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Recall from the previous lecture that we can ‘solve’ the problem (with a convex body in and a convex function) in ‘time’ where is the computational complexity of finding a separating hyperplane from at , and computing the and order oracles for .
We will discuss now two important classes of convex problems with the above form, and we will see what is the computational complexity to solve these problems with the ellipsoid method.
Linear Programming (LP)
The class LP consists of problems where for some , and for some and . As you have seen in ORF522, there is a plethora of real life problems that can be formulated as LPs.
Let us see what is the computational complexity of solving LPs with the ellipsoid method. Clearly computing the and order oracles can be done in . Now let us see what is the complexity of finding a separating hyperplane between and . Let be the row of , then one simply need to find such that (such an exists since ), and this gives a separating hyperplane (since for any , one has ). Thus the complexity of finding a separating hyperplane is . In total this gives a complexity of order to find an approximate solution with the ellipsoid method.
Historically a great breakthrough happened when Khachiyan showed in 1979 that in fact the ellipsoid method (with a clever rounding technique) can solve LPs exactly in polynomial time. As far as we are concerned we are satisfied with an -optimal point, and we will not discuss rounding techniques.
Semidefinite Programming (SDP)
The class SDP consists of problems where the optimization variable is a symmetric matrix . Let be the space of symmetric matrices (respectively is the space of positive semi-definite matrices), and let be the Frobenius inner product (recall that it can be written as ). In the class SDP the problems are of the following form: for some , and for some and .
The expressive power of SDP is not obvious at first sight, but we will see some wonderful examples later on in the course. Bear with me for the moment, SDP is an important class of problems.
The difference between SDP and LP lies in the constraint that . Indeed this constraint can be written as . That is, behind the notation there is in fact aninfinite number of linear constraints. The beauty of linear algebra is that this infinite set of constraints can be checked in finite time: one simply need to compute the spectrum of (which can be done in time with standard techniques), and verify that all the eigenvalues are non-negative! This fact also allows us to find separating hyperplanes. Indeed let . First one can check each inequality in time , and if one of them is violated then one gets a separating hyperplane immediately (as in the LP case). But one can also check in time , and if then an eigenvector associated to a negative eigenvalue gives a separating hyperplane. Thus here , and the computional complexity of the ellipsoid method for SDP is .
The two above examples are specific instances of Conic Programming problems. In Conic Programming one first selects a cone (which is a set such that ), and then one replaces the condition in the definition of LP by . In LP the cone of interest is the positive orthant , while in SDP it is a product of positive semi-definite cones . Other cones are of interest, for instance with the Lorentz cone:
one gets the class of Second Order Conic Programming (SOCP) problems. An important part of Mathematical Programming is to recognize when a problem can be reformulated as a Conic Program. In this course we will not discuss this aspect of mathematical optimization too much, and the interested reader is referred to the excellent book Convex Optimization by Boyd and Vandenberghe.
Some ‘practical’ considerations
Let us consider a ‘small’ LP with . Then , and thus assuming that we have a computer that can do of order of ‘elementary operations’ per second, one could solve this LP with the ellipsoid method in about seconds, which is more than days. This is very unsatisfactory, especially since you have seen in ORF522 that the simplex method can handle much larger LPs. Furthermore this disappointing fact is not only theoretical: the ellipsoid method does not perform well in practice.
In the next lectures we will see another class of algorithms, called Interior Point Methods, which enjoy both the nice theoretical properties of the ellipsoid method, and that are also very efficient in practice. These algorithms date back to an original proposition of Karmakar in 1984, and they fundamentally changed the landscape of convex optimization. While the theoretical improvement in terms of computational complexity was not very impressive (we shall see that IPM can solve LP in , instead of with the ellipsoid method), the practical efficiency of these algorithms was unprecedented at the time. In particular IPM are also efficient to solve SDP problems: while the ellipsoid method cannot deal with SDP with more than a few tens of variables, IPM can go up to thousands of variables. | <urn:uuid:060fa13c-54d8-4c7c-9284-8896e4bc4607> | CC-MAIN-2014-15 | https://blogs.princeton.edu/imabandit/2013/02/12/orf523-lp-sdp-and-conic-programming/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-15/segments/1397609538824.34/warc/CC-MAIN-20140416005218-00126-ip-10-147-4-33.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942191 | 1,088 | 2.640625 | 3 |
The question: Is there a perennial philosophy?
Huxley's perennial philosophy exerted a significant impact on religious understanding during the 20th century. Suitably adapted, it offers the prospect of a more humane future in the development of faith.
The book that made the phrase famous was an "interepretation of the great mystics, east and west", in the words of Huxley's subtitle. He framed his selection to convey a sense of divine reality, psychology, and ethics that underlie the world's religions. Huxley's approach had many sources. He acknowledged that the phrase philosophia perennis had come from Leibniz; by the time he wrote, Evelyn Underhill had published her monumental Mysticism, Rudolf Otto's The Idea of the Holy had been translated into English, and Paul Tillich was exploring the conception of God as the ground of being. Above all, the Enlightenment's quest for a single religious vision, consistent with reason and tolerant in its results, was centuries old.
Yet Huxley's orientation was not merely traditional by his time. He also accommodated the recognition that the Enlightenment's notion of objective knowledge had to be corrected: "When there is a change in the being of the knower, there is a corresponding change in the nature and amount of knowing." As applied to the understanding of religion, this approach meant that doctrine needed to be seen as secondary to religious perception.
Huxley's eclectic mix of ideas joined a new paradigm in the postwar period for understanding religion. Mysticism, ecumenism, and the place of personal experience all grew in importance. It is perhaps not plausible to see Aldous Huxley as the inspiration for "Age of Aquarius" (see The Aquarian Conspiracy by Marilyn Ferguson), but naive not to acknowledge his intellectual influence in an increasingly experiential appreciation of religious awareness. Huxley's 1954 essay, The Doors of Perception, dealt with his experiments with psychedelics, and inspired the name of the "The Doors", while his own image features with many others on the cover of the Beatles' Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.
Huxley's fascination with the issue of perception stemmed partially from his own visual impairment. His book, The Art of Seeing (1942) reflects his attachment both to a method of the natural improvement of vision and to Vedanta, a movement he joined in California under the influence of Gerald Heard, Krishnamurti, and Swami Prabhavananda. These associations confirmed his belief in the importance of reducing the influence of ego in order to the open interstitial possibilities of consciousness.
Focus on the issue of perception was both the strength and the weakness of Huxley's approach to religion.
This focus permitted him to finesse the issue of doctrine in religion with an experiential appeal, and to encourage the view that faith is larger than ideology. I first read The Perennial Philosophy 20 years after its publication. Together with the work of Alan Watts, Prabhavananda, DT Suziki, and Thomas Merton, Huxley opened an approach that has brought texts back into the world of direct experience, which is where they began. Although a counter-reaction to mystical experience as a unifying thread among religions is evident in the various forms of fundamentalism that have also arisen in the postwar period, there is every reason to suppose that mysticism will continue to offer a fruitful dimension of religious and philosophical analysis.
But for all that Huxley's focus experience may appear to liberate the understanding of religion from the constraints of doctrine, it can also produce its own kind of reductionism. Religion is transcendent as well as experiential, and consistently moves beyond a sense of present reality, beyond our sense of ourselves, and beyond settled convictions of what is right.
Religion is more than thinking about religion. Practical and communal activities take people, not only into fresh perceptions of the world, their identities, and ethics, but also into realms of trust, resolve, and compassion that can transform their lives. The phrase "the perennial philosophy" is important because it points beyond itself. The basic elements Huxley referred to do not amount to a full system of thought in any case. Rather, he referred to some of the practices that bring those who engage in them to a sense of primordial purpose: timeless and eternal, rather than simply ongoing or repetitive. Once those adjustments are made, Huxley's insight can help anyone who wishes to understand religious practices, from any starting point, to advance in critical appreciation. | <urn:uuid:54cad36e-9289-44ff-938f-36a489ba418a> | CC-MAIN-2017-39 | https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/belief/2010/jun/24/religion-philosophy-huxley | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-39/segments/1505818689028.2/warc/CC-MAIN-20170922164513-20170922184513-00039.warc.gz | en | 0.965649 | 933 | 2.84375 | 3 |
You have likely seen people who are extremely knowledgeable about the topic and yet cannot compose a simple written composition. If you’re among those writers, then you may want to know what college essay writing services is demanded from you. Keep reading to discover.
Your written composition is important, for it reflects your own knowledge, the info you have concerning your subject. You must always utilize first-class terminology when you write this important essay. To be able to compose this properly, you’ll have to compose each section on another page so that it will be simpler for you to read. Begin with writing your introduction or main purpose.
Begin your introduction by stating the aim of the informative article. Attempt to provide a summary of your topic by providing your outline of what you need to compose. Give a brief description of your topic, why you chose it, and why you feel it’s important for others to examine it.
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When you have read through your introduction and conclusion, you will now be focusing on your primary body. Your main body should be the bulk of your essay. You have to use proper grammar and you have to be using appropriate punctuation into your main body. You should not be cheating and using improper punctuation or improper grammar from your main body.
Your primary body is employed to write the key points of your essay. Additionally, it includes some important details. You will want to use this portion of your essay to be able to offer your viewers with important information they will have to know to be able to create a determination. The principal body must always revolve around the main points of the essay.
Eventually, they table of contents mla format must offer your viewers an end to your essay. You always need to shut your essay with a fascinating ending in order to help keep your readers interested. This end should be interesting and it must leave the reader wanting more information about your composition. | <urn:uuid:dc56cc1c-8f17-40b8-a003-483faa784f5c> | CC-MAIN-2022-49 | https://springfieldoman.com/tips-for-writing-a-written-essay/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-49/segments/1669446710711.7/warc/CC-MAIN-20221129200438-20221129230438-00586.warc.gz | en | 0.952175 | 490 | 2.515625 | 3 |
These countries include Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Pakistan, Bahrain, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Israel, Qatar, Jordan, Turkey, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan Egypt and Sudan are still debatable if they belong to Asia or North Africa. During World War I, many nations especially those in the Middle East suffered political instability, social, and economic imbalance.
Nevertheless, the First World War spurred the technological development in Middle East nations. After the World War I, most of the countries were under colonialism; nevertheless, the departure of colonialists spurred civil wars, ethnic wars, boundary disputes, political uprisings, and subsequent economic decline that many of these nations fight to control.
Changes in the Middle East after the commencement of World War I Power derangement was the worldwide impact of the First World War and Middle East was no exception. Furthermore, according to political analyst the genesis of the political upheavals in the modern day Middle East dates back in 1914 during the world war (Craig et al, 2009, P.20). The Ottoman Empire an influential political identity in the Middle East, which the Arabians defended, was the main target during the war.
Subsequently, after the empire crumbled, the Britain controlled Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Jordan, and Palestine among other countries in the Middle East (Magnus, 2005, p.40). The involvement in the war by the countries from the Middle East not only led to loss of power but also spurred the economic decline and created social problems.
The second change set in by the First World War was the technology development in the Middle East. Britain, Germany, and France had adopted the use of powerful machines like guns, bombs and nuclear weapons, which the people of Middle East acquired. The forces/ people from Middle East who participated in the war acquired operating and construction skills for the deadly weapons (Wilbur, 1991, p.50).
Consequently, the current technological trend especially in weapons is now on the rise in the Middle East. Therefore, the war led to the acquisition of military personnel, weapons, and fighting strategies in the Middle East.
Get your 100% original paper on any topic done in as little as 3 hours Learn More The third change set by the First World War is the psychological torture and imbalance by the military personnel and citizens of Middle East. Deaths, insecurity, and family loss led to the victims, civilians, and military to undergo psychological trauma.
Moreover, the abrupt change of power from monarchical to colonialism negatively affected the citizens of Middle East. Consequently, the occupation of Middle East by foreigners stimulated anger and frustrations among the citizens.
Lastly, racism and ethnic bias started immediately as the world uprising commenced. The creation of sanctions by Britain and France, the crush of the Ottoman Empire and the occurrence of the Armenian genocide exacerbated racial conflicts and ethnicity in the Middle East (Niall, 2006, p.30). Therefore, the occurrence of the First World War was the genesis of all the social, economic, and political problems as expounded next.
The rise of each Middle East country and historical overview since the end of the World War I Though not fully involved in the First World War, Afghanistan was always in constant conflicts with the Greeks, Persians, British (Anglo-afghan war) and Mongols among others.
The major war that involved Russians in 1980, led to the death and displacement of many Afghanis. Since the end of World War I up to now, Afghanistan has not known peace, civil wars and terrorism have contributed to the poor economic, social, and political stability.
On the contrary, Bahrain, which was a British colony (after the First World War) up to 1971, has experienced an economic boom due to availability of political stability, tourism sector and petroleum industry. Although it contains immense natural resources, Iran is a state that has experienced political instability since the end of the First World War. However, it is currently struggling to implement political, economic, and social reforms.
Likewise, Iraq has experienced both civil and internally wars, but the fall of Saddam Hussein and control of political aggression by the U.S have led to transition.
We will write a custom Essay on Changes in the Middle East After the World War I specifically for you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Israel is a state that holds the landmarks of all the three main religions (Christianity, Muslim and Jewish) in the world. Nevertheless, ethnic clashes have led to political upheaval since the end of the first war. On the other hand, Jordan was a colony of Britain (after WWI) but gained independence in 1945, which led to the establishment of international trade and economic reforms.
In the same way, Lebanon became independent but civil wars due to political instability reigned for sometime. Currently, the state is struggling to reinstate political and economic reforms. Like Lebanon, after independence from Britain Pakistan has been in conflicts with the Indians over the Kashmir region but currently the political reforms and international treaties are in place to ensure there is peace.
Besides the Gulf War and colonialism that are now at bay, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Kyrgyzstan, are the few nations in the region, which are economically stable due to the presence of petroleum industry, modern infrastructures, and natural gas among others. However, Qatar is the nations with the highest income per capita in the Middle East region.
Turkey is a nation formed by Anatolian remnants after the fall of the Ottoman Empire. The nation has successfully adopted reforms, which have led to economic prowess.
Similarly, Saudi Arabia experiences political instability and economic growth from oil reserves since the end of the First World War. While Tajikistan and Syria after gaining independence from Soviet Union and the French respectively they have adopted economic, political, and social reforms that have led to the nation’s stability.
In addition, the independence of Turkmenistan and U.A.E from Soviet Union and Britain respectively, has led to the establishment of autonomous states with economic stability. Lastly, Yemen and Uzbekistan colonies of British and Soviet Union respectively have gained independence and due to possession of natural resources, their economic power is on the rise.
Conclusion Although most of the countries in the Middle East are lucky to posses’ natural resources like gas, petroleum and minerals, the impact of the First World War I still holds back their economic growth.
Political instability and social problems like racism and ethnicity are some of the vices acquired during the first world, which the states struggle to control decades after the end of the war. However, a few of the states have put in place reforms to control the problems initiated by the First World War.
Not sure if you can write a paper on Changes in the Middle East After the World War I by yourself? We can help you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More References Craig, A. M., Graham, W. A., Kagan, D., Ozment, S.,
Statuses of Ego Identity Analytical Essay
Nursing Assignment Help Introduction Ego identity may be regarded as the sense of one understanding him or herself as a distinct individual. It is basically an outcome of the identity crisis that is most evident as a person progresses through the adolescent years. A number of psychologists have attempted to explain the process of identity development. James Marcia elaborated on Erikson’s work in order to elucidate identity formation, particularly in adolescents. In his work, he described four statuses that characterize identity development.
Identity Statuses According to Marcia (1996), the two criteria used to determine the identity state of an individual are crisis and commitment. Crisis in this context refers to the adolescent’s period of choosing among meaningful alternatives while commitment refers to the degree of personal investment the individual exhibits (Marcia, 1996). The four identity statuses as defined by Marcia are; identity foreclosure, identity diffusion, identity moratorium and identity achievement.
Identity foreclosure occurs when an adolescent has decided on a commitment but has not undergone an identity crisis. Such an adolescent has not had the opportunity to develop his own ideals and has come up with their identity as a result of what he has learnt from his parents and society, his personality is characterized by a certain rigidity of mind (Marcia, 1996).
According to Marcia (1996), regardless of whether this type of an adolescent has or has not experienced a crisis he or she lacks commitment. In addition to this, the adolescent shows no interest in occupational or ideological choices (Wentzel | <urn:uuid:8d88332f-1fc9-4305-938e-9bd748958f80> | CC-MAIN-2022-21 | https://anyfreeessay.com/changes-in-the-middle-east-after-the-world-war-i-essay/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-21/segments/1652662564830.55/warc/CC-MAIN-20220524045003-20220524075003-00046.warc.gz | en | 0.952379 | 1,771 | 3.0625 | 3 |
The stochastics oscillator, developed by analyst George Lane in the 1950’s, is a momentum indicator used widely by traders to predict reversals in trending stocks. While the stochastics oscillator can be used similarly to MACD, the stochastics oscillator is calculated fundamentally differently – it compares current price data to the high-low range of a stock’s price over a set timeframe. In addition, the stochastics oscillator is frequently used by traders as a complement to RSI since it can be used to identify overbought and oversold levels.
Type of Indicator
The stochastics oscillator is an oscillating momentum indicator, meaning that it is range-bound between 0 and 100 and tracks changes in the momentum of a stock’s price rather than the price itself. As a momentum indicator, it can be used to predict upcoming reversals in a stock’s price.
The calculation of the stochastics oscillator depends on the current closing price of a stock as well as its highest high and lowest low over a set time period. Typically, this time period is set to 14 intervals, which can be minutes, days, weeks, or another time frame depending on the time scale a trader is interested in studying. The primary variable calculated from this information, %K, is calculated as the difference between the 14-period low and the current close, divided by the difference between the 14-period high and 14-period low, all multiplied by 100 to yield a percentage. The second variable, %D, is simply a three-day simple moving average of %K. Thus:
%K = 100 * (Current Close – 14-period Low) / (14-period High – 14-period Low)
%D = 3-day simple moving average of %K
In this way, the 14-period high-low range of a stock’s price is the denominator in the calculation of %K, and %K will be above 50 when the stock closes in the upper half of the high-low range and below 50 when it closes in the lower half of the range. %D will respond more slowly to changes in a stock’s price action than will %K.
Note that it is possible to change the time period in the calculation of the stochastic oscillator, as well as to smooth the oscillator by taking an X-period (often a three-period) simple moving average of %K. In the latter case, %D is calculated as a three-day simple moving average of the smoothed %K.
How to Trade with Stochastics
The primary use of stochastics is to predict potential reversals in a stock price, and a divergence between a stock’s price and the stochastic oscillator is the first indication of a potential reversal. A divergence occurs when a stock’s price reaches a new lowest low or highest high, while the stochastic oscillator (that is, %K) forms a higher low or lower high, respectively. This divergence indicates that there is less downside or upside momentum, which may precipitate a reversal.
Divergence alone cannot confirm a reversal, but there are additional signs in the stochastics oscillator that can provide information. The most important is whether the oscillator breaks above 50 in the case of a potential bullish reversal or below 50 in the case of a potential bearish reversal. If this occurs, it is significantly more likely that a reversal will follow since this indicates that the stock is trading above or below the average of its price over the 14-interval period.
The second thing to look for to confirm a potential bullish or bearish reversal is whether the %K line crosses above or below the %D line, respectively. Since the %D line lags the %K line, this indicates a shift in momentum similar to a signal line crossover on an MACD chart. A move back above 20 or below 80, if the stochastic oscillator had indicated oversold or overbought conditions, can also be used as evidence of a likely reversal.
Looking at other indicators as well as checking whether the stock has broken above or below a key resistance line can provide additional evidence to confirm a reversal predicted by stochastics.
Setups are essentially the inverse of divergences. A bullish stochastics setup occurs when a stock sets a lower high while the stochastics oscillator sets a higher high, while a bearish setup occurs when a stock sets a higher low while the stochastics oscillator sets a lower low. This situation indicates strengthening upside or downside momentum even as the stock price fails to set a new highest high or lowest low. This indicates that buying on the following pullback or rebound, especially as the stochastics oscillator dips below 20 and then rebounds or rises above 80 and then falls, will be lucrative since the stock should break sharply up or down afterwards. Traders can interpret either a move above 20 or below 80, a cross of the %D line, or a move above or below 50 as signals to buy or short.
Overbought and Oversold Levels
Because of the oscillating nature of the stochastics indicator, it is possible to use stochastics to identify overbought and oversold levels in a similar way to how RSI is used. %K is bound between 0 and 100 and most traders consider %K values above 80 to indicate that a stock is overbought while values below 20 indicate that a stock is oversold.
However, as with RSI, the interval used for calculating stochastics may alter the interpretation of overbought and oversold levels. In addition, overbought or oversold conditions do not in themselves signal an imminent reversal, since it is possible for a stock to be consistently overbought or oversold during a strong uptrend or downtrend. A move in %K back above 20 or below 80, combined with a %D crossover and information from additional indicators such as RSI and MACD, is necessary to identify a potential reversal.
The stochastics oscillator has similarities to both MACD and RSI and in many ways combines features of the two. First of all, all three indicators are oscillators. Like MACD, the stochastics oscillator tracks a stock’s momentum and involves a signal line – %D – that lags the primary oscillator to provide a trading signal based on changes in price momentum. Like RSI, the stochastics oscillator can be used to identify overbought and oversold levels in a stock.
However, it is important to remember that the calculation for stochastics is very different than that for MACD and RSI. The result is that stochastics works better in sideways-moving markets trading within a set price range, while MACD and RSI work better in strongly trending markets.
The first example shows a bearish divergence in the stochastic oscillator. The price of Facebook (FB) reaches a high on January 11 before falling, rebounding, and posting a higher high on February 1. However, the stochastic oscillator has posted a lower high on February 1 than on January 11, establishing a divergence. This divergence is further supported by the fact that the stochastic oscillator is above 80, indicating overbought conditions. As the divergence predicts, the bullish trend reverses sharply after February 1.
The second example shows the effectiveness – and complexity – of using stochastics to identify and trade on overbought and oversold levels. The chart of Microsoft shows numerous periods during which the stochastics oscillator indicates that the stock is overbought given a %K above 80. At the end of many of these periods, a dip below 80 coincides with a bearish crossover of the %D line and immediately precedes a pullback that could be traded on.
However, it is also worth noting that one of the most profitable strategies in hindsight would be simply holding Microsoft stock to ride the entire uptrend. This demonstrates that overbought and oversold conditions may in many cases simply be the result of a strong trend and are not always indicative of a reversal.
Stochastics is an oscillating momentum indicator widely used by both beginning and advanced traders to predict potential reversals and to identify overbought and oversold levels. While stochastics bears many similarities to MACD and RSI, this indicator often works more effectively in sideways-moving markets and can be used in combination with MACD and RSI to provide additional information about potential changes in price momentum. | <urn:uuid:44bc5b9a-3b25-4f34-a874-e09317745cb1> | CC-MAIN-2022-21 | https://scanz.com/stochastics-indicator/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-21/segments/1652662521041.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20220518021247-20220518051247-00338.warc.gz | en | 0.921625 | 1,800 | 2.578125 | 3 |
Today we text hearts. But in Victorian times, flowers acted as the instant messaging and emojis of the day.
In nineteenth-century Europe (and eventually in America), communication by flower became all the rage. A language of flowers emerged. Books appeared that set the standard for flower meanings and guided the sender and the recipient in their floral dialogue. Victorians turned the trend into an art form; a properly arranged bouquet could convey quite a complex message.
Now an amazing collection of books about the subject, including many entitled The Language of Flowers, has been donated to the Lenhardt Library. The gift of James Moretz, the retired director of the American Floral Art School in Chicago, the collection includes more than 400 volumes from his extensive personal library on floral design. Moretz taught the floral arts for 45 years, traveled the world in pursuit of the history and knowledge of flowers, and authored several books on the topic. His donation gives the Chicago Botanic Garden’s Lenhardt Library one of the Midwest’s best collections of literature on the language of flowers.
As even these few photos show, there are books filled with intricate illustrations, books specific to one flower, handpainted books, pocket-sized books, and dictionaries. The oldest volume dates to 1810. Two are covered in pink paper—seldom seen 200 years ago, but quite subject-appropriate. Many books are charmingly small—the better to fit, it was thought, in a woman’s hands.
The language of flowers translated well: there are books in French, Spanish, Italian, German, Dutch, Japanese…and English. Some 240 of the volumes are quite rare—those will, of course, be added to the library’s Rare Book Collection. (Fear not, you can peruse them by appointment.) The remainder will be catalogued and added to the library shelves during the course of the year. Are you a Garden member? You’ll be able to check them out.
Librarians aren’t often at a loss for words, yet when I asked Lenhardt Library director Leora Siegel about the importance of the donation, she paused for a very long moment before responding. Clearly, her answer would have weight.
“It is the single most outstanding donation in my tenure as director,” she replied.
And so to Mr. Moretz, one last word of thanks:
©2015 Chicago Botanic Garden and my.chicagobotanic.org | <urn:uuid:150ebb76-039f-4232-8030-be2e850c8944> | CC-MAIN-2019-35 | http://my.chicagobotanic.org/tag/victorian/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-35/segments/1566027317688.48/warc/CC-MAIN-20190822235908-20190823021908-00297.warc.gz | en | 0.950931 | 514 | 2.65625 | 3 |
Place Where Humanity Originated Has Finally Been Found, And It's In A River Valley In Botswana
And now a group of scientists have discovered the birthplace of the modern man -- the homo sapien cradle ground -- which lies on the continent of Africa.
According to the scientists, a fertile river valley in northern Botswana is the ancestral home of all human beings.
The research has found the hints of the earliest anatomically modern human beings around 200,000 years ago near a ginormous wetland south of the Zambezi river.
According to the study, this location is known to have sustained our ancestors for as long as 70,000 years. This location also covered parts of Namibia and Zimbabwe.
This valley was the most fertile land for the longest period of time, until sometime between 110,000 and 130,000 years, a shift in climate change made the land outside this valley fertile too. This lead to most of the ancestors migrate, first out of Africa and eventually the world
According to Lead researcher Professor Vanessa Hayes, a geneticist at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research in Australia, "It has been clear for some time that anatomically modern humans appeared in Africa roughly 200,000 years ago. What has been long debated is the exact location of this emergence and subsequent dispersal of our earliest ancestors."
Researchers collected blood samples of people still living in these locations and observed their mitochondrial DNA or mtDNA.
In case you didn't know, mtDNA is only passed through a mother to a child, and the sequence doesn't change for generations. This was used as a helpful tool to locate maternal ancestry.
They compared the data to the people from the L0 lineage, which are modern human's earliest known population. They then fused genetics with climate physics and geology to simulate a world 200,000 years ago.
This revealed that the region was once also home to Africa's largest lake called Lake Makgadikgadi which was double the size of modern Lake Victoria.
Climate change simulations revealed that slow wobbles in Earth's axis resulted in a shift in rainfall over a considerable period of time.
According to Professor Axel Timmermann, a climate scientist at Pusan National University in South Korea, "These shifts in climate would have opened green, vegetated corridors, first 130,000 years ago to the northeast, and then around 110,000 years ago to the southwest, allowing our earliest ancestors to migrate away from the homeland for the first time."
Professor Hayes also said, " We observed significant genetic divergence in the modern humans' earliest maternal sub-lineages that indicates our ancestors migrated out of the homeland between 130,000 and 110,000 years ago.
She further added, "The first migrants ventured northeast, followed by a second wave of migrants who travelled southwest. A third population remained in the homeland until today. Eventually adapting to the drying lands, maternal descendants of the homeland population can be found in the greater Kalahari region today." | <urn:uuid:7d415b1f-a86e-41c4-a637-6b9465d0d067> | CC-MAIN-2023-50 | https://www.indiatimes.com/technology/science-and-future/place-where-humanity-originated-has-finally-been-found-and-it-s-in-a-river-valley-in-botswana-378775.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-50/segments/1700679515260.97/warc/CC-MAIN-20231211143258-20231211173258-00095.warc.gz | en | 0.95393 | 611 | 3.71875 | 4 |
From Our 2012 Archives
Many Babies Healthier in Homes With Dogs
Latest Healthy Kids News
Fewer Colds, Ear Infections in Infants With Dogs (Cats Help, Too)
By Daniel J. DeNoon
Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD
July 9, 2012 -- Babies in homes with dogs have fewer colds, fewer ear infections, and need fewer antibiotics in their first year of life than babies raised in pet-free homes, Finnish researchers find.
Homes with cats are healthier for babies, too, but not to the same extent as those with dogs, note researchers Eija Bergroth, MD, of Finland's Kuopio University Hospital, and colleagues.
"The strongest effect was seen with dog contacts. We do not know why it was stronger than with cat contacts," Bergroth tells WebMD. "It might have something to do with dirt brought inside by the dogs, especially since the strongest protective effect was seen with children living in houses where dogs spent a lot of time outside."
Earlier studies have found that children raised on farms get asthma much less often than other kids. And some studies have found that kids in homes with dogs have fewer colds than other kids.
To take a closer look at the situation, Bergroth's team followed 397 Finnish children from their third trimester of pregnancy through their first 12 months of life. Parents filled out weekly diaries with detailed information on their child's health and on their child's contact with dogs and cats.
They found that compared to kids in pet-free homes, kids in homes with dogs:
Why Might Dogs Make a Difference?
It's not clear why living with a dog makes such a difference.
"It might have something to do with the dog itself as an animal," Bergroth suggests. "The living environment can also affect this. These children lived in rural or suburban areas, so inner-city kids -- and dogs -- might get different results."
A time-honored theory, the hygiene hypothesis, suggests that children's immune systems mature best when infants are exposed to germs in just the right amount. Too many germs are unhealthy, but so is a sterile, germ-free home.
That theory is now giving way to the "microbiome hypothesis," says Karen DeMuth, MD, MPH, assistant professor of pediatrics at Atlanta's Emory University.
"The microbiome hypothesis is that early-life exposure to wide varieties of microbes lets them mix with the microbes in the gut and helps them keep the immune system from reacting against itself and causing autoimmune disease, or from reacting against stuff you should ignore and causing allergy," she says.
The hygiene hypothesis has indeed changed, says Anna Fishbein, MD, an allergy and immunology fellow at Northwestern University and now an assistant professor at the University of Maryland.
"It's become more complicated. It's no longer just getting exposed to the right number of microbes, but to good bacteria and viruses that alter the microbes in our intestines and protect us against both allergies and infections," Fishbein tells WebMD.
Dogs Not Good for All Kids
But one child's good microbes are another child's bad microbes, DeMuth warns.
"There is also an interaction between these microbes and an individual child's genetics," she says. "Certain people who have a dog in the house are protected against infections and allergies, but some are not. This is not a one-size-fits-all kind of thing."
Worst of all, DeMuth says, is for the family of a sickly or asthmatic child to bring a dog into a pet-free home in the hope that it might help.
"The absolute wrong thing is to put a dog in the house for kids with asthma," she says. "Yes, having a dog in the house early can protect against wheezing or respiratory infections. But this exposure has to happen very early in life."
What about parents who are themselves allergic to dogs or cats? Should they bring a pet into the home for the sake of their soon-to-be-born child?
"This is always a hard question," Bergroth says. "But it is important for the child that its parents can live happily in the home without symptoms."
The Bergroth study appears in the August 2012 issue of Pediatrics.
SOURCES: Bergroth, A. Pediatrics, August 2012. Eija Bergroth, MD, department of pediatrics, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland. Anna Fishbein, MD, fellow in allergy and immunology, Northwestern University. Karen DeMuth, MD, MPH, assistant professor of pediatrics, pulmonary allergy, cystic fibrosis, and sleep medicine, Emory University, Atlanta.
- Allergic Skin Disorders
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- Viral Skin Diseases
- Additional Skin Conditions | <urn:uuid:e3048fce-ce5a-45d4-8e02-03ec690171dd> | CC-MAIN-2016-07 | http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=160062 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-07/segments/1454701151880.99/warc/CC-MAIN-20160205193911-00052-ip-10-236-182-209.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953685 | 1,102 | 2.546875 | 3 |
[Reposted on Chineasy.com]
The English translations of these Chinese vegetable words range from absurd to adorable. I’ve listed the Chinese character, the pronunciation, the English word, and the literal translation.
卷心菜 [juǎn xīn cài] – cabbage (literally, “swirling heart vegetable”)
菠萝 [bō luó] – pineapple (“spinach radish”)
Huh? Maybe pineapple and spinach plants appear similar in the ground.
灯笼椒 [dēng lóng jiāo]- bell pepper (“lantern pepper”)
芦笋 [lú sǔn] – asparagus (“bamboo reeds”)
羽衣甘蓝 [yǔ yī gān lán]－kale (“feather dress cabbage”)
西兰花 [xī lán huā] – broccoli (“western orchid”)
Ever seen the yellow flowers on a broccoli plant? They don’t look like “orchids”, but they are pretty nonetheless.
黄瓜 [huáng guā]- cucumber (“yellow melon”)
Native Chinese cucumbers are yellow! The word “yellow melon” describes all types of cucumber, including the traditional green.
抱子甘蓝 [bào zǐ gān lán] – brussel sprouts (“hugging cabbage”)
Brussel sprout plants look like a bunch of tiny cabbages hugging each other.
西红柿 [xī hóng shì] – tomato (“western red persimmon”)
土豆 [tǔ dòu] – potato (“earth bean”)
I, too, am an earth bean.
鳄梨 [È lí] – avocado (“alligator pear”)
朝鲜蓟 [cháo xiǎn jì] – artichoke (“royal fresh thistle”)
玉米 [yù mǐ] – corn (“jade rice”)
豆腐 [dòu fu]- tofu (“bean decay”)
[Images courtesy of Google.] | <urn:uuid:5478328f-ce34-4592-b2f4-69e7ee78b496> | CC-MAIN-2020-45 | https://charliegrows.com/category/food/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-45/segments/1603107881369.4/warc/CC-MAIN-20201023102435-20201023132435-00110.warc.gz | en | 0.750443 | 577 | 2.515625 | 3 |
5 Reasons We Overeat: A General Overview
Overeating is the act of excessively consuming food or eating when not hungry. Whether done alone or in a group setting, it takes on various forms and can be as subtle as a few extra bites to eat here and there when not hungry to full-blown binge eating in other cases.
It can be as infrequent as stuffing oneself with the relatives each year at Thanksgiving or as constant as every day overeating. It is often the byproduct of joyous celebration but also associated with the harsh reality of those struggling with certain eating disorders. It arguably has a negative connotation and as basic nutritional science tells us, when we take in more than we use or expend, unhealthful consequences follow.
Regardless of specifics, greater attention has been given to overeating and other forces as the rise of obesity and chronic disease in our modern society leaves us searching for solutions. In this hub, I take the opportunity to reflect on some of the driving forces behind overeating and attempt to distill such information into general (not exhaustive) information.
*Please note: I am not a medical doctor and the information presented herein is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Please consult your personal physician or a qualified healthcare practitioner to address any personal health concerns and treatment directly.
Why do we overeat?
There are a variety of reasons we overeat and often times it is not one but a combination of different factors that steer us into such a direction. The following presents general information on this topic however, it is important to remember that each person is different from the next and his or her reasons for overeating are as unique as the very circumstances that precede such behavior. This is important when providing solutions and help for those in need.
So, let's get to it:
- Culture and traditions: Our holidays and cultural celebrations are almost always filled with indulgent sweet and savory fare that enhance our revelry. When were you ever at such an occasion and not enjoyed or beheld some kind of delectable food or drink to be had? It is extremely commonplace to partake in festivities by consuming food as you share good times with others. Food can also be symbolic or act as a way to memorialize important events in history and thus, it may be expected that one should eat and participate. It becomes easy enough to overeat when surrounded by merrymaking or abundance.
- Social atmosphere: Related to the above and with some overlap, overeating can easily arise when engaging socially with others and when food is available. For example, friends may choose to meet up and structure their time around lunch or hanging out at a coffee shop. Many of us have experienced what it's like to keep occupied while talking and sharing with others and food has often taken that role, regardless of us feeling hungry or not. Sometimes we eat just to avoid being awkward as in the example of a person forcing himself to eat just because his friends are. Or, on a related note, it may be easy to overeat at a social function where one is new or knows few others. Eating may help some ignore the discomfort of the social situation and even create the appearance of blending in more with the social event. Overall, there is something to be said about some of the dynamics one may feel when with others and food is present.
- Stimulation and environment: Sometimes we turn to food (and thus eating when we're not hungry, aka overeating) when we are feeling bored, we're sleepy or tired, lack structure in our lives, or feel the need for a lift in some way. It can be easy to mistake the need for sleep, social interaction or even thirst (!) as a something food can remedy. Additionally, having food nearby or simply having a variety of choices presents novelty, a perception of excitement to some and distraction. Likewise, living in a part of the world where food products are overly abundant and affordable may pose a problem. Eating out is no different when served generous portions or complimentary offerings (buffet-go'ers especially beware). How many of us were raised to clean our plates and what's more American than getting the best value for your money? It is also notable that eating mindlessly is a real issue and often involves some sort of distraction; whether it's a book in front of us, the TV blaring loudly in the background, or the computer nearby, what we surround ourselves with impacts our ability to focus on the task or experience of eating, in the present moment. Of course, I'd be amiss to overlook in this big picture the role food plays in making us feel certain ways and that will be discussed accordingly.
- Consolation and memories: There is a reason the term "emotional eating" came to be in our common vocabulary. Eating to console ourselves as a way of dealing with various stressors or life challenges is more commonplace than some may realize and poses a real problem. Outside the context of eating for hunger, consuming food is often used to calm down, fill personal voids, or numb difficult feelings. It is well documented in science that certain foods elicit particularly pleasurable responses within us and may often feel like the perfect momentary antidote for a downtrodden mood (chocolate, anyone?). We do not help ourselves when we resort to emotional eating for solace and many have this behavior rooted in childhood memories of eating for comfort when a parent or caregiver offered a little something for good cheer. As we all know, habits die hard and having memories strongly associated with pleasant food often does us a disservice in the end (the mind is very powerful and still being researched). Utilizing food in this way is overeating in and of itself but can also lead to overeating during mealtimes when for example, one is more absorbed in his or her emotions than the very act of eating before them. It is also important to note that eating to console oneself for reasons such as low self-esteem, poor body image or conditions such as depression or anxiety can lead to more serious disorders such as bulimia or binge-eating disorder. In such cases, professional assistance is warranted to assess the situation and provide therapy and treatment.
- Nutritional deficiencies:Another reason we may overeat is due to the fact that we are nutritionally deficient in some way. Simply put, when are bodies are not getting the raw materials necessary to function properly, we not only begin to observe that things start "breaking down", we also notice that we may start craving certain foods. This may be confusing or feel counterintuitive when some of us find ourselves lusting after a 'Big Mac' versus something healthy like a green salad. I will say right now that human physiology and nutrition are both large topics and take a little bit of time and an open mind to understand. That said, consider that sometimes cravings for certain items mask the greater nutritional need for other important elements lacking in the body. Being truly nourished with all the right amounts of macro and micronutrients (along with other important lifestyle choices such as exercise) allows one to feel balanced, stable, satiated and energetic. It is easy to mistake cravings, especially ones that aren't health-promoting choices, for real needs in the body. It's also important to consider that certain substances such as caffeine and sugar have addicting qualities and if one were to lessen or eliminate consumption of such entirely, a withdrawal process would be in order and likely elicit things like headaches, irritability and you said it, cravings! Often times, we replace one thing for another and if we are steering away from caffeine we may just reach for some other food item to help mitigate the discomfort of letting go of the caffeine; this however, can eventually lead to overeating also and must be watched.
Overeating has many driving forces as described above and it is very common in our society given the abundance of food and the ubiquitous role it plays in social functions. Most can agree that everyone overeats once in awhile but there are a significant number of people that undoubtedly have a problem with consistently overeating and of course, there are those battling extremes as well.
If one were to distill the components of healthful living, eating less, or rather, not overeating, would surely be a part of the list. To be clear, eating highly nutritious food is vitally important and doing so without stuffing oneself is another part of it. Additionally, much can be said about other interventions to curtail overeating given the different sources impacting the urge to do so in the first place. While the purpose of this hub focuses on what causes overeating rather than how to address it, please note that there are resources, help and support available for those struggling. One first step is consulting your healthcare provider or seeking information from credible sources such as MedlinePlus.
It's always important to note that overeating can be as complex and unique as the very person experiencing it. That said, also consider that overeating is often the symptom, if you will, or sign, that something is off or needs attention otherwise in a person. This is important to understand as targeting the overeating itself is often not enough. | <urn:uuid:6405337b-375a-42b7-ad4d-fff39af1e989> | CC-MAIN-2017-34 | https://hubpages.com/health/Overeating-a-general-overview | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-34/segments/1502886105700.94/warc/CC-MAIN-20170819162833-20170819182833-00547.warc.gz | en | 0.969994 | 1,871 | 2.6875 | 3 |
A security researcher has found a critical vulnerability in certain antivirus products produced by Kaspersky Lab, who has released an emergency patch. The vulnerabilities could allow a hacker to compromise your computers.
The fault was discovered by Tavis Ormandy, vulnerability researcher and Google security engineer. Ormandy posted a screenshot on Twitter of the Windows calculator running under the Kaspersky process (which means the execution of malicious code is a possibility as well).
Versions 15 and 16 correspond to the 2015 and 2016 product lines, which Ormandy says the patch works great on. It hasn’t been confirmed, however, if just Kaspersky Anti-Virus was affected, or if their Internet Security and Total Security products were affected as well.
“It’s a remote, zero interaction SYSTEM exploit, in default config. So, about as bad as it gets.” comments Ormandy. The flaw has the potential to be exploited by something as simple as receiving a data packet, seeing an image on Twitter, or visiting an attacker-created website.
On the bright side, the fix has already been sent out to customers through automatic updates. Kaspersky Lab said that the vulnerability was a stack overflow that they were able to patch within 24 hours of receiving the report.
“Kaspersky Lab has always supported the assessment of our solutions by independent researchers. Their ongoing efforts help us to make our solutions stronger, more productive and more reliable.” says a representative of Kaspersky Lab. The company already uses anti-exploitation technologies such as ASLR and DEP, but continues improving its strategies to prevent exploitation of possible bugs in its software.
It may seem odd that a product designed to protect your computer from attacks, can have vulnerabilities that allow for attacks – but it’s really not uncommon. Lately, in order to make exploitation of vulnerabilities harder, there has been push from developers to reduce the amount of privileges software applications require. Unfortunately, antivirus products require the highest possible privileges to effectively do their jobs.
Due to the fact that they need to analyze so many file and code types from so many different sources, they have a larger surface area to attack. Typically then, antivirus products contain many vulnerabilities, but with companies capable of patching them in 24 hours -like Kaspersky Lab-, you can feel a little more secure.
Stay ahead of the latest threats impacting your company. Contact us at (800) 478--8105 or send us an email at firstname.lastname@example.org for more information. | <urn:uuid:46723bc2-774e-4de2-8949-1f40fd34796a> | CC-MAIN-2020-10 | https://www.remotetechservices.net/kaspersky-lab-attacks-critical-flaw-patched-within-24-hours/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-10/segments/1581875144979.91/warc/CC-MAIN-20200220131529-20200220161529-00191.warc.gz | en | 0.952205 | 528 | 2.546875 | 3 |
Power, corruption and greed by the few cause poverty and vulnerability for the many. This is as true in the UK as in other countries, both rich and poor. How many present-day rural dwellings occupy vulnerable and marginalised land created by the enclosures described by George Monbiot (How Britain's environmental crisis began 200 years ago, 10 July)? Where were the former occupants of City land, described by Nick Mathiason and Melanie Newman (Report, 10 July), obliged to find shelter and places to live but on flood-prone banks of the Thames?
It is not so much what governments do, or do not do, in the aftermath of flooding and other disasters but what they and powerful corporations have done, and continue to do, that influences how and where those without the power, the money or the land, are obliged to find their livelihoods.
A recent article in the Public Library of Science, entitled The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, describes, with examples from countries including the United Kingdom, how poverty does not just happen but is created by the actions and inactions of others. It demonstrates how environmental degradation, discrimination, community displacement, denial of access to resources, corrupt siphoning of public money and self-seeking public expenditure, have endangered and impoverished millions of people.
Until these causative actions are recognised, demands for flood protection, described by Fiona Harvey (Britain is facing £860m bill for flood protection, warn climate advisers, 11 July) and after-the-event squabbles about assistance will continue.
Marshfield, South Gloucestershire
• Thank you, George Monbiot. It's always good to remember John Clare of Helpston and there will surely be people for whom Monbiot's article is an introduction to the great witness-poet. The enclosures were significant acts in the movement that put "the earth and all that therin is" at the service of capital, and hence of capitalism. They were not the beginning of the environmental crisis: we were already fast using up forests and burning fossil fuels without fear of the consequences. This is not to detract from any celebration of Clare and our debt to him: particularly Monbiot's recognition that Clare suffered "the fate of indigenous people torn from their land and belonging everywhere".
• John Clare may not be the greatest of poets, but George Monbiot is right to commend him as a writer of truth. If a random section of the British public were asked: "What would you wish for most?", I'd be surprised if more than 80% of them didn't answer: "To win the lottery". Wealth is worshipped without question by most of us. But not by Clare: "Accursed Wealth! O'erbounding human laws, Of every evil thou remain'st the cause." Never has any poet said anything truer.
Allan E Baker | <urn:uuid:42cc6215-0692-4202-ab3f-183ee8846699> | CC-MAIN-2019-39 | https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2012/jul/13/environment-witness-poet-john-clare | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-39/segments/1568514574501.78/warc/CC-MAIN-20190921125334-20190921151334-00142.warc.gz | en | 0.961545 | 586 | 3.09375 | 3 |
- A didactic text which explains a clearly defined physics concept
- "Future-proof" – the content should not be dependent on particular dates – it should be correct today and in 50 years' time without needing edits
- Presented as a static webpage
The search for the Higgs boson
Elementry particles may have gained their mass from an elusive particle – the Higgs boson. And CERN physicists just might be closing in on it
The Higgs boson
In the 1970s, physicists realized that there are very close ties between two of the four fundamental forces – the weak force and the electromagnetic force. The two forces can be described within the same theory, which forms the basis of the Standard Model. This “unification” implies that electricity, magnetism, light and some types of radioactivity are all manifestations of a single underlying force known an the electroweak force.
The basic equations of the unified theory correctly describe the electroweak force and its associated force-carrying particles, namely the photon, and the W and Z bosons, except for a major glitch. All of these particles emerge without a mass. While this is true for the photon, we know that the W and Z have mass, nearly 100 times that of a proton. Fortunately, theorists Robert Brout, François Englert and Peter Higgs made a proposal that was to solve this problem. What we now call the Brout-Englert-Higgs mechanism gives a mass to the W and Z when they interact with an invisible field, now called the “Higgs field”, which pervades the universe.
Just after the big bang, the Higgs field was zero, but as the universe cooled and the temperature fell below a critical value, the field grew spontaneously so that any particle interacting with it acquired a mass. The more a particle interacts with this field, the heavier it is. Particles like the photon that do not interact with it are left with no mass at all. Like all fundamental fields, the Higgs field has an associated particle – the Higgs boson. The Higgs boson is the visible manifestation of the Higgs field, rather like a wave at the surface of the sea.
An elusive particle
A problem for many years has been that no experiment has observed the Higgs boson to confirm the theory. On 4 July 2012, the ATLAS and CMS experiments at CERN's Large Hadron Collider announced they had each observed a new particle in the mass region around 126 GeV. This particle is consistent with the Higgs boson but it will take further work to determine whether it is indeed a Higgs particle, and if it is, to determine whether or not it is the Higgs boson predicted by the Standard Model.
Not finding the Higgs boson, or proving beyond reasonable doubt that it does not exist, would be a useful discovery in itself. Excluding a Higgs boson – at least one of the kind predicted by the Standard Model – would put theorists on track to develop new theories to explain the origin of mass for elementary particles. The Higgs boson, as proposed within the Standard Model, is the simplest manifestation of the Brout-Englert-Higgs mechanism. Other types of Higgs bosons are predicted by other theories that go beyond the Standard Model. | <urn:uuid:429b2c0c-6bc0-4348-a6d7-d67949ded5a1> | CC-MAIN-2018-13 | http://writing-guidelines.web.cern.ch/formats/text/explainer | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-13/segments/1521257646952.38/warc/CC-MAIN-20180319140246-20180319160246-00210.warc.gz | en | 0.932637 | 685 | 3.578125 | 4 |
By Devang Singh
What are Moving Averages?
Moving average is one of the most widely used technical indicators for validating the movement of markets. Few other indicators have proved to be as unbiased, definitive and practical as the moving average. Moving averages help traders identify trends and empower them to increase the number of profitable trades by making those trends work in their favour.
Moving averages (occasionally referred in this blog post as MA) are the averages of a series of numeric values. They have a predefined length for the number of values to average and this set of values moves forward as more data is added with time. Given a series of numbers and a fixed subset size, the first element of the MA series is obtained by taking the average of the initially fixed subset of the number series. The subset is then modified by shifting it forwards by one value, i.e. by excluding the first element of the previous subset and adding the element immediately after the previous subset to the new subset keeping the length fixed. Consider the example mentioned below to understand the calculation of simple moving averages. Let the average be calculated for five data points (underline denotes the subset used for calculating the average).
Number series: 7 12 2 14 15 16 11 20 7
1st value of the MA series: (7 + 12 + 2 + 14 + 15) / 5 = 10 7 12 2 14 15 16 11 20 7
2nd value of the MA series: (12 + 2 + 14 + 15 + 16) / 5 = 11.8 7 12 2 14 15 16 11 20 7
3rd value of the MA series: (2 + 14 + 15 + 16 + 11) / 5 = 11.6 7 12 2 14 15 16 11 20 7
It can be seen that the subset for calculating averages moves forward by one data entry, consequently the name moving average (also called running average or rolling average). A moving average series can be calculated for any time series. In financial markets, it is most often applied to stock and derivative prices, percentage returns, yields and trading volumes. The price of securities tend to fluctuate rapidly, as a result the graphs contain several peaks and troughs making it difficult to understand the overall movement. Moving averages help smoothen out the fluctuations, enabling analysts and traders to predict the trend or movement in the price of securities. Larger subsets for calculating moving averages will generate smoother curves and contain lesser fluctuations. This happens as each data point in the subset has lesser weightage when the lookback period is increased, which in turn reduces the variations inherent in the underlying price/volume chart. These moving averages are slower to respond to a change in trend and are called slow moving averages. The moving averages with shorter durations are known as fast moving averages and are faster to respond to a change in trend. Slow moving averages are also called larger moving averages as they have a larger subset for computing the average. Similarly fast moving averages are also called smaller moving averages. Moving averages are known to be lagging indicators, they lag behind movements in the price/volume charts. A faster MA has less lag when compared to the slower MA.
Consider the chart shown above, it contains the closing price of a futures contract (blue line), the 10 day moving average (red line), the 20 day moving average (green line) and the 50 day moving average (purple line). It can be observed that the 50 day MA is the smoothest and the 10 day MA has the maximum number of peaks and troughs or fluctuations. As the lookback period increases, the moving average line moves away from the price curve. The red line (10 day MA) is closest to the blue line (price curve) and the purple line (50 day MA) is farthest away. If one were to shift the MA lines in order to overlap them with the price curve, the shift would have to be made in the direction of negative x-axis, this confirms the lagging property of the MA lines. The 50 day MA would require the maximum shift, meaning that slower moving averages have greater lag than the faster moving averages. The slower moving average is slower in responding to changes in the price curve.
There are different types of moving averages that can be used to develop a vast variety of moving average strategies, let us now look at a few of these in more detail.
Types of Moving Averages
There are many different types of moving averages depending on the computation of the averages. The five most commonly used types of moving averages are the simple (or arithmetic), the exponential, the weighted, the triangular and the variable moving average. The only noteworthy difference between the various moving averages is the weight assigned to data points in the moving average period. Simple moving averages apply equal weight to all data points. Exponential and weighted averages apply more weight to recent data points. Triangular averages apply more weight to data in the middle of the moving average period. The variable moving average changes the weight based on the volatility of prices.
1. Simple Moving Average (SMA)
A simple (or arithmetic) moving average is an arithmetic moving average calculated by adding the elements in a time series and dividing this total by the number of time periods. As the name suggests, the simple moving average is the simplest type of moving average. It is arguably the most popular technical analysis tool used by traders. All elements in the SMA have the same weightage. If the moving average period is 5, then each element in the SMA will have a 20% (1/5) weightage in the SMA. The SMA is usually used to identify trend direction, but it can also be used to generate potential trading signals. The formula for calculating the SMA is straightforward:
SMA = (Sum of data points in the moving average period)/(Total number of periods)
2. Exponential Moving Average (EMA or EWMA)
The simple moving averages are sometimes too simple and do not work well when there are spikes in the price of the security. Exponential moving averages give more weight to the most recent periods. This makes them more reliable than the SMA and a better representation of the recent performance of the security and hence can be used to create a better moving average strategy. The EMA is calculated as shown below:
Weighting multiplier = 2 / (moving average period +1)
EMA = (Closing price – EMA of previous day/bar) x multiplier) + EMA of previous day/bar
EMA = (Closing price) x multiplier + (EMA of previous day/bar) x (1 – multiplier)
The weightage to the most recent data is greater for a shorter period EMA than a longer period EMA. For example, a 10 period EMA applies a weightage of 18.18% (2/11), whereas that for a 20 period EMA is 9.52% (2/21). The name exponential moving average is because each term in the moving average period has an exponentially greater weightage than its preceding term. The exponential moving average is faster to react than the simple moving average, this can be seen in the chart below (blue line represents the daily closing price, red line represents the 30 day SMA and the green line represents the 30 day EMA).
The following extract from John J. Murphy’s work, “Technical Analysis of the Financial Markets” published by the New York Institute of Finance in 1999, contains one of the best explanations about the advantage of the exponentially weighted moving average over the simple moving average.
“The exponentially smoothed moving average addresses both of the problems associated with the simple moving average. First, the exponentially smoothed average assigns a greater weight to the more recent data. Therefore, it is a weighted moving average. But while it assigns lesser importance to past price data, it does include in its calculation all the data in the life of the instrument. In addition, the user is able to adjust the weighting to give greater or lesser weight to the most recent day’s price, which is added to a percentage of the previous day’s value. The sum of both percentage values adds up to 100.”
3. Weighted Moving Average (WMA or LWMA)
The weighted moving average refers to the moving averages where each data point in the moving average period is given a particular weightage while computing the average. The exponential moving average is a type of weighted moving average where the elements in the moving average period are assigned an exponentially increasing weightage. A linearly weighted moving average (LWMA), also generally referred to as weighted moving average (WMA), is computed by assigning a linearly increasing weightage to the elements in the moving average period.
If the moving average period contains ten data entries, then the most recent element (the tenth element) will be multiplied by ten, the ninth element will be multiplied by nine and so on till the first element which will have a multiplier of one. The sum of all these linearly weighted elements will then be added and divided by the sum of the multipliers, in case of 10 elements the sum will be divided by 55 (n(n+1)/2). The chart shown below plots the SMA (red line), EMA (green line) and LWMA (purple line) for a 30 day period.
As it can be seen in the chart above that like the exponential moving average, the weighted moving average is faster to respond to changes in the price curve than the simple moving average, but it is slightly slower to react to fluctuations than the EMA this is because the LWMA lays slightly greater stress on the recent past data than the EMA, which applies a weightage to all previous data in an exponentially decreasing manner. Mentioned below are the weightage given to elements when calculating the EMA and WMA for a 4 day period:
Most recent element: 2/(4+1) = 40% 4/10 = 40%
2nd most recent element: 40% x 60% = 24% 3/10 = 30%
3rd most recent element: 24% x 60% = 14.4% 2/10 = 20%
4th most recent element: 14.4% x 60% = 8.6% 1/10 = 10%
5th most recent element: 8.6% x 60% = 5.2% 0/10 = 0%
6th most recent element: 5.2% x 60% = 3.1% 0/10 = 0%
7th most recent element: 3.1% x 60% = 1.9% 0/10 = 0%
And so on…
4. Triangular Moving Average (TMA)
The triangular moving average is a double smoothed curve, which also means that the data is averaged twice (by averaging the simple moving average). TMA is a type of weighted moving average where the weightage is applied in a triangular pattern. Follow the steps mentioned below to compute the TMA:
First, calculate the simple moving average (SMA):
SMA = (D1 + D2 + D3 + . . . . . . + Dn) / n
Next calculate the average of the SMAs:
TMA = (SMA1 + SMA2 + SMA3 + . . . . . . + SMAn) / n
Consider the chart shown above, which comprises of the daily closing price curve (blue line), the 30 day SMA (red line) and the 30 day TMA (green line). It can be observed that the TMA is much smoother than the SMA. The TMA moves in longer and steadier waves than the SMA. The lag in TMA is greater than other moving averages, like the SMA and the EMA, because of the double averaging. It can be observed that the TMA takes longer to react to price fluctuations. The trading signals generated by the TMA during a trending period will be farther away from the peak and trough of the period when compared to the ones generated by the SMA, hence lesser profits will be made by using the TMA. However, during a consolidation period, the TMA will not produce as many unavailing trading signals as those generated by the SMA, which would avoid the trader from taking unnecessary positions reducing the transaction costs.
5. Variable Moving Average (VMA)
The variable moving average is an exponentially weighted moving average developed by Tushar Chande in 1991. Chande suggested that the performance of an exponential moving average could be improved by using a Volatility Index (VI) to adjust the smoothing period when market conditions change. Volatility is the measure of how quickly or slowly prices change over time. The volatility index shows the market’s volatility expectations for the next 30 days. The purpose of developing the VMA was to slow down the average when prices are in the consolidation period to avoid unavailing trading signals and to speed up the average when the market is trending so as to make the most out of the trending prices. Given below is the method for calculating the variable moving average:
Moving Average Trading Strategies
1. Triple Moving Average Crossover Strategy
The triple moving average strategy involves plotting three different moving averages to generate buy and sell signals. This moving average strategy is better equipped at dealing with false trading signals than the dual moving average crossover system. By using three moving averages of different lookback periods, the trader can confirm whether the market has actually witnessed a change in trend or whether it is only resting momentarily before continuing in its previous state. The buy signal is generated early in the development of a trend and a sell signal is generated early when a trend ends. The third moving average is used in combination with the other two moving averages to confirm or deny the signals they generate. This reduces the probability that the trader will act on false signals.
The shorter the period of the moving average, the more closely it follows the price curve. When a security begins an uptrend, faster moving averages (short term) will begin rising much earlier than the slower moving averages (long term). Assume that a security has risen by the same amount each day for the last 60 trading days and then begins to decline by the same amount for the next 60 days. The 10 day moving average will start declining on the sixth trading day, the 20 day and 30 day moving averages will start their decline on the eleventh and the sixteenth day respectively. The probability of a trend to persist is inversely related to the time that the trend has already persisted. Because of this reason, waiting to enter a trade for too long results in missing out on most of the gain, whereas entering a trade too early can mean entering on a false signal and having to exit the position at a loss. To address this issue, traders use the triple moving average crossover strategy aiming to ride the trend for just the right time and avoiding false signals while doing so.
To illustrate this moving average strategy we will use the 10 day, 20 day and 30 day simple moving averages as plotted in the chart below. The duration and type of moving averages to be used depends on the time frames that the trader is looking to trade in. For shorter time frames (one hour bars or faster), exponential moving average is preferred due its tendency to follow the price curve closely (e.g. 4, 9, 18 EMA or 10, 25, 50 EMA). For longer time frames (daily or weekly bars), traders prefer using simple moving averages (e.g. 5, 10, 20 SMA or 4, 10, 50 SMA). The moving average periods vary depending on the trader’s strategy and the security being traded.
Consider point ‘A’ on the chart above, the three moving averages change direction around this point. The red line represents the fast moving average (10 day SMA), the green line represents the medium moving average (20 day SMA) and the purple line represents the slow moving average (30 day SMA). A signal to sell is triggered when the fast moving average crosses below both the medium and the slow moving averages. This shows a short term shift in the trend, i.e. the average price over the last 10 days has fallen below the average price of the last 20 and 30 days. The signal to sell is confirmed when the medium moving average crosses below the slow moving average, the shift in momentum is considered to be more significant when the medium (20 day) moving average crosses below the slow (30 day) moving average. The triple moving average crossover system generates a signal to sell when the slow moving average is above the medium moving average and the medium moving average is above the fast moving average. When the fast moving average goes above the medium moving average, the system exits its position. For this reason, unlike the dual moving average trading system, the triple moving average system is not always in the market. The system is out of the market when the relationship between the slow and medium moving average does not match that between the medium and fast moving averages.
More aggressive traders would not wait for the confirmation of the trend and instead enter into a position based on the fast moving average crossing over the slow and medium moving averages. One may also enter positions at different times, for example: the trader could take a certain number of long positions when the fast MA crosses above the medium MA, then take up the next set of long positions when the fast MA crosses above the slow MA and finally more long positions when the medium crosses over the slow MA. If at anytime a reversal of trend is observed he may exit his positions.
2. Moving Average Ribbon
An extended version of the moving average crossover system is the Moving Average Ribbon. This moving average strategy is created by placing a large number of moving averages onto the same chart (the chart shown below uses 8 simple moving averages). One must factor the time horizons and investment objectives while selecting the lengths and type of moving averages. When all the moving averages are moving in the same direction, the trend is said to be strong. Trading signals are generated in a similar manner to the triple moving average crossover system, the trader must decide the number of crossovers to trigger a buy or sell signal. Traders look to buy when the faster moving averages cross above the slower moving averages and look to sell when the faster moving averages cross below the slower moving averages
3. Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD)
The MACD, short for moving average convergence divergence, is a trend following momentum indicator. It is a collection of three time series calculated as moving averages from historical price data, most often closing price. The MACD line is the difference between a fast (short term) exponential moving average and a slow (long term) exponential moving average of the closing price of a particular security. The signal line is the exponential moving average of the MACD line. In this moving average strategy, the trader looks for crossovers between the MACD and the signal line.
The MACD strategy is denoted by the three parameters which define the strategy, i.e. the time periods of the three moving averages – MACD(a,b,c), where the MACD series is the difference between EMAs with time periods ‘a’ and ‘b’. The signal line, which is the EMA of the MACD series has a time period of ‘c’. The most commonly used MACD strategy uses the 12 day and 26 day EMA for the MACD series and a 9 day EMA for the signal series, represented by MACD(12, 26, 9). The chart shown below is plotted based on these input parameters
MACD line = 12 day EMA of closing price – 26 day EMA of closing price
Signal line = 9 day EMA of MACD line
Histogram = MACD line – Signal line
The upper half of the chart contains the daily closing price (blue line), 12 day EMA (red line) and the 26 day EMA (green line). The lower half of the chart consists of the MACD Series (blue line), which is calculated by the subtracting the slow moving average (26 day EMA) from the fast moving average (12 day EMA), the Signal Series (red line) calculated by taking a 9 day EMA of the MACD Series and lastly the MACD histogram (black vertical lines), which is plotted by subtracting the Signal Series from the MACD Series.
There are many different interpretations of the MACD chart. The most commonly used signal trigger is when the MACD line crosses over the Signal line. When the MACD line crosses above the signal line, it is recommended to buy the underlying security and when the MACD line crosses below the signal line, a signal to sell is triggered. These events are taken as signs that the trend in the underlying security is about to escalate in the direction of the crossover. Another crossover that is taken into consideration by traders is called the zero crossover. This occurs when the slow and fast moving averages of the price curve crossover each other, or when the MACD series changes sign. A change from positive to negative is considered to be a bearish sign while a change from negative to positive is considered as a bullish sign. The zero crossover provides confirmation about a change in trend but it is less reliable in triggering signals than the signal crossover. Traders also monitor the divergence between the MACD line and the signal line, which can be observed through the histogram. When the histogram starts falling (moves towards the zero line), it indicates that the trend is weakening, this happens when the MACD and signal lines are converging. Whereas, when the signal line and MACD line are diverging, or the histogram is rising (moves away from the zero line), it is an indication that the trend is growing stronger.
Like other moving average strategies which are used for forecasting trends, the MACD can generate false signals. A bullish or bearish crossover followed by a sudden decline or rise in the underlying security respectively is called a false positive. A false negative is when there is no crossover yet the stocks suddenly accelerates either upwards or downwards.
Watch this informative session on ‘Momentum Based Strategies‘ focused on the various aspects of Conventional/Low Frequency as well as High Frequency (HFT). In addition to this, you can check our blog for articles on different quantitative trading strategies.
Disclaimer: All investments and trading in the stock market involve risk. Any decisions to place trades in the financial markets, including trading in stock or options or other financial instruments is a personal decision that should only be made after thorough research, including a personal risk and financial assessment and the engagement of professional assistance to the extent you believe necessary. The trading strategies or related information mentioned in this article is for informational purposes only. | <urn:uuid:2317cf8d-30a6-4b1f-8c23-1544476a9907> | CC-MAIN-2019-09 | https://www.quantinsti.com/blog/moving-average-trading-strategies | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-09/segments/1550247490806.45/warc/CC-MAIN-20190219162843-20190219184843-00500.warc.gz | en | 0.924161 | 4,693 | 2.8125 | 3 |
If you are interested in building Raspberry Pi mini PC projects, as well as charting the weather in your locality. You might be interested in a new article that has been published that explains how to gather chart temperatures using a Raspberry Pi, RRDTool and Hoghcharts.
For full details on how to create your own weather charting system using the awesome Raspberry Pi mini PC jump over to the Tafkas’ Blog via the link below.
Tafkas’ Blog explains :
For quite a long time I was looking for a way to monitor and record th temperature and humidity at my apartment. What was missing was a convenient, preferably wireless solution. After receiving my RaspberryPi I started to look into that more intensively.
The USB Weather Data Receiver USB-WDE1 wirelessly receives data from various weather sensors of ELV at 868 MHz. The receiver is connected to a USB port on the computer, so no additional power supply is required. The data is transmitted via a simple serial ASCII protocol, which is well documented by ELV. The RasberryPi running Raspbian is used for the data acquisition allowing very little power consumption while being completely flexible.
To purchase a USB Weather Data Receiver jump over to the ELV website here. | <urn:uuid:c116f98b-42de-4633-89ba-ba92cf5d55b8> | CC-MAIN-2022-05 | https://www.geeky-gadgets.com/raspberry-pi-rrdtool-and-hoghcharts-lets-you-chart-the-weather-11-09-2015/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-05/segments/1642320303717.35/warc/CC-MAIN-20220121222643-20220122012643-00491.warc.gz | en | 0.941365 | 258 | 2.765625 | 3 |
May 17, 2011 is National Cyber Awareness day, as well as the release day for The Parent’s Guide to Texting, Facebook, and Social Media: Understanding the Benefits and Dangers of Parenting in a Digital World. Awareity is proud to be a supporting launch partner for this excellent resource for parents.
Has your child ever been the victim of cyberbullying? If not, the odds are pretty high that one day he or she will be. The sad fact is 50% of teens admit to being bullied online or by text message.
Today’s youth are falling victim to the perils of social media and cell phone messaging. And most parents are WITHOUT the tools to help their kids. Are you one of them?
Introducing The Parent’s Guide to Texting, Facebook, and Social Media: Understanding the Benefits and Dangers of Parenting in a Digital World by Shawn Marie Edgington. All royalties from today’s sales of this book will be donated to the Megan Meier Foundation to protect children from cyberbullying!
The author, Shawn Marie Edgington, is America’s leading “Texpert” and cyberbullying prevention expert. Shawn is on a mission to help protect our kids against the dangers that exist on the wild, wild web, and wants every parent to know that no child is immune.
Cyberbullying is a REAL threat to teens. Educate yourself and protect your children from online predators! GET THE BOOK TODAY: http://theparentsguidebook.com/ | <urn:uuid:8b5ce649-ae47-4579-9849-5512144dff37> | CC-MAIN-2018-43 | http://awareity.com/2011/05/16/the-parents-guide-to-texting-facebook-and-social-media/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-43/segments/1539583513844.48/warc/CC-MAIN-20181021094247-20181021115747-00481.warc.gz | en | 0.913922 | 317 | 2.578125 | 3 |
An infected or inflamed tooth can be treated by performing a root canal treatment (RCT). In most cases when a tooth is compromised, it is preferable to save the tooth with RCT if possible. The living part of the tooth, known as the pulp, consists of sensitive nerves and blood vessels. When a tooth becomes infected, the pulp can become very painful. If left untreated, it can allow an abscess to form at the root tip or even allow bacteria to enter the jaw bone. The purpose of RCT is to remove the affected pulp to save the tooth and to prevent the proliferation of the bacterial growth.
The most immediate benefit of RCT is that it can provide significant pain relief. From a long-term perspective, RCT preserves the natural tooth, saves the need for a tooth extraction and the requirement of a dental bridge, implant or crown – all expensive treatments. The flaw of RCT is that it does weaken the remaining natural tooth to some extent. To alleviate this concern, a crown can be fitted as support.
Root Canal Treatment Suitability
If you’re experiencing pain or discomfort from a tooth, a check-up with one of our dentists will identify the cause of the problem and determine whether RCT is an appropriate treatment.
RCT is most suitable when the affected tooth can realistically be saved in the long term. RCT will likely be recommended if the tooth is not severely damaged, cracked or decayed, and if the surrounding gum is healthy.
The RCT treatment is usually unsuitable when the tooth is beyond saving, such as in cases of severe infection or when the tooth is badly damaged due to poor gum health. For patients on a budget, the extraction therefore becomes a more affordable option. If the extraction is planned, consideration should be given to whether the gap created would require a later filling.
Root canal treatment usually requires two to three appointments.
During these appointments, small hole is created in the top part of the tooth to gain access to the canals. The affected pulp is removed, and the canals are methodically cleaned with an anti-bacterial preparation. The canals are filled with synthetic material which provides a seal.
A RCT-treated tooth can be protected with either a filling or a crown to ensure long-term success. | <urn:uuid:48d09530-bf21-4881-ae26-eabd8233a248> | CC-MAIN-2020-10 | https://parkviewdental.melbourne/root-canal/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-10/segments/1581875146714.29/warc/CC-MAIN-20200227125512-20200227155512-00376.warc.gz | en | 0.940634 | 469 | 2.875 | 3 |
What are we made of? What was there before the beginning? Are we really alone? These questions have been pondered by the most brilliant minds in history. Now, modern science may be able to provide us with answers.
Through The Wormhole – Is There A Creator?
It’s perhaps the biggest, most controversial mystery in the cosmos. Did our Universe just come into being by random chance, or was it created by a God who nurtures and sustains all life?
The latest science is showing that the four forces governing our universe are phenomenally finely tuned. So finely that it had led many to the conclusion that someone, or something, must have calibrated them; a belief further backed up by evidence that everything in our universe may emanate from one extraordinarily elegant and beautiful design known as the E8 Lie Group.
Through The Wormhole – The Riddle of Black Holes
They are the most powerful objects in the universe. Nothing, not even light, can escape the gravitational pull of a black hole. Astronomers now believe there are billions of them out in the cosmos, swallowing up planets, even entire stars in violent feeding frenzies. New theoretical research into the twisted reality of black holes suggests that three-dimensional space could be an illusion. That reality actually takes place on a two-dimensional hologram at the edge of the universe.
Through The Wormhole – Is Time Travel Possible?
Einstein's Theory of Relativity says that time travel is perfectly possible — if you're going forward. Finding a way to travel backwards requires breaking the speed of light, which so far seems impossible. But now, strange-but-true phenomena such as quantum nonlocality, where particles instantly teleport across vast distances, may give us a way to make the dream of traveling back and forth through time a reality.
Through The Wormhole: What Happened Before the Beginning?
Every cosmologist and astronomer agrees: our Universe is 13.7 billion years old. Using cutting-edge technology, scientists are now able to take a snapshot of the Universe a mere heartbeat after its birth.
Armed with hypersensitive satellites, astronomers look back in time to the very moment of creation, when all the matter in the Universe exploded into existence. It is here that we uncover an unsolved mystery as old as time itself – if the Universe was born, where did it come from? Meet the leading scientists who have now discovered what they believe to be the origin of our Universe, and a window into the time before time.
The big bang theory holds that the entire universe was once packed tightly into an unimaginably dense and tiny space, known as a “singularity.” That is, until roughly 13.7 billion years ago, when a colossal burst of energy and pressure started to give rise to entire worlds, galaxies and interstellar particles, forming the universe as we know it today.
But what brought about that big bang? Physicists are left scratching their heads at that question. Since the universe began on such a tiny level, the laws of relativity don’t fully apply. Instead, quantum theory, which deals with the lawless and bizarre world of the very small, must also be summoned.
Successfully answering the question of what existed before the big bang would require bridging the gap between the so-far mutually incompatible worlds of relativism and quantum mechanics. But even though that bridge has yet to be constructed, theories abound.
“Our universe could have either popped into existence or collided with another universe,” theoretical physicist Michio Kaku told scienceline.org. “Big Bangs happen all the time.”
Through The Wormhole: How Did We Get Here?
Option 2 (Watch on Novamov)
Everywhere we look, life exists in both the most hospitable of environments and in the most extreme. Yet we have only ever found life on our planet. How did the stuff of stars come together to create life as we know it? What do we really mean by ‘life’? And will unlocking this mystery help us find life elsewhere?
About 4.6 billion years ago, our solar system resembled a giant cloud of swirling cosmic dust, hydrogen and other gases. As with the thousands of other such clouds in our galaxy, some of these molecules began condensing, gathering and creating their own gravity.
Eventually these small clumps formed what became our sun — a star surrounded by a quickly moving, flat disc made up of the cloud’s leftovers. These leftovers also developed into our solar system’s planets, asteroid belt and other interstellar bodies.
Through The Wormhole: Are We Alone?
Aliens almost certainly do exist. So why haven’t we yet met E.T.? It turns out we’re only just developing instruments powerful enough to scan for them, and science sophisticated enough to know where to look. As a result, race is on to find the first intelligent aliens.
But what would they look like, and how would they interact with us if we met? The answers may come to us sooner than we imagine, for one leading astronomer believes she may already have heard a hint of their first efforts to communicate.
Through The Wormhole: What Are We Made Of?
Our understanding of the universe and the nature of reality itself has drastically changed over the last 100 years, and it’s on the verge of another seismic shift. In a 17-mile-long tunnel buried 570 feet beneath the Franco-Swiss border, the world’s largest and most powerful atom smasher, the Large Hadron Collider, is powering up.
Its goal is nothing less than recreating the first instants of creation, when the universe was unimaginably hot and long-extinct forms of matter sizzled and cooled into stars, planets, and ultimately, us. These incredibly small and exotic particles hold the keys to the greatest mysteries of the universe. What we find could validate our long-held theories about how the world works and what we are made of. Or, all of our notions about the essence of what is real will fall apart.
What are we made of? The question has rankled scientists and philosophers for millennia, and even with the amazing progress made in fields like particle physics and astronomy, we are left with only a partial answer. We know, of course, that the visible world is composed of protons, neutrons and electrons that combine to form atoms of different elements, and we know those elements are the building blocks of the planets and stars that give rise to solar systems and galaxies.
What we didn’t know until very recently, however, is that those protons, neutrons and electrons appear to form less than 5 percent of the universe, and questions remain about how these building blocks arose. If regular matter represents only a small slice of the universe, what is the rest of the universe made of?
Such questions prompted the construction of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) beneath the border between France and Switzerland. As the world’s largest particle accelerator, experts designed the LHC to recreate conditions that occurred shortly after the very foundation of universe itself. Here are a few of the mysteries scientists hope the LHC and other particle accelerators can shed light on.
Through The Wormhole: Beyond The Darkness
What is the universe made of? If you answered stars, planets, gas and dust, you’d be dead wrong. Thirty years ago, scientists first realized that some unknown dark substance was affecting the way galaxies moved.
Today, they think there must be five times as much dark matter as regular matter out there. But they have no idea what it is — only that it’s not made of atoms, or any other matter we are familiar with. And Dark Matter is not the only strange substance in the Universe — a newly discovered force, called Dark Energy, seems to be pushing the very fabric of the cosmos apart.
The composition of the universe may seem straightforward, something you mastered back in your junior high science class — galaxies made up of planets and stars, stars made up of burning gases and dust. But this idea of the universe only includes the parts that we can see, either with the naked eye or even with powerful telescopes.
According to scientists, the visible portions of the universe account for less than 95 percent of what is actually out there in the great expanse of space. Much of the universe is made up of something we can’t see. We call this something “dark matter,” and we only discovered its existence because something else was missing.
Reference : Through The Wormhole ~ Science.Discovery
Related Posts : | <urn:uuid:3b9fccc9-3dd6-4b73-9430-39dcdb011694> | CC-MAIN-2017-43 | https://www.psychedelicadventure.net/2011/01/through-wormhole-documentary-series.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-43/segments/1508187828189.71/warc/CC-MAIN-20171024071819-20171024091819-00337.warc.gz | en | 0.945494 | 1,783 | 3.09375 | 3 |
Industrial anchovy landings are used for indirect human consumption. Among the coastal pelagic species of the Northern Humboldt Current System (NHCS), the Peruvian anchovy (Engraulis ringens) is predominant and creates one of the most important single species fisheries worldwide. The NHCS is an important area of one of the most productive world marine ecosystems, the Humboldt Current Large Marine Ecosystem. The Humboldt Current extends along the coast of Chile and Peru; the NHCS corresponds to Peru.
In 1955, the first management measures of the Peruvian anchovy stock were implemented when a minimum catch size of 12 cm and a minimum mesh size were established. In the 1970s, new measures were drafted related to catch control by means of establishing annual global fishing quotas.
There are three fishing fleets targeting the Northern-Central stock of anchovy, which are as follows (including their fishing capacity): there is an artisanal fishing fleet of vessels of less than 10 m3 GRT; a small-scale fishing fleet of vessels of more than 10 m3 GRT and less than 32.6 m3 GRT; and an industrial fishing fleet of vessels larger than 32.6 m3. Only industrial landings are to be used to produce fishmeal.
Currently, the most important fishery management measures are:
- Total allowable catches
- Maximum Allowable Catch per Vessel (industrial fleet)
- Minimum catch size of 12 cm
- Minimum mesh size 13 mm – ½”
- Regulation of the fishing capacity or effort of fishing vessels
- Time and space closures for the protection of juveniles and the reproductive process
- Exclusion zone for industrial fishing up to 5 marine miles from the coast
- Establishing a maximum percentage of bycatch of other species, maximum 5% of the catch.
- Establishing a Surveillance and Control Program of Marine Fishing and Landing, as well as Satellite Follow Up.
Regarding research, the Peruvian fishery research institute (Instituto del Mar del Perú, IMARPE) dedicates significant financial and human resources to the follow-up and research of this fishery. It benefits from a large data flow, both regarding the Peruvian anchovy stock as well as the group of variables and impacts related to it. Also, during the last fifty years, industrial vessels have participated from activities related to fishing data collection.
At the time of drafting this report, the main issues regarding the sustainability of the fishery are:
- It is necessary to demonstrate that the fishery complies with the requirement of attending the needs of the ecosystem.
- It is required that harvest control rules in a low biomass scenario are more explicit, as well as the management objectives related to the ecosystem.
- It is necessary to address unreported fishing and illegal vessels, which represent a potential danger for the sustainability of the fishery.
- It is necessary to achieve a better understanding of the direct impacts of the Unit of Assessment on ETP species and habitats.
Industrial anchovy landings are used for indirect human consumption.
- To demonstrate that the management system considers the ecosystem needs by September 2019.
- To make improvements in the management system that would allow for explicit catch control rules in the case of low biomass, by March 2020.
- To organize the available data gathered by the industrial fishing vessels and encourage further technological innovation and development in order to allow for the assessment and monitoring of the ecosystem by March 2020.
- To make management improvements and actions to maximize the respect of management rules by the artisanal and small-scale fleet and to improve traceability, while contemplating any selectivity and technological innovation limitations by March 2020.
- Determining the direct impacts of the fleet on ETP species and other ecosystem components and, if necessary, devise proposals to mitigate them by March 2020.
- To achieve a certifiable status by March 2020.
FIP at a Glance | <urn:uuid:46705147-b345-4c30-b629-a1846ca45de3> | CC-MAIN-2019-22 | https://fisheryprogress.org/fip-profile/peruvian-anchovy-industrial-purse-seine | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-22/segments/1558232259015.92/warc/CC-MAIN-20190526085156-20190526111156-00096.warc.gz | en | 0.91986 | 808 | 3.03125 | 3 |
Pre-K students describe changes in organisms and the natural environment over time. Students compare and contrast characteristics of living, non-living, man-made and naturally occurring things. Through playful encounters preschoolers make observations about physical properties of objects, motion of objects, and changes in matter. Preschool students learn to plan and carry out investigations using predictions, information gathering, testing, and analyzing results.
The Kindergarten curriculum explores the fundamental concepts of sustainability through interactive, hands-on lessons about seasonal changes, temperature and day & night. Kindergarten students also explore the care and basic needs of such animals as fish, snails, bugs and worms. Students are introduced to classification through the exploration of size, color, weight, and shape.
1st grade students investigate the continuity of life with emphasis placed on life cycle of animals. Students at this level identify the behaviors and physical adaptations that allow organisms to survive in their environment. The characteristics of the cycle of life vary from organism to organism. Students observe and describe the three states of matter. Students describe, categorize, compare, and measure observable physical properties of matter and objects. Lastly, students explore push and pull through experimentation.
2nd grade students explore simple machines and investigate how they work. Manipulation and application of simple tools and machines help students learn about the relationships between forces and motion. Students learn about living things such as animals of the Arctic and Antarctic, bugs and insects, ocean life and sea life. Understanding the variety and complexity of life and its processes can help students develop respect for their own and for all God’s creations. Students investigate plants, learning how they survive and reproduce. 2nd grade students learn to care for their own bodies with healthy exercise. Students also learn proper tooth care, hand washing, and germs. The five senses are explored and discussed.
3rd grade students explore stars, galaxies, the universe, sun, moon, and constellations. They compare different types of flowering plants and conifers along with the plant life cycles, edible and inedible plants, and chlorophyll. Students focus on tree growth, Identification, native Rhode Island trees and plants. Students study owls, whales, and their life cycles. In health, students focus on care of the skin, nutrition, the 5 senses.
4th grade students learn the characteristics and properties of electricity and magnetism and the relationship between the two. An indepth study of rocks and minerals follows. The study of light and sound completes the science curriculum.
5th grade students start the year identifying components of the ecosystems and classifying organisms by how they obtain energy and use energy. Through explorations, students analyze data, explain using models, and draw conclusions about ecosystems and how human decisions impact life within the ecosystems. Students learn about weather, landforms and climate changes. Students learn about forces and motion, and renewable and nonrenewable resources. 5th graders are introduced to the scientific method including inquiry. Students put the scientific method to practice when they design an invention for our annual Invention Convention.
St. Luke’s Middle School embraces the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math) approach to science teaching and learning and is working towards full integration of the Next Generation Science Standards in its practices and curriculum. Students develop proficiency in essential science and engineering practices, consider these practices and science content in the context of crosscutting concepts, while exploring core disciplinary ideas. A key component of the middle school science program is students’ participation in the annual school science fair. Students research and conduct science or engineering investigations to answer testable questions. Their investigations are then shared with an authentic audience of citizen scientists who evaluate their work.
The topical curriculum in middle school science is “spiraled,” with progressive disciplinary focus in the earth & space, physical, life, and environmental sciences explored each year. The acquisition of critical inquiry and hands-on skills is emphasized. The metric system of measurement is used throughout the middle school science experience. Students learn that there is no one scientific method; science and engineering involve using many different and dynamic methods to answer questions and solve problems.
The program encourages students to “do science” through lab experiments, field investigations, group activities, modeling, dissections, simulations, and the use of content-rich print and online resources with the goal of developing life-long citizen scientists.
Topical focus by grade:
6th grade students learn about Earth’s interior structures and processes, layers of the atmosphere, and natural disasters, in their study of earth science. Physical science topics include the structure of the atom, magnetism, electricity, and electromagnetism. Life science focus topics are the study of living things, scientific classification, plants, and cell structures and functions.
7th grade students learn about Earth’s surface structures and processes, topography and mapping, and environmental changes in their study of earth science. Physical science topics include force and motion, energy, and work. The focus of life science is on the classification, structure and function, life cycles, and adaptations of animals.
8th grade students learn about Earth’s fresh and salt waters with a focus on the many environmental challenges and remedies to our water systems. Students conduct an extended field study of a nearby urban creek to explore these issues on a local level. In physical science, students extend their understanding of the atom as the basic unit of all matter through a study of the periodic table, exploration of the elements, and chemical bonding and reactions. Life science topics extends the study of animals to include the human body structures and systems, including disease and disease prevention.
Astronomy and space exploration are studied by middle school students together every third year and features an onsite portable planetarium program as well as a sponsored amateur astronomers’ night sky event. | <urn:uuid:da79b5ae-942f-4c2d-85f4-b5af96481218> | CC-MAIN-2021-49 | https://www.stlukesri.org/domain/130 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-49/segments/1637964363400.19/warc/CC-MAIN-20211207140255-20211207170255-00477.warc.gz | en | 0.930735 | 1,197 | 4.0625 | 4 |
Science 2 A
Science 2A explores how questions and science are related, ecosystems, water and conservation and forces. In Unit 1, students review what facts and opinions are and how to ask a good question. They will learn how to do an experiment. In Unit 2, ecosystems are introduced and students learn about living and non-living parts of an ecosystem. Biomes, food chains and food webs are also discussed in this unit. In Unit 3, water and conservation are reviewed and how water is a basic need for life on Earth. Different types of bodies of water are introduced and the water cycle is discussed. Watersheds are covered and students learn what watershed they live in. In Unit 4, students learn what a force is and what the different kinds of force there are. Students learn how force affects objects on Earth. Each unit has some hands-on activities and assignments to complete to help students to understand the concepts of this course. | <urn:uuid:ac7bbd5f-d649-43c3-9abc-d3780bb8e2d1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.blendedschools.net/curriculumcatalog/coursedetail.php?courseid=SC.02.Science2ATF.Bnet4copy | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698554957/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100234-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951553 | 189 | 4.28125 | 4 |
Anyone who is young can hardly imagine what it's like to be old. Beyond the 30 is suddenly aware: the skin is flabby, nutritional and alcoholic sins forgive the body not so fast. Aging may not be the most beautiful, but the most just thing in the world, because it affects everyone - whether rich or poor, man or woman. However, personal living conditions have a major influence on how fast or slow the typical decay phenomena come to light. That's exactly what anti-aging medicine is all about.
The term "anti-aging"
The word comes from the USA and means in the figurative sense as much as "healthy aging". The discipline deals with the basics of the aging process in order to avoid diseases by means of preventive measures and to keep the body and mind young for as long as possible. For this reason, anti-aging physicians also distinguish between chronological and biological age.
The core thesis is: Those who keep themselves physically and mentally fit, eat healthily and do not exploit their body or mind, have a good chance of undercutting their chronological age by date of birth.
Conversely, the same is true: who smokes, regularly drinks alcohol and does not do sports, maintains little friendships or does not find a balance in the family, is likely to age faster than his chronological clock actually envisages.
Aging with every breath
Every breath, every heartbeat, every metabolic process leaves marks on the body. Aging means that the physical and mental abilities decrease with increasing wear. This process does not happen with every human being at the same speed. For one thing, genes influence the speed and intensity of aging.
The most extreme form of genetic defect is progeria, a very rare hereditary disease that causes those affected to age in fast motion about five to six times faster than normal. Apart from such hereditary damage, anti-aging specialists assume that a healthy lifestyle also influences the aging process. To what extent, about it physicians disagree. However, the fact is: it is about a reasonable health care.
Determine the "real" age
Everyone can control their biological age to a certain extent, so the theory. The first logical step is therefore the determination of the status quo. But how can one even determine whether I am older or younger than my chronological age?
First clues certainly provides the external appearance. Those who are told by outsiders that they look or feel younger are usually on the right path. More concrete evidence is provided by questionnaires in books that use a scoring system to determine the biological age. These tests require a minimum of knowledge about your body because they measure blood pressure, cholesterol, resting heart rate, and fasting blood sugar.
So if you want to know his biological age, should have appropriate data determined by his family doctor. In addition, various diagnostic methods are available in so-called anti-aging institutes. An "age scan" includes, for example, tests that detect hearing and touch, muscle coordination, memory and lung function. However, such precautionary benefits are generally not covered by the health insurance companies. | <urn:uuid:171e6122-1e19-46d9-b9dc-e70f6237b9a8> | CC-MAIN-2019-22 | https://healthvee.com/anti-aging | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-22/segments/1558232254882.18/warc/CC-MAIN-20190519121502-20190519143502-00387.warc.gz | en | 0.959674 | 624 | 2.71875 | 3 |
The lone voice of horticultural reason
“Organic pesticides don’t harm the environment.”
We’re talking pesticides, and on the organic side of the equation, this means things like insecticidal soaps, Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis), pyrethrum (from African mums), and rotenone (pea family). You’ll see these listed as the active ingredients in all sorts of organic pesticides.
What is important to remember is that a pesticide contains a chemical that is a poison, whether the chemical is organic or synthetic. “Organic” means the chemical is derived from the earth, its deposits, or its plants. “Synthetic” means the chemical is made by evil Republicans in lab coats. Either way, the chemical kills bugs.
All chemicals used in pesticides are rated on a scale called EIQ, or Environmental Impact Quotient. The chemicals are tested for range of toxicity, or what it is they will harm or kill. Let’s say the chemical doesn’t harm people in anything short of beer-chugging amounts; that might merit a 2. But an ounce of the stuff in a stretch of stream kills all the fish; give it a 10. The chemicals are tested for how long they stay in the soil, in plants, if they kill bees, if they kill worms, etc.
Here are some interesting EIQs:
Bt (organic) 13.5
Acephate (synthetic) 17.9
Soap (organic) 19.5
Carbaryl (synthetic) 22.6
Malathion (synthetic) 23.2
Rotenone (organic) 33.0
Sabadilla (organic) 35.6
You can see that some organic chemicals-and all of these are in use-have a higher Environmental Impact Quotient than some synthetics, notably the synthetic Carbaryl (which is Sevin), one of the most commonly used synthetic pesticides in the world.
My point is not to knock organics. I try not to use any pesticides in my garden. The best way to avoid using pesticides is to keep a clean and tidy garden, keep your plants watered, and keep them healthy. I’ve had stretches close to ten years without having to spritz anything that’s a poison. But once in a while an infestation can get pretty ugly. I’ll first use an organic insecticide, usually a soap, in moderation and exactly according to instructions. A very limited use and most often the job is done.
But organic pesticides have very real drawbacks. Most of them have broad spectrums, meaning they kill beneficial insects (just like those dangerous synthetic chemicals). They are not as thoroughly tested as synthetics. Batch strength can vary. And, perhaps most dangerous of all, they are perceived by the gardening public as safe. Nothing could be farther from the truth.
Pyrethrum is a widely used organic chemical, used by organic vegetable growers, and used by commercial industries as the toxin in sprays designed to kill everything from wasps to asparagus beetles. It’s also a nerve toxin, and extremely dangerous to infants. Never use wasp spray around an infant, or you will learn just how dangerous some of Mother Earth’s little secrets can be.
Safe/dangerous are always relative, anyway. 100 years ago, there were no synthetic, man-made chemical pesticides in use, not in gardening, not in agriculture, not anywhere. The big pesticide used across the land was 100% organic. It was lead-based.
The Renegade Gardener | <urn:uuid:62ceffb0-cb72-41a6-8f80-943663bdc85a> | CC-MAIN-2020-24 | http://renegadegardener.com/myth-of-the-week-archive/organic-pesticides-dont-harm-the-environment/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-24/segments/1590347390437.8/warc/CC-MAIN-20200525223929-20200526013929-00186.warc.gz | en | 0.936865 | 766 | 2.53125 | 3 |
Today, Swahili or Kiswahili, is spoken throughout East Africa, although usually in conjunction with other languages. It is the most widely-spoken African language, with approximately 50 million speakers in East and Central Africa. Swahili is now used throughout the region, in settings ranging from everyday communication to government and commerce.
Interesting Facts About Swahili
- Safari is a Swahili word meaning ‘journey’ and originally came from the Arabic ‘safarly’ which also means ‘trip’!
- The African-American holiday ‘Kwanzaa’ is named for the Swahili word meaning ‘to begin’.
- The Walt Disney film ‘The Lion King’ is the most famous example of Swahili in pop culture. Many characters have Swahili names including Simba (lion), Rafiki (friend), Sarabi (mirage), Timon (absentmindedness), Pumbaa (careless) and Shenzi (savage).
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Where is Swahili Spoken?
Swahili is spoken in Burundi, the Central African Republic, Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, Somalia, South Africa, Tanzania, and Uganda. Of these, it is recognized as an official national language in Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania, although only in Tanzaniais it both spoken and used in government as a language of correspondence.
Additionally, citizens of Comoros speak Comoran (a mixture of Swahili and Arabic), and Kingwana (a dialect of Swahili) is spoken in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Swahili is also used as a language of business in commercial centers in Rwanda.
About the Swahili Language
Swahili (or Kiswahili) belongs to the Benue-Congo family, Bantu group, but was strongly influenced by Arabic and Persian. “Swahili” is an Arabic word which means “of (from) the coast” or “people of the coast”. As a matter of fact many Swahili words derived from Arabic and Persian languages, especially as a result of Persians and Arabs sailing to East Africa for trade many centuries ago.Some even assert that the Swahili culture and language actually have their roots from Persians and Arabs, but most recent archaeological discoveries show that the Swahili culture existed well before the arrival of Persians and Arabs to East Africa. Other languages, too, influenced Swahili: Portuguese, English and German, due to colonial influence. The later migration to the South of the Swahili people helped further spread the language to present-day Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, and Mozambique. | <urn:uuid:0ff152b3-4d0b-45cd-aeb4-e7347bf7c95d> | CC-MAIN-2017-09 | https://www.languagedoor.com/learn-to-speak-swahiliswahili/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-09/segments/1487501171632.91/warc/CC-MAIN-20170219104611-00130-ip-10-171-10-108.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.936746 | 654 | 3.46875 | 3 |
How do you find a rate of change, in any context, and express it mathematically? You use differentiation. Tutorials in differentiating logs and exponentials, sines and cosines, and 3 key rules explained, providing excellent reference material for undergraduate study.
Differentiating sines and cosines
This unit covers the differentiation of sin x and cos x from first principles. Video tutorial 14 mins. | <urn:uuid:a6808184-b3b9-4a2b-b2df-cff29716458d> | CC-MAIN-2017-47 | http://www.mathtutor.ac.uk/differentiation/differentiatingsinesandcosines | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-47/segments/1510934806720.32/warc/CC-MAIN-20171123031247-20171123051247-00745.warc.gz | en | 0.831653 | 83 | 2.8125 | 3 |
June 24, 2009
The theory of shifting baselines was first elucidated by scientists exploring urban children’s perception of nature in 1995. In the same year, marine biologist Daniel Pauly coined the term ‘shifting baselines’. Since then the idea of humans perceiving nature inaccurately, through ‘shifting baselines’, has taken the conservation world by storm: the theory appeared to describe a commonly noticed problem regarding people’s view of the natural world around them. However, the theory had yet to be tested in a scientific manner: were people actually undergoing shifting baselines or was something else going on? For the first time a new paper in Conservation Letters empirically tests the shifting baselines theory.
“The shifting baseline syndrome is the situation in which over time knowledge is lost about the state of the natural world, because people don't perceive changes that are actually taking place. In this way, people's perceptions of change are out of kilter with the actual changes taking place in the environment,” Dr. E.J. Milner-Gulland, one of the paper’s authors, told mongabay.com.
Deforestation in Brazil. Photo by: Rhett Butler.
However, as the paper’s authors write, “one of the biggest current issues in assessing the implications of [shifting baselines syndrome] is the lack of empirical evidence that it occurs.”
Generational and personal amnesia
In their study professor of Conservation Science at Imperial College London, Milner-Gulland, and colleagues tested two different types of shifting baselines: generational amnesia and personal amnesia. The use of the word ‘amnesia’ is important because any experience of shifting baselines involves a loss of information without being aware of the loss, a kind of amnesia.
Erosion in western Madagascar. Photo by: Rhett Butler.
For example, if legendary conservationist John Muir returned to Northern California today there is no doubt that he would believe much of the wilderness he loved to be terribly, hopelessly altered: dams, roads, suburbs, etc. However, a native Californian may see parts of their landscape as perfectly natural: National Parks are often view by Americans as the emblem of nature—even with roads running through them clogged with traffic. This type of altered perception of nature occurs with each succeeding generation.
Rather than occurring at every generation, personal amnesia happens quicker, during a single individual’s lifetime. “Personal amnesia is when people forget how things used to be during the course of their own lives, for example they may not remember that things which are rarely sighted now were once common,” says Milner-Gulland. In this case, the individual actually ‘updates’ the change involved, so that the change (and the past) is forgotten and the new state becomes the baseline.
Shifting baselines of birds in Yorkshire
Diverting river in China. Photo by: Rhett Butler.
Having concrete data of bird population shifts in Yorkshire, the researchers interviewed 50 rural villagers regarding their perception sof changes in birdlife surrounding them. Interviewees were asked what the most common birds in Yorkshire were today and 20 years ago. Researchers received a wide variety of answers.
They found evidence of “generational amnesia in that older people were more accurate at naming the commonest birds 20 years ago than younger people were,” Milner-Gulland says. “This is not because older people are just better at naming common birds, because there was no difference in accuracy for the present-day birds. So it suggests that there is a difference between generations in understanding of how the typical bird fauna of the village has changed over time.”
In addition researchers found that over one-third of participants had a static view of bird species in Yorkshire. In other words, they chose the same species as common twenty years ago as currently.
Cleared mangrove forest for aquaculture in Indonesia. Photo by: Rhett Butler.
Researchers could find no underlying reason why certain people had a static view of bird populations while others saw change—accurately or inaccurately.
The authors conclude that “this study provides the best evidence to date for generational and personal amnesia.”
Implications for conservation
“If we don't realize what we are losing we stand the risk of sleepwalking through the destruction of the natural world without taking action to remedy the situation,” Milner-Gulland says, explaining the importance of the shifting baselines theory to conservation.
Shipment of coal in China. Photo by: Rhett Butler.
For example, in the western United States wolves have been locally extinct for so long that no one remembers when they were plentiful. As far the community is concerned wolves are not a part of the natural environment, therefore this personal perception of nature could add to their resistance to wolf reintroductions in the region.
The problem is especially exacerbated when scientific data is not available regarding past conditions of an ecosystem, unlike wolf populations in the United States. Unfortunately hard data is often difficult to come by, especially for environmental conditions generations ago. Yet, as Milner-Gulland points out, scientists are becoming increasingly creative in finding data regarding past conditions that may no longer be remembered.
“One author (Julian Caldecott) used school meal records from remote village schools to reconstruct wild pig migrations in Borneo. There are many authors now using historical records and archeological remains, for example in charting the changes in fish stock compositions in the North Sea over thousands of years. Other people use contemporary accounts from eye-witnesses, while still others use scientific methods like pollen analysis, which can go back far beyond written accounts.” Milner-Gulland says, adding that “the important issues involve recognizing and accounting for sources of bias in the records that you use.””
Las Vegas sprawl. Photo by: Rhett Butler.
“There is a huge difficulty in setting baselines for conservationists to work towards, either in measuring change or in setting targets for restoration. Where do we set the baseline - 100 years ago, pre-industrial times, say 400 years ago, or where?” Milner-Gulland says.
Knowledge is the first step
Knowledge of the shifting baselines problem, however, could go a long way in remedying how people view the state of their environment.
“If we can identify the factors that make people's perceptions more or less in line with reality, we can put conservation measures in place to keep them aligned. That's one step away from people actually taking action of course, but it's the first step towards it,“ Milner-Gulland says.
Milner-Gulland encourages conservation organizations to begin taking shifting baseline syndrome into account when working in education and community efforts.
“For example if there was an issue in an area with generational amnesia, it might be worth targeting conservation interventions to engage with older people, and enlisting their help in telling the younger generation how things were only a few decades ago.,” Milner-Gulland suggests. ”This is not that common an approach in conservation, which often explicitly targets the young. If even the older generation has lost this knowledge, then conservationists could use books or photos to engage people with how their environment has changed.”
Mayan ruins of Tikal in Guatemala. Photo by: Rhett Butler.
“If the issue is with personal amnesia, just talking to people and triggering their memories about how things were, perhaps with the aid of props like photos or old specimens, will help them to ensure that their perceptions of change are accurate,” Milner-Gulland says.
Since shifting baselines is a young theory, Milner Gulland sees a need for further studies in order to truly understand the affects of the theory on conservation and environmental action.
“In terms of research, we need a lot of studies, in both the developed and developing world, that help us to understand how people's perceptions of environmental problems vary with their characteristics (e.g. their age or their exposure to the target of our conservation concern),” Milner Gulland says. “I think that the whole area of how people perceive environmental change, and how these perceptions align with real change, is an exciting field of study, which still only has a handful of studies. If we are to act effectively to conserve the environment, we first need to make sure that people (and society in general) accurately perceives the problem. Without this, interventions to conserve nature may have unintended consequences, or at best be less influential than they could be.”
The proof of the shifting baselines theory requires that human experience of nature must be backed up by empirical evidence in order to be understood as accurate. Clearly, human perception of nature is subject to all sorts of failings, due to short life spans, poor communication (generational amnesia), and unreliable memory(personal amnesia).
Citation: S.K. Papworth, J. Rist, L. Coad, & E.J. Milner-Gulland. Evidence for shifting baseline syndrome in conservation. Conservation Letters 2 (2009) 93–100.
As wolves face the gun, flawed science taints decision to remove species from ESA
(05/07/2009) On Monday the gray wolf was removed from the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in Idaho and Montana, two states that have protected the wolf for decades. According to the federal government the decision to remove those wolf populations was based on sound conservation science—a fact greatly disputed in conservation circles. For unlike the bald eagle, whose population is still rising after being delisted in 1995, when the wolf is removed from the ESA it will face guns blazing and an inevitable decline.
Replacing natural experiences with technology hurts humans and the natural world
(04/02/2009) What is the difference between a robotic dog and a real one? Or a plasma screen displaying high definition images of natural splendor and a window that looks out an on actual natural scene? According to psychologists from the University of Washington the difference is massive.
Small-scale fisheries are "best hope" for sustainability in developing world
(09/08/2008) Fish stocks are declining globally. While the consumer in the industrial world has yet to feel the full impact of this decline, those in the developing world know it well. Local small-scale fishermen are catching less fish to feed growing populations. Jennifer Jacquet of the Sea Around Us Project believes the hope for sustainable seafood lies in these very fisheries. | <urn:uuid:3e69b0e6-94f6-4832-aae5-d12d10545c41> | CC-MAIN-2013-48 | http://news.mongabay.com/2009/0623-hance_shiftingbaselines.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-48/segments/1386164033367/warc/CC-MAIN-20131204133353-00063-ip-10-33-133-15.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946124 | 2,230 | 3.296875 | 3 |
Raw materials are primary products from which one makes the final product. Everything we use is made up of a combination of basic materials. These are called its raw materials. They are available in the unprocessed form or semi-processed form. Businesses use these to produce finished products.
We can understand this through various examples. The raw material for paper is wood pulp, for fabric is yarn, and for a car is steel.
From where do we get raw materials?
As the name suggests, raw materials are in raw or minor processed form. We get them mainly from natural resources, viz. plant-based, animal-based, and earth-based resources. Some examples include fruits, vegetables, resin, milk, meat, leather, natural gas, crude oil, etc.
Categories of raw materials
Some materials directly form a part of the final products. Other materials support making the final products but are not a part of it. Thus, based on usage, we can divide raw materials into the following two main categories:
- Direct raw materials: Direct raw materials are those which become part of the final product. For example, flour is a direct raw material for cakes. Also, the fabric is a direct raw material for shirts.
- Indirect raw materials:These raw materials do not become a part of the final products. They, however, support the production process. Examples include glues, tools, fittings, oils, lubricants, etc.
Importance of raw materials in a business:
Things we use daily are made up of some or the other raw materials. Most of these things are manufactured in businesses. Thus, raw materials are crucial for any business.
Let us understand the importance of raw materials in a business.
All businesses need raw materials to deliver products to their customers. Businesses aim to maintain the required quantity of raw materials. With this, they can timely meet the customer demand.
A business keeps its inventory in three forms, of which raw materials are one. The other two forms of inventory are work-in-process and finished goods. Effective inventory management is crucial for any business since it determines profitability and sustainability. The raw material is the first form of a firm’s inventory. It is converted to work-in-process and finished goods. Thus, the management of raw materials is crucial for a business.
The profitability of a business depends on its raw materials. A businessman calculates the cost of the raw materials used against the sales. This gives an idea of the profitability of the business, which in turn is a measure of business growth. Also, a certain quantity of raw materials remains unused during the year. Such raw materials are reflected in the balance sheet as closing inventory. Thus, these make up the assets of a business. They are then used for production in the next year and indicate profitability of that year.
Thus, sourcing the right amount of raw materials and the right cost is crucial for any business. | <urn:uuid:9f4602d1-4cd9-4cd1-a9a7-c19310a3f93f> | CC-MAIN-2021-43 | https://ordercircle.com/glossary/raw-materials/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-43/segments/1634323588257.34/warc/CC-MAIN-20211028034828-20211028064828-00523.warc.gz | en | 0.949363 | 605 | 3.484375 | 3 |
Book by Kenneth J. Sufka
Review by Comfort Sumida
Manoa Advising Center
University of Hawaii at Manoa
As advisors, we see students from all backgrounds and experiences in academia. We understand the transition to higher education is difficult, even for those who were academic stars in high school. However, from a student’s perspective, it is often frustrating to realize the study strategies previously used no longer earn the high grades to which s/he is accustomed.
The reality is that the learning process and expectations differ in college. This is often overlooked by students. They don’t realize the psychology class they took in high school is unlike the one they enroll in during college. Although the topics may appear similar, they differ in terms of depth of knowledge and the required level of understanding. To be successful in higher education, students need to learn how to adapt old study techniques and implement new ones. In The A Game, Sufka presents a collection of nine rules to help students make the most of their time in the classroom and studying.
Although Sufka’s “rules” may appear simple on the surface, such as daily attendance and timely preparation for exams, it would be a disservice to underestimate their value. He expands these basic skills and elaborates on how they are applied differently while in college. Rules presented later become increasingly complex, as he introduces the importance of identifying learning objectives and the use of concept mapping while studying. Another strength is in his style of presentation and elucidation, which are thoroughly engaging, effectively drawing in the reader, be it student or advisor.
For each rule, an introductory anecdote (usually in the form of a conversation he has had with a student) explains how to identify “bad habits” in common study strategies and clarifies why they no longer apply. Corresponding “game-changing” techniques are discussed to assist students with adapting their behavior to the expectations of college. Sufka uses examples and exercises to break down and illustrate the methods he recommends and explains in depth the reasons why they work, providing supporting results from published research.
Sufka’s style is straightforward and concise with a heavy dose of humor infused, making The A Game an enjoyable and entertaining read. As a professor, he understands the uniqueness of each student and knows the expectations they face. For each technique, he gives multiple examples in practice, teaching students to implement the suite of methods in ways that fit their individual style.
Students are the primary beneficiaries of The A Game’s lessons. They learn of ways to improve their academic performance using methods which apply to other aspects of their lives. Learning more efficient and effective ways of studying reduces the time needed to master the material and the probability they will make the effort to appropriately prepare for their next office visit, lecture, or exam. Although targeted towards students, The A Game is a worthwhile read for anyone whose students feel challenged by the academic transition to college or just wish to improve their study habits.
Advisors may already be aware of the strategies Sufka presents. However, they can still benefit from reading The A Game. It provides a greater understanding of the reasons why these techniques work and teaches ways in which to impart this information, and a better understanding of the expectations of higher education, to their students.
The A Game: Nine Steps to Better Grades. (2011). Book by Kenneth J. Sufka. Review by Comfort Sumida. Taylor, MS: The Nautilus Publishing Company, 80 pp. Price $12.95, (paperback). ISBN # 978-1-936946-02-0 | <urn:uuid:0981859e-2579-4462-96d7-8636cbd1771b> | CC-MAIN-2018-13 | http://www.nacada.ksu.edu/Resources/Book-Reviews/Current-Past-Book-Reviews/The-A-Game-Nine-Steps-to-Better-Grades.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-13/segments/1521257645775.16/warc/CC-MAIN-20180318130245-20180318150245-00518.warc.gz | en | 0.957235 | 745 | 2.921875 | 3 |
Does the Sulfate of Potash Lower the pH?
Sulfate of potash, also known as potassium sulfate, is an inorganic fertilizer that supplies primarily potassium and sulfur. Though elemental sulfur is frequently used to make alkaline soil more acidic, the sulfur in potassium sulfate does not have any significant effect on soil pH.
Most vegetables prefer soil that is slightly acidic -- in other words, with pH between 5.8 and 6.5. Phosphorous and most micronutrients are less available to plants in alkaline soils. Potassium sulfate cannot be used to lower soil pH, but this fertilizer causes confusion on this issue because it contains sulfur and because it sounds similar to aluminum sulfate; both of these materials are used to acidify soil. Sulfur only lowers pH in its elemental form, and it is actually the aluminum in aluminum sulfate that causes an acidifying reaction. Sulfate added directly to the soil does not alter soil pH because soil is acidified by hydrogen ions that are released during the chemical reaction that transforms sulfur into sulfate.
- Hemera Technologies/Photos.com/Getty Images | <urn:uuid:e41ec326-04e0-4351-9919-89b5ff453e3a> | CC-MAIN-2020-40 | https://homeguides.sfgate.com/sulfate-potash-lower-ph-85492.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-40/segments/1600402101163.62/warc/CC-MAIN-20200930013009-20200930043009-00307.warc.gz | en | 0.929003 | 233 | 3.390625 | 3 |
Gabion is a wall constructed by large galvanized steel wire baskets with rock that allow for environmental draining of water and liquids. Gabion wall structures are flexible and can withstand great pressure. Gabion does not deform, crack or break like other concrete materials.
Gabion can be constructed to follow road grade, change elevations, or create terraced regions of landscaping that can be planted with flowers or vegetation. Filled with beautiful multicolored rock of various sizes and shapes, gabion can add architectural beauty combined with the ability for this type of wall to drain for environmental protection and erosion prevention. Gabion can be utilized in state parks, city parks, and environmentally conscious commercial developments.
INSTALLATION OR BUILD
Do to the complex nature of building gabion walls, heavy machines combined with manpower are needed to create complex screened rock wall formations that follow the contours of the environment they are built in.
View our Commercial Case Studies | <urn:uuid:f7cc82e8-0d74-48ed-b24a-55df7818094c> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.rosticonstruction.com/commercial-grade-gabion | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572163.61/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815085006-20220815115006-00498.warc.gz | en | 0.908959 | 200 | 2.875 | 3 |
I am usually supportive of the pharmaceutical industry (1). People who reflexively criticize it have no idea how difficult and expensive it is to get something from the lab to the pharmacy. Also, many people think that drug companies don't provide innovation, and do little more than manufacture something that the NIH or a university came up with. This could not be more wrong. Pharmaceutical companies have discovered and developed drugs that have had an enormous impact on human health. They do all the heavy lifting.
But, there are exceptions. For example, AstraZeneca marketed a drug that should have never been approved in the first place: Nexium. They did it solely for money—without any benefit to society— and it has sure worked out well for them. It made AstraZeneca almost $48 billion during the past decade, without any innovation or benefit to people who had previously been taking Prilosec to control their heartburn.
They didn't deserve a penny of it. Instead, the "purple pill" marketing plan was brilliant.
Following is the story of how the company was able to get away with this.
First, whenever you see a drug name starting with "Es," it is time to be suspicious:
Aside from the "Es" in the second compound, the names are identical, which makes perfect sense, since the two drugs are essentially the same. But there is one tiny (and usually insignificant) difference that enabled AstraZeneca to replace its Prilosec patent, which ran out in 2001, with Nexium (2).This requires a little bit of chemistry but if you are a reader here, you can probably follow along and learn about optical isomerism.
An example of an asymmetric molecule. The carbon atom is the gray sphere. Source: Chemtube3D
Any molecule that contains a carbon atom (3) that has four different substituents (atoms, groups, rings...) bound to it is, by definition, asymmetrical. In the figure above, the carbon atom (gray) is attached to four different substituents, the spheres shown in red, blue, yellow, and green. Although chemically identical—the two molecules will have the exact same properties (melting point, boiling point, solubility in water...)—they are not identical in every way.
Asymmetric molecules exist in two forms (4) called enantiomers - mirror images of each other. They have the same substituents on carbon, but it is impossible to superimpose one enantiomer on another—the acid test for identity.
This explains the "Es" prefix.
To distinguish one enantiomer from another one is called the "R" form, the other the "S" form. The "S" is why the generic name for Nexium is Esomeprazole. It is simply Prilosec with the "R" form removed. Most asymmetric chemicals are a 50-50 mixture of R and S (6). This is called a racemate (or racemic mixture). A simple example is a 50-50 mixture of R- and S-lactic acid lactic acid:
Now we can take a look at why Nexium was a rip-off. Although instruments like a mass spectrometer or NMR cannot tell the difference between R and S, your body can. Almost inevitably, when a drug is a racemic mixture, one enantiomer will be the active species, while the other will be inactive and just going along for the ride. Thus, a 100 mg pill of a racemic mixture (Prilosec) will contain only 50 mg of active drug. But a 100 mg dose of a single enantiomer (Nexium) contains 100 mg. So, a single enantiomer will deliver twice the effective dose of the racemate.
So, did Nexium represent a $48 billion improvement over Prilosec? Not really, but there are web sites where numerous people have written that Nexium worked better than Prilosec for them. And, they are no doubt right. The dosing schedule for Prilosec shows why:
And for Nexium:
Although the dosage of the pills (above) is the same (colored circles), the people who are taking Nexium are getting twice the effective dose than those who are taking Prilosec, so it makes perfect sense that they feel better. But, instead of taking one purple pill people with heartburn, they could have taken two generic non-purple pills to get the same effect and saved $48 billion. This is innovation?
No, it is not. This was a money grab by AstraZeneca. They picked a pretty color, ran relentless commercials, and managed to convince patients and doctors that the "purple pill" was somehow better. Except it isn't.
Nonsense like this gives the whole industry a bad name. AstraZeneca somehow managed to convince the US Patent Office that Nexium was substantially different from Prilosec, and thus should be granted its own patent, along with 20 years of protection (7). I don't get it, and if I'm in the patent office there is no way this gets by me.
Purple pill, my a##.
(1) Seriously, when I defend this chemistry or medicine people assume I must be a "shill for Big Pharma," but the industry tossed out my sorry ass (along with tens of thousands of others) out in 2010. I defend the industry when the science is right.
(2) A patent gives a drug company the exclusive right to sell a product until the patent expires. It does not give the company permission to sell the product. This comes from the FDA. The protection (20) years starts when the patent is filed, not when it is approved. The period of exclusivity is usually around ten years.
(3) Chemicals that contain sulfur bound to three different substituents (rare) are also asymmetric (for reasons you do not want to know. Your head would explode). Prilosec/Nexium happens to be one example of this. Prilosec was a racemate (RS), and Nexium is a single enantiomer (S).
(4) The common analogy to illustrate enantiomers is your hands. They look the same, but you cannot superimpose one hand on the other. Your hands are also mirrored images of each other.
(5) The designation of either R or S is based on a rather complicated system of nomenclature. If I try to explain this, you will hang yourself.
(7) The strategy behind Nexium is called patent extension—a strategy to increase the amount of time during which the company that made the initial discovery has a "monopoly" on a particular drug, in this case, one that is essentially identical. | <urn:uuid:43dc9af2-3511-4a28-babe-08fc9f13922d> | CC-MAIN-2018-47 | https://www.acsh.org/news/2017/01/18/nexium-dark-side-pharma-10546 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-47/segments/1542039746227.72/warc/CC-MAIN-20181120035814-20181120061814-00272.warc.gz | en | 0.956034 | 1,423 | 2.78125 | 3 |
Circumcentre The circumcircle is a triangle’s circumscribed circle, i.e., the unique circle that passes through each of the triangles three vertices. The center of the. In geometry, the incircle or inscribed circle of a triangle is the largest circle contained in the .. The product of the incircle radius r and the circumcircle radius R of a triangle with sides a, b, and c is:p. , #(d). r R = a b c 2 (a + b + c). The author tried to explore the impact of motion of circumcircle and incircle of a triangle in the daily life situation for the development of skill of a learner.
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Incircle and excircles of a triangle
Barycentric incifcle for the incenter are given by. An excircle or escribed circle incigcle the triangle is a circle lying outside the triangle, tangent to one of its sides and tangent to the extensions of the other two. The radius for the second arc MUST be the same as the first arc. The circular hull of the excircles is internally tangent to each of the excircles, and thus is an Apollonius circle.
In geometrythe nine-point circle is a circle that can be constructed for any given triangle.
Or better still reason it out by recalling that one of our theorems says that if you incircoe a tangent to a circle, then the radius to the point of tangency makes a right angle with the tangent. In geometrythe nad or inscribed circle of a triangle is the largest circle contained in the triangle; it touches is tangent to the three sides.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: The perpendicular bisector of a line segment can be constructed using a compass by drawing circles centred at and with radius and connecting their two intersections. This is the same area as that of the extouch triangle.
The incircle radius is no greater than one-ninth the sum of the altitudes. From the formulas above one can see that the excircles are always larger than the incircle and that the largest excircle is the one tangent to the longest side and the smallest excircle is tangent to the shortest side.
Every intersection point between these arcs there can be at most 2 will lie on the angle bisector. The Gergonne triangle of ABC is defined by the 3 touchpoints of the incircle on the 3 sides.
The trilinear coordinates for a point in the triangle is the ratio of distances to the triangle sides. Its sides are on the external angle bisectors of the reference triangle see figure at top of page. The center of this excircle is called the excenter relative to the vertex Aor the excenter of A.
Circumcircle and Incircle
How to produce a perpendicular bisector A perpendicular bisector of a line segment is a line segment perpendicular to and passing through the midpoint of left figure. It can have any length radius.
The triangle center at which the incircle and the nine-point circle touch is called the Feuerbach point. The incenter lies adn the medial triangle whose vertices are the midpoints of the sides. Modern GeometryHoughton Mifflin, Boston, The squared distance from the incenter I to the circumcenter O is given by : It is so named because it passes through nine significant concyclic points defined from the triangle.
Circumcircle and Incircle | Galway Maths Grinds
Journal of Computer-generated Euclidean Geometry. To remember which construction to use I think incirvle the mnemonic: Denoting the incenter of anx ABC as Ithe distances from the incenter to the vertices combined with the lengths of the triangle sides obey the equation .
Connecting the intersections of the arcs then gives the perpendicular bisector right figure. In other projects Wikimedia Commons. The Gergonne point of a triangle is the symmedian point of the Gergonne triangle.
Further, combining these formulas yields: The centre of the incircle is called the incentre, and the radius of the circle is called the inradius. However, it must intersect both sides of the angle. Draw an arc that is centered at the vertex of the angle. The following relations hold among the inradius rthe circumradius Rthe semiperimeter sand the excircle radii r ar br c: The distance from circumcircl vertex to the incircle tangency on either adjacent side is half the sum of the vertex’s adjacent sides minus half the opposite side.
These nine points are:. Suppose the tangency points of the incircle divide the sides into lengths of x and ycirccumcircle and zand z and x.
Retrieved from ” https: Trilinear coordinates for the vertices of the incentral triangle are given by. Note that if the classical construction requirement that compasses be collapsible is dropped, then the auxiliary circle aand be omitted and the rigid compass can be used to immediately draw the two arcs using any radius larger that half the length of. | <urn:uuid:09377ed9-f5f7-4211-acc3-d7dccdcf925a> | CC-MAIN-2020-40 | https://jdbp.mobi/circumcircle-and-incircle-14/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-40/segments/1600400187899.11/warc/CC-MAIN-20200918124116-20200918154116-00328.warc.gz | en | 0.872018 | 1,149 | 3.453125 | 3 |
On July 3, 1835, children employed in Paterson, New Jersey’s textile mills went on strike, demanding an 11 hour day and 6 day week.
The textile factory system that had begun in the late 18th century in New England might have originally attracted a “better class of labor,” with factory owners in Lowell, Massachusetts bringing in young women to work but also to be educated and supervised closely. But growing competition and immigration combined with greed to undermine those more humane conditions. The Lowell Mill Girl phenomenon was relatively short and by the 1830s, a lot of the textile labor force was immigrants, children, and immigrant children. This was particularly true for the Irish. Although the big wave of Irish immigration had only just begun, the Irish already had taken over much of the labor force in the textile industry, where they were easily exploited. This was as true in Paterson, New Jersey as anywhere else in the northeast.
Paterson, along with Lowell and Worcester in Massachusetts and Pawtucket, Rhode Island, was one of the centers of the pre-Civil War textile industry. It was well-placed, being near New York City and blessed with a magnificent waterfall that provided the power industry needed. But working conditions were abysmal. The work day was 13 1/2 hours. For this, they made $2 a week. Employers fined workers for mistakes or not working hard enough. The mills also opened a company store and forced workers to shop there. Some of the tradesmen in Paterson, including the fathers of some of the mill workers, organized earlier that year and successfully won a 10 hour day. The Paterson mill workers decided to make this their prime demand with the fines, wage withholding, company store, and pay as less central issues.
More than 2000 workers from 20 mills, largely young girls, walked off the job on July 3, 1835. Support from workers around the region allowed the strike to continue for nearly 2 months. Donations came in from workers in Newark and New York City and the Paterson Association for the Protection of the Working Class formed to organize relief. Newark workers created an investigating committee to look into the working conditions in the cotton mills, described as “more congenial to the climate of the autocrat of all the Russias than to this ‘land of the free and home of the brave.’”
Employers refused to negotiate and did bust the strike, but only after giving in to several of the workers’ demands, including reducing the workday to 12 hours Monday-Friday and 9 hours on Saturday, a 69 hour week. That might still seem pretty bad and it was, but it also meant about 12 hours returned to workers each week, a significant improvement in their lives. By August 24, most workers had returned to the mills on the new schedule. Unfortunately, strike leaders were blacklisted and forced to move from Paterson to work.
I hope the brand-new Paterson Great Falls National Historic Site will include this story in its exhibits. The National Park Service does a pretty good job with labor history when they have the chance so I have confidence this story will become more well-known in future years. | <urn:uuid:62d8ae1f-07fa-442b-99f3-5df8aa090e8a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.lawyersgunsmoneyblog.com/2012/07/this-day-in-labor-history-july-3-1835 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703532372/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112532-00070-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.98301 | 652 | 3.796875 | 4 |
Measures taken in the Northwest to recover three Snake River salmon runs protected under the Endangered Species Act—and to improve the entire Columbia River Basin salmon fishery—will result in various benefits and costs. This report analyzes the effect on the region's agricultural sector of two proposed measures: reservoir drawdown along the lower Snake River and reductions in irrigation water supply in the upper Snake River Basin. For the Northwest region, adjustments in crop production could lower producer profit by $4-$35 million annually (less than 3 percent of 1987 baseline profit), depending on the scenario evaluated. Agricultural employment could decrease by 50-2,600 jobs, while total employment could decrease by 600-5,500 jobs. The report also analyzes selected economic benefits of salmon recovery, including improvements in commercial and sport fishing. | <urn:uuid:4e84dbf4-b331-43e4-98c1-ad2e6f776f3b> | CC-MAIN-2021-10 | https://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/308431 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-10/segments/1614178369523.73/warc/CC-MAIN-20210304205238-20210304235238-00433.warc.gz | en | 0.910473 | 160 | 2.59375 | 3 |
The World Health Organiation (WHO) has announced the 2022 global campaign for World No Tobacco Day – “Tobacco: Threat to our environment.”
The campaign is aimed to raise awareness among the public on the environmental impact of tobacco – from cultivation, production, distribution and waste. It will give tobacco users one extra reason to quit.
The campaign will also aim to expose tobacco industry’s effort to “greenwash” its reputation and products by marketing themselves as environmentally friendly.
With an annual greenhouse gas contribution of 84 megatons carbon dioxide equivalent, the tobacco industry contributes to climate change and reduces climate resilience, wasting resources and damaging ecosystems.
Around 3.5 million hectares of land are destroyed for tobacco growing each year. Growing tobacco contributes to deforestation, especially in the developing world. of Deforestation for tobacco plantations promotes soil degradation and “failing yields” or the capacity for the land to support the growth of any other crops or vegetation.
Dr Ruediger Krech, Director of Health Promotion, said: “The environmental impacts of tobacco using adds unnecessary pressure to our planet’s already scarce resources and fragile ecosystems. This is especially dangerous for developing countries, as that’s where most of the tobacco production happens. Every cigarette you smoke, you are literally burning resources where they are already scarce, burning resources where our very existence depends upon.”
The environmental burden falls on countries least able to cope with it, the profits are made by transnational tobacco companies that are based in higher-income countries.
With about 90% of all tobacco production concentrated in the developing world, tobacco has an immensely uneven impact on different socioeconomic groups.
In low- and middle-income countries, many farmers and government officials see tobacco as a cash crop that can generate economic growth, however, the short-term cash benefits of the crop are offset by the long-term consequences of increased food insecurity, frequent sustained farmers’ debt, illness and poverty among farm workers, and widespread environmental damage in low- and middle-income countries.
The tobacco industry has also invested heavily to “greenwash” their environmentally damaging practices by reporting environmental impact and funding environmental corporate social responsibility projects and organizations.
Their smoke screen is only able to work due to lack of objective data as well as limited and inconsistent legislation at international and local levels.
Reducing tobacco consumption needs to be identified as a key lever for achieving all of the Sustainable Development Goals, not just those directly related to health.
The campaign calls on governments and policy makers to step up legislation, including implementing and strengthening existing schemes to make producers responsible for the environmental and economic costs of tobacco product waste. | <urn:uuid:7d08ae9d-e1bf-4005-bdaa-5bdac9b2097d> | CC-MAIN-2023-23 | https://news.fundsforngos.org/health/who-announces-2022-global-campaign-for-world-no-tobacco-day/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-23/segments/1685224644683.18/warc/CC-MAIN-20230529042138-20230529072138-00197.warc.gz | en | 0.936912 | 549 | 2.890625 | 3 |
Consumption smoothing is an economic concept for the practice of optimizing a person's standard of living through an appropriate balance between savings and consumption over time. An optimal consumption rate should be relatively similar at each stage of a person's life rather than fluctuate wildly. Luxurious consumption at an old age does not compensate for an impoverished existence at other stages in one's life.
Since income tends to be hump-shaped across an individual's life, economic theory suggests that individuals should on average have low or negative savings rate at early stages in their life, high in middle age, and negative during retirement. Although many popular books on personal finance advocate that individuals should at all stages of their life set aside money in savings, economist James Choi states that this deviates from the advice of economists.
Expected utility model Edit
The graph below illustrates the expected utility model, in which U(c) is increasing in and concave in c. This shows that there are diminishing marginal returns associated with consumption, as each additional unit of consumption adds less utility. The expected utility model states that individuals want to maximize their expected utility, as defined as the weighted sum of utilities across states of the world. The weights in this model are the probabilities of each state of the world happening. According to the "more is better" principle, the first order condition will be positive; however, the second order condition will be negative, due to the principle of diminishing marginal utility. Due to the concave actual utility, marginal utility decreases as consumption increase; as a result, it is favorable to reduce consumption in states of high income to increase consumption in low income states.
Expected utility can be modeled as:
= probability you will lose all your wealth/consumption
The model shows expected utility as the sum of the probability of being in a bad state multiplied by utility of being in a bad state and the probability of being in a good state multiplied by utility of being in a good state.
Similarly, actuarially fair insurance can also be modeled:
= probability you will lose all your wealth/consumption
An actuarially fair premium to pay for insurance would be the insurance premium that is set equal to the insurer's expected payout, so that the insurer will expect to earn zero profit. Some individuals are risk-averse, as shown by the graph above. The blue line, is curved upwards, revealing that this particular individual is risk-averse. If the blue line was curved downwards, this would reveal the preference for a risk-seeking individual. Additionally, a straight line would reveal a risk-neutral individual.
Insurance and consumption smoothing Edit
To see the model of consumption smoothing in real life, a great example that exemplifies this is insurance. One method that people use to consumption smooth across different periods is by purchasing insurance. Insurance is important because it allows people to translate consumption from periods where their consumption is high (having a low marginal utility) to periods when their consumption is low (having a high marginal utility). Due to many possible states of the world, people want to decrease the amount of uncertain outcomes of the future. This is where purchasing insurance comes in. Basic insurance theory states that individuals will demand full insurance to fully smooth consumption across difference states of the world. This explains why people purchase insurance, whether in healthcare, unemployment, and social security. To help illustrate this, think of a simplified hypothetical scenario with Person A, who can exist in one of two states of the world. Assume Person A who is healthy and can work; this will be State X of the world. One day, an unfortunate accident occurs, person A no longer can work. Therefore, he cannot obtain income from work and is in State Y of the world. In State X, Person A enjoys a good income from his work place and is able to spend money on necessities, such as paying rent and buying groceries, and luxuries, such as traveling to Europe. In State Y, Person A no longer obtains an income, due to injury, and struggles to pay for necessities. In a perfect world, Person A would have known to save for this future accident and would have more savings to compensate for the lack of income post-injury. Rather than spend money on the trip to Europe in State X, Person A could have saved that money to use for necessities in State Y. However, people tend to be poor predictors of the future, especially ones that are myopic. Therefore, insurance can "smooth" between these two states and provide more certainty for the future.
Microcredit and consumption smoothing Edit
Though there are arguments stating that microcredit does not effectively lift people from poverty, some note that offering a way to consumption smooth during tough periods has shown to be effective. This supports the principle of diminishing marginal utility, where those who have a history of suffering in extremely low income states of the world want to prepare for the next time they experience an adverse state of the world. This leads to the support of microfinance as a tool to consumption smooth, stating that those in poverty value microloans tremendously due to its extremely high marginal utility.
Hall and Friedman's model Edit
Another model to look at for consumption smoothing is Hall's model, which is inspired by Milton Friedman. Since Friedman's 1956 permanent income theory and Modigliani and Brumberg's 1954 life-cycle model, the idea that agents prefer a stable path of consumption has been widely accepted. This idea came to replace the perception that people had a marginal propensity to consume and therefore current consumption was tied to current income.
Friedman's theory argues that consumption is linked to the permanent income of agents. Thus, when income is affected by transitory shocks, for example, agents' consumption should not change, since they can use savings or borrowing to adjust. This theory assumes that agents are able to finance consumption with earnings that are not yet generated, and thus assumes perfect capital markets. Empirical evidence shows that liquidity constraint is one of the main reasons why it is difficult to observe consumption smoothing in the data. In 1978, Robert Hall formalized Friedman's idea. By taking into account the diminishing returns to consumption, and therefore, assuming a concave utility function, he showed that agents optimally would choose to keep a stable path of consumption.
With (cf. Hall's paper)
- being the mathematical expectation conditional on all information available in
- being the agent's rate of time preference
- being the real rate of interest in
- being the strictly concave one-period utility function
- being the consumption in
- being the earnings in
- being the assets, apart from human capital, in .
agents choose the consumption path that maximizes:
Subject to a sequence of budget constraints:
The first order necessary condition in this case will be:
By assuming that we obtain, for the previous equation:
Which, due to the concavity of the utility function, implies:
Thus, rational agents would expect to achieve the same consumption in every period.
Hall also showed that for a quadratic utility function, the optimal consumption is equal to:
This expression shows that agents choose to consume a fraction of their present discounted value of their human and financial wealth.
Empirical evidence for Hall and Friedman's model Edit
Robert Hall (1978) estimated the Euler equation in order to find evidence of a random walk in consumption. The data used are US National Income and Product Accounts (NIPA) quarterly from 1948 to 1977. For the analysis the author does not consider the consumption of durable goods. Although Hall argues that he finds some evidence of consumption smoothing, he does so using a modified version. There are also some econometric concerns about his findings.
Wilcox (1989) argue that liquidity constraint is the reason why consumption smoothing does not show up in the data. Zeldes (1989) follows the same argument and finds that a poor household's consumption is correlated with contemporaneous income, while a rich household's consumption is not. A recent meta-analysis of 3000 estimates reported in 144 studies finds strong evidence for consumption smoothing.
See also Edit
- "Analysis | Shoplifting in Chicago dropped after a change in the food stamp program". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2022-11-07.
- Coy, Peter (2022-09-28). "Opinion | In Retirement, You May Not Need to Spend So Much". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-11-07.
- Choi, James J. (2022). "Popular Personal Financial Advice versus the Professors". Journal of Economic Perspectives. 36 (4): 167–192. doi:10.1257/jep.36.4.167. ISSN 0895-3309.
- "On the demonisation of debt". www.ft.com. 2011.
- Gruber, Jonathan. Public Finance and Public Policy. New York, NY: Worth, 2013. Print. 304-305.
- Perloff, Jeffrey M. (2004). Microeconomics. Pearson. pp. Chapter 4.
- Collins, D., Jonathan Morduch, Stuart Rutherford, and Orlanda Ruthven. Portfolios of the Poor: How the World's Poor Live on $2 a Day. Princeton: Princeton UP, 2015. Print.
- "Does Microcredit Really Help Poor People?". CGAP. 2009-10-05.
- Friedman, Milton (1956). A Theory of the Consumption Function. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
- Modigliani, F.; Brumberg, R. (1954). "Utility analysis and the consumption function: An interpretation of cross-section data". In Kurihara, K. K. (ed.). Post-Keynesian Economics.
- Hall, Robert (1978). "Stochastic Implications of the Life Cycle-Permanent Income Hypothesis: Theory and Evidence". Journal of Political Economy. 86 (6): 971–988. doi:10.1086/260724. S2CID 54528038.
- Wilcox, James A. (1989). "Liquidity Constraints on Consumption: The Real Effects of Real Lending Policies". Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco Economic Review: 39–52.
- Zeldes, Stephen P. (1989). "Consumption and Liquidity Constraints: An Empirical Investigation". Journal of Political Economy. 97 (2): 305–46. doi:10.1086/261605. S2CID 153924721.
- "Do consumers really follow a rule of thumb? Three thousand estimates from 144 studies say "probably not"". Review of Economic Dynamics, forthcoming. | <urn:uuid:0028d109-24f2-4345-94c0-68cd505f5aea> | CC-MAIN-2023-40 | https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consumption_smoothing | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-40/segments/1695233511023.76/warc/CC-MAIN-20231002232712-20231003022712-00777.warc.gz | en | 0.924164 | 2,277 | 3.015625 | 3 |
Gardening is a very relaxing hobby with the added bonus that it isn’t that expensive. Family and friends can spend an enjoyable afternoon together, working in the garden. If you have children, they will be amazed at how your seeds grow into beautiful plants. You can also use this as an opportunity to teach a lesson on nature appreciation. Here you will find some helpful tips to make horticulture more enjoyable.
Pay attention to how you lay sod. Make sure you prepare your soil before you lay any sod down. Pull any weeds that you see, and work to break up the soil so that it is a fine tilth. Lightly, but firmly pack the soil down, and make sure that it is flat. Dampen the soil completely. Be sure to stagger the rows of sod. The joints should be offset like bricks in a wall. Even out the surface of the sod by firming it down flat, filling any available gaps with a handful of dirt. For the best results, you need to water the sod every day for a two week period. After this time the sod will have rooted into the soil and can be now walked on.
There are home solutions available to combat the powdery mildew you may find on your plants. Combine baking soda with a small dollop of liquid soap and add it to water. You just need to spray your plants with this solution once every five days until the mildew is no longer visible. Baking soda is not harmful to your plants and will take care of the issue as well as any other treatment.
Many times when digging in clay soil the clay will adhere to the shovel, which will make it much harder to dig. To ease the digging, apply some car wax or floor wax to the head of the shovel and buff. The clay will slide off of its surface and it will prevent rust.
Always take the time to get the weeds out of your garden. Weeds can turn a thriving garden into a total wasteland. White vinegar has been known to kill weeds quickly. The acid in white vinegar kills weeds. You may also be using plants that need that very same acid. Keep a solution of vinegar diluted with water on hand to spray on weeds.
Plant perennials that are slug-proof. Slugs or snails can kill a plant very quickly. They often enjoy feeding on perennials with very smooth and tender leaves. Young plants are a special favorite of theirs. Perennials with hairy leaves or bitter taste are unattractive to snails and slugs, keeping them safe from harm. Some of examples of these are achillea, heuchera, campanula, helleborus, and euphorbia.
Fill your garden with bulbs if you want to enjoy beautiful flowers through the spring and into summer. Most bulbs are hardy and require little to no care in order to develop into beautiful perennials that will reappear each and every year. You can select bulbs that bloom at many different times, so with a little work, you could have flowers popping up all the way from the start of spring to the end of summer.
Healthy soil will also assist in your battle against pests. If you have healthy looking plants, they are stronger and more resistant to diseases and bugs. Starting with soil that is in good condition can yield the best plants.
Whether you wish to garden alone or with a loved one, the tips in this article will make the experience more fun. Using this advice, you can enjoy gardening with yourself, your friends, or your family.
The first thing you should do when planning a garden is test the soil. Soil analysis costs a little money, but the report can inform you how to enrich your soil and open the door to a lush garden. The cost of the analysis will be easily offset by the benefits of a healthy and vibrant crop. | <urn:uuid:2fef8e4f-0c7c-4b0f-8ca7-a16cfa60a0b0> | CC-MAIN-2018-34 | http://plantpoisonsandrottenstuff.info/2014/08/improve-the-overall-look-of-your-garden-with-this-helpful-advice/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-34/segments/1534221209755.32/warc/CC-MAIN-20180815004637-20180815024637-00355.warc.gz | en | 0.952491 | 788 | 2.609375 | 3 |
cockroach debug ballast command creates a large, unused file that you can place in a node's storage directory. In the case that a node runs out of disk space and shuts down, you can delete the ballast file to free up enough space to be able to restart the node.
- Do not run
cockroach debug ballastwith a unix
rootuser. Doing so brings the risk of mistakenly affecting system directories or files.
- Do not name the target file similar to a block device in
/dev. Doing so brings the risk of mistyping a
/devprefix into the command and thereby corrupting a filesystem.
- In addition to placing a ballast file in each node's storage directory, it is important to actively monitor remaining disk space.
- Ballast files may be created in many ways, including the standard
cockroach debug ballastuses the
fallocatesystem call when available, so it will be faster than
debug subcommands are useful only to CockroachDB's developers and contributors.
Create a ballast file:
$ cockroach debug ballast [path to ballast file] [flags]
$ cockroach debug ballast --help
||The amount of space to fill, or to leave available, in a node's storage directory via a ballast file. Positive values equal the size of the ballast file. Negative values equal the amount of space to leave after creating the ballast file. This can be a percentage (notated as a decimal or with %) or any bytes-based unit, for example:
Create a 1GB ballast file (default)
$ cockroach debug ballast cockroach-data/ballast.txt
Create a ballast file of a different size
$ cockroach debug ballast cockroach-data/ballast.txt --size=2GB | <urn:uuid:83c722e4-9a1b-4b0d-8088-2a5dcde1b7ef> | CC-MAIN-2023-50 | https://www.cockroachlabs.com/docs/v20.2/cockroach-debug-ballast | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-50/segments/1700679100184.3/warc/CC-MAIN-20231130094531-20231130124531-00322.warc.gz | en | 0.704685 | 383 | 2.6875 | 3 |
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To register for this course, please contact the Technology & Leadership Center.
Responsive Web Design is a method for designing & developing websites that provide optimal viewing experiences (in terms of reading, navigation, & layout) across a wide range of traditional & mobile devices. This course is for designers, not for coders, so we focus on their needs & interests. Taught by two experienced instructors who have over three decades of web development experience between them, you will learn both principles and real world solutions.
This course is for all designers who are interested in learning the concepts behind Responsive Web Design & how to design responsive websites that will use Bootstrap.
There are no prerequisites for this course.
- Learn how to develop responsive websites with Bootstrap, a powerful mobile-first framework
- Design Theory for Designers: The Vitruvian Triad
- Design Patterns
- CSS Typography
- CSS for Designers
- Responsive Web Design
All the slides for this course are available under a Creative Commons license.
Please read selections from evaluations written by students who have taken the course. | <urn:uuid:20e45fe9-2420-4e03-b76b-6a8d0cf0028a> | CC-MAIN-2020-10 | https://www.granneman.com/teaching/teaching-leadership-center/responsive-web-design-designers | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-10/segments/1581875145742.20/warc/CC-MAIN-20200223001555-20200223031555-00451.warc.gz | en | 0.893825 | 232 | 2.53125 | 3 |
The Mangrove Cuckoo is among the most poorly known North American birds. Skulking and secretive by nature, it is usually difficult to observe. As a result, most aspects of this species' reproductive biology, ecological requirements, and population dynamics remain a mystery. Surprisingly, this species can be quite tame and inquisitive when encountered.
The Mangrove Cuckoo inhabits coastal regions of southern Florida, south through the Caribbean islands, and on both coasts of Mexico and Central America. It may also occur sporadically in lowland areas of South America from Venezuela east to the mouth of the Amazon River. The common name Mangrove Cuckoo is somewhat of a misnomer. The species is not restricted to mangroves, but is widely distributed in many lowland habitats, occupying scrub or woodlands, including humid forest, from sea level to about 1,400 m. It may be found in a broader range of habitat types on Caribbean islands than in most mainland areas. In addition, the Mangrove Cuckoo has been observed infrequently more than 100 km from the coast.
Taxonomists have divided the species into as many as 14 subspecies (Peters 1940b) on the basis of differences in wing length and plumage coloration, often using very limited samples. Recent study, however, suggests that these observed differences may be due to individual variation rather than to geographic variation. Some publications (e.g., Banks and Hole 1991, Smith 1996j) now treat the species as monotypic; although detectable differences in size and plumage coloration may yet prove to be significant.
The seasonal movements of the Mangrove Cuckoo are equally perplexing. Once thought to be fully migratory in Florida, winter sightings are becoming increasingly frequent in all parts of its Florida range. The tendency of this species to remain silent when not breeding renders it almost undetectable to casual observers during fall and winter months. Further study of Mangrove Cuckoos wintering in Florida may indicate that the species is not migratory, and hence the few purported migrants collected on wintering grounds in South America may be pale variants of resident populations.
The range of the Mangrove Cuckoo in Florida is restricted to southern and central coastal areas that are popular for residential and recreational purposes. Because the species is highly sensitive to habitat fragmentation that characterizes this type of development, it may already be extirpated from many unprotected areas. Fortunately, large tracts of mangrove are located in state and national parks within its range. Continued acquisition of lands for protection is essential to ensure that the Mangrove Cuckoo maintains a continuous breeding distribution in Florida. | <urn:uuid:1e43191f-ae9b-490d-8aea-650931095f7b> | CC-MAIN-2018-22 | https://birdsna.org/Species-Account/bna/species/mancuc/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-22/segments/1526794863949.27/warc/CC-MAIN-20180521043741-20180521063741-00156.warc.gz | en | 0.949812 | 549 | 4.03125 | 4 |
A group of pastoralists in Rift Valley are using scarce land for grazing, cultivation and conservation in a model that is limited competition for resources, taming human wildlife conflict and attracting conservationists and ranchers world over.
The Olkiramatian Group Ranch with a population of about 10,000 people majority of them pastoralists shares the community agreed zoning of 22,000 hectares of land. "We have groups coming to see what we are doing," he said, "from other parts of Kenya and even North America, India, Mongolia and China," said John Kamanga, Chairman of Group Ranch.
The system, based on traditional techniques but with a modern twist, divides the valley for three different uses: grazing, cultivation and conservation. Grazing accounts for around 75 per cent of the group ranch and each registered member raises their own herd of livestock. "We adhere to strict rules for grazing," continues Kamanga, "so that the delicate wild grazing is never pushed too hard."
A second zone, where fresh water flows down from the hills, is dedicated to crops. Each member is allocated five to ten hectares, which they cultivate themselves or lease to others to grow maize, tomatoes or Sukuma wiki. Some members even produce export crops, such as okra and aubergine. The cultivated area is the only zone where, if a family wishes, a permanent home can be built. Finally, the third zone - one-eighth of the total area - is a shared resource designated as a conservation area where the valley wildlife can thrive; this zone is the key attraction for ecotourists.
Allocating land for a wildlife zone reflects the Olkiramatian pastoralists' vested interest in healthy numbers of zebra, wildebeest, antelope and giraffe, which graze the very same grasses and low-growing shrubs that their cattle, goats and sheep depend on. The pastoralists even refrain from attacking predators such as lion, cheetah, leopard and hyena that share the valley - and might attack their stock. "Last year I lost about seven goats to hyenas," recalls Chief Steven Nteetu, as he checks his herd of more than 70 goats. "But I do not get my arrows to attack and kill wild animals because, in return, we benefit from the revenue generated by visitors who come to the conservation area. That money pays for hospital bills, our children can go to school, and it helps us to fund provision of water pipes."
The conservation area is also a dry season grazing bank which, with group consensus, can be opened to livestock in times of severe feed shortage. Are there contraventions of agreed grazing times and zones? "No," replies Nteetu. "If animals are seen in the wrong place at the wrong time then, as a community, we apply pressure so that the system works. We make sure everyone, right down to the youngest person, knows our system."
Not only does the grazing accommodate wildlife but cattle have adapted to the carrying capacity of the land. Experiments like marching cattle on treadmills have shown that Maasai cattle show no ill effects when, walking for the equivalent of 16 kilometres per day, they are given half the feed ration compared to cattle marched only eight kilometres. Maasai cattle drop their metabolic rate by as much as 50 per cent to withstand feed and water shortages, and cope with long walks to wherever grazing is to be found.
The pasturelands may be more productive, but the Olkiramatian ranchers continue to seek ways to help each other and to increase their income opportunities. After a tentative start, a newly established market has seen increasing numbers of animals traded and dozens of stalls busy with sales, providing essential income to buy household necessities and livestock medicines.
Agnes Molo boosts her family income by trading in fresh produce. But when asked what she thinks is key to the growing prosperity of the ranch, it is the interests of the community that are uppermost in her mind "It's the way we behave." she explains. "We are still working with common resources so our behaviour is towards functioning for a common purpose. Through that, all of us are tied together." | <urn:uuid:127d79c4-cd68-4a80-b0a6-1903926f0e19> | CC-MAIN-2017-26 | http://farmbizafrica.com/profit-boosters/communal-grazing-model-tames-land-conflict | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-26/segments/1498128320057.96/warc/CC-MAIN-20170623114917-20170623134917-00718.warc.gz | en | 0.958058 | 861 | 2.8125 | 3 |
It’s hard to imagine how an entire city can get lost but that’s exactly what has happened to the lost cities on this list. There are actually many reasons why a city has to be abandoned. War, natural disasters, climate change and the loss of important trading partners to name a few. Whatever the cause, these lost cities were forgotten in time until they were rediscovered centuries later.
Located in present-day Tunisia, Carthage was founded by Phoenician colonists and became a major power in the Mediterranean. The resulting rivalry with Syracuse and Rome was accompanied by several wars with respective invasions of each other’s homeland, most notable the invasion of Italy by Hannibal. The city was destroyed by the Romans in 146 BC. The Romans went from house to house, capturing, raping and enslaving the people before setting Carthage ablaze. However, the Romans re-founded Carthage, which became one of the Empire’s largest and most important city. It remained an important city until it was destroyed a second time in 698 AD during the Muslim conquest.
Ciudad Perdida (Spanish for “Lost City”) is an ancient city in Sierra Nevada, Colombia, believed to have been founded around 800 AD. The lost city consists of a series of terraces carved into the mountainside, a net of tiled roads and several small circular plazas. Members of local tribes call the city Teyuna and believe it was the heart of a network of villages inhabited by their forebears, the Tairona. It was apparently abandoned during the Spanish conquest.
Troy is a legendary city in what is now northwestern Turkey, made famous in Homer’s epic poem, the Iliad. According to Iliad, this is where the Trojan War took place. The archaeological site of Troy contains several layers of ruins. The layer Troy VIIa was probably the Troy of Homer and has been dated to the mid- to late-13th century BC.
Located on the main island of Orkney, Skara Brae is one of the best preserved Stone Age villages in Europe. It was covered for hundreds of years by a sand dune until a great storm exposed the site in 1850. The stone walls are relatively well preserved because the dwellings were filled by sand almost immediately after the site was abandoned. Because there were no trees on the island, furniture had to be made of stone and thus also survived. Skara Brae was occupied from roughly 3180 BC–2500 BC. After the climate changed, becoming much colder and wetter, the settlement was abandoned by its inhabitants.
Memphis, founded around 3,100 BC, is the legendary city of Menes, the King who united Upper and Lower Egypt. Early on, Memphis was more likely a fortress from which Menes controlled the land and water routes between Upper Egypt and the Delta. By the Third Dynasty, Saqqara had become a sizable city. It fell successively to Nubia, Assyria, Persia, and Macedonia under Alexander the Great. Its importance as a religious centre was undermined by the rise of Christianity and then of Islam. It was abandoned after the Muslim conquest of Egypt in 640 AD. Its ruins include the great temple of Ptah, royal palaces, and a colossal statue of Rameses II. Nearby are the pyramids of Saqqara.
Located in the Supe Valley in Peru, Caral is one of the most ancient lost cities of the Americas. It was as inhabited between roughly 2600 BC and 2000 BC. Accommodating more than 3,000 inhabitants, it is one of the largest cities of the Norte Chico civilization. It has a central public area with six large platform mounds arranged around a huge plaza. All of the lost cities in the Supe valley share similarities with Caral. They had small platforms or stone circles. Caral was probably the focus of this civilization.
Babylon, the capital of Babylonia, an ancient empire of Mesopotamia, was a city on the Euphrates River. The city degenerated into anarchy circa 1180 BC, but flourished once again as a subsidiary state of the Assyrian Empire after the 9th century BC. The brilliant color and luxury of Babylon became legendary from the days of Nebuchadnezzar (604-562 BC), who is credited for building the legendary Hanging Gardens. All that remains of the famed city today is a mound of broken mud-brick buildings and debris in the fertile Mesopotamian plain between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in Iraq.
Located in northwestern Pakistan, Taxila is an ancient city that was annexed by the Persian King Darius the Great in 518 BC. In 326 BC the city was surrendered to Alexander the Great. Ruled by a succession of conquerors, the city became an important Buddhist centre. The apostle Thomas reputedly visited Taxila in the 1st century AD. Taxila’s prosperity in ancient times resulted from its position at the junction of three great trade routes. When they declined, the city sank into insignificance. It was finally destroyed by the Huns in the 5th century.
Sukhothai is one of Thailand’s earliest and most important historical cities. Originally a provincial town within the Angkor-based Khmer empire, Sukhothai gained its independence in the 13th century and became established as the capital of the first united and independent Tai state. The ancient town is reported to have had some 80,000 inhabitants. After 1351, when Ayutthaya was founded as the capital of a powerful rival Tai dynasty, Sukhothai’s influence began to decline, and in 1438 the town was conquered and incorporated into the Ayutthaya kingdom. Sukhothai was abandoned in the late 15th or early 16th century.
Timgad was a Roman colonial town in Algeria founded by the Emperor Trajan around 100 AD. Originally designed for a population of around 15,000, the city quickly outgrew its original specifications and spilled beyond the orthogonal grid in a more loosely-organized fashion. In the 5th Century, the city was sacked by the Vandals and two centuries later by the Berbers. The city disappeared from history, becoming one the lost cities of the Roman Empire, until its excavation in 1881.
Built around 2600 BC in present-day Pakistan, Mohenjo-daro was one of the early urban settlements in the world. It is sometimes referred to as “An Ancient Indus Valley Metropolis”. It has a planned layout based on a grid of streets, which were laid out in perfect patterns. At its height the city probably had around 35,000 residents. The buildings of the city were particularly advanced, with structures constructed of same-sized sun dried bricks of baked mud and burned wood. Mohenjo-daro and the Indus Valley civilization vanished without a trace from history around 1700 BC until discovered in the 1920s.
The Great Zimbabwe, is a complex of stone ruins spread out over a large area in modern-day Zimbabwe, which itself is named after the ruins. The word “Great” distinguishes the site from the many hundred small ruins, known as Zimbabwes, spread across the country. Built by indigenous Bantu people, the construction started in the 11th century and continued for over 300 years. At its peak, estimates are that Great Zimbabwe had as many as 18,000 inhabitants. Causes for the decline and ultimate abandonment of the site have been suggested as due to a decline in trade, political instability and famine and water shortages caused by climatic change.
A large fortified city under the influence of the Parthian Empire and capital of the first Arab Kingdom, Hatra withstood several invasions by the Romans thanks to its high, thick walls reinforced by towers. The city fell to the Iranian Sassanid Empire of Shapur I in 241 AD and was destroyed. The ruins of Hatra in Iraq, especially the temples where Hellenistic and Roman architecture blend with Eastern decorative features, attest to the greatness of its civilization.
The Sanchi site has a building history of more than one thousand year, starting with the stupas of the 3rd century BC and concluding with a series of Buddhist temples and monasteries, now in ruins, that were build in the 10th or 11th centuries. In the 13th century, after the decline of Buddhism in India, Sanchi was abandoned and the jungle quickly moved in. The lost city was rediscovered in 1818 by a British officer.
Hattusa became the capital of the Hittite Empire in the 17th century BC. The city was destroyed, together with the Hittite state itself, around 1200 BC, as part of the Bronze Age collapse. The site was subsequently abandoned. Modern estimates put the population of the city between 40,000 and 50,000 at it’s the peak. The dwelling houses which were built with timber and mud bricks have vanished from the site, leaving only the ruins of the stone built temples and palaces. The lost city was rediscovered in the beginning of the 20th century in central Turkey by a German archeological team. One of the most important discoveries at the site has been clay tablets, consisting of legal codes, procedures and literature of the ancient Near East.
The vast adobe city of Chan Chan in Peru was the largest city in pre-Columbian America. The building material used was adobe brick, and the buildings were finished with mud frequently adorned with patterned relief arabesques. The centre of the city consists of several walled citadels which housed ceremonial rooms, burial chambers and temples. The city was built by the Chimu around 850 AD and lasted until its conquest by the Inca Empire in 1470 AD. It is estimated that around 30,000 people lived in the city of Chan Chan.
Mesa Verde, in southwestern Colorado, is home to the famous cliff dwellings of the ancient Anasazi people. In the 12th century, the Anasazi start building houses in shallow caves and under rock overhangs along the canyon walls. Some of these houses were as large as 150 rooms. By 1300, all of the Anasazi had left the Mesa Verde area, but the ruins remain almost perfectly preserved. The reason for their sudden departure remains unexplained. Theories range from crop failures due to droughts to an intrusion of foreign tribes from the North.
Persepolis (Capital of Persia in Greek) was the center and ceremonial capital of the mighty Persian Empire. It was a beautiful city, adorned with precious artworks of which unfortunately very little survives today. In 331 BC, Alexander the Great, in the process of conquering the Persian Empire, burnt Persepolis to the ground as a revenge for the burning of the Acropolis of Athens. Persepolis remained the capital of Persia as a province of the great Macedonian Empire but gradually declined in the course of time.
Leptis Magna or Lepcis Magna was a prominent city of the Roman Empire, located in present-day Libya. Its natural harbor facilitated the city’s growth as a major Mediterranean and Saharan trade centre, and it also became a market for agricultural production in the fertile coastland region. The Roman emperor Septimius Severus (193–211), who was born at Leptis, became a great patron of the city. Under his direction an ambitious building program was initiated. Over the following centuries, however, Leptis began to decline because of the increasing difficulties of the Roman Empire. After the Arab conquest of 642, the lost city fell into ruin and was buried by sand for centuries.
Formerly situated on the Amu-Darya River in Uzbekistan, Ürgenç or Urgench was one of the greatest cities on the Silk Road. The 12th and early 13th centuries were the golden age of Ürgenç, as it became the capital of the Central Asian empire of Khwarezm. In 1221, Genghis Khan razed Urgench to the ground. Young women and children were given to the Mongol soldiers as slaves, and the rest of the population was massacred. The city was revived after Genghis’s destruction but the sudden change of Amu-Darya’s course to the north forced the inhabitants to leave the site forever.
Vijaynagar was once one the largest cities in the world with 500,000 inhabitants. The Indian city flourished between the 14th century and 16th century, during the height of the power of the Vijayanagar empire. During this time, the empire was often in conflict with the Muslim kingdoms. In 1565, the empire’s armies suffered a massive and catastrophic defeat and Vijayanagara was taken. The victorious Muslim armies then proceeded to raze, depopulate, and destroy the city and its Hindu temples over a period of several months. Despite the empire continuing to exist thereafter during a slow decline, the original capital was not reoccupied or rebuilt. It has not been occupied since.
Hidden inside the jungles of the Mexican state of Campeche, Calakmul is one of the largest Maya cities ever uncovered. Calakmul was a powerful city that challenged the supremacy of Tikal and engaged in a strategy of surrounding it with its own network of allies. From the second half of the 6th century AD through to the late 7th century Calakmul gained the upper hand although it failed to extinguish Tikal’s power completely and Tikal was able to turn the tables on its great rival in a decisive battle that took place in 695 AD. Eventually both cities succumbed to the spreading Maya collapse.
For centuries Palmyra (“city of palm trees”) was an important and wealthy city located along the caravan routes linking Persia with the Mediterranean ports of Roman Syria. Beginning in 212, Palmyra’s trade diminished as the Sassanids occupied the mouth of the Tigris and the Euphrates. The Roman Emperor Diocletian built a wall and expanded the city in order to try and save it from the Sassanid threat. The city was captured by the Muslim Arabs in 634 but kept intact. The city declined under Ottoman rule, reducing to no more than an oasis village. In the 17th century its location was rediscovered by western travelers.
In the 6th century Ctesiphon was one of the largest city in the world and one of the great cities of ancient Mesopotamia. Because of its importance, Ctesiphon was a major military objective for the Roman Empire and was captured by Rome, and later the Byzantine Empire, five times. The city fell to the Muslims during the Islamic conquest of Persia in 637. After the founding of the Abbasid capital at Baghdad in the 8th century the city went into a rapid decline and soon became a ghost town. Ctesiphon is believed to be the basis for the city of Isbanir in the Thousand and One Nights. Located in Iraq, the only visible remain today is the great arch Taq-i Kisra.
Hvalsey was a farmstead of the Eastern Settlement, the largest of the three Viking settlements in Greenland. They were settled in approximately 985 AD by Norse farmers from Iceland. At its peak the site contained approximately 4,000 inhabitants. Following the demise of the Western Settlement in the mid-fourteenth century, the Eastern Settlement continued for another 60-70 years. In 1408 a wedding was recorded at the Hvalsey Church, but that was the last word to come from Greenland.
Situated along a major east-west caravan route, Ani first rose to prominence in the 5th century AD and had become a flourishing town and the capital of Armenia in the 10th century. The many churches built there during this period included some of the finest examples of medieval architecture and earned its nickname as the “City of 1001 Churches”. At its height, Ani had a population of 100,000 to 200,000 people. It remained the chief city of Armenia until Mongol raids in the 13th century, a devastating earthquake in 1319, and shifting trade routes sent it into an irreversible decline. Eventually the city was abandoned and largely forgotten for centuries. The ruins are now located in Turkey.
Palenque in Mexico is much smaller than some of the other lost cities of the Mayan, but it contains some of the finest architecture and sculptures the Maya ever produced. Most structures in Palenque date from about 600 AD to 800 AD. The city declined during the 8th century. An agricultural population continued to live here for a few generations, then the lost city was abandoned and was slowly grown over by the forest.
Located near the south-eastern shore of Lake Titicaca in Bolivia, Tiwanaku is one of the most important precursors to the Inca Empire. During the time period between 300 BC and 300 AD Tiwanaku is thought to have been a moral and cosmological center to which many people made pilgrimages. The community grew to urban proportions between the 7th and 9th centuries, becoming an important regional power in the southern Andes. At its maximum extent, the city had between 15,000–30,000 inhabitants although recent satellite imaging suggest a much larger population. Around 1000 AD, after a dramatic shift in climate, Tiwanaku disappeared as food production, the empire’s source of power and authority, dried up.
On August 24, 79 AD, the volcano Vesuvius erupted, covering the nearby town Pompeii with ash and soil, and subsequently preserving the city in its state from that fateful day. Everything from jars and tables to paintings and people were frozen in time. Pompeii, along with Herculaneum, were abandoned and eventually their names and locations were forgotten. They were rediscovered as the results of excavations in the 18th century. The lost cities have provided an extraordinarily detailed insight into the life of people living two thousand years ago.
In the 2nd century BC a new civilization arose in the valley of Mexico. This civilization built the flourishing metropolis of Teotihuacán and it’s huge step pyramids. A decline in population in the 6th century AD has been correlated to lengthy droughts related to the climate changes. Seven centuries after the demise of the Teotihuacán empire the pyramids of the lost city were honored and utilized by the Aztecs and became a place of pilgrimage.
Petra, the fabled “rose red city, half as old as time”, was the ancient capital of the Nabataean kingdom. A vast, unique city, carved into the side of the Wadi Musa Canyon in southern Jordan centuries ago by the Nabataeans, who turned it into an important junction for the silk and spice routes that linked China, India and southern Arabia with Egypt, Greece and Rome. After several earthquakes crippled the vital water management system the city was almost completely abandoned in the 6th century. After the Crusades, Petra was forgotten in the Western world until the lost city was rediscovered by the Swiss traveler Johann Ludwig Burckhardt in 1812.
Between ca. 200 to 900 AD, Tikal was the largest Mayan city with an estimated population between 100,000 and 200,000 inhabitants. As Tikal reached peak population, the area around the city suffered deforestation and erosion followed by a rapid decline in population levels. Tikal lost the majority of its population during the period from 830 to 950 and central authority seems to have collapsed rapidly. After 950, Tikal was all but deserted, although a small population may have survived in huts among the ruins. Even these people abandoned the city in the 10th or 11th centuries and the Guatemalan rainforest claimed the ruins for the next thousand years.
Angkor is a vast temple city in Cambodia featuring the magnificent remains of several capitals of the Khmer Empire, from the 9th to the 15th century AD. These include the famous Angkor Wat temple, the world’s largest single religious monument, and the Bayon temple (at Angkor Thom) with its multitude of massive stone faces. During its long history Angkor went through many changes in religion converting between Hinduism to Buddhism several times. The end of the Angkorian period is generally set as 1431, the year Angkor was sacked and looted by Ayutthaya invaders, though the civilization already had been in decline. Nearly all of Angkor was abandoned, except for Angkor Wat, which remained a Buddhist shrine.
One of the most famous lost cities in the world, Machu Picchu was rediscovered in 1911 by Hawaiian historian Hiram after it lay hidden for centuries above the Urubamba Valley. The “Lost City of the Incas” is invisible from below and completely self-contained, surrounded by agricultural terraces and watered by natural springs. Although known locally in Peru, it was largely unknown to the outside world before being rediscovered in 1911. | <urn:uuid:d072b05b-5610-4f6c-8555-397dcdc5f9b6> | CC-MAIN-2019-18 | https://www.touropia.com/lost-cities/?source=banner | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-18/segments/1555578640839.82/warc/CC-MAIN-20190424094510-20190424120510-00240.warc.gz | en | 0.978666 | 4,350 | 3.40625 | 3 |
When the Holy Prophet came to know of the war preparations of the Quraish, he held a council of war. It was felt that in view of the large strength of the forces of the enemy it would not be possible for the Muslims to face the enemy in the open. The Muslims had a bitter experience of the Battle of Uhud, and it was not proper to repeat the mistake. It was accordingly necessary to adopt a new strategy to face the enemy. Salman Farsi, a companion who hailed from Persia suggested that a ditch be dug around Madina for the purposes of defense. This advice was accepted by the Holy Prophet, and it was decided that in the impending battle, the Muslims should remain on the defensive. | <urn:uuid:fa17955d-918c-4f26-a916-298bcf0022b4> | CC-MAIN-2021-04 | https://www.alim.org/history/khaleefa/ali/15/2/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-04/segments/1610704833804.93/warc/CC-MAIN-20210127214413-20210128004413-00777.warc.gz | en | 0.981005 | 146 | 3.109375 | 3 |
Bringing extinct animals back to life is a tantalizing idea for many people. The parents at will stroll you through all of the steps of making a science venture. The positioning’s largest power is the section it devotes to recommendation on making a winning science honest venture. Whereas these are articles revealed within a journal, in general they aren’t considered scientific journal articles as a result of they have not been peer-reviewed. His scrapbook, which was compiled throughout his lifetime, contains many American newspaper articles from the early nineteenth century; which he collected while residing in America from about 1844 to 1857. Gives details about how China is working with Africa and different developing nations to improve health and science.
Or kids can give the Tremendous Science Spinner a whirl till they discover an idea they like. Science Buddies : Science Buddies is an excellent website to go to for assist with your undertaking. The hyperlink to these fascinating to learn nineteenth century newspaper articles is given beneath. Take a look at Science journal’s listing of the 125 most intriguing unanswered questions for a glimpse into ideas that scientists are studying proper now. I always love science initiatives and my youngsters gained three science honest tasks in a row. Institute of Nanotechnology consists of articles on the latest developments as well as links to information on nanotechnology and experiences of business viability. A number of the video-taped experiments are hazardous, and needs to be supervised by an grownup or carried out solely by science teachers.
Nanotechnology in Medication: Huge Potential But What Are the Risks has science reviews which cover quite a lot of new nanotechnologies and their potential for helping people, with a dialogue of the attainable risks. Science is a approach of discovering what’s in the universe and the way these things work in the present day, how they labored in the past, and the way they are likely to work sooner or later. It might be shocking to you to find out that plant cells are extra difficult structures than animal cells.
He referred to as them cells because he thought they regarded just like the little rooms monks live in (that are also called cells). Supplemental articles include a large volume of tabular knowledge that’s the result of present research and could also be dozens or a whole bunch of pages with largely numerical knowledge.
Articles tend to be highly technical, representing the latest theoretical analysis and experimental results in the sector of science lined by the journal. Correction: Science is each a physique of information and the process for building that information. The truth is, since all of my subjects are taken from latest articles and research, that makes it simpler for students to search out sources if they need to use them within the paper. Or you might want to have them look at the listing of questions below to provide you with some ideas. The cell wall in vegetation means that they are extra rigid constructions than most animal cells. | <urn:uuid:5750fcfc-06d9-4548-9dff-7c888f9efc2c> | CC-MAIN-2018-09 | http://www.kweekies.com/how-i-fell-madly-in-love-with-science-2.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-09/segments/1518891816647.80/warc/CC-MAIN-20180225150214-20180225170214-00003.warc.gz | en | 0.959461 | 597 | 2.59375 | 3 |
Sleeping drugs such as Ambien have been making people kill themselves in their sleep, says the Food and Drug Administration. Drugs that supposedly help people sleep are linked to falls, burns, poisoning, limb loss, drowning, and even suicide.
Incidents related to sleeping pills have included “accidental overdoses, falls, burns, near drowning, exposure to extreme cold temperatures leading to loss of limb, carbon monoxide poisoning, drowning, hypothermia, motor vehicle collisions with the patient driving, and self-injuries such as gunshot wounds and apparent suicide attempts,” according to the FDA’s own research. But rather than tell people not to use such drugs, the FDA simply wants people to know they could kill themselves after taking the pills.
The FDA announced Tuesday that a prominent warning would be required on all medication guides for Ambien, Lunesta, Sonata, and the generic version of Ambien, which is called zolpidem. The FDA also mandates a separate warning against prescribing the drugs to anyone with a history of sleepwalking. –Futurism.
That’s a lovely side effect…
“Patients usually did not remember these events,” the agency wrote, according to Futurism. Bizarre actions have been widely reported after using sleeping pills, and the FDA has warned about this in the past – 12 years ago, in fact. That means this isn’t exactly new information. Big Pharma’s drugs have been problematic for quite some time now, but it is comforting to see others take note of just how disastrous some of these medications can be to humanity.
Some have expressed their surprise at the FDA’s admission that these pills may not be all that safe for people to use. “I am surprised to see this warning come out now,” University of Pennsylvania physician Ilene Rosen toldThe NYT. “This is something I’ve been telling my patients for the last 15 years, and in the sleep community, this is well known. And I’d like to think we’ve done a good job putting the news out there, that these drugs have some risks.”
But all drugs have risks and hopefully, people will begin to realize that medications simply treat the symptom not the underlying problem that caused the issue to begin with. Western medicine is about management, not treatment. And it isn’t just Ambien and sleeping drugs humanity should be worried about; it’s all the drugs pushed on the public every single day.
Ben Goldacre’s book Bad Pharma: How Drug Companies Mislead Doctors and Harm Patientsis great at explaining the dilemma we as a society have found ourselves in. We like to imagine that regulators have some code of ethics and let only effective drugs onto the market, when in reality they approve useless drugs, with data on side effects casually withheld from doctors and patients. This book shows the true scale of this murderous disaster. Goldacre believes we should all be able to understand precisely how data manipulation works and how research misconduct in the medical industry affects us on a global scale. | <urn:uuid:b5178cdd-2f1f-4414-89f6-cdee3e9d0a0f> | CC-MAIN-2023-50 | https://americauncensored.net/fda-big-pharma-drugs-are-making-people-kill-themselves-while-they-sleep/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-50/segments/1700679103558.93/warc/CC-MAIN-20231211045204-20231211075204-00713.warc.gz | en | 0.947496 | 638 | 2.75 | 3 |
Use of non-human primates
Medicines and vaccines need to be studied in an animal where the physiology and disease process is similar to that in humans. In some cases, non-human primates are the only animals that are similar enough to provide the critical information about a disease and its reaction to treatment.
Examples include the discovery of medicines for diseases such as HIV/AIDS, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, certain forms of viral hepatitis, and for testing the safety and quality of some vaccines.
The research we do on non-human primates is kept to an absolute minimum. Less than 0.2% of the animals we use in our studies are non-human primates.
When we use non-human primates
Our policy requires that non-human primates are only used in research projects if no other species is appropriate for the purposes of the program. Occasionally, non-human primates may be the only animals where the anatomy and/or physiology of a disease is the equivalent to that in humans, and/or a similar disease develops. Also, sometimes only human and non-human primates will be affected by, or respond to, a potential medicine or vaccine. For instance, a new medicine may be based on a molecule produced by primates, including humans, and would be destroyed by the immune systems of other species.
So in certain cases we need to conduct tests on non-human primates before deciding whether to start trials in humans. As well as testing efficacy and safety, such tests will include evaluation of how potential new medicines are absorbed, distributed, metabolized and excreted. Additionally they may be required for safety testing and quality testing of some vaccines.
There are also some situations where we have to test vaccines that we already produce on non-human primates to ensure that each batch is effective and safe for use. These cases are always guided by national regulations or scientific requirements and are kept to a minimum.
Where our non-human primates come from
We use non-human primates that have been specifically bred for use in research. We would only use primates caught in the wild under exceptional circumstances and only with specific authorizations from the appropriate authorities.
Great apes in research
At the end of October 2008, we voluntarily introduced a new policy stating that we would no longer carry out studies or fund studies using great apes. Great apes are a sub-group of non-human primates which covers gorillas, chimpanzees, orangutans, and bonobos. In the vast majority of biomedical studies, it has been chimpanzees that have been studied.
We recognise that these studies involving chimpanzees have played a vital role in the understanding of many diseases that affect humans - specifically infectious diseases such as hepatitis C and HIV/AIDS.
However, we also recognise that due to the advancement of animal models and other techniques in biomedical research - the case for using great apes is no longer clear. | <urn:uuid:225ff3ac-83c3-49dd-a8fb-a77bcaffda1f> | CC-MAIN-2019-04 | http://us.gsk.com/en-us/research/our-use-of-animals/use-of-non-human-primates/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-04/segments/1547583730728.68/warc/CC-MAIN-20190120184253-20190120210253-00404.warc.gz | en | 0.941932 | 587 | 3.328125 | 3 |
Cobalt is an essential trace metal and it is a constituent of Vitamin B12.
We get Cobalt from the soil, and intensive farming has depleted this element from our food. Vegetarians can be deficient in Cobalt.
Inadequate intake results in anaemia.
At a Glance...
Cobalt is a constituent of Vitamin B12 (cobalamin), which is important to maintain healthy nerve tissue. Cobalt is also involved in the formation of red blood cells.
Send e mail to Body Language Site sponsored by SureScreen Diagnostics Ltd www.surescreen.com Copyright exists on all material within this site. Please ask approval before you refer to it. This page last modified: August 15, 2005. | <urn:uuid:308b1729-1147-4505-9e76-ffcac0ae4ee6> | CC-MAIN-2017-17 | http://mybodylanguage.co.uk/cobalt.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-17/segments/1492917118740.31/warc/CC-MAIN-20170423031158-00116-ip-10-145-167-34.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.917055 | 151 | 3.078125 | 3 |
Let's play a little game to give you an idea of how different algorithms for the same problem can have wildly different efficiencies. The computer is going to randomly select an integer from 1 to 16. You have to guess the number by making guesses until you find the number that the computer chose:
Once you've found the number, tell us—what technique did you use when deciding what number to guess next?
Maybe you guessed 1, then 2, then 3, then 4, and so on, until you guessed the right number. We call this approach linear search, because you guess all the numbers as if they were lined up in a row. It would work. But what is the highest number of guesses you could need? If the computer selects 30, you would need 30 guesses. Then again, you could be really lucky, which would be when the computer selects 1 and you get the number on your first guess. How about on average? If the computer is equally likely to select any number from 1 to 30, then on average you'll need 15 guesses.
But you could do something more efficient than just guessing 1, 2, 3, 4, …, right? Since the computer tells you whether a guess is too low, too high, or correct, you can start off by guessing 15. If the number that the computer selected is less than 15, then because you know that 15 is too high, you can eliminate all the numbers from 15 to 30 from further consideration. If the number selected by the computer is greater than 15, then you can eliminate 1 through 15. Either way, you can eliminate about half the numbers. On your next guess, eliminate half of the remaining numbers. Keep going, always eliminating half of the remaining numbers. We call this halving approach binary search, and no matter which number from 1 to 30 the computer has selected, you should be able to find the number in at most 5 guesses with this technique.
Here, try it for a number from 1 to 300. You should need no more than 9 guesses.
How many guesses did it take you to find the number this time? Why should you never need more than 9 guesses? (Can you think of a mathematical explanation)? | <urn:uuid:917f25fb-1a4e-4ff8-b947-9a456fe6ad2d> | CC-MAIN-2017-30 | https://nb.khanacademy.org/computing/computer-science/algorithms/intro-to-algorithms/a/a-guessing-game | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-30/segments/1500549424200.64/warc/CC-MAIN-20170723002704-20170723022704-00518.warc.gz | en | 0.965757 | 451 | 3.609375 | 4 |
On the morning of August 5, Farragut’s force steamed into the mouth of Mobile Bay in two columns led by four ironclads and met with devastating fire that immediately sank one ofits iron-hulled, single-turret monitors, the USS Tecumseh. The rest of the fleet fell into confusion but Farragut allegedly rallied them with the words: “Damn the torpedoes. Full speed ahead!” Although the authenticity of the quote has been questioned, it nevertheless became one of the most famous in U.S. military history.
The Yankee fleet quickly knocked out the smaller Confederate ships, but the Tennessee fought a valiant battle against overwhelming odds before it sustained heavy damage and surrendered. The Union laid siege to forts Morgan and Gaines, and both were captured within several weeks. Confederate forces remained in control of the city of Mobile, but the port was no longer available to blockade runners.
The Battle of Mobile Bay lifted the morale of the North. With Grant stalled at Petersburg, Virginia, and General William T. Sherman (1820-91) unable to capture Atlanta, Georgia, the capture of the bay became the first in a series of Union victories that stretched to the fall presidential election, in which the incumbent, Abraham Lincoln, defeated Democratic challenger George McClellan (1826-85), a former Union general. | <urn:uuid:8f74772e-8f13-4827-9eea-61d34be298ae> | CC-MAIN-2014-23 | http://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/battle-of-mobile-bay | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-23/segments/1405997902579.5/warc/CC-MAIN-20140722025822-00079-ip-10-33-131-23.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95189 | 281 | 3.3125 | 3 |
A radio frequency identification (RFID) tag used to record information and identify victims of disasters, removing the need for paper-based recording and preventing data loss due to environmental degradation. In disaster situations, forensic pathologists traditionally examine each body or body part and record findings on paper.
The disaster victim identification system (DVIS) provides a solution that is resistant to environmental degradation, can store several megabytes of data (scene photos, x-ray images, test results, etc) and does not require line of sight to be read. This allows authenticated people access to the information without being present at the data site, through phone or wireless networks.
Both pathologists and forensic staff will benefit from improved access to data and the ability to add and modify the notes stored on the tag wirelessly. Emergency services worldwide would benefit from improved data access and integrity.
Please leave a comment about your rating so we can better understand how we might improve the page. | <urn:uuid:be98375f-32df-48ab-b0ea-b304f1bb2b6a> | CC-MAIN-2017-43 | http://www.ecu.edu.au/schools/science/research-activity/ecu-security-research-institute/projects/human-security/disaster-victim-identification | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-43/segments/1508187825399.73/warc/CC-MAIN-20171022165927-20171022185927-00223.warc.gz | en | 0.912161 | 192 | 3.3125 | 3 |
A new government study shows there have been few gains in academic achievement for the nation's American Indian students.
The study looked at fourth and eighth grade reading and math scores on a test called the NAEP and found little improvement in either subject, though there were some gains in specific areas.
One bright spot for Minnesota's American Indians was that they mostly performed better in math than American Indian students in other states with large native populations. But, those scores are still well below those of white students.
"I'd say the findings are somewhat mixed, although kind of weighted towards the 'not much progress' side," said Arnold Goldstein, with the Institute of Education Sciences, which released the study. "There are a few bright lights, though."
In reading, Minnesota's native students had lower scores in 4th grade but higher scores in 8th grade, compared to two years ago.
The study was also another indicator of the socio-economics of Minnesota's American Indian students. A majority is eligible for free and reduced lunch, which is the most widely-used measurement of poverty in schools. | <urn:uuid:2d106e3c-0f0c-438c-9ee9-90ebac0f6978> | CC-MAIN-2013-48 | http://www.mprnews.org/story/2010/06/30/america-indian-students | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-48/segments/1386164567400/warc/CC-MAIN-20131204134247-00085-ip-10-33-133-15.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.983534 | 222 | 3.015625 | 3 |
One thing that we’ve heard repeatedly is that many of you know how to create curricula but that it takes entirely too long to create wordlists that only contain concepts that you have already taught. After all, it can be difficult to think of 5 letter words that contain the short ‘a’ sound, right?
We have transformed this process from hours to minutes with Whizzimo so that you free up your time to relax, sleep, or even teach more students.
Our favorite way of building controlled wordlists uses the ‘Exact Tiles’ filter card in Whizzimo’s workbook builder. In fact, the video below shows how you can create an entire scope and sequence in a fraction of the time.
Enjoy and Happy Teaching! | <urn:uuid:510a22cc-fdfa-4967-9f2d-2c33f6d789cd> | CC-MAIN-2022-05 | https://www.whizzimo.com/blog/archives/10-2015 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-05/segments/1642320304947.93/warc/CC-MAIN-20220126101419-20220126131419-00445.warc.gz | en | 0.952543 | 160 | 3.015625 | 3 |
The Scottish Deerhound resembles a large greyhound with a rough coat. He is tall and slim, deep-chested and lithe. As with all sighthounds, the muzzle is long and tapers to a point without much of a stop. The eyes are dark brown or hazel in color. The teeth and lips are level. The ears are small and held close to the head except when alert. Then the ears are semi-pricked. The rough coat is wiry and about 3-4" in length, being slightly longer on the chest and mane area. The hair may be softer on the beard and mustache area. The tail is long and curved, nearly touching the ground. Coat colors may be shades of gray, blue-gray, brindle and black, red fawn, and others. There may be a small amount of white on the chest, toes and tail tip.
The Scottish Deerhound was also known as the Scotch Greyhound, Highland Deerhound, and Rough Greyhound. The Scottish Deerhound is closely related to the Greyhound but the longer rough coat was an adaptation to the colder climate. This is an ancient breed that came to be favored among Scottish nobility. In fact, no one who ranked under an Earl was allowed to own a Deerhound. They were used for hunting deer of a very large variety (up to 250 pounds.) As the number of deer decreased, with the invention of guns, and with the exclusive ownership rights of the nobility, the Scottish Deerhound numbers declined significantly. A breeding program to revive the breed ensued in the 1800s, but the numbers suffered again during the world wars. The Scottish Deerhound continues to be rare. Sir Walter Scott described this breed as "the most perfect creature of Heaven."
The Scottish Deerhound is noble in appearance and demeanor. He is a quiet and dignified in the home but prone to chase things outdoors as that is what he was bred for. Use a leash when not in a securely-fenced area. This dog is excellent with children and very loving and devoted towards his people. This dog will not do well guarding or protecting as he is very gentle and loves everyone. He rarely barks.
Breed Club Links: Scottish Deerhound Club of America
BaxterBoo.com Perfect Pairings: WalkyDog Stainless Steel Bike Leash
Have any stories about a Scottish Deerhound? Please share!
Photo by Linda Lindt, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. | <urn:uuid:7375f98e-8881-4f95-bdb0-9a8446b049ee> | CC-MAIN-2017-34 | https://www.baxterboo.com/fun/a.cfm/meet-breed-scottish-deerhound | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-34/segments/1502886107720.63/warc/CC-MAIN-20170821060924-20170821080924-00332.warc.gz | en | 0.96823 | 500 | 2.71875 | 3 |
Just as scientists today study the Sun, Moon, planets and stars, more than a thousand years ago the ancient Maya watched the heavens.
Maya community members tell us that they have been in Mesoamerica for many thousands of years. Archeologists separate Maya history into different time periods that differentiate important changes in the Maya civilization. The Pre-Classic period began as early as 1800 BCE (Before Common Era). Archeologists find evidence that during this time the Maya began settling in what are now southern Mexico, Guatemala, and parts of Belize, Honduras and El Salvador. During the Classic period, between 300 BCE to 900 CE (Common Era), the Maya built their settlements into great cities and the civilization flourished.
Map of Maya City-States. Image Credit: Chabot Space & Science Center. These cities were as large as or larger than many cities in Europe at the time. They contained grand, magnificently-decorated buildings. Some of these buildings aligned with celestial objects to mark important times of the year. Each city and its surrounding area formed a small “city-state” that was ruled by an ajaw, or king. When the ruling king died, his son became the next king, creating dynasties of rulers.
At the end of the Classic period, the Maya abandoned their cities in large numbers. Nobody knows for sure why this happened. One theory is that resources became more limited due to a growing population and climate changes.
When the Spanish arrived in the early 1500s, the numbers of Maya people decreased further due to warfare and disease. However, the Maya people survived and continue to practice their traditions to this day.
There are many different Maya groups but they all share a common language heritage. More than 30 Mayan languages developed out of a “proto-Mayan” language around 2000 BCE. For example, Yucatec is spoken in the Yucatan peninsula. Chorti is spoken near Copan in Honduras. Chol is spoken near Palenque in Chiapas.
The Maya developed a writing system that used glyphs to represent a sound, word or syllable. This system is particularly sophisticated when compared to other cultures in the Americas. The Maya also created a unique number system that used a combination of bars and dots to create large numbers. Maya mathematics included the concept of zero. The Maya used this revolutionary concept before the ancient Babylonians and Greeks began thinking of zero as a number.
Written glyphs and numbers were carved into stone buildings and monuments, painted on pottery and murals, and written in books. Professional scribes, called aj dzib, wrote in folded bark-paper books called codices. There were many Maya codices, but only four survived to today. All the others were destroyed by the Spanish in the 16th century. Fortunately, the books that did survive contain a wealth of astronomical and mathematical information.
Image of Tzolkin calendar in Madrid Codex. Image Credit: Randa Marhenke, FAMSI. From these codices, we know that the Maya were keen observers of the sky. They recorded Venus’ cyclical movements, used math to predict solar and lunar eclipses, and developed an intricate calendar system. This information has allowed the Maya to shape their daily activities and broader culture, determining when to plant crops, when to conduct rituals, when to celebrate.
Maya rulers used astronomical information to reinforce their elite status and maintain power. Kings would associate themselves with particular celestial bodies, such as the Sun, Moon or planets. This would establish their connection to the Universe and support their right to rule. For example, a king who portrayed himself as the Sun may be crowned on one of the two days of the year when the Sun passed directly overhead. Such symbolism reinforced peoples’ beliefs that the king was in tune with divine order.
When the kingship systems began to crumble at the end of the Classic period, many parts of culture that supported the rulers were abandoned. This included the writing system, the Long Count calendar and astronomical record-keeping. Much of this knowledge was not passed down to the modern Maya. Some aspects of the ancient knowledge survived at the time of Spanish contact. However, great effort was made to ensure that the Maya would abandon this knowledge in favor of Western thought.
It was not until the second half of the 20th century that the four remaining codices were deciphered. When the meaning of the glyphs was decoded, the astronomical, mathematical and literary genius of the ancient Maya civilization was revealed. It has taken decades for this information to finally filter down to modern Maya.
Despite great challenges, the Maya have been able to hold on to knowledge and many ancient practices continue to be passed down through the generations. Traditions relating to religious and agricultural practices have many direct links to the Classic period. In recent times the modern Maya have begun to actively participate in rediscovering their ancient knowledge.
Maya women at San Simon enter GIS data into a computer to tag pottery sherds. (Image credit: Jose Huchim Herrera, INAH) Today, there are more than six million Maya who live in Mesoamerica, the United States, and throughout the world. Many modern Maya are caught between two worlds, where Western traditions conflict with traditional ways. Traditions such as language, agriculture, and religious beliefs are threatened by non-Maya ideas and ways of living. Despite the many conflicts and threats to the Maya way of life, a tenacious and resilient Maya culture is preserved through customs and language. Just like the Maya community are returning to their past, many other cultures around the world are learning from the Maya culture and their calendars as a way to live in harmony and balance in their lives.
The full richness of the Maya culture continues to be uncovered. More than two thousand archaeological sites are still unexcavated in the Yucatan alone. The modern Maya play an active role in rediscovering their past. They are using modern archaeological techniques to conduct research and restore ancient sites. Many ancient Maya cities are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. They are an important part of our past and present, and belong to all of us. | <urn:uuid:725a46f3-f169-47cc-b2b5-6789f5a48715> | CC-MAIN-2017-17 | http://calendarinthesky.org/Articles/MayaScience/MayaScienceArticleView/tabid/139/ArticleId/6/language/en-US/The-Maya-Ancient-and-Modern.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-17/segments/1492917121778.66/warc/CC-MAIN-20170423031201-00544-ip-10-145-167-34.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968747 | 1,266 | 3.984375 | 4 |
This aspect of the research highlights various challenging issues affecting indigenous political economy and ecology in relation to conservation law. It explores the cultural transformation that reshaped the existing notion of livelihood in south western Nigeria. It addresses the unfinished discourse on forest ordinance in relations to the transformation of the 1916 wild animal preservation law of western Nigeria and the wild animal preservation act of 1939. It addresses the impact, effect and implications of colonial policy on the tropical wildlife as a result of the above ordinance. This article also discusses the purpose of establishing a research council in Nigeria and Africa at large; due to the wide range of scientific problems arising from both the field of applied and social sciences regarding the socio-economic impact of colonialism cum policy on the people and their resources. Since the required local investigation peculiar to colonial conditions can only be studied within the colonies, research was therefore, channelled strictly to interrogate problems demanding local inquiry on colonial forest and wild lives.
The research council established by the colonialist had an advisory body that was responsible for determining which aspect of the tropical resources, was to be conserved. In lieu of this, the Governor General Sir Bernard Bourdillon commissioned the new Forest School at Ibadan on May 1, 1941. At this time, Captain Wood acting on behalf of the Chief Conservator Mr Oliphant – who was reported to have been on administrative break during the event, outlined steps which led to the successful establishment of the school. In his speech, he strongly emphasised the importance of accurate observation and reasoned interpretation of things seen on the field to the guest – Sir Bernard Bourdillon. He listed different courses that were to be taken by the students and buttressed that instructions would be carried out by the officer in charge of the school and the officer in charge of the research branch as assisted by the African master – who was to assist the Europeans navigates into the roots of the local people – a moves that erupted conflict among the indigenous people and the colonial masters.
While he stressed that the school was purely to embark on practical – that involved spending considerable time of their study in the forest. The students were directly mobilised to assist the colonial masters in exposing the indigenous people, as well as the socio-economic activities as regard trading in forest resources. With this, land use among the indigenous people came prohibited despite the socio-cultural impact of Africa resources management. The emphasis placed on the opening of the forest school was placed on the conservation and regeneration of timber resources of the country which was perhaps the most lucrative imperial business of the period. While the colonial master emphasised the danger of over exploitation of the forest resources as factors responsible for the creation of the forest school at Ibadan. Claims by the colonial capitalists that enormous area of the world surface is in danger due to the failure of the past generation to realise the full result of the haphazard and indiscriminate use or destruction of the world forests left timber value negligible.
Conservation, Preservation and Reservation: A Climax of Colonial Rule
According to Bourdillon, “… a stern disregard of certain immediate consideration…for, in the vital interests of prosperity and the future food supplies of the world, they will have to enforce regulations which are disliked by the short-sighted peasant of today” This indicated that the program was to train Africans to undertake wider and more important duties in forest intensive care for imperial benefit. This is because most of the colonial soldiers were to return to Europe, while some had gone before this time to embark on military duties or other duties directly connected with the war. The idea to bring ordinary people to control the use of forest resources was responsible for the several confrontations among the ruling elites, the traditional elites and the colonial masters. This is because forest management has been the affairs of this class of elites. The traditional native doctors who initially consult forests for medical assistance and treatment, the hunters who seek forest products for livelihood among others whose livelihood is deeply depended on forest resources could no longer utilized such resources due to the colonial policy.
Human population expansion cum the drastic decrease in game population thus, man and his crops, livestock and other works occupy areas previously populated by wild animals which are either driven out or killed. This form of accelerated development and resettlement is likely to make some species of game not to survive. An interview section with Baba Aprin, a prominent hunter and only survivor of his age in Ibadan authenticate that; “We were warned that creatures in this part of the world are going to vanish in the near future, and that the forest has become devoid of all animals”. The reason they gave was that wild animals are asset in which it provides a valuable source of meat and by-product such as; hides skins, ivory, bones, feathers and so on among several valuable parts of other wild animals for foreign exchange. According to the colonial researchers, wild animals are exterminated more due to tsetse fly control operations.
In contrast to this, the colonial research body was to work in line with the field of biology and zoology simply because the colonial capitalists’ in contrast claimed to consciously paid more attention to healthy environment at the expense of economic development while it downplayed the local socio-cultural existence to eco-political benefit. While the wild life preservation ordinance made it possible for the colonial capitalists to obtain revenue that further increased import duties on arms and ammunition used for hunting of games, it becomes clear that such benefit of development would be an enormous exercise in futility since the path and strategies to combat unfortunate environmental destruction are linked to economic gain and economic developmental process. This was the condition that negotiated tropical forest resources with colonial finished goods. Thus, leaving Nigeria as a whole to strive hard at reforming, reshaping and transforming herself as a nation during and after independence. Despite their claims to be animal philanthropists, the colonial masters’ environmental activities had a severe impact on the integrity of the Nigerian ecosystem, worsening worldwide environmental and health-related problems.
Even before and after independence, the impact of the game ordinance policy, which was supposed to rest on finding a balance between games as a valued asset, quickly deteriorated as an asset. Unsustainable methods espoused by the colonialists are undermining a rich environmental resource-based part of the country (southwestern) in Nigeria. Deforestation was encouraged as a result of the 1939 global conflict. In this competition, deforestation is defined as the ongoing removal and destruction of considerable sections of forest cover, resulting in a highly degraded environment and reduced biodiversity, as well as soil erosion and desertion.
During the war time, the colonialist exploitatively extracts resources of the tropical forest to sustain their dying economy resulting from the effect of the war. The comments of R.S. Marshall like his counterparts prove that the local economy was not marginally used just to boost the imperial economy but also to develop the imperial states. According to him, “…the outbreak of a major World War [is] to bring potential resources to the surface…on the outbreak of the war economy takes a back seat; and so it becomes possible to weather the initial remunerative phase of development without much difficulty”.
One of the major arguments put forth was that some games – elephant, wild-pigs, rodents, and birds, are harmful in that they do damage to agriculture and forest crops. Some animals such as Leopard, Tiger and Lion serve as threat to human lives and their livestock. Although, in the southern provinces of the country, there was difficulty in the provision of the protected forest, despite, the southern province of the country been scapegoats to test-run all kind of colonial subjugation. Thus, difficulty arose as a result of the cumbersome procedure that reserve settlement involved. The assumption that proposed reserved land should be protected by law without appropriate judicial clause(s) led to some rift between the colonial masters and the native people. Until it was finally settled with an arrangement that prevent encroachment of land by farmers even though, such law was made to die in the tin air. This is because there was a peculiar form of land tenure system which the traditional people were already practicing before the new form of restriction against their indigenous right to property ownership.
Furthermore, it cannot be overstated that the problem was exacerbated when the colonial master attempted to persuade the native people to form reserves. The notion that most wild animals carry diseases that are transmissible to humans and domestic animals was demonstrated to be one of the driving forces behind the passage of the wild animal protection law, which led to the establishment of the forest reserve. The policy of the game department was rapidly pushed so as to strike a balance between game as a valuable and rapidly diminishing asset, and game in its harmful aspect to the indigenous population. In the process, colonial record proved that conservation was more effective in southern Nigeria unlike the eastern Nigeria where reservation was more difficult. It was argued that forest reservation was refused point blank in eastern Nigeria when they claimed that “we will not reserve any land, our forefathers never made reserves therefore we will not” Meanwhile, this policy was strictly followed in northern Nigeria. In southern Nigeria, the region was protected strictly by the government because the southern forest have in addition to their climate and local value, immense possibilities as a source of valuable timber and require much more detailed management than the native authorities could address at the time.
Eco-political Implication of Silviculture on the indigenous people.
In an endeavour to speed up the reservation programme it was suggested that settlement and demarcation should be carried out simultaneously by a special permanent itinerant settlement court consisting of an administrative and a forest officer with a survey party attached. This suggestion was acted on and resulted in some progress. From 1920 onwards, the European staffs of the department were considerably increased and a new reservation policy was drawn up to secure in each province a certain percentage of the available forest land for reserves. The forestry law was exempted in area where timber concessionaires were operating (predominantly southern Nigeria). According to the colonial legacy, 331/3% of land was targeted but later reduced to 25%. This proves that in time, the application of the forest law was limited to forest reserves and the restrictions imposed on the taking of forest produce outside the reserve was removed out rightly. The reservation activities was also disorganised in 1926 by the prolonged absence of colonial officers who travelled out of the country for the purpose of taking a postgraduate course in forestry at Oxford.
Like wild life preservation ordinance, the forest ordinance gave the reserve settlement officers little power of negotiation with the indigenous people – the claimants, with considerable amendment of settlement procedure that was necessary for the whole process required for re-interpretation of the law. The law instigated selective cutting under permit with a minimum timber thickness limit – the only system practical in the existing state of Nigerian forest and forestry, it was the only form of protection certainly to prevent the absolute extinction of timber in southwestern provinces, with an enforcement of the utilization of non-timber forest plants. A secondary timber of almost equally good but less well-known species, that has helped to prevent the over exploitation of forest timber resources. Despites the fact that the administrative officers was not always immediately available to perform the duties of the reserve settlement officer to settle boundary dispute and other land matters, the regional reservation of the suitable forest resources has progressed at a lamentable slow rate.
This is because there was somewhat modification in 1934 that gave individual percentage for each area compatible with its sylvan and political conditions for reposition and reassessment. This led to the talk on overhauling the ordinance with a quest for a forestry conference through the view to put the forestry ship into a more seaworthy condition. In 1935, Regulation 34 amended the scheduled of the regulation to secure reduction of minimum girths and alterations in the fees levy-able to native authorities. In that same year, the government reserves in some of the south western region like for instance Benin Division were handed over to the native authority. Though, this was made contingent on the creation of additional over one thousand square miles of reserve that was considerably opposed by the local people.
The colonial government left the local people to play their part and bear with government part of the cost of administration, and the revenue was to be shared between them and the government. The Benin Native Authority was formerly bound by the forestry ordinance and regulation but has introduced its own rules made under section 42 of the ordinance. The Chief Commissioner took strong measures to suppress the land encroachment by farmers. The utmost gravity gradually whiter away when the so called land hungers are not truly land hungers but simply due to soil impoverishment occasioned by bad farming methods which include crop rotation, shifting cultivation and bush fallowing. Thus, the colonial government claimed, it was the duty of the government to prevent the present generation from destroying the livelihood of their future descendants. Meanwhile, the native authority expressed their wish to partake in forest matters or claims to their land possession under the guidance and control of forest officers.
With the consistent argument of what aspect of the forest is to be reserved while the colonial capitalists keep exporting the resources of the forest, a conference was held in the middle of 1937 in Lagos to examine and make recommendations regarding the future policy of the forest department and to draw up programmes to carry it out with a report to be published. The report was published as a sessional paper in No. 38 of that year. Until the publication was out, none of the circle or field officer of the forest department was invited or informed that such conference was to take place. There was no representative of any who had had any extensive experience of reservation and settlement work. The optimism of the conference was not only dashed by the failure of those that were invited but was short-lived owing to an acute financial crisis that led to the withdrawal of staff that were previously promised to be increased in numbers. The financial crisis gradually curtailed the Western capitalist to effectively imposed further laws on the colonial forest as both No. 38 of 1937 and Regulation No. 1 of 1938 only came into enforcement on 1st February 1938.
In concession to give the native authority a greater measure of responsibility in this field, some of the more enlightened chiefs had begun to nurse their desire to protect the little woodland remaining in their districts. The colonial masters by this time had no choice than to grant the aspiration of the native authorities by permitting their order that further interest their stimulation of a forest sense. The conference ordinance was thoroughly overhauled and the forestry amendment ordinance of 1941 came into existence. The ordinance was a great improvement on all previous forest legislation as it clarified the sections dealing with the constitution of forest reserves which made protected forests more flexible. The ordinance made a provision whereby a further inquiry can be held by or under the direction of the native authority for the better determination of right(s) affecting lands which has been constituted a reserve.
For instance, a letter was written to the Chief Conservator in the northern part of the country from the Inspector General of the forest of the federation stating the need to yield to some aspect of the ordinance that placed the protection of the forest into the hand of the local chiefs. The letter dated January 8th 1954 placed emphasis on indigenous control of forest resources. The clause attached to the letter was because the local chiefs in the northern region were not entirely divided in thought like their southern counterpart. This is because the indirect rule that functioned more actively in northern part of the country – where centralised state government exist, to the south were despite the existence of centralised governance, family still lay claims to patrimonial belongings – land, it resources and yields. Thus, Collier proposed national parks to put a stop to forest activities in the country. While this law was taken wholeheartedly in the north, the south still debate either to accept or reject such restriction they found abusive to their human right and their ability to ownership of the forest resources.
This aspect of the public law placed on the forest, its resources – living and non-living was well debated by the colonial masters who also acknowledged the un-informed law across the country saying “A prevalent belief is that if something is successful in A, it must be similarly relevant in B. The subject of Section 7 is that while National Parks draw a lot of visitors and generate a lot of money in East Africa, they should do the same in Northern Nigeria. [a section of the 1933 international conference for on the protection of fauna and flora]. Nothing could be further from the truth. In South and East Africa there are large resident European populations which provide the majority of visitors to the national parks. It must be assumed that a large number of Africans are going to visit the parks or that tourists are going to flock to west Africa just as they do to the pleasant highlands to the East”.
Some literatures argued that the essence of the transformation of the 1916 wild animal preservation law of western Nigeria and the wild animal preservation act of 1939 was not limited to the world slump and financial depression that set in, which in turn affected the Afro-European bilateral relationship. But as a result of the 1933 international conference on the protection of Africa fauna and flora which categorised animal conservation into three; class A, B and C. This class of animals were segregated by the response of the European research team that were set to examine which part of African wildlife was over exploited and was to be conserved. The report successfully gave some animals leverage for hunting and preservation despite the fact that Africa operates a different temperate region. The establishment of control area was at the conference which was to aid effective wildlife conservation and enables each region that has not adopted the system of control area to do so.
The control areas are places where hunting was out rightly prohibited. While hunting was forbidden in this area, the colonial officers yet issued hunting permit to their counterpart who sort game as sport and a means to perfect their shooting skills. Although, the restriction permit a number of animals to be hunted while it restrict the numbers of animals based on the political and economic size of the colonial officer or guest who found interest in tropical game. While heavy sum of money was placed on game licence to discourage the participation of the indigenous people, the Europeans engaged in game activities without restriction even though there was no one to check if they had game licence or not. The control areas were outlawed to the indigenous people with outright restriction on trading in leopard skin, ivory and other parts of wild animal.
The most annoying part of the policy was the one that proves the colonial masters know less concerning the geographical features of this region yet they assumed that “much, if not all edible species has been killed except elephant”. Thus, their policy was a state-led efforts that appealed to an alternative approaches to natural resources preservation. It is therefore, a political-economic reform which some is referred to as a neoliberal reform. The eco-political transposition highlighted the colonial modernisation theory. While their policy sometime run counter to their demand, it was recorded that Engineer Bryne once proposed the extension of railway to Ifo-Ilaro on the premises that the area was considered a large market source for not just palm oil, kernels, and cocoa, but also timber, as the area is heavily wooded.
Therefore, knowing full well that the concept of natural heritage continuously gained momentum in the debates surrounding the application of international convention on the environment, conflict over resources appropriation raised number of questions linking natural heritage and environment. The linkage has to do with certain interests in the environmental policy framework. The policy was basically in contrast to the many topics of land rights and territorial claims in Africa. Since local group sabotage threat to their longstanding claims to property, resources and place-based identities, communities thus, remain the basic unit of environmental planning and project implementation. However, state agencies backed such claims only for more equitable distribution of resources and power, by promoting more extensive community involvement and participation.
The local group usually force the state to recognise the legitimacy of their local claims. In attestation to this, Wool Lewis claimed that, “Yes we would prepare draft submission as proposed at p.240. The minister does not agree with the two zones and prefers to recommend no hunting or trapping at all in the pilot area, knowing that it will occur on the fringes. If agreed in principle, to come up for 1955/56 Estimates. He does not support the preservation of leopard…”
This assertion was because prior to the establishment of the colonial government, forest conservation has been under the custody of the elites majorly chiefs, hunters and the priests. They consult the forest on behalf of the people, and issue licence for the extraction of forest product. With the above comment of Wool, the colonial state environmental managers in Africa failed to recognise the communal effort so as to accomplish environmental objectives. But rather twisted policies as it suit their fancies. With a clause that the proposed law does not support the preservation of leopard needs to be interrogated since the wild life preservation ordinance was to restrict the local people from hunting all kinds of wild animals.
In Wool’s statement, he emphasised that the minister was not in support of preserving leopard in the two major zones of West and North saying “He does not support the preservation of leopard” implies that leopard as a dangerous animal threatened the life of both the colonial masters and the local people. Aside the ferocious attack of leopard on domestic animals, it value in the international market owing to it expensive skin makes it imperative not to be conserved. According to an archival document, from the office of the permanent secretary of forestry, a recommendation was given by the recommendation committee that an embargo should be placed on export of leopard skins for a trial period of five years, but was rejected by the minister.
Ideology Vast Development: Local Perspective and Colonial Interpretation of Development
Since the global market determines colonial policy, it is therefore, not a fallacy that the ordinance connotes a state-led effort to conserve natural resources. It was a political-economic reform that emphasised local culture and capacities, and the devolution of control on local communities. In essence, the policies altered the “patrimonialisation” of nature. It means that the policies debunked the construction of nature as heritage or patrimony, and its transmission from generation to generation. Their consistent failure to domesticate forest policy led to a parliamentary report submitted by Mr Tupper-Carey to approve the setting up of a pilot reserve and the establishment of the Game Preservation Unit.
The colonial masters often considered heritage in Western system as a tool for continuous natural resources exploitation while heritage to Africans is resonated with multiple meanings. It is an act of sustaining nature and natural resources management for the benefit of the future generation. This act attest to what Jane Guyer referred to as “zone of ignorance”. Nyerges also comments that the African societies suffered a “misleading impact of the Amazonian model applied to African forests”. He emphasised that the direct “copy and paste” policy on African forests was a major factor responsible for the swift change in both the social and economic deterioration of the African people. , It is also important to state that the colonialist failed to understand that while Africa responded to farming, human landscape management activities themselves changed in response to environmental, social and economic trends. Thus, their idea on landscape degradation is deceptive because degradation may be a natural process and not human-induced factor.
The essence of the research body was to recommend what part of the forest resources in the tropic was to be conserved; as well what method of conservation model was to be adopted. It is essential that each territory have a definite policy and programme on Game which must be accepted and adhered to by the administration down to the district level. The policy was to control hunting area as Game in order to serve the purpose of aesthetic and sport purposes. Methods as to how conservation was to be adopted include educating the populist on natural resources. Education concerning natural resources was carried out in schools, amongst the chiefs (who could help the colonialist to reach out to the local people), county shows and exhibitions, pamphlets, films and so on.
The hunting law restricted the killings of wild animal and wild bird. The term wild animal or wild bird is any animal or bird other than a domestic animal or bird. The law claimed to admit to the following guidelines: (Section 3) Save with a written permit issued by the Native Authority or by some person authorised in that behalf by the Native Authority, no person who is not otherwise authorised by or under the provisions of some written law shall kill or capture or attempt to kill or capture any wild animal or wild bird within the area of jurisdiction of the Native Authority:
o Provided that no person resident within the area of jurisdiction of the Native Authority shall be required to obtain such written permit.
o A permit shall be valid for twelve months from the date of issue
o The fee payable for a permit shall be [undisclosed: but as it suit each regional officers]
o This order shall be in addition to and not in derogation from the provision of the wild animal preservation ordinance
o Any person contravening the provisions of the section 3 of this order shall be guilty of an offence and on summary conviction shall be liable:
o (a)for the first offence to a fine not exceeding five pounds, or, in default to payment, to imprisonment not exceeding fourteen days;
o (b) for each subsequent offence to a fine not exceeding twenty-five pounds or imprisonment not exceeding two month or to both such five and imprisonment.
While the law states clearly categories of animal and bird to be conserve; that is any wild (undomesticated) animal and bird, a report on progress of the chief conservator stated otherwise, as the committee took note of the chief conservator’s report that has already been circulated. The report emphasised Tupper-Carey’s view when it stated that “the chief conservator of forest explained that it had not been possible to control the control the export of leopard skins as they were not protected animals under the ordinance [wild life preservation ordinance].” It was clear, however, that the reduction in their members could be attributed to the high price of skins and was a serious matter, since they were valuable for the control of baboons, warthogs and other pests. Some degree of protection could be afforded by including them in the schedules to the ordinance or by finding means under some other law to control the export of skins, through such measures would be difficult to enforce without the cooperation of the other regions, which was unlikely to be forthcoming. It was agreed that the chief conservator should investigate the position further in consultation with the ministry and report to members.
Despite the failure of the colonialists to regulate the international trade on wild animals and wild bird exportation, they imposed sanctions on the indigenous population who sought forest resources for living. The colonial obligation supported wild animal preservation ordinance accompanied with strict regulation and imposition of fine. According to the edict of chapter 232 of 1955, which states thus “prohibit night hunting with light”. While the prohibition attracts fifty pounds fine, the other law states that “any person found in possession of light intended for hunting” are liable to pay a fine of twenty-five pounds. The law targeted Africans as culprit while it glorifies the colonial capitalist.
In essence, the colonial conservative laws are tilted towards the glorification of capitalism. Therefore, capitalists’ interest dominates most edicts and laws that shape Africans and their resources management. Through the colonial writings, taxonomy has been glorified in favour of the colonial masters, while it portrayed Africans as cruel and barbaric in the protection of wild plants and animal. Thus, the significance of the ordinances was to retain forest resources for colonial capitalists. Land was retrieved via grant, cession and leases from the native authorities who see scientific forestry as impinging on their right of land ownership which heightened tension. Colonial capitalists sought tropical forest produce in exchange for the imperial finished goods such as; mirrors, gin, cloths and shoe, and so on. While the colonialists determined the value or amount to be placed on each forest produce, they as well imposed fines on forest product they found too valuable upon the local people. Thus, it was an exploitive means to deprive the indigenous people their right to resources management so as to dominate them and their resources. | <urn:uuid:a960d706-2bef-4d43-9906-a17d39373147> | CC-MAIN-2022-21 | https://globalhistorydialogues.org/projects/a-history-of-wildlife-preservation-in-southwestern-nigeria/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-21/segments/1652662627464.60/warc/CC-MAIN-20220526224902-20220527014902-00515.warc.gz | en | 0.968582 | 5,783 | 2.84375 | 3 |
We cartographers know that maps have the power to make features of the landscape visible or invisible in the public consciousness. A bike map emphasizes bike routes but doesn’t show you, say, forested and non-forested areas, while a USGS topo map shows you where a platoon could hide from choppers in the summer but not what streets have a low traffic volume.
One of the things that some maps try to make visible isn’t things, but people. Census data provides a rich trove of demographic data to visualize, putting various categories of people “on the map” and powerfully impacting the way we think of the communities we inhabit. In the past few years, a popular way to do this has been through dot maps, where one dot equals a certain number of people and the dots are randomly placed within the census blocks where the corresponding people live.
This trend follows the work of radical cartographer Bill Rankin, who points out that the more traditional choropleth maps “make a strong visual argument. They make it seem that human beings are naturally divided into relatively homogenous groups, separated by sharply-defined boundaries.” Obviously, in the real world this isn’t the case; people blend with each other across space. It’s all the more powerful, then, to see the smooth transitions of racial groups more accurately represented, and still note startlingly sharp divisions between neighborhoods. It’s one thing to talk about America’s persisting racial segregation problem in abstract terms; it’s quite another to see it writ large in crayola-box color, as in the below map of Madison put together in 2011 by the UW Applied Population Lab.
But herein lies a rub: maps like this might better represent a phenomenon, but they can only be as truthful about it, at most, as the underlying data. Census maps of any kind may serve to make certain people invisible—those without addresses. The nonprofit organization Porchlight estimates that over 3,500 people each year experience homelessness in Madison. Can a map like this tell us something about who the homeless are?
I was first struck by this question about two years ago, when I first saw the APL map at a statewide conference of GIS professionals. Staring mesmerizedly at the poster, I suddenly noticed a surprising incongruity.
In a sea of green dots representing white people, one census block was populated almost entirely by blue, representing African-Americans. Living in a U.S. city, you come to expect such segregation at the neighborhood level, but a single block? What was going on here? This block in particular happened to be across the street from the apartment I was living in at the time, and I knew that it was not a very residential one, but was home to businesses and light industry. I thought through my mental map of what was there. A Goodyear garage. A warehouse? A post office. It struck me that there was a USPS carrier annex somewhere along that side of East Washington Avenue quite close to my apartment, and I came to the conclusion that all those blue dots must represent mailing addresses that few people with homes would use, i.e., P.O. Boxes.
This isn’t quite the end of the story. What prompted me to go back and write about this was a conversation I had in the car the other day with my fiancée and her mother, who is a sociologist, in which I pointed out this phenomenon. In seeking to verify what I thought I was seeing to write about it intelligently, I discovered that I had misremembered the exact location of the post office, and in fact it was one block over from the peculiar census block. I also called them up, and it turns out this particular carrier annex does not have post office boxes or accept general delivery. I used Google Maps to survey what actually is on the mystery block that might account for non-resident addresses, and it turns out to be:
I called up the Salvation Army, and the woman I spoke to informed me that yes, they did have “quite a few” people who received mail there; she wasn’t quite sure how many, but estimated 20-50 at any given time. But I count 131 dots on the block. There also is a 32-unit upscale condo development on the back side of the block facing Mifflin Street completed in 2008, although with units going for $190-$400K during the big real estate crunch, I’m going to guess they weren’t quite full up when census workers came around in 2010. Perhaps the Salvation Army’s social workers were helping people who didn’t usually get mail there fill out census forms as well, using their address? It also seems likely that many of those 20-50 individuals have dependent children who would have been reported on the forms. If we had the individual addresses on the forms, we eliminate the condo-dwellers and see for sure who was relying on an institutional address. One thing we can say with some confidence, though, is that most people belonging to the latter category were black. And that says something about who is homeless in Madison. | <urn:uuid:008f85d5-ceca-4dea-bf2e-460ac3c08e5d> | CC-MAIN-2019-35 | https://northlandia.wordpress.com/2014/03/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-35/segments/1566027314667.60/warc/CC-MAIN-20190819052133-20190819074133-00519.warc.gz | en | 0.974478 | 1,075 | 2.84375 | 3 |
Wind Project Development
How do you know if your community is an appropriate location for a wind power project, and what rules guide the location and construction of a wind project? Wind power project development involves steps such as:
Choosing an appropriate site for a wind turbine or wind farm is critical to a successful project and involves assessing wind speed, site terrain, the local community and environment, and relevant public policies, as well as determining the appropriate wind turbine technology. WINDExchange provides site selection resources and tools to aid the development of responsible wind energy projects.
An essential element of planning any energy project is estimating costs and benefits. WINDExchange provides information related to the economic impacts from wind energy development, including jobs.
As with all energy projects, wildlife impacts from wind project development vary by location. Learn how pre- and post-development studies, educated siting, and mitigation measures can be used to understand and limit the potential impact of wind development to local wildlife.
Properly sited wind projects can easily coexist with the local community. WINDExchange provides information to help communities understand the physical impacts of local wind development and answer questions about the technology and noise, shadow flicker, radar, and TV and radio signal interference. | <urn:uuid:ccbd6fd2-c097-4ce4-99ae-4507eb5dc006> | CC-MAIN-2019-13 | https://windexchange.energy.gov/projects | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-13/segments/1552912202303.66/warc/CC-MAIN-20190320064940-20190320090940-00430.warc.gz | en | 0.904249 | 253 | 3.40625 | 3 |
Since theirdiscovery 40 years ago, pulsars ?? the rapidly spinning, highly magnetizedcrushed cores of exploded stars ? have largely been detected via the pulsingradio signals emitted by their lighthouse beam-like jets. But astronomers have suspectedthat these pulses give only the slightest hint of the true power of thesecosmic dynamos.
With thelaunch of NASA?s FermiGamma-ray Space Telescope (formerly GLAST) in June of last year, scientistsare finally getting a glimpse of the powerful hearts of these stellar beasts.In its first four months of operation,Fermi detected more than three dozen pulsars, 12 of which are new gamma-ray-onlypulsars.
"Weknow of 1,800 pulsars, but until Fermi we saw only little wisps of energy fromall but a handful of them," said pulsar astronomer Roger Romani ofStanford University in California. "Now, for dozens of pulsars, we'reseeing the actual power of these machines."
Theastronomers now find that some pulsar bursts are generated far above the star'ssurface.
Romani andhis colleagues presented the Fermi findings earlier this month at the annualmeeting of the American Astronomical Society in Long Beach, Calif. Romani saidthat these were just the "first wave of such discoveries," and thatthey will usher in "a new era of high-energy pulsar physics."
Pulsars(short for "pulsating star") were first discovered in 1967 by JocelynBell Burnell and Anthony Hewish. The astronomers were perplexed by theincredibly regular radio emissions they detected; they first thought they couldbe transmissions from extraterrestrial civilizations.
Astronomerslater determined that pulsars were actually rapidlyspinning neutron stars, the extremely dense and heavy crushed cores leftbehind when a massive star explodes.
The pulsingradio signals from the stars are thought to be caused by narrow,lighthouse-like beams emanating from the stars' magnetic poles. If a star'sspin axis doesn't align exactly with its magnetic poles, these beams sweepacross the sky. The pulses can repeat in anywhere from a few milliseconds to afew seconds.
If one ofthose beams happens to swing in Earth's direction, astronomers can detect thesignal with radio telescopes. Unfortunately that makes any census of pulsarsautomatically biased because it can't count the pulsars that don't send theirbeams our way.
"Thathas colored our understanding of neutron stars for 40 years," Romani said.
And whileradio beams are easy to detect, they account for only a tiny fraction (a fewparts in a million) of a pulsar's total power. Gamma rays, on the other hand,account for 10 percent or more. That's where Fermi comes in.
"Forthe first time, Fermi is giving us an independent look at what heavy starsdo," Romani said.
A pulsar'sintense electric and magnetic fields and rapid spin accelerate particles toclose to the speed oflight. Gamma rays let astronomers glimpse the particle accelerator's heart.
Fermi'sobservations of gamma rays in new and previously known pulsars is forcingastronomers to revise their picture of how these particle accelerators work andhow the gamma rays are emitted.
"Weused to think the gamma rays emerged near the neutron star's surface from thepolar cap, where the radio beams form," said astrophysicist Alice Harding ofNASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. She helped present thefindings. "The new gamma-ray-only pulsars put that idea to rest."
The picturethat is now emerging is one of pulsed gamma rays arising far above the neutronstar. For theVela pulsar, the brightest persistent gamma-ray source in the sky, theemission region is thought to lie about 300 miles from the star, which itselfhas a diameter of just 20 miles.
Particlesproduce the gamma rays as they accelerate along arcs of the pulsar's openmagnetic field. This model means that gamma rays would be beamed broadly acrossthe sky, not in the narrow beam like the radio signals.
Thisfinding "puts the nail in the coffin of the classic polar cap model,"Romani said.
There isstill some debate as to whether gamma ray emission starts at high altitudesover the star or from the star's surface and emanates all the way out.
"Sofar, Fermi observations to date cannot distinguish which of these models iscorrect," Harding said.
Fermi alsopicked up pulsed gamma rays from seven "millisecond pulsars," socalled because they spin between 100 and 1,000 times a second.
These rapidrotators, even by pulsar standards, move at up to one tenth of the speed oflight.
Far olderthan "normal" pulsars such as the Vela pulsar, these speed demonsseem to break the rules because pulsars tend to slow in their rotation as theyage (the 10,000-year-old CTA 1 pulsar, which the Fermi team announced inOctober, slows by about a second every 87,000 years).
Millisecondpulsars seem to get a second lease on life because they reside in binary starsystems. As their companion star ages and expands, it does so to the pointwhere the pulsar can start to siphon off material, forming an accretion disk.The accretion disk has force that speeds up the pulsar, allowing it to rotate "atthis furious rate for about a billion years tomorrow," Harding said.
Thesediscoveries are likely just the beginning of what Fermi will find in terms ofnearby pulsars, Harding said. "We probably will be discovering a lot more."
- Video: Find Out About Fermi Part 1, Part 2
- The Strangest Things in Space
- Top 10 Star Mysteries | <urn:uuid:99611b3a-f0f7-4782-a0e2-f789d357057a> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | https://www.space.com/6327-fast-spinning-stars-image.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560627998913.66/warc/CC-MAIN-20190619043625-20190619065625-00494.warc.gz | en | 0.916834 | 1,243 | 3.328125 | 3 |
On December 3rd, CBM, Humanity & Inclusion – Handicap International (HI), and the International Disability Alliance (IDA) mark the International Day of Persons with Disabilities by releasing a collection of 39 examples of field practices inclusive of persons with disabilities in humanitarian context and disaster risk reduction (DRR), from 20 countries of intervention. Published right after the launch of the IASC Guidelines on Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in Humanitarian Action, this report aims to support their uptake and promote learning by example.
The report shows that deliberate and proactive action is required to ensure that persons with disabilities from all constituencies are systematically included and meaningfully participate in DRR and humanitarian preparedness, response and recovery. It draws lessons from field practices, but does not provide technical guidance. The newly published IASC Guidelines are the reference document to seek in-depth theoretical and technical information.
Inclusive humanitarian action for persons with disabilities is an emerging area for most actors implementing the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), engaged in commitments taken at the 2016 World Humanitarian Summit and who have endorsed the Charter on Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in Humanitarian Action. It is also an evolving concept, and it is therefore essential that evidence be gathered to provide replicable examples of good practices from the field to support the systemic change required by humanitarian stakeholders.
The case studies included in the report focus on:
Inclusive disaster risk reduction and preparedness, showing how DRR and preparedness benefit by ensuring access and participation to persons with disabilities and organizations of persons with disabilities (OPDs).
Collecting and using disability disaggregated data for assessments and programming, such as through participatory research and rapid assessment studies on the situation of persons with disabilities during and after disasters.
Participation of persons with disabilities and their representative organizations in humanitarian response and recovery, including projects led by OPDs, or done in collaboration between NGOs and OPDs.
Removing barriers to access humanitarian assistance and protection though projects in which persons with disabilities and OPDs are at the center of assessing and addressing those barriers, and examples of humanitarian actors seeking external technical support.
Influencing coordination mechanisms and resource mobilization, such as through disability-focused coordination mechanisms, as well as by influencing national Humanitarian Response Plans and pooled funding.
The publication has been supported by the Australian Government and the European Union Humanitarian Aid. | <urn:uuid:d70a09a9-c882-40d6-bbb1-fdcad39d35e7> | CC-MAIN-2021-21 | https://reliefweb.int/report/world/inclusion-persons-disabilities-humanitarian-action-39-examples-field-practices-and | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-21/segments/1620243988753.97/warc/CC-MAIN-20210506114045-20210506144045-00549.warc.gz | en | 0.940552 | 491 | 2.734375 | 3 |
Preventing Pet Poisoning
by Lee Chambers
March is Pet Poison Prevention Awareness Month, and the best way to keep your pet safe is to pet proof your home for hazards. While we all do our best, sometimes accidents may happen, and they can get into things they shouldn’t. If you suspect your pet has ingested something poisonous (like an item listed below), notify your veterinarian or 24-hour emergency animal hospital right away. You can also reach out to the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435.
- Xylitol (A sweetener found in many sugarless foods)
- Insecticides including sprays meant for people
- Bait stations
- Organophosphates (A substance found in rose-care products)
- Mouse and rat poisons
- NSAIDS (Drugs like ibuprofen and naproxen)
- Essential oils
- Dryer sheets
- Laundry pods
- Cleaning products containing alcohol, ammonia, bleach, benzalkonium chloride, hydrogen peroxide, or chemical compounds that contain the word “phenol,”
- Grout sealers
- Toilet water (If treated with cleaning tablets or an attached cleaning agent, keep dogs and cats from drinking out of the commode!)
With Easter coming, remember that lilies are a serious danger to cats, and certain varieties are toxic to dogs too. Peace and calla lilies, amaryllis, lily of the valley, autumn crocus and the common houseplant, giant Dracaena or palm lily, are considered dangerous to dogs by the ASPCA.
When you’re pet-proofing your home, act as if you’re baby-proofing it. Medications should go in high places where pets can’t reach. Garbage barrels need a tight lid on them to prevent foraging, and keep harmful cigarette butts away from animals. Let’s keep our pets by our side, healthy and happy. | <urn:uuid:d49ffeb6-31e4-40fe-83c6-27c2fceb40bd> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://www.dakinhumane.org/blog-full/preventing-pet-poisoning.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030335504.22/warc/CC-MAIN-20220930181143-20220930211143-00262.warc.gz | en | 0.889861 | 502 | 2.609375 | 3 |
This advice-column-style blog for SLPs was authored by Pam Marshalla from 2006 to 2015, the archives of which can be explored here. Use the extensive keywords list found in the right-hand column (on mobile: at the bottom of the page) to browse specific topics, or use the search feature to locate specific words or phrases throughout the entire blog.
Q: I have a 9-year-old boy on my caseload who may have a mild dysarthria. He passes an articulation test but his connected speech is unintelligible. I’ve read all your posts that relate to this, and I understand the goals of elocution to target. Do you have a format that works best for teaching elocution? Should I start with lists of sentences, children’s poetry, or do you have another route or format to
Great question! The absolute best way to do this is to work in conversation. You can use sentences, paragraphs, poems, song lyrics, and jokes (jokes the best idea!) as a jumping off point. But your best work has to be done in conversation.
I use what I call “pencil talking,” where the kid and I tap out each syllable with the eraser against the table. We each tap out every syllable we speak as we talk, using this to help us punch out each syllable. The client therefore engages in conversation because this is where he has to learn this control.
He can talk about anything- what he doesn’t like, the homework he hates doing, the teachers who bug him the most, the way his brothers and sisters drive him crazy- these are the things he may open up about. Or talk about his passions and pursuits.
The key to conversation is to help the child (especially boys) not feel on the spot. Give him something to do with his hands – like drawing while talking, or fiddling with a transformer, or putting a puzzle together. Research shows that males talk more opening when they don’t have to look at the other person and when they are working with their hands. | <urn:uuid:b212383a-1fb6-43a8-bd6a-38806be171d4> | CC-MAIN-2019-09 | https://pammarshalla.com/pencil-talking-for-connected-speech/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-09/segments/1550247484928.52/warc/CC-MAIN-20190218094308-20190218120308-00323.warc.gz | en | 0.966271 | 438 | 2.765625 | 3 |
About the Chilkat
The Chilkat watershed is a large glacial river system draining 1,400 square miles from the Chilkat glacier in British Columbia to a delta near Haines, Alaska. Chilkat means “salmon storehouse” in the Tlingit language, and true to its name the Chilkat watershed sustains high value rearing and spawning areas for all five species of Pacific salmon. Wild salmon spawning and rearing takes place primarily in Alaska, where late salmon runs from October to February attract thousands of bald eagles. Unusual upwellings in the river keep the Chilkat ice free longer than other rivers in the region, allowing eagles access to its salmon bounty. The world’s largest concentration of bald eagles is located in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve, designated as a State critical habitat area covering 48,000 acres of river bottomland of the Chilkat, Kleheni, and Tsirku Rivers.
Threats to Conservation
Constantine Metals is exploring the Palmer Project, which it terms “North America’s next major massive sulfide find", in the upper reaches of the Chilkat watershed. Sulfide deposits are associated with acid mine drainage, and an acid producing mine, upstream from the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve, could threaten wild salmon spawning and rearing habitat in the Chilkat watershed.
Salmon habitat in the watershed is also threatened by jet boat tours in the Bald Eagle Preserve. Fully loaded 30 passenger commercial jet boats with twin 150 horsepower engines are allowed to run over occupied salmon habitat, when research has shown that even a single pass from a much smaller, less powerful boat can cause salmon egg mortality. A long-term impact on salmon eggs, rearing juvenile salmon, and salmon spawning and rearing habitat could be expected in the absence of stricter protections.
The state of Alaska has proposed a major upgrade of the Haines highway, including the portion in the Bald Eagle Preserve. Critics argue that very little upgrade is needed for this relatively low use road to the B.C. border, especially when the proposed construction would significantly impact the habitat of eagles as well as that of salmon on which the eagles feed. | <urn:uuid:c80f6ec3-7879-454d-bd12-87714fedd1b3> | CC-MAIN-2022-21 | http://wildborderwatersheds.org/watersheds/chilkat/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-21/segments/1652662529538.2/warc/CC-MAIN-20220519141152-20220519171152-00598.warc.gz | en | 0.927843 | 466 | 3.6875 | 4 |
There are total 10 letters in Enologists, Starting with E and ending with S. In Enologists E is 5th, N is 14th, O is 15th, L is 12th, G is 7th, I is 9th, S is 19th, T is 20th letters in Alphabet Series.
Total 525 words created by multiple letters combination of Enologists in English Dictionary.
Enologists is a scrabble word? Yes (11 Points)
Enologists has worth 11 Scrabble points. Each letter point as below. | <urn:uuid:08ea3ecf-501f-4916-baed-b8ac51d71422> | CC-MAIN-2017-47 | http://wordcreation.info/how-many-words-made-out-of-enologists.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-47/segments/1510934806426.72/warc/CC-MAIN-20171121204652-20171121224652-00779.warc.gz | en | 0.984503 | 112 | 2.515625 | 3 |
|Posted on September 11, 2016 at 11:40 PM|
What the concerns, the obstacles, the myths?
BYOD – Bring Your Own Device. A pedagogical practice that many schools have integrated. Albeit that many schools are at different stages of implementing this new technological program to support 21st century learning in their own schools, they have all overcome similar obstacles and experiences that schools whom are about to implement BYOD could learn from. Overall, BYOD in Australian high schools has been highly successful. Those schools whom have implemented it, are continuing their programs with few refinements. BYOD has proven to increase student learning by providing real-time access to information and the ability for students and teachers to collaborate and communicate with other.
From the Principals Desk
As a Principal of a rather large high school, there are a number of factors that must be considered. Implementing a BYOD program is not as simple as asking all students to purchase a computer to use in the classroom. A number of stakeholders must be consulted prior to the implementation and their input must be considered and used to formulate the correct BYOD program that will best accommodate the needs of our students and teachers. I place great faith in my staff and their level of expertise and in doing so, rely on them to inform me of the best practice and the best way to proceed with going forward with implementing BYOD.
In addition to working with my staff, I was also required to ensure accessibility to resources by all staff and students. Creating an equity program is pivotal to ensure that all students are able to partake in the program. My key role is to ensure that the program is coordinated and implemented efficiently and effectively and to assist the school community, namely parents and students to be accurately informed of the schools’ requirements when purchasing a new device that can be used.
From the ICT Integrators Desk
Apart from this, the overall process of commissioning and using devices in the school has been seamless. Students rarely experience a technical problem when using their device at school.
From a Professional Development point of view, teachers have really embraced using BYOD in the classroom. They are seeking for assistance when needed and are taking more and more risks in the classroom. We are not finding any teachers reluctant to introduce and use technology in their classrooms which denotes that teaches recognize the importance of BYOD.
From the Teachers Desk
From a teaching perspective, BYOD has worked better in some classes than others. It can get frustrating when students either don’t have a commissioned device or have not brought their device to school. Although there are school policies in place to encourage students to be ready for learning with their device, as a teacher, I often have to prepare worksheets as an alternative for those students who don’t have their computers with them.
When all students do have their devices, the lessons work so well. I am able to do Project Based Learning with my students and they are so engaged. My students have been able to increase their skills and demonstrate their understanding of the content to a very high degree. BYOD has definitely changed the way that students learn and how I teach. It is definitely something that I have and will continue to embrace.
From the Students Desk
I am a year 8 student and so far I have mixed feelings about BYOD. This is because it is still pretty new in my school which means that some teachers use BYOD and others do not. What makes it difficult is that I still have to carry books in my bag as well as my computer which makes my bag quite heavy to carry (especially when I need to carry my PE uniform and schools).
I love it when we use BYOD in the classroom, because it’s a fun and an easy way to learn. We learn how to use new tools every day and all of my teachers show me something new which is great. I really like that I get to use my own computer and not a school computer because it makes it even easier to be consistent in my learning because I’m confident when using my computer and know how it works without asking for help. I think the best part about BYOD is that I can access my homework on the Internet so I don’t have to worry about writing my work down in my diary or in my books. Everything is online and if I need help from my teachers, I can just email them and they will usually reply to me pretty quickly.
From the Parents Desk
As a parent of four children, it is a concern when schools introduce BYOD programs namely because of the costs involved. However, our school has been very good in allowing us to purchase any type of computer provided that it meets a basic technical specifications guide. This allowed me to buy relatively cheap devices that would provide my children with the best learning experience that they could gain when using a computer at school. Although it feels like my children are always on the computer at home, I have noticed that they have changed the way they complete their work. They don’t just use Word, but a lot of tools that I have never heard of and when they show me what they have created, I am always impressed with their abilities. I cant believe how much that they can achieve academically by using their computer and can already see the benefits of them using it to learn. | <urn:uuid:c867be35-5094-49ca-8abe-bcf46435262f> | CC-MAIN-2020-05 | https://www.noelenecallaghan.com/apps/blog/show/44161905-byod-after-implementation | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579251705142.94/warc/CC-MAIN-20200127174507-20200127204507-00131.warc.gz | en | 0.978458 | 1,086 | 2.703125 | 3 |
The Red-Tailed Hawk is a bird of prey that breeds throughout most of North America, from the interior of Alaska and northern Canada to as far south as Panama and the West Indies. It is one of the most common members within the genus of Buteo in North America or worldwide. The red-tailed hawk is one of three species colloquially known in the United States as the "chicken hawk," though it rarely preys on standard-sized chickens. The cry of the red-tailed hawk is a two to three second hoarse, rasping scream, variously transcribed as kree-eee-ar, tsee-eeee-arrr or sheeeeee, that begins at a high pitch and slurs downward. This cry is often described as sounding similar to a steam whistle. | <urn:uuid:583432d4-f80e-4fb8-9ef6-bcdf8933f176> | CC-MAIN-2022-49 | https://www.ourwildnature.org/red-tailed-hawk | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-49/segments/1669446710533.96/warc/CC-MAIN-20221128135348-20221128165348-00332.warc.gz | en | 0.976157 | 181 | 3.15625 | 3 |
- How long do Kiwi birds live?
- Which is the only bird that can fly backward?
- Why do Kiwi birds have no wings?
- Can Kiwi birds swim?
- What do you call a group of Kiwis?
- How many Kiwi birds are left 2019?
- Are Kiwi birds friendly?
- Why is the kiwi egg so big?
- Do Kiwis come out in the rain?
- What are baby kiwi birds called?
- Do Kiwis have arms?
- Can Kiwis run fast?
How long do Kiwi birds live?
20 – 30 yearsKiwis are relatively long – lived birds.
Branding studies have not been going long enough to give a good indication of life expectancy, but 20 – 30 years is probable.
Several brown and little spotted kiwis have lived in captivity for 20 years or more and one North Island brown is approaching 40..
Which is the only bird that can fly backward?
HummingbirdsHummingbirds are the only birds that can fly backwards and upside down.
Why do Kiwi birds have no wings?
What’s so unusual? Kiwi are flightless – their Latin species name is Apteryx, which means wingless. They belong to an ancient group of birds that can’t fly – the ratites. Because they can’t fly, how they arrived in New Zealand is not completely clear.
Can Kiwi birds swim?
Kiwi feathers are very different to those of most birds. It comes down to the feather’s structure. In most birds, feathers are connected by hooks or barbs that lock together and make it possible for birds to swim or fly without losing too much energy, even over very long distances.
What do you call a group of Kiwis?
Kittiwakes (Black-legged), a flock of. Kiwi(s), a tribe of. Knots, a cluster of.
How many Kiwi birds are left 2019?
68,000 kiwisIn 2019, it’s estimated there are 68,000 kiwis left, and the population is still steadily falling. There were once about 12 million kiwi, but in 1998, the population had plummeted to fewer than 100,000 birds.
Are Kiwi birds friendly?
Kiwis are also aggressive when provoked and extremely territorial. They make for dangerous pets on account of their razor sharp claws and when they smell danger, they are likely to bite. Another problem is that the Kiwi bird is nocturnal.
Why is the kiwi egg so big?
The giant egg means that kiwi chicks hatch pretty much ready to run, with a belly full of yolk that they can live off of for their first two and a half weeks of life.
Do Kiwis come out in the rain?
When I came back, he was still not sure he was going out as it was raining and it is difficult to track kiwi in the rain as you have to listen for them foraging in the forest and rain makes it difficult for you to hear them when they are 10 feet away. …
What are baby kiwi birds called?
Kiwi chicks hatch as mini-adults – fully feathered and open-eyed. Their beaks are soft and pink. Kiwi parents do not need to feed their young because the chick can survive off the rich egg yolk for several days.
Do Kiwis have arms?
The vestigial wings are so small that they are invisible under the bristly, hair-like, two-branched feathers. While most adult birds have bones with hollow insides to minimise weight and make flight practicable, kiwi have marrow, like mammals and the young of other birds.
Can Kiwis run fast?
In the wild, kiwi are big travellers, superbly adapted to their natural habitat, agile and quick-moving. A bird can cover his or her territory – possibly the size of 60 football fields – in a single night. And, unlike a football field, not all the ground is flat. If alarmed, kiwi can run as fast as a person. | <urn:uuid:53480ca7-0310-4cb9-bfc2-7017896c3677> | CC-MAIN-2021-04 | https://chicsconnect.com/qa/quick-answer-how-fast-can-kiwi-birds-run.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-04/segments/1610704792131.69/warc/CC-MAIN-20210125220722-20210126010722-00595.warc.gz | en | 0.961136 | 880 | 3.265625 | 3 |
Oh pasta, how we love thee. But if you ever feel guilty about eating it, you really shouldn't say experts. A new consensus reached by health experts has us all smiling about spaghetti, penne and ravioli!
Just this week, an international committee of scientists and food authorities released a statement concluding that eating pasta does not contribute to obesity, and shouldn't be frowned upon. In fact, they note, pasta eaters tend to be healthier--often eating greater quantities of vegetables and legumes than those who abstain from pasta.
This all comes from The Scientific Consensus Conference on the Healthy Pasta Meal, a two-day conference organized by the non-profit organization Oldways last month.
The conference featured scientists from 13 countries exchanging information about their latest research on carbohydrates, nutrition, health, and pasta. This research was summarized in the Consensus Statement in a form that can be used by doctors, health professionals, dietitians, scientists, media, the food industry, and consumers. This statement serves as an important expansion and update of an earlier Pasta Consensus Statement developed with scientists from six countries and released at an Oldways Conference in Rome in 2004.
"...The scientists noted that pasta meals are affordable and are an important way to eat more vegetables, legumes and other healthy ingredients that are typically underconsumed in cultures around the world," said Sara Baer-Sinnott, president of Oldways.
This jives with my feelings on pasta, too. Pasta is a great vehicle for vegetables! Just get the most from your noodles by making sure they're whole grain.
Are you a pasta lover? How does it fit into a healthy diet for you? | <urn:uuid:d90b61f9-7dd7-4fc9-95c9-0b697bb42add> | CC-MAIN-2013-48 | http://www.glamour.com/health-fitness/blogs/vitamin-g/2010/11/love-pasta-why-your-favorite-f.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-48/segments/1386164964633/warc/CC-MAIN-20131204134924-00011-ip-10-33-133-15.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957645 | 346 | 2.671875 | 3 |
Vector space is a space consisting of vectors, together with the associative and commutative operation of addition of vectors, and the associative and distributive operation of multiplication of vectors by scalars.
For each $W \subseteq V \ $ if $\ W$ is a vector space itself (which means that it is closed under operations of addition and scalar multiplication), with the same vector space operations as $V$ has, then $W$ is a subspace of $V$.
Give an example of 3 subspaces of $V$ such that $w_1 \cap (w_2+w_3) \neq (w_1 \cap w_2) + (w_1 \cap w_3)$
Note: I tried everything i could but the two sides are equal in all of my examples ...
Thanks in advance. | <urn:uuid:1ab7e4b5-bbbe-4528-b928-d9c2355050f2> | CC-MAIN-2020-16 | https://math.stackexchange.com/questions/2018660/an-example-of-3-subspaces-of-v-such-that-w-1-cap-w-2w-3-neq-w-1-cap-w | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-16/segments/1585370505731.37/warc/CC-MAIN-20200401130837-20200401160837-00411.warc.gz | en | 0.933557 | 181 | 2.6875 | 3 |
Flathead Lake is one of the cleanest lakes in the populated world for its size and type. It is the largest natural freshwater lake by surface area that is west of the Mississippi River in the contiguous United States. The lake has a maximum depth of 370.7 ft, and an average of 164.7 ft. This makes Flathead Lake deeper than the average depths of the Yellow Sea or the Persian Gulf. Polson Bay, at the lake's outlet, was raised 10 ft by Kerr Dam. | <urn:uuid:0d26f74c-ef89-46d3-8fbb-6fa39064cb89> | CC-MAIN-2018-17 | https://californiaskier.com/destination/flathead-lake-montana/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-17/segments/1524125946077.4/warc/CC-MAIN-20180423144933-20180423164933-00052.warc.gz | en | 0.958746 | 102 | 2.78125 | 3 |
Hazing has become an important topic over the past decade or so. Parents, we might remember a time when hazing was just routine and was of very little consequence.
Maybe as a freshman on your school football team, you had to pack up all of the equipment after practice, or perhaps if you joined a fraternity or a sorority in college, you had to do cumbersome chores and silly tasks for leadership until you were finally initiated.
The act of hazing may not have always been such a serious topic. Most organizations that give newbies a hard time might be trying to make new members “pay dues” or simply become acclimated and familiar with a hierarchy. But the definition of hazing has since changed dramatically.
Hazing has become a borderline inhumane practice that is far too similar to actual bullying. There have been many examples where hazing that was considered harmless has resulted in terrible outcomes such has injury or even death.
The National Federation of High School Associates (NFHS) defines hazing as the following: any humiliating or dangerous activity expected of a student to belong to a group, regardless of their willingness to participate.
The NFHS goes on to list acts that can be construed as hazing. The list includes:
- physical punishment (often in the form of paddling or “red-bellying”
- consuming harmful or unsuitable beverages or food
- being deprived of personal hygiene
Bullying vs. Hazing
What makes hazing a complex issue is that it’s often interchanged with bullying, and while the two are very similar, they are differences.
Hazingprevention.org does a really superb job at separating the two with the following:
The DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HAZING AND BULLYING is subtle, which is why they’re often used interchangeably. The same power dynamics are involved. The same intimidation tactics are used. The same second-class citizenship issues arise. The only real difference between hazing and bullying is that bullying usually involves singling out an individual at any time and bullying them as a means to exclude them. Hazing, on the other hand, involves including people by having them “earn” their way into a group or onto a team. Bullying is about exclusion. Hazing is about inclusion.
This is a pivotal component of hazing that makes it even more alarming. People being hazed are often participating on their own free will. Sometimes, the participant may even know what to expect. For example, if there’s hazing involved in a high school sports, a “ritual” might be handed down from class to class, with incoming freshmen being fully aware of what to expect.
While bullying is just as detestable, bullies are easy to identify. Someone being bullied will often times ask for help, hoping to nullify the behavior of the bully. But hazing demands acceptance, which makes its prevention exponentially more difficult.
Alfred University conducted a national study among 60,000 collegiate athletes that produced the following shocking results:
- 79 percent of responding students said they have been hazed (255,637 athletes nationally)
- 60 percent of responding students said they would not report the hazing
- 48 percent of those same student said they would not report the hazing because “accidents sometimes happen,” and that “it’s not a problem”
The University of Maine also produced a survey encompassing 100,000 collegiate students that echoes similar concerns, but this was relegated to all college students, not just athletes:
- More than 50 percent of students surveyed claimed to have experienced hazing as part of a club, team or organization
- 47 percent of students experienced hazing before coming to college
- Alcohol consumption, humiliation, isolation, sleep- deprivation, and sex acts are common hazing practices
The surveys illustrate an unfortunate trend in America today and emphasizes the fact that many will willingly participate in hazing and say nothing. Furthermore, it illustrates the significant amount of hazing occurring nationwide that isn’t being reported by anyone.
The following are some recent real-life examples detailing the enormous consequences of abuse rituals:
The Baruch College Incident
There was a saddening incident that involved hazing, which actually resulted in the death of a college student. ABC News reported the death of a Baruch College freshman at the hands of nearly 30 fraternity brothers. According to the report, the fraternity in question was practicing a hazing ritual known as “glass ceiling.” This particular freshman was forced to walk blind-folded carrying pounds of sand in a backpack. As he walked, he was allegedly routinely shoved, hit, and knocked over. He fatally fell, hit his head and tragically passed away within hours.
The 30-or-so members in attendance are now being sought for possible homicide charges.
In what might be perhaps the most recent famous example of hazing, this nasty incident happening among grown adults and professional football players. It’s no secret the rookies of the NFL are often singled out and asked to do things for the more senior players. But few had any idea the extent that this went.
Richard Incognito, a large white offensive lineman used various racial and hateful remarks to fellow offensive linemen rookie Jonathan Martin. Many remarks were aimed at Martin’s skin color. The world was given a first-hand account of what Martin had to endure when Incognito’s voicemail to Martin was released.
The incident brought a lot of terrible tendencies to light. The behavior doesn’t just start at the NFL. This kind of behavior has roots. What bothers many people about the incident was the refusal of any players or coaches who happened to know what was happening to act. But when you’ve been acclimated to something for so long, it can be desensitizing.
Not that it’s an excuse. Just a possible reason why those witnessing a haze might do nothing to stop it.
If you or your child are aware of hazing, it is vital that an administrator is notified, whether it be a teacher, principal, coach, volunteer — whoever is in charge should be notified immediately. This is important not only for the victims suffering the hazing, but for future victims who will more than likely participate in the same shameful actions.
It is very possible that your child might be hesitant to tell an administrator. While he may confide in you and bring the incident to your attention, your child may ask that you not say or do anything, for fear of being labeled a “snitch,” at school.
Do not let this deter you. It is important that you explain to your child the importance of putting an end to this practice as soon as possible. Even if he or she is mad at you now, they’ll one day appreciate the action you take when they’re old enough to understand the severity of hazing.
The key to prevention is good policy. And good policy, in relation to hazing, demands a zero-tolerance approach. Whether it’s in a classroom or a sports team, it must be made explicitly clear that any hazing of any kinds will be grounds for acute disciplinary action. Showing students or players how serious the repercussions of hazing are might be enough to demonstrate just how serious the act itself really is.
The following are steps that prevent and ultimately mitigate hazing:
- Education – Only by informing parents, teachers, coaches or players about the occurrence of hazing, whether it’s actively happening or not, will everyone involved understand its severity and how to identify it.
- Policy – Ensure a strict anti-hazing policy is implemented, either in an athletic code or a student handbook. Make sure that consequences of these actions are defined in print so that there is no misunderstanding when it’s time to take action.
- Accountability – It is vital that teachers and coaches be held accountable for what happens in their classrooms or under their general supervision. There is simply no excuse, not even ignorance. Accountability will ensure that aforementioned strict policy will be enforced.
- Attention – Any rumor of hazing, even if made in a passing joke, must be interrogated. It is almost negligent to dismiss a rumor or a joke about hazing.
- Positive Ritual – Remember, hazing is primarily about acceptance or inclusion into something. So try to instill something fun and positive as a means of initiation. A group activity or a team-building exercise are perfect for breaking the ice and establishing positive relationships going forward. | <urn:uuid:3b236b6d-205c-484b-8ebf-ee8585145c2f> | CC-MAIN-2018-09 | http://nobullying.com/hazing/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-09/segments/1518891813691.14/warc/CC-MAIN-20180221163021-20180221183021-00288.warc.gz | en | 0.966488 | 1,779 | 3.609375 | 4 |
This report, based on a study conducted by the National Science
Board (NSB), aims to inform the national dialogue on the current
state and future direction of the science and engineering (S&E)
infrastructure. It highlights the role of the National Science Foundation
(NSF) as well as the larger resource and management strategies of
interest to Federal policymakers in both the executive and legislative
CONTEXT AND FRAMEWORK FOR THE STUDY
There can be no doubt that a modern and effective research infrastructure
is critical to maintaining U.S. leadership in S&E. New tools
have opened vast research frontiers and fueled technological innovation
in fields such as biotechnology, nanotechnology, and communications.
The degree to which infrastructure is regarded as central to experimental
research is indicated by the number of Nobel Prizes awarded for
the development of new instrument technology. During the past twenty
years, eight Nobel Prizes in physics were awarded for technologies
such as the electron and scanning tunneling microscopes, laser and
neutron spectroscopy, particle detectors, and the integrated circuit.
Recent concepts of infrastructure are expanding to include distributed
systems of hardware, software, information bases, and automated
aids for data analysis and interpretation. Enabled by information
technology, a qualitatively different and new S&E infrastructure
has evolved, delivering greater computational power, increased access,
distribution and shared use, and new research tools, such as data
analysis and interpretation aids, web-accessible databases, archives,
and collaboratories. Many viable research questions can be answered
only through the use of new generations of these powerful tools.
Among Federal agencies, NSF is a leader in providing the academic
community with access to forefront instrumentation and facilities.
Much of this infrastructure is intended to address currently intractable
research questions, the answers to which may transform current scientific
thinking. In an era of fast-paced discovery, it is imperative that
NSF's infrastructure investments provide the maximum benefit to
the entire S&E community. NSF must be prepared to assume a greater
S&E infrastructure role for the benefit of the Nation.
STRATEGY FOR THE CONDUCT OF THE STUDY
The Board, through its Task Force on S&E Infrastructure (INF),
engaged in a number of activities designed to assess the general
state and direction of the academic research infrastructure and
illuminate the most promising future opportunities. These activities
included reviewing the current literature, analyzing quantitative
survey data, soliciting input from experts in the S&E community,
discussing infrastructure topics with representatives from the Office
of Management and Budget (OMB), Office of Science and Technology
Policy (OSTP), and other Federal agencies, and surveying NSF's principal
directorates and offices on S&E infrastructure needs and opportunities.
A draft report was released for public comment on the NSB/INF Web
site. Many comments were received and carefully considering in producing
the final draft of this report (see Appendix C).
PRINCIPAL FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Over the past decade, the funding for academic research infrastructure
has not kept pace with rapidly changing technology, expanding research
opportunities, and increasing numbers of users. Information technology
and other technologies have enabled the development of many new
S&E tools and made others more powerful, remotely usable, and
connectable. The new tools being developed make researchers more
productive and able to do more complex and different tasks than
they could in the past. An increasing number of researchers and
educators, working as individuals and in groups, need to be connected
to a sophisticated array of facilities, instruments, databases,
technical literature and data. Hence, there is an urgent need to
increase Federal investments to provide access for scientists and
engineers to the latest and best S&E infrastructure, as well
as to update infrastructure currently in place.
To address these concerns, the Board makes the following five recommendations
RECOMMENDATION 1: Increase the share of the NSF budget devoted
to S&E infrastructure in order to provide individual investigators
and groups of investigators with the tools they need to work at
The current 22 percent of the NSF budget devoted to infrastructure
is too low to provide adequate small and medium-scale infrastructure
and needed investment in cyberinfrastructure. A share closer to
the higher end of the historic range (22-27 percent) is desirable.
It is hoped that significant additional resources for infrastructure
will be provided through future growth of the NSF budget.
RECOMMENDATION 2: Give special emphasis to the following four
categories of infrastructure needs: 3
- Increase research to advance instrument technology and build
next-generation observational, communications, data analysis and
interpretation, and other computational tools.
Instrumentation research is often difficult and risky, requiring
the successful integration of theoretical knowledge, engineering
and software design, and information technology. In contrast to
most other infrastructure technologies, commercially available
data analysis and data interpretation software typically lags
well behind university-developed software, which is often not
funded or under funded, limiting its use and accessibility. This
research will accelerate the development of instrument technology
to ensure that future research instruments and tools are as efficient
and effective as possible.
- Address the increased need for midsize infrastructure.
While there are NSF programs for addressing "small"
and "large" infrastructure needs, none exist for infrastructure
projects costing between millions and tens of millions of dollars.
This report cites numerous examples of unfunded midsize infrastructure
needs that have long been identified as high priorities. NSF should
increase the level of funding for midsize infrastructure, as well
as develop new funding mechanisms, as appropriate, to support
- Increase support for large facility projects.
Several large facility projects have been approved for funding
by the NSB but have not been funded. At present, an annual investment
of at least $350 million is needed over several years just to
address the backlog of facility projects construction. Postponing
this investment now will not only increase the future cost of
these projects but also result in the loss of U.S. leadership
in key research fields.
- Develop and deploy an advanced cyberinfrastructure to enable
new S&E in the 21st century.
This investment should address leading-edge computation as well
as visualization facilities, data analysis and interpretation
toolkits and workbenches, data archives and libraries, and networks
of much greater power and in substantially greater quantity. Providing
access to moderate-cost computation, storage, analysis, visualization,
and communication for every researcher will lead to an even more
productive national research enterprise. Design of these new technologies
and capabilities must be guided by the needs of a variety of potential
users, including scientists and engineers from many disciplines.
This important undertaking requires a significant investment in
software and technical staff, as well as hardware. This new infrastructure
will play a critical role in creating tomorrow's research vistas.
RECOMMENDATION 3: Expand education and training opportunities
at new and existing research facilities.
Investment in S&E infrastructure is critical to developing a
21st century S&E workforce. Education, training and outreach
activities should be vital elements of all major research facility
programs. Educating people to understand how S&E instruments
and facilities work and how they uniquely contribute to knowledge
in their targeted disciplines is critical. Outreach should span
many diverse communities, including existing researchers and educators
who may become new users, undergraduate and graduate students who
may design and use future instruments, and kindergarten through
grade twelve (K-12) students, who may be motivated to become scientists
and engineers. There are also opportunities to expand access to
state-of-the-art S&E infrastructure to faculty and students
at primarily undergraduate colleges and universities.
RECOMMENDATION 4: Strengthen the infrastructure planning and
budgeting process through the following actions:
- Foster systematic assessments of U.S. academic research infrastructure
needs for both disciplinary and cross-disciplinary fields of research.
Re-assess current surveys of infrastructure needs to determine
if they fully measure and are responsive to current requirements.
- Develop specific criteria and indicators to assist in
establishing priorities and balancing infrastructure investments
across S&E disciplines and fields.
- Develop and implement budgets for infrastructure projects
that include the total costs to be incurred over the entire life-cycle
of the project, including research, planning, design, construction,
commissioning, maintenance, operations, and, to the extent possible,
- Conduct an assessment to determine the most effective
NSF budget structure for supporting S&E infrastructure projects
throughout their life-cycles, including the early research and
development that is often difficult and risky.
Because of the need for the Federal Government to act holistically
in addressing the requirements of the Nation's science and engineering
enterprise, the Board developed a fifth recommendation, aimed principally
at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the Office of Science
and Technology Policy (OSTP), and the National Science and Technology
RECOMMENDATION 5: Develop interagency plans and strategies to
do the following:
- Work with the relevant Federal agencies and the S&E
community to establish interagency infrastructure priorities that
rely on competitive merit review to select S&E infrastructure
- Stimulate the development and deployment of new infrastructure
technologies to foster a new decade of infrastructure innovation.
- Develop the next generation of the high-end high-performance
computing and networking infrastructure needed to enable a broadly
based S&E community to work at the research frontier.
- Facilitate international partnerships to enable the mutual
support and use of research facilities across national boundaries.
- Protect the Nation's massive investment in S&E infrastructure
against accidental or malicious attacks and misuse.
Rapidly changing infrastructure technology has simultaneously created
a challenge and an opportunity for the U.S. S&E enterprise.
The challenge is how to maintain and revitalize an academic research
infrastructure that has eroded over many years due to obsolescence
and chronic under investment. The opportunity is to build a new
infrastructure that will create future research frontiers and enable
a much broader segment of the S&E community. The challenge and
opportunity must be addressed by an integrated strategy. As current
infrastructure is replaced and upgraded, the next-generation infrastructure
must be created. The young people who are trained using state-of-the-art
instruments and facilities are the ones who will demand and create
the new tools and make the breakthroughs that will extend the science
and technology envelope. Training these young people will ensure
that the U.S. maintains international leadership in the key scientific
and engineering fields that are vital for a strong economy, social
order, and national security. | <urn:uuid:7d3751e7-d6d3-4dd8-9464-77274fe061e4> | CC-MAIN-2017-34 | https://www.nsf.gov/nsb/documents/2003/exec_summary.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-34/segments/1502886110774.86/warc/CC-MAIN-20170822123737-20170822143737-00171.warc.gz | en | 0.906188 | 2,307 | 2.5625 | 3 |
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Dr. S.M. Davis (Author)
Length: 57 minutes (1 track)
Size: 9.79 MB
How to Help Weak Children Become Strong Dr. S.M. Davis
The Apostle Peter thought he was strong when he was actually weak. Wise parents must discern about their children & their children’s friends - who is strong, who is weak, who is backslidden, & who is lost. The strong may spend time with the others, but the weak can only be with the others when someone strong is also present. Jesus had spent time with sinners with His disciples with Him. However, when Peter warmed by the fire of the enemy without a strong person present, his weakness became quickly evident. Two young people may be fine Christians, but if they are both weak, they will pull each other down. This message not only encourages the strong to support the weak, but also gives the secret to becoming strong. Also included are the 5 types of fools - Simple, Silly, Sporting, Scorning, & Committed. | <urn:uuid:7f32dc1e-7534-4656-a526-066ca576a40f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://bluebehemoth.com/album/52346/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382185/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00050-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.97374 | 222 | 2.8125 | 3 |
In the middle of the nineteenth century, 'Prince Albert' was the most popular of all the varieties of English Pea in the United States. It was grown in England before 1837 and introduced into the United States in 1845. Fearing Burr, who described American vegetables in 1863, felt 'Prince Albert' was indistinguishable from 'Early Frame', one of Thomas Jefferson's favorites among the fifteen varieties he cultivated at Monticello.
Garden peas enjoy cool, moist growing conditions. At Monticello, gardeners sow them around March 1 for a crop in mid-May. We also use four-foot-high branches, or "pea sticks," to support this twining vegetable. Sow the seed in a well-drained, garden soil about six feet apart.
Approximately 16-20 seeds per pack. | <urn:uuid:955e0fe0-fdf5-4502-9d1f-cd57b909e173> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | https://www.monticelloshop.org/prince-albert-pea-pisum-sativum-cv/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560627999003.64/warc/CC-MAIN-20190619163847-20190619185847-00149.warc.gz | en | 0.946177 | 169 | 3.0625 | 3 |
John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a
baptism of repentance for the remission of sins (Mark 1:4).
John the Baptist plays a crucial role in the history of salvation.
Chosen before his birth to be the herald and forerunner of the Messiah (Luke
1:13-17), he knew his Lord from the beginning. Luke writes of the miraculous
conception of John (Luke 1:24). He then records that when the Virgin Mary
visited Elizabeth, who was then six months pregnant with John the Baptist, the
baby in Elizabeth's womb leaped at the sound of Mary's voice (Luke 1:41).
Jesus taught that John fulfilled the prophecy
of the return of Elijah (Matt. 11~4), who was to precede the Messiah as
"the voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the
Lord"' (Matt. 3:3, Mark 1:3, Luke 3:4, John 1:23).
Shortly before Jesus began His public
ministry, John went out to the wilderness of Jordan to prepare the way for the
Messiah. He carried out His prophetic role with a brotherhood of disciples
characterized by: (1) repentance in expectation of the Kingdom, (2) baptism for
forgiveness of sins, (3) bearing the fruit of righteousness, and (4) spiritual
discipline. John himself lived by an ascetic rule of poverty and fasting; in
fact he may have been a lifelong Nazirite (Luke 1:15, Num. 6), His eyes were not
set on the body and its desires but upon Christ the Lord, and this influence was
widespread (Mark 11:32, Luke 7:29, Acts 18:25, 19:1-7).
John prophesied that the Messiah was coming,
One immeasurably greater than himself, "whose sandal strap I am not worthy
to stoop down and loose" (Mark 1:7). This One would baptize not only with
water but with the Holy Spirit (Mark 1:8). When Jesus appeared before him to be
baptized, John was humbled, realizing he himself was in need of being baptized
by the Messiah, Jesus (Matt. 3:14). But Jesus knew what was fitting "to
fulfill all righteousness" (Matt. 3:15), and John obeyed. Thus came the
event so familiar in Orthodox icons: Christ in the Jordan, being baptized by
John, the Holy Spirit descending on Him in the form of a dove. The Father's
voice from heaven declares, "This is My Beloved Son, in whom I am well
pleased" (Matt. 3:17).
John's work was crucial to Jesus' ministry.
Jesus considered John's testimony important - not because Jesus, the Son of God,
needed to be validated by any human witness but because the people's acceptance
of John as a Godly man prepared them to accept Jesus as well (John 5:33-35).
Jesus' first disciples came from John's brotherhood (John 1:35-39), and the
vacancy in the apostolic college was filled by one who had been John's follower
(Acts 1:21, 22).
John the Baptist died a martyr for Christ
(Mark 6:24-29). The Orthodox Church commemorates him in special hymns every
Tuesday, as well as on designated feast days throughout the year. | <urn:uuid:1d546b20-3846-46e0-819b-266bc8d7fe34> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://www.sv-luka.org/articles/johnthebaptist.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988717963.49/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183837-00148-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946017 | 734 | 3.109375 | 3 |
Taking Effective Minutes
In most community groups having a record of meetings is a vital part of being effective. The group’s recorder holds the responsibility of making sure the minutes accurately reflect the course of the meeting by recording discussions, decisions and actions, and task assignments.
Taking effective minutes for a group meeting can be a difficult task, from deciding what is pertinent to be recorded to making sure the facts are straight. In our own hometown, Brushy Fork found the answers to some of the questions we’ve been asked about taking minutes.
The Berea Community School’s Committee on Committees compiled a list of suggestions to other school committees about what to include in minutes. This list was designed to fit the situation at the school, so not all the suggestions are pertinent to community groups. But these ideas will provide a good start for recorders who may be unclear on how to go about taking good minutes.
- Committee name
- Date of meeting
- Names of committee members present
- Any decisions made
Good to include:
- Time the meeting began and ended
- Names of others present, if they chose to introduce themselves
- Summary of major points made in reports and discussions
- Names of people who presented reports
- Attachments of documents relevant to the committee’s discussions
- Follow-up summary: who agreed to do what
- Point-by-point account of discussions
- Specifying who said what in a discussion
- Reports on off-track discussions
- Optional items that could embarrass someone
Other considerations (added by Brushy Fork):
- The minutes should be approved at the next meeting.
- Copies of minutes should be sent to all group members (especially helpful to inform those who were not present!). The group might choose to send minutes to anyone else they want to keep informed of their work, such as local officials or stakeholders in the group’s efforts.
—adapted from a handout designed by Berea Community School Committee on Committees
Download this file to print as a handout. | <urn:uuid:f2b8818a-df65-4bbb-9b1b-0d4040dcd8f9> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | https://www.berea.edu/brushy-fork-institute/taking-effective-minutes/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440645359523.89/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827031559-00030-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951687 | 421 | 2.625 | 3 |
Work environment diversity is an issue that has progressively turned into an argument in numerous organizations – especially in HR divisions. Albeit a few chiefs may feel legitimately constrained to make a diverse workforce, others may see the vital advantages of having an expansive scope of types of workers. Understanding the unpredictability of diversity issues may enable you to deal with your organization's workforce.
To clarify the term diversity, understand that diversity legitimately influences the working environment – and with expanding significance.
So, what is workplace diversity? Workplace diversity incorporates comprehension and acknowledgment of the way that individuals have different attributes, which make them unique from one another, especially when contrasting people in a gathering. These qualities may incorporate race, ethnicity, sex, religion, political belief systems, sexual direction, age, physical capacities, or financial status. These qualities additionally may incorporate beneficial encounters and subjective methodologies toward critical thinking. Read more definitions in our Glossary, “What is Diversity?”
Before previewing business the way it was being examined globally, think back in time. While trying to free work spots of uncalled for, inconsistent treatment of people – explicitly, the individuals who belong to minority ethnic gatherings – which had generally been oppressed. In 1961, President John F. Kennedy appended on an Executive Order, which at that point ended up known as "Affirmative action" Affirmative Action expressed that U.S. government managers couldn't oppress workers or employment candidates based on race, color, creed or national origin.
In later years, comparative laws extended the plan to incorporate (sex), physical handicaps, and veterans. These laws are ordered uniquely for government offices, temporary workers and subcontractors – who must make an affirmative move or steps not just to ensure that they are not victimizing people – but rather add that they are effectively looking to employ the individuals who have been oppressed verifiably or who are an individual from a minority sect. Read our article title, “What is Workplace Gender Equality Act?”
Albeit many considered these to be positive legislative steps, others felt that they made establish reverse segregation or discrimination. Nonetheless, in light of the fact that the accentuation for openings for work was on the individuals who belong to a minority group– and that as opposed to making a level playing field, it was then felt that the laws had put some at off guard for job openings, since the accentuation was on recruiting minority people. In any case, others accepted this new diversity law furnished talented people with opportunities, to which they probably won't have had past access.
The backfire concerning governmental policy regarding minorities in society is likewise an issue with regards to workplace diversity in the more significant business world. A few people are worried that when the board is centered around making a socially – or generally diverse association – at that point, it is conceivable that the nature of qualified and gifted workforce will be affected. They accept that the emphasis might be on contracting an up-and-comer that fits into a class, which at that point adds to the organization's appearance of diversity, even though those people may not be the most qualified contender for a particular position.
"Diversity" itself nearly alludes to the multi-faceted parts of how differences among corporate representatives can happen in the work environment. Even though an expansive group of exceptional people can carry numerous positives to an organization, there can be a drawback to the many diverse issues that emerge.
One of the incredible positives of diversity in business is the scope of points of view that happens when different kinds of individuals are included in the workforce. Individuals who have foundations that contrast from one another – experientially and socially – will see issues and difficulties in various ways and that they will likewise carry different answers for the table. Their alternate points of view not just achieve extraordinary arrangements – frequently, they furnish an abundance of alternatives with which to analyze.
Commonly, these thoughts likewise lead to inventive ideas that spring up new thoughts for corporate development or activities for internal administration. Nonetheless, the test for corporate directors is to get everybody to acknowledge and to adjust to one another's points of view.
When issues are raised, people consistently contrast from one another from their perspectives, perceiving issues, or in arriving at solutions. The vast majority would promptly concur that people will, in general, think unexpectedly and that they will frequently have various methodologies toward finding an answer for a similar issue. One individual may not perceive that there is an issue in a particular zone – when someone else may consider the problem as being clear! In this way, even though diversity inside a group may help reveal issue zones, attempting to work out an answer amid varying perspectives may be quite challenging.
The equivalent is valid among different social gatherings. In numerous societies, the jobs of people are altogether different – in this way, in a business domain – one individual's desires for conduct may not generally concur with the social standards of another culture. In certain societies, ladies are required to take a subservient position, and can't go about as autonomously as ladies do in western nations. At the point when the two sexual orientations and societies blend in the business world, the social standards of each gathering may cause misconception or strain.
Today, representatives never again fit the cliché worker-bee meaning of a laborer who trudges away at a vocation from morning until night, without intrusion - aside from a 30-minute mid-day break. Families are occupied, however regularly, they're not organized as they had been during the 1950s when Dad worked in an office and Mother ate on the table when he arrived home. In the 21st century, family ways of life are loaded with activities, which frequently overflow into work time.
Since families are occupied, employees may have an assortment of necessities, including diversity issues that can influence the work schedule. For instance, having balanced work routines that can oblige kid or eldercare needs or demands for work-from-home plans may change the day by day schedule in an office. Individuals from different religious gatherings may need a break to attend religious celebrations or occasions that don't correspond with the corporate occasion schedule. Nevertheless, to hold significant employees, supervisors ought to figure out how to be adaptable with their staff needs, and should try to oblige sensible solicitations.
A considerable advantage of work environment diversity is that the organizations that are known for their diverse workforce are seen by clients and potential workers as great individuals in the community. A business that contracts a diverse workforce reinforces its reputation for being by and significant socially mindful and comprehensive, in this manner making more prominent open doors for working with a progressively diverse base. For instance, a store that contracts a culturally expansive cluster of workers will probably pull in a diverse client base interestingly, if a store ends up known as one that cooks just to a particular kind of client or an ethnic portion, at that point, that entrepreneur may have accidentally limited its business openings.
Essentially, when an expansive scope of thoughts creates from inside a socially diverse production or supervisory group - at that point typically, that organization can offer an increasingly diverse range of items and afterward to showcase their products to a more significant client base. Since employees affect product improvement - and these workers can discuss forms with new thoughts and methods for extending the organization's scope to new markets - the outcome is corporate development. If everybody in an organization will, in general, think a similar way, at that point, it turns out to be more outlandish that new items or promoting ideas are probably going to develop.
Progressively, more associations are effectively looking to advance equivalent open doors for everybody, paying little heed to any trademark that may make another segregate. This not just turns out to be progressively regular, it likewise becomes essential, as the business world turns out to be gradually worldwide. More organizations are not exclusively selling items and administrations around the world; they're likewise setting up tasks in different nations. As organizations extend to incorporate leaders and interns around the world – the lines between societies, religions, sexual orientation, and other social standards should be tended to and re-imagined.
Regardless of whether you have a positive or negative feeling about workplace diversity, you are probably going to encounter at least one of the numerous difficulties at present confronting entrepreneurs and administrators in the business. Making yourself mindful of potential issues and after that, discovering approaches to address them proactively – will make an increasingly productive, cohesive workplace for your business.
A noteworthy worry for those working in a diverse organization is that workers who don't feel that they fit into the professional workplace are regularly discouraged in their work, and the organization's viability or capacity to develop, eventually, might be hindered. For instance, an individual may feel like an untouchable in his specialization as a result of his ethnicity. In another division, somebody may accept that she was disregarded for promotion, as a result of her sex, sexual direction, or religion. In each example, those employees are feeling the sting of biased treatment, and they may turn out to be progressively miserable in their activity. (Read our related book review - The Joy of Work - Bruce Daisley (30 Ways to Fix Your Work Culture and Fall in Love with Your Job Again))
Maybe perhaps the greatest approaches to take off agitation and turnover inside your organization is to build up a robust corporate culture that underscores comprehensiveness and reasonableness. Top administration must not just discuss this culture; they should likewise effectively try to advance this culture and furthermore to practice it themselves. The corporate family should be viewed as a spot where each worker feels acknowledged and esteemed for his or her exceptional commitment to the organization.
Nevertheless, in numerous organizations, the weight of making work environment diversity frequently falls on the HR division. This is sad. HR administrators should then deal with the makeup of the workforce using enlistment, contracting, preparing, and advancing practices. Meanwhile, a portion of the accompanying accepted procedures may help improve inclusion and diversity in the organization. Corporate leaders should:
Since the work environment is loaded up with individuals, the distinctions that every unique individual brings to an organization legitimately influence what happens inside the organization. Numerous parts of the organization – from creation to the promotion of corporate culture – are impacted by diversity as well as concerning how the diversity is seen all-inclusive. To those outside the organization, that organization may appear as though it is comprised of numerous sorts of individuals. In any case, if the distinctions are making dissension and regular turnover, at that point, that organization isn't utilizing its diversity to elevate the business to further its potential advantage. Read more on, “What is Workplace Inclusion?”
What is the impact of diversity on operations? "Diversity" itself nearly alludes to the multi-faceted perspectives, lifestyles, and brand — the more diverse the workplace, the more costs, and benefits.
Can Diversity enhance growth? Since employees influence product improvement - and they can discuss forms with new thoughts and methods - the outcome is organization development.
You must be logged in to post a comment. | <urn:uuid:f60d519d-0b3a-4f2e-9d4a-536f915b2098> | CC-MAIN-2020-05 | https://www.opensourcedworkplace.com/news/what-is-diversity-6-dimensions-of-diversity-and-workplace-diversity-challenges | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579251681625.83/warc/CC-MAIN-20200125222506-20200126012506-00558.warc.gz | en | 0.959338 | 2,243 | 3.046875 | 3 |
When my children were preschool age, one of the things my wife and I really wanted was for them to have a solid foundation in Japanese language. I had many reasons why, but just in general, learning a second language – any second language – can open doors that might remain closed to someone who is strictly monolingual, a category that most Americans fall into, sad to say.
Those doors can be cultural, but also, as an adult, economic, the old “learn to earn” formula. From the viewpoint of international competitiveness or perhaps national security, having as many Americans as possible conversant in many different tongues as possible can confer a huge advantage. Heck, even at the local level, knowing a second language can help when running a small business. (Can you imagine operating a restaurant in Los Angeles without knowing some basic Spanish?)
Some scientific studies are even saying that learning a second language as a child can help fight the effects of Alzheimer’s disease when older, since a young brain is forced to develop additional neural circuitry while learning, giving the brain extra pathways in which to work. Regardless, I told my kids that by the time they reached fifth grade, they had twice the vocabulary of their peers who only learned English, since they knew everyday nouns and verbs in two languages.
For us, learning Japanese was more for reasons of cultural heritage. Getting our kids to have a solid foundation in Nihongo was important, especially for my wife, as a native Japanese speaker. There was a time, of course, when many Japanese Americans made a conscious choice to eschew anything Japanese, including language, because of suspicions of disloyalty, especially during and after WWII. (That stigma, thank goodness, is no longer the case.)
Fortunately for the war effort and the post-war occupation of Japan, there was an army of Japanese Americans who knew Nihongo and were part of the Military Intelligence Service. That knowledge those MIS men acquired not only helped end the war sooner and prevent additional bloodshed and suffering, post-war many of those Nisei were instrumental in helping rebuild Japan’s business infrastructure. If that’s not a solid case for learning a second language, in this case Nihongo, I don’t know what is!
Yes, there are also those folks who hated going to Japanese school on Saturdays when they were kids. I can totally relate to that! But many, as adults, later wish they’d stuck with it (like learning a musical instrument), especially since learning another language is way easier as a child.
It turned out that many Japanese Americans I would to meet later via Culver City Unified School District’s El Marino Language School thought learning Nihongo was important, too. The school’s language immersion program (Japanese or Spanish) is wonderful, especially for a public school. I truly believe it’s a gift that will provide those kids a benefit for the rest of their lives.
During their preschool years, we did some other things with our kids, like sending them to a Japanese language kindergarten on Saturdays, Suika Yoochien, in our case. We also got Japanese language educational videos featuring Anpan Man (a cartoon character made of anpan). From relatives in Japan, we also used books and videos featuring an anthropomorphic tiger named Shimajiro. The company behind Shimajiro is the Benesse Corp., a major educational publisher in Japan.
As I recall, there were books and videos (and toys) featuring the Shimajiro character, and they taught basic things like how to cross the street safely or the importance of washing one’s hands (paws?). In addition to the animated Shimajiro, there were bits that included live action, with singing and dancing. Overall, the Shimajiro program was a quality production.
So, I was pleasantly surprised when I found out that the teacher of my daughter’s summer art courses at the Otis College of Art and Design performed on Shimajiro a few years ago! Her name is Mayuka, who acted and sang under the professional name Mayuka Thaïs (pronounced tie-us), and as of right now, she’s an adjunct art instructor at Otis who teaches youngsters as well as college-age students.
Turns out that Mayuka and her older sister, Kunimi Andrea, were both childhood performers in Japan and both of them appeared in Shimajiro, but in different seasons.
According to Mayuka, “We had a very unique childhood where my sister and I got to go back and forth between Japan growing up, because both of us want to be culturally balanced and to be able to speak English and Japanese well.”
The sisters’ backstory is fascinating, in that her mother, Teri Suzanne, a white American woman from Monrovia, met her future husband, Naoyuki Nagasawa of Japan, while she was studying there. Her first visit to Japan was through UCLA’s Exchange Abroad Program and she “fell in love” with the art, so much that after she graduated she implored her father to return. He may not have, however, expected his daughter to come back with a Japanese husband.
According to Mayuka, “One day she caught a cab in Harajuku and the taxi driver was really nice and was talking with her and asked, ‘Would you like to meet my son?’ ”
Well, as they say, the rest is history, and the couple would move to San Francisco as Teri finished her master’s degree at USF. Both sisters were born in San Francisco during this time. Sadly, the sisters’ father died of a stroke at age 45, when Mayuki was just 14, and she said it was a devastating event in her and her sister’s young life.
As the sisters were growing up, they studied at the bilingual theater at the Aoyama Round Theatre at the National Children’s Castle. (Their mother, meantime, appeared on TV shows that Japanese audiences can’t seem to get enough of, those shows that featured gaijin singing in Japanese.)
Mayuka later went on to do voiceover work, and she recorded more than a dozen music albums for the Japanese market. But she also recalled attending an elementary school in Japan where she encountered first-hand an experience that Japanese schools have become known for internationally.
“My sister and I, we were like the only Hapas in that school and we were really, really bullied,” she said. “I was always taller and every time we had a sports day, my blue-eyed, blonde mom would come and people would go, ‘Whoa!’ ”
For now, Mayuka is navigating her way through Los Angeles, a place with a host of opportunities to pursue for someone with her talents, be it earning her master’s degree and continuing to teach, or a career in acting or singing or both – maybe she’ll even help with out at the aforementioned El Marino Language School. With her upbeat attitude and outgoing personality, something good will no doubt happen for her.
If you want to see and hear Mayuka’s singing talents, search for her name on YouTube. Also, you can visit her website, MayukaThais.com.
Until next time, keep your eyes and ears open.
George Toshio Johnston has written this column since 1992 and can be reached at [email protected] The opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect policies of this newspaper or any organization or business. Copyright © 2017 by George T. Johnston. All rights reserved. | <urn:uuid:140e27f3-fb55-44ad-a8fd-d8f7dfaa6b01> | CC-MAIN-2020-50 | http://www.rafu.com/2017/06/into-the-next-stage-learning-japanese-and-the-shimajiro-connection/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-50/segments/1606141674594.59/warc/CC-MAIN-20201201135627-20201201165627-00453.warc.gz | en | 0.982581 | 1,596 | 2.640625 | 3 |
Sitting in her Beijing apartment in early 2020, Guangyu Wang watched as COVID-19 cases increased in China and the rest of the world. The biomedical engineer, who works on artificial intelligence (AI), knew from colleagues working in health care that the country’s medical system wasn’t coping. The Chinese city of Wuhan had gone into lockdown after recording the first outbreak of COVID-19, and the World Health Organization had declared a global health emergency.
As the number of patients in hospitals grew, so did delays in medical imaging and other procedures. Chest X-ray scans stacked up, awaiting analysis by radiologists, says Wang, who works at the Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications. “The health-care system was stretched to the limit,” she says.
Wang and others in her team began to reach out to their academic networks — many of whom were keen to use their skills to support the health-care system. Together, they formed a collaboration with biomedical engineers, radiologists, respiratory experts and clinicians from institutions and hospitals across China.
Deciding to focus on medical imaging, the team of specialists worked long days over two months to develop machine-learning software. By training the software on more than 145,000 chest X-ray images from 7 hospitals, they developed an algorithm that could detect respiratory diseases, including COVID-19, with more than 90% accuracy. The software has since been used to reduce the burden on radiologists working in six hospitals during the pandemic, Wang says. The data and computer code have been deposited with the China National Center for Bioinformation (CNCB), an open-access data platform, to assist the global COVID-19 research effort.
One of Wang’s collaborators on the project is respiratory-disease researcher Weimin Li at Sichuan University in Chengdu, who is president of the West China School of Medicine and West China Hospital. He says that, despite coming from a clinical background, he feels comfortable working with AI and informatics researchers. Collaborations like these are increasingly common because, in recent years, government departments such as the National Health Commission, which formulates health-care policies, and the Ministry of Education have actively encouraged clinicians to work with such experts.
A long-term plan
Wang and Li’s project is just one result of China’s long-term planning and investment in AI technologies, centralized health-care data and a collaborative culture involving researchers and clinicians. Over the past ten years, central government funding and top-down policies have helped to transform Chinese medical research into a data-driven field that uses computer and machine engineering to take pressure off medical workers.
Biomedical engineer Yipeng Hu at University College London says this initiative has led to cooperative, driven Chinese research teams that work at speed. “If something works, it can often quickly be tested and used in hospitals faster than it might be in other countries,” he says.
Such enthusiasm can be seen in academia and the private sector, too. “There has been rapid development in AI technologies,” says Wang. “The field of intelligent diagnostics is expanding fast. And China has made a massive investment in the country’s health-care research infrastructure.”
The numbers bear this out. After China’s 12th Five-Year Plan started in 2011, the central government invested more than 10 billion yuan (US$1.5 billion) in ‘health informatization’ — the use of information technology to improve health care. (China’s five-year plans are published government goals for policy, infrastructure and investment that are revisited every five years.)
There have been further surges in funding since 2010 that have prompted the development of AI research and expertise. The National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), the country’s largest funding agency, tripled its budget for research projects from $4.6 billion in 2006–10 to $13.7 billion in 2011–15, reaching $19.6 billion over the period 2016–20.
These funding increases, representing a rise of 17% per year from 2000 to 2017, have closed the gap between China and the United States in research and development (R&D) funding. Preliminary 2019 data from the US National Science Foundation (the most recent data available) suggest that China has surpassed its technological competitor on R&D spending.
In 2012, for example, China overtook the United States in the number of papers its researchers published in the combined fields of computer science, AI and biomedical engineering (see ‘Ahead of the curve’). By 2019, that lead had widened, with China publishing around one-third more papers than the United States — although, in the same year, Chinese AI researchers were cited about 20% less than the world average.
Researchers say the investment was sorely needed. Even with increased resources and a rapid publication rate, China has a limited number of highly experienced data engineers and AI researchers who are able to work on projects that combine machine learning and medical expertise. Furthermore, large, high-quality medical data sets can still be hard to come by, says Yu Xue, a computer engineer and cell biologist at Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan.
Recent improvements to health-data infrastructure have improved matters. A lot of patient data are now stored digitally, and clinical institutions have been instructed by government policies to boost health-care innovation by sharing data more effectively.
However, it remains challenging to translate these new data into clinical applications, says Wang. Any biomedical engineering breakthroughs to come out of such data still require rigorous testing, integration with equipment (which varies between hospitals) and education for clinical staff on how to interpret results.
Hu says that AI researchers worldwide face similar challenges. “Commonly, there is an administrative battle to bring it about. So most research ends up going no further than our research papers, which are based on existing data sets.”
There has also been a shift in mindset among biomedical researchers towards using AI techniques, says Xue.
As recently as five years ago, many scientists in China were still unconvinced about the power of AI. “There was a deeply held belief that computers could not learn to be intuitive,” he says.
Then in 2017, the AI AlphaGo, developed by Google’s London-based company DeepMind, defeated the world’s number-one Go player Ke Jie — huge news in China, where the ancient board game is wildly popular.
“This tiny storm became a typhoon and blew every scientist’s mind,” says Xue. “More and more scientists around me began to believe that AI could be useful in biomedical studies.”
Xue co-led one project that used deep-learning techniques to develop a software package that predicts COVID-19 deaths and disease outcomes (W. Ning et al. Nature Biomed. Eng. 4, 1197–1207; 2020). He hopes the work can improve the accuracy of disease diagnoses in clinical settings in the future.
Wang has also been involved in developing biomedical AI tools that might aid China’s health-care system. She and her colleagues created a smartphone attachment that clinicians and individuals use to take photos of the interior of the eye (K. Zhang et al. Nature Biomed. Eng. 5, 533–545; 2021). The images were transmitted to a cloud-computing platform, where neural networks checked them for telltale marks that might indicate a person has chronic kidney disease or type 2 diabetes.
Xue has advised colleagues involved in setting up two of China’s first biological data centres — the CNCB and the National Genomics Data Center (NGDC), both established in 2019. The centres archive, manage and process a wide range of genomics- and other ’omics-related data, serving as China’s version of databases such as GenBank in the United States and the European Nucleotide Archive, which were set up in the early 1980s.
“Lack of money prevented China from establishing biological data centres,” says Xue. “Now money is no longer a problem, China is looking to support worldwide initiatives to collect, share and distribute data, which is a costly and labour-intensive process.”
For example, in January, the NGDC and CNCB launched a database containing genome, nucleotide and protein sequences for the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. It also includes sequences of other coronaviruses, epidemic data, genome variations and lineage data, as well as clinical records (https://ngdc.cncb.ac.cn/ncov). “It’s been widely used across the world, and frequently and extensively updated,” Xue says.
China’s government, researchers and clinicians have a strong motive beyond the pandemic to translate computer diagnostics into clinical settings. There are too few qualified doctors in remote areas (see ‘Medical access’), forcing people to travel lengthy distances to cities and wait in long queues, putting extra strain on hospital staff and clinical resources.
Li thinks that diagnostic technologies driven by deep learning might offer much-needed support. If people can be diagnosed without the direct involvement of a time-poor doctor, there might be no need to visit a hospital. Basic treatments such as antibiotics or painkillers could also be provided locally, he says.
Such advances are already being implemented. One of China’s largest AI and speech-technology companies, iFLYTEK in Hefei, has developed an AI Medical Assistant that is in use nationwide. Health-care staff enter a patient’s symptoms into the software platform, and it provides advice on a possible diagnosis. According to the company, the platform gives around 400,000 of these auxiliary opinions each day in as many as 30,000 medical institutions.
Many of China’s technology giants, including Alibaba, Tencent and Baidu, have announced various AI-driven health-care diagnostic tools in the past few years. Baidu, for instance, used an AI-powered mapping platform to track the movement of people leaving Wuhan as the first cases of COVID-19 were identified, which it says was used to “accelerate local preparedness and response efforts”.
There is also a funding incentive for researchers. In November 2020, the NSFC established a department to support collaborative research across four key areas: broadly, the physical sciences; information technology and AI; biomedicine; and the humanities. It will be allocated a proportion of the total budget spend from the NSFC, which in 2020 was 28.5 billion yuan. “I would estimate it might get 5–10% of all funding,” Xue says — or up to 2.8 billion yuan.
However, translating research into clinical tools is still far from straightforward and depends on the availability of huge, well organized and annotated data sets. Not every medical institute has the capacity to provide these, says Xue.
There are also issues around data protection. In China, a legal framework came into effect on 1 September that aims to further strengthen legal protections for Chinese citizens’ personal information.
Overall, the guiding objective of China’s system is similar to that of Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation laws, says Rebecca Arcesati, a technology and digital-policy analyst at the Mercator Institute for China Studies in Berlin. Regulators have tried to balance personal privacy, economic development and national-security considerations, she says.
“The law is the Chinese government’s response to long-standing public concerns over privacy violations by powerful tech giants, who so far have operated and grown in a de facto Wild West,” she says.
However, the framework differs from European legislation in how it treats personal information: considering it as a strategic resource that belongs to the Chinese state before its citizens, she says. “What is important to stress, in my view, is that the law is unlikely to limit the widespread forced collection of biometric data and genetic information from the population, especially from vulnerable minorities.”
Given China’s growing economy and its ability to pay competitive wages to talented early-career AI researchers, Hu thinks that it won’t be long before the country will match the innovation levels of its rivals in Europe and the United States, in terms of citation rates and breakthroughs such as those achieved by AlphaGo. Young Chinese researchers learn quickly, says Hu. “The gap in their experience, which limits their ability to be truly innovative, could be reduced very quickly in the future.”
Nature 598, S1-S3 (2021)
This article is part of Nature Spotlight: Biomedical engineering in China, an editorially independent supplement. Advertisers have no influence over the content. | <urn:uuid:a7908a01-0ad4-42a1-a4cb-57ea99925baf> | CC-MAIN-2023-50 | https://freeradicalscience.com/nature/chinas-data-driven-dream-to-overhaul-health-care/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-50/segments/1700679100575.30/warc/CC-MAIN-20231206000253-20231206030253-00395.warc.gz | en | 0.957889 | 2,681 | 2.890625 | 3 |
This applet shows a simple circuit containing one resistor. In addition there is a voltmeter (parallel to the resistor) and an ammeter (in series with the resistor).
You can select the maximum voltage and maximum amperage values tolerated by the meters by using the choose boxes. If you see the warning "Maximum exceeded!", you will have to choose an adequate measuring range. Resistance and voltage can be changed with the four buttons. The values of voltage (U) and amperage (I) are indicated on the bottom right.
|Voltage and amperage are directly proportional in a metallic conductor of constant temperature.|
© Walter Fendt, November 23, 1997
Last modification: February 3, 2010 | <urn:uuid:019e2971-2aad-42fd-8eb0-2ee269c47af1> | CC-MAIN-2013-48 | http://www.walter-fendt.de/ph14e/ohmslaw.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-48/segments/1386164452243/warc/CC-MAIN-20131204134052-00040-ip-10-33-133-15.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.855905 | 150 | 3.328125 | 3 |
Proposed 'Origin Park' in Indiana will turn floodwaters into an attraction
The nearby Ohio River is expected to flood more often as a result of climate change.
As extreme storms grow more common, the Ohio River is expected to spill over its banks more often and flood nearby areas.
But rather than close down during a flood, a new park in southern Indiana will make the best of high water.
“Our pivot is, OK, lean into climate change, lean into a wetter landscape,” says Scott Martin of the nonprofit River Heritage Conservancy. “We want to be the park that people visit in flood.”
River Heritage Conservancy is working to transform 600 acres along the Ohio River into connected green spaces that will be known as Origin Park.
During dry weather, people will be able to walk and bike along the river’s edge. But Martin says that during a flood, “you now go kayaking and paddleboard through these wet woods. Above you will be a series of elevated pathways. Those pathways will still allow bikers to move through and walkers. But suddenly they will be over on top of water that will have paddlers in it.”
Martin’s group has already raised $10 million for the project. And about 300 acres have been acquired or set aside.
The entire park will take about 20 years to complete, but sections will be done sooner. When finished, it will connect people with their changing natural environment for generations to come. | <urn:uuid:23206bfa-675a-4823-8995-2d49ec49be39> | CC-MAIN-2021-31 | https://meraqi.co/pages/proposed-origin-park-in-indiana-will-turn-floodwaters-into-an-attraction | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-31/segments/1627046154127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20210731234924-20210801024924-00121.warc.gz | en | 0.966509 | 310 | 3.140625 | 3 |
dilation1 — Dilate a region.
dilation1 dilates the input regions with a structuring element. By applying dilation1 to a region, its boundary gets smoothed. In the process, the area of the region is enlarged. Furthermore, disconnected regions may be merged. Such regions, however, remain logically distinct region. The dilation is a set-theoretic region operation. It uses the union operation.
Let M (StructElement) and R (Region) be two regions, where M is the structuring element and R is the region to be processed. Furthermore, let m be a point in M. Then the displacement vector is defined as the difference of the center of gravity of M and the vector . Let denote the translation of a region R by a vector . Then
For each point m in M a translation of the region R is performed. The union of all these translations is the dilation of R with M. dilation1 is similar to the operator minkowski_add1, the difference is that in dilation1 the structuring element is mirrored at the origin. The position of StructElement is meaningless, since the displacement vectors are determined with respect to the center of gravity of M.
The parameter Iterations determines the number of iterations which are to be performed with the structuring element. The result of iteration n-1 is used as input for iteration n. From the above definition it follows that an empty region is generated in case of an empty structuring element.
Structuring elements (StructElement) can be generated with operators such as gen_circle, gen_rectangle1, gen_rectangle2, gen_ellipse, draw_region, gen_region_polygon, gen_region_points, etc.
A dilation always results in enlarged regions. Closely spaced regions which may touch or overlap as a result of the dilation are still treated as two separate regions. If the desired behavior is to merge them into one region, the operator union1 has to be called first.
Regions to be dilated.
Number of iterations.
Default value: 1
Suggested values: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 15, 17, 20, 30, 40, 50
Typical range of values: 1 ≤ Iterations (lin)
Minimum increment: 1
Recommended increment: 1
Let F1 be the area of the input region, and F2 be the area of the structuring element. Then the runtime complexity for one region is:
dilation1 returns 2 (H_MSG_TRUE) if all parameters are correct. The behavior in case of empty or no input region can be set via:
no region: set_system('no_object_result',<RegionResult>)
empty region: set_system('empty_region_result',<RegionResult>)
Otherwise, an exception is raised.
threshold, regiongrowing, connection, union1, watersheds, class_ndim_norm, gen_circle, gen_ellipse, gen_rectangle1, gen_rectangle2, draw_region, gen_region_points, gen_region_polygon_filled
reduce_domain, add_channels, select_shape, area_center, connection
minkowski_add1, minkowski_add2, dilation2
erosion1, erosion2, opening, closing | <urn:uuid:4a30e67d-5006-42d9-88de-6bf644ec1da4> | CC-MAIN-2020-50 | https://www.mvtec.com/doc/halcon/13/en/dilation1.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-50/segments/1606141191692.20/warc/CC-MAIN-20201127103102-20201127133102-00206.warc.gz | en | 0.820404 | 724 | 3.71875 | 4 |
While researching history, I've turned again to my wonderful "America's Fascinating Indian Heritage" published by Reader's Digest. I cannot tell you how many times I have counted on this historical guide to help me get my facts straight...and to learn.
In 1881, Sitting Bull and his Sioux tribe surrendered to the U.S., closing the history of the plains Indians as we know it. All plains Indians were confined to reservations in the Dakotas, to lands so dry and unyielding, that even experienced farmer's would encounter problems working the soil. The people were expected to survive on supplies rationed by the government to supplement what they grew, but sadly, the food they received was as scarce as the yield they garnered from the tilled soil.
Land-hungry white men took advantage of the starving Indians and tried to buy their plots for as little as 50 cents per acre, and certain government agencies pressured the red man to consent to sell off the excess real estate. Caught in the middle of greed and hunger, the tribe sustained themselves with memories of the old days.
Far away, a Paiute prophet, Wavoka had a vision that spread and gave a new hope to the desparity. The Ghost Dance would bring a new dawn and a time when the white man would disappear. The dead would be resurrected and all Indian existence would change, living forever and hunting the new herds of buffalo that would reappear.
In preparation, The Ghost Dance had to be performed, a simple ceremony consisting of dancing and chanting, often resulting in a frenzy where participants often fell into a semi-conscious state and saw visions of the coming of the new world. A Ghost Dance shirt, thought to make the wearer safe from the white man's bullets, was adopted, and because so many wore such shirts, the garments may have been the reason the ritual was considered a war dance.
Despite mistreatment at the hands of the whites and the undertones of the Dance, no antiwhite feelings were expressed and the message of the cult was one of peace, but fear mongering among the white officials on the reservation and spreading of gossip pointed a finger at Sitting Bull, who was thought to be the focus of the ceremony.
Forty-three Indian police were ordered to arrest him, and descended upon his cabin. He fought against the injustice due to what has been said to be taunts from old women to resist the whites once again. Shots were fired and at the end, fourteen people, including Sitting Bull lay dead. More next month of the aftermath known as the Slaughter at Wounded Knee.
Note from Ginger: All information pertaining to the Ghost Dance is attributed to Reader's Digest. I have paraphrased to share this event with you. | <urn:uuid:60e616a5-52ee-485f-9dfd-7c44ea9d4414> | CC-MAIN-2017-30 | http://cowboykisses.blogspot.com/2015/07/how-ghost-dance-originated-by-ginger.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-30/segments/1500549423812.87/warc/CC-MAIN-20170721222447-20170722002447-00216.warc.gz | en | 0.980377 | 562 | 2.78125 | 3 |
EXPERIMENTAL AND THEORETICAL INVESTIGATIONS INTO THE ELECTRONIC STRUCTURE OF ATOMS AND MOLECULES BY USE OF SCATTERING TECHNIQUES.
Final rept. 1 Feb 66-30 Nov 69,
INDIANA UNIV BLOOMINGTON DEPT OF CHEMISTRY
Pagination or Media Count:
A summary is given on research in which electron diffraction was employed to measure experimentally the shape of charge distributions surrounding atoms and molecules. The research showed that It was possible to obtain experimental intensity data of sufficient accuracy to provide sensitive tests for the best available theoretical wave functions for simple atomic systems. That the Born theory of scattering is amazingly accurate. .1 or better for atoms Ne at high incident electron energies 40keV and that data for simple polyatomic systems N2, CO2, N2O, CH4 can be obtained which provides a more sensitive measure of deviations of the electron density from a test model of the density than any currently available theoretical wave function.
- Atomic and Molecular Physics and Spectroscopy | <urn:uuid:97e35a5f-d16d-4c8b-82b1-ac88b05aca7d> | CC-MAIN-2020-45 | https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/citations/AD0702841 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-45/segments/1603107898577.79/warc/CC-MAIN-20201028132718-20201028162718-00232.warc.gz | en | 0.860723 | 225 | 2.78125 | 3 |
Hemauer/Keller: A ROAD NOT TAKEN - Jimmy Carter White House Solar Installation (DVD)
In 1978 at the height of the second oil crisis, US President Jimmy Carter announced a federal initiative to boost renewable energies. As a symbolic gesture, the White House installed solar panels on the roof of the West Wing. The political climate changed and the solar water heater was taken down a few years later during the Reagan presidency. Environmental-minded Unity College Maine acquired the panels and installed them on their cafeteria roof.
In "A Road Not Taken" Christina Hemauer and Roman Keller travel back in time, following the route the solar panels took. They trace the contemporary resonances of this forgotten episode in American policy through interviews with those involved - including President Jimmy Carter himself. The road trip ends in the Museum of American History, where the solar hetater finally becomes a museum piece: a curiosity that inevitably reminds us where we are today. | <urn:uuid:d65febd7-b50e-46d1-ae73-e38343464f8e> | CC-MAIN-2018-43 | http://www.volkshausbuch.ch/de/neuigkeiten/2011/04/27/hemauerkeller-road-not-taken-jimmy-carter-white-house-solar-installation-dvd/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-43/segments/1539583515088.88/warc/CC-MAIN-20181022134402-20181022155902-00051.warc.gz | en | 0.947989 | 192 | 2.59375 | 3 |
Why use sound in the first place? Sound wavelengths in water are about 2,000 times longer than those of visible light. Because of its longer wavelengths, sound can go around suspended particles that would otherwise block and scatter light waves. Light can’t penetrate very far in these conditions, making optical systems (like underwater cameras) ineffective. Also, optical images lack the range information found in sonar images.
The performance of an imaging sonar—from the distance at which they can detect an object, to the clarity of the image, to the number of images they can display per second—are determined by a number of specifications, most notably the operating frequency, acoustic beamwidth and processing power and time to form an image. Sound Metrics sonars use acoustic lens technology which forms beams instantaneously using zero power.
Generally speaking, a lower frequency increases the distance at which an image can be captured. A higher frequency and a smaller beamwidth used to map an object will deliver clearer images. The depth at which the sonar is deployed has no direct effect on how clearly an imaging sonar can capture a target.
SEE REAL LIFE SONAR IMAGES | <urn:uuid:d74055d9-4560-4190-ac23-8e8582b16f9e> | CC-MAIN-2020-45 | http://soundmetrics.com/About-Sonar-Imaging | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-45/segments/1603107906872.85/warc/CC-MAIN-20201030003928-20201030033928-00711.warc.gz | en | 0.911628 | 234 | 3.828125 | 4 |
Learning music leads to greater intellectual, social, creative, and personal development (Hallam, 2010; Kaschub et al, 2009). In many of these studies, as Miendlarzewska and Trost (2014) point out, there is only correlational evidence to support claims about the benefits of music lessons. There may be other factors that cause the positive results.
This is true. But the fact is that whether the benefits can be attributed directly to playing and learning music or not, the process still facilitates these benefits! Besides this, the end result is a skill that you can have fun with and potentially share with others.
Among the benefits of learning and playing music are:
- Heightened scores on standardized tests (Schellenberg, 2004)
- Increased IQ (ibid)
- Enhanced creativity (Kaschub, et al, 2009)
- Increased ability in language learning – native and foreign (Hallam, 2010)
- Sharpened critical thinking skill (Topoğlu, 2014)
- Increased social capital and strengthened community (Wright, 2012)
So what are you waiting for!
Hallam, S. (January 01, 2010). The power of music: Its impact on the intellectual, social and personal development of children and young people. International Journal of Music Education, 28, 3, 269-289.
Kaschub, M., Smith, J., & MENC, the National Association for Music Education (U.S.). (2009). Minds on music: Composition for creative and critical thinking. Lanham, Md: Rowman & Littlefield Education.
Miendlarzewska, E. A., & Trost, W. J. (January 01, 2014). How musical training affects cognitive development: Rhythm, reward and other modulating variables. Frontiers in Neuroscience.
Schellenberg, E. G. (January 01, 2004). Music lessons enhance IQ. Psychological Science, 15, 8, 511-4.
Topoğlu, O. (February 21, 2014). Critical Thinking and Music Education. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, 116, 2252-2256.
Wright, R. (January 01, 2012). Music education and social transformation: building social capital through music.(new approaches to music education: transatlantic musings)(Essay). Canadian Music Educator, 53, 3.) | <urn:uuid:112b8efc-3572-4bce-95ab-807949223071> | CC-MAIN-2018-22 | https://thornepalmer.wordpress.com/2015/11/25/the-many-benefits-of-learning-music/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-22/segments/1526794867311.83/warc/CC-MAIN-20180526053929-20180526073929-00344.warc.gz | en | 0.858789 | 495 | 3.9375 | 4 |
What is process automation, and why is it so important?
To answer this question, think of your engineering process like a human body. In the body, each part has a clear function, but all the parts depend on each other.
To paint the picture in full, let’s think about all the disciplines involved in a process engineering project. Say a company wants to build some type of a processing plant (e.g., oil or gas, food, chemicals, paper). In our “human body” analogy, the seven main disciplines involved in completing that project function like this:
- Process — This group provides the blueprint for the plant’s circulatory and digestive systems. It must provide the ins and outs, and interconnects piping while keeping capacity in mind.
- Structural — This discipline calculates the style and strength of the infrastructure for the plant — the skeleton.
- Instrumentation and controls — This group defines the type and quantity of sensors and end-devices used to gather a variety of data and monitor the environment, much like our senses (sight, hearing, taste, touch, smell, and pain receptors).
- Electrical — This team plans the electric circuitry, or nervous system, for the plant.
- Mechanical — This discipline defines the media that will actually achieve the capacity and functions declared by the process group, much like our body’s organs (heart, stomach, muscles, and ligaments) support the operations of the body.
- Civil — This group is responsible for keeping the skids or equipment designed by other disciplines in their place throughout the plant life-cycle, much like the skin layers of a human body hold our systems in place.
- Automation — This group designs the systems that tie everything together and enable all the parts to work together and behave specifically under certain conditions — the brain of our operation.
Unfortunately, even though automation is the guiding system for every other part, it’s often the last system to be designed and the most neglected.
After all, without an intelligent brain, the system will not be as self-sufficient as it should be. The resulting inefficiencies will have a domino-effect on the entire system, creating inefficiency in production, higher maintenance costs, and lower profits.
Automation has begun to receive greater attention from the clients we work with at IDM. They are realizing that when they invest in intelligent systems, the result is a vastly improved operation for their companies. | <urn:uuid:6a639054-1fe8-43e1-a082-c4ba062173f9> | CC-MAIN-2018-34 | https://www.idm-es.com/automation-ensures-health-fitness-of-your-project/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-34/segments/1534221213286.48/warc/CC-MAIN-20180818040558-20180818060558-00158.warc.gz | en | 0.918177 | 508 | 2.890625 | 3 |
By Alan Mozes
"Subclinical hyperthyroidism" is a condition in which an overactive thyroid gland produces too much of the hormones that control basic metabolism but there is a lack of symptoms, and hormone readings are normal in blood tests.
Past research has shown that more pronounced cases of hyperthyroidism are associated with a raised fracture risk, the reviewers explained. But it hasn't been entirely clear whether the same holds true for milder forms of the condition.
The Swiss reviewers looked at 13 past studies involving more than 70,000 patients to try to answer that question.
"There have been several studies that have previously suggested an increased risk for fractures, but up until now it wasn't clear if it was a real association," explained study author Dr. Nicolas Rodondi, head of the ambulatory care department at Bern University Hospital. "But, based on our work, we can say that it is clear that these patients do have an increased risk for fracture."
"That is not exactly clear," Rodondi said. "But we know that thyroid hormones have a direct impact on bone metabolism, and increased thyroid function would increase the metabolic impact on bones. So, one explanation is accelerated bone turnover, meaning an increase in bone destruction and re-modeling."
Rodondi and his colleagues published their findings in the May 26 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Among the pool of patients studied, a little more than 3 percent had subclinical hyperthyroidism. Nearly 6 percent had the opposite problem, a condition known as hypothyroidism.
But those with a symptomless but overactive thyroid did appear to face a higher risk for bone breakage in the hip and spinal regions. The finding held up regardless of age or gender, though the research team said it did not have enough data to comment on how race might figure into the equation.
While the study found an association between mild hyperthyroidism and fracture risk, it did not prove that the condition causes fractures.
The study team did not call for any changes to current treatment guidelines for hyperthyroidism. One reason is that it remains unclear whether treating subclinical hyperthyroidism will actually help to reduce fracture risk.
"Of course, we always treat the condition when it's diagnosed," said Rodondi. "But there are a lot of other risk factors that impact fracture risk, particularly among the elderly, including low physical activity, low calcium levels and low vitamin D levels. So, we don't know if treating hyperthyroidism alone will have an impact," he explained.
"It also remains controversial whether all elderly people should be routinely screened for hyperthyroidism, which is something we cannot address based on this study," Rodondi added. "And the problem, of course, is that most of the patients with a subclinical condition have no symptoms. So if we don't screen, we don't know there's a problem."
Dr. James Hennessey, director of clinical endocrinology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, was not involved with the review but was familiar with the findings. Clinicians "are caught in a dilemma," he said.
"We don't generally screen for subclinical hyperthyroidism because we agree more research is needed. But frankly, those controlled, randomized studies [the "gold standard" for research] are not likely to be done anytime soon. So, we wait for obvious symptoms to appear, even as we become, at the same time, more aggressive in thinking about thyroid disease's impact on bone density and fracture risk," Hennessey explained.
"But what this study does is further substantiate that there is a fracture risk with persistent hyperthyroidism," he added. "We've known that for a while. But this gives us some more evidence. And it underscores that the issue really should be taken seriously." | <urn:uuid:711a8652-fcac-4f08-888a-e732ec196b4e> | CC-MAIN-2021-43 | https://www.webmd.com/osteoporosis/news/20150526/even-slightly-overactive-thyroid-linked-to-higher-fracture-risk | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-43/segments/1634323588284.71/warc/CC-MAIN-20211028100619-20211028130619-00075.warc.gz | en | 0.968571 | 799 | 3 | 3 |
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)
The mission of the STEM Academy is to engage in the application of knowledge of scientists, mathematicians, and engineers. Students are our focus and success is an expectation for all.
Teachers and students will have 21st century technology available on demand to support their learning. The Academy will provide the students with knowledge and skills to continue their STEM foci in higher education and prepare them for the global workforce.
Woodrow's STEM Academy will provide a rigorous, well-rounded education through
Additionally, all students are required to complete an internship primarily focused in the state's economic development clusters and/or a senior or capstone project.
Woodrow's STEM program is part of Project Lead the Way (PLTW). This program prepares students to be the most innovative and productive leaders in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and to make meaningful, pioneering contributions to our world.
PLTW partners with middle schools and high schools to provide a rigorous, relevant STEM education. Through an engaging, hands-on curriculum, PLTW encourages the development of problem-solving skills, critical thinking, creative and innovative reasoning, and a love of learning.
The PLTW middle and high school STEM education programs give students a brighter future by providing them with a foundation and proven path to college and career success in STEM-related fields. STEM education is at the heart of today's high-tech, high-skill global economy. For America to remain economically competitive, our next generation of leaders must develop the critical-reasoning and problem-solving skills that will help make them the most productive in the world. PLTW sparks the ingenuity, creativity, and innovation within all of our students.
More information about PLTW can be found on the PLTW website | <urn:uuid:561e8ee8-bd41-49a4-80c7-28dd88570a10> | CC-MAIN-2018-39 | https://www.woodrowwildcats.org/STEM | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-39/segments/1537267157070.28/warc/CC-MAIN-20180921112207-20180921132607-00165.warc.gz | en | 0.934242 | 367 | 2.921875 | 3 |
Basic Tips for FCC Club Runs
- Friday Night
- Make sure your bike is in GOOD working order.
- Pump up tires to the pressure specified on the sidewall.
- Bring personal essentials: cycle helmet, clothing to suit weather conditions
- Bring cycling essentials: 2 spare tubes, pump, patchkit, water bottle(s), pocket food, money.
- Get up in good time.
- Eat a good breakfast consisting of carbohydrates and proteins.
- Leave enough time to visit the toilet before you leave.
- Leave home with enough time to get to the Sports Complex, Buncrana Road, Derry by 9.00 am.
Basic Safety Tips
The most common causes of bicycling accidents are the rider falling down and bicycle-on-bicycle collisions. Falls are caused by hitting something in your path and by equipment failure. To avoid falls, learn to keep a close eye on the condition of the roadway ahead of your bicycle; a large stick, a pothole, a curb, a sewer grating–all can put you on the ground. Also, regularly inspect your bicycle for loose nuts and bolts, make sure your drive train (crank, pedals, chain, cogs, derailleurs, shifters, shift cables) is in good shape, and be very sure your brakes and brake cables are functional and not rusted.
Bike-on-bike collisions commonly occur when one bicycle runs into the rear of another or when one bicycle turns in front of another. If your front wheel touches the rear wheel of a bicycle travelling in front of you, you will probably hit the ground very quickly; when riding close behind another rider you must always watch what they are doing and what is happening in front of them–all clues about what is about to happen are vital to your continued good health. Turning accidents usually happen when
a group approaches a road junction; always maintain a straight line through the crossing, or signal your turn; be especially observant of other cyclists in the junction ahead of you.
While you are riding your bicycle, you are constantly (without realizing it) making minute corrections with your steering to maintain your center of gravity directly over your bicycle (we call this “keeping your balance”). Anything that prevents you from doing this will lead to an instant fall. The most common thing that will prevent you from steering is getting your front tyre up against the tyre of the bicycle in front of you. This won’t affect the rider in front, but you will eat gravel!!!
When you are riding in a group of cyclists, it is important to remember that you are no longer alone. Anything that you do may have some affect on your fellow riders. The more radical your maneuver, the more the likelihood of an adverse effect. We cannot emphasize enough the importance of riding
smoothly and predictably when with other riders.
Maintaining proper spacing between bicycles is very important. When following another cyclist, leave at least one foot of clearance between wheels. On slower, less intense rides, you may want to leave somewhat larger gaps. On faster rides where drafting effects are being used, do not let a gap of more than three feet form between wheels.
Side-to-side placement is also very important. Even if you are not following directly behind the cyclist ahead, do not allow your front wheel to overlap the rear wheel of the cyclist forward of you. Should the cyclist ahead need to move over suddenly, you will have little chance to avoid a fall. In a double pace line, you should always strive to keep your handlebars even with the rider who is next to you; this requires the cooperation of both riders.
As much as is possible, it is safer for the group when you to stay in line. An odd cyclist riding out in the road causes problems for passing cars as well as for riders dropping back to the back of the line after giving up the lead. In a double pace line (which advanced groups use out in the countryside), pair up and maintain your pairing. | <urn:uuid:4b137b73-9c45-454b-bf46-3a23150e8179> | CC-MAIN-2015-27 | http://foylecycling.net/wordpress/index.php/about/club-runs | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-27/segments/1435375098059.60/warc/CC-MAIN-20150627031818-00095-ip-10-179-60-89.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951009 | 824 | 2.78125 | 3 |
For many Swallow-tailed Kites, reaching the tip of the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico means they have entered the home stretch of their northbound migration. One last 500-mile-plus push across the dazzling teal waters of the Gulf of Mexico and they’re back over land, reaching their nesting locations with plenty of juicy, nutritious food available along the way.
But the weather can make or break the trip. Northerly winds pushing down the Gulf of Mexico make the risky, direct route home even more challenging. Instead of riding southerly tailwinds, the kites must struggle upwind. Some end up stalled over open ocean, exhausted.
Luckily, failure was not in the cards for Bogue Falaya, Lacombe, Palmetto, and Sarasota. They all made it safely across the Gulf of Mexico, albeit in unexpected ways.
Bogue Falaya was the first of the four to start crossing the Gulf of Mexico, on 9 March. Strong northerly winds forced him to double back and linger off Mexico’s coast until the evening of 10 March, when he was finally able to resume northward travel. At 4 am on 12 March, Bogue Falaya made landfall in the panhandle of Florida near Carrabelle. He was still in the area as of 20 March.
The last two years, Lacombe was able to fly almost due north from the Yucatan Peninsula to his nesting grounds in Louisiana. But not this year. He left the Yucatan Peninsula on 11 March and was immediately pushed eastward, reaching land near Sarasota, Florida, on 12 March. Ever since, he’s been working his way westward, over land, towards Louisiana.
Palmetto waited until the winds quieted to cross. Leaving on 15 March, she was able to fly due north across the Gulf and reach Panama City, Florida, on 17 March. She cut east to the Florida Panhandle, then turned towards South Carolina just north of Jacksonville, Florida. By 20 March, she had reached her nesting grounds. This seems to be her favored flight path, as she took a very similar route in 2017. Who could quibble with her methods? Since being tagged, Palmetto has survived 7 yearly round-trip migrations – that’s over 70,000 miles. What an amazing feat.
Sarasota left the Yucatan Peninsula on 17 March. Instead of flying the short, direct route back to Sarasota County, Florida, Sarasota slowly drifted northeast for two days and reached Steinhatchee, Florida, on the morning of 19 March. Returning to last year’s nest site will be the next priority. | <urn:uuid:6f4bb406-5e70-4cbb-acf5-8edbf944667e> | CC-MAIN-2019-13 | http://www.swallow-tailedkites.org/2018/03/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-13/segments/1552912202199.51/warc/CC-MAIN-20190320024206-20190320050206-00102.warc.gz | en | 0.967479 | 557 | 2.625 | 3 |
Etiology: Pasteurella multocida is a small, Gram-negative, short bacillus/cocobacillus. It is non-motile and non-spore forming.
Incidence: Incidence of infection and disease is common in research animals.
Transmission: Transmission occurs by direct contact and less commonly, aerosol. Many rabbits are asymptomatic carriers.
Clinical Signs: There are several manifestations of the disease. Upper respiratory disease (“snuffles”), pneumonia, otitis media, pyometra, orchitis, subcutaneous abscesses, conjunctivitis, and septicemia are manifestations of P. multocida infection. Onset of clinical disease is often associated with underlying stressors.
Snuffles: This is the most common clinical manifestation of pasteurellosis. Signs include serous to mucopurulent nasal exudate with sneezing and nasal stridor. Exudate may be seen on the nose and forepaws. Nasal mucosal erosions with edema, hyperemia and neutrophilic exudate may be visible. Snuffles may progress to lower respiratory disease, conjunctivitis, or otitis media.
Conjunctivitis: This is the second most common manifestation of infection. Signs include mucoid/mucopurulent discharge and conjunctival hyperemia, with development of chronic epiphora and inflammation, and eventual stenosis of the nasolacrimal duct.
Otitis media and interna: Torticollis may be seen in ~15% of rabbits with otitis media and occurs when inflammation extends to the vestibular apparatus. Bullae are filled with serosanguinous to purulent material.
Pneumonia: Pneumonia occurs in approximately 20% of rabbits with upper respiratory disease. Rarely there is evidence of upper respiratory disease, so affected rabbits may die acutely with no signs; anorexia and depression may be observed. Acute pneumonia lesions include red-grey foci of consolidation of the cranioventral lung lobes with or without hemorrhage. Fibrinopurulent necrotizing bronchopneumonia occurs, often with abscess formation. Fibrinopurulent pleuritis, pericarditis and pyothorax are frequent sequelae.
Abscesses: Contaminated wounds and septicemia are common routes for abscess development in a variety of locations but most commonly in the subcutis of the head and shoulders. The presence of subcutaneous swellings which are filled with creamy exudate and may have draining fistulous tracts is typical of Pasteurella abscesses.
Genital Infections: Infection occurs by venereal transmission. Metritis, orchitis, and epididymitis often develop into abscesses. Female rabbits may have a vaginal discharge which may be serous to mucopurulent and/or a history of infertility.
Septicemia: Septicemic rabbits usually die acutely without clinical signs. Bacteremia may be secondary to pneumonia or rhinitis, and serosal and endocardial hemorrhages may be appreciated.
Diagnosis: Culture of multiple sites including nasal cavity, paranasal sinuses, nasopharynx and tympanic bullae can be used. ELISA can be used but should be repeated multiple times over the course of several weeks. PCR can be used to detect infection with Pasteurella. | <urn:uuid:c7395484-43d9-461f-bd24-116d220878c9> | CC-MAIN-2023-50 | https://cvm.missouri.edu/diseases-of-research-animals-dora/rabbits/pasteurellosis/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-50/segments/1700679100146.5/warc/CC-MAIN-20231129204528-20231129234528-00007.warc.gz | en | 0.875774 | 733 | 3.28125 | 3 |
Home > Soil & Solid waste > Metallurgical residues
With increasingly strict environmental legislation, shortage of raw material supply and high metal prices, the implementation of dedicated processes for treating metallurgical residues and recovering their valuable contents becomes more and more relevant. Lhoist engineers, in association with other partners, work on innovative processes to destroy hydrocarbons contained in various sludge and the recovery of certain metals, ready to be re-used in the plant.
For example, oily sludge and scales are part of metallurgical residues. Today it is possible to recover their iron content in an efficient way without impeding the main iron-steel flowsheet.
Click here in order to get more information on this innovative residue treatment process, implemented by Lhoist and Paul Wurth | <urn:uuid:16c477e6-4719-44b8-a294-4f5d1207382a> | CC-MAIN-2022-05 | https://www.neutralac.com/soil_metallurgicalresidues.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-05/segments/1642320301720.45/warc/CC-MAIN-20220120035934-20220120065934-00317.warc.gz | en | 0.879536 | 168 | 2.921875 | 3 |
We mapped soil erosion in the field in 1991-1997 in the scale 1:100 000 for all of Iceland. The results were published in the book "Soil Erosion in Iceland" ("Jarðvegsrof á Íslandi"). The project involved classification of soil erosion forms and desert forms, as well as developing scale for erosion severity. The results consist of a comprehensive databank for soil erosion in Iceland and the geomorphology of Icelandic desert surfaces. The project received the Nordic Nature and Environment prize in 1998. The data has been used for multiple purposes since then and continues to be the most comprehensive land cover for Icelandic desert surfaces. | <urn:uuid:55c72228-798d-4630-b965-e6dfbcc7d717> | CC-MAIN-2022-21 | https://www.moldin.net/soil-erosion-in-iceland.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-21/segments/1652662570051.62/warc/CC-MAIN-20220524075341-20220524105341-00737.warc.gz | en | 0.949116 | 135 | 3.078125 | 3 |
by Duane Baughman, Johnny O'Hara
|mp4 (640x360) [6549 kb]|
The definitive documentary that chronicles the life of one of the most complex and fascinating characters of our time. Hers is an epic tale of Shakespearean dimension. It’s the story of the first woman in history to lead a Muslim nation: Pakistan. Benazir Bhutto was born into a wealthy landowning family that became Pakistan’s dominant political dynasty. Often referred to as the “Kennedys of Pakistan,” the Bhuttos share a painful history of triumph and tragedy, played out on an international stage. | <urn:uuid:54d38645-14a0-4343-8f8a-0a3205f3e5f9> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://cineuropa.org/vd.aspx?t=video&l=en&did=153887 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988719465.22/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183839-00021-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946565 | 139 | 2.53125 | 3 |
The second module develops the theme of history and its relationship to philosophy by applying the concepts we have learned in Module 1 to Islamic history. The module is comprised of three parts. In the first part, students frame Islamic history within the context of world history. In the second, they are exposed to civilizational influences that impacted the formative period of Islamic intellectual history. Edward Said captures the spirit of what we hope to convey: “Partly because of empire, all cultures are involved in one another; none is single and pure.” The third part presents the tradition as a series of intellectual contestations by looking at the intellectual disputes between great scholars over the course of generations and centuries. This section reconceptualizes tradition as a rope with disparate strands that are woven together to form a continuum, with each strand representing a scholar or generation that has passed on. The key questions of this module are:
- If the very tradition was formed out of a multiplicity of cultural and intellectual resources, what does it mean to claim that there is such as thing as a uniform or pure expression of Islam?
- If scholars of the past had a dynamic relationship with intellectual currents that stemmed from outside Islam, how are Muslims engaging contemporary knowledge traditions today?
- If creativity and contestation define the scholarly tradition that we inherit, should a healthy living tradition today be characterized by similar characteristics?
. Photo Credit: Maja Ruszpel, Istanbul, 2014. Public domain. | <urn:uuid:97601a46-ca24-4df1-94fa-084730e3a2c5> | CC-MAIN-2022-05 | https://madrasadiscourses.nd.edu/course/2-contextualizing-the-theological-tradition/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-05/segments/1642320302715.38/warc/CC-MAIN-20220121010736-20220121040736-00595.warc.gz | en | 0.937846 | 300 | 3.5625 | 4 |
Colonies are found in vegetation of moist, relatively well-drained lowlands, at lower elevations on mountain slopes, beach ridges where rye grass grows, and lower slopes of islands. Burrow systems often near rocky outrops and small streams (Cook and Klein 1999, Rausch and Rausch 1968). They were not found in dry lowlands or areas with much standing water (Rausch and Rausch 1968).
Cook, J. A. and D. R. Klein. 1999. Insular vole, Microtus abbreviatus. Pp. 623-624, in The Smithsonian book of North American mammals (D. E. Wilson and S. Ruff, eds.). Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington D. C., in association with the American Society of Mammalogists.
Rausch, R. L. and V. R. Rausch. 1968. On the biology and systematic position of Microtus abbreviatus Miller, a vole endemic to the St. Mathew Islands, Bering Sea. Zeitschrift fur Saugetierkunde 33: 65-99. | <urn:uuid:676ae8dd-2c86-4cdb-998f-361a101fa83a> | CC-MAIN-2017-34 | http://akgap.uaa.alaska.edu/species-data/insular-vole-annual-range/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-34/segments/1502886109470.15/warc/CC-MAIN-20170821172333-20170821192333-00488.warc.gz | en | 0.833803 | 236 | 3.125 | 3 |
The eccentric engineer: a tale of six pips and how the BBC became the national arbiter of time
Image credit: K. Mitch Hodge | Unsplash
This edition of Eccentric Engineer tells the story of the BBC Time Signal and how, over the years, it has just got more complicated.
Every engineer needs to know the time, if only so as to not miss lunch. Since 1924, many Britons have been checking their watches against the BBC time signal, known affectionately as ‘the pips’.
The history of the ‘pips’ is almost as long as the history of the BBC itself. The first transmissions from what was then the British Broadcasting Company began in late 1922 and soon afterwards there were suggestions of broadcasting a time signal under the control of the Royal Observatory at Greenwich – then the arbiter of time in the UK.
No one seems to have seen a need for this degree of precision, but early broadcasts did use their own ad hoc ‘pips’, marking the 8pm and 9pm news programmes with a time signal consisting of the announcer playing the Westminster chimes on a piano and later a set of tubular bells. This proved rather popular with listeners, who could now adjust their clocks and watches daily, so the BBC decided to invest in some more high-tech clocks from the Synchronome Company. These provided audible ‘ticks’, which the announcer then simply counted down.
The idea for the actual pips probably came from amateur horologist and radio enthusiast Frank Hope-Jones, who ended a particularly well-timed radio lecture by counting down the last five seconds to 10pm. After this, he suggested that the BBC might broadcast an audible time signal.
John Reith, managing director of the BBC, decided to contact the Astronomer Royal, Frank Watson Dyson, to discuss the idea. Dyson agreed to modify two clocks at Greenwich, so their escapement wheels controlled a switch on a 1kHz oscillator, which sent this signal down a telephone line to the BBC to produce a time signal every half-hour. To help people set their watches it was decided to broadcast six tones from the oscillator starting at five seconds to the hour and ending on the hour, the start of the last tone being the hour itself. The ‘pips’ were first transmitted at 9.30pm on 5 February 1924, introduced by Dyson himself.
For 13 years the system worked well, until the Royal Navy, which controlled Greenwich Observatory, realised the BBC had never paid for the service and sent them a bill. In return, the BBC reminded the Navy that they had never billed them for the shipping forecast and the matter of fees was quietly dropped.
When the Royal Observatory moved to Herstmonceux Castle in Sussex in 1958, the ‘pips’ had to move, too. Here, two electric clocks generated the signal, which was sent down two phone lines (one for redundancy) to the BBC in London. To confirm that the lines were working the clocks sent a continuous tone all the time, the ‘pips’ being short silences. This signal was turned into 1kHz ‘pips’ by the BBC.
With the occasional spurious pip, the time signal survived largely unchanged until 1971, when an international agreement brought all time signals on to International Atomic Time (IAT). While this hardly bothered those setting their watches before the news, it bothered the timekeepers. IAT is relentlessly accurate whereas the Earth itself is not, running slightly slow. It was decided that local time, such as GMT, would have to occasionally be adjusted by adding a ‘leap second’. Yet this proved problematic for the ‘pips’. Obviously, a seventh ‘pip’ could be added, but how would the audience know which was the last pip? The answer was to alter the length of the last pip from 0.1s to 0.5s and so the familiar sounding last ‘pip’ was born.
From 1990, the BBC took over creating the signal itself, always aiming at higher accuracy and even adjusting for the time it takes the signal to travel to the transmitter and then to the receivers, even though these fractions of seconds are far less than the time lost in the sound getting from the radio to the listeners’ ears. Of course, occasionally things went wrong. At 8am on 17 September 2008, seven ‘pips’ were broadcast six seconds late. To this day, no one knows why, but the machine was reset by switching it off and on again and has worked well ever since.
Being a story of scientific endeavour, one might expect that from here on in, it just gets more accurate – but you’d be wrong. With the advent of digital radio and internet, the time signal has become, ironically, far less accurate. Digital signals need to be encoded and decoded and for digital radio this can take 1.5 seconds. For the BBC website, it can be as long as 10 seconds. The digital age may herald the end of the ‘pips’ as we know them. Time to dust off those tubular bells.
Sign up to the E&T News e-mail to get great stories like this delivered to your inbox every day. | <urn:uuid:e120c3ae-b5d7-4efc-bb2c-ebc7ccd4616a> | CC-MAIN-2022-21 | https://eandt.theiet.org/content/articles/2020/02/the-eccentric-engineer-a-tale-of-six-pips-and-how-the-bbc-became-the-national-arbiter-of-time/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-21/segments/1652663039492.94/warc/CC-MAIN-20220529041832-20220529071832-00580.warc.gz | en | 0.970294 | 1,098 | 3.171875 | 3 |
At Creative Mechanisms we specialize in prototype design and development. Consequently, we frequently use a tensile tester to test a completed prototype or product for how safe it is to use in everyday applications. This is a little different than testing new materials for their material properties for a few reasons:
1. We typically operate with plastics that have significantly lower strength profiles than metal. See below for dogbone specimens made of plastic and more suitable to a manual tensile testing machine.
Cutting a plastic dogbone tensile testing specimen with the CNC machine
2. Oftentimes we test the actual part as opposed to a dogbone tensile testing strip. The dogbone is intended to more objectively standardize testing for different materials but it is more accurate to test the actual product if possible rather than a dogbone of the product.
We start by modeling our designs using in CAD and then compute their strength on a theoretical level using the software. For example, if we make a rope connector of some kind that is purely made out of plastic, the math behind the design will say that it will hold a specified amount of load. So let’s say the rope connector theoretically breaks at 150 pounds of force being exerted on it. Engineers, however, always have to implement a factor of safety into their products to prevent harm to the user. If we want to have a factor of safety of 3, we would advertise that the rated load of the rope connector only be 50 pounds. Once the prototype or the product is then physically made, we test it on the tensile tester. Since the plastic and the parts that are made for the prototype are not perfect, we expect the force that the prototype will fail at to be slightly less than the theoretical value. So instead of breaking at 150 pounds, it will break around 137 or 140 pounds. This is very much acceptable in the scope of our consumer products. Now if the product broke at 75 pounds, there is something that went wrong in either the injection molding process or the assembly of the product. Either way, the tensile testers helps us see if there is a physical problem with the prototypes.
Our in house tensile tester works by using a lever arm to manually exert force on the test subject. To use it we first connect the specimen to the machine in two places: the force measuring device and the moving arm connector. We pull on the lever to exert the force through the specimen and that gets translated by the measuring device. Once the product breaks, we see take a look at the peak tension the specimen withstood prior to failure.
More on tensile strength testing in general:
Tensile strength testing is one of the most commonly used tests available to catalogue the material properties of new materials. In short, the tensile test is used to determine when a particular material will fail in the event that it is subjected to a tensile force (i.e. when it is being linearly pulled apart under tension). Other tests include compression strength tests (linearly pushing a material together until it fails) or shear strain tests (subjecting a test specimen to lateral, twisting forces until failure.
Tensile testing is very relevant in the scientific community and amongst engineers working for companies trying to use or develop new materials. For example, a company might develop a new type of ceramic or an untested metal composite. Any time a new material comes into existence it’s important to ascertain its material properties so as to determine which applications it will be useful for and which it will not. In order to test the material in tension it will typically be molded into the shape of a “dogbone” (see photo below).
The dogbone shaped material is sometimes referred to as a tensile bar. You’ll notice that sometimes the tensile bar has threads at the end while at other times it does not. This simply indicates the fitting used in the particular tensile testing machine. Some machines clamp the specimen while others thread it into a female connector.
For steels and ceramics, a motorized tensile tester is usually used because of the vast strengths of metals and ceramics (stressing the material to failure requires more than can be done with a hand lever). The machine then stretches the material until it breaks. See below for a visual of different specimens and their failure characteristics at different temperatures.
Note in the image above that the metal tends to yield (stretch) more at higher temperatures before it fails. Contrast the specimen tested at 250℃ as compared to the one tested at 25℃. The specimen tested slightly above room temperature (approximately 25℃) exhibited a brittle failure (i.e. it failed all of a sudden). It did not stretch nearly as much prior to failure as the specimen tested at 250℃.
In testing materials it’s important to understand the way in which data is recorded and interpreted by engineers. Most tensile tests produce a well known chart called the stress-strain chart for the material. The chart has two axes: x (which signifies the stress applied by the machine to the material (“dogbone”) being tested and y (which signifies the strain or the amount of linear stretching or deformation the dogbone exhibits at a given level of stress). Stress is represented by the lowercase Greek letter “sigma” (σ) while strain is represented by the lowercase Greek letter “epsilon” (ε).
The amount of stress a given material can withstand is basically the pressure it can undergo without failing. The amount of strain the material can withstand is basically the amount that it can stretch before it fails (also called the ductility of the material). So initially as pressure is applied, the stress and the strain are linear because the entire length of the dogbone is taking the pressure uniformly. At some point the material will have so much pressure applied that if anymore is applied it will begin to permanently deform. This is known as the “yield strength” and is signified by position (1) on the chart above. Once the material hits the yield strength position the entire material begins to uniformly stretch similar to the way taffy would react to stretching. This behavior continues while additional pressure is being applied until the material reaches its “ultimate strength” (the maximum pressure that can be applied before total failure).
Once it hits the ultimate strength the material would start to neck and fracture in a single location (see below). Once the material breaks the test is complete and the data points are reviewed. | <urn:uuid:d39ca031-e633-4105-9f25-b7acf0931625> | CC-MAIN-2018-51 | https://www.creativemechanisms.com/blog/tensile-testing-for-plastic-prototype-development | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-51/segments/1544376823442.17/warc/CC-MAIN-20181210191406-20181210212906-00416.warc.gz | en | 0.934945 | 1,346 | 3.203125 | 3 |
Barbara Bush’s Abigail Adams Impersonation
Why are students of American history having a dèja-vu over Barbara Bush?
August 3, 2000
So far, only one woman in U.S. history has been immortalized both as wife and mother to U.S. American Presidents. Yet, Abigail Adams, the sharp-minded wife of John Adams, the second President of the United States and mother of John Quincy Adams, the fourth President, was definitely not everybody’s grandmother. Rather, she heavily immersed herself in the politics of the day, composing her most famous letter “Remember the Ladies.”
Almost two centuries later, Barbara Bush, born in 1925, has fulfilled the role of second and later first lady, dedicating her time to honorable causes such as education, the homeless and AIDS. On the other hand, Abigail Adams was busy running the farm back home and doing a man’s job. At the same time, she wielded an important and healthy political influence over her husband regarding the role of women and other political concerns of the young nation.
There are, however, some common features. Both, Abigail and Barbara had to endure long separations from their husbands and did a substantial part of raising the children by themselves. Just as Abigail ran the show and managed an extensive household, so did Barbara. The main difference being that Mrs. Bush could grab the next telephone to communicate with her President husband, whereas Ms Adams wrote thousands of letters.
These letters let the present-day reader gain an in-depth idea about how much she was aware of what was going on around her politically. In fact, Abigail would have been the perfect product of B.B.’s literacy programs. Her intellect and insight are all the more impressive when one bears in mind that she never enjoyed any formal education.
The closest Mrs. Bush came to advocating women’s emancipation — not in the hackneyed way the word has been used since the 1970’s — was when she said to an audience: “Somewhere out in this audience may be someone who will one day follow my footsteps, and preside over the White House as the President’s spouse. I wish him well.”
The autodidactic Adams was what Barbara Bush wanted to create with her literacy programs. She took her life in her own hand and dared to stick out. Even today this is not the easiest exercise. 200 years ago that might have turned a respected woman into a social outcast, a risk Barbara never had to take. | <urn:uuid:cafd8b5d-52e9-415e-a213-5529428d0844> | CC-MAIN-2022-49 | https://www.theglobalist.com/barbara-bushs-abigail-adams-impersonation/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-49/segments/1669446711108.34/warc/CC-MAIN-20221206124909-20221206154909-00657.warc.gz | en | 0.974635 | 539 | 2.625 | 3 |
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