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synchrotron or inverse Compton emission from
the jet already observed in the radio band (23).
Unfortunately, current knowledge of the jet at
radio wavelengths does not allow discriminating
between the two processes.
To have such a clear polarimetric signal, the
magnetic field has to be coherent over a large
fraction of the emission site (5). Such a coherent
magnetic-field structure may indicate a jet origin
for the gamma rays above 400 keV (24). In addition, because the gamma rays emitted in BH x-ray
binaries are generally thought to be emitted close
to the BH horizon (7, 25), and because the synchrotron photons we observed in the hard tail are
too energetic to be effectively self-Comptonized,
these observations might be evidence that the jet
structure is formed in the BH vicinity, possibly
in the Compton corona itself. Another possibility is that the gamma rays are produced in the
initial acceleration region in the jet, as observed
at higher energies by the Fermi Large Area Telescope from the microquasar Cygnus X-3 (26).
The spectrum observed above 400 keV is
consistent with a power law of photon index 1.6 T
0.2. This means that this spectrum, if due to synchrotron or inverse Compton emission, is caused
by electrons whose energy distribution is also a
power law with an index p of 2.2 T 0.4 (27),
consistent with the canonical value for shock-accelerated particles p = 2. Synchrotron radiation
at MeV energies implies also that the electron
energy, for a magnetic field of 10 mG, which is
reasonable for this kind of system (28), would
be around a few TeV (27, 29). Inverse Compton
scattering of photons off these high-energy TeV
electrons, whose lifetime due to synchrotron energy loss is about 1 month (27), could also be the
origin of the TeV photons detected from Cygnus
X-1 with the Major Atmospheric Gamma-ray
Imaging Cerenkov telescope experiment (30) and
possibly also the gamma rays claimed by Astro-rivelatore Gamma ad Immagini Leggero/Light
Imager for Gamma-Ray Astrophysics (31).
The position angle (PA) of the electric vector, which gives the direction of the electric field
lines projected onto the sky, is 140° T 15°. This
is at least 100° away from the compact radio jet,
which is observed at a PA of 21° to 24° (32). Such
deviations between the electric field vector and
jet direction are also found in other jet sources,
such as Active Galactic Nuclei (33) or the galactic source SS433 (34).
9. M. L. McConnell et al., Astrophys. J. 572, 984 (2002).
10. M. Cadolle Bel et al., Astron. Astrophys. 446, 591 (2006).
11. P. Massey, K. E. Johnson, K. Degioia-Eastwood,
Astrophys. J. 454, 151 (1995).
12. D. R. Gies, C. T. Bolton, Astrophys. J. 304, 371 (1986).
13. M. Bałucińska-Church, T. Belloni, M. J. Church,
G. Hasinger, Astron. Astrophys. 302, L5 (1995).
14. G. Vedrenne et al., Astron. Astrophys. 411, L63 (2003).
15. P. Ubertini et al., Astron. Astrophys. 411, L131 (2003).
16. C. Winkler et al., Astron. Astrophys. 411, L1 (2003).
17. F. Lei, A. J. Dean, G. L. Hills, Space Sci. Rev. 82,
18. M. Forot, P. Laurent, F. Lebrun, O. Limousin, Astrophys. J.
668, 1259 (2007).
19. M. Forot, P. Laurent, I. A. Grenier, C. Gouiffès, F. Lebrun,
Astrophys. J. 688, L29 (2008).
20. D. Götz, P. Laurent, F. Lebrun, F. Daigne, Ž. Bošnjak,
Astrophys. J. 695, L208 (2009).
21. In brief, a Compton polarimeter uses the polarization
dependency of the differential cross section for Compton
scattering, where linearly polarized photons scatter
preferentially perpendicularly to the incident polarization
vector. By examining the scatter-angle azimuthal
distribution of the detected photons, a sinusoidal signal
is obtained from which the PA and the Pf with respect to
a 100% polarized source can be derived. Gamma-ray
polarization measurements are particularly difficult, the
main difficulty being the exclusion of systematic/detector
effects in the azimuthal Compton events distribution. To
exclude these systematic effects, we followed the process
detailed in (19). We only considered events that
interacted once in the upper Cd Te crystal layer, Integral
Soft Gamma-Ray Imager (sensitive in the 15- to
1000-keV band), and once in the lower CsI layer,
Pixelated CsI Telescope (sensitive in the 200-keV to
10-MeV band), and whose reconstructed energy was in
the 250- to 2000-keV energy range. These events
were automatically selected on board through a time
coincidence algorithm. The maximal allowed time window
was set to 3.8 ms during our observations, which span
between 2003 and 2009, for a total exposure of more than
5 million seconds, which is ~58 days.
22. R. A. Sunyaev, L. Titarchuk, Astrophys. J. 143,
23. R. P. Fender, T. Belloni, E. Gallo, Mon. Not. R. Astron.
Soc. 355, 1105 (2004).
24. J. F. Hawley, Astrophys. Space Sci. 320, 107 (2009).
25. J. B. Dove, J. Wilms, M. Maisack, M. C. Begelman,
Astrophys. J. 487, 759 (1997).
26. A. A. Abdo et al.; Fermi LAT Collaboration, Science
326, 1512 (2009).
27. V. L. Ginzburg, S. I. Syrovatskii, Annu. Rev. Astron.
Astrophys. 3, 297 (1965).
28. L. F. Rodriguez, I. F. Mirabel, Astrophys. J. 511, 398 (1999).
29. In the inverse Compton case, electrons will be of much
30. J. Albert et al., Astrophys. J. 665, L51 (2007).
31. S. Sabatini et al., Astrophys. J. 712, L10 (2010).
32. This compact radio jet PA value is slightly time
33. M. L. Lister, D. C. Homan, Astron. J. 130, 1389 (2005).
34. M. C. Begelman, A. R. King, J. E. Pringle, Mon. Not. R.
Astron. Soc. 370, 399 (2006).
Acknowledgments: ISGRI has been realized and maintained
in flight by CEA-Saclay/IRFU with the support of Centre
National d’Etudes Spatiales. Based on observations with
INTEGRAL, a European Space Agency (ESA) project with
instruments and science data center funded by ESA
member states (especially the Principal Investigator
countries: Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland,
and Spain), Czech Republic and Poland, and with the
participation of Russia and the United States. We
acknowledge partial funding from the European Commission under contract ITN 215212 “Black Hole
Universe” and from the Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft
und Technologie under Deutsches Zentrum für Luft-und Raumfahrt grant 50 OR 1007. K.P. acknowledges
support by NASA’s INTEGRAL Guest Observer grants
NNX08AE84G, NNX08AY24G, and NX09AT28G. We thank
S. Corbel for useful comments.
23 November 2010; accepted 3 March 2011
Published online 24 March 2011;
Hydrogenolysis of Aryl Ethers
Alexey G. Sergeev and John F. Hartwig*
Selective hydrogenolysis of the aromatic carbon-oxygen (C-O) bonds in aryl ethers is an unsolved
synthetic problem important for the generation of fuels and chemical feedstocks from biomass and for
the liquefaction of coal. Currently, the hydrogenolysis of aromatic C-O bonds requires heterogeneous
catalysts that operate at high temperature and pressure and lead to a mixture of products from
competing hydrogenolysis of aliphatic C-O bonds and hydrogenation of the arene. Here, we report
hydrogenolyses of aromatic C-O bonds in alkyl aryl and diaryl ethers that form exclusively arenes and alcohols.
This process is catalyzed by a soluble nickel carbene complex under just 1 bar of hydrogen at temperatures
of 80 to 120°C; the relative reactivity of ether substrates scale as Ar-OAr>>Ar-OMe>ArCH2-OMe (Ar, Aryl; Me,
Methyl). Hydrogenolysis of lignin model compounds highlights the potential of this approach
for the conversion of refractory aryl ether biopolymers to hydrocarbons.
References and Notes
1. R. A. Sunyaev, J. Trümper, Nature 279, 506 (1979).
2. M. Gierliński et al., Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 288,
3. A. M. Stirling et al., Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 327,
4. R. P. Fender et al., Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 369,
5. E. Gallo, R. P. Fender, G. G. Pooley, Mon. Not. R. Astron.
Soc. 344, 60 (2003).
6. W. Cui et al., Astrophys. J. 474, L57 (1997).
7. T. Di Salvo, C. Done, P. T. Życki, L. Burderi, N. R. Robba,
Astrophys. J. 547, 1024 (2001).
8. K. Ebisawa, Y. Ueda, H. Inoue, Y. Tanaka, N. E. White,
Astrophys. J. 467, 419 (1996).
Selective hydrogenolysis of aromatic carbon- oxygen (C-O) bonds (scission by reaction with hydrogen to form CH and OH bonds
in their place) is challenging because of the
strength and stability of these linkages (1); yet,
this process is important for the conversion of
oxygen-rich lignocellulosic plant biomass to de-
Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois, 600 South
Matthews Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
*To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail:
oxygenated fuels and commercial chemicals (2–5).
Whereas the exclusively aliphatic C-O bonds in
cellulose can be cleaved with hydrolysis and
dehydration (3), the aromatic C-O bonds in lignin
cannot undergo these processes and have resisted selective cleavage by hydrogen (2, 4). In
addition, brown coal’s polymeric network contains aromatic C-O bonds inherited from lignocellulosic biomass, and the liquefaction of these
bonds could facilitate the liquification of this carbon source and its conversion to arene feedstocks
(6). A general, mild method for reductive cleav- | <urn:uuid:3ee92705-f3b5-48de-965c-9afb8d0c086c> | CC-MAIN-2018-26 | http://www.sciencemagazinedigital.org/sciencemagazine/20110422?pg=61 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-26/segments/1529267859904.56/warc/CC-MAIN-20180617232711-20180618012711-00460.warc.gz | en | 0.761808 | 2,714 | 2.59375 | 3 |
While piloting a commercial transatlantic flight last year, Captain Klaus Sievers and his crew got a whiff of an unusual odour. In a confined space 10 km up in the air, there was only one thing it could be.
The foul smell with traces of sulphur in the cockpit came from none other than the Grímsvötn volcano that was spewing gas and ash from southeast Iceland.
Sulphur dioxide often indicates volcanic ash, and the presence of ash in the atmosphere can endanger jet engines.
Timely information about ash, sulphur dioxide clouds and their dispersion are crucial to alert civil aviation authorities.
Earth-observing satellites can provide this information. With frequent and worldwide measurements of ash plumes and sulphur dioxide emissions, satellites help to improve aviation safety.
Once landed, Captain Sievers, a representative of the German Airline Pilots’ Association, used data from the MetOp satellite via the Support to Aviation Control Service – SACS – to confirm the sulphur dioxide.
“The SACS images allowed me clearly to identify and locate the Grímsvötn sulphur plumes after the flight,” he said.
“The images also gave an indication of the gas cloud position before the flight, but did not provide a forecast of their exact location.
“As I found out, the smell of Grímsvötn is not pleasant. For comfort and safety reasons, it would be good if it were possible to avoid such an experience for you and all people on the airplane.”
Inhalation of sulphur dioxide, even at low concentrations, can affect people with respiratory problems. Flight crews are advised to use oxygen masks while the smell lingers.
When sulphur dioxide combines with water in the atmosphere, sulphuric acid is formed, which can damage aircraft windows, fade exterior paint and build up sulphate deposits in engines. This leads to higher maintenance costs.
Based on multi-satellite observations, SACS provides early warning ash and sulphur dioxide information about volcanic eruptions.
When an eruption occurs, an alert is sent to interested users, most notably to Volcanic Ash Advisory Centres, and public maps are generated showing the extent and intensity of the volcanic plumes.
Capt. Sievers has been using satellite images through the SACS service for the past two years to prepare for his intercontinental flights.
It proved particularly useful when planning his route from the Far East to Europe on 15 June. A day earlier, the Nabro volcano had erupted in Eritrea, spewing ash across his intended route over East Africa and the Middle East.
“Satellite information on sulphur dioxide-cloud movement raised awareness of a natural phenomenon,” said Capt. Sievers.
“This influenced the choice of a flight level for a trouble-free flight during the night of 15–16 June.
“As a captain, I would like to receive realtime observations and forecasts of volcanic ash and sulphur dioxide in the future.
“These should include height and concentration information, and good geographic coverage.
“The information should be provided with the regular flight documents for decision-making by the crew.
“At present, there is no legal requirement for sulphur dioxide information, which I deeply regret.”
Volcanic ash and sulphur dioxide can spread rapidly in the atmosphere, affecting skies over a wide area.
The eruptions of Iceland’s Eyjafjallajökull in April 2010 and Grímsvötn in May 2011 caused air traffic to be temporarily suspended throughout Europe, affecting economic, political and social activities worldwide. | <urn:uuid:5c4718bb-7329-40f8-a215-00ab6788ba04> | CC-MAIN-2017-09 | http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Observing_the_Earth/Securing_Our_Environment/Smelling_Grimsvoetn/(print) | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-09/segments/1487501171758.35/warc/CC-MAIN-20170219104611-00186-ip-10-171-10-108.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.922059 | 764 | 3.671875 | 4 |
Are you not sleeping through the night? If not, you’re not alone. According to the National Institute on Aging, “Older adults need about the same amount of sleep as all adults—7 to 9 hours each night. But, older people tend to go to sleep earlier and get up earlier than they did when they were younger. There are many reasons why older people may not get enough sleep at night. Feeling sick or being in pain can make it hard to sleep. Some medicines can keep you awake. No matter the reason, if you don’t get a good night’s sleep, the next day you may…
- Be irritable
- Have memory problems or be forgetful
- Feel depressed
- Have more falls or accidents
Being older doesn’t mean you have to be tired all the time. You can do many things to help you get a good night’s sleep.” One of the things the institute recommends is soothing music. It is my pleasure to introduce you to Wholetones 2Sleep!
If You Are Not Sleeping Through the Night Try This
As I mentioned in the video, we are constantly being told how important sleep is. According to Michael Tyrell, author of Wholetones The Healing Frequency Music Project, “A full 8-hour slumber is how your body makes its daily repairs, heals, and rebuilds damaged tissues. Your brain flushes out bio-wastes that gum up your neural network—10 times better than when you’re awake! But if you can’t (or won’t) sleep, your body and mind are in limbo… all the “behind the scenes” healing will not happen for you. Ladies, It really is important to get your sleep! And YOU ARE READING THIS… so I know you’re not sleeping. Be wise. Do not spend one more sleepless night. There is nothing to lose. Try Wholetones 2Sleep. There is only a good night’s sleep, night after nigh to gain.
So click on the link, start sleeping through the night, and….. | <urn:uuid:4c0717d3-0a63-4540-9e8d-e230918df859> | CC-MAIN-2019-51 | https://womenover50thrive.com/not-sleeping-through-the-night-3 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-51/segments/1575540586560.45/warc/CC-MAIN-20191214094407-20191214122407-00167.warc.gz | en | 0.941762 | 441 | 2.53125 | 3 |
Middle English: from Old French condicion (noun), condicionner (verb), from Latin condicio(n-) 'agreement', from condicere 'agree upon', from con- 'with' + dicere 'say'
When writing or speaking, we often wish to show that one event depends on another in some way:If the weather was fine, Chris liked to walk in Central Park. One statement, Chris liked to walk in Central Park, is conditional upon the other, the weather was fine.Conditional clauses are usually introduced by either if or unless. They can express a number of different meanings.Common eventsThey can state general truths, such as:If water penetrates window sills, doors, or their frames, the result is wet rot. In sentences like this, the verb is in the present tense. It is also possible to use the past tense to describe general truths about the past:If the weather was fine, Chris liked to walk in Central Park. Possible eventsConditional clauses can describe situations that have not yet happened, but are possible:If it goes to court, you two can testify. Here, both verbs are in the present tense. Similar sentences can be constructed using unless:Police officers don’t find bodies unless they are sent to look for them or unless someone else has found them first. Here, unless has the meaning of if … not …:Police officers don’t find bodies if they aren’t sent to look for them or if someone else hasn’t found them first. Future eventsVery often, conditional clauses speculate about events in the future. Such clauses can be open or closed. In an open condition, the speaker expresses no opinion about whether the future event is likely to happen or not:If they succeed in that, Germany’s economy and its workers will be better off. (The writer has no opinion of whether they will succeed or not.) In a closed condition, the writer makes it clear that the future event is more or less unlikely:If they were successful at this stage, they would then have to find the fee. (But they are not likely to be successful.)Past eventsConditional clauses can also be used to speculate about how things might have turned out in the past:If they had been her own children, she would have treated them differently. But they weren't her own children, so she treated them as she did. The condition cannot be fulfilled because it is impossible.Clauses that are not introduced by a conjunctionIt is possible to construct conditional clauses that do not begin with if or unless. The most common way of doing this is to begin the clause with one of these words:were should had For example:Were I to own a new BMW, another ten microcomputers would be at my command, so their advertisements claim. Should you succeed in becoming a planner, you would be helping to create these parameters. Had I been in a vehicle, I could have gone back, but on foot it was not worth risking the wasted energy. | <urn:uuid:79c63124-06c1-4aa0-a551-9288c7e68aa3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/american_english/condition | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707184996/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122624-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967568 | 619 | 4.28125 | 4 |
Just outside Washington, DC, a heavily armored truck, protected by armed guards, rumbles toward the Pentagon. Its cargo is critical to keeping the most sensitive government communications secret. But it’s not what you might expect. That precious cargo is nothing but numbers.
Though the details are a government secret, according to Alexander Sergienko, a Boston University College of Engineering professor of electrical and computer engineering, trucks like this are one likely way that the United States government might transport the numbers that are at the heart of the only unbreakable encryption technique in the world: the one-time pad.
The one-time pad is a string of random numbers, also called a key, which a sender uses to encrypt her message.
How to transport the key
But the one-time pad has one big weakness: the random numbers that are the key to coding and decoding it have to be physically transported from one place to another. Sending them over the internet, encrypted by traditional security measures, would be like locking the keys to Fort Knox inside a child’s piggy bank. If the numbers are intercepted, the code is worthless.
Sergienko is confident that secure quantum key distribution networks are live today somewhere in the United States.
So, how can you get random numbers from place to place with absolute security? The answer isn’t more armed guards and armored trucks, says Sergienko, who also has an appointment as a professor of physics. It’s quantum mechanics, the bizarre set of rules that governs the subatomic world, where the everyday norms we take for granted—that an object should have a well-defined location and speed, for instance, and that it can only be in one place at a time—go out the window.
The one-time pad encryption method dates back to before World War II, and was used to secure diplomatic communiqués and wartime dispatches. The sender encrypts her message by taking each letter, or bit, of the original message and combining it mathematically with successive random numbers from the key, transforming it into a sequence of totally random numbers. (The longer the message, the longer the key must be: a message that’s 100 letters long requires a key of at least 100 digits.)
The encrypted message is now absolutely secure: the sender can broadcast it over a radio or even scream it from the rooftops, if she wants. Only someone with an identical copy of the key can crack the code, by subtracting a matching set of numbers from the broadcast to unlock it.
But the key is unbreakable only if it is used just once; if used a second time, code breakers can begin to reverse-engineer the random-number list. With every additional use, the code gets weaker and weaker, so the bank of random numbers must be constantly refilled to keep secure government communication going. That means more numbers, more armored trucks—and more effort and expense.
Quantum keys: How they work
Sergienko is one of a group of physicists and computer scientists working to solve this problem with an encryption technique called secure quantum key distribution. They are harnessing cutting-edge technology to implement basic protocols that are some 30 years old. Quantum key distribution exploits the strange laws of quantum mechanics to create a truly random key that is totally secure from eavesdroppers.
Here’s how it works. Each “bit” of the key is encoded in the polarization of a single photon—essentially, the direction in which the light particle is “waving.” It can be up, down, or anything in between. In this case, though, each photon is prepared set in only one of two “bases”—horizontal/vertical, where horizontal might represent a one and vertical a zero; or tilted at an angle, with 45 degrees up representing one and 45 degrees down representing zero.
Sergienko maps out how it works using three characters well known to physics students: Alice, who’s sending the message; Bob, who is receiving it; and Eve, an eavesdropper out to covertly intercept it. To read out the state of each incoming photon, Bob has to pick the correct base. Alice can’t tell him the bases in advance, so he guesses randomly. Later, Alice reports the bases she used for each photon, and Bob throws away the readings for which he picked the wrong base. The result: Bob and Alice end up with identical, random strings of ones and zeros that they can use as a fresh key for their future communications.
If eavesdropper Eve tries to intercept photons traveling from Alice to Bob, Bob will notice a shortage of incoming photons. Eve could attempt to hide the theft by copying the polarization of each stolen photon and sending it on to Bob, but the laws of quantum mechanics, which make it impossible to perfectly “clone” the quantum state of a photon, get in her way, so she is bound to make mistakes that betray her presence. So, not only do Alice and Bob have truly random keys in hand, they also have the ultimate security against eavesdroppers: the laws of physics.
Written on eggshells
That’s the easy part, from Sergienko’s point of view. The hard part: making this technique work over practical distances.
That’s because, to retain the quantum properties that make them so useful for secure communication, photons have to be kept isolated from all external disturbances. Another challenge: the same “no-cloning” law that thwarted Eve prohibits the use of any amplifiers, standard in traditional telecommunications, on the optical lines that transmit the photons. “One single photon has to travel from point A to point B,” says Sergienko. It’s as if the code were written on eggshells. How can you send millions or billions of those eggshells, far and fast?
“It’s a dilemma,” says Sergienko. “The quantum realm gives you more opportunities, but to make these opportunities work for people, you have to solve the problem of how the quantum state will survive in the classical environment,” the messy reality in which it’s nearly impossible to avoid interacting with other fields and particles.
Today’s “best of the best” technology can create a few million quantum states per second, says Sergienko. But the farther you try to send them, the more of them will “crack” like broken eggshells—that is, get absorbed into the line and disappear—before they reach their destination.
Distance and speed
So while some physicists are chasing distance records, dispatching quantum states across hundreds of kilometers, Sergienko is more interested in finding the optimal balance between transmission distance and the rate at which new states can be created.
Today, data rates of about 100 kHz are possible within a modest city-sized network. Not exactly telecom speed—typical home broadband connections run 10 or 100 times faster—but good enough to transmit the bits of a robust key that guarantees the highest level of secure communication.
In 2003 and 2004, Sergienko and Gregg Jaeger, an associate professor of natural sciences and mathematics in Boston University’s College of General Studies, led a team that partnered with researchers at Harvard University and BBN Technologies (now a part of Raytheon) to build just such a system. With support from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the military’s advanced research arm, they used standard commercial fiber optic cables in the ground to send photons between three sites in the greater Boston area: one at Boston Univeristy, one at Harvard, and a third at BBN’s headquarters, near Fresh Pond in Cambridge.
The system spanned about 18 miles end-to-end.
“We showed that this secure communication can be established between three nodes through the metropolitan fiber, and can go 24/7,” says Sergienko. Even though the data rate was not high—just about 1,000 bits per second, slower than a dial-up modem—over time, each site would build up a long enough key to enable secure communication on demand. The system ran for three years, and was followed several years later by similar, independent demonstration networks in Europe, Japan, and China.
What happened next? That’s a government secret. But Sergienko is confident that secure quantum key distribution networks are live today somewhere in the United States. The likeliest spots: Washington, DC, where such a network could enable secure communication between government agencies, eliminating the need for all those trucks; and Wall Street, where it would guarantee absolute privacy for transactions between financial institutions.
Today, Sergienko is trying to narrow the gap between quantum and classical data rates. With fiber quality nearly as good as it can get, and the rate at which new quantum states can be created almost maxed out, Sergienko and his colleagues around the world are taking a new tack: encoding more bits of information in a single photon. While photon polarization can only represent zero or one, a different property of photons, called orbital angular momentum, can encode at least 10 different distinguishable states, and possibly more. Instead of simple binary bits, cryptographers would have a whole mini alphabet to work with.
As for those armored trucks? Though they might still be standard for transporting secret keys to remote locations, Sergienko wouldn’t be surprised if they are no longer pulling up to the Pentagon. But the secrets of the unbreakable code are still just that: secret.
Source: Boston University | <urn:uuid:8d1702d1-808d-4c8b-a8a5-005e5a18ff45> | CC-MAIN-2017-39 | http://www.futurity.org/quantum-keys-encryption-980112/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-39/segments/1505818689874.50/warc/CC-MAIN-20170924044206-20170924064206-00438.warc.gz | en | 0.929287 | 2,017 | 3.0625 | 3 |
Ketogenic diet may help eating disorders
Can people be “addicted” to food? Although this is still a controversial topic, new research shows that ketogenic diets can help people who suffer from binge eating disorder (which has an official medical definition among mental health experts). Ketogenic diets may also be helpful for a more general range of problems that fall under the umbrella term, “food addiction.”
Researchers at Stanford University, in partnership with doctors who use low-carbohydrate diets in their clinical practices, have published the outcomes of three patients who were thought to have binge eating tendencies and were treated with a ketogenic diet. These three patients were not only able to lose a clinically significant amount of weight, they were able to do so in way that reduced their symptoms of binge eating.
Some experts have voiced concerns that dieting leads to disordered eating, whether ketogenic or not. This series of patients shows that the opposite may be true in some cases.
However, this research has some important limitations. The three patients discussed may be an exception to the general population, other diets were not tested with these patients, and the way binge eating disorder was measured and diagnosed was not consistent, even with these three patients.At the same time, ketogenic diets may differ from other diets in important ways, when it comes to disordered eating. Potential differences may include an increase in feelings of fullness, a reduction in hunger, and changes in hormones that may be related to improvements in mental health.
This research should be considered preliminary, but it shows that ketogenic diets may improve both physical and mental health. More research is needed to understand the long-term outcomes of a ketogenic diet intervention used for binge eating tendencies and other eating disorders.
Diet Doctor offers a comprehensive guide to low carb and mental health, with more information on how a carb-restricted diet can help eating disorders and other mental health issues.
Guide to low carb and mental health
GuideEating a low-carbohydrate whole-foods diet appears to be a powerful strategy for protecting and improving the health of the body. Could this same nutritional strategy benefit the brain as well? Emerging science and clinical experience suggest that the answer is a resounding YES. | <urn:uuid:d3103147-2eaa-44fb-a488-f14f5df797d1> | CC-MAIN-2020-24 | https://www.dietdoctor.com/ketogenic-diet-may-help-eating-disorders | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-24/segments/1590347402885.41/warc/CC-MAIN-20200529085930-20200529115930-00509.warc.gz | en | 0.964737 | 456 | 2.84375 | 3 |
As a school health professional, you know the children in your school who are challenged by asthma and are often on the front line of helping them manage their condition. When pediatric asthma is in-check, kids can spend more time in class actively learning and participating. When it’s not, asthma can be a significant disruption to their education. In fact, asthma is the leading cause of missed school days among children ages 5-17.
Professional development seminars
The following videos were recorded at the Kohl’s Cares: Partnering to optimize asthma care in schools conference, as a part of a partnership with Minneapolis and St. Paul Public Schools. Watch to learn more about pediatric asthma, how to assess asthma symptoms and various treatments to manage asthma effectively.
Asthma & Behavioral Health
Pediatric asthma overview
Learn more about pediatric asthma, goals for asthma management and various asthma triggers. Also see an example of an asthma action plan.
Asthma medication management
Learn about different types of asthma medication and how to use them effectively.
Sights and sounds of asthma
Learn how to assess if a child is presenting with asthma symptoms by using observation and interaction.
Applying knowledge and skills
View several live scenarios and Q&A sessions to apply skills to your practice.
Seasonal asthma tips for students: Spring
For students with springtime allergies, it may mean a worsening of asthma symptoms. Trees begin to release pollen at the end of March and grass pollen peaks in May and June.
- Decrease allergy exposure
- Pay attention to pollen counts
- Avoid being outdoors on windy days midmorning to midafternoon
- Keep doors and windows closed
- Shower nightly after being outside
- Visit a nurse practitioner or doctor every 6 months
- Create and follow an asthma action plan with a providers guidance
- Determine if allergy medications are needed
- Regularly monitor asthma
- Answer these four questions regularly to determine if asthma is under control.
Children’s Minnesota and Kohl’s Cares partnership
Children’s Minnesota is your partner in providing information, educational tools, resources and clinical expertise to keep students as healthy as possible. Through a generous grant from Kohl’s Cares, we are partnering with local schools and have set an ambitious goal to help reduce unscheduled visits to the school nurse’s office due to asthma. Everyone can breathe easier when pediatric asthma is well-controlled. | <urn:uuid:867d6f59-7877-43db-995c-93e04c1371f3> | CC-MAIN-2023-50 | https://www.childrensmn.org/asthma-care-in-schools/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-50/segments/1700679100258.29/warc/CC-MAIN-20231130225634-20231201015634-00240.warc.gz | en | 0.932989 | 501 | 2.90625 | 3 |
While most people probably associate bees with their nettlesome sting, the insect is critical to sustaining life on earth, pollinating 80% of all flowering plants and some three-quarters of this country's fruits, nuts, and vegetables. The loss of the bee population would be devastating to U.S. agriculture.
Watching bees fly from flower to flower in your garden might have you thinking that's not much of a concern, but colony collapse disorder, or CCD, is a large and growing threat and it has not only beekeepers and farmers worried, but those likely most responsible for it: the agri-giants like Bayer, Dow Chemical (NYSE: DOW ) , and Monsanto (NYSE: MON ) .
Honeybees in particular are suffering from the malady, which even the Agriculture Department is forced to admit is likely the result of overreliance on pesticide use, though it lists it after other possible causes such as disease, nutrition, and stress.
CCD is the lack of adult honeybees present in a hive even, though there is a live queen. Moreover, no dead honeybee bodies are found around the hive, there's still honey in the hive, and immature bees are present. The colony becomes like some bee ghost town.
Some bee farmers report losing as much as 90% of their hives from the disorder with estimates ranging as high as one-third of all colonies having been lost since 2005. Because certain virus-transmitting parasites have frequently been found in hives hit by CCD, the chemical makers are quick to point to them as the cause of the collapse and a report issued last month by a USDA panel that included representatives from Bayer, Dow, and Syngenta (NYSE: SYT ) , said that while pesticide use could be a concern particularly in high dosages, "it is not clear, based on current research, whether pesticide exposure is a major factor associated with U.S. honey bee health declines in general."
Yet the European Food Safety Authority, which apparently doesn't have such a vested interest in protecting the corporations as does the USDA, has found chemicals like Bayer's clothianidin and imidacloprid, along with Syngenta's thiamethoxam, an "unacceptable" danger to bee populations.
The three chemicals make up what are known as neonicotinoids, nerve agents that are used to treat about one-third of the U.S.'s planted crops. Together they are used to treat 94% of U.S. corn, 100% of canola, three-quarters of all sorghum, and two-thirds of our sugar beet crop. A number of recent studies also point to the "neonics" as a prime suspect in CCD.
Critics also highlight the proliferation of genetically modified crops, particularly Monsanto's MON810 corn that has been altered to kill insects that try to eat it, as another culprit killing off bees. Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, and Poland have gone so far as to completely ban it, with the latter doing so particularly because of its connection to CCD.
Naturally the chemical manufacturers say the concerns are overblown, with sufficient study in the field proving the chemicals' safety. Yet in a bid to contain what damage might be done to their investment, the chemical makers have also begun studying bee health in earnest themselves. Bayer has opened "bee care centers," Syngenta is funding research into CCD, and Monsanto even purchased the leading bee research firm Beelogics.
While such investments would seem to show concern for the health of bees, it's also pretty much a case of the fox guarding the henhouse. Beelogics was one of the leading researchers into CCD, and now one of the possible culprits owns it. I think Monsanto cares not so much for the research conclusions per se but rather its work in genetically modifying the bees themselves. It is seeking patent protection for its RNAi-based -- meaning the bees' genetic code -- treatment, which raises the obvious threat of what happens to the beekeepers whose bees get crossbred with Monsanto's? If history with its seeds is any guide, it will go after them legally for violating their patents.
Ultimately, Monsanto and the other biotechs need more than just a stinging rebuke from investors for their role in causing the collapse of bee colonies and the threat it poses to our food supply.
Some companies are seeking to profit from turning their backs on GMO and chemically enhanced crops. Only those most forward-looking and capable companies will survive, and they'll handsomely reward those investors who understand the landscape. You can read about the 3 Companies Ready to Rule Retail in The Motley Fool's special report. Uncovering these top picks is free today; just click here to read more. | <urn:uuid:346b695d-9f56-41dd-9649-224ce45b300b> | CC-MAIN-2014-10 | http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2013/06/24/do-these-chemical-giants-deserve-a-stinging-rebuke.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-10/segments/1394010914773/warc/CC-MAIN-20140305091514-00027-ip-10-183-142-35.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967858 | 982 | 3.296875 | 3 |
The drum is a musical instrument that can be found all over the world. Its popularity is increasing constantly. The target
of this work is to investigate the fundamental reasons for the "fascination of the drum", how the drum - compared to other
musical instruments - is perceived and evaluated, how drum sounds are experienced, and how the drum can be used
effectively in an educational context. Special attention has been drawn on drumming as a means to enhance emotional
education. After introductory reflections on the definition, emergence, and description of the drum, its historical meaning -
the archaic and ritual use of drums -, and its various effects, two investigations are being presented that point the way to
the physiological effects of drum sounds. The first emphasis of the work lies on my own empirical investigations as to
how musical instruments, under special consideration of the drum, are evaluated by impartial persons (without any
professional relation to music) of both sexes, different age groups, and different educational background (89 Vpn). For
this purpose a questionnaire has been developed. The characteristic differences in the perception and the effects of the
instruments, in particular the drum, have been worked out in detail. The second emphasis of the work deals with empirical
investigations on experiencing drum sounds. While listening to a continuous rhythm played on an African drum (Djembe)
- a Latin American drum (Conga) for the control group - a test group of 68 persons (the control group consisted of 9
persons) had to fill in the questionnaires, thereby conveying their impressions respectively. It is shown how the test
persons experienced the drum sound, which sound qualities they perceived, and which moods the drum sounds produced.
It is shown that drum sounds offer a great variety of possibilities of extended perception. A third emphasis of the work is
situated in the investigation of the question, in what way drums are applied effectively in an educational and, also,
therapeutical - context. Exemplarily, some established concepts (Meyberg, Northoff/Robbins, Wilson) and projects
(Dembowski, Smaglinski) are being described, followed by my own experiences when using the drum in such contexts.
Examples from different action fields are being represented: children, adolescents, adults, elderly people, handicapped.
Two case studies, one from the school area, the other from a penitentiary for young people, are being described in detail.
The respective intentions and possible effects are being summarized. A fourth emphasis of the work investigates the
possibilities of the drum as a means to enhance emotional education. First the term "emotionality" is being clarified. Then
two examples show which educational criteria are relevant for the development of emotional education. Furthermore it is
examined in what extent musical education can enhance emotional learning. Drumming is being described systematically
as a possibility to enhance emotional education as well as social competence. Sample applications in eight spheres of
activity are being given as an illustration. It is shown that drumming under competent guidance alone as well as in a
group can contribute to the satisfaction of ones individual needs as well as to emotional learning. Drumming
stimulates people (be they young, adults, healthy or ill) to become active in unusually new and special ways, to become
more aware of themselves and their actions, and to try out new kinds of behaviour playfully. Learning processes are being
triggered off and new forms of assimilating experiences are being opened. Drumming enables human beings to express
their emotions and to communicate with each other in a sociable manner without the use of verbal language In view of the
fact that in the last years aggressive behaviour, acts of violence and the escalation of conflicts particularly with children
and adolescents are to be observed increasingly, the drum provides a suitable musical instrument to remove aggression
and stress and to enhance the ability to communicate. Ones perception of oneself and the other is being sharpened and
the ones independence is being strengthened. Using the drum - if necessary in the context of regular musical education -
enables 'emotional learning' and can contribute substantially to enhance social competence.
(Wenn Sie die Audiodateien hören wollen, benötigen Sie die entsprechenden Hardwareausstattung. Falls Sie nicht über einen Player für .wav-Dateien verfügen, können Sie die beigefügte Wav-playersetup.exe auf Ihrem Rechner installieren.) | <urn:uuid:6725a10c-c4e3-4dc7-a3b2-7a18b49d00a5> | CC-MAIN-2015-11 | http://duepublico.uni-duisburg-essen.de/servlets/DocumentServlet?id=5212 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-11/segments/1424936464123.82/warc/CC-MAIN-20150226074104-00144-ip-10-28-5-156.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.922095 | 950 | 3.09375 | 3 |
Fray Diego de Landa Calderón (1524-1579) was a Franciscan priest born in Alcarreña de Cifuentes, Guadalajara, Spain, who traveled to Yucatan and became the asistente del guardián of Izamal in 1549. In 1552, he was promoted to guardián and in 1561 promoted again to provincial of the province of Yucatan. The following year, de Landa initiated an auto de fé in Maní, Yucatan, in which he famously gathered and burned all the Mayan codices he could get his hands on at the time. The Mayas who were rounded up during the search for evidence that would incriminate them of the crime of continuing to secretly worship the old gods were all severally punished and tortured unmercifully. Many were killed out-right, died during the torture, or committed suicide. When the bishop of Yucatan, Francisco de Toral, heard of these proceedings, he complained about De Landa in a letter to the Spanish king, Felipe II. De Landa, in turn, traveled to Spain in 1563 to defend himself of the bishop’s accusations, which he did successfully and was subsequently acquitted of any wrongdoing. The torture was done in the name of God, after all.
While he was in Spain, De Landa wrote a document outlining his understanding and observations of the Mayan culture. He may have planned on using it in his defense, or he may have planned on publishing it, but he ended up doing neither. By 1566, De Landa stopped work on the manuscript. The King had recently issued a decree forbidding the publication of books about superstitions and the manner in which the Indians of the New World lived, so that was that.
During his stay in Spain, Fray Diego de Landa’s old antagonist, Bishop Francisco de Toral, died and De Landa found himself appointed as the new bishop of Yucatan in 1571. He carried the manuscript with him back to Yucatan in 1572 and deposited the manuscript in the Franciscan convent in Mérida, Yucatán, for safe keeping, but at some later point the document disappeared. The last mention of the original manuscript was in the Relación de Chunchuchu y Tabi by Pedro García in January 20, 1581.
Although De Landa’s original manuscript was lost and never published, a scribe’s abridged copy of a portion of the original manuscript was discovered in 1862, in the Academia de la Historia, in the Royal Library of Madrid, by Abbé Charles-Étienne Brasseur de Bourbourg. This fragment represents an unknown percentage of the original manuscript. It was copied down in 1616 on 66 two-sided leaves plus a map and is the work of three different scribes. Sometime later, the 66 leaves and map were gathered together out of sequence and bound together by a bookbinder. It was entitled Relación ele las cosas de Yucatan, sacada de lo que escribió el Padre Frai Diego de Landa de la orden de San Francisco.
In 1864, Brasseur de Bourbourg transcribed a portion of the Spanish text of the fragment of the copy of De Landa’s manuscript, adding titles and rearranging the order. He then added a French translation to it, which he had Arthus Bertrand publish in Paris as Relation des choses de Yucatán de Diego de Landa.
Since 1864, portions of the fragment of the abstract have been published 14 more times, but few editions include all the text, or all the drawings. For example, William Gates published his version of the abstract in English in 1937, but without many of the original drawings and with the inclusion of many more drawings and notes that were not originally contained in the scribes’ abstract. This work was reprinted in 1978 by Dover Publications. In 1983, Ediciones Dante reprinted the 1938 version by Pérez Martínez, but this Dante version also lacks many of the abstract’s drawings and the pages have been re-shuffled.
The result of all this loss, redaction, copying and reshuffling is that the published versions of the texts that most people have come to believe are faithfully typeset copies of the original Diego de Landa manuscript are nothing of the sort. They are simply copied snippets of copied snippets, rearranged in various orders. The original Diego de Landa manuscript, as far as we know, no longer exists.
Copyright 2015, Ric Hajovsky | <urn:uuid:6458f372-d22a-4015-92d3-13ba7141f75e> | CC-MAIN-2018-17 | http://everythingcozumel.com/miscellenea/peninsula-history/diego-de-landas-relacion-de-las-cosas-de-yucatan-not-exist/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-17/segments/1524125945222.55/warc/CC-MAIN-20180421125711-20180421145711-00629.warc.gz | en | 0.961718 | 972 | 3.046875 | 3 |
When the U.S. government wishes to spend more money than it receives as tax revenue, it covers the shortfall by borrowing, and foreign lenders have become increasingly important sources of such borrowed funds.
Reliance on foreign lenders is as old as the republic. Indeed, loans from the French and the Dutch proved critical in keeping the American revolutionaries afloat while they broke from the British Empire and established their independence. Later, the huge foreign debt became a major reason for the new national government’s assumption of the states’ war debts and for the creation of the First Bank of the United States and other measures Alexander Hamilton devised to establish the new government’s credit.
As a rule, however, the U.S. government had little need to borrow. Except during wartime, it more or less balanced its budget, and indeed in many years of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, it ran a surplus, which was used to pay down the debt taken on during the preceding war. Only after 1930 did chronic deficits become a fixture of the federal government’s financial conduct. Even then, however, foreign lending did not play a large role until the latter part of the twentieth century.
As late as 1970, according to a report issued by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, foreigners held only about $20 billion, or less than 9 percent, of all privately held U.S. securities outstanding. (A great deal of the total debt is held within the government, mainly by the Social Security Trust Fund.) During the following decades, however, foreigners acquired a growing proportion of the debt held outside the government. In the 1970s foreigners purchased $10.5 billion, or about 31 percent of the total sold to the public. In the 1980s, when large government budget deficits pumped up the debt rapidly, foreigners purchased $27.5 billion, or about 18 percent of the total sold to the public.
(Note that all such data are subject to a variety of conceptual and measurement errors. All the figures on foreign holdings of U.S. Treasury debt discussed in this article are admittedly flawed official estimates.)
During the 1990s, as the government first pared its budget deficit after 1992 and then actually ran a small budget surplus during fiscal years 1998 through 2001, the foreign share of U.S. Treasury debt held by the public increased greatly, and by the end of the decade it had reached almost 40 percent of the total, before dipping somewhat during the recession early in the following decade.
After 2002 foreign holdings rose greatly as huge government budget deficits accompanied the Bush administration’s guns-and-butter policies, and the foreigners’ acquisitions again outpaced those of Americans. By the third quarter of 2009 the foreign share of U.S. debt held by the public stood at nearly 52 percent.
According to data issued by the Treasury and the Federal Reserve Board on March 15, 2010, the largest foreign holders of U.S. Treasury securities in January 2010 were as follows: China (mainland plus Hong Kong), $1,036 billion; Japan, $765 billion; a group of 15 countries designated “oil exporters,” $218 billion; Brazil, $169 billion; a group of four island nations plus Panama, designated “Caribbean banking centers,” $144 billion; Russia, $124 billion; and Taiwan, $120 billion. These countries’ holdings altogether totaled $2,576 billion, or about 70 percent of the $3,706 billion owned by all foreign holders at that time.
China’s emergence as the leading foreign holder of U.S. Treasury debt has occasioned a great deal of commentary, including many expressions of apprehension. Many writers still view the Chinese as enemies of the United States, notwithstanding the two countries’ close financial and trade ties, among other important links. Xenophobes worry that should the Chinese “dump” their holdings of U.S. government debt, they would create financial havoc and jeopardize U.S. national security.
To be sure, Chinese government leaders and other Chinese spokesmen have recently expressed serious concern about the U.S. Treasury’s ability to service its rapidly growing debt. They worry that the U.S. government is getting itself into deeper and deeper financial difficulty by running budget deficits well in excess of $1 trillion per year in fiscal years 2009 and 2010 and, according to projections, only slightly smaller deficits for many years to come. The persistent recession that began early in 2008, from which little recovery was evident even in the first quarter of 2010, has done nothing to allay Chinese fears about the U.S. Treasury’s precarious condition. Other foreign holders of U.S. government debt have expressed similar worries.
Late in 2009 mainland China reduced its holdings of Treasury securities somewhat, from a high of $940 billion in July 2009 to $889 billion in January 2010, a reduction of $51 billion, or 5.4 percent. Meanwhile, however, Hong Kong’s holdings rose by $36 billion during these months, offsetting most of the reduction by mainland China. The overall Chinese holdings declined, then, by only $15 billion, which is scarcely enough to justify anyone’s nightmares.
Likely and Unlikely Scenarios
In any event, fear that the Chinese (or other large holders) might suddenly dump large quantities of Treasury debt is difficult to take seriously because, owing to the great amount of such debt they now hold, any such sell-off would cause a tremendous fall in the price of the securities and cause huge capital losses for the Chinese holders. Not being fools, the Chinese are unlikely to resort to such dumping. Instead, they have begun to warn the U.S. government that unless it gets its financial house in better order, it might provoke them to sell off more of their holdings—and certainly to refrain from adding to them, notwithstanding the enormous amount of such securities the Treasury will have to sell in order to finance the U.S. budget deficits projected for many years to come.
The most likely scenario, then, is for the Chinese to monitor the Treasury and Congress carefully and to use diplomatic pressure to try to discipline the wayward Americans as much as possible without angering them excessively and thereby tempting them to act rashly in a fit of nationalistic pique. Other large holders of U.S. government securities no doubt will also exert pressures to rein in the fiscally irresponsible U.S. government and the Fed, lest the latter resort to monetization of the government’s huge deficits, thereby creating price inflation that reduces the real value of the nominal interest and principal payments the Treasury has committed itself to make on its outstanding debt. | <urn:uuid:5a9f420d-beab-4baf-b0dd-53ea21e52772> | CC-MAIN-2015-22 | http://fee.org/freeman/detail/foreign-lenders-friends-indeed-to-a-us-treasury-in-need | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-22/segments/1432207929832.32/warc/CC-MAIN-20150521113209-00052-ip-10-180-206-219.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963519 | 1,373 | 3.484375 | 3 |
Investigate processes of learning and teaching and develop psychological principles and techniques applicable to educational problems.
* Self Control
* Social Orientation
* Concern for Others
* Stress Tolerance
* Maintain student records, including special education reports, confidential records, records of services provided, and behavioral data.
* Compile and interpret students' test results, along with information from teachers and parents, to diagnose conditions and to help assess eligibility for special services.
* Assess an individual child's needs, limitations, and potential, using observation, review of school records, and consultation with parents and school personnel.
Life, Physical, and Social Science
Sample Job Titles
Assessment Specialist, Autism Consultant, Behavior Specialist, Behavioral Analyst, Behavioral Specialist, Bilingual School Psychologist, Challenging Behavior Consultant, Child Psychologist, Child Psychometrist, Consulting Psychologist, Early Intervention School Psychologist, Educational Diagnostician, Learning Consultant, Preliminary School Psychologist, Psychologist, Psychometrist, School Psychological Examiner, School Psychologist, School Psychology Specialist, School Psychometrist. | <urn:uuid:cc61d444-6621-49f8-9abc-81e2e7f9d39b> | CC-MAIN-2020-40 | https://assessments.adaptiveimmersion.com/products/school-psychologists | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-40/segments/1600400192778.51/warc/CC-MAIN-20200919142021-20200919172021-00311.warc.gz | en | 0.862659 | 225 | 2.859375 | 3 |
Date: Tue, 9 Sep 97 08:13:39 CDT
From: rich%pencil@UKCC.uky.edu (Rich Winkel)
Subject: NAFTA Panel Finds Widespread Damage From Air Pollution
To: BROWNH@CCSUA.CTSTATEU.EDU /** headlines: 134.0 **/
** Topic: NAFTA Panel Finds Widespread Damage From Air Pollution **
** Written 4:39 PM Sep 8, 1997 by econet in cdp:headlines **
/* Written 12:23 AM Sep 7, 1997 by firstname.lastname@example.org in list.ar-news */
[CA] Air pollution wreaking havoc, ---------- */
)From The Province—Friday, September 5th, 1997
TORONTO—Air pollution drifting across North America is
wreaking havoc on human health and the environment, says a
NAFTA report released yesterday.
A panel of 30 scientists from Canada, Mexico and the U.S. found the widespread fallout from acid rain, smog, pesticides and highly toxic chemicals such as mercury, is severe enough to demand immediate cuts in emissions.
Enough is already known on most fronts for us to say,
unequivocally, that significant reductions from present levels are
needed now, the panel's report concluded.
The scientists also said there is little doubt that the health of people in all three countries that signed the North American free-trade agreement is being harmed by air pollution.
The report calls for a three-nation strategy to combat air pollution across the continent by establishing goals and timetables for reducing emissions. | <urn:uuid:766de59d-3f2a-4ec3-8848-d986e6967e7e> | CC-MAIN-2016-18 | http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/40/194.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-18/segments/1461860113553.63/warc/CC-MAIN-20160428161513-00194-ip-10-239-7-51.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.905279 | 342 | 2.71875 | 3 |
In Recognition of National Physical Therapy Month, Physical Therapists Offer "Smart Moves for Families" to Prevent and Combat Obesity and its Consequences.
Download in Adobe PDF
ALEXANDRIA, VA, October 1, 2010 — Making the commitment to be physically active is one of the best ways children and adults can prevent or combat obesity and its consequences, say physical therapists from the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA).
Physical therapist and APTA member Teresa Schuemann, PT, SCS, of Colorado Physical Therapy Specialists in Ft. Collins, CO, and a sports certified specialist, says families should be at the forefront of establishing good physical activity habits. "It's much easier for children to adopt healthy lifestyles if they see their parents making physical activity a priority," she says. "Parents should emphasize a healthy lifestyle instead of focusing solely on weight and support the family's healthy choices rather than pounds lost," she added. "Children and adults who participate in sustained daily physical activity and follow a balanced diet enjoy improved cardiovascular fitness, greater bone mass and strength, and are better able to manage their weight ― all of which help prevent the onset of obesity and type 2 diabetes."
Children with physical disabilities have a strong desire to participate in physical activities and sports, yet opportunities and resources are often limited, explained physical therapist and APTA member Lisa Chiarello, PT, PhD, PCS, associate professor in the Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences at Drexel University in Philadelphia, PA. "Children with physical disabilities are at risk of not participating in any form of physical activity," she said. "Motor function and adaptive behavior, family activity, environmental modifications, activity accommodations, and assistive technology all play key roles in supporting physical activity in children with physical disabilities." Physical therapists help families balance the many priorities they have for their children and help them find ways to incorporate physical activity into children's play, leisure time, and daily family routines.
Physical therapists support the Department of Health and Human Services 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, which describe the types and amounts of physical activity that offer substantial health benefits to Americans.
The following "Smart Moves for Families" are available from APTA.
A Personal Approach to Managing Obesity
For obese children and adults, promoting movement, reducing pain when it is present, maintaining or restoring function, and preventing disability are the goals of a physical therapist-designed exercise program. According to physical therapist and APTA member Susan Deusinger, PT, PhD, FAPTA, professor of physical therapy and neurology and director of the Program in Physical Therapy at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Mo, preventing or combating obesity is a complex and long-term challenge. "Physical therapists address how obesity affects the way the body moves and functions. This is accomplished through individual and group exercises to restore flexibility, increase strength and cardiovascular endurance, reduce pain, and address postural stability and balance. These help the individual to better perform activities of daily living while decreasing disability associated with long term obesity."
Physical therapists also incorporate behavior modification into weight loss programs. For instance, treatment may include identifying causes of unhealthy behaviors, learning how an individual's readiness to begin or continue positive behaviors impacts progress, and recognizing any barriers that may compromise healthy habits. Physical therapists help the individual set goals and monitor his or her behavior. Frequent contact, feedback, and continuous motivation and support are all components of behavioral programs that physical therapists provide in individual and group settings.
Combating Type 2 Diabetes
Obesity is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes, a chronic disease marked by high levels of sugar in the blood that is associated with numerous health complications. Improving capacity for physical activity and increasing muscular strength are crucial to preventing loss of physical function and independence. An individualized program developed by a physical therapist can help reduce the need for medications, lower risk of heart disease and stroke, and help manage glucose levels. For people with complications associated with diabetes, physical therapists can help restore quality of life through the use of special tests to check foot sensation; decrease cramping pain during walking; evaluate and care for skin ulcers and sores that are slow to heal; improve walking ability by adapting shoes or orthotics; instruct on how to protect the feet if they have lost sensation, and recommend shoe wear or assistive devices. "Because of the health risks associated with obesity, physical therapists collaborate with physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, dietitians, and other health professionals in managing a patient's care," said Deusinger.
Physical therapists often encounter children and adults who have experienced difficulties making physical activity a part of daily life. The guidance and encouragement of a physical therapist who understands individual needs, priorities, and challenges and who is able to closely support and monitor progress can be the determining factor in helping an individual to achieve his or her goals.
The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) represents more than 78,000 physical therapists, physical therapist assistants, and students of physical therapy nationwide. Learn more about conditions physical therapists can treat and find a physical therapist in your area at www.moveforwardpt.com. Consumers are encouraged to follow us on Twitter (@moveforwardpt) and Facebook. | <urn:uuid:d86f944e-9620-45cd-b392-4d1769cadda5> | CC-MAIN-2016-50 | http://www.apta.org/Media/Releases/Consumer/2010/10/1/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-50/segments/1480698541883.3/warc/CC-MAIN-20161202170901-00178-ip-10-31-129-80.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.93789 | 1,058 | 2.890625 | 3 |
Charter school. Charter schools are schools that are authorized by a government entity (such as a public university or a school district) and financed by the same per-pupil funds that traditional government schools receive. Students are not assigned to charter schools by any criteria; rather, charter schools rely on families' voluntary choice for their enrollment. Unlike traditional government schools, charter schools must operate efficiently in order to raise start-up and expansion capital. Charter schools enjoy greater freedom from regulation and bureaucratic micromanagement, but they are held directly accountable for student performance. Charter schools that fail to achieve their goals can be shut down by their authorizing agency. Charter schools that fail to satisfy parents lose their state funding when parents enroll their children elsewhere.
Common school. The term "common school" refers to schools open to all people in a given community. In the United States, free, elementary schools in New England were the first "common" schools, but the term now includes government high schools. Many of the early common schools were partially financed with private money.
Compulsory education. Laws requiring that children under a certain age be enrolled in school, usually a government school. The theory behind compulsory education is that mandatory attendance benefits society as a whole by forcing all children to be educated.
District system. A school organization design in which the local geographical unit or district is the legal authority responsible for the funding, curriculum, and maintenance of a school or schools.
Foundation grant. Michigan voters passed Proposal A in 1993, shifting part of the burden of financing education from local to state government. As a result, every school district in Michigan is now guaranteed a minimum amount of state education funding, known as a foundation grant. Additional revenue can be raised by districts through increased local taxation, however, the majority of educational funds are supplied by the state. In 1998, the state foundation grant was approximately $5,600 per pupil.
Free or open market. A free or open market is one based on voluntary exchange among individuals rather than coercion. In education, the free or open market allows the economic laws of competition and supply and demand to operate undistorted, thereby encouraging innovation, providing schools with essential feedback on consumer satisfaction, fostering accountability and qualitative improvement, and reducing waste and inefficiency.
Full educational choice. Educational reform that removes barriers to families' ability to choose from among a range of government and private schools. Examples include vouchers or tax credits that offset tuition costs for parents who choose not to send their children to the traditional tax-funded schools. See also limited educational choice.
Inter-district choice. Inter-district choice is a form of limited educational choice that clears barriers to families' ability to choose for their children any government school in their state. Michigan families theoretically enjoy inter-district choice, but in practice districts are allowed to decide for themselves whether or not they wish to participate in the program. Most school districts choose not to, preferring not to risk losing students and the state aid that follows them. Many districts force parents to pay government-school tuition if they wish to cross district lines. The amounts range from $1 per year in Traverse City to $8,000 in Ann Arbor.
Intermediate School District. School districts in Michigan are grouped into larger units called Intermediate School Districts, or ISDs. Several "regular" districts may make up one ISD. The ISD is often, but not always, responsible for providing and monitoring special education programs and overseeing the individual school districts.
Intra-district choice. Intra-district choice is a form of limited educational choice that removes barriers from families' ability to choose which school within their school district their children will attend. Intra-district choice schools generally fall into one of three categories: magnet schools, second-chance schools, and open enrollment. Common characteristics of these government schools-of-choice are continued district control of operation, funding, and budgetary decision making and an inability to spontaneously respond to greater enrollment demand. Intra-district choice may or may not be limited within an Intermediate School District. In Michigan, Intermediate Schools Districts choose whether or not to participate in cross-district choice.
Limited educational choice. Educational reform that eliminates barriers to parents' ability to choose from among traditional, charter, or other government schools. Choice is "limited" because parents must still pay twice if they wish to send their children to private schoolonce in taxes for the government schools they do not use and again in tuition for their private school-of-choice. Most states now allow parents to have limited educational choice.
Magnet school. District-operated government schools designed to "attract" a racially diverse student body from a variety of attendance areas. Most magnet schools are designed around a specific theme or method of instruction and have a select student population and teaching staff.
Nonsectarian school. Nonsectarian schools are schools without any particular religious affiliation. Modern government schools would be considered nonsectarian, whereas parochial schools may espouse the doctrine of a particular denomination or religion, making them sectarian.
Non-teachers. Education employees who are not teachers, such as bus drivers, cooks, janitors, secretarial staff, administrators, district officials, etc. In Michigan, approximately 55 percent of all education employees are non-teachers. Michigan government schools have the highest percentage of non-teaching employees of any state.
Normal school. An American teacher-training school or college. Nineteenth-century normal schools were often two-year institutions on about the same level as high schools.
Open enrollment school. Open enrollment is a form of intra-district choice that allows parents to send their children to any grade-appropriate school within their resident district, subject to space availability.
Pedagogy. The art or profession of teaching. Also refers to the curricula of teacher-training institutions with respect to education theory and methodology.
Per-pupil expenditure. The amount of tax dollars spent per child in the government education system. In Michigan, roughly 75 percent of all education dollars come from state government, while 25 percent is raised within local school districts.
Private/Nongovernment school. Private, or nongovernment, schools are schools that operate independently from government (they are, however, subject to the same basic health and safety laws as are government schools). Typically, private schools are voluntarily funded through tuition payments from families who enroll their children. Parochial schools are also often subsidized by their respective church or denomination. Private schools serve approximately 11 percent of all Michigan students; the majority of them are Catholic schools.
Private scholarships. Private scholarships provide qualified studentsoften from lower-income familieswith privately funded financial assistance to help them attend tuition-charging schools-of-choice. Most private scholarships cover only a portion of private school tuition and therefore require parents to pay part of the cost. Private scholarship programs began on a large scale around 1991 and are growing in popularity as a way to provide disadvantaged families with greater educational choice.
Public/Government school. "Public" schools can rightfully be called government schools because they are supported entirely through tax dollars and are governed through the state and smaller, local governmental entities at the district level.
School choice. School choice is a fundamental education reform that proposes removing some or all of the government-erected barriers to families' ability to choose for their children the schools that best meet their educational needs. Early Americans enjoyed full school choice in the form of a free market in education. Beginning in the nineteenth century, government assumed more responsibility for, and control of, education to the point that many over-taxed families are today unable to afford alternatives to their local government-run school. School choice can be divided into two categories: limited educational choice that removes barriers to parental choice of government schools only and full educational choice, which affords parents a full range of options among government and private schools.
School employee labor union. Commonly called "teacher unions," school employee unions actually represent support staff including cooks, janitors, and bus drivers, as well as teachers. In Michigan, the two largest school employee unions are the Michigan Education Association, which has approximately 140,000 members, and the Michigan Federation of Teachers, an affiliate of the AFL-CIO.
Schools-of-choice. Schools-of-choice is a term that often refers to charter schools and other government schools that are part of an intra- or inter-district choice program, so-called because parents can choose the schools as opposed to having their children assigned there. More generally, a school-of-choice is any school, government or private, voluntarily chosen by parents.
Second-chance school. Second-chance schools, sometimes called "alternative" schools, are government schools designed for students who, for a variety of reasons, do not function well in the traditional government school. These schools typically serve students who have dropped out or are in danger of dropping out due to under-achievement, pregnancy, low skills, or drug and alcohol dependency. Most second-chance schools provide open, flexible alternatives with specialized structure, size, and curricular offerings.
Sectarian school. Sectarian schools are schools affiliated with a specific religious denomination. "Sectarian" derives from the fact that early American schools were commonly established under the control of particular church groups, or sects.
Special education. A school program designed for children who are exceptionalthat is, either gifted or below-normal in ability.
Tax credit. Tax credits, a form of full educational choice, are designed to provide parents with tax relief to offset expenses incurred in selecting an alternative government or private school for their children. A tax credit is a dollar-for-dollar reduction in taxes owed, whereas a tax deduction is merely a reduction in taxable income. For the purposes of school choice, tax credits may be granted for any or all out-of-pocket educational expenses incurred by an individual, from tuition to textbooks to transportation to extracurricular feesthough tuition is the most common expense allowed in practice. Tax credits are often criticized because they do not help lower-income families with little tax liability.
Universal Tuition Tax Credit (UTTC). In 1997, the Mackinac Center developed the universal tuition tax credit, a full educational choice proposal that incorporates the advantages of vouchers and tax credits while minimizing their disadvantages. Under the UTTC, any taxpayerindividual or corporate, parent or grandparent, friend, neighbor, or businesswho pays a Michigan elementary or secondary student's tuition is eligible for a dollar-for-dollar tax credit against taxes owed. In this way, lower-income families with little or no tax liability can also benefit from corporate or philanthropic tuition assistance.
Vouchers. Vouchers are forms of payment from government to an individual to enable that individual to purchase a particular good or servicein this case, educationin the open market. Food stamps, Medicaid, and the G. I. Bill are all examples of vouchers. Education vouchers can be issued to cover all educational expenses or just certain ones, such as tuition, transportation, etc. | <urn:uuid:df416159-cd17-470c-b798-c658a9f5daf7> | CC-MAIN-2016-50 | http://www.mackinac.org/2073 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-50/segments/1480698541361.65/warc/CC-MAIN-20161202170901-00392-ip-10-31-129-80.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966112 | 2,271 | 4 | 4 |
7 Dangerous Games Parents Must Know About
The Cinnamon Challenge…the Choking Game…are your kids playing these high-risk “games?”
3 More Questionable Party Games
Certain "games" are almost always played in groups so that players can impress their friends.
Mumblety Peg, which has been around for generations, is one such game. In one form of this game, a player spreads his fingers on a table then stabs the spaces between them as quickly as possible with a pocket knife.
Chubby Bunny, a newer game, requires someone to shove as many full-sized marshmallows into his mouth as possible and then enunciate the words "chubby bunny" to an audience.
The ABC Scratching Game requires at least two people. One person must name words that begin with each letter of the alphabet for a given topic while the other person scratches the back of his hand to distract him.
These games aren't usually fatal. But they may require a visit to the doctor or hospital. For instance, a poorly played round of Mumblety Peg could require stitches, and a very raw sore created during the ABC Scratching Game could require medical attention. "I don't know that I'd want to open wounds on my hand with MRSA infections going around," Sacchetti says.
Chubby Bunny may cause choking because marshmallows are difficult to cough out. "This is a choking hazard -- technically suffocation from blocking the whole airway," Shu says.
Talking About It
Keeping lines of communication open with your teen is essential to his or her safety.
"Ask open-ended questions" Shu says, "such as what the kid does at his friend's house after school, which kind of videos they've seen on YouTube, have they ever heard of kids their age getting hurt from trying activities and pranks that seem funny or silly. And talk to your kids' friends. Friends are often more likely to share information with an adult that isn't their own parent."
Experts agree that the best time to warn your children about the dangers of these risky games is as soon as you hear about them, whether you've received an email warning from the local PTA or you've read news reports of a teen that died in a neighboring town.
Find safer, organized activities that still offer a thrill, Santelli says. "There's no magic bullet, but a lot of parents get kids involved in sports," he says. "It's a great way to channel sensation-seeking in a positive way." | <urn:uuid:9b74b85b-4a7c-4161-9003-f758b2f8e698> | CC-MAIN-2014-15 | http://www.webmd.com/parenting/features/dangerous-games-parents-must-know-about?page=3 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-15/segments/1398223204388.12/warc/CC-MAIN-20140423032004-00554-ip-10-147-4-33.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.980504 | 523 | 2.6875 | 3 |
What are the causes of heart disease and stroke? Learn about the long list of risk factors that can lead to stroke and heart disease.
There is a long list of risk factors that can lead to stroke and heart disease, but the good news is that almost all of them are preventable.
It’s critical that you known these risks, so that you can monitor them.
This will not just decrease your chance of stroke and heart disease, but it will also promote a healthier and stronger you.
Stroke and heart disease are the two deadliest diseases in the entire world, killing millions of people every year.
In fact, out of three economic groupings of countries that are considered high-income, middle-income, and low-income; either stroke or heart disease ranks number 1 on the top 10 causes of death.
7 Main Causes of Heart Disease and Stroke
When it comes to heart disease and stroke, there are a few non-preventable factors such as family history, age, and ethnicity.
There are, however, many preventable risk factors that you need to be aware of.
Hypertension is defined and known as having “high-blood pressure”.
It is the greatest risk factor for stroke, and can be a factor in heart attacks.
Any form of tobacco use increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, especially if you started young.
3. Physical Inactivity
This makes you 50% more likely to have a stroke or heart disease.
Furthermore, physical inactivity predisposes you to diabetes which is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
4. Type 2 Diabetes
This is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease and stroke.
If you have diabetes you are twice as like to get cardiovascular disease.
One of the most important preventable risk factors to consider.
Other risk factors are caused by a poor diet such as hypertension, high cholesterol, and diabetes.
6. High Cholesterol
A risk factor for stroke and heart disease.
7. Lack of Sleep
This is one of the more overlooked risk factors, but lack of sleep can promote hypertension, high cholesterol, and diabetes; and then to stroke and heart disease.
Preventing Heart Disease and Stroke
If you want to prevent heart disease and stroke in your life, you have to be ready to make some lifestyle changes.
The following tips can help lower your risk of these diseases and improve your health.
1. Know the Risk Factors
There are certain factors that increase the likelihood of heart disease such as smoking and a family history of heart disease.
Know your risks and share them with your doctor to make an effective prevention plan.
2. Eat Healthily
Limit your intake of sweetened beverages, processed meats, sodium, and refined carbs.
Instead, center your diet around fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, lean animal proteins and fish.
3. Stay Active
Plan to get at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity per week, as well as 75 minutes of more vigorous workouts.
If you’re not currently active, start small and gradually increase your activity levels.
4. Take Supplements
Besides taking medication when a doctor prescribes it, supplements can go a long way.
For example, L-arginine Plus helps support healthy blood pressure levels, cholesterol levels, energy levels, and overall heart health.
However, it’s important to check with your doctor before adding supplements to your routine, as they may interact with currently prescribed medication.
Most importantly, stay on top of your health and make any necessary changes so you can have a long, healthy life. | <urn:uuid:973bc011-6016-4ead-937b-97c1264845ff> | CC-MAIN-2021-43 | https://l-arginine.com/causes-of-heart-disease-and-stroke/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-43/segments/1634323585653.49/warc/CC-MAIN-20211023064718-20211023094718-00224.warc.gz | en | 0.935119 | 750 | 2.921875 | 3 |
Cat Growth Chart: Cats are small cats that grow incredibly fast. In just one year they go from weighing around 100 grams when they are born to 2 or 3kg ten months later. But in addition, they are considered adults from 6 or 7 months, because at that age they begin to have heat and therefore if the mating occurs the cat will give birth to their own offspring. With only six months yes.
A grows very faster and if you are cat lover and do your have a cat then you must know about the kitten growth chart because it is necessary to have a look at your pet. Here in our article we are going to share the kitten growth chart weight as per their stages. So check our article and know more about it.
But the growth of the cats does not end during the first year, but in the second and third year their body will expand a little and they will also increase in weight as their development nears its end. Know each stage that your friend is going to spend and enjoy each of them with the camera in hand because time goes by very quickly and you will soon see that your little ball of hair has become a Mr. Cat.
You May Also Like: How Old is My Cat in Cat Years
Stages of the Cat Growth Chart
Here we detail the different stages of growth that your cat will experience throughout his life. In each one we will explain the changes that occur in your body and behavior so you know at all times how your cat is growing. Here will be the cat age chart simply have a look at it.
The kittens are born blind and deaf. They depend on the mother to maintain their body temperature, eat and stay clean as she helps them to relieve themselves. At this early age they already recognize the odor of their mother’s saliva and are guided by smell to follow it, although it will not be until the third week of age that this sense will have fully developed. This will be the kitten size chart for the newbies.
- More or less after two weeks they will open their eyes and begin to explore their surroundings but staggering is that until 17 days will not be able to walk well. For now they stay close to the mother who will not hesitate to defend them against whoever is needed. That is why at this stage it is better that if we live with dogs we never leave them alone with cats.
- At three weeks we can start weaning giving them canned food (better if it is natural). It is also a good age for them to learn to do their necessities on a tray since they can do their own necessities. You can teach them by putting them gently in the hygienic sand after each meal, this way you will see how very soon you will understand that this is where you have to go whenever you need it.
- With four weeks they start playing with each other jumping over the mother and biting each other. At this stage they learn that they must control the strength of their teeth as they can sometimes hurt. You can see more information on cat teeth from us.
Check out: Life Span of Popular Cat Breeds
With functional eyes and ears cats will be able to maintain body temperature and with a huge desire to explore everything they begins a very important stage: Socialization. Little by little your mom will stop breastfeeding them so the kittens will have to learn to be a little independent. So at this age it will be time for the animal to have contact with humans. We will have to take them gently and give them caresses and pampering so that they can associate us with something positive (love) since it is expected that these cats will not be frightened by people but quite the opposite.
With eight weeks they can be adopted. But you should know that they are very active and very playful something that perhaps your furniture does not like too much. Although if you have a scraper at your fingertips there should be no problems.
Between the Third and the Sixth Month
At this age the cat “is already” a cat. He already has everything he has to prepare for adulthood. He does not need the mother to survive and it is very likely that he will start wanting to go abroad something that we will only allow him if we are completely sure that he will not be in danger.
The females will go into heat around 6 months. If you only want a friend a pet, it will be more than advisable to sterilize or castrate them (both male and female) around this age. Although it can be done between 4 and 6 months it is best to wait until 6 months, to avoid development problems (especially in the case of males). Also if you give her permission to go for a ride, this will prevent your cat from coming home with a wound or if it is a female with some surprise (pregnancy).
From the Sixth Month of the Year
Now yes, you already have an adult cat. You may think that you sleep too much but you should know that they love to play especially at night. Yes, they are nocturnal animals so if you want your sleep at night you will have to take advantage of the times when you are awake during the day to play with him and “tire him out”. In the market you will find many types of toys such as strings, laser pointers, plush toys… Choose those that you think you will like the most and have fun with your best hairy friend.
From the First Year to Three
During this stage the cat will finish developing and begin to show adolescent behaviors. It is usual that during these years he does what he wants disobeying even the orders that we give him. Despite their size they are still puppies that love to play and get attention something they always achieve, right?
From Three to Seven Years
Little by little we will notice that our cat is not as eager to play as before. Spend a lot of time sleeping (around 14h per day) and their behavior becomes more territorial if possible. In fact from these ages it is complicated (but not impossible) to accept a new cat in its territory that by the way it is your home. You need to see the cat weight chart and then analyze your cat growth. At this time even your cat licks you and you can see this article why does my cat lick me and know about the pet cats.
From Seven to Twelve Years
From the age of seven a cat begins to age. They become even more sedentary and calmer. Your friend will spend a lot of time resting and not so much playing. Of course, it will continue to do so at times. But as you get closer to old age you will not have as much desire to pursue toys.
After Twelve Years
Your cat is older You will notice how your appetite decreases and that your senses deteriorate. It can produce dermatological changes develop hyperthyroidism and its claws can grow too much due to little use. They spend less time cleaning themselves, something that will soon be seen on their fur, which will lose its shine.
The life expectancy of a cat is about 25 years. But regardless of how far you get if you give him care, attention and above all a lot of love he will become your best friend
Read Also: Why Do Cats Sleep So Much?
How Old are Cats?
How long do cats grow? As we have seen, the cat is a feline that has a very fast growth. In just one year your bones and muscles will reach adulthood. This means that certainly he will be ready to ‘see the world’ or in the event that he can not leave to be a Lord Cat.
His behavior will notice that it will change little by little. The desire to play will remain high. But as time goes by you will prefer a session of caresses and not so much fun. This does not mean that we do not have to play with him. But we simply will not see him running around with as much energy as when he was a puppy.
But, despite the fact that it is recommended to feed them (croquettes) for adult cats after one year of age. Their development will not be over yet. If during the first months your skeleton develops from the second year we will see that it ‘takes body’ that it widens. It’s when the muscle mass ends up developing. This development can last more or less, depending on the final size of the animal and the breed. But it will usually end at 3 years.
From then on, and from my point of view we will have a truly adult cat, in every way. Hope you have simply got an idea of cat weight chart by age. | <urn:uuid:3627f7fe-00fd-488d-9fac-3cfd0714837b> | CC-MAIN-2020-05 | https://catsfud.com/cat-growth-chart/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250599789.45/warc/CC-MAIN-20200120195035-20200120224035-00284.warc.gz | en | 0.976185 | 1,778 | 2.734375 | 3 |
1699–1752, colonial governor
of North Carolina (1734–52). An efficient and popular Scot, he
nevertheless had constant difficulties with the assembly over quitrents
and other financial matters and several times dissolved that body. During
his administration numerous land grants to immigrants were issued, free
schools were established, and Wilmington was developed.
County was formed in 1746 from Craven. It was named in honor of Gabriel
Johnston, Governor of North Carolina. It is in the eastern section of the
state and is bounded by Wilson, Wayne, Sampson, Cumberland, Harnett, Wake
and Nash counties.
more about him here! | <urn:uuid:647c7a56-71fb-42e2-801e-200cbd185b50> | CC-MAIN-2015-11 | http://www.electricscotland.com/webclans/minibios/j/johnston_gabriel.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-11/segments/1424936462202.69/warc/CC-MAIN-20150226074102-00110-ip-10-28-5-156.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975537 | 142 | 3.4375 | 3 |
California residents are being urged to avoid transporting citrus fruit during the upcoming summer travel season due to the highest-ever threat of a deadly citrus tree disease called Huanglongbing (HLB).
HLB is spread by a tiny insect, the Asian citrus psyllid, as it feeds on citrus tree leaves. The small pest can have devastating consequences to California’s citrus trees – both backyard and commercial – if it is unknowingly transported on citrus tree leaves and stems. While HLB is not harmful to humans or animals, there is no cure for the disease and infected trees will die.
According to AAA, over 68 million families are expected to travel this summer. All citrus tree owners among those travelers should obey quarantine restrictions throughout the state that limit the transport of citrus across state and international lines, and between areas where the psyllid and disease have been found.
Currently, more than 1,000 square miles within Southern California in numerous communities of Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino and Riverside counties are in an HLB quarantine area. At this time in 2018, 683 square miles were in quarantine, meaning the disease is spreading to new areas and the overall HLB quarantine area has increased by 47%.
“The threat of HLB in California serves as a reminder that all residents should not transport citrus in and out of quarantine areas, bordering counties, state lines or international borders,” said Victoria Hornbaker, interim director of the Citrus Pest & Disease Prevention Program at the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA). “We must work together to limit the spread of the pest and disease to ensure California citrus continues to grow in our backyards and commercial orchards.”
Tree owners may choose to share fruit with friends and family within their quarantine area, but all leaves must be removed and fruit washed thoroughly before moving it from the property. Residents should be sure to dry out citrus clippings or double bag them before disposal. This prevents the psyllids or leaves infected with Huanglongbing from spreading to new areas.
All California residents are critical to protecting the state’s citrus trees. Tips for citrus tree owners include:
- Proactively inspect citrus trees for the Asian citrus psyllid and HLB monthly, and whenever watering, spraying, pruning or tending trees.
- Look for the Asian citrus psyllid. Adults are brown, about one-eighth of an inch long, and feed with their body at a 45-degree angle on citrus leaves.
- Symptoms of HLB include blotchy and yellowing leaves, premature and excessive fruit drop, lopsided fruit, and bitter, inedible fruit.
- Call the state’s pest hotline at 800-491-1899 if the pest or disease is spotted.
- Cooperate with agriculture officials who may ask to inspect or treat citrus trees.
- As part of tree maintenance, visit a local nursery or garden center to get advice on products that can help protect citrus trees.
- When pruning citrus trees, be sure to dry out citrus clippings or double bag them before disposal.
- Refrain from moving citrus plants, foliage or fruit as doing this may unknowingly spread the pest. | <urn:uuid:cdb41606-af59-4138-b1d9-79170c2e4d31> | CC-MAIN-2024-10 | https://plantingseedsblog.cdfa.ca.gov/wordpress/?p=17877 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947473401.5/warc/CC-MAIN-20240221070402-20240221100402-00316.warc.gz | en | 0.930256 | 660 | 3.09375 | 3 |
Historians have become more cosmopolitan these days. Many of them have broadened their horizons and have begun to escape from the traditional preoccupation with their own national pasts. Historians of the United States in particular have become increasingly skeptical about their long-existing habit of interpreting America’s past as a matter of what is called “exceptionalism.” Indeed, some historians have come to think of American “exceptionalism” as a kind of bogey that must be exorcised from the American historical profession and indeed from the culture at large.
For these historians American “exceptionalism” has not meant merely that the United States has been different from other countries. All nations are different from one another, and all have unique histories. But Americans seem to have exaggerated their sense of uniqueness. They have tended to think of their nation not just as different but as specially or providentially blessed, as somehow free from the larger tendencies of history and the common fate of nations.
Since the late 1960s this belief in American exceptionalism has eroded in a variety of ways. Many intellectuals have concluded that the United States no longer has a favored place in the vanguard of history. The country’s history does not seem exceptional after all: the United States is not exempt from history’s constraints and contingencies. The conflict in Vietnam convinced many that the moral character of the United States was not different from that of other nations. Americans, it seemed, no longer have any uniquely transcendent part to play in the world in promoting liberty and democracy.
At the same time America’s sense of difference from Europe, on which its exceptionalism was originally founded, has slowly disappeared as European nations have achieved standards of living and degrees of freedom and democratic political stability that are equal to, if not higher than, those of the United States. Even the conservative celebrator of America Irving Kristol admits that America now is “a middle-aged nation,” not all that different from the older nations England and France. “American exceptionalism,” he says, is virtually over. “We are now a world power, and a world power is not a ‘city on a hill,’ a ‘light unto the nations’—phrases that, with every passing year, ring more hollow.”1 For the first time in our history we Americans are confronting the fact that the United States may be just another nation among nations without any special messianic destiny.
Without its sense of exceptionalism American history is losing much of its former close ties to the nation. Throughout the Western world one traditional role of history was to promote a sense of nationhood. But with a weakening of nationalism and the development of more critical and less chauvinistic kinds of history over the past several decades, that role is changing. For the most part, history is no longer designed to inculcate patriotism, build a national identity, and turn immigrants into citizens. Instead, many historians have begun emphasizing racial, ethnic, and gender diversity, which has tended to dilute a unified sense of American identity. Some American intellectuals are even promoting a new intellectual globalism that seeks to transcend all national loyalties and even the idea of national citizenship. Some, such as the philosopher Martha Nussbaum, argue for a civic education that cultivates a citizenship of all humanity, not of a particular nation. Since national identity is “a morally irrelevant characteristic,” students should be taught that their “primary allegiance is to the community of human beings in the entire world.”2
Although these sorts of shifts in perspective may not be the only force explaining the growing cosmopolitanism of historians, there is no denying the recent broadening of historical scholarship. Historians of the United States no longer confine themselves to the nation’s borders; they now increasingly see the past of the United States as part of the larger history of the Atlantic world, if not of the entire globe. Although the concept of an Atlantic civilization goes back at least to the eighteenth century, it was only in the cold war years immediately following World War II that historians like R.R. Palmer and Jacques Godechot attempted to describe it in some depth and develop it historically. Yet it is only in the past several decades that dozens of historians have begun to make the idea of America’s involvement in a larger Atlantic world central to their work.
Many historians of colonial America, for example, no longer concentrate exclusively on the thirteen continental British colonies that became the United States in 1776. Many now place the history of the United States within the setting of the entire Atlantic basin, including Western Europe, West Africa, the Caribbean and South America, and the rest of North America. See, for instance, Atlantic America, 1492-1800, the first volume of D.W. Meinig’s The Shaping of America,3 which seeks to present the history of the United States within the broadest possible geographical perspective. Subjects such as the history of the slave trade, slavery, and African-American assimilation can no longer be understood within the confines of what became the continental United States. We now have to range from villages along the Gold Coast of Africa to the Cape Verde islands to Curaçao, Martinique, and Barbados to New Orleans, St. Augustine, and the Chesapeake, dealing with the colonies and trade routes of five different European states in the Atlantic world.
Since George Bancroft published the first volume of his ten-volume History of the United States in 1834, historians of early America had investigated the American colonial past as a means of understanding the origins of the United States; now many of them study American colonial history as simply a vital part of the pan-Atlantic system in the premodern era. As nationhood has receded in importance, historians have become interested in early America less for its own sake and more for what it reveals about the ways premodern Western society became modern.
Perhaps the most important consequence of this broadened perspective for American colonial history has been its embrace of the peoples of Hispanic America. Some early American historians like Mathew Mulcahy and Russell R. Menard have called for entirely new conceptions of America’s colonial past, new conceptions that would “think of colonial history as a history of all of the Americas.”4 Many would now like to reintroduce the hemispheric perspective that historian Herbert E. Bolton tried and failed to make stick in the 1930s—a perspective that placed United States history in a comparative frame with Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and the countries of South America.
Some historians have argued that the history of Santa Fe in 1776 is just as important to American cultural identity as the history of Boston in 1776. As exaggerated as some of these proposals might at times appear, most are not the idle chatter of a few multicultural-minded historians. In fact, the Institute of Early American History and Culture in Williamsburg, the center for early American studies in America and the publisher of the leading journal in the field, The William and Mary Quarterly, announced in 1994 that it planned “to diversify its agenda”5 by reaching beyond its traditional commitment to study the British North American colonies in order to investigate the other peoples of the Atlantic world and especially those of Hispanic America. Early American historians now have concerns other than simply the origins of the United States.
With these expanded horizons and the weakening of the belief in American exceptionalism, early American historians in particular have inevitably become more interested in comparing what happened in North America with what happened elsewhere in the Western Hemisphere. British America was not the only place in the hemisphere that experienced encounters between European colonizers and indigenous peoples or that imported African slaves or that broke away in revolt from a European imperial power.
The history of slavery and race relations in America and other parts of the Western Hemisphere has been the subject that has been most thoroughly and richly compared—beginning with Frank Tannenbaum’s Slave and Citizen: The Negro in the Americas of 1946 and continuing on to the more recent comparative studies of both slavery and abolitionism by Stanley Elkins, David Brion Davis, Herbert Klein, Eugene Genovese, Carl Degler, Seymour Drescher, and Robin Blackburn. Gradually, however, other experiences common to the Americas besides slavery are being studied and compared. Johns Hopkins University has long had a program in Atlantic History and Culture, Harvard has created a center for the study of Early Modern Atlantic History, and the John Carter Brown Library in Providence, the largest repository in the world of printed texts dealing with the Americas in the colonial period, has recently established a Center for New World Comparative Studies.
Colonial historians of British America and Latin America are increasingly teaching joint comparative courses at various universities, and more and more of them are publishing works that compare developments in the two continents of the Western Hemisphere. Peggy Liss has written about the eighteenth-century networks of trade and ideas in Atlantic Empires.6 Patricia Seed has compared Ceremonies of Possession in Europe’s Conquest of the New World, 1492-1640.7 Anthony Pagden, in his Lords of All the World, has compared Spanish, French, and British ideologies of empire between 1500 and 1800.8 John H. Elliott, the Regius Professor of Modern History at Oxford, has launched a major large-scale comparison of Spain and Britain in the colonial Americas, of which several articles have appeared. And now Lester D. Langley has written a comparative history of three revolutions in the Americas: the American Revolution in 1776, the 1791 slave revolt in the French Caribbean colony that became Haiti, and the prolonged Spanish-American struggle for independence that ended a half century later.
Langley, who is research professor of history at the University of Georgia, is the author of a half-dozen or so books on Central and South America, often in relation to the diplomatic policies of the United States. This, however, is his first full-scale attempt at comparative history, and it is one of the few comparisons of the eighteenth-century hemispheric revolutions ever made.
Writing comparative history is hard work. To compare his three revolutions Langley has had to read and digest hundreds of monographs in several languages, and then he has had to organize his findings in some sort of comprehensible order. But how does one do this? How does one actually write comparative history? Political scientists and sociologists like John Dunn and Jack Goldstone are interested in comparing revolutions, but they have purposes distinct to their disciplines: they compare in order to compile generalizations about revolutionary social behavior, about the structural conditions that breed conflict and rebellion, that will presumably help them understand revolutions in the future. But historians have different purposes. They are interested not in making generalizations about social behavior for the future but in describing and explaining particular events in the past. How does comparative history help do this? The great French historian Marc Bloch once remarked that the comparative method was designed not to hunt out resemblances but to emphasize differences. But of course without resemblances there can be no meaningful comparison, even if that comparison eventually results in stressing differences.
Writing as a historian, Langley naturally tries to avoid generalizations about social behavior. Sometimes, however, he forgets his discipline and slips into asserting some sociological generalizations of his own, as when he says “the true revolutionary can never admit of ambiguity or contradiction in the waging of the cause.” But for the most part, as he says, he is less concerned with addressing structural matters of revolutionary causation and consequence than with “exploring the particularity” of each of his three revolutions. Consequently, he neatly divides his book into three parts and in each part presents a narrative of between sixty and seventy pages, outlining what he sees as the principal events and characteristics of each revolution. He presumably hopes that the juxtaposition of these brief narratives will illuminate and enrich our understanding of all three revolutions in a way that a description of each alone could not do. Unfortunately his expectation is not borne out as successfully as he hopes.
The problem here is partly owing to his writing. Not only are his sometimes cryptic descriptions of the revolutions hard to follow, largely because he presumes that the reader already knows pretty much what happened, but the book itself is hard to read because of its clumsy prose and inadequate editing. It is marked throughout by dangling participles, shifting subjects, and ambiguous pronoun references. Langley also has the disconcerting habit of inserting quotations into his narrative without identifying for the reader whether they are the words of eighteenth-century participants or of present-day historians.
Still, the problems of his comparative history go beyond simple matters of expression. Langley’s first section deals with the American Revolution, which is described as “the revolution from above.” It arose in a society that was very different from those in the other parts of the Western Hemisphere. The population in 1770 numbered a little over two million, 80 percent of whom were whites of European descent. There were about 400,000 black slaves, mostly located in the Southern colonies. The existence of mulattos, mestizos, and other mixed races was scarcely acknowledged by Anglo-Americans in the mainland colonies. By 1770 the native Indians east of the Mississippi had been reduced in numbers to about 100,000 and had been relentlessly pushed to the edges of the expanding white settlements. (In Langley’s book this kind of basic demographic data is absent or hard to come by; there is, for example, no entry for “population” in the index.)
Langley cites dozens of different works on the American Revolution, many with perspectives and arguments at odds with one another, but he somehow harmonizes them. He describes both the attempts of British officials in the 1760s and 1770s to overhaul the empire—partly by extracting tax revenues from the colonists—and the efforts of the patriot Whig elites to mobilize the American populace into resistance and eventually into revolution. He seems to believe that these elites, including such figures as Samuel Adams and Patrick Henry, were uncertain and apprehensive about the popular forces they were rallying; he makes much, for example, of the rioting and violence in the period leading up to the Revolution, which he thinks arose essentially as a result of poverty, even though eighteenth-century white Americans in general probably had the highest standard of living in the world.
At any rate the Revolution set forth ideals of liberty and equality that had contagious effects in expanding political participation and in challenging traditional elite rule. In some parts of the country black slaves who fought the British were even granted their freedom. Yet, Langley writes, because the revolutionary leaders feared social disorder, they sought strenuously to limit the social forces unleashed by the Revolution and were largely successful in doing so. “The inequities in wealth that had characterized prerevolutionary British America remained.” Their revolution thus became a “social revolution promised but left unfulfilled.” By 1800 the revolutionary leaders had no further need of a large professional army and could safely reduce the nation’s military force to a small frontier constabulary. Because the people of the United States “had been mobilized for war, but the experience had not militarized society,” they “escaped dictatorship or militarism” and the fate of the Latin American republics.
Langley next describes the Haitian Revolution, which he calls “the revolution from below.” It began in 1790 on the French colony of Saint Domingue on the island of Hispaniola with an uprising of free coloreds. The free coloreds, a diverse group who numbered about 30,000 and included French-educated planters, tradesmen, artisans, and small landowners, had been infected with French revolutionary principles and now demanded equality with whites. The whites numbered about 40,000, but they were bitterly divided between the more prosperous grands blancs and the disorderly petits blancs, who had not found secure places in the island’s economy. Beneath the whites and the free coloreds were 500,000 African slaves.
Neither the whites nor the free coloreds realized the extent to which their civil war was affecting the slaves. In August 1791 the slaves on the northern plains rose up, soon becoming a force of twelve thousand that began killing whites and destroying plantations. Brutal retaliation by the whites did not stop growing numbers of slaves from deserting the plantations. Confronted with this rebellion from below, French officials sought to forge an alliance between the whites and the free coloreds and sent 6,000 troops to put down the rebellion. But the whites and free coloreds were so divided by factions that the fighting became worse and eventually spilled over into the Spanish portion of Hispaniola. With the end of the French monarchy and the outbreak of war between France and England in 1793, English forces invaded the island and soon became entangled in the brutal racial wars. Although the great ex-slave leader of the revolt, François-Dominique Toussaint L’Ouverture, tried to preserve a multiracial society, he could not contain the chaos that spiraled into the rebellion’s eventual goal of eliminating both slavery and whites.
With the failure in 1803 of Napoleon’s effort to recover the colony for France, Haiti joined the United States as the second independent state of the New World; but unlike the United States Haiti succeeded in ending slavery and proclaiming racial equality at the moment of independence—achievements that prevented the United States from diplomatically recognizing the new republic until the time of the Civil War.
Although the Haitians had already endured more than a dozen years of civil war and seen their land devastated and a third of their population killed, their miseries were not over. Toussaint’s successors tried to conquer the Spanish portion of the island and warred among themselves for two decades. By the 1820s decades of rebellion and violence had left Haiti impoverished and militarized; yet because it was the only nation in world history ever created by slaves, it remained an inspiration to blacks in bondage everywhere in the New World.
In his third section Langley describes the many rebellions and wars of independence that broke out in Latin America in the aftermath of the American, French, and Haitian revolutions. Although there are points of similarity, in many crucial respects the Latin American colonial empire was very different from that of British North America. Out of a total population of 13.5 million in Latin America in 1800 there were 3.5 million whites, most of whom were American-born (creoles); there were only about 30,000 Spanish-born (peninsulares), who were sent out by the Crown to staff the offices of the imperial bureaucracy. Although many creoles managed to secure a share of these imperial offices, their local power remained dependent on the law and institutions radiating from the Crown in Spain. Unlike the American politicians in the British colonies, these creole leaders in Latin America never developed popular representative institutions like the North American colonial assemblies that existed outside the imperial bureaucracy and contested its authority.
Yet the Latin American revolutions originated in circumstances similar to those that precipitated resistance and revolution in British North America; they were touched off by the attempts of Spanish officials both to tighten their control over and to raise revenues from their empire during the last third of the eighteenth century. Although the Spanish creole elites were as angry at the new taxes and the arbitrariness of the imperial reforms as the British-American patriots were, they were reluctant to resist imperial authority directly and to move toward independence in the relatively aggressive manner of the British-American leaders. Unlike the North American leaders, they were a minority amid a mass of mestizos, mulattos, Indians, and slaves whose passions they feared exciting. Despite being inspired by the example of the successful North American revolution against imperial authority, they also knew from the experience of Haiti the dangers of arousing a revolution from below.
Yet Napoleon’s invasion of Spain and his removal of the Spanish king from the throne in 1807-1808 made change inevitable and aroused calls for independence. Still, the creoles hesitated. Liberators like Simón Bolívar and José de San Martín realized they could never win the struggle for independence without mobilizing the lower orders of Indians, slaves, and those of mixed descent; yet they also feared that the social consequences of such a mobilization might make the costs of independence too high. So the creole elites equivocated and took away privileges and rights even as they promised them, and repressed the lower orders even as they freed them.
By 1826 both Spain and Portugal were finally driven from the New World, with Spain retaining in America only the islands of Cuba and Puerto Rico. Seventeen Spanish American states and Brazil achieved independence, but their revolution, says Langley, became “the revolution denied.” The initial calls for liberty ended with desperate searches for authority. Successive Latin American leaders realized that they could contain the chaos and violence released by independence only by granting military authority to local chieftains or caudillos. Latin America, Bolívar concluded on the eve of his death, was “ungovernable.” Order could be maintained only by force.
In a fourth part of his book, which is entitled “The Revolutionary Legacy,” Langley assesses the consequences of the various revolutions up to the mid-nineteenth century. Perhaps because he wants to expose the fiction of exceptionalism that Americans invented for themselves, he sometimes seems harsher in his judgments of the American Revolution and the United States than he is of the other hemispheric revolutions and states. What troubles him especially (and many other historians these days) is the failure of the American revolutionaries to abolish slavery entirely and to establish a truly democratic, equal, and pluralistic society. The revolutionary leaders should have known better, but nevertheless they went ahead and “excluded women and minorities from any meaningful participation in political life.” Langley seems implicitly to be suggesting some sort of utopian ideal against which he measures past American society. Thus he emphasizes “the persistence of impoverishment” and inequality in Jacksonian America. But one wonders: Poor and unequal compared to what? To other nations in 1830? Or to the present? Or to what ought to be? Just how is comparative history supposed to work?
Langley doesn’t see much good in what he calls Tocqueville’s America. The market economy may have appeared to rest on voluntary labor, but it was “in actuality a subtler form of coercion” than the indentured servitude it had done away with. (He does concede, however, that working in the market economy was not as bad as slavery.) The political leaders were hypocritical and cynical: they made up myths to hide the sins and inequities of the society and set up political parties as a democratic sham, “the surest means of keeping government out of the hands of the vaunted common man.” Yet most historians have asserted the contrary: that political parties, for all their failings, were the means by which America became the most democratic nation in the nineteenth-century world.
In Langley’s view, the early American elites, including Jefferson, not only were deceitful in their treatment of the Indians, but also hoodwinked the mass of whites about the western lands, which, Langley says, “disproportionately benefited the few”; the political leaders were able “to persuade the public that national expansion was for the people, not the developers.” Apparently Langley thinks that a few developers made killings in lands in the west at the expense of all the hundreds of thousands of settlers and squatters who moved there. In fact, most developers went bankrupt while the settlers steadily refused to pay what was asked for the lands and indeed eventually in 1862 pressured the government simply to give the land away.
Although Langley admits that the post-revolutionary United States was notably more successful than Haiti or Spanish America in integrating “disparate and conflictive social groups” into a common citizenry, he still finds fault with Jacksonian America for its exclusion of women, Indians, and blacks from the full benefits of the society. He suggests (no doubt correctly) that the Civil War might have been avoided if the US leaders had behaved differently and abolished slavery everywhere and forced the society to live up to its revolutionary promises by including the dispossessed within its ranks. Langley seems to believe that both the North and South American leaders throughout the entire period had more freedom of choice than they in fact had. Only by minimizing the powerful cultural and other historical circumstances impinging on the political leaders can he accuse them, as he does, of making “the wrong choices at independence.” It is always easier in retrospect to know what went wrong.
No doubt Americans in the early nineteenth century wanted to exclude blacks and Indians from their society as a solution to the problems of racial mixture and assimilation. But the policies of excluding and removing different “others” were not improvisations of the moment; their cultural sources went far back in European and American history. Patricia Seed’s comparative history of the different ways the European states took possession of the New World in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries points out that from the very beginning of colonization in America English culture tended to dispossess and exclude the non-English by building actual and psychological fences between people and by assuming that property belonged only to those who farmed and improved it. Such deeply-rooted ethnocentric habits of mind were not easily overcome and were still very much present in Anglo-American culture two centuries later.
Comparative history such as that in Seed’s book can help us to see things that we otherwise might miss. But Langley doesn’t clearly explain what he hoped his own comparative method would accomplish. He has told three stories one after another in all their particularity, but he has a great deal of trouble, especially in his painfully contorted introduction, in explaining what these particularities add up to. He notes the importance of theory for comparative studies of revolution, but he realizes that any theory applied to these revolutions would be simplistic and would miss all “the nuances of the particular.” He says that his revolutions are more easily described than explained. He repeatedly laments that virtually everything about these different revolutions is too complicated, ambiguous, and confused for explanation, and that none of the prevailing theories of revolution can encompass them. He puts forward some sort of “chaos theory,” involving both “local disorder” and “creative adaptability,” but then immediately dismisses it as “inadequate.” In frustration he suggests the weather as a metaphor or model for the revolutions, both being predictable and unpredictable at the same time. Ultimately, however, Langley concludes that the only thing the revolutions “had in common was chaos and complexity,” which meant that their dynamics did not follow a linear pattern. “What explained the character of these revolutions,” he writes, “was their chaotic form.” The leaders who realized this could adapt creatively and be successful. Washington, for example, “won the war in the Pennsylvania countryside because he adapted to its chaotic patterns.” But Bolívar “failed as a postrevolutionary leader because he could no longer survive in a chaotic world.”
Contending that everything is too complex, ambiguous, and chaotic for coherent explanation is not what we usually expect from a historical account. Certainly writing comparative history is difficult, and Langley should be commended for the great efforts he has made. But in this case the aims and methods of such history remain too vague and loosely defined. More than anything else, Langley’s book suggests that if the revolutions in the hemisphere are to be compared, we need a clearer approach to their similarities and differences than anything we have had so far.
November 20, 1997
Irving Kristol, “America Dreaming,” The Wall Street Journal, August 31, 1995. ↩
Martha Nussbaum, quoted in Michael J. Sandel, Democracy’s Discontent: America in Search of a Public Philosophy (Belknap Press/Harvard University Press, 1996), p. 341. ↩
Yale University Press, 1986. ↩
William & Mary Quarterly, Vol. 51 (1994), p. 743. ↩
William & Mary Quarterly, Vol. 51 (1994), p. 717. ↩
Peggy K. Liss, Atlantic Empires: The Network of Trade and Revolution, 1713-1826 (Johns Hopkins University Press, 1983). ↩
Cambridge University Press, 1995. ↩
Lords of All the World: Ideologies of Empire in Spain, Britain and France, c. 1500-c. 1850 (Yale University Press, 1995). ↩ | <urn:uuid:346d5a6f-fcb1-443a-b2f8-4cbc914eae7f> | CC-MAIN-2021-25 | https://www.nybooks.com/articles/1997/11/20/doing-the-continental-2/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-25/segments/1623487600396.21/warc/CC-MAIN-20210613041713-20210613071713-00026.warc.gz | en | 0.964687 | 5,994 | 3.171875 | 3 |
General Principles of Sewage Treatment
Raw sewage and septic wastewaters contain a variety of contaminants. Many technologies are available to render the sewage suitable for safe discharge to the environment. These include those used in the municipal treatment works that receive sewage discharged to public sewers in the nation’s developed areas; conventional on-site sewage treatment that uses a septic tank and soil absorption field commonly used in rural areas; and the alternative on-site technologies that form the focus of this publication. Most sewage treatment technologies operate by combining basic physical, chemical, and biological processes
1. Primary treatment removes solid chunks and particles from raw sewage through gravity separation and/or screening. A septic tank is the most common primary treatment device in on-site systems. In alternative systems, the septic tank is commonly outfitted with an outlet filter, to capture solid particles that are too small or too light to settle. When used with conventional septic systems, an outlet filter will extend system longevity and improve performance. The partially-treated liquid discharged from primary treatment is called primary effluent.
2. Secondary-treatment processes (also called microbial digestion) receive primary effluent. Most secondary-treatment processes move the effluent through an aeration process environment that is favorable to aerobic microorganisms, those that thrive in atmospheric oxygen (O2) environments. The following wastewater renovation processes occur during this treatment:
Pathogenic microorganism populations are reduced. The vast majority of microorganisms found in sewage thrive within the human digestive system, an environment where oxygen does not occur as O2. Consequently, these organisms are not well adapted to aerated environments. Within secondary-treatment devices, some microorganisms (including most pathogens) perish as a result of exposure to O2.
Other organisms, including predators that consume pathogens, do thrive in an aerobic environment, sustained by the rich mix of O2 with H2O, biodegradable organic compounds, and essential nutrients that comprises sewage. Where the effluent passes through secondary treatment media with small pores (such as a sand filter, or natural soils), pathogen numbers are also reduced via physical straining.
Biodegradable organic contaminants, such as dissolved organic substances, and organic particles, remaining in the effluent after primary treatment are removed.
The microorganisms in the aerated secondary-treatment medium consume and metabolize biodegradable organic compounds, deriving energy by breaking the carbon-carbon bonds and converting the organic carbon to carbon dioxide (CO2).
Small particulate contaminants are removed. Where the filtration media are comprised of mineral particles with small pores (such as a natural soil or a sand filter), particulate contaminants are removed via physical screening; biodegradable components of the particles captured in the fine pores are consumed by the resident aerobic bacteria.
The partially-treated liquid discharged from secondary treatment is called secondary effluent.
3. Advanced treatments are optional processes that may be applied to remove additional contaminants from secondary effluent prior to dispersal. Advanced treatment is usually included only in systems intended to discharge directly to the land surface, or to surface-water streams. Advanced treatment processes designed to remove additional nitrogen and phosphorous from the effluent are sometimes necessary to protect water quality in streams receiving treated effluent discharges.
4. Disinfection systems often rely on chlorination, ozonation, or ultraviolet light. Systems that discharge treated effluent where there is a potential for direct human exposure (i.e., discharge to surface waters or the soil surface) are often required to disinfect the effluent so as to eliminate potential hazards due to human exposure.
Effluent that has been disinfected, and has received advanced treatment, is called tertiary effluent.
Treated effluent must be discharged to (or dispersed in) the environment. Secondary effluent is commonly dispersed in soils below the surface, while tertiary effluent may be discharged to flowing waters (such as a surface-water stream) or on the soil surface. Surface discharge or dispersal typically requires a permit from an agency responsible for protecting surface-water quality as well as an on-site septic system permit. Credit:https://www.slideshare.net/ricardo0hodges91/ onsite-sewage-treatment-alternatives-publications-and-educational-resources | <urn:uuid:51dfe324-864c-4e28-930b-a441daf05ade> | CC-MAIN-2018-51 | https://www.djwmusic.com/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-51/segments/1544376825112.63/warc/CC-MAIN-20181213215347-20181214000847-00257.warc.gz | en | 0.922758 | 883 | 3.796875 | 4 |
Subject: Technical Drawing and 3d Rendering
Number of ECTS:
1 - Seizure of basic knowledge of Technical Drawing as a language of communication.
2 - Seizure, application and development of basic knowledge relating to Computer Assited Design using the design platforms of 2D and 3D modeling of AutoDesk: AutoCad.
1 - Technical Design:
1.1 - Importance of Technical Drawing
1.2 - Standard rules Applied to Technical Drawing.
1.3 - Characterization of the types of plane projection.
1.4 - Practice of orthogonal axonometric and multiple projection in freehand drawing.
1.5 - Methodology of representation by using cuts and sections
1.6 - Technical dimensioning of Technical Drawing.
1.7 - Freehand drawing.
2 - Computer Assisted Design using the platform of AutoDesk: AutoCad:
2.1 - Introduction to the use of a graphics system: 2D Representation.
2.2 - Import and process plants, elevations and cuts.
CUNHA, L.V. , 2008 , Desenho técnico , Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian
SILVA, A., DIAS, J., SOUSA, L , 2001 , Desenho técnico moderno , LIDEL
Assesssment methods and criteria:
Classification Type: Quantitativa (0-20)
Type of Classification: Quantitative (0-20) Evaluation Type: Evaluation Methodology: 3 Projects related to the subjects taught in the discipline, with weights of 15%, 50% and 35%, respectively. - They have objectives to gauge the knowledge of the student through works that integrate several topics of the curricular unit. It allows the student to develop development skills in the field of Technical Design throughout the semester, evaluating their performance and changing strategies if necessary. The projects are developed in the period of classes (Normal Evaluation Period). This course unit does not apply the evaluation moments related to Time of Appeal and Special Time. Projects delivered after the defined date (within 1 week of delay) will have a worsening in the final grade. In case of doubt regarding the autonomous work developed by the student in the project (s) will be carried out an oral test. | <urn:uuid:8fe09a72-2946-4af2-9e13-dd0908334473> | CC-MAIN-2021-17 | https://www.uma.pt/en/ensino/2o-ciclo/mestrado-em-design-dos-espacos/4711/?contentid=4711 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-17/segments/1618038507477.62/warc/CC-MAIN-20210418163541-20210418193541-00024.warc.gz | en | 0.836529 | 480 | 3.140625 | 3 |
Just for Fun
- NATIONAL GRAPE POPSICLE DAY
Each year on May 27 it is National Grape Popsicle Day.
In San Francisco, California, in 1905, 11-yr-old Frank Epperson was outside on his porch, mixing water with a white powdered flavoring to make soda. Upon going inside, it left it there, on the porch, with the stirring stick still in it. That night in California, the temperature reached a record low and the following morning, Frank discovered the drink had frozen to the stick. This inspired the fruit-flavored “Popsicle”.
Years later, in 1922, Epperson introduced his treat at a fireman’s ball, found it to be a huge success, and then in 1923, he made and sold his frozen treat-on-a-stick at an amusement park in Alameda, California. In 1924, he applied for a patent for his frozen confectionery, which he called “Epsicle” ice pop. He then renamed it “Popsicle“.
Popsicle’s are one of summertime’s favorite treats, for kids of all ages, and this day honors one of the most popular flavors, GRAPE!
NATIONAL GRAPE POPSICLE DAY HISTORY
Our research was unable to find the origin or the creator of National Grape Popsicle Day, an “unofficial” National holiday.
Thought some of you might want to know about today!
NATIONAL BEER DAY
National Beer Day is celebrated annually on April 7th. Celebrate with a pint of pale ale, lager, stout, wheat beer or mild ale.
One of the world’s oldest prepared beverages, beer possibly dates back to 9500 BC when cereal was first farmed. It is recorded in the written history of ancient Iraq and ancient Egypt.
Beer is the world’s most widely consumed alcoholic beverage. Following water and tea, it is the third most popular drink overall.
NATIONAL BEER DAY HISTORY
On April 7, 1933, President Franklin Roosevelt took the first step toward ending Prohibition and signed a law that allowed people to brew and sell beer, in the United States, as long as it remained below 4.0% alcohol by volume (ABV). Beer drinkers celebrated and were happy to be able to purchase beer again for the first time in thirteen years.
Our research found that this day was created as National Beer Day, an “unofficial” holiday by Justin Smith, a Richmond, VA Craft Beer Examiner and his friend Mike Connolly from Liverpool, England. April 7th was chosen because of the Cullen-Harrison Act being signed into law and becoming effective on this day. In 2009, a National Beer Day Facebook page was created by Smith and Connolly from which they invited friends to join. From that page, word has spread and April 7 is known by many sources as National Beer Day.
Three big updates about the #ABQTruckJeepRally…
- The date changed. The rally had to be pushed back 1 week from 18 to 25 April. Same time, same great location… just a week later.
- Bring canned food: While the Rally is completely free, we will be asking attendees to bring a canned food donation to be made to the ABQ Storehouse.
- Facebook: The “Kirtland Truck & Jeep” group on facebook will be the primary source for all information on this rally and all future events. | <urn:uuid:fdb8de1f-c3b8-4449-b232-a0de676e7435> | CC-MAIN-2020-24 | https://trucksunique.com/category/just-for-fun/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-24/segments/1590347387219.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20200525032636-20200525062636-00099.warc.gz | en | 0.967071 | 734 | 3.046875 | 3 |
- English: Common Yellow Scorpion
- Spanish: Escorpión común o amarillo
- Scientific: Buthus occitanus
- French: Scorpion Jaune Languedocien
- German: Feldskorpion
- Italian: Euscorpius
- Portuguese: Escorpião
Adult Spanish yellow scorpion – Buthus occitanus – Escorpión común o amarillo can measure 8 cm long (12 to 15cm with the tail extended). They have eight legs and two pincers (pedipalps). The tail is segmented, ending in a pale brown spur.
They live in arid and rocky habitats, during the day staying hidden under stones in hot areas such as open scrub land. They are active during the warmer months when they come out at night to hunt for arthropods (insects and arachnids) injecting paralyzing venom from their terminal sting. They have great climbing skills and be found on walls and ceilings.
When breeding, the male and female grasp each other’s pedipalps and spin in circles for several minutes. After this movement the male deposits sperm into a bag of soil that is subsequently gathered up by the female.
The yellow scorpion sting is painful but with mild toxic effects, though it can be dangerous to small animals, children, the elderly and people with allergies to animal stings.
If you are stung the advised treatment is to visit a doctor as soon as possible, who can apply a serum, and to take anti-histamines. (The yellow scorpion in Africa has a much more toxic venom)
Iberia Nature Forum
Struggling with identifying those bugs and beasties? Why not check out the Iberia nature Forum!
Discover the Iberia Nature Forum – Environment, geography, nature, landscape, climate, culture, history, rural tourism and travel. | <urn:uuid:ccc3be2e-e062-498c-8bfb-d0352dbae708> | CC-MAIN-2021-49 | https://wildsideholidays.co.uk/spanish-yellow-scorpion-buthus-occitanus-escorpion-comun-o-amarillo/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-49/segments/1637964363135.71/warc/CC-MAIN-20211205035505-20211205065505-00329.warc.gz | en | 0.902416 | 404 | 3.140625 | 3 |
As summer comes to an end and fall begins, our native warm-season grasses can be seen swaying in the wind. These grasses provide many ecological benefits to the park. While they may not attract as many pollinators as our prairie forbs, they are, undoubtedly, an equally important asset to the Park.
- Habitat: During warmer months, these grasses provide excellent nesting sites form small mammals and birds. The cover of their long blades provide an excellent buffer between animals and the cold winters we experience here atthe park. Some of the grasses can remain upright, even with a foot of snow on top!
- Protection: The tall grasses also provide a hiding place for young animals and insects. It is estimated that the establishment of a tallgrass prairie can increase the bird life of the area by 10x!
- Food: The blades, roots, and seeds provide food for a variety of wildlife. Walking past the prairies, you are bound to hear many insects and birds that are attracted to this food source.
- Erosion Prevention: The deep roots help to keep the soil in place, especially when we experience the gusty lakefront winds. A single acre of tall grass prairie can have up to 24,000lbs of roots!
- Nutrient Cycling: The roots of these native warm-season grasses die off and decompose, returningnutrients to that soil during winter. The grasses rely on seeds dropped in early fall to re-emerge in spring. This is unlike short cool-season grasses which maintain their roots throughout winter (the grass in your front lawn is a cool-season grass).
We have some exciting events happening at the Park this month and we’d love to have you here! In addition to our usual events, we have our 10th Anniversary Beach Bonfire on September 20th (7-9pm) and SturgeonFest on September 30th (11am-3pm; sponsor a sturgeon to release yourself at SturgeonFest.org!)
Lakeshore State Park
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | <urn:uuid:44bc71ed-9329-4d1e-a54b-7f12998855d2> | CC-MAIN-2021-04 | http://friendslsp.org/2017/09/01/naturalists-notes-september-2017/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-04/segments/1610703537796.45/warc/CC-MAIN-20210123094754-20210123124754-00713.warc.gz | en | 0.954255 | 430 | 3.046875 | 3 |
Ozone Therapy Overview
The medical use of ozone (O3) was discovered over 150 years ago. Acclaimed scientists and inventors Werner von Siemens and Nikola Tesla pioneered the first ozone generators for medical purposes in the 19th Century. During World War I, ozone was widely used to treat rampant infections due to trench warfare. In the interwar era and after World War II, medical ozone use became widespread in Germany and other countries. In the last ten years, the number and quality of clinical studies has increased dramatically, leading to a better understanding of ozone therapy and driving increasing interest from patients and practitioners.
Ozone is a strong antioxidant with a broad range of concentration and dose dependent effects that can be harnessed for medical purposes. A considerable body of clinical evidence from randomised clinical trials supports increasing adoption of ozone therapy for a range of indications.
- anti bacterial and anti viral applications
- diabetes, diabetic foot
- macular degeneration
- herniated disc and pain management
- adjunctive cancer therapy
- revitalization after major surgery, prolonged diseases, or to support physical exercise
- renal and liver complications
As a low-cost non-pharmacological mode of therapy, ozone is truely remarkable. | <urn:uuid:d0f1611b-9972-4e3d-9bb7-a21b8b52d0b8> | CC-MAIN-2020-16 | https://www.ozontherapie.com/therapies/ozone_overview/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-16/segments/1585370506988.10/warc/CC-MAIN-20200402143006-20200402173006-00219.warc.gz | en | 0.913305 | 251 | 3.40625 | 3 |
More and more people live in cities. And this is not going to change in the foreseeable future. But what are the consequences of this growth for the environment in cities?
Cities in distress
For the past half century, the development of cities has been mostly focussed on improving the economy and creating more jobs. With four billion people currently living in cities, and this number is predicted to have grown with another two and a half billion by 2050, this focus has to shift to keep cities safe and healthy. Currently, many cities, especially the ones with more than ten million people, like Tokyo or Mumbai, struggle with air pollution, poor water quality, waste-disposal difficulties and many more problems. With the amount of people that live in cities only growing, this will only get worse in the future.
To tackle these problems, urban ecologists, people who study the ‘nature’ in cities, for example the plants and the animals that thrive in a city, are trying to find ways to make cities healthier. With the knowledge these ecologists have gathered, they’ve been able to find ways to make cities more livable. Urban ecologists in Melbourne, for example, are building a forest in the middle of the city, to make the city more healthy and resilient. Other cities around the world, like London, Singapore and Portland are copying this strategy.
Although our knowledge about urban environments have greatly improved in the past three decades, there’s still a lot of advances to make. Not only do we need to discover the causes of the problems megacities are facing, we also need to turn this knowledge into action that can actually help distressed megacities. And these advances in urban ecology are needed quite fast since the amount of people in cities is only growing, while the life standards in cities only decrease.
Click here to read more geography posts! | <urn:uuid:1d079445-2054-43a9-8fd9-327ad0a5357d> | CC-MAIN-2018-26 | http://thisweeksdiscoveries.blogspot.com/2016/05/dont-let-our-cities-turn-into-junkyards.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-26/segments/1529267868876.81/warc/CC-MAIN-20180625185510-20180625205510-00544.warc.gz | en | 0.950893 | 382 | 3.171875 | 3 |
About Holy Land:
Holy Land is a region approximately between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea, including the Jordan River’s Eastern Bank. Traditionally, it is associated with both Israel’s biblical land and the Palestinian region. Usually, the word “Holy Land” relates to a land that approximately corresponds to the contemporary state of Israel, the Palestinian territories, western Jordan, and sections of southern Lebanon and southeastern Syria. All of this is considered holy by Jews, Christians, and Muslims.
The land’s beauty as a Christian pilgrimage location helped launch the Crusades as European Christians attempted to take back this from the Muslims who had conquered it from the Byzantine Christian Empire in the 630’s. This became the topic of diplomatic quarrels in the 19th century as the Holy Places played a part in the Eastern Question that led to the 1850s Crimean War.
For Chardham Yatra Pilgrimage, Please refer to the link-https://jmjtravels.com/chardham-yatra/
Many sites in the pilgrimage, including Jews, Christians, Muslims, and Bahais, have long been pilgrimage destinations for adherents of Abrahamic religions. Pilgrims visit the place to see physical manifestations of their faith, to confirm their faith in the holy context with collective excitement.This is the land that faces the spiritual world’s entrance, that sphere of life that lies beyond the physical world that we know through our senses.
The land of Israel is regarded holy for Christians because of its connection with Jesus ‘ birth, ministry, crucifixion, and resurrection, which Christians regard as the Savior or Messiah. It’s also because Jesus himself was Jewish, and in the original Jewish religious context he personally considered it the Holy Land. Enter the place that Allah has given to you, and do not turn back to your own ruin, for then you will be overthrown. The Quran also relates to the land as “Blessed”.
For other Domestic and International Tour packages, go through the link given: http://bit.ly/jmjtravels | <urn:uuid:ad5ab791-0cd7-4fb2-9a09-637d8a202c0e> | CC-MAIN-2019-35 | https://jmjtravels.com/holy-land/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-35/segments/1566027322170.99/warc/CC-MAIN-20190825021120-20190825043120-00261.warc.gz | en | 0.944637 | 434 | 2.90625 | 3 |
I have only ever seen two shrews, both sadly deceased. Britain has two species of shrew, the Common (Sorex araneus) and the Pygmy (Sorex minutus), but I believe the ones I have seen have been Pygmy shrews. Though both species have brown fur on their backs and silvery grey fur on their bellies, and they are of a similar size, the Pygmy shrew has a tail that is two-thirds the length of its body, whereas the Common shrew’s is half the length. It’s a small distinction and I’m sure experts could point to more scientific methods of distinguishing one from the other but, for me, the tail has to be the telling point.
Pygmy shrews lead short but frantic lives. In their twelve to eighteen months of life the females can give birth to two, sometimes three litters of between 5 and 7 young. Though very few people ever see them, they are common in much of Britain, ferreting about frantically, in grasslands, woodlands, the fringes of arable fields and in the urban garden, for the small insects they like to eat. As you can see, they have tiny eyes but that relatively large snout gives them a keen sense of smell to help find their prey.
In case you’re wondering how I managed to get such detailed photos of this little Pygmy shrew, I brought it home with me. This wasn’t just to get photos – through someone I know who is doing a PhD in biosciences at Cardiff University, this little creature has been donated to science. Its details will help in the study of these often elusive small mammals, and it will be preserved and used as a teaching aid. I was sad to find such a gorgeous wee beastie dead but at least its death has not been in vain. | <urn:uuid:ed17b881-caeb-466e-8d34-f75db4c4760b> | CC-MAIN-2017-43 | https://earthstarblog.wordpress.com/2017/09/23/the-taming-of-the-shrew/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-43/segments/1508187828411.81/warc/CC-MAIN-20171024105736-20171024125736-00683.warc.gz | en | 0.981794 | 391 | 2.859375 | 3 |
Held in Constantinople in 381. Under Emperor Theodosius the Great. 150 Bishops were present.
The Macedonian Controversy
Macedonius, somewhat like Arius, was misinterpreting Church's teaching on the Holy Spirit. He taught that the Holy Spirit was not a person ("hypostasis"), but simply a power ("dynamic") of God. Therefore the Spirit was inferior to the Father and the Son. The Council condemned Macedonius' teaching and defined the doctrine of the Holy Trinity. The Council decreed that there was one God in three persons ("hypostases"): Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
The holy fathers of the Council added five articles to the Creed. They read as follows:
"And (We believe) in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of Life, who proceeds from the Father: who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified: who spoke by the prophets. In one Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins. I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen."
Defenders of Orthodoxy
St. Gregory of Nazianzus, the Theologian (329-390)
He was a scholar who studied in Athens with St. Basil the Great; became Patriarch of Constantinople (379); presided at the Second Ecumenical Council; a poet and profound thinker. He wrote many poems, hymns essays, and sermons.
St. Gregory of Nyssa (331-396)
Younger brother of St. Basil the Great. He was a theologian who delved deeply into the truths of the Faith.
St. John Chrysostom (345-407)
John was born and educated in Antioch (Syria). He became Patriarch of Constantinople in 398. He is known for his eloquent and straight-forward sermons (Chrysostomos: "the golden-mouthed"); was responsible for the revision of the Divine Liturgy. He died in exile.
Read about the other Ecumenical Councils: | <urn:uuid:d157e91a-483a-4465-b45f-08d648bcca3d> | CC-MAIN-2020-34 | https://www.goarch.org/-/the-second-ecumenical-council | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-34/segments/1596439738964.20/warc/CC-MAIN-20200813073451-20200813103451-00063.warc.gz | en | 0.962809 | 444 | 2.75 | 3 |
Data AcQuisition And Real-Time AnalysisScope - Spectrum - Spectrogram - Signal Generator
Software for Windows
Science with your Sound Card!
Contact us about
Fast Fourier Transform (FFT)
The Discrete Fourier Transform is a general application of Fourier Transform theory using digital methods. But it's rather slow, since all input samples N must be multiplied by sine and cosine values at each frequency, for N/2 different frequencies, giving N^2 total multiplications. That's over 1 million if N = 1024 (as used by Daqarta), and multiplication is one of the slower instructions on most computers. Back in the '60s, however, a couple of clever gents named Cooley and Tukey noticed that the set of DFT calculations contains a lot of redundancy and wasted effort.
For one thing, everywhere the sine or cosine reference tables hold a zero, there is no point multiplying the input sample... just use the zero directly. Likewise, everyhere the multipliers are +1, the input value could just be copied directly. If the multiplier is -1, we only need a sign change.
Similarly, a particular input sample may end up being multiplied by the same numerical value for the sine or cosine components of many different reference frequencies. For example, the value of 0.7071 is repeated every 45 degrees around a sine or cosine cycle with only sign changes. And since each sample will be multiplied by all the different input frequencies, it turns out that many of them will use the same values on the same sample. We could do a single multiply of each input sample by each of these recurring values, and then just use that result (maybe with a sign change) for all future needs in that set of input samples.
These recurring conditions happen a lot, especially if the number of samples happens to be a power of 2. The whole operation becomes an accounting nightmare of keeping track of which redundant value should be plugged in where, but Cooley and Tukey came up with a method to keep everything straight, and the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) was born. Subsequent workers have come up with all sorts of enhancements, but the basic idea remains: Don't waste time doing the same thing twice.
Where the number of multiplications in a typical DFT quadruples when the N is doubled, for a typical FFT it only slightly more than doubles. For N = 1024, the FFT turns out to be about 100 times faster than the DFT.
See also Spectrum (Fourier Transform) Theory
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All rights reserved | <urn:uuid:e2f50842-95eb-4c60-a9c4-68e34f4d452e> | CC-MAIN-2021-04 | https://daqarta.com/dw_0hff.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-04/segments/1610703531702.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20210123001629-20210123031629-00477.warc.gz | en | 0.888161 | 571 | 3.875 | 4 |
It’s never a good idea to put all of your eggs into one basket. That time-worn advice is especially true for the energy storage industry. Lithium-ion batteries have a high energy density and relatively lightweight, making them presently the best commercial choice for devices that move—portable electronic devices and electric vehicles (EVs), for example. Batteries based upon lithium aren’t the only game in town, however, and if you need to store huge amounts of power, at a single stationary location, at a relatively low price, you probably are looking at flow batteries.
The structure of a lithium-ion battery is the key to its operation. It consists of a cathode (positive) electrode usually made up of nickel oxide along with some other elements like cobalt, manganese, and aluminum to help promote stability. The anode (or negative) electrode is typically layers of carbon graphite. In between the anode and cathode is an electrolyte (usually an organic solvent) that allows the transfer of lithium ions from one electrode to the other. When a lithium-ion battery is charged, lithium ions move from the metal oxide cathode, through the electrolyte, and imbed themselves between the layers of carbon graphite in the anode. This is called intercalation. During discharge, the ions move from the anode to the cathode where they intercalate within the structure of the metal oxide and in the process give up electrons that are used to power a device. The materials involved in all of this—primarily the cobalt, nickel, and lithium—are expensive, and the organic solvent used for the electrolyte is flammable and can cause safety issues.
A flow battery uses a fundamentally different principle. Instead of placing all of the reactive parts of the battery in one container, a flow battery stores reactive electrolyte liquids in separate containers and pumps them through a reactor tank containing a stack of inert electrodes that strip electrons out to produce electric power. An ion exchange membrane keeps the two electrolyte solutions separate from one another in the reactor. The capacity of a flow battery is simply related to the size of the containers holding the reactive liquids. Because energy is stored in the electrolyte, the amount of storage capacity can be sized independently from the power level.
The key, of course, is what materials to use for the two electrolytic solutions. They must form what is called a reduction-oxidation (redox) couple, where reduction is the gain of electrons and oxidation is the loss of electrons. Popular choices for commercially available flow batteries are made from either zinc and bromine or a combination of various oxidation and reduction states of vanadium.
In the zinc-bromine flow battery, an aqueous solution of zinc bromide electrolyte is stored in two tanks. During charging or discharging, the electrolytes are pumped through a reactor and back into the tanks. One tank stores the electrolyte for the positive electrode reactions, and the other for the negative.
During charging, metallic zinc is plated from the electrolyte solution onto the negative electrode surface in the reactor. At the same time, bromide is converted to bromine at the positive electrode surface and is stored in the electrolyte tank. Bromine is a chemical element in the periodic table and exists without a charge, bromide is the anion that forms when bromine abstracts an electron from another element, in this case, zinc. On discharge, the reverse process occurs as the metallic zinc plated on the negative electrode dissolves in the electrolyte, and bromine is converted back to bromide.
The Australian company Redflow builds a zinc-bromine flow battery that has found applications for time-shifting energy for power grids, providing storage for renewable energy sources, and providing emergency power. The company claims, “Redflow batteries can charge and discharge 100 percent of their energy capacity each day, avoiding the damage such performance causes traditional battery chemistries.” The Redflow flow batteries, “can also maintain their nominal 10 kilowatt-hour (kWh) storage capacity throughout their operating life operate at ambient temperatures as warm as 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) without any external active cooling.” They can be left in any state of charge for long periods and because the zinc bromide electrolyte is a non-flammable solution, they are considered very safe. Redflow batteries are made from materials that are easy to recycle or reuse.
Another type of commercially available flow battery is called a vanadium flow battery (VFB). These were first developed in the 1980s. Vanadium is unusual in that it can exist in four different oxidation states (V2+, V3+, V4+, and V5+), each of which holds a different electrical charge. A VFB uses two separate tanks of vanadium electrolyte that hold different charges and that are connected to a central fuel cell stack. Electrolyte from the tanks is pumped through the fuel cell stack, where an ion exchange occurs across a membrane. When this exchange occurs, a reversible electrochemical reaction takes place, allowing electrical energy to be stored and subsequently returned. Because the vanadium is dissolved in an aqueous solution, there is little fire risk.
A major supplier of VFBs is Invinity Energy Systems, which was formed by a merger last year between US-headquartered flow battery provider Avalon Battery and UK counterpart redT. Avalon was the supplier of a battery system to a microgrid project for a solar installation company in California which allowed Sandbar Solar’s headquarters to run on solar energy full-time. To date, Invinity has installed VFBs at more than 40 sites across Europe, North America, Africa, Asia, and Australasia.
Other materials can be used to create flow batteries, Oregon-based ESS, for example, is commercializing a flow battery that uses inexpensive iron chloride at different oxidation states to develop its voltage potential, creating a battery that is a less expensive alternative to zinc-bromine or VFBs. Organic compounds that can change their charge states are also under study for use in safe, low-cost flow batteries.
Because of their size and bulk, flow batteries have been primarily considered for stationary applications. But the idea that the electrolytes could be rapidly exchanged for freshly charged solutions is appealing, especially for EVs. General Electric has been looking into flow batteries for EVs since 2013 but as yet the promise of an EV that can be refueled as quickly as a gasoline-engine car has not been realized. Other even smaller flow batteries have been proposed but have not reached commercialization.
Meanwhile, companies like Tesla continue to push lithium-ion technologies for utility-scale storage. In some ways, because lithium-ion is the battery technology of choice for laptops and EVs, it has a foothold in the storage market that flow batteries can’t match, even at their lower cost and longer service life. That will eventually begin to change—the energy market is primarily driven by cost and safety—both of which are areas that flow batteries can demonstrate advantages. As the cost of lithium-ion battery raw materials continues to increase, the flow battery will begin to take over in utility-scale applications.
Kevin Clemens is an engineering consultant who has worked on automotive and environmental projects for more than 40 years. | <urn:uuid:4b570c19-1996-4a97-8f2c-a421d33f0a98> | CC-MAIN-2023-40 | https://www.batterytechonline.com/materials/redox-flow-batteries-advance-lithium-ion-alternative | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-40/segments/1695233510334.9/warc/CC-MAIN-20230927235044-20230928025044-00502.warc.gz | en | 0.942807 | 1,543 | 3.6875 | 4 |
Hierarchy for Selection of Freshwater Benchmarks
- Preference was given to the benchmarks based on chronic exposure, non-lethal endpoint studies designed to be protective of sensitive species.
- Absent chronic exposure benchmarks, values based on acute studies for multiple species adjusted with acute to chronic ratios were selected.
- Food chain values for water from the EPA Great Lakes Water Quality Initiative were included based on the extent of benchmark evaluation process and the approval of models for DDT, mercury, 2,3,7,8-TCDD, and PCBs.
- Other food chain values were given preference over direct toxicity values only if the direct toxicity value was for a marine environment.
Author: Bruce Pluta (Region 3)
Date: July 2006
Description: Screening benchmarks for freshwater in Region 3
Keywords: freshwater, screening benchmarks, risk assessment, Superfund, Region 3, water, ERAGS, SLERA
- FW Hardness-Dependent Values Table (2004)(1 pg, 30 K)
- Freshwater Screening Benchmarks in Region III (PDF)(8 pp, 76 K, 2006-07-01) | <urn:uuid:bff99194-270a-4d84-99e3-ac236b14390d> | CC-MAIN-2018-13 | https://www.epa.gov/risk/freshwater-screening-benchmarks | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-13/segments/1521257647322.47/warc/CC-MAIN-20180320072255-20180320092255-00145.warc.gz | en | 0.873157 | 233 | 2.515625 | 3 |
What is the largest living organism and how big is it?
A. Giant Sequoia, 389 Feet
B. Great Blue Whale, 155 Feet
C. Aspergillis, 4 Sq miles
D. Armillaria; 30 acres
Name a fungus like wildflower.
B. Shining Orchis
What are the 3 body forms of Lichens?
A. Crustose, Foliose, Fruticose
B. Mold, fungus, Lichen
C. Mushroom, Puffball, Bracket
D. Curly, Larry, Moe
How do stinkhorn fungi attract spore disseminators?
Why did Beatrix Potter NOT attend the reading of her paper on Lichens to the Linnean
Society in 1897?
A. She had learned that her findings were really bogus, Dude!!
B. She died only 2 days before its reading
C. She was sick and could not make the meeting
D. She didn't have scientific credentials and wasn't allowed at the presentation
Who first recognized the lichen as an association of two different organisms?
Where does Pilobolus live?
A. Dog Vomit
B. Mule Rectums
C. Sheep dung
D. cow dung
Who first published the news of the germ killing power of penicillin?
B. The Journal "Science"
C. Jacob Rockerfeller
D. Alexander Fleming
On what was Penicillium chrysogenum discovered?
A. A Canteloupe
B. A Fresh Orange
C. A Duck's Back
D. Bread Mold
Where does Peziza vesiculosa grow?
A. Feet bottoms
C. Airplane Propellers
D. Compost heaps and on cardboard left on the ground
What drug, made by a fungus, is crucial to the success of transplant operations?
What was the original source of Asprin?
A. Bread Mold
B. Willow Bark
D. dog Vomit Fungus
What is the most common way of preparing the caterpillar fungus for consumption?
A. Slice and boil for 3 hours to rid it of poison, then use as any normal mushroom
B. DON"T it is poisonous
C. stuff a duck with it after boiling the duck in hot water
D. Slice and sautee in butter for 1 minute
What are Earth Stars related to?
A. Bracket fungi
C. Bread Mold
What term means using one living organism to kill or control another?
How is Ergotamine useful?
A. Can give a person extra strength and endurance
B. Can control many bacterial infections
C. Give you a "High".
D. Relieves migraine pain, stimulates uterine contraction during childbirth, and prevents hemorrhaging
What is a Mushroom?
A. The "Flower" of the mold.
B. An above ground, short lived reproductive body
C. The structure that produces the sexual spores for the fungus
D. The structure to protect Leprechauns
What 2 diseases can be caused by Candida albicans?
A. Thrush, yeast infections
B. Athletes foot and yeast infections
C. Ringworm and Thrush
D. Ringworm and Athletes foot
What animals are most often used to sniff out Truffels?
A. Cats and Dogs
B. Dogs and Pigs
C. Dogs and Goats
D. Cats and Goats | <urn:uuid:3ba77016-58e6-48df-9bcb-d7159b13cab2> | CC-MAIN-2016-50 | http://www.mywordsolution.com/question/what-animals-are-most-often-used-to-sniff-out/925671 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-50/segments/1480698542828.27/warc/CC-MAIN-20161202170902-00083-ip-10-31-129-80.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.852919 | 738 | 2.859375 | 3 |
Albert Chinualumogu Achebe was born on November 16, 1930, in Ogidi, a large village in Nigeria. Although he was the child of a Protestant missionary and received his early education in English, his upbringing was multicultural, as the inhabitants of Ogidi still lived according to many aspects of traditional Igbo (formerly written as Ibo) culture. Achebe attended the Government College in Umuahia from 1944 to 1947. He graduated from University College, Ibadan, in 1953. While he was in college, Achebe studied history and theology. He also developed his interest in indigenous Nigerian cultures, and he rejected his Christian name, Albert, for his indigenous one, Chinua.
After receiving his B.A., Chinua Achebe taught and joined the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation in Lagos in 1954. In 1961, he was appointed director of External Broadcasting but resigned in 1966 to dedicate himself full-time to writing and teaching. Since then, he has taught at many universities around the world including African, American, Canadian, and British institutions. He has received a vast number of awards and honorary degrees and has come to be considered one of the leading African writers of his time.
In the 1950s, Achebe was one of the founders of a Nigerian literary movement that drew upon the traditional oral culture of its indigenous peoples. In 1959, he published Things Fall Apart as a response to novels, such as Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, that treat Africa as a primordial and cultureless foil for Europe. Tired of reading white men’s accounts of how primitive, socially backward, and, most important, language-less native Africans were, Achebe sought to convey a fuller understanding of one African culture and, in so doing, give voice to an underrepresented and exploited colonial subject.
The most important aspect of Achebe's writing is his dedication to the socio- political fabrics of the societies in which he lives and has lived—that of a colonial and post-colonial African society. Throughout the 1940s, fifties and sixties, there was a growing sense of self-determination among the African people who had been colonized by the English and French. It was evident that a new era would arise in which the colonized would want to claim their independence. And, those who were writers would want to "write back" to the colonizer. In other words, because the English in Nigeria, for example had instilled the English language and the tradition of English literature, Nigerian writers were beginning to write in the very same language of colonial rule, making the writing both more complex, and, in many ways, more powerful in its intent. However, this was no longer a literature about England—it was now a local African literature written in the complex tongue of the ruling English.
Achebe has become renowned throughout the world as a father of modern African literature, essayist, and professor of English literature at Bard College in New York. But Achebe’s achievements are most concretely reflected by his prominence in Nigeria’s academic culture and in its literary and political institutions. He was also quite influential in the publication of new Nigerian writers. In 1967, he co-founded a publishing company with a Nigerian poet named Christopher Okigbo and in 1971, he began editing Okike, a respected journal of Nigerian writing. In 1984, he founded Uwa ndi Igbo, a bilingual magazine containing a great deal of information about Igbo culture.
Achebe died after an illness in Boston, Massachusetts, and was laid to rest in Nigeria. | <urn:uuid:7499dfd1-aabb-4794-b0a2-d8279f7fb676> | CC-MAIN-2018-51 | http://www.sparknotes.com/author/chinua-achebe/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-51/segments/1544376823738.9/warc/CC-MAIN-20181212044022-20181212065522-00202.warc.gz | en | 0.98656 | 739 | 2.71875 | 3 |
At what period in record did persons start to gamble? The exact period is unfamiliar but Contrary to popular belief, pairs of dice are found in Egyptian tombs over four,000 several years outdated! Also, gambling video games were performed in historical China, the place Poker is assumed to own originated. In 1492 over the Columbus landing, Indigenous People in america were being sports activities betting on the outcome of the sport resembling LaCross. So when did everything start in the usa? Read on.
Gambling in America commenced with the primary English settlers within the 1600’s. Their traditions provided card online games that were Section of the aristocratic Life-style. Having said that, when Puritans colonized in Massachusetts Bay they had the liberty to create their very own society which involved hostility toward gambling. They outlawed the possession of dice, cards, and gambling table games in their communities. Yet, gambling prevailed in other localities. A lot of English colonists thought of gambling to get a suitable type of amusement.
The colony of Virginia was the first to recognize that lotteries could raise funds for area governments. Sooner or later all 13 colonies were raising lottery earnings. Proceeds assisted Construct Universities like Harvard, Yale, and Princeton. Lotteries also funded churches and libraries. Founding Fathers George Washington, Ben Franklin, and John Hancock have been promoters of particular lotteries for community functions tasks. If the Revolutionary War commenced, the Continental Congress voted for a $ten million lottery to finance the war.
In the early 1800’s the taverns and street homes allowed เว็บสล็อต dice and card games, making the very first Variation of casinos. As The usa’s populace started to boost, casinos grew to become extra lavish. The Mississippi River was A serious trade route where by merchants and business people brought their funds. Gambling on riverboats became a favorite pastime and New Orleans became the gambling capitol of The united states. In 1849 gambling followed the pioneers to California throughout the gold hurry. Gambling institutions started to flourish there and west on the Mississippi, which includes Nevada. Within the late 1800’s Roulette was adopted from France and the Slot Device was invented.
A great deal of the general public seen gambling being a social ill as it was associated with alcoholism and prostitution. Reformers convinced jurisdictions to shut down the Dens of Iniquity. Most states discontinued lotteries likewise. Riverboat gambling dried up with the advent with the railroad. By the end of your century only Nevada authorized gambling.
In 1910 Nevada finally shut the door on gambling, which left horse race wagering the only real authorized entity in the usa. In 1912 Arizona and New Mexico were granted statehood beneath the condition that gambling continue being outlawed. In the course of the 1920’s prohibition era, the public’s thirst for gambling matched that of alcohol. Casinos went underground combined with the speakeasys. In 1931 Nevada legalized gambling once again and remained the only real state to take action right until the latter 50 % from the century. Gambling flourished underground as structured crime created major investments in Nevada, and prospered by controlling off monitor betting and also the figures lottery.
Through the 1950’s the U.S. Senate investigated arranged criminal offense’s url to illegal gambling. Eventually the mob departed Las Vegas. States set bookies away from business by legalizing off keep track of betting and figures online games. Atlantic City authorized gambling in 1976, the Indian Gaming Act was authorised by congress in the late 1980’s. Dockside riverboat gambling produced a comeback, racetracks put in slot machines while Las Vegas reinvented alone by setting up mega resorts throughout the 1990’s.
The American Gaming Association documented that there are 832,988 slot equipment distribute out above one,151 casinos and racetracks throughout 44 states with extra on the best way. It seems that the American society’s thirst for gambling matches that from the Egyptian Pharaohs! The usa has embraced gambling as an acceptable type of amusement.
Copyright (C) – Dennis J. Occhino – All rights reserved
Dennis Occhino would be the founding father o, where you’ll find A lot more than 70 articles or blog posts starting from casino customs, desk video games, equipment game titles, and doubtless some game titles you under no circumstances heard about. You’ll learn how to Participate in them all with specific descriptions, films, and hyperlinks without spending a dime Participate in. Items and publications are offered for order. This page exhibits you how to Engage in responsibly, and when to choose the money and operate. | <urn:uuid:8bfc3a5d-7e73-4718-983f-ca5dbdb88744> | CC-MAIN-2022-21 | https://uvwbql.com/is-gambling-an-expensive-pass-time-or-guilty-pleasure/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-21/segments/1652662538646.33/warc/CC-MAIN-20220521045616-20220521075616-00697.warc.gz | en | 0.945211 | 997 | 2.71875 | 3 |
Russia Unveils World's 1st Floating Nuclear Power Station
Posted on:21 May 2018 09:22:47
Free Current Affairs to Your Email
21 May 2018 Current Affairs: Russia unveiled the world's first floating nuclear power station at a ceremony in the port of the far northern city of Murmansk, where it will be loaded with nuclear fuel before heading to eastern Siberia.
It is Built-in Saint Petersburg, the Akademik Lomonosov arrived in Murmansk where it was moored in the port and presented to the media.
Constructed by the state nuclear power firm Rosatom, the 144 by 30 meter (472 by 98 foot) ship holds two reactors with two 35 megawatt nuclear reactors that are similar to those used to power icebreaker ships.
FreshersLive - No.1 Job site in India. Here you can find latest 2018 government as well as private job recruitment notifications for different posts vacancies in India. Get top company jobs for both fresher and experienced. Job Seekers can get useful interview tips, resume services & interview Question and answer. Practice online test free which is helpful for interview preparation. Register with us to get latest employment news/rojgar samachar notifications. Also get latest free govt and other sarkari naukri job alerts daily through E-mail. | <urn:uuid:3453993f-7e97-4000-a56d-9a2558b27645> | CC-MAIN-2018-34 | https://www.fresherslive.com/current-affairs/articles/russia-unveils-worlds-1st-floating-nuclear-power-station-13481 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-34/segments/1534221209980.13/warc/CC-MAIN-20180815063517-20180815083517-00484.warc.gz | en | 0.912962 | 274 | 2.828125 | 3 |
What is work place rehabilitation?
This is a poster from the rehabilitation center in Tanzania, illustrating their work. This rehabilitation center works both with adults and children, to improve their function level. © G.Van Den Bergh
Work is essential for most people. The salary is the fundament for food, clothes and housing. If you become sick or disabled in any way and cannot work, you have a problem. Some countries have social benefits that can help you in such situations, but other countries do not provide such help. It is important to realize that many countries do not have any social benefits for disabled persons, and this makes rehabilitation difficult. This lack of support in many countries makes this lecture especially important. It is necessary for stake holders and policy makers to become more aware of the possibility of including also disabled persons in the working life.
Here is the WHO definition of rehabilitation:
“Rehabilitation of people with disabilities is a process aimed at enabling them to reach and maintain their optimal physical, sensory, intellectual, psychological and social functional levels. Rehabilitation provides disabled people with the tools they need to attain independence and self-determination.”
Work rehabilitation is a broad term that encompasses many aspects of intervention, all focused upon facilitating independence at work as well as fulfillment of the worker role.
The expression “rehabilitation” developed after the World War I, as the society wanted to support the mutilated war veterans. Training schools, hospitals and various institutions were founded and programs started to develop. However, the development was rather slow in most countries, even though they had been heavily involved in the war. After the World War II, new rehabilitation programs were established, and this time with more support and strength. Both authorities and different kinds of organizations started to work for restoration of disabled persons who had been participating in the war.
The idea of bringing disabled persons back to the working life grew even further, and also other disabled groups in the society were included in the rehabilitation programs. Departments of rehabilitation were established at hospitals and medical schools. For a long time the main focus of these activities was related to persons who had experienced an amputation, stroke, spinal injury or limb destruction. Later, rehabilitation techniques have been used also for other patient groups, including for instance patients with mental health problems as well as drug abusers. Organizations and associations established by the patients themselves have been of major importance in rehabilitation issues; associations for blind persons, deaf persons, persons with poliomyelitis and so on.
These types of organizations have often succeeded in altering negative attitudes in the society towards the different patient groups. In many low income countries of today, rehabilitation has a relatively minor role in the health system. However, the idea is becoming more and more known among health personnel, and rehabilitation units are established several places. For instance, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) can tell that over 235,000 people received treatment at ICRC physical rehabilitation centers worldwide between January and September 2015. This is promising! You can read more about these rehabilitation projects here.
Estimates are given for the occurrence of disabled persons in the world, and the figures are around 15 percent of the population. This is a large number. Actually, it represents a large number of potential workers. Many disabled persons could do a decent job if they were given the opportunity. In many cases, relatively minor help could give the society a productive worker. It seems to be a better idea to look at disabled persons as a resource, rather than as a problem. One of the reasons why rehabilitation has started up after wars is of course that the wars have produced persons with injuries and health problems. Another reason has been the need of work force after wars. Wars destroy important infrastructure in the society, and in the aftermath of such negative events, it is important that as many persons as possible participate in the reconstruction of the society. This creates a need for workers. However, the idea of including persons with disabilities in the working life does not have to be related to post-war situations. Persons with some disability can be a major resource in many types of work.
However, in several countries disabled persons are not in paid work, and it is also very difficult to obtain any statistics on the issue. Still, several countries have programs at a national level providing education and jobs skills training to people with disabilities. On the web pages of ILO you can find the document: “Managing disability in the work place. ILO code of practice”.
Beggar in the street. © Colourbox
Beggars are a problem in many large cities in low income countries, in Ethiopia for instance. In a report from ILO (Disabled beggars in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2013), disabled beggars have been studied. For persons with a disability, begging can be the only way to achieve money and food. Most of disabled beggars in Addis have serious physical disabilities or are blind. Many of them have come from other parts of the country. Some have left their family and come to Addis because they thought they could find a cure for their health problems. When this was unsuccessful, they started begging for a living. They have a social stigma and when excluded from family and community networks, it is often difficult or impossible for people with disabilities to find any paid work. Disabled beggars are a very visible group of persons which need rehabilitation. Read more about the topic “Disabled Beggars in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia” here.
Work place rehabilitation
Work place rehabilitation can be described as two main types:
a) The worker who becomes injured or diseased
When a worker becomes injured or develops a disease which makes it difficult to perform the work tasks. The injury or disease can be caused by the work situation, but rehabilitation is also needed when injuries or diseases develop from other causes. The aim of the rehabilitation process is to help workers to continue their work despite the development of disability and reduced function level.
b) The disabled person who can become a worker
Some persons do not start any career at any work place, due to an injury or disease developing early in their lives. About 15% of the population of the world has some kind of disability, and to work can be very difficult. However, in many cases, rehabilitation help can be an important process, making work possible even if a disability is present.
It is important to remember that people with disabilities are not a homogeneous group. They may have a physical disability, a sensory, intellectual or mental disability. They may have had a disability from birth, or acquired this in their childhood, teenage years or later in life, during further education or while in employment. Their disability may have little impact on their ability to work and take part in society, or it may have a major impact, requiring considerable support and assistance. This makes rehabilitation work quite challenging.
A rehabilitation center in Tanzania. © G.Van Den Bergh
Who works with rehabilitation?
Rehabilitation often takes place in hospitals. Skills in rehabilitation can for instance be present among physiotherapists, physicians or nurses with specific education and training. Some hospitals can specialize in rehabilitation of patients with specific diseases. Some hospitals have special rehabilitation departments. Special technicians can develop and produce technical support and aid for the patients. Some countries have specific rehabilitation institutions. Rehabilitation is an important part of the work in occupational health services.
In work place rehabilitation, the practitioners are trained to evaluate individuals’ interactions with their work demands and the work environment through examination of the worker and work task analysis. The evaluation can identify supports and barriers to success in the work environment that, if indicated, can be addressed in an intervention plan in order to facilitate work performance. Some countries have an own specialty called “Occupational Therapy” which is focused upon work place rehabilitation. However, the rehabilitation work is multidisciplinary and teams of professionals are needed for the most successful results. Some large companies have established their own rehabilitation departments. By doing this, they secure the competence in the company; even if a worker is injured, he or she will be helped back to work. It is expensive for the companies to train new workers, and to take care of the workers can be of great economic value. In addition, this type of care increases the loyalty of the workers, and the value of loyalty can be high.
A multidisiplinary rehabilitation team. © G.Van Den Bergh
© University of Bergen/Author: B.E. Moen | <urn:uuid:ba807341-31cf-4ed6-903f-b710cceb4b06> | CC-MAIN-2018-51 | https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/occupational-health-developing-countries/1/steps/72115 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-51/segments/1544376827281.64/warc/CC-MAIN-20181216051636-20181216073636-00516.warc.gz | en | 0.97098 | 1,738 | 3.5 | 4 |
Diving into how what we eat has an impact on how we feel!
* possibly unnecessary disclaimer: nope I’m not a doctor but I am certified in nutrition, food, and health. If you experience depressive symptoms, this can help you to get out of it without doing anything drastic.
Ok so now that is out of the way – Depression sucks and we all know what it is. Tips to rise out of it can be found here.
Although many people are familiar with the phenomenon of eating to feel better, many don’t draw the link between how what you eat can make you feel worse.
How What You Eat Can Make You Feel Bad
Food guilt is one thing but that’s not what we’re talking about.
This is about eating nutritionally deficient foods and how that takes a toll on your internal system. That includes your mind.
When you eat nutritionally deficient foods (AKA JUNK FOOD!) two main things happen in the body:
- 1. Your body uses its resources (vitamins and minerals) to process/digest these foods. These resources are not replenished at that moment because the junk food doesn’t have any nutritional benefits to give.
- 2. Free radicals enter the body and bounce around, damaging the cells inside of you. More info on free radicals can be found here.
How Does Junk Food Cause Depression?
A diet that has a prominent inclusion of junky foods is sure to be deficient in vitamins and minerals.
Over time, your body will start to feel “off” because it’s not getting what it needs to thrive.
Every organ needs nutrients, even your brain.
When you are deficient, your body is not operating optimally. The same way that your mood, strength, and focus is “off” when you are hungry.
Antioxidants fight depression by getting rid of free radicals and nourishing your body at the same time.
When you eat better, you feel better because your body has more of the things that literally do make you feel better. | <urn:uuid:31fb0812-24ea-47b6-a04e-c585797d3814> | CC-MAIN-2020-29 | https://easylightsources.org/2019/09/28/can-antioxidants-ease-depression-and-anxiety/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-29/segments/1593655896905.46/warc/CC-MAIN-20200708062424-20200708092424-00136.warc.gz | en | 0.941961 | 439 | 2.71875 | 3 |
Newfoundland and Labrador
As a result of a reform movement in the 1820s, the Colony of Newfoundland was first granted representative government in 1832. The Assembly consisted of 15 Members from nine electoral districts. The Governor and Legislative Council (Upper House) were appointed by the Crown. In 1855, Newfoundland was granted responsible government. The House of Assembly was increased to 29 Members (from 15 electoral districts), and the Cabinet became responsible to the Assembly. Prior to this, the appointed Legislative Council was the Cabinet and was not responsible to the Assembly.
The Dominion's first prime minister was Philip Francis Little.
The deteriorating financial situation of the Dominion in the 1930s resulted in a commission of inquiry (Amulree Royal Commission), which recommended that responsible government be suspended and governance be given over to an appointed commission. In December 1933, after 78 years of responsible government, the Newfoundland House of Assembly effectively voted itself out of existence. The arrangement was meant to be brief, but it lasted for 15 years.
In 1946, Newfoundlanders went to the polls to elect Members of a National Convention who would assemble at Colonial Building in St. John’s to debate options for governance.
By 1948, the preferred options were recommended; two referenda later, Confederation with Canada was chosen by a small majority of the population. On March 31, 1949, Newfoundland (renamed Newfoundland and Labrador in 2001) became Canada's 10th province.
The first Premier following confederation was Joseph R. Smallwood.
The first House of Assembly met on January 1, 1833, at a tavern and lodging house located on Duckworth Street in St. John's. It met at three more locations (the former Court House on Duckworth Street; a building on Water Street and the former St. Patrick’s Hall on Queen’s Road) before moving to the Colonial Building in 1850, Newfoundland’s first purpose-built Legislature. The House of Assembly continued to meet there until 1960 when it moved to the 9th and 10th floors of the Confederation Building. In 1991, the House of Assembly opened for the first time in its present location, on the main floor of the Confederation Building.
The female right to vote (and to run for public office) was granted in 1925 in the Dominion of Newfoundland. Lady Helena Squires was the first woman elected to the House of Assembly, in a by-election on May 17, 1930. Hazel Newhook and Lynn Verge were the first women to serve as Cabinet ministers, both appointed in 1979. Kathy Dunderdale, sworn in on December 3, 2010, was the province’s first female Premier. | <urn:uuid:bfb702ec-a9c2-4679-94f1-8ebb6e27dbb6> | CC-MAIN-2020-05 | https://www.assembly.nl.ca/VisitLearn/History.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250615407.46/warc/CC-MAIN-20200124040939-20200124065939-00264.warc.gz | en | 0.977645 | 539 | 3.625 | 4 |
You can make a difference.
Learning trauma-informed care can help children heal and break the cycle of intergenerational trauma.
Complex Trauma is when a child experiences abandonment, neglect, and repeated abuse, starting when they were very young and from the people who were supposed to keep them safe.
Unpredictable, disruptive, antisocial
Unable to trust or create healthy relationships
We want to train everyone, so children everywhere can truly heal from trauma.
Healing is happening.
See more stories of life change here or click here to find out how you and your organization can benefit from trauma training.
There are 2 billion children in the world. 1 billion experience the effects of trauma. One out of every two children! But there are also 5 billion adults in the world who can rally around them. We’re partnering with individuals, families, and organizations all around the world to end the epidemic of childhood trauma. Join us!
May is National Foster Care Month, give a gift card and help a foster parent become trauma-informed. | <urn:uuid:86e08031-1586-423c-9702-52523ebd082c> | CC-MAIN-2023-40 | https://traumafreeworld.org/home-page/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-40/segments/1695233510454.60/warc/CC-MAIN-20230928194838-20230928224838-00491.warc.gz | en | 0.943151 | 226 | 2.640625 | 3 |
With chorion sampling, or chorionic villus sampling, placenta tissue (chorionic villus) is extracted from the abdominal wall and examined. The cells of the chorion contain the same chromosomes and genes as the growing child. With this method, some genetic illnesses can be recognized.
This test is an alternative to amniocentesis and is conducted with high-risk pregnancies between the 10th and 14th week of pregnancy. This is the case with pregnant women with a critical first trimester test result, or if there is genetic illness in the family. The test results are ready within a few days.
The risk of miscarriage due to chorion sampling is 1%. It remains unclear, however, whether the miscarriage in recorded instances at this early stage of the pregnancy might not have happened anyway. | <urn:uuid:7e01759c-0bd9-476a-9ce9-3a607d28b776> | CC-MAIN-2017-09 | https://www.hirslanden.ch/hb/en/home/highlights/guide/chorion_sampling.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-09/segments/1487501171936.2/warc/CC-MAIN-20170219104611-00134-ip-10-171-10-108.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96343 | 168 | 3.328125 | 3 |
Meghan Kirwin – Founder of the Kirwin Group is a remarkable woman, whose life mission is to make the world a better place. A fellow Kili climber, and a truly happy person, Meghan is deeply passionate and continuously studying the science of positive psychology. In this guest blog she focuses on mindfulness. A topic that many of us touched upon in a more-or-less shy or apologetic manner. And a topic that many of us need to embrace full heartedly as the demands of our lives become greater by day. I hope you enjoy the read. Your comments, as always, are most welcome.
Mindfulness: What is it really?
By: Meghan Kirwin
So what is mindfulness? This is a question I struggled with myself so I decided, when one of the research topics for my MAPP program was to explore the intimate connections between mindfulness and well-being, that I would engage in the research wholeheartedly. I dove in head first and read hundreds of research articles. What I learned was amazing. Here are some of the key things that stood out for me.
1) Mindfulness is not meditation
There is still a lot of confusion about the differences between mindfulness and meditation. The differences are clear. Mindfulness is a state of consciousness and mindfulness meditation supports in cultivating mindfulness.
Mindfulness is a state of consciousness that can be developed at an individual level. Mindfulness involves consciously attending to your moment by moment experiences in a curious, open and accepting way. Research shows that mindfulness varies between individuals and has a trait like property. It can be cultivated by formal and information mindfulness-based intervention. Mindfulness meditation is a formal intervention you can practice to cultivate mindfulness. It is a very specific type of meditation where we learn to be an observer of our thoughts, emotions, urges and memories.
There are also everyday practices that cultivate mindfulness. The simple act of actively noticing new things is defined as a form of mindfulness practice. When an individual’s attention is in the present moment, with an attitude of curiosity, openness and acceptance, the individual is practicing mindfulness. Mindfulness practices can be experienced during any activity in daily living such as mindful walking, eating, and working.
2) We can cultivate mindfulness in our day-to-day activities
As I learn more and more about mindfulness I realized some important things. First, I cultivated mindfulness through being a parent. When my kids were very young I remember starting to pay attention to my thoughts and emotions in any given situation. I made the conscious decision I no longer wanted to react emotionally to their outburst. I started practicing mindfulness (I didn’t realize it at the time). I started to observe my emotions and make choices about my response. The more I did this the better I got. I now understand I was cultivating trait mindfulness. I was present in the moment and observing my own internal dialogue. I was responding in ways that aligned with my vision of motherhood.
We can all cultivate mindfulness by being present in any given moment and paying attention to our emotions and thoughts. When we are feeling triggered by a situations or person it is the hardest time to practice mindfulness, yet best time to be mindful. Try it!
3) Mindfulness does improve our wellbeing
The research in this area is very powerful. Here are just some examples of how it improves our well-being:
- Mindfulness cultivates deeper connections with others. When we are mindful in our relationships we are in the moment, non-judgemental and curious to learn more. This fosters a natural connection between people. Think about those in your life that are mindful when they are with you and reflect on the impact of that relationship in your life. Such a gift!
- Mindfulness reduces rumination, which are repetitive and negative thoughts. When we are mindful we move from a subjective to an objective view on self and others. This reduces self judgement and criticism. It also improves goal attainment and acting in alignment with what we care about most in our life.
- Mindfulness also allows us to savour the beautiful experiences in our life. When we are present, we draw our attention to the present moment, resulting in attention and awareness of positive emotions that may have otherwise been missed. We feel love, awe, gratitude and joy on a deeper level. The state of consciousness experienced during mindfulness can illuminate positive emotions and allow us to experience them in greater depth.
The connections to well-being are still being explored and I am confident we will continue to learn more and more.
There is so much left to uncover about the power of mindfulness in the research. I encourage you to practice it in small ways in your life, such as noticing a few new things each day, and see how it impacts you. That is where the real understanding of the impact of mindfulness will be discovered. | <urn:uuid:8379938e-1ff3-4f5a-97d5-12269405ece6> | CC-MAIN-2020-05 | https://www.marchfifteen.ca/mindfulness-what-is-it-really-a-guest-blog-by-meghan-kirwin/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579251690379.95/warc/CC-MAIN-20200126195918-20200126225918-00453.warc.gz | en | 0.960683 | 987 | 2.6875 | 3 |
Short stature (adult height usually less than 150
cm [59 inches] for males) caused by short limbs, large, disproportionate
head with frontal and occipital bossing, delayed suture closure and
prolonged persistence of fontanels, and lack of frontal sinuses. The midface
is hypoplastic with a prominent nose, grooved palate, and hypoplasia of the
mandibular angles, making these patients prone to obstructive sleep apnea.
The clavicles are affected by partial or complete aplasia. Progressive
acro-osteolytic dysplasia affects the distal phalanges of fingers and toes
with dystrophic, flattened, grooved, and brittle nails. Spondylolysis may
occur at the L4-L5 level and scoliosis is a common finding. Dentition
anomalies include delayed eruption and irregularities of the permanent
teeth, with or without partial anodontia. The brittle bone results in
fractures secondary to minimal trauma and the sometimes blue appearance of
the sclera may initially result in the diagnosis of osteogenesis imperfecta.
The intelligence is usually normal for the chronologic age but mild mental
retardation has been reported in some cases. Rarely, hyperostosis can lead
to the development of hematological complications (pancytopenia) similar to
those found in osteopetrosis. A low concentration of insulin-like growth
factor-1 has been reported for many patients suffering from pycnodysostosis.
Therapy with exogenous growth hormone showed improvement in the linear
growth. A significant abnormality of the hypothalamic-pituitary, thyroid,
or adrenal axis in these patients is generally not found. | <urn:uuid:bd03dcb7-8604-4e65-b399-39a5b4b25393> | CC-MAIN-2023-06 | https://accessanesthesiology.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?bookid=852§ionid=49518115 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-06/segments/1674764494974.98/warc/CC-MAIN-20230127065356-20230127095356-00861.warc.gz | en | 0.881502 | 372 | 2.609375 | 3 |
Katie Perttunen/Daily Globe
COURTNEY WRIGHT, assistant director of education at the Northwoods Wildlife Center of Minocqua, Wis., holds Rory, a broad-winged hawk, during a program at the Hurley Library Wednesday. Fifty local children attended the event, the second of four summer programs at the library.
HURLEY — Fifty children, many from the Hurley School’s STARS program, gathered in the conference room at Hurley City Hall Wednesday to meet three birds of prey from the Northwoods Wildlife Center during part of the Hurley Library’s summer programming.
Courtney Wright, assistant director of education for the center, brought an American kestrel named T.J ., a broad-winged hawk named Rory, and Cecil the owl. The birds were all rescued and are cared for at the center in Minocqua because of vision issues that would leave them unable to fend for themselves in the wild, Wright said.
Wright passed around eagle talons, owl talons and the wings of a great horned owl and a red-tailed hawk. Eagles have sharp talons to grip the animals they catch, Wright said. Owls have two talons in front and two talons in back, also to help grip their prey. Wright showed the children how the jagged edges on owls’ wings help them to be quiet, while the pointed wings of the hawk help them to be very fast.
The children saw the skull of an owl, learning that the reason that owls have such wide mouths is due to the fact that they swallow food whole.
Owls’ eyes are so big because they can’t move their eyes around, instead they turn their head up to three-quarters of the way around. “If we had eyes the size of owls, they would be the size of softballs,” said Wright.
Wright warned the children that if they see a bird in the grass to be careful. An injured bird can still be dangerous. The best thing to do when an injured bird is found is to call the center at 715-356-7400.
Wednesday’s program was the second of four programs the library features for summer. Last week children learned about turtles, and next week they will learn about frogs. | <urn:uuid:363b5992-f7f3-49c9-bffb-8f6931b0ec56> | CC-MAIN-2015-11 | http://www.yourdailyglobe.com/story/2013/07/25/news/feathered-friends/1004.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-11/segments/1424936462202.69/warc/CC-MAIN-20150226074102-00125-ip-10-28-5-156.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964439 | 483 | 2.578125 | 3 |
This is just plainly false. Flashcards that use your native language to explain the meaning of a word in the target language are merely using an associative mnemonic device (namely, a meaning of the target language word in your native language) to connect the word in the target language to its actual meaning. At some point in your learning, you will rely on that mnemonic device to recall the word—that is the point of the mnemonic device, after all—but that will be temporary; as with any good mnemonic device, you'll eventually stop needing the mnemonic device to recall what you want to recall. In other words, translation should never be the end result of flashcard use.
Let's walk through this step by step with an example borrowed from Randy.
Randy describes learning as follows:
We learn by creating pathways. The first time you do a thing, your brain connects a pathway, and each time you repeat that thing, the pathway is strengthened.Nothing to disagree with here, but Randy goes on to state that when you connect a target language word with a native-language word via flashcards, you make yourself dependent on that connection to get yourself to the ultimate goal: connecting the target language word with the concept represented by that word.
Randy then describes a linear process for when you want to use a word in the target language, e.g., using the German das Auto ("the car") as an example:
However, the issue with his explanation of this is that the connections that your brain builds are not simply linear. When you're learning something, your brain doesn't just build simple point-A-to-point-B pathways; it builds networks of pathways. When A connects B and B connects to C, and you repeatedly go from A to C, your brain not going to be blind to the connection between A and C. Your brain is lazy; it's going to find the easiest way to make this connection, which obviously is going directly from A to C without B at all.
So rather than a straight line, the das Auto example should look like this:
The goal here is to connect das Auto with the concept of a car. However, when you first see das Auto, it may not be easy to do so directly. So you use "the car" as a tool to help you build the connection between das Auto and the concept. The initial connection between das Auto and the concept might be weak, but, as Randy says:
The first time you do a thing, your brain connects a pathway, and each time you repeat that thing, the pathway is strengthened.So each time you connect das Auto to the concept via "the car", the pathway between das Auto and the concept is strengthened. This will continue until the pathway is so strong that you don't need "the car" at all. In other words, the "translation" step will disappear altogether, and whatever slowness was created by relying on the native-language word will disappear with it.
As the example above demonstrates, when you learn a new word in your target language, your ultimate goal is to be able to understand that in what Arkady Zilberman calls a "code language", i.e., a "language of images and associations". Randy describes the concept similarly:
[I]t is essential that you connect a thought with a [target language] word — the same thing you do now in [your native language].So if we again call a given concept in this code language "C" and the word expressing that concept in your target language "A", the connection you want to have automatically available in your head is:
A = CSimple enough. And to get A = C into your head, what better way than using a mnemonic device? After all:
Academic study of the use of mnemonics has shown their effectiveness. In one such experiment, subjects of different ages who applied mnemonic techniques to learn novel vocabulary outperformed control groups that applied contextual learning and free-learning styles.Boom. Mnemonics learning > contextual learning.
In fact, Randy himself is a fan of mnemonic devices:
Wikipedia, mnemonic devices are learning techniques that make memorization an easier task by employing information already stored in long-term memory. Their use is based on the observation that the human mind more easily remembers relatable information as compared to more abstract forms of information—abstract like the seemingly arbitrary combinations of sounds that so often make up the words of your target language.
So what to use as a mnemonic? Well, what if you already know B, and you know that B = C? If you could also associate A with B, you'd have the connection made:
A = B = CB, of course, would be the word in your native language, as is the typical set-up on flashcards (although, as noted before, it doesn't need to be in your native language). In other words, the "translation" step is really nothing more than the use of a mnemonic device.
In the das Auto example, you want to connect the abstract das Auto to the concept of a car. You've got "the car" in English—relatable information that's already in your long-term memory—that connects to the concept. So a flashcard with das Auto on one side and "the car" on the other is clearly a mnemonic device, and a set of such flashcards would simply be a systematic application of mnemonic devices to connect the target language to the native language.
And as with all mnemonics, the more you make the connection of A = B = C, the less you'll need B, and B will eventually fade from the picture completely, leaving you with just the original connection you were looking for: A = C. To put this in the terms used by Arkady, the overall end result is that you stop going through B—a "translation" step that traverses your native language speech center—and start building a foreign-language speech center with all those A's you'll have connected with all those C's. Or, to recycle my crappy animated gif:
Or, to reiterate what I noted before:
[Y]our use of your native language to remember a word in your target language is nothing more than a mnemonic device to remember the actual meaning of that word in the code language. And just like with any other mnemonic, once the link you're trying to establish has been sufficiently established, you won't need the mnemonic device any longer and it will gradually fade away into oblivion.So if you're using flashcards correctly and notice that you needed to rely on your flashcard mnemonic (e.g., a translation in your native tongue) to recall a word, you haven't driven your language-learning truck into a translation ditch; you've merely run into a word that isn't far enough along in the learning process for you to get by without the mnemonic. (In fact, you'll encounter the same issue whenever you use a bilingual dictionary to determine the meaning of a word in the target language, regardless of whether or not you're using flashcards.) So don't fret; keep at it with your flashcards and that too shall pass, and you'll be linking flashcard words with code language before you know it.
This post is part of a series on using flashcards written in response to Why I don't use flashcards (and you shouldn't either) and other related posts on Yearlyglot.com. | <urn:uuid:f803c933-98f5-46aa-bb34-f765ef3dde2a> | CC-MAIN-2017-39 | http://www.streetsmartlanguagelearning.com/2013/08/why-i-use-flashcards-and-you-should-too_12.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-39/segments/1505818691977.66/warc/CC-MAIN-20170925145232-20170925165232-00642.warc.gz | en | 0.956295 | 1,582 | 3.265625 | 3 |
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these hills Zion was the highest, and contained the upper city, “ the city of David,” with the citadel, the strength of which, and of the position on which it stood, enabled the Jebusiteś so long to retain it as their strong hold, and to maintain their command over the lower part of the city, even when they were obliged to allow the Israélites to share in its occupation. This Mount Zion (which we are only heré noticing cufsorily) formed the southern portion of the ancient city. It is almost excluded from the modern city, and is under partial cultivation. It is nearly a mile in circumference, is highest on the west side, and towards the east slopes down in broad terraces in the upper part of the mountain, and narrow ones on the side, towards the brook Kidron. This mount is considerably higher than the ground on which the ancient (lower) city stood, or that on the east leading to the valley of Jehoshaphat, büt has very little relative height above the ground on the south and on the west, and must have owed its boasted strength principally to a deep ravine, by which it is encompassed on the east, south and west, and the strong high walls and towers by which it was enclosed and flanked completely round. The breadth of this ravinė is about one hundred and fifty feet, and its depth, or the height of Mount Zion above the bottom of the ravine, about sixty feet. The bottom is rock, covered with a thin sprinkling of earth, and in the winter season is the natural channel for conveying off the water that falls into it from the higher ground. On both of its sides the rock is cut perpendicularly down; and it was probably the quarry from which much of the stone was taken for the building of the city.
The site, regarded as a whole, without further attending to the distinction of hills, is surrounded on the east, west, and south by valleys of various depth and breadth, but to the north-west extends into the plain, which in this part is called the plain of Jeremiah,' and is the best wooded tract in the whole neighbourhood. The progressive extension of the city was thus necessarily northward, as stated by Josephus. The town most probably, almost certainly, began at the southern, or Mount Zion, part of this site, and in its ultimate extension, according to Josephus, comprehended a circuit of thirty-three furlongs; whereas that of the modern town does not appear to exceed two miles and a half. The confining valleys are often mentioned in Scripture. Those on the east and south are very deep. The former
is the valley of Jehoshaphat, through which flows the brook Kidron, and the latter is generally called the valley of Hinnom. This denomination is extended by some topographers also to the western and least deep valley, while others call it the valley of Gihon. On the opposite side of these valleys rise hills, which are mostly of superior elevation to that of the site of the city itself. That on the east, beyond the brook Kidron, is the Mount of Olives. That on the south is a broad and barren hill, loftier than the Mount of Olives, but without any of its picturesque beauty. On the west there is a rocky flat, which rises to a considerable elevation towards the north, and to which has been assigned the name of Mount Gihon. Even in the north-east, at Scopus, where the besieging Romans under Titus encamped, the ground is considerably more elevated than the immediate site of the town. Thus is explained the expression of David : “ As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about his people” (Ps. cxxv. 2). The relative height of those surrounding hills gives to the city an apparent elevation inferior to that which it really possesses. The district for many miles round Jerusalem is now of a very barren and cheerless character, whatever may have been its ancient condition. Solomon must be considered as having permanently fixed its metropolitan character, by the erection of the temple and the royal establishment. But it was the temple, chiefly, which in all ages maintained Jerusalem as the metropolis of the country. Even after the destruction of that venerated fabric, the mere fact that it had existed there operated in preventing the selection of any new site, even when the opportunity occurred. The separation into two kingdoms, after the death of Solomon, did also necessarily prevent any intentions of change which might have arisen, had the whole country remained one king. dom, with a large choice of situations for a capital ; and we are to remember that, although, after the erection of the temple, it always remained the ecclesiastical metropolis of the land, it was, in a civil sense, for a long series of years, the capital of only the smallest of the two kingdoms into which the land was divided. But under all disadvantages, many of which are perhaps the result of the wars, the desolations, and the neglect of many ages, the very situation of the town, on the brink of rugged hills, encircled by deep and wild valleys, bounded by eminences whose sides were covered with groves and gardens, added to its numerous towers and temple, must, as Carne remarks, have given it a singular and gloomy magnificence, scarcely possessed by any other city in the world.
The best view of the site and locality of Jerusalem is obtained from the Mount of Olives. The Mount is usually visited by travellers, who all speak of the completeness of the view obtained from the above spot. This view comprehends in the distance the Dead Sea and the moun. tains beyond; while, to the west, the city with its surrounding valleys, and all its topographical characteristics, is displayed like a panorama, below and very near the spectator, the Mount being only separated from the town by the narrow valley of Jehoshaphat. It is seldom indeed that any city is seen in such completeness of detail as Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives.
The climate of the mountainous tract in which Jerusalem is situated differs from that of the temperate parts of Europe more in the alternations of wet and dry seasons than in the degree of temperature. The variations of rain and sunshine, which with us exist throughout the
year, are in Palestine confined chiefly to the latter part of autumn and the winter, while the remaining months enjoy almost uninterruptedly a cloudless sky. Snow often falls, about Jerusalem, in January and February, to the depth of a foot or more; but it does not usually lie long. The ground never freezes, but the exposed standing waters in the reservoirs are sometimes covered with thin ice for a day or two. The high elevation of Jerusalem secures it the privilege of a pure atmosphere, nor does the heat of summer ever become oppressive except during the prevalence of the south wind, or sirocco. Dr. Robinson states that during his sojourn at Jerusalem, from April 14th to May 6th, the thermometer ranged at sunrise from 44° to 64° Fahr., and at 2 P. M. from 60° to 79° Fahr. ; this last degree of heat being felt during a sirocco, April 30th. From the 10th to the 13th of June, at Jerusalem, the range at sunrise was from 56° to 74°, and at 2 P.M. once 86° with a strong north-west wind. Yet the air was fine and the heat not burdensome. The nights are uniformly cool, often with heavy dew. Yet the total absence of rain soon destroys the verdure of the fields, and gives to the whole landscape the aspect of drought and barrenness. The only green thing that remains is the foliage of the scattered fruit-trees and occasional vineyards, and fields of millet. The deep green of the broad fig-leaf and of the millet is delightful to the eye in the midst of the general aridness; while the foliage of the olive with its dull grayish hue scarcely deserves the name of verdure.
212.—THE ARIEL AMONG THE SHOALS.
COOPER. [It is not often that we venture to take a ‘Half-Hour' from a novel. A passage so removed from its natural place is generally very unsatistory,—difficult to be understood without reference to the story and the characters. The extract from the American novelist now given is independent of the story, which turns upon the adventures of the famous captain, Paul Jones, whose gallant deeds in the war of the American Colonies with England have a touch of romance in them which well fits them for fictitious narrative. James Fenimore Cooper, the son of an American judge, was born in 1789. Having quitted college, he entered the navy in 1805, and remained six years afloat. In 1811 he married, and commenced his career as an author. What Scott did for the Highlands in their transition from clanship to civilization, Cooper did for the United States in their progress to nationality and extension. As a writer he is unequal, and too generally diffuse, But there are passages in the Spy,' the Pilot,' and other of his best works, which are truly excellent.]
The extraordinary activity of Griffith, which communicated itself with promptitude to the whole crew, was produced by a sudden alteration in the weather. In place of the well-defined streak along the horizon that has been already described, an immense body of misty light appeared to be moving in with rapidity from the ocean, while a distinct bạt distant roaring announced the surę approach of the tempest that had so long troubled the waters. Even Griffith, while thundering his orders through the trumpet, and urging the men by his cries to expedition, would
for instants to cast anxious glances in the direction of the coming storm, and the faces of the sailors who lay on the yards were turned instinctively toward the same quarter of the heavens, while they knotted the reef-points, or passed the gaskets, that were to confine the unruly canvas to the prescribed limits,
The pilot alone, in that confused and busy throng, where voice rose above voice and cry echoed cry in quick succession, appeared as if he held no interest in the important stake. With his eyes steadily fixed on the approaching mist, and his arms folded together in composure, he stood calmly awaiting the result.
The ship had fallen off with her broadside to the sea, and was become unmanageable, and the sails were already brought into the folds necessary to her security, when the quick and heavy fluttering of canvas was thrown across the water with all the gloomy and chilling sensations that such sounds produce, where darkness and danger unite to appal the seaman.
“The schooner has it!” cried Griffith; “Barnstable has held on, like himself, to the last moment—God send that the squall leave him cloth enough to keep him from the shore !"
“ His sails are easily handled," the commander observed, “and she must be over the principal danger. We are falling off before it, Mr. Gray; shall we try a cast of the lead ?"
The pilot turned from his contemplative posture, and moved slowly across the deck before he returned any reply to this question-like a man who not only felt that every thing depended on himself, but that he was equal to the emergency.
“ 'Tis unnecessary,” he at length said ; “'t would be certain destruction to be taken aback, and it is difficult to say, within several points, how the wind may strike us.”
“ 'Tis difficult no longer,” cried Griffith; "for here it comes, and in right earnest !”
The rushing sounds of the wind were now indeed heard at hand, and the words were hardly passed the lips of the young lieutenant before the vessel bowed down heavily to one side, and then, as she began to move through the water, rose again majestically to her upright position, as if saluting, like a courteous champion, the powerful antagonist with which she was about to contend. Not another minute elapsed before the ship was throwing the waters aside with a lively progress, and, obedient tổ her helm, was brought as near to the desired course as the direction of the wind would allow. The hurry and bustle on the yards gradually subsided, and the men slowly descended to the deck, all straining their eyes to pierce the gloom in which they were enveloped, and some shaking their heads in melancholy doubt, afraid to express the apprehensions they really entertained. All on | <urn:uuid:51aa1f5e-cf9c-42d6-9fe8-41881bb01272> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://books.google.de/books?id=6OcDAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA214&vq=%22her+mighty+youth,+and+kindling+her+undazzled+eyes+at+the+full+mid-day+beam+%3B+purging+and+unsealing+her+long+abused%22&dq=editions:OXFORD555020994&lr=&hl=de&output=html_text | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571758.42/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812200804-20220812230804-00280.warc.gz | en | 0.976906 | 2,669 | 2.75 | 3 |
These images have been provided to the Valley Fever Center for Excellence by Dr. Steven L. Oscherwitz, to be used by medical professionals for educational purposes only.
These are the tissue forms of Valley Fever fungus, seen on a biopsy of lung tissue from a patient with the disease.
Spherule in granuloma
Valley Fever spherules are contained in prisons made of white blood cells called granulomata. White blood cells in these granulomata keep the fungal invaders in check, unless the host patient has a weak immune system.
Coccidioides left lung cavitary pneumonia
If our white blood cells can’t control the Coccidioides fungus, local tissue destruction and cavity formation can occur.
Coccidioides pneumonia with severe left sided pneumonia, pleuropericarditis and breast implants
Inflammation from the fungal lung infection can affect the adjacent pleural membranes, pericardium and even the heart itself.
Radiologists can turn up the contrast on CT scan images to better see the extent of Coccidioides lung disease.
(Compare to prior image)
Coccidioides right lung cavitary pneumonia with bacterial abscess.
Bacteria from the mouth can make pus inside a Cocci cavity, with high fevers, chest pain and malaise. Pus that breaks out of the cavity into the adjacent pleural space forms an empyema.
Coccidioides left cavitary pneumonia, severe COPD
Patients with emphysema, diabetes, cancer chemotherapy or other immunosuppressive problems are prone to disease with Coccidioides fungus.
Coccidioides right lung cavitary pneumonia, severe COPD
Coccidioides infection can cause lung scarring, shrinking the involved lung. Diaphragm is pulled up into a “tent” or peak, in this case.
Coccidioides cervical lymphadenitis, disseminated infection
Coccidioides fungi can leave the lungs in patients with decreased cellular immunity. Involvement of brain, bones, abdominal viscera, muscles and soft tissues can be life-threatening.
Disseminated coccidioides infection with extensive pneumonia
Patients with disseminated disease are unable to contain the fungus. Most cases of disseminated Coccidioides are fatal without treatment.
Coccidioides fungus can activate the immune system, causing rashes of all sorts. Joint pain, fatigue, red eyes, ulcers in the mouth and swelling of the lips and tongue can all be associated.
The rash, joint aches, lip and tongue swelling, fatigue and red eyes usually resolve promptly on treatment.
Large tender nodules beneath the skin are a different sort of skin involvement than erythema multiforme. These usually occur on the front of the legs, but they can appear anywhere on the body in patients with Coccidoides infection.
Coccidioides therapy may include various antifungals.
Azoles are commonly used in patients able to take oral therapy (fluconazole, itraconazole, voriconazole, posaconazole).
Amphotericin B formulations are given to more seriously ill patients intravenously. | <urn:uuid:32545e51-c70d-40ed-b842-00ccb378a159> | CC-MAIN-2019-18 | https://vfce.arizona.edu/education/educational-clinical-images | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-18/segments/1555578650225.76/warc/CC-MAIN-20190424154437-20190424180437-00414.warc.gz | en | 0.82779 | 688 | 2.875 | 3 |
Artillery is dangerous because it is hard to find, hard to destroy, and has the ability to very quickly attack targets via indirect fire. Importance and difficulty of finding the enemy artillery was noticed early in World War I; French were the first to try to locate the enemy artillery, by locating the gun flash produced when firing. This was hard to do if the artillery was far away (reflections had to be used) and unreliable. This it was quickly replaced by sound detection techniques, which were also adapted by British and German militaries as well.
The basis of this technique is a row of 6-7 microphones in a 12 kilometre line. Since the sound spreads in the circles, microphones all detect the sound of a gun at different times, which allows calculating location of the origin of the sound. Original system was based on ordinary stopwatch and telephone cable or radio link, but it worked very well. Similar, but automated, system is in use today. Such system has major advantages in that it is low-cost and completely passive, making it very hard to find and destroy. However, it also has numerous disadvantages. Atmospheric state determination is crucial for its correct operation. The refractive index of air has to be found along the entire sound path, and wind affects system’s performance. Up until the appearance of GPS, setting up the system was also very difficult. Due to these and other issues, it is an inherently defensive technique, difficult to use in rapid movement (albeit it is possible to have two teams of “sounders” alternately set up the line ahead of each other).
Fixing these problems began in World War II through utilization of a then-new sensor – radar – for the role. First proof of concept was during Anzio landings, where radar operators completely accidentally detected shells fired by ships providing fire support. Germans noticed it as well, so both sides began a work on putting it into practice, albeit unsuccessfully. In mid 1944 British and Canadian army radar batteries were formed in NW Europe, primarily in a counter-mortar role. But it was only after the end of the war that United States and Great Britain started serious development. First practical radar appeared in 1950.; it was the US radar MPQ-10, designed for detecting mortars. Between 1951. and 1954., the US Army received 485 radars of that type. It worked in frequencies of 2.740 – 2.980 MHz, allowing good resolution along with small dimensions of the antenna. It was quickly followed by General Electric’s MPQ-4A using the 16 GHz (16.000 MHz) frequency, which was widely used in the Vietnam War. Higher frequency limited its range, but that compromise was acceptable for the purpose.
British Royal Radar Establishment also undertook research of counter-battery radars. At first, efforts were focused on the development of Blue Diamond anti-mortar radars, to be continued with Green Archer radar from mid-1950s, which was more or less identical in performance to MPQ-4A. After that, development stagnated until British Army requested a lighter and simpler-to-use radar with the ability to detect 81 mm mortars up to 10 km with error no larger than 40 m, and 120 mm mortars up to 12 km distance with same error parameters. Result of the request was CYMBELINE by Thorn EMI, which actually improved upon the required characteristics. It has vertical scan page width of 720 milliradians, and can determine the location of a mortar upon two intercepts of the mine. Effectiveness against cannon and howitzer fire is far lesser due to significantly higher velocities and flatter projectile path.
United States had similar requirement, but they decided to use a phase radar. After eight years of development, the result was the TPQ-36/37 system, where TPQ-36 was optimized against short-range weapons and TPQ-37 against long-range artillery. Typical unit has three TPQ-36 in the front and two TPQ-37 in the rear. It includes electronically scanned array, which results in good ability of rejecting false signals as well as simultaneous tracking of multiple targets along with path extrapolation, and covers 90* azimuth. Step-scan when combined with stable coherent transmitter allows good clutter rejection. Due to quick scanning ability, the possibility of missed detection is significantly reduced. However, large antenna presents a very vulnerable target, easily damaged even by small fragments, despite the kevlar armoring present. Also, as the requirements of detecting small, fast projectiles – especially in a cluttered / jammed environment – require high emission power, counterbattery radars are relatively easy to discover.
In 1986., France, Germany and UK agreed on a list of requirements for new counterbattery radar. The result of that was COBRA AESA system, while at the same time Norway and Sweden developmed a smaller, more mobile ARTHUR system. COBRA is a mobile long-range system with a detection range of 40 km and coverage of 1.600 km2. It is capable of locating and classifying up to 40 batteries in two minutes.
Radar is typically attached to an artillery battery or their support groups, and can also be used for correcting battery’s own fire. Basic technique is tracking a projectile for a sufficient time to record a portion of the trajectory; this can be either a continuous track or a composition of several individual interceptions. In the latter case, by measuring azimuth and distance of a projectile, flight path and its origin are calculated. Once a trajectory segment is captured it can then be processed to determine its point of origin on the ground by overlaying extrapolated trajectory with digital 3-D maps of the terrain.
One very basic problem is locating projectile in the first place. Modern AESA radars can cover a wide area, but with conventional radars (especially early manually-operated ones), acoustic detection was used to point radar in the right direction. Once located, the radar tracks it; due to small sizes involved, radars are typically of higher frequencies than usual, operating in C, S and Ku bands (though X band is also common).
More modern systems can detect howitzer shells at 30 km and rockets/morar shells at 50 km. They also use INS and GPS for precise determination of radar’s own coordinates, necessary to accurately determine target’s location, and can use datalinks to pass data for counterbattery fire. This allows quick counterbattery fire as soon as the point of origin of projectiles has been determined.
This has forced the artillery to switch away from its stationary tactcs, increasing the importance of mobile artillery systems. These systems practice what is known as “shoot-and scoot” tactics, where artillery must be able to rapidly engage the enemy, switch to new firing position and reengage the enemy. This allows them to avoid counterbattery fire, which takes about two minutes to hit back, and even that only if everything works perfectly (15 s to detect and calculate origin of the rounds, 2 s to send call of fire, 13-15 s to calculate return fire, 15 s to open fire and 15 s for projectiles to reach the targets). If the artillery pieces are towed and not ready, it can take 10-12 minutes for them to return fire (15 s to detect and calculate origin of the rounds, 2 s to send call of fire, 13-15 s to calculate return fire, 7 min to hook off the guns and get the battery ready, 3 min for the first gun to fire) – times recorded by the_shadow. That being said, towed artillery is difficult to physically destroy, so it can still be effective, assuming that adequate cover for crews and ammunition is available.
Counterbattery radars are also important in naval application, as landing forces require from a shipboard system to fill the gap between landings and the operational capability of the radars brought ashore. This can be done through either provision of dedicated shipboard systems, or sparing some resources from multipurpose AESA arrays already installed on ships.
Another application where counterbattery radars are increasing in importance is defense against unmanned aerial systems. AN/TPQ-53 has proved itself capable of tracking and identifying multiple drones while at the same time tracking incoming ordnance.
Hrvatski Vojnik, Broj 81, 13. Siječnja 1995., ISSN 1330-500X (Croatian Soldier, No.81, 13. January 1995., ISSN 1330-500X) | <urn:uuid:5d89eeb8-52ac-40a6-a6fd-661274cd7952> | CC-MAIN-2017-34 | https://defenseissues.net/2017/04/01/radar-in-counter-battery-role/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-34/segments/1502886120194.50/warc/CC-MAIN-20170823113414-20170823133414-00591.warc.gz | en | 0.964023 | 1,765 | 3.65625 | 4 |
- an agent who buys or sells for a principal on a commission basis without having title to the property.
- a person who functions as an intermediary between two or more parties in negotiating agreements, bargains, or the like.
verb (used with object)
- to act as a broker for: to broker the sale of a house.
verb (used without object)
- to act as a broker.
- an agent who, acting on behalf of a principal, buys or sells goods, securities, etc, in return for a commissioninsurance broker
- (formerly) short for
- a dealer in second-hand goods
- to act as a broker (in)
late 14c., from Anglo-French brocour “small trader,” from abrokur “retailer of wine, tapster;” perhaps from Portuguese alborcar “barter,” but more likely from Old French brocheor, from brochier “to broach, tap, pierce (a keg),” from broche “pointed tool” (see (n.)), giving original sense of “wine dealer,” hence “retailer, middleman, agent.” In Middle English, used contemptuously of peddlers and pimps.
1630s (implied in brokering), from (n.). Related: Brokered.
A financial agent or intermediary; a middleman. | <urn:uuid:4453c712-bb7a-4689-9cc9-d30dd83b9770> | CC-MAIN-2020-34 | https://www.liberaldictionary.com/brokered/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-34/segments/1596439737645.2/warc/CC-MAIN-20200808110257-20200808140257-00159.warc.gz | en | 0.933163 | 307 | 2.59375 | 3 |
==KINGDOM TO FREEDOM==
A Story of Dr. G.S. Melkote by
S. Gopal Melkote.
Barhampore, now in Orissa‐the land of Lord Jaganath‐ was where Gopalayya and his wife Parvathamma lived. Gopalayya was working here in the Postal Department, having moved from Mysore State, a Kannada speaking Brahmin ‐ from a traditional family. On the 17th October 1901, they were blessed with their 3rd son – Subbukrishna. By the Hindu calendar (Lunar) it was the 7th day of Dassera (Navaratri Festival) and the day celebrated all over India as ‘Saraswathi Pooje’ i.e. worship of the goddess of knowledge and wisdom. The auspicious day definitely proved to be so, for the young Subbukrishna – Subbu to the family and close friends. But, as fortune favours the brave, young Subbu had to learn to fight to overcome his bilateral mild club foot disability. His doctors after surgery gave him specially made shoes with metal braces to overcome his problem and it proved to be successful, but left him with one leg slightly shorter. From here on, throughout his life he tasted success, though he had to put up with lots of hurdles. His boyish days and the teens spent as usual in studies and sports. He was a good student. In Barhampore, he played along with his neighbour’s children – one of them being V. V. Giri, slightly older than Subbu. The companionship which began during their boyhood days continued till the last – both went on to become leading Trade Union leaders and members of the Lok Sabha.
Gopalayya was transferred and so the family moved and Subbu and his brothers joined the Chamarajpet Middle School, Bangalore. It is said that men are known by the company they keep and so one of young Subbu’s classmates was Nittoor Srinivas Rao, the well known Chief Justice of Karnataka, and the first Vigilance Commissioner of India. At home, Subbu, his two elder brothers, one immediately elder to him is A. G. Ramachandra Rao and his younger brother Srikantha – S. G. Atri and three younger sisters lived happily. There afterwards, with determination and encouragement he over came the disability and never looked back in life. The eldest brother,Narayan Rao,who appeared for the Bombay Matriculation Exams , got the First Rank and won the Gold Medal. A.G.Ramachandra Rao, in his studies went on to bag the Gold Medal in B.A.. He proved his teacher’s confidence in him – he being Sri.Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan. Subbu won the Gold Medal in Medicine and S.G.Atri in Agriculture. In the family, it had become a habit to win Gold Medals –as Subbu’s cousin; M. S. Sitaram Rao, Chief Engineer‐ Hyderabad won the gold medal in his graduation at Nizam’s College, Hyderabad and later in Engineering at Guindy Engineering College, Madras. What more could the parents wish? – but a lot more was in store .For a short while the family moved to Chitradurga, near Bangalore, where one of Subbu’s schoolmates was S.Nijalingappa. After schooling, during which Subbu represented his school team in Football and with a good academic record, joined the Central College, Bangalore for his Intermediate studies.
About this time 1916‐17 or 18, a Medical School (College) was set up in Hyderabad and Subbu’s elder uncle had retired and made Hyderabad his home. Mysore State at that time still did not have a Medical School with Surgery. As the head of the family, his uncle gave the nod and he joined the Medical College in Hyderabad as G. S. Atri (Aatreysa Gothra). Amongst Atri’s classmates was a maharastrian student, whose name was Aatre. The confusion started and a solution found, Subbu or G. S. Atri – changed to G.S. Melkote. Melkote is a well known temple town in Mandya district in the State of Mysore, where the family came from. Even to this day, on Ugadi(New Year) the Panchanga Sravana(First reading of the Almanac for the New Year) is performed by the family.
In an orthodox and traditional Brahmin family, during the years 1918‐19, a student of medicine had to face a lot of hardships. After returning from college every evening, having to learn the human body, handling not only the then untouchable castes, but even the corpses, one had to go through a bath, chanting hymns for cleansing the mind and body, etc. before entering the house for food.. He had to work hard to stand up for what is right, overcoming and winning over the opposition had become a habit with him. His Guru and professor, Major.M.G.Naidu,(Muthyala Govindraj Naidu) Sarojini Naidus husband, had a very high opinion of the capabilities of his young student and he reposed his confidence in him. His professor’s name had a special feeling and a strong influence on the young student; about this later . He was awarded the Drake Brookman Gold Medal for topping the final year exams. About this time, he got married to the third daughter of Sri. T. Srikanthaiah, working at Aurungabad (professor of Kannada at Osmania University) and Smt. Shankaramma. The teen aged bride Vimala – after her wedding, travelled to Hyderabad by train under the 50% concession due to her age.
After completion of his studies, Dr. Melkote, joined the Government service as a Physician in a hospital in the old city of Hyderabad. Very soon after, he was contradicted by his British boss, over the line of treatment of a complicated case, and proved himself correct, as the patient recovered. The boss gave a piece of his mind to the young doctor and challenged that he would not succeed in the medical profession – at least in Hyderabad. The medical staff of all hospitals had to go to Osmania Hospital to get their salary, and Dr. Melkote was paid the same amount as others, inspite of his being a doctor and inspite of having secured a Gold Medal. He demanded a better and equivalent pay, as other doctors, but his boss saw to it that it was refused. Disgusted, as his national pride was in question, he resigned from service and did not get his pay for the 72 days of service he had put in.
The challenge to succeed in his profession and also to involve himself in the National cause for freedom and liberty spurred him to start his own private practice. Very soon, the medical practice was a success. True to his professional ethics, he became the family doctor to the rich, the poor, Muslims, Hindus, men, women and children. This not only brought him popularity but also financial gains. He thus not only involved himself in the treatment of the sick but also turned his attention to the cause of the nation by doing his mite to liberate the country from foreign domination. Due to which, his contacts with the freedom fighters outside Hyderabad grew and whenever they visited Hyderabad, his house was where they stayed. Many a hero of the Indian freedom struggle frequented and enjoyed his hospitality, – R. R. Diwakar, S. Nijalingappa, N.S. Hardikar (congress Seva Dal), S. K. Patil, B.V. Keskar, D. P. Mishra, Achyut Patwardhan, Sardar Venkatramiah of Mysore, Ashok Mehta, Jai Prakash Narayan, Kamala Devi Chattopadayya to name a few. As a result, his wife, Vimala Bai Melkote, who had to look after the needs and comfort of her guests became totally involved in the freedom movement, social work, Khadi movement, etc. She was born in Aurangabad – the Marathi speaking district of Hyderabad state and lived mostly in areas abounded by Tamil, Telugu, Marathi and Hindi speaking people. She went to school even after her first daughter and son were born and was a student of Madapati Hanumantha Rao and appeared for her matriculation exams of the famous Maharishi Karve University. The few students that the stalwart Madapati had, formed the nucleus of todays Madapati Hanumantha Rao school in Narayanguda, Hyderabad. Much later, she was made a member of the First Governing Body of the Raja Bahadur Venkatarama Reddy Womens College. Vimala Bai’s mother tongue was Kannada, but she became proficient in Telugu, Hindi, Marathi, Tamil and English. As such she became an interpreter whenever national leaders visited her home.
The Nizam of Hyderabad was the most faithful ally of the British government in India and naturally got a lot of special favours & focus. He had his own currency, railways, postage, radio broadcasting and his own military. He permitted the British to set up one its bases and a huge army garrison was established near Secunderabad and so the British viceroys and others frequently visited Hyderabad. This set up was planned by the British as a counter just in case, if at any time, the Nizam went against. As a result, the Nizam issued a “Firmaan” (official notification or Gazzette) banning all political activity and freedom of speech in the state. Due to this, a lot of freedom activity and public support to it, was happening in the Circar districts of Andhra, (Madras Presidency) which was directly under the Dominion States of the Government of India. During 1928‐29, the Congress Party organized a huge protest meeting at Ramchandrapuram near Rajamundry and was addressed by Pandit Nehru, apart from other national leaders. The young doctor, a nationalist, could not but get influenced by it and attended the meeting. As expected, it resulted in violence and in the confusion of the mass upsurge, many got injured. The tall figure that he was, he tried to shield Pandit Nehru being hit by a lathi and the lathi fell on his head, virtually splitting his skull. He fell down profusely bleeding and was unconscious. A potter took pity and nursed the young doctor with rural, herbal and home remedy for nearly a month.
During this time, Mrs. Melkote had lost all contact with her husband, as he took time to recover from his wounds and regain his memory. They had given up hope of his survival. But after nearly 40‐45 days, he surfaced in Hyderabad to the pleasant surprise of all. It was during this time or a little earlier that a call was given to boycott all foreign goods and to use the local hand‐made materials (Swadeshi). He gave up all his suits, ties, shoes, etc. and started using Khadi, the homespun cotton fabric and the Gandhi cap which he started to wear now, even as a practising physician became his habit till his last. He was of the firm opinion that the Gandhi Cap was a National Pride and symbol.
In 1936, he developed severe abdominal pain and his medical practice suffered and to meet his expenses he had to sell his assests‐ Car, Radio, Fridge, Fans, etc. and his elder brother was so concerned that he took him to Bangalore for treatment and was admitted to the Victoria Hospital, under the eminent surgeon, Dr. Subba Rao. For surgery they opened his stomach and found nothing wrong. They stiched up the incision, but it did not heal and his condition became serious.As a last resort, inspite of Dr. Melkotes protests, his brother took him to Ramana Maharishi, at Tiruvanamalai. The Maharishi blessed him and asked Dr. Melkote to apply some medicine to his infection at the back of his shoulder. They both got relief from their ailments. – The first meeting proved fruitful and decided the future – the Saint became his guru. He visited him many times – the guru and the disciple were silently communicating by sight and by intuition. These silent messages were a source of encouragement and strength that the doctor got throughout his life. But more about this later.
In Hyderabad, over the years, Dr. G. S. Melkote, became a sought after doctor and he to provide better medical service to his patients, moved into a very spacious bungalow in the heart of Hyderabad. In fact, being referred by his Professor Dr. Major Naidu, he treated the nawab Sir Nizamath Jung, a nobleman of Hyderabad. The Nawab Sahib – a scholar and a bachelor – was so impressed that he invited the young doctor to stay next door to him and to work from there. The place – Madina Bagh in Narayanguda, was to be his home for the next nearly 50 years. But his dream of setting up a 100 bedded hospital never materialized. Even when he was a Cabinet Minister in Hyderabad (after freedom) he continued to live at Madina Bagh.
The change in residence and his clinic meant more work and popularity. His natural urge to serve the nation, dragged him more towards the National movement for freedom. He actively participated in the day to day activities of the Congress party at Hyderabad and he went to the Annual Session of the Indian National Congress,at Karachi (Pakistan) , as a delegate of the State Congress . On his return to Hyderabad, he had to shoulder the burden of more pending work in his clinic. He decided to name his clinic. The choice was “Gopal Clinic and Nursing Home” named after Gopal – his father, and Gopal – his professional guru and Professor Dr.M. G. Naidus clinic. Dr. Naidu had almost transfered his clinic and reffered all his patients to Dr.Melkote. The spacious 40 rooms that Madina Bagh had, housed not only his residence but also a maternity section, a surgical theatre, a dispensary for treating patients and a few staff quarters. The entire setup was well staffed for 24 hours service, both to the ailing people and the political visitors. His genial personality, a welcoming smile and a thorough knowledge of medical science, with a sincere approach, made him one of the leading medical practitioners in Hyderabad. Dr. Lateef Syeed, DR.M.G.Naidus contemporary and the Nizams personal physician‐and a nationalist‐ at one instance asked Dr. Melkote to accompany him to the King Koti Palace for joint consultation and treatment to the Nizam. People thronged to his clinic from far off places. This naturally gave him a firm economic footing. He became the DOCTOR for the young and old, the poor and the noblemen, the urban Hyderabadis and the rural villagers. People came here not only to get treated for their health problems, but friends and co‐workers came for their political guidance and help. Thus MADINA BAGH became a beehive of round the clock activity. For the public and patients to contact him easily, specially during any urgency, he got the telegrams address registered as ‘CLINIC Hyderabad’. In a sense Madina Bagh became the medical and political Motel.
In 1942, the Quit India struggle was launched and in Hyderabad, the State Congress President, Swami Ramananda Tirtha came to Hyderabad from Udgir(Marathwada) to hand over a letter, wherein he wrote to the Nizam to cooperate and declare democracy and join the Indian Union. Expecting trouble, a copy of the letter was secretly dispatched to Dr.Melkote, in case Swamiji was arrested, and as soon as he reached Nampally Railway Station he was arrested. A difference of opinion cropped up amongst the congress members and Dr. Melkote, alone had to sign the letter and send it. He was immediately imprisoned. The previous evening, he had, by a strange coincidence, interviewed a young freshly passed out student from the medical school, to assist him in the clinic and had clearly told the young doctor that he may have to look after his clinic alone as he may be arrested any time. When the young doctor – M.Vishwanath Rao‐ reported for work the next morning, he had to take over the full responsibility of Gopal Clinic. A mass political uprising, protests and disturbances was the order of the day, even by the women. Ladies in Hyderabad, where the muslim rules dominated, never came forward in public due to the Zenana and Purdah system. But a few ladies, not deterred, came forward to offer Satyagraha along with many men. They were all arrested and in Hyderabad – D. G. Bindu, H. C. Heda, Ramkrishna Dhoot, Krishna Chari Joshi and a few others and amongst the ladies Vimala Bai Melkote, Gyan Kumari Heda, Padmaja naidu,Vanamali,Kamalamma and a few others. There was no special arrangement in any jail to provide facilities for the lady (political) prisoners and a make shift arrangement was made by keeping them out of the city limits at the Kishanpershad Deodi (Bunglow) near Maulaali.(very near to present day E.C.I.L)
The Quit India struggle saw Dr. Melkote’s elder and younger brother in Mysore state also in action. The younger S. G. Atri was arrested and the elder – A. G. Ramachandra Rao went incognito as per plans. The news of the three brothers and their second daughter in law being sought by the Governments for their activities to achieve freedom was kept from their ageing parents, but a few days later, the news leaked out. Their father, already suffering with high blood pressure further got complicated and within a few days collapsed. The news reached the doctor in jail in Hyderabad. He was not released nor granted permission to attend the funeral even for a temporary period. They laid down a condition for him to declare in writing that he would not involve himself in the freedom movement anymore. The doctor was made of sterner stuff and he flatly refused. But wiser counsels prevailed with the government and he reached Hassan, Mysore State just in time to see for the last time his father’s body, being engulfed in the funeral pyre. During the rituals for the departed, the police kept a strict watch over A.G.Ramachander Rao’s movements and later arrested and put him in jail. During the Quit India struggle, a mass of people had gathered on the beach, much against the governments wishes, to witness the well known Aruna Asaf Ali hoist the Indian Flag at Bombay. Due to the violent police intervention there was complete chaos. Amidst a state of riots, no law and order and confusion, she escaped from Bombay. The British Government served a warrant of arrest against her – dead or alive. After about eight days of hectic journey, she reached Hyderabad at Dr. Melkote’s house – for safety and for rest. When Mrs. Melkote saw her at the door step, she could not recognize Mrs. Aruna Asaf Ali – such was her condition and appearance. The local police got scent that she may be in Hyderabad. And in Hyderabad, where else but Madina Bagh. They came in search, but she was admitted in the ladies patient’s room at Gopal Clinic with a board hanging outside “Patient Serious – Don’t Disturb”. Here it should be said to the credit of the local police and other officials who were sympathetic to the cause of liberation of Hyderabad and India – that they turned a blind eye on many an occasion. Many people from all walks of life including students, teachers, doctors, advocates, officials, Hindus,Muslims, Parsees – all became Dr. Melkote’s patients, supporters and sympathizers in more ways than one. Even Mrs. Melkote’s younger brother T. Chandrashekar, participated in the mass protests and was working incognito, as the Hyderabad Govt. had issued a “shoot at sight” order against him.
About this time – the Second World War – a temporary truce was arranged between the British Government of India and the congress party. All those imprisoned all over India were released. There was a temporary lull in the freedom struggle all over India and in Hyderabad too, only to reorganize and regroup the activities. It was now that Dr. Melkote’s medical practice was in full flow. But he kept himself abreast of the latest political developments. By now, Dr. G. S. Melkote – Dr. Melkote in shortbecame a household name in Hyderabad. His patients came from all walks of life. Nawab Habeeb Pasha,Deen Yar Jung Bahadur, Raja Dhanraj Girji, Pingle Venkatrama Reddy, Bankatlal Badruka, the two brothers Chelani & Malani of Secunderabad, Dilsukh Ram, Mir Sadat Ali of the Nizam’s personal security and Mr. Vicajee, Kurien, Taraporewala, Gadwal Raja, Ranisaheb Chincholi, Raja Rameshwar Rao, Raja of Palvancha, Raja of Gudgunti, Abdul Khayyum Khan, D. D. Italia, Biligrami, Mir Akbar Ali Khan, the Chenoys, Ali Yavar Jung, Pannalal Pitie, to name a few of the more eminent names. One instance where a patient turned into his close friend and admirer is Syed Moinuddin Quadri, (Dr.Lateef Sayeeds nephew). Some of his very close friends and the younger generation that followed and cooperated with him till his end were – S.M.S.Vijayam, Dr.Pargonkar, DR.B.K.Phatak, Dr.Bankatchandra,G.Krishna Iyengar, Dr. Bahadur Khan, Dr.Waghray, Satwalekar, Dr. Gauri Bai Kirtane, Dr. Jayashree Bai Kirloskar, J.K. Praneshacharya, V. B. Padki, Manvi Narsing,Rao, N. Narotham Reddy, Amolak Ram,M.S.Rajalingam,Kodati Narayan Rao,Abhayankar,Damodar, T. R. Pimple, J. B. Upadhyaya, K.V.Narsing Rao,Ashatai Waghmarey,S.K.Vaishampayan, Jaganath Rao Chanderki, Veerendra Patil, Madapathi Ramchander Rao, Shyam Apsangekar, Konda Narayanappa, L.K.Shroff, B. H. Inamdar, S.Udapachar, C.Sudershan, G.Venkatswamy, Birdichand Choudry, V. H. Desai, M.Narasimlu and a host of many more. In his profession and for the spread of proper medical and health facilities, he was very closely associated with Dr.Shantabai Satwalekar andDr.U.R.Pargonkar,(pathologist. Govt.Laboratory) who, introduced his colleague,Dr.B.L.Narasimha Rao,to Dr.Melkote. The friendship was to last a life time. Dr.Narasimha Rao was deputed to undergo a special training in Tropical Diseases at Calcutta, his wife was not too well, had two young daughters to look after. He had no choice but to go for training. He left the responsibility to Dr.Melkote. But, alas, within a few days the tragedy struck and Mrs.Narsimha Rao passed away. The two young sisters were adopted by Dr. and Mrs.Melkote. Later the elder sister was married at Madina Bagh and soon after Dr.Narsimha Rao too passed away. A little later, the younger of the two sisters was also married. The good fortune of performing the Kanya Dana, was very satisfying and fulfilling to Dr.&Mrs. Melkote as a service to a very dear friend. The sisters grew up with Dr. & Mrs Melkotes children at Madina Bagh and now live happily in Hyderabad with there family, children and grand children . Another notable figure of the freedom movement, Sidhanhalli Krishna Sharma, was so active and wrote extensively for the freedom movement and so the Nizams Govt. issued a ban on him and externed him from the state. But he carried on his work from Bangalore and secretly visited Hyderabad a few times. The situation in Hyderabad was tense and uncertain for the freedom fighters. His son Mohan was suffering with Typhoid and Dr.&Mrs. Melkote took him to their home and nursed him back to normalcy. Cooperation, concern and comaradeship was the general life style in Hyderabad. It is during this period 1942‐46 that his medical practice was at its best. This naturally led to a very healthy financial position. He equipped his operating theatre with the most modern gadgets and instruments. The current world news‐ one was to hear normally‐ was censored to suit the Allied positions and at times it was one sided too. To listen to the other side and more particularly to listen to” Azad Hind Radio” setup by Subhas Chandra Bose, he bought a big and powerful H.M.V.radio. Having come up from humble beginnings, he knew what hardship and suffering was and so, many a poor family came to him for treatment for free. He very actively supported the poor students. He also supported the sale and development of Khadi and other handicrafts and its workers. Mrs.Krishna Bai Karnik , was a young widow working for the welfare of a girls hostel in Dharwad,(Karnataka) which was started by Freedom fighters under the Gandhian principles. She was using only Khadi and other hand made materials. She used to visit Hyderabad to collect money for her hostel. As a Gandhian, she always walked around and used to stay at Madina Bagh for her food and shelter. As a true Gandhian she never accepted any help for herself (personally) and the condition she laid down to stay at Madina Bagh was that after her days work, she would cook and serve for all those who were staying at Madina Bagh including Dr.Melkotes family. It was about his time that Dr. Melkote visited Wardha and was blessed by Gandhiji. It was here that he met Vinobhaji.
15th August 1947, uncontrolled and wild celebrations of joy and victory heralded the Independent India – but Hyderabad was denied this, as the Nizam refused to accede to the Indian Union. He was planning to keep Hyderabad an Independent union may be under the British and had appealed to U.S.A. for support. As Pakistan was badly in need of finances, he paid Rs.Twenty Crores as a loan and guarantee of their support to him. He had also stationed a bomber plane in Pakistan to be used against India if needed, as he dreamed of hoisting his Asafjahi Flag on the Red Fort in Delhi. The other states where problems were faced are Junagadh in Gujrat and Kashmir. People of few other princely States and the people of Hyderabad started protest meetings and this led to an agitation in order to put pressure on the rulers to join the Indian Union. A separate agitation and struggle had to be organised. In Hyderabad there was again a mass upsurge and protests and the State Congress President, Swami Ramananda Tirtha – (who now lived at Madina Bagh), Dr. Melkote, Burugula Ramkrishna Rao,Harishchandra Heda,Gyan Kumari Heda and many more were arrested. Mrs. Vimala Bai Melkote and their elder son, Satyanarayan (a young student activist) was beaten and put behind bars. There was a total breakdown in the law and order, as thousands of freedom fighters were put in jails all over Hyderabad City and the Karnataka, Maharashtra and Telugu speaking districts. The Nizam became a puppet in the hands of aggressive anti national muslim leaders supported by the British, who were dreaming of a separate independent Hyderabad under the British. Many atrocities were committed and thousands lost their lives. Talks and negotiations were going on and a stage had reached when a few leading freedom fighters, who had the full confidence and backing of the general public were released conditionally, to help the talks and negotiations. As the talks and negotiations made no progress, rumours circulated that they would be imprisoned again; hence they went outside Hyderabad state to the three regions around Hyderabad. Bombay‐Bangalore, Bezwada (now Vijaywada) and Madras. All the camps started their activities and put a lot of pressure by organising a total strike in all walks of life.
K.M.Munshi was appointed by the Govt of India. and stationed in Secunderabad as their Agent General for negotiations with the Nizam and his supporters and advisers. The flow of men, material and food into Hyderabad was effectively stopped and soon life was paralyzed. Day light killings and violence was witnessed every day. The Hyderabad Radio controlled by the Nizam’s Govt. was falsely broad casting news of the peoples support to their cause and the good and peaceful conditions that prevailed in Hyderabad. The Nizam’s expected support from outside was a disappointment or only a trickle and barely enough to sustain. During this time Dr. Melkote was asked to coordinate all activities in the three camps and the central Government in Delhi. It was now that his whirlwind tours to the three camps and Delhi started. He ably filled this role as he had a robust health and an unmatched zeal to work for freedom. He now came into a very close and active contact with Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Patel, Rajendra Prasad, B. C. Roy, G. B Pant, G. L. Nanda, U. N. Dhebar, Pattabhi Sitaramayya, C.Rajagopalachari, S. K. Patil, B.V.Keskar, Shantilal Shah, G.B.Mavlankar, Achut Patwardhan, D.P.Mishra and many more. As he had to be travelling regularly and report the situation and coordinate its functioning from the Andhra borders, he frequently visited Bezwada (now Vijaywada) and came into direct contact with A.Kaleshwar Rao, B.Gopala Reddy, and others. During these tours, he had a great urge to go and seek the blessings of his guru – Ramana Maharishi at Tiruvanamalai which was very near to Madras. But the busy work kept him from fulfilling his desire and one day as his train from Madras to Delhi was cancelled, he rushed to see his guru and seek his blessings once again. He arrived late in the evening and went straight to see him. The Maharishis welcome smile cleared all Dr. Melkotes doubts. It was as if he had a call from him. Early next morning, Dr. Melkote had a strong intuition that he was urgently wanted by his leaders in Delhi and so had another quick darshan of his guru, who understood his disciple’s urgency and blessed him. When Dr. Melkote picked up his bag and went towards the exit, he was surprised, as a visitor to the Ashram was waiting for him to take him to Madras by car saving a lot of time. He reached Madras to see a telegram waiting for him from the Government of India, V. P.Menon, the Member (secretary) in the States Department (Home). He was in time to catch a flight to Delhi and arrived at Delhi late at night and was pleasantly surprised as an official was waiting for him with instructions to take him straight to Sardar Vallabhai Patel, the Home Minister of India. Patel sent him back to the airport with instructions to fly him to Bombay and Poona to meet Major General J. N.Choudhury, Commander, of the Indian army in Poona. Sardar Patel, the iron man of India, clearly fore saw the futility of further negotiations with Nizams Govt. and was convinced that any further delay will complicate the situation. The operation by the Indian army to free Hyderabad was termed as ‘Operation Polo’ popularly known as Police Action‐ was launched and Dr. Melkote accompanied Maj Gen.Choudhury to Hyderabad. The Indian army faced little resistance and successfully entered Hyderabad city on the 17th of September, 1948 – the Nizam officially signed the document of surrender and accession to the Indian union. The challenge was successfully met and all returned to breathe the free air in INDIAS Hyderabad. It was a perfect birthday gift for Dr. Melkote. Peace to a large extent prevailed but a few pockets of discord and sporadic violence continued. Maj Gen. Choudhury was appointed military Governor of Hyderabad. The Hyderabad state congress office was setup‐ where else but at Madina Bagh! Dr. Melkote was made the Liaison Officer between the Military Governor, the State Congress and the Government of India. During 1949 & 1950 Pandit Nehru visited Hyderabad, and Madina Bagh as Prime Minister. A little later Sardar Patel, the Home Minister and the strong man of the Congress and India visited Hyd. & Madina Bagh. It was Sardar Patel, when he came to know that the congress office was situated in Dr. Melkotes house, that he advised them to vacate the sprawling building and lessen Dr. Melkotes burden and sacrifices. Responsibility and hard work always brought the best out of him. He had a natural urge to tend to the sick and suffering not only medically but otherwise too. Now that the state was merged into the Indian Union, he very much craved to return to his profession and restart “Gopal Clinic”. But he just had no time to plan. The people and the state congresswanted him. He plunged himself fully to take care of the people’s needs. The wounds of the freedom movement had to be healed. His natural urge to serve the underdog was evident and he started to organize the Trade Union movement in Hyderabad State. He was made President of INTUC, Hyderabad,the Hyderabad City Congress Committee, the Harijan Seva Samithi and many more. He successfully contested the elections to the Hyderabad Municipal Corporation and when the first general election was held in 1952, he was elected to the assembly from the Mushirabad constituency in Hyderabad city. The first popular government was formed with Burugula Ramakrishna Rao as Chief Minister. Dr. Melkote was sworn in as Finance Minister – the first Hindu to hold this position in Hyderabad. As Minister for Finance, he was the Ex‐Officio Chairman of the Hyderabad State Bank, The Hatti Gold Mines in Raichur and the Singareni Coal Mines, Kotagudem. He presented two State Budget proposals for 1952‐53 and 1953‐54. In Karnataka, his elder brother A.G.Ramachandra Rao won the election and was appointed a Minister for Law, Education and Labour with K. Hanumanthayya as the Chief Minister. In two adjoining states ‐ Mysore and Hyderabad‐ the two brothers took oath as Cabinet Ministers on the same day and the proudest woman in India was probably the mother, Parvathamma. The two brothers could achieve this position only because the youngest; S.G.Atri, stood like a rock to shoulder the joint family responsibilities.
Before independence, the Nizam of Hyderabad being the biggest ally of the British was given various previlages. One such was to have his own currency – Hali Sikka, i.e. Hali currency. At that time all over India, the British System of weights and measurement was in vogue. The British India currency had 16 annas to a rupee – the exchange rate of Hali to Indian currency was 18 annas Hali to one rupee Indian. As Finance Minister, it fell to his lot to merge the two currencies. He gave the slogan – ONE COUNTRY, ONE PEOPLE, ONE CURRENCY. Later on, a cabinet reshuffle was effected and Dr.Melkote was allotted the Labour and P.W.D. portfolio. It was during his time as P.W.D. Minister that Pandit Nehru laid the foundation for one of the largest irrigation and Hydro‐Electric dams in India ‐Nagarjuna Sagar.
Four and a half years later,in 1956, The States Reorganisation on linguistic basis was decided and both the brothers were opposed to the linguvistic division of states. Both lost their Cabinet posts on the same day. Fortunately the mother did not survive to see that day. A healthy mind and a healthy body is what any nation will dream of for its citizens. With its glorious past, its traditions and ancient sciences – Dr. Melkote believed in it and started his research in the science of Yoga and Ayurveda. Inspite of his busy schedule, he found time to pursue his hobby, teaching English Grammar to school children, playing football and cycling with them. From medicine, to labour, to yoga, to culture and sports, to education and economics was a far cry. But he took them all in his stride. He was General Officer in Command of the Hyderabad Seva Dal, President of the Hyderabad Branch of the Indian Medical Association, Founder President of the Patanjali Yoga Research Institute, Nutan Vidya Samithi – New Science College and People’s High School , the New Evening High School set up specially for the busy daytime industrial and other labour workers in Hyderabad and colleges in Sidipet, Nirmal and Nizamabad in the districts of Hyderabad, the Lakshmi Venkatesh Desai College in Raichur, was President of the Institute of Economics, the Football Association of Hyderabad, the Ball Badminton Association of Hyderabad, the Rotary Club, the School for Social Work, the Karnataka Shikshana Samithi – Nrupatunga school, the Jawaharlal Nehru Polytechnic, President Ramakrishna Vivekananda Samithi, President of the Shivananda Leprosy Home,Kukatpally, President Kanya Gurukul Ashram, member Osmania University Syndicate, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, President of the Exhibition Society, the Sarvodaya movement, the Karnatak Khadi Samithi, Patron of the Vishwa Bharati University Nellore, and Founder Member of the Committee to start the Gandhi Medical College, etc. etc. In 1956,he was one of the first to receive Vinobha Bhave at Pochampally , from where the Bhoodan Movement was launched. Having served the State’s interest, he turned his attention to the wider sphere of national work. During the second general election in India in 1957, he contested from the Raichur constituency in Karnataka to the Lok Sabha. No haste, no rest, onward he marched to Delhi triumphantly to be sworn in as a member of the Lok Sabha. His arrival was heralded by his appointment as the Organizing Secretary of the central INTUC. Very soon he was nominated to the governing body of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), the Indian Council of Medical Research, National Council for Ayurveda and a few important committees of the Lok Sabha. Soon he was elected President of the Delhi Electricity Workers Union, the Delhi Municipal Workers Union, the Northern Railway Workers Union, and the Lady Harding Medical College Workers Union – where many problems were pending for long. Dr. Melkote followed the path of negotiations and compromise. It was hard for a doctor to call a strike in a major hospital in Delhi. But not only in the interest of the workers, but also for the hospital’s proper working it became necessary and when his own Congress party Government was functioning, he did give a call for strike and led the procession to demand justice from the Ministry of Health – all the demands were acceded to.. These were the times when communal forces started to surface and disrupt the peace and progress of India. He undertook hectic tours all over the country to mobilize the industrial labour from becoming communal and anti‐national. In 1962, the third general elections were announced and Dr. Melkote from Raichur returned to Hyderabad city constituency as a congress candidate for the Lok Sabha. By now, Dr. Melkote was a national leader, with no regional bias, much less religious bias.. Hyderabad constituency consisted of the old Hyderabad city with a majority muslim population. The President of the local Ittehad‐ul Muslimeen party was his main rival. Nearly 35 years earlier, he had resigned from the Government job and did not get his salary and was warned not to continue living in Hyderabad as there was no future for him. This government hospital was located in Doodh Bowli in the old city of Hyderabad. The public reposed their faith in Dr. Melkote and gave him a thumping majority. His genial personality and a ready smile endeared him to all. Nobody could claim to be his foe. He was now 60 years and to celebrate this and his victory in the elections, a public function was organized by his well wishers. A special commemoration volume was published paying tributes to him. Many messages of greetings were received – Hiren Mukherjee, senior Opposition Leader of the CPI in the Lok Sabha, who said “for all our differences on the political matters, I consider Dr.Melkote, as my friend, philosopher and guide”. Barrister Mir Akbar Ali Khan, Member of the Rajya Sabha, announced a large donation of money and about 25‐30 acres of land just outside the city limits to set up a polytechnic. He wanted a trusted, capable person with organizing capacity, to head his institution. Who else but Dr. Melkote was entrusted with one more responsibility, which he could not refuse.
His friend and colleague, Member of the Rajya Sabha, V.K.Dhage formed a trust to cater to the needs of orphan children and the unwed mothers‐Dr.Melkote was made Chairman of this trust‐The Hyderabad Childrens Aid Society and the RadhaKisan Balika Nivas Trust. He was made Chairman of the Reception Committee, to celebrate the fiftieth year of Vivek Vardhani Institutions, which is managed by the Maharashtrians. National integration was what everyone dreamed of. But it was in Hyderabad that it was achieved with success. If Hyderabad city with a predominant muslim population elected Dr. Melkote to the Lok Sabha, then in the neighbouring Secunderabad Lok Sabha constituency consisting mainly a hindu population, successfully elected with a thumping majority, Bakhir Ali Mirza. He constituted a trust to promote education and the responsibility to head the trust was thrust on Dr. Melkote. He continued his work as member of the Lok Sabha and by now he was known for his simplicity, sincerety, hard work and plain speaking.His ideas and clarity of thought on various aspects of national development were well appreciated in the debates in Parliament. He was selected to represent the Indian view at various International conferences‐The International Labour Organisation, Geneva, International Family Planning Conference, Commonwealth Universities Conference, London, The Commonwealth Parliament Conference, at Australia, Leader of the Trade Union Delegation to Switzerland, Moscow, Yugoslavia, etc. He visited Japan, Sri Lanka, and Singapore and went on a lecture tour on Yoga, Ayurveda and ancient Indian Sciences to USA. He was Founder President of the Indian National Defence Workers Federation, affliated to INTUC. This was the time when relations between India and China were disturbed. China started some intrusions on the Indian borders. To boost the morale of the Defence forces he toured extensively along the Indian borders. Certain fissiparous tendency started to creep into the defence forces. Dr.Melkote’s leadership of this group was enough guarantee of this group ever going antinational. At the Congress party meeting Dr.Melkote raised this question of improper managemt,but as he never belonged to any group, he did not get enough support. He persisted and on Prime Minister Nehrus request, submitted his report with proof in writing, on enquiry his doubts and complaints proved to be correct. The misdeeds slowly but surely trickled down to the media and the press. There was a public out cry and long heated discussions in parliament. One day parliament had to sit extra hours to thrash out the problem and late in the evening the Defence Minister Krishna Menon had to own up the entire responsibility and forced to resign from the cabinet. Outside, in the corridors of parliament, the press gathered around Nehru to get his reactions to the entire episode. Nehru sighted Dr.Melkote and beckoned to him to wait and dropped him home in his car, all the while thanking Dr.Melkote for rescuing him a third time‐once at the Karachi session of the congress, earlier at Ramachandrapuram ,near Rajamundry, Andhra Pradesh and now in Parliament,New Delhi. Nehru nicked named Dr.Melkote as “Pehalwan”(wrestler).The tall well built pehalwan was over 200 lbs, and was a member of the BHIM club in parliament‐Dr.Ram Subhag Singh was President of this exclusive club and some of the members were Jagjivan Ram,Y.B.Chavan,Philoo Mody. The members demanded more sturdier, bigger and more comfortable furniture for their use. But the pehlwan had a deceptive look, he was very quick to act and had a disarming smile, even his worst critics were helpless before him. His colleagues in the congress party and the opposition parties were his admirers and valued his opinion and ideas on problems facing the country. He kept constant company with the Lok Sabha Speakers!Ananta Shayanam Iyengar,Gurdiyal Singh Dhillon, Sardar Hukum Singh, ministers and members‐ Triguna Sen, Karan Singh,Morarji Desai,C.Subramanyam,Dinesh Singh,Hiren Mukherji,Deen Dayal Upadyaya,Prakash Vir Sastri,G.L.Nanda, Manubhai Shah,Satyanarayan Sinha,Khandu Bhai Desai, M.C.Chagla, I.K.Gujral, K.K.Shah,Uma Shankar Dikshit, Sadiq Ali and many more. He was a Member of the Public Accounts Committee. Was member of the Estimates and the Assurances committee and later its Chairman, and also few other important committees. He was made an observer for elections to the party leader for Bombay and Orissa, when the owner of Kalinga Airlines, Biju Patnaik was elected leader‐ Patnaik personally came in the plane to drop Dr.Melkote to Hyderabad. His involvement into the Trade Union Movement and The Indian National Trade Union Congress saw him being elected the President of the Tata Iron & Steel Company at Jamshedpur. He was also made Patron or President of the Industrial Units in Kanpur&Bombay. The annual session of the central INTUC was held in Hyderabad and Dr.Melkote was elected President. Dr.Melkote was all the time planning for the future and encouraged the younger generation, trained and guided them to take up responsibilities. As President of the Hyderabad INTUC, he selected three youngsters to help him in the trade union movement‐T.Anjiah became the Chief Minister of Andhra, G.Sanjeeva Reddy is now President of the central INTUC and G.Venkatswamy, was the Deputy Leader of the Congress Party in the Lok Sabha. All three are former Presidents of the INTUC,Hyderabad and Labour Ministers of Andhra Pradesh.
Dr.Melkotes younger colleague in Delhi‐Krishna Kant was Governor of Andhra Pradesh and then Vice President of India. Melkotes elder brother, A.G.Ramachandra Rao guided another youngster and he went on to become the Prime Minister of India‐Deve Gowda. Few can claim a better record. The New Science College, Hyderabad, with C.Sudershan as Principal, was recognized as one of the best colleges in India and was the first private college accorded an Autonomous Status under the University Grant Commission. Much earlier, he had encouraged and deputed Udapachar,Head Master, Nrupatunga High School, Hyderabad to undergo teachers training. Nrupatunga High School became the best school and in the Matriculation exams –the topper in both the Biology and Mathematics group was from this school and atleast 15 were in the first 20 ranks for the state. For its performance, Udupachar was selected for the National Teachers Day Award .The then Union Minister for Education, Dr.V.K.R.V.Rao, spoke every where in India, of these two institutions in Hyderabad, as examples of what dedicated, hard work could achieve. With a view to further improve the infrastructure facilities of these two institutions he organized two public functions to collect money. One was a musical evening by the popular singer Mukesh and the other by the famous danseuses Vyjayanthi Mala. Not only because people had faith in Dr.Melkote,but also because of the cause and the popularity of the artists that the two functions were a grand success. It was under his Presidentship of the Andhra unit of the Gandhi Smarak Nidhi, that a Stupa (pylon) was erected at the Gandhi Hill, Vijayawada, on the Centenary Celebrations of Mahatma Gandhi.
He was nominated Chairman of the reception committee to welcome the Pontif of the Kanchi Muth, Sri.Chandershekara Bharati, to Hyderabad. The Swamiji visited Madina Bagh a few times and stayed there for various public functions. Dr.Melkote when ever he was in doubt , sought clarification about the ancient Indian Sciences, on Yoga, Indian traditions, culture and other aspects from the Kanchi Swamiji. The President of the Ramakrishna Muth, Bangalore, Swami Yatishwara Nanda, when ever he visited Hyd. stayed at Madina Bagh. For his varied interests,commitment and dedicated work in the cause of the country, he was awarded the ‘PADMA SRI’ by the President of India‐what a coincidence that his boyhood friend who played pebbles with him had to do the honours ‐V.V.Giri. His involvement into various spheres of National Development kept him extremely busy ‐ Always rushing from one place to another to attend a committee meeting or to guide the labour problems. But the one thing that he constantly carried with him was a photograph of his Guru ‘Sri Ramana’. He used to visit Tiruvanamalai often, but when ever a major hurdle was crossed, or when ever he won the election, he would rush to Tiruvanamalai, to pay his respects . Inspite of his hectic travels and in the railway compartment he always practiced Yoga,Pranayama and meditation. He was one of those who fully supported the idea and got the sanction to name one of the roads in New Delhi ‘Sri Ramana Maharishi Marg’. The sacrifices and the struggle for the liberation and the accession of Hyderabad into the Indian Union was not accorded the recognition as part of the freedom struggle of India and thus the
Hyderabad workers were not considered for the freedom fighters pension. Strange indeed.Dr.Melkote took up this cause and got justice done, when Giani Zail Singh was the Home Minister. But, during the struggle for freedom, many were not imprisoned or could not be imprisoned, hence could not get a jail certificate as proof of their contribution or involvement. So a committee to recommend candidates for grant of pension was officially set up with Dr.Melkote as Chairman. Many freedom fighters got the pension after his recommendation. But much later, after Dr.Melkotes demise in 1982, the Govt. of India took a shocking decision‐ we shall read about it later. The after effects of the war with China saw India struggling hard to normalize the internal situation particularly on the economic front. Pakistan tried to exploit this situation and attacked India over differences on Kashmir.India successfully defended its borders, but the economic situation further detiorated.Amidst all this the fourth General Elections were held. Dr.Melkote was re‐elected from the Hyderabad constituency, a third time, with a thumping majority. The process of rebuilding India on modern basis had started and he shouldered more responsibilities. He was offered a ministerial position at the centre, but he had already determined to build India from its grass roots and refused to be diverted from his goal. He held his position as a senior member of the Lok Sabha, widely admired and respected by all. It was about this time that the congress party was slowly losing its popularity.To put the party back on rails,some senior members of the party were dropped from the cabinet and drafted for party work‐popularly known as the “Kamaraj Plan”.Due to many other factors this plan also did not bring the desired results. The cold war amongst U.S.A. and U.S.S.R. was casting its shadow on world
affairs.India continued with its policy of Non Alignment. The situation in Pakistan was frightening, East and West Pakistan fighting amongst themselves.A war ensued and India sided with East Pakistan,and ensured the creation of what is now Bangla Desh.Indira Gandhi was now riding at the crest of her popularity, and to strengthen her position declared a mid term poll‐one year ahead of the schedule‐in 1971. During all this time the regional feelings in Andhra and in Hyderabad had worsend‐a separate Telangana slogan had gained momentum and to achieve this a separate regional party was floated!The Telangana Praja Samithi‐mostly a splinter group within the congress party. It was a spontaneous mass upheaval. The popular mass following that he had, Dr.Melkote joined the party and was nominated as its Vice President. For leading these protests,he was detained by the local police, even as a member of Parliament, Much earlier, to devote more time to his Yoga research and to groom a younger person to contest, he had announced that he would not contest any more elections. But the darling of Hyderabad would not be let off so easily by the people. By public demand he had to reverse his decision and made to contest the elections to Parliament, again from Hyderabad as a Telangana Praja Samithi candidate. The congress party did not put up its candidate from Hyderabad, but the local congress leaders opposed to Telangana, came into a secret understanding with other local parties, particularly the local Ittehadul Muslim Party, and set up an independent candidate‐Badruddin Tayabjee‐a former ambassador‐ as a combined opposition to Dr.Melkote. The opposition was no match to the Telengana sentiment and its supporters were so strong that hardly any electioneering was required and Dr.Melkote was re‐elected
with a massive majority, a third time from the same constituency to the Lok Sabha.With this massive win he was chosen to be the leader of his party in Parliament. Once again there were moves to induct him into the cabinet, but he coolly kept himself away. He was now one of the very senior members of the Lok Sabha, his fourth term. He was entrusted with more organizing work at the national level. Within the congress party major differences started surfacing, each group wanting him on their side. He was working hard to convince all his party men to be united, inspite of which the party spilt, creating bitterness and confusion all over the country. But the soldier that he was, he never took sides even with his own close colleagues and stood steadfast with the party. This was when a National Emergency was declared for the first time after independence in India by the Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. The freedom of speech, press censorship and other preventive measures were enforced all over the country. The economic situation also worsened, food and other essential supplies were being hoarded by the unscrupulous elements. Many a national leader was put in jail. To put it mildly, there was confusion and chaos all over the country. The parliamentary elections due now was postponed by one year. The congress party was split and the Janata Party at the national level was formed with Jayaprakash Narayan, Morarji Desai and other leaders. The postponed elections to parliament was held in 1977. Both the congress party and the newly formed Janata party offered the Hyderabad Lok Sabha seat to Dr. Melkote, but he stood firm with his decision not to contest any more elections. He actively participated in the elections to see his younger colleague from the congress party K.S.Narayan win the Hyderabad Lok Sabha seat, thus ensuring that the party hold in Hyderabad was not
disturbed. But the party lost its majority on an all India level and the Janata Party with Morarji Desai as leader and Prime Minister was formed. The last sitting of the fifeth session of Parliament was held, after which Dr.G.S.Melkote returned triumphantly to Hyderabad and his home Madina Bagh, never lost any position, never defeated in any election, never defeated in any cause for which he valiantly fought – bat in hand so to say. He was now 77 years. Still the same energetic phelwan. All the institutions in Hyderabad and other parts of India that he had founded or was heading it had consolidated and he continued with its work. The Patanjali Yoga Research Institute and the Jawaharlal Nehru Polytechnic, was handed over to the Govt. of Andhra for further expansion and the New Science College, Narayanguda, was handed over to the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. All the other educational institutions under him, by now had grown self sufficient along with the Khadi production units in Gadwal, Raichur and Gulbarga. Much earlier the Gandhi Medical College was also taken over by the Govt. and is now a leading Post Graduate Institution. He continued to tour all over India to be in touch with all his contacts and institutions and to propogate Yoga and participate in National Seminars on education, labour, health etc. In 1981, he was 80 years and a big get together was organized by his well wishers and the family, not just to celebrate the occasion nor honour him, but more for him to express his profound thanks and gratefulness to the public of Hyderabad, who always solidly stood by him for nearly 50 years, who made Subbu‐ the Doctorsab, an Educationist, Labour Leader, Minister, Member of Parliament, and DR.MELKOTE, the hero of Hyderabad. About 40 or 45 years earlier, an astrologer and
his patient had written down about 40 to 50 pages of his life and forecast. All the events, the ups and downs proved to be correct. He had correctly mentioned that 1982 was a crucial year for him and if crossed (12 October 1982) he had another five to serve. Dr. Melkote had gone to Udaipur to participate in a Yoga Seminar. While attending the seminar he had a peculiar feeling and the doctor in him indicated that some thing was wrong. He immediately returned to Hyderabad and was bed ridden for about a week. Dr. K.Ramesh Pai(Retd. Director of Medical Services.A.P.) who knew Dr.Melkote since 1944 or 45 and another of his admirers Dr. Ramachar Ashrit, Anesthetist, used to visit him regularly examined him and as his condition deteriorated, he moved out of Madina Bagh for the last time to be hospitalized . If he was born on the auspicious day of the Saraswati Pooje, he passed away peacefully on the early morning on Holi‐the festival of colours, 12th March 1982. It was also his father’s birthday. How correct was the forecast. Also the place he passed away was where his salary for 72 days of work was not paid, and also it is in the vicinity of Doodbauli Dispensary, where he was challenged to succeed. Success comes to those who dare and act. Hyderabad was celebrating the festival of Holi, when the news of Dr. Melkotes passing away reached the public. All the festivities stopped and all roads led to Madina Bagh and he was given a tearful and heros send off and a State funeral. The President of India, The Prime Minister, The Speaker of the Lok Sabha and a host of other personalities condoled his passing away. Soon after his demise, his admirers and the Nutan Vidya Samithi started a Womens College in Hyderabad in his memory. At ‘Kuknoor’ in Raichur District, Karnataka, which elected him for his first term to the Lok Sabha a rural Polytechnic is set up on his name.
During all his life time he stood up and fought for justice and what was right. The cause and cure was more important than men or money. Many a battle he won single handedly. A Kannadiga, born in Orissa, went to school in Karnataka and professional studies and bred up in Hyderabad & Telengana and later Andhra, went round India molding its culture and traditions, a man badly injured in Ramachanrapuram, later in Karachi,(now in Pakistan), opposed in Parliament for what ultimately was proved right, could never belong to a region. In his profession he earned a plenty but died a pauper living through out his life in a rented house. This problem he faced through out his life and never found the exact recognition he deserved. The pehlwan and the soldier that he was never had time to look back. He believed in the maxim “On ward for ever”. The Chairman of the committee for recommending the persons eligible for the Freedom Fighters pension was himself denied this. Luckily he did not survive to see the day when an official letter from the Ministry of Home , dealing with the freedom pension, was delivered to his wife, stating that he could not be granted the pension, as per the conditions of the rule laid down, reason” The suffering and imprisonment under gone by him was not sufficient”. How ever, his wife, with lesser suffering and imprisonment and many others got it. Much later, in 1997, during the 50th independence year celebrations at New Delhi, Mrs. Vimala Bai Melkote was honoured by the President of India.Would Dr.G.S.Melkote too get the same? “Better late than never”. No better example could be found to explain this. The Government of Andhra Pradesh, by the pressure brought on it by Dr.Melkotes well wishers, as late as 27th December 2007,declared open a Park in Narayanguda–very close to where he lived and worked for nearly 50 years –Madina Bagh‐ on his name. He lived and believed‐ “ONE CROWDED HOUR OF GLORY IS WORTH AN AGE WITHOUT A NAME.”
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS On many occasions we discuss the present happenings and the past and what the future holds for us? Invariably, when the glorious past is discussed, all the events crowd into ones memory. Of these, a few were what we heard many times from our elders and many were the actual happenings to which I and my elder brothers are witness. The story starts about the time 1901, i.e. 37 years before I was born, but events and happenings which I have mentioned, is what we have seen and heard on the radio and other media, mostly the news papers. To complete the story of about 80 years of hectic activity, leads to a few events which I may have missed and also a few names, for which I may be excused. A few names I have purposely avoided, as in writing such a story one name leads to one more or many more and the whole story will only be names; which is not the purpose. From Kingdom to Freedom, is the story of the Nizam to save his kingdom with its base at King Kothi Palace and the fight to attain freedom with its main base at Madina Bagh, Dr.Melkots rented house. Its very notable to learn that the two places are just about a mile from each other. We his children and family will always be thankful to the many individuals who encouraged and stood by our father in all his work and achievements during his life time. But even after, specially to establish the DR.G.S.Melkote, park in Narayanguda, on 27th December 2007, we will always remember with thanks the help and support we got from the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Dr. Y.S.Rajashekar Reddy, the former Chairman of Huda, Sudheer Reddy, our friends
Dr.P.Satyanarayan, Sri.B.Surender, apart from our own family members. The very idea of trying to get the park named after my father was first mooted by my good friend Burgula Dilip. A very special mention and thanks to our esteemed friend Sri.G.Venkatswamy, M.P. but for whom the park could not have been named after his Guru and our dear father. While we have always followed on our father’s path and belief “ill will to none and Good will to all” we will ever remain grateful for his blessings to Sri. Ramana Maharishi. | <urn:uuid:f74747b1-028e-42ba-b13c-b2ae6d181b0f> | CC-MAIN-2014-41 | http://www.geni.com/projects/Melkote-Family/1582 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-41/segments/1410657137190.70/warc/CC-MAIN-20140914011217-00056-ip-10-234-18-248.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.983971 | 14,139 | 2.65625 | 3 |
The Holy Prophet Isaiah
The Holy Prophet Isaiah lived 700 years before the birth of Christ, and was of royal lineage. Isaiah’s father Amos raised his son in the fear of God and in the law of the Lord. Having attained the age of maturity, the Prophet Isaiah entered into marriage with a pious prophetess (Is 8:3) and had a son Jashub (Is 8:18).
Saint Isaiah was called to prophetic service during the reign of Oziah [Uzziah], king of Judea, and he prophesied for 60 years during the reign of kings Joatham, Achaz [Ahaz], Hezekiah and Manasseh. The start of his service was marked by the following vision: he beheld the Lord God, sitting in a majestic heavenly temple upon a high throne.
Six-winged Seraphim encircled Him. With two wings they covered their faces, and with two wings they covered their feet, and with two wings they flew about crying out one to another, “Holy, Holy, Holy Lord Sabaoth, heaven and earth are filled with His glory!” The pillars of the heavenly temple shook from their shouts, and in the temple arose the smoke of incense.
The prophet cried out in terror, “Oh, an accursed man am I, granted to behold the Lord Sabaoth, and having impure lips and living amidst an impure people!” Then was sent him one of the Seraphim, having in hand a red-hot coal, which he took with tongs from the altar of the Lord. He touched it to the mouth of the Prophet Isaiah and said, “Lo, this has touched thy lips, and will take away with thine iniquities, and will cleanse thy sins.”
After this Isaiah heard the voice of the Lord, directed towards him, “Whom shall I send, and who will go to this people?” Isaiah answered, “Here am I, send me” (Is 6:1 ff). And the Lord sent him to the Jews to exhort them to turn from the ways of impiety and idol worship, and to offer repentance.
To those that repent and turn to the true God, the Lord promised mercy and forgiveness, but punishment and the judgment of God are appointed for the unrepentant. Then Isaiah asked the Lord, how long would the falling away of the Jewish nation from God continue. The Lord answered, “Until the cities be deserted, by reason of there being no people, and the land shall be made desolate. Just as when a tree be felled and from the stump come forth new shoots, so also from the destruction of the nation a holy remnant will remain, from which will emerge a new tribe.”
Isaiah left behind him a book of prophecy in which he denounces the Jews for their unfaithfulness to the God of their Fathers. He predicted the captivity of the Jews and their return from captivity during the time of the emperor Cyrus, the destruction and renewal of Jerusalem and of the Temple. Together with this he predicts the historical fate also of the other nations bordering the Jews. But what is most important of all for us, the Prophet Isaiah with particular clarity and detail prophesies about the coming of the Messiah, Christ the Savior. The prophet names the Messiah as God and Man, teacher of all the nations, founder of the Kingdom of peace and love.
The prophet foretells the birth of the Messiah from a Virgin, and with particular clarity he describes the Suffering of the Messiah for the sins of the world. He foresees His Resurrection and the universal spreading of His Church. By his clear foretelling of Christ the Savior, the Prophet Isaiah deserves to be called an Old Testament Evangelist. To him belong the words, “He beareth our sins and is smitten for us…. He was wounded for our sins and tortured for our transgressions. The chastisement of our world was upon Him, and by His wounds we were healed….” (Is 53:4-5. Vide Isaiah: 7:14, 11:1, 9:6, 53:4, 60:13, etc.).
The holy Prophet Isaiah had also a gift of wonderworking. And so, when during the time of a siege of Jerusalem by enemies the besieged had become exhausted with thirst, he by his prayer drew out from beneath Mount Sion a spring of water, which was called Siloam, i.e. “sent from God.” It was to this spring afterwards that the Savior sent the man blind from birth to wash, and He restored his sight. By the prayer of the Prophet Isaiah, the Lord prolonged the life of Hezekiah for 15 years.
The Prophet Isaiah died a martyr’s death. By order of the Jewish king Manasseh he was sawn through by a wood-saw. The prophet was buried not far from the Pool of Siloam. The relics of the holy Prophet Isaiah were afterwards transferred by the emperor Theodosius the Younger to Constantinople and installed in the church of Saint Laurence at Blachernae. At the present time part of the head of the Prophet Isaiah is preserved at Athos in the Hilandar monastery.
For the times and the events which occurred during the life of the Prophet Isaiah, see the 4th Book of Kings [alt. 2 Kings] (Ch 16, 17, 19, 20, 23, etc.), and likewise 2 Chr:26-32).
The Holy Martyr Christopher
The Holy Martyr Christopher lived during the third century and suffered about the year 250, during the reign of the emperor Decius (249-251). There are various accounts of his life and miracles, and he is widely venerated throughout the world. Saint Christopher is especially venerated in Italy, where people pray to him in times of contagious diseases.
There are various suggestions about his descent. Some historians believe that he was descended from the Canaanites, while others say from the “Cynoscephalai” [literally “dog-heads”] of Thessaly.
Saint Christopher was a man of great stature and unusual strength. According to tradition, Saint Christopher was very handsome, but wishing to avoid temptation for himself and others, he asked the Lord to give him an unattractive face, which was done. Before Baptism he was named Reprebus [Reprobate] because his disfigured appearance. Even before Baptism, Reprebus confessed his faith in Christ and denounced those who persecuted Christians. Consequently, a certain Bacchus gave him a beating, which he endured with humility.
Because of his renowned strength, 200 soldiers were assigned to bring him before the emperor Decius. Reprebus submitted without resistance. Several miracles occurred along the way; a dry stick blossomed in the saint’s hand, loaves of bread were multiplied through his prayers, and the travellers had no lack thereof. This is similar to the multiplication of loaves in the wilderness by the Savior. The soldiers surrounding Reprebus were astonished at these miracles. They came to believe in Christ and they were baptized along with Reprebus by Saint Babylus of Antioch (September 4).
Christopher once made a vow to serve the greatest king in the world, so he first offered to serve the local king. Seeing that the king feared the devil, Christopher thought he would leave the king to serve Satan. Learning that the devil feared Christ, Christopher went in search of Him.
Saint Babylas of Antioch told him that he could best serve Christ by doing well the task for which he was best suited. Therefore, he became a ferryman, carrying people across a river on his shoulders. One stormy night, Christopher carried a Child Who insisted on being taken across at that very moment. With every step Christopher took, the Child seemed to become heavier. Halfway across the stream, Christopher felt that his strength would give out, and that he and the Child would be drowned in the river.
As they reached the other side, the Child told him that he had just carried all the sins of the world on his shoulders. Then He ordered Christopher to plant his walking stick in the ground. As he did so, the stick grew into a giant tree. Then he recognized Christ, the King Whom he had vowed to serve.
Saint Christopher was brought before the emperor, who tried to make him renounce Christ, not by force but by cunning. He summoned two profligate women, Callinike and Aquilina, and commanded them to persuade Christopher to deny Christ, and to offer sacrifice to idols. Instead, the women were converted to Christ by Saint Christopher. When they returned to the emperor, they declared themselves to be Christians.Therefore, they were subjected to fierce beatings, and so they received the crown of martyrdom.
Decius also sentenced to execution the soldiers who had been sent after Saint Christopher, but who now believed in Christ. The emperor ordered that the martyr be thrown into a red-hot metal box. Saint Christopher, however, did not experience any suffering and he remained unharmed. After many fierce torments they finally beheaded the martyr with a sword. This occurred in the year 250 in Lycia. By his miracles the holy Martyr Christopher converted as many as 50 thousand pagans to Christ, as Saint Ambrose of Milan testifies. The relics of Saint Christopher were later transferred to Toledo (Spain), and still later to the abbey of Saint Denis in France.
In Greece, many churches place the icon of Saint Christopher at the entrance so that people can see it as they enter and leave the building. There is a rhyming couplet in Greek which says, “When you see Christopher, you can walk in safety.” This reflects the belief that whoever gazes upon the icon of Saint Christopher will not meet with sudden or accidental death that day.
The name Christopher means “Christ-bearer.” This can refer to the saint carrying the Savior across the river, and it may also refer to Saint Christopher bearing Christ within himself (Galatians 2:20).
Translation of the relics of St Nicholas from Myra to Bari
Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker, Archbishop of Myra in Lycia. The Transfer of the Relics from Myra of Lycia to Bari in Italy His Life is found under December 6.
In the eleventh century the Byzantine Empire was going through some terrible times. The Turks put an end to its influence in Asia Minor, they destroyed cities and villages, they murdered the inhabitants, and they accompanied their cruel outrage with the desecration of churches, holy relics, icons and books. The Mussulmen also attempted to destroy the relics of Saint Nicholas, deeply venerated by the whole Christian world.
In the year 792 the caliph Aaron Al’-Rashid sent Khumeid at the head of a fleet to pillage the island of Rhodes. Having lain waste this island, Khumeid set off to Myra in Lycia with the intent to rob the tomb of Saint Nicholas. But instead he robbed another tomb standing alongside the crypt of the saint. Just as they succeeded in committing this sacrilege, a terrible storm lifted upon the sea and almost all the ships were shattered into pieces.
The desecration of holy things shocked not only Eastern, but also Western Christians. Christians in Italy were particularly apprehensive for the relics of Saint Nicholas, and among them were many Greeks. The inhabitants of the city of Bari, located on the shores of the Adriatic Sea, decided to save the relics of Saint Nicholas.
In the year 1087 merchants from Bari and Venice went to Antioch to trade. Both these and others also proposed to take up the relics of Saint Nicholas and transport them to Italy on the return trip. In this plan the men of Bari commissioned the Venetians to land them at Myra. At first two men were sent in, who in returning reported that in the city all was quiet.
In the church where the glorified relics rested, they encountered only four monks. Immediately forty-seven men, having armed themselves, set out for the church of Saint Nicholas. The guards, suspecting nothing, showed them the raised platform, beneath which the tomb of the saint was concealed, and where they anointed foreigners with myrrh from the relics of the saint.
At this time the monks told them about an appearance of Saint Nicholas that evening to a certain Elder. In this vision Saint Nicholas ordered the careful preservation of his relics. This account encouraged the barons, they saw an avowal for them in this vision and, as it were, a decree from the saint. In order to facilitate their activity, they revealed their intent to the monks and offered them money, 300 gold coins. The guards refused the money and wanted to warn the inhabitants about the misfortune threatening them. But the newcomers bound them and put their own guards at the doorway.
They took apart the church platform above the tomb with the relics. In this effort the youth Matthew was excessive in his zeal, wanting to find the relics of Saint Nicholas as quickly as possible. In his impatience he broke the cover and the barons saw that the sarcophagus was filled with fragrant holy myrrh. The compatriots of the barons, the priests Luppus and Drogus, offered a litany, after which the break made by Matthew began to flow with myrrh from the saint’s sarcophagus. This occurred on April 20, 1087.
Seeing the absence of a container chest, the priest Drogus wrapped the relics in the cloth, and in the company of the barons he carried them to the ship. The monks, having been set free, alerted the city with the sad news about the abduction of the relics of the Wonderworker Nicholas by foreigners. A crowd of people gathered at the shore, but it was too late.
On May 8 the ships arrived in Bari, and soon the joyous news made the rounds of all the city. On the following day, May 9, 1087, they solemnly transported the relics of Saint Nicholas into the church of Saint Stephen, not far from the sea. The solemn bearing of the relics was accompanied by numerous healings of the sick, which inspired still greater reverence for God’s saint. A year afterwards, a church was built in the name of Saint Nicholas and consecrated by Pope Urban II.
This event, connected with the transfer of the relics of Saint Nicholas, evoked a particular veneration for the Wonderworker Nicholas and was marked by the establishment of a special Feast day on May 9. At first the Feast day of the Transfer of the Relics of Saint Nicholas was observed only by the people of the city of Bari. It was not adopted in the other lands of the Christian East and West, despite the fact that the transfer of the relics was widely known. This circumstance is explained by the custom in the Middle Ages of venerating primarily the relics of local saints. Moreover, the Greek Church did not establish the celebration of this remembrance, since they regarded the loss of the relics of Saint Nicholas was a sad event.
The Russian Orthodox Church celebration of the memory of the Transfer of the Relics of Saint Nicholas from Myra in Lycia to Bari in Italy on May 9 was established soon after the year 1087, on the basis of an already established veneration by the Russian people of the great saint of God, brought from Greece simultaneously with the acceptance of Christianity.
The glorious accounts ot the miracles performed by the saint on both land and sea, were widely known to the Russian people. Their inexhaustible strength and abundance testify to the help of the great saint of God for suffering mankind. The image of Saint Nicholas, a mighty wonderworker and benefactor, became especially dear to the heart of the Russian people, since it inspired deep faith and hope for his intercession. The faith of the Russian people in the abundant aid of God’s saint was marked by numerous miracles.
A significant body of literature was compiled about him very early in Russian writings. Accounts of the miracles of Saint Nicholas done in the Russian land were recorded at an early date. Soon after the Transfer of the Relics of Saint Nicholas from Myra to Bari, a Russian version of his Life and an account of the Transfer of his holy relics were written by a contemporary to this event. Earlier still, an encomium to the Wonderworker was written. Each week on Thursday, the Russian Orthodox Church honors his memory in particular.
Numerous churches and monasteries were built in honor of Saint Nicholas, and Russian people are wont to name their children after him at Baptism. In Russia are preserved numerous wonderworking icons of the saint. Most renowned among them are the icons of Mozhaisk, Zaraisk, Volokolamsk, Ugreshsk and Ratny. There was no house or temple in the Russian land in which there was not an icon of Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker.
The significance of the intercession of the great saint of God is expressed by the ancient compiler of the Life, in the words of whom Saint Nicholas “did work many glorious miracles both on land and on sea, aiding those downtrodden in misfortune and rescuing the drowning, carried to dry land from the depths of the sea, raising up others from corruption and bringing them home, liberating from chains and imprisonment, averting felling by the sword and freeing from death, and granting healing to many; sight to the blind, walking to the lame, hearing to the deaf, and speech to the mute. He brought riches to many suffering in abject poverty and want, he provided the hungry food, and for each in their need he appeared a ready helper, an avid defender and speedy intercessor and protector, and such as appeal to him he doth help and deliver from adversity.
Both the East and the West know of this great Wonderworker, and all the ends of the earth know his miracle-working.”
Tr by oca.org | <urn:uuid:1817cf8e-99a0-48b1-adff-6f9c02d00099> | CC-MAIN-2021-39 | https://basilica.ro/en/prophet-isaiah-martyr-christopher-of-lycia-translation-of-the-relics-of-st-nicholas-the-wonderworker-from-myra-to-bari/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-39/segments/1631780058552.54/warc/CC-MAIN-20210927211955-20210928001955-00583.warc.gz | en | 0.976468 | 3,734 | 2.953125 | 3 |
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Founded by Dr. Paul Pimsleur, Pimsleur Language Programs have been offered since since 1963. Pimsleur is primarily an audio-based language learning program. Find downloadable titles through MELSA: Twin Cities Metro eLibrary or CDs and workbooks at the library.
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Living Language was originally developed in 1946 by foreign language education experts to teach overseas-bound service personnel and diplomats. Download the audiobook version at MELSA: Twin Cities Metro eLibrary. | <urn:uuid:8d2a28f1-de6c-4887-82c0-993386c5d336> | CC-MAIN-2023-40 | https://library.stillwatermn.gov/research-and-learn/language-learning/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-40/segments/1695233510284.49/warc/CC-MAIN-20230927071345-20230927101345-00639.warc.gz | en | 0.873693 | 219 | 2.75 | 3 |
Our clinic is one of the leading destinations for children’s health in Roswell and Alpharetta. Today’s post is about falls and injury prevention.
Falling is a normal part of a young child’s development as they learn to walk, climb, jump, run and play. Fortunately, most children who fall are not injured, other than a few bruises and scrapes. Falls are the leading cause of non-fatal injuries for all children ages 0 to 19 (CDC,2016). Look around your house and backyard using the ‘Kidsafe Home Safety Checklist.' Injuries due to falls are the leading cause of nonfatal injury.
The following are the different types of falls in children 0 to 3 years old. Children can fall off play equipment, out of windows, down stairs, off a bike or tricycle, furniture, especially chairs, beds, and tables and off anything that can be climbed on. Be sure the surface under play equipment is soft enough to absorb a fall.
Tips to prevent dangerous falls
- Communicate with your young child, let them know what you are doing when you are keeping them safe, and why.
- Teach your child as they grow on how to protect themselves.
- Teach your child to safely get off a chair or bed by sliding down on their tummy, feet first.
- Use safety tested mats or loose-fill materials.
- Always remember to lock the doors to all dangerous areas (like the street - see image)
- Always remove furniture in front of windows, as these can act as props for climbing and add protective window guards.
- Make sure the yard has a fence to keep them from wandering to more dangerous territories (read streets).
- If your child has a serious fall or does not act normally after a fall, be sure to call your doctor. An injury from a fall can worsen with time, so prompt medical attention can prevent serious complications.
- Close supervision by caregivers and firm guidance to children are needed to reduce falls from chairs and beds as a substantial proportion of serious injuries are caused by children playing and standing on these items.
- Children should always be placed in a five-point harness when using a high chair. A good quality harness should be fitted to a high chair by the manufacturer or at the point of sale before you take it home.
- Close supervision and firm parental/carer guidance is needed to deter young children from standing when in a high chair.
- Cots are recommended for children aged three years and under if they have not already been observed close to successfully climbing out of the cot at a younger age.
- Toddler beds are recommended for children in transition from a cot to a bed
- Children aged less than nine years should not be sleeping in the upper bunk of a bunk bed and certainly not children aged less than six years (Australian Competition & Consumer Commission, 2012).
- The top bunk should have a protective railing on all sides at least 160mm above the mattress. Any gaps between mattress and guardrails and between individual guardrails should be small enough not present a head entrapment hazard.
- The ladder should be removed when upper bunk is not in use to prevent young children from accessing the top bunk.
- make sure your playground equipment is in good repair and is age-appropriate.
- Supervise your child closely when they are playing on slides, swings, and mini-trampolines (we are not endorsing trampolines here).
- Hold your baby’s hand while climbing or down stairs or riding escalators; teach your child to hold onto handrails to avoid falling (however do not forget hand hygiene after an afternoon at the mall).
- Never let your children ride a bicycle, tricycle or scooter without a properly fitted and secured helmet.
- If a child is riding a bicycle with an adult, the child should be in a rear-mounted seat and be wearing a helmet.
- If you have a tree that your child likes to climb, teach them how far to climb, how to get down safely and have a rule that an adult always has to be with them when they climb the tree.
- A child with a disability needs more attention and supervision to avoid falls.
These are some of my recommendations for keeping your child safe from falls. Do you have other ideas? What has worked for you in the past? Share those below as a comment and please share this piece if you enjoyed reading it.
Center for disease control and prevention(CDC,2016) https://www.cdc.gov/HomeandRecreationalSafety/Falls/children.html
Comment below or on our Facebook Page. Please share this article.
Omega Pediatrics Difference: At Omega Pediatrics in Roswell, Georgia we understand the challenges that parents face when their children develop symptoms late in the day or after hours. Many pediatric offices are closed after 4 pm however we are open every weekday up to 9 pm for walk-ins and we have telemedicine via evisits for our known patients. Our clinic is one of the easily accessible pediatric primary care clinics in Roswell and Alpharetta. We provide pediatric primary care to families in the North Fulton area and we have families that live in Sandy Springs, Johns Creek, Duluth and Cumming.
Immunizations after-hours: One advantage of switching to Omega Pediatrics for your child’s primary care is that you can bring your child in for immunization after regular business hours. We provide this service because we have the passion for what we do and we want to be a comfortable and convenient service, not the ordinary pediatric doctor’s office. | <urn:uuid:a0d8a1ed-a297-47bf-94ed-1aecaf42fa27> | CC-MAIN-2019-09 | https://omegapediatrics.com/fall-prevention-children-0-4-years-old/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-09/segments/1550247488490.40/warc/CC-MAIN-20190218220415-20190219002415-00225.warc.gz | en | 0.942122 | 1,172 | 3.234375 | 3 |
This GCSE Physics quiz on light takes a second look at lenses. When the word lens was first used, it was defined as 'a piece of glass to regulate light rays'. The word comes from the Latin name for the lentil plant as the lentils themselves have a similar shape to the bi-convex pieces of glass that were used at the time for magnifying things. Since that time (the end of the 17th century), many different forms of lens have been devised. They are also made from many different substances, including plastic and there are even gravitational lenses. These are objects in space that have such a large gravitational attraction that they can bend light.
The earliest lenses were convex, so therefore they are classed as being converging lenses - lenses that bring rays of light to a place called the focal point.
At the focal point, they create an image that can be seen on a screen. This made them useful as they acted as a magnifying glass, but they could also be used to focus the Sun's heat on a small area. The heat was concentrated and they could be used to start fires. A lens that is flat on one side has the prefix plano- so a convex lens that is flat on one side is called a plano-convex lens. Lenses with concave surfaces cause light rays to diverge (spread apart) and are therefore referred to as diverging lenses.
Some lenses are more powerful than others, more curvature means that they will bend light through a larger angle and the focal length will be shorter. The power of a lens is measured in dioptres. A more powerful lens will bring light to a focus closer than a less powerful lens so the dioptre is defined as the reciprocal of the focal length. Theoretically a dioptre has the SI units of m-1 but it is not an officially recognised SI unit and can be written just as the number, without units. It is of particular use to opticians as it is a lot easier to specify a lens of a certain power to correct sight defects.
Lenses refract different wavelengths of light through different angles so white light that passes through a lens is split into its constituent colours. This is called chromatic aberration and was a big problem to makers of early optical instruments. Chromatic aberration makes an image less sharp and you can see a coloured 'halo' around the edges. When you are looking at tiny objects or distant objects like stars and planets, it is unhelpful as they appear to be slightly fuzzy. It was eventually discovered that different types of glass had different chromatic aberration and that putting two types of glass together to form a compound lens solved the problem. A lens system that does not suffer from chromatic aberration is described as being achromatic.
The eye is an optical instrument and often crops up in questions about optics in physics GCSE papers. You need therefore to be familiar with the main parts of the eye and their functions. The part of the eye that focusses the light is the lens. The shape of the lens is controlled by the ciliary muscles. To view distant objects, the shape of the lens needs to be changed to be thinner and vice-versa. The light rays are focussed onto the retina. The changes in the lens that allow it to be focused on near and far objects is called accommodation. | <urn:uuid:26dc0b81-5e0e-422b-91df-3c7d8ba98ffe> | CC-MAIN-2022-27 | https://www.educationquizzes.com/gcse/physics/light-lenses-02/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-27/segments/1656103821173.44/warc/CC-MAIN-20220630122857-20220630152857-00162.warc.gz | en | 0.974582 | 696 | 4.09375 | 4 |
Wind energy is rapidly becoming one of the most important sources of renewable energy in the world. The falling cost of wind turbines and the increase in wind power capacity has led to an exponential growth in the number of wind energy installations. However, this growth in wind energy capacity has put a strain on the existing electricity grids, which were not designed to handle the fluctuations in power generation that come with wind energy. As a result, grid modernization has become a necessary step towards integrating wind energy into the existing power grids. In this article, we will explore the synergistic approach of wind energy and grid modernization.
Table Of Content
We invite you to read: “9 Cool Innovations In Wind Energy”
Synergistic Approach of Wind Energy and Grid Modernization
Wind energy and grid modernization are two sides of the same coin. One cannot exist without the other. Grid modernization is necessary to accommodate the growth of wind energy installations, while wind energy is necessary for a sustainable energy future. Below are some of the ways in which wind energy and grid modernization work together:
A smart grid is an electricity grid that uses digital communication technology to monitor and control power flows, allowing for greater integration of renewable energy sources like wind energy. Smart grids can help to balance the fluctuating power generation from wind turbines by quickly adjusting power flows to match supply and demand. They can also provide real-time data on power generation, consumption, and prices, which can help to optimize the use of wind energy and reduce the need for backup power sources.
Energy storage systems like batteries can help to store excess wind energy for use during periods of low wind generation. By storing energy, wind energy installations can provide a more reliable source of power to the grid. Energy storage can also help to reduce the need for backup power sources and improve the overall stability of the electricity grid.
We invite you to read: “Massive Support For Onshore Wind Energy Projects In The UK”
Demand response is a program that encourages consumers to reduce their electricity usage during periods of high demand or low supply. This program can be used to balance the power grid during times of low wind generation. Consumers can be incentivized to reduce their electricity usage during these periods, which can help to prevent blackouts and brownouts.
Distributed Energy Resources
Distributed energy resources (DERs) like rooftop solar panels and small wind turbines can help to supplement the power generated by large-scale wind energy installations. DERs can also help to reduce the overall demand for electricity from the grid, which can help to stabilize the grid during periods of high demand or low supply.
We invite you to read: “Can Electricity Be Generated Out of Thin Air?”
Wind energy and grid modernization complement each other and offer numerous benefits. Integrating wind energy into the grid system and updating the infrastructure can improve reliability, efficiency, and reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. Wind energy can provide affordable, clean energy to communities, improving energy security and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Overall, wind energy and grid modernization will play a crucial role in achieving a sustainable future.
How does wind energy affect the electricity grid?
Wind energy can cause fluctuations in power generation, which can put a strain on the electricity grid. Grid modernization is necessary to accommodate these fluctuations and ensure that the grid remains stable.
What is grid modernization?
Grid modernization is the process of upgrading the existing electricity grid to handle new sources of energy like wind energy. This can involve the use of new technology like smart grids, energy storage systems, and demand response programs.
Can wind energy replace traditional sources of energy?
While wind energy can provide a significant amount of power, it cannot completely replace traditional sources of energy like coal and natural gas. Wind energy is just one part of a larger strategy to transition to a more sustainable energy future.
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- The Future of Wind Energy: Predictions and Trends | <urn:uuid:3853dabc-7674-436a-8651-6fe0288845db> | CC-MAIN-2023-23 | https://windcycle.energy/wind-energy-and-grid-modernization/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-23/segments/1685224647895.20/warc/CC-MAIN-20230601143134-20230601173134-00084.warc.gz | en | 0.912431 | 870 | 3.046875 | 3 |
Test 4: Soldering Iron
Test Performed: Soldering Iron
Test Date: February 28, 1999
Special Conditions: None
For this test, we heated up a soldering iron in our lab. The soldering iron is usually used for electronic assembly. Its extreme temperature is used to melt metal solder used to connect electronic wires and circuits.
Chibi Moon was placed in position while the soldering iron was fully heated. Precise temperature measurements were not available since the soldering iron would have melted the thermometer.
It was determined that the focal point of the soldering iron would be the top of Chibi Moon's head. Her head is the largest part of her body and would provide more area for the soldering iron to come in contact with than her body or limbs.
After the soldering iron was fully heated, it was slowly lowered into the part in her hair on top of her head. It began to melt away the plastic into a ring around the soldering iron's tip. This also caused some hazerdous fumes to be given off.
The soldering iron had a small bead of solder on the tip that rolled off and became lodged near her hair clip. It melted into place and is not easily removed.
After submerging the tip of the soldering iron and reaching a depth of approximately one inch, the soldering iron was removed from Chibi Moon's head. At this point, the test concluded and both the soldering iron and Chibi Moon were allowed to cool down.
The soldering iron left an obvious cavity in Chibi Moon's head. This may have caused a loss in structural support. Further tests will evaluate this.
The image seen to the right has been enhanced with a small light aimed into the cavity. The dark spots are charred plastic which fell off the soldering iron and melted into the plastic inside the hole.
There is no damage to any other part of Chibi Moon's body.
Damage Assessment: Severe head trauma.
Conclusion: Chibi Moon is vulnerable to extreme heat | <urn:uuid:76cbaf01-518c-4cf6-800e-ca64b54864f9> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://chibiproject.com/tests/solderingiron.shtml | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573849.97/warc/CC-MAIN-20220819222115-20220820012115-00045.warc.gz | en | 0.977075 | 419 | 2.90625 | 3 |
Cats that begin urinating outside of the litter box can be a challenge. Identifying the cause of the inappropriate elimination
can be difficult f or veterinarians . And no solution is fast enough for pet owners who become quickly frustrated with the
day-to-day realities of the problem. Therefore, it's important that you help them understand the complicated nature of the
problem as well as their role in solving it.
Inform clients that a cat's elimination disorder can be behavioral or physical. Explain that behavioral elimination disorders
are complex and can involve any of a dozen issues such as a new hierarchy in the household, a change in the type or brand
of cat litter used, a litter box that is too small, or a temporary disruption that prevented the cat from using the litter
box and caused the cat to establish a new elimination site.
Also discuss how easy it is for clients to miss subtle changes over time due to physical problems such as arthritis and obesity
or changes associated with aging such as cognitive dysfunction. These conditions can result in elimination problems that seem
to appear suddenly and seem to be related to improper behavior. If an overt medical problem such as idiopathic cystitis, a
bacterial urinary tract infection, a polyuric disorder, or a bladder tumor is identified as the cause of the elimination problem,
make sure clients understand that behavior challenges can still occur even after the medical problem is resolved.
Help create realistic expectations for clients. Let them know that they can't expect immediate results and that they play
an important role in solving home issues (e.g. by providing more, larger, or easily accessed litter boxes or addressing odor elimination) so inappropriate elimination doesn't
persist after managing medical issues. To achieve a successful outcome, cooperation, persistence, and dedication are needed
from pet owners and you and your team members. | <urn:uuid:cbaa0993-13ec-47be-8a3f-e403afab256b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://veterinaryteam.dvm360.com/firstline/Feline+Center/Talking-to-clients-about-feline-elimination-proble/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/653755 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701562534/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105242-00029-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945526 | 380 | 2.9375 | 3 |
|To guess at the intention of the enemy; to divine his opinion of yourself; to hide from both your intentions and opinion; to mislead him by feigned manoeuvres; to invoke ruses, as well as digested schemes, so as to fight under the best conditionsóthis is and always was the art of war.|
11-1. The side possessing better information and using that information more effectively to gain understanding has a major advantage over its opponent. A force that achieves this advantage and effectively uses it to affect enemy perceptions, attitudes, decisions, and actions has exploited information superiority. Information superiority is the operational advantage derived from the ability to collect, process, and disseminate an uninterrupted flow of information while exploiting or denying an adversaryís ability to do the same. Commanders exploit information superiority to accomplish missions. Information superiority is not static. During operations, all sides attempt to secure its advantages and deny them to adversaries and enemies. The operational advantages of information superiority can take several forms, ranging from the ability to create a better operational picture and understand it in context, to the ability to shape the environment with offensive information operations (IO).
11-2. At its essence, information superiority is about Army forces being able to see first, understand first, and act first. Army forces cannot develop information superiority if they are constantly reacting to enemy operations. Information superiority requires commanders who are proactive, view information as an element of combat power, trust their subordinates to provide relevant information, and conduct (plan, prepare, execute, and continuously assess) operations accordingly. To achieve information superiority, commanders synchronize and target information as intensely as they do fires and maneuver. They seek to make better use of their information and information systems than adversaries or enemies do of theirs. These information systems include the analysis, procedures, and training necessary to extract and exploit intelligence and other critical information from raw data, and present it in a form in which it can be quickly understood. Successful commanders are those who see, understand, and then exploit the situation.
11-3. Gaining and exploiting information superiority demands effective doctrine, training, leadership, organization, materiel, and soldiers. It puts a premium on the commanderís ability to visualize, describe, and direct operations. Effective use of advanced information systems, procedures, and training allows commanders to achieve and maintain situational understanding. Modern information technologies help commanders lead more effectively and consistently make better decisions than those opposing them.
11-4. Commanders manage their information resources, combine their judgment with the knowledge of their staffs and subordinates, and use information systems to understand their battlespace better than their adversaries or enemies do. Commanders require relevant information about the factors of METT-TC to exercise effective command and control (C2). From the initial warning order to completion of redeployment, Army forces use every means, including force, to acquire that information. At the same time, they attempt to deny adversaries and enemies information about friendly forces and actively degrade their ability to collect, process, store, display, and disseminate information. Effective friendly use of information, complemented with active measures that prevent enemies from using information effectively or countering friendly information use, creates conditions for achieving information superiority. Army forces use the qualitative advantages of information superiority as a springboard for decisive operations.
11-5. The operational and tactical implications of information superiority are profound. Rapid seizure and retention of the initiative becomes the distinguishing characteristic of all operations. Information superiority allows commanders to make better decisions more quickly than their enemies and adversaries. Unable to keep pace, enemies and adversaries must deal with new problems before they can solve current ones. In combat, a rapid tempo—sustained by information superiority—can outpace enemyís ability to make decisions contribute to his destruction. In stability operations and support operations, information superiority helps deploying forces anticipate problems and requirements. It allows commanders to control events and situations earlier and with less force, creating the conditions necessary to achieve the end state.
11-6. Adversaries and enemies pursue their own relative information advantages, very likely in asymmetric ways, while continually attempting to deny information superiority to friendly forces. Because opposing forces constantly adapt and situations continually evolve, information superiority is relative and transitory. Absolute information superiority is not possible. Commanders assess the quality of their information against their decision making requirements. Against that assessment, they estimate the quality of the enemyís operational picture. Commanders avoid any complacency associated with relative levels of military technology. They are aware that their enemy may, by chance or countermeasures, uncover the sources of friendly informational advantage, block them, or use them to deceive.
11-7. Commanders recognize that unless they envision and direct operations designed to achieve and maintain information superiority, they may lose it. Commanders exploit any advantages in information capability and intelligence to increase the effects of combat power. They constantly seek to improve their situational understanding and to assess that of their enemy. They know that losing information superiority may result in losing the initiative.
11-8. The information environment is the aggregate of individuals, organizations, or systems that collect, process, or disseminate information; also included is the information itself. The climate, terrain, and weapons effects (such as electromagnetic pulse or blackout) affect the information environment but are not part of it. The information environment includes the C2 systems of friendly and enemy forces and those of other organizations and groups. Commanders consider the explosive growth of information and the pervasive nature of the information environment when they visualize an operation. They include that part of the information environment that affects their operation in their battlespace.
11-9. Most of the information environment is not under military control, adding to the challenges commanders face. While they cannot control the entire information environment, they must be prepared to operate within it. Interaction with the information environment increases the complexity of Army operations. More than ever, commanders consider how factors outside their area of operations (AO) may affect their operations. IO often requires coordination with governmental and nongovernmental agencies. Legal limitations on IO vary according to the situation. This interaction may affect the impact of tactics on operations and strategy. Military actions that are tactically or operationally insignificant may influence strategy, or even national policy, when highlighted by the media. Therefore, operational commanders consider more than the military conditions of the end state of a campaign. They consider the comprehensive diplomatic, political, and social aspects of it as well.
11-10. Army forces increasingly rely on the unrestricted use of the information environment. Commanders and staffs need to understand its effects on operations and develop C2 systems that support their operational needs and intelligence requirements. Distance has little meaning in the information environment. Army information systems are "in contact" with enemy information systems before any operation starts. They remain in contact after the operation ends. Commanders understand that there is no sanctuary for friendly information. Before Army forces arrive in theater, the battle for information superiority begins. Commanders and staff conduct operations accordingly.
11-11. Commanders direct three interdependent contributors to achieve information superiority (see Figure 11-1):
Intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR).
Information management (IM).
IO (to include related activities).
These contributors enable and complement full spectrum operations. Specific objectives that contribute to information superiority include the following:
Develop and maintain a comprehensive picture of enemies and adversaries; forecast their likely actions.
Deny enemies and adversaries information about friendly forces and operations.
Influence enemy and adversary leader perceptions, plans, actions, and will to oppose friendly forces.
Influence noncombatants and neutrals to support friendly missions or not to resist friendly activities.
Inform noncombatant and neutral organizations so they can better support friendly policies, activities, and intentions.
Protect friendly decision making processes, information, and information systems.
Continually provide relevant information (including intelligence) to the commander and staff in a useable form.
Destroy, degrade, disrupt, deny, deceive, and exploit enemy decision making processes, information, and information systems, and influence those of adversaries and others.
Figure 11-1. Information Superiority
11-12. Commanders wage the struggle for information superiority throughout the information environment, not only in the AO. Superiority in one contributor alone does not ensure information superiority. For example, Army forces may have better IM than a less sophisticated enemy. However, superior intelligence and better security may give the enemy commander more information about Army forces than they have about the enemy. Uncoordinated actions within single contributors are ineffective. Information superiority results when commanders synchronize all three contributors. Figure 11-2 illustrates the nature of the struggle for information superiority.
Figure 11-2. Information Operations and Information Superiority
11-13. ISR integration is fundamental to information superiority. Thoroughly integrated ISR operations add many collection sources. ISR integration eliminates unit and functional "stovepipes" for planning, reporting, and processing information and producing intelligence. It provides a common mechanism for all units to conduct ISR operations in a coordinated, synergistic way.
11-14. ISR operations allow units to produce intelligence on the enemy and environment (to include weather, terrain, and civil considerations) necessary to make decisions. This intelligence answers requirements developed throughout the operations process. Timely and accurate intelligence encourages audacity and can facilitate actions that may negate enemy superiority in soldiers and materiel. Normally, timely and accurate intelligence depends on aggressive and continuous reconnaissance and surveillance.
11-15. The complexity of the operational environment requires sharing intelligence from the national level to the tactical level and among headquarters at each level. Analysis is a complex task that requires fusing information and intelligence from each ISR discipline and asset into an all-source product. Analysis is increasingly distributed and collaborative. Analysts who are closest to the point of collection enter data and perform initial processing one time for the entire force. Modern information systems allow analysts to collaborate on the overall analysis without degrading support to their own commanders, regardless of their geographic dispersion. This distributed, collaborative analysis process starts with the initial intelligence preparation of the battlefield (IPB) and continues throughout operations.
11-16. The commander drives the intelligence system. Managing the ISR effort entails—
11-17. Intelligence provides critical support to all operations, including IO. It supports planning, decision making, target development, targeting, and protecting the force. It is a continuous process for any operation. Surveillance and reconnaissance are the primary means of collecting information used to produce intelligence. A thorough understanding of joint ISR capabilities allows commanders to prepare complementary collection plans. Surveillance and reconnaissance assets focus primarily on collecting information about the enemy and the environment to satisfy the priority intelligence requirements (PIR). In the end, the art of intelligence and its focus on supporting the commander are more important than any information system. This art includes an understanding of intelligence, analysis, the enemy, operations, and the commanderís needs.
11-18. IPB is the first step toward placing an operation in context. It drives the process that commanders and staff use to focus information assets and to integrate surveillance and reconnaissance operations across the AO. IPB provides commanders with information about the enemy and environment, and how these factors affect the operation. In most cases, IPB allows commanders to fill gaps in information about the enemy with informed assessments and predictions. IPB is also the starting point for situational development, which intelligence personnel use to develop the enemy and environment portions of the common operational picture (COP). As such, IPB is important to the commanderís visualization. The commander drives IPB, and the entire staff assists the intelligence staff with continuous updates. All staff officers develop, validate, and maintain IPB components relating to their areas of expertise. For example, the engineer contributes and maintains current mobility and countermobility situation overlays.
11-19. Surveillance involves continuously observing an area to collect information. Wide-area and focused surveillance provide valuable information.
11-20. Army forces at all echelons receive intelligence based on information from national, joint, Army, and commercial surveillance systems. National and theater surveillance systems focus on information requirements for combatant commanders and provide information to all services for theater-wide operations. Continuous theater surveillance helps analysts determine the location and approximate dispositions of enemy land forces. When available, near real-time surveillance platforms—such as the joint surveillance, target attack radar system (JSTARS)— provide moving target indicators. Additionally, long-range surveillance units can provide extremely accurate and valuable information.
11-21. Although the US may enjoy an advantage in surveillance assets, commanders should assume that enemies also have adequate surveillance means. For example, an enemy may purchase high-resolution imagery from commercial space-based systems. Alternatively, the local populace may report Army force actions through the civilian police to enemy intelligence agencies.
11-22. Reconnaissance collects information and can validate current intelligence or predictions. Reconnaissance units, unlike other units, are designed to collect information.
11-23. Information collected by means other than reconnaissance has great operational and tactical value. However, those assets may not be able to meet some requirements or collect information with adequate accuracy and level of detail. Operational priorities within the theater may limit ground commandersí ability to task theater surveillance systems. Therefore, Army commanders complement surveillance with aggressive and continuous reconnaissance. Surveillance, in turn, increases the efficiency of and reduces the risk to reconnaissance elements by focusing their operations.
11-24. In some situations, the firepower, flexibility, survivability, and mobility of reconnaissance assets allow them to collect information where other assets cannot. Reconnaissance units obtain information on adversary and potential enemy forces as well as on the characteristics of a particular area. Reconnaissance missions normally precede all operations and begin as early as the situation, political direction, and rules of engagement permit (see FM 5-0). They continue aggressively throughout the operation. Reconnaissance can locate mobile enemy C2 assets, such as command posts, communication nodes, and satellite terminals for neutralization, attack, or destruction. Commanders at all echelons incorporate reconnaissance into the conduct of operations (see FM 3-90).
11-25. Continuous and aggressive reconnaissance does more than collect information. It may also produce effects or prompt enemy actions. The enemy may take forces needed elsewhere to counter friendly reconnaissance efforts. Hostile forces sometimes mistake reconnaissance units for the decisive operation and prematurely expose their dispositions or commit their reserves. Friendly commanders may exploit opportunities revealed by friendly reconnaissance, often using the reconnaissance force as the spearhead. Information from reconnaissance missions allows commanders to refine or change plans and orders, preclude surprises, and save the lives of soldiers.
11-26. Reconnaissance elements may have to fight for information. However, the purpose of reconnaissance is to gain information through stealth, not initiate combat. Reconnaissance operations that draw significant combat power into unplanned actions not in line with the commanderís intent may jeopardize mission accomplishment.
11-27. Commanders integrate ISR missions into a single plan that capitalizes on their different capabilities. They synchronize reconnaissance and surveillance missions that employ maneuver units with both the ISR plan and scheme of maneuver.
11-28. Information management is the provision of relevant information to the right person at the right time in a usable form to facilitate situational understanding and decision making. It uses procedures and information systems to collect, process, store, display, and disseminate information (see FM 6-0). IM is far more than technical control of data flowing across networks. It communicates decisions that initiate effective actions to accomplish missions and fuses information from many sources. Successful IM adds meaning to information as it is processed, so decision makers can focus on achieving understanding instead of processing or evaluating information. IM consists of two supporting components: information systems and relevant information.
11-29. Successful IM includes processing. Processing adds meaning to relevant information through progressively higher-level and complex cognitive methods to create a COP. Among other aspects, processing includes lower-level mechanical and mechanistic methods, such as organizing, collating, plotting, and arranging. However, effective processing requires analysis and evaluation (higher-level cognitive methods) to convert information into knowledge and knowledge into understanding. This aspect of processing depends on the insight and flexibility of well-trained and adaptive analysts.
11-30. Commanders and staffs assess the effectiveness of IM by considering how information contributes to lessening the "fog of war." First, untimely information or unusable data has the same effect as not having the information. It either arrives too late or cannot be understood in time to affect the commanderís decision. Second, incomplete or imprecise information is better than no information. While not perfect, it contributes to the commanderís grasp of the situation and may assist decision making. Finally, irrelevant or inaccurate information is worse than no information. Irrelevant information distracts and delays; inaccurate information may lead to an inappropriate decision. Computers and software cannot make these qualitative distinctions; making them requires soldiers with good judgment.
11-31. Information systems are the equipment and facilities that collect, process, store, display and disseminate information. These include computersóhardware and softwareóand communications, as well as policies and procedures for their use. Information systems are integral components of C2 systems. Effective information systems automatically process, disseminate, and display information according to user requirements. IM centers on commanders and the information relevant to C2. Commanders make the best use of information systems when they determine their information requirements and focus their staffs and organizations on meeting them.
11-32. Relevant information is all information of importance to commanders and staffs in the exercise of command and control. To be relevant, information must be accurate, timely, usable, complete, precise, and reliable. Relevant information provides the answers commanders and staffs need to successfully conduct operations, that is, all elements necessary to address the factors of METT-TC. The intelligence system, for example, provides intelligence that constitutes relevant information on the enemy, terrain and weather, time available (to the enemy), and civil considerations.
11-33. Relevant information results from assigning meaning to data to assist understanding. Processing changes raw data into information by assigning meaning to it. Analysis and evaluation transform information into knowledge, which is presented to commanders as relevant information. When commanders apply judgment to knowledge, it becomes understanding. Understanding enables making informed decisions with less-than-perfect data. Combined with will, understanding generates effective action.
11-34. Relevant information is perishable. If not delivered and acted upon quickly, it may become outdated (no longer relevant) and distort the commanderís situational understanding. Masses of data and information may overwhelm the command post. Without effective IM, critical information will be misrouted, delayed, or buried in routine data and overlooked. Information systems can assist in managing volumes of data, but will not do so unless commanders define their information requirements, tie them to their intent, and update them as execution unfolds.
Categories of Information
11-35. IM narrows the gap between available information and information commanders require. Effective IM facilitates rapid dissemination of relevant information. IM assigns information into four categories: specified requirements, implied requirements, gaps, and distractions.
11-36. Information is further classified as facts, estimates, and assumptions. Facts are information commanders want to know and can know with certainty. A fact must be confirmed or come from a reliable source. Estimates and assumptions are information commanders want to know but cannot know with certainty. Commanders and staffs must use discipline in separating fact from assumption; otherwise they are vulnerable to deception or risk inaccurate situational understanding. Estimates and assumptions primarily include information about the enemy, the future, or factors over which commanders have little or no control.
11-37. Facts, estimates, and assumptions can be either relevant information or distractions. They are relevant information if the commander both wants and needs to know the information. They are distractions if the commander wants to know but does not need to know the information. Photographs, for example, can be distractions. Unless the commander clearly understands the imagery, demands for photos only clog overloaded information systems. Effective IM filters distractions from relevant information.
Quality of Information
11-38. Sources of information are imperfect and susceptible to distortion and deception. Soldiers processing information use these qualities to evaluate it:
Effective IM keeps commanders and staffs aware of the quality of their information as they use it to build situational understanding.
Commanderís Critical Information Requirements
11-39. Commanders channel information processing by clearly expressing which information is most important. They designate critical information that derives from their intent—the commanderís critical information requirements (CCIR). The commanderís critical information requirements are elements of information required by commanders that directly affect decision making and dictate the successful execution of military operations. The key to effective IM is answering the CCIR.
11-40. When commanders receive a mission, they and their staffs analyze it using the military decision making process. As part of this process, commanders visualize the battlefield and the fight. CCIR are those key elements of information commanders require to support decisions they anticipate. Information collected to answer the CCIR either confirms the commanderís vision of the fight or indicates the need to issue a fragmentary order or execute a branch or sequel. CCIR directly support the commanderís vision of the battle—commanders develop them personally. Once articulated, CCIR normally generate two types of supporting information requirements: friendly force information requirements (FFIR) and PIR.
11-41. CCIR must be focused enough to generate relevant information. Unfocused requests, such as "I need to know if the enemy moves," may provide data but not much useable information. However, "I need to know when the enemy lead brigade reaches Named Area of Interest 2" or "I need to know if the multinational unit on our right flank advances beyond Phase Line Blue" are examples of CCIR specific enough to focus collection and IM priorities.
Essential Elements of Friendly Information
11-42. Although essential elements of friendly information (EEFI) are not part of the CCIR, they become a commanderís priorities when he states them. EEFI help commanders understand what enemy commanders want to know about friendly forces and why (see FM 6-0). They tell commanders what cannot be compromised. For example, a commander may determine that if the enemy discovers the movement of the reserve, the operation is at risk. In this case, the location and movement of the reserve become EEFI. EEFI support defensive IO, and as such may become information requirements. EEFI provide a basis for indirectly assessing the quality of the enemyís situational understanding: if the enemy does not know an element of EEFI, it degrades his situational understanding.
Common Operational Picture
11-43. An operational picture is a single display of relevant information within a commanderís area of interest. By collaborating, sharing, and tailoring relevant information, separate echelons create a COP. A common operational picture is an operational picture tailored to the userís requirements, based on common data and information shared by more than one command. The COP is displayed at a scale and level of detail that meets the information needs of the command at a particular echelon. C2 systems fuse information from a variety of sources, while information systems facilitate its rapid distribution in usable displays that facilitate understanding.
11-44. Different echelons require different information at different levels of precision and detail. The presentation of information in meaningful images assists its assimilation. IM provides relevant information as meaningful displays rather than masses of data. The COP allows collaborative interaction and real-time sharing of information among commanders and staffs without providing them with too much or too little information.
11-45. The Army continues to invest in technologies and develop procedures that increase commandersí ability to understand their battlespace. These modernizing efforts will increase the capability of Army forces to share a full-dimensional, highly accurate COP and rapidly disseminate guidance, orders, and plans. Technological applications that help visualize, illustrate, brief, and rehearse options contribute to a common understanding of the commanderís intent and concept of operations. Increasing the speed of analysis, compilation, and communication leaves more time for synthesis—assigning meaning to information and generating potential options.
11-46. Situational understanding is the product of applying analysis and judgment to the common operational picture to determine the relationships among the factors of METT-TC (see FM 6-0). It enhances decision making by identifying opportunities, threats to the force or mission accomplishment, and information gaps. It helps commanders identify enemy options and likely future actions, the probable consequences of proposed friendly actions, and the effects of the environment on both. Situational understanding based on a COP fosters initiative in subordinate commanders by reducing, although not eliminating, uncertainty (see Figure 11-3).
Figure 11-3. Situational Understanding
11-47. Situational understanding has limits. It is imperfect, particularly with respect to the enemy situation. It requires constant verification. Situational understanding focuses on the current situation. It can reduce the friction caused by the fog of war. However, achieving accurate situational understanding depends at least as much on human judgment as on machine-processed information—particularly when assessing enemy intent and combat power. Simply having a technologically assisted portrayal of the situation cannot substitute for technical and tactical competence. Additionally, portions of the force will not be modernized for some time. The level of situational understanding between modernized and less modernized units may vary over time. Commanders recognize the disparity between organizations and adjust procedures and subordinate unit missions accordingly.
11-48. IM is a command responsibility. IM plans establish responsibilities and provide instructions for managing information. The IM plan is the commanderís "concept of operations" for handling information. Effective IM plans cover the entire scope of operations. Designated staff elements refine the IM plan and provide overall management of information.
11-49. IO are primarily shaping operations that create and preserve opportunities for decisive operations. IO are both offensive and defensive. Related activities—public affairs and civil-military operations (CMO)—support IO.
11-50. The value of IO is not in their effect on how well an enemy transmits data. Their real value is measured only by their effect on the enemyís ability to execute military actions. Commanders use IO to attack enemy decision making processes, information, and information systems. Effective IO allow commanders to mass effects at decisive points more quickly than the enemy. IO are used to deny, destroy, degrade, disrupt, deceive, exploit, and influence the enemyís ability to exercise C2. To create this effect, friendly forces attempt to influence the enemyís perception of the situation.
11-51. Similarly, IO and related activities affect the perceptions and attitudes of a host of others in the AO. These include the local population, displaced persons, and civilian leaders. IO are shaping operations that help commanders create favorable conditions for not only decisive operations but also sustaining operations. Commanders use IO and related activities to mitigate the effects of enemy IO, as well as adverse effects stemming from misinformation, rumors, confusion, and apprehension.
11-52. Successful IO require a thorough and detailed IPB. IPB includes information about enemy capabilities, decision making style, and information systems. It also considers the effect of the media and the attitudes, culture, economy, demographics, politics, and personalities of people in the AO. Successful IO influences the perceptions, decisions, and will of enemies, adversaries, and others in the AO. Its primary goals are to produce a disparity in enemy commandersí minds between reality and their perception of reality and to disrupt their ability to exercise C2 (see FM 3-13).
11-53. Offensive and defensive operations use complementary, reinforcing, and asymmetric effects to attack enemies, influence adversaries and others, and protect friendly forces. On a battlefield where concentrating forces is hazardous, IO can attack enemy C2 systems and undermine enemy capabilities and will to fight. It can reduce friendly vulnerabilities and exploit enemy weaknesses. Where the use of force is restricted or is not a viable option, IO can influence attitudes, reduce commitment to a hostile cause, and convey the willingness to use force without actually employing it. Information used in this manner allows friendly forces to accomplish missions faster, with fewer casualties.
Offensive Information Operations
11-54. The desired effects of offensive IO are to destroy, degrade, disrupt, deny, deceive, exploit, and influence enemy functions. Concurrently, Army forces employ elements of offensive IO to affect the perceptions of adversaries and others within the AO. Using the elements of IO offensively, Army forces can either prevent the enemy from exercising effective C2 or leverage it to their advantage. Ultimately, IO targets are the human leaders and human decision making processes of adversaries, enemies, and others in the AO.
Defensive Information Operations
11-55. Defensive IO protect friendly access to relevant information while denying adversaries and enemies the opportunity to affect friendly information and information systems. Defensive IO limit the vulnerability of C2 systems.
Information Operations Elements
11-56. Integrating offensive and defensive IO is essential to success. Many activities or operations comprise IO. Each element may have offensive or defensive applications (see FM 3-13).
11-57. Military Deception. Military deception includes measures designed to mislead adversaries and enemies by manipulation, distortion, or falsification. Its aim is to influence the enemyís situational understanding and lead him to act in a manner that favors friendly forces.
11-58. Counterdeception. Counterdeception includes efforts to negate, neutralize, or diminish the effects of, or gain advantage from, a hostile deception operation. Counterdeception supports offensive IO by reducing harmful effects of enemy deception. Defensively, counterdeception identifies enemy attempts to mislead friendly forces.
11-59. Operations Security. Operations security (OPSEC) denies the enemy information critical to the success of friendly military operations. It contributes to the security of Army forces and their ability to surprise enemies and adversaries. OPSEC identifies routine activities that may telegraph friendly intentions, operations, capabilities, or military activities. It acts to suppress, conceal, control, or eliminate these indicators. OPSEC includes countersurveillance, signal security, and information security.
11-60. Physical Security. Physical security prevents unauthorized access to equipment, installations, and documents. It safeguards and protects information and information systems.
11-61. Electronic Warfare. Electronic warfare (EW) is military action involving the use of electromagnetic and directed energy to control the electromagnetic spectrum or to attack the enemy. EW can cause an enemy to misinterpret the information received by his electronic systems. EW includes—
11-62. Information Assurance. Information assurance protects and defends information systems. Threats to information systems include physical destruction, denial of service, capture, environmental damage, and malfunctions. Information assurance provides an enhanced degree of confidence that information and information systems possess the following characteristics: availability, integrity, authentication, confidentiality, and nonrepudiation. Computer network defense is part of this element.
11-63. Physical Destruction. Physical destruction applies combat power against IO-related targets. Targets include information systems, EW systems, and command posts. Physical destruction that supports IO is synchronized with other aspects of the operation. For example, when deciding whether to destroy an enemy command post, the friendly commander weighs the advantages gained from disrupting enemy C2 against those gained from collecting information from the command postís radio traffic.
11-64. Psychological Operations. Psychological operations (PSYOP) are planned operations that influence the behavior and actions of foreign audiences by conveying selected information and indicators to them (see JP 3-53; FM 3-05.30). The aim of PSYOP is to create behaviors that support US national interests and the mission of the force. PSYOP are closely integrated with OPSEC, military deception, physical destruction, and EW to create a perception of reality that supports friendly objectives.
11-65. Counterpropaganda. Counterpropaganda includes activities directed at an enemy or adversary conducting PSYOP against friendly forces. Counterpropaganda can contribute to situational understanding and expose enemy attempts to influence friendly populations and military forces. Preventive actions include propaganda awareness programs that inform US and friendly forces and friendly populations about hostile propaganda.
11-66. Counterintelligence. Counterintelligence consists of activities that identify and counteract threats to security posed by espionage, subversion, or terrorism. It detects, neutralizes, or prevents espionage or other intelligence activities. Counterintelligence supports the commanderís requirements to preserve essential security and protect the force.
11-67. Computer Network Attack. Computer network attack consists of operations that disrupt, deny, degrade, or destroy information resident in computers and computer networks. It may also target computers and networks themselves. Although theater or national elements normally conduct computer network attack, the effects may be evident at corps and below.
11-68. Computer Network Defense. Computer network defense consists of all measures to defend computers and other components that are interconnected in electronic telecommunications networks against computer network attacks by an adversary. Such measures include access controls, detection of malicious computer code and programs, and tools to detect intrusions. Army forces use inherent capabilities and accomplish specific computer network defense actions to defend computer networks from unauthorized users.
11-69. Public affairs and CMO are activities related to IO. Both communicate information to critical audiences to influence their understanding and perception of military operations. Related activities are distinct from IO because they do not manipulate or distort information; their effectiveness stems from their credibility with the local populace and news media. Public affairs and CMOóprime sources of informationólink the force, the local populace, and the news media. They also provide assessments of the impact of military operations on civilians, neutrals, and others within the battlespace.
11-70. Public Affairs. Public affairs operations influence populations by transmitting information through the news media. They fulfill the Armyís obligation to keep the American people and the Army informed. Public affairs help to establish conditions that lead to confidence in the Army and its readiness to conduct operations in peace, conflict, and war. Disseminating this information is desirable and consistent with security. Information disseminated through public affairs counters the effects of propaganda and misinformation.
11-71. Civil-Military Operations. CMO applies civil affairs to military operations. It encompasses activities that commanders take to establish, maintain, influence, or exploit relations between military forces and civil authorities—both governmental and nongovernmental—and the civilian populace. Commanders direct these activities in friendly, neutral, or hostile AOs to facilitate military operations and consolidate operational objectives. Civil affairs may include performance by military forces of activities and functions normally the responsibility of local government. These activities may occur before, during, or after other military actions. They may also occur as stand-alone operations. CMO is the decisive and timely application of planned activities that enhance the relationship between military forces and civilian authorities and population. They promote the development of favorable emotions, attitudes, or behavior in neutral, friendly, or hostile groups. CMO range from support to combat operations to assisting countries in establishing political, economic, and social stability (see JP 3-57).
11-72. Information superiority requires extensive planning and preparation. It cannot be an afterthought. As an element of combat power, information requires the same attention as the other elements.
11-73. The foremost information superiority planning requirement is vertical and horizontal integration of ISR, IO, and IM. Army force plans support joint force commander (JFC) objectives and receive support from the JFC. In particular, offensive IO follow a common theme and are directed against supporting objectives. If not integrated, IO at different echelons may counteract each other.
11-74. Preparation focuses on IM and deploying the right ISR assets to support the force. Because Army forces are in varying states of modernization, the integration of information systems requires not only careful planning but also rehearsal and testing, whenever time permits. IM planning ensures that Army forces are able to disseminate relevant information vertically and horizontally. Commanders assess their information requirements against collection capabilities and tailor the force accordingly.
11-75. Continuous coordination distinguishes effective C2. The impact of information technologies increases the importance of coordination. There is an unfortunate tendency to accept everything that appears on a computer screen. Coordination, focused by CCIR, verifies information. Constant coordination identifies friction in IM and develops solutions. Coordination between humans becomes the lubricant that drives IM within each headquarters. Commanders emphasize the necessity of coordination between higher and lower units as well as adjacent and supporting units. Commanders coordinate with other commanders; they understand that coordination, while primarily the task of the staff, is not solely a staff responsibility.
11-76. Deploying forces may not have information superiority at deployment. The commanderís information needs, coupled with an understanding of METT-TC, influence force tailoring and the deployment sequence. ISR assets deploy to the theater ahead of or with initial-entry forces, depending on enemy. In areas where Army forces are already deployed and surveillance systems are established and collecting, available information may be adequate. However, crises often occur where forces are not forward deployed and intelligence is relatively sparse. In those cases, getting additional surveillance and reconnaissance assets immediately into theater becomes critical. Commanders deploy ISR and information systems with habitually supported forces. Assets assigned to early deploying units reinforce assets already deployed to or covering the theater.
11-77. The available intelligence on potential AOs may have limited tactical use. Commanders and staffs often find they must develop intelligence on an AO while their units are deploying there. To answer some specified and implied requirements, commanders may use subject matter experts. Subject matter experts understand the terrain, culture, enemy capabilities, and civil considerations of the AO and can help staffs develop estimates. Contingency operations in response to unanticipated crises are usually conducted under time constraints. It is critical that commanders and staffs consult subject matter experts familiar with the AO while developing the commanderís vision, establishing CCIR, and refining situational understanding.
11-78. As intelligence is refined and IPB continues, commanders focus surveillance and reconnaissance assets to collect additional information or verify existing intelligence. Persistent gaps may require additional collection assets. In a low-threat environment, host nation assets may provide significant augmentation and reduce requirements for US assets. In a high-threat environment, extensive reconnaissance and surveillance may be required before the main body deploys. All these factors influence how commanders tailor their forces (see Figure 11-4).
Figure 11-4. Information Superiority and Strategic Responsiveness
11-79. Information superiority enables decisive action and is, in turn, complemented by that action. IO achieve greatest effect when complementing other operations. Effective jamming, for example, is a nuisance to an enemy force postured for defense but not facing assault. Confronted with swiftly maneuvering Army forces, however, effective jamming that degrades enemy C2 and synchronization can significantly disrupt enemy operations.
11-80. Noncontiguous areas of operations challenge commanders to use intelligence elements, reconnaissance units, and surveillance systems efficiently and imaginatively. When operating in noncontiguous AOs, commanders focus collection operations on areas between formations. Surveillance and reconnaissance assets cover areas between noncontiguous AOs. When the area requiring coverage exceeds the capabilities of reconnaissance units, commanders coordinate for additional coverage, with joint elements if available. When necessary, commanders task other forces to complement surveillance and reconnaissance assets.
11-81. Commanders depend on subordinate initiative to accomplish missions, even in the absence of orders or a COP. Information technology enhances Army operations but does not govern them. Inevitably, some information systems will fail—either of their own accord or because of enemy action. Commanders develop and communicate their vision to subordinates with enough clarity to allow them to act when this happens. Subordinates complement initiative with constant coordination and by keeping their higher commanders informed. Because Army forces must be able to execute in the absence of a COP, senior commanders avoid the temptation to overcontrol subordinates.
11-82. The capabilities of new information systems encourage subordinates to exercise disciplined initiative. A COP gives subordinates access to the same information as their commanders and tailors it to subordinate needs. Subordinates who know their commanderís intent can act based on the COP, confident that their commander will understand what they are doing and why. More complete information allows well-trained leaders to make better decisions. A force in which commanders make good decisions at the lowest level will operate faster than one where decisions are centralized. Such a force is agile and can exploit opportunities as soon as they occur. As subordinates report their actions, those reports become part of the COP. Elements of the force affected by the action learn of it and can synchronize their actions with it. Properly used, modern information systems allow commanders to issue mission orders and control the battle through empowered subordinates. These subordinates can make decisions that fit both their immediate circumstances and the mission of the force as a whole.
11-83. The increased range and lethality of weapons systems, faster tempo, shorter decision cycles, and extended battlespace all serve to increase confusion and the volume of information. The key to achieving situational understanding and avoiding information overload is identifying relevant information and filtering out distractions. Although emerging user-friendly technologies will facilitate coordinating, fusing, sharing, and displaying relevant information, these functions remain very human. The extended battlespace places increased emphasis on the initiative, judgment, and tactical and technical competence of skilled subordinate leaders. Current information technology is no substitute for small unit training and aggressive leadership.
11-84. Information technology helps commanders lead by allowing them more freedom to move around the battlefield while remaining connected electronically to the command post. This capability allows commanders to add their personal observations and feel for the ongoing operation to the synthesized information in the COP. Commanders can increase face-to-face contact with subordinates at decisive points without losing sight of the overall situation.
11-85. Technology is creating new techniques for displaying and disseminating information. Imagery, video, color graphics, digital maps and overlays all present relevant information faster and more precisely than analog methods. These new capabilities allow greater understanding by different audiences. Today, for example, commanders use collaborative planning across data networks to link subordinates with commanders throughout the operations process. Displays of information tailored to suit the audience, reduce acronyms, and eliminate jargon are particularly important when dealing with joint, multinational, and interagency participants. Technology allows staffs to quickly produce such tailored displays.
11-86. Modern technology provides a variety of means for commanders to see and engage the enemy in depth. Sensor-to-shooter links used with precision weapons enable forces to strike multiple targets simultaneously in near real-time with little regard for distance or geography. What these systems hit and when they hit it are important decisions. The results are in the effects they create, not solely in the targets they destroy. Systematic lethal attacks on enemy C2 systems provide leverage for air and ground forces and help create the conditions for success. By their nature, these effects are temporary; commanders must exploit them with maneuver to make them permanent.
11-87. Information technology can reduce, but not eliminate, uncertainty. It gives commanders windows of opportunity that, with quick and decisive action, help them seize the initiative. Commanders may lose opportunities if the quest for certainty leads them to centralize control and decision making. Technologically assisted situational understanding may tempt senior leaders to micromanage subordinate actions. This is not new; the telegraph and the command helicopter created similar tensions. Senior commanders need to develop command styles that exploit information technology while allowing subordinates authority to accomplish their missions. Exploiting the capabilities of information technology demands well-trained leaders willing to take risks within the bounds of the commanderís intent. An understanding of the capabilities and limitations of information technology mitigates those risks. | <urn:uuid:64f7182d-7b74-4e5b-a27a-0bac28dcb717> | CC-MAIN-2017-17 | http://all.net/books/iw/US-Information-Superiority/www.adtdl.army.mil/cgi-bin/atdl.dll/fm/3-0/ch11.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-17/segments/1492917123491.68/warc/CC-MAIN-20170423031203-00481-ip-10-145-167-34.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.911413 | 9,003 | 2.78125 | 3 |
|Poulson M, - UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO|
Submitted to: Crop Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: December 16, 1994
Publication Date: N/A
Interpretive Summary: The development of laboratory methods to genetically alter plants promises to produce plants with unique and useful characteristics that cannot be created efficiently by conventional methods of hybridization. However, to utilize these techniques for barley, individual barley cells must be grown and coaxed into forming barley plants. This process, called plant regeneration, may create unwanted mutations (called somaclonal variation) that reduce the health of the regenerated plants and make them unsuitable for commercial agriculture. This study was designed to find out if soma- clonal variation occurred in regenerated barley plants by measuring the performance of 174 barley lines derived from regenerated barley plants of 6 commercial varieties. The results indicated that most regenerated barley plants possessed undesirable somaclonal variation that led to reductions in grain yield and grain quality. However, certain plants of some of the varieties performed as well as plants that had never been grown under laboratory conditions. The conclusions of this study were that laboratory producted mutations--somaclonal variation--occur and that their occurrence must be taken into consideration when utilizing laboratory methods to genetically improve barley.
Technical Abstract: Current methods for the production of genetic variability in vitro expose cultured cells to a potentially mutagenic environment. Selected genetic variability produced by in vitro selection or genetic transformation will be most useful if such variability is not accompanied by unselected and undesirable mutations. To determine the potential for recovering genotypes snot altered by passage through tissue culture, 30 families of tissue culture-derived lines from six barley cultivars were analyzed for agronomic performance. Each family was derived from a single regenerated plant that in turn derived from an immature embryo callus culture. Four to six R2 plants were selected from each family based on phenotypic similarity to the uncultured parental controls. One hundred seventy four R2-derived lines were advanced by bulking to the R4 and R5 generations for replicated testing. The results indicated that the agronomic performance of the majority of these lines was altered by passage through tissue culture, and that the alterations were generally undesirable. Genotypic differences were noted in the frequency and degree of agronomic alterations. Families within genotypes was an important source of variation, but selections within families was not. Successful selection of tissue culture-derived barley lines without somaclonal variation therefore may be genotype- dependent, and may require screening large populations of regenerated plants. | <urn:uuid:efdd03f3-3b7a-49fd-b4ec-31435e6fc77e> | CC-MAIN-2015-18 | http://www.ars.usda.gov/research/publications/publications.htm?seq_no_115=45646 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-18/segments/1429246635547.24/warc/CC-MAIN-20150417045715-00209-ip-10-235-10-82.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963832 | 539 | 2.640625 | 3 |
New Guinea and northern Australia.
Treetops in tropical rainforests.
Young snakes are brilliantly colored golden-yellow or brick-red, colors found in native arboreal flowers. The green color of adults helps conceal them amongst the foliage.
The tight coil, prehensile tail, and color of these pythons are adaptations allowing for life in the treetops. These snakes also have well-developed heat sensory pits along their lips which are used in locating warm-blooded prey. When resting, it loops itself saddle-fashion over a branch, anchoring itself with its prehensile tail and cradling its head in the middle of its comfortably draped coils.
The green tree python is oviparous. Leathery-shelled eggs are laid and incubated for about 47 days depending on temperature.
The green tree python looks amazingly similar to another snake, the green emerald tree boa, Boa canina, which is native to South America. This is an example of convergence between two different species in remote but similar habitats.
Endangered in native countries due to habitat destruction, skin trade, and hunting for food.
|Length:||On average, 5-6 feet. Maximum of 6 1/2 feet.|
|Average Lifespan:||15 years|
|Wild Diet:||Lizards, birds, amphibians, and mammals.|
|USFWS Status:||Not Listed|
|CITES Status:||Not Listed|
|Where at the Zoo?||Small Animal Building: Tropics Zone| | <urn:uuid:fd082ecd-4f26-45a4-8262-ca24562757b9> | CC-MAIN-2017-09 | http://www.hoglezoo.org/meet_our_animals/animal_finder/Green_Tree_Python/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-09/segments/1487501170992.17/warc/CC-MAIN-20170219104610-00215-ip-10-171-10-108.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.868189 | 327 | 3.9375 | 4 |
Article: Ichnological nomenclature of clavate borings
The use of ichnoterminology for flask-shaped borings is reviewed. The names Gastrochaenolites Leymcrie and Teredolites Leymerie are recommended for use as ichnogenera for such borings in lithic and lignic substrates respectively. A range of morphology is recognized for each genus and the following new ichnospecies are described: G, ampullatus. G. cluniformis, G. dijugus, G. lapidicus. G, orbicularis, G. ornutus, G. torpedo, G. turbinatus, and T. longissimus, A key is given for rapid identification of the species, and stratigraphic distributions are given. | <urn:uuid:0c2bfa15-f028-4eb1-8d38-fe4911e6b840> | CC-MAIN-2021-04 | https://www.palass.org/publications/palaeontology-journal/archive/27/4/article_pp793-807?view=abstract | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-04/segments/1610703513062.16/warc/CC-MAIN-20210117143625-20210117173625-00560.warc.gz | en | 0.797512 | 177 | 2.890625 | 3 |
The United States has vanquished measles before. But it was a different era.
In 2000, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention proclaimed victory over measles. The virus, which routinely infected millions and killed hundreds of Americans, was beaten, thanks to a vaccine and a public that understood community health was an essential foundation for personal health.
The vaccine remains - the rest is just a memory. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention just brought the total number of individuals infected with the measles virus this year to 102. Ninety-four cases resulted from exposure to one person at Disneyland.
Measles is one of the most contagious infectious diseases known to man. If 100 people are standing in a room and just one has the measles, within the next three weeks, 90 of those exposed - if not already vaccinated - will come down with the disease. And the infected person doesn't even have to be in the room for others to catch it. The virus can linger in the air for hours. So it is possible to catch it just by walking into a room where an infected person had recently spent time.
The Disneyland epidemic is only possible because of a drop in immunization rates in the United States. One in 12 children born in the United States is not being vaccinated as recommended, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Many of the anti-vaccine parents cite persistent concerns about what is now a widely discredited link between the vaccine and autism. Some of these parents are now at home caring for children who are feeling miserable because they have measles.
Though the infected children may well feel miserable, however, they are not the ones at the greatest risk from measles. The well-fed, healthy offspring of anti-vaccination middle-class or wealthy parents are at the lowest possible risk of dying or developing other complications of the disease. The centers' studies suggest that, for every 1,000 cases of measles, we can expect one to two deaths. The risk of any of these kids developing any of the other complications of the virus - pneumonia, encephalitis, hearing loss, mental retardation - is only slightly higher. When a healthy, school-age child catches the measles, most will, like me and many of my childhood friends back in the 1960s, have a week or so of feeling rotten. That's all.
Those really at risk of catching and dying from measles are the babies (like the unnamed infant in Orange County, California, too young to be vaccinated). Because of transmitted maternal immunity, the first measles vaccine won't be fully effective if given before a child is 1 year old. Also in danger are children (like 6-year-old Rhett Krawett of Marin County, California) and adults whose immune systems are compromised because of cancer or some other illness. Those are the people most at risk of getting and dying from the virus.
I'm an internist and try to practice evidence-based medicine. Let me apply those principles here: What does the evidence suggest will restore our sagging vaccination rates? How can we persuade these frightened parents of what we all knew a generation ago - that community health is essential for personal health.
We certainly know what hasn't worked. Scolding hasn't done much - though Lord knows people keep trying. No real surprise there. Has scolding ever worked?
It turns out that education doesn't do much, either. A recent study done by Brendan Nyhan, who teaches government at Dartmouth, looked at how education about a vaccine - in this case the flu vaccine - affected understanding and behavior. Educational materials about the vaccine were provided to a representative sample of 900 Americans who had concerns about its safety.
Many believed that getting the vaccine would give them the flu. After seeing the materials, the number of participants who believed that dropped dramatically. But, strangely, so did the number who intended to get the flu shot.
Strange and yet haven't we seen something similar in the natural experiment of our own current vaccine debate? Over the past decade, layer after layer of data has disproved that supposed link between autism and vaccination.
The single research study that started this whole mess was published in the Lancet, a respected medical journal, in 1998. That study has been fully discredited - and retracted by the journal. The study's findings, on a small number of children, had been falsified to give the desired result. The author was also revealed to have a financial stake in eliminating the combined vaccine - the conclusion he drew from the tampered-with data - so that people would buy his company's single vaccines.
Yet these oft-repeated findings have done nothing to slow the small but persistent anti-vaccination tide.
So what does work? Experience - the one kind of education that we know works - might be having an effect. The rising number of cases of measles, from 100 cases a year in 2000 when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declared victory, to the 644 cases reported last year and the 100 plus reported last month, may have revealed some of the health benefits of vaccination.
Many of those who have opted out of vaccines for their children grew up when measles was at its historic low. Experience is an excellent teacher.
Indeed, in Marin County, the heart of the anti-vaccination movement, vaccination rates increased 20 percent from 2012 to 2014.
Rates of vaccination also seem to depend on the ease with which parents can avoid the regulations requiring the shots. Studies have shown that states that allow personal preference and easy access to exemptions from vaccine requirements have a higher rate of unvaccinated children - and a subsequent increase in vaccine-preventable diseases. Can reversing that trend make a difference?
California is betting on it. Recently, the state legislature made it more difficult for concerned caregivers to opt out of vaccination requirements. Previously, parents could have a "personal belief exemption" just by signing a form. As of January 2014, parents were required to get a signature from their doctor as well.
Did this little legislative intervention play a role in the increased vaccination rate in Marin County? Time will tell.
It is possible that we will never again hit that sweet spot of mastery over measles that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declared in 2000. The United States was unique in the world in its willingness to unite in the fight against communicable childhood diseases. It was a remarkable - a historic achievement.
Nowhere else on the planet has even come close. In Western Europe, there were 31,000 cases of measles reported last year. More than 7,000 of them were in France. There were 145,000 deaths from measles worldwide, largely children under 5. Will we ever be able to eradicate measles in our country when all these other countries could not?
We did it once. But perhaps it's just another bit of American exceptionalism come to an end.© (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. | <urn:uuid:2e665b99-b683-4b48-ab97-3de65230559d> | CC-MAIN-2020-24 | https://japantoday.com/category/features/opinions/vaccines-the-best-way-to-persuade-parents-is-the-worst-for-kids?comment-order=oldest | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-24/segments/1590347391277.13/warc/CC-MAIN-20200526160400-20200526190400-00413.warc.gz | en | 0.966955 | 1,400 | 2.859375 | 3 |
Lens Basics—Choose the Right Lens for You
There are so many lenses on the market. Endless, really. And yet none of them are perfect for every situation, every photographer. But no matter what lens you’re using, it’s the most important part of your camera, because it draws your photos.
The lens is the most important part of every camera. It’s what “draws” every photo you take. Your lens—no matter what its type—concentrates light onto a recording surface (a chip or film), which then captures the final photo.
In the past, camera bodies were really just “boxes for film.” So in reality it was the lens that played the most important role (alongside one’s choice of film type). That’s not quite as true today, because you can’t switch out a digital camera’s sensor. That’s why camera bodies receive much more attention than they did in the analog age.
Not Just One
Long years of photographic experience will teach you which lenses and, in line with that, which other equipment suits you best.
This will naturally depend on the photographic genre in which you specialize. At first you can get by with just one basic zoom lens before picking another—typically a faster lens, or one of the special ones we’ll cover in this article.
There are countless lenses on the market. They come from a variety of manufacturers and offer a variety of technical parameters. Their most important parameters are their focal length, lens speed, and focusing system.
We can divide lenses into various groups based on these parameters. For example, lenses with a fixed focal length vs. ones with a variable length (zoom lenses), stabilized vs. unstabilized lenses, wide-angle vs. telephoto lenses, normal vs. the various specialized, genre-specific lenses, etc.
The Mount: Your Lens’s Home
Every manufacturer of DSLRs and mirrorless cameras has its own system for attaching the lens to the camera body—often a bayonet mount, sometimes a screw thread, etc. Because of this, you can’t for example put Canon lenses on a Nikon body.
Other manufacturers cooperate more among each other, and so lenses from one of these manufacturers can be used on cooperating manufacturers’ cameras without restriction. An example here is the micro 4/3 format used by Olympus and Panasonic.
Some companies on the market also produce lenses with multiple bayonet types. (A bayonet is a mechanical piece that helps a lens catch on the body of a mirrorless or DSLR camera with a bayonet mount.) For these lens models, you can get one with precisely the bayonet that you need. Sigma, Tamron, and Tokina lenses are examples of these.
Lens Speed—A Key Parameter
The lowest available f number, the widest available aperture, the lens speed—this is what the number after the F in a lens’s name means. Lens speed basically tells how much light makes it through the lens onto the sensor (or film). Lens speed affects—among other things—how well you can focus in bad light conditions (twilight, rain, low-contrast scenes) and how creative you can get with depth of field.
Lenses with superb speed (F2.8, F1.8, F1.4, etc.) tend to be more expensive than their “slower brethren.” After all, you can always make the aperture smaller.
While owners of DSLRs and mirrorless cameras have a wide choice of lenses for different purposes, compact owners have no choice at all. So before you buy a compact, think carefully about its built-in lens, because you won’t have the opportunity to replace it with another.
There’s no such thing as a universal lens with a perfect construction that covers all focal lengths without optical defects. It would be like a super-fast all-terrain sports car with high gas mileage. It simply doesn’t exist.
Fixed vs. Zoom Lenses
The main advantage of fixed-length lenses lies in their image quality. These lenses tend to have fewer optical defects and higher lens speeds than zoom lenses. However, they’re slightly less convenient.
You’ll either walk a bit more, or constantly be switching lenses to maintain your desired angle of view. In a few cases you may miss a shot because you don’t have the right lens attached in the decisive moment. So in extreme cases, photographers carry multiple camera bodies so that they always have lenses with different focal lengths at the ready.
There’s another solution as well. That solution is zoom lenses—although these have their shortcomings too. One of them is their lens speed, which is often not just low, but also unstable. (In the cheaper zooms this is practically a given.) Another is added weight—although on the other hand, one zoom lens is still lighter than multiple fixed lenses. There are some manufacturers that make zooms with a lens speed that stays stable across different focal lengths. This is usually a speed of F2.8 or F4. But these lenses tend to also be significantly more expensive.
The Most Widespread Lens: Fixed Fifty
One of the most widely used lenses throughout the history of film photography is the “fixed fifty.” It was and is used because its angle of view roughly corresponds to that of the human eye (not counting peripheral vision). These lenses are also relatively cheap, fast, and easy to find.
Lenses that can capture a wider scene than a basic 50mm lens (full-frame equivalent) tend to be called “wide,” “extra-wide,” etc.
Wide-angle lenses thus tend to range from 14 to 35 mm. You can find a wide selection of wide-angle lenses on the market—both fixed and variable-length.
They’re typically used for capturing whole scenes, both in nature photography and in reportage.
One defect is a classic for these lenses, and that’s spherical image deformation. For wide lenses, this is most often barrel distortion, where the picture’s edge lines are not straight and are instead like the outline of a barrel (thus the name).
Fisheye lenses are a special case among wide-angle lenses. They have a very short focal length (from 8 to 14 mm) and can capture a scene at angles of up to 180 degrees.
They produce pictures with very strong barrel distortion. However in the case of fisheye lenses, this image deformation is purely intentional. Instead of getting corrected as for the wide-angle lenses mentioned above, photographers cultivate it as a deliberate effect.
For portraiture what’s most often used are high-speed fixed lenses. Their standard focal lengths range from 50 to 130 mm. These lengths completely prevent barrel distortion.
After all, nobody wants their portrait to be a caricature. The standard route is to use a 50 mm lens for whole-body portraits and 85 mm for face portraits. These lenses are good at opening the door to very low depths of field—and that in turn lets you make your subject “pop” out of a background that might otherwise draw too much attention.
Lenses with long focal lengths are used when you need to photograph subjects situated far away.
They are most popular for sports, wild animals, landscape close-ups, and other objects that you can’t approach closely for whatever reason. Telephoto lenses with variable focal lengths typically range from 70 mm at the wide end out to 400 mm at the long end.
If you need a lens with an even longer focal length, then get an appropriate fixed lens. These range all the way out to 1200 mm. They are extremely expensive, however. For the price of just one such lens, you could easily buy yourself a new car. Telephoto lenses’ speeds normally range from F2.8 to F5.6.
The images that you get from a telephoto lens have some special traits. Unlike wide-angle lenses, which emphasize the space between nearby and distant objects, telephoto lenses eliminate that space. While they’ll let you photograph a faraway object, they’ll also make the object’s background feel very close by.
Macro lenses are used for photographing miniature details. These lenses can focus at very small distances. Their most important parameter is their magnification ratio. If for example you’re photographing a one-centimeter bug, then the magnification ratio will give you the size in centimeters for the image of the bug that lands on your sensor (or film). If the maximum magnification is 1:1, then the bug’s size on the sensor will be precisely one centimeter.
High F-numbers tend to be used in macro photography, because it tends to have a tiny depth of field—too tiny—that needs to be increased so you can get a “readable” photo.
Pure macro lenses have fixed focal lengths ranging from 50 to 150 mm. These lenses have superb detail—among other benefits—and so they are often also used for portrait photography.
Tilt-shift lenses are another specialized lens type. They let you tilt and shift the front part of the lens, and thus work creatively with the scene you’re photographing.
They’re primarily used in architectural photography, where they’re used to prevent receding lines (buildings “leaning backwards”) in-camera. But you can also use them to liven up ordinary pictures. For example you can move the focal plane to leave only a certain part of a photo in focus.
The Lens Name Maze
There are lots of lens manufacturers out there, and each one has its own lens-class designations… just about everything but focal length and aperture is written differently for each brand. This can be confusing for beginning photographers! A survey of all the abbreviations out there is beyond the scope of this articles.
But here are a few brief words on them. You’ll see things like L, ED, EX, IS, VR, APO, USM, HSM, etc. These abbreviations specify a lens’s construction, quality, or accessories like a focusing motor or stabilization.
Canon for example uses an “L” (with a red stripe along the lens circumference) for its high-end line, while Nikon uses ED (with a golden stripe) and Sigma uses EX (and again a golden stripe).
Focusing motors, too, have differing designations among manufacturers. Canon uses the acronym USM, Nikon uses AF-S, and Sigma HSM.
You’ll most often find image stabilization presented under the abbreviations IS or VR.
Time Will Tell
If you’re currently discovering that photography entertains you more and more, then it’s almost certain that by the time you’ve perfected your technique, many lenses will have gone through your hands.
But don’t forget one thing: photographs come mainly from the photographer. Good equipment such as a good lens helps you obtain the image that best matches your needs and intentions. These intentions are, however, fully in your hands, and not even the highest-quality camera or the best lens will help anyone find the right moment or shot angle, or create the perfect composition. So rely on your lens—but not in place of yourself!
Last updated 22. February 2016 | <urn:uuid:0c436c87-b9fa-40dd-a511-9129942fc274> | CC-MAIN-2021-04 | https://learn.zoner.com/lens-basics-choose-the-right-lens-for-you/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-04/segments/1610703519395.23/warc/CC-MAIN-20210119135001-20210119165001-00393.warc.gz | en | 0.934655 | 2,398 | 2.578125 | 3 |
What is TOEIC (Test of English for International Communication)?
TOEIC is the acronym for Test of English for International Communication.
As one of the leading English tests in the world today, TOEIC measures the ability of TOEIC test-takers to use business English.
Specifically, TOEIC measures the ability of TOEIC test-takers to speak, read, write and listen to English at the workplace.
Because TOEIC is a measure of business English, many companies and organizations around the world use TOEIC scores as one of the bases for job promotions or overseas job assignments among non-native English speakers.
According to ETS, the organization administering TOEIC exams for many years now, TOEIC is used in roughly 10,000 companies, government agencies, and English language learning programs in 120 countries around the world.
Types of TOEIC
To date, there are two types of TOEIC exams:
1. TOEIC Listening and Reading
2. TOEIC Speaking and Writing
TOEIC Listening and Reading is important to employees and their organizations because of the following reasons:
- English listening skills are used in face-to-face communications, telephone conversations, teleconferencing, videoconferencing, business meetings, training, conferences, and even podcasts.
- English reading skills, on the other hand, are useful for reading e-mails, analyzing reports, understanding several forms of business correspondence, following written instructions, or comprehending company newsletters.
TOEIC Speaking and Writing is equally important because of the following reasons:
- English speaking skills are needed for effective client presentations, well-organized corporate meetings, face-to-face communications, telephone conversations, teleconferencing, videoconferencing, training, and conferences.
- English writing skills are indispensable to composing persuasive customer letters, clear and concise business reports, direct-to-the point e-mails, as well as complete and easily understood project presentations.
TOEIC Listening and Reading as well as TOEIC Speaking and Writing tests have different formats.
To do well in these tests, TOEIC exam test-takers must familiarize themselves with the formats.
Familiarization will give them an idea about what to expect during the TOEIC exam day.
It will also help them prepare properly for the test.
TOEIC Listening and Reading
- includes 100 questions
- has a time limit of 45 minutes
- divided into 4 sections: photographs, question-response, short conversations, and short talks
- photographs section has 10 questions
- question-response section has 30 questions
- short conversations section has 30 questions
- short talks section has 30 questions
- includes 100 questions
- has a time limit of 75 minutes
- divided into 3 sections: incomplete sentences, text completion, and reading comprehension
- incomplete sentences has 40 questions
- text completion has 12 questions
- reading comprehension has 48 questions
- reading comprehension is further divided into single passages and double passages
TOEIC Speaking and Writing
- includes 11 questions
- has a time limit of 20 minutes
- divided into sections involving photo description, statement of opinion, responding, or offering solutions
- includes 8 questions
- has a time limit of 1 hour
- divided into sections of response writing and opinion essay
- there are 7 written responses
- there is 1 opinion essay
Topics in TOEIC
Thousands of companies, organizations, and language programs identify employees who can successfully read, write, speak and write in English through TOEIC.
These employees are believed to be able to communicate effectively across countries and cultures in business English.
Because of this, TOEIC topics cover several fields that include:
- telephone conversations
Language, Spelling, and Accents in TOEIC
TOEIC is developed in the United States. Thus, its developers use American English and spelling.
The sentences in TOEIC questions follow the American language.
The audio clips in TOEIC listening section, however, play various English accents.
These accents include American, British, Australian, Canadian, and other European English accents.
These accents are varied in order to assess whether TOEIC test-takers can listen to spoken English of various nationalities.
How to Register for and Take TOEIC Exams
Before registering for a TOEIC exam, TOEIC exam test-takers must make sure that they have enough time to prepare for the test.
Test preparation may take days, weeks, and even months, depending on the English proficiency of TOEIC exam test-takers.
For instance, beginner English learners may take months to prepare for TOEIC Listening and Reading test or even a year for TOEIC Speaking and Writing.
Advanced English learners, on the other hand, may take only a few days to prepare for both tests.
Moreover, TOEIC exam test-takers must consider the fact that TOEIC results may take several days to be released.
Thus, they have to schedule their exams early if they need to get the TOEIC exam results for work promotions or university admissions.
To prepare for the test, TOEIC exam test-takers must review thoroughly for TOEIC exam’s speaking, reading, writing, and listening sections.
Reviews can be done alone, in a class, or with a teacher.
To register for a TOEIC exam, TOEIC exam test-takers must visit the ETS website and follow the instructions.
Questions to Ask the TOEIC Test Center Administrator
TOEIC exam test-takers must ask the right questions to the administrators of their desired TOEIC test centers.
Asking the right questions will give them all the necessary information before the actual TOEIC exam day.
Some of the questions that TOEIC exam test-takers must ask administrators include the following:
- Are they still operating as a TOEIC test center?
- How to register for a TOEIC exam?
- How to pay for the TOEIC exam fee?
- What documents to bring during TOEIC exam day?
- Where the exam would be held?
- How to get to the center by car or public transportation?
- What is the approximate distance between the TOEIC test center and the TOEIC exam test-taker’s city?
- What is the estimated travel time?
- What time would the exam start?
- When will the result be released?
- What else should the TOEIC exam test-taker be reminded about before taking the exam?
Before and After TOEIC Exam
Taking a TOEIC exam may last for several hours.
Before taking the TOEIC exam, test-takers must:
- be well –prepared for the test
- take complete rest the night before TOEIC exam
- eat a proper meal before TOEIC exam
- wear comfortable clothes and bring jackets in case the temperature in the TOEIC exam room is high
- bring accepted identification cards, usually government-issued identification cards like passport, driver’s license, social service card, or even professional license
- bring photos, usually passport-sized photos
Double check all requirements for taking the exam before the actual examination day.
There are certain rules to follow on the actual TOEIC exam day.
Some of these rules include:
- No bringing of any personal items into the TOEIC exam room.
- Mobile phones, dictionaries, recorders, even pens, pencils, erasers and correction fluids are not allowed to be brought into the examination room.
- Empty pockets before entering the room.
- No talking and cheating while taking the test.
- Smoking, eating, and drinking must be done outside the room.
- If there are any questions, raise hands and wait for the TOEIC exam administrator to approach.
- Questions about exam contents are not entertained.
Copyright © 2011 Kerlyn Bautista
All Rights Reserved | <urn:uuid:23793976-a86e-4427-bde4-1f8750981f78> | CC-MAIN-2019-18 | https://hubpages.com/education/What-is-TOEIC | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-18/segments/1555578743307.87/warc/CC-MAIN-20190425233736-20190426015736-00326.warc.gz | en | 0.920079 | 1,687 | 3.3125 | 3 |
Bad habit No. 4: You only eat fried fish. Most fried fish has a lot of added oil -- the unhealthy type, saturated fat. That fat overpowers the type of fat found in fish, called omega-3 fatty acids, which helps keep triglycerides down.
Better habit: Help yourself to two servings of grilled or broiled fish a week.
Choose fatty fish such as salmon, freshwater trout, or tuna, which are especially rich in omega-3s, then grill or broil them. Look for recipes with flavors you like. If you’re still having trouble tempting your taste buds, take heart. Walnuts, flaxseed, soy products, and dark greens are good sources of triglyceride-lowering omega-3s.
Bad habit No. 5: You drink several glasses of alcohol a day.
Too much beer, wine, or spirits can drive up triglycerides.
Better habit: Set limits.
Have no more than one drink a day if you're a woman and two if you're a man. If your triglyceride levels aren’t lowering enough despite your efforts, your doctor may recommend skipping alcohol altogether.
Bad habit No. 6: You overeat.
Very large meals can send your triglyceride level into the danger zone. Spikes are dangerous because they can increase your risk of a heart attack.
Better habit: Divide your usual serving in half.
At home, cook the usual amount of food but serve only half. At restaurants, divide your meal into smaller portions. Eat slowly to give your body time to register when you're full. Help yourself to more only if you're still hungry. If you feel satisfied, pack away what's left to enjoy later.
Bad habit No. 7: You skip meals.
Maybe you're too busy to eat. Maybe you think you'll lose weight if you skip a meal. The problem: you're likely to get so hungry later that you'll grab anything, healthy or not. Or you overeat at the next meal, which causes triglyceride levels to jump.
Better habit: Eat sensible-sized meals three times a day.
Enjoy breakfast, lunch, and dinner while sticking to recommended serving sizes. Have healthy snacks like nuts, fruit, or carrot and celery sticks handy when hunger strikes. | <urn:uuid:0525ff1b-6059-4425-adfd-854c30f33167> | CC-MAIN-2016-30 | http://www.webmd.com/cholesterol-management/high-triglycerides-diagnosis-12/habits?page=2 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-30/segments/1469257825048.60/warc/CC-MAIN-20160723071025-00299-ip-10-185-27-174.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.930318 | 473 | 2.859375 | 3 |
A 14-year-old student who invented a device that detects and treats mid-ear infections in children was awarded this year’s 3M Young Scientist Challenge grand prize.
Leanne Fan, an eighth grader from San Diego, California, developed the low-cost wearable device by using machine learning technology and blue light therapy.
Fan named them “Finsen Headphones” after Niels Finsen, the Nobel Prize recipient who discovered that ultraviolet light can help treat bacterial infections.
“Every year over 10 percent of the world’s population experience a mid-ear infection, most of which are children or underprivileged people,” Fan explained in her submission entry to the renowned science competition. “Furthermore, not everyone has access to a doctor which makes it difficult to diagnose and treat a mid-ear infection. My solution to this mid-ear infection problem is to create a low-cost device that can both detect and treat a mid-ear infection.”
In addition to potentially preventing up to 60 percent of hearing loss in children, Fan’s Finsen Headphones can also play music. Fan said she likes to listen to K-pop group BTS on her smart headphones.
When Fan became a finalist in the challenge, she was assigned a mentor who helped her transform her idea into a working prototype, according to a press release from 3M. Dr. Ross Behling, a scientist from 3M’s material laboratory, worked with Fan one-on-one until the prototype was ready.
Last month, Fan unveiled her final presentation at the 3M headquarters in St. Paul, Minnesota, where she competed against eight other finalists.
Along with the title of “America’s Top Young Scientist,” Fan won a $25,000 cash prize and a special destination trip. According to Fan, she plans to use some of the prize money to process the patent application for her invention.
The second prize was awarded to Harini Venkatesh from New Hampshire, who invented a cost-efficient solution that calculates myopic power quickly and accurately in patients. Meanwhile, Shanza Sami from Iowa came in third for developing a five-stage air pollution filtration device. Each of them received a $1,000 prize and a special destination trip.
Leave a Reply | <urn:uuid:20b4ee3a-e88c-40d6-a6f4-c5cc6a8c5de0> | CC-MAIN-2023-23 | https://www.trumpetmagazine.com/14-year-old-inventor-from-california-named-americas-top-young-scientist/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-23/segments/1685224653764.55/warc/CC-MAIN-20230607111017-20230607141017-00552.warc.gz | en | 0.967659 | 484 | 2.734375 | 3 |
Despite the UN development goal to eliminate world hunger by 2015, tariff rules imposed by the World Trade Organisation continue to allow rich countries to shell out vast agricultural subsidies whilst penalising farmers in developing countries.
Agriculture is the largest employer in most developing countries and food security is a vital issue, making ensuring the income of their farmers an understandably key priority.
Against this background, a fierce discussion is taking place in the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in the run-up to the Bali Ministerial in December on how the global rules on agriculture should be changed in favour of the developing world.
The G33 group of developing countries are asking that their governments be allowed to buy food from their farmers, stockpile and distribute it to poor households, without being limited by the WTO’s rules on agricultural subsidies. However, their proposal is facing resistance mainly from major developed countries, especially the United States, whose view is that such a move would “create a massive new loophole for potentially unlimited trade-distorting subsidies”.
It is well known that the greatest distortions in the trading system lie in agriculture. This is because rich countries asked for, and obtained, a waiver in the 1950s from the GATT, the predecessor of the WTO, which allowed them to give huge subsidies to their farmers, and levy very high tariffs.
When the WTO was set up, its new agriculture agreement allowed this protectionism to continue. Rich countries were obliged only to reduce their “trade distorting subsidies” by 20%, and could change the nature of their subsidies and put them into a “Green Box” containing subsidies that are termed “non trade-distorting or minimally trade-distorting”.
There is no limit to the Green Box subsidies, so rich countries simply move most of their subsidies there despite their trade-distorting nature. Since the creation of the WTO in 1995, OECD countries’ agricultural subsidies have soared from $350 billion in 1996 to $406 billion in 2011.
The effects of these subsidies continue to devastate developing countries. Food products selling at below production costs flood into poorer countries, eating into the incomes and livelihoods of small farmers. Ironically, developing countries are not allowed to subsidise their own farmers even if they can afford it because the WTO rules prohibit the introduction of distorting subsidies by any country who has not previously given subsidies, except for a minimal amount (10% of total production value). Most developing countries had no subsidies when they joined the WTO due to lack of funds.
Developing countries are asking that food bought from poor farmers and given to poor consumers should be considered part of the Green Box. They are simply asking the WTO to remove the unfair conditions that prevent them from securing sufficient food.
India’s parliament has just passed a food bill that entitles the poor (two-thirds of the population) to obtain food from a government scheme that buys the food from small farmers. But the estimated $20 billion-plus the government will spend annually may exceed the small minimum amount of subsidy it is allowed.
For rich countries that are subsidising their farmers to the tune of $407 billion a year to deny poor countries the opportunity to do likewise is grossly hypocritical.
This post is taken from a longer piece by Martin Khor, Executive Director of the South Centre – read the article in full here
Despite the UN development goal to eliminate world hunger by 2015, tariff rules imposed by the World Trade Organisation continue to allow rich countries to shell out vast agricultural subsidies whilst penalising farmers in developing countries. A fierce discussion is taking place in the run-up to the WTO’s Ministerial in Bali in December on how the global rules on agriculture should be changed in favour of the developing world. | <urn:uuid:5abe4084-9d36-4d8e-b0ac-394dfba61da4> | CC-MAIN-2018-43 | http://tradeoutofpoverty.org/global-agriculture-system-protecting-the-rich-and-punishing-the-poor/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-43/segments/1539583511806.8/warc/CC-MAIN-20181018105742-20181018131242-00070.warc.gz | en | 0.955226 | 765 | 2.828125 | 3 |
Forest fires are a regular, and many people say necessary occurrence in Victoria’s eucalypt forests. These fires, which are often devastating to wildlife, livestock and human inhabitants, are most frequent during the hot and dry summer months, especially in periods of extreme head and high winds. These elements come together with destructive effects.
Mount Stapylton in the Grampians, called Gariwerd by the local indigenous Australians, burned in January 2014. The area is a good example of the effects of wildfire as well as of the recovery process.
Only six months after the fire, new leaves have emerged from the trunk of the charred eucalypts.These are called epicormic shoots, which lie dormant within the trunk of the tree. These trees are less dependent on seed germination, which in other species is at times facilitated by fires, and are more commonly found in areas which experience frequent fires of a rate of one fire event in a decade or so. Because these fires are more frequent, they are also less intense because less fuel has had the opportunity to build up.
Different species have different methods of dealing with fires. Grass trees of the genus Xanthorrhoea, which are endemic to Australia, flower faster and more abundantly after a bushfire. A small grass tree can be seen in the photograph above below the trunk of the gum tree.
Fires facilitate the seed dispersal of some Banksia species, which release their seeds after a fire event. The release of seeds can even take place when the plant itself has been destroyed by the fire! Banksias are adapted in other ways to frequent fires. They have thick bark which protects the plant from heat, and procreate via lignotubers in the ground, from which the plant can grow after the fire has destroyed the visible parts above ground. The light colour inside the banksia cone indicates that it must have opened after the fire!
The woody seedpods of some Hakea species also open after a fire assed through. The thick shell protects the seed, which in many cases are still able to germinate even after intense fire has killed the parent plant. Many Hakeas also have lignotubers which help the plant survive after a fire.
Regeneration after a bush or forest fire is also helped by the layer of ash containing nutrients from which newly germinated seeds can benefit. Often, growth is accelerated after a fire and can remain so for over 30 years.
While most of Mount Stapylton burned, adjacent Mount Zero in the very north of the Grampians range escaped the fire. Climbing to the top of Mount Zero offers a beautiful view of the Grampians including some of the burned areas, and and allows the visitor to imagine what the area was like before the fires, and what it will look like in the years to come. Until then it offers a fascinating insight into the ecology of Australian forests.
Mount Stapylton and the Grampians National Park are open to visitors year round, subject to seasonal closures. After the 2014 fires some closures may still apply. For detailed information check the National Parks Victoria website at parkweb.vic.gov.au or call the Parks Victoria Information Centre at 13 1963. | <urn:uuid:7ed9fadc-4e04-4d64-90bb-300e6afb763f> | CC-MAIN-2019-30 | http://greenplacesmelbourne.org.christinehorn.net/tag/bush-fire/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-30/segments/1563195526517.67/warc/CC-MAIN-20190720132039-20190720154039-00020.warc.gz | en | 0.9648 | 669 | 4.28125 | 4 |
December 21, 2005
Katrina Weaker Than Thought at Landfall
By Michael Christie
MIAMI -- Hurricane Katrina was weaker than previously thought when it came ashore near New Orleans on August 29 and smashed the levees protecting the city from floodwaters, U.S. forecasters said.The U.S. National Hurricane Center's revised estimate of Katrina's intensity could be important because the levee system was supposed to withstand the weaker storm that turned into the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history and one of the deadliest with more than 1,200 victims.
The center said a review of weather data suggests Katrina came ashore near the Louisiana coastal community of Buras at the high end of Category 3 intensity with maximum sustained winds of just under 130 mph (209 kph).
It had originally said Katrina made landfall as a Category 4 storm, with 140-mph (225-kph) winds before weakening to a Category 3 hurricane with 125 mph (201 kph) winds when it made a second landfall on the Mississippi coast later in the morning.
Hurricanes are rated according to the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale, with Category 5 storms boasting winds in excess of 155 mph (249 kph) ranked as the most powerful.
The levee system, which Katrina breached in 50 places, was designed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to protect New Orleans from a Category 3 storm, with sustained winds of up to 130 mph (209 kph).
The center noted that due to Katrina's immense size, Category 4 strength winds might have been felt on the Louisiana coast near New Orleans while the eyewall of the storm was still a couple of hours away from official landfall.
The hurricane center's report, posted on its Web site on Tuesday, also said it appeared that Katrina's storm surge reached 27 feet, a foot (0.3 meter) less than previously reported.
The wall of water swept at least 6 miles inland in many places and up to 12 miles inland along bays and rivers.
It was the surge, rather than the storm's winds, that strained the levees in the New Orleans area, the center said.
"The massive storm surge produced by Katrina, even though it had weakened from Category 5 intensity the previous day to Category 3 at landfall in Louisiana, can be generally explained by the huge size of the storm," it said.
Katrina's most destructive core was up to 30 nautical miles
in radius, while hurricane-force winds extended at least 75 nautical miles to the east of the center.
The storm surge was enhanced by the large waves that Katrina whipped up in the Gulf of Mexico while it was an extremely powerful Category 5 storm. The center said one buoy measured a wave 55 feet high.
The center said Katrina's direct death toll was estimated at about 1,200, of which some 1,000 were in Louisiana and 200 in Mississippi. That toll would make Katrina the third or fourth deadliest hurricane in U.S. history.
A higher figure of 1,336 given by officials included people whose deaths were indirectly related to the storm.
As for damages, the hurricane center said a preliminary estimate put them at around $75 billion.
"This figure would make Katrina far and away the costliest hurricane in United States history. Even after adjusting for inflation, the estimated total damage cost of Katrina is roughly double that of Hurricane Andrew (in 1992)," it said. | <urn:uuid:755aa217-94de-47e9-adc6-b2fa06799485> | CC-MAIN-2017-22 | http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/337179/katrina_weaker_than_thought_at_landfall/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-22/segments/1495463609837.56/warc/CC-MAIN-20170528141209-20170528161209-00261.warc.gz | en | 0.968169 | 705 | 2.828125 | 3 |
Remember that the book of Samuel is all one book, and we stopped in the middle of it (at our conventional break between first and second Samuel) simply for the sake of convenience. The same great narrative continues, as God establishes His kind of rule, and does so in His way.
“Now it came to pass after the death of Saul, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites, and David had abode two days in Ziklag; It came even to pass on the third day, that, behold, a man came out of the camp from Saul with his clothes rent, and earth upon his head: and so it was, when he came to David, that he fell to the earth, and did obeisance . . .” (2 Sam. 1:1-27).
Summary of the Text:
While the battle was going on at Gilboa, David was fighting the Amalekites and, after his victory, he had been back in Ziklag for two days (v. 1). On the third day, a messenger arrived from Saul’s battlefield (v. 2). He reported that he had escaped from the camp of Israel (v. 3). When asked, he said that many were dead, as were Saul and Jonathan (v. 4). How do you know this? (v. 5). The young man then spins a story which the reader knows to be false (vv. 6-10; 1 Sam. 31:4-7). He claims to have killed Saul at Saul’s request, and he brought the crown and bracelet to David. David, and all the men with him, tore their clothes and wept for Saul and Jonathan (and for Israel) until that evening (v. 12). David then inquired further of the messenger (v. 13), and asked how he dared to lift up his hand against God’s anointed (v. 14). He then turned and commanded one of his soldiers to execute him (v. 15). David pronounced him condemned by his own testimony (v. 16).
David then composed a lament to be included in the Book of Jasher (the Book of the Upright), called the Song of the Bow (vv. 17-18). The gazelle of Israel is slain in the high places (v. 19). Don’t tell the Philistines about this (v. 20). Mount Gilboa is told to wither up and go dry (v. 21). Saul and Jonathan are then praised highly (vv. 22-23). The daughters of Israel are then commanded to lament (v. 24). The gazelle from earlier is now identified as Jonathan (v. 25), and we come to the center of David’s lament (v. 26). The mighty have indeed fallen (v. 27).
Some Striking Figures:
Saul lost his kingship because he plundered the Amalekites, and here an Amalekite plunders him . . . and loses his life for it. David has just finished wiping out the Amalekites, and then here comes another one. When David asks what happened? he uses the same phrase that Eli spoke to his messenger from the battlefield. This is the next iteration of Hannah’s great vision of the collapse of the corrupt elites, and their replacement by faithful outsiders. Only this time the words are spoken by the one who will replace, not the one to be replaced.
Hebrew poetry is vivid, concrete, and brevity is one of its great virtues. The word rendered beauty (v. 19) also means gazelle, and David makes it very plain he was talking about Jonathan (v. 25). Also, the lost shield of Saul, unburnished with oil, represents a play on words (v. 21). Shields were oiled to make them gleam, and to help weapons glance off them. But this lost shield has no oil—it is unanointed, or “messiah-less.” This is a powerful image showing that the Lord’s anointed is no longer alive. But if we remember our narrative, David is also the Lord’s anointed.
This lament repeatedly uses the apostrophe—David speaks to Israel at large, and then to Gilboa, then to (about) Saul and Jonathan, then to the daughters of Israel, and then last to Jonathan directly. It is a fitting form of address for an elegy.
Those who take v. 26 as representing something homoerotic simply demonstrate that they have not read the rest of David’s life, not to mention how little they understand a warrior culture like this one.
The Early Chapters:
Not surprisingly, we have a chiastic structure here. A. David executes the purported murderer of Saul (1:1-16); B. David laments Saul and Jonathan (1:17-27); C. struggle between the house of David and house of Saul (2:1-3:1); D. David’s house (3:2-5); C’ struggle between Abner and Joab (3:6-30); B’ David laments Abner (3:31-39); A’ David executes the murderers of Ish-bosheth (4:1-12).
Teach the Bow:
This injunction (v. 18) should be understood by us at three different levels. The first is that this is clearly the title of the song, and this is how it is to be recorded in the Book of Jasher. The children of Judah were to be taught this song that eulogized Saul and Jonathan. Second, the title is significant. The central person to be honored here is Jonathan—he is the one associated with the bow (v. 22). Be a Jonathan, imitate Jonathan in this. Take the right lesson away from the song. This is how David is able to include Saul in the eulogy. Anyone that someone like Jonathan was willing to die with (and for) is worthy of praise (v. 23). This is not an instance of “lying at funerals.” Saul was David’s father here because Jonathan was his brother (v. 26).
But last, this is a call to learn the craft of bowmanship itself. There is no gun control fastidiousness here. There is no “being like Jonathan” without actual bows, and the knowledge of how to use them (Ps. 144:1). To praise his use of the bow in song is to praise the bow itself. Remember that this was a lament offered by a small band of men whose great army had just been taken out by the Philistines. Never forget. Learn the bow, and learn to be the kind of man that Jonathan was when he wielded it. And whatever happens, do not drift back to the way it was when Saul and Jonathan first mustered the troops (1 Sam. 13:19-22). When there is no “smith” allowed in Israel, there is a tyrant in Israel.
Just this last week, Vice-President Biden called upon “faith leaders” to keep up the pressure on the issue of gun control, and to reframe the whole debate in moral terms. Okay. Anyone who cannot tell the difference between a criminal and an inanimate weapon is also someone who cannot tell the difference between an American and an Amalekite. Do not be children in your understanding, but grow up into maturity. | <urn:uuid:2f97ed2d-52cf-4d24-863b-0982fb9f7c19> | CC-MAIN-2014-15 | http://dougwils.com/s8-expository/the-song-of-the-bow.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-15/segments/1397609535775.35/warc/CC-MAIN-20140416005215-00047-ip-10-147-4-33.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964078 | 1,564 | 2.5625 | 3 |
Often taken for granted, street and road signage has a long history of iteration and refinement starting with the Romans. In the 3rd century, the Romans erected giant columns so travelers could have an idea of how far away from Rome they were and which direction they should travel. These were called Milestones, (which is where the name originates).
In the middle ages, this concept was improved upon and became more advanced. Intersections in many European countries had signs which pointed to certain cities, at times even listing the distance to towns. Europeans once again improved upon the concept in the late 19th century- this time it was the Italian Touring Club who made the next improvement to signage. The organisation was founded in 1894 to promote the values of cycling and tourism. The Italian Touring Club was integral in improving the quality of road signs by petitioning for better road signs for drivers in 1895.
Another improvement made in the 19th century was the material road signs were made from. Up to the early 1800s, road signs were made from wood and used lead paint. Metal eventually was used in its place, making the material last considerably longer. Reflective paint was also used to improve night time visibility.
These improvements in the 19th century coincided with the introduction of the automobile, when better road signage was vital. In 1908 the International Road Congress got together in Rome to regulate the usage and set the basic road sign patterns. They eventually agreed on four pictorial symbols.
Between 1928 and 1949 a standardised system of international road signage was heavily worked on, which produced the European Road sign system. It wasn’t until 1964 that the UK adopted a version of the European Road sign system.
To this day, the UK is the only member of the European Union to use Imperial Measurements and the only highway network. All road signs in England, Scotland, Wales and the Isle of Man are regulated by the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions since 1964. Six amendments have been made to this system since its introduction, most recently in 2008 and 2011.
Despite the differences in road signage around the world, it is still easy enough to interpret what a road sign says regardless of the language or country. Some signs, such as those in Wales have been made bi-lingual to make navigation slightly easier. Thanks to the standardisation of road signs, navigating an unfamiliar area is a breeze. Strict guidelines by several different government committees have been put in place to make sure that shape, units of measurement, colours and lettering are all standardised and easily recognisable. They have also been improved from the earlier reflective paint and are now made from retroflective materials to make sure drivers are able to see them in the dark and in poor weather conditions.
The next time you travel the A1 or the highway try to remember the long history of road signage which is now neglected by drivers the world over. | <urn:uuid:72bf14d0-69f3-4420-b5a0-eaed2e9f2cd4> | CC-MAIN-2020-16 | https://dzhingarov.com/evolution-of-road-signs/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-16/segments/1585370494349.3/warc/CC-MAIN-20200329140021-20200329170021-00422.warc.gz | en | 0.976951 | 589 | 3.34375 | 3 |
It’s almost May! The weather is warm. The sun is shining. There is a fresh breeze in the air. It’s the perfect time to take a book outside in the shade and read with your child. Reading helps to increase your child’s vocabulary and imagination. It also allows for a naturalistic way for your child to practice answering questions. Ask your child questions while reading the story, as well as after you’re done with the book. Check out these five books perfect to read in May.
Are You My Mother? is a wonderful book to read to your child around the time of Mother’s Day (this year it’s May 14th). Your child will love to help the baby bird reunite with his mother in this story. The book is great for animal vocabulary as well.! For ages 3 and up.
May is a great time to get outside with your child and plant some flowers. This book is great to help your child learn about the life cycle of a plant and all the vocabulary that goes along with it. As with most Dr. Seuss books, this story rhymes. Have your child help identify the rhyming words. When you’re done with the story, see if your child can tell you the steps to plant a flower. For ages 4-8.
This a great board book for your little one with simple yet colorful illustrations. Your child will learn about different types of boats in this easy-to-follow book. Have your child describe the boats to you (ex. color, size, shapes). For ages 2-4.
Your child will LOVE The Rainbow Fish story. It’s a great book to help your child learn about sharing. The Rainbow Fish learns to share his shiny scales in order to make friends. The illustrations in the story will keep your child’s interest throughout. For ages 4-8.
Another perfect classic book for the month of May! The Very Hungry Caterpillar is wonderful for teaching your child about the life cycle of a butterfly. Your child will also have a chance to help label the different foods the caterpillar eats before going into his cocoon. Have your child tell you the steps of becoming a butterfly after completing the book. For ages 2 and up.
Happy reading and Happy May! | <urn:uuid:81427d1c-4333-4bc7-b3af-43c9d40581fd> | CC-MAIN-2020-10 | https://buzzspeech.com/2017/04/28/maybooks/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-10/segments/1581875148163.71/warc/CC-MAIN-20200228231614-20200229021614-00360.warc.gz | en | 0.951736 | 477 | 3.28125 | 3 |
The meteor that exploded over Russia last night injured more than a thousand people and was unusually well documented, thanks to the widespread use of dashboard cameras by Russian drivers.
But it's not the first time people have seen or been hit by space rocks making landfall.
Meteorite landings have also been witnessed in Europe, Africa, Oceania, and South America, where, in 2007, Peruvian villagers were sickened by arsenic fumes released from an underground water source after impact.
But probably the most famous observed meteor exploded above the Tunguska River in Siberia in 1908. The disintegration of this rock, estimated to be about as tall as a 12-story building, leveled 800 square miles (2,000 square kilometers) of trees, shaking the ground and shining as bright as a second sun, in the words of one eyewitness.
While the damage around remote Tunguska took decades to discover, the 1992 Peekskill, New York, meteor was documented on video by 16 different observers. This event cast light that rivaled a full moon's glow and has put a lasting spotlight on the car whose trunk was crumpled by its impact.
Meteorites have crashed weddings and funerals too. In 1929, a meteorite struck a wedding party in Zvezvan in then Yugoslavia, according to the book Rain of Iron and Ice: The Very Real Threat of Comet and Asteroid Bombardment. And in 1924, a meteorite interrupted a funeral service near Elwell, Colorado.
It's enough to make you want to stay at home, but even that's no guarantee of safety. In 1954 in Alabama, Ann Elizabeth Hodges took a nine-pound (four-kilogram) meteorite in the hip after it punched through her roof and bounced off a radio, leaving her alive but bruised.
The recent Russian meteorite is not the first since 1954 to cause injuries to people, the event created the highest recorded number of injuries on record due to a meteorite, noted Michael D. Reynolds, adjunct astronomy professor at Florida State College at Jacksonville and author of the book Falling Stars: A Guide to Meteors and Meteorites.
Rocks chipped off the surface of Mars that eventually landed outside Alexandria, Egypt, in 1911 have been blamed for killing a dog, according to a farmer who witnessed the event. Some of this Martian debris is now on display at the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C.
A couple of decades later, a Pennsylvania farmer suspects he saw one kill a cow.
See More on Friday's Meteor Shower in Russia | <urn:uuid:c8855698-2aa8-4eba-bf25-85bf383dd73f> | CC-MAIN-2017-22 | http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/02/130215-russia-meteorite-meteor-asteroid-space-science-world/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-22/segments/1495463612036.99/warc/CC-MAIN-20170529072631-20170529092631-00347.warc.gz | en | 0.955768 | 529 | 3.234375 | 3 |
Mobile users, Mobile computers, such as notebook machines and personal digital assistant systems (PDAs), are one of the fastest-growing segments of the computer industry. Many users of these systems have desktop computers back at the office and want to be linked to their home base even when away from home or en-route. Since here a wired connection is impossible to establish in cars and Airplanes, So, there is a wireless connection is maintained these links in a network.
Many peoples on the roads and many other sides often want to use their handy and portable electronic devices and equipment to send and receive telephone calls, electronic mail, surf the web, and faxes, access the remote files and log on to the remote machines. And they want to do this from everyplace or anywhere on land, sea, or air.
Wireless networks are also important for the military. If you have to be able to contest a war anywhere on earth on short notice, including on using the local networking infrastructure is possibly not a good idea.
Even though wireless networking and mobile computing are often associated with each other, they are not identical as shown in the below table. This table shows some differences between fixed wireless and mobile wireless. Even notebook computers system are sometimes wired.
For example, if a traveler plugs a notebook computer into the telephone jack in a hotel room, he has mobility without a wireless network.
|No||No||Desktop computers in offices|
|No||Yes||A notebook computer used in a hotel room|
|Yes||No||Networks in older, unwired buildings|
|Yes||Yes||Portable office; PDA for store inventory|
Table: Combination of wireless networks and mobile computing
An entirely different application area for wireless networks is the expected merger of cell phones and PDAs into small wireless computers. One huge thing that m-commerce has going for it is that mobile phone users are comfortable with pay for everything (in contrast to internet users, who expect everything to be free). | <urn:uuid:a0fe5361-19d4-4b6d-9b17-e0c68a506be5> | CC-MAIN-2021-43 | https://zitoc.com/mobile-users/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-43/segments/1634323588398.42/warc/CC-MAIN-20211028162638-20211028192638-00479.warc.gz | en | 0.942036 | 408 | 2.71875 | 3 |
These are the page proofs, with autograph corrections by the composer, of Aleksandr Grechaninov’s Liturgia Domestica (1926/7).
Grechaninov (1864–1956) is best known for the sublime choral music he wrote for the Russian Orthodox Church. It is what you expect to hear in Russian church music, comparable to, say, the style of Rachmaninov’s Vespers. But there was evidently also an unorthodox streak in Grechaninov, for he was the first (and, maybe, the last) Russian composer to write sacred music with instrumental accompaniment.
The Liturgia Domestica was written in 1917, at the time of the October Revolution. Grechaninov recalls the time in his memoirs: ‘Many music lovers like to sing church music while accompanying themselves at the piano. Yet the average amateur experiences considerable difficulty in trying to play from a choral score written in four parts. I decided to write a simple sacred song for a single voice with piano accompaniment, to the words “O Holy God.” Later I added several liturgic chants to it and put them together under the ancient title Demestvennaya, that is, Domestic Liturgy.
‘I wrote this Liturgy in the autumn of 1917 during the Bolshevik uprising in Moscow. The bitterness of the Hallelujah in this Liturgy is explained by my horrible experiences during that period. Every time I hear this Liturgy the memories of those dreadful days come to mind. Peaceful citizens kept vigil in their homes. There were trenches right in front of our house. No one dared appear in the streets. Gunfire and the sound of the cannonade broke the ominous silence. At any moment a stray bullet or a cannonball might have hit our house which stood between the battle lines …’ (My Life, tr. Nicolas Slonimsky, New York, 1952, p. 121).
Grechaninov soon expanded on his initial ideas, scoring the work for tenor, strings, harp, and celeste, and the premiere was given in Moscow in 1918. He later added four further movements, conducting the premiere of this version himself in Paris in 1926 (he had left Russia the year before; in 1939, he emigrated to America). These page proofs date from the Paris period, and show Grechaninov returning to his original scoring intention—a domestic piece for voice(s) and piano. It was published in 1927 by A. Gutheil (S. & N. Koussewitzky) in Moscow and Breitkopf & Härtel in Leipzig; the printing itself was done in Paris by Delanchy-Dupré. | <urn:uuid:679965ed-bf2a-49d9-ba1f-77b072dda7e4> | CC-MAIN-2021-49 | https://simonbeattie.co.uk/blog/archives/449/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-49/segments/1637964363229.84/warc/CC-MAIN-20211206012231-20211206042231-00472.warc.gz | en | 0.963648 | 574 | 2.59375 | 3 |
A recent letter writer was correct with his statement that the Mosquito ultrasonic teen repellent operates at 80 to 90 dB and emits a frequency of 18 kHz. This was an obvious miscommunication.
I wish to add that it is understandable that when a new product is introduced to the marketplace, it can elicit a great deal of skepticism. When The Mosquito was launched, police forces, malls, convenience stores, businesses and other organizations now using and endorsing the product had doubts that it would work. However, after they installed and tested The Mosquito, they were very happy with results.
When properly investigated and tested, you will find that a high-pitched sound emulated from a specially designed Mosquito speaker at 80-90dB does, in fact, annoy an overwhelming majority of youths.
The Mosquito has been proven to work as an effective anti-loitering device and will not become obsolete because of hearing loss any time soon.
Gibson is president of Moving Sound Technologies Inc.
Author Michael Gibson
PublicationRegina Leader Post
Date 20 October 2007 | <urn:uuid:80999ff0-c6c5-4169-be17-d2e4bdbb9dac> | CC-MAIN-2021-39 | https://mosquitoloiteringsolutions.com/security-news/mosquito-deserves-try/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-39/segments/1631780057496.18/warc/CC-MAIN-20210924020020-20210924050020-00695.warc.gz | en | 0.977625 | 226 | 2.5625 | 3 |
LBL's World Wide Web home page is the index to an archive
information to which more than 100,000 visitors have logged on.
On the global computer network known as the World Wide Web, LBL was among the first of what are now more than 10,000 organizations to create their own on-line library of information. As with the World Wide Web itself, the number of people using the Web at LBL is mushrooming. More than 100,000 visitors have logged onto the Laboratory's home page, and during an average week some 12,000 files are retrieved by people all over the world.
News about LBL's research findings, including full text versions of Currents, the Lab's weekly newspaper, and Research Review, the quarterly magazine, can be accessed electronically via the Internet. Also accessible is a voluminous body of scientific reference material including information on life sciences, physics, chemistry and the materials sciences, energy and environmental sciences, and computing.
Anyone with access to the Internet can connect to LBL's home page using software such as Netscape, Mosaic, lynx, or gopher. The address or URL for LBL is href="http://www.lbl.gov/LBL.html"
Not all computer work is done on-line, of course. CD-ROMs have become the latest rage for users at home or on the job. To make life a little easier for nuclear science researchers and students who need to do literature searches but cannot access the on-line databases, collaborators at LBL and Lund University in Sweden have developed a CD-ROM that holds the bibliographic data for every important paper published on nuclear structure since 1910. From the early studies by Ernest Rutherford, discoverer of the atomic nucleus, to recent experiments on the transuranium elements at LBL and elsewhere, the CD-ROM, which is called "Papyrus NSR," contains all the listings found in Nuclear Structure References, the on-line physics database maintained at Brookhaven National Laboratory. Papyrus NSR is distributed free through LBL's Isotopes Project.
Return to the Table of Contents of the 1994 Regents Report | <urn:uuid:44d68781-5368-4587-8040-dce4d135076e> | CC-MAIN-2019-43 | https://www2.lbl.gov/Science-Articles/Research-Review/Annual-Reports/1994/global-network.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-43/segments/1570986649841.6/warc/CC-MAIN-20191014074313-20191014101313-00469.warc.gz | en | 0.925161 | 444 | 2.796875 | 3 |
Cybersecurity advice is often scattered and difficult to understand if you’re not a tech expert — it can be brutal out there for school administrators, educators and parents trying to figure out how to protect their schools from cyberattacks. CalMatters spoke with over a dozen cybersecurity experts to help you out.
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From potential fires to active shooters, schools usually have a plan for emergencies. Tasked with guarding society’s youngest members, administrators don’t usually leave a lot to chance.
But an increase in ransomware attacks in the education sector — which threaten to hold schools’ online systems hostage until they pay a ransom — has left many California schools without a playbook for this new problem.
Nearly 1,700 schools across the country were affected by ransomware attacks last year, according to New Zealand-based software company Emsisoft. In California, at least 26 schools have experienced a ransomware attack since 2019, often with harsh consequences: Sierra College had some systems shut down during finals week; Newhall School District’s 10 elementary schools went a week without online school during the pandemic; and UC San Francisco paid a $1.14 million ransom.
Emsisoft and the U.S.-based non-profit K-12 Cybersecurity Resource Center published reports showing an increase in the number and severity of ransomware attacks against schools across the United States. In March, the FBI published a bulletin warning schools about an increase in ransomware.
“People just don’t think it’s ever going to happen to them,” said Mary Nicely, point person for cybersecurity at the California Department of Education.
But if it does happen, the consequences can be extensive, according to experts and administrators who have suffered an attack.
So, what should schools — or you, a regular person — do to prepare for ransomware attacks? CalMatters spoke with over a dozen cybersecurity experts to help answer how schools and readers can help protect themselves.
The first step to good cybersecurity, they said, might be a mindset shift.
Schools shouldn’t ever assume they’re protected, according to Eric Grosse, former vice president for security and privacy engineering at Google. In the tech industry, this philosophy is called “zero trust networking.” It’s the idea that even with VPNs, firewalls and other preventative measures, hackers can still infiltrate your networks.
“Don’t figure you’re gonna have a safe network where you can be sloppy,” Grosse said. “Figure that all of your networks are liable to compromise and configure all of your machines, your servers, your endpoints, to assume that a hostile, skilled intruder is able to (harm) them.”
Schools should also be wary of products that guarantee protection from cyberthreats. Doug Levin, national director for the K12 Security Information Exchange, warned schools about “solutionism” via product. He said there are steps many schools can take to better protect their networks even without additional resources, such as improving cyber hygiene.
“It’s very important for folks in school districts and even superintendents in particular not to fall in the trap of thinking that … if they only bought x service that they could completely protect their school community,” he said. “There’s no such product like that that exists … protecting school districts from security risk is a complicated endeavor, it is continually shifting, and much of the risk comes from internal risk and risks with their vendors, as much as it does with protecting their network with a better firewall.”
Cybersecurity can be expensive — but schools should make sure to calculate their risk before deciding they can’t afford to pay for software and hardware upgrades or cyber insurance, according to Nick Merrill, a cybersecurity researcher at UC Berkeley.
“If you’re saying we’ve assessed all those harms and we’re sure that it’s just better for us to get hit by ransomware and have to deal with that than it is for us to go through this backup process, fine, that’s a calculation,” Merrill said. “What we’re trying to prevent against are organizations that haven’t made the calculation, that wouldn’t have made that decision, that just weren’t aware, or even worse, maybe thought they were protected and really haven’t been protected.”
And cybersecurity isn’t just an IT problem. School administrators need to understand it and ask the right questions of their IT departments.
“There’s a massive disconnect between the administration — superintendents, boards, the local principals — and IT,” said Kevin McDonald, an expert in ransomware attacks and chief information security officer at Alvaka Networks, an Irvine-based cybersecurity company. “It’s a delta that’s so large, it’s going to take effort to split it.”
The good news is that a few simple preventative measures can lower schools’ risk of getting attacked.
“These attackers go after the easy and the open,” McDonald said. “Every step you make it harder, you become less likely to be a target.”
Cybersecurity experts recommend:
#1: Use multi-factor authentication
Multi-factor authentication is when users present multiple credentials to log into an account. For example, if you log in to your bank account with your username and password, and then have to enter a code the bank texts to your phone, that’s multi-factor authentication. This means that even if hackers get your password they can’t access your account or systems.
Multi-factor authentication is the best way to prevent bad guys from getting into your systems, according to Andrew Brandt, a malware researcher at SophosLabs. Almost every expert CalMatters spoke with cited multi-factor authentication as one of the strongest cybersecurity measures.
#2: Patch often
Patching — a tech term for fixing security vulnerabilities in software — is also a strong preventative measure. When software researchers or companies find glitches, they usually send out a fix in the form of a software update. The update will prevent hackers from further exploiting the glitch. But there’s a catch: Soon after security updates are released, cybercriminals can reverse engineer the update to figure out the glitch and exploit it in systems that aren’t patched quickly enough. That means that you should make sure to patch and update all software as soon as possible or set automatic updates.
“Don’t dawdle getting that fix applied on your local systems,” Grosse said. “The organizations that are sloppy on that, they think, ‘Oh, but if we make a change, maybe something will break.’ Those people are asking for trouble. Because something will break — they will get hacked, and it will be hard for them to recover.”
As ransomware attacks target them, some California schools are scrambling to respond while others have done little to protect themselves.
#3. Back it up (the right way)
Backups are crucial to cybersecurity.
If a school gets hit with ransomware but has good backups, it probably won’t have to pay the ransom, said privacy and data security attorney Scott Koller. The ideal backup isn’t connected to the Internet and will never be connected to the Internet, often called an “air-gapped backup” (think external hard drive or CD).
Several experts CalMatters spoke with think that if you don’t have the time or resources to backup your files to an external hard drive, the cloud is a good alternative — the companies that run the cloud have the expertise and funding to handle cyberattacks. But with the cloud, you still run the risk of having your accounts compromised if cybercriminals steal your credentials, according to McDonald, who said he regularly sees victims who have had their cloud backups deleted or encrypted. You should also make sure you have an up-to-date inventory of all hardware and software in your environment, because you can’t protect what you don’t know exists, according to Josh Moulin, a senior vice president at the Center for Internet Security.
#4. Run drills, lots of drills
Just like schools run fire drills, it’s important to run cyberattack drills to make sure their plan runs smoothly. Simulate a cyberattack and then try restoring from just your backups. You should test as if you have nothing but your backups. People would be surprised by what they experience running drills, according to experts. Perhaps several teachers’ files are stored on their desktop and haven’t been backed up appropriately, or you discover that some of your backups are connected to the Internet and could be compromised by a ransomware attack. Or maybe, you realize that it would take several months or even years to restore your network from your backups. Schools should also make sure to print their incident response or cyberattack plan on paper or stored in an offline data store in case a cyberattack locks them out of their system files.
#5. Phish your own people
Training users how to recognize phishing attacks — malicious links that cybercriminals often send via email or text message — is also important. Almost all ransomware attacks are first executed through phishing attacks, Merrill said. These emails could be mass produced and generic, or specific — emails that are personalized are called “spear phishing.” One of the most effective ways to train users about phishing attacks is to run phishing campaigns, according to several experts. Schools should send fake phishing emails and see who clicks on the malicious links. Use it as an opportunity to educate the entire school community about phishing attacks and how to detect them.
#6. Think about who needs access to what files
Another measure schools should follow is the tech principle of “least privilege.” This means that users should have access to the files they need to do their jobs, but not more than that.
For example, people who control employee payroll might not need access to student grades. This prevents cybercriminals from gaining access to everything in a network if they hack into one account. Users with more privileges (access to more files in the network) should have stricter cybersecurity than those who don’t. While all users should use multi-factor authentication, it’s absolutely critical for those with more privileges.
By the same token, schools should make sure to “segment” their networks, or control online traffic flow: For example, you can prevent all student traffic from reaching employee payroll by partitioning the networks. Similar to quarantining patients sick with an infectious disease, segmenting your networks helps prevent malicious software from spreading and contaminating all your devices on the network.
What about passwords?
Some experts have taken issue with cybersecurity advice given to administrators, like the focus on digital literacy and changing passwords every few months.
Changing passwords every two to four months is “crazy,” according to Eric Grosse, a former vice president for security and privacy engineering at Google.
Passwords are easy to guess, hard to change and don’t end up offering a lot of security alone, experts said. Some companies, like Microsoft, are banning passwords.
Criminals can also “brute force” their way through passwords. Brandt said that even if passwords aren’t easy to guess, cybercriminals can run programs that will go through thousands of combinations per minute until they figure out the right password.
Grosse recommended using a security key, which requires both a password and a physical key to log into systems.
“What we found at Google was we were in a constant arms race with the Russians and others … in preventing phishing attacks and other ways in which they could somehow get credentials and use that to take over systems,” he said. “When we finally introduced security keys to our employee population, it stopped the arms race cold. We never had another instance of an employee’s account getting taken over.”
Grosse said that organizations should never feel like cybersecurity is accomplished with VPNs, firewalls, or the like. There should be zero trust — don’t assume that your computer is beyond compromise, he said.
“I think the only practical advice for these smaller places is, security is hard,” Grosse said. “You’re up against very capable adversaries who are relentless.”
Even if you’re a school? “ They don’t care.” | <urn:uuid:2ded55d7-3ae7-4d85-af73-d1c32b9ef211> | CC-MAIN-2022-27 | https://calmatters.org/education/2021/07/ransomware-attack/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-27/segments/1656103984681.57/warc/CC-MAIN-20220702040603-20220702070603-00555.warc.gz | en | 0.955933 | 2,674 | 2.515625 | 3 |
On Tuesday I will be working with a group of k-12 history teachers in Virginia on how they can introduce the subject of historical memory in their classrooms. The news that Virginia may set aside a day to honor Abraham Lincoln could not have come at a better time and I plan on offering some suggestions on how teachers and students can get involved.
This morning I came across the state’s Lincoln bicentennial commission website and it includes some very helpful links on their work as well as sources on Lincoln’s deep Virginia roots. There is a section for teachers, students as well as other helpful resources that can be used in the classroom. My suggestion to history teachers in Virginia is to find a way to integrate this issue into their classrooms as a culminating activity. The sesquicentennial is a unique opportunity to involve students in the act of commemoration based on their understanding of this crucial period.
Have students debate the resolution in its present form. Should Virginia commemorate President Abraham Lincoln with his own day? Present the results to the rest of the student body. Better yet, contact your local state representative and have him/her visit the class to receive the results. Have students write their own resolutions as individuals or in small groups to reflect the challenges of committee work. Students who disagree with the resolution can offer a counter-resolution that supports their preferred candidate. | <urn:uuid:2e9f91b4-4327-4d62-b5d8-ed2ed0c2d29e> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://cwmemory.com/2012/01/26/virginias-lincoln/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988719192.24/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183839-00221-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973169 | 274 | 3.28125 | 3 |
Following an influx of phishing messages to student email accounts, Oswego State Campus Technology Services Help Desk sent out an announcement warning students to be weary of giving out their personal information.
The email, sent out on March 25, explained what a phishing email is and instructed students on how to report such emails.
A phishing email is a message that aims to gain personal, identifiable information about the recipient, said Michael Pisa, the associate director for infrastructure and security for Campus Technology Services.
“A phish is something that is trying to get you to go to a site or provide information about yourself,” Pisa said. “Somehow its plan of attack is to try to get information from you, whether that’s a username and password or to take you to another site and get you to put in other personal, identifiable information.”
The phishing emails being sent to Oswego State student accounts is a result of email addresses and other information harvested by attackers through various security breaks, explained James Early, an associate professor of computer science with a background in information security.
“One of the reasons we’re getting so many of these things now is because of the various break-ins that have happened at large retailers like Home Depot and Target and places like that where attackers have been able to go in and harvest large quantities of usernames, email addresses and sometimes credit card numbers,” Early said.
The email addresses are then used to send out the phishing email that will serve to garner further information, such as passwords, other email addresses, bank statements and any other personal, identifiable information.
“The people who are doing these things are generally collecting this private information and putting it up on various Internet sites for sale for other people then to try to utilize,” Pisa said. “Then there are two uses: one is for the spamming and the other is for the phishing.”
While the initial phishing emails being sent to students were easily recognizable, the more recent emails have become a bit craftier and can be easily mistaken as legitimate emails. The hackers are using a variety of different methods to fool the recipients into giving out their personal information.
“One of these phishings scraped the campus logo right off the website, so there were a lot of people who then responded,” Pisa said. “This weekend we had 17 accounts that we suspended because they were sending spam out. So that means those people answered one of those phishes at some point and people got their password.”
Senior graphic design major Adrianna Petrus fell victim to a phishing message that was designed to look like a Google Doc.
“Someone shared with me a Google Doc, but it was not a Google Doc,” Petrus said. “They made me log in to the Google server, but it wasn’t really the Google server. It was a fake.”
Fortunately, Petrus realized the message was a phishing scam and took immediate action to ensure the safety of her account and information.
“I had a mini freak-out, and I just changed my password and stuff,” Petrus said.
There are several defining factors to help identify a phishing email and differentiate it from a legitimate email. Early and Pisa both warn against following links within emails and say the college, banks and other institutions would never ask for personal information via an email.
“Typically you can hover your mouse over a link to see what the actual address is, and if that address doesn’t resemble where the message claims to have come from, it is clearly a phishing attack,” Early said. “If you have a lengthy URL that’s got a lot of special characters in it that you don’t understand that’s typically not a link that would be reported by, let’s say, your bank. If a bank needed you to go to a website, they would say, ‘Go to chase.com’ or something.”
There is no one action that can be taken to stop all phishing emails from being sent out, but there are a couple steps that can be taken in order to help combat the issue.
The first step should be reporting the email to Campus Technology Services by forwarding the message to the CTS Help Desk so the department can keep track of such emails and send out notifications to the campus.
“If you are getting one of these messages, it is very likely that someone else in the college is getting one as well,” Early said. “If Campus Technology Services has some information about it, they can send out notifications to warn people.”
The second way to report a phishing email is right in Laker Apps. Oswego State’s email service is hosted by Google, which has its own system of guarding against phishing attacks.
“If you suspect something is a phishing message, you can flag it as such and that information will go to Google and help inform other people who may be receiving those messages,” Early said. “They will aggregate it with many other such messages to try and find out if there are common patterns in the message that can then help them filter it and get rid of it.”
Even with consistent reporting of such emails, there is no way to completely eliminate phishing emails from being sent out. When all else fails, it is important to apply common sense and use best judgment.
“People just need to make sure they are diligent,” Pisa said. “If you don’t expect it, be weary. If you’re not sure, question it, whether it’s to go to us at the help desk or wherever.” | <urn:uuid:b70885b9-0a96-4958-ae73-c46c1b87f354> | CC-MAIN-2017-51 | http://www.oswegonian.com/2015/04/17/phishing-emails-plague-college-accounts/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-51/segments/1512948512121.15/warc/CC-MAIN-20171211033436-20171211053436-00342.warc.gz | en | 0.965467 | 1,213 | 2.515625 | 3 |
by Seth Ben-Mordecai
January 26, 2012
For most of the 20th century, Hebrew teachers dutifully taught pupils that the Hebrew alphabet had two “silent letters,” aleph and ayin. While this may be true of Modern Hebrew, both letters were pronounced in Biblical Hebrew. Eastern European Jews continued to pronounce the ayin until at least the 1700s. Ayin and aleph are still pronounced in the Synagogue Hebrew of Sephardic and Middle Eastern Jews.
The sound of an aleph is the same as the “catch” between the syllables “uh” and “oh” in the exclamation “uh oh!” Likewise, American teenagers often substitute an aleph for a “T” at the end of a word. (If you listen carefully to how your teenager pronounces the words “at home,” you may hear an aleph substituted for the “T.”)
But the ayin? Hebrew grammar books dating back to the 1800s claim a person cannot pronounce an ayin unless trained to do so from an early age. Nonsense. While ayin is not a sound of Standard English, it is a common feature of certain speech defects, where ayin is substituted for the sound represented by the letter “L.”
When Tom Brokaw anchored NBC news, comedians poked fun of his inability to pronounce “L” properly. His speech impediment was often described as “swallowing his L’s.” (To this day, mimicking Brokaw saying “Lois Lane loves lizards” puts a smile on our face.) In reality, Brokaw merely substituted the ayin sound for a Standard English “L.”
With Brokaw’s retirement, we are blissfully spared his atrocious diction. But the voice-over artist for Samuel Adams beer commercials on radio and television regularly substitutes an ayin for an “L.”
So, if you can imitate Brokaw or Samuel Adams commercials, you can pronounce an ayin. Who knew it was that simple? As Bart Simpsonstein might say, “Ayin caramba!”
Subscribe to read more. | <urn:uuid:9ab90cab-c9c3-4687-b76d-4eefc3f538b0> | CC-MAIN-2014-15 | http://www.jewishpostopinion.com/roadfrombabel.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-15/segments/1397609523429.20/warc/CC-MAIN-20140416005203-00421-ip-10-147-4-33.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959252 | 476 | 2.859375 | 3 |
The core issues for China are not the same as the core issues for Taiwan and as a result the two sides talk past each other. China and Taiwan have each identified issues that are the most important to them. The central issue for China is the degree of autonomy that Taiwan will have after some form of unification. The key issues for Taiwan have to do with creating conditions now for later talks about unification and the degree of autonomy. Taiwan wants to be considered an equal "political entity" during the negotiations; a time that is considered a "temporary, transitional phenomenon." By not agreeing on a core issue, negotiations fail to make progress.
Strait Talk, Chapter Five: The Issues | <urn:uuid:b48151bf-5cc8-4d49-8094-77a61971efd8> | CC-MAIN-2021-31 | http://www.eapasi.com/key-issues.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-31/segments/1627046154500.32/warc/CC-MAIN-20210804013942-20210804043942-00624.warc.gz | en | 0.966446 | 137 | 2.890625 | 3 |
Federal Minister for Science and Research Chris Evans today launched a powerful new supercomputer at The University of Western Australia - 50 years after UWA acquired its first computer, an IBM 1620, which was also WA's first digital computer.
The new supercomputer, named Fornax - Latin for "furnace" - after a southern hemisphere constellation known as a birthplace for stars, is 10,000 times faster than an average office computer and big enough to store 2000 years of iTunes music.
Fornax is part of the Pawsey project, an $80 million Federal Government Super Science initiative to help bolster Australia's role in building the world's biggest radio telescope - the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) - in WA, and make Perth one of the world's top supercomputing centres.
The State Government has also contributed significant funding to support iVEC's management of supercomputing infrastructure in WA.
UWA, CSIRO, Curtin University, Murdoch University and Edith Cowan University are partners in a joint venture called iVEC to provide advanced computing services to scientists, industry and government.
Part of the Federal Government's Super Science Initiative to boost WA's supercomputing resources, the Fornax represents a big leap in WA's supercomputing power.
The director of UWA's iVEC Centre, Associate Professor Paul Bourke said Fornax had been especially designed to give researchers unprecedented access to both highly parallel processing and data-intensive computing.
"These are critical in many areas of research, particularly for astronomy signal processing (including the SKA) and geoscience," Professor Bourke said.
UWA Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research, Professor Robyn Owens said the supercomputer represented an exciting development in science.
"It is science which will extend our knowledge from the beginnings of our universe - and at the same time develop technologies and processes that will be of practical benefit to industry, business and the wider community," Professor Owens said. | <urn:uuid:9c503837-f402-4ebb-b8bd-0f6f77e3986b> | CC-MAIN-2015-27 | http://www.supercomputingonline.com/news/this-months-most-read/25694-new-supercomputer-bolsters-worlds-biggest-radio-telescope | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-27/segments/1435375098808.88/warc/CC-MAIN-20150627031818-00132-ip-10-179-60-89.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.925649 | 406 | 2.671875 | 3 |
A GEOLOGIC INTERPRETATION OF SEISMIC PROFILES IN PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND, ALASKA,
SCRIPPS INSTITUTION OF OCEANOGRAPHY LA JOLLA CALIF
Pagination or Media Count:
A series of seismic reflection profiles were made during the summer of 1964 in the northeastern part of Prince William Sound, Alaska. Three rock units recognized in the profiles are 1 the ice-sculptured metamorphic basement overlain by 2 probable glacial drift, and 3 Holocene marine sediments. Channels in the basement may have been formed in part by faulting as well as glacial scour, and have been extensively modified by fill of units 2 and 3, so that the present seafloor does not closely represent the effects of glaciation. The Holocene strata have been faulted but the vertical separation is small, suggesting that the sound reacts as a unit to regional tectonism.
- Geology, Geochemistry and Mineralogy | <urn:uuid:d54a27a9-5ab5-4094-a192-fb0afc181c10> | CC-MAIN-2021-49 | https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/citations/AD0648421 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-49/segments/1637964358469.34/warc/CC-MAIN-20211128043743-20211128073743-00005.warc.gz | en | 0.906847 | 268 | 2.828125 | 3 |
Post #3 of my commentary on Heidegger’s anaylsis of Plato’s Theaetetus, written in the lead up to my exhibition: The Aviary
The first answer that Theaetetus offers in response to Socrates’ question: “what is knowledge?” is that knowledge is perception (aisthesis). Heidegger then asks how this answer is arrived at, what is it in perception that appears to link it to knowledge, understood as the “possession of truth,” and thus to being – an understanding of which “is already included in conceiving anything which one apprehends as an entity.”
For the Greeks the becoming perceived of something in perception is the same as phantasia. This is what a thing appears as, what it shows itself as, its appearance. Heidegger makes the point that appearance should not be understood as illusion, what something seems like. Even so it will be seen that seeming returns at the end of Heidegger’s account of the Theaetetus as a feature of hiddenness i.e. untruth.
Returning to phantasia as appearance; that which we perceive in a perception is there in a state of being perceived, which we take for what it presents itself as. Heidegger gives an example: “the moon itself that appears in the sky, that presents itself and is present; this is something that shows itself.” The moon shows itself as being present, which we take for what it shows itself as, the moon. Therefore aisthesis has a double meaning relating to the perceived in its perceivedness, and our perception in which perceivedness occurs.
Therefore Theaetetus’ thesis is that knowledge, as truth, is this perceivedness of what is seen. That which we perceive in a perception is there before us as something that shows itself as present, as “a kind of unhiddenness.” Perception, aisthesis, is equated with truth as unhiddenness, aletheia, because it “appears the most immediate mode of the unhiddenness of something…the most tangible truth.”
Yet it is still open to question that what becomes manifest in this relationship, between what shows itself and perception, is the unhiddenness of beings as aletheia. For this to be the case our “perceptual comportments,” seeing, hearing etc, through which we have a perception, must “have a relationship to beings as such.” To test whether or not this is the case Heidegger’s analysis focuses on the essence of perception itself, asking whether or not a perceptual comportment “can bring itself into a relationship to beings as beings, such that the unhiddenness of beings is given in the perceivedness occurring in such a comportment.” (121) | <urn:uuid:fbdb008a-3e35-4c48-9d99-ec288d1bfa3d> | CC-MAIN-2019-43 | https://derekhampson.com/2018/03/12/what-is-perception/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-43/segments/1570986655735.13/warc/CC-MAIN-20191015005905-20191015033405-00033.warc.gz | en | 0.972227 | 603 | 2.53125 | 3 |
Genetic Analysis of Measles Viruses
Molecular epidemiology of measles viruses is an important component in outbreak investigations and for global surveillance of circulating wild–type measles strains. During outbreaks, measles vaccine is administered to help control the outbreak, and in these situations, vaccine reactions may be mistakenly classified as measles cases. A small proportion of measles vaccine recipients experience rash and fever 10–14 days following vaccination. The vaccine strain of measles virus can be distinguished from wild-type viruses by determination of the genotype from clinical samples or virus isolates. (See Specimens for Detection of Measles RNA by RT-PCR or Virus Isolation.)
Wild-type measles viruses have been divided into distinct genetic groups, referred to as genotypes, based on the nucleotide sequences of their hemagglutinin (H) and nucleoprotein (N) genes, which are the most variable genes on the viral genome.
The 450 nucleotides encoding the carboxy-terminal 150 amino acids of the nucleoprotein has up to 12% nucleotide variation between genotypes. The 450 nucleotides that encode the carboxy-terminal region of the nucleoprotein (N–450) are required for determination of the genotype. The measles genotyping protocol is available from CDC.
For each genotype, a reference strain is designated for use in genetic analysis (phylogenetic analysis), usually the earliest known virus isolation of that group. The means of referring to the genotypes has been standardized using alphabetical designations for the main groupings (clades). Within the main clades, numerals are added to identify the individual genotypes.
The following 19 genotypes have been detected since 1990:
A*, B2, B3, C1, C2, D2, D3, D4, D5, D6, D7, D8, D9, D10, D11, G2, G3, H1, H2
*Vaccine strains Moraten, Edmonston, Zagreb are all genotype A.
There were 2 putative wild-type cases of measles identified as genotype A in 2008.
During 2011, 8 genotypes were identified by global surveillance:
B2, B3, D4, D8, D9, D11, G3, H1
A global measles sequence database, MeaNS, has been established at the Health Protection Agency in London, UK, and contains sequence information from more than 10,000 measles samples. Full access to MeaNS is given only to members of the WHO Measles and Rubella Laboratory Network (LabNet).
For more information, see CDC contact information. Sequences submitted to MeaNS are automatically submitted to the WHO Global Measles Genotype Database at WHO Headquarters in Geneva (https://workspace.who.int/sites/genotype/ for registered users). Sequences can also be submitted to GenBank. Measles sequences in GenBank are imported into MeaNS on a bi-weekly basis.Top of Page
The strain names will provide information that is essential for interpretation of the molecular data. Since sequence data may be derived from viruses isolated in cell culture or from RNA extracted directly from clinical material, strains or sequences will be designated as either:
- MVi: measles virus isolated in cell culture was source of RNA for sequencing or
- MVs: measles virus sequence derived from RNA extracted from clinical specimen
Other information to be included in the strain/sequence name:
- City/province where case of measles was diagnosed, write full name or abbreviation (required)
- Country, use WHO 3-letter ISO designation (required)
- Date of rash onset if know, otherwise date of specimen collection by epidemic week (1-52) and year (required)
- Isolate number if more than 1 per week in the same location (optional)
- Genotype [optional initially, required after sequencing of at least 450 nucleotides of the N gene (text-only) is completed]
- Special designation for sequences derived from measles inclusion-body encephalitis (MIBE), subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) cases or vaccine reactions (VAC) (optional)
The following examples illustrate the WHO-approved nomenclature:
- MVi/NewYork.USA/03.98/2 [D2]
- MVs/London.UNK/17.97 [G3] SSPE
Download Measles Virus Nomenclature Update: 2012, published online in WHO's Weekly Epidemiological Record (WER), 2 March 2012. 87(9):73-80.Top of Page
In order to maintain reference stocks of viruses and provide facilities capable of conducting viral sequencing, two global Measles Strain Banks have been established. The Measles, Mumps, Rubella and Herpesvirus Laboratory Branch of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, and Health Protection Agency (HPA) in London, UK, were selected to serve this purpose.
Upon request, viral sequencing and analysis can be provided for measles virus characterization as well as storage of viral strains. Laboratorians are requested to consult with the CDC Measles Laboratory before reporting a new measles genotype. To report a possible new genotype of measles, contact email@example.com
Dr. Paul Rota
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
MMR and Herpesvirus Laboratory Branch
Atlanta, Georgia, 30333
Dr. Kevin Brown
Virus Reference Department
Health Protection Agency
61 Colindale Avenue
- Standardization of the nomenclature for describing the genetic characteristics of wild-type measles viruses [8 pages]
WHO/Wkly Epi Rec August 28 1998; 73, 265-269.
- Nomenclature for describing the genetic characteristics of wild-type measles viruses (update) part I [8 pages]
WHO/Wkly Epi Rec August 10 2001; 76:242-247.
- Nomenclature for describing the genetic characteristics of wild-type measles viruses (update) part II [8 pages]
WHO/Wkly Epi Rec August 17 2001; 76:249-251.
- Update of the nomenclature for describing the genetic characteristics of wild-type measles viruses: new genotypes and reference strains [12 pages]
WHO/Wkly Epi Rec July 4 2003; 78:229-232.
- New genotype of measles virus and update on global distribution of measles genotypes [12 pages]
WHO/Wkly Epi Rec October 7 2005; 80:347-351.
- Global measles and rubella laboratory network- update [12 pages]
WHO/Wkly Epi Rec November 4 2005; 80:384-388.
- Global distribution of measles and rubella genotypes- update [12 pages]
WHO/Wkly Epi Rec December 15 2006; 81:474-479.
- Page last reviewed: November 3, 2014
- Page last updated: November 3, 2014
- Content source: | <urn:uuid:e26a0547-622b-4d9a-8956-ea7fecb278ab> | CC-MAIN-2015-27 | http://www.cdc.gov/measles/lab-tools/genetic-analysis.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-27/segments/1435375097246.96/warc/CC-MAIN-20150627031817-00109-ip-10-179-60-89.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.86301 | 1,501 | 3.609375 | 4 |
Franklin Delano Roosevelt proposed a “Second Bill of Rights” during his State of the Union Address in 1944. He noted that while “under the protection of certain inalienable rights…our nation has grown in size and stature, however—as our industrial economy expanded—these political rights proved inadequate to assure us equality in the pursuit of happiness….true individual freedom cannot exist without economic security and independence. “Necessitous men are not free men.” People who are hungry and out of a job are the stuff of which dictatorships are made.” He argued that we “cannot be content, no matter how high that general standard of living may be, if some fraction of our people—whether it be one-third or one-fifth or one-tenth—is ill-fed, ill-clothed, ill-housed, and insecure.” Under the auspices of “economic security and independence,” FDR laid out the following list of rights for the American people:
The right to a useful and remunerative job in the industries or shops or farms or mines of the nation;
The right to earn enough to provide adequate food and clothing and recreation;
The right of every farmer to raise and sell his products at a return which will give him and his family a decent living;
The right of every businessman, large and small, to trade in an atmosphere of freedom from unfair competition and domination by monopolies at home or abroad;
The right of every family to a decent home;
The right to adequate medical care and the opportunity to achieve and enjoy good health;
The right to adequate protection from the economic fears of old age, sickness, accident, and unemployment;
The right to a good education.
During and after FDR’s presidency, many programs were taken up to establish these so-called rights. The US government implemented a minimum wage with the hopes of providing people with a baseline level of income to be able to pay for life’s necessities, and created unemployment insurance so that people would have sufficient money to purchase goods when they lost their jobs. They created agricultural subsidies to protect farmers. They implemented all sorts of regulations and restrictions to stop (certain) companies from dominating their competitors. They created HUD and devised the CRA to force lenders to finance housing for those who were less well off, to ensure the “American dream of home ownership.” They provided healthcare for the old and poor. They created Social Security to allow the old to receive checks after they were retired. They expanded public education and pushed for everyone to receive a college degree. They empowered the Federal Reserve to flatten the business cycle and protect against recessions.
Today, King Obama looks to be finishing off the dirty work of the progressives of the last century. He is pushing for “fair” credit card charges, universal healthcare, onerous governmental control of business under the guise of environmental protection, government control of college loans and empathetic justices who understand the concerns of everyone who is not white, male or wealthy.
Essential to the justification for this platform is FDR’s argument that there be equality in the pursuit of happiness, and that “individual freedom cannot exist without economic security and independence.” What those like FDR and Obama mean is that there is not equality as an outcome of the pursuit of happiness, i.e. equality of condition. By economic security and independence, FDR and the King mean that people need safeguards so that they can keep their jobs, pay for products and be comfortable in retirement.
All of the ends that these progressives seek seem admirable, but the means to achieve them end up making it impossible for the ends to be obtained. Nobody wants to see masses of unemployed, sickly or uneducated people. But the government policies implemented to protect against these problems – to guarantee the “rights” listed above – end up leaving people unemployed, unhealthy and uneducated. They impoverish the citizens by destroying the inalienable rights that even FDR admits allowed the US to gain its strength as the world superpower.
It was not economic security or independence that allowed our country to thrive, but a system in which people voluntarily traded and had the opportunity to innovate and take entrepreneurial risks. Failure, not economic security, had to be a motivator because there was no safeguard against it; no notion of being too-big-to-fail. If you failed, you simply had to pick up and try again. The Federal Reserve in attempting to protect against failure ends up leaving the people economically insecure by decreasing their purchasing power and savings through inflating the money supply, and by incentivizing people to allocate resources improperly through the manipulation of money and credit which leads to the painful boom and bust cycle. The moral hazard created by providing safeguards against failing, be it in business or in one’s own life ends up weakening the people.
Economic security and independence come as a result of our rights to life, liberty and property, not the other way around. The best thing the government can do to ensure these rights, the rights that lead us to maximum wealth, the fullest employment for those who seek it, the best and cheapest medical care and the most practical and affordable education is simply to protect its citizens from attacks on their individual rights. Individual rights, not entitlements. Entitlements beget more entitlements. Entitlements breed laziness in the citizenry. Entitlements cause people to take things for granted. Freedom is the one thing that cannot be taken for granted. As Reagan put it, “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same.”
If you disagree with this in principle, then look at the results of the governments’ policies, those policies representing the antithesis of freedom. The US populace is probably dumber than it has been at any other time in history, even though a greater number of people are graduating from public high schools and attending colleges than ever before. Our economy teeters on the brink of collapse. Our government is larger, more intrusive and more corrupt than it has ever been. It is also effectively bankrupt minus its monopoly power to print money; interesting that it can have this monopoly power while also protecting people from “unfair business competition and domination by monopolies at home or abroad.”
Other examples of government failures abound. Amtrak is a money-loser, as is essentially all public transportation. If public transportation is not a money-loser, then I would venture to guess that it still isn’t as cheap or efficient as private alternatives. The US postal service is nowhere near as effective as FedEx. The DMV is a joke. The purchasing power of our dollar has decreased by over 95% since being under full control of the Federal Reserve, and we have had more frequent recessions than prior to the Fed’s creation. In countries with nationalized healthcare, we see that the price of better-quality, private healthcare increases, while public healthcare services leave people waiting sometimes for months on end for essential medical procedures. People flee to the US if their lives are in danger with good reason. If King Obama gets his way, they will have nowhere to flee anymore. Ironically, when it comes to almost every sector of our economy, while economists would have you believe that government corrects market failures, it appears that we would be far better if markets corrected government failures.
In the final analysis, there is not one good or service that the government provides that is cheaper and better than the equivalent one in the private sector, with the caveat that in terms of defense, only the government can coordinate the forces necessary to effectively protect us. And even then, the government outsources weapons development and certain tactical supports to private defense companies. And even then, the government screws up at times in the way it carries out its wars.
I want to reiterate that only the market can provide the people with the best goods and services at the best prices. This is the same for credit as it is for housing as it is for healthcare. If you take the market out of the equation and try to centrally plan, in the end you impoverish society and leave a nation to anarchy and revolution. Through a dictatorship, which is what the Second Bill of Rights effectively creates (a tyrannical government), you create the unemployed and the hungry that FDR speaks of.
With the burgeoning deficits at the state and national levels, the impending tsunami of inflation and the undermining of the rule of law and protection of life, liberty and property by our leaders, it looks as if in their quest to grant us the Second Bill of Rights, they have also destroyed the rights granted to us by an authority higher than that of our politicians, our natural ones. | <urn:uuid:de94f590-ce6a-4308-8bb0-86b5cba6f559> | CC-MAIN-2017-13 | http://www.citizeneconomists.com/blogs/2009/05/27/from-fdr-to-obama-the-destruction-of-our-rights/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-13/segments/1490218189377.63/warc/CC-MAIN-20170322212949-00313-ip-10-233-31-227.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96602 | 1,818 | 3.625 | 4 |
Fencing is a combat sport in which two participants test their skills in a duel using weapons made of blades as thin as foils which look like long thin swords. Cordouan Gonzalo in 1510 is believed to have invented the art of fencing as we know it today. Fencing is known to have been practiced in Europe in 1872. The French School of Fencing promoted the art of fencing in 18th century and this contributed to the development of modern fencing in the 19th century.
Fencing has been one of the regular sports in major International games like Olympics. The three fencing weapons used in a duel are:
• Foil: With this light blade you are restricted to target the torso and back and you cannot target the arms. Hits scored by the tips of this weapon are valid.
• Sabre: With this cutting and thrusting weapon all areas above waist except hands are valid targets. Since it is a slashing weapon, the hits scored by the sides as well as the tip are valid. Like with the foil only one player can score a point at a time.
• Epee: This is also a thrusting weapon, but a heavy one. The entire body of the opponent is the target. Only tips must be used to score a hit. Hits with sides of the blade are not allowed. Epee fencers can score simultaneous hits.
Puncture resistant fabrics are used for better protection against accidents. Fencing masks are also used in order to protect the head, face and neck of a participant and it has see through visors. | <urn:uuid:d07eac04-9b4b-4fb6-a8db-0ea0707635dd> | CC-MAIN-2020-10 | https://www.letusfindout.com/who-invented-fencing/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-10/segments/1581875146647.82/warc/CC-MAIN-20200227033058-20200227063058-00285.warc.gz | en | 0.969649 | 318 | 3.21875 | 3 |
U of T grad Charles Seymour Wright was a member of Robert Scott’s ill-fated antarctic expedition
January 1912 was the pinnacle of Captain Robert Scott’s South Pole expedition: he and four companions arrived at their destination by sled (although they soon discovered the Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen had beaten them by a month). What few Canadians know is that one of the expedition members – Sir Charles Seymour Wright – was a Canadian and a U of T grad.
Wright earned a degree in math and physics from U of T in 1908. While doing postgrad work in physics at Cambridge University, he applied for a position on Scott’s ill-fated 1910–13 expedition. Hired as the glaciologist, Wright explored the McMurdo Sound Dry Valleys – snow- and glacier-free areas that are so unusual that NASA uses them to simulate conditions on Mars.
While mapping one region of the Dry Valleys (which in 1959 would be named Wright Valley), Wright named three surrounding mountains after U of T president Robert Falconer, Prof. A.P. Coleman of geology and Prof. John McLennan of physics.
When it became obvious that Scott had met with misfortune, Wright became the search party’s navigator. On Nov. 12, 1912, he located the frozen remains of the polar explorer and two of his companions on their return journey.
Wright went on to an eminent scientific career: Prior to the First World War, he outlined on paper a simple version of today’s Geiger counter, and, during the war, he developed wireless trench communications. In the 1930s Wright directed the team involved in the early development of radar. During the Second World War, he developed technology that detected anti-shipping mines – which led to his knighthood in 1946.
Watch a BBC clip about a collection of photographs and relics from the Robert Scott Antarctic expedition: | <urn:uuid:d74fe7c4-44c7-449d-a6d0-5a9bfcc19cc9> | CC-MAIN-2016-40 | http://magazine.utoronto.ca/all-about-alumni/charles-seymour-wright-robert-scott-antarctica-explorer-south-pole-expedition-joseph-frey/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-40/segments/1474738661327.59/warc/CC-MAIN-20160924173741-00045-ip-10-143-35-109.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967469 | 395 | 3.390625 | 3 |
"They fought, like brave men, long and well,
They piled that ground with Moslem slain,
They conquered — but Bozzaris fell,
Bleeding at every vein.
His few surviving comrades saw
His smile when rang their loud hurrah,
And the red field was won;
Then saw in death his eyelids close
Calmly, as to a night's repose,
Like flowers at set of sun."
The sun found the Lenape, on the succeeding day, a nation of mourners. The sounds of the battle were over, and they had fed fat their ancient grudge, and had avenged their recent quarrel with the Mengwe, by the destruction of a whole community. The black and murky atmosphere that floated around the spot where the Hurons had encamped, sufficiently announced of itself, the fate of that wandering tribe; while hundreds of ravens, that struggled above the summits of the mountains, or swept, in noisy flocks, across the wide ranges of the woods, furnished a frightful direction to the scene of the combat. In short, any eye at all practised in the signs of a frontier warfare might easily have traced all those unerring evidences of the ruthless results which attend an Indian vengeance.
Still, the sun rose on the Lenape a nation of mourners. No shouts of success, no songs of triumph, were heard, in rejoicings for their victory. The latest straggler had returned from his fell employment, only to strip himself of the terrific emblems of his bloody calling, and to join in the lamentations of his countrymen, as a stricken people. Pride and exultation were supplanted by humility, and the fiercest of human passions was already succeeded by the most profound and unequivocal demonstrations of grief.
The lodges were deserted; but a broad belt of earnest faces encircled a spot in their vicinity, whither everything possessing life had repaired, and where all were now collected, in deep and awful silence. Though beings of every rank and age, of both sexes, and of all pursuits, had united to form this breathing wall of bodies, they were influenced by a single emotion. Each eye was riveted on the center of that ring, which contained the objects of so much and of so common an interest.
Six Delaware girls, with their long, dark, flowing tresses falling loosely across their bosoms, stood apart, and only gave proof of their existence as they occasionally strewed sweet-scented herbs and forest flowers on a litter of fragrant plants that, under a pall of Indian robes, supported all that now remained of the ardent, high-souled, and generous Cora. Her form was concealed in many wrappers of the same simple manufacture, and her face was shut forever from the gaze of men. At her feet was seated the desolate Munro. His aged head was bowed nearly to the earth, in compelled submission to the stroke of Providence; but a hidden anguish struggled about his furrowed brow, that was only partially concealed by the careless locks of gray that had fallen, neglected, on his temples. Gamut stood at his side, his meek head bared to the rays of the sun, while his eyes, wandering and concerned, seemed to be equally divided between that little volume, which contained so many quaint but holy maxims, and the being in whose behalf his soul yearned to administer consolation. Heyward was also nigh, supporting himself against a tree, and endeavoring to keep down those sudden risings of sorrow that it required his utmost manhood to subdue.
But sad and melancholy as this group may easily be imagined, it was far less touching than another, that occupied the opposite space of the same area. Seated, as in life, with his form and limbs arranged in grave and decent composure, Uncas appeared, arrayed in the most gorgeous ornaments that the wealth of the tribe could furnish. Rich plumes nodded above his head; wampum, gorgets, bracelets, and medals, adorned his person in profusion; though his dull eye and vacant lineaments too strongly contradicted the idle tale of pride they would convey.
Directly in front of the corpse Chingachgook was placed, without arms, paint or adornment of any sort, except the bright blue blazonry of his race, that was indelibly impressed on his naked bosom. During the long period that the tribe had thus been collected, the Mohican warrior had kept a steady, anxious look on the cold and senseless countenance of his son. So riveted and intense had been that gaze, and so changeless his attitude, that a stranger might not have told the living from the dead, but for the occasional gleamings of a troubled spirit, that shot athwart the dark visage of one, and the deathlike calm that had forever settled on the lineaments of the other. The scout was hard by, leaning in a pensive posture on his own fatal and avenging weapon; while Tamenund, supported by the elders of his nation, occupied a high place at hand, whence he might look down on the mute and sorrowful assemblage of his people.
Just within the inner edge of the circle stood a soldier, in the military attire of a strange nation; and without it was his warhorse, in the center of a collection of mounted domestics, seemingly in readiness to undertake some distant journey. The vestments of the stranger announced him to be one who held a responsible situation near the person of the captain of the Canadas; and who, as it would now seem, finding his errand of peace frustrated by the fierce impetuosity of his allies, was content to become a silent and sad spectator of the fruits of a contest that he had arrived too late to anticipate.
The day was drawing to the close of its first quarter, and yet had the multitude maintained its breathing stillness since its dawn.
No sound louder than a stifled sob had been heard among them, nor had even a limb been moved throughout that long and painful period, except to perform the simple and touching offerings that were made, from time to time, in commemoration of the dead. The patience and forbearance of Indian fortitude could alone support such an appearance of abstraction, as seemed now to have turned each dark and motionless figure into stone.
At length, the sage of the Delawares stretched forth an arm, and leaning on the shoulders of his attendants, he arose with an air as feeble as if another age had already intervened between the man who had met his nation the preceding day, and him who now tottered on his elevated stand.
"Men of the Lenape!" he said, in low, hollow tones, that sounded like a voice charged with some prophetic mission: "the face of the Manitou is behind a cloud! His eye is turned from you; His ears are shut; His tongue gives no answer. You see him not; yet His judgments are before you. Let your hearts be open and your spirits tell no lie. Men of the Lenape! the face of the Manitou is behind a cloud."
As this simple and yet terrible annunciation stole on the ears of the multitude, a stillness as deep and awful succeeded as if the venerated spirit they worshiped had uttered the words without the aid of human organs; and even the inanimate Uncas appeared a being of life, compared with the humbled and submissive throng by whom he was surrounded. As the immediate effect, however, gradually passed away, a low murmur of voices commenced a sort of chant in honor of the dead. The sounds were those of females, and were thrillingly soft and wailing. The words were connected by no regular continuation, but as one ceased another took up the eulogy, or lamentation, whichever it might be called, and gave vent to her emotions in such language as was suggested by her feelings and the occasion. At intervals the speaker was interrupted by general and loud bursts of sorrow, during which the girls around the bier of Cora plucked the plants and flowers blindly from her body, as if bewildered with grief. But, in the milder moments of their plaint, these emblems of purity and sweetness were cast back to their places, with every sign of tenderness and regret. Though rendered less connected by many and general interruptions and outbreakings, a translation of their language would have contained a regular descant, which, in substance, might have proved to possess a train of consecutive ideas.
A girl, selected for the task by her rank and qualifications, commenced by modest allusions to the qualities of the deceased warrior, embellishing her expressions with those oriental images that the Indians have probably brought with them from the extremes of the other continent, and which form of themselves a link to connect the ancient histories of the two worlds. She called him the "panther of his tribe"; and described him as one whose moccasin left no trail on the dews; whose bound was like the leap of a young fawn; whose eye was brighter than a star in the dark night; and whose voice, in battle, was loud as the thunder of the Manitou. She reminded him of the mother who bore him, and dwelt forcibly on the happiness she must feel in possessing such a son. She bade him tell her, when they met in the world of spirits, that the Delaware girls had shed tears above the grave of her child, and had called her blessed. | <urn:uuid:85d5563b-5562-4200-933a-cd9f36fba797> | CC-MAIN-2017-09 | https://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/l/the-last-of-the-mohicans/summary-and-analysis/chapter-33/chapter-33-1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-09/segments/1487501170794.46/warc/CC-MAIN-20170219104610-00011-ip-10-171-10-108.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.987558 | 1,973 | 2.53125 | 3 |
Wireless mesh networking. Each day utilities install more and more intelligent devices as they automate their generation facilities, substations, and other assets. The resulting data is driving a convergence of IT and OT functions, enabling new levels of control. The devices typically communicate wirelessly using one of several technologies. The most reliable is 802.11 Wi-Fi-based mesh. The short white paper: Fine mesh: Mesh 802.121 wireless network connectivity provides a summary comparison of the main wireless technologies available. | <urn:uuid:39d763fa-cd2b-49e2-959c-d52ecddbbfac> | CC-MAIN-2019-30 | https://www.tdworld.com/smart-grid/wireless-mesh-networking | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-30/segments/1563195529480.89/warc/CC-MAIN-20190723151547-20190723173547-00105.warc.gz | en | 0.885913 | 99 | 2.703125 | 3 |
<!-- Deleted image removed: -->The history of Duke University
began when Brown's Schoolhouse, a private subscription school in Randolph County, North Carolina
(in the present-day town of Trinity
), was founded in 1838. Duke University Archives.
URL accessed 19 July 2005. The school was renamed to Union Institute Academy in 1841, Normal College in 1851, and to Trinity College in 1859. Finally moving to Durham in 1887, the school grew rapidly, primarily due to the generosity of Washington Duke
and Julian S. Carr
, powerful and respected Methodists who had grown wealthy through the tobacco
industry. In 1924
, Washington Duke's son, James B. Duke
, established The Duke Endowment
, a $40 million (about $430 million in 2005 dollars
) trust fund, some of which was to go to Trinity College. The president thus renamed the school Duke University
, as a memorial to Washington Duke
and his family. Duke University Archives.
URL accessed 22 June 2006.
The school was organized by the Union Institute Society, a group of Methodists
under the leadership of Reverend Brantley York, and in 1841, North Carolina issued a charter for Union Institute Academy from the original Brown's Schoolhouse. The state legislature granted a rechartering of the academy as Normal College in 1851, and the privilege of granting degrees in 1853. To keep the school operating, the trustees agreed to provide... Read More | <urn:uuid:002d4f5c-1eac-4e32-9a4a-d4e6ae2fa6c9> | CC-MAIN-2013-48 | http://pages.rediff.com/history-of-duke-university/998240 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-48/segments/1386164886464/warc/CC-MAIN-20131204134806-00057-ip-10-33-133-15.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949377 | 305 | 2.703125 | 3 |
ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM (ESS)
Solar energy is intermittent. Electricity production on a rainy or cloudy day could be very far from what you get in a sunny and bright day. The most obvious solution to this unpredictability is energy storage. Energy Storage System (ESS) relies on battery technology, a common way of storing electrical energy transforming it into electrochemical energy to be used at a later time.
Residential BESS makes green energy 24/7 available in association with the solar PV system. Electricity is getting more expensive in countries. ESS stores daytime energy from PV and makes it available at any time, minimizing electricity purchase from the grid, which results in increased energy self-consumption at home and reduced overall electricity charges. In addition, rural areas where the power grid hardly covers can have stable and cheap electricity from PV system using ESS. Additionally, it can be used as an emergency power source when an unexpected interruption occurs.
PVavenue is a leading supplier of lithium-ion battery energy storage systems (BESS) from mobile battery banks, residential, commercial and utility-scale BESS. The Lithium-ion battery cells include state of the art Lithium technologies such as NMC (Li-Ni-Mn-Co) and LFP (Li-Fe-P) batteries. The material is for high charging and discharging performance, proven safety and reliability, higher durability and longer cycles. We also contribute to sustainability with safe and quality re-purpose batteries from electrical vehicles for our solution for solar PV + Storage applications.
PVavenue provides proven and bankable energy storage solutions – based on the world best Samsung SDI’s Li-ion batteries for residential and commercial BESS.
For a proposal of our BESS products, please visit here! | <urn:uuid:477f5101-23ba-42dc-b50d-ddde49a61651> | CC-MAIN-2022-27 | https://www.pvavenue.ca/copy-of-solar-photovoltaic-pv | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-27/segments/1656104293758.72/warc/CC-MAIN-20220704015700-20220704045700-00227.warc.gz | en | 0.920754 | 365 | 2.578125 | 3 |
How a Brain Grows
Five Ways to Aid Development
Parents that believe playing Beethoven for their infant, investing in educational videos for their toddler or forcing schoolage youngsters to sit still and study for hours will help them to build a better brain have another “think” coming.
"People are anxious to do everything they can to improve their child’s intelligence, yet many are focusing their energy in places where they are not getting the best payoff for it,” says neuroscientist Sandra Aamodt, Ph.D., co-author of Welcome to Your Child’s Brain: How the Mind Grows from Conception to College.
In their new book, Aamodt and Princeton University Neuroscience Professor Sam Wang try to dispel what they believe are many myths that have led parents to worry too much about the influence they can have on a child’s cognitive development and in some cases, have led to doing more harm than good.
Aamodt says that genetics and thousands of years of human evolution have already exerted a heavy influence on a child’s developmental future before he or she is born. In the absence of abuse and neglect, and with good nutrition and a stimulating environment, a child’s brain “raises itself” in many ways, the authors maintain. Meanwhile, they argue that there is little scientific evidence showing that factors like birth order and exposure to classical music and educational videos have an impact on cognitive development.
“Children come ‘out of the box’ with individual temperaments that strongly influence the possible paths they can take through life,” Aamodt observes. “Most parents believe that they can have a bigger influence on their child’s personalities than they actually do. They should relax and enjoy their kids more.”
The authors offer these scientifically backed tips for parents and caregivers to influence a child’s developing brain:
Don’t stress during pregnancy. “The hormones produced in the mother’s body during stressful times can cross over into the placenta, exposing the child. If it’s a chronic condition, it can lead to problems with brain development,” counsels Aamodt.
One 2008 review paper from Harvard Medical School led researchers to conclude that babies born to stressed mothers are more likely to suffer from autism spectrum disorders. Others, from researchers in Canada and the UK, found that women that endure natural disasters while pregnant are more likely to have babies that suffer from schizophrenia, decreased IQ and depression. Animal research has repeatedly demonstrated that babies of stressed mothers often grow up with touchy stressresponse systems.
Switch off the baby videos. University of Washington researchers have found that baby educational videos, like Baby Einstein and Brainy Baby fail to boost language skills and may actually slow acquisition of vocabulary. “For every hour per day spent watching baby DVDs and videos, infants understood an average of six to eight fewer words than infants that did not watch them,” the report said.
Other research by the American Academy of Pediatrics suggests that exposure to action-packed videos may increase the risk of development of attention disorders. “Babies are wired to learn from other people, and every period of time they are not interacting with people because they are watching TV interferes with that face-to-face interaction,” says Aamodt.
Teach a second language. Bilingual children consistently outperform single-language speakers in tests of executive brain function (a measure of organizational and planning skills) and tend to be better at making choices and understanding other people’s perspectives, Aamodt says. “The very first act of speech for a bilingual person is picking which language to use, and you do that based on your understanding of the other person’s perspective.” Aamodt recommends exposing youngsters to a second language in infancy—if possible, just by speaking to them in a different language—and exploring more formal instruction before the age of 8.
Foster self-control. “Ultimately, parents can make the biggest difference in their child’s adult quality of life by promoting self-control,” Aamodt says. Recent research published in the journal Science and elsewhere suggests that children with greater self-control (meaning they can resist temptation, stay on task and control their own behavior) achieve greater success in school, the workplace and their personal lives. “Preschool children’s ability to resist temptation is a much better predictor of academic success than their IQ scores,” Aamodt notes.
She recommends engaging and progressively more challenging tasks. “You want to stretch the child just a little; get them to do something a little bit hard, but that they can succeed at if they concentrate.”
Encourage study breaks. “Some very old science tells us that to learn effectively, you need to take breaks and allow your brain to consolidate what you have already learned before you go back and try to learn some more,” says Aamodt. “If you study a total of an hour, you will learn twice as much if you break it up into two 30-minute spans.”
Hooray for recess.
Lisa Marshall is a freelance health writer headquartered near Boulder, CO. Connect at Lisa@LisaAnnMarshall.com. | <urn:uuid:2cacf2af-a555-4b91-b2c5-ffe015233847> | CC-MAIN-2018-13 | http://www.naturalawakeningsmag.com/Natural-Awakenings/February-2012/How-a-Brain-Grows/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-13/segments/1521257647584.56/warc/CC-MAIN-20180321063114-20180321083114-00609.warc.gz | en | 0.954916 | 1,109 | 3.390625 | 3 |
THE THIRD DAY
The work of the
"Third Day" was twofold, the emergence of the land from the sea, and the
reappearance of vegetable life.
God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place,
and let the dry land appear: and it was so. And God called the dry land EARTH;
and the gathering together of the waters called He SEAS: and God saw that it was
This is simply a reversal of the catadysmic convulsions that submerged
the Pre-Adamite Earth, and by upheaval caused the earth to emerge from its
"And God said, Let
the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding
fruit AFTER HIS KIND, whose seed is in itself UPON THE EARTH: and it was so. And
the earth brought forth grass and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the
tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itsenf, after his kind: and God saw that
it was good. And the evening and the morning were the 'Third Day',"
not a new creation but a RESURRECTION. The earth rises up out of the "Waters of
Death," and seeds, and the roots of plants and herbs and trees are called upon
to germinate and sprout and grow as they did before the catastrophe that
submerged the Pre-Adamite Earth. If that catastrophe was what we know as the
"Glacial Period," the resurrection of plant life no more required a "creative
act" than vegetation does in the spring of the year after the winter is over.
That this was the case seems clear from the expression, "Whose seed is in
itself, UPON THE EARTH." That is, the seed was already in the earth, having been
buried by the waters that swept over the Pre-Adamite Earth, and, being
indestructible, it only needed the proper conditions to spring up and cover the
earth with verdure. This reveals the fact that the Pre-Adamite Earth was clothed
with verdure, and covered with plants and trees like those of our present earth.
Used with permission of the Rev.
Clarence Larkin Estate, P.O. Box 334, Glenside, PA 19038, U.S.A.,
What is the gap theory ?
Hvad er gap teorien ?
Hvad mener jeg med skabelse ?
For danske artikler af mig, se:
Skabelse - gap teorien
Please link to me
The Gap theory blog
goto frontpage The gap theory page | <urn:uuid:da9415a8-29c3-49a2-9052-f563218c25aa> | CC-MAIN-2018-39 | http://www.creationdays.dk/larkin/5.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-39/segments/1537267161098.75/warc/CC-MAIN-20180925044032-20180925064432-00491.warc.gz | en | 0.941042 | 570 | 2.640625 | 3 |
Wetlands are geographical areas always covered by water at varying depths at different times throughout the year. The amount of water present in these environments controls the type of flora and fauna living in and on the soil. Wetlands support both aquatic and terrestrial organisms but favor the growth of organisms that are specifically adapted for the development of unique characteristic wetland soil.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) determines wetlands ecosystems based on the Classification of Wetlands and Deepwater Habitats in the U.S. This system is used by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for the National Wetland Inventory. Overall, the five types of wetlands are classified by landscape, vegetation coverage and the amount and temperature of water types present throughout the year, which include: marine, tidal, lacustrine, palustrine, and riverine. Although there is a second wetland classification system, it is primarily used by the Army Corps of Engineering and evaluates wetlands based on the geomorphic setting, water source and hydrodynamics.
"Marshes have a continual supply of surface water and groundwater."
Wetlands are also referred to as marshes, swamps, bogs and fens. Marshes have a continual supply of surface water and groundwater. Marshes typically have a neutral pH and extremely valuable nutrients that lead to an abundance in plant and animal life. Swamps are wetlands that are primarily dominated by woody trees and characterized by the species of tree. There are many types of swamps that are classified based on the type of woody trees that dominate the ecosystem.
Swamps are characterized by nutrient-rich saturated soils and a diversity of water tolerant trees, vertebrate and invertebrate organisms as well as rare species such as the American crocodile. Bogs are a very unique wetland with spongy peat deposits, acidic waters and grounds covered by moss. Most of the water available to bogs is from precipitation, which leaves them with limited nutrients for plant growth. The last and lesser-known type of wetland is the fen. Fens are very similar to bogs, but instead of getting water from precipitation, fens' water sources are supplied from groundwater and drainage from differing elevation. This allows fen ecosystems to have more nutrient-rich soil and less acidic water, allowing a greater diversity of plant and animal life.
The benefits of wetlands
Wetlands play a crucial role in water supplies around the world. Marshes refuel groundwater supplies and control the flow of water into streams, which is extremely valuable during periods of limited rainfall. Marshes, swamps, bogs and fens all reduce damage done during floods by slowing and storing flood waters before they reach the watershed. These ecosystems are usually very high in nutrients, which can pollute surface water with nitrogen and phosphorus from run-off. However, plants and animals in these communities use the excess nutrients for growth.
All wetlands provide unique and diverse ecosystems to the multitude of organisms inhabiting them. Each environment also provides characteristics that are suitable for specific organisms. Wetland acreage has been decreasing greatly, and although there are laws in place to replenish these ecosystems, it takes hundreds to thousands of years for wetlands to become fully restored. Currently, restoration is not possible with the rate at which they are being overhauled by builders and developers. Many wetlands are also sources of stored atmospheric carbon dioxide, which have only recently been recognized for the role they play in the carbon cycle and regulating the global climate.
Development and the future of the wetlands
In Madison, Wisconsin, wetland destruction has increased in the last 10 years due to a controversial state law that reduced regulations for protecting important ecosystems. Initially when Wisconsin was being settled, government officials wanted to fill in or drain much of the 5.3 million acres of wetlands across the state. In the 1970s, many regulations were established to control wetland fills as well as commercial and residential development. In June 2012, a revision of the standards and procedures used by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources was rewritten and became Act 118. The new regulations made it easier for builders and developers to get permits as well as allow for greater consideration in establishing new wetlands in a different location.
Today, many of the wetlands that were supposed to be reestablished in new locations have not been developed by builders and other professionals that obtained permits. As of June 2012, over 1,180 acres of wetlands have been destroyed by building. This number is more than double the acreage developed over the last five years. Jennifer Sereno, a Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources spokesperson, stated that although it seems there are more acres being developed, the number of requests has decreased since Act 118 became effective.
"Water quality consultants are needed to determine the toxins found in these aquatic environments."
Many scientists are concerned that even with the replacement wetlands, they will not be effective enough to remove pollutants out the water supplied to lakes, streams and aquifers. Experts are also concerned that the "new" wetlands being developed will not be able to maintain the plant and animal species that depend greatly on these wetland ecosystems.
"More wetlands are being created than are being destroyed (nationally), which is good news until you look at the fine print, which was most of the ones being created are shallow ponds, sedge meadows take millennia to create," Quentin Carpenter, a senior lecturer at the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, explained to the Chippewa Herald. "There's no way to hurry that process."
Impact on water quality
With the destruction of many wetland ecosystems throughout Wisconsin and the U.S., it's important to remember that wetlands filter many of the toxic pollutants out of water used by local residents. Much of the water supplied by the wetlands goes into local streams and lakes, which then flows into aquifers. Water quality consultants need to determine the toxins and pollutants found in these aquatic environments and continue to monitor changes in concentrations in the newly developed wetlands compared to existing wetlands. This will provide a better understanding of how effective the replacement wetlands are compared to the existing wetlands that have been developing for hundreds and thousands of years. | <urn:uuid:c4b32bce-fe11-403f-b790-f285c64912c0> | CC-MAIN-2017-39 | http://www.ecoanalysts.com/2015/12/18/wetland-destruction-and-increasing-commercial-development/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-39/segments/1505818687428.60/warc/CC-MAIN-20170920175850-20170920195850-00123.warc.gz | en | 0.967844 | 1,247 | 4.09375 | 4 |
The World Health Organization has confirmed that polio has re-emerged in Syria for the first time in 14 years. The US State Department, along with several humanitarian agencies, is calling on all parties to the Syrian conflict to allow vaccination and treatment teams into the hardest-hit provinces — which, not coincidentally, are also the ones most contested by government forces and rebels. To thwart what could become a regional outbreak of a crippling disease, both sides must cooperate to ensure the safety of medical personnel and renew vaccination efforts.
Before the civil war started in 2011, Syria had one of the best polio vaccination rates in the Middle East. Immunization programs collapsed, however, as health facilities were burned, bombed, or abandoned. Beyond polio, several other vaccines have not been administered. Any number of other potential health crises may await.
Most of the infants and toddlers who are now paralyzed — there are 10 confirmed cases of polio, at least 12 others suspected — were born after the fighting began and never received the simple three-drop polio vaccine. Because of the high pre-war vaccination rates, there is a lingering hope that only the youngest children will contract the preventable illness. But this is small consolation for the families affected, and it should be a wake-up call to the adults behind this conflict to recognize the impact their decisions are having on the next generation.
Because polio is so contagious, this new outbreak also puts millions of children throughout the Middle East at risk, as Syrian refugees cross borders into neighboring Iraq, Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon, and the Palestinian territories. Health officials are racing to immunize those kids, but a better first step would be a concerted international humanitarian effort to ensure Syria’s youngest citizens are again properly vaccinated. | <urn:uuid:1dcd4c36-6813-4fb7-8277-285d66ccdb4a> | CC-MAIN-2016-07 | http://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/editorials/2013/11/10/syrian-civil-war-marks-dreaded-return-polio/2b0kmTXAqlMkf5XswIZ8SN/story.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-07/segments/1454701165302.57/warc/CC-MAIN-20160205193925-00169-ip-10-236-182-209.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966464 | 350 | 3.296875 | 3 |
((SpecsPsy}} An Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is an assessment of the likely human environmental health impact, risk to ecological health, and changes to nature's services that a project may have. The purpose of the assessment is to ensure that decision-makers consider environmental impacts before deciding whether to proceed with new projects.
The US Environmental Protection Agency pioneered the use of pathway analysis to determine the likely human health impact of environmental factors. The technology for performing such analysis is properly labelled environmental science. The principal phenomena or pathways of impact are: soil contamination impacts, air pollution impacts, noise health effects, ecology impacts including endangered species assessment, geological hazards assessment and water pollution impacts. Pathway analysis and The Natural Step definitions later became the basis of the global ISO 14000 series of environmental management standards and the more recent ISO 19011 accounting standard; however, these ISO standards are not in common use in the U.S. and most other countries.
Environmental impact analysis is sometimes controversial and contested. Related analysis of social impacts is achieved by Social impact assessment. Analysis of business impacts is achieved by Context analysis. Design impacts are assessed in relation to Context theory.
EIA around the worldEdit
The Environmental Impact Assessment Law (EIA Law)requires an environmental impact assessment to be completed prior to project construction. However, if a developer completely ignores this requirement and builds a project without submitting an environmental impact statement, the only penalty is that the environmental protection bureau (EPB) may require the developer to do a make-up environmental assessment. If the developer does not complete this make-up assessment within the designated time, only then is the EPB authorized to fine the developer. Even so, the possible fine is capped at a maximum of about US$25,000, a fraction of the overall cost of most major projects. The lack of more stringent enforcement mechanisms has resulted in a significant percentage of projects not completing legally required environmental impact assessments prior to construction.
China's State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA) used the legislation to halt 30 projects in 2004, including three hydro-power plants under the Three Gorges Project Company. Although one month later (Note as a point of reference, that the typical EIA for a major project in the USA takes one to two years.), most of the 30 halted projects resumed their construction, reportedly having passed the environmental assessment, the fact that these key projects' construction was ever suspended was notable.
A joint investigation by SEPA and the Ministry of Land and Resources in 2004 showed that 30 to 40 per cent of the mining construction projects went through the procedure of environment impact assessment as required, while in some areas only 6 to 7 per cent did so. This partly explains why China has witnessed so many mining accidents in recent years.
SEPA alone cannot guarantee the full enforcement of environmental laws and regulations, observed Professor Wang Canfa, director of the centre to help environmental victims at China University of Political Sciences and Law. In fact, according to Wang, the rate of China's environmental laws and regulations that are actually enforced is estimated to be barely 10 per cent.
The EIA Directive on Environmental Impact Assessment of the effects of projects on the environment was first introduced in 1985 and was amended in 1997. The directive was amended again in 2003 following the 1998 signature by the EU of the Aarhus Convention on public participation in environmental matters. The issue was enlarged to the assessment of plans and programmes by the so called SEA-Directive in 2001 which is now in force and establishes a mix of mandatory and discretionary procedures for assessing environmental impacts.
Under the EU directive, EIA have to provide certain information to comply. There are 7 key areas that EIA are required to focus on. EIA must include:
1. Description of the project
- Description of actual project, site etc
- Break the project down into its key components, ie construction, operations, decommissioning
- For each component list all of the sources of environmental disturbance
- For each component all the inputs and outputs must be listed, eg, waste etc
2. Alternatives that have been considered
- Examine alternatives that have been considered
- Eg - In a biomass power station, will the fuel be sourced locally or nationally?
3. Description of the environment
- List of all aspects of the environment that may be effected by the development
- eg populations, fauna, flora, air, soil, water, humans, landscape, cultural heritage
- This section is best carried out with the help of local experts, eg the RSPB in the UK
4. Description of the significant effects on the environment
- The word significant is crucial here as the definition can vary
- 'Significant' needs to be defined
- The most frequent method used here is use of the Leopold matrix
- The maxtrix is a tool used in the systematic examination of potential interactions
- Eg In a windfarm development a significant impact may be collisions with birds
- This is where EIA is most useful
- Once section 4 has been completed it will be obvious where the impacts will be greatest
- Using this information ways to avoid negative impacts should be developed
- Best working with the developer with this section as they know the project best
- Using the windfarm example again construction could be out of bird nesting seasons
6. Non-technical summary
- The EIA will be in the public domain and be used in the decision making process
- It is important that the information is available to the public
- This section is a summary that does not include jargon or complicated diagrams
- It should be understood by the informed lay-person
7. Lack of know-how/technical difficulties
- This section is to advise any areas of weakness in knowledge
- It can be used to focus areas of future research
- Some developers see the EIA as a starting block for good environmental management
In New Zealand, EIA is usually referred to as Assessment of Environmental Effects (AEE). The first use of EIA's dates back to a Cabinet minute passed in 1974 called Environmental Protection and Enhancement Procedures. This had no legal force and only related to the activities of government departments. When the Resource Management Act was passed in 1991, an EIA was required as part of a resource consent application. Section 88 of the Act spells this out.
Under United States environmental law an EIA is referred to as the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), and originated in the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), enacted in the United States in 1969. Certain actions of federal agencies must be preceded by an EIS. Contrary to a widespread misconception, NEPA does not prohibit the federal government or its licensees/permittees from harming the environment, nor does it specify any penalty if the EIS turns out to be inaccurate, intentionally or otherwise. NEPA merely requires that plausible statements as to the prospective impacts be disclosed in advance. It is only a procedural requirement.
Usually, an agency will release a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for comment. Interested parties and the general public have the opportunity to comment on the draft, after which the agency will approve the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS). Occasionally, the agency will later release a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS).
The adequacy of an EIS can be challenged in court. Major proposed projects have been blocked because of an agency's failure to prepare an acceptable EIS. One prominent example was the Westway landfill and highway development in and along the Hudson River in New York City . Another prominent case involved the Sierra Club suing the Nevada Department of Transportation over its denial of Sierra Club's request to issue a supplemental EIS addressing air emissions of particulate matter and hazardous air pollutants in the case of widening US Highway 95 through Las Vegas. The case reached the 9th Circuit Court of the United States, which led to construction on the highway being halted until the court's final decision. The case was settled prior to the court's final decision.
Several US state governments that have adopted "little NEPA's," i.e., state laws imposing EIS requirements for particular state actions and some of those state laws refer tp the required environmental impact studies as Environmental Impact Reports or Environmental Impact Assessments. For example, the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires an Environmental Impact Report (EIR).
These various state requirements are yielding voluminous data not just upon impacts of individual projects, but also to elucidate scientific areas that had not been sufficiently researched. For example, in a seemingly routine Environmental Impact Report for the city of Monterey, California, information came to light that led to the official federal endangered species listing of Hickman's potentilla, a rare coastal wildflower.
- Air pollution dispersion modeling
- Natural environment
- Leopold matrix
- List of environment topics
- Environmental impact design
- Environmental movement
- Ecological Footprint
- Environmental good
- Collective landscape
- Landscape Institute
- Phase I Environmental Site Assessment
- Social Impact Assessment
- Health Impact Assessment
- Environmental impact statement
- European Commission - EIA website
- Environmental Impact Assessment at the University of Sydney
- Guide to Environmental Impact Assessment and Design
- International Association for Impact Assessment (IAIA)
- Dutch Commission for EIA
- ↑ Dr. Michael Watson, Environmental Impact Assessment and European Community Law, XIV International Conference "Danube-River of Cooperation", Beograd, November 13-15, 2003.
- ↑ Court decision in Sierra Club v. United States Army Corps of Engineers
- ↑ News item in USA Today
- ↑ Sive,D. & Chertok,M., "Little NEPAs" and Environmental Impact Assessment Procedures
- Petts, J. (ed), Handbook of Environmental Impact Assessment Vol 1 & 2, Blackwell, Oxford ISBN 0-632-04772-0
- Environmental Impact Assessment Review (1980 - ), Elsevier
- Glasson, J; Therivel, R; Chadwick A, Introduction to Environmental Impact Assessment, (2005) Routledge, London[[Category:Landscapecs:Vyhodnocení vlivů na životní prostředí
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