190723194209-00496.warc.gz | en | 0.968706 | 644 | 3.46875 | 3 |
Tape cassettes are like endangered species: not often seen in the wild and on a fast track to extinction. But conceptual artist Alyce Santoro is trying to save them, while simultaneously appealing to the fashion world and developing a whole new way of making music.
To create the material she calls "sonic fabric," Santoro mixes strips of one-eighth inch audio tape with polyester fibers. The tape and polyester are woven together on a loom; appropriately, older sewing technology seems to work better on audio tape than more modern machines. The audio tape retains its magnetization, which means it can play sounds.
The tape, Santoro told DNews, is actually new — it comes from a company that makes audiobooks. "Hearing" the fabric requires running a cassette player's tape heads across the clothing. The tape heads pick up the patterns of the magnetic fields on the tape and then make a sound. The original recording cannot be heard because the tape has been woven in with other material. Instead, one hears a kind of warbling tone.
Santoro's sonic fabric isn't the only effort she's taken toward reviving the cassette. In a YouTube video, she shows viewers how to take apart an old Sony Walkman and turn it into a player; the process involves detaching the tape head and inserting a piece of wood under the"play" button, so the head faces outward. One design on her website even has the Walkman built into a glove, which "plays" sonic fabric-sewn garments when a user runs her hands across them. In 2003, she made a "percussion suit" for Jon Fishman of the band Phish, who played it at one of the band's live shows.
Santoro has even used sonic fabric as a platform for music creation. Rather than simply recycling the audio existing on salvaged cassettes, she has designed fabrics that have specific tones recorded on them, such as 131.6 hertz, or C-sharp. Fashion, recycling and a little 80s nostalgia — you can't beat that.
Image courtesy of Alyce Santoro and ArtHit/Flickr, Mashable composite
- $9 Million Fine for Green Coffee Bean Deception
- SpaceX Unveils Falcon Heavy Launch and Flyback Video
- Spider Reveals Its Nano-Scale Silk Secrets
- NASA Probe Gets Best Ever View of Dwarf Planet Ceres
This article originally published at Discovery News here | <urn:uuid:74294557-dcec-4d78-93d0-12490a6d88b3> | CC-MAIN-2015-06 | http://mashable.com/2013/06/14/sonic-fabric-tapes/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-06/segments/1422118551401.78/warc/CC-MAIN-20150124165551-00021-ip-10-180-212-252.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.940784 | 501 | 2.671875 | 3 |
The school-to-prison pipeline is a national trend in which students are pushed out of school and into the juvenile justice system. Research indicates that the pipeline is an unintended consequence of increasingly harsh school discipline policies such as “zero tolerance.” Additionally, schools increasingly rely on law enforcement to handle minor disciplinary issues previously administered internally. This creates the initial link between the classroom and the criminal justice system. Harsh discipline policies often disproportionally affect minority students and students with disabilities. According to the Department of Education, African-American students are three and a half times more likely to face suspension or expulsion than their White peers. Additionally, students with disabilities are twice as likely to be suspended as students without disabilities.
In December, Assistant Secretary for Education Deb Delisle wrote on the U.S. Department of Education’s blog about steps the Department is taking to break the connection between the classroom and the criminal justice system. Her comments focused on ways to train teachers to use alternative discipline tactics, rather than simply suspension or expulsion. Assistant Secretary Delisle also noted that the Department is in the process of reviewing alternative practices, such as Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) to determine if they can improve outcomes over current “zero tolerance policies.”
Previous research has suggested utilizing systems, such as PBIS, that emphasize creating a positive and nurturing learning environment and while minimizing harsh responses to behavioral problems. These systems further benefit from the addition of professional learning communities that encourage engagement among different members of the school as well as with external stakeholders.
*The American Institutes for Research is a social and behavioral science research not-for-profit that operates several U.S. Department of Education contracts, including the National High School Center.
Note: This blog post was originally authored under the auspices of the National High School Center at the American Institutes for Research (AIR). The National High School Center’s blog, High School Matters, which ran until March 2013, provided an objective perspective on the latest research, issues, and events that affected high school improvement. The CCRS Center plans to continue relevant work originally developed under the National High School Center grant. National High School Center blog posts that pertain to CCRS Center issues are included on this website as a resource to our stakeholders. | <urn:uuid:a589e5f0-aaa0-4f49-8105-9446fc7e6101> | CC-MAIN-2021-17 | https://ccrscenter.org/blog/addressing-school-prison-pipeline | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-17/segments/1618039490226.78/warc/CC-MAIN-20210420183658-20210420213658-00592.warc.gz | en | 0.96258 | 462 | 3.21875 | 3 |
160 pages, 12 col plates, 29 line drawings
Many people assume that the claims of scientists are objective truths. But historians, sociologists, and philosophers of science have long argued that scientific claims reflect the particular historical, cultural, and social context in which those claims were made. The nature of scientific knowledge is not absolute because it is influenced by the practice and perspective of human agents. Scientific Perspectivism argues that the acts of observing and theorizing are both perspectival, and this nature makes scientific knowledge contingent, as Thomas Kuhn theorized forty years ago.
Using the example of color vision in humans to illustrate how his theory of "perspectivism" works, Ronald N. Giere argues that colors do not actually exist in objects; rather, color is the result of an interaction between aspects of the world and the human visual system. Giere extends this argument into a general interpretation of human perception and, more controversially, to scientific observation, conjecturing that the output of scientific instruments is perspectival. Furthermore, complex scientific principles-such as Maxwell's equations describing the behavior of both the electric and magnetic fields-make no claims about the world, but models based on those principles can be used to make claims about specific aspects of the world.
Offering a solution to the most contentious debate in the philosophy of science over the past thirty years, Scientific Perspectivism will be of interest to anyone involved in the study of science.
Clear and engaging. - Peter Lipton, Science "A wonderful volume: insightful, compact, and readable." - Evan Selinger, Quarterly Review of Biology"
There are currently no reviews for this product. Be the first to review this product! | <urn:uuid:0b5417cd-d428-4e28-bfca-55cd15700a8b> | CC-MAIN-2017-09 | http://www.nhbs.com/title/147059?title=scientific-perspectivism | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-09/segments/1487501174163.72/warc/CC-MAIN-20170219104614-00626-ip-10-171-10-108.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.902117 | 340 | 3.359375 | 3 |
Historic Homes in Rutherford County Offer a Glimpse of the Past
PHOTO CREDIT: Jeff Adkins
Rutherford County is home to a number of historic sites that draw tourists from all 50 states and beyond. Some famous Civil War encounters took place here in the 1860s, and a few of the majestic structures and battle sites from the Old South still stand today. They include the Oaklands Historic House Museum in Murfreesboro, the Stones River National Battlefield, and the Sam Davis Home in Smyrna, which is one of the most visited historic sites in all of Tennessee.
“We feature 168 very well-kept and preserved acres, and a majority of this overall attraction looks just like it did in the 1860s,” says Anita Teague, executive director of the Sam Davis Home. “There is also a large museum that is very modern, having been built in the last decade. It houses an elaborate, exquisite Civil War collection."
Sam Davis served in various combat roles and was nicknamed the Boy Hero of the Confederacy, and many of the items in the museum actually belonged to him along with members of his family.
“I would advise people to come see the collection whether you’re interested in history or not, because it showcases part of our culture and community,” Teague says. “It’s an absolutely gorgeous attraction.”
The Sam Davis Home also hosts a number of events throughout the year, including the Easter Eggstravaganza, a Christmas Decoration Spectacular and a School of the Soldier summer camp that teaches boys about marching, drilling and discipline.
“We also feature an Apple Valley School summer camp that simulates a one-room schoolhouse for kids ages 7-11,” Teague says. “We also schedule a summertime science and nature camp. There are a lot of things happening here throughout the year.” | <urn:uuid:4af6f2b2-9c13-4ce1-8736-92ee6cd93375> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://www.livability.com/tn/murfreesboro/attractions/historic-homes-rutherford-county-offer-glimpse-past | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440645353863.81/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827031553-00116-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966556 | 395 | 2.609375 | 3 |
An exercise programme can improve patients’ physical ability to function, lift their mood and may even lower their chance of recurrence.
Four million people will be living with a diagnosis of cancer in the UK alone by 2030 (www.macmillan.org.uk). This is equivalent to more than 7 out of every 100 members of the adult population – a proportion that will be reflected across much of Europe, where incidence and survival rates are broadly similar. The challenge in ensuring that these survivors enjoy a good quality of life is to address the chronic or late-appearing side-effects of cancer and cancer treatments. These include fatigue, which is one of the most debilitating long-term effects of cancer; weight changes (either weight gain or loss); loss of bone density, including osteoporosis; cardiotoxicity; lymphoedema; psychological problems including anxiety, depression, fear of recurrence and cognitive dysfunction; and limited range of movement.
A US study showed that more than half of cancer survivors (53%) had problems functioning, with at least one functional limitation, compared to only 21% of people of the same age who had not had cancer (Ann Epidemiol 2006, 16:197–205). The study was undertaken with an elderly population, and the common functional problems were: crouching/kneeling; standing for two hours; walking quarter of a mile (0.4 km); lifting or carrying a load of 10 lb (4.5 kg); and standing up out of a chair. These movements are all the basis of daily activities needed for housework, shopping and similar tasks, suggesting that functional aspects of quality of life tend to be quite dramatically reduced after a cancer diagnosis.
Exercise-based cancer rehabilitation: the evidence
The number of high-quality studies in this field is increasing exponenti-ally each year. They show that physical activity can reduce the functional loss (cardiovascular and muscular) that occurs with cancer and its treatment, and can reduce some of the chronic or late-appearing side-effects of treatment, including fatigue, depression and weight gain. Exercise-based rehabilitation can also reduce some of the long-term reliance on health services. Emerging epidemiological evidence suggests that being physically active reduces the risk of the cancer recurring, as well as all-cause mortality, for breast, prostate and colorectal cancers. As rehabilitation programmes are already available for coronary heart disease, diabetes, preventing falls and the lung disease COPD, programmes for cancer survivors can tag into or copy programmes that have been tried and tested for other chronic conditions.
A systematic review of high-quality, randomised controlled studies of physical activity as an intervention during adjuvant treatment for cancer – during chemotherapy, radiotherapy or after surgery – shows that physical function, in terms of cardiovascular function and muscular strength, improves significantly (grade A evidence; J Cancer Surviv 2010, 4:87–100).
The 17 randomised controlled trials all showed a small to moderate effect in improving cardiovascular fitness or muscular strength in patients taking part in a physical activity programme during adjuvant treatment.
Some studies have shown physical activity can reduce fatigue during treatment, but the overall effect is not very large. However, the good news is that being physically active during treatment does not increase tiredness. Anxiety, self-esteem, quality of life and depression show small improvements with physical activity during treatment. Also exercise interventions aid in significantly reducing body fat and increasing lean muscle mass. The overall take home message is that it is safe and effective to give an appropriate programme of physical activity while on adjuvant treatment. This can help prevent the functional decline that can occur during and after cancer treatment.
Question. There is a modest increase in physical function with physical activity. Do you have any information on age subgroups? Will a patient who is 80 years old benefit as much as a younger person with non-Hodgkin lymphoma at the age of 20?
Answer. The majority of studies mentioned in this report are with women with breast cancer with an average age of 50–60. I believe that a similar effect will be found irrespective of age, but perhaps a younger person with non-Hodgkin lymphoma would gain more fitness from a physical activity intervention, while a frail elderly person might gain more active daily living and confidence. The results will vary with the cancer type and the patient’s age and condition.
What about giving an exercise intervention in a patient who has finished adjuvant treatment? Results here are more significant. Exercise interventions achieve large increases in muscle strength (effect size [ES] 0.90 in seven randomised controlled trials) as well as significant improvement in cardiovascular fitness (ES 0.32 in 14 RCTs). For many but not all patients, this timepoint, just after treatment, is when they are ready to start an exercise programme. Fatigue levels also show a significant reduction with exercise interventions. Wellbeing improves more significantly with activity after treatment, and there are small reductions in body fat and increases in muscle mass. It is important to note that these trials involved only an exercise intervention; studies incorporating both exercise and diet may give even better results for positive changes in body composition.
Finally, some new studies have looked at the effect of exercise on bone density. Reduced bone turnover can occur with hormonal therapies, potentially reducing bone density. Resistance exercise programmes can help reduce the risk of bone thinning, but the results of different trials to date are inconsistent.
Other benefits of exercise are being explored in relation to some of the late effects of cancer treatment. As well as improving bone health, studies have shown exercise programmes can improve range of movement. Activity programmes designed for individual patients may prevent lymphoedema, and studies have shown that exercise does not exacerbate lymphoedema in patients who already have the condition. Further studies have shown improved mood, better regulation of insulin, reduced cardiotoxicity and improved immune system function with exercise.
A smaller number of studies have looked at the effects of exercise in people with advanced or terminal cancer. A systematic review of six small studies investigating physical activity during palliative care showed some benefit. One study showed that home-based, seated exercises prevented decline in quality of life (Oncol Nurs Forum 2004, 31:977–983). Supervised group exercise for six weeks improved fitness, functional ability, emotional wellbeing, fatigue, dyspnoea and anorexia (J Pain Symptom Manage 2006, 31:421–430). The key message in a palliative setting is that the patient’s preference is important. The aim is not necessarily to improve fitness, but to maintain independence and wellbeing towards the end of life.
Impact of physical activity on cancer recurrence: the evidence
Kenfield and colleagues followed 2705 men diagnosed with prostate cancer over 10 years, monitoring activity levels. Results showed that the number of deaths in total was 36% lower in men who walked an average of one hour each day (7+ hours per week). It was 49% lower among men taking three or more hours of vigorous activity each week, with 61% fewer cancer deaths (JCO 2011; 29:727–732).
The strongest beneficial effects of physical activity on disease recurrence and risk of death has been observed in longitudinal studies of breast cancer survivors. A systematic review of nine high-quality, prospective cohort studies following breast cancer survivors over time showed that undertaking leisure-time physical activity involving moderate-intensity exercise for 30 minutes most days each week was associated with a 30% reduction in breast cancer mortality risk when compared to a sedentary lifestyle with virtually no physical activity (Maturitas 2010, 66:5–15; Med Oncol 2011, 28:753–765). Two longitudinal studies have shown that colorectal cancer recurrence risk and mortality is reduced by about 50% with six hours of moderate-intensity physical activity each week (JCO 2006, 24:3535−41).
Why might exercise be protective?
Research is starting to explore why people who are physically active may be protected from cancer recurrence. Exercise may have a beneficial impact on energy balance and fat distribution, and this is important as obesity is strongly associated with higher risk of cancer recurrence. Secondly, physical activity can influence sex steroid hormones, such as oestrogen and testosterone, which affect some hormone receptive cancers. Insulin, insulin-like growth factor and its binding protein IGF-BP3 seem to be involved in cancer cell growth, and their levels can be influenced by physical activity. Inflammatory markers (such as CRP and interleukins) and immune system components (such as natural killer cells) may also play a role in cancer and can be regulated by exercise. Finally, physical activity may impact on the antioxidant defence system, DNA damage and apoptosis.
What do guidelines recommend?
During cancer treatment (surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy), guidelines recommend that patients should exercise to tolerance (Med Sci Sports Exerc 2010; 42:1409–26). This means that interventions should be individualised for each patient according to how fit they were before developing cancer, their current treatment, and the side-effects they encounter. After treatment, and when patients are feeling stronger, they should try to accumulate about 20–30 minutes of moderate-intensity cardiovascular fitness training three to five days per week, and also incorporate muscular strength and endurance training twice a week. Activity to maintain balance and flexibility is also beneficial. Physical activity programmes should be individualised, based on a patient’s needs, goals and exercise preferences, and taking account of any barriers to exercise, including long-term side-effects related to their treatment and disease. Brisk walking is a great simple and easy cardiovascular activity that patients can do to get health benefits – even five to ten minutes’ walk round the block or to the shops can be enough to make a difference.
Question. Research shows a risk reduction of 30% or 40% with exercise for the three most common cancers, and this exercise does not need to be intensive but can just be walking for 20–30 minutes a day. To me that just looks amazing. It’s extremely cost- effective compared to the costs of cancer treatments. Why isn’t there a major programme in the UK or elsewhere to help cancer patients take exercise?
Answer. There are now a number of programmes that are beginning to emerge throughout Europe. Here at Dundee we have a programme called MoveMore, available for any person living with cancer – it offers home-based programmes with a DVD and booklet, one-to-one consultations, gym instruction and group- and water-based exercise programmes. A sample of approximately 12 different types of programme (e.g. hospital-based, home-based, individual, group, etc) is being evaluated by Macmillan, a UK cancer charity, for improvements in quality of life, active daily living and cost–benefit.
Question to the live webcast participants. Patients at my centre have no formal access to exercise rehabilitation. Do yours?
Responses. Yes: 44%. No: 56%.
Question to participants. In your opinions, how many patients could benefit from such an intervention?
Responses. Most participants considered 30–50% of cancer patients would benefit.
For a lot of people who have not participated in any structured physical activity for a long time, a cancer diagnosis can be ‘a teachable moment’ (JCO 2005, 23:5814–30). Being diagnosed with cancer can increase a person’s motivation to make lifestyle changes, including incorporating exercise into their lives. However, figures for the US – which are very likely to be true also for other countries – show the number of people doing the recommended level of 30 minutes moderate-intensity activity on most days of the week is very low (Eur J Cancer Care 2006, 14:34–43).
Only 30–40% of the population take the recommended amount of exercise before being diagnosed with cancer, and this falls to only about 5% of patients on treatment and 20% off treatment.
Putting the evidence into practice
In 2000, I carried out a small pilot study which showed that ‘rest is not best’ during breast cancer treatment, but that physical activity could improve quality of life. In 2003, my colleagues and I began a larger study funded by Cancer Research UK – the Glasgow Study – that randomised 203 women on chemotherapy or radiotherapy for breast cancer to attend group exercise classes (a combination of cardiovascular and strength training) twice a week for 12 weeks, or to the usual care group of no structured exercise. After 12 weeks, women taking part in the exercise programme (held in community-based settings) had improved significantly in walking pace, weekly activities, shoulder mobility, breast cancer specific quality of life, and positive mood. Six months later, women who had been randomised to the exercise intervention during treatment still had better overall quality of life in terms of physical functioning, positive mood, and less fatigue and depression than the usual care group (BMJ 2007; 334:517)
Analysing the cost-effectiveness, the NHS (National Health Service) cost of the intervention was £400 (€470) per woman for a safe and effective intervention that provided short- and long-term physical, functional and psychological gains. Participants spent fewer nights in hospital and had fewer GP visits than the usual care group, giving a saving of £1507 (€1750) per patient. Overall, the intervention achieved conventional standards of cost-effectiveness (unpublished data).
Following the women for five years showed those in the exercise group could walk much further in 12 minutes after the intervention, and this was sustained until the 18-months’ follow-up timepoint. For the 87 women (out of the original 203) who attended the five-year follow-up, those originally randomised to the exercise group still reported significantly more leisure-time physical activity (2.5 hours more per week) and a more positive mood than the control group. Those taking part in recommended amounts of physical activity, irrespective of original group, recorded a greater decrease in depression levels at all follow-up points. This showed that the 12-week exercise programme gives lasting effects, and staying active can reduce depression after cancer (J Cancer Surviv 2012, 6:420–430).
In light of the results of that study, the city of Glasgow has now introduced the Active ABC – Active After Breast Cancer – programme for any woman diagnosed with breast cancer in the past five years. It provides 24 free sessions led by trained fitness professionals followed by sessions on health behaviour change. The programme works by self-referral, but patients can be signposted by health professionals. A national vocational qualification has been developed to train people to become cancer rehabilitation specialists (www.canrehab.co.uk) and there are now more than 200 qualified cancer exercise specialists in the UK. Dundee University is setting up a cancer rehabilitation centre for training, research and practice. The aim, as mentioned earlier, is to make exercise-based rehabilitation a sustainable part of every cancer survivors’ care pathway.
Keeping physically active after a cancer diagnosis appears to be a safe and effective way of improving physical, functional, social and emotional aspects of quality of life. Programmes should be individualised. The key message for patients is that a little physical activity is better than nothing, and they should avoid being sedentary. Right from their diagnosis, patients should have information that being active can be helpful and health professionals need to be aware of the strong evidence for the benefits of exercise. For the future, more research is needed on cancer-specific guidelines for physical activity, into mechanisms and into ways to improve behaviour change.
Leave a Reply | <urn:uuid:051371c7-1576-4a88-8dd1-ccae86af16c3> | CC-MAIN-2023-14 | https://archive.cancerworld.net/e-grandround/chronic-and-late-effects-how-physical-activity-can-help/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-14/segments/1679296950247.65/warc/CC-MAIN-20230401191131-20230401221131-00594.warc.gz | en | 0.948456 | 3,226 | 2.890625 | 3 |
‘At Postbridge, in a rude cottage of granite blocks put together without mortar, and in the midst of a marsh. lived an old blind man, Jonas Coaker… When Mr Sheppard and I saw him he was aged eighty-three, and came downstairs for a few hours only in the day. He called himself “The Poet of the Moor,” but there was not a glint of poetry in his compositions. They were bad jingles, void of ideas.’ (Baring Gould, 2003, p.201).
The above passage is Baring Gould’s impression of Jonas Coaker the self-styled ‘Poet of Dartmoor’ who for nearly a century lived and worked upon the moor. Jonas Coker was born on the 23rd of February 1801 at a small farmstead known as Hartland in Postbridge. His working life was long and varied and began with the position of a servant-boy to the parson of Widecombe-in-the-Moor, Mr Rendle. The parson died shortly after Coaker moved in but he was kept on by the new vicar, Rev. J. H. Mason. It was he who introduced the youngster to the realms of literature and learning which probably led to his interest in poetry. Jonas stayed in his employ until the age of 15 when he went to live at nearby Blackslade and worked for a farmer named Man. Hemery (1983, p.509) considers that whilst in Man’s employ he learnt the skill of wall building which was to prove very beneficial in later years. Here he stayed for about ten years before moving back to Postbridge to become a labourer. Amongst the many tasks he laid his hands to was that of building newtake walls which at the time would have provided many chances for work. Crossing (1966, p. 41) described Coaker as being, ‘One of the most noted newtake wall builders, next to John Bishop‘, which was praise indeed. Coaker was married on the 4th of October 1830 to his wife, Susanna Austin at Lydford church. By 1834 Coaker had become the landlord of The New House Inn which was the predecessor of the modern Warren House Inn. By all accounts this was not one of the more select drinking establishments of the area as most of its clientele were tin miners. In the census of 1851 Coaker and his family are listed as Jonas Coaker – age 49 – occupation gunpowder maker, Susan Coaker – age 48 and John Coaker – age 9, all living at Cherrybrook Bridge, (On-line source – Ancestry.com). Towards the end of his working days he became the rate collector for the parish of Lydford which would have taken him far and wide across the moor. When old age overtook him and he could no longer collect the rates Coaker retired to Ringhill Cott at Postbridge where he spent his final years. In the 1881 census Jonas was recorded as being a retired farmer boarding with Mary Hawke at Ringhill, (On-line source – Ancestry.com). Jonas Coaker died on the 12th of February 1890 aged 89. In the tradition of the old moormen his corpse was carried down the Widecombe Church Path for burial at the ‘Cathedral of the Moor’ in Widecombe. Sadly, his later years saw him blind, infirm and with a failing memory which he attributed to the over-use of his brain whilst composing his poetry.
In his younger days, Jonas was a long distance runner and it is reported that at the age of 35 he ran the twenty odd miles from Postbridge to Exeter in around 4 hours which was no mean fete. It will come as no surprise that his other talent was one for poetry which for the most of it reflected his Dartmoor experiences. Much of his work has only been printed in snippets although there are examples of some full poems such as the one about Widecombe. He described himself as:
I drew my breath first on this moor;
There my forefathers dwelled;
Its hills and dales I’ve traversed o’er.
Its desert parts beheld.’
Amongst the subjects of his poetry were the convict prison at Prince town, the Dartmoor military manoeuvres of 1873, aspects of religion and virtually every aspect of the moor, (Burnard. 1986, pp. 78 – 80). In the 1921 December edition of Notes and Queries, (p. 516) a writer suggests that a poem entitled, ‘Dartmeet’ which was noted in Everitt’s book, ‘Devonshire Scenery’ was the work of Coaker. In the book Everitt simply says that the poem came from the Visitor’s’ book from French’s Cottage as was simply signed ‘J. C.’.
A maiden fair from the West came down
Clad in a dress of the brightest brown;
‘Twas trimmed all o’er with silv’ry frill,
Spangled with white, like rippling rill,
If you gazed into her crystal eye,
With a liquid glance she passed you by,
Bounding and dancing with skippings fleet
Swift as Dart her lover to meet.
A dashing youth from the East drew nigh,
Dark grey was his suit, bright brown was his eye;
His buttons were silver, sparkling bright,
The lining silk, of a glossy white,
If stared at long, or gazed by chance;
‘Twas ever the same unflinching glance;
With a leaping, bounding, merry Dart,
He tried to meet but his own sweetheart.
It was here they met one wintry morn,
Never again were their lives forlorn;
No priest was required to make them one,
For their wedding day was known to none;
The stream of their lives right merrily sped,
Together they roamed where Nature led;
Their will was one, their purpose alone
In the sea of Love to lose their own.
J. C. (Everitt, 1884. pp. 103 – 104).
Now I am no expert but if you compare this with the Widecombe poem there seems to be the same naivety and a certain lack of something in both works which could well indicate they were penned by the same author? It is interesting to see how the words; East, Dart, Meet, West, Dart, here and sea or all picked out in italics thus giving East Dart, Dart Meet, West Dart and here sea (see?).
Having began with a rather insulting critique of Jonas Coaker it would be nice the redress the balance. This can easily be done by noting the comments of W. H. K. Wright in his book ‘West Country Poets’ where he says: ‘Coaker’s verses, which have been printed in fragments, disclose a poetic spirit, and had he possessed the advantages of education, they would, doubtless, have attracted some attention.’, (Hemery, p.510).
Baring Gould, S. 2003 Further Reminiscences 1864 – 1894. Whitefish: Kessinger Publishing.
Burnard, R. 1986. Dartmoor Pictorial Records. Exeter: Devon Books.
Crossing, W. 1966. Crossing’s Dartmoor Worker. Newton Abbot: David and Charles.
Everitt, W. (Ed.) 1884. Devonshire Scenery. Exeter: William Pollard.
Hemery, E. 1983. High Dartmoor. London: Hale Publishing.
Markland, R. 1921 Jonas Coaker – The Dartmoor Poet. In Notes and Queries. 12 S IX.
1851 Census – Lydford – found at: Ancestry.com
1881 Census – Lydford – found at: Ancestry.com | <urn:uuid:4959b82c-cc91-4695-90fb-ada7dd330a8c> | CC-MAIN-2019-35 | http://www.legendarydartmoor.co.uk/coker_jonas.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-35/segments/1566027321351.87/warc/CC-MAIN-20190824172818-20190824194818-00381.warc.gz | en | 0.985276 | 1,688 | 2.546875 | 3 |
Bioplastics have a ‘green’ image. But in reality they are not a miracle cure for litter and other environmental problems. The truth lies – as always – somewhere in the middle, shows a review of the facts produced by Wageningen researchers.
photo Guy Ackermans
More and more big companies such as Coca-Cola are investing in bioplastic as a sustainable alternative to traditional plastics made from fossil fuels. But there is quite a lot of uncertainty about bioplastics. Are they always more environmentally friendly? Are they the solution to the plastic soup in the ocean? Which garbage bin do they belong in? This confusion has made it difficult for companies to switch to these materials. To provide a bit more clarity, Wageningen Food & Biobased Research reviewed all the research on bioplastics, at the behest of the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO). This resulted in the report Biobased and biodegradable plastics – Facts and figures. ‘A lot has been written on this subject but the evidence is often missing,’ says researcher Christiaan Bolck. ‘In our report we line up the scientific facts and everyone who wants to say or write something about this kind of plastic can refer to it.’
The study by Bolck and his colleagues included the market for bioplastics. In 2015, the production capacity for biobased and biodegradable plastic (see box) was approximately one percent of the total global production. This proportion is expected to go up. Bolck: ‘Generally, biobased and biodegradable plastics are more expensive, but there are already several examples of competitive products and if more of those are produced, the price will go down. Besides, the price of fossil fuels depends on the price of oil, which tends to fluctuate more than the price of biomass.’
Biobased and biodegradable plastic is currently used for food packaging, disposable cups and cutlery, carrier bags and agricultural materials, among other things. The best way to use the plastic depends on its qualities. Its permeability for water vapour makes a biobased PLA unsuitable for bottles, but could be an advantage in ‘breathable’ packaging for fruit or vegetables.
Nor is biodegradable plastic a panacea for the ‘plastic soup’ of plastic litter that ends up in the sea, says Bolck. Because even if plastic is biodegradable, it does not necessarily break down quickly. The speed at which it disappears depends on the material and the environment. Bolck: ‘There are biodegradable plastics which break down completely within a few months, but in that time a seagull can already suffocate on a plastic bag.’ So the litter problem is not solved at a blow with bioplastics.
Most biobased and biodegradable plastics can be recycled mechanically in the same way as conventional plastics. But with the exception of recycled PET bottles, many recycled plastics are not 100 percent pure, making them unsuitable as food packaging for food safety reasons. Bolck: ‘It is technically possible to distinguish between different types of plastic, including the various types of biobased and biodegradable plastics. But in practice it has proven difficult to separate them 100 percent.’ Recycled plastic is therefore always a mix of different types of plastic.
Biodegradable plastics can also be composted. That means that the consumer can dispose of them with the organic waste. But then it does need to be clear what is biodegradable plastic and what isn’t. At the moment about one percent of household waste consists of non-compostable plastic. Bolck: ‘Dutch waste disposal workers are afraid there will be more non-biodegradable plastic in the organic waste because consumers can’t tell plastics apart. So they are reluctant to accept biodegradable packaging, apart from the compostable bags for organic waste.’ This problem should be solved by clear pictograms which show which bin the packaging should go into.
Generally speaking, the production of biobased plastic relies less on non-renewable resources. Instead, it makes use of raw materials such as sugar, starch and waste products such as beet pulp. The use of edible materials for generating energy or manufacturing plastics is controversial. Bolck: But you can’t just condemn outright all uses of edible products for other things than food. It gives farmers more security, for instance, because they can sell their crops for other purposes.’
Currently, 0.2 percent of farmland worldwide is used to grow raw materials for bioplastics. ‘If we substituted bioplastics for all our petroleum-based plastics, we would need about five percent of all the biomass harvested annually,’ says Bolck. But this seems to him an improbable scenario, because alternative materials sourced from garbage and waste flows from agriculture will be used as well.
The environmental impact of the production of bioplastic is not easy to determine. ‘It is sometimes claimed that just as much CO2 is emitted in the production of biobased plastics as in that of petrobased plastics, and that it is therefore not necessarily better for the environment,’ says Bolck. ‘But our report shows that in most cases smaller amounts of greenhouse gases, including CO2, are released in the production of biobased plastics.’ On the other hand: ‘If you look at negative environmental effects that are specific to agriculture, such as eutrophication and acidification, you’ll find that biobased plastics contribute more to them than petrobased plastics,’ says Bolck. This is because farmland is used to produce bioplastics.
According to Bolck, it is difficult to generalize about the environmental impact of plastics because so much depends on the kind of plastic in question. ‘You cannot simply say that all conventional plastics are bad for the environment, any more than you can say that all biobased plastics are good for the environment. The truth is more complex.’
Biobased or biodegradable
‘Bioplastic’ is actually a confusing blanket term. It gets used to denote biodegradable plastic, which dissolves into the environment, as well as for biobased plastic, which is made out of biomass. These are two different characteristics, however, which sometimes go together and sometimes do not. There are biobased plastics which do not break down in the environment, and biodegradable plastics which are petroleum-based.
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Our Class Structure
At Future STRONG our curriculum has no textbooks, no tests and no wrong or right answers. Our class structure includes discussing the topic of the week in the form of stories, questions and worksheets to reinforce values, critical thinking and enrichment of character. Every class we teach has a unique take away – it equips the child to take a new thinking approach to learning.
Here are the contents of our classes.
This is a brief introduction of the topic to set the intention of what the class is about. This will tell the children what they will be able to know, do and understand at the end of the class.
This interactive session will help children think about the topic in the form of questions. As we brainstorm, children will be able to quantify their learning in the form of answers.
Stories give us the “why” for what we do with our lives. Unlike facts and figures, concepts told in the form of stories have the ability to stick with us and are truly our life long lessons.
During the lesson, students will collaborate in groups of three or more to solve problems in real life scenarios. This will help them put into practice the depth of their understanding of the topic.
Relevant thought exercises can help children comprehend difficult concepts. At the end of each lesson, children will fill out a worksheet that shows their understanding about the topic.
Homework will require children to put their comprehension into life long application. Because attitude, discipline and instinct can only be measured through actions and experience.
What makes human potential COMPLETE?
We believe that human potential has two aspects, a skill set for professional excellence – aptitude, and a tool kit for personal excellence – the right attitude needed to face real life, something that the curriculum at Future STRONG equips our children with. | <urn:uuid:42dfa26d-430e-4767-a973-946e9cfb1023> | CC-MAIN-2019-09 | https://futurestrongacademy.com/class-structure/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-09/segments/1550249550830.96/warc/CC-MAIN-20190223203317-20190223225317-00139.warc.gz | en | 0.921488 | 373 | 3.21875 | 3 |
(Linnaeus, 1758)
|Arctic fox range|
The arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus), also known as the white fox, polar fox or snow fox, is a small fox native to Arctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere and is common throughout the Arctic tundra biome. It is well adapted to living in cold environments. It has a deep thick fur which is brown in summer and white in winter. It averages in size at about 85.3 cm (33.6 in) in body length, with a generally rounded body shape to minimize the escape of body heat.
They prey on any small animals they can find, including lemmings, voles, ringed seal pups, fish, and bird eggs. They will also eat carrion, berries, and seaweed. They form monogamous pairs during the breeding season and usually stay together in family groups of multiple generations in complex underground dens.
The arctic fox lives in some of the most frigid extremes on the planet. Among its adaptations for cold survival are its deep, thick fur, a system of countercurrent heat exchange in the circulation of paws to retain core temperature, and a good supply of body fat. The fox has a low surface area to volume ratio, as evidenced by its generally rounded body shape, short muzzle and legs, and short, thick ears. Since less of its surface area is exposed to the arctic cold, less heat escapes the body. Its furry paws allow it to walk on ice in search of food. The arctic fox has such keen hearing that it can precisely locate the position of prey under the snow. When it finds prey, it pounces and punches through the snow to catch its victim. Its fur changes colour with the seasons: in the winter it is white to blend in with snow, while in the summer it is brown.
The arctic fox tends to be active from early September to early May. The gestation period is 52 days. Litters tend to average 5–8 kits but may be as many as 25(the largest in the order Carnivora ) Both the mother and the father help to raise their young. The females leave the family and form their own groups and the males stay with the family.
Foxes tend to form monogamous pairs in the breeding season. Litters are born in the early summer and the parents raise the young in a large den. Dens can be complex underground networks, housing many generations of foxes. Young from a previous year's litter may stay with the parents to help rear younger siblings. The kits are initially brownish; as they become older they turn white. Their coat of fur also changes color when summer arrives, but in winter it is white.
The arctic fox will generally eat any small animal it can find: lemmings, voles, hares, owls, eggs, and carrion, etc. Lemmings are the most common prey. A family of foxes can eat dozens of lemmings each day. During April and May the arctic fox also preys on ringed seal pups when the young animals are confined to a snow den and are relatively helpless. Fish beneath the ice are also part of its diet. They also consume berries and seaweed and may thus be considered omnivores. It is a significant bird egg predator, excepting those of the largest tundra bird species. If there is an overabundance of food hunted, the arctic fox will bury what the family cannot eat. When its normal prey is scarce, the arctic fox scavenges the leftovers and even feces of larger predators, such as the polar bear, even though the bear's prey includes the arctic fox itself.
The average length is 85.3 cm (33.6 in), with a range of 80 to 110 cm (31 to 43 in), in the male and 82.1 cm (32.3 in), with a range of 71.3 to 85 cm (28.1 to 33 in), in the female. The tail is 31 cm (12.2 in) long in the male and 30 cm (11.8 in) long in the female. It is 25–30 cm (9.8–11.8 in) high at the shoulder. On average males weigh 3.5 kg (7.7 lb), with a range of 3.2 to 9.4 kg (7.1 to 21 lb), while females average 2.9 kg (6.4 lb), with a range of 1.4 to 3.2 kg (3.1 to 7.1 lb).
Vulpes lagopus is a 'true fox' belonging to the genus Vulpes of the fox tribe Vulpini. It is classified under the subfamily Caninae of the canid family Canidae. Although it has previously been assigned to its own monotypic genus Alopex, recent genetic evidence now places it in the genus Vulpes with the majority of the other foxes. It is closely related to the swift fox (Vulpes velox).
It was originally described by Carl Linnaeus in the 10th edition of Systema Naturae in 1758 as Canis lagopus. The type specimen was recovered from Lapland, Sweden. The generic name vulpes is Latin for "fox". The specific name lagopus is derived from Ancient Greek λαγως (lagos, "hare") and πους (pous, "foot"), referring to the hair on its feet similar to those found in cold-climate species of hares.
Besides the nominate subspecies, Vulpes lagopus lagopus, there are four other subspecies of this fox:
- Bering Islands arctic fox, Vulpes lagopus beringensis
- Iceland Arctic fox, Vulpes lagopus fuliginosus
- Pribilof Islands arctic fox, Vulpes lagopus pribilofensis
- Greenland arctic fox, Vulpes lagopus foragorapusis
Population and distribution
The arctic fox has a circumpolar range, meaning that it is found throughout the entire Arctic, including the outer edges of Greenland, Russia, Canada, Alaska, and Svalbard, as well as in Subarctic and alpine areas, such as Iceland and mainland alpine Scandinavia. The conservation status of the species is good, except for the Scandinavian mainland population. It is acutely endangered there, despite decades of legal protection from hunting and persecution. The total population estimate in all of Norway, Sweden and Finland is a mere 120 adult individuals.
The arctic fox is the only native land mammal to Iceland. It came to the isolated North Atlantic island at the end of the last ice age, walking over the frozen sea. The Arctic Fox Center in Súðavík contains an exhibition on the arctic fox and conducts studies on the influence of tourism on the population.
The abundance of the arctic fox species tends to fluctuate in a cycle along with the population of lemmings and voles (a 3-to-4-year cycle). The populations are especially vulnerable during the years when the prey population crashes, and uncontrolled trapping has almost eradicated two subpopulations.
The pelts of arctic foxes with a slate blue coloration—an expression of a recessive gene—were especially valuable. They were transported to various previously fox-free Aleutian Islands during the 1920s. The program was successful in terms of increasing the population of blue foxes, but their predation of Aleutian Canadian geese conflicted with the goal of preserving that species.
The arctic fox is losing ground to the larger red fox. This has been attributed to climate change—the camouflage value of its lighter coat decreases with less snow cover. Red foxes dominate where their ranges begin to overlap by killing arctic foxes and their kits. An alternate explanation of the red fox's gains involves the gray wolf: Historically, it has kept red fox numbers down, but as the wolf has been hunted to near extinction in much of its former range, the red fox population has grown larger, and it has taken over the niche of top predator. In areas of northern Europe, there are programs in place that allow hunting of the red fox in the arctic fox's previous range.
As with many other game species, the best sources of historical and large scale population data are hunting bag records and questionnaires. There are several potential sources of error in such data collections. In addition, numbers vary widely between years due to the large population fluctuations. However, the total population of the arctic fox must be in the order of several hundred thousand animals.
The world population is thus not endangered, but two arctic fox subpopulations are. One is on Medny Island (Commander Islands, Russia), which was reduced by some 85–90%, to around 90 animals, as a result of mange caused by an ear tick introduced by dogs in the 1970s. The population is currently under treatment with antiparasitic drugs, but the result is still uncertain.
The other threatened population is the one in Fennoscandia (Norway, Sweden, Finland and Kola Peninsula). This population decreased drastically around the start of the 20th century as a result of extreme fur prices which caused severe hunting also during population lows. The population has remained at a low density for more than 90 years, with additional reductions during the last decade. The total population estimate for 1997 is around 60 adults in Sweden, 11 adults in Finland and 50 in Norway. From Kola, there are indications of a similar situation, suggesting a population of around 20 adults. The Fennoscandian population thus numbers a total of 140 breeding adults. Even after local lemming peaks, the arctic fox population tends to collapse back to levels dangerously close to non-viability.
- Angerbjörn, A., Hersteinsson, P. & Tannerfeldt, M. (2008). Alopex lagopus. In: IUCN 2008. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Retrieved 11 February 2009.
- Linnæus, Carl (1758). Systema naturæ per regna tria naturæ, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Tomus I (in Latin) (10 ed.). Holmiæ (Stockholm): Laurentius Salvius. p. 40. Retrieved 23 November 2012.
- Wozencraft, W. C. (2005). "Order Carnivora". In Wilson, D. E.; Reeder, D. M. Mammal Species of the World (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 532–628. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
- Canids: Foxes, Wolves, Jackals and Dogs
- Arctic Fox Alopex lagopus
- Dewey, T. and C. Middlebrook. 2007. "Vulpes lagopus" (On-line). Retrieved 16 May 2009 at Animal Diversity Web
- MacDonald, David W. (2004). Biology and Conservation of Wild Canids. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-851556-1.
- John R. Bockstoce (15 September 2009). Furs and frontiers in the far north: the contest among native and foreign nations for the Bering Strait fur trade. Yale University Press. p. 41. ISBN 978-0-300-14921-0. Retrieved 8 December 2011.
- Joe Clyde Truett; Stephen R. Johnson (15 May 2000). The natural history of an Arctic oil field: development and the biota. Academic Press. pp. 160–163–. ISBN 978-0-12-701235-3. Retrieved 8 December 2011.
- Alopex lagopus at the Smithsonian
- Boitani, Luigi, Simon & Schuster's Guide to Mammals. Simon & Schuster/Touchstone Books (1984), ISBN 978-0-671-42805-1
- Bininda-Emonds, ORP; JL Gittleman, A Purvis (1999). "Building large trees by combining phylogenetic information: a complete phylogeny of the extant Carnivora (Mammalia)" (PDF). Biol. Rev. 74 (2): 143–175. doi:10.1017/S0006323199005307. PMID 10396181. Retrieved 30 July 2008.[dead link]
- Alexander M. Audet, C. Brian Robbins, & Serge Larivière (2002). "Alopex lagopus". Mammalian Species (713): 1–10.
- Lindblad-Toh et al.; Wade, CM; Mikkelsen, TS; Karlsson, EK; Jaffe, DB; Kamal, M; Clamp, M; Chang, JL et al. (2005). "Genome sequence, comparative analysis and haplotype structure of the domestic dog". Nature 438 (7069): 803–819. doi:10.1038/nature04338. PMID 16341006.
- Serge Larivière (2002). "Vulpes zerda". Mammalian Species (714): 1–5.
- "Wildlife". Iceland Worldwide. iww.is. 2000. Archived from the original on 14 April 2010. Retrieved 22 April 2010.
- "The Arctic Fox Center". Retrieved 19 May 2011.
- Eric G. Bolen (1998). Ecology of North America. John Wiley and Sons. p. 42. ISBN 978-0-471-13156-4.
- Lee Hannah (17 September 2010). Climate Change Biology. Academic Press. p. 63. ISBN 978-0-12-374182-0. Retrieved 8 December 2011.
- David Whyte Macdonald; Claudio Sillero-Zubiri (26 August 2004). The biology and conservation of wild canids. Oxford University Press. p. 10. ISBN 978-0-19-851556-2. Retrieved 8 December 2011.
- Garrott and Eberhardt (1987). "Arctic fox". In Novak, M. et al. (eds.). Wild furbearer management and conservation in North America. pp. 395–406.
- Tannerfeldt, M. (1997). Population fluctuations and life history consequences in the Arctic fox. Stockholm, Sweden: Dissertation, Stockholm University.
- Goltsman et al.; Kruchenkova, E. P.; MacDonald, D. W. (1996). "The Mednyi Arctic foxes: treating a population imperilled by disease". Oryx 30 (04): 251–258. doi:10.1017/S0030605300021748.
- Lönnberg, E. (1927). Fjällrävsstammen i Sverige 1926. Uppsala, Sweden: Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.
- Angerbjörn, A. et al. (1995). "Dynamics of the Arctic fox population in Sweden". Annales Zoologici Fennici 32: 55–68.
- Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 2003 – Schedule 2 Prohibited new organisms, New Zealand Government, retrieved 26 January 2012
Further reading
- Nowak, Ronald M. (2005). Walker's Carnivores of the World. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Press. ISBN 0-8018-8032-7
|Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Alopex lagopus|
|Wikispecies has information related to: Alopex lagopus|
- "Vulpes lagopus". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 24 February 2009.
- State of the Environment Norway: Arctic fox
- Smithsonian Institution – North American Mammals: Vulpes lagopus | <urn:uuid:1f1396cd-d22b-4449-a5bd-04601be33479> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arctic_Fox | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706628306/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121708-00073-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.85908 | 3,329 | 4.09375 | 4 |
Scientists view a quantum jump in real time
Fast tunable coupler could lead to better quantum computing models
Physicists Solve Difficult Classical Problem with One Quantum Bit
Physicists Propose New Ultracold Scheme for Scalable Quantum Information Processing
Simon's algorithm run on quantum computer for the first time—faster than on standard computer
Physicists set new records for silicon quantum computing
Two research teams working in the same laboratories at UNSW Australia have found distinct solutions to a critical challenge that has held back the realisation of super powerful quantum computers.
Putting the squeeze on quantum information
Canadian Institute for Advanced Research researchers have shown that information stored in quantum bits can be exponentially compressed without losing information. The achievement is an important proof of principle, and could ...
Physicists find way to boot up quantum computers 72 times faster than previously possible
Press the start button, switch on the monitor, grab a cup of coffee and off you go. That is pretty much how most us experience booting up a computer. But with a quantum computer the situation is very different. ...
Research team claims to have accurately 'teleported' quantum information ten feet
Superconducting qubit array points the way to error-free quantum computers
A fully functional quantum computer is one of the holy grails of physics. Unlike conventional computers, the quantum version uses qubits (quantum bits), which make direct use of the multiple states of quantum ...
MRI, on a molecular scale: Team develops system that could peer into atomic structure of individual molecules
For decades, scientists have used techniques such as X-ray crystallography and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) imaging to gain invaluable insight into the atomic structure of molecules. Such efforts have ...
Progress in the fight against quantum dissipation
(Phys.org) —Scientists at Yale have confirmed a 50-year-old, previously untested theoretical prediction in physics and improved the energy storage time of a quantum switch by several orders of magnitude. ...
Physicists correct quantum errors
Scientists from the FOM Foundation and the Technical University Delft, working together at the Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, have succeeded in detecting and correcting errors during the storage of quantum ... | <urn:uuid:9b388228-a23f-41df-896d-e4970b10be84> | CC-MAIN-2014-49 | http://phys.org/tags/quantum+bits/sort/rank/all/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-49/segments/1416931004885.2/warc/CC-MAIN-20141125155644-00085-ip-10-235-23-156.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.893553 | 453 | 2.859375 | 3 |
The Fair Housing Act and What Real Estate Agents Need to Know
The Fair Housing Act is one of the most progressive collection of laws ever enacted in the history of the United States. These protective measures were put in place to prevent discrimination and establish equality for everyone.
Regardless of your fiduciary duty as a real estate agent to follow these laws, providing an honest, fair, and dignified service to people of all backgrounds is just plain smart for business.
Instead of forcing you to rummage through Wikipedia or one of those thick encyclopedia books from the public library, we summarize the Fair Housing Act’s history, bills, and things you need to know when working as a real estate agent.
Fair Housing Act Laws and Real Estate Agents
The Fair Housing Act spans back all the way to the postbellum era. Here are the laws you should familiarize yourself with:
Civil Rights Act of 1866
This bill-turned-law was signed in by Andrew Johnson and states, “All citizens of the United States shall have the same right in every state and territory as is enjoyed by white citizens thereof to inherit, purchase, lease, sell, hold, and convey real and personal property.”
Now, what does this mean?
Plain and simple, this law prohibits any sort of discrimination against race. Period. There are no excuses for breaking this law in any capacity and it should be considered a staple of your business’ ethical standards.
Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968
This act “prohibits discrimination in the sale, rental, and financing of dwellings, and in other housing-related transactions, because of race, color, religion, sex, familial status, national origin, and disability. It also requires that all federal programs relating to housing and urban development be administered in a manner that affirmatively furthers fair housing.”
Lyndon B. Johnson signed this law into place during the King assassination riots and it was crucial for increasing federal funding and limiting further hate crimes. It fully established that you cannot discriminate housing against anyone based on their race, color, religion, or national origin.
Jones v. Alfred H. Mayer Co., 1968
Joseph Lee Jones, a black man, took the Alfred H. Mayer real estate company in St. Louis County, Missouri to the Supreme Court after the company refused to sell him a home in a specific neighborhood due to his race.
The result? Citing Section 1982 of the Congressional Act, the high court sided with Jones in that the Alfred H. Mayer company discriminated against Jones due to the color of his skin.
This result led to an establishment of equal opportunities to all regardless of ancestral, ethnic, physical, cultural, or linguistic differences, or anything based on age, sex, race, color, marital status, familial status, physical or mental disability, religious creed, national origin, or sexual orientation. It also set a standard for how real estate agents would run their practices as we moved towards the new millennium.
Housing and Community Development Act of 1974
With this act, the government went a step further and declared that “no person in the United States shall, on the ground of race, color, national origin, religion, or sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity funded in whole or in part with Federal financial assistance.”
Essentially, this established Section 8 housing and “established a program of community development block grants” while further extending federal equality in relation to urban and community housing development.
Fair Housing Amendment Act of 1988
As stated in the bill, the act “Amends the Civil Rights Act of 1968 to include within the definition of discriminatory housing practice new prohibitions against coercion, intimidation, threats, or interference because of a handicap.”
In better words, you cannot treat people who have a handicap any differently than anyone else and you must create an environment that does not hinder full use of the property. This law covers families with disabled children as well.
What Does the Fair Housing Act All Mean?
Simply put, you cannot discriminate against anyone due to any certain characteristics or personal bias. Here are some examples of what this means in relation to real estate:
- Lying to a client based on discriminatory biases, such as saying a home is not for sale when it actually is
- Unlawful altering of the terms and conditions for a home purchase, or loan
- Blatant discrimination in your business practice, advertising, or marketing
- Refusal to rent, sell, or negotiate based on discriminatory biases
These are not all the examples that are covered by the Fair Housing Act but should function as an obvious guide for conducting your real estate business.
The Fair Housing Act has become one of our country's greatest achievements, allowing for equality for all when it comes to purchasing, selling, and renting properties. Working as a real estate agent, it is your duty to treat each and every lead and client the same. In turn, it leads to a more fair society that everyone can benefit from.
Learn More About The Fair Housing Act
Newsday did a fantastic undercover piece on discriminatory bias in Long Island. We strongly urge you to read up on this investigation.
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Key information: Drakensberg Escarpment
- The amazing Drakensberg run north-west to south-east for over 200km, dividing the plains of Kwazulu-Natal from the mountain kingdom of Lesotho.
- The Drakensberg are in fact an escarpment at the edge of the high Lesotho plateau, although they look like mountains from below: a long line of vast cliffs, eroded into fantastical shapes and famous formations. The foothills, the little Berg, are very beautiful, and outstanding walking in their own right.
- The range is so vast that few will walk its full length. The best of the Drakensberg walks are the North Drakensberg Traverse and the South Drakensberg (walk description in preparation). But the walking options, including day walks, are legion. See Walk Summary below.
- These are tough treks in remote mountains, on which you will have to be completely self-sufficient. Come prepared.
- Take a look at the fantastic array of Drakensberg walking tours available on the Traverseline website.
Walkopedia rating(Top 100)
- Walkopedia rating91.5
- Natural interest17
- Human interest6
- Negative points0
- Total rating91.5
- Length: 65km, 5 days
- Maximum Altitude: Around 3,000m
- Level of Difficulty: Variable
The magnificent Drakensberg escarpment forms the edge, at around 3,000m, of the high Lesotho plateau. Volcanic basalt was forced up some 180 million years ago, and spread to form a layer more than a kilometre thick over earlier sandstone. The eastern end has eroded into a line of tremendous cliffs over 200km long, which form the effective border between South Africa and Lesotho. Here you will gaze on famous and fantastical formations and long, grassy ridges and gorges descending into the plains some 1,800m (6,000ft) below.
The sandstone foothills the Little Berg are very special in their own right, a maze of canyons and grassy ridges. Their lush, flowery greenness for much of the year will surprise many travellers expecting sparse grass and dry rock.
The scale here is deceptive: you have to concentrate to appreciate the vastness of the cliffs drops of 1,000 metres are not unusual. You can sometimes feel you are looking down at the gorges of the Little Berg through the wrong end of a telescope.
Behind the escarpment is a broken, treeless plateau of rough grass and low alpine shrubs which is reminiscent of Scotland or parts of Mongolia almost anywhere, in fact, other than Africa. Meeting the sudden jagged edge of the escarpment as you tramp across this beautiful but seemingly regular landscape never ceases to amaze.
Lesotho is a small, dirt poor kingdom trapped within South Africa. Here on the high plateau, you may meet Sotho herdsmen living in rough little kraals in summer.
Drakensberg means Dragon's Mountains in Afrikaans; they are the Barrier of Spears to the Zulus, whose kraals are scattered up the valleys of the Lower Berg, their herds grazing on the lower slopes.
Much of the walking above the escarpment crosses rough ground, sometimes on tenuous animal trails. That said, much of it is easier going than you might fear.The walking opportunities are endless and hugely varied. As well as the great high walks along the top of the escarpment:
- the Central Drakensberg Traverse
- the South Drakensberg Traverse
(Our terms - these are not official designations), you can do other high walks, such as:
- the wonderful day walk from the base of the Sentinel to the Tugela Falls and back
- Day or multi-day walks from the top of the 4WD Sani Pass
- Day walks to Champagne Castle and Cathedral Peak
The Little Berg foothills provide wonderful, varied walking. Some of the best includes:
- Around the Amphitheatre area (including to the foot of the spectacular Tugela Falls).
- Mnweni area
- Cathedral Peak area (including up onto the escarpment)
- Champagne Castle area
- Giant's Castle area
Other accounts: share your experiences
Your comments on this walk, your experiences and suggestions, and your photos are very welcome. Where appropriate, you will be credited for your contribution.
South Africa, Lesotho & Swaziland - Lonely Planet
Walking in the Drakensbergs - Cicerone
Drakensberg Walks - David Bristow
Drakensberg Walks - David Bustone
Barrier of Spears - Reg Pearse
Dragon’s Wrath - Reg Pearse (out of print?)
Encounters with the Dragon - John Hone - superb photography
The quality and availability of maps depend on where you go.
Stanfords: www.stanfords.co.uk. An excellent (and user-friendly) online specialist source of worldwide maps (it is also good for guidebooks).
Best times to walk/weather
Best times to walk
Mid March to June, September and October.
Summer (November - February) is hot, and frequently wet and cloudy but is best for wild flowers. March can be lovely, but expect thunderstorms in the afternoon, so start early. April and May are the best months (but getting colder at night). June is getting cold on the high plateau. Winter (July - August) is dry and beautiful but colder (well below freezing at night and can snow on high). Spring (September and October) are good but les predictable weatherwise.
Depends on the season (see above), but come prepared for unpredictable mountain weather and cold nights at all times. And cold fronts (several days of rain) can’t be ruled out, although they are rarer in autumn/winter.
The nearest significant airports are Johannesburg and Durban, depending on which area you are heading to.
Those on organised expeditions will be transported from/to arranged start/departure points. Transfers to the main hotels can be arranged. Otherwise, you will need to get there by car - 4WD in some cases. Always leave your car somewhere safe.
Permits may be needed to do these walks. Other small fees may be payable. Expedition organisers should arrange these.
See detailed walk pages.
Possible problems, health, other warnings
- Altitude: the high plateau is likely to affect all comers a bit. Expect to puff and perhaps a mild headache. Come prepared to cope. Drink lots of water.
- Mountain weather: snow, rain, severe cold and wind are possible on the high plateau at any time of year. Come prepared.
- Heat and strong sun. Carry enough water and protect yourself.
- Heights: The clamber up to the escarpment is not for those who have difficulties with heights. Huge heights throughout on the high plateau: it is easy to slip: take care.
- Harmful animals, including snakes. Take all appropriate precautions.
- This is remote, often trackless country: you can easily get lost and will have to carry all your food and other supplies/and help will be hard to get if things go wrong.
- Health risks: you may not get prompt medical help of a standard available elsewhere if you become ill. Come prepared, including getting all appropriate inoculations/medications.
- The Sotho herdsmen in the high hills in summer can cause problems (theft, harassment and even attack). Try not to walk in a small group. A guide (and porters) are essential.
See also the websites in our useful links page for more detailed, and up-to-date, information.
Safety and problems: All walks have inherent risks and potential problems, and many of the walks featured on this website involve significant risks, dangers and problems. Problems of any sort can arise on any walk. This website does not purport to identify any (or all) actual or potential risks, dangers and problems that may relate to any particular walk. Any person who is considering undertaking this walk should do careful research and make their own assessment of the risks, dangers and possible problems involved. They should also go to “Important information” for further important information.
Make sure you have appropriate insurance.
Guided or independent?
Walking independently on the high plateau is not recommended, other than day walks.
Given the remoteness of the country and difficulty of getting supplies, an organized expedition is the only sensible option and traveling here with a knowledgeable guide has huge advantages.
Expedition organisers include:
- Traverseline - www.traverseline.co.uk - we used them and were delighted. Good value. Do tailor-made expeditions.
- Explore! - www.explore.co.uk - reputable and experienced organisers.
- Great Walks of the World - www.greatwalks.net
- High Places - www.highplaces.co.uk - as part of a longer expedition
- Exodus - www.exodus.co.uk - as part of a longer expedition
- Steppes Travel organise a variety of holidays to South Africa.
- Headwater organises a South Africa trip which includes hiking in the Drakensberg Mountains.
We cannot speak highly enough of our guide on the North Drakensburg trek, Ian Shooter, who was charming and very experienced. He will arrange day walks. Try to get your organizer to use him if you can. Ian@drakensberghiker.co.za. He is starting to organize expeditions in his own right, and is likely to be good value.
Camping is the only realistic option when on a trek in the high mountains.
Accommodation in the lower reaches includes:
- The Cavern (charming 3-star - nearish The Sentinel) - www.cavern.co.za. Can organize walking and other activities.
- Cathedral Peak Hotel (well known, luxury). Famous post-trek scone-loading.
- Sungubala Mountain Camp - www.sungubala.com - beautiful situated camp (fixed tents and cabins) nearish the Sentinel end: a good and characterful option, and good value. Can organize walking, riding and other activities.
- The Mnweni Cultural Centre, at the roadhead below Rockeries Pass, has sweet huts (self catering).
Other information and tips
Although you won’t need it, carry your passport if you will be crossing the border between South Africa and Lesotho.
If coming by your own car, leave it somewhere safe.
Do not expect “full Monty” Himalayan-style trekking. Small groups may not have a mess tent, and there may not be a loo tent.
Useful websites and information
There are many websites with relevant information. Here are some that we think are useful or have been recommended to us.
- www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drakensberg - excellent start, as usual.
- www.trailguide.co.za is worth looking at.
Other things to do in the area
White water rafting
Battlefields (Zulu / Boer Wars).
Shopping, if you must
We are not a shopping website. But, anything bought from local people must be of some help to this poor area. So, wallets out!
Safety and problems: All walks have inherent risks and potential problems, and many of the walks featured on this website involve significant risks, dangers and problems. Problems of any sort can arise on any walk. This website does not purport to identify any (or all) actual or potential risks, dangers and problems that may relate to any particular walk.
Any person who is considering undertaking this walk should do careful research and make their own assessment of the risks, dangers and possible problems involved. They should also go to “Important information” for further important information.
share your experiences
Add your experiences, suggestions and photos. We would be delighted to receive your writing and ideas (which will be attributed appropriately where published).
Anyone planning an expedition to this place should see further important information about this walk.
Responsible travel matters, a lot. How you travel will make a real difference - for better or worse. PLEASE consider this when making plans. Read more | <urn:uuid:cb361864-fc27-4fe4-b178-4352fefbabb7> | CC-MAIN-2019-35 | https://www.walkopedia.net/walks/display-walk.asp?WalkID=13&WalkName=Drakensberg%20Escarpment | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-35/segments/1566027314130.7/warc/CC-MAIN-20190818205919-20190818231919-00129.warc.gz | en | 0.908941 | 2,612 | 2.609375 | 3 |
At first, Maggie's parents thought she was slacking off. After the Thanksgiving
break, she couldn't concentrate in class, and after school all she wanted to do was
sleep. Her grades began to drop and she rarely felt like socializing anymore. They
were upset with her, but figured it was just a phase — especially because her
energy finally seemed fine in the spring.
But when the same thing happened the next fall, and Maggie's mood and her grades
plummeted again, they took her to the doctor, who diagnosed her with a type of depression
called seasonal affective disorder (SAD).
About Seasonal Affective Disorder
A form of depression that follows a seasonal pattern, SAD appears and disappears
at the same times each year. People with SAD usually have symptoms of depression as
winter approaches and daylight hours become shorter. When spring returns and the days
become longer again, they experience relief from the symptoms and a return to a normal
mood and energy level.
Signs and Symptoms
Like other forms of depression, the symptoms of SAD can be mild, severe, or anywhere
in between. Milder symptoms minimally interfere with someone's ability to participate
in everyday activities, while more severe symptoms can interfere much more.
The symptoms of SAD are the same as those of depression, but occur during a specific
time of year. It's the seasonal pattern of SAD — the fact that symptoms occur
only for a few months each winter (for at least 2 years in a row) but not during other
seasons — that distinguishes it from other forms of depression.
Symptoms of SAD may include:
Changes in mood: sadness, irritability, and/or feelings of hopelessness
or worthlessness most of the time for at least 2 weeks; tendency to be more self-critical
and more sensitive than usual to criticism; crying or getting upset more often or
Lack of enjoyment: loss of interest in things that are normally
enjoyable; feeling like tasks can't be accomplished as well as before; feelings of
dissatisfaction or guilt
Low energy: unusual tiredness or unexplained fatigue
Changes insleep: sleeping much more than usual
(which can make it difficult for kids with SAD to get up and get ready for school
in the morning)
Changes in eating: craving simple carbohydrates (i.e., comfort
foods and sugary foods); tendency to overeat (which could result in weight gain during
the winter months)
Difficulty concentrating: more trouble than usual completing
assignments on time; lack of usual motivation (which can affect school performance
Less time socializing: spending less time with friends in social
or extracurricular activities
The problems caused by SAD — such as lower-than-usual grades or less energy
for socializing with friends — can affect self-esteem and leave people feeling
disappointed, isolated, and lonely, especially if they don't realize what's causing
the changes in energy, mood, and motivation.
Causes of SAD
It's believed that with SAD, depression is somehow triggered by the brain's response
to decreased daylight exposure. How and why this happens isn't yet fully understood.
Current theories focus on the role of sunlight in the brain's production of certain
key hormones that help regulate sleep-wake cycles, energy, and mood.
Two chemicals that occur naturally in the body are thought to be involved in SAD:
Melatonin, which is linked to sleep. It's produced in greater
quantities when it's dark or when days are shorter. Increased production of melatonin
can cause sleepiness and lethargy.
Serotonin, the production of which increases with exposure
to sunlight. Low levels of serotonin are associated with depression, so increasing
the availability of serotonin helps to combat depression.
Shorter days and longer hours of darkness in fall and winter can increase melatonin
levels and decrease serotonin levels, which may create the biological conditions for
Who Gets It?
About 6 in every 100 people (6%) experience SAD. Although it can affect kids and
young teens, it's most common in older teens and young adults, usually starting in
the early twenties. Like other forms of depression, females are about four times more
likely than males to develop SAD, as are people with relatives who have had depression.
Individual biology, brain chemistry, family history, environment, and life experiences
also might make certain people more prone to SAD and other forms of depression.
The prevalence of SAD varies from region to region, and it's far more abundant
among people who live in higher latitudes. For instance, one study found the rates
of SAD were seven times higher among people in New Hampshire than in Florida, suggesting
that life farther from the equator is a risk factor for SAD.
However, most people don't experience seasonal depression, even if they live in
areas where days are much shorter during winter months. Those who do might be more
sensitive to the variations in light, and undergo more dramatic shifts in hormone
production depending on their exposure to light.
Treatment for SAD, which varies depending on the severity of the symptoms, includes:
Increased light exposure. Because the symptoms of SAD are triggered
by lack of exposure to light and tend to go away on their own when available light
increases, treatment for SAD often involves increased exposure to light during winter
months. For someone with mild symptoms, it may be enough to spend more time outside
during the daylight hours, perhaps by exercising outdoors or taking a daily walk.
Full-spectrum (daylight) lightbulbs that fit in regular lamps can help bring a bit
more daylight into winter months and might help with mild symptoms.
Light therapy (phototherapy). More troublesome symptoms may
be treated with a stronger light that simulates daylight. A special lightbox or panel
is placed on a tabletop or desk, and the person sits in front of it briefly every
day (45 minutes or so, usually in the morning) with eyes open, glancing — not
staring — occasionally at the light (to work, the light has to be absorbed through
the retinas). Symptoms tend to improve within a few days or weeks. Generally, light
therapy is used until enough sunlight is available outdoors. Mild side effects of
phototherapy might include headache or eyestrain.
Lights used for SAD phototherapy must filter out harmful UV rays. Tanning beds
or booths should not be used to relieve symptoms of SAD. Their ultraviolet rays can
damage skin and cause wrinkles and age spots, and even lead to skin cancer such as
melanoma. Phototherapy should be used with caution if someone has another type of
depressive disorder, skin that's sensitive to light, or medical conditions that may
make the eyes vulnerable to light damage.
Like any treatment, phototherapy should be used under a doctor's supervision.
Medication (pharmacotherapy). Medications, which might be used
in combination with talk therapy and light therapy, may be prescribed for a child
or teen with SAD and should be monitored by a doctor. Antidepressant medications help
to regulate the balance of serotonin and other neurotransmitters in the brain that
affect mood and energy. Tell your doctor about any other medications your child takes,
including over-the-counter or herbal medicines, which could interfere with prescription
Talk therapy (psychotherapy). Helping to ease the sense of isolation
or loneliness, talk therapy focuses on revising the negative thoughts and feelings
associated with depression. It also can help people with SAD understand their
condition and learn ways to prevent or minimize future bouts.
What Parents Can Do
Talk to your doctor if you suspect your child has SAD. Doctors and mental health
professionals make a diagnosis of SAD after a careful evaluation and a checkup to
ensure that symptoms aren't due to a medical condition that needs treatment. Tiredness,
fatigue, changes in appetite and sleep, and low energy can be signs of other medical
problems, such as hypothyroidism, hypoglycemia, or mononucleosis.
When symptoms of SAD first develop, parents might attribute low motivation, energy,
and interest to an intentional poor attitude. Learning about SAD can help them understand
another possible reason for the changes, easing feelings of blame or impatience with
their child or teen.
Parents sometimes are unsure about how to discuss their concerns and observations.
The best approach is usually one that's supportive and not judgmental. Try opening
the discussion with something like, "You haven't seemed yourself lately — you've
been so sad and grouchy and tired, and you don't seem to be having much fun or getting
enough sleep. So, I've made an appointment for you to get a checkup. I want to help
you to feel better and get back to doing your best and enjoying yourself again."
Here are a few things you can do if your child or teen has been diagnosed with
Participate in your child's treatment. Ask the doctor how you
can best help your child.
Help your child understand SAD. Learn about the disorder and
provide simple explanations. Remember, concentration might be difficult, so it's unlikely
your child will want to read or study much about SAD — if so, just recap the
Encourage your child to get plenty of exercise and to spend time outdoors.
Take a daily walk together.
Find quality time. Spend a little extra time with your child
— nothing special, just something low-key that doesn't require much energy.
Bring home a movie you might enjoy or share a snack together. Your company and caring
are important and provide personal contact and a sense of connection.
Be patient. Don't expect symptoms to go away immediately. Remember
that low motivation, low energy, and low mood are part of SAD — it's unlikely
that your child will respond cheerfully to your efforts to help.
Help with homework. You may have to temporarily provide hands-on
assistance to help your child organize assignments or complete work. Explain that
concentration problems are part of SAD and that things will get better again. Kids
and teens with SAD may not realize this and worry that they're incapable of doing
the schoolwork. You may also want to talk to the teachers and ask for extensions on
assignments until things get better with treatment.
Help your child to eat right. Encourage your child to avoid loading
up on simple carbohydrates and sugary snacks. Provide plenty of whole grains, vegetables,
Establish a sleep routine. Encourage your child to stick to a
regular bedtime every day to reap the mental health benefits of daytime light.
Take it seriously. Don't put off evaluation if you suspect your
child has SAD. If diagnosed, your child should learn about the seasonal pattern of
the depression. Talk often about what's happening, and offer reassurance that things
will get better, even though that may seem impossible right now. | <urn:uuid:047787c1-99a0-488c-a229-95543833e976> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | https://kidshealth.org/VidantMedicalCenter/en/parents/sad.html?WT.ac=p-ra | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560627998817.58/warc/CC-MAIN-20190618203528-20190618225528-00037.warc.gz | en | 0.945519 | 2,330 | 3.703125 | 4 |
Lesson 4 of 14
Objective: SWBAT use fundamental trigonometric identities to prove other identities.
Here are the slides for today's lesson. If you use SMART notebook, I have attached the notebook file as well.
As students enter I put the 3 homework problems on the board (Slide 1). Once we settle I have different students share their solutions with the class.
I ask the following questions:
- Do you have any questions about the process?
- Can you explain the second, third, etc. step to me?
- Did anyone do the problem a different way?
As we look at the work students begin seeing different ways to do the problems. Page 2 and 3 of the student work show other ways the students worked the first problem. For the students, having classmates demonstrate different methods will help them increase their understanding. If one method is confusing another one may be more clear to them.
We have looked at several identities that I consider fundamental or basic identities. The students have been using these to simplify expressions. I now ask the class "Wouldn't it be nice to know what you want the answer to look like when you simplify?"
Students are usually thrilled to know the answer. I usually make a comment like If you know the beginning and the end of a problem what do you think you will need to do? Students are generally quick to say, "fill in the middle."
Now, I give the students an identity to solve. I ask, "Which side looks more complicated?" I will then tell the class to start with the complicated side (in this case the left side) and try to make it become the other side. Try not to do anything with the right side in this case. That is the traditional method of verifying an identity.
I give the students a minute to discuss what we might do with this problem with the students in their group. After the quick discussion I will ask students questions like these:
- Why did you use sin x/tan x instead of 1/cot x?
- Why did you decide to work with that side first?
On the third slide a student decided to use the inverse property for tangent. The student became stuck. I had the student show his work and I then ask the class to explain what he could do to finish. In this case the student got to cos x/cot x. The students told him to use the identity that cot x=cos x/sin x. We put the remainder of the problem on the board for everyone to see.
This video shows a student demonstrating his reasoning for the example.
I give the student another example. Students work with their groups to try and verify the identity.
This time I have the students try the problem in their groups. As the students work I move around the room and answer questions or quiz students on errors. I may ask why did you put that statement down. Where did you get this step. After a 2-3 minutes I have a student share their process. If students have done this in different ways we will put the different processes up and discuss whether the processes work.
On the first slide a student got stuck so the class worked to help the student. Some students immediately knew that 1-cos^2 x=sin^2 x. The student that volunteered decided to replace 1 then combine like terms. For students that have recognized how to rearrange the Pythagorean identities this method is what they will do. We discuss how it is the same as just finishing by replacing 1=cos^2 x with sin ^2 x.
I wanted to show students how they can also solve this by adding fractions. Slide 2 gives students this process. As you can see I had to remind students how to add fractions with numbers because the trigonometric functions confused them. I reminded students that we will be doing a lot of algebraic methods during this unit.
For this day we only did 3 examples. I had more ready but the students spent a lot of time analyzing work and asking questions about students reasoning.
With a few minutes left in class give the students three problems from Larson's Precalculus with Limits (page 385, problems 10,11,12). I allow students a few minutes to discuss the work with others. I have chosen problems that I expect all students can do on their own. These three problems do not require many algebra techniques, which is where most students struggle. As we continue adding new identities we will move to more complex identities to verify. | <urn:uuid:c8d65973-74e0-4fd9-80fb-3a91ac72da70> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://betterlesson.com/lesson/resource/2719512/bell-work-identities-213-pdf | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988718285.69/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183838-00107-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962689 | 925 | 4.15625 | 4 |
An Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources Fire Ranger carries sandbags to fortify a wall keeping floodwaters at bay along Alexander Street in Pembroke, Ontario on Saturday, May 11, 2019. For the first time ever, the Bank of Canada is releasing a report on the threat posed to Canada’s financial system by climate change. (Justin Tang/THE CANADIAN PRESS)
Bank of Canada releases its first ever report on climate risks facing nation’s financial system
For the first time ever, the Bank of Canada has released a report examining the threat climate change poses to the country’s financial system.
The central bank’s annual financial system review (FSR), released today, analyzes the resilience of the country’s financial system, cataloguing the main vulnerabilities and risks facing it. Critics have been urging the bank to examine the impact of climate change on financial stability for years now.
“Climate change continues to pose risks to both the economy and the financial system,” the bank said in today’s review.
“These include physical risks from disruptive weather events and transition risks from adapting to a lower-carbon global economy. Economic activity and the environment are intertwined.”
The Bank of Canada recently announced it is joining the Network for Greening the Financial System, a worldwide forum of central banks and financial system supervisors looking to better manage the financial risks of climate change. The network launched in 2017.
“And so for two years, Canada has been absent from that international discussion,” said Kevin Quinlan, a consultant who focuses on climate change and responsible investment and an ex-chief of staff to former Vancouver mayor Gregor Robertson.
“Countries that have very different economies than Canada’s are really setting the agenda … and that’s a real disadvantage for Canada.”
‘When the Bank speaks, people listen’
In late March, as it was joining the Network for Greening the Financial System, the central bank publicly committed to building climate-related risks into its FSR process and developing a multi-year research plan focused on climate change.
“The importance of climate-related issues for financial stability and monetary policy (has) become increasingly clear,” said Bank of Canada Governor Stephen Poloz at the time. “This is particularly true for Canada, where resources play a vital role in our economy and where the natural environment is a defining feature of our national identity.”
Experts argue the Bank of Canada is ideally placed to research and model the potential threats climate change poses to Canada’s economy and financial systems — not only to meet its own mandate of predicting economic growth and setting monetary policy, but also to help guide corporate Canada.
“We’re still at the very beginnings of modelling the impact of climate change on the economy … the Bank should obviously have a leading role in that,” said Céline Bak, president of Analytica Advisors and a senior associate with the International Institute for Sustainable Development.
“When the Bank of Canada speaks, people listen.”
Investing in an age of climate change
Canada made a commitment under the Paris Accord to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and limit the rise of global temperatures to less than 2 degrees Celsius. Meeting that target requires a greener economy — and getting there will affect corporations and businesses tied to the fossil fuel industry.
The impact on Canadian firms could come though shifts in where Canadians place their investments and pension portfolios, and from government regulatory changes that constrict companies.
Even if Canadians continue to invest as they do now, they can’t make informed decisions about the security of those investments if they don’t know the degree to which their investments are exposed to the costs of climate change.
“Just getting the discipline within mainstream financial statements (on) what the impact of climate change is going to be on the company, and what the company’s impact on climate change is, should be a minimum standard,” said Bak, adding that transparency is the cornerstone of well-functioning capital markets.
But while some members of corporate Canada have started disclosing climate change risks to their shareholders, they’re not required by law to do so and there are no agreed-upon standards on how and what to report.
“Any financial reporting that a company does has to be audited. None of that exists with climate disclosures,” said Hugh Smith, an expert in environmental and social governance at Refinitiv, a financial market data provider.
“Companies highlight what they’re doing well. It tends to be very overly optimistic.”
Smith called for mandatory reporting and national standards, arguing that even ordinary investors can play a role in bringing that about.
“Capital has more power to make change than anything else,” he said. “(Climate change) is a material impact to the companies you’re investing in. If you ignore them, that’s just not prudent investing.”
Some argue that Canada’s stock exchanges could compel companies to report their climate change risk as a condition of being listed.
Another risk posed by climate change is infrastructure damage due to more extreme weather, such as fire and floods. A side effect of that is the exploding cost of insurance claims.
That impact on insurance companies has been the focus of the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions, which regulates Canada’s banks, insurance and trust companies and pension plans.
But experts argue that the economic threats facing Canada go well beyond the physical impacts of climate change — that a resource-dependent economy is vulnerable to an eventual consumer-driven shift away from fossil fuels.
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Which is why critics like Quinlan and Bak said they have been disappointed that the Bank of Canada has been so slow to take a leadership role on this issue, unlike European central banks. (The U.S. Federal Reserve has not signed on to the Network for Greening the Financial System.)
In April, Bank of England Governor Mark Carney argued in an op-ed in The Guardian that the financial community urgently needs to prepare for an “orderly transition to a low-carbon economy” to avoid a climate-driven “Minsky moment” — a sudden collapse in asset prices.
With so little modelling done, it’s difficult to estimate the financial impact of climate change on the economy of one country, let alone the world.
“There’s no sense of what the overall bottom line would be,” said Smith. “But that being said, it would be an absolutely massive number.”
Original article at: | <urn:uuid:afb9399f-ac96-4b0e-8329-81a170353236> | CC-MAIN-2023-14 | https://gteccanada.ca/climate-change-threatens-both-the-economy-and-the-financial-system-says-bank-of-canada/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-14/segments/1679296950422.77/warc/CC-MAIN-20230402074255-20230402104255-00622.warc.gz | en | 0.941308 | 1,480 | 2.65625 | 3 |
New studies on low-density lipoprotein (LDL)--the so-called "bad" cholesterol particle--by researchers in the Life Sciences Division indicate that bigger is better and small is not beautiful.
Using data from a broad medical study of male physicians, Ron Krauss, head of LBL's Department of Molecular Medicine, and colleagues have linked LDL particle size to the subsequent development of heart disease. Krauss presented the research at the American Heart Association's 67th Scientific Sessions in Dallas on November 16.
"Since heart attacks often occur in people whose total cholesterol levels put them at only moderate risk--those with readings in the 200-240 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dl) range--it is hard to pick out the person who's going to get heart disease," Krauss says. "That's why it is important to look at other factors, such as LDL, that might aid in that prediction."
Lipoproteins transport cholesterol in the blood and are classified according to their density. LDL is known as the "bad cholesterol" because high levels are associated with increased heart disease risk. But even within the category of LDL, not all particles are created equal.
LBL scientists were the first to establish a link between a predominance of smaller, denser LDL particles and heart disease. However, those studies looked at people who had already developed the disease. In contrast, the new studies examined healthy people to determine if the dense LDL trait is associated with later development of disease. Krauss says these types of studies are considered more convincing.
Krauss and his associates worked with researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston to analyze statistics collected in the Harvard-based Physicians' Health Study, which has followed nearly 15,000 male doctors for several years. The researchers matched 312 of the subjects who had heart attacks during a 7 1/2-year-period by age and smoking status with 312 health control subjects.
The researchers then determined each person's LDL particle-size profile and divided the subjects into five groups (quintiles). The lowest quintile--those with the smallest and most dense LDL particles--had more than three times the risk of heart attack as the quintile with the largest LDL particles.
The trend held true even after the researchers adjusted for other risk factors such as the ratio of total cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein (the so-called "good" cholesterol, which helps clear LDL from the blood), body mass index (a measure of obesity), diabetes, high blood pressure and physical activity level.
The tendency toward small, dense LDL particles--a profile called pattern B--is a common trait affecting an estimated 25-35 percent of healthy men and 40-50 percent of heart disease patients. The size and density of LDL particles, Krauss' previous studies have shown, reflect elevated levels of blood triglycerides, another type of blood fat linked to heart disease.
"These observations reinforce the value of using LDL size and triglyceride level measurements to help identify high risk individuals and take appropriate measures to prevent heart attacks," Krauss says.
Krauss' collaborators include Patricia Blanche and Laura Holl of LBL, and Drs. Meir Stampfer, Jing Ma, and Charles Hennekens of Brigham and Women's Hospital.
Cholesterol is carried through the bloodstream by large molecules called lipoproteins. The two chief types of cholesterol-carrying proteins are low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL). Researchers have linked high levels of LDL in the blood to an increased risk of heart attack.
In adults, a total cholesterol level of less than 200 milligrams per deciliter is considered healthy. Above that level, the risk of heart disease increases dramatically. Treatment of high blood cholesterol involves reducing the amount of saturated fat and cholesterol in the diet--poultry and fish are relatively low in cholesterol; cereals, fresh fruit, and vegetables contain no cholesterol. Regular exercise can also reduce cholesterol levels. In extreme cases, cholesterol levels may be lowered by medication.
The three UC-managed DOE labs are "jewels in the scientific crown of this country (that must) not become too diffuse but really build on their core strengths."
That was the assessment physicist Sidney Drell gave to the UC Board of Regents in a presentation on the work of the UC President's Council on the National Laboratories at the Board's November business meeting in San Francisco. Drell, deputy director of the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, chairs the 28-member council whose charge in part is to evaluate the labs' scientific and technological performance.
"This has been a vintage year of new challenges" for the Berkeley, Livermore and Los Alamos labs, Drell told the regents in outlining the council's annual report.
"The labs are trying appropriately to focus and build on their strengths while maintaining a flexibility to respond to changing times and priorities," Drell said. "It is very important as the labs reach out into new areas relevant to our industrial competitiveness that they not become too diffuse -- that they really build on their core strengths."
Calling the three labs "singular among government labs in their quality," Drell said that maintaining UC's oversight role is more important than ever because of the tradition of research excellence and the independent analytical voice the University's management has historically brought to the labs.
The current lab management contracts between UC and the DOE require that the president's council annually evaluate the quality of the labs' programmatic work along with the operational and administrative evaluations conducted by UC's Laboratory Administration Office.
Drell said the council's evaluations this year resulted in "outstanding-minus" marks for each lab. Most of the labs' individual programs were assessed as "excellent to outstanding," he added.
The complete evaluation reports were not made available to the regents because DOE currently is reviewing them as part of its own evaluation of the labs. The process is expected to be complete by mid-December.
"We found the labs' strategic planning to be sound, well focused, well reasoned," Drell said. "The planning is as excellent as one could expect," given the uncertainty of the outcome of the various reviews under way at the federal level of the labs' future missions.
Looking to the future, Drell said the challenges and problems faced by the three UC-managed labs are "very different."
He commended the Berkeley lab for completing "on time and on schedule" the Advanced Light Source, and said that as a "pure and applied research lab" LBL now has the challenge of encouraging user groups and consortia to produce "the excellent science that we all expect."
The Livermore and Los Alamos labs, he said, must "carry a larger burden of maintaining the nuclear stockpile" with the closing or cutting back of so much of the DOE complex.
And all three labs, Drell said, face a single national issue -- "the fact that it's becoming more and more difficult to see a commitment to long-range scientific goals in this government and this country."
AIDS--Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome--is caused by infection with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). The number of AIDS cases reported each year continues to grow, with the most dramatic increases seen among women, teens, and children. Every 17 minutes an American dies of AIDS; one out of every five Americans knows someone who has died of AIDS; more than one million Americans are already infected with HIV.
The virus is transmitted sexually, through blood sharing behaviors, and during pregnancy and childbirth. It is an "equal opportunity" virus; it can infect anyone.
HIV attacks key cells of the immune system--our body's natural defense mechanism. Most people show no visible symptoms for months or years after infection with HIV, and continue to live productive lives.
People with HIV often develop serious illnesses that are characteristic of an AIDS diagnosis. A test for antibodies that the body produces after HIV infection is now used to screen blood for the presence of the virus.
There are ways to reduce one's risk of HIV infection. Although there is currently no cure, treatment is available to delay the onset of symptoms.
President Clinton calls AIDS the health crisis of the century that cannot be allowed to extend into the next. "Halting the spread of AIDS and caring for those already touched by the disease is our common responsibility," Clinton says. "Sadly, if you do not know someone with HIV or AIDS, you soon will. Only through education and prevention can we stop its spread; only through aggressive and coordinated efforts at medical research can we find a cure."
To set up your computer to access the World Wide Web, call the Workstation Group (X6858 for Macintosh; X6858 for PCs).
Officials gave high praise for the success of the Advanced Light Source and for many of the Lab's initiatives, and expressed strong support for the Induction Linac Systems Experiments (ILSE). The review also offered the chance for frank discussions about a number of issues, including the constraints of infrastructure needs and new accounting standards.
Overseeing the LBL On-Site Review this year was Martha Krebs, director of the Office of Energy Research. Krebs was accompanied by DOE officials from Washington, D.C., and from Oakland Operations. Officials from the University of California were also on hand, along with LBL division directors and research staff.
After brief comments by DOE participants, LBL Director Charles Shank kicked off the Review with a discussion of progress on LBL's strategic planning. Other speakers addressed such subjects as quality management at LBL, development of the Advanced Light Source, the molecular design of new materials, the large hadron collidor, and biotechnology research. Working groups then discussed R&D partnerships, overhead and infrastructure, and human relations and training programs. In the latter group, discussion focused on personnel development strategies and child care needs.
The review concluded with a reception with computer networking and education demonstrations in the cafeteria, hosted by the Information and Computing Sciences Division, and the Center for Science and Engineering Education.
Q: Is it necessary to inform the Patent Department when publishing potentially patentable information on the Internet?
As most everyone knows, LBL regulations require that scientific papers be submitted to the patent department for patent clearance before they are published. The reason for this is that once an invention is published, there is a one-year time limit for submitting a patent application to the U.S. Patent Office. If the deadline is missed, the right to patent an invention is lost. The LBL Patent Department needs to know what is being published in order to analyze whether there are potential patentable inventions being disclosed.
Although posting information on a bulletin board or elsewhere on the Internet is not "publishing" in the formal sense of the term, it nonetheless qualifies as publishing for purposes of the one-year time limit. According to patent law, an invention has been published once it has been made available such that someone "skilled in the art" in the field of the invention could find the information and understand it. An additional requirement is that the publication must be "enabling," that is, it must describe the invention in sufficient detail that someone skilled in the art could duplicate the invention without further research or experimentation.
Because posting information on the Internet makes information widely available, anything that you are considering posting should be submitted to the patent department for clearance. This will enable the patent department to determine whether the information is enabling and, if it is, take steps to protect patent rights. These rights might be protected by advising that the information not be published, or by initiating or expediting the patent application process.
Communication and exchange of information among scientists is critical to the furtherance of academic science. At the same time, patent rights need to be preserved for technology transfer and other purposes. The more closely that LBL's scientists and lawyers work together, the more efficiently patents can be issued and used. Please keep this in mind when thinking about posting information on your favorite computer bulletin board.
During that same period, however, recycling increased from 7 percent in 1960, to 13 percent in 1988, and 17 percent in 1990. "The intense focus on recycling is important," says Joanna Underwood, president of Inform Inc., a non-profit research group, "but the heart of the problem is lifestyle." Today, half of all residential non-recycled waste is paper or plastic.
Garbage Reincarnation, Inc. Education, Research, Recycling monthly newsletter (3/93)
The booklet is derived from PDG's 1994 Review of Particle Properties (published in Physical Review D50), which includes 2,300 new measurements from 700 scientific papers published in the last two years, and 12,000 measurements of the most significant measurements from earlier years.
This year for the first time, the Review is also available on the World Wide Web via the Particle Data Group home page
The growing demand for the booklet (28,000 copies) and for the full 650-page Review (14,000 copies) reflects the evolution from the original 19-page compendium of particle physics (plus two-sided wallet cards) that appeared in 1958. The full Review has doubled in size over the last 10 years and is now fully computer-produced. The technical improvements were engineered by PDG computer scientist Gary Wagman.
"People describe the Review as the Bible in our field," says high-energy physicist Michael Barnett, group leader of the LBL team. The booklet is distributed to physics instructors and students. A study by the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center ranked the Review as by far the most referenced publication in high-energy physics, cited more than 1,700 times in the literature during the last three years.
LBL physicists Don Groom, Tom Trippe, and Charles Wohl also collaborated on this year's edition. Betty Armstrong and Gail Harper provided support.
The hard-copy version of the Review, in both full listings and Booklet forms, is available through the Particle Data Group. For more information, contact Gail Harper at X5885, Bldg. 50-308, or e-mail firstname.lastname@example.org.
A video introduction to search and rescue, produced jointly by LBL and the City of Berkeley, should help local citizens be better prepared to save lives in the critical hours after a major earthquake.
Arranged by the LBL Emergency Services group and the Berkeley Office of Emergency Services, the video teaches the basic ways to assess earthquake-damaged buildings and help victims trapped inside.
The 22-minute production was taped with citizen volunteers as actors and edited by LBL video services.
Organizers hosted a reception on November 10 to premiere the tape and honor those involved in making the video. Each volunteer received a certificate from the Lab and the city, a copy of the video, and a search-and-rescue flashlight.
LBL will use the video in the earthquake safety training available to its employees. The city will use it in its Citizen Emergency Response Training program, which teaches a four-hour course for citizens and businesses on light search and rescue.
According to Don Bell, head of LBL's Emergency Services, the chances of someone surviving after being seriously injured and trapped during an earthquake drop drastically after the first day. "Having trained individuals who know how to assess buildings and get to the injured is critical to saving lives," he says.
The video teaches the kinds of structural damage to be expected for different types of buildings. It reviews ways to rescue trapped victims by using tools such as crowbars and wooden blocks. It also covers the fundamentals of disaster preparedness: drawing up disaster plans with family, co-workers, and neighbors; dealing with electricity and gas lines around buildings; and stockpiling food and supplies.
Monday, Dec. 26; noon and 1:30 p.m.: Magic Mike comedy magic show
Tuesday, Dec. 27; noon and 1:30 p.m.: African roots of jazz music
Wednesday, Dec. 28; noon and 1:30 p.m.: Children's concert with Gary Lapow
Thursday, Dec. 29, noon and 1:30 p.m.: Native American stories with Johnny Moses
Friday, Dec. 30; noon and 1:30 p.m.: Chinese folk dancing with Lily Chai
The Hall is also open New Year's day. It is located on Centennial Drive above LBL. For more information call 642-5132.
12/6; Building Emergency Team Training; (EHS 154); 9-11:30 a.m.; 50 Aud.
12/6; Crane/Hoist (Level 1) Training for Incidental Operators (EHS 211); 2:30-6:30 p.m.; 70A-3377
12/6; Laser Safety (EHS 280); 9:30-11:45 a.m.; 90-2063
12/6; Lockout/Tagout (EHS 256/257); 9 a.m. - noon; 90-3148
12/8; Introduction to Environment, Health & Safety at LBL (EHS 010); 9-11:30 a.m.; 6 Aud.
12/8; First Aid (EHS 116); 1-5 p.m. ; 48-109
12/9; Chemical Hygiene & Safety Training (EHS 348); 9 a.m. - noon; 66-316
12/12&14 ; Radiation Protection - Radiological Worker I (EHS 430)(both days) 8 a.m. - noon; 66-317
12/12; Accident Reporting/Investigation (EHS 815); 10 a.m. -noon; 90-2063
12/13; Pressure Safety/Compressed Gases (EHS 230); 8 a.m. - noon; 90-4133
12/13&15; EH&S Roles and Responsibilities for Supervisors (EHS 025) (in research settings - both days); 8:30 a.m. - noon; 66-316
12/14; Forklift Truck Safety (EHS 225); 8:30-10 a.m.; 90-3132
12/15; Fire Extinguisher Use (EHS 530); 2-3:30 p.m.; 48-109
12/20; Machine Tool Safeguarding (EHS 245); 10 a.m. - noon; 90-2063
12/20; Adult Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR; EHS 123); 1-4 p.m.; 48-109
Pre-registration is required for all courses except Introduction to Environment, Health & Safety at LBL (EHS 10). Call the Emergency Preparedness Office at X6554 to register for: CPR, First Aid, Fire Extinguisher Use, Earthquake Safety, and Building Emergency Team Training. Call X6612 or send a fax with your name, extension and employee number to X6608 to pre-register for all other EH&S courses.
Money Market 3.89%
Insurance Company Contract 7.96%
* Past performance does not guarantee future results
First: Harry Helliwell; Second: Jim Jones; Third: Tom Corbin
First: John T. Lee; Second: Frank Lopez; Third: George Weber
First: Angelo Dechiaro; Second: Eric Weber; Third: Rudy Giovannetti
The next tournament is the over-nighter at Silverado Country Club in Napa on December 17 and 18. The Golf Club is open to all LBL employees, retirees, and their families. For more information about membership or upcoming tournaments, contact Tom Corbin at X7617.
THEORETICAL PHYSICS SEMINAR
2:30 p.m., 430 Birge; M. K. Gaillard, LBL/UCB, "Paull-Villars Regularization of Supergravity"
6 t u e s d a y
9-11:30 a.m., Bldg. 50 Aud.; Building Emergency Team Training (EHS 154); pre-registration required, X6554
9 a.m.-noon, Bldg. 90-3148; Lockout/Tagout (EHS 256/257); pre-registration required, X6612
9:30-11:45 a.m., Bldg. 90-2063; Laser Safety (EHS 280); pre-registration required, X6612
U.S. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE SATELLITE SEMINAR
10 a.m., Bldg. 50B-6208; J. Barker, Infinity Limited, "Paradigm Hunting: How to Explore the Future More Effectively"
2:30-6:30 p.m., Bldg. 70A-3377; Crane/Hoist (Level 1) Training for Incidental Operators (EHS 211); pre-registration required, X6612
LIFE SCIENCES DIVISION SEMINAR
4 p.m., Bldg. 66 Aud.; D. DeRosier, Brandeis Univ., "The Bacterial Flagellum: Nature's Rotary Motor"
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT SEMINAR
4 p.m., 3110 Etcheverry Hall; D. J. Krajnovich, IBM, "Materials Processing Using Excimer Lasers: Laboratory Curiosity or Manufacturing Technology?," Refreshments, 3:30 p.m.
7 w e d n e s d a y
CHEMICAL DYNAMICS SEMINAR
2 p.m., 403 Latimer; A. Viggiano, Hanscom Air Force Base, "Rotational and Vibrational Effects on Ion Molecule Reactions"
8 t h u r s d a y
7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Bldg. 77
9-11:30 a.m., Bldg. 66 Aud.; Introduction to Environment, Health & Safety at LBL (EHS 10)
BUILDING ENERGY SEMINAR
Noon, Bldg. 90-3148; C. Marnay, LBL, "SONU: Metrication at LBL and Beyond"
1-5 p.m., Bldg. 48-109; First Aid (EHS 116); pre-registration required, X6554
SURFACE/CATALYSIS SCIENCE SEMINAR
1:30 p.m., Bldg. 66 Aud.; P. Weiss, Pennsylvania State Univ., "Atomic-Scale View of Interactions, Dynamics and Chemistry of Molecules on Surfaces"
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT SEMINAR
4 p.m., 3110 Etcheverry Hall; L. Baptista, California Academy of Sciences, "Song Dialects in White Crowned Sparrows - Adaptations to the Acoustical Environment," Refreshments, 3:30 p.m.
PHYSICS DIVISION RESEARCH PROGRESS MEETING
4 p.m., Bldg. 50A-5132; D. Fujino, Ohio State Univ., "New Results on Charm Baryon Production in B Meson Decays," Refreshments, 3:40 p.m.
9 f r i d a y
9 a.m.-noon, Bldg. 66-316; Chemical Hygiene & Safety Training (EHS 348); pre-registration required, X6612
Noon, Bldg. 66 Aud.; Discussion of Work for Others Process Improvement Team findings
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT SEMINAR
4 p.m., 3110 Etcheverry Hall; C. Farley, UCB, "Musculoskeletal Springs in Running Gaits," Refreshments, 3:30 p.m.
Cinnamon apple French toast
Cream of potato w/leeks
Vegetarian split pea
Corned beef hash & eggs
Cajun roast turkey breast
Santa Cruz chicken
Big blueberry pancakes
Manhattan clam chowder
'73 FORD LTD, grn cream hard top, 2-dr, immac. inside & out, runs great, gd tires, reliable, $1700/b.o. T. Murphy, 674-1303 (eve.)
'80 VW camper, 30K mi. on rebuilt eng., 4-spd, new muffler, runs great, $3500. Ferdinand, X5994
'84 MAZDA 626, 4-dr hatchbk, a/t, 80K mi., gd cond., $2500. 642-4712, 525-2559
'84 VW Rabbit, diesel, exc. cond., Recaro seat, Borbet wheels, new radio, shocks, $3K. Dick, X6204, 549-9049
'85 TOYOTA Tercel wgn, 117K mi., a/t, p/s, a/c, am/fm/cass., v.g. cond., $3300/b.o. 527-0693
'86 HYUNDAI Excel GLS, 2-dr, 5-spd, gray, runs very wells, gd shape, 119K mi., leaving to France, $1K/b.o. X7721, X7734
'86 SAAB 900, dk blue, p/s, a/c, a/t, am/fm cass., 115K mi., $4K/b.o. David, X7326, 943-2274
'88 CORVETTE, black on black coupe w/2 tops, auto, dual pwr seats, Z52 pkg., exc. cond., 32K mi., $17,650/b.o. Mark, X7451, 895-0151
'92 FORD Escort LX, 3-dr hatchbk, blue, 33K mi., a/t, a/c, p/s, am/fm/cass., exc. cond., leaving country, must sell, $7600/b.o. Eric or Lisa, 643-9680, 528-3980
CARPOOL, rider/driver wanted, Castro Valley area to LBL, 7 a.m.-3:30 p.m. shift. Monte, X6761
49ERS, 2 tix, playoffs, 1/7 or 1/8. John, (415)924-3210
S.F. OPERA, Mefistofele, Sat., 12/3, 2nd row balcony ctr., 1 ticket, $40. P. Concus, 526-3519
HOUSE TO SIT over Christmas holidays, family is coming to visit & we can't fit them all in our house, prefer No. Berkeley. Lindsay, X5009, Vern, X7504
MUSICIAN, piano/keyboards to jam 1 night/wk w/blues, r&b & jazz quartet, just for fun. Wayne Nordby, X7685, 837-2409
USER'S MANUAL FOR TI-55 III calculator. Tim, X5304, 644-9444
AMATEUR RADIO, hand-held, dual-band 2 meter/70 CM, Icom IC32AT, w/charger, extra high cap. BP8 battery, speaker mic.,
CHRISTMAS WREATHS, fresh, Boy Scout Troop #204 fund-raiser, $18. Chuck, X4637
CLARINET, Yamaha, exc. cond., case, $250; downhill skis for kids, sz. 120 & 140; ski boots, sz. 3 & 5; play skis for toddler, sz. 3 yrs.; old bricks, used, about 250, $.30 ea. or $60 take all. Ivana, 524-9039
COFFEE TABLE, contemporary, gd cond., new $120, asking $40. Andre or Simone, X6745, 559-8652
COMPUTER, 386SX/51/4 & 31/2 floppy, 40MB hard disk, VGA color monitor, StarNX-1000 Multipoint printer, sound card, stereo spkrs, mouse, joysticks, software & books, $700. Jenny, X7695
COMPUTER, Hewlett Packard 486/33 MHz, EISA server, 1 yr. old, 16Mb 72-pin SIMMs, Adaptec EISA SCSI controller w/420Mb hard drive, internal 14.4 fax/modem, mono VGA, high quality, reliable system, software, $1500. Mike, 642-1021, 268-0674
DESK, brn, 7-drwr + file cabinet drwr, $70. Monica, 601-5757 (eve./wkend)
HOLIDAY WREATHS, Boy Scout Troop 24, delivery in Berkeley area or arrange for pick-up, $15. Alan, X5706
PIANO w/bench, antique tiger oak, 1914 upright, ivory keys, $1850. Peter or Anne, 531-7837
PUPPIES, Labrador Retriever, AKC, chocolate & black, ch. lines, OFA, Wind-Morgan, ready 12/30, $500. Edward Tully, X5907, 944-5304
REMOTE CONTROL UNIT, Proton Universal, programmable to learn 3 sep. remote units, $50. 376-3241 (eve.)
SKIS, K2, 175 cm, Salomon bindings, Nordica boots, sz. 10, $50/b.o.; 7' Balsam Christmas tree, used once, $40/b.o. Dayna, X7862
SOFA BEDS (2), 8', 1 blk leather, 1 gold & cream brocade, must sell, $75 ea./b.o. ; 3-shelf oak etagere, $50; dining rm set, oak, 6 chairs, 2 leaves, custom pads, matching china cabinet, tall, perfect cond., $600/b.o.; New England decorated rocker. T. Murphy, 674-1303 (eve.)
SOLAR OVEN, built for a college engr. project, insulated plywood box (R11 fiberglass) w/black sheet metal interior walls attached to plywood, ext. dimensions are roughly 2.5' x 2' x 2' (need a sta. wgn/lg. car to move it, front door holds 3 panes of glass (removable), needs some heat resistant weather-stripping around the door frame, needs reflectors, $10/b.o. Jon Koomey, X5974
TV, 20", color, cable-ready, less than 3 mos. old, $150. 525-4829
ALBANY, Jackson St., 3-bdrm, 2-bth condo, sweeping hill view, 1- car attached garage, no pets, 1 yr. lease, $1095/mo., $1200 dep. 799-5555
ALBANY, 3-bdrm, 1-bth house, incl. kitchen appliances, washer/dryer, hardwd flr, frpl, detachable garage, lease, $1350/mo., 1st, last + dep. Kym, 525-8961, 525-8743 (FAX)
BERKELEY, furn. brn shingle home, 3-bdrm, 1-bth, modern kitchen, washer/dryer, lg. garden w/creek, nr UCB, avail. mid-Dec., $1330/mo. 524-9655
BERKELEY, studio unit, sm. garden, sunny kitchen, skylight, wood flrs, 15 min. walk to UC/LBL shuttle/gourmet ghetto, $525/mo. 540-0385
BERKELEY (2 listings), both upstairs, furn. 1-bdrm units, 5 min. walk to UC/LBL shuttle, $600/mo. incl. parking, heat & water; share yd, walk to grocery, avail. 1/15, $650/mo. 527-1358
NO BERKELEY, furn., lg. rm. in 4-bdrm house, bay view, shopping, bus stop, parking, washer/dryer, $425/mo. 528-6953
NO. BERKELEY, furn., spacious, rm in lg. home, easy walk to LBL shuttle & downtown, kitchen privs., long/short term, non-smoker, $400/mo. Rob, 843-5987
SO. BERKELEY, 1-bdrm apt., bright, garden, 10 min. walk to UCB, $550/mo. incl. utils. Kathy, 548-0120
EL CERRITO HILLS, share 5-bdrm, 3-bth house, 2 dining areas, bay views, frpl, 1920's Mediterranean style, independent household of 3 males, 1 female, no smoking, no pets, nr Del Norte BART, $300/mo. Stephen, 232-5166
EL CERRITO HILLS, 2-bdrm, 2-1/2 bth townhouse, modern, family rm, 2 balc & frpl, W&D, D/W, refrig, 2X garage, tennis/pool/clbhs, view of Wildcat Cyn. Pk.- hike/bike trails, avail. Dec., $1275/mo. 236-0966
EL CERRITO/RICHMOND, near E. C. Post Office, 2-bdrm, 1-bth apt., elec. stove, refrig., dishwasher, frpl, closed automatic garage, bay windows, yd, laundry fac., nr BART, public trans. & shopping, newly painted, clean, $845/mo. 724-3089
KENSINGTON, furn. studio, pvt., non-smokers, avail. 1/21, $450/mo. 559-8021
KENSINGTON, furn. 3-bdrm house, view, garden patio, 2 cats, prefer visiting LBL staff, avail. 1/1, rental period flex., $1200/mo. 526-6730
OAKLAND, Rockridge, lg.1-bdrm house, walking distance to BART & shops, hardwd flr, frpl, garage, clean & sunny, avail. Jan., $850/mo. + dep. Otis, X4046, 527-1066
NO. OAKLAND, furn. 1-bdrm apt., modern bldg. w/underground parking, saunas, swimming pool, walk to shops, restaurants & Rose Garden, avail. after 1/15, $725/mo. X7472, 547-0727 (after 4 p.m.)
SAN FRANCISCO, Russian Hill, furn. 2+bdrm house, views, study, lg. LR w/frpl, mstr bdrm w/frpl, wood paneling, avail. 1/1 - 6/15, $2300/mo. Professor Cohen, 642-2808, (415)441-1285, (415)922-6025 (FAX)
WANTED: Fully furn. 1-bdrm apt for visiting sr. researcher, from about 2/1 for about 7 mos. Ian Brown, X4174, 548-7102
WANTED: 2-bdrm. house/apt. for German couple, visiting scholar at LBL, pref. Berkeley north or east, Albany. 510-8087
WANTED: 1-bdrm house/apt. or share in larger house for grad. student couple from Jan. 3rd or earlier, prefer in hills, rent negot. Diana, X4978
BAHAMAS, 1-bdrm condo on beach, w/amenities, slps 4, Taino Beach Resort Club, 2 mo. adv. notice needed, $500/wk (Sat. to Sat.). 528-1614
HIDDEN VALLEY LAKE, Lake County, 3-bdrm, 2-bth home on golf course, country club, restaurant, pro shop, tennis, pool, fishing, campgrounds, horse stable, $300/wk or $100/wkend, $200 dep. Shirley, X4521, (707)585-3637
MENDOCINO COAST, 8 acres, secluded 3-bdrm, 2-bth house, ocean & river view 3 mi. west, 700 ft. high, old stumps grassland mature forest gardens, avail. May, $900. (707)937-4015
NO. TAHOE, new 3-bdrm, 2-1/5 bth home, greenbelt views, shopping, lake, Northstar & casinos within 10 min., avail. for ski season. Wayne Nordby, X7685, 837-2409
SO. LAKE TAHOE, 4-bdrm cabin, exc. loc., 2 mi. from Heavenly Valley, AEK, washer/dryer. Bill Holley, X4822, 283-3094
SO. LAKE TAHOE, lakefront townhouse, all amenities, nr all play spots. Herbert Newkirk, 422-8845, 455-5595
BERKELEY, 3-BDRM Townhouse, formal dinning rm, frpl, living rm, hardwood flr, spacious kitchen. 528-1565
ROSSMORE, co-op, 2-bdrm, 1-bth condo, LR, dining area, veranda w/view of trees & hills, wood-slat shades, like new carpet, linoleum, appliances in top cond., nr clubhouse, golf & swimming, $54.5K, $475/mo. covers balance on mortgage ($10K), landscape maint., sec. & more. 524-9473
CAT, 2 yr. old female, Calico, recently abandoned. Mark, X6554
DOG, Golden Retriever, female, AKC reg., 7 yrs., spayed, w/dog house & inside dog cage, gd watch dog, great w/kids. T. Murphy, 674-1303 (eve.)
CATS (2), "Spooky", abandoned & adopted us, needs gd home, med. sz. blk/wht female, 2 to 4 yrs. old, spayed all shots, friendly; "Pockets", 3 to 4 wks old kitten, found on a hike, charcoal/brn, friendly, needs loving. Tom, X7210, (707) 447-1310
STEREO SYSTEM, broken, dual 19" Tower, incl. amp., cass. deck, FM receiver & tower itself, you take it away. David Quarrie, X4868
Mary Bodvarsson, X4014
Mac QuickMail, fax X6641
Deadline: 10:30 a.m. Tuesday
Deadline: 5 p.m. Friday
Mary Padilla, X5771
PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY: Public Information Dept., Bldg. 65B
Mike Chartock, Acting Manager | <urn:uuid:f84de8bb-a001-464a-be55-3198013749a0> | CC-MAIN-2018-05 | http://www2.lbl.gov/Publications/Currents/Archive/Dec-2-1994.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-05/segments/1516084892802.73/warc/CC-MAIN-20180123231023-20180124011023-00187.warc.gz | en | 0.881477 | 8,363 | 3.015625 | 3 |
The festival of Passover calls for early and elaborate preparations to make the Jewish home fitting for the great festival. It is not physical preparedness alone that is required of us, but also spiritual preparedness—for in the life of the Jew the physical and spiritual are closely linked together, especially in the celebration of our Sabbath and festivals.
On Passover we celebrate the liberation of the Jewish people from Egyptian slavery and, together with it, the liberation from, and negation of the ancient Egyptian system and way of life, the "abominations of Egypt." Thus we celebrate our physical liberation together with our spiritual freedom. Indeed, there cannot be one without the other; there can be no real freedom without accepting the precepts of our Torah guiding our daily life; pure and holy life eventually leads to real freedom.
It is said: "In every generation each Jew should see himself as though he personally had been liberated from Egypt." This is to say, that the lesson of Passover has always a timely message for the individual Jew. The story of Passover is the story of the special Divine Providence which alone determines the fate of our people. What is happening in the outside world need not affect us; we might be singled out for suffering, G‑d forbid, amid general prosperity, and likewise singled out for safety amid a general plague or catastrophe. The story of our enslavement and liberation of which Passover tells us, give ample illustration of this. For the fate of our people is determined by its adherence to G‑d and His Prophets.
This lesson is emphasized by the three principal symbols of the Seder, concerning which our Sages said that unless the Jew explains their significance he has not observed the Seder fittingly: Pesach [the Paschal Offering], Matzoh and Moror [bitter herbs]. Using these symbols in their chronological order and in accordance with the Haggadah explanation, we may say: the Jews avoid Moror (bitterness of life) only through Pesach (G‑d's special care 'passing over' and saving the Jewish homes even in the midst of the greatest plague), and Matzoh—then the very catastrophe and the enemies of the Jews will work for the benefit of the Jews, driving them in great haste out of "Mitzraim" [Egypt], the place of perversion and darkness, and placing them under the beam of light and holiness.
One other important thing we must remember. The celebration of the festival of freedom must be connected with the commandment "You shall relate it to your son." The formation and existence of the Jewish home, as of the Jewish people as a whole, is dependent upon the upbringing of the young generation, both boys and girls: the wise and the wicked (temporarily), the simple and the one who knows not what to ask. Just as we cannot shirk our responsibility towards our child by the excuse that "my child is a wise one; he will find his own way in life therefore no education is necessary for him"; so we must not despair by thinking "the child is a wicked one; no education will help him." For, all Jewish children, boys and girls, are "G‑d's children" and it is our sacred duty to see to it that they all live up to their above mentioned title; and this we can achieve only through a kosher Jewish education, in full adherence to G‑d's Torah. Then we all will merit the realization of our ardent hopes: "In the next year may we be free; in the next year may we be in Jerusalem!"
Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson | <urn:uuid:56eea96e-8f7f-41c0-a57b-546a57b6f036> | CC-MAIN-2015-11 | http://www.chabad.org/holidays/passover/pesach_cdo/aid/660186/jewish/The-Story-of-Divine-Providence.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-11/segments/1424936471203.9/warc/CC-MAIN-20150226074111-00160-ip-10-28-5-156.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941498 | 746 | 3.1875 | 3 |
Join Dr. Don Winget on Tuesday, January 14, for a Distinguished Lecture Series presentation at The Houston Museum of Natural Science celebrating McDonald Observatory's 75th anniversary. A free 5 p.m. reception will be held prior to his 6:30 p.m. lecture on white dwarf stars and their many uses. Tickets are required for the lecture, and are available from the museum.
Dubbed “Impossible Stars” by the famous astronomer Arthur Eddington, white dwarfs are the simplest stars with the simplest surface chemical compositions known. At McDonald Observatory's May 5, 1939, dedication, it was announced that, "One of the first tasks to be undertaken by the staff of the McDonald Observatory will be to investigate further the mysteries of the white dwarfs.” Today, as the observatory prepares to celebrate its 75th anniversary, McDonald leads in investigating white dwarfs along several avenues: telescope observations, theory, and most recently, the making of star-stuff using the most powerful X-ray source on Earth at Sandia National Laboratory. This talk by McDonald Observatory astronomer Don Winget, one of the world's leading experts on white dwarfs, will examine the how studies of these stars can shed light on everything from the age of the universe to the understanding of dark matter and dark energy.
Don Winget is the Harlan J. Smith Centennial Professor in Astronomy at The University of Texas at Austin. His research focuses the burnt-out stars called white dwarfs and their many uses as cosmic clocks, dark matter detectors, and more. He recently received a Regents' Outstanding Teaching Award from the University of Texas System Board of Regents.
Tickets for this event are available from the museum's online box office. | <urn:uuid:4921db80-42bf-4e79-b2d5-fd4741fc1213> | CC-MAIN-2016-22 | http://mcdonaldobservatory.org/calendar/75th-anniversary/small-stars-large-context-all-things-white-dwarf | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-22/segments/1464049270798.25/warc/CC-MAIN-20160524002110-00085-ip-10-185-217-139.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945766 | 357 | 2.71875 | 3 |
By Dan Shewan
Media empires rise and fall, but the explosive growth in popularity of websites such as BuzzFeed and Upworthy during the past several years ushered in a new phenomenon in content – the “curiosity gap.”
Mainstream media such as newspapers and magazines have long tantalized their audiences with salacious rumors and tawdry gossip to sell papers and ad inventory, but the emergence of clickbait and “snackable content” (perhaps one of the most loathsome terms in media) ignited an arms race to drive revenues and traffic by appealing to our innate sense of curiosity.
However, some experts have begun to speculate whether the curiosity gap is dead; some believe today’s media consumers have become desensitized to the constant barrage of amazement offered to us in our RSS feeds and on our smartphones, and that media outlets offering little more than rhetorical questions and cheap tricks are doomed to fail unless they try harder to earn their audience’s attention.
But are they right?
What Is the Curiosity Gap?
The curiosity gap is a theory and practice popularized by Upworthy and similar sites that leverages the reader’s curiosity to make them click through from an irresistible headline to the actual content. By creating a curiosity gap, you’re teasing your reader with a hint of what’s to come, without giving all the answers away. The curiosity gap can be used to compel people to click on a blog post they see on Twitter, an ad on Facebook, or a marketing email in their inbox.
There are three primary elements that go into the curiosity gap publishing model:
- Publishing frequency
Let’s take a look at each.
The Curiosity Gap in Headlines
Arguably the most important element in the curiosity gap technique is the headline.
Upworthy is famed for its approach to headlines. The site requires all writers to devise at least 25 headlines per article, regardless of its length, topic, or angle.
This is a lot harder than it sounds.
Headlines have to be almost literally irresistible. They have to entice us in mere seconds (or less), and as such must balance information with intrigue; they have to tease just enough about the article to not only tempt us to click through, but also to give us enough information to decide whether the article is likely to be of interest to us in the first place.
Put another way, headlines have to be specific enough to entice the reader, but not so specific that the reader doesn’t need to click through.
As important as headlines are to the curiosity gap publishing model, they have rightfully attracted their fair share of detractors and criticism. This style of headline has also been accused of falling prey to diminishing returns – how long can audiences realistically be “amazed by what happened next”?
Whether they have become less effective or not, there is no disputing that headlines are a crucial element in the curiosity gap formula.
Publishing Go to the full article. | <urn:uuid:ab53d3b1-1d1b-40c2-a6fb-1ed3f5a3dc3e> | CC-MAIN-2017-26 | http://appliedmarketinggroup.biz/6-ways-to-use-the-curiosity-gap-in-your-marketing-campaigns.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-26/segments/1498128320264.42/warc/CC-MAIN-20170624152159-20170624172159-00281.warc.gz | en | 0.946472 | 620 | 2.59375 | 3 |
National Park Service, Interior.
Notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the General Management Plan for the Blue Ridge Parkway
Notice is hereby given that in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service will prepare an Environmental Impact Statement on the General Management Plan for the Blue Ridge Parkway. The statement will assess potential environmental impacts associated with various types and levels of visitor use and resources management within the parkway boundary. Specific issues to be addressed include appropriate levels and types of visitor use along the parkway and at various developed areas, and the protection of natural, cultural, and scenic resources. Adjacent land uses and transportation improvements, their effect on parkway resources and visitors, and strategies for cooperation among public and private land managers will also be explored.
To determine the scope of issues to be addressed in the GMP and EIS and identify significant issues related to the project, a series of planning newsletters with public response forms will be distributed to the public and public scoping meetings will be held in the summer, 2002. When these meetings have been scheduled, public notice will be provided. Representatives of the National Park Service will be available to discuss issues, resource concerns, and the planning process at each of the public meetings.
Any comments or requests for information should be addressed to Superintendent, Blue Ridge Parkway, 1999 Hemphill Knob Road, Asheville, North Carolina 28803.Start Further Info
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Superintendent, Blue Ridge Parkway, Start Printed Page 113621999 Hemphill Knob Road, Asheville, North Carolina 28803, (828) 271-4779.End Further Info End Preamble Start Supplemental Information
The Blue Ridge Parkway is located in southwestern Virginia and northwestern North Carolina in the Central and Southern Appalachian Mountains. The parkway is 469 miles long, connecting Shenandoah National Park in the north with Great Smoky Mountains National Park to the south. Created in 1936 as a national rural parkway, the parkway is designed for recreational driving free from commercial traffic and with limited access. The parkway traverses the crests, ridges, and valleys of five major mountain ranges, encompassing several geographic and vegetative zones ranging from 500 to over 6,000 feet above sea level. It provides visitors with many varied vistas of scenic Appalachian landscapes ranging from forested ridge tops and mountain slopes to rural farm lands to urban areas. Although most of the parkway has a very narrow right of way, it includes several large recreational and natural history areas and Appalachian cultural sites along its length.
Today, the parkway encompasses 82,000 acres of federally owned land. The parkway has over 1000 miles of boundary to manage, 4000 adjacent land owners, 29 county and several city governments to interact with, and has 500,000 acres of scenic viewshed outside of its boundary. There are 191 public access points on the parkway from the regional road systems. This planning effort will evaluate a range of alternative methods to provide a quality visitor experience while maximizing protection of resources and operational efficiency.
Public documents associated with the planning effort, including all newsletters, will be posted on the Internet through the Info Zone at www.nps.gov.
Our practice is to make the public comments we receive in response to planning documents, including names and home addresses of respondents, available for public review during regular business hours. If you wish for us to withhold your name and/or address, you must state this prominently at the beginning of your comment. Anonymous comments will be included in the public record. However, the National Park Service is not legally required to consider or respond to anonymous comments. We will make all submissions from organizations or businesses, and from individuals identifying themselves as representatives or officials of organizations or businesses, available for public inspection in their entirety.
The draft and final environmental impact statement will be distributed to all known interested parties and appropriate agencies. Full public participation by federal, state, and local agencies as well as other concerned organizations and private citizens is invited throughout the preparation process of this document.
The responsible official for this environmental impact statement is Jerry Belson, Regional Director, National Park Service, Southeast Region, 100 Alabama Street, SW., Atlanta, Georgia 30303.Start Signature
Dated: November 5, 2002.
Wallace A. Hibbard,
Regional Director, Southeast Region.
[FR Doc. 02-6042 Filed 3-12-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-70-M | <urn:uuid:3870b7b5-901f-49c3-9c8d-2ae2b0210481> | CC-MAIN-2018-34 | https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2002/03/13/02-6042/notice-of-intent-to-prepare-an-environmental-impact-statement-for-the-general-management-plan-for | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-34/segments/1534221213691.59/warc/CC-MAIN-20180818154147-20180818174147-00461.warc.gz | en | 0.927054 | 926 | 2.53125 | 3 |
Physical and mental stimulation is not always
enough. A child needs nutritious foods; it is a vital factor to ensure a child's
healthy growth and development. Owing to the state of the communities we work in it is up to us to ensure that the children are fed for the time they attend the playgroup. An extract from Wikipedia states: "The right to food protects the right of all human beings to be free from hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition." We are therefore determined to work towards ensuring every child that attends is fed and any other child (usually during school holidays) who is in need of a meal is fed too.
Holiday feeding schemes are necessary for children who are catered for during the school term but may still need a meal when schools are closed.
Parenting programs are run by our facilitators for the parents and caregivers of the children
The focus of primary caregiver programmes include: | <urn:uuid:102fce33-ad34-49be-b1c2-b80c3677ac0a> | CC-MAIN-2022-21 | https://www.icareresourcecentre.org/ecd-programmes | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-21/segments/1652663013003.96/warc/CC-MAIN-20220528062047-20220528092047-00123.warc.gz | en | 0.969804 | 185 | 2.640625 | 3 |
If your baby has cradle cap, you know the scaly scalp condition isn’t pretty. The good news, however, is that cradle cap isn’t harmful. We checked in with two experts to find out exactly what is cradle cap, what causes it, how to get rid of cradle cap, and more. Keep reading for the real deal.
What is cradle cap?
If you’re wondering what causes craddle cap, you’re not alone. Cradle cap (or seborrheic dermatitis) is a childhood form of dandruff that is common in babies, says Robert H. Pantell, M.D., a Professor of Pediatrics Emeritus at the University of California, San Francisco, and author of the book Taking Care of Your Child. He sees the condition often in his office. It typically appears when babies are a few weeks old and often goes away on it’s own after a few weeks or months. Don’t worry: Although cradle cap isn’t pretty, it isn’t bothersome to your baby.
What are the symptoms of it?
Symptoms vary, however, the condition often results in:
- Scales of thick, crusty skin on your baby’s scalp
- The flakes often appear white or yellow in color
- The skin around the flakes can be red
- While it’s most common on the top of the head, cradle cap can also be found on your baby’s ears, nose, eyelids, and even in her groin area.
What causes cradle cap?
Doctors have different theories on what causes cradle cap:
- Some doctors, including Alan M. Dattner, M.D., a holistic dermatologist based in New York City, believe that it’s an immune response to yeast living in the baby’s scalp.
- Another theory is that your hormones, which your baby gets when he breastfeeds, cause cradle cap, says Dr. Pantell.
- Lastly, dried oils, either natural or applied, may accumulate on your baby’s scalp and cause the condition to develop, says Charles Shubin, M.D., Director of Pediatrics at Mercy Family Health, in Baltimore, Maryland.
Although doctors have differing opinions on what causes cradle cap, they all agree on one thing: Cradle cap is not a serious medical condition.
How does cradle cap treatment involve?
How to get rid of cradle cap varies. Oftentimes, cradle cap disappears on its own after a few weeks or months, however you can treat it at home if you wish. “Use a fine-tooth comb or soft scrub brush to help remove the scales, then shampoo with Sebulex or a dandruff shampoo, which your pediatrician can prescribe,” says Dr. Pantell. (Yes, you don’t need a special cradle cap shampoo, necessary; an over-the-counter dandruff shampoo can totally do the trick; just be sure to check in with your pediatrician first.) Of course, be careful to avoid getting shampoo in your baby’s sensitive eyes.
Why do some babies get cradle cap and not others?
Whether your baby gets cradle cap depends on the type of skin she has, says Dr. Shubin. “It is thought that babies don’t get it unless they have sensitive skin, such as with eczema.”
When should you see a doctor?
Even though cradle cap is harmless, there are some instances when you should see your doctor:
- Your baby’s cradle cap gets worse, or doesn’t go away. You may notice that the scales persist or are thicker, or your baby’s scalp is red, says Dr. Dattner.
- The patches on his head are itchy. It may be eczema.
- You see signs of infection, such as the area feels hot, begins to drain liquid, or the skin feels firm.
Make some notes to bring with you to your appointment. Outline how long your baby has had the condition, what you’ve done to try and treat it, and how often you wash her hair.
Remember, while cradle cap may look yucky, it isn’t harmful and it only lasts a short time. Soon, your baby will be back to normal!
More in Children’s Health:
- Baby Acne: Symptoms, Causes & Treatments
- How to Reduce Your Baby’s Risk of SIDS
- Amazing Sensory Play Ideas (& How Sensory Play Benefits Kids)
Photo: Chris Priest / Science Source | <urn:uuid:88999cf1-efb3-4f87-89c3-e7f805aa6483> | CC-MAIN-2019-39 | https://uk.momtastic.com/health/550401-cradle-cap/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-39/segments/1568514574058.75/warc/CC-MAIN-20190920175834-20190920201834-00185.warc.gz | en | 0.925578 | 973 | 2.546875 | 3 |
This pilgrim-themed window display featured at Hummingbird Educational Resources not only reminds students of the origins of the holiday, but helps them remember what Thanksgiving is all about! While this holiday decoration was designed and hand-drawn by the talented Peggy Drake, with a little help from your students, you can recreate this festive display for your own classroom!
Drake opted to draw the pilgrims for her window display, but you could also get your students involved through a classroom craft. Here are a few ideas:
- Paper Plate Pilgrims. Provide students with a small paper plate and multicultural craft paint. Invite them to paint the entire plate to match their skin tone and, when dry, add hair. Next, have students use a black marker to draw a face on their pilgrim. Setting aside their pilgrim heads, have students:
- Cut the outside (wavy) band from a large paper plate, encouraging them to cut it off in one full piece.
- Using their point of entry, have students cut the band in half, take one of the pieces cutting it in half a second time (creating a quarter piece), then take one of those pieces and cut it in half a third time (creating an eighth).
- Students should end up with three band sizes:
- 1/2 of the band
- 1/4 of the band
- 1/8 of the band
- All students will create a shirt collar by painting a "C" piece black and attaching it to an unpainted "B" piece when dry. The shirt collar should be glued to the bottom of the pilgrim head.
- Students creating girl pilgrims will design a bonnet by attaching an unpainted "B" piece to an unpainted "A" piece, gluing it at the top of the pilgrim head.
- Students creating boy pilgrims will use black, white, and yellow construction paper to create pilgrim hats.
- All students will then use brown and black construction paper to create pilgrim clothing.
- Construction Paper Pilgrims. Provide students with pilgrim templates like the ones found at Craftideas (click here for the boy template and here for the girl template) and construction paper in the specified colors. Invite your students to trace and cut out their very own pilgrim.
We Give Thanks Bulletin Board
- Background: Yellow bulletin board paper (or any other fall shade!).
- Title: "We Give Thanks!" - Drake scripted the title directly onto the background paper, but you can certainly use traditional trace and cut lettering as well.
- Border: Drake opted for a borderless display, but you might consider using a Thanksgiving-themed border or a solid bulletin board trimmer in a complimentary color.
- The Pilgrims. Use your students' pilgrim crafts.
- The Thanksgiving Feast. Draw a simple table shape - including the tabletop and legs - on light brown Kraft paper. Use a brown marker to create wood grain detailing on the pieces. Freehand food items for the Thanksgiving feast (e.g. turkey, corn, pumpkin pie, potatoes, etc.) onto appropriately colored construction paper or bulletin board paper. It might also work to find a black and white clip-art print online or through your word processing software that can be used to print the food shapes directly onto colored card stock to be cut out.
- The Dialogue Clouds. Created from white bulletin construction paper, design dialogue clouds and pen in the things your students are thankful for.
We'd love to hear your pilgrim project ideas and what you think of the bulletin board idea, so be sure to leave us a comment below! | <urn:uuid:d23ecc42-b7a5-4afd-a667-c5ef8608d727> | CC-MAIN-2014-10 | http://www.mpmschoolsupplies.com/ideas/1050/we-give-thanks-bulletin-board/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-10/segments/1393999655215/warc/CC-MAIN-20140305060735-00033-ip-10-183-142-35.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.904703 | 746 | 2.90625 | 3 |
Views:104 Author:Site Editor Publish Time: 2021-02-18 Origin:Site
Water is the source of life and vital to human health. Drinking water promotes metabolism and absorption of nutrients, but the wrong method of drinking water can be harmful to our health. So, what are the right ways of drinking water?
The number of cases of “water intoxication” in hospitals in many parts of Europe has doubled this summer as temperatures in the northern hemisphere continues to rise. Under the high temperature, some Danes drink a lot of tap water to beat the heat, resulting in illness.
At hochbell, for example, there were 10 times as many cases of water intoxication this summer as in previous years. Local doctors say that drinking too much water increases the amount of water in the blood and reduces the amount of sodium, leading to salt and water imbalance. Severe imbalance can cause “hyponatremia,” which can cause brain swelling, headaches and even seizures, shock and death.
It’s a myth that drinking pure water alone will not replace the missing electrolytes, and even further dilute the concentration of electrolytes, resulting in an imbalance in the proportion of water and electrolytes in the human body, and different levels of stress response in the body.
There are many more myths about drinking water.
One is to drink water too fast. Replenishing a lot of water in a short time can aggravate the burden of organs such as heart, kidney, which is easy to cause headache, oedema, and rising blood pressure.
The second is to drink icy water. When the human body temperature is high, it is best not to drink water under 5 ℃, drinking cold water can stimulate the stomach, causing stomach cramps and diarrhea.
1) Follow the principle of“Drink a small amount of water each time, but on a regular basis”: Take 100~150 milliliter water at a appropriate time in half an hour, instead of drinking it all in three minutes. Drinking water mouthful is more thirst quenching than gulping water.
2) There are four best periods to drink water. Each day after getting up in the morning, around 10am, 3~4pm, and before going to bed in the evening, are generally recognized as the four “best drinking time” of the day.
3) Drink at least 1.5 liters per day. According to the dietary guidelines for Chinese residents (2016), adults are recommended to drink 1.5 to 1.7 liters of water per day.
4) Drink after water treatment. For most communities, potable source waters are treated within public utilities to ensure acceptable water quality. The application of modern water treatment processes had a major impact on water-transmitted diseases, and these processes prevent customers from catching waterborne disease.
The most common treatment process for surface water treatment consists of water disinfection, coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation, and filtration. The safe drinking water requires a holistic approach that concludes the source of water, treatment processes, and the distribution system.
The market for drinking water treatment technologies is growing because of limited freshwater, and our oceans are tapped to accommodate world population increase and an improved standard of living in the modern world. Filtration and disinfection technologies for drinking water were developed, implemented, and optimized during the twentieth century. Considering the support of a sustainable world, the water industry in the twenty-first century is focused on building water treatment system and distribution system. | <urn:uuid:d1490407-a7f8-41bc-af7a-56bcb4e4e067> | CC-MAIN-2021-10 | https://www.nbnicoler.com/What-Are-the-Common-Misunderstandings-of-Drinking-Water-id3626292.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-10/segments/1614178376206.84/warc/CC-MAIN-20210307074942-20210307104942-00195.warc.gz | en | 0.942659 | 735 | 3.078125 | 3 |
Neuroscientist Karyn Frick began studying how hormones affect memory by watching mice at play. She documented how well they navigated mazes, as well as what happened when they encountered a new toy or how they reacted when the expected location of a favorite toy was changed.
“Mice are curious,” says Frick, a UWM professor of psychology. “By watching them in their lab environment, we could see that female middle-aged mice were mentally old compared to males of the same age.”
But such memory problems don’t stop with mice. In humans, women are three times more likely than men to develop memory loss and Alzheimer’s disease as they age. Frick wants to know why.
Scientists already know memory deficits are linked to a decline in estrogens, hormones whose levels plunge during menopause. Estrogens enhance male memory, too, and testosterone is converted to estrogens in their bodies for that purpose.
As with most things regarding the brain, though, researching the answer is not so simple. You can’t just replace estrogens to solve memory problems, and hormone replacement therapy for menopausal women can carry harmful side effects, such as an increased risk of cancer and cardiovascular problems.
Frick’s goal is to identify potential new drugs for dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, ones that don’t carry dangerous side effects and are equally effective for men and women. To do that, she’s unraveling the intricate chain of cellular events through which estrogens enhance memory.
So far, she’s found that gender makes a big difference in the process. Complicating matters, estrogens act differently on mice of different ages and mice that have differing levels of mental stimulation.
It’s a puzzle, not unlike those mazes the mice must navigate.
In her undergraduate years at Franklin & Marshall College, Frick decided to pursue psychology. Then as now, complexity was part of the appeal. She relishes fitting the puzzle pieces together.
“For me, the research is like detective work,” she says. “What’s really exciting is when you read something that triggers an ‘I wonder what would happen if…’ moment.”
A fellow of the American Psychological Association, Frick was recently named Investigator of the Year by the Alzheimer’s Association’s southeastern Wisconsin chapter. She’s compiling and editing a book detailing the role of estrogens in cognitive functioning, and through her teaching and mentorship, she’s inspired hundreds of students, particularly women and minorities, to pursue careers in neuroscience.
“It’s a powerful motivator for me and my students to know that our findings could ultimately help people.”
“Karyn is considered a global expert on how estrogen hormones affect memory,” says Joanne Berger-Sweeney, Frick’s postdoctoral mentor at Wellesley College and now president of Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut.
Frick’s research focuses on the brain’s hippocampus region, which is crucial for memory and deteriorates with age and Alzheimer’s disease.
In the brain, signals are sent along “relay stations” between two neurons. The highway for this transport, called the axon, ends at either the outer membrane of the receiving neuron or one of the receiver’s many dendrites. Fringed with extensions that resemble tree branches, dendrites are docking points that play a central role in memory. Frick’s team studies what happens on the molecular level at these docking points.
Chemicals called neurotransmitters direct brain communication, and they’re activated when binding to their receptors. Proteins, which carry out genetic instructions, are also part of the cellular machinery, and their work can be influenced by estrogens. When estrogens are involved in the communication process, it improves the outcome, such as helping form a longer-lasting memory.
But estrogens aren’t as plentiful in the body when menopause arrives, so memory problems arise. “It’s not like menopausal women can’t remember anything,” Frick says. “But with estrogens, they remember better.”
Frick took significant steps toward figuring out the puzzle in 2013. For estrogens to be effective, they must attach to specific receptors within the dendrite and the cell wall. Frick’s research team discovered that in order for two receptors to carry estrogen’s message to proteins inside the cell, a third receptor – for the neurotransmitter glutamate – must also be involved.
The combination unleashes a cascade of cellular signaling that enables a protein, called ERK, to enhance memory. Frick’s study was the first to link estrogens to one of the chemical processes known to create memories.
Frick’s latest research has revealed some crucial differences in the memory process for women and men. She’s discovered that, in women, the presence of estrogens links the hippocampus to a different part of the brain – the prefrontal cortex, where long-term memories are stored – and boosts memory mechanisms in both areas.
Frick also has found that the activation of ERK in women occurs at the neuron’s membrane. That’s important, because proteins in the membrane are better drug targets than those inside the cell.
With partners at other universities, Frick is helping kick-start the pharmacology for drug development by testing compounds that bind to one particular estrogen receptor and mimic the effects of estrogens. Early testing of one such compound delivered promising results in female mice.
But when Frick and postdoctoral fellow Wendy Koss investigated the signaling chain in male mice infused with a potent form of estrogen, they got a surprise: It doesn’t happen through ERK activation as it does in females.
“If the biochemical events leading to enhanced memory are different,” Frick says, “then you may need to develop drugs tailored to the mechanism specific for each gender.”
The gender issue is magnified when you consider how important estrogens are in other areas of women’s health. Estrogens are needed to maintain bone density and healthy cholesterol levels, and are linked to the incidence of depression and other mood disorders. But they have adverse effects on the vascular system and promote some kinds of cancer. All of those factors must be taken into consideration when trying to solve the estrogen-memory puzzle.
And Frick notes another complicating factor: One reason, she says, so little is known about estrogens’ effects in the body is that, for decades, researchers excluded females in order to simplify their studies.
As a result, medical research is missing vital details on diseases or conditions that manifest differently in women and men. That’s led the National Institutes of Health and the Federal Drug Administration to establish new policies intended to close the gender gap in medical research.
Frick’s work is a crucial part of that process and part of a broader health conversation. “Few women are aware of the importance of talking about hormone replacement therapy with their physicians if they have a family history of Alzheimer’s,” she says.
And yet, some of her research has shown such therapy only supports memory if begun at the onset of menopause. Beginning the regimen later actually has detrimental effects on memory.
“It’s a powerful motivator for me and my students to know that our findings could ultimately help people,” Frick says. “Every finding allows us to see a new aspect of the puzzle and then put the pieces together.” | <urn:uuid:f3233b9a-3caa-424c-a5f7-673667283d78> | CC-MAIN-2019-47 | https://uwm.edu/news/estrogen-and-memory/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-47/segments/1573496670036.23/warc/CC-MAIN-20191119070311-20191119094311-00504.warc.gz | en | 0.941754 | 1,600 | 3.3125 | 3 |
Armagh', the capital of County Armagh, 33 miles SW. of Belfast, is situated on a gentle eminence, whence its Ard-Magha, 'high field. The cruciform 12th-century cathedral occupies the site of one founded by St Patrick in the 5th century. A new Roman Catholic cathedral (1904) occupies the principal height to the north, and the primate's palace that to the south. There are a college, a celebrated observatory, public library (1771), and barracks for 200 men. The chief manufacture is linen-weaving. Armagh, from 495 to the 9th century, was the metropolis of Ireland, renowned as a school of theology and literature. Till 1885 it returned one member. Pop. 7500.
Armagh, a small inland county in Ulster, Ireland. Its greatest length is 32 miles, and breadth 20. Area, 512 1/2 sq. m., about one-half under tillage. Slieve Gullion, in the SW., attains 1893 feet. The country bordering upon Lough Neagh is low and boggy, and the Louth plain extends into the south end of Armagh. The principal rivers are the Callan, Tynan, Upper Bann, and Blackwater. The soil is fertile, with a good deal of bog. Besides agriculture, linen and cotton weaving are the chief industries. The county returns three members of parliament. The chief towns are Armagh, Lurgan, Porta-down, and part of Newry. Pop. (1841) 233,024; (1891) 143,056; (1901) 125,392, of whom 45 per cent, were Catholics, and 32 Episcopalians. | <urn:uuid:8266635d-d7c4-4499-8a0c-877ade2f15e5> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://chestofbooks.com/travel/reference/World-Gazetteer/Armagh.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572212.96/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815205848-20220815235848-00439.warc.gz | en | 0.934931 | 363 | 2.828125 | 3 |
Study: Popcorn Packed With Antioxidants
By Anne Harding
SUNDAY, March 25, 2012 (Health.com) — Popcorn isn't just low in calories and high in fiber. Turns out the popular snack is chock full of antioxidants, too.
Per serving, plain popcorn contains nearly twice as many polyphenols as the average fruit, according to the preliminary results of a laboratory analysis presented today at the annual meeting of the American Chemical Society.
Polyphenols, a type of plant-based chemical found in foods ranging from vegetables to chocolate, help neutralize the harmful substances known as free radicals and are thought to protect against heart disease and other health problems.
"Nobody had paid much attention to popcorn as a source of anything other than fiber," says lead researcher Joe Vinson, Ph.D., a professor of chemistry at the University of Scranton, in Pennsylvania, which funded the study. "Popcorn has more antioxidants in total than other snack foods that you can consume, and it also has quite a bit of fiber."
Vinson and his colleagues analyzed four brands of commercially available popcorn. After grinding kernels (both popped and unpopped) into a fine powder, they separated out the polyphenols by adding a pair of solvents—a process that roughly mimics what happens in the stomach as food is digested, Vinson says.
A single serving of popcorn—about two tablespoons of unpopped kernels—contained up to 300 milligrams of polyphenols, the researchers found. By contrast, the average polyphenol content of fruit is about 160 milligrams per serving, while a single serving of sweet corn contains 114 milligrams.
Some types of polyphenols are pigments, and in fruit the biggest concentrations tend to be found in the skin and seeds. Similarly, the hull or outer skin of the corn kernel—the stuff that gets stuck in your teeth when you're munching away—was the richest polyphenol source. "That's where the antioxidants are, that's where the fiber is," Vinson says. "You shouldn't throw that out."
Next page: Don't swap fruit for popcorn
The findings don't mean that popcorn should replace apples and oranges in your diet, of course. "Popcorn is no substitute for fruit," says Michael G. Coco, an undergraduate chemistry student at the university who participated in the study. "Fruits have other vitamins and minerals that popcorn does not contain."
However, the findings do suggest that popcorn is a healthy alternative to snacks such as chips and crackers. In addition to the polyphenols and low calorie content, popcorn is 100% whole grain, Vinson and Coco point out. Eating more whole grains has been linked to a lower risk of heart disease, diabetes, and certain types of cancer.
"This is great news in terms of getting other whole grains in your diet," says Carolyn Brown, a registered dietitian and nutritionist at FoodTrainers, in New York City. "We're always trying to diversify. Everyone's kind of stuck in this wheat rut."
But popcorn isn't always healthy, Brown adds. Movie-theater popcorn drenched in butter is the opposite of a health food, she says, and some microwave and pre-popped varieties contain artificial or less-than-healthy ingredients—such as partially hydrogenated oils—that shoppers should be mindful of. "Not all popcorn is created equal, and you can get some nasty stuff in there—especially with the microwave popcorn."
The healthiest way to prepare popcorn is to use plain kernels in a stove-top popper (such as a Whirley Top) or air-popper, Brown says. Adding a little olive oil or butter is fine, she adds, and popcorn can also be jazzed up with a sprinkling of low- or no-calorie flavorings such as parmesan cheese or chili pepper.
The American Chemical Society is a professional organization for chemists and scientists. Unlike the research published in scientific journals, Vinson's findings have not been thoroughly vetted by other experts in the field. | <urn:uuid:d88d40f8-fe4e-493b-b9c3-8b1723f1dbf1> | CC-MAIN-2019-18 | https://www.health.com/nutrition/popcorn-antioxidants | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-18/segments/1555578742415.81/warc/CC-MAIN-20190425213812-20190425235812-00310.warc.gz | en | 0.953023 | 850 | 2.71875 | 3 |
Investigators at Massachusetts Eye and Ear and Harvard Medical School Department of Ophthalmology and colleagues reported recently the development and characterization of a comprehensive genetic test for inherited eye disorders. The Genetic Eye Disease (GEDi) test includes all of the genes known to harbor mutations that cause inherited retinal degenerations, optic atrophy, and early onset glaucoma. These disorders are important causes of vision loss, and genetic treatments such as gene therapy hold promise for preserving vision in affected individuals. The GEDi test is offered on a CLIA-certified basis through the Ocular Genomics Institute (OGI) at Massachusetts Eye and Ear.
The retina is the neural tissue in the back of the eye that initiates vision. It is responsible for receiving light signals and converting them into neurologic signals, which are then transmitted via the optic nerve to the brain so that we can see. Mutations that disrupt vision by damaging the retina and optic nerve have been identified in more than 200 genes. This genetic diversity made genetic diagnostic testing difficult until the recent development of high throughput genomic techniques. The GEDi test uses targeted capture and next generation sequencing techniques to sequence 226 genes known to cause inherited eye disorders. Future versions of the test will also include genes responsible for eye movement disorders (strabismus) and other inherited eye conditions.
Gene panel-based tests for inherited eye disorders have been previously reported, but none of these have been as thoroughly characterized with regard to their performance in a diagnostic setting as the GEDi test. Stringent tests of accuracy and reproducibility showed that the GEDi test is both highly accurate and reproducible. This type of validation testing is recommended by the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics, but few other genetic tests have been characterized in as much detail as the GEDi test. The results reported show that the GEDi test is 98 percent accurate at detecting spelling variations or mutations in the genetic code of inherited eye disease genes, and is highly reproducible between test runs. In contrast, the technique whole exome sequencing ― in which the coding regions of all genes are sequenced, and which is being employed commonly in clinical settings―was 88 percent accurate at detecting genetic variants in the same genes.
“The results we obtained for the GEDi test have broad implications and show that panel-based testing focused on the specific genes associated with genetic conditions offers important advantages over whole exome sequencing,” said Janey Wiggs, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Genetic Diagnostic Testing Service of the OGI, and the Paul Austin Chandler Associate Professor of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School.
Investigators in the OGI and other centers around the United States and the world are optimistic that treatments targeting the underlying genetic cause of inherited eye disorders can be applied broadly to preserve vision. One especially promising approach is gene therapy, in which a correct copy of the misspelled or mutant gene responsible for disease is added to the affected cells in the retina. Reports of early results from clinical trials of gene therapies for two inherited retinal degenerative disorders have shown that this treatment can be performed safely, and that subjects treated in these trials experienced significant improvements in or preservation of vision. Clinical trials of gene therapies for three additional genetic forms of inherited retinal degeneration are currently in progress, and more are on the way. Given the potential of gene and genetic therapies, improved genetic diagnostic testing for patients with genetic eye disorders such as that offered with the GEDi test is especially important.
Illustration: Massachusetts Eye & Ear.
Massachusetts Eye & Ear News Release (11/20/14)
Abstract (Genetics in Medicine; (11/20/14)) | <urn:uuid:9e981aa4-20f7-4dac-b4c4-7e2af0a89141> | CC-MAIN-2017-17 | http://regenerativemedicine.net/NewsletterArchives.asp?qEmpID=10214&qCat=USN | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-17/segments/1492917120881.99/warc/CC-MAIN-20170423031200-00032-ip-10-145-167-34.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.940685 | 753 | 3.09375 | 3 |
Definition of mud brick in English:
noun[often as modifier]
A brick made from baked mud: mud-brick houses
More example sentences
- They live in crowded neighborhoods of medieval mud-brick houses, which contrast with the modern white-tile blocks catering to Chinese immigrants.
- Dust-colored mountains shoot up on every side - some barren, others with an astonishing clutter of mud-brick houses clinging to their steep, craggy slopes.
- Not only must she cook Osias' meals, clean his mud-brick house, and tend the goats, but Darlene must also trudge off each day to a backbreaking job in the sugar-cane fields.
Definition of mud brick in:
- US English dictionary
What do you find interesting about this word or phrase?
Comments that don't adhere to our Community Guidelines may be moderated or removed. | <urn:uuid:6a27322c-105e-49e3-9043-d3c0bf30cb7e> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/mud-brick | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440645359523.89/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827031559-00169-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.932917 | 187 | 2.875 | 3 |
Proxy Server How To
Start by installing Arch Linux (or your chosen distribution) onto the hardware you selected. If you are in need of a little assistance with the installation, I recommend using this wiki guide and then set up yaourt. Once you have completed your standard Linux installation you need to ensure your network is configured properly. In the case of my transparent proxy, I plugged one network port directly into my cable router and allowed it to grab and IP address via DHCP. The second adapter is then given an IP address of your choice (I chose 10.4.20.1; other common IP addresses would be 192.168.x.x).
At this point you will want to test your network configuration. Start with trying to get out to the internet. If this works, plug your secondary network adapter into whatever switch/router you have available. Take your desktop or laptop that's plugged into the same switch and assign it an IP address in your 10.4.20.x range. (For DHCP setups, see below.) You should now be able to ping your new proxy server (10.4.20.1) from your desktop/laptop. As a quick note for the users who only have a wireless cable modem, it is okay to have both interfaces of your proxy server and desktop plugged into the same cable modem hub.
Now that we have the configuration of the network cards complete, we just need to do a quick installation and configuration of Shorewall/Squid. That may sound like a daunting task to the Linux initiate, but this is actually very simple. First go ahead and install both Squid and Shorewall. Arch has both readily available in the package repository (from a command prompt: yaourt –S shorewall squid). If you are not utilizing Arch, you can download the packages manually from www.shorewall.net and www.squid-cache.org.
Whether you installed Arch Linux or another distribution as your base OS, Shorewall has one simple command to get it set up: cp /usr/share/shorewall/Samples/two-interfaces/* /etc/shorewall. (This copies the base two-NIC example to your live Shorewall directory, which saves a lot of manual work.) Make a quick edit to /etc/shorewall/shorewall.conf and change the Startup_Enabled to yes and you now have a functioning Shorewall. The only thing you need to do for Shorewall at this point is add the following rule into the /etc/shorewall/rules file: REDIRECT loc 3128 tcp www. Start Shorewall by typing: shorewall start from the command line, and add it to your boot process by putting shorewall into the DAEMONS section of /etc/rc.conf.
Now that Shorewall is fully functional and configured, we need to configure Squid. I found a short wiki guide that will assist with the initial set up of Squid. Once you have completed the configuration in the wiki guide, you need to pay close attention to a few configuration settings located in /etc/squid/squid.conf. The cache_memline should be set to half of your installed ram on your proxy server. In my case I have 512MB of total memory so I configured cache_mem to 256. The other setting that you need to pay attention to is maximum_object_size. This setting is the maximum file size your proxy will retain. I set my maximum size to 2048MB in order to retain everything up to a CD ISO. Be cautious of using 2048 if you have anything less than a 120gb drive as your storage space could be gone in the matter of a few days. To get the caching proxy in place and running, the most important line to add is http_port 3128 transparent. The key here is the addition of "transparent", which turns squid into a caching proxy that won't require any additional configuration on your client PCs.
If you followed all of the directions correctly, you're now ready to configure all the machines on your network with a 10.4.20.x IP address with the gateway set as 10.4.20.1. Don't forget to configure your DNS as well (in /etc/resolve.conf). Now that you have everything fired up give your new proxy a spin around the internet. If you would like to do a good test, download a decent size file (i.e. larger than 1MB). Once the download is complete, you should be able to download it again a second time and get LAN speeds on the download. If you have multiple computers, use another machine on your network and attempt to download the same file and you should again see LAN download speeds.
Proxy Server with DHCP
Although I wanted to keep this short and to the point, a common question inevitably comes up: what if you still want to use DHCP? There are a few ways to tackle this issue. If you're lucky enough to have a router/cable modem that will allow you to change what IP addresses it assigns to the network, simply change it over to your new 10.4.20.x subnet and have it assign the gateway of 10.4.20.1. If this is not the case, you will need to disable DHCP on your router and install the DHCP server package (in Arch: pacman –S dhcp). The configuration can be a bit of a hassle, so here's my /etc/dhcpd.conf.
Start the DHCP service on your proxy (/etc/rc.d/dhcpd start) and test DHCP on your desktop/laptop. Assuming all goes well, add dhcpd to your DAEMONS in /etc/rc.conf. If you happen to reboot your Linux box, after a minute or so your proxy should be back up and running. | <urn:uuid:5f727c38-d891-458c-abeb-93e722fca5f0> | CC-MAIN-2017-13 | http://www.anandtech.com/Show/Index/3715?cPage=5&all=False&sort=0&page=2&slug=family-proxy | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-13/segments/1490218189490.1/warc/CC-MAIN-20170322212949-00454-ip-10-233-31-227.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.916474 | 1,203 | 2.5625 | 3 |
The children’s theatrical play “Trapped Wind” was presented to the pupils of the “Xhemail Mustafa” school in Prishtina today. A show dedicated to environmental problems.
This play was created after the collaboration between Artpolis and Shadow and Clouds from Northern Macedonia.
Environmental issues are vital to human beings, so we need to educate and teach children how to care for the environment and coexist with it. “Trapped wind” is a new theatrical format that comes through a black box with four holes, the only space for the kids to watch the play, thus increasing their curiosity.
In addition to the play, an important place is occupied by the workshop with the same pupils who watched the show. Pupils have written and drawn on postcards environmental protection messages for their peers in Northern Macedonia, while receiving one from their anonymous friends from the neighboring country.
This show comes as a research process between Artpolis and Shadows and Clouds within the CULTURE BOX project, which is part of the READ (Regional Network for Cultural Diversity) initiative in the local implementation of the GOETHE Institute in Skopje and LOJA.
#artpolis #art #community #theatre #Kosovo #Prishtinë #Shadows #Clouds #MaqedoniaVeriore | <urn:uuid:ed43ea08-ef54-414b-9e0d-272ec4db64ae> | CC-MAIN-2022-27 | https://artpolis-ks.com/eng/theater-play-trapped-wind-aspire-to-raise-childrens-awareness-of-environmental-issues/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-27/segments/1656104683020.92/warc/CC-MAIN-20220707002618-20220707032618-00382.warc.gz | en | 0.959522 | 287 | 2.515625 | 3 |
|Coolen, M. J. L. and J. Overmann, Analysis of subfossil molecular remains of purple sulfur bacteria in a lake sediment, Appl. Environ. Microbiol., 64(11), 4513-4521, 1998|
Molecular remains of purple sulfur bacteria (Chromatiaceae) were detected in Holocene sediment layers of a meromictic salt lake (Mahoney Lake, British Columbia, Canada). The carotenoid okenone and bacteriophaeophytin a were present in sediments up to 11,000 years old. Okenone is specific for only a few species of Chromatiaceae, including Amoebobacter purpureus, which presently predominates in the chemocline bacterial community of the lake. With a primer set specific for Chromatiaceae in combination with denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis, 16S rRNA gene sequences of four different Chromatiaceae species were retrieved from different depths of the sediment. One of the sequences, which originated from a 9,100-year-old sample, was 99.2% identical to the 16S rRNA gene sequence of A. purpureus ML1 isolated from the chemocline. Employing primers specific for A. purpureus ML1 and dot blot hybridization of the PCR products, the detection limit for A. purpureus ML1 DNA could be lowered to 0.004% of the total community DNA. With this approach the DNA of the isolate was detected in 7 of 10 sediment layers, indicating that A. purpureus ML1 constituted at least a part of the ancient purple sulfur bacterial community. The concentrations of A. purpureus DNA and okenone in the sediment were not correlated, and the ratio of DNA to okenone was much lower in the subfossil sediment layers (2.7 · 106) than in intact cells (1.4). This indicates that degradation rates are significantly higher for genomic DNA than for hydrocarbon cell constituents, even under anoxic conditions and at the very high sulfide concentrations present in Mahoney Lake. Full text of article is available here. | <urn:uuid:27c6cd55-f0c9-49fb-81b4-53b028a8e40b> | CC-MAIN-2015-18 | http://www.whoi.edu/hpb/viewPage.do?id=29198&cl=30 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-18/segments/1429246639674.12/warc/CC-MAIN-20150417045719-00003-ip-10-235-10-82.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.915786 | 443 | 2.578125 | 3 |
Meaningful Gifts For Kwanzaa
Conceived in 1966, Kwanzaa is an African-American holiday, celebrated between December 26 and January 1. The seven days represent seven principles to unite African-American communities. On each day, some families gather to reflect or demonstrate a principle.
The seven principles of Kwanzaa are based on the basic values of African culture, or Nguzo Saba, in Swahili. While the traditions do include some gift giving, the presents are intended primarily for children -- and even then, always include a book and a symbol of heritage.
For some, Kwanzaa has waned in recent years. On his show Totally Biased, comedian W. Kamau Bell recently noted that only a handful of people even celebrate the holiday:
Bell has also noted that the holiday has become a multicultural marketing tool. Professor Keith Mayes of the University of Minnesota believes that a commercialized Kwanzaa portrays the holiday as a signifier that we live in a “post-racial” society -- which we don’t. He says:
Part of Kwanzaa's embrace by multicultural America is self-serving. Whereas black power uses Kwanzaa to connect black Americans with the continent of Africa, multicultural America uses Kwanzaa to sell products and consumer goods. Whereas black power expected Kwanzaa to liberate African-Americans, multicultural America has tried to use Kwanzaa as evidence of racial diversity and black inclusion.
So instead of a traditional “gift guide,” full of things you can wrap up with a bow, I’ve found some gifts that foster thoughtful celebration and discovery – both of this holiday itself, and of the community at large. Read on for suggestions on ways to reflect meaningfully on each of the principles of Kwanzaa. | <urn:uuid:b05aa30c-e53d-4318-bbeb-e442649ee9f8> | CC-MAIN-2015-22 | http://m.blogher.com/celebrate-kwanzaa?from=bhspinner | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-22/segments/1432207929899.62/warc/CC-MAIN-20150521113209-00209-ip-10-180-206-219.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934853 | 383 | 3.6875 | 4 |
|Tasting libations after the carving and sharp tools are put down.|
Pumpkins are grown in the front pasture using aged horse manure and stall shavings top soil that has been aging for years. It is very fertile for pumpkins and the location has a good bit of sun most of the day. This year 12 plants for carving and about 6 plant for sugar pumpkins were planted. There were about 50 volunteer plants (the most ever) left from the pumpkins from last year.
I am not really sure how to best encourage the volunteers but covering the pumpkins (whole) with top soil in the fall and then adding some more soil and squishing the area where the old pumpkins were might have done the trick. That technique will be tried again.
The harvest came in with about 35-40 pumpkins, by far the largest crop but far fewer than anticipated with all the volunteer plants. It seems that fresh plants are a good idea.
Pumpkin Carving You Tube:
About a minute long.with good tips on basics. Followed by a Martha Stewart interview with a very fine and creative pumpkin carver, another 7 minutes....
|The Clubhouse being re-purposed for carving pumpkins.|
|Setting up for the group photo.|
|Mike and Jackie having fun in the sun/|
|The ladies all talking away, having fun.|
|All lined up and with their hard work showing.| | <urn:uuid:96cca309-5ba0-4d1d-9fdd-5115c6fc6ff3> | CC-MAIN-2021-25 | http://cfleisurelog.blogspot.com/2019/10/pumpkin-carving-2019.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-25/segments/1623487610841.7/warc/CC-MAIN-20210613192529-20210613222529-00637.warc.gz | en | 0.967096 | 303 | 2.546875 | 3 |
No catches, no fine print just unconditional book love and reading recommendations for your students and children.
You can create your own school's page, develop tailored reading lists to share with peers and parents...all helping encourage reading for pleasure in your children.Find out more
STEM skills (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) are important to all aspects of our lives, from construction to space exploration, from the digital world to caring for the natural one. Here are 40 quick, easy to access STEM activities that can be done just as easily at home as at school; you don’t need to be an expert to carry them out, and yes, they really do take just 15 minutes. They are all hands on and will encourage curiosity, for example, experimenting with soap bubbles explains tensile structure, Newton’s third law of motion is demonstrated using a balloon and some bits of cardboard, while you can find out about kinetic energy while making a catapult. Practical, fun and instructive.
To find out more visit www.howtostem.co.uk
From caring for our environment to the digital revolution, the demand for STEM skills is huge and is only set to grow. STEM is therefore an important priority area in modern education, leaving many teachers and parents asking questions such as `How do I fit STEM education into my day?' and `What kind of activities should I be exploring?' Enter 15-Minute STEM with the answers ... This innovative resource has been designed to reassure teachers and parents that they don't need to be experts to deliver high-quality STEM education. Each of the 40 activities includes step-by-step instructions, takes just 15 minutes to complete and can be resourced from everyday materials found in the classroom or at home. This means that, with minimal preparation, teachers can slot these cross-curricular activities into an otherwise busy day, broadening their pupils' learning at no cost to their focus on core curriculum areas. The activities make connections to real-world scenarios, helping children to understand how their learning is relevant to their future, and have been linked to conceptually similar STEM-related careers - all of which are individually profiled in a glossary at the back of the book. The practical, problem-solving element of each activity offers a great way for children to develop important soft skills such as creativity, critical thinking and spatial awareness. Accompanying instructions are framed and phrased in a way that encourages the children to lead the learning and exploration - allowing the supervising adult to take a more hands-off, facilitative approach - and opportunities for further investigation are provided in order to broaden the learning focus and extend the tasks beyond 15 minutes. Hand-drawn illustrations and full colour photographs are also included alongside each activity to give an idea of what the end results might look like. Suitable for both teachers and parents.
Activities include: * Arctic Engineering: Why are igloos built in a dome shape? * Fireworks in a Jar: What happens when we mix fluids of different densities? * Marble Run Mayhem: What happens to a marble as it moves through a marble run? * Rainbow Walking Water: How does water get from the roots of plants to the leaves? * Spoon Sound Waves: How can we change the pitch of sound?
15-Minute STEM is crammed full of engaging practical ideas that are quick to do yet also inspire longer-term engagement. Definitely one of the best resources I have read in a long while. Professor Bill Lucas, co-author of Educating Ruby and Thinking Like an Engineer
Brilliant! Packed full of fun and exciting science- and engineering-based activities that will engage and inspire children. Fantastic! Lynda Mann, Head of Education Programmes, Royal Academy of Engineering
A real treasure trove of creative learning opportunities that you can dip into time and time again. Gilly Tyree-Milner, Forest School/Outdoor/Nurture Lead Practitioner, Worsbrough Common Primary School
A great resource for teachers who are taking their first steps in creating a STEM-rich classroom. Tanya Shields, Primary STEM Lead, STEM Learning Ltd
Complete with easy-to-use instructions, 15-Minute STEM offers an impressive collection of imaginative,
interactive activities which encourage children to question, deduce and hypothesise as they learn. Jo Lancett, Head Teacher, Darton Primary School
A fantastic resource to get children of all abilities hands on with STEM, both in school and at home. Joanne Fitton, environmental scientist and parent governor
|Publication date:||14th September 2018|
|Publisher:||Crown House Publishing|
|Year Groups:||Key Stage 2|
|Topics:||Science / Technology|
Emily Hunt is an experienced primary school teacher whose role as a science subject leader at a school in Bristol ignited in her a passion for promoting STEM education. During a recent year in the USA she developed a popular website and blog – www.howtostem.co.uk – offering STEM activities and advice for educators working with the 5–11 age range. She also worked within the US education system to deliver science outreach, and holds a Master of Education from the University of Cambridge.More About Emily Hunt | <urn:uuid:df2b3780-7db6-4e4d-8a0f-b7100575d513> | CC-MAIN-2019-47 | https://www.lovereading4schools.co.uk/book/15758/15-Minute-STEM-by-Emily-Hunt.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-47/segments/1573496665521.72/warc/CC-MAIN-20191112101343-20191112125343-00077.warc.gz | en | 0.943025 | 1,073 | 3.9375 | 4 |
Seen from space, few other dormant volcanoes look as exotic and spectacular as Waw an Namus. The volcano, located deep in the Sahara Desert in the Fezzan region of southwestern Libya, appears as a smear of dark basaltic ash and tephra that contrasts sharply with the light-colored sand of the Sahara Desert.
The Operational Land Imager (OLI) on Landsat 8 captured this view of the feature on May 29, 2015. While the precise date of the most recent eruption is not known, the lack of erosion and weathering implies that it probably occurred in the last few thousand years. South of the ash field, mud streams have begun the slow process of eroding the tephra and ash away. The ash field extends around a much smaller caldera that is about 4 kilometers (2 miles) wide. Calderas are hollowed-out circular depressions that form at the summit of volcanoes when magma is withdrawn or erupted from a shallow underground magma reservoir.
The lower image shows a closer view of the caldera. Within it, three small salty lakes ringed with vegetation are visible. The volcano gets its name from the lakes, which are reportedly home to thriving communities of mosquitos. (In Arabic, Waw an Namus means “crater of mosquitos.”) The edge of a cinder cone is also visible near the center of the caldera. Cinder cones are steep, conical hills that accumulate around volcanic vents. They are made from small glassy rock fragments that pile up around vents as ash and congealed lava erupts.
The beauty and unique appearance of Waw an Namus has long fascinated travelers. In 1969, anthropologist Froelich Rainey described the feature this way:
“The whole effect of Waw an Namus is weird. Quite suddenly we seemed to be in the shadow of a cloud, but the sky was clear and looking closely at the desert sand I noticed that it had changed from yellow to black with a thin surface layer of what looked like coal cinders. Then, after crossing about ten kilometers of this black desert, and without warning, we were abruptly halted by a huge crater perhaps three kilometers in diameter. In the center rose a brown volcanic cone surrounded by a series of narrow crescent-shaped blue lakes. There were occasional date palms and bamboo growing about the lakes and one small hut. The dark sand, the isolation, and the obvious record of what had happened there all contributed to the awesome spectacle before us.”
NASA Earth Observatory image by Jesse Allen, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey. Caption by Adam Voiland. | <urn:uuid:9c33beb2-3a8a-4582-8176-a42f8fb3f0a8> | CC-MAIN-2020-05 | https://atlasofplaces.com/photography/desert-contrast/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250613416.54/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123191130-20200123220130-00069.warc.gz | en | 0.954322 | 553 | 3.796875 | 4 |
Many of Australia's young schoolchildren are falling through the cracks because there is no early national check on how well they know their words and numbers, experts have told education ministers.
The Turnbull government wants the states and territories to agree to national literacy and numeracy checks for Year 1 students as part of a new funding agreement.
On Monday it released its expert panel's report - given to state education ministers last Friday - recommending how these should happen.
The panel, led by the Centre for Independent Studies' Jennifer Buckingham, found while most schools assessed children's skills when they first started, there was no nationally consistent approach and it wasn't mandatory to follow up a year or so after formal education began.
It says nationally consistent checks will pick up at-risk kids early enough that schools can make sure they master basic skills.
"By Year 3 (the first year in which students undertake NAPLAN assessments), it is difficult, expensive, and inefficient to remediate gaps in literacy and numeracy skills," Dr Buckingham writes in the report.
At the moment, about one in 20 Year 3 students aren't meeting minimum reading standards, and the proportion worsens to one in 14 Year 9 students - and one in eight adults.
On numeracy, across the school years about one in 20 students don't meet minimum standards.
The checks would involve short "interviews" between each student and their regular teacher.
The panel saw it as vital the checks not be viewed as "NAPLAN for Year 1 students" and said while individual results should be given to parents, school-level results must not be made public, unlike the higher years NAPLAN data.
"Every effort should be made to ensure that ... data from the Year 1 checks is not used for the purpose of creating school 'league tables'," it states.
The literacy checks can be adapted from a UK phonics test that has been in use since 2012 but a numeracy check will have to be developed from scratch.
If the states agree, the phonics check could be in use from mid-2018 and the numeracy one in 2019.
Education Minister Simon Birmingham said the panel's report highlighted the need for action.
"By identifying exactly where students are at in their development early at school, educators can intervene to give extra support to those who need it to stop them slipping behind the pack," he said.
"Australia cannot afford to follow the status quo in schooling."
HOW YEAR 1 CHECKS WOULD WORK
* One-on-one session with a student and their regular teacher.
* Done early in Term 3 (July-August).
* Takes under 10 minutes per topic.
* Teacher asks questions from a set list or paper and student responds verbally.
* Teacher records scores on an app on their phone or tablet, so results can be compiled quickly.
* Literacy questions check understanding of phonics.
* Numeracy questions check number sense and position/location.
* Teacher should also record the student's general disposition towards maths.
* Individual results given to school and student's parents.
* School-level results given to relevant education authorities but not made public. | <urn:uuid:957ae7c2-f521-4995-a9e1-1ffb6380cacd> | CC-MAIN-2017-39 | https://au.news.yahoo.com/a/37122036/experts-outline-year-1-skills-check/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-39/segments/1505818690203.42/warc/CC-MAIN-20170924190521-20170924210521-00227.warc.gz | en | 0.954733 | 649 | 2.578125 | 3 |
Moving down the road from Mo for the moment, as part of the Raise the Blade project, in 2017, we partnered with 10 Burlington area businesses to establish research plots where undergraduate interns would manage two grass plots at each business by mowing them to 3″ and 2″ in height, respectively.
We know from our basin-wide survey that, on average, 53% of Lake Champlain Basin homeowners maintain their grass to 2-3” in height. This group is motivated to potentially cut their grass to 3″ in length instead of shorter for reasons most often related to grass health and health of the environment, so we set out to use demonstration research sites at local businesses to see if cutting grass to 3″ would result in measurable differences in grass health over time as compared to cutting grass to 2″. (Peer-reviewed literature suggests it is, but research was generally conducted under different conditions than here in the Lake Champlain basin.)
The students would take a variety of measurements to assess grass and soil health over time. This was set up as a long-term (~10 year) experiment, as we hypothesized that changes in grass and soil health would be slow to develop, if any changes occurred at all.
In addition to collecting annual soil samples that are analyzed at the lab, weekly each summer and fall, the student researchers collect information such as percent grass cover, percent clover cover, and percent bare ground within a 1-meter square quadrat.
They also measure how long it takes for water to infiltrate into the ground and assess soil compaction.
In 2019, we ran analyses on a variety of parameters the students assess after collecting two years of data. We found no statistical differences between the 3″ and the 2″ research plots (as expected). However, as can be seen in the photo at business partner, Curtis Lumber, at the top of the page, visually, the grass cut to 3″ sometimes appears to be slightly more drought resistant than the grass cut to 2″.
Back in our yard, when the neighbor’s landscaping company mows, they sometimes cut the grass very short along the boundary line between our yards. Initially, the difference between where Mo mows (on the right) and where the landscaping company mows is striking.
Our lawn is also stressed, but is not nearly as burnt as our neighbor’s. To be fully transparent about the site, our rain gutter empties near the front of the photo at the right–by the milkweeds. As such, that grass has an added source of water and is clearly more green than elsewhere. However, while the lawn towards the back of the photo is less green and obviously stressed, the grass is visibly more stressed in our neighbor’s yard than in our own. So, while the jury is still out on whether there are measurable differences between grass and soil health when grass is managed to 2″ vs. 3″, generally-speaking, grass cut very short is visibly less tolerant to drought and high temperatures than grass cut to 3″. | <urn:uuid:9bc7dd0f-d7fc-468b-bd8e-b2ffc0e0daff> | CC-MAIN-2021-39 | https://blog.uvm.edu/kstepenu-mo/2020/07/20/does-cutting-grass-to-3-vs-shorter-really-matter/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-39/segments/1631780060877.21/warc/CC-MAIN-20210928153533-20210928183533-00188.warc.gz | en | 0.974212 | 624 | 2.59375 | 3 |
Block caving relies on fragmentation and forces of gravity to ‘cave’ an underground orebody to draw points, from where it is collected and taken away for processing.
Monitoring the flow of the caved ore was only possible once markers, embedded in the orebody, exited at the draw points at the bottom. This method is limited as the exact path of the ore cannot be tracked as it moves around inside the cave. Being able to model the best route for the ore to flow and modifying the draw strategy in real-time would substantially reduce waste and avoid significant loss of value.
Several monitoring methods have been developed which attempt to provide greater insight into the cave’s extent. These include time domain reflectometer, extensometers and seismic systems.
Each of these monitoring tools has limitations and, in isolation, is unable to provide the broad ranging data required to have a comprehensive 3D view of the extent of the cave.
The Cave Tracker system, developed by Mining3, Newcrest Mining, Rio Tinto and Elexon, uses magnetic beacons embedded in the orebody which are spun at a particular speed to generate a magnetic field.
It eliminates the need for battery power and can be detected from over 200m away through broken rock. The beacon signals are then picked up by detectors surrounding the orebody.
The detectors feed the signals into a central cave tracking unit which collects measurements to determine the 3D location as it moves in real time. The ability to track beacon movement allows mine engineers to determine which parts of the cave are moving and which parts are not.
The technology not only delivers significant productivity improvements but has the potential to increase the safety of cave mining by detecting the formation of air gaps and managing them before they pose a threat.
How it Works
The Cave Tracker system consists of the following components: Beacon: Cylindrical fibreglass enclosure containing a strong magnet, batteries and electronic circuitry.
Detector: Strategically placed throughout the mine so the system can detect the 3D positions of beacons.
Communication adapter module: Provides a DC power and serial data communication link for detectors and beacons.
Cave Tracker Management System (CTMS: The CTMS is responsible for data storage of detector range readings, converting received detector ranges into 3D beacon positions and managing installed Cave Tracker System Devices.
A small ruggedised laptop + USB activation wand for system commissioning and wireless activation of beacons before installation.
- Real-time material movement mapping
- Improved process control and mine planning
- Maximised recovery
- Reduced risks and uncertainties
- Minimised dilution
- Enhanced safety | <urn:uuid:c15916a8-1108-4d1b-b890-01a846b1afdb> | CC-MAIN-2022-49 | https://www.mining3.com/solutions/cave-tracker/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-49/segments/1669446710926.23/warc/CC-MAIN-20221203075717-20221203105717-00018.warc.gz | en | 0.920633 | 553 | 2.90625 | 3 |
Glacier National Park
Glacier National Park is considered to be the crown jewel of the
National Park System. Located in the northwest corner of
Montana, near Kalispell to
the west and Great
Falls to the east, Glacier National Park is visited by
about 2 million people a year. Unlike many National Parks,
Glacier is primarily a wilderness park. While several roads,
including the very scenic Going-to-the-Sun road, provide
outstanding views and help provide a taste of the park, the
secrets and incredible beauty of the park is best appreciated
off the road on many of the excellent hiking trails.
Glacier National Park is known for its steep, towering mountains,
deep valleys and many large lakes. During the last ice age,
huge glaciers, often over three thousand feet thick, scoured
away the mountains, creating deep valleys and knife-like
mountain ridges. As the glaciers gradually slid down from
the peaks, the glaciers moved a tremendous amount of material
in front of them, known as a moraine. As the ice age began
to end, the glaciers in the lower elevations began to melt.
The melting water collected in the depressions where the
glaciers previously were, and, trapped by the moraines deposited
by the glaciers, formed massive lakes that run right up into
Glacier National Park still has some small glaciers, although
they do not date from the last ice age. Some of these glaciers,
such as the Grinnell Glacier, are relatively easily reached
by trail. Others are situated in very remote and rugged corners
of the park and are rarely explored.
The heaviest used attraction in Glacier National Park is
the Going to the Sun road, a windy, twisty road built during
the 1920's and 1930's that slowly makes its way over Logan
Pass and connects the east side of the park to the west side.
The road is very narrow and is built right on the sides of
the mountains, with steep drop offs all along the roads edge.
Due to the roads narrowness, no trailers over 20 feet are
allowed going over Logan Pass.
There are a number of other roads in Glacier National Park
as well. These roads are well worth traveling, as they frequently
end up on the shores of scenic lakes such as Bowman
Lake and Two Medicine
Lake. One thing to keep in mind, though, is that the
roads in the North Fork area, which lies in the northwest
corner of the park near the town of Polebridge, are all dirt
roads and can provide for a rough and long ride.
The fishing in Glacier National Park is not known for its excellence.
The water is very cold and the rivers and lakes are quite
sterile. Still, some excellent fishing can be had at several
backcountry lakes, and is worth the time and effort spent
getting to them. While Glacier National Park may not be a
destination spot for fishing trips, fishing is a wonderful
activity to do while visiting the park to do some hiking
or taking in the sights.
Wildlife is quite abundant in the park, although not as
readily and easily seen as in Yellowstone
National Park. Grizzly Bears are frequently seen along
the roads, particularly in the Many Glacier area. However,
the best bet for seeing a bear is by going off the roads
onto some of the trails that cut through prime grizzly bear
For the person who will be Hiking
in Glacier National Park, especially in prime bear
areas, it is highly advised to pick up a can of bear spray
before heading onto the trail. Bears can be found in almost
all areas of the Glacier, including near trailheads. As
guns are not allowed in Glacier National Park, bear spray
offers the hiker the best chance of intimidating a charging
bear. Learn more about surviving a
Hiking Gear & Equipment Guide for Glacier National
Boots : Buyers guide to getting the
right boot for hiking
Website : A friend who has a woodworking
business right outside of Glacier Park.
Big Sky Fishing.Com
Top of Page | <urn:uuid:eb26589e-2590-4f70-9f7e-ca1bd85f5b75> | CC-MAIN-2015-22 | http://www.bigskyfishing.com/National_parks/glacier/Glacier-Park.shtm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-22/segments/1432207929272.95/warc/CC-MAIN-20150521113209-00111-ip-10-180-206-219.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953925 | 877 | 2.78125 | 3 |
About the Science
"In the study, researchers delivered the Penn-developed vaccine to 64 mice and then exposed them to genital herpes. After 28 days, 63 of the mice were found to have sterilizing immunity, meaning there was no trace of herpes infection or disease after the exposure. The one remaining mouse developed dormant infection without any prior genital disease. Similarly, 10 guinea pigs, which have responses to herpes infections that more closely resemble that of humans, were also given the vaccine and exposed to the virus. No animal developed genital lesions and only two showed any evidence that they became infected, but the infection was not in a form that animals could transmit the virus."
"Building on the approaches of many cutting-edge cancer and immunotherapy researchers, the Penn team filled their vaccine with specific messenger RNA (mRNA), which can create proteins necessary for a strong immune response. This vaccine stimulates three types of antibodies: one that blocks the herpes virus from entering cells, and two others that ensure the virus doesn't "turn off" innate immune system protective functions. This approach differs from other herpes vaccines, which often only rely on blocking virus's entry as the mode to attack the virus."
Please see full article : https://www.pennmedicine.org/news/news-releases/2019/september/new-penn-developed-vaccine-prevents-herpes-in-mice-guinea-pigs | <urn:uuid:cb369b2e-c81c-480e-91b9-2a10824f4ff4> | CC-MAIN-2023-40 | https://socialfundraising.apps.upenn.edu/socialFundraising/jsp/fast.do?&fastStart=customTemplateByNameOrId&customApplicationNameOrId=HSVresearchfund | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-40/segments/1695233510697.51/warc/CC-MAIN-20230930145921-20230930175921-00184.warc.gz | en | 0.957156 | 294 | 3.609375 | 4 |
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