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The learning that underlies habituation is a basic process of biological systems. Animals do not need conscious motivation or awareness for it to occur. Habituation enables organisms to distinguish meaningful information from background stimuli. Habituation occurs in all animals, as well as in the large protozoan Stentor coeruleus. The decrease in responding is specific to the habituated stimulus. For example, if one was habituated to the taste of lemon, their responding would increase significantly when presented with the taste of lime. Two factors that can influence habituation include the time between each stimulus, and the length of time the stimulus is presented. Shorter intervals and longer durations increase habituation, and vice versa. Human example[change \| change source] Habituation need not be conscious. For example, a short time after a person dresses, the stimulus clothing creates disappears from our nervous systems and we become unaware of it. In this way, habituation is used to ignore any continual stimulus. This sort of habituation can occur through changes in sensory nerves themselves, and through negative feedback from the brain to peripheral sensory organs. References[change \| change source] - Carew T.J. 2000. Behavioral neurobiology: the cellular organization of natural behavior. Sinauer Associates. - Kandel E.R. 1976. Cellular basis of behavior, an introduction to behavioral neurobiology. W.H. Freeman. - Wood, D.C. (1988). Habituation in Stentor produced by mechanoreceptor channel modification. Journal of Neuroscience, 8, 2254-2258. - Domjan M. 2010. Principles of learning and behavior. 6th ed, Cengage/Wadsworth.
What is occupational health? Occupational health can be an unfamiliar concept. Many workers are made ill each year because of the impact their occupation has on their health. Teaching is an occupation where you will be subject to high amounts of stress, mental health issues and risk of physical injury. Your school will most likely be partnered with an occupational health service to help assist you. The NHS explains that occupational health will give impartial, objective advice supporting both yourself and your school. You will have access to an occupational health doctor or nurse so your workplace can be adapted to fit your needs. In addition, they will assess the extent of you condition and keep your school up-to-date with developments. Your school can refer you to occupational health for a range of issues. These will include: - Medical assessments, including sickness absence management - Pre-employment screening and medicals - Face-to-face counselling services - Vaccination programmes - Telephone helplines and well-being programmes When might my school make a referral? Being referred to occupational health should not be something to worry about as it is supposed to be a supportive process. You should be given the opportunity to discuss any concerns you may have regarding your health and any difficulties you are facing at school that are related to this. You can be referred for an occupational assessment where: - There is concern you may have work-related health problems or your health is being aggravated by school tasks - There are difficulties coping on return after being absent, following a serious illness or injury or due to a disability - There may be underlying ill health or disability contributing to performance issues - There is long term or frequent sickness absence You will want to check your employment contact and your school’s staff sickness and absence policy for further details about how occupational health works at your school. What is included in an occupational health report? A copy of your occupational health report will normally be sent to you and your school. It can include the following information: - When you are likely to be fit to return to work - If you will be fit to complete your full role when you are able to return to work - If your school work has caused or contributed to your ill health - If your school can do anything to assist your return to work and a time frame for further review - The type of adjustments which can be considered to help keep you in employment If you have any queries or concerns about your occupational health report you can contact us for further support. Was this article helpful? The information contained within this article is not a complete or final statement of the law. While Edapt has sought to ensure that the information is accurate and up-to-date, it is not responsible and will not be held liable for any inaccuracies and their consequences, including any loss arising from relying on this information. This article may contain information sourced from public sector bodies and licensed under the Open Government Licence. If you are an Edapt subscriber with an employment-related issue, please contact us and we will be able to refer you to one of our caseworkers.
Jul 27, 2016 Exotic White Dwarf Brutalizes its Red Dwarf Partner Binary stars are common in our galaxy, but this particular system has an exotic side that that is causing some confusion. Every 1 minute and 58 seconds, the white dwarf blasts its red dwarf binary partner with an incredibly powerful beam of radiation. This pulse of radiation causes the whole system to brighten and dim like clockwork and includes radiation over a broad range of frequencies, including radio waves. And herein lies the puzzle. White dwarfs are small husks of stars that died long ago. After sun-like stars run out of hydrogen fuel, they puff up into erupting red giants, eventually shedding their hot plasma, creating beautiful planetary nebulae. When our sun eventually dies in about 5 billion years, all that will be left behind is a nebula and tiny white dwarf in the core. These dense objects are around the size of Earth but contain the mass of 200,000 Earths. They are also highly magnetized, compressing the entire magnetic field of a large main sequence star into the volume of a small planet. So the powerful beam of radiation sweeps through space like a lighthouse as the white dwarf spins -- in a similar way that spinning neutron stars create pulsars. This beam is generated by the white dwarf's intense magnetic field accelerating electrons to relativistic speeds. But astronomers aren't sure where these electrons are coming from as it's not clear whether they are supplied by the white dwarf or red dwarf. "We've known about pulsing neutron stars for nearly fifty years, and some theories predicted white dwarfs could show similar behavior," said Boris Gänsicke of the University of Warwick. "It's very exciting that we have discovered such a system, and it has been a fantastic example of amateur astronomers and academics working together." Read more at Discovery News
Another essential to a universal and durable peace is social justice. To solve the problem of organizing world peace we must establish world law and order. This is our world, and we must make the best of it. The forces that are driving mankind toward unity and peace are deep-seated and powerful. They are material and natural, as well as moral and intellectual. Whatever we do or fail to do will influence the course of history. The drive toward economic nationalism is only part of the general revival of nationalism. In our modern world of interdependent nations, hardly any state can wage war successfully without raising loans and buying war materials of every kind in the markets of other nations. The world wants disarmament, the world needs disarmament. We have it in our power to help fashion future history. In some states militant nationalism has gone to the lengths of dictatorship, the cult of the absolute or totalitarian state and the glorification of war. I do not believe that the values which the Western democracies consider essential to civilization can survive in a world rent by the international anarchy of nationalism and the economic anarchy of competitive enterprise. The years of the economic depression have been years of political reaction, and that is why the economic crisis has generated a world peace crisis. The world before 1914 was already a world in which the welfare of each individual nation was inextricably bound up with the prosperity of the whole community of nations. We had four years of world war which the peoples endured only because they were told that their sufferings would free humanity forever from the scourge of war. In short, it may be said that on paper the obligations to settle international disputes peacefully are now so comprehensive and far-reaching that it is almost impossible for a state to resort to war without violating one or more solemn treaty obligations. As a first step there must be an offer to achieve equality of rights in disarmament by abolishing the weapons forbidden to the Central Powers by the Peace Treaties. The Disarmament Conference has become the focal point of a great struggle between anarchy and world order... between those who think in terms of inevitable armed conflict and those who seek to build a universal and durable peace. The vast upheaval of the World War set in motion forces that will either destroy civilization or raise mankind to undreamed of heights of human welfare and prosperity. The question is, what are we to do in order to consolidate peace on a universal and durable foundation, and what are the essential elements of such a peace? The more the history of the World War and what led up to it is studied, the more clearly those tragic years become revealed as a vast collapse of civilization. The nations must be organized internationally and induced to enter into partnership, subordinating in some measure national sovereignty to worldwide institutions and obligations. Thus, the struggle for peace includes the struggle for freedom and justice for the masses of all countries. It is because I believe that it is in the power of such nations to lead the world back into the paths of peace that I propose to devote myself to explaining what, in my opinion, can and should be done to banish the fear of war that hangs so heavily over the world. In almost every country there are elements of opinion which would welcome such a conclusion because they wish to return to the politics of the balance of power, unrestricted and unregulated armaments, international anarchy, and preparation for war. Four years of world war, at a cost in human suffering which our minds are mercifully too limited to imagine, led to the very clear realization that international anarchy must be abandoned if civilization was to survive. Perhaps the grimmest aspect of this great paradox is that the very nations that are chiefly responsible for starting and for maintaining the Disarmament Conference are also the nations that have begun a new arms race. Follow AzQuotes on Facebook, Twitter and Google+. Every day we present the best quotes! Improve yourself, find your inspiration, share with friends
This focus idea is explored through: Contrasting student and scientific views Student everyday experiences Younger primary students may have little knowledge about internal bodily organs. They tend to think the contents of the body are what they have seen being put into or coming out of it, such as food and blood. Their experiences with everyday cuts, scratches and bruises seem to reinforce a view that blood is below the surface of the skin, filling the spaces inside the body (like a bag of blood). Older children are more likely to be able to list a large number of organs but may not fully understand the function or interconnected nature of these. For example, students at these levels may realise that the heart is a pump but not realise that the blood returns to the heart, or they may believe that the brain helps the body parts but not always realise that the body helps the brain. Research: Fleer & Hardy (1996), Gellert (1962), Carey (1985) To survive and reproduce, the human body relies on major internal body organs to perform certain vital functions. When two or more organs along with their associated structures work together they become component parts of a body system. Some of the easily recognisable internal organs and their associated functions are: The brain is the control centre of the nervous system and is located within the skull. Its functions include muscle control and coordination, sensory reception and integration, speech production, memory storage, and the elaboration of thought and emotion. The lungs are two sponge-like, cone-shaped structures that fill most of the chest cavity. Their essential function is to provide oxygen from inhaled air to the bloodstream and to exhale carbon dioxide. The liver lies on the right side of the abdominal cavity beneath the diaphragm. Its main function is to process the contents of the blood to ensure composition remains the same. This process involves breaking down fats, producing urea, filtering harmful substances and maintaining a proper level of glucose in the blood. The bladder is a muscular organ located in the pelvic cavity. It stretches to store urine and contracts to release urine. The kidneys are two bean-shaped organs located at the back of the abdominal cavity, one on each side of the spinal column. Their function is to maintain the body’s chemical balance by excreting waste products and excess fluid in the form of urine. The heart is a hollow, muscular organ that pumps blood through the blood vessels by repeated, rhythmic contractions. The stomach is a muscular, elastic, pear-shaped bag, lying crosswise in the abdominal cavity beneath the diaphragm. Its main purpose is digestion of food through production of gastric juices which break down, mix and churn the food into a thin liquid. The intestines are located between the stomach and the anus and are divided into two major sections: the small intestine and the large intestine. The function of the small intestine is to absorb most ingested food. The large intestine is responsible for absorption of water and excretion of solid waste material. Critical teaching ideas - Humans may look different but inside they share identical component parts. - The human body contains major internal organs or body parts which can be easily identified. These organs differ in size, shape, location and function. - Each organ has a specific role which contributes to the overall wellbeing of the human body. - A group of organs whose jobs are closely related are often referred to as a system. Explore the relationships between ideas about internal body organs in the Concept Development Maps (Cell Functions). Building students’ understanding of internal body organs, how these are linked and why they work together as systems is a complex process. A useful starting point is to identify students’ existing ideas and understandings about what is inside the body. Using everyday experiences to draw out these ideas is always powerful, such as recalling visits to the doctor, medical operations/procedures, injuries, medical imaging/scans, posters and advertising images. It is useful to explore what internal organs look like and where they are located in order to understand the specific function of each and how each contributes to keeping the body alive and well. Teaching experiences should begin to encourage students to consider how organs work together, i.e. how the work of one organ is similar or contributes to the functioning of another. This idea leads to the more complex idea that body parts form connected systems that contribute to the functioning of the body as a whole. Bring out students’ existing ideas Encourage students to work in small groups to create a common drawing of what they know about the inside of the human body. Consider providing each group with an outline of a human body or have students trace around a group member lying on a large sheet of paper. Ensure students consider the location, size and shape of body parts in their drawings. Have students include labels naming each internal part and consider getting the groups to research information about each organ. Share intellectual control Provide each student group with at least three strips of paper. Have each group list three questions that arose as they were completing their drawings, focusing on things they realised they didn’t know. Display body drawings and discuss similarities and differences between each group’s representations. Display the questions and add further questions to the list as they arise from these discussions and observations. As a class, complete a bundling activity sorting the questions. Students should discuss what groupings to use. These questions can then inform planning of further investigations. Revisit these questions at the end of each session and respond where appropriate with new information. Clarify and consolidate ideas for/by communication to others By using a jigsaw strategy, students move from ‘home’ groups to ‘expert’ groups, and then back to ‘home’ groups to collect and share more detailed information about internal body organs. Working in ‘expert’ groups, students research a specific internal organ of the human body. As a result of the experiences provided in this ‘expert’ group, each team member must be able to explain where the organ is located, describe/represent the observable features of the organ and explain what the organ does for the human body and why it is important. When working in expert groups it may be useful for students to: - access useful websites, science texts and visual images - explore scientific models - examine animal organs (following regulated health protocols) - construct simple models with materials like plasticine - complete simple investigations which demonstrate key features and functions of the organ they are investigating. Each member then returns to the ‘home’ group and shares their expertise, ‘teaching’ their colleagues this new information. Following expert presentations the ‘home’ group returns to their original body drawing and adds new information. These changing body displays become an integral part of the ongoing investigation and demonstrate a dynamic, changing display. Promote reflection on and clarification of existing ideas To assist students to construct richer personal meanings for ideas and concepts related to internal body organs encourage them to complete sentence stems. Sentence stems are incomplete statements designed to provide a structure for insights and observations. Some examples are: ‘The liver is…’ ‘The liver can…’ ‘A heart has…’ ‘The lungs can…’ Encourage students to write short stories about one of the organs they have investigated, with a focus of ‘a day in the life’ of that organ. Challenge some existing ideas and focus attention on hitherto overlooked detail When students are familiar with a variety of major internal organs, provide activities that encourage students to consider how one organ is similar to or contributes to the work of another organ. Ask students questions such as, ‘How is this like/not like a similar organ?’ This encourages students to consider similarities and differences which they may normally overlook. Other questions might include: - How are the stomach and bladder alike? How do they differ? - How are the kidneys and the liver alike? How do they differ? - How is the large intestine like a tea strainer? - How is the heart not like a bike pump but more like an air mattress foot pump? Identify diseases and conditions commonly associated with each major organ, such as heart attack, asthma, stomach ulcer, etc. Discuss contributing factors to these, such as inherited conditions. Explore how medicine has developed effective treatments for many of these, for example transplants, mechanical hearts and medication. Science related interactive learning objects can be found on the FUSE Teacher Resources page. To access the interactive learning object below, teachers must login to FUSE and search by Learning Resource ID: Human Body – students work through a series of four learning objects about the structure and function of the human body. They compare humans with other animals to explore adaptation to environments. Learning Resource ID: K6MKAS
Be mindful of ticks on pets The Kent Branch of the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals received a stray adult dog covered in ticks recently. The dog dish shown is covered with about half of the insects staff removed from the animal. (Photoemail@example.com) Pet owners are urged to stay watchful, as a higher-than-normal prevalence of ticks earlier this year could mean more later in the season. Dr. Michael Fife, of Fife Animal Hospital in Chatham, said the number of cases he's seen has died down somewhat, although they will still be monitored. “It's not a huge issue this time of year, but then we also have to look for it again come fall,” he said. “That'll be the true tell. “Next year, when we start doing our testing again, will we see an increase in Lyme disease-positive tests? That's always in the backs of our minds.” Fife said while he's removed ticks from animals at his practice, he hasn't personally had any extreme cases this season. “We hear about the odd dog that gets loose in one of these areas that comes home with 200 ticks on them,” he said. “But nothing of that nature yet this year.” There are other tick-borne diseases, such as anaplasmosis and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. “We've got ticks flying in from those regions on our waterfowl … dropping off into our locale,” he said. “I had a dog test positive for a disease … this dog has never ever travelled outside of Chatham-Kent.” Fife said there is always a danger for people to be infected by tick-borne diseases, blood parasites and bacteria. He said pet owners need to ensure they remove the tick properly and seek medical attention if necessary. “On occasion, if they don't get all parts of the tick, the dogs can develop a local infection where the tick bit them,” he said. “We'd need to see them for something like that, so that we can address it.”
Guide to the Jared Ellison Groce biographical manuscript, 1936 MS 179 Jared Ellison Groce was one of the Old Three Hundred (Austins first colony), who emigrated to Texas in January 1822. He was born in Halifax County, Virginia, October 12, 1782, the youngest son of Jared Ellison Groce I , and his wife, Sarah Sheppard, a daughter of Colonel Jacob Sheppard of Surrry County, North Carolina. Wealthy through inheritance and his own efforts, he lost a fortune in the mercantile business in Augusta, Georgia, regained it again in the timber business in Alabama, and was a person of wealth and influence when he emigrated to Texas. This biographical manuscript of the life of Jared Ellison Groce II, features particular emphasis on his activities in Texas and was written in 1936 by Sarah Groce Berlet. Through the efforts of the slaves he brought with him, Groce built his home, quarters for the slaves, and cleared the land for planting. The manuscript details the hardships the early settlers faced, both from drought and from hostile Indians. Groce was a member of the band of colonists raised by Colonel Austin for a punitive expedition against the Carancuas Indians, a campaign briefly described herein. Following a successful season growing corn, Groce changed crops and became the first cotton planter in Texas. Prior to his death he divided his property between his sons Leonard Waller Groce and Jared E. Junior. Manuscript also contains information on the ancestry and life of son, Leonard. This material is open for research. Permission to publish from the Groce biographical manuscript, MS 179, must be obtained from the Woodson Research Center, Fondren Library, Rice University. Jared Ellison Groce biographical manuscript, 1936, MS 179, Woodson Research Center, Fondren Library, Rice University. Gift of Mrs. M. Jourdan Atkinson, July, 1968. Detailed Description of the Collection
Numerous types of rope are out there, and it can take time to know which one to use for what purpose. This blog post will look at two types of rope often used in rigging: bull rope vs. rigging rope. We’ll compare and contrast the two, so you can decide which one is right for your needs and the features that make it the suitable option. What is a bull rope? Bull rope, also known as bale cordage, is used for tying down loads. It’s much thinner than rigging rope and can hold tiny knots very well because of its high-strength polyester core wrapped in nylon fibers. It makes it great for securing small cargo on vehicles or even attaching small items to your belt while climbing. The bull rope comes in various diameters, the most common being 1/4 inch and 5/16 inch. Because the bull rope is so thin, it’s easy to weave through ropes or cables to tie off smaller loads. The central feature of bull ropes is that it is a static rope, which means it is designed to extend only a small distance when force or load is applied to them. That makes them perfect for heavy-duty activities for climbing, rescue duties, and transporting heavy materials. What is a rigging rope? Rigging rope is used for the actual rigging of something. Because of its nylon outer sheath, it’s very durable and can withstand a lot of wear and tear. It makes it great for anchoring points or tying down cargo on vehicles. The diameter of a rigging rope varies depending on what you need it for. For example, if you need to pull a load over rough terrain, you’ll want to use a giant diameter rope like 3/4 inch or 1-1/4 inch. If you’re anchoring points and tying down cargo on vehicles, 5/8 inch will be more than sufficient. Arborists usually use rigging ropes to work on trees, and theta is available either as a single or double braid. The single braid can be a hollow or solid type. The hollow type consists of fibers tightly braided to form an empty core, while a single solid braid has its core filled up. A double-braided rigging rope has a braided core and a braided jacket for additional durability. Types of materials for rope construction In previous sections, we explained that bull and rigging ropes could be made up of various materials simultaneously. Here are some adequate materials for constructing these ropes and their unique features. Polyester is a strong material with a tensile strength very close to nylon. Most durable ropes are made of this material, and this is because it has some features that make it ideal for several tasks. - It has a high tensile strength - It is breathable - It does not stretch. Any minimal stretching should have been done after production - It retains its strength even when wet - It is resistant to UV rays as it is known to only lose 2% of its quality after being outside for two years - It is resistant to abrasion The tensile strength of any material is the level at which it can be stretched until it breaks, dramatically determining the load a material can hold. The load polyester is capable of holding should be just a fraction of its tensile strength. Polyester is used as the outer covering when paired with nylon because of its resistance to UV rays. Nylon is known to be made from synthetic polymers, and using this material for rope construction guarantees durability for carrying out heavy-duty tasks. Here are the features that make nylon one of the best materials for rope construction. - It has a high tensile strength that surpasses that of polyester - It is elastic and capable of returning to its original position after being stretched - It is chemical and UV resistant. However, its resistance to UV rays is not as high as that of polyester - Quality nylon material has a great shock absorption property However, nylon does not retain strength when in water as it tends to soak it up and become weak. It is usually used as the inner material because of its durability, and a more UV-resistant and less elastic material is required to protect it as an outer covering. Polypropylene has many desirable qualities that make it great for rope construction. However, it could have better tensile strength, like nylon and polyester. Here are some of this material’s basic features that make it considered for rope construction. - It floats on water and still retains its strength when wet - It is resistant to UV rays - It is resistant to abrasion - It is light, which makes it best for outdoor domestic use This material is usually paired with polyester, which stays on the inside, and polyester is used as the durable outer covering. Bull rope vs. Rigging rope – which is best for climbing? After learning about bull and rigging ropes, one thing is obvious: They are both durable and made with quality. So which one is the best fit for you? This section covers the differences between these ropes based on different features. This comparison should help you determine what you need. Rigging has a lot more stretch to them when compared to bull ropes, and this is because they are made of more nylon than polyester. That makes them suitable for climbing and hauling items that have a limited amount of weight. However, the non-elastic property of bull ropes makes them perfect for lifting heavy items. Durability and knot strength Both bull and rigging ropes are durable as they are made from high-quality materials. However, the more nylon a rope contains, the stronger it is. Rigging ropes are known to be made more of nylon than any other materials, so they can tolerate a high amount of [pressure and tension put on them. It makes them better than bull ropes in terms of durability. Bull and rigging ropes have just the right amount of flexibility. However, rigging ropes are more flexible than bull ropes as they are made of more nylon. If the task you need to carry out requires your rope to have more flexibility, then you should choose rigging rope as your ideal match. The inelastic property of bull rope makes t perfect for climbing trees, just like an arborist. That is because they are durable, and their flexibility is unnecessary in such a situation. With all the comparisons, it is evident that rigging ropes are the better choice. However, this depends on the task you intend to carry out with these ropes. If you need something to support your weight or an object with an equivalent weight, then you need a bull rope as it is inelastic and not easily affected when wet. Frequently asked questions This section covers some questions concerning bull and rigging ropes and how their features apply to their usage. Which rope is best for gym use and exercising? Many people exercise with ropes for intense activities to grow their muscles and overall physical well-being. The kind of rope you need for exercising depends on the activity you intend to carry out. If you are engaging in exercises that require you to put most or all of your weight on the rope for a short time or if flexibility is a priority, then we recommend using a rigging rope. Which rope is best for outdoor activities? Outdoor activities that require pulling on heavy objects or supporting your weight for a long time call for using a bull rope. Bull ropes offer durability, which is needed, and inelasticity. When moving heavy objects or pulling, flexibility is not a priority and is not needed. What kind of rope do arborists use? Arborists use ropes to bring down the limbs of trees at different intervals to enable easy felling of trees. That calls for a rope that guarantees the safety and completion of work. The ideal rope can withstand harsh weather conditions and extreme pressure. It should also have a little stretch for absorbing kinetic energy when it might slip. Durability is another factor they consider, hence why they prefer rigging rope to bull rope. You may be going for outdoor activity, exercising, or looking for a rope for heavy-duty work, so you need to know which rope is best for you. We have described bull rope and rigging rope in a detailed manner that informs you about what you need to know about its appearance and features. - How to Hang a Tree Swing on an Angled Branch - How to Hang a Swing from a Tree Without Branches - 3 Easy Methods to Hang a Swing Between Two Trees A brief comparison based on several factors is also included to provide more insights into what you need to know. The FAQs should conclude any other questions concerning these two types of ropes. Kindly reach out to people by sharing this post on social media.
For newborn pigs there are often a host of different challenges – think of crushing or contamination of the farrowing pen. For the last problem, solutions exist. A dietary approach can help to relieve pathogenic pressure through sow manure. The main objective of a piglet producer is to maximise the number of healthy weaned piglets per animal per year. Nowadays, it is not difficult to find production systems delivering more than 30 piglets weaned/sow/year. Combining strategies on management, feeding, and health of both piglets and sows, is crucial for increasing sow’s productivity. A unique environment that can determine the success of a piglet farm is the farrowing unit. It is important to reduce as much as possible losses during this period. Pre-weaning mortality must always be monitored and targets must be set. In European conditions, it ranges between 8-10%. One important driver in reducing pre-weaning mortality is understanding the fragility of newborn piglets. At birth, the resources of a piglet are very scarce: low energy reserves and practically no immune defence against existing pathogens in their new environment. Problems are prone to happen and will be mostly caused by pathogens present in the environment, in the feed, in the water and most important, in the faeces of the sow. The main contamination source for newborn piglets is their mother’s manure. And this first contamination can be quite severe causing diarrhoea and increasing piglet mortality. Together with crushing, diarrhoea definitely causes a high percentage of total losses during the first days of life. In most of the cases, the disease is caused not only by one agent but by a combination of enteric infections from different pathogens or at least different strains of a pathogenic species. E. coli and clostridia are two of the most important diarrhoea causing pathogens during the first weeks after birth. Pathogens during the first days E. coli is well known as one of the main responsible pathogens for pre-weaning diarrhoea. And although it belongs to the normal intestinal flora of pigs, part of the different E. coli strains are pathogenic. E. coli cause about 80% of diarrhoeas in piglets and 50% of losses in piglet production. The factors making E. coli pathogenic, the so-called virulence factors include e.g. fimbria to attach to the intestinal wall and the capacity to produce toxins. The Clostridium species are another important pathogen class. During the suckling phase, piglets are quite susceptible to Clostridium perfringens type C. This bacteria causes necrotic enteritis in piglets and the clinical symptoms appear during the first days of life. This disease provokes serious disturbances in the organism with a mortality up to 100%. It causes significant decrease in daily gain and in weaning weight. Strategy to protect the piglets In order to maximise the sow’s performance – measured in piglets weaned per year – it is crucial to provide the best possible conditions to the piglets. Therefore the reduction of the pathogenic pressure in the farrowing unit ranks first. Cleaning of the pen is a way to get rid of germs like E. coli and Clostridium species, the most important pathogens during the first days. This should be completed by an effective gut health management in sow and piglets. For this purpose natural ingredients can be used. Supplying natural and active immune cells, the so called antibodies, has been proven to be quite efficient in supporting gut health. Applied to piglets, immunoglobulins from the egg bind to pathogens within the intestinal tract. They show efficiency in supporting piglets’ performance, decreasing the incidence of diarrhoea, mortality and increasing daily gain. The idea was to check if these immunoglobulins from the egg could also bind pathogens in the sow’s gut and generate harmless complexes. That way pathogenic pressure for the piglets could be reduced. Thus a trial was conducted in Japan to check this thesis. In the trial two groups contained eight sows each. The sows of the control group received standard lactation feed, the trial group was also fed standard feed with a supplement containing egg immunoglobulins (Globigen Sow, EW Nutrition, at a dosage of 5 g/sow twice daily) on top during the last ten days before and the first seven days after delivery. The faeces of the sows were obtained by rectal stimulation (in order to get no contamination from the environment) on day 10 before and day 7 after delivery. The amount of colony forming units (CFU) of total E. coli, E. coli O141 and Clostridium perfringens were determined. Results are shown in Figure 1. At the beginning of the trial, before the application of the immunoglobulin supplement, both groups showed nearly the same level of the evaluated pathogens with a slight disadvantage for the supplement group. After 17 days of applying the product based on egg immunoglobulins, a reduction of the colony forming units of total E. coli, E. coli O141 and of Clostridium perfringens could be seen. The sows of the supplement-fed group showed a lower level of pathogens in their excrements than the sows of the control group. It is important for swine producers to understand what adversely influences the results on the farm. One consideration is to improve farrowing unit conditions of the piglets, aiming to reduce pre-weaning mortality. The results of the trial showed that a supplement based on egg immunoglobulins supplied on top of standard sow diets substantially reduced the amount of pathogenic colonies in sow manure. The reduction on pathogenic pressure and therefore the incidence of diarrhoea may be an alternative for increasing the profitability of piglet producers by increasing the number of healthier piglets weaned/sow/year. *References are available on request. By Dr Fellipe Barbosa & Dr Inge Heinzl. Published on PigProgress \| 20th July, 2018.
Luna: Earth’s beautiful companion. It is forever locked looking at us, it even pulls on the oceans twice a day to let us know it’s there. The story of Earth’s moon is a romantic (and violent) tale that dates billions of years. In short, it is a tale of how the two objects helped to make one another into what they are today. The most accepted hypothesis (at the moment) on how the Moon was made is, 4.5 billion years ago, a Mars sized planet (sometimes referred to as Theia) hit Earth during it’s formation (when Theia was in its proto-planet stage). Computer simulations have found that most of the Moon is composed of what is left of Theia; more recent tests also show that Theia merged together with the remnants of the Earth that were blasted off during the impact. As such, our moon is literally part Earth. What’s more, bits of Theia were likely left behind on Earth after it struck its glancing blow (further solidifying the link between the Earth and Moon). This hypothesis is accepted by the scientific community because the other hypothesis that have been presented do not account for the high angular momentum of the Earth–Moon system. Some interesting facts about the Moon: - The lowest (natural) temperature ever measured in the Solar System was in the shadows of the northern pole of the Moon at 26 Kelvin (-238° C). - Contrary to what many believe, Solar eclipses are not as rare as some may think. Actually, a solar eclipse happens every time there is a new moon; however, because the Moon’s orbit is tilted at roughly 5 degrees to Earth’s orbit around the Sun, the shadow of the new moon usually misses the Earth. - The footprints left by NASA astronauts on the moon will last roughly 10 million years because there is no water or wind to erode them. - Flying around the Moon is equivalent of a round trip from New York to London. - The farthest golf swing hit happened on the moon at nearly 732 meters and swung by Alan Shepard. - Although during the 1988 US Census 13% of the population actually thought that the Moon was made of cheese, recently some people have asserted that they think the Moon is a spaceship (Watch at your own discretion: http://www.youtube.com/ And now for some interesting facts about this image: The image above, as you possibly may have noticed, hasn’t been taken from space. Neither was the image taken from one of our orbiting satellites. The quality isn’t there. For starters, the image is a little over saturated around the top edges; it’s a little fuzzy ,and the background isn’t perfectly black. The answer to all of this comes down to what was used to take the photo. Firs, it was taken before sunset! As Luna is brighter than the background sky (significantly brighter) when correct exposure is managed for the moon, the background is mostly black. The telescope that used was a 16″ Dobsonian. Clearly, for viewing the bright moon, it is little overkill. For anyone interested in doing this themselves one day/night, all you need is a 3″ telescope, whether it be a reflector or refractor. As for the camera used, well, you might be surprised. Professional observatories use large format, expensive Charge Coupled Device (CCD) images that can (at times) be cooled using liquid nitrogen. Amateurs use several different kinds of images — some use CCD images, others use Digital Single Lens Reflex (DSLR). However, was taken with an iPhone 5, the same can be done with any phone or digital camera. Taking images like these can be painful; it involves lining up the camera on your phone or other digital camera into the eye piece. Depending on the camera used and the eye piece on the telescope, this can either be relatively easy or painfully irritating trying to keep it all steady and correctly exposed. But with patience, you will get there! Some people believe that astrophotography can be exorbitantly expensive, this can be the case at times! Just want to have some fun one night with even a small inexpensive telescope? Point your telescope at the moon, at Jupiter, or Saturn, and experiment.
Many diabetics quite often experience times when they sweat too much or too little. People in general sweat for a variety of reasons. Some of these reasons are normal and some are not. While sweating is normal, excessive amounts of the same can be a sign of low blood sugar or a damaged nervous system in people with diabetes. Sweat is a natural response to physical or emotional stress. But excessive sweating can often signal something is not right. Extremely low blood sugar triggers a fight-or-flight response, which leads to the release of hormones that increase sweating. Prolonged high blood sugar levels can lead to loss of nerve function, also known as diabetic neuropathy. If nerves that control sweat glands are damaged, they may send the wrong message to sweat glands, or sometimes none. Such situations can cause either excessive sweating or no sweating at all. The Role of Hypoglycemia in Sweating Hypoglycemia is a condition of abnormally low blood sugar levels. A level lower than 70 mg/dL is considered hypoglycemic. Many medications especially insulin, can cause a dip in sugar levels. This happens more often when the dosage of medication is higher. When sugar levels dip too low, the body starts taking steps to raise levels. This leads to the release of a hormone called epinephrine(adrenaline). Adrenaline stimulates the release of glucagon (a type of glucose) from the liver. This hormone also makes tissues less sensitive to insulin to help keep glucose in circulation. Adrenaline can lead to varying side effects, including excessive or inappropriate sweating. Some signs of hypoglycemia include: - Sweating or chills - Rapid heartbeat - Blurred vision - Intense cramps - Lack of coordination - Extreme emotions - Night sweats If any of the above symptoms become severe, you should consult your healthcare provider immediately. The best way is to manage blood sugar levels before things get out of hand. Tip: If you sense any of these symptoms, test your sugar levels immediately using a glucometer. Once detected consult a doctor. The Inability to Sweat Anhidrosis is the term used to describe an inability to sweat. With anhidrosis, the sweat glands do not get the signal to sweat, even when they should. Some symptoms can include: - Trouble staying warm or cool - Little or almost no perspiration - Becoming overheated after minor physical tasks - Facial flushing - Muscle cramp - The inability to maintain a consistently healthy body temperature can cause serious health complications, such as heat exhaustion or heat stroke. It is important to watch out for these symptoms and in case you find something is not right with your body, get in touch with your physician to discuss treatment. We are sorry that this post was not useful for you! Let us improve this post! Tell us how we can improve this post?
Technologies for Primary Health Care Help Meet Global Goals Access to health care has long been considered to be a human right. It was formally declared in 1946 when the heads of states wrote the constitution of the World Health Organization (WHO). But more than 70 years after the fact, the global community still has yet to achieve it. More than 20 years after the writing of the WHO constitution, world leaders signed the Declaration of Alma-Ata in 1978. This declaration was intended to spearhead an international call for primary health care as the first step of achieving universal health coverage. Access to primary health care means that every person can receive comprehensive care—from annual physical checkups to routine screening for disease, rehabilitation, and treatment—close to where they live and work. The signatories of the declaration believed that the governments of countries are responsible for providing access to these health services for all. And at the end of the day, expending the resources to ensure increased health care coverage is ultimately a boon for public health: studies have shown that routine access to primary health care is an effective and efficient way to address the main causes and risks of poor health and prevent emerging challenges, such as epidemics and antibiotic resistance through regular screening and surveillance. Although the goals of the Declaration of Alma-Ata have yet to be attained, some governments have made strides in expanding access with moderate success. By 1990, the rate of child mortality decreased by more than 50%. And although people are living longer, half the world’s population today still lacks full coverage for essential health services, including care for noncommunicable and communicable diseases, maternal and child health, mental health, and reproductive health. In October 2018, world leaders met in Astana, Kazakhstan, to discuss at length the promise that technology provides for expanding primary health care coverage. Henrietta Fore, UNICEF’s Executive Director, highlighted the importance of technology in achieving health care for all. Although innovation is certainly needed to develop new drugs, it’s “also about applying existing technology in new ways to bring vital services closer to hard-to-reach populations,” Fore says. The hope is that through digital technologies on our smartphones and other means, different tools can help deliver medical services and supplies that are essential to maintaining people’s health and well-being, and be one way to expand primary health care to those who need it most. “Healthcare technology is critical,” says Austen Peter Davis, a Senior Adviser for the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation. “It’s potentially a game changer. It can assist in meeting primary healthcare goals to understanding public health challenges, or to power individuals to participate in their own health.” A New Use for Text Messaging While mobile phones—particularly smartphones—tend to compete for our attention, the devices that we use can also be adapted for different health care needs. Already, private institutions, nonprofits, and international agencies are taking advantage of the accessibility and increased use of mobile phones. One technology that has been used for over a decade is a tool developed by UNICEF in 2008, called RapidSMS. On this platform, which can be used by anyone with a mobile phone and doesn’t require the capabilities of a smartphone, users can send text messages on any mobile device to a designated short-code, which would initiate a series of text messages so that the user can provide more information. The back-end of RapidSMS is opensource and can be adapted for a variety of needs. If the user—such as a community health care worker in a rural village—wanted to provide medical information, the data collected by the centralized system could be relayed to hospitals weekly. In Malawi and Zambia, RapidSMS was utilized to expedite the delivery of HIV test results for infants directly to health clinics. Typically, mothers would learn about their child’s HIV status after one to two months, but RapidSMS helped reduce the time that results were sent back, which meant children received treatment earlier rather than later. Health workers in Malawi also use RapidSMS to monitor malnutrition in children under five years old using messages containing coded information about age, weight, and height. UNICEF is now using a different iteration of RapidSMS called RapidPro to address a variety of needs. To date, RapidPro is used in approximately 60 countries worldwide and is specifically used for health purposes in about half of those countries, according to Sean Blaschke, a development business analyst with UNICEF in Kenya. Like its predecessor, RapidPro is also open-source and is SMS-based. In Nigeria, health care workers at regional clinics use RapidPro to communicate with the state on whether or not they have enough vaccines in stock and their storage conditions, as a means to maintain a sufficient supply. The mobile phone as a diagnostic Beyond SMS-based technologies, others are developing mobile apps employing machine learning and artificial intelligence that essentially make smartphones into diagnostic tools. And as smartphones become more affordable and ubiquitous, they can perhaps replace traditional tools used in delivering health services. One such application, called Feebris, is starting to show promise in diagnosing respiratory conditions, such as pneumonia, asthma, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The idea first occurred to biomedical engineer Elina Naydenova when she was working as an intern with the WHO’s medical device group in 2014 (Figure 1, right). At the time, she was studying childhood pneumonia, a condition that kills a million children under the age of five every year worldwide. It’s a complex condition to diagnose: even in a developed country with medical experts, a number of medical tests and experts are needed. But early diagnosis can help save more than 40% of the lives lost, Naydenova says. She wanted to take that complexity and precision of diagnosis to low-income countries with Feebris, which uses machine learning to diagnose respiratory disorders. So far, it has been tested in the urban slums of Mumbai on approximately 1,300 children among ten community health workers. She is looking to expand the program to be tested on 10,000 children in the coming months as part of a new child health program in India (Figure 2). Feebris takes signals from digital stethoscopes and pulse oximeters that measure blood oxygen levels and pulse to come up with an overall diagnosis. Once these measurements are taken and uploaded to the mobile app, the algorithm essentially replicates what a pulmonologist would do: listen for sounds like crackles and wheezes in a patient’s breathing. These new measurements from patients are compared to data collected from hospitals already paired with a diagnosis. Once a diagnosis is made, a child can then be referred to a local community hospital, if needed, for treatment (Figure 3). So far in Mumbai’s slums, this technology is around 85% accurate compared to diagnoses made in the clinic. Naydenova and her colleagues at Feebris are also trying to see if the technology is accurate in diagnosing respiratory conditions in the elderly. Others are also creating diagnostic tools using machine learning and artificial intelligence for different conditions. For example, catching skin cancer at its early stages often means it’s easier and cheaper to be treated. To this end, Amsterdam-based Skin Vision has developed a mobile app that allows patients to perform regular self-checks on themselves for skin cancer. After taking a photo of a perhaps troublesome skin spot or mole, the photo is compared with a database of skin lesions that correlate to low, medium, or high risk, and within thirty seconds, the app will tell the user whether or not they should seek additional medical care. Researchers and engineers are also working to develop multimodal devices that combine different sensors to bring medical care outside the clinic. Naydenova, for instance, is using a wearable that has an electrocardiogram, pulse oximeter, thermometer, and other sensors integrated into one device to feed information to Feebris. Having one sensor to measure a range of health functions also works better for children, she says. “The more devices we have, the more distracted they get. If you couple this [tool] with the algorithms we’re developing, we can get a whole profile of the pulmonology, respiratory, or cardiac profile of a patient’s health,” she says. “The next five years will see a huge emergence of opportunities when hardware becomes more affordable and prolific.” Researchers at Radboud University Medical Center in the Netherlands are also developing a smart multimodal device shaped like a hospital pager called Checkme to measure vital signs—such as body temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure—which could be used as a tool for daily patient monitoring in or out of a hospital. These measurements are then uploaded to a patient’s chart using Bluetooth via an app that communicates with the device . Like other countries in sub-Saharan Africa, Malawi is among one of the hardest hit by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Because half of children who are born with HIV die before their first birthday, early diagnosis is key in preventing such deaths. But specialized centers in Malawi that can perform these early screening tests are often located days away from many villages. According to Judith Sherman, the Chief of HIV/AIDS in Malawi, there are only about nine laboratories for a country of more than 18 million people. It could take three weeks to get a test result back before a child could start treatment. So in 2014, UNICEF wanted to improve the timeliness of returning such test results to the parent, and thought to use drones to transport diagnostic samples to and from patients to hospitals and the lab. In 2016, UNICEF worked with the government and different ministries of Malawi to set up a study to assess whether or not it was feasible to have drone corridors set up in-country. Fortunately, these initial pilot tests worked, and importantly, “it built up confidence in using drones within Malawi,” says Sherman. No drones are currently being used yet, but Sherman hopes they will be operational in early 2019. They hope to first target communities that are in need, based on historical data trends. Despite the abundance of different apps, devices, and technologies that are being adapted or developed to expand or better primary health care, one of the biggest challenges is having to integrate it into a country’s existing health care system. UNICEF knows this painstaking task well, as it has worked with health ministries and other governmental agencies to implement its technologies. The success of RapidPro, for example, is due to the fact that UNICEF has collaborated with countries’ governments and non-governmental agencies. One of the biggest challenges of Rapid- Pro, says Blaschke, is having a system to manage the influx of large amounts of data. And because RapidPro is based on SMS messaging, UNICEF needs to work with mobile phone operators in each country to make sure each network is streamlined for RapidPro so it can be accessed by anyone with a mobile phone. The number of technologies in development won’t necessarily mean that each will be widely used. First, it would have to be tested on a large scale. However, “there’s not a clear way to break into the bureaucracy of healthcare systems to get something tested rapidly,” says Riina Sikkut, the Minister of Health and Labor of Estonia. “The real barrier is between technology [development] and acquisition in healthcare.” And moreover, too many available applications and technologies might run the risk of health care becoming disintegrated. “There is no research [so far] to assess the reach, adoption, implementation, maintenance and fidelity of these interventions,” says Teng Liaw, a Primary Health Care Researcher at the School of Public Health and Community Medicine in Sydney, Australia. In spite of these challenges, software developers, governments, and other agencies should at least strive for further innovation: in some areas of the world, new technologies have already shown great promise in reducing costs and simplifying primary care. - M. Weenk et al., “A smart all-in-one device to measure vital signs in admitted patients.” PLoS ONE, vol. 13, no. 2, p. e0190138. 2018.
Furniture Could Make Your Cat Sick Since the 1980s, thyroid disease in cats has been on the upswing, and the cause may be found right in your living room. Common chemicals, found in many homes, appear to speed up the function of the feline thyroid glands, which help to regulate metabolism, heart rate and more. According to a recent U.S. Environmental Protection Agency study, a group of flame-retardants, called polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE), is at the root of the problem. These flame retardants were mainly used in the manufacturing of sofas, rugs and other fabrics. Since the chemicals are so widespread and labeling was not required in the past, it is difficult to tell which fabrics were treated with these specific chemicals. If you have a flame-retardant item, however, there's a good chance it could contain PBDE. But an easier task than guesswork is to identify symptoms of hyperthyroidism in your cat, which can include: - hair loss - increased appetite and thirst - weight loss - increased vocalizing Sarah Turner, a teacher in Orange County, Calif., always thought that hyperthyroidism was simply a result of old age in her cat Franny. That chemicals in her home could be to blame for her cat's illness was quite alarming to her. "Hearing this really makes me want to redo my entire home with all-natural everything," says Turner. Franny exhibited two of the telltale signs. Turner explains, "My cat's appetite was insatiable, but I couldn't keep any weight on her. It just didn't make sense." Fortunately, the symptoms did make sense to her veterinarian, who quickly confirmed her suspicion with a blood test. Treating the Disease Thyroid disorders are manageable with several treatment options. These include surgical removal of the thyroid glands, radioactive iodine and drugs. According to the Feline Thyroid Clinic in Springfield, Ore., each treatment comes with its own pros and cons. - Surgical thyroid removal Although this is the most effective treatment for severe cases, all surgeries come with risks, especially for older felines. Since the thyroid is also involved in calcium regulation, removal of the glands can cause dangerous imbalances in your cat. Your veterinarian must therefore closely monitor your feline after the surgery. - Radioactive iodine For this treatment, radioactive iodine is injected under your cat's skin. It travels to the thyroid, where it kills abnormal cells. Since your cat will literally be radioactive just after the treatment, it must be isolated from other animals, including humans, for 4-5 days after the injection. Because this is often done at the veterinarian hospital, the cost can escalate. - Drug treatments Oral or topical treatments can help to regulate a malfunctioning cat thyroid but, as for diabetes, they must be administered for the rest of the feline's life. Your veterinarian will also have to conduct regular blood tests to determine drug amounts and also to make sure possible side effects, like liver dysfunction, don't arise. Turner has been successfully treating Franny with oral medication for the last few years. Why Cats are at Special Risk While humans may also be susceptible to thyroid problems resulting from toxic chemical exposure, cats have significantly higher levels of PBDE in their system than their owners. According to Janice Dye, DVM, a North Carolina research biologist who led the EPA study, there are a couple of possible explanations for this. First, your cat spends 24 hours a day in your home being exposed to dust particles containing PBDE, getting a daily dose average person is not getting. Second, the toxic particles in PBDE cling onto dust and cats are meticulous self-groomers, eating any dust they come into contact with. In contrast, says Dr. Dye, "We sit on the couch, but we don't groom ourselves thoroughly afterward." Before you decide the findings are a good excuse to let your kitty roam outdoors, Dr. Dye points out, "Outdoor cats usually do not live long enough to contract this disease. The risk of being attacked by coyotes or hit by a car is still much greater." Is Prevention Possible? Dr. Dye believes that it's probably not necessary to "rip up all of your carpeting or throw out your sofa." She says, "If flame retardants are the cause, the products have been, or are in the process of being, banned." Also, more studies need to be performed before anyone can conclude for certain that there is a direct link between these chemicals and hyperthyroidism in cats. In the future, it will hopefully become obvious that people whose indoor cats have high levels PBDE in their blood should get tested themselves because they are exposed to the same toxins. Your cat could be your lifesaver. Says Dr. Dye, "As pets share our home, they give us clues as to what we must use more wisely."
please slve this step by step with reasons to illustrate Asked by TARUN Garg23rd February 2013, 8:00 PM Answered by Expert Please note the figure is not very clear and hence its difficult to read angles as well as the vertical distance. So, can you please reask the question with clear figure or either write the specifications in your query itsefl. We're sorry, but this browser is not supported by TopperLearning. To get the best experince using TopperLearning, we recommend that you use Google Chrome. Continue, I understand this browser is not compatible.
I am thinking of writing a book, with the character Mamsell Proust who is doing a road trip in America. She start’s in Minnesota where she has some relatives. She travel around in america with her butler Görel who is driving the car and the caravan. Thru the long journey she meet a lot of different people – learning things from them – and she tells them her own story! For a long time I have thought I should write a book about Mamsell Proust and finally I know how i’m gonna write it. Came up with some ideas today. On July 4, 1776, we claimed our independence from Britain and Democracy was born. Every day thousands leave their homeland to come to the “land of the free and the home of the brave” so they can begin their American Dream. The United States is truly a diverse nation made up of dynamic people. Each year on July 4, Americans celebrate that freedom and independence with barbecues, picnics, and family gatherings. To celebreate this, I show you some vintage posters from the United States in this post. Happy independence day! The Art Nouveau movement occurred in the late 19th century from about 1894 to 1914, and was represented in Europe as well as in the United States. In each country “Art Nouveau” had a different meaning and identity, and artists were often piqued against each other in defining the art period. In summary, Art Nouveau is the avant-garde movement of the period in reaction to historical and academic perspectives. Art Nouveau artists wished to blur the lines between famous and minor artists, and unifying all arts, and unifying art with everyday human life – in essence, the art of the period became part of the architecture, placards, and jewelry in an attempt to combine life and art. Art Nouveau is characterized by its elegant decorative style, detailed patterns, curving lines, and art innovation. Leading artists include Aubrey Beardsley, Gustav Klimt, Alphonse Mucha, and the glassmaker Louis Comfort Tiffany.
Diversity loss with persistent human disturbance increases vulnerability to ecosystem collapse A.S. MacDougall, K.S. McCann, G. Gellner, R. Turkington Long-term and persistent human disturbances have simultaneously altered the stability and diversity of ecological systems, with disturbances directly reducing functional attributes such as invasion resistance, while eliminating the buffering effects of high species diversity1, 2, 3, 4. Theory predicts that this combination of environmental change and diversity loss increases the risk of abrupt and potentially irreversible ecosystem collapse1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, but long-term empirical evidence from natural systems is lacking. Here we demonstrate this relationship in a degraded but species-rich pyrogenic grassland in which the combined effects of fire suppression, invasion and trophic collapse have created a species-poor grassland that is highly productive, resilient to yearly climatic fluctuations, and resistant to invasion, but vulnerable to rapid collapse after the re-introduction of fire. We initially show how human disturbance has created a negative relationship between diversity and function, contrary to theoretical predictions3, 4. Fire prevention since the mid-nineteenth century is associated with the loss of plant species but it has stabilized high-yield annual production and invasion resistance, comparable to a managed high-yield low-diversity agricultural system. In managing for fire suppression, however, a hidden vulnerability to sudden environmental change emerges that is explained by the elimination of the buffering effects of high species diversity. With the re-introduction of fire, grasslands only persist in areas with remnant concentrations of native species, in which a range of rare and mostly functionally redundant plants proliferate after burning and prevent extensive invasion including a rapid conversion towards woodland. This research shows how biodiversity can be crucial for ecosystem stability despite appearing functionally insignificant beforehand, a relationship probably applicable to many ecosystems given the globally prevalent combination of intensive long-term land management and species loss. The article can be accessed here. This article has been Recommended by F1000. In the media: Prof. MacDougall, this fire study, and its implications for understanding human impacts on natural diversity has been featured in Canadian and international media, including:
“Vorkuta is the capital of the world,” goes an old Russian saying. It’s really hard to believe it when you arrive in this town, on the 67th parallel, a far outpost of the Komi Republic and the northernmost city in Europe. A pack of feral dogs is ambling around in front of the railway station, and all around we see derelict residential buildings and factories long abandoned to their fate. You have to know the history of this place to know why it was once called “the capital of the world.” Vorkuta is the most famous gulag city in Russia. Here, in the most famous gulag (together with that of Kolyma), prisoners of 47 different nationalities worked and died between 1932 and 1956 to dig up the coal needed to fulfil the Soviet five-year plans. The world of the concentration camps was that place where “one is persuaded every day that one can live with no meat, no sugar, no clothes, no shoes, but also with no honor, no conscience, no love, no duty,” wrote Vaarlam Shalamov in Kolyma Tales. It’s a world where “everything is laid bare, but the final revelation is a terrible one.” “Stalin wanted to prove that communists can do everything, even produce something in an impossible environment where the winter temperatures drop to -55 degrees Celsius, with only two hours of daylight and with tundra that is miserly for anyone who wants to cultivate it,” says Alexander Kalmykov, a geologist, who emigrated here from Siberia in 1968. The deported used to live in shacks, and initially dug out the coal with their bare hands. From the first shipment of 1,500 prisoners, only 84 survived. Then came the city, with lots of theaters and jazz clubs to entertain camp guards and free workers in their leisure time. Among the many deported here, there were also some Italians. The most famous of them, Dante Corneli, a Communist worker who was accused of Trotskyism, later told his tragic story in the book Il Redivivo Tiburtino, published by La Pietra in 1977. In 1953, as Stalinism came to an end, the prisoners rebelled, went on strike and demanded better working conditions. This was “the Vorkuta uprising”: the guards in the towers of the concentration camp opened fire on the workers, killing 53 and wounding 127. In the meadow where the dead were buried (if they even were), other crosses would be added later: more who were shot, more who died as involuntary builders of the “socialist paradise.” Then came the time of the dismantling of the camps and the end of slave labor, when Khrushchev and Brezhnev did everything to convince regular workers to move to Vorkuta. The wages were twice as high as those of university professors in Moscow and workers at the spas in Crimea, for those who agreed to work underground in Vorkuta. “My father was one of them,” Sergey tells us during the long train journey that takes us from Syktyvkar to Vorkuta. “Thirty-six years underground. Now I know that in Europe, by law, you go into the mine for a maximum of 10 years. He died two years after he retired, as many of his work colleagues did,” he stresses. “I was always the best-dressed kid, we didn’t want for anything, we would go on holiday on a cruise on the Black Sea—but in the end, is all of that worth giving your life?” Sergey is still asking himself. Generations have passed, and the young people in Vorkuta know almost nothing of their roots. “I’ve heard about that story from an old person,” says Viktoria, 17, a waitress in the only sushi bar in town who dreams of learning English and leaving. In Vorkuta, the only thing left is the coal mines, but their number has been shrinking over time. In 1988, there were 19; now there are only four left, and coke production has decreased from 28 million to seven million tonnes per year. Since 1992, the population has fallen to less than half. Today, only 59,000 people still live in Vorkuta. “However, our coal is of the highest quality, so it’s not used as an energy source, but in the metal industry,” says Viktor Telnov, director of the Economic and Mining College in the city. He takes us to visit an exact replica of a coal mine that the school has built in the basements for training and practice for the students. “They come to see it from all over the world,” he says proudly. Who knows if his model school will survive the inexorable advancing tide of deindustrialization. In 2016, 36 miners died underground in a mine north of the city. The mine was closed and the investigation is still ongoing, but no one believes that anyone will be brought to account: all that remains is a large plaque with photos of these men and fresh flowers that someone is taking care to replace often. The problem of the future of Vorkuta is also—or, rather, most of all—one of political will, and, to use a dirty word, of business profitability. Severstal, the holding company that owns the four mines of Vorkuta, is controlled by the oligarch Alexey Mordashev. Over the years, Mordashev has curtailed funding for investments and innovation to the absolute minimum, closing the mines approaching depletion one after the other, and he seems to have no intention to revive the city’s economy. Pursuing this near-zero business risk policy for his company with a turnover of around $7.7 billion per year has made Mordashev the fourth richest man in Russia, according to Forbes, with a personal fortune of $20.5 billion. “And still, there would be high-quality coal here for at least another 300 years,” says Kolmykov, the geologist. But nobody’s going to make a bet on this island in the taiga. Severstal is donating $300,000 per year to the city, and that’s not even enough to fill the potholes that have opened up in the streets, or to install decent benches at bus stops. Lenin Street, a strip of asphalt in the form of an inverted L, cuts through the city, while the working class neighborhoods all around are on dirt roads: dilapidated old condos tower above a small playground where a little girl is crying disconsolately as kids walk by wearing counterfeit sneakers. “It certainly doesn’t look like we’re in Rio De Janeiro,” in the words of Ostap Bender, the antihero of Ilf and Petrov’s literary masterpiece The Twelve Chairs. Another aspect that makes the future of Vorkuta problematic is the fact that it’s hard to find people willing to go underground, even for a very respectable wage for Russia, because occupational diseases and workplace accidents are the norm here. “The vast majority of the 6,000 miners in Vorkuta are migrants. They come here to work, mainly from the Central Asian republics and Ukraine, attracted by salaries ranging from €1,500 to €2,000 per month, 4 to 5 times higher than the national average. But they send all the money back home. There’s little of it that stays here,“ says Igor Kurbatov, the head of the independent miners’ trade union. One can’t see any miners around the city. They’re picked up by Severstal buses in the morning and driven back home at night. “The working day is six hours, but that doesn’t take into account the time for daily physical examinations, which includes alcohol testing, and the descent and ascent from the wells,” Kurbatov explains. In winter, this means they never see the light of day, as the sun only peeks out between noon and 2 p.m. The union organization is strong in Vorkuta, but it still suffers under the prevailing corporatism. “We organize half of the miners, about 3,000 workers: the wage gains also benefit non-members, but everything else, including medical services of a certain quality, are available only to those who pay their dues,” the union leader argues with conviction. This policy has allowed some workers to gain power and benefits, but it marginalizes non-union workers. “There will be no one left here in 10 years,” a taxi driver tells us with a grin. He’s spent half his life in the mines. Indeed, perhaps one day the only people who are still here will be criminals and people too poor to emigrate. The gulag city would come full circle, turning into something akin to John Carpenter’s New York: a place where modernity meets head to head with the abyss. Subscribe To Our Newsletter Your weekly briefing of progressive news.
Gratitude - A Superfood for our Mind Did you know that gratitude can be a type of superfood for your mind, body, and soul? There’s a growing body of research that establishes gratitude as a practice with a whole host of physical and psychological benefits. Grateful people enjoy stronger relationships and are more likely to be optimistic, inspired, and empathetic. Cultivating a mind-set of gratitude has also been linked to increased levels of immunity, higher sleep quality, and improved heart health. Just as you exercise your body, you can exercise your mind to view the world in new ways. A few minutes each week is all it takes to cultivate gratitude and experience the benefits of this ‘superfood.’ Below are a few ideas: For one week, write a list of things you feel grateful for in your life each morning. You can include tangible things like people, places, and events, as well as more abstract things like a particular feeling you experienced in a situation. Keep this list in a journal, in your planner, on your desk, or posted in a place where you’ll see it daily. Continue challenging yourself to add new items to your list and notice how the feeling of gratitude grows and expands throughout your day. Write a gratitude letter or email to a friend, family member, or colleague. Be specific and authentic. Not only will this exercise make you feel great, but if you choose to share the letter, the recipient will feel the glow of gratitude as well Once a week for the next month, commit to making a list of three things that you feel grateful for. Then, spend a few minutes pinpointing the specific sources of your gratitude in a few sentences for each. This will help you become mindful of gratitude’s role in your life, and deepen your practice over time.
Aug 6, 2017 Possible explanation for the dominance of matter over antimatter in the Universe The Universe is primarily made of matter and the apparent lack of antimatter is one of the most intriguing questions of today's science. The T2K collaboration, with participation of the group of the University of Bern, announced today in a colloquium held at the High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK) in Tsukuba, Japan, that it found indication that the symmetry between matter and antimatter (so called "CP-Symmetry") is violated for neutrinos with 95% probability. Different Transformation of Neutrinos and Antineutrinos Neutrinos are elementary particles which travel through matter almost without interaction. They appear in three different types: electron- muon- and tau-neutrinos and their respective antiparticle (antineutrinos). In 2013 T2K discovered a new type of transformation among neutrinos, showing that muon-neutrinos transform (oscillate) into electron-neutrinos while travelling in space and time. The outcome of the latest T2K study rejects with 95% probability the hypothesis that the analogous transformation from muon-antineutrinos to electron-antineutrinos takes place with identical chance. This is a first indication that the symmetry between matter and antimatter is violated in neutrino oscillations and therefore neutrinos also play a role in the creation of the matter-antimatter asymmetry in the universe. "This result is among the most important findings in neutrino physics over the last years," said Prof. Antonio Ereditato, director of the Laboratory of High Energy Physics of the University of Bern and leader of the Bern T2K group, "and it is opening the way to even more exciting achievements, pointing to the existence of a tiny but measurable effect." Ereditato added: "Nature seems to indicate that neutrinos can be responsible for the observed supremacy of matter over antimatter in the Universe. What we measured justifies our current efforts in preparing the next scientific enterprise, DUNE, the ultimate neutrino detector in USA, which should allow reaching a definitive discovery." In the T2K experiment a muon-neutrino beam is produced at the Proton Accelerator Research Complex (J-PARC) in Tokai on the east coast of Japan and is detected 295 kilometres away by the gigantic Super-Kamiokande underground detector ("T2K" stands for "Tokai to Kamiokande"). The neutrino beam needs to be fully characterized immediately after production, that means before neutrinos start to oscillate. For this purpose, the ND280 detector was built and installed close to the neutrino departing point. Read more at Science Daily
Monster-sized Burmese python bearing record-number of eggs retrieved in the Florida Everglades Her name is P-52. It doesn’t sound all that special. But she broke records earlier this year as the largest wild Burmese python ever found in the United States. At 17.7 feet long (5.36 meters), she weighed a whopping 164 pounds (74.4 kilograms). When researchers at the Florida Museum of Natural History opened her up earlier this month, they found 87 eggs — also a record. Although Burmese pythons are native to Southeast Asia, thousands are born in the wilds of Florida each year. The first one was spotted there in 1979. Some biologists now suspect the first pythons roaming the state had been cast-off pets. They either escaped or their owners released them when the snakes got too big to manage. It’s also possible that breeders released some when they got more pythons than they needed. Since 1990, pet suppliers have imported more than 100,000 of these snakes into the United States. In the late 1980s their numbers were so low that it “was difficult to find one because of their cryptic behavior,” notes Kenneth Krysko, who works at the Gainesville, Fla., museum where P-52 was examined. By cryptic, he means these reptiles can blend in with their surroundings. So even pythons 12 feet long or more can be quite difficult to see when they’re not moving. But their numbers have so increased that finding them is proving pretty easy. They’ve been breeding in Florida’s Everglades National Park for more than a decade. “Now, you can go out to the Everglades nearly any day of the week and find a Burmese python,” Krysko observes. “We’ve found 14 in a single day.” Biologists don’t know how many pythons are now living in southern Florida, but estimates range from 30,000 to 80,000 or more. Finding the record-size python proved somewhat of a welcome accident for snake watchers, notes Kristen Hart, a U.S. Geological Survey ecologist in Davie, Fla. Two members of her team had been sent to walk into the Everglades and observe a python known as P-46 (the P denoting the animal was a python). Earlier, Hart’s crew had implanted this male with a radio transmitter (and a backup, in case the first failed). Once a week thereafter, the researchers marked the snake’s position within the swampy national park from the air, by plane — and from the ground, in person. On March 6, the two-man crew tramped a mile or so into the park for an on-the-ground sighting. Their job: to not only confirm the snake was alive but also to record its habitat (the precise environment in which it was found). While observing P-46, the men heard a rustling in the brush nearby. Because this was breeding season for snakes, the crew investigated whether the sound might signal the presence of another python. And that’s when they stumbled onto P-52. They wrestled the mammoth snake to subdue her — one man holding her tail, the other her head. It wasn’t easy. As Hart describes her, this python was just a heavy “tube of muscle.” When the snake finally tired, the two men hoisted her onto their shoulders — yes, alive — and carried her back to their truck. It took hours, stumbling over rocks and getting scratched by saw grass and other brush and occasionally caught by vines. Back at the lab, three days later, Hart’s team implanted four devices into the snake: two radio-transmitters, a GPS device to track the precise ground coordinates of the animal at all times and an accelerometer. The last device can measure movements in three dimensions. The scientists then released the enormous snake back into the Everglades. Each device recorded or broadcast its position four times a second. That’s 345,600 times a day. Powering the instruments to do this put a big drain on their batteries. That’s why the devices had a useful life of only about 40 days. So on April 19, 38 days after returning P-52 to the Everglades, scientists trekked back in and caught her one last time. Back in their lab, they removed her tracking instruments, killed the snake and stored her body for study. Those investigations began on August 10. Unmasking the snake’s behavior Burmese pythons are invasive snakes, meaning they are invading territory to which they are not native. And these big and hungry snakes are proving especially destructive to the ecosystems of southern Florida. The National Park Service has a rule that when such invasive species are found, they must be killed to limit the damage they can do. Hart’s team must petition the park service to temporarily ignore that rule in order to catch and release pythons in the Everglades. It’s the only way the scientists can begin to understand the behavior of these animals, Hart explains. Despite the snakes’ huge numbers, she observes, a lot of basic questions remain unanswered, such as: How often do they breed? How far do they travel in a given week or month? How often do they eat? One might expect that finding answers would be as simple as phoning reptile experts in Southeast Asia, where the snakes come from. “And we are talking with scientists there,” says Michael Dorcas, at Davidson College in North Carolina. “Unfortunately,” he has learned, “we probably know more about pythons in south Florida than about them in their native range.” The reason: Scientists have not studied the snakes much where they developed and became a natural part of the landscape. As a herpetologist, Dorcas is a biologist who specializes in reptiles and amphibians. But he’s also an ecologist, which means he tries to understand how an animal fits into its environment — or doesn’t. And many invasive species, like this python in Florida, have the potential to totally disrupt and alter an environment that’s new to them. This typically occurs if an incoming species lacks predators. Without something higher up the food chain to eat them and keep their numbers in check, members of an introduced species can transform an ecosystem. Dorcas’ work has helped establish that Burmese pythons have indeed been bullying their environment. Earlier this year, he led a group of scientists who showed that the snakes have been eating their way through the Everglades, leaving a drastically changed ecosystem in their wake. Raccoons, opossums, deer and other mammals, along with birds and alligators, have all turned up in the stomachs of captured pythons. And the scientists found that as soon as the pythons expanded into a new area, the number of prey animals there fell. In portions of the Everglades where these pythons have been present longest, certain prey species appeared to nearly disappear, Dorcas told Science News. One big advantage that Burmese pythons have over many of their prey — a slow metabolism. This is the rate at which body processes occur. Being warm-blooded, mammals and birds breathe quickly and circulate their blood rapidly to regulate their body temperature. Powering these processes takes a lot of energy obtained from food. Cold-blooded pythons, however, don’t need food to fuel their body temperature. This “allows pythons to do things that we can’t,” Dorcas says. “For example, in many instances a large Burmese python, if it’s healthy, could go a year or more without eating.” So if the number of prey animals falls, a python just rests quietly and waits for prey to reproduce. Rabbits, deer and birds can’t survive months — or, in some cases, even days — waiting for their next meal. Hart points to another of this snake’s advantages. Unlike many baby animals that are vulnerable at birth and need some time to adapt to their environment, “Baby pythons are just raring to go, right out of the egg.” These animals are also quite comfortable in the Everglades. Although they need freshwater to survive, they don’t need to drink it. They can get the water they need from the bodies of the animals they eat, Hart says. And the snakes are fine swimmers. Her team has observed some traveling across seawater, far from land. That seems to explain why Burmese pythons have been found on islands (known as the Keys) that are at least 18.5 miles (30 kilometers) off of the Florida mainland. The main limitation in their moving onto those islands would be access to freshwater, for drinking, along the way. But especially after a storm, Hart notes, rafts of floating debris often develop. The cratered surface of a branch, the cupped surface of leaves or a piece of plastic could all hold tiny pools of freshwater. Or a floating yogurt cup might collect a bit of rainwater. Hart suspects these snakes are quite adept at finding enough freshwater from sources such as these, even while at sea. “So it’s not inconceivable,” she says, “that these snakes can go from island to island.” Hart would like to try and confirm the snakes’ island hopping by fitting those in coastal areas with tracking devices. But there are two problems with that idea right now. First, to slow the snakes’ spread, there’s that park requirement that scientists kill all pythons that they find. “So it would be a little dangerous to put them out at the coast, where they might swim away,” she says — even though this “may be the only way that we can determine how long it takes them to get a certain distance across a saltwater barrier.” Second, tracking devices can be damaged or destroyed by saltwater. And that means that if a snake did go to sea, scientists might lose their ability to later find and recapture it. Tracking devices are changing all of the time, however. So it’s possible that newer models will allow good real-time tracking of snakes, even at sea. Such devices could deliver valuable information about where to boost snake surveillance programs, Hart says. Each Burmese python that receives tracking implants provides a wealth of new data for scientists. For instance, those devices used in P-52 will show where and how often she ate. Key to that information will be the accelerometer she carried. It recorded how she moved — such as whether she traveled in a straight line, rolled or coiled. That last movement can be particularly telling because pythons are constrictors. That means they kill by wrapping around their prey and slowly, steadily wrapping tighter until their lunch can no longer breathe. “They often constrict with a type of motion where their belly goes up,” Hart explains. “And that’s not a normal position for a snake.” So her team looks for those belly-up movements, how long they lasted and where the snake was when it occurred. By matching the precise times of these movements with GPS data on the snake’s location during those periods, her team can begin to identify the habitat in which the snake had been dining. Was it a gator’s pond? In a tree? Or perhaps in a dense thicket at night? By counting the number of those feeding events and comparing them with weather records, biologists might also learn whether feeding increases when it’s rainy or hot. They might even identify whether the snakes are more likely to snack during seasons when slow and unwary baby mammals are first venturing out into the environment. Scientists would like to know how closely related the Everglades pythons are to one another. To study this, Hart and other biologists snip off a piece of the tail of every python they catch. Then they record its DNA to compare against that of the other pythons caught in Florida. If the DNA show these animals are very closely related, this would suggest that just a few initial snakes served as the great-great-great grandparents of all pythons in the Everglades. Put another way, that would mean the release of just a few snakes launched the huge, bullying assault this species has been carrying out on the Everglades’ ecosystem. But if many of the snakes show little relatedness, that would indicate there has been a continuing release of pet snakes over time into the park. And that might be good news for python-free areas. It would suggest that it might take the release of a somewhat large number of snakes before a stable wild population exists that can reproduce. Hart’s team is also analyzing snippets of snake tails for pollution studies. Mercury is a toxic element that can poison animals, including people. It’s given off by coal-fired power plants and other facilities. Often it moves through aquatic environments, tainting fish, the birds that eat fish, and other animals. By studying tissue from snake tails, Hart’s team has found that pythons can have high concentrations of mercury. If the baby snakes in P-52’s eggs are well developed enough, the biologists will look to see whether mom passed any of that mercury on to her young. And about those eggs: Scientists at the Florida Museum of Natural History retrieved huge handfuls from the record-breaking python. “There are not many records of how many eggs a large female snake carries in the wild,” says Everglades National Park biologist Skip Snow. The load in P-52 “shows they’re a really reproductive animal,” he says, “which aids in their invasiveness.” After studies of P-52 are completed, her body will be mounted and showcased at the museum for five years. Later, it will be returned to Everglades National Park. There it will serve as a potent symbol of the impact of just one introduced species in a wild environment. This video starts with still images of USGS researchers using a radio tracker to hunt for P-46 in March. Researchers then find a python hidden in saw grass, which leads to the initial capture of record-breaking P-52. A video records her capture again in April, the final time, as she’s readied to be permanently removed from the wild. Credit: C. Puckett/USGS accelerometer An instrument for measuring vibrations or a change in the rate of movement. The one being used with snakes can measure movement changes in all three dimensions. cryptic Having a behavior that is mysterious or possessing the ability to hide by concealing itself within the surrounding environment. ecosystem The natural community of plants, animals and microorganisms that evolved to live together in a particular place with a particular climate. Examples include tropical reefs, rainforests, alpine meadows and polar tundra. freshwater Water that is not salty, such as rain, rivers and lake water. GPS device GPS is short for Global Positioning System. This system uses devices that calculate their position (in terms of latitude and longitude) from any place on the ground or in the air. They do this by comparing how long it takes signals from different satellites to reach them. habitat The natural environment in which a plant or animal normally lives. This includes not only the structural environment (such as sand, soil, rock or water) but also the other organisms that share that ecosystem. herpetologist A biologist who studies reptiles and amphibians. metabolism The chemical processes by which cells use energy and nutrients to make the substances that sustain life. predator An animal that must capture and feed on other animals to survive. radio tracking Following the movements of an animal or object using a device that gives off radio waves. A receiver can pick up those radio-frequency waves to provide information on how far away the broadcasting signal is and in which direction. Many biologists implant devices that broadcast such radio-wave signals to keep track of animals in the wild. reptile Cold-blooded vertebrate animals, whose skin is covered with scales or horny plates. Snakes, turtles, lizards and alligators are all reptiles. Word Find (click here to print puzzle) National Park Service. Burmese pythons fact sheet. April 2008. http://www.nps.gov/ever/naturescience/upload/pythonfactsheethires.pdf S. Ornes. “Pythons overtake Everglades.” Science News for Kids. Feb. 14, 2012. S. Ornes. “Giant snakes invading North America.” Science News for Kids. Oct. 28, 2009. J. Raloff. “Predatory pythons shift Everglades ecology.” Science News. Jan. 30, 2012.
Readers are entitled to ask: What is good analysis? What follows is my perspective on what makes for good analysis. It is not original but something I was taught by a teacher I feel I was lucky to encounter. I enrolled for a course in Decision Analysis and this is what the teacher talked about in the first class: The most important concept to understand is that a Decision and an Outcome are two separate things. A Good Outcome is not necessarily the result of a Good Decision. A Bad Outcome is not necessarily the result of a Bad Decision. How can this be so? Because between the Decision and the Outcome there is something called Uncertainty or Randomness, something that you can never know fully in advance and over which you may have no control. Let me illustrate this with some examples that I have invented for a South Asian audience: Suppose a batsman picks the wrong ball to hit and makes a lousy shot but the fielder drops the catch and the ball goes over the boundary: A Bad Decision yields a Good Outcome. Now suppose a safe single is there for the taking and the batsman sets off but slips in the middle and is run out: A Good Decision yields a Bad Outcome. The lesson to take away is that a Decision can be Good or Bad independent of the Outcome. A Good Decision is one where you have taken all the available information into consideration, gone over all the alternatives possible, studied their costs and benefits, and then chosen what you think is the best course of action in the circumstances. The Outcome could still be bad – fate may intervene, an earthquake may alter the cost-benefit calculus, a coup in Russia may freeze the credit markets. As they say, ‘there’s many a slip between the cup and the lip.’ Regardless, given what you knew when you knew at the time you made the decision, it was the best if you did all that was mentioned above. Now replace Decision with Analysis and Outcome with Prediction. An analysis is not considered good ONLY if it predicts correctly. An analysis is good if it does the following: - Marshals all the available evidence that is relevant to the analysis. - Organizes the evidence in a way that it can be assessed carefully. - Understands the context in which the evidence is to be applied. - Recognizes the forces and trends that are acting upon the context. - Surveys critically the various alternatives that are likely. - Intuits the motivations of the key actors in the situation. Based on the above the analyst offers his or her opinion on the most likely outcome – which could still be wrong. Note that the good analyst acts more or less like the good doctor or the good detective in the process he/she follows in reaching a diagnosis or a conclusion. Note also that these skills require a lot of training. There may be the rare intuitive analyst born with the gift but most of the time analysis is a learned skill that requires dedicated study. It is not for nothing that leading universities in the West have programs to train analysts who then earn their livings as professional analysts. It is because, more often than not, good analysis yields good predictions. And when it doesn’t, it is possible to go back and study what might have gone wrong improving the analytical method in the process. It is certainly not possible to do good analysis driving by in a car, or drawing conclusions from fluffy puppies, or hoping for the best.
Thickened feeds for babies Caring for a baby with reflux can be stressful and exhausting. In your search to find out what you can do to help, you may have heard about thickened feeds. There are a variety of thickeners available. For example, there are commercial milk thickeners, rice cereal, ‘cornflour’ (made from corn or wheat) or bean gum. The idea behind the use of thickened feeds is to make feeds heavier, to try to keep them down in the stomach and not rise back up the oesophagus and out the mouth. But, do thickened feeds actually help a baby with reflux? Can they cause any problems? Here are 5 important facts about thickened feeds: #1: No formula has a place treating reflux in breastfed babies This point may be shocking or surprising to hear. Formula feeding or mixed feeding your baby? Anti-reflux (AR) formula is often suggested if your baby has been diagnosed with gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD). AR formula differs from standard cows’ milk based formula, because it contains added thickener (e.g. some of the lactose is replaced with starch). Unfortunately, formula companies are well known for making big claims about their products, and AR formula is no different. There is no reputable scientific evidence that AR formula actually helps babies with reflux. In addition, many parents find AR formula difficult to make up, as they find it tends to cause clumping. It’s not recommended to use this type of formula (or any formula) as a treatment for reflux in a breastfed baby. Some babies with reflux may actually have a cows’ milk protein sensitivity. This is because reflux can actually be a sign of a cows’ milk protein sensitivity. In such a situation, AR formula (or even lactose-free formula) will not help, because both they both contain cows’ milk protein. If a breastfed baby has a cows’ milk protein (or any other food) sensitivity, a dietitian can help plan a diet suitable for a mother. For a formula fed baby with a cows’ milk protein (or any other food) sensitivity, a paediatrician can help prescribe a suitable formula. It’s very important to find a medical professional who can correctly diagnose such problems. Lactose intolerance is often wrongly diagnosed for a range of problems too. One example is cows’ milk protein sensitivity. Find out more here. #2: Thickened feeds don’t stop the reflux According to Australia’s peak health body, the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), thickening of feeds “has some benefit in decreasing the amount regurgitated, but is not effective in decreasing the number of episodes of GOR [gastro-oesophageal reflux] or acid exposure, and thus has no real place in the management of complicated GOR.” In other words, thickeners can reduce how often a baby vomits, but not alter how often his stomach contents rises into his oesophagus. Less vomiting is worthwhile if it’s deemed to be contributing to a baby not gaining enough weight. Thickeners are not recommended for babies who are healthy and growing well. It has been hypothesised that rather than thickening feeds and making them sit in the stomach for longer, it may actually be better to have liquid move through the stomach more quickly. As a result, this may minimise the possible window for reflux to flow back up again. #3: Thickened feeds cause practical problems for breastfeeding Obviously, breastmilk which is fed straight from the breast cannot be thickened. Some breastfeeding mothers may have attempted to add thickener to their expressed breastmilk (EBM). This doesn’t work since the live enzymes in the EBM breaks down the starches that make up many thickeners. Adding thickeners to EBM also changes the carbohydrate balance of the EBM. #4: Some thickeners may actually make a baby feel worse Unfortunately, some thickeners can actually make a baby feel worse, and have been associated with: #5: Thickeners feeds may be dangerous The NHMRC indicates that feed thickeners have some adverse effects, such as increasing the length of time it takes for feeds to pass through the stomach, and even increasing reflux. For premature babies, it’s even more important to not add anything to their feeds unless under medical advice. Some commercial thickeners have been linked to an increased risk of necrotising enterocolitis, a serious and life-threatening condition where tissue in the intestines becomes inflamed and dies. It’s important not to give a baby thickened feeds unless advised by a doctor. Since gastro-oesophageal reflux disease can be associated with medical problems, exclusive breastfeeding (i.e. without any thickeners, etc) is advisable whenever medically possible. This is because lack of exclusive breastfeeding carries risks.
Location: The Adriatic coast of the Balkans The bora is a cold and typically very dry and often gusty katabatic wind (fall-wind) from the north-east. Bora winds can occur anytime during the year. However, the peak frequency occurs in the cold season (November - March). In general, the frequency of gale force bora winds varies from one day per month, or less, in the summer to six days per month during winter months. The term bora derives from boreas, the north. In other areas it is used as a generic term for cold squalls moving downhill from uplands. The bora is most common blowing down from the mountains on the eastern side of the Adriatic Sea where it flows mainly from the northeast through gaps in the Dinaric Alps. On occasion, the Bora can be very localized, extending only a few miles offshore. At other times, the Bora will dominate the entire Adriatic Sea and, when the area of steep pressure gradiant is large enough, the Bora can extend as far south as Malta. The strongest winds occur along the eastern shores of the Adriatic Sea from Trieste to the Albanian border There are two primary weather patterns associated with the bora and both are locally classified as being a white bora and a black bora. In either case, the pressure is higher on the European side of the mountains and lower on the Mediterranean side. However, it always takes a cold pool of air accumulating over the Balkan Peninsula at first. When the depth of the cold air pool reaches the height of mountain passes, the bora will commence breaking through the numerous passes that lie along the mountain barrier and sweeping westwards towards the coast. Enhanced by funneling and topography. The anticyclonic pattern - or white bora: A large high pressure cell is present over central Europe and generally lower pressure without a well defined low pressure center to the south over the Mediterranean Sea. The white bora is basically a dry and very gusty wind due to its katabatic nature. A white bora is characterized by cold, clear weather and good visibilities in the lee of the coastal mo untains, while thick clouds associated with up-slope motions are found on the mountain crests. These clouds subsequently dissipate in the descending air on the lee side, and appear as 'cap clouds' to an observer on their west side. The cyclonic pattern - or black bora: A low pressure center (sometimes a so called Genoa Low) is present in the southern Adriatic Sea or in the Ionian Sea so that the weather across the area is cloudy and rainy. Black bora winds are less gusty than those in a white bora, but might bring substantial amounts of rain or snow to the region. With the cyclonic pattern, the black bora is often accompanied by low clouds and reduced visibilities associated with rain and/or drizzle. These conditions are more noticeable over the open water areas than along the coastal zone. The greatest intensity of the bora occurs where the mountain peaks are at least 600 m (2000 ft) above sea level and not more than two or three miles inland. Anticyclonic pattern white bora winds are most intense to the north, decreasing somewhat moving southward, while during the cyclonic pattern, the strongest black bora winds are usually found in the southern Adriatic Sea. In 1956 a gust of 125 kt was recorded at Trieste. The bora does not usually start with a sudden blast but will build up at a relatively moderate pace. A 60 kt bora will not reach peak intensity during the first 3 or 4 hours. This may allow time for some protective measures to be assessed and conducted. The average duration of a continuous gale force bora over the Adriatic Sea is about 12 hours but the winds sometimes will last up to two days. The average duration of a Bora that reaches gale force some time during its history is 40 hours with a maximum duration of 5 days. Winds are usually less intense over the open water of the Adriatic Sea, but gale force winds (greater than or equal to 34 kt) are common. The frequency of the gale force bora in the open sea is greater for the cyclonic type of pattern than for the anticyclonic pattern. There is a noticeable diurnal variation at stations along the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea during bora conditions. During the day, the sea breeze counteracts the offshore flow of the bora, which decreases the strength of the bora between noon and 6pm local time.
While we currently venerate technology as the panacea for our catastrophic environmental ills, what if we could contextually approach and learn from sustainable civilizations that thrived in the distant reaches of North America’s past? Jude Isabella writes on Archeology: A re-evaluation of evidence along North America’s western coast shows how its earliest inhabitants managed the sea’s resources stone walls serve as evidence that early peoples cultivated the intertidal zones to build clam gardens and fish traps When the tide is out, the table is set. —Tlingit proverb The tide is going out at Gibsons Beach, in the Strait of Georgia on Canada’s west coast. When the tide is low, it’s easy to spot rock walls in the intertidal zone, the area of shore land that’s exposed during low tide and hidden when the tide is in. A person can look at this beach for years and never understand that apparently random scatterings of piled rocks were actually carefully constructed to catch food from the sea. One formation, a circular shape almost 100 feet in diameter, is a clam garden, a flattened area that pools water and creates a habitat for clams to grow. Nearby, also in the intertidal zone, is a chevron-shaped collection of stones that opens into the sea and funnels fish toward the shore, a fish trap. Dana Lepofsky, an archaeologist at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, British Columbia, believes these gardens and traps, found up and down the coast, could be up to 2,000 years old. They were used by the indigenous population and serve as artifacts that dispute what the archaeological record has to this point claimed was the area’s primary staple: salmon.
Researchers at UCLA said they’ve developed a game-changing obfuscation mechanism that will put a dent in hackers’ efforts to reverse engineer patches and understand how an underlying piece of software works. “You write your software in a nice, reasonable, human-understandable way and then feed that software to our system,” UCLA computer science professor Amat Sahai said in a university release. “It will output this mathematically transformed piece of software that would be equivalent in functionality, but when you look at it, you would have no idea what it’s doing.” Sahai and his fellow researchers, Sanjam Garg, Craig Gentry, Shai Halevi and Mariana Raykova of IBM Research, and Brent Waters of the University of Texas, said this is the first time software obfuscation has been accomplished and could be an important tool in protecting intellectual property, for example. Sahai said that previous obfuscation attempts could be broken in days; this new method would require a hacker to spend hundreds of years to break the cryptography they’ve put in play. “The real innovation that we have here is a way of transforming software into a kind of mathematical jigsaw puzzle,” Sahai said. “What we’re giving you is just math, just numbers, or a sequence of numbers. But it lives in this mathematical structure so that these individual pieces, these sequences of numbers, can only be combined with other numbers in very specified ways. “You can inspect everything, you can turn it upside-down, you can look at it from different angles and you still won’t have any idea what it’s doing,” Sahai said. “The only thing you can do with it is put it together the way that it was meant to interlock. If you tried to do anything else — like if you tried to bash this piece and put it in some other way — you’d just end up with garbage.” The team’s paper, “Candidate Indistinguishability Obfuscation and Functional Encryption for All Circuits,” will be presented at the IEEE Symposium on Foundations of Computer Science in October. It also covers functional encryption, a method that encrypts information on the fly and depending on identity characteristics of the recipient, they would be able to decrypt only certain bits of information. Sahai offered the example of a hospital sharing treatment outcomes with a researcher without sharing patient information. The secret sauce, however, is in the jigsaw puzzle analogy. In Multilinear Jigsaw Puzzle we view group elements as the puzzle pieces. The intuitive analogy to jigsaw puzzles is that these group elements can only be combined in very structured ways—like jigsaw puzzle pieces, different puzzle pieces either fit together or, if they do not fit, then they cannot be combined in any meaningful way,” the researchers wrote in their paper. “We view a valid multilinear form in these elements as a suggested solution to this jigsaw puzzle: a valid multilinear form suggests ways to interlock the pieces together.” The paper said that the jigsaw puzzle scheme consists of two algorithms, a Jigsaw generator and verifier. The generator builds system parameters and group elements that are mathematically verified whether they are a correct solution. By obfuscating software patches, for example, vulnerabilities being repaired would be hidden from an attacker, the paper said, giving IT teams time to test and deploy patches without fear of the patch being reverse engineered in the meantime. The same goes for cases where intellectual property is being shared and that legal protections would not be enough to protect the IP from being reverse engineering new software, for example.
GT Recycling has developed it’s own process for recycling the wide range of plastic waste being generated throughout Victoria. Each type of waste has it’s own recycling challenges, however the end goal is to isolate plastics into their individual polymer category, before going through a decontamination and size reduction process. For the last 50 years, global plastic consumption has continued to increase as this amazing versatile and low cost material continues to excel at countless applications, ranging from improving food safety and distribution efficiency, to helping create lighter, more fuel efficient vehicles. Unfortunately our collective ability to effectively recycle this material has lagged. In 2013, some 299 million tonnes of plastic were produced worldwide, according to the Worldwatch Institute, as plastic continues to replace other materials notably metal and glass. In the years between 1950-2011, on average, the industry grew at a rate of 9%, and is expected to track a similar level of expansion in the future. With this proliferation, the need to effectively recycle this material and keep it out of landfills has magnified. Worldwide, a range between 22%-43% of plastic is disposed of in landfills, according to the United Nations Environmental Program. According to the National Packaging Industry Covenant Association, some 944,000 tonne of plastic packaging was consumed in Australia in the 2014-2015 financial year, with around 268,000 tonnes of this material diverted from landfill and returned to life as a new product. Plastics are used to manufacture a diverse range of products in every sector of the economy. The design and innovation advantages of plastics include their ability to be moulded into almost any shape, size and colour, the wide range of properties which can be achieved, such as water and chemical resistance, high strength to weight ratio, sound and heat insulation, hygiene and for safety and their relatively low cost. Lifespan of the products can range from short term, up to 2 years, for items such as packaging, stationary and pharmaceutical, to long term, up to 500 years, for items such as underground and construction pipe and insulation cable. At GT Recycling, we are committed to working closely with our customers to maximise the benefits of recycling post-consumer and industrial plastic waste in a commercially viable and environmentally sound and sustainable manner. If you have an issue with recycling your plastic waste or require secure destruction, then GT Recycling may be able to help achieve your goals.
photo: Jose Pereira/Creative Commons The following is the first in an ongoing series of posts outlining how the world's major religions have traditionally viewed the environment and are putting those beliefs into practice today. Hinduism is the oldest of the world's major spiritual paths. Though it only became known by that name in much more recent history, the oldest of its sacred texts date in their written form to the second millennia BCE and reference astronomical alignments as far back as 10,000 BCE. For those people unfamiliar with Hinduism basic tenets, the Himalayan Academy has good overview. As for its traditional and contemporary views on the environment, keeping reading:A quick sidebar: Hinduism is really an umbrella term for a vast faith, with many different sects occupying that space. They don't always agree in teachings, interpretation, or emphasis, even if there is ultimately more commonality than difference. Also, as with every philosophy there is sometimes a gap between belief in practice, and in that Hinduism is no different. With that in mind, let's continue. Entire Universe Is Looked Upon As Sacred When it comes to traditional Hindu views on the environment, one statement for the Ishavasya Upanishad sums up the reverential attitude Hindus are urged to take. In English it reads, "The entire universe is to be looked upon as the Lord." That means that there is everything in existence is essentially, practically and metaphorically, connected together. Everything is seen as aspects of Divinity--humans, animals, plants, rivers, mountains, the Earth, the Universe and everything in it. Scripturally, these are seen as parts of God's body. More specifically, this broad outlook can be broken down into a number of key principles with direct implications for the environment, as we talk about it within the green movement. - Divinity In All -- The attitude of Vasudeva Sarvam, or Divinity in All, bestows reverence for all things. This contrasts starkly with the dominant outlook today in which humans are separate from nature and God is separate from both. While Western civilization considers human life to be sacred, Hinduism views all of life, all of existence as sacred. - Global Village -- Or Vasudhaiva Kutumbatam... If you view everything and everyone as an aspect of Divinity, viewing the entire globe as a village easily follows. A paraphrase from the Hymn to Earth, from the Artharva Veda: "Mother Earth supports us with Her abundant endowments and riches; it is She who nourishes us; it is She who provides us with a sustainable environment; and it is She who, when angered by the misdeeds of Her children, punishes them with disasters." Obviously a more poetic and metaphorical than literal reading of the causes of disasters, but on the whole not off base in its recognition of the web of life. - Welfare of All Beings -- Once you view the entire world as a global village and understand Mother Earth's protection of life (maintaining the conditions for life, in scientific terms), Sarva bhuta hita or "enhancing the common good of all beings" follows. When you believe all life to be sacred and we are all children of Mother Earth, your behavior and desires change, balancing our individual needs and desires with those of the extended family of life. - Restraint & Limitation -- Not restraint (sanyam) and limitation (maryada) as we popularly conceive of them, but deeper than that. Professor Arvind Sharma explains, "You refrain from drinking or eating too much not because there are laws against doing that, but out of a sense of propriety and decency." You practice restraint and limitation not because you are forced to, but because it's part of your lifestyle. There are a number of other Hindu concepts which figure into the discussion--both karma and the principles of ahimsa (non-violence), santosha (contentment) and aparigraha (non-posessiveness, non-stealing), all are important--but the above highlighted principles are a good overview. photo: Mat McDermott/Creative Commons Ancient Law Placed Fines on Deforestation, Polluting Rivers These principles have been put into practice in various ways since time immemorial. In some of Hinduism's oldest law books, fines are specified for illegally cutting trees and if you need to clear an area of forest new trees must be planted in its place, discharging bodily waste into rivers and lakes was also prohibited. In the 15th century, the Bishnoi sect first placed environmental protection, conservation, protection of trees and animals as a central part of religious duty. They still exist and practice these principles today. photo: Mat McDermott/Creative Commons Pollution Won't Be Stopped Until People Take Ownership of The World Around Them Jumping forward quite a bit, Hindu groups have begun taking the lead to clean up environmental pollution in the Ganga and Yamuna rivers and pressuring politicians to take the issue seriously. Swami Chidanand Saraswati (pictured above at center) has been quite outspoken in this regard (his ashram has its gates perhaps 100 feet from the banks of the Ganga in Rishikesh) and hits on a crucial point for a number of environmental issues, what do you take figurative ownership of and care for: People think, "My home is my home, but the street, that's not mine. My farm is mine, but the road is not mine. That's the government's road, the borough's road, or the municipality's road; it's not mine." But that's not correct. It's not just "your home is your home." The street is also yours. Until we have this kind of relationship with the environment, [awareness and action about pollution] will not come. video: Ahimsa Milk A Big Step Beyond Organic is Slaughter-Free Milk A further, and truly excellent, example of putting Hindu principles into practice comes from Bhaktivedanta Manor, located just outside London. Recognizing that even within more stringent animal welfare conditions imposed by organic certification schemes cows are stilled killed when they stop producing milk and young bulls have no better a fate than in industrial farming, the residents of the Manor (given to the community by George Harrison in the early 1970s) have created a model for compassionate, environmentally sustainable and low-carbon dairy farming for the 21st century. At the center of it is a way of managing a cattle herd virtually unique in modern farming (though it wouldn't have been far out of place in pre-industrial times): No cows, bulls or oxen are killed at all; all cows are hand-milked; cows suckle from their mothers; and bulls are given work. At the end of the animals' working life they are kept on the farm and cared for until they die a natural death. Furthermore, the milk is marketed under the Ahimsa, Slaughter-Free Milk designation. For more information on Hinduism and the environment, a longer, more in-depth version of this article appeared in the April/May/June 2011 issue of Hinduism Today. More on Religion & The Environment: Environmentalism Ignores the Power of Religious Communities At Its Peril - Lets Change That Religions May Be Powerful 'Joint Venture Partners' in Conservation Efforts: Study
As the concept of just what a “router” truly is continues to evolve, so does the hardware. Once, there was no doubt as to what the definition was; equipment that switched signals from different sources to different destinations. Now manufacturers are interpreting the idea of signal routing much more liberally, adding more complex options to the routing process. Considering the complexity involved in the average X-Y crosspoint router, it seems wrong to call such a device a “simple” router, but really it is. Taking input X and making it appear at output Y is about all the systems could do a few years ago. Computer controls enhanced this process but didn't change the result very much. Today manufacturers see the router as more than just a signal switcher. The larger units have multiformat capability — such as a mix and match of analog video, SDI, HD, etc.; automatic time-controlled functions; and hot-swappable circuit boards — but this isn't the latest news. Using the routing process to convert a signal from one format to another, or to add some form of processing or correction to the signal as it passes through, is a technique that is becoming more common. Another is to use the router to perform a function normally left to a discrete device such as a telephone coupler or a security camera “scanner.” Manufacturers are also taking into consideration that the industry is in a series of technical transitions. No one wants to sell a product today that will be obsolete when HDTV finally arrives in full. If you're shopping, it's worth determining how the product you are considering can be upgraded. PESA Switching remains a company that makes products that have future upgradability. They introduced a complete new line this year, dubbed the Cheetah, which features the ability to take an analog digital signal and turn it into an SDI within the router frame itself. Also, SDI and HD can be handled in the same frame, with some card matching. The Cheetah can output signals either in a “copper” (that is, coax) or fiber format. So now, you can hook a single- or multi-mode fiber to the router output directly without an interface. Within any company's product line, the control panels for one router will typically control any other router. The ability to also control the competitors' routers remains an important selling point, and more manufacturers are implementing this. Grass Valley Group's “Net Captain” software is a good example. It has a level of flexibility that works with both their current and past products. It will also control other routers, notably the “Jupiter”-based system from Thomson/Philips or products from Utah. GVG also has some new introductions, including Bravo, Concerto, Encore and Tempo. Encore is the control system for all of them and some others in the line. The main claim to fame is maximum flexibility in minimum size. The latest from Leitch is a new 16×16 (expandable to 32×32) unit that passes high-rate digital without re-clocking. This is part of the Integrator series, which is designed as an overall solution for a facility that needs both small and large routers in different places. Their latest control software is the BLUECUBE, which will talk to all the Integrators (and, presumably, integrate them under one control system) and also functions within a distributed architecture. Touching briefly on the audio-only side, Sierra Automated Systems has a new product called the 32KD. This goes beyond just an audio router; it's designed to replace both the traditional audio console and also some of the typical outboard peripheral devices that are normally separate boxes. The unit can also replace a console, believe it or not. Any “controller” that can speak via a computer interface can be placed in (or on) a surface and hooked up to the 32KD. The controller can be from any one of several manufacturers. The cabling is then connected to the frame. This isn't especially new to the video world, given the layout of most switchers, but in audio it's just beginning. Miranda showed the NTW-HD1616 (see Pick Hits, pg 82), a 1RU high, 16×16, remote-controlled audio-follow-video product that is only one inch thick. At first glance it looks more like a faceplate from a larger product, but it's a router, all by itself. If you have shallow racks, this is for you. One of the more interesting marriages to take place earlier this year was Philips (formerly BTS) teaming up with Thomcast. The latter now has the router and overall broadcast equipment business under their name, with Philips keeping the set-top boxes and delivery systems in its own name. The supposition here is that Thomcast can do a better job of pushing the products into the marketplace. They'll also support all the older Philips products. Meanwhile, Thomcast had a new routing product that was, well, not exactly introduced at the show. Shrouded in some secrecy, the new router will allow improvements in routing digital signals of various kinds, and some control options only available with this unit. It's dense (actual physical size classified as of this writing), keeping with the design philosophy of “density, serviceability, and reliability.” Thomcast also has a new version of the “Jupiter” software, which allows switches to take place only at the correct point within a digital “frame” so that there is no glitch artifact. This covers all the major digital video formats available. Chyron Pro-Bel launched its Axis family of routers, as well as the HD, SD and AES versions of its large-scale Eclipse routing system. Extron featured its SVS 100, a four-input, one-output video switcher offering seamless switching, effects, picture controls, audio switching and genlock capabilities. Omneon Video Network's Content Server System was on display, along with FAST's purple. The open-platform, standards-based infrastructure serves multiple applications and utilizes Firewire I/O with FAST's purple, with the I/O serving as an edge device and allowing direct transfers to a common file system. ADC featured a new timecode card and controller software offering full tie-line management support for its Envoy 7256 router. DNF Controls showcased its modular Ethernet machine control system. So the router, the “heart of the plant” in many installations, is not just a signal passer any more. It now can manipulate the signals that it's feeding out, take the place of outside boxes, and even function as, and with, automation systems. The mutations are underway and they're happening fast. Paul Black is Engineering Manager of the San Francisco International Gateway teleport for Loral Skynet.
In 2013, there will be three lunar eclipses – a 27-minute partial on April 25-26, and two penumbrals. The 2013 lunar eclipses will be interesting, as always, despite the fact that none will be total. There’s info about each eclipse in this post. But first … the upcoming lunar eclipse, a partial, on April 25-26, 2013. Its main distinction is that it’ll be the third-shortest partial lunar eclipse of the 21st century. Only a tiny sliver of the moon will be covered by the Earth’s umbral shadow at maximum eclipse. We in North America won’t be able to see this eclipse. It’ll be daytime for us – and the moon will be down – for the entire thing. The April 25, 2013 partial lunar eclipse will be visible over Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia. Follow the links below to more info on upcoming lunar eclipses. April 25: Partial lunar eclipse visible from Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia. May 25: Penumbral lunar eclipse from the Americas and Africa probably too shallow to be visible. October 18: Penumbral lunar eclipse visible from the Americas, Europe, Africa and Asia. Difference between total, partial and penumbral lunar eclipses? These various kinds of lunar eclipses stem from the same source: an alignment, or near alignment, of the Earth, sun and moon in space with Earth in the middle. At any lunar eclipse, Earth’s shadow falls on the full moon. The amount of shadow covering the moon’s face at mid-eclipse creates the three varieties of lunar eclipses. Every lunar eclipse starts (and ends) with a penumbral eclipse. That’s when Earth’s light, outer, penumbral shadow just brushes the moon’s face. Some people say they can’t see a penumbral eclipse, even when one is going on right before their eyes! You have to be an observant person to enjoy one. A partial eclipse happens when the alignment of the sun, Earth and moon is more precise, and the Earth’s dark, central, umbral shadow falls on the moon. During a partial eclipse, it appears as if a dark bite is taken from one edge of the moon. Every total eclipse starts (and ends) with a partial eclipse. What is the shortest lunar eclipse of this century? According to NASA’s eclipse page, the shortest eclipse of the 21st century will be on February 13, 2082, a partial eclipse of the moon lasting only 25.5 minutes. NASA data also indicates that, on September 28, 2034, the second-shortest partial eclipse will last for 26.7 minutes. The April 25-26, 2013 partial lunar eclipse will last for 27 minutes, making it the third-shortest lunar eclipse of this century. For each of these three very short lunar eclipses, there will be great penumbral eclipses. Be sure to watch for the beautiful penumbral eclipse this week, on April 25-26. The penumbral eclipse will come before and after the partial eclipse. When is the next total lunar eclipse? A total eclipse is, of course, the most dramatic of the three kinds of eclipses. Then the alignment between the sun, Earth and moon is perfect, and Earth’s dark umbral shadow completely covers the moon’s face. Sometimes, if there is a lot of volcanic dust in Earth’s atmosphere, Earth’s shadow on the moon can appear very dark at mid-eclipse. But usually the shadow appears blood-red due to the presence of some sunlight filtering through Earth’s atmosphere, and falling, via the shadow, on the face of the moon. It’s a beautiful sight to see. The next total lunar eclipse is April 15, 2014 visible from the Americas, Australia and out in the Pacific Ocean. There are from four to seven eclipses each year – some partial, some total, some solar, some lunar. But from your location on Earth, you can’t see every eclipse. Total solar eclipses are seen only along a narrow band across Earth’s surface – a swath cut by the moon’s shadow as it sweeps across Earth during the eclipse. Total lunar eclipses are more widely seen. An entire hemisphere of Earth can watch simultaneously as a total lunar eclipse takes place. But you do have to be able to see the moon, and only half of Earth can do that at any one time. The video below, from NASA, has a lot of good info about lunar eclipses, and explains why the moon turns blood red during a total lunar eclipse. So we’ve learned that there are lots of eclipses, and several different kinds of eclipses, but you have to be in the right place on the globe to see them. When you hear of an eclipse visible for your part of the globe – whether that’s North America or elsewhere – be aware that it’s a very special event. Then, if you can, go outside, and watch it! Bottom line: When is the next lunar eclipse? In 2013, there are three eclipses: one partial and two penumbral. The next lunar eclipse will be April 25, 2013. It’s a partial lasting only 27 minutes, the second-shortest eclipse of the 21st century! The next total lunar eclipse will be April 15, 2014. The EarthSky team has a blast bringing you daily updates on your cosmos and world. We love your photos and welcome your news tips. Earth, Space, Human World, Tonight.
Learn Haskell in 10 minutes Revision as of 05:50, 13 July 2007 Haskell is a functional (that is, everything is done with function calls), statically, implicitly typed (types are checked by the compiler, but you don't have to declare them), lazy (nothing is done until it needs to be) language. It's closest popular relative is probably the ML family of languages. The most common Haskell compiler is GHC. You can download GHC from http://www.haskell.org/ghc/download_ghc_661.html. GHC binaries are available for Linux, FreeBSD, MacOS, Windows, and Solaris. Once you've installed GHC, you get two programs you're interested in right now: ghc, and ghci. The first compiles Haskell libraries or applications to binary code. The second is an interpreter that lets you write Haskell code and get feedback right away. 2 Simple Expressions You can type most math expressions directly into ghci and get an answer.Prelude> 16Strings are in "double quotes." You can concatenate them with Calling functions is done by putting the arguments directly after the function. There are no parentheses as part of the function call:Prelude> 3 The Console I/O actions can be used to read from and write to the console. Some common ones include:Prelude> 2 + 2 = 4Prelude> ABCDE 12345Reading can be done with (The 4 was input. The 16 was a result.)There is actually another way to write main = do putStrLn "What is 2 + 2?" x <- readLn if x == 4 then putStrLn "You're right!" else putStrLn "You're wrong!" 4 Simple Types So far, not a single type has been mentioned
Solar Charging Guide A solar charger is essentially a solar panel connected to a battery. Sunlight falls on the solar panel and some of it is converted to an electric charge. The size of the charge depends the exposed surface area of the solar cell and the amount of sunlight absorbed into the cells. The solar panel is connected to a suitable battery to accumulate and store the charge. To fully understand solar chargers you must first understand the functions and limitations of these two components Solar panels are more accurately known as solar modules, they are composed of multiple solar cells, each solar cell produces a small charge but not enough to be of much use, so they are connected (strung) together to produce a total charge that is useful for general applications. There are three important facts you should know about solar panels - Shade is the enemy of solar power. There are some manufacturers who claim their solar panels are not affected by shade. That is not true, they all need bright sunlight for maximum power. - Solar output decreases as heat increases. Maximum solar power is produced on cool sunny days. The rated maximum power is determined when the module temperature is at 25˚C. An increase of 20˚C will cause power output to drop by 10%. But when the ambient temperature is 25˚C the actual temperature of the solar panel surface is probably 20˚C higher so the power output will already have dropped by 10%. - Maximum power is only produced when the panel is facing squarely at the sun. Most of the time it won't be optimally aligned for maximum exposure so over the length of a day it will probably only produce about 50% of the maximum possible solar power. This is taken into account by referring to meteorological data for your location, look up the equivalent Peak sun hours and optimum installation angle for solar collectors. See chart below A battery is simply a container that holds electrical charge. Once all the charge has been drained by connecting it to anything that uses electricity (an electrical load) it is empty (flat) and needs to be recharged or replaced. There are six important facts you should know about batteries - They can be damaged by overcharging and also by being completely discharged. - The amount of power available from a storage battery is specified as amp-hours (Ah) - The specified Ah capacity is available over a period of 20 hours. For example a 50Ah battery will supply 2.5 amps for 20 hours before it is completely dead. - It can supply less or more than the 20 hr amp rating, according to the load, but that will affect the available capacity, thus large currents that drain the battery in less than 20 hours will not provide the specified Ah capacity and small currents that drain the battery slowly so it lasts longer than 20 hours will provide more than the specified Ah capacity. In other words connecting a 100Ah battery to a load that draws a very high current will decrease the available capacity to less than 100Ah and a load that draws a very low amperage will provide more than 100Ah capacity. - Large batteries will be able to provide larger currents than small batteries. - Batteries are consumables and only have a certain lifespan. This lifespan depends on how many charge cycles it is designed to accomplish before the internal plates are worn out. Each charge cycle consists of one full charge from zero capacity to full capacity, so a partial discharge, say to 50% then recharge to 100% counts as half a charge, or a discharge to 25% then full recharge counts as one quarter of a charge cycle..etc. Partial discharge before recharging adds even more to the life of a battery beyond the specified number of cycles because partial discharge incurs less damage to the plates. Solar charging process A small solar panel can be connected directly to a large battery when providing a small current to trickle charge it. But a solar panel large enough to fully recharge a depleted battery in one day will overcharge the battery and possibly damage the battery plates if connected to it for long periods. The solar charge needs to regulated to protect the battery. For this we need a solar regular, also known as a charge controller. Many solar regulators also allow the load to be connected through it to monitor the battery voltage and disconnect the load from the battery to prevent complete discharge and possible damage of the battery Components for 12 volt solar charger. The solar regulator's main role is to control the solar charge going to the battery. This controller can also disconnect the battery supply to the load if the battery voltage drops below 11.5 V. Once the solar panel has recharged the battery the regulator will reconnect the load.
I was there. Vasile Nussbaum was born in 1929 in Turda, a small town in the vicinity of Cluj-Napoca, in Northern Transylvania, where his family moved. Vasile Nussbaum (1929), Romania/Hungary Vasile is born in Turda in 1929. He has a normal childhood and goes to a Jewish school. His grandfather, an Orthodox Jew, has several businesses, which are then inherited by Vasile's father. 1) Listen to Vasile as he talks about his family. Answer the questions. 1a. How do you find Vasile's childhood? Do you find it very different from that of the children today? 1b. What does Vasile remember from his childhood about his family? Think of an important moment in your childhood when you were together with your family. The Feeling of Being Different Vasile enters a public high school for one year and feels for the first time that he is an "alien". 2) Listen to Vasile as he talks about the feeling of being different. Answer the questions. 2a. How does Vasile feel when he learns that he is different from other classmates and how does he get to learn this? 2b. What does the word “alien” mean for Vasile?
Philadelphia, PA -- Based on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other reports that childhood obesity has tripled over the past 30 years, we recognize the importance of reaching our children early to form good food habits. However, with teachers having to incorporate more and more learning standards into their already packed curriculums, where does that leave room for nutrition education in elementary schools? Perhaps by putting it into school subjects like geography and the study of other cultures, math, and science. A study in the November/December 2011 issue of the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior shows how the Cooking with Kids program successfully helps students learn school subjects and develop cooking skills. Cooking with Kids is an experiential food and nutrition education program for elementary school students, based on social learning theory and food acceptance principles (http://www.cookingwithkids.net). Students explore, prepare, and enjoy fresh, affordable foods from diverse cultural traditions. Founder and executive director Lynn Walters and program director Jane Stacey have developed integrated curriculum materials for grades K-1, 2-3, and 4-6. Cooking with Kids also encourages students to treat each other respectfully and to practice the social skills of working together to prepare a meal and then sitting down to eat together. As part of a larger evaluation of the program, investigators from the Colorado State University Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition interviewed 178 fourth-graders to determine students' cooking attitudes and experiences at school and home after a series of cooking plus tasting or just tasting classes alone. Their teachers and Cooking with Kids food educators were also interviewed. Students and their teachers who participated in both types of experiential classes described positive experiences with curriculum integration into academic subjects, and those receiving cooking classes reported opportunities to enhance their social skills. The study also found that students in cooking plus tasting schools did not perceive cooking-related tasks at home as 'chores', unlike students who received just tasting classes or those who did not receive either type of class. And, in general, students' perspectives were that the curriculum strengthened their understanding of the content of school subjects. Dr. Leslie Cunningham-Sabo, PhD, RD, Assistant Professor at Colorado State University, says, "This study describes student and teacher perceptions about the integration of nutrition education programs with academic curriculum topics, which is essential in justifying nutrition education's continued place in the school curriculum. It documents the importance of including cooking in school curriculum as it is a practical mechanism to promote health, social and educational skills to better prepare students for adulthood." The article is "Qualitative Investigation of the Cooking with Kids Program: Focus Group Interviews with Fourth-Grade Students, Teachers, and Food Educators" by Catherine V. Lukas, MS, RD and Leslie Cunningham-Sabo, PhD, RD. It appears in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, Volume 43, Issue 6 (November/December 2011) published by Elsevier. In an accompanying podcast, Leslie Cunningham-Sabo, PhD, RD, discusses the results and implications this study. It is available at http://www.jneb.org/content/podcast. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior
The core takeaway of this module is the skillset of Python & its packages for Data Analytics. The learner gets to learn python from very basics, going through data types, control flow and functions the learner will get to work on data files, will learn how to import, export, clean, manipulate, visualize, analyse data to generate insights from data to answer business questions. This completion of this module makes the learner an entry level Data Analyst and a Python Programmer. - Python Basics - Data Types, Control Flow and Functions - Python - OOPs and common packages - Numpy and Pandas for Data Science - Data Visualization with Python - Statistics with Data - Exploratory Data Analytics with Python
* Burn hazard. Low temperature burn refers to a burn with symptoms such as erythema and blisters. caused by extended period of contact with a heating element that is warmer than body temperature. Low temperature burn may also occur without any symptoms. Immediately remove warmer if it is too hot or uncomfortable. If using continuously in one place please check your skin around once per hour. * DO NOT USE: - on any other part of the body other than the palms. - while sleeping. - with other heating devices. - on infants or on those who cannot remove the warmer by themselves. - in pants pocket. - additional pressure such as lying or sitting on the warmer. - for longer than stated. * Careful supervision is required when used by the elderly, children, the handicapped, and those with sensitive skin. * Consult a physician or pharmacist before use if you are unable to feel heat or have circulatory problems such as diabetes, due to the possibility of burns. * For external use only. Do not allow contents to get in eyes or mouth. If in eyes. flush thoroughly with clean water. If in mouth, consult a doctor or pharmacist as it contains iron powder, which can be harmful if swallowed. * For human use only. Use only as directed. Do not microwave. * Other Precautions Do not cut. puncture or tear warmer. Each warmer is single use. Dispose after use. Please use before the expiry date. Please use with care as the temperature can get quite high when using indoors.
- Table View - List View There's nothing quite like a day at the beach! And Alice Schertle and Barbara Lavallee's clever companion toAll You Need for a Snowmanis the perfect recipe for fun in the sun. Plant a yellow umbrella in the sand, roll out a beach towel, and pour a glass of frosty lemonade. . . . But wait! What's the most important part of a beach? A surprise ending will inspire young adventurers everywhere to don their shades and head for the beach. Ages 2-5 One small snowflake fluttering down-- that's all you need for a snowman. EXCEPT bottle caps, a carrot walnuts, a scarf, a fanny pack, mittens . . . and that's all. Or is it? Many fools try to take the king's mind off his aching feet but only the April Fool succeeds in finding a remedy that helps the king's feet and his disposition. Did you actually think shoes, jackets, and hats didn't have personalitites? Think again! The outfits in this book are brought to vivid life by Alice Schertle's wry poetry and Petra Mathers's exuberant cast of young animal characters. From Joshua's cozy jammies to Emily's frilly undies, the duds on display in this perfectly stitched poetry collection are as unique as the critters who wear them. [from the book jacket] "Jeremy Bean's class is planning a party for St. Patrick's Day. Green refreshments will be served, and everyone will wear green. But the day doesn't live up to Jeremy's hopes--until a helping hand from a surprising new friend turns JEREMY BEAN'S ST. PATRICK'S DAY into a celebration to remember!" Spanish oral folklore is rich in nursery rhymes and songs. Some rhymes are fragments of ancient medieval ballads; others, such as De colores, are old harvest songs. Some are frequently sung as lullabies, like Este niño lindo, others as finger plays, like Palmas palmitas. Some rhymes accompany games, such as El patio de mi casa, while others are unending rhymes that can be repeated as long as the child wants, like El barquito or La hormiguita. In most cases the rhymes and songs originated in Spain and crossed the Atlantic with the language, to delight children in all the nineteen Spanish-speaking countries of Latin America as well as the American Southwest, occasionally changing along the way. Of the ones we have collected here, three are from Mexico--La víbora de la mar, La piñata, and Tortillitas--the rest are well-known throughout the Spanish-speaking world. We have purposely selected some of the best known and most loved rhymes as an introduction to this genre. To make the selection for this book, we reviewed numerous anthologies from Spain and Latin America, among them those of Carmen Bravo Villasante, Arturo Medina, and Ana Pellegrin in Spain; Elsa Isabel Bornemann and Maria Elena Walsh in Argentina; the series Así cantan y juegan..., published by CONAFE in Mexico, and many more. Finally, faced with the decision to select among hundreds, we chose those nursery rhymes and songs that we cherished in our own childhoods, and those the numerous children--Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Dominican, and Central American--with whom we have worked love the most. En este libro la palabra se hace canto y juego para los más pequeñitos. Dirigida a niños de uno a seis años, esta maravillosa colección bilingüe de rimas tradicionales infantiles, que han sido transmitidas de generación en generación, que celebra la infancia y la herencia española y latinoamericana, será un fiel acompañante de los niños al momento de dormir o de jugar. Los versos se caracterizan por su gran ritmisidad y las adaptaciones inglesas son excelentes pues mantienen el ritmo, metro y sentido general de las originales, haciendo las rimas tan inolvidables y fácilmente memorizadas tanto en inglés como lo son en el idioma español. Esta colección, ilustrada bellamente por una artista española, está destinada a encantar a los niños y a transformarse en un clásico tanto para los más pequeños como para la familia. All through the year, this shaggy, raggy, rumbly, bumbly bear faces down whatever comes his way: bee stings and scolding squirrels, cold rushing rivers and prickly bushes. And he does it all with a spring in his step and a smile on his face. There's just one thing he can't abide. Luckily, he knows exactly what to do about it. Season by season, Alice Schertle and Matt Phelan lead us through a year in the life of a charming, resourceful, and quite hairy bear. Select your format based upon: 1) how you want to read your book, and 2) compatibility with your reading tool. To learn more about using Bookshare with your device, visit the "Using Bookshare" page in the Help Center. Here is an overview of the specialized formats that Bookshare offers its members with links that go to the Help Center for more information. - Bookshare Web Reader - a customized reading tool for Bookshare members offering all the features of DAISY with a single click of the "Read Now" link. - DAISY (Digital Accessible Information System) - a digital book file format. DAISY books from Bookshare are DAISY 3.0 text files that work with just about every type of access technology that reads text. Books that contain images will have the download option of ‘DAISY Text with Images’. - BRF (Braille Refreshable Format) - digital Braille for use with refreshable Braille devices and Braille embossers. - MP3 (Mpeg audio layer 3) - Provides audio only with no text. These books are created with a text-to-speech engine and spoken by Kendra, a high quality synthetic voice from Ivona. Any device that supports MP3 playback is compatible. - DAISY Audio - Similar to the Daisy 3.0 option above; however, this option uses MP3 files created with our text-to-speech engine that utilizes Ivona's Kendra voice. This format will work with Daisy Audio compatible players such as Victor Reader Stream and Read2Go.
Scott Cumston 5/15/2013 NGT1310 Wednesday 165 Instructor: Robert Freid Physical Networking Unit 9 Assignments Unit 9 Exercise 1 – Definitions for Light Sources and Components Forward Biased LED - When an LED is forward biased, the anode is connected to positive and cathode is connected to negative terminal of the supply, then current flows through the LED, just like in a regular diode. Incoherent Light – Light in which the electric and magnetic fields of photons are completely random in orientation. Laser – An acronym for light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation. The laser produces a coherent source of light with a narrow beam and a narrow spectral bandwidth (about 2cm). Lasers in fiber optics are usually solid-state semiconductor types. Used to provide the high-powered, tightly controlled light wavelengths necessary for high-speed, long-distance optical fiber transmissions. Output Pattern – The LED and laser semiconductors used in fiber-optic light sources are packaged to couple as much light as possible into the core of the optical fiber. The LED has a wide output pattern compared to a laser and does not couple all its light energy into the core of a multimode optical fiber. The output pattern of a laser light source is very narrow, allowing a majority of the light energy to be coupled into the core of a single-mode or multimode optical fiber. Output Power – Amount of power a component, circuit or system can deliver to a load. Modulation Speed – The modulation speed of a light source is just one factor that can limit the performance of a fiber-optic communication system. Core Diameter Mismatch – This occurs when the core diameter of the transmitting fiber (t) is larger than the core diameter of the fiber at the receiving end (r). This is the end of the preview. Sign up access the rest of the document.
Date: 08/31/2003 at 00:33:43 From: Sami Subject: time Two cyclists started to ride at 7am: one from A to B, the other from B to A. Each of them rode at a constant speed along the same road and when each arrived at the terminal point, immediately turned back. After they met for the 1st time, each of them turned exactly once before they met for the 2nd time at 6pm. Find the time of their 1st meeting. Date: 08/31/2003 at 20:36:53 From: Doctor Greenie Subject: Re: time Hi, Sami-- Let C be the point where the two cyclists meet the second time. Let the distance AC be x and the distance BC be y. The two cyclists cycle for 11 hours (7am until 6pm) before meeting the second time. In that time, the cyclist who started from A has traveled from A to C, from C to B, and from B to C, a total distance of (x+2y). In the same time, the cyclist who started from B has traveled from B to C, from C to A, and from A to C, a total distance of (2x+y). You now know the time each cyclist traveled and the distance each one traveled, so you can determine expressions for the rate for each cyclist. You can also determine the total distance (in terms of x and y) the two cyclists needed to travel before meeting the first time. And now you know how far the two cyclists together had to travel before meeting the first time; and you know the rate of each cyclist--so you can determine the amount of time they had to travel before meeting that first time.... I hope this helps. Please write back if you have any further questions about any of this. - Doctor Greenie, The Math Forum http://mathforum.org/dr.math/ Search the Dr. Math Library: Ask Dr. MathTM © 1994-2013 The Math Forum
The frankincense burned as church incense today is the same as that used by ancient peoples who inhabited the Middle East and North Africa. Eventually the use of frankincense spread throughout Europe and eastward into India, and it was burned as an offering to the gods of many cultures. It was one of the four sweet scents; used by Jews in their ceremonial incense, and it was presented each Sabbath day with the shewbread. For Christians it was one of the three precious gifts brought by the Magi to the infant Jesus. Exceeding the value of precious metals and gems, frankincense was only produced by 3,000 families called Sabians from the land of Punt. The men chosen to prune and gather frankincense gum had to undergo ritual purification. Frankincense was so greatly valued because its fragrance was believed to heighten spirituality, sending one into a deep, meditative relaxation that enhanced worship. Aromatherapists and massage practitioners have observed that frankincense’s fragrance does deepen breathing, aid relaxation, and cause the lungs to expand. Modern science backs up these observations by showing that, when burned, frankincense releases molecules of trahydrocannabinole, a psychoactive compound that may be responsible for uplifting the spirit. Charred and powdered, frankincense was the major ingredient in the traditional black kohl that Egyptian women still wear as eyeliner. It was believed to help women see a more spiritual aspect of the world, to avoid ill-fate, and to prevent eye infection. Of course, it has been, and still is, used in expensive perfume. This small tree has been planted on rocky hillsides in Yemen and Oman, but the highest quality frankincense still comes from North Africa, with some produced in Somalia, China, and India. The clear to pale yellow oil is steam distilled from hard tears of oleo gum resin. Principal constituents of frankincense: Olibanol, resinous matter, and terpenes Scent of frankincense: The fragrance is soft, balsamic, and sometimes lemony or camphorous. Therapeutic properties of frankincense: Antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, antifungal, astringent, sedative; clears lung congestion, decreases gas and indigestion, brings on menstruation Uses for frankincense: Historically, it has been utilized for treating syphilis, infections, and all kinds of skin disorders. Ayurvedic medicine from India has long suggested its use on inflamed skin conditions. Its antiseptic and skin-healing properties fight bacterial and fungal skin infections and boils. Since it’s quite expensive, however, it is usually reserved for the most difficult cases, such as unsightly scars that remain after an infection has healed, and hard-to-heal wounds. For problem skin areas, use a couple drops of frankincense in an equal amount of vegetable oil. Frankincense is excellent on mature skin and acne. It is especially good when middle-aged women experience those conditions and also want to prevent wrinkles. Make a compress or massage oil with frankincense for breast cysts or for infection of the lungs, reproductive organs, or urinary tract. It also increases menstrual flow. To learn more about Aromatherapy and other alternative medicines, see: - Aromatherapy: Learn about aromatherapy, how it works, what part essential oils play, and how to use aromatherapy. - Essential Oils Profiles: We have collected profiles of dozens of plants that are used to produce essential oils. On these pages, you will learn the properties and preparations for the most popular essential oils. - How to Treat Common Conditions With Aromatherapy: Aromatherapy can be used to treat a number of conditions, from asthma to depression to skin problems. Here you will learn how to treat some common medical problems with aromatherapy. - Home Remedies: We have gathered over a hundred safe, time-tested home remedies for treating a wide variety of medical complaints yourself. - Herbal Remedies: Herbal remedies and aromatherapy can be very similar, and they stem from similar historic roots. On this page, you will find all of our herb profiles and instructions for treating medical problems with herbal remedies. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Kathi Keville is director of the American Herb Association and editor of the American Herb Association Quarterly newsletter. A writer, photographer, consultant, and teacher specializing in aromatherapy and herbs for over 25 years, she has written several books, including Aromatherapy: The Complete Guide to the Healing Art and Pocket Guide to Aromatherapy, and has written over 150 articles for such magazines as New Age Journal, The Herb Companion, and New Herbal Remedies. This information is solely for informational purposes. IT IS NOT INTENDED TO PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE. Neither the Editors of Consumer Guide (R), Publications International, Ltd., the author nor publisher take responsibility for any possible consequences from any treatment, procedure, exercise, dietary modification, action or application of medication which results from reading or following the information contained in this information. The publication of this information does not constitute the practice of medicine, and this information does not replace the advice of your physician or other health care provider. Before undertaking any course of treatment, the reader must seek the advice of their physician or other health care provider.
What is Japanese Knotweed Some of the most important health benefits of Japanese knotweed include its ability to prevent and treat cognitive disorders, improve heart health, lower your risk of cancer, reduce gastrointestinal distress, lower blood pressure, maintain proper insulin levels, and many other unique benefits. Based on a bioactivity-guided purification strategy, two anthranoids, emodin and physcion, were identified from Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica) 1). These findings support the claims of the benefits of F. japonica in the traditional Chinese herbal medicine, and suggest that F. japonica, may be of use in the treatment of type 1 diabetes. In addition, the data on the active constituents, emodin and physcion, suggest a novel pharmaceutical use for these anthranoids for inflammation 2). The plant is also highly praised because of its high content of one particular chemical, resveratrol. As the name implies, this particular plant is native to East Asia, primarily Japan, Korea, and China, and is scientifically known as Fallopia japonica. It is a large, perennial herbaceous plant that has become an important cultural, medicinal, culinary, and ceremonial herb for a number of Asian cultures over the centuries. In other countries of the world, Japanese knotweed is sometimes considered invasive, as it is quite hardy and can grow quickly. Health Benefits of Japanese Knotweed - Cognitive Impact: One of the most well known and widely relied on benefits of Japanese knotweed is its apparent effect on cognitive disorders, like Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. This is primarily due to the resveratrol content of the herb, which is the same for most of the plant’s benefits. Resveratrol has shown a measurable preventative effect against neurodegenerative processes that can affect neural pathways. Just as antioxidants can eliminate plaque and neutralize free radicals that can slow mental function and cause deterioration, resveratrol can keep brain pathways energized and in use, preventing those tragic conditions. - Heart Disease: When one consumes high-fat, rich foods, there is a much greater chance of developing heart disease and cardiovascular complications, such as high cholesterol. However, the resveratrol in Japanese knotweed has been known to counter that, due to its resveratrol content. In France, where red wine is drunk in high concentrations (and thus, large amounts of resveratrol are consumed), heart conditions are very uncommon, despite the high-fat and rich diet that many people enjoy there. By adding knotweed to your diet, you can benefit from the same heart-protective qualities. - Blood Pressure: Early research on resveratrol’s effect on the heart primarily centered on a reduction in fat, there have also been encouraging results regarding resveratrol’s ability to modulate blood pressure. By reducing strain and stress on the heart, lower blood pressure can significantly lower the risk of heart attacks and strokes by keeping the arteries and blood vessels dilated, preventing blood clots. References [ + ] \|1, 2.\|\|↵\|\|PLoS One. 2011; 6(11): e27480. Published online 2011 Nov 8. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0027480. Combined Phytochemistry and Chemotaxis Assays for Identification and Mechanistic Analysis of Anti-Inflammatory Phytochemicals in Fallopia japonica. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3210798/\|
Fundamentals of Reaction Engineering - Examples Book Description Report this book This is the companion volume for the introductory text “Fundamentals of Reaction Engineering”, which covers the basic elements of chemical reactor design. The solved problems cover material and energy balances in simple flow systems and non-ideal flow. Exothermic-reversible reactions have been handled with solutions involving staged reactor systems. Problems on heat and mass transfer to/from catalyst pellets have been included, with emphasis on the formulation of global reaction rate expressions and different ways of modelling fixed bed catalytic reactors.
More than 3 billion people around the world today are online, but hundreds of millions of them are only able to use the Internet via a mobile device such as a smartphone due to a lack of affordable local Internet access. While that’s not terrible, it still means that they can’t easily take advantage of many opportunities that Internet access via a desktop or laptop computer and a dedicated broadband connection can allow, such as educational research, advanced job searches and more. That’s one of the key conclusions of a new study, the 2015 Global Internet Report, released July 7 by The Internet Society, a nonprofit that is the organizational home of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). The report, which is the group’s second annual report on the global state of the Internet, focused this time on the impact of the mobile Internet, which the group says has fundamentally transformed Internet access and use and can help provide full and improved access to the world’s next billion users. Some 94 percent of the world’s population is covered by a mobile network today, while some 48 percent are covered by mobile broadband and 28 percent subscribe to mobile Internet services, the report states. One of the most intriguing conclusions of the study found that more than 80 percent of online time by mobile users is spent using apps and not a mobile browser, according to the report. Michael Kende, the author of the report and chief economist for The Internet Society, told eWEEK that while it is great that more people around the world have access to the Internet using mobile devices, more needs to be done to help bring affordable broadband access to users on non-mobile devices, which can offer more opportunities. “What truly worries me is that in many countries people only have access on mobile phones,” said Kende. “You can’t write a business plan on a mobile phone. We celebrate all the things these phones can do,” but they can’t offer all the capabilities that are needed by users in rural areas or in developing countries. Kende said he was surprised by the report’s conclusion that most people use apps and not browsers on their mobile phones, which is counter to how people often use desktop computers on the Internet. “At the beginning I thought that people used apps because they were convenient,” he said. Instead, he eventually learned that they use apps because it may be the only way to reach the APIs of the phone and offer native support, he said. The report also shows that the discussion is changing globally when it comes to the digital divide and who does or does not have affordable and reliable Internet access in communities everywhere. “The whole debate is changing because of the availability of mobile [access],” said Kende. “Availability is no longer a key issue, but affordability and relevance of use and content are.” Another conclusion of the report is that in most countries a significant number of people have access to Internet service but do not subscribe because of its cost. In many nations, the cost of mobile Internet service can amount to 5 to 10 percent of a person’s annual income, making it a luxury that they can’t afford, the report states. Another segment of the population, meanwhile, can access and afford the mobile Internet but don’t yet have enough interest to begin using it.
Erythrocytosis is a blood disorder characterised by an increased red blood cell mass. The most common causes of erythrocytosis are acquired and caused by diseases and conditions that are accompanied by hypoxaemia or overproduction of erythropoietin. More rarely, erythrocytosis has a known genetic background, such as for polycythaemia vera and familial erythrocytosis. The majority of cases of polycythaemia vera are associated with acquired variants in JAK2, while familial erythrocytosis is a group of congenital disorders. Familial erythrocytosis type 1 is associated with hypersensitivity to erythropoietin (variants in EPOR), types 2-5 with defects in oxygen-sensing pathways (variants in VHL, EGLN1, EPAS1, EPO), and types 6-8 with an increased affinity of haemoglobin for oxygen (variants in HBB, HBA1, HBA2, BPGM). Due to a heterogenic genetic background, the causes of disease are not fully discovered and in more than 70% of patients the condition remains labelled idiopathic. The transfer of next-generation sequencing into clinical practice is becoming a reality enabling detection of various variants in a single rapid test. In this review, we describe the current research on erythrocytosis gene variants and the mechanisms associated with disease development, along with the currently used diagnostic tests. - Abstract viewed - 288 times - PDF downloaded - 197 times
Quite a few new scientific discoveries make the evening news, Time or Newsweek, or merit an hour program on the Discovery Channel. Other important finds are neglected sometimes. Perhaps some things are too hard to fit into the prevailing secular scientific world view or have consequences that don't seem to mesh with evidence from other sources. This article deals with a much-neglected discovery in the latter category. Forty years ago sonar studies through the Mediterranean Sea and into the sea floor below revealed a strange reflecting layer 100-200 meters below the bottom and unexpected stratification of the sediments. Buried sub-bottom salt domes were also detected. The seismic data were tantalizing enough to merit a Deep Sea Drilling Project (DSDP) by the Glomar Challenger beginning in 1970. (1, 2) This amazing ship was equipped with side thrusters for accurate position control, and a drilling rig capable of core sampling the sea floor even through water several miles deep. The first core samples off the coast of Barcelona, Spain did not yield sands, gravels and muds as expected, but gypsum, oceanic basalt, small fossil shells and hardened ocean oozes. The fossils were those one would expect from a shallow salty lagoon, or a surface evaporation pond, yet the water depth at the drilling site was 2000 meters deep. Subsequent drilling revealed that the floor of the Mediterranean most everywhere was underlain with layers of evaporites, and more fossils such as blue green algae that can live only in sunlit waters. The fossils dated from the end of the Miocene Epoch and were all 5 to 6 million years old on the atomic time scale. The researchers were reluctantly, but excitedly, driven to the conclusion that the Mediterranean Sea had dried up and refilled a dozen times in a million years. Since the Mediterranean basin is as much as 16,000 feet deep, the dry sea floor must have been an incredible hot desert for long periods of time. The lowest place on earth nowadays is the Dead Sea which is only 1300 feet below sea level. Further studies confirmed that deep gorges in solid rock (now filled with ocean sediments and then river muds) lay under the Nile River and the Rhone River, suggesting that these rivers were once great torrents steeply dropping water into the empty Mediterranean basin. (However, other filled in gorges are also found around the world and are not unique to the Mediterranean). Best of all, the researchers imagined a prehistoric waterfall at the Straits of Gibraltar bringing in Atlantic ocean water with the volume of a hundred Victoria Falls or a thousand Niagaras at intervals lasting a hundred years or more. Did the Mediterranean Sea really dry up? Was it once a very hot and dry desert? Probably not. There is another possible explanation for the vast salt and mineral deposits found at the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea. Let us explore Australian astronomer Barry Setterfield's hypothesis that atomic time and ordinary calendar time are related by the velocity of light. Using Setterfield's red-shift data to give us the expected value of c for events some millions of years ago in atomic time, we find that the 5 to 6 millions years BP (before the present) in atomic time was between 2875 and 2825 B.C. in ordinary dynamical time! (3) The salt sediments in the Mediterranean would then have been deposited in a mere 75 years, not over a million years, too short a time period for evaporation and refilling processes in the basin. A tight reading of Old Testament genealogies suggests that the Flood of Noah and the accompanying sudden continental breakup took place only hundreds of years before these salt-depositional events in the Mediterranean. (Setterfield's date for the Flood turns out to be 3536 B.C.). What happened to cause the Flood of Noah? Most of the water for the Flood did not come from the atmosphere--the so-called vapor canopy could have held only a few tens of feet of water. It was the "fountains of the deep" that released the waters of the Deluge, suddenly and abruptly, covering the entire surface of our planet for a year and wiping out all of mankind except for eight persons safe on the Ark of Noah. As originally created, our universe was evidently not characterized by the Second Law of Thermodynamics--the Law of science which describes how the physical world is running down, falling apart and decaying. It is also quite possible that there was no radioactive decay of the higher-ordered atomic elements before the Fall. It seems reasonable to suppose that natural radioactivity was switched on as a result of the fall of man or the fall of the angels subsequent to creation week. Setterfield has shown that the total energy released by radioactive decay processes is independent of c, the velocity of light. However assuming radioactivity was indeed switched on suddenly, the shorter-lived radioactive isotopes would have begun to decay rapidly, so there could have been a season of rapid crustal heating during earth's early history. (4) Walter Brown, (5) John Baumgardner and others have proposed a very rapid rupturing of the crust at the time of the Flood. Radioactive decay of the shorter-lived isotopes would have superheated the waters in the crust of the earth. These waters erupting through thousands of feet of water above them would have been very hot--many hundreds of degrees Centigrade. Coming into contact with the colder ocean waters the hot water from the crust could have precipitated the salt layers found under the Mediterranean. Living creatures on the surface could well have been killed suddenly raining debris to the sea floor to add to the salts being rapidly precipitated out in a series of violent events. The Mediterranean basis is already known for its vigorous past vulcanism (Santorini, Vesuvius, Stromboli, etc.). During the years the earth was recovering from the Flood of Noah it is quite possible that what we now know as deep ocean "black smokers" were present everywhere under the Mediterranean Sea. They could be responsible for the huge copper deposits under Cyprus and the vast salt layers under the Mediterranean sea floor. (5) Of course rapid weather and climate changes were probably taking place during that same time as well. As soon as nature's upheavals had slowed, the civilization of Egypt could have rapidly expanded and European civilization soon after as well. Earth's past history appears to have been marked by catastrophes and disasters that were denied vehemently in previous generations by secular science, Catastrophes now seem inescapable. Kenneth Hsü's book is exciting reading no matter how you interpret his amazing research results. Walt Brown's book is must reading also for the well-informed who want to form a Biblically-based scientific world view. Above all else, our Creator invites us to learn and understand and to inquire of him--the universe has a more remarkable history than we first imagine and we do not yet know very much at all about the world we live in. "Thus says the LORD who made the earth, the LORD who formed it to establish it -- the LORD is his name: Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things which you have not known." (Jeremiah 33:2,3) 1. Hsü, K. J., The Mediterranean was a Desert: A Voyage of the Glomar CHALLENGER. Princeton University Press (1983) 216 p. 2. The Mediterranean is the world's largest inland sea. It lies between the continents of Europe and Africa and is bounded on the east by the westernmost stretches of Asia. Its length is about 4,025 km (2,500 miles), its average width 805 km (500 miles), and its area about 2,965,500 sq km (1,145,000 sq mi). The greatest depth, 5,092 m (16,706 ft), is in the Matapan Trench of the Ionian Basin. The mean depth is about 1,525 m (5,000 ft). (Grolier Encyclopedia, 1996) 3. Setterfield, Barry, Creation and Catastrophe, 1993. Available from Box 318, Blackwood 5051, South Australia. Also see www.ldolphin.org/constc.shtml. 4. Radioactive heating is thought to be the main source of earth's interior heat. A core melt down within the earth with a subsequent redistribution of the elements in the core and crust is a popular model among leading geologists today. See Questions Concerning the Early History of the Earth, www.ldolphin.org/ Early.html 5. Brown, Walter, Ph.D., In the Beginning: Compelling Evidence for Creation and the Flood. On-line book as well as ordering information at www.creationscience.com. Published Sunday, November 21, 1999, in the San Jose Mercury News Below the Black Sea BY GUY GUGLIOTTA As the story is told in the Old Testament, the great flood lasted for 40 days and 40 nights and submerged every living thing on Earth beneath 24 feet of water, sparing only Noah, his family and the pairs of animals he protected on his ark. Scientists have never found Noah or his ark, but they believe in his flood -- or something like it. It happened about 7,600 years ago, when the Mediterranean Sea, swollen by melted glaciers, breached a natural dam separating it from the freshwater lake known today as the Black Sea. It was an apocalyptic event, in many respects much worse than anything described in Genesis. Every day for two years, 10 cubic miles of sea water cut through the narrow channel now known as the Bosporus and plunged into the lake -- more than 200 times the flow over Niagara Falls. Every day the lake level rose six inches. And every day the water marched another mile inland, forcing people and animals to flee or drown, killing freshwater fish and plants by the ton, inundating forests, villages and entire cities and spreading pestilence and death for miles. But as the deluge filled the lake and transformed it into a sea, it also created an ecosystem unique in the world -- an oxygen-less abyss where shipwrecks could rest for thousands of years in chill, inert darkness uncorrupted by living creatures. The possible presence of old ships in near-mint condition on the Black Sea floor has made Noah's flood the starting point for perhaps the most ambitious project ever undertaken in the emerging field of deep-water archaeology. Since explorer Robert D. Ballard discovered the Titanic 12,500 feet beneath the North Atlantic in 1985, deep-sea experts have used ever more sophisticated robots and submersibles to plumb the world's seas for both science and profit. Secrets that have withstood prying eyes for hundreds or even thousands of years are being unlocked in a new age of discovery reminiscent of the early days of space travel. In 1988, commercial salvagers found perhaps $1 billion in gold in the 19th-century paddle wheeler Central America, sunk in deep water off the North Carolina coast. In 1998, Tampa, Fla.-based salvagers found a 2,500-year-old Phoenician cargo ship off Gibraltar. In 1989, Ballard found the German battleship Bismarck, sunk by the British in 15,600 feet of water during World War II, and this summer he found two ships nearly 3,000 years old lying more than 1,000 feet below the surface of the eastern Mediterranean. But the Black Sea Project, with Ballard as lead oceanographer, has far more audacious goals than the discovery of a single ship. Project leaders hope to prove that literally thousands of years of history may lie intact in the shipwrecks that are blanketed by the sterile waters of Noah's flood. ``It's very much like a bathtub, but without a drain,'' Ballard said. ``The Bosporus acts like an overflow valve, but the trapped water can't circulate, so it went anoxic (lost its oxygen) long ago. Such conditions exist nowhere else in the world.'' In the past five years, project researchers trying to determine the Black Sea trade routes of antiquity have studied scientific literature, history and classical texts such as the myth of Jason, whose quest for the Golden Fleece is believed to have made him the first of the ancient Greeks to enter the Black Sea. At project headquarters in the Turkish city of Synope, archaeologists mapped a seaport that acted as a major trading center during the Bronze Age, 5,000 years ago, and maybe even earlier. Artifacts have linked Synope to Black Sea sites north in the Crimea and west in Bulgaria, as well as to Troy, the fabled Aegean city that guarded the entrance to the Black Sea. Rather than hugging the coast, the research suggests, sailors were willing to save time and money by traveling point-to-point over waters reaching depths close to 7,000 feet. ``Once an ancient mariner got into water beyond visual depth, he didn't know how deep it was,'' Ballard said. ``Here you've got a trade route that can be documented as far back as any.'' And just this summer, the project's underwater surveyors found an ancient coastline at a depth of 450 feet, just above the anoxic dead zone: ``I'm not sure whether it's Noah's flood or not Noah's flood,'' said David Mindell, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor leading the marine survey. ``But I do buy that there was a flood.'' The theory of the Black Sea's Neolithic catastrophe was developed by Columbia University marine geologists William Ryan and Walter Pitman over three decades of research and published this year in their book ``Noah's Flood.'' The authors describe how the sea level worldwide began to rise as glaciers melted at the end of the last ice age 15,000 years ago. When the melt began, the Black Sea was a freshwater lake fed by rivers, among them those known today as the Danube, the Dnieper and the Don. On the lake's southern edge, a 360-foot natural dam held back the waters of what is now the Mediterranean Sea. By 7,600 years ago, sea level probably had risen to within 15 feet of the lip of the Bosporus. And then it flooded. ``It probably started as a trickle when it pierced the Bosporus valley,'' Pitman said in an interview. ``But when it got to the Black Sea, it gouged out a channel, and within 60 days it began to flood with a rush.'' It was a one-of-a-kind event, and it had a unique result. The incoming salt water, denser than the fresh water it displaced, plunged straight to the bottom of the lake bed. As the sea level rose, the fresh water floated on top, and, being less dense, stayed on top, flowing in from the northern rivers and out via the Bosporus. This bathtub phenomenon repressed the natural heat exchange that causes water to circulate and re-oxygenate in seas and lakes throughout the world. Trapped on the bottom, the creatures that lived in the original floodwater used up the original oxygen, then died. Today, the top 450 feet of the Black Sea are constantly renewed and support a vigorous marine life. But the abyss, leached of oxygen long ago, lies like a cold blanket thousands of feet deep covering the sea floor and its secrets. If there is no oxygen, then there should be none of the wood-boring mollusks that consume wooden ships at almost any depth. Marine archaeologists learned long ago that in ordinary circumstances, an old wooden wreck will appear as nothing more than a jumble of amphorae or other cargo on the sea bottom. But in the Black Sea, anything on the bottom should be intact -- including ancient wooden ships. And because the Black Sea lies within shouting distance of the Fertile Crescent and served as a commercial waterway for civilizations from ancient Greece to Byzantium and the Ottoman Empire, the possibilities are dazzling: ``One should have a complete chronicle of human history,'' Ballard said. 12/5/97. Addendum, November 21, 1999
Charlottesville was very, very wrong! After jewish man (James Fields) murdered a white woman, the government is now labelling all white nationalist groups as terrorists. Meanwhile the government never labels New World Order establishment terrorist groups such as Antifa and BLM as terrorist groups. A riot is a form of civil disorder characterized by disorganized groups lashing out in a sudden and intense rash of violence against people or property. While jews and jewish lackeys in the news media may provoke a riot and attempt to lead or control a riot, riots are typically chaotic and exhibit herd behavior. For instance Jewish Bolshevik pseudo-revolutionary, Steve Schmidt, was beaten senseless and robbed by blacks in Ferguson while he was trying to encourage them to riot harder. White people almost never riot, and in contrast, protest--from peaceful picketing to a violent protest, but not riot. The difference is riots typically involve vandalism, looting, arson, and the news media making it worse. The specific targets are generally shops, cars, restaurants, state-owned institutions, police officers, and white people. When protests turn violent, it's a clash between protesters and the police, rather than looting, robbing, beating, and throwing jars of urine on innocent people. Rioting is mainly a negro behavior. White people occasionally riot after sports games or when stirred up by Marxist agitators, but rioting is a negro thing. For instance in August 2014 a white cop shot a black man in St. Louis and the blacks rioted for weeks. This same reaction to a negro shot by a cop has happened many times before such as in the Planet of the Apes riots. The Rodney King riots were similar but merely a police beating. In the same month of August 2014, a black cop shot a white man and white people peacefully protested. Even the mulattoes in Palestine only peacefully protest and at most throw rocks, but they never do a full blown chimp out like negroes in white countries always are doing. Riots often occur in reaction to a perceived grievance or out of dissent. Historically, riots have occurred due to jews stirring up negroes to violence, by faking oppression such as in the George Zimmerman shooting of Trayvon Martin. Negro riots are usually considered race riots and white people are attacks as negroes hope for a repeat of Haiti's 1804 massacre. Rioting, looting, and violence is TNB. Negroes rioting is more of an expression of aggressive animal behavior rather than outrage over real oppression. They do not care about the reason for the riot, they just want to show the police, shopkeepers, white people, and everyone else that they are the boss of them. It's like an aggressive breed dog attacking people to exert dominance. When word gets out that they were rioting on a completely fabricated outrage, the negroes will riot and pillage harder angered that the truth got out. During such riots, when white people believe there was a justifiable outrage for negroes to riot over, the whites will peacefully assembled and hold signs rather than race riot. However the jews and jewish lackey whites will try to stir up the riot further, although these types were the ones who caused the riots in the first place. Some rioters have become quite sophisticated at understanding and withstanding the tactics used by police in such situations. Manuals for successful rioting are available on the internet. These manuals also encourage rioters to get the press involved, as there is more safety with the cameras rolling. There is also more attention. Citizens with video cameras may also have an effect on both rioters and police. Dealing with riots is often difficult task for police departments, and police officers sent to deal with riots are usually armed with ballistic shields and riot shotguns, mainly because of the larger spread of the shorter barrels. Police may also use tear gas and CS gas to stop rioters. Most riot police have moved to using less-than-lethal methods to control riots, such as shotguns that fire rubber slugs and flexible baton rounds to injure or otherwise incapacitate rioters for easy arrest. In white countries, the excuse is that blacks riot and loot because they are oppressed. In modern South Africa, mobs of blacks will still riot and loot. Since they control the country and whites are the ones oppressed, then this excuse is not used. In Venezuela, when there are violent protests, their police are authorized to shoot and kill protesters. This is in contrast to the endless violence race riots in the USA where the government merely uses tear gas and occassionally rubber bullets. - 2009 Marion Alabama Riot - Allen Gardens Park riot - Christie Pits Park riot - Kishinev riot - Pussy Riot - race riot - White Riot
Understandably most people are sensitive about protecting their personal health information. For this reason, Australia’s privacy laws give heath information a higher level of protection than other types of personal data. However, the myriad of privacy laws that apply to health information make it challenging for health providers to know and comply with their obligations. This week’s release of new health privacy guidance by the Australian Privacy Commissioner is a welcome move, as is the recent guidance issued by the Australian Medical Association on taking clinical images with personal devices. WHAT IS ‘HEALTH INFORMATION’? ‘Health information’ is defined in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) to mean: - information or an opinion about an individual’s health or disability, an individual’s expressed wishes about future health services provided to them, or a health service provided or to be provided to that individual - other personal information collected to provide or in providing a health service, or in connection with organ donation - genetic information about an individual in a form that could be predictive of their health. Examples include medical and dental records, notes of symptoms or diagnosis and treatment provided, records about an individual held by a fitness club or gym, and photos taken of a patient’s injury or symptom. NAVIGATING HEALTH PRIVACY LAWS IS FRAUGHT This is particularly so for health service providers operating in multiple jurisdictions across Australia. The Privacy Act protects health information and imposes obligations on all private sector ‘health service providers’. If you provide a health service (even if that’s not your primary activity) and hold health information, you will be a ‘health service provider’. The Personally Controlled Electronic Health Records Act 2012 (Cth) regulates the collection, use and disclosure of health information included in an individual’s e-health record, and the Healthcare Identifiers Act 2010 (Cth) regulates the use and disclosure of health care identifiers used in the e-health record system. State and Territory government health departments (and other public health networks, districts and services) must comply with their local privacy legislation when handling health information, as well as other types of personal information. Some States even have their own legislation that private sector providers must also comply with. Confusingly, laws vary between States and Territories and there is also significant overlap between the Federal and State/Territory laws. NEW DRAFT HEALTH PRIVACY GUIDANCE This week the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) released a new series of draft health privacy resources for health service providers and consumers. The consultation drafts, released for public comment, follow on from last year’s reforms to the Privacy Act, and the publication of the OAIC’s Australian Privacy Principles (APP) Guidelines. When finalised, they will replace all existing health privacy guidelines of the OAIC. The new draft health privacy resources provide much more detailed guidance for health service providers than is currently available in the APPs. They include information on privacy issues that arise most frequently for the health sector and guides for collecting, handling, using, disclosing and providing access to patients’ health information (including for health management and research purposes). The closing date for comments on the draft resources is 20 October 2015. AMA GUIDE ON CLINICAL IMAGES AND THE USE OF PERSONAL MOBILE DEVICES The new wave of medical apps is making it increasingly easy for medical practitioners to take and circulate images of their patients’ injuries and symptoms, whether for professional (or other) collaboration with colleagues. However, mobile health apps raise privacy concerns and potential Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) issues. See our recent article Mobile apps that collect health data: Will they be put under the privacy spotlight? for more on this. Studies show that an increasing number of doctors use their personal devices to take and transmit clinical images, and then store the images personally including using offshore cloud email services such as Gmail and Hotmail. Clinical images – whether a photo, video or audio recording – will generally be ‘health information’ which is protected under Australian privacy laws. Clinical images are part of a patient’s medical record, and the same confidentiality and privacy obligations apply. Recognising these issues, the Australian Medical Association (AMA) last year released a guide for doctors and medical students in the proper use of personal mobile devices such as smart phones and tablets when taking and transmitting clinical images. It highlights the legal and ethical issues that medical practitioners must be alert to, when using a personal device to take and store clinical images and sending them to others. The guide suggests processes for obtaining patients’ informed consent before taking clinical images, and for documenting, capturing, storing securely, disclosing, sending, deleting and de-identifying clinical images. The processes align with the requirements of privacy legislation for the handling of health and other personal information. The guide also highlights that the doctor or medical student’s place of work may well have its own policies and contractual requirements relating to clinical images and the use of personal devices. While “digital health” is empowering people to better manage, track and improve their own health and live longer, and offers enormous benefits and cost savings for providers, it remains a minefield for privacy and data security. Health service providers must be alert to the privacy implications that attach to their business and operations – the consequences of not complying with privacy laws are significant and expensive!
Tutorial: How do I write program notes? After months of hard work you’re ready to perform that big recital but you still have one last hurdle to complete--writing the program notes for your recital! This short tutorial will give you an overview of sources to use when writing your program notes. Let’s start by looking at what is included in program notes. Program notes typically start with a heading that includes the full title with appropriate keys, numbers, opus numbers, and catalog numbers, date of composition, the composer’s full name and dates, movements or song titles to be performed, names of instrumentalists/vocalist performing. Following this information, you’ll find a short biography of the composer, a description of the work, and your interpretation of the work. Translations will also be included for any non-English vocal works. Let’s take a closer look on where to find this information. Title of the work, including keys, numbers, opus numbers, and catalog numbers can often be found on the score you’re using in performance. This information, along with the date of composition, may also be found in Grove Music Online. Grove Music Online is a great place to start research for your program notes. Grove Music Online may be found on the left sidebar of the Music Library homepage or on the Music subject guide under “Reference Resources, Dictionaries & Encyclopedias”. Begin by searching for your composer’s last name in the search box and select your composer from the results list. Grove provides birth and death dates of your composer and detailed biographical information on the composer’s life that may be used to write the biographical paragraph in your program notes. The works list, organized by the thematic catalog number, will provide the full title of the work, key, and date of composition if available. This information will be useful for the header of your program notes. Additional biographical information may be found by browsing the biography section of the music library found in the ML410 section. Browse the indexes of these biographies for information on your specific work too. If the work you are researching is a major work, you may be able to search the library catalog for books written about the work. Articles databases such as RILM or Music Index may also be a great resource for information on individual works. These article databases provide citations and abstracts for articles. Use the “check for full text” purple button to connect to the full text online or request a copy to be sent from another library. Liner notes for recordings give a good description of the work too. Scores may also have a brief description of the work included in the front of the score. The Music Library has several song translation books that may be consulted when adding your song translation. On the Music Library homepage, see the “help” section under Find Songs, Arias, and Art Songs for a full list of materials to consult for translations. You may also use our song translation database for quick access to Music Library books containing a translation of your song. Remember to give credit for any information in your program notes that isn’t your own voice or translations borrowed from another source with a footnote. Still have questions? Stop by the Music Library or use the “Ask Us” link to email, chat with or text a librarian.
In the current age of technology, the motherboard is arguably one of the most commonly recognized computer components. Often pictured as a green, square circuit board panel, this device, in tandem with a few other main components, allows modern computer systems to accomplish specific calculations and tasks on behalf of various industries. From aircraft avionics systems to your desktop at home, a computer is typically made up of the same four components— motherboard, central processing unit (CPU), hard drive, and a random-access Memory (RAM) module. The CPU operates as the “brains” of a computer system. It handles detailed, complex processing and organizes data that is exchanged within a computer’s central unit. Its main job is to direct components on the motherboard to access data stored in the hard drive or RAM, and process said data according to the task it needs to perform. If you’ve ever heard the term “dual-core” processor, which is a commonly used type of CPU, this term refers to the number of cache cores that a computer system is utilizing within its CPU. Cache units allow the CPU to speed up it's processing by “caching” information that is pulled from the RAM or hard drive. The CPU is a binary system and can only exchange this data on a separate data bus and address bus. In simpler terms, the address bus knows where to find information within the RAM or hard drive duplicators and sends it back to the core processor via the data bus. A motherboard acts similarly to a “central nervous system”, as it is a centralized location that links the entire information network within a central unit. The motherboard works directly with a CPU to process data and channel the data through a printed circuit that is connected to controls within the system. Most contain over 30 components, all of which operate at the same MHz thanks to an internalized quartz clock that is installed on the motherboard. This clock ensures all information exchanged between components is transmitted at the same digital pulse rate, regardless of the pre-existing MHz of every separate component. The parts achieve this through a multiplying device, which adjusts the MHz of the component to that of the quartz oscillator. The hard drive and RAM operate as long-term and short-term memory storage devices. Both save data, but in different ways and for different purposes. A hard drive saves data that needs to be used on a long-term basis, including operating systems, installed programs, personal files, etc. Commonly used hard drives include the solid-state drive (SSD), classical, and external. RAM modules can contain a number of RAM chips, which store temporary data while the computer is operating. It only stores memory temporarily— when the computer turns off, RAM data is completely wiped. This unit is particularly useful because it helps speed up information processing during high data events such as imagery or GPS navigation tracking system. If you had to reload each aspect of an entire map every time a vehicle moved by tapping into the hard drive instead of the RAM, it would take much longer to update a navigation system. At Expedited Quoting, owned and operated by ASAP Semiconductor, we can help you find all the cable modems and memory cards you need, new or obsolete. As a premier supplier of parts for the aerospace, civil aviation, and defense industries, we’re always available and ready to help you find all the parts and equipment you need, 24/7x365. For a quick and competitive quote, email us at email@example.com or call us at +1-857-323-5480. Don’t forget, If You Need a Quote for A Part, You Can Fill Out the Request for Quote form On the Homepage of This Website and Receive a Response Within Fifteen Minutes!Request for Quote
A window is in the form of a rectangle surmounted by a semicircle. The rectangle is of clear glass, whereas the semicircle is of tinted glass that transmits only one-fourth as much light per unit area as clear glass does. The total perimeter is fixed. FInd the proportions of the window that will admit the most light. Neglect the thickness of the frame. Now i am thinking the solution to this is something along the lines of: (length by breath, where the length is equal to the diameter) When this is simplified, i am getting Is that a logical process to approach this??
06/08/2017 0 Comments Steps to Keeping Your Dog's Teeth Clean We brush our teeth twice a day. We floss and visit the dentist to take care of our teeth. But what about our dogs? How can we help them maintain strong oral hygiene? Part of the care you give to your "best friend" should include oral care. Start by brushing your dog's teeth and by looking for signs of oral maladies. Things to Check For It's important that you take the time to inspect your dog's mouth (once a week is recommended) for any signs of disease. Here are some things to check for: - Gums should be pink (not white or red) - Gums should show no signs of swelling or bleeding - Teeth should be clean (no tarter build-up) - Breath should not be excessively bad (abnormal or extreme) - Excessive drooling should not be present - Cysts should not be apparent (check under the tongue) - Teeth should be firmly in place (not loose) How to Brush Your Dog's Teeth It's best if you start brushing your dog's teeth when he or she is a puppy. This way they become accustomed to having their teeth brushed. And even though the old adage says, you can't teach an old dog new tricks, it is still recommended that you start brushing your dog's teeth, no matter what age he or she is. Here are some more tips for brushing your dog's teeth: - Invest in a canine tooth-brushing kit, or wrap gauze around your finger and use toothpaste that is specially formulated for canine use. - Put the paste on your dog's lips so he or she becomes comfortable with the taste. - Apply the paste to your dog's teeth with your finger. - Begin to brush. - Brush in small circular and downward motions, focusing on the areas that touch the cheeks (where most plaque build-up occurs). - Lift your dog's lips as necessary while brushing. - Repeat brushing three times a week to avoid plaque build-up. What Am I Protecting My Dog From When I Brush? - Periodontal disease - Swollen/infected gums â€“ Can lead to other bacterial infections - Proliferating gum disease - Salivary cysts Other problems can be the result of improper oral maintenance, such as loss of appetite, vomiting, indigestion, excess urinating, uncontrollable thirst, and bacterial infection. Outside of brushing, maintaining a healthy diet and allowing them plenty of chew toys will ensure that your pup keeps that healthy smile. Plus, the next time you get some puppy love, those kisses will be that much sweeter. Contact our professional groomer at Brimley-Lawrence Animal Clinic for more pet teeth-brushing pro tips.
TPU cable is a cable that uses thermoplastic polyurethane (abbreviated as TPU) as the insulating material. Thermoplastic polyurethane is a polymer elastomer with excellent physical and mechanical properties, chemical stability and heat resistance, can adapt to low temperature and high temperature environments, and has good self-extinguishing properties and is not easy to burn. What is a TPU cable ? TPU cable is a type of cable that uses thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) as the insulation and sheath material. TPU is a polymer material with excellent physical and chemical properties, which can maintain its elasticity and flexibility under different temperature, humidity and pressure conditions. Characteristics of TPU cable - Wear resistance: TPU cables have high wear resistance, can resist various frictions, scratches and tears, and are suitable for use in harsh environments. - Oil resistance: TPU cables have good oil resistance and can resist the erosion of various mineral oils, animal and vegetable oils and synthetic oils without cracking or delamination. - Weather resistance: TPU cables have good weather resistance, can work normally in the temperature range of -40°C to 90°C, and will not harden or deform due to temperature changes. - Aging resistance: TPU cables have good aging resistance, can resist the influence of ultraviolet rays, ozone and oxidants, and will not fade or deteriorate. - Fire resistance: TPU cables have very good fire resistance and can maintain their structure and function at high temperatures without producing toxic or harmful fumes or gases. - Environmental protection: TPU cable is an environmentally friendly cable that does not contain halogens, heavy metals or other harmful substances, and can be recycled or biodegraded. TPU cable structure The structure of TPU cables usually includes conductors, insulation layers, sheath layers and other parts. Conductor: The part of a cable that carries electrical energy, usually made of copper wire or tape; Insulation layer: The part used to isolate the conductor from the external environment, usually made of thermoplastic polyurethane material. The thickness of the insulating layer determines the voltage withstand capability of the cable and its adaptability to temperature changes; Sheath layer: used to protect the cable and prevent external mechanical damage, chemical corrosion and other factors from affecting the cable. TPU cables are usually made of polyurethane material for the sheath layer, and its physical properties such as hardness and tensile strength are relatively good. In addition, in the actual application process, TPU cables will need to add other auxiliary structures according to different purposes, such as reinforcement layers, shielding layers, waterproof layers, etc., to enhance the durability and performance of the cables. Application field of TPU cable Due to its many advantages, TPU cables have been widely used in many different fields and occasions. Specific application areas include but are not limited to the following aspects: - Machinery manufacturing industry: TPU cables are widely used in the machinery manufacturing industry, such as industrial automatic control systems, robot control systems, measurement and sensors, etc.; - Aviation field: Because TPU cables have good high temperature resistance, they are also widely used in the aerospace field, mainly used for signal transmission and power supply in aircraft, satellites and other equipment; - Medical industry: TPU cables are more and more widely used in the medical industry, mainly used in ultrasonic transmission lines, monitors, medical imaging equipment and other equipment; - Communication field: TPU cables are also widely used in the communication industry, mainly used for internal connection lines of communication equipment such as mobile phones and network equipment. Manufacturing process of TPU cable - Cutting the conductor: Cut the copper wire or copper strip according to the required length and quantity; - Winding conductor: winding copper wire or copper strip into the required conductor shape; - Insulation treatment: Insulate the wound conductor and use thermoplastic polyurethane material for injection molding or extrusion; - Sheath treatment: pass the insulated wire through extrusion or injection molding process, and put on the outer sheath for protection; - Test: Test whether the wire meets the specified electrical performance indicators, such as withstand voltage, insulation resistance and other indicators. Disadvantages of TPU cables: (1) High cost: Compared with cables made of other materials, the manufacturing cost of TPU cables is higher and the price is more expensive; (2) High environmental requirements: TPU cables need to pay attention to environmental protection during manufacturing, use and disposal, otherwise they will easily pollute the environment; (3) Limited applicable scenarios: Due to the high cost, the application range of TPU cables is relatively narrow, and currently it is mainly used in some fields that require high cable performance. Comparison of TPU cables and other cables Compared with PVC cables: Compared with PVC cables, TPU cables have better heat resistance and flame retardancy, are suitable for high temperature and flammable places, and also have better wear resistance and moisture resistance. But the manufacturing cost of TPU cable is higher and the price is more expensive. Compared with PE cable: Compared with PE cables, TPU cables are better in friction resistance, and have better flame retardancy and heat resistance. But compared with PE cables, the physical performance of TPU cables is relatively hard, not as soft as PE cables, and the cost is higher. Compared to PUR cables: Compared with PUR cables, TPU cables have better heat resistance and flame resistance, as well as better wear resistance and moisture resistance, but the cost of TPU cables is relatively high. With the continuous advancement of science and technology and the continuous improvement of people's demand for environmental protection and high efficiency, the field of TPU cables will also face broader development prospects. In the future, TPU cables will continue to enhance their own cost advantages, while continuously improving their performance and reducing pollutant emissions to meet the needs of different fields in the market. In addition, with the popularization of electronic products and the continuous development of network technology, TPU cables will be more widely used in communication, data transmission, equipment control and other fields.
We all know the basics of how metal casting works, a metal is heated up to melting point and the resulting liquid metal is poured into a mold. When the metal sets, it assumes the shape of the mold. It’s a straightforward way to reliably replicate a metal item many times over, and the basics are the same whether the metal is a low-temperature alloy in a silicone mould or a crucible of molten steel poured into a sand mould. What we all understood as casting in our conversation was sand casting. Sand is packed around a pattern of the piece to be cast, and then the pattern is removed leaving a cavity in its shape which becomes the mould. There are refinements to this process and the mould is frequently formed in two halves, but it’s something that’s even practical to do in a hackerspace level setting. A refinement of sand casting is so-called lost-wax casting, in which a hollow wax model of the piece to be cast is packed around with sand, and when the metal is poured onto the top of it the wax melts and the wax is melted out before pouring the metal in to take its place. A variation on this appears here from time to time, so-called lost-PLA casting, where the wax model is replaced with a PLA 3D print. Where our confusion crept in was with die casting. We could recognise a die-cast piece, but just what is die-casting, and how is a die-casting made? The answer there lies in mass-production, because a snag with sand casting is that a sand mould can be labour intensive to produce. Much better to come up with a quick-turnaround process that re-uses the same mould over and over, and save all that time! Enter the die-casting, to metalwork what injection moulding is to polymers. The die is a mould made out of metal, usually with liquid cooling, and the casting is done not by pouring but by forcing the molten metal into the mould under pressure. The whole process becomes much quicker, meaning that it can become a piece of process machinery spitting out castings rather than a labour-intensive individual task. The metals used for die-casting are the lower temperature ones such as aluminium, zinc, and their alloys, but you will find die-castings in all conceivable places. It’s obvious that Hackaday editors are not experienced foundrymen even if some of us grew up around metalwork, but we know that among our readers lie genuine experts in all sorts of fields. If that’s you and you operate a die-casting machine, please take a moment to tell us about it, we really would like to know more! Header: Constantin Meunier, Public domain. Just a note about lost wax: NEVER try to melt the wax pattern out with the molten metal. The wax is `burned out’ prior to pouring. Also, never forget lost foam as an option. And here I was wondering how you get the wax residue out of the metal parts… Oh, it comes out on its own just fine, along with an absolute fountain of molten metal. My multiple attempts at metal-burn-out PLA casting have produced the same result: aluminum volcano and nothing even like a decent casting when it’s done spraying. The ones I’ve seen with PLA use either vase mode or a standard print with a single perimeter and no higher than 10% infill. Needs a lot of venting and the sand needs to be a mix that will allow plastic vapor to escape into it. This guy coated his PLA prints with joint compound then buried them in sand. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKeImuJpxow There are several more videos there to be found with a search for lost pla metal casting Ahhh, very good to know! Saved me from a possible Darwin Award, at least for now. Apologies, I guess I need to admit I’m a blacksmith’s kid not a foundryman’s. Lost-[wax/foam/PLA] a.k.a. investment casting Has anyone ever tried 3D printing a sand mould? Could it be done? How? What would be the obstacles? Inquiring minds want to know! There are 3d printers that work with sand for this purpose. But it still is time-consuming Myfordboy [Youtube] has been doing that for years, and showing how-to’s on his channel. I’ve never seen him 3d print sand moulds, but I know he uses 3d printed parts to make his patterns. I’ve 3D printed positives for a sand mold – spray with lacquer for a smooth finish. Given the physical properties of casting sand, if you wanted to ‘print’ a sand mold I think milling it with a CNC + vacuum attachment would be your best bet. Pack the sand into a box, put it on your mill and carve the shape. Related but not identical: I’ve 3d printed a core box, filled with sand/sodium silicate, and then cured, for a sand core for water passages in a casting. It’s convenient that you can use the 3d print that’ll be the lost-PLA master, also as the core box since that’s where the core will be anyway. (Some complexities with the core print ends, where they register into what would be sand in a sand casting, although I’m doing investment casting, but that’s something you can solve with double stick tape and bits you’ve adhered onto the side of the mold.) Yes, this can be done. You 3d-print sodium silicate solution on regular sand. The action of CO2 on the sodium silicate causes it to harden into silicon dioxide, which causes the sand grains to stick together. An actual machine has a bed of sand, goes over the sand with something resembling an ink-jet printer head that deposits the liquid, then a wiper comes across leaving a thin layer of sand, and the process repeats. When everything is done, you remove the hardened mold from the loose sand, shake out any un-hardened sand, and pour directly. You can blow C02 up through the bottom of the sand to promote the conversion, or just let it sit. The CO2 in the atmosphere is enough to convert water glass into hard silicate. Any love for Zamak? That alloy so popular for die cast/injection molding? Can’t weld it, can’t solder it, can barely braze it, can hardly glue it, looks like junk after a single season outdoors. But it sure is popular for cheap injection-molded parts, like all those little kids toys from way back when. Takes powder-coat well too. Just looking around the kitchen – the stand mixer body is made from it, as are measuring cups, flour scoop, garlic press, olive pitter, espresso machine, and probably more. Vespa parts too. Do Italians love the stuff or something? That’s really interesting. I hadn’t heard of ZaMaK before. Very interesting that it has a melting point just above where the high temperature plastics typically melt, but well below aluminum. As usual, there are different compositions that are optimized for different uses. Zamak 4 is said to be developed “for the Asian markets”, i.e. cheap reproduction because the molds last longer. The tradeoff is significantly lower impact strength. That’s a big problem, because a lot of furniture nuts and fixings etc. are made out of zamak, and when they’re made out of the wrong zamak they just snap, often just as you’re assembling the thing. Zamak, also known as pot metal(because you can melt it in a pot) is a zinc/aluminum alloy(90+% z, 4% AL, and other stuff) is easy to cast , takes detail well, is hard, but brittle and subject to corrosion. The main drawback from a hobbyist stand point is that the melting point is so low that it is hard to avoid over heating it and this causes zinc to vaporize. Inhaling zinc vapor leads to metal poisoning, which has lots of quirky and uncomfortable symptoms, including death. I recommend Aluminum, the temps involved are higher but well within the hackerspace range and the results can be machined for final finish. It’s not particularly brittle if you have the right amounts of other stuff in it. There’s about 0.2% – 1% of copper, magnesium, iron, tin, etc. in the composition which makes the impact resistance about 40-60 Joules. If you only have trace amounts, the impact resistance can drop to around 7 Joules. To put things in perspective, 7 Joules is the energy of a toy BB gun. 50 Joules is the energy of dropping a 5 kg kettlebell from 1 meters. Zamak seems useful. I like all the variations available, I even read about graphite-reinforced Zamak metal-matrix composites. DIY-able? I want to cast a few things like tabletop minis, metal Beyblades parts, or weights for 3D prints. I’m thinking that I’ll challenge myself with a gauntlet, starting with low temp and easy-to-cast metals, then getting bigger and higher temp. Pewter is another good option for models. Growing up in the 90s we called it chinese-ium. Usually because “made in china” was stamped or cast into the part somewhere and it usually failed with a little hard use. I had no idea it had an official name let alone varying grades. Lost-wax and lost-PLA require the wax/PLA to be melted out prior to casting. Another mechanism to consider is ceramic shell casting. Where a PLA or wax model is coated many times in a ceramic slurry, which hardens into ceramic shell. The wax/PLA is melted out and the shell is used to cast. Also, literal metal injection molding does exist and is quite a mature process. It uses MIM powders held together with a binder, forced into a mold. Only the binder melts in this process. The part is then ejected and sent to a sintering furnace. MIM powders can also be used in a 3D printing type process where binder is selectively applied to a bed of MIM powder in layers, then sent for sintering. MIM powders range from low alloy steels to stainless, tool steels and even tungsten carbide. Aluminum is really not that difficult, and propane can be surprisingly efficient with proper burner and foundry design. I’ve spent the last 5 summers going from KOR sand and perlite refractories and reil burners to a completely custom design based on hard firebricks, ITC-1000, and a custom 3-burner setup that self-regulates airflow based solely on their natural venturi effect. Pro-tip – use .023 or .025 mig tips as your orifice and 1/2 inch copper tubing as the body – .030 and .035 require a stupid amount of gas flow to get the same velocity, same with larger pipe diameters. Nothing quite as satisfying as showing someone a cast custom part – then telling them it’s made primarily of beer cans. From memory die casting moulds were very similar to polymer moulds, sprue runner and gate had larger cross section, aluminum parts tended to have thicker section than high ratio zinc, parts were ejected in the same way. mould faces were sprayed with a graphite solution to aid this, moulding machines looked similar but die casting machines had piston in barrel whereas polymer machines had screw in barrel. die casting shop was a lot dirtier than polymer shop due to the graphite. cold flow tooling endured very high tonnage, powder metallurgy tooling very close tolerances. Some older injection moulding machines had piston as well. True,I think the old Edgewick’s had pistons, in fact the screw has variable pitch, as the screw rotates melting and pushing the polymer forwards the screw retracts, the retraction length equals the amount of shot, then the screw acts as a piston pushing the shot into the mould. There is one more variant of ‘metal injection moulding’, where what is injected is not a molten metal, but a metal-dense mix of metal powder and a fluid or fluidised binder. After the part is injection moulded, this ‘green’ part is then sintered in a high temperature oven to remove the binder and bond the metal particles together. This allows injection moulding of high temperature metals, though requires the mould to take into account the shrinkage between green and final part. This injection moulded variant is what you will be dealing with when the colloquial term ‘metal injection moulded’ is used in reference to a part, rather than die-casting. Please be kind and respectful to help make the comments section excellent. (Comment Policy) This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. By using our website and services, you expressly agree to the placement of our performance, functionality and advertising cookies. Learn more
In U.K. dairy herds, up to a third of cows are affected by disease or reproductive failure and need to be removed from the herd before the end of their productive life, according to an announcement from The Roslin Institute. This incurs significant costs to farmers and raises serious animal welfare issues. Similar scenarios play out in dairy herds in the U.S. as well. A procedure to identify cows early on that are likely to have problems later in life would be extremely beneficial for the dairy industry and would have the potential to significantly improve animal welfare, the institute said. A study by scientists at The Roslin Institute and Scotland's Rural College showed that the blood levels of certain microRNAs change dramatically during early life in cows and, importantly, that some microRNAs are closely associated with the incidence of diseases such as lameness and mastitis, as well as with milk production in mature cows, the announcement said. MicroRNAs are small molecules produced by all body tissues that play important regulatory roles in animals and plants. MicroRNA levels can be readily quantified in blood using standard laboratory procedures and can be used to assess changes in the function of specific body tissues -- a feature that is already being exploited for disease diagnosis in people, Roslin said. "As we have already shown in previous studies, these results show that microRNAs may be very useful as diagnostic tools in dairy cows and potentially other livestock species. Specifically, we think that microRNAs could allow for selection early on of the most promising animals in a herd in order to maximize productivity and animal well-being," said Dr. Xavier Donadeu, one of the authors of the study at The Roslin Institute. This work has been supported by Scotland's Rural College funds awarded to professor Georgios Banos and Donadeu. The results were published in the journal Scientific Reports.
What is family practice? A family practitioner is a primary care doctor who provides health services to adults, children and adolescents. Family practitioners have a very broad scope of practice, but are usually the patient’s first consultation before being referred to other specialists, if necessary. The family practitioner performs annual physical examinations; ensures up-to-date immunization status; counsels patients on healthy lifestyles; monitors patients’ blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose levels; and ensures other baseline tests are within normal levels for the patient’s age and gender.When do I see a family practitioner? In the United States, about one in four visits to a doctor are to a family practice doctor. Family care physicians care for the poor, indigent and underserved in the community more than any other physician specialty. When a patient is an infant or child, he or she might see a family practitioner specializing in pediatric care. When the young patient transitions from childhood to adulthood during adolescence, he or she can see a family practice doctor specializing in adolescent medicine or a regular family practitioner, also known as adult-care physician. Around the ages 18-21, patients typically transition to an adult-care physician who is better suited to their health-care needs. What should I expect when I visit a family practitioner? A family practitioner’s scope of practice varies, but these specialists typically provide basic diagnoses and non-surgical treatment of common medical conditions and illnesses. To arrive at a diagnosis, family doctors will interview and examine the patient. This requires discussing the history of the present illness, including a review of the patient’s body systems, medication history, allergies, family history, surgical history and social history. Then the physician will perform a physical examination and possibly order basic medical tests, such as blood tests, electrocardiograms or X-rays. Ultimately, all this information is combined to arrive at a diagnosis and possible treatment. Tests of a more complex and lengthy nature may be referred to a specialist Together with the patient, the family practitioner forms a plan of care that can include additional testing if needed, a referral to see a specialist, medication prescriptions, therapies, changes to diet or lifestyle, additional patient education, or follow-up treatment. Patients also may receive advice or education on improving health behaviors, self-care and treatment, screening tests and immunizations.What are the most common conditions family practitioners treat? Shopping for a New Doc Decoding Your Health Test Results Patient Types: Which One Are You? Questions to Ask When Looking for a New Doctor - Common cold - Gastrointestinal complaint - Gynecological complaint - High blood pressure - Infectious diseases - Musculoskeletal complaint - Psychiatric disease - Sexually transmitted disease - Skin complaint - Urinary tract complaint
Although several studies have described roost use by Rafinesque's big-eared bats (Corynorhinus rafinesquii), few studies have examined roost selection. We examined roost use and selection by Rafinesque's big-eared bat at the tree, stand, and landscape scales during the maternity season in pristine old-growth habitat in the Coastal Plain of South Carolina. We located 43 roosts (14 maternity, 29 solitary) through cavity searches and radio-telemetry. Maternity colonies and solitary individuals selected roosts based on similar characteristics. The best model explaining roost selection by all bats included tree and stand characteristics; landscape factors had little influence on roost use. Bats selected large diameter trees in areas with a high density of trees with cavities in the surrounding area. Most roosts (67.4%) were in water tupelo (Nyssa aquatica) in semi-permanently flooded and saturated areas. Half of maternity roost cavities had upper bole openings whereas only 25.8% of solitary roosts had upper bole openings. Bats that roosted with maternity groups stayed in roosts for significantly shorter periods of time (1.3 ± 0.1 days) and used significantly more roost trees (5.0 ± 0.6 roosts) than adult males (3.8 ± 1.10 days, 2.3 ± 0.4 roosts, respectively). Maternity colony use of cavities with upper bole openings and shorter residency times suggest that predator avoidance may have been an important factor governing roosting behavior of maternity colonies in this area. Our results suggest that retention of large diameter, hollow trees in wetland areas will benefit Rafinesque's big-eared bat individuals and maternity colonies in this area.
What is PMS? Watch the video Abbreviation PMS, which is so often used in conversations both men and women, which we constantly hear in caustic jokes, stands for Premenstrual Syndrome.PMS Decryption can say nothing to people who are not faced with this or just do not know how it was called.Therefore, in this article we will explain in simple terms what the PMS. What is PMS - value From PMS name "Premenstrual syndrome" may be understood that this syndrome occurs in women before menstruation, usually 7-10 days prior to their occurrence.Syndrome includes changes in the behavior of women, her emotional state and a state of the organism. And such changes are sometimes so painful that prevent communication with other people, the usual daily activities.Consider what the ICP more. At the level of the organism during ICP girls may experience headaches, pain in the chest, swelling, bloating, or even a slight increase in weight.In terms of emotions, PMS in women can be reflected in irritability, sometimes furious outbursts of anger;On the other hand, can be confusion, depression.In general, when the ICP is characterized by frequent changes of mood of a woman.The behavior of women with PMS can be seen apathy, decreased performance, insomnia, memory loss, increased appetite. What is PMS girls As we said above, the PMS stands for premenstrual syndrome and, therefore, can occur at an age when girls start menstruating.According to physicians, PMS is rarely observed in adolescence.The most common symptoms of PMS are beginning to emerge for the first time in 25-26 years, and, as a rule, women who have given birth.Peak symptom manifestations of PMS in women account for 30-40 years. In fact, PMS girls is a natural process, a kind of violation of the nervous system, hormonal failure that is inherent in all women and occurs in 10 days before menstruation.Someone PMS obvious that delivers a lot of unpleasant moments (67% women), while others expressed in the lung ailment (40 - 50% of women).Severity of the symptoms of PMS in the same girl may vary.That is one menstrual cycle may be accompanied by wild tantrums, mood swings, and the other, on the contrary, calm. men read the information about what PMS, you have already understood that the ICP in men - is absurd.None of the men could not be premenstrual syndrome as simply they are no monthly!When the men after their irritability say that they have PMS, it is nothing more than a joke, and fiction. How to cope with PMS girls changes in the body due to PMS should be adjusted individually. - If you notice that before the menstrual cycle you are irritable, aggressive, the best way - it is a sport.Regular exercise will direct aggression in a positive direction (to the development of his body) and thus help fight PMS.The main thing - do not overdo it and do not hurt yourself. - There are cases when the PMS girls transferred so bad that gynecologists prescribe them oral contraceptives (birth control), which facilitate the symptoms of PMS. - Proper nutrition also helps with PMS is easier to cope with such diseases.Give in this period of coffee, chocolate, alcohol, which can enhance the premenstrual depression.Eat as little salt to avoid edema, since more water accumulates body PMS.The diet should have lots of vitamins and minerals.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly becoming part of our lives and transforming the ways we live and work. Today you're seeing it take center stage in Microsoft 365 thanks to Copilot, which works alongside you to unleash creativity and transform work. Defined simply, AI is the simulation of human intelligence by machines, especially computers. AI can perform tasks that usually require human intelligence, such as visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making, and language translation. Here are a few terms you might hear in conversations about AI: Rule-based AI operates based on a set of predefined rules and logic. This type of AI is useful for solving mathematical equations or producing logical statements. It can also be used for analyzing large sets of fast-moving data to spot patterns and identify things like potential fraud. Machine learning involves training a computer system to recognize patterns in data. Image and speech recognition are examples of machine learning. Deep learning is a machine learning technique where layers of neural networks are used to process data and make decisions. A deep learning system looks at massive amounts of data and learns by spotting patterns. Deep learning AI is used for tasks such as image and speech recognition, natural language processing, and for making predictions about the future based on data. It’s a key part of the technology used in self-driving cars. Natural language processing (NLP) enables computers to understand and interpret human language. This type of AI is one of the most common, as it’s used in chatbots, virtual assistants, and language translation software. NLP is what you're using when you interact with Copilot using plain English instructions. Generative is another form of AI that’s becoming more popular, and it features heavily in how Copilot does what it does. It creates new written, visual, and auditory content by way of existing data or input by humans. ChatGPT from OpenAI is a generative AI, in fact that’s what the “G” in its name stands for. AI in Microsoft 365 Over the coming months, you’ll notice new AI features being integrated into Microsoft 365 to support you at work and home. Our new AI-powered features can help you more quickly and creatively do the things you normally do. You can already find AI in our products and services. Want to create some unique art? Try Microsoft Designer. With Designer you can create AI-generated images simply by using a plain English prompt. Learn more about Designer and DALL-E. For an improved search experience, use the new AI-powered Bing and Edge browser. Not only will you see enhanced search results, but you’ll also be able to create content with Bing’s new chat experience, powered by AI. Whether you’re composing a report, an email, or a post on LinkedIn, write with confidence when you use Microsoft Editor in Word. This AI-powered writing assistant helps you with spelling and grammar, clarity, and readability. Copilot in Word, PowerPoint, Excel, OneNote, and Outlook will help you be more productive, get your documents and presentations started more quickly, and help you quickly glean insights from your data or emails. Note: Copilot in Microsoft 365 apps is currently only available to customers in a very limited private preview. Expect to see more AI integration coming soon to your Microsoft 365 apps, to help you create better content, faster. Tip: Find out what's new with AI and Microsoft 365 apps and experiences in our blog. Be aware of limitations Like all transformative technologies, there are tasks that AI is not well suited for, so it’s important to be aware of the potential drawbacks. AI-produced content and outputs may contain inaccuracies, biases, or sensitive materials because they were trained on information from the internet, as well as other sources. AI may not know about recent events yet, and struggles to understand and interpret sarcasm, irony, or humor. Please remember that it's not a person. It's important that you review any content the AI generates for you to make sure it has accurately produced what you wanted. Though Microsoft Bing Chat is multilingual and broadly available, Copilot in the Microsoft 365 apps is currently only available to a preview audience in the United States, and currently only understands instructions in English. You can help us improve our AI-powered features by experimenting with them and giving us your feedback. We are dedicated to using AI responsibly and helping you do the same. Our commitment to responsible AI is guided by a core set of principles, such as reliability and safety, privacy and security, inclusiveness, transparency, and accountability. Microsoft doesn't store your chat prompts; however, we do collect product and service data in line with existing Microsoft privacy policies. Note: Some portions of this article were written by a person with help from ChatGPT. When you get suggestions from Copilot, or use the feature to "Just keep writing," Copilot processes the content of your document as the context for the text that it generates. The document content (your data) is not stored by Microsoft. Neither your document content nor the descriptions you write are used for machine learning. Likewise, when you send feedback or report content, Microsoft uses your input to make feature improvements; your feedback does not directly impact the foundational AI models that Copilot is based on. You can learn more about how to access and control your personal data in the Microsoft Privacy Statement. Where can I learn more about Microsoft’s commitment to responsible AI? Microsoft has been on a responsible AI journey since 2017, when we defined our principles and approach to ensuring this technology is used in a way that is driven by ethical principles that put people first. Read more about our responsible AI journey, the ethical principles that guide us, and the tooling and capabilities we’ve created to assure that we develop AI technology responsibly. To learn more see Microsoft's commitment to responsible AI.
MD Anderson Cancer Center Date: November 2012 >> [background music] Normal body cells grow and divide in a controlled way. Cancer cells are abnormal and grow and divide in a rapid, uncontrolled way. Chemotherapy works by attacking all rapidly growing cells in the body in an effort to stop cancer cells from growing and multiplying. Because chemotherapy affects all rapidly dividing cells, whether they're cancerous or not, side effects may result. Most side effects resulting from chemotherapy are temporary and can be managed with additional medications and proper care. >> Patients should always tell their doctors or nurses of any problems they are having early on because often we can treat these problems with a simple medication or one simple intervention that could prevent the patient from having more difficult issues in the future. >> If you read the guide book, it will tell you in there that these things are going to happen and tell you how many days you can go being constipated and stuff. There's that guide, pay attention to it. © 2012 The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center 1515 Holcombe Blvd, Houston, TX 77030 1-800-392-1611 (USA) / 1-713-792-2121
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Marine; demersal; depth range 2 - 15 m (Ref. 5981). Subtropical; 18°C - 22°C (Ref. 13614); 47°N - 30°N, 6°W - 28°E Mediterranean Sea: Adriatic Sea, Tunisia (Ref. 42506), and Turkey. Size / Weight / Age Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm Max length : 18.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 5981) Adults occur among seagrass, sometimes on rocky bottoms. Eggs produced by several females are guarded by male. Individuals are first females then change to males (Ref. 5981). Oviparous. Eggs are demersal and adhesive (Ref. 205), and are attached to the substrate via a filamentous, adhesive pad or pedestal (Ref. 94114). Larvae are planktonic, often found in shallow, coastal waters (Ref. 94114). Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity \| Reproduction \| Spawning \| Eggs \| Fecundity \| Larvae Oviparous, distinct pairing (Ref. 205). Zander, C.D., 1986. Blenniidae. p. 1096-1112. In P.J.P. Whitehead, M.-L. Bauchot, J.-C. Hureau, J. Nielsen and E. Tortonese (eds.) Fishes of the North-eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean, volume 3. UNESCO, Paris. (Ref. 5981) IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 125652) Threat to humans ReferencesAquacultureAquaculture profileStrainsGeneticsAllele frequenciesHeritabilityDiseasesProcessingNutrientsMass conversion Estimates based on models Preferred temperature (Ref. 115969 ): 17.4 - 19.7, mean 18.8 °C (based on 303 cells). Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82805 = 0.5312 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high]. Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01047 (0.00467 - 0.02349), b=3.01 (2.82 - 3.20), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this Subfamily-BS (Ref. 93245 Resilience (Ref. 120179 ): Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.). Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153 ): Low vulnerability (10 of 100) . Climate Vulnerability (Ref. 125649 ): (0 of 100) .
Who are internal medicine specialists and what do they do? Internal medicine specialists focus primarily on treating adult medical disorders, and are especially skilled in multi-system illnesses or situations where several illnesses afflict a patient at once. Despite the name, they are trained to treat the whole body, not just internal organs, and see patients for a variety of conditions and complaints. Also known as internists, these doctors often work as general practitioners, hospitalists, and primary care physicians. Patients see an internist for an annual checkup and diagnosis, as well as for treatment and management of acute and chronic illnesses. Preventive medicine and patient education are often emphasized, including annual physical examinations to monitor patients’ blood pressure, cholesterol levels and glucose levels and ensure other baseline tests are within normal levels for a patient’s age and gender. Because internists’ patients often suffer from multi-system disorders, internists often work in hospitals where it is easiest to administer complex treatment and tests. Some internists also work in clinics or private practices, or split their time between a private practice office and a hospital.What subspecialties might an internal medicine specialist have? Internal medicine specialists, while often practicing general internal medicine, may also undergo additional training to subspecialize in an area of internal medicine. There are more than a dozen different subspecialties recognized by the American Board of Internal Medicine, from adolescent medicine to hematology (blood), to rheumatology (arthritis) to sports medicine. Training in a subspecialty is typically called a fellowship and requires 1-3 years of training in addition to three years of internal medicine residency training.What symptoms and conditions are typically treated by an internal medicine specialist? An internal medicine specialists’ scope of practice varies, but they typically provide basic diagnoses and non-surgical and surgical treatment of common medical conditions and illnesses. Internal medicine doctors will collect a patient’s history and review it to help inform the decision-making process when making a diagnosis. They review prior medical history, illnesses and other health information. A physical examination and basic medical testing helps them reach diagnoses, such as reading blood and other tests, electrocardiograms and X-rays. Together with the patient, the internal medicine doctor forms a plan that can include additional testing if needed, a referral to see a specialist, medication prescriptions, therapies, changes to diet or lifestyle, additional patient education, or follow-up treatment. Patients also may receive advice or education on improving health behaviors, self-care and treatment, screening tests and immunizations. Some common conditions treated by internists include: Related ArticlesBuild a Better Doctor-Patient Relationship8 Things You Don’t Tell Your Doctor – But Should!Star Treatment – How to Get Top-Notch Medical CareShopping for a New Doc - Gynecological complaints - Infectious diseases - Musculoskeletal complaints - Respiratory system diseases - Thyroid disease
We strive to prepare our children to contribute positively to our diverse and changing society, by fostering the pursuit of excellence in academic, practical and physical skills, and by developing the quality of mind, body and spirit so that all acquire a sense of responsibility, awareness of right and wrong, effective social skills and high self esteem. We endeavour to provide a secure and caring environment in which all children are valued, stimulated and motivated. We have high expectations of all our children and develop close partnerships with parents to fulfil these expectations. We expect our children to achieve: - high standards in Reading, Writing and Maths - a wide understanding and skills across the curriculum - a high level of self-control We expect our children to respect: - all people of whatever race or culture - the beliefs of others - the rights and property of others - the rules and standards of the school and the wider community - the environment - their own bodies We expect our children to develop: - lively inquiring minds - cooperation and independance - co-operative and independent skill - an awareness of the inner self - flexibility to react positively to change - personal interests - enjoyment of learning and of life - an awareness of safety and good health - highasperations for themselves
© Art by Kelly Panacci Inc. The County’s sand dunes have been an attraction since the early 1800s. The dunes, formed by glaciers 12,500 years ago, are the world’s largest bay-mouth dune barrier formation, stretching 12km across Lake Ontario. They were once grazing land for the cattle of early settlers, and today, make up three beaches, hiking trails and campsites. On a sunny day it’s easy to mistake the white sand and turquoise water around Sandbanks for the Caribbean. The dune barriers formed East and West Lake, sheltered by the wind and waves of Lake Ontario. They are both perfect for a paddle, a swim or for fishing. En route to Sandbanks Provincial Park you’ll find both lakes dotted with cozy accommodations for campers, camper-vans, and even something for those who’d prefer a posh B&B. Don’t forget to stop at the farm stands to pick up supplies for the campfire or to take home.
As part of “FTA’s highlights of a decade,” a new series focusing on its main results since being established in 2011, the FTA program is now publishing the volume on Wild Meat. Globally, there is evidence of the risks of overhunting. The global, local or functional extinction of populations or species of larger animals —known as defaunation — can change the long-term dynamics of ecosystems. The Bushmeat Research Initiative (BRI) was established in 2011 under CGIAR’s FTA Program. It has three main objectives: strengthening the evidence base for effective interventions; identifying gaps in knowledge and areas where further work is required; and recommending policy changes to address the overexploitation of wild meat. The Bushmeat Research Initiative (BRI) has produced studies in Africa, Latin America and Asia, and a global assessment. BRI’s work has generated a better understanding of the importance of Indigenous Peoples in protecting biodiversity. The BRI-CIFOR team, with its partners, created the global WILDMEAT database, a powerful evidence base for policy makers, practitioners, researchers and civil society. The association between wild meat and disease has stimulated research on wild meat and human health in general, and Ebola virus disease outbreaks. Africa’s urban population is expected to more than triple over 40 years, which will have a strong impact on the animal populations that provide wild meat. CIFOR via the BRI was a member of the Sustainable Wildlife Management (SWM) programme. Research led by BRI found that a crucial element is providing local people with alternative sources of animal protein. Understanding the complex dynamics of wild meat use in the COVID-19 world will require increased collaboration between environmental and resource entities and the ecological and conservation sciences. Download the publication to find out how future initiatives can build on FTA results and work in way that ensures a balance between humans and native fauna species, social inclusiveness, respect for traditional knowledge, cross-sector approaches, and capacity building. The COVID-19 pandemic and agroecosystem resilience: early insights for building better futures The COVID-19 pandemic and agroecosystem resilience: early insights for building better futures John Rono harvests coriander on his farm in western Kenya for sale at an urban centre. Photo World Agroforestry Originally posted on ICRAF’s website. Researchers have studied the impact on natural and managed landscapes and call for wiser and transformative solutions. As part of socio-ecological systems, agroecosystems provide livelihoods for millions. The ecosystem services generated from agroecosystems provide the basic substances that we need to exist. Hence, the resilience of societies is dependent on well-functioning ecosystems, which is not a given in many developing nations. As the world marks one year since the global spread of COVID-19, rupturing life as it used to be, it is time to take stock of the impacts beyond the direct medical aspects: on people, forests and agroforestry. A research team from World Agroforestry (ICRAF) studied in depth the wider effects and published their results in the journal, Sustainability. They found that the impacts have been substantial. So much so that there will be a cesure between research done before, and research results obtained after, 2020. ‘As the reported impacts were both positive and negative,’ said Lalisa Duguma, ICRAF senior scientist researching sustainable landscapes and integrated climate actions and lead author of the article, ‘we started a systematic review of the emerging peer-reviewed literature, realizing that these still are snapshots that need to be interpreted in their local contexts.’ Owing to the disease, countries have closed land borders, ports and even their airspaces except for emergencies or medical goods and equipment supplies. With the planet more globalised than at any other time in human history, these measures, adopted to safeguard populations and contain the virus, created shocks to the broader economy, livelihoods and societal networks. This resulted in significant social effects that created further stress to the prevailing climate-change challenges, environmental degradation and increasing inequity. Though COVID effects were global, developing countries were the most affected owing to disruptions to economic activities, including production and trade. The pandemic exposed faults in the highly advocated export market, revealing the weak readiness countries have when global issues arise. In particular, in Sub-Saharan Africa, countries experienced a significant rural-to-urban movement over the last few decades, leading to expansion of urban areas that are strongly dependent on rural agroecosystems. Employment opportunities mainly drove the migration, either as casual or other forms of employment. Most rural households have one or more family members who have moved to urban areas seeking employment. With the emergence of COVID-19, and measures taken to curb its spread, many employers laid off and reduced staff and casual labourers. Since they lost their jobs and had no other income sources, urban dwellers who were formerly remitters turned for help to their family members in rural areas. Others who lost their jobs returned to their rural areas, increasing demand for consumables. This may increase demand for agricultural land, which is often gained at the expense of forests and woodlands, especially by those living on the margins of forests. In the agriculture, forestry and fishery sectors, most interventions are time-sensitive, that is, seasonal, and if the schedule is missed, then farmers have to wait for the next year to implement similar tasks. Owing to movement restrictions, field inventories, surveys, data collection and other field activities were slowed or discontinued completely to avoid risks to personnel and communities within which activities were to take place. Manenti and others, using responses from managers of protected areas, found that the managers were challenged to implement activities. The lockdowns led to the flourishing of invasive species that were usually managed when access was not restricted. At farmers’ level, the impacts have been far-reaching. For instance, owing to the non-essential travel and movement restrictions and lack of prior preparation, farmers could not access input supplies, such as fertilisers, disease and pest control inputs and improved seeds. One vital sector that usually generates substantial revenue for natural resource management in many countries is tourism. In many African countries, the tourism sector is strongly dependent on ecosystems. With the movement restrictions, tourists have temporarily abandoned the region and revenue from the sector has shrunk significantly. It is important to note that the sector supports most wildlife reserves, sanctuaries and private parks in Africa. For example, the United Nations World Tourism Agency indicated that, as of April 2020, almost half of global tourist destinations had closed their borders either totally or partially. With the shrunken revenue owing to the pandemic, most of the natural resources (wildlife, landscapes and other natural habitats) that the sector relied on have received limited management investment owing to resource scarcity. Unless there are new support schemes, these resources may face significant degradation owing to lack of effective management. Unfortunately, the countries where such resources are located are also facing financial constraints, forcing them to channel available resources to priority and urgent interventions to control COVID-19. Net impacts varied across continents and within countries, with global chains most at risk and some local supply chains actually flourishing. Diverse agroforestry landscapes with multiple options had ways to cope with the stress while overspecialized landscapes locked into, and dependent on, global supply chains were the most vulnerable. At least, that’s how it appears to be so far, write the team. Further compilations and analysis will be needed. Overall, whether mitigative, adaptive, transformational or re-imaginative, all actions would need to be backed up by massive investments, policies and incentives. Investments will have to be justified by meeting the current and future generations’ expectations. Above all, leadership, collaboration and joint action will be needed if impacts from COVID-19 like stresses on socio-ecological systems would be minimised in the future. ‘In looking for a suitable “framing” for understanding the cascading effects in socio-ecological systems,’ said Meine van Noordwijk, ICRAF distinguished research fellow and part of the team, ‘we tried to combine the adaptive learning cycle of a resilience analysis scheme, with its breakdown of existing linkages and stored capitals, before the buds of new solutions can be identified among the rubble, with the various types of decisions in the driver–pressure–system–impacts–responses scheme.’ The pandemic has exposed the vulnerability of broader agroecosystems and related sectors and the livelihoods they support. Addressing these vulnerabilities needs measures that cascade from the national level to landscape and household levels. It needs a concerted effort across scales with decentralised roles and responsibilities at the various levels. It would be essential to design and focus on building back better actions around adaptive, transformational and re-imaginative approaches that target systemic changes over the long term. Adaptive, integrated approaches need to focus on adjusting socio-ecological system dynamics to be sufficiently responsive to COVID-19 types of stresses. ‘The most immediate responses of people minimize the damage of a newly emerging threat, before adaptation can occur,’ said Peter Minang, leader of ICRAF’s landscape research and a member of the team, ‘but building back better requires decisions at the transformative and re-imaginative levels, otherwise we may repeat the fragility that we have now observed.’ Specific to the zoonotic starting point of the coronavirus that triggers the COVID-19 disease, there is a debate on the degree of ‘segregation’ that is needed between human activities and the rest of the living world, write the team. ‘Some plead for a strict hygienic corridor, minimizing human interactions with potential sources of further zoonotic diseases,’ said van Noordwijk, ‘while others argue for accepting that humans are part of Nature and that no single wall can prevent human vulnerability, rather, resilience will have to be based on defences at multiple scales, including diversified livelihoods’ options and avoiding “lock-ins” that become a risk during “lock-downs”.’ The debate will continue, write the team, but it would be a missed opportunity if existing ‘engagement landscapes’, where researchers can understand the contexts, are not used to describe and analyse the cascading impacts and the bottlenecks to, and opportunities for, new solutions to emerge. International Day of Women & Girls in Science 2021 - Beyond the Borders: Equality in Science for Society International Day of Women & Girls in Science 2021 – Beyond the Borders: Equality in Science for Society Pamela Tabi working on the field. Arnauld Chyngwa/CIFOR This year’s international day of women and girls in science (11 February 2021) focuses on the role of Women Scientists at the forefront of the fight against COVID-19. FTA has long acknowledged both the important role of women in the fight against the pandemic and their importance to build back better, increasing resilience of agricultural systems. At the same time, we have stressed the fact that women, especially rural women, are often among the most vulnerable of categories, suffering greatly from the consequences of this global pandemic. Today, 11 February 2021, the 6th International Day of Women and Girls in Science Assembly will be held at the United Nations Headquarters virtually. Its theme is specifically: Beyond the Borders: Equality in Science for Society. We chose to focus on this topic, as FTA has always given gender equality a vast space in its research. Women scientists have a particular viewpoint: they faced in their own personal experience many of the challenges deriving from social norms and obligations, but through their studies, they have also acquired knowledge and intellectual strength to overcome these. At the same time, they are constantly researching for solutions to wider, planetary problems. This is why their testimonies are so powerful: they bridge sectors, they go beyond borders. We asked Houria about her personal story: how and why did she choose to become a scientist? What were her challenges? Our conversation touched upon many themes, from the times she was a girl, in a little Amazigh village, hiding on the slopes of the Djurdjura mountains of Algeria. She explained to us about her realization, early in life, that nature represents the greatest treasure we have. This mountainous landscape was shaped by old cedar and oaks trees, olives and figs. Through the ancestral practice of drying figs, her parents would store fruits for the cold winters, securing nutritious and delicious sweets. Houria remembers how important these were during her long morning walks to reach school, a taste that “warms the body and gives a young child the feeling that life is inestimable”. “I owe my entire life to the trees, and so do the lives of my parents, grandparents and all our ancestors. From here comes my deep respect for the farmers, many of which women, who feed their families and the world. With the force of their body and the strength of their minds and spirit, and with their millennial knowledge, these people are able to transform even the most harsh landscapes into places full of life and diversity, where humans, animals, trees, stones, rivers all are one.” Houria also focused on challenges: the desire to fight against the injustice she saw being perpetrated to her indigenous community while trying to personally overcome many of the hidden or visible limits inherent in social norms and values. “Women can encounter those lines and borders everywhere,” she underlines. But today, as a senior scientist at CIFOR-ICRAF and looking back at her life, she realizes that not shying away from these difficulties had a truly transformative power. “Every adversity I faced made me stronger and sharpened my understanding and my determination to overcome barriers,” she says now with energy. “There are unfortunately still too many reasons why a woman can feel vulnerable in the scientific community, some of them are very subtle and hard to grasp. What I want to say to all the young women scientists is: I know women have the power to transform vulnerabilities into strengths and resilience, and this is the first step to transform the world into a better place.” After talking with Houria, we interviewed a junior scientist on her decision and experience in choosing the path of science for life. This year we had the pleasure to talk to Pamela Tabi, a Cameroonian living and working in Yaoundé. Pamela started working at CIFOR as an intern in 2011 while doing her master’s research on the VPA FLEGT programme in Cameroon’s community forests. After obtaining graduating with her MSc degree and a short period in the private sector she was recruited as Research Assistant at CIFOR-ICRAF in the GML Project (Governing Multifunctional landscapes in Sub-Saharan African countries). The project aims to develop strategies to sustainably manage wood fuel value chains. Pamela’s interests lie in many aspects of the forest sector: illegal logging, community forestry, forest certification, and woodfuel value chain. Let’s meet her! This year the UN Assembly will be discussing the theme: “Beyond the Borders: Equality in Science for Society” – what does this mean for you? Should it be rather “equity”? Did you have to cross a lot of borders to get where you are now? Before answering this question, it is important to define “equality” and “equity.” From my perspective, “equality” means provide the same/similar consideration among gender, race, disability, etc. allowing people to achieve the same level of competences. “Equity” means considering the divergences/differences among people and allowing people, even the most vulnerable, and designing pathways to have access to the same opportunities. For me, “Beyond the Borders: Equality in Science for Society” means to allow everybody in the field of sciences the same opportunities. Speaking overtly about equity could highlight the necessity to consider the differences among people before assigning them certain tasks or positions. I struggle a lot to be at the level where I am. As a woman and a mother, I could be perceived as a person who has too many hurdles and might not give the best of herself to achieve the planned milestones, compared to someone has less social obligations. In this situation, I find myself sometimes working double to prove my skills and meet expectations. Did science bring more equality in your life? How? Was it a path of (internal/external) challenges? Which ones and how did you overcome them? I learned a lot from my experience as a young scientist woman. In my daily life, science did not directly impact me, but a scientist’s profession has many challenges. First, we have to dig into the internal. We shall be transformed in our way to see and analyze things and to view the external. Sometimes, we have to reduce or be selective of the social activities that we attend. Some of our relatives don’t always understand those transformations. The best way to overcome those challenges is to speak out with them and invite them into our universe! Tell us when you decided you were going to be a scientist? How did that happen? Was there a “spark” that made you take this decision? In my understanding, having a Ph.D. degree can have more opportunities, responsibilities and be recognized worldwide as a scientist. Is there a significant anecdote from your family life or your academic life that has impacted your decision to pursue a scientific career? Which one? The passion truly sparked when I was working on my bachelor’s degree. One of our professors organized a 3-day trip to learn more about biodiversity and inventory methods for flora and fauna. The time I spent in that forest, without electricity, without a network signal, surrounded by trees: it was just amazing. That experience instilled in me a huge desire to become a forester for life. What is the most important feature to become a scientist (determination, creativity, etc.)? Why? What would be your advice to a young girl undecided whether to study science or not? The most important feature is to love what you do and have a passion for that. Then, determination and creativity will follow naturally. When you love your job, you don’t feel like it’s work, because what you do is an integral part of your life. My advice for a young girl is, first of all identify what you want to dedicate your life to and then, whether it should be in the field of science or not, give yourself all the means to achieve your goal. People will see your determination, detect your talent and open the right doors to you. Why is achieving gender equality in the scientific community essential for you? Because women have so much to offer, equality can be beneficial to the community as a whole and individually for many women who perceive the scientific environment giving them less opportunities. There are many examples – from the most famous French scientist Marie Curie, the Senegalese Rose Dieng-Kuntz, and the Lithuanian-American astrophysicist Vera Rubin. Rubin famously said, “There is no scientific problem that a man can solve that a woman cannot.” Any other thing you’d like to add? I want to encourage agencies and funding organizations which support research to keep their belief, their confidence and their hopes on what woman can deliver in the field of science. The last word will be to thanks all those who had faith in me and who allowed me to be where I am. There are more and more challenges to be achieved. Science is waiting for us. The show must go on! Thank you for the opportunity given for this interview. By the FTA Communication Team. This article was produced by the CGIAR Research Program on Forests, Trees and Agroforestry (FTA). FTA is the world’s largest research for development program to enhance the role of forests, trees and agroforestry in sustainable development and food security and to address climate change. CIFOR leads FTA in partnership with ICRAF, the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, CATIE, CIRAD, INBAR and TBI.FTA’s work is supported by the CGIAR Trust Fund.
Not a meat eater? Have questions about gluten?// here is the normal content // ?> Find out what’s new in nutrition programming Do you or someone you know avoid eating meat or gluten? Do you ever wonder why some people are considered vegan and others vegetarian? How about what foods contain gluten, or if you should avoid it? The University of Delaware Cooperative Extension has the answers to these questions and more! Find out from our 3 new Speaker Bureau Topics. VEGucate Yourself: The 5 W’s of Vegetarian & Vegan Diets This one-hour program separates fact from fiction about vegetarian and vegan diets. Some alternative sources of nutrients that would normally be supplied by meat are discussed with participants. The possibility of following these diets throughout the lifespan is discussed as well. All different vegetarian and vegan diets are compared with hands-on tips and tools to follow. Gluten: the Basics Gluten is a hot topic in today’s culture. This interactive, fun program explains what gluten is and why some, not all, need to avoid gluten. In one-hour, participants can walk away with an understanding of what foods contain gluten and why some need to avoid it. Celiac Disease: Living Gluten Free This one and a half hour program takes an in-depth look at celiac disease and gluten-free diets for healthcare professionals and those with celiac disease. Participants can expect to walk away with a deeper understanding of exactly what living a gluten-free life entails. Participants will learn what foods and other items contain gluten and how to avoid them. For a complete list of programs please visit: To schedule one of these programs for your group please visit: http://extension.udel.edu/fcs/request-a-fcs-speaker/Print This Post
VirtualBox is a general-purpose full virtualizer for x86 hardware. Targeted at server, desktop and embedded use, it is now the only professional-quality virtualization solution that is also Open Source Software. Some of the features of VirtualBox are: - Modularity. VirtualBox has an extremely modular design with well-defined internal programming interfaces and a client/server design. This makes it easy to control it from several interfaces at once: for example, you can start a virtual machine in a typical virtual machine GUI and then control that machine from the command line, or possibly remotely. VirtualBox also comes with a full Software Development Kit: even though it is Open Source Software, you don't have to hack the source to write a new interface for VirtualBox. - Virtual machine descriptions in XML. The configuration settings of virtual machines are stored entirely in XML and are independent of the local machines. Virtual machine definitions can therefore easily be ported to other computers. VRDP: fixed screen corruption NAT: the interface stopped working after a lot of failed ICMP requests (bug #9371) E1000: fixed rare Windows 7 guest hangs, either at boot time or when reconfiguring the network card in unusual setups (bug #6223) ATA: fixed a possible crash during ATAPI passthrough with certain guests ATA: improved compatibility with ancient Linux kernels Main: fixed incorrect framebuffer information after leaving the fullscreen mode with X11 guests, this lead to a scrambled preview window in the GUI for example Mac OS X hosts: fixed the problem with duplicate packets when bridged to a wireless interface (bug #9648) Linux hosts: fix for 3D support on Fedora 15 (bug #9799) Linux hosts: don't call del_timer_sync from an interrupt context (Fedora bug report 746331) Windows Vista and 7 guests: more WDDM fixes Linux Additions: fixed kernel module compilation failure on Redhat Enterprise Linux 4 (bug #9709) Linux Additions: install the DRI driver correctly on Ubuntu 11.10 guests Solaris Additions: added read-only mmap support for shared folders Solaris Additions: added directory, file mode and mask options for shared folders Windows Additions: implemented faster detection of logged-in guest users and stale sessions X.Org Additions: fixed graphical corruption when switching to a virtual terminal (bug #9490)
how to wire a fluorescent light – thank you for visiting our site. Today were delighted to announce we have found an extremely interesting topic to be discussed, namely how to wire a fluorescent light. Many people searching for info about how to wire a fluorescent light and certainly one of these is you, is not it? Description : Wiring Diagram Of A Simple Fluorescent Light \| Easy Diy Tips with regard to How To Wire A Fluorescent Light, image size 470 X 353 px. Grow lights are an outstanding choice to replace a number of the missing rays. Fluorescent lights offer you excellent general lighting choices. As a way to operate properly, a fluorescent light ignites the gases within the bulb with the support of a ballast. Fluorescent grow lights are a standard selection for homeowners. If you still don’t have light, then you are able to move on to replacing the ballast. These lights get extremely hot so they have to be utilized with care. LED lights are just a few inches in diameter and are simple to mount. They weigh a fraction of other lights and are easy to configure where needed. Installing LED tube lights is a wonderful method to conserve money on electricity and get potentially hazardous fluorescent lights out of your house or workplace. In the majority of instances, however, it’s much simpler to take out the fixture itself to be able to reach and take out the ballast. Furthermore, you ought to be in a position to get fixtures especially designed for LED tube lights in the forseeable future, and they ought to actually be less expensive than the equivalent fluorescent fixtures. Some light fixtures include a clip handle so that you can set them exactly where they’re needed. Although fluorescent light fixtures can be a terrific approach to supply soft light to a massive space, it can be extremely frustrating when they aren’t working right. Truly, we have been realized that how to wire a fluorescent light is being just about the most popular subject at this moment. So that we tried to identify some terrific how to wire a fluorescent light image for you. Here it is. it was coming from reputable on-line resource and we like it. We think it deliver interesting things for how to wire a fluorescent light niche. So, how about you? Do you like it too? Do you agree that this picture will probably be certainly one of excellent reference for how to wire a fluorescent light? Please leave a feedback for us, we hope we are able to provide much more helpful info for future articles. Tags: #how to wire a fluorescent light #how to wire a fluorescent light and switch #how to wire a fluorescent light fixture #how to wire a fluorescent light fixture to a plug #how to wire a fluorescent light fixture to a switch #how to wire a fluorescent light fixture with a diagram #how to wire a fluorescent light for led #how to wire a fluorescent light in australia #how to wire a fluorescent light to a plug #how to wire a fluorescent light to an extension cord
Humanities students are uniquely passionate about what they study. Their dedication to their discipline, whether it be linguistics, classical studies, or Russian, drives them and motivates them to be excellent students and scholars.Their passion makes them learn to think clearly, act well, and appreciate life. “To me [Humanities] gives you one of the broadest and most important foundations that you can have in a higher education. Having a foundation in the liberal arts, especially the humanities—and being steeped in history and art and culture and critical thinking—prepares you, if not specifically for any one things, it prepares you for almost anything.” -Brigham Taylor, Disney Executive Producer (BA ’92) Looking for ways you can #practicehumanities? Click here to download a list of 50 activities you can do to get involved in the human conversation.
The Colleton County Memorial Library was established through the consolidation of two libraries, the historic Walterboro Library Society and the Colleton County Library. Library service in Colleton County has a long and distinguished history. The Walterboro Library Society was founded in 1820 by the wealthy planters who made Walterboro their home. These men sent their sons to England or to the Continent to complete their education and these young men, returning, wished to see the same degree of culture maintained in their own country that they had enjoyed in Europe. Much of Walterboro's past history has its setting in the quaint little library building, Georgian in architecture, with small-paned windows, fan-shaped transoms, and hand-hewn sills. In 1824 when the Court of Equity ordered the village of Walterboro to be laid out, the surveyor was instructed to fix the boundaries of the village as "three-fourths of a mile in every direction from the Walterboro Library." It is significant that the leaders of the community established the library before incorporating their town and that they used the library as the central point in measuring the town's perimeter. When established, the library had a handsome book collection bound in full calf with the name "Walterboro Library Society" printed in gold letters on the binding. The size of the volume determined the length of time it could be kept out of the library. A folio could be kept out six weeks; a quarto volume four weeks; octavo, two weeks and a duo decimo only one week. In 1836 the first library organization disbanded, turned its building over to the town and distributed its books among the members. Thirty years later when the library was reorganized, many of the original volumes were returned still in good condition. War and reconstruction took their toll of the library and it was not until 1888 that Miss Claudia Stuart, a teacher in the Walterboro school, came to the rescue. The library was reopened, flourished for a while and then went the way of the others. In 1920, exactly one hundred years after its organization, the Walterboro Library Society again became an active organization. This time the sponsors were the ladies of the Walterboro Book Club. Miss Millie Fraser was employed as librarian and served in that capacity for many years. In 1925 the Town of Walterboro provided tax support for the library and in 1936 Colleton County began appropriating funds for its maintenance. The Colleton County Library was established in 1935 through the combined efforts of the WPA, the guidance of Mrs. Isabel Heaton, then County Home Demonstration Agent, and the sponsorship of the County Council of Farm Women. During a two-year period, 1935-37, the Home Demonstration Agent and the County WPA supervisors took library books around the county in their own cars to various communities talking with groups and individuals to introduce the library and its services. Library books were few and these were secured through a WPA grant. In January of 1937 Colleton and Dorchester counties combined to form a bi-county library governed by a library board of eight measures--four from each county. In November of 1939 the delegations from Colleton and Dorchester counties appropriated funds to purchase a bookmobile for use in both counties. As the WPA program was curtailed, funds decreased each year. It was at this time that Dorchester County withdrew from the bi-county arrangement. To continue library service in Colleton County, the County Delegation provided an initial $1,000 for operating expenses and eventually in 1943 sponsored legislation establishing the Colleton Rural Library and providing for its support through a three-quarter mill tax on county property. In 1948 the library employed its first full-time professional librarian, Marguerite Grambling, later Mrs. Ralph Thompson. With her leadership the library program flourished and the library grew to such an extent that the need for additional space for books, staff and readers became pressing. With the backing of the Farm Women's Council, a movement began for a new library building. Although initially there was no idea of combining the Walterboro Library Society and the Colleton County Library, as time passed the people of Colleton County realized that this was the only way to go. It was no easy matter to bring about the consolidation of the two libraries but it was accomplished. The law establishing the Colleton County Memorial Library through the consolidation of the old Library Society and the Colleton County Library was enacted in April of 1955. The library operated under this law until 1979 at which time, in compliance with new Home Rule legislation, the County Council passed an ordinance establishing the library. A new building housing service for the entire county and providing for the safekeeping of the valuable materials from the Walterboro Library Society was constructed and dedicated in 1957. Under Mrs. Thompson's direction the library became a part of the life of almost everyone in Colleton County. Special programs were planned for special groups and no effort was spared to develop the library's full potential of service to its community. In November, 1963, the Colleton County Memorial Library was awarded a Dorothy Canfield Fisher Memorial Award of $1,000. The award was made on the basis of service to the reading public and plans for the expansion of the library program. From 1963 until the present the director of the Colleton County Library has been Mrs. Lila Ward Smoak. Under Mrs. Smoak's direction the library has grown in every direction. Its book circulation is one of the highest in the state. Bookmobile services have been continually expanded and the use of reference and research services is steadily increasing. One of the new projects initiated under Mrs. Smoak's direction is an oral history collection. In 1979 the Board of the Colleton County Library was successful in securing funds from the County Delegation to enlarge the usable space in the library by remodeling the garage for a Department of Technical Processing. The Board also was successful in organizing an active Friends of the Library group. The Board and the librarian continue to work with County Council in an effort to bring the best library service that the county can afford to all who live within the county. No history of library service in Colleton County can be concluded without a tribute to three women whose dedication to books and reading and devotion to the people of the county helped to establish and maintain library service through all vicissitudes. Miss Amelia Fraser (Miss Millie) was appointed librarian of the Walterboro Library Society in 1920 and served in that capacity and later as reference librarian of the Colleton County Library until her retirement in 1970. Miss Millie's interest in books and in the history of Colleton County and the state was the foundation on which the library's fine South Carolina collection was built. Miss Mary D. Rich, with experience in the academic field both as professor and as a college administrator, made a valuable contribution to the establishment of the Colleton County Library and to the extension of library service in rural areas of the county. Mrs. Elma S. Rogers, a professional librarian, used her energy and enthusiasm to foster the idea of public library service throughout the county and was instrumental in the establishment of county library service. As a WPA Library Supervisor in the late 1930's, Mrs. Rogers used her car and much of her time to carry books into all parts of rural Colleton County and to introduce rural people to books. Mrs. Rogers has been on the County Library Board since its establishment. Her interest and community influence have done much to strengthen and improve the public library program both in Colleton County and in the state. R.A. Durham, Walterboro, 1946-49 C. Moye Padgett, Walterboro, 1949-76 Mrs. John I. Rogers, Walterboro, 1976 Mrs. Walton B. Smith, 1944-47 Mrs. Marguerite G. Thompson, 1947-61 Mrs. G Clinton Williams, 1969-70 Lila W. Morley (Mrs. Wightman Smoak), 1962-69; 1970- Estellene P. Walker, "So Good and Necessary a Work": The Public Library in South Carolina, 1698-1980 (Columbia: South Carolina State Library, 1981), p. 21-22. A note on the text Read more about:
The most basic military unit in Myork is a battalion. Battalions can have from 100 to 4,000 members. They are created as a way to give command authority to an officer, thus the unbalanced nature of the unit sizes. Each battalion is established by official decree. Most were intended for a specific purpose or to award a particular person or family for services. Battalions are organized by geography, with larger land holders being put in charge of local battalions that are designed to coordinate the military efforts of the nearby land owners. Military service is Myork is the responsibility of the larger land owners, who must provide soldiers to the military deepening on the size of the land they own and/or the size of their family. While there are nuances, this is the standard formula for determining a family’s required service: • Any land owner with 25 acres or more of land is required to provide one soldier to one of the battalions of Myork. • Any land owner with 50 acres or more is required to provide two soldiers to the Myork battalions. • Any landowner with more than 160 acres of farm land is expected to organize various families within the land and thereby organize them to provide soldiers as is appropriate. • Any family with more than four sons living on the family land must provide three soldiers to the Myork battalions. The standard land owning family owns approximately 100-125 acres and maintains their family and a large number of servants. Because of this, most people outside of the city-state believe the abbreviated version of “every family must provide two soldiers”. While the battalion’s commander is responsible for equipping the men in the unit, the families sending the soldiers are responsible for reimbursing the commander. When a battalion is first formed, the government will grant the commander a large sum of money to get the force outfitted, but it is never enough, and the commander and the families will need to provide the funds to completely fund the gear. The central government is also responsible for providing commanders with a food allowance in order to feed the men, as well as a small allowance to pay the men. Myork soldiers receive very little pay from the government as they are considered to be supported by their families. Some battalions are seen as being “cheap battalions”. These units are less expensive to outfit, most commonly being longbowmen wearing leather armor and a small melee weapon. While these battalions are not prestigious to the families who’s sons are members, it is a way for the poorer farmers to provide the required troop(s) without going bankrupt. These battalions are far more common in the eastern regions.
This three-year project significantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions and clears the way for net-zero campus emission. Brown’s campus is made up of approximately 240 buildings, the majority of which were heated via an on-site operation at the Central Heat Plant (CHP). In 2016, Brown embarked on this transformational project to rethink how we acquire, use and distribute our heat from the CHP. The Thermal Energy Efficiency Project converted the CHP from a steam-powered high-temperature system to a medium-temperature hot water distribution system. The Thermal Efficiency Project converted the three CHP boilers from 150 psi steam to pressurized hot water. This improves plant efficiency and allows future integration of renewably sourced electric heat pumps as a heat source. The project also eliminated all eleven steam hubs on the campus heating loop and heating loads are now served by medium temperature hot water or local steam boilers. This allows operation at lower heating loop temperatures. Finally, steam distribution systems and terminal devices were converted for nearly 40 buildings, improving system efficiency.
The Secret Agenda Behind the Venezuela-Guyana Conflict* Isn’t it amazing how the U.S. feels it has a right to what is on somebody elses land and it poses a threat to U.S. national security if they are deprived of that ‘right’. By Eva Golinger It all began in 1835 when the British Empire sent a German-born naturalist and explorer to conduct geographical research in the South American territory it had colonized and named British Guiana. In the course of his explorations, a map was drawn that well-exceeded the original western boundary first occupied by the Dutch and later passed to British control. Sparking the interest of the Empire’s desire to expand its borders into the area west of the Essequibo River that was rich in gold, the British government commissioned the explorer to survey their territorial boundaries. What became known as the “Schomburgk Line”, named after the explorer, Robert Hermann Schomburgk, usurped a large portion of Venezuelan land, and provoked the beginning of a territorial dispute that has remained unresolved to this day. In 1850, after decades of arguing over the boundary line dividing Venezuela from its colonized neighbour, both sides agreed not to occupy the disputed territory under further determinations could be made, but as the demand for gold and other natural resources grew in the region, the British again tried to claim the territory declaring the Schomburgk Line the frontier of British Guiana, in clear violation of the previous accord with Venezuela. Ironically, Venezuela appealed to the United States government for help at the time, using the Monroe Doctrine as a justification to prevent further colonization by the British Empire in the hemisphere. US President Grover Cleveland eventually declared the matter of U.S. interest and forced Great Britain to sign a Treaty of Arbitration with Venezuela in Washington in 1897. Two years later, the Arbitration Tribunal, which had no representatives from Venezuela but instead two arbitrators from the United States said to be acting in Venezuela’s interest, ruled in favour of Britain. Venezuela rejected the decision, alleging there had been political collusion and illegal pressures in favor of the other side. These claims were supported by a letter written by Severo Mallet-Prevost, the Official Secretary of the US/Venezuela delegation in the Arbitration Tribunal who revealed the President of the Tribunal, Friedrich Martens had pressured the arbitrators to decide in favor of Great Britain. More than half a century went by until the dispute was re-introduced on the international stage, this time at the United Nations. Venezuela denounced the corruption that had led to the arbitrators decision in 1899 and reiterated its claim over the territory known as the “Essequibo”. In February 1966, at a meeting in Geneva, all parties to the conflict – Venezuela, British Guiana and Great Britain – signed the agreement to resolve the dispute over the border between Venezuela and British Guiana, known as the Treaty of Geneva. They agreed neither side would act on the disputed territory until they could resolve a definitive border, acceptable to all parties. Months later, in May 1966, Guyana achieved its independence from the United Kingdom, further complicating matters. On subsequent maps of Venezuela and Guyana, both countries claimed the territory as part of their sovereign land. Despite minor disagreements since 1966, the dispute did not become the source of escalating regional tensions until 2015, when a large oil discovery was made by Exxon right smack in the middle of the Essequibo, and claimed by Guyana. The Cooperative Republic of Guyana is the second poorest country in the Caribbean, only surpassing desolate Haiti in per capita income. The country’s main economic activity is agriculture, specifically rice and sugar production, which account for over 30% of export income. Despite being surrounded by vast oil and gas reserves in neighbouring Venezuela, which has the largest oil reserves on the planet in its Orinoco River Basin, and nearby Trinidad and Tobago, up until recently Guyana had no known oil reserves within its territorial boundaries. Enter Exxon Mobil, one of the world’s largest oil and gas companies, and a declared enemy of Venezuela. Until 2007, Exxon had a significant investment through its Cerro Negro Project in Venezuela’s Orinoco River Basin. Initially, U.S. oil and geological experts had classified the oil-based substance found in mass quantities in that area to be bitumen, a thick black tar-like asphalt, therefore rendering it not subject to the 1976 Hydrocarbons Law in Venezuela that nationalized oil and gas reserves. After President Hugo Chavez suspected the area actually contained huge oil reserves, he had his own research done and was proved right: the Orinoco River Basin was certified with over 300 billion barrels of heavy-crude petroleum. On May 1, 2007, Chavez officially declared all hydrocarbons in that region subject to the prior nationalization laws, legally binding any foreign companies operating there to engage in joint-ventures with the Venezuelan public oil company, PDVSA. The law required a minimum of 51% ownership by the Venezuelan state, with a maximum of 49% for foreign companies. Only two companies refused to cooperate with the new laws. Both were from the United States: ConocoPhillips and ExxonMobil. Both sued Venezuela over the nationalizations. ConocoPhillips’ claim was significantly smaller than Exxon’s, which demanded over $18 billion for the expropriation. Venezuela offered market value and the case went to an international arbitration tribunal that eventually ordered the Venezuelan government to pay Exxon $1.6 billion, a mere fraction of what the US oil giant had expected. In an apparent act of revenge, Exxon found a way to get Venezuela’s oil without following Venezuela’s rules, albeit through illegal and potentially dangerous channels. As the Obama administration was amping up hostility against Venezuela, declaring it via Executive Decree an “unusual and extraordinary threat to U.S. national security” and imposing potentially vast-reaching sanctions on government officials, Exxon was making a deal with Guyana to explore oil deposits in the disputed Essequibo territory. In May 2015, just as Guyana was swearing in a new president, the conservative military officer David Granger, a close U.S. ally, Exxon was making a huge discovery in the Atlantic Ocean near the Venezuelan coast. According to reports, the deposits found by Exxon in the ’Liza-1 well’ hold over 700 million barrels of oil, worth about $40 billion today. The find could be a major game changer for Guyana, representing more than 12 times its current economic input, that is, if the oil actually belonged to Guyana instead of Venezuela. On January 26, 2015, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden hosted the first Caribbean Energy Security Initiative, bringing heads of state and high-level officials from Caribbean nations together with multinational executives in Washington. The stated goal of the new initiative is to help Caribbean nations “create the conditions to attract private-sector investment”, but Biden made the true objective clear when he declared, “…whether it’s the Ukraine or the Caribbean, no country should be able to use natural resources as a tool of coercion against any other country.” Without mentioning it by name, Biden was referring to Venezuela and its PetroCaribe program that provides subsidized oil and gas to Caribbean nations at virtually no upfront cost. PetroCaribe has been fundamental in aiding development in the region during the past ten years since its creation. And clearly, its perceived as a threat to U.S. influence in the Caribbean, and an affront to traditional corporate exploitation of small, developing nations. In addition to the Obama administration sanctions aimed at isolating Venezuela in the region and portraying it as a ‘failed state’, the Caribbean Energy Security Initiative takes a direct stab at Venezuela’s lifeline: oil. In the U.S. Senate Report on the Department of State’s Foreign Operations Budget for 2016, $5,000,000.00 was recommended for “enhanced efforts to help Latin America and Caribbean countries achieve greater energy independence from Venezuela”. Falling oil prices have already done damage to Venezuela’s economy, but forcing it out of the regional oil trade would hurt even more. The main conundrum of figuring out how to replace Venezuelan oil in PetroCaribe was resolved with the stroke of a pen by Guyana’s new president, a former instructor at the U.S. Army War College who made a secret trip to the United States just three days after taking office in May. Hours later, Exxon’s oil exploration rig, Deepwater Champion made its first major lucrative discovery in the large Stabroek Block in the disputed coastal territory. The Venezuelan government warned Exxon to leave the area, citing its claim over the Essequibo territory and the ongoing dispute with Guyana subject to UN mediation. But Exxon paid no heed to Venezuela, following President Granger’s lead in openly defying the Geneva Agreement and Venezuela’s calls to solve the conflict through diplomacy, involving the UN Good Offices in the resolution of the centuries-old dispute. UN Secretary General Ban ki-moon has pledged to send a commission to both Venezuela and Guyana to seek resolution for a problem that now, as Washington hoped, is dividing the region. President Maduro and his Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez have been making their case before regional leaders, encouraging other Caribbean nations to support their claim over the Essequibo, or at least approve the involvement of the UN to arbitrate the dispute. In the meantime, Guyana continues to aggressively push forward with Exxon to pursue what could become the largest oil theft in the Americas.
We live in a technology-driven world, so you may be wondering if your kids should start coding while they’re young. Yes. We all know learning a new language is easier when you’re young, and the same goes for software programming. Your first question is probably, “What is coding for kids?” It is an introduction to programming, but where reals skills and programming knowledge is passed on. Teaching a child coding is no different from learning a new language. The notion that coding has to be dumbed down or warped to be taught to children is silly, especially when the basics of programming can often be taught in a straightforward and basic manner. Not all kids are good at coding, just like not all kids are adept at playing the piano, throwing a ball, or playing racing games. However, you should at least let your kids try coding, perhaps take a few lessons, just to see if the subject clicks with them. Some Kids Enjoy Coding Obviously, you want your kids to spend their young years running around and having fun, not sitting in front of a computer writing code. However, there are many hobbies a child can partake in, and coding is no less valid than gaming, reading, or swimming. Give your kids the chance to enjoy coding, but do not force the issue. What typically happens is that a child quickly turns away from coding but learns to love it in their teens. The teenage years are when most kids settle down, become more sedate, and are typically better suited to coding. Give your kids a taste of programming, but do not force the issue because it may scare them away forever. Coding Improves Math and Logic Skills You need fairly good math skills to choose a career as a professional coder. However, coding actually improves a kid’s math logic over time. You will have to start your kids off with smaller and more basic projects, but as your kid learns more and becomes more interested in coding, they will learn the required math. In many cases, learning the math terminology is the most challenging part. Like back in school, you kept confusing mean, median, and mode. Kids who are good at math will always have an easier time coding (and learning to code), but struggling with math has never held back a determined coder. Coding Improves Problem Solving Skills The weird thing is that it improves problem-solving skills simply because the problems are so much fun to overcome. Coding is a playground of problem-solving, and the fact is that the problems you solve are the ones you create. Think of it this way. You want to build a wooden rabbit hutch. You could buy a pre-made one that you erect with glue and bolts. Alternatively, you could buy plans and the pre-cut wood and screw them together. Alternatively, you could buy lots of wood, make your own plans, and build a rabbit hutch yourself. Or, you could make a plan and then work out exactly how much wood you will need in a way that means there will be no waste, and then build your hutch. Do you see how easy or complex the hutch building process can be? Now, imagine the same scenario, but in this case, you want to build a program that checks Amazon prices against eBay’s prices. There is a world of options open to you, and you pick the path you suit and take on the problems you wish to solve. Coding offers your kids the same opportunities for problem-solving. Children Become More Digitally Literate Learning how to code allows a child to take a peek under the hood of how modern technology works. It can have long-ranging effects that work throughout their entire life, from understanding how a website works but helping them install and run old Harry Potter PC games. Plus, even if coding is not future-proof, even if they do away with your chosen programming code in the future, learning how to code will help a child understand computational thinking. This will permeate other parts of your child’s life. It is a little like how people who understand English and Spanish can often understand elements of Italian and French. The skills and knowledge seem to seep into other parts of your life, and that is not a bad thing, especially when it comes time to choose what to study for a professional career.
I was out today and there were Girl Scout cookies being sold everywhere! Of course I had to buy some (to support the cause). The cookie madness inspired this free autism resource. Putting Together the Cookie Activity: 1:1 Correspondence is an important “ready to learn” skill. It is the skill of 1 thing goes to 1 thing – in this case 1 cookie to 1 plate. It is super easy to make – just laminate the plate page onto the right side of a file folder, then laminate and cut the cookies. Add one side of velcro to the cookies and attach to the left side of the file folder, and add the opposite side of veclro on each plate. Students take cookies from the left and put them onto the plates on the right until they are all gone. You can replace the cookie in the activity with your students favorite foods to generalize the concept!
Language Evolution: The Windows Approach addresses the question: "How can we unravel the evolution of language, given that there is no direct evidence about it?" The LINGUIST List is dedicated to providing information on language and language analysis, and to providing the discipline of linguistics with the infrastructure necessary to function in the digital world. LINGUIST is a free resource, run by linguistics students and faculty, and supported primarily by your donations. Please support LINGUIST List during the 2016 Fund Drive. AUTHORS: Mike Davenport and S. J. Hannahs TITLE: Introducing Phonetics and Phonology SUBTITLE: Third edition SERIES TITLE: A Hodder Arnold Publication PUBLISHER: Oxford University Press YEAR: 2011 Alex Ho-Cheong Leung, School of English Literature, Language and Linguistics, Newcastle University, U.K. This book, which introduces the basics of phonetics and phonology, is primarily intended for (but not limited to) students who are beginning their degrees in linguistics or related fields of study. It provides a step-by-step guide to understanding phonetics and phonology. Following the introduction, the book discusses the fundamentals of speech sounds from articulation apparatus (chapter 2), consonants (chapter 3) and vowels (chapter 4) to acoustic phonetics (chapter 5), and syllables and other supra-segmental structures (chapter 6). Upon equipping users with the basic conventions and terminologies, the book gradually proceeds to the area of phonology (chapters 7-12). Chapter 7 lays out details about features. Chapter 8 talks about phonemic analysis, minimal pairs and alludes to phonological rules, a topic elaborated in the following chapter alongside concepts related to phonological alternations and processes. Various previously introduced phonological structures such as syllable, foot, and mora are incorporated into the discussion about models of phonological representations in chapter 10. Derivational analysis is illustrated through the discussion of English noun plural formation in chapter 11. Chapter 12 summarizes constraint-based analysis, Optimality Theory (OT) and readdresses phonological processes that have been dealt with from a derivational perspective in previous chapters in light of OT. The book concludes by highlighting the need to constrain phonological models and stating outstanding issues in relation to that. Exercises are given in relation to materials covered in each chapter. This offers an opportunity for readers to practice and consolidate what they have learnt from the text. Substantial additions and modifications have been made since the book's first appearance in 1998 (which was then reviewed by Deterding (1999)). Subsequent to the addition of the chapter on supra-segmental structures (chapter 6) in the second edition of the book, this edition has been further expanded to cover the latest developments in phonological theories; elaborations have also been made on notions such as unary features (pp. 157-159), and transparent and opaque segments in the autosegmental model (pp. 164-166). Among all the additions, the new chapter on the constraint based model Optimality Theory (OT) will be commented on first. The beginning section (p.198-202) of the chapter is devoted to outlining the key building blocks of OT, e.g. Evaluator (Eval), Generator (Gen), Optimal Candidate, etc. It then discusses briefly how OT differs from traditional derivational analyses (pp. 202-203). Through discussing OT's take on phonological processes such as assimilation, deletion, metathesis, etc., readers are provided with case studies on how OT operates and the mechanism involved in it (pp. 203-208). Likewise, via revisiting plural noun formation with respect to English (pp. 208-212), readers are shown how a tableau is formulated and how the rank of respective constraints is established. Laying out details about OT in such an incremental manner facilitates readers' understanding of Optimality Theory and its mechanics, which can be complex and difficult to digest at times. This approach allows readers who are still grappling with the brand new concept of constraints, ranking, optimal candidate, etc. to take things on board one step at a time without feeling overwhelmed. This chapter thus provides a very easy-to-read synopsis of OT. The glossary list is another welcome addition. Beginning students -- the intended audience of the book -- often find it daunting when confronted by an immense amount of new terms; glosses which provide quick reference to key concepts are therefore handy tools for them. However, the glossary list has to be better integrated with the main text in order for it to function fully. For example, an in-text statement of how to utilize the list will be helpful. Without such a statement, a logical assumption would be to look for anything in bold and italics. Though these highlighted materials correspond to the gloss in the list on most occasions, some concepts such as metathesis (p.144) and reduplication (p.145) are glossed but were, nonetheless, not in italics. This overlaps with the use of bold for general emphasis and stressed syllables (e.g. PA.rrot, ra.CCOON on p. 78 (the bold is replaced by capitals here due to the limitation in formatting)). Even more problematic still are the appearance of important constructs which were either not highlighted (or italicized) in the first instance or were completely left out from the glossary list. For instance, ''phonotactic(s)'' (without bold/ italic font) first appears on p. 77 in relation to syllabification, but remains undefined until p. 170 where it is in bold and italics. Relevant to that is the principle of ''onset maximization'' which was not included in the list. ''Underlying representation'' which appeared repeatedly is another concept central to phonology that was excluded from the glossary. The feature table (table 7.1 on p. 112) is another improvement that this edition has added. The inclusion of the respective classes enables readers to make better sense of this complicated table. On a related note about tables, the chapter on vowels (chapter 4) could perhaps benefit from the inclusion of a summary table similar to the one given for consonants in chapter 3 on pp. 36-7 (table 3.3), where relevant words are given along with the consonants. Aligning the vowels with exemplifying words such as those listed in the standard lexical set by Wells (1982) would provide readers with mnemonics to remember the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) symbols. In spite of the few suggestions for improvements made earlier, this is, by and large, a very well written and meticulously structured book for readers who are just embarking upon their linguistics odyssey. In a clear and easy-to-follow manner, key concepts with respect to phonetics and phonology are introduced. With the enrichment this latest edition contains, the book is undoubtedly a valuable addition to ones' book shelf. Deterding, D. (1999). ''Review of 'Introducing Phonetics and Phonology'''. Linguist List 10.989. [http://linguistlist.org/pubs/reviews/get-review.cfm?SubID=3753] Wells, J. C. (1982). ''Accents of English''. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ABOUT THE REVIEWER ABOUT THE REVIEWER: Alex Ho-Cheong Leung is an IPhD student in English Language and Linguistics at Newcastle University, UK. He is a tutor for the courses 'Introduction to phonetics and phonology' and 'Introduction to English Historical Linguistics'. His primary research interest is on child second language acquisition and phonology. He is also interested in topics related to sociolinguistics, bilingualism and historical linguistics. His latest publication, titled 'I know [pɪlɪpɪno] but i say [fɪlɪpɪno]: an investigation into Filipino foreign domestic helpers' influence on Hong Kong Chinese's L2 English phonology acquisition', appeared in Poznań Studies in Contemporary Linguistics 47 (2011).
by N. Chidambaram Iyer \| 1884 \| 135,584 words \| ISBN-13: 9788171104215 This page describes umbrellas (chatra-lakshana) which is the seventy-third Chapter of the English translation of the Brihat-samhita. This work, written by Varahamihira in the 6th century, is classified as jyotisha literature, also known as Indian astronomy. It contains however, also content regarding astrology, palmistry, agriculture, gardening, perfumes, medicines and various other encyclopedic topics. 1-2. The king’s umbrella (chatra) shall be made of the feathers of the swan, the gallineous fowl; the peacock and the crane, covered with a new white silk and hung with lines of pearls all round; the handle shall be set with crystal; the shaft shall be 6 cubits long, made of gold, and shall contain seven or nine joints. 3. The length of the radius of the umbrella shall be half the length of the shaft; the several joints shall be firm and the umbrella shall be raised at the centre; such an umbrella will bring success and prosperity to the king. 4. The umbrellas (chatra) of the first prince, the queen, the commander-in-chief and the magistrate, shall have shafts 62 cubits long, and shall be 2½ cubits broad. 5-6. The umbrellas to be used by the king’s favourites shall be made of the feathers of the peacock with its top adorned with the prāsādapaṭṭa and shall be hung with lines of pearls all round. The other umbrellas shall consist of four sides, and the shaft of the umbrella (chatra) of the Brāhmaṇas shall be round.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has put online a preview of its famous Digital Library of Mathematical Functions (DLMF). From the Preface: Abramowitz and Stegun’s Handbook of Mathematical Functions with Formulas, Graphs, and Mathematical Tables is being completely rewritten with regard to the needs of today. The new DLMF (Digital Library of Mathematical Functions) will appear in a hardcover edition and as a free electronic publication on the World Wide Web. The authors will review the relevant published literature and produce approximately twice the number of formulas that were contained in the original Handboook. The DLMF will make full use of advanced communications and computational resources to present downloadable math data, manipulable graphs, tables of numerical values, and math-aware search. The authoritative status of the existing Handbook, and its orientation toward applications in science, statistics, engineering and computation, will be preserved. Thus the utilitarian value of the Handbook will be extended far beyond its original scope and the traditional limitations of printed media. The term digital library has gained acceptance for this kind of information resource, and our choice of project title reflects our hope that the NIST DLMF will be a vehicle for revolutionizing the way applicable mathematics in general is practiced and delivered. See also NIST Releases Preview Of Much-anticipated Online Mathematics Reference, ScienceDaily (June 27, 2008).
`Classic' eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) responses to K fertilization were evaluated in Spring and Fall 1991 at Live Oak, Fla., on soils testing low in Mehlich-1 extractable K. Total season yield leveled off at 51.1 t·ha-1 with 94 kg K/ha fertilization in spring and at 53.3 t·ha-1 with 60 kg K/ha in fall. Critical K concentrations (in grams per kilogram) in whole leaves were ≈45 at first flowering, 35 at early fruiting, 30 during harvest, and 28 at the end of seven harvests. Fresh petiole-sap K critical concentrations (in milligrams per liter) were ≈4500 to 5000 before harvest and 4000 to 4500 during harvest. Less than 3500 mg K/liter in fresh sap indicated K deficiency in fruiting plants. The Mehlich-1 soil extractant procedure predicted similar responses at the two sites; however, yield responses showed that the two sites differed in fertilization requirements. Fertilizer recommendations for K at both sites exceeded eggplant K requirements. G.J. Hochmuth, R.C. Hochmuth, M.E. Donley and E.A. Hanlon J.M. White, C.A. Neal, E.A. Hanlon and S. Cox A cooperative project between the Univ. of Florida Cooperative Extension Service, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, and Consolidated Farm Services Agency to address farm nutrient use and water management in the Lake Apopka hydrologic unit area of Florida began in 1991. This area was selected due to the vegetable production on the organic soils (muck) and sandy soils north of Lake Apopka, Florida's most polluted large lake. Discharge of nutrient-laden water into the lake from the 4050-ha vegetable production area has been implicated as a major contribution to the hypereutrophic status of the lake. Changes in cultural practices including water management, which would lead to a reduction in nutrient loading, should aid in the restoration of the lake. A grower survey of fertilizer application rates was conducted each year for 4 years with the baseline established by the 1991 survey. Demonstration plots using soil tests as the basis for fertilizer rates compared to normal grower rates of fertilizer were established for carrots, sweet corn, and celery. In 1995, muck growers had reduced their total application of N by 16%, P 52%, and K 32%, without reducing yields or quality. Nutrient applications were reduced by over 656 t/year over the years surveyed. Farms have saved fertilizer and reduced environmental risks. M. Arenas, C.S. Vavrina, J.A. Cornell, E.A. Hanlon and G.J. Hochmuth Sixteen media prepared from peat, coir, vermiculite, or perlite were used to determine the optimum growing media for tomato (Lycopersicum esculentum Mill.) transplants. Medium composition did not affect tomato seed emergence, although seedling emergence was higher in winter (90%) than summer (85%). Greatest transplant root dry weight, stem diameter, and leaf area were achieved in 50% to 75% peat + 25% to 50% vermiculite in summer. In winter, greatest transplant root dry weight, stem diameter, and leaf area were achieved in eight media: 100% peat, 75% peat + 25% vermiculite, 75% peat + 25% perlite, 50% peat + 50% vermiculite, 50% peat + 50% perlite, 25% peat + 50% coir + 25% vermiculite, 50% peat + 25%coir + 25% vermiculite, and 25% peat +25% coir +25% vermiculite +25% perlite. Transplants grown with >50% coir exhibited reduced plant growth compared to peat-grown transplants, a response that may be associated with high N immobilization by microorganisms and high C:N ratio. Despite transplant growth differences during the summer, fruit yields generally were unaffected by transplant media. S.J. Locascio, F.M. Rhoades, S.M. Olson, G.J. Hochmuth and E.A. Hanlon Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) was grown with drip irrigation on a fine sand and on a fine sandy loam to evaluate the effect of N and K time of application on yield. On the sandy soil, 196–112 kg of N–K/ha was applied with 0%, 40%, or 100% preplant with 100% or 60% applied in six or 12 equal or in 12-week variable applications. Marketable fruit yields were lowest with 100% preplant, intermediate with 100% drip-applied, and highest with 40% preplant with 60% drip-applied. With 100% drip-applied, yields were highest with 12 even than with six even weekly applications or with 12 variable N and K applications. With the 40% preplant, timing of application had little effect on yield. On the sandy loam soil in 1993, where only N was applied (196 kg·ha–1), yields were highest with 100% preplant, intermediate with 40% preplant and 60% drip-applied, and lowest with all N drip-applied. In 1994, when excessive rains occurred, yields were similar with all preplant and with split-N applications. G.J. Hochmuth, S.J. Locascio, F.M. Rhoades, S.M. Olson and E.A. Hanlon Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) was grown on fine sand and fine sandy loam soils at two sites to evaluate effects of N and K fertilization practices on petiole fresh sap N and K concentrations and to determine N and K sufficiency ranges. Treatments included applying N (196 kg·ha–1) and K (112 kg·ha–1) either 0%, 40%, or 100% preplant. With 0% or 40% preplant treatments, the remaining N and K was injected through the drip irrigation system in six or 12 equal weekly amounts or by a variable injection rate with most of the N and K injected between weeks 5 and 10 of the season. Petiole sap K concentration declined during the season, but was not greatly affected by treatment. Petiole N decreased over the season from 1100 to 200 mg NO3-N/liter and decrease was greater for preplant N treatments. Petiole N was correlated with tomato yield, especially for petiole N measured in the period of 5 to 10 weeks after transplanting. S. Shukla, B.J. Boman, R.C. Ebel, P.D. Roberts and E.A. Hanlon Despite efforts to optimize water and nutrient inputs to Florida's vegetable and fruit crops, the sandy soils, shallow water table, and tropical climate of Florida result in nutrient leaching losses that are unavoidable. Water quantity and quality management strategies that can reduce these nutrient losses from Florida's horticultural crops were reviewed and research needs for quantifying their effectiveness were identified. The water quantity management strategies included water table management for irrigation, drainage management, detention of runoff and drainage, and summer flooding. In addition to the expected water quality benefits of these practices, potential effects on crop production and farm economics were also discussed. Watershed-scale adoption of stormwater harvesting has the potential to not only reduce the nutrient loadings but also become a source of additional income for landowners through water trading. The water quality practices included structural and managerial practices (e.g., vegetative filter strips and ditch cleaning). Key research needs for reducing the unavoidable nutrient discharges included the development of a crop-specific drainage management tool; quantification of farm and watershed-scale benefits of stormwater detention and its reuse with regards to nutrient loadings, water supply, crop production, and farm income; enhancement of hydraulic efficiency of detention areas; and effects of summer flooding and ditch maintenance and cleaning on nutrient discharges. M. Ozores-Hampton, H.H. Bryan, B. Schaffer and E.A. Hanlon The effects of municipal solid waste (MSW) materials on growth, yield, and mineral element concentrations in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) (1991 and 1992) and squash (Cucurbita maxima Duch. Ex Lam.) (1992 and 1993) were evaluated. Agrisoil compost (composted trash), Eweson compost (co-composted trash and sewage sludge), or Daorganite sludge (chemically and heat-treated sewage sludge) were incorporated into calcareous limestone soil of southern Florida. The control had no MSW material added to the soil. The effect of MSW on crop growth, yield, and mineral element concentrations varied considerably between years for tomato and squash. In 1991, tomato plants grown in soil amended with Eweson or Daorganite had a greater canopy volume than plants in the control treatment. Tomato plants grown in Daorganite had greater total fruit weight (1991) than plants in Agrisoil and more marketable fruit (1992) than control plants. In both years, tomato plants in Agrisoil had higher root Zn concentrations than plants in the other treatments. In 1992, tomato plants in Eweson had lower root Mn concentrations than plants in the other treatments, whereas Mg concentrations in the roots were higher in the Daorganite treatment than in Eweson. Tomato plants in Agrisoil had higher Pb concentrations in the roots than plants in all other treatments. In 1991, leaves of tomato plants in Agrisoil had lower Ca concentrations than leaves of plants in the control treatment. In 1992, leaf Zn concentrations were greater for tomato and squash in Agrisoil than in the control or Daorganite. In 1992, canopy volume and yield of squash were greater for plants in Daorganite than for plants in the control and other MSW treatments. Although canopy volume and total squash fruit weight did not differ among treatments in 1993, plant height was greater for squash plants in the MSW treatments than for those in the control. In 1993, leaf Mg concentrations were greater for squash grown in Daorganite than for plants in the control or Agrisoil. In 1993, fruit Cd concentration was higher for plants with Eweson than for plants in the control or Agrisoil. However, the fruit Cd concentration in squash grown in Eweson compost (1.0 mg/kg dry weight) was far below a hazardous level for human consumption. Our results indicate that amending calcareous soils with MSW materials can increase growth and yield of tomato and squash with negligible increases in heavy metal concentrations in fruit.
Little River Watershed 101 In 2012 LRWA formally kicked off an educational program, Little River Watershed 101, to increase awareness and appreciation for the Little River. In addition to providing some of the cleanest drinking water in the state, the Little River is one of the most ecologically diverse rivers in the area. There are many ways citizens can help protect aquatic resources and water quality. The Little River Watershed 101 series is focused on the Little River, a unique and threatened resource right here in Blount County. The purpose of the series is to educate the public about what makes up a watershed and why the Little River Watershed is especially valuable to the residents of this area. Quarterly events will address why the Little River needs protecting as well as provide practical steps that everyone can take to help. 2014–STREAM SCHOOL FOR KIDS On June 7th, Little River Watershed Association will hold a Stream School for Kids to provide an array of water monitoring activities for our littlest friends of the river. This program is based on STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Math) concepts and incorporated environmental, chemical and aquatic sciences and stream flow mathematics. The students will learn how to measure river flow, identify fish samples for a fish survey, observe macroinvertebrates, and run chemical tests on water samples. The students will also help survey fish with LRWA board member and TVA biologist Jon Mollish and have chance to observe a good sampling of the 50+ species of fish found in the Little River. More information is found here: 2014–DAM GOOD, DAM BAD? A DISCUSSION ON THE LITTLE RIVER DAMS The Little River Watershed Association will host its first Little River Watershed 101 event of the year on Tuesday, Feb 18 at Barley’s Restaurant in Maryville from 6:00-8:00PM. The group is providing the community with an informal chance to listen to a panel discussion about the dams on Little River and their implications. See link here: 2013–STREAM MONITORING TRAINING, OCTOBER 17TH The Little River Watershed Association is beginning a new stream monitoring program to gain long-term data that represents the health of the Little River Watershed. This exciting new program is ideal for adults and students (high school and above) interested in collecting scientific data about a valuable resource in our community. The program will require community volunteers to collect visual, physical, chemical and biological assessments once a month at sampling sites in the watershed along Reed and Pistol Creeks. Groups of three or more will be needed at each site, and sites need to be sampled once a month. Sites can be assessed in about one hour each. The total time commitment will depend on the number of volunteers we have. All supplies will be provided, including chest waders if necessary. More information here: 2013–STREAM SCHOOL FOR KIDS, August 24 Stream School for Kids provides an array of water monitoring activities for our littlest friends of the river. This program is based on STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Math) concepts and incorporated environmental, chemical and aquatic sciences and stream flow mathematics. Registration required. See link here: 2013–VIP FLOATILLA , June 22nd The Little River Watershed Association hosted a Floatilla for 25 community leaders and guests. The VIP Floatilla began with a hands-on look at the fish and macroinvertebrates. The presentations were organized by Larry Everett and staff from TDEC, Joyce Coombs and staff from UT Fisheries, and Patrick Rakes and JR Shute from Conservation Fisheries. After learning about the fish and macroinvertebrates found in Little River, guests were provided a box lunch under the shade trees on River John’s island. Guests then boarded canoes and paddled the lower Little River to the Alcoa Water Treatment Plant where they received a site tour from Dorothy Rader who works at the Alcoa Water Treatment plant. It was a fun day and a great opportunity to showcase just how special the Little River is! More information here: 2013–LITTLE RIVER WATERSHED 101, “ASK AN EXPERT!” The Little River Watershed Association will host its first Little River Watershed 101 event of the year on Thursday, April 25 at the Blount County Library from 6:30-8:30. The group is providing the community with an informal chance to speak with technical experts from a range of state and local government agents and other non-profits with overlapping goals. “The idea is to get these organizations in one room to answer questions and discuss what they are doing in the areas of conservation, water quality and stream ecology and regional conservation,” said Kim Raia, LRWA board chair. The groups that will attend include Blount County, Alcoa and Maryville Stormwater Programs, Conservation Fisheries, the National Park Service, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Tennessee Department of Environmental Conservation, Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, the University of Tennessee Forestry, Wildlife, and Fisheries, Plan East Tennessee, and the Knoxville Water Quality Forum. The event is free and open to the public. 2012-OUTDOOR LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES LRWA joined TWRA, TDEC, TVA, UT to conduct the 25th annual IBI survey, to quantitatively assess changes in the composition of the river’s biologic communities. Over 30 volunteers joined us to learn more about the biodiversity of the Little River. July 10, 9:30am in Walland at Coulter’s Bridge. July 13, 9:30am in Townsend — meet at the lot just upstream of the handicap parking area next to the river. Did You Know? - The main purpose of the IBI project is to collect baseline information on game and non-game fish and macroinvertebrate populations in the region. This baseline data is necessary to update and expand the Tennessee Aquatic Database System (TADS) and aid in the management of fisheries resources in the region. - The Little River represents an important recreational resource for the state both in consumptive and non-consumptive uses. It supports an active tubing/rafting industry and is an important recreational resource for local residents and tourists alike. It is also the municipal water source of the cities of Alcoa and Maryville. - Little River provides critical habitat for species of special concern and is home to over 50 species of fish (four listed federally). Additionally, its upper reach supports one of east Tennessee’s better warm water sport fisheries. - Several rare or endangered species of fish inhabit Little River, and thus, the protection of the watershed is a high priority of managing agencies and local conservation groups. 2012-February 21st STREAM MAKEOVER The Little River Watershed Association’s new education series entitled Watershed 101 will host the second event for the community entitled Stream Makeover: Practices to Safeguard Little River. Speaker Andrea Ludwig, PhD, Assistant Professor from the Biosystems Engineering & Soil Science, will discuss ways residents can reduce their stormwater footprint around homes and gardens. The workshop will take place on Tuesday, February 21, 7-8pm in the Blount County Public Library, Dorothy Herron Room A. The event is free, and the public is encouraged to attend. Citizens will learn about easy best management practices (or BMPs) around their homes and gardens to help reduce their stormwater footprint. These include using permeable alternatives for walkways and driveways, disconnecting gutter downspout from the storm drain, and protecting the water’s edge with vegetated buffers. Similarly, researchers at the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture are using BMPs to protect the Little River from potential impacts due to agricultural production. They are conducting research on and demonstrating the effective use of constructed wetlands and buffers within the landscape to safeguard our water resources. Learn about the environmental research program at the new dairy research and education facility on Ellejoy Road. November 16th Presentations: The first lecture in the Little River Watershed 101 series, entitled Darters, Damselflies, and Rock Dams, will take place Wednesday, November 16, 7-8pm in the Blount County Public Library, Dorothy Herron Room A. The event is free, and the public is encouraged to attend. Joyce Coombs, Research Associate and Adam William Jaeckel, Graduate Student in the University of Tennessee Fisheries department will discuss aquatic life found in the Little River, as identified, measured, and categorized by the University of Tennessee Fisheries experts. They will explain why the Little River is used as a reference stream, one that is used to measure water quality standards in other areas of our region. The speakers from UT will also address the recreational activities on the Little River, namely the construction of rock dams, and how these dams can cause harm to aquatic life.
A. Let’s look at this in context. In John 12:37, we read, “But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him.” Jesus showed them many miracles, but they did not believe on Him. Why? Verse 38 tells us: “That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed?” Why didn’t they believe? To fulfill Isaiah’s prophecy (see Isaiah 53:1). John emphasizes this again in verses 39 and 40: “Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again, He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.” Once again, they could not believe because of Isaiah’s prophecy. The prophecy referred to in these verses is in Isaiah 6:10: “Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.” Now let’s read the previous verse in Isaiah 6: “And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not” (verse 9). God told Isaiah to go to the people and tell them to hear and not understand, see and not perceive. Doing this would make the hearts of the people fat, their ears heavy, and shut their eyes, lest they should see and so forth and convert and be healed. Notice that “be healed” is passive. Nevertheless, it should be obvious that only God can do this. Thus, God told Isaiah to say something that blinded the people so they would not convert and be healed by God. Who told Isaiah to do this? God. Did Isaiah as a mere mortal have the power to blind, deafen, and harden the people? Of course not. Isaiah was only the tool. So, who blinded, deafened, and hardened the people? God. Now, in John 12, John says that the people not believing on Jesus was a fulfillment of this same prophecy from Isaiah. Even though Jesus did miracles in front of them, they did not believe on Him so that this prophecy could be fulfilled. Admittedly, the way John wrote the prophecy in John 12:40 sounds a little confusing because of the pronouns he used. But who could make sure that this prophecy was fulfilled? I can think of no one who could do this but God. And the fulfillment of the prophecy depended on the blinding and hardening. Thus, it was God who blinded and hardened. And certainly it is God who would have healed them if they had believed and been converted. Now, you can argue for two different persons here if you want to. But who would they be? Perhaps John purposely reworded the prophecy to apply to Jesus’ case in this way: God has blinded their eyes…so they should not see…and be converted and I [Jesus] heal them. Or, perhaps, someone might want to say that the he who blinds is the devil. This agrees with 2 Corinthians 4:4, although I will point out that it doesn’t fit the context of John 12. Nevertheless, even if this is a reference to the devil, I must still ask, Who made sure the prophecy was fulfilled? Would the devil want to make sure a prophecy was fulfilled? If the devil was involved, he was involved only as a tool of God. There are people who seem not to want to believe that God hardens people’s hearts because they do not want to accept that God is sovereign to that degree. Some have said, for example, that God did not harden Pharaoh’s heart because this would make Pharaoh not responsible for disobeying God, and it would be contrary to God’s loving-kindness and mercy. But, in fact, they are placing their human reasoning above the Bible. One such reader quoted Exodus 7:13, “And he hardened Pharaoh’s heart, that he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said,” and then the reader said that “he hardened” cannot refer to God. But this reasoning ignores the weight of Scripture. A literal translation of Exodus 7:13 shows that the first part is in the passive voice: “And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not listen to them, as Jehovah had said” (Holy Bible – KJ3 Literal Translation). It is not the first part of the verse that tells us who hardened Pharaoh’s heart. It only tells us it was hardened. It is the last part that tells us that this was done “as Jehovah had said.” And how did Jehovah (or the Lord in the King James Version) say it would be done? He said it would be done by Him, that He would harden Pharaoh’s heart (see the next paragraph). So, it is wrong to say that the “he” that appears in the King James Version in Exodus 7:13—”he hardened Pharaoh’s heart”—refers to someone other than God because in the Hebrew there is no “he” there at all. What is important is that God said that Pharaoh’s heart would be hardened as God said it would, and the way God said it would be hardened is that He, the Lord, would cause it. Exodus 4:21 says, “And the LORD said unto Moses, When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand: but I will harden his heart, that he shall not let the people go.” Who says He will harden Pharaoh’s heart? God. Exodus 7:3 says, “And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt.” Who says He will harden Pharaoh’s heart? God. Exodus 14:4 says, “And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, that he shall follow after them; and I will be honoured upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host; that the Egyptians may know that I am the LORD. And they did so.” Who says He will harden Pharaoh’s heart? God. Exodus 14:17 says, “And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them: and I will get me honour upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen.” God hardened the hearts of the Egyptians. Joshua 11:20 says, “For it was of the LORD to harden their hearts, that they should come against Israel in battle, that he might destroy them utterly, and that they might have no favour, but that he might destroy them, as the LORD commanded Moses.” Using sola scriptura, the Bible alone, we see that without any possibility of a doubt God hardened Pharaoh’s heart and the hearts of the Egyptians. Proverbs 21:1 says, “The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.” This means that He can harden it or soften it or cause it to decide this way or that. In fact, God is sovereign over every human being. Is this unfair? In Romans 9:17-24, we read: For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth. Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory, Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles? God can do with His creation as He sees fit. And let’s remember something else. Because of our naturally wicked hearts, not one of us deserves salvation. The only reason anyone is saved is because God intervenes and turns some of our hearts to Him, giving us faith in His Son as Savior, thereby saving some people. God’s graciousness is based on His sovereignty, and without God’s sovereignty, no one would be saved. Copyright © 2011 Peter Ditzel. Permissions Statement.
SAN FRANCISCO—Cave-dwelling bacteria are interior designers of sorts, forming mucus-like chandeliers that hang from cave ceilings and coat the floors with thick mats. Now scientists are finding the tiny critters can also help turn a meager underground residence into an ever-expanding dark palace. By rappelling into the Frasassi cave system in Italy, for the first time, scientists have revealed clearly the role of cave bacteria [image] in actually forming caves, as reported this week here at the meeting of the American Geophysical Union. "We really are able to implicate microorganisms in speeding up cave formation," said Jennifer Macalady of Pennsylvania State University. Here's how the cave-forming story goes, without any bacteria: As oxygen-rich rainwater seeps below the ground's surface it mixes with water that's been sealed off from the air above and is full of hydrogen sulfide—the stuff known for its rotten-egg smell. The oxygen turns this hydrogen sulfide into sulfuric acid, which begins dissolving surrounding rocks. Over time, this acid carves out big chunks of limestone rocks to form and expand cave systems. Add so-called biofilms, or layers of sulfur-consuming bacteria, to the mix and the story gets more complex. Within just about a millimeter, multiple layers of microbes reside, each tucked into its own niche. The outer layer comprises microbes that thrive by transforming oxygen and hydrogen sulfide into energy. But oxygen can be lethal to some of these tiny bugs, which instead retreat beneath the top layer, sealing them off from oxygen. These layers can convert the sulfuric acid to hydrogen sulfide, creating a complete sulfur cycle along a cave wall or floor. Just like you would devour a brownie or other snack for sustenance, some cave bacteria consume hydrogen sulfide—the rotten-egg chemical. Whereas your waste product is carbon dioxide, the cave microbes release sulfuric acid. "One type of biofilm, called a snottite because of its appearance, has a pH of zero or one," said one of the researchers Daniel Jones, also of Penn State. "This is very, very acidic." One reason the team was able to discover this phenomenon is "partly because we are crazy enough to rappel down into these stinky places," Macalady told LiveScience. The scientist spelunkers, Macalady, Jones and Greg Druschel of the University of Vermont, measured chemical reactions in millimeter-thick layers of the walls and floors as well as in the streams [image]. They found that the microbes on the floors and in streams consumed loads of hydrogen sulfide, which ended up as caustic acid that washed down the stream to dissolve any limestone it contacted. "Stream biofilms are responsible for the majority of sulfide disappearance in streams," Jones said. The findings could shed light on other biofilms, including those that grow on teeth and those that corrode steel ships hulls, suggest the scientists. Cave-dwelling snottites have also been studied as the sort of organisms that might thrive under the surface of Mars, where water is known to exist.
and Classification of Molluscs BEMON: Biographical Etymology of Marine Organism Names; (Biographies of Taxonomists working with Marine organisms & some of their presumed Friends): BIOSIS (Zoological Record):BIOSIS, established in 1926, is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to foster the growth, communication and use of biological knowledge for the common good. By accumulating the world's largest collection of abstracts and bibliographic references to worldwide biological and medical literature and organizing this information for easy access, BIOSIS provides vital sources of information for life scientists…Mollusc PageGuide to the Animal Kingdom for Students and Educators Mirror Site. Bivalves: Research, Training, Electronic Dissemination of Data: Partnerships for Enhancing Expertise in Taxonomy (PEET); In a joint program involving biologists and laboratories from the around the world, Dr. Rüdiger Bieler, a molluscan systematist at the Field Museum of Natural History and Dr. Paula M. Mikkelsen, a molluscan systematist at the American Museum of Natural History, combine their expertise to train a new generation of bivalve workers and significantly to advance the systematics of the group. “Taxonomy on the Half Shell” A Classification of the Mollusca: by Dr. Gary Rosenberg. A COA (Conchologists of America Page) of Biological Nomenclature: by Mark Isaak (Last modified 5 Jun. 2001) Not necessarily molluscan but fun to read. Establishing Relationships: by Dr. Gary Rosenberg A COA (Conchologists of America Page) ETI - Expert Center for Taxonomic Identification: ICZN: "The International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN) is the official body responsible for providing and regulating the system for ensuring that every animal has a unique and universally accepted scientific name. Its financial and management affairs are handled by the International Trust for Zoological Nomenclature (ITZN), a charity (not-for-profit company) registered in the UK. .." Southern California Association Marine Invironment Taxonomists) "SCAMIT was formed in 1982 with the goal of promoting the study of marine invertebrate taxonomy in southern California and developing a regionally standardized taxonomy. To accomplish this, SCAMIT provides a regular monthly forum to address problems in taxonomy, organizes taxonomic workshops, and maintains a reference collection and library of taxonomic literature. " President: Ron Velarde 619-758-2331 Metropolitan Wastewater Department, City of San Diego Publications and Newsletter Page SCIRUS: for scientific information only notes on Taxonomy and Zoological Classification: or What do we mean by species, genus and family? "This way of talking about living organisms, or classifying them (a process or method known as taxonomy), started with a Swedish naturalist called Charles Linne, better known as Linnaeus, in the eighteenth PDF file general background for malacologists & and conchologists from Hawaiian Shell News site: The meanings of terms used to describe shells and their animals and taxonomy used to name them. Includes books recommended for shell collectors, and on Cleaning Shells. Taxonomy and Latin Names for Beginners: Seashell Collector.com: "This section is for beginners who never learnt Latin& taxonomy during their studies/life." Taxonomy and Latin: see Greek and Latin Roots: University of Alberta (from: Bailey, B. 1999. Bull. Malacol. Soc. Lond. 32:6-7) Molluscan Taxonomy: By Winston Barney: Learn how scientists classify the many different kinds of molluscs! (also contains a good history and explanation of the classification of all living things, as applied to the phylum mollusca. This article is from the Man and Mollusc site. (Taxonomic Information System): has been used in development of 'CD Guide to the Polypores of Finland' in the University of Finland, Department of Mycology. Published CD-ROM is now used by many people in Finland and other countries. FREE for students - download and use fully functional version. Register online (students, others). Want to give it a try? Download and use (the only limit - number of records) or click here for more information. The Tree of Life Home Page: The Tree of Life is a project containing information about the diversity of organisms on Earth, their history, and characteristics. to the Biology 120 Plant and Animal Phylogeny Exercise! "Information for anyone who may have wandered here from outside of UTM: This exercise is designed for students taking Biology 120 (the second term of introductory biology) at The Univerisity of Tennessee at Martin . This course is offered each term through the department of Biological Sciences and is designed to introduce areas of ecology, evolution, and organismic biology to biology majors and non-majors..." What is a Species, and What is Not? basic text on taxonomy by by Ernst Mayr page was last completely edited September 05, 2003 If you have a site you would like to see added to this or any other of Man and Mollusc Link pages; PLEASE notify me This is a new counter system set up by Globel on December 01, 2002 Problems with the following links Message of Interest is a Species" To all interested; branch of WWW.COWRYS.ORG is opening with a special presentation of a recording made at a monthly meeting of the Hawaiian Malacological Society about ten years ago. Dr. E. Alison Kay gave a talk titled "What Is A Species?" to the attending I have created a transcript and an .MP3 audio file for each 'paragraph' (I got to decide where one ended and the next began). There is an explanatory note at the beginning of the transcript. The original tape will be played to the attending members of the Indianapolis Shell Club today at its bi-monthly meeting. More items will be added to the Research branch of COWRYS.ORG as the year progresses.
Food security to sustain the growing world population is one of the key challenges for mankind. According to a recent FAO study about 800 million people in the developing world do not have enough to eat. Although food production is still on the rise, increases are more profound in the developed world than in the developing world where population growth will mainly take place. To produce our food an enormous amount of water is required. The question whether water resources will be sufficient to feed the world’s people includes many aspects with many uncertainties and subjectivity and it is therefore no surprise that many different estimates have been presented on whether sufficient food can be produced and what the consequences on water resources are. On top of this will be the impact of climate change on food production. It has been discussed that the impact of climate change in comparison to changes in population and socio-economic issues will be minor. One important issue ignored in these considerations is that changes in population and socio-economic issues are gradually and therefore easier to cope with. However, climate change will include such a gradual change, but more importantly it is expected that extremes will increase substantially. Especially these extremes are very difficult to cope with in the context of food production. A recent study by FAO claims that in the next three decades, climate change is not expected to depress global food availability, but it may increase the dependence of developing countries on food imports and accentuate food insecurity for vulnerable groups and countries. In terms of water requirements the projections for developing countries indicate that a 14% increase in water withdrawals for irrigation by 2030 is expected. In contrast to these figures, results presented by the International Food Policy Research Institute show that the increase in irrigation water will be only 4%, mainly as a result of water shortages. The International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis presented a study based on their GAEZ approach (Global Agro-Ecological Zonering) indicating that the impacts of climate change on crop production are geographically unevenly distributed. Developed countries experience an increase in productivity. In contrast, developing regions suffer a loss in cereal productivity. It was concluded that climate change will most likely increase the number of people at risk of hunger, and that the importance and significance of the climate-change impact on the level of undernourishment depends entirely on the level of economic development assumed in the scenarios. In response to these issues this research project was carried out which develops and evaluates adaptation strategies for river basins to alleviate negative impacts of climate change and variability emphasizing water for food, nature and industry. Seven contrasting basins were selected ranging from dry to wet as well as from “rich” to “poor. This study has applied the Soil-Water-Atmosphere–Plant (SWAP) model for the seven selected basins to simulate all the terms of the water and salt balances and to estimate yields. For each basin two crops were selected to analyze. Three time slices were used, 1961-1990, 2010-2039, 2070-2099, and for each basin-crop-time slice a business as usual (base line) and two adaptation strategies have been explored. Climate data for the three periods of 30 years considered have been subtracted from two General Circulation Models (HADCM3 and ECHAM4) and for each of them two emission scenarios (A2 and B2) were used. Result and conclusions Overall, the general picture is that crop yields will be higher in the future, but that variation in yields between years will increase as well. This indicates that concerns are not so directly over total food production as well as over food security, and, related to this, farmers income. One of the most striking conclusions of this study is that the overall picture of the impact of climate change on crop yields is positive. In the business as usual option expected yields are higher for all except one basin-crop combination (Figure 1). One of the dominant factors is the impact of elevated CO2 levels on crop production. The impact of this, and especially the long-term impacts and feed-back and secondary factors, is still under debate. However, using results of numerous experimental data indicates clearly that a doubling in CO2 levels can indeed induce higher yields up to 50%. Figure 1. Changes in yield (top) and variation (bottom) for the periods 2010-2039 and 2070-2099 as compared to the baseline 1961-1990. Displayed are values for HADCM3 A2 climate change projections and business as usual scenario. Also variation in crop yields, expressed as the coefficient of variation, is going down for more than half of the basin-crop combinations despite the increase in variation climate change according to the HADCM3 projections. One of the most important reasons for this is the way irrigation scheduling was included in the simulations. It was assumed that irrigation timing is always optimal, i.e. if crop experienced stress beyond a defined threshold value irrigation was considered to take place. This ensured that results are not affected by this timing but only by the total water applied. The consequence of this is that during dry years, either by low rainfall or by high temperatures, more irrigation would be applied than during wet years. This is only a realistic assumption when sufficient storage capacity exists in a basin. However, there is a price to pay for these positive impacts and that is that more water is consumed, and especially for the end of this century this increase is expected to be substantially. Finally it should be stressed that results presented here relates to field scale processes and ignoring basin scale water resources. The ultimate objective of the results presented is therefore to provide the required field-scale information in a consistent manner to be used in basin-scale analysis. Please feel free to contact the Project Leader of this project for more information.
A legal entity formed that has a different legal indentity from its members is called a company. Companies are usually formed for small business, public investment, or non-profit reasons. Small businesses are mostly comprised of sole traders who are limited in liability, but still controlled by the founders of the company. Public Investment companies are created so that the pubic may invest in the business without administration. Public investment companies are usually amdinistrated by a board of directors. Non-Profit companies are formed for social, charitable, or virtually charitable reasons so that the sponsors are not complete liability.
Every year more than 400 million tonnes of waste plastic are being produced worldwide. Adding up to 8.3 billion tonnes between 1950 and 2015. The world is being swamped with plastic – but what to do with all this waste? The Scottish company MacRebur is tackling the plastic waste problem with a new kind of road surface: incorporating plastic waste into the tarmac. In Zermatt, the first road in Switzerland was paved with this mixture. For Zermatt, where temperatures fluctuate from between -20 to +30 degrees, depending on the season, this new tarmac is ideal. Thanks to the inclusion of plastic, it is more flexible and therefore more durable. For the environment, the usage of plastic presents no problem as the particles are coated by a binding agent and therefore don’t contaminate the environment. Contribution to protecting the environment Although the share of plastic in the tarmac is 0.3%, if used exclusively, Switzerland could reuse 16,000 tonnes of plastic on the roads. Zermatt is setting an example in the fight against plastic waste, engaging in protecting the environment.
The focus of the new SAT Math test is on concepts of algebra more than it has been in the past. One of the things you’ll want to know well is how to work with quadratic equations and their graphs, which are parabolas. You’ll need to be able to solve quadratic equations by factoring and by using the Quadratic Formula. You’ll also need to know about the different forms of the equation for a parabola and about the properties of parabolas. At the bottom of this post you’ll find a link to ten SAT practice problems involving quadratics and parabolas. There’s a second link down there to the solutions as well. But first, let’s review some of the important characteristics of quadratic functions and their graphs. A quadratic function in vertex form will look like y = a(x – h)² + k. In this form, the ordered pair (h, k) is the vertex of the parabola when the function is graphed, and the vertical line x = h is the axis of symmetry. This axis of symmetry is a line that divides the graph in half down the middle, creating two pieces that are symmetrical (mirror images of each other). When the equation of a quadratic function looks like y = ax² + bx + c, it is said to be in standard form. In this form, it’s not readily apparent where the vertex and the axis of symmetry are located. To find the axis of symmetry, you need a formula. The vertex of the parabola must lie on the axis of symmetry, so once you have the equation of the axis of symmetry, you also have the x-coordinate of the vertex. To get the y-coordinate, just run that x-value through the equation. Let’s look at an example. Determine the equation of the axis of symmetry and the coordinates of the vertex for the parabola that results when the function y = 2x² – 8x + 11 is graphed in the xy-plane. A. x = -8; (-8, 203) B. x = -4; (-4, 75) C. x = 2; (2, 3) D. x = 4; (4, 11) First, we need to find the axis of symmetry using the equation we saw above. So the axis of symmetry is the line x = 2. We also know that the x-coordinate of the vertex is 2 as well. To find the y-coordinate, simply run 2 through the equation. y = 2(2)² – 8(2) + 11 = 3 So the vertex is (2, 3) and the correct answer is Choice C. The value of a determines which way the parabola opens. If a is positive, the parabola opens upwards and if a is negative, the parabola opens downwards. The symmetry property of parabolas means that each point on the parabola (other than the vertex) has a “mirror-image point” on the other side of the axis of symmetry. These points will be the same horizontal distance away from the axis of symmetry, and they will have the same y-coordinate. Consider, for example, the graph of the function y = (x – 4)² + 1 graphed below. This function has a point at (1, 10) and another point at (7, 10). Each of these points are three horizontal units away from the axis of symmetry (x = 4) and they have the same y-coordinate. They are “mirror images” of each other. OK, now that we’ve done a little review, it’s time for you to give those problems a try. Just click on the links below. If you’d like to keep reviewing, we’ve published a book, “SAT Math: Focus on Quadratics & Parabolas,” that you can download to your Kindle, iPad, or tablet. It costs just $0.99 at Amazon. If you have any questions about these problems or anything else on the SAT, send us an email at email@example.com .
Older adults with pre-existing mild memory impairment benefit as much as those with normal memory function from certain forms of cognitive training that don't rely on memorization, according to a study published this week in the "Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society". These findings could indicate the ability for older adults to maintain skills that allow them to carry out daily tasks and lead a higher quality of life. In the study supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), older adults who were otherwise healthy and living independently received training focused on targeted cognitive skills. A small number of participants in the study were found to have a decline in their ability to form new memories of experiences or facts, an ability called declarative memory. These individuals were unable to improve their memorization skills, but were able to improve their reasoning skills and become faster at processing visual information. This study was conducted as part of the multi-site Advanced Cognitive Training for Independent and Vital Elderly (ACTIVE) clinical trial, which was co-funded by the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) and the National Institute on Aging (NIA) -- both components of the NIH. The ACTIVE research authors of this paper were headed by Dr. Frederick Unverzagt of Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis (IUPUI). "Our previously published studies have found that the ACTIVE protocols improve the function of older adults in certain target skills of cognitive training," said Dr. Unverzagt. "These skills -- memory, reasoning, and speed-of-processing -- were emphasized because they are thought to be important in allowing elders to maintain independent living. The current study builds on the previous findings by focusing on those adults who already have experienced some loss of memory." "Research such as this is critical to discovering ways to help older individuals stay independent and take charge of their own lives and health for many years to come," said NINR Director Dr. Patricia A. Grady, Ph.D., RN. "Persons with mild memory impairment may have difficulty improving in this one area, but may still benefit from different types of learning and mental activities to improve their quality of life and functioning -- a major goal of the NINR mission." "The notion that interventions can be designed and demonstrated to maintain cognitive skills with age is of enormous interest in the research community right now," said NIA Director Richard J. Hodes, M.D. "This study tests that hypothesis and shows the potential promise of continued research in this area." The ACTIVE study followed more than 2,800 healthy, community-dwelling older adults from six cities -- Baltimore; Birmingham, Ala.; Boston; Detroit; State College, Pa.; and Indianapolis. The participants averaged 74 years of age and 14 years of education, 76 percent were female, 74 percent were white, and 26 percent were African-American. At the outset of the study, those potential participants with cognitive impairment were excluded. But over time, roughly 200 were found to have declined in their cognitive function, and they were the primary subjects of the current report. The participants were divided into treatment groups to receive cognitive training in one of the three target skills. The memory training focused on methods to learn and remember new information such as word lists and short narratives; the reasoning training emphasized pattern detection and inductive skills to solve problems; and the speed-of-processing training addressed the speed of responses to visual and manual prompts on a computer screen. Only the memory training component relied on the participant's declarative memory ability. Training was conducted in 10 sessions of 60-75 minutes over a period of 5-6 weeks. Compared to a control group that received no training, participants who received the memory training and had normal memory ability at the start of the study showed significant improvement in memorization skills. However, among the participants with declines in memory function, those in the memory training group showed no benefit, while those who received the reasoning or the speed-of-processing training showed improvement in these areas comparable to normal-memory participants. In the article, Dr. Unverzagt stated that a further step for this research would be to "examine the effect of other cognitive subgroups (low reasoning, low speed-of-processing) on trainability." Unverzagt FW, Kasten L, Johnson KE, Rebok GW, Marsiske M, Mann Koepke K, Elias JW, Morris KN, Willis SL, Ball K, Rexroth DF, Smith DM, Wolinsky FD, Tennstedt SL. Effect of memory impairment on training outcomes in ACTIVE. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society 2007;13:953-960. The primary mission of the NINR, one of 27 Institutes and Centers at the National Institutes of Health, is to support clinical and basic research and establish a scientific basis for the care of individuals across the life span. For additional information, visit the NINR web site at www.ninr.nih.gov. The National Institute on Aging (NIA) leads the federal government effort conducting and supporting research on the biomedical and social and behavioral aspects of aging and the problems of older people. For more information on aging-related research and the NIA, please visit the NIA web site at www.nia.nih.gov. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) -- The Nation's Medical Research Agency -- is comprised of 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary Federal agency for conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.
Costs of dirty air will continue to grow as pollution levels riseVarious forms of pollution, through their human and economic costs, constrain Nepal’s development, a World Bank report says. Air pollution will put a bigger dent in state coffers in future as the cost of dirty air will swell further by 2030 if the pollution levels persistently rise at current rates, according to a World Bank report. The report, released in Kathmandu on Thursday, estimated that the cost of air pollution for Nepal would grow between $136 and $256 million in 2030, a rise from nearly $130milion in 2015. According to the report titled ‘Nepal Environment Sector Diagonistic: Path to Sustainable Growth under Federalism’, which is a comprehensive environmental analysis of the country, pollution in its various forms ‘constrains Nepal’s development through its human and economic costs’. Air pollution has emerged as one of the leading environmental challenges for the country in recent years. Air quality has dropped many times below the prescribed standards as the country and its Capital continue to be ranked among the most polluted areas in the world. “The level of ambient air pollution seems seasonal. Pollution level also varies across the country,” said Tijen Arin, team leader of the research and senior environmental economist with the World Bank. “Transport, household biofuel consumption, construction sector and brick kilns are the biggest sources of air pollution in Kathmandu Valley. However, household biofuel usage leads as the major source of air pollution across the country.” The report states that air pollution levels are high and growing across the country in varied proportions. The average annual outdoor concentrations of fine particulate matter PM2.5, which is less than 2.5 microns thick and among the most dangerous of air particles, have reached 50 to 80 micrograms per cubic metre (μg/m3), way above the WHO guidelines of 10 μg/m3, according to the report. The report stresses that the country’s environment and natural resources are facing adverse impacts of illegal mining of riverbed materials, presence of toxic metals, and solid and hazardous wastes in the environment, linked with the country’s unhealthy development approach. “Nepal Environment Sector Diagnostic is a landmark document that has assessed and analysed major challenges and opportunities of sustainable management of natural resources with a diagnosis of environmental degradation,” said Shakti Bahadur Basnet, the minister for forests and environment. The report has projected that the annual mortality burden from various pollutions is estimated to be at least 33,500, which is even higher than the toll of the devastating 2015 earthquake, with the highest proportion of deaths attributed to air pollution. Although the country has made remarkable improvements in the water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) sector, nearly 11 percent of pollution level deaths are still because of inadequate access to WASH. By 2030, the overall pollution-caused deaths are expected to be around 23,800 if the current rate of pollution continues and as lower as 8,800 if Sustainable Development Goals’ pollution targets are achieved. The report points out flaws in the country’s environmental impact assessment process, which, it says, are of low quality and generic thus ineffective in mitigating risks. Better harnessing natural resources for sustainable growth, mitigating adverse impacts of growth on the environment and natural resources and improving growth under federalism are the main recommendations laid out by the diagnostic report. Nepal’s federal set-up, adopted with the 2015 constitution, provides an opportunity for the state to shift the country’s natural resource management from the protection-focused approach to the one that promotes harnessing resources sustainably in line with the country’s vision of prosperity, the report concludes. For instance, combating the poor air quality in Kathmandu Valley and other major cities with similar problems requires an air quality management plan and distinct roles of the institutions at the three tiers of government, the report suggests. “Air pollution is the key concern of the country not only for the Valley residents but also for expatriates who visit Nepal as professionals and tourists,” said Biswa Nath Oli, secretary at the Ministry of Forests and Environment, stressing collaborative efforts to address environmental problems.
no rule to make target means there is no .config for your make file in your source. or you do not have a configured kernel. the program is looking for your .config file that will till it how to use the make file . you must configure your kernel first. if you are already running that kernel then cd /usr/src/linux-uname and then do a make mrproper then copy your .config file from your to your /usr/src/linix-uname and then do a make oldconfig answer any questions asked then when done the .config is now ready you can use the kernel to build new modules. Last edited by Drakeo; 10-01-2009 at 09:28 PM.
When an Objective-C class is implemented in Lisp, each Objective-C foreign object has an associated Lisp object that can obtained by the function objc-object-from-pointer. Conversely, the function objc-object-pointer can be used to obtain a pointer to the foreign object from it associated Lisp object. There are two kinds of Objective-C foreign object, classes and instances, each of which is associated with a Lisp object of some class as described in the following table: subclass of standard-objc-object The implementation of an Objective-C class in Lisp consists of a subclass of standard-objc-object and method definitions that become the Objective-C methods of the Objective-C class.
Our latest Maths investigation is all about multiplication: equal groups and arrays. An array is a group of objects or parts arranged in equal rows and equal columns. Look around you. Can you find any arrays in your world? Take a photo. Add it to a new slide on the Google Doc here: Be careful not to write on or delete anyone else’s slide. Check my first slide as an example. leave your first name on your slide. If you wish, email your photo to Ms Lockyer. We are learning all about ‘Win Win’ as part of The Leader In Me program. This is all about how there are enough good things for all of us and that both sides can win. It means being happy for others when good things happen for them. When there is a problem we think of solutions we can all be happy about. The more we think win win the less problems there will be. Look carefully at the photo. Two of our classmates want to read the same book. What ‘Win Win’ solution can they come up with? Write your ideas in your comment.
The poetry of the Veda is mythical. Says Yaska in Nirukta 10.10.2 that a poet of vision has love for mythification(risherdrishtaarthasya priitirbhavatyaakhyaanasaamyuktaa).The tradition says that the seers visualize the eternal sustaining principles or forces of life through their seeric vision. They designed a poetic world where the mythical figures symbolizing the basic, fundamental and eternal principles were presented as working in harmony, and the design seemed to be true at various levels of meaning. The Theologian moulded his rites, the preacher sought his belief, the philosopher found the clues for his speculation and the lawmakers worked out the social and political lifestyles-all in accordance with the archetypal truths of the Samhitas. This book reviews the mood and style of the Vedic mythopoetry and how it reflects the conceptual idea of some aspects of myth and poetry as well as the archetypes that became fundamental to the religion of not only the Vedic but also the post-Vedic eras of Indian cultural history.
Missouri had an estimated 4.84 million acres of wetlands during the 1780s, a time generally referred to as the “pre-settlement” period. Though this only represented 10 percent of the state at that time, less than 2 percent are in existence today. Wetlands in Missouri were considered problematic wastelands and unproductive pieces of ground until the early 1900s. Approximately 2.5 million acres of bottomland forest in the Bootheel region of the state were cut or removed to accommodate competing land uses. Swamps, sloughs and other backwaters were drained, dredged and filled to build a more agriculturally productive state. During the mid-1900s, wetlands became known as more than just wasteland. People discovered that wetlands offer recreational opportunities, critical wildlife habitat, improvements to water quality, temporary storage of floodwaters, and resources for education and research. Attitudes were beginning to change. Wetlands are now recognized as important in our daily lives. In fact, 2006 was the first year in two decades that the United States had a net gain of wetlands instead of a loss, according to the most recent National Resource Inventory conducted by the Natural Resources Conservation Service. Since the early 1990s, private landowners in Missouri have restored almost 130,000 acres of wetlands. A collection of restoration programs known as the Missouri Agricultural Wetland Initiatives (MAWI) has supported their volunteer efforts through financial and technical assistance. Thanks to a partnership between federal, state and non-governmental agencies, MAWI is able to assist landowners in meeting their own resource needs while increasing habitat for many species of resident and migratory wetland wildlife. MAWI partners include the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Farm Service Agency, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Missouri Department of Conservation, Ducks Unlimited, The Nature Conservancy and the American Land Conservancy. The time is right for landowners to get professional assistance in restoring, enhancing or creating wetlands on their property. Here are some options to consider. The Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP): Administered by the Natural Resources Conservation Service, a branch of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), WRP is often referred to as the “premiere wetland restoration program” in the country. This voluntary program consists of two main efforts, one with a conservation easement and one without. Conservation easements are either perpetual or for a 30-year period. There is a one-time easement payment based on a geographic cap, an appraised value, or a landowner bid, whichever is the lowest. Cost share for the restoration is up to 100
The nephew of noted Scottish Arctic explorer Sir John Ross (1777-1856), James Clark Ross accompanied his uncle on his first Arctic voyage in search of a Northwest Passage in 1818. Between 1819 and 1827, Ross then took part in four other Arctic expeditions. Between 1829 and 1833 he again accompanied his uncle on a second Arctic voyage. It was during this trip that they located the position of the North Magnetic Pole on 1 June 1831 on the Boothia Peninsula in the far north of Canada. Editors. "Three Antarctic voyages by James Clark Ross". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 01 January 2010 [http://www.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=4806, accessed 28 April 2016.]
'Is Muslim Civilisation Set on a Fixed Course to Decline?' Wahhabism, the Saudis' Brand of Islam, Negates the Very Idea of Evolution in Human Thought and Morality. Ziauddin Sardar Recalls His Own Experiences of a Faith That Shuns Unbelievers Sardar, Ziauddin, New Statesman (1996) Auniquely lax notion of time has become integral to Wahhabism, the revivalist movement founded by Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab that has become the state creed of Saudi Arabia. Abd al-Wahhab was born in 1703 in a small town in Najd, in the northern part of the kingdom, and brought up in the Hanbali sect, the most severe of the four schools of Islamic thought. Abd al-Wahhab advocated "the return to Koran and Sunnah" (the practice of the Prophet). His call was for a return to the purity and simple profundity of the origin of Islam. He rejected practices that had accreted and become permitted in traditional Islam, such as celebrating the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad or visiting the graves and shrines of saints and divines. Rather like the Reformation thinkers in European Christianity, Abd al-Wahhab set himself against the abuses by which religion pandered to the gullible masses, rather than educated or ministered to them. His reforming zeal sent many back to the elegant purity of Islam as a message of humility, unity, morality and ethics motivated by equality and justice. If one needed a parallel, one could think of the elegant refinement and simplicity of Shaker furniture. The contemporary Saudi creed owes as much, or possibly as little, to Abd al-Wahhab as it does to the 13th-century Muslim political scientist Ibn Taymiyya, who belongs in a long and heroic tradition of intellectual zealots. Ibn Taymiyya was concerned with the strength and survival of the Muslim community at a time when Islam, recovering from the onslaught of the Crusades, was under siege from the Mongols. He saw dissension among Muslims as their main weakness and sought to ban plurality of interpretations. Everything had to be found in the Koran and the Sunnah. The Koran had to be interpreted literally. When the Koran, for example, says God sits on His throne, He sits on His throne, period. No discussion can be entertained on the nature of the throne or its purpose. Nothing can be read metaphorically or symbolically. Ilearned a great deal about modern Wahhabism from students at the University of Medina in Saudi Arabia. When I worked at a research centre at the King Abdul Aziz University in Jeddah the late 1970s, we would hire these students by the hundred to help us with our surveys and studies. A few of them were Saudis, but most were from other parts of the Muslim world. Without exception, they were on scholarships and were guaranteed badly paid employment from the Saudi treasury on finishing their course. All were being trained as dias--preachers who would, on graduation, go out to Asia and Africa, as well as Europe and America, to do dawa: run mosques, madrasas and Islamic centres, teach and preach. What did they learn? And what were they going to preach? From the dias, I discovered that in modern Wahhabism, there is only the constant present. There is no real past and there is no real notion of an alternative, different future. Their perpetual present exists in the ontological shadow of the past--or rather, a specific, constructed period of early Islamic history, the days of the Prophet Muhammad. The history/culture of Muslim civilisation, in all its greatness, complexity and plurality, is totally irrelevant; indeed, it is rejected as deviancy and degeneration. So it is hardly surprising that Saudis had no feelings for the cultural property and sacred topology of Mecca. The students from the University of Medina were fiercely loyal, both to their Saudi mentors and to their particular school of thought. The Wahhabism they learned was manufactured on the basis of tribal loyalty--but the place of traditional tribal allegiance was now taken by Islam. Everyone outside this territory was, by definition, a hostile dweller in the domain of unbelief. Those who stood outside their domain were not limited to non-Muslims; it included all those Muslims who have not given allegiance to Wahhabism. The ranks of unbelief were swollen by the Shias, the Sufis and followers of other Islamic schools of thought. …
- For other uses, see Canopus. Canopus (or Alpha Carinae or Suhail) is a star with a system located 310 light years from Sol in the Beta Quadrant. The Canopus-class starship, as well as other vessels called USS Canopus are all named for this location. The system contains at least five planets, three of which are inhabited. (TOS episodes: "Wolf in the Fold", "Where No Man Has Gone Before", "Arena") - Canopus primary \|Ahmista • Alora • Alpha Carinae/Canopus/Suhail (Canopus Planet • Alpha Carinae II • Alpha Carinae III • Alpha Carinae IV • Alpha Carinae V) • Boragi system (Boragi III) • Mandylor system (Mandylor V) • Nelkar • New Thallon • Priatia • Qandis • Respler system (Respler IV-A) • Thallon system (Thallon)\|
Child Labor Essay Example: The leg Child Labor a Necessary Evil isolation includes a lot of regulations concerning labor. It is common knowledge that every person has. Overview These prompts may be used as practice for students working on understanding rhetorical analysis prompts. Directions. Find the word that means. Free Child Labor papers, essays, and research papers. Child Labor Essay Writing Sample. Child labor is a situation where young children are employed to work on firms, homes, hotels, and firms. The practice is common in. How to make resume lines on word prompts for writing for middle school resume for australia post the. About Cartoon Child Labor, Buy Essay Online. Child Labor during the industrial revolution Today children go to school for 7 hours then come home and do their homework. Children these days work for their own. Simple persuasive essay. Com will help for free persuasive writing prompts to outright agree with relevant the end of the persuasive speech can be child labor... For or against Child labour? For. Side Score: 5. Against. Side Score: 8. Winning Side! Add New Argument We want to ignore the reality of child labor. Answers.com WikiAnswers ® Categories Law & Legal Issues Business Law Labor and Employment Law Child Labor Write an essay on child labour?. English essay will. Four Arguments against the Elimination of Child Labor. 3/8/13 Hugh argues that child labor is wrong because it is illegal in many countries with microfinance. 15-16 Middle School District Writing Assessment Plan:. buy products that have been manufactured with the use of child labor David Douglas School District. Explore new SAT essay prompts and examples representative of what students will encounter on test day and illustrating the changes being made to the SAT Essay. Comedy Films Essay Essay Autobiography Coin Literature Review On Child Labour In Nepal Research Paper On Data Mining 2016. Rhetorical Analysis Then write an essay in which you analyze the rhetorical strategies Kelley uses to convey her message about child labor to her audience. Students present monologues in the "voice" of someone involved in child labor in England, respond to questions, and then discuss contemporary child laborers and. Why Child Labor Isn’t Illegal in India The Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Kailash Satyarthi who has worked to end child labor and slavery, prompts. Did you pick essay prompts from different sections?. The AICE: General Paper exam grades students on two aspects of the final product essay:. Child Labor. AP® English Language and Composition 2011 Free-Response Questions. About the College Board. The College Board is a mission-driven not-for-profit organization that. Free Expository essay example on Child labour Writing tips and prompts. Essay Examples. New Essay Examples Gorgemans, A. n.d., ‘Addressing Child Labor:. Organized essay that synthesizes at least three of the sources for support, examine the factors a group or agency. Suggested essay topics and study questions for Upton Sinclair's The Jungle. Perfect for students who have to write The Jungle essays. Short essay writing on child labour. Essay samples; essay presented on universal brotherhood and private sector profits in pakistan. Essays writing technique. Persuasive Journal Prompts. Download journal prompts as a one. Some business people argue that child labor is essential. Write a persuasive essay. Sheahan the binghamton men cheap custom writing prompts my goals essay writing experience essay online Research paper on child labor in china. The score should reflect a judgment of the essay’s quality as a whole. Remember that students had only. message about child labor to her audience. Labor Day; Martin Luther King Day; Memorial Day;. Then, they draw a picture that represents freedom and write an essay about how life would change if they were free. Expository Journal Prompts Write and essay in which you explore the ways music communicates. 7) Find out about the history of child labor in the United States. Contact us war of the significance of the betrayal essay child labour in. my homework activities year 6 essay prompts Entry level essay child labor during. Write about what you would like to do personally to change child labor in our world today Journal Entry Prompts Author: Heather Last modified by: Heather. Child Labor Essay Prompts. Dental Hygienist Coursework. Irish Essay Topics 2016. College Essay Book Review. Essay Writing On My Dream Career. How To Get A High. Child Labor During The Industrial Revolution - During the 18 and beginning of the 19th. In this essay it describes the changes made in Middlesbrough in. Thematic Essay Questions. Change - Individuals Other Than Presidents (06/08). Womens' Rights and Child Labor (06/10) Reformers - 1800's-early 1900's (01/08. Hermann D. Issue Essay Child labor is never justified regardless of economic circumstance. Parents forcing their child to work based on financial need or. Child labor is a serious problem in many parts of the world, especially in developing countries. Labor is defined as physical or mental work especially of the hard or. Claim evidence analysis Anatomy of the. fought successfully for child labor laws and improved conditions for. The Essay The prompt will guide you to write. The rules of the game 1: Explain why you agree child labor should be allowed 2: Post websites/ your information source 3: Debate well and I wish you luck. Explore the pros and cons of the debate Child labour in the developing countries should be banned. • How did child labor lead to reform during the Progressive Era?. child labor during the Progressive Era prompts, student work samples, and observations. Photographs of Lewis Hine -- Documentation of Child Labor Teaching Activities Standards Correlations. This lesson correlates to the National History Standards.
Solving PolynomialsA polynomial looks like this: \|example of a polynomial "Solving" means finding the "roots" ... ... a "root" (or "zero") is where the function is equal to zero: In between the roots the function is either entirely above, or entirely below, the x-axis How do we solve polynomials? That depends on the Degree! The first step in solving a polynomial is to find its degree. The Degree of a Polynomial with one variable is ... ... the largest exponent of that variable. When we know the degree we can also give the polynomial a name: \|Degree\|\|Name\|\|Example\|\|Graph Looks Like\| How To Solve So now we know the degree, how to solve? So what do we do with ones we can't solve? Try to solve them a piece at a time! If we find one root, we can then reduce the polynomial by one degree (example later) and this may be enough to solve the whole polynomial. Here are some main ways to find roots. 1. Basic Algebra We may be able to solve using basic algebra: 2x+1 is a linear polynomial: The graph of y = 2x+1 is a straight line It is linear so there is one root. Use Algebra to solve: A "root" is when y is zero: 2x+1 = 0 Subtract 1 from both sides: 2x = −1 Divide both sides by 2: x = −1/2 And that is the solution: x = −1/2 (You can also see this on the graph) We can also solve Quadratic Polynomials using basic algebra (read that page for an explanation). 2. By experience, or simply guesswork. It is always a good idea to see if we can do simple factoring: This is cubic ... but wait ... we can factor out "x": x3+2x2−x = x(x2+2x−1) Now we have one root (x=0) and what is left is quadratic, which we can solve exactly. Again this is cubic ... but it is also the "difference of two cubes": x3−8 = x3−23 And so we can turn it into this: x3−8 = (x−2)(x2+2x+4) There is a root at x=2, because: (2−2)(22+2×2+4) = (0)(22+2×2+4) And we can then solve the quadratic x2+2x+4 and we are done Graph the polynomial and see where it crosses the x-axis. \|We can enter the polynomial into the Function Grapher, and then zoom in to find where it crosses the x-axis.\| Graphing is a good way to find approximate answers, and we may also get lucky and discover an exact answer. Caution: before you jump in and graph it, you should really know How Polynomials Behave, so you find all the possible answers! This is useful to know: When a polynomial is factored like this: f(x) = (x−a)(x−b)(x−c)... Then a, b, c, etc are the roots! So Linear Factors and Roots are related, know one and we can find the other. (Read The Factor Theorem for more details.) Example: f(x) = (x3+2x2)(x−3) We see "(x−3)", and that means that 3 is a root (or "zero") of the function. Well, let us put "3" in place of x: f(x) = (33+2·32)(3−3) f(x) = (33+2·32)(0) Aha! We are multiplying by zero! So we don't need to do any more calculation as we know the answer is zero. How to Check Found a root? Check it! Simply put the root in place of "x": the polynomial should be equal to zero. The polynomial is degree 3, and could be difficult to solve. So let us plot it first: The curve crosses the x-axis at three points, and one of them might be at 2. We can check easily, just put "2" in place of "x": f(2) = 2(2)3-(2)2−7(2)+2 = 16−4−14+2 = 0 Yes! f(2)=0, so we have found a root! How about where it crosses near −1.8: f(−1.8) = 2(−1.8)3-(−1.8)2−7(−1.8)+2 = −11.664−3.24+12.6+2 = −0.304 No, it isn't equal to zero, so −1.8 will not be a root (but it may be close!) But we did discover one root, and we can use that to simplify the polynomial, like this Example (continued): 2x3−x2−7x+2 So, f(2)=0 is a root ... that means we also know a factor: (x−2) must be a factor of 2x3−x2−7x+2 Next, divide 2x3−x2−7x+2 by (x−2) using Polynomial Long Division to find: 2x3−x2−7x+2 = (x−2)(2x2+3x−1) So now we can solve 2x2+3x−1 as a Quadratic Equation and we will know all the roots. That last example showed how useful it is to find just one root. Remember: If we find one root, we can then reduce the polynomial by one degree and this may be enough to solve the whole polynomial. How Far Left or Right When trying to find roots, how far left and right of zero should we go? There is a way to tell, and there are a few calculations to do, but it is all simple arithmetic. Read Bounds on Zeros for all the details. Have We Got All The Roots? There is an easy way to know how many roots there are. The Fundamental Theorem of Algebra says: A polynomial of degree n ... ... has n roots (zeros) but we may need to use complex numbers So: number of roots = the degree of polynomial. Example: 2x3 + 3x − 6 The degree is 3 (because the largest exponent is 3), and so: There are 3 roots. But Some Roots May Be Complex But there is an interesting fact: Complex Roots always come in pairs! So we either get no complex roots, or 2 complex roots, or 4, etc... Never an odd number. Which means we automatically know this: \|1\|\|1\|\|1 Real Root\| \|2\|\|2\|\|2 Real Roots, or 2 Complex Roots\| \|3\|\|3\|\|3 Real Roots, or 1 Real and 2 Complex Roots\| \|4\|\|4\|\|4 Real Roots, or 2 Real and 2 Complex Roots, or 4 Complex Roots\| Positive or Negative Roots? There is also a special way to tell how many of the roots are negative or positive called the Rule of Signs that you may like to read about. Multiplicity of a Root Sometimes a factor appears more than once. We call that Multiplicity: Multiplicity is how often a certain root is part of the factoring. Example: f(x) = (x−5)3(x+7)(x−1)2 This could be written out in a more lengthy way like this: f(x) = (x−5)(x−5)(x−5)(x+7)(x−1)(x−1) (x−5) is used 3 times, so the root "5" has a multiplicity of 3, likewise (x+7) appears once and (x−1) appears twice. So: - the root +5 has a multiplicity of 3 - the root −7 has a multiplicity of 1 (a "simple" root) - the root +1 has a multiplicity of 2 Q: Why is this useful? A: It makes the graph behave in a special way! When we see a factor like (x-r)n, "n" is the multiplicity, and - even multiplicity just touches the axis at "r" (and otherwise stays one side of the x-axis) - odd multiplicity crosses the axis at "r" (changes from one side of the x-axis to the other) We can see it on this graph: Example: f(x) = (x−2)2(x−4)3 (x−2) has even multiplicity, so it just touches the axis at x=2 (x−4) has odd multiplicity, so it crosses the axis at x=4 - We can directly solve polynomials of Degree 1 (linear) and 2 (quadratic) - For Degree 3 and up, graphs can be helpful - It is also helpful to: - Know how far left or right the roots may be - Know how many roots (the same as its degree) - Estimate how many may be complex, positive or negative - Multiplicity is how often a certain root is part of the factoring.
A new study suggests aerobic exercise may slow the progression of diseases that destroy the retina and eventually cause blindness. In mice exposed to harmful bright lights, the ones that had regularly run on treadmills had much better function in their retinas than mice that had not been exercising. The researchers suggest the findings, which they report in The Journal of Neuroscience, point to exercise as a possible treatment for slowing down human eye diseases like age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a leading cause of blindness in the elderly. AMD results when photoreceptors - nerve cells that sense light - in the retina at the back of the eye start to die. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, more than 2 million Americans age 50 and over have advanced AMD, the stage that can lead to severe vision impairment. Although both animal and human studies have suggested exercise may slow down the progress of neurodegenerative diseases or injury, there is little information about how it might affect vision. It has also been suggested that aerobic exercise works by stimulating a protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which helps brain cells grow and stay healthy. In this new study, Dr. Machelle Pardue and colleagues, from the Atlanta VA Center for Visual and Neurocognitive Rehabilitation and Emory University, test the effect of aerobic exercise on retinal cells undergoing degeneration. Exercise reduced loss of light-sensing cells in mice They worked with two groups of mice, an exercise group and a non-exercise group. The exercise group ran on treadmills for an hour a day on 5 days per week for 2 weeks, while the non-exercise group was placed on stationary treadmills during the same periods. After 2 weeks of exercise, some mice from both groups were exposed to very bright lights (bright enough to damage their retinas) for 4 hours, and the others were exposed to dim lights. The bright lights "caused 75% loss of both retinal function and photoreceptor numbers," note the researchers. "However," they write, "exercised mice exposed to bright light had 2 times greater retinal function and photoreceptor nuclei than inactive mice exposed to bright light." Plus, they found the exercised mice had 20% higher levels of BDNF protein than the non-exercised mice. Exercise protects the retina, probably by raising levels of BDNF To test whether it was BDNF that was mediating the effect of exercise, the researchers injected the mice with a drug that blocked the protein. They found it reduced retinal function and photoreceptor counts in the exercised mice to "inactive levels." The researchers conclude their findings "suggest that aerobic exercise is neuroprotective for retinal degeneration and that this effect is mediated by BDNF signaling." Dr. Pardue says: "This is the first report of simple exercise having a direct effect on retinal health and vision. This research may one day lead to tailored exercise regimens or combination therapies in treatments of blinding diseases." Dr. Michelle Ploughman, of Memorial University of Newfoundland, where she studies the effect of exercise on the brain, says the findings give us new clues about how aerobic exercise affects BDNF and protects the brain, and adds: "People who are at risk of macular degeneration or have early signs of the disease may be able to slow down the progression of visual impairment." Funds from the National Eye Institute, Department of Veterans Administration Affairs, and the Katz Foundation, helped finance the study. Meanwhile, Medical News Today recently reported how UK scientists used gene therapy to restore some sight in people with an incurable form of inherited blindness called choroideremia. They replaced a defective gene in their retinas with a working version of the same gene.
Born: 22 January 1788 Place of Birth: London, England Died: 19 April 1824 Place of Death: Missolonghi, Greece George Gordon Byron, better known as Lord Byron (the sixth Baron Byron, if you're counting), was nothing if not the prototype of the conflicted Romantic hero. His persona has influenced artists, from Beat writers to rock stars (think of dark dandies like Jim Morrison and Trent Reznor), possibly more than his art itself. Byron's mother was considered coarse and frivolous by those who knew her, including her son. When the Scotswoman fell in love with Byron's father, everyone advised against marrying the penniless but titled widower. Stubbornly she held her ground and married him. Heavily in debt, he abandoned her. She gave birth to her son in London, naming him after her father. He was born with a club foot which he later attributed to her tight corsets. Byron was educated at Harrow School and the University of Cambridge. Some fifty years later Harrow would become infamous when stories of wild, homosexual rituals were revealed. Byron's work was a synthesis of medieval and classical inspiration with a modern sensibility. A fascination with Europe's tempestous, mysterious medieval roots was current at the time, as it still was when the Pre-Raphaelites became popular. Like Sir Walter Scott (who was equally enamored of the medieval times), Byron found the romantic notions of Napoleon very appealing. (Byron was Napoleonic to the end, even having his carriage made as a replica of Bonaparte's.) But it wasn't just his politics that made him appealing-- Byron was titled. When he read his poetry, people listened. Since Byron was so like a rock star, I find it appropriate to quote a rocker (Joe Strummer when he was with the Clash), "I wasn't born so much as I fell out." That was Lord Byron. Falling into things, seeing where the wind carried him. Poetry, the Greeks, Napoleonic politics-- they all fell into step easily with his life. An adverse review to his poems Hours of Idleness in the Edinburgh Review sent him into a vengeful tizzy producing the satirical English Bards and Scotch Reviewers in 1809. In that same year, in the midst of one of his first controversies, he took his seat in the House of Lords. His liberal politics weren't exactly welcomed. Suddenly, a trip abroad seemed quite desirable. And so began his two year of tour of Portugal, Spain, and Greece. These settings were to permeate many of his subsequent poems-- like Childe Harold, which featured the proverbial "Byronic hero," a tormented Don Juan. In 1815, partly to escape an incestuous relationship with his married half-sister, Byron married the prim Annabella Milbanke Noel (1792-1860), whom he'd known primarily through letters. (I wrote a Byron inspired poem here.) After giving birth to a daughter, the remarkable Augusta Ada who in collaboration with Charles Babbage became the first person ever to write a computer program. Ada was Byron's only legitimate child; Annabella left Byron before Ada was born. Her departure was bitter, and amid more controversy Byron fled England once again. In exile, Byron wrote the third canto of Childe Harold. His fame grew and for a brief time in Britain, he was the sensation. In 1834 (the year Pre-Raphaelite designer William Morris was born) the celebrated composer Berlioz wrote a symphony inspired by Childe Harold. In Geneva, Byron was visited by Percy and Mary Shelley and her half sister Claire Clairmont, who had obsessively written Byron letters. When he found out how she was related to the Shelley's-- he also knew that Mary's parents were anarchist William Godwin and the feminist pioneer Mary Wollstonecraft-- Byron's interest was piqued. At one time the Shelley's and Claire came to visit Byron in Geneva (this encounter would be depicted in Ken Russell's movie "Gothic"). Percy Shelley described the house as a menagerie Michael Jackson would envy with "eight enormous dogs, three monkeys, five cats, an eagle, a crow, and a falcon: and all these, except the horses, walk about the house, which every now and then resounds with their unarbitrated quarrels, as if they were masters of it." They told ghost stories at night. Mary Shelley went on to write the unmatched "Frankenstein." Dr. Polidori, Byron's doctor/companion who was present at the time, went on to write "The Vampyre," a story directly inspired by Byron's tales. (Dr. Polidori was artist Dante Gabriel Rossetti's great uncle on his mother's side.) With Claire, Byron had a daughter, Allegra. Missing Ada and fearing his angry and estranged wife would keep him from her life, he convinced Claire to give Allegra over to him. She was devoted to her father and his Italian mistress, whom she called mama. Allegra died in early childhood, as did many children in those days. She wasn't given the headstone Byron had requested because the rector at their church back in England was afraid that the Mrs. Lord Byron wouldn't like it. In Venice, Byron produced some of his best work, including Don Juan. He continued in his liasons: mercurial infatuations with both women and men. A Dionysian in theory and in fact, he embodied Kierkegaard's tortured Aesthetic man. When Percy Shelley and his party tragically drowned sailing during a squall off the coast of Italy, Byron and their friends created a pagan pyre on the beach to say farewell. Once a great swimmer who had done marathon swims, he was now a hypochondriac who suffered the side effects of old diseases as well as poor eating habits (he had the tendency to plumpness and would do radical diets worthy of modern times in order to lose weight fast). So despite his weakened state, when he heard of the revolt of the Greeks against the Turks, the idea of participating in a war on the hallowed battlegrounds of classical myth and legend thrilled him, and he joined the Greek insurgents at Missolonghi. He donated much of his money, despite the fact that he owed creditors, and the Greeks made him commander in chief. Three months later, after various attempts at bleeding and so forth, Byron died at 36 (curiously his mathematician/metaphysician daughter, known as Ada, also died at 36). Despite his wishes otherwise, he was buried in England.
India and Pakistan emerged as two independent dominions as per the India Independence Act passed by the British Parliament on 18 July 1947. By the same stroke, the province of Bengal was divided into East Bengal and West Bengal. East Bengal became a part of Pakistan and West Bengal became that of India. The province of ‘East Bengal’ was born on 14 August 1947 and its nomenclature was changed to ‘East Pakistan’ on 8 September 1955.A decision was taken at a national education summit in Karachi which stated that Urdu would be the sole state language of Pakistan and the Government would ensure its exclusive use in the media and in schools. But the people of East Bengal started to protest this decision and later it was transformed into a movement. 1948 March 21 The founder of Pakistan, Mohammad Ali Jinnah declared in a civic reception in Dhaka that Urdu and only Urdu will remain as the state language of Pakistan. The students of Dhaka University instantly protested this declaration in front of Jinnah. 1952 February 21: Language Movement On 23rd February 1948, the Government of Pakistan ordained Urdu as the sole national language, sparking extensive protests among the Bengali-speaking majority of East Pakistan. Facing rising sectarian tensions and mass discontent with the new law, the government outlawed public meetings and rallies. The students of the University of Dhaka and other political activists defied the law and organized a protest on 21st February 1952. The movement reached its climax when police killed student demonstrators on that day. 1953, 21st February 1953 was a defining moment in history when the first anniversary of language movement was observed with strong cultural content. The United Front of Awami League and the Krishak Sramik Party won most of the seats in the East Bengal Legislative Assembly. Sheikh Mujib was elected in this assembly and serving briefly as the minister for agriculture. Muslim League got only 9 seats out of 310. 1954 May 30 The Bengali dominated United Front Government had been deposed by the Governor General of Pakistan, Ghulam Mohammad. The Governor General imposed his direct rule in East Pakistan. 1955 October 14 The ‘East Bengal’ was renamed as ‘East Pakistan’. The ‘West Pakistan Bill’ had been passed and according to this bill, the provinces of the west wing, the Punjab, Baluchistan, Sindh and North Western Frontier of Pakistan (NWFP) were regrouped into one unit called ‘West Pakistan’. 1956 February 29 A constitution had been adopted to make Pakistan as an ‘Islamic Republic’; “Bengali” became a state language along with “Urdu”. Awami League leaders demanded that the subject of provincial autonomy would be included in the draft constitution of Pakistan. The seasoned politician of East Pakistan, Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy replaced Chaudhry Mohammad Ali as the Prime Minister of Pakistan. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman joined the coalition government as the Minister of Industries, Commerce, Labor, Anti-corruption and Village-Aid. Governor General Gurmani declared Presidential rule in West Pakistan. After losing support in the National Assembly, Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy was forced to resign; Chundrigar became the new Prime Minister of Pakistan. Malik Feroz Khan Noon became the Prime Minister by replacing Chundrigar. Shahid Ali, Deputy Speaker of East Pakistan Assembly succumbed to death from the injuries which he received 2 days ago from the disorder inside the assembly. 1958 October 7 Field Marshal Ayub Khan captured the power, sent President Iskander Mirza in exile and abrogated the constitution of Pakistan. Ayub Khan declared his cabinet, in which he included 3 military officials, including Lt. General Azam Khan and eight civilians including Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto from Sindh. All political parties and their activities had been banned, meetings and demonstrations became forbidden. Popular politicians were either imprisoned — including Sheikh Mujib, Maulana Bhashani of East Pakistan, and Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan (NWFP) — or their activities were restricted. Sheikh Mujib had been continuously harassed through one false case after another. President Ayub Khan promulgated an ordinance for setting up “Basic Democracies” in Pakistan to confine the state power permanently in the hands of the Army and the West Pakistan’s establishment. Ayub Khan was elected as President for a five-year term by his so called 80,000 elected ‘Basic Democrats’ (BD). Lt. General Azam Khan had been appointed as governor of East Pakistan. Sheikh Mujib had been arrested again under the Public Security Act. Later, he got released on 10th September, 1962. Ayub Khan lifted the martial law. He lifted the ban from political parties, Sheikh Mujib was freed. Pakistan Muslim League had been split in to two groups – Council and Convention. Ayub Khan joined the Convention Muslim League. Combined Opposition Parties (COP) of Pakistan had been formed and nominated Miss Fatima Jinnah (sister of Mohammad Ali Jinnah, popularly called her “the Mother of the Nation”) as the candidate in Presidential Election against Ayub Khan for the forthcoming election of January 1965. COP raised their 9 points demands including ‘restoration of direct elections’, ‘adult franchise’ and ‘democratization of the Constitution of 1962’. Sheikh Mujib had been charged by the government with sedition and making objectionable statements. He got one year jail termed by the court, and he was released later on following an order of the High Court. Ayub Khan became the President again for the second term by defeating Fatima Jinnah. By observing the election system under ‘Basic Democracy’, Miss Jinnah told: “The system under which these elections were fought was initially devised to perpetuate the… incumbent of the Presidential Office. Neither does it provide room for the free expression of the popular will, nor does it conform to the known and established principles of democracy in the civilized world… There is no doubt that the elections have been rigged”. India-Pakistan fought the 2nd war over the border issue of Kashmir. But firstly it was the hidden conflict and the Pakistan authority hid away it from the people. In September, Ayub Khan revealed it publicly by declaring that, “We are at war”. The soldiers from East Pakistan fought fiercely in the war to protect the border of West Pakistan. But, Ayub Khan showed utmost negligence to give proper attention on the protection of the East Pakistan’s border. It created resentment among the mass people of East Pakistan. Ayub Khan offered Nurul Amin to be the Vice President of Pakistan. Nurul Amin then raised the demands to form regional autonomy for East Pakistan, extended franchise, and to end the disparity between 2 provinces, including fair shares of foreign exchange. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was elected as the party President. The Awami League, under the leadership of Sheikh Mujib, formulated the “Six Points” demand in front of the people. 1966 March 23 The Awami League demanded that changes would be made in regard to East Pakistan. These changes were embodied in Mujib’s Six Points Plan, which he presented at a meeting of opposition parties in Lahore in 1966.These 6-points program was for the greater autonomy of East Pakistan and would reduce the supremacy of West Pakistanis over the East Pakistan. But West Pakistanis, specifically saying, the then military regime and the establishment of West Pakistan, meant those 6-points program as the declaration of independence for East Pakistan and took drastic reaction to it. 1.The Constitution should provide for a Federation of Pakistan in its true sense on the Lahore Resolution, and the parliamentary form of government with supremacy of a Legislature directly elected on the basis of universal adult franchise. 2.The federal government should deal with only two subjects: Defence and Foreign Affairs, and all other residuary subjects shall be vested in the federating states. 3.Two separate, but freely convertible currencies for two wings should be introduced; or if this is not feasible, there should be one currency for the whole country, but effective constitutional provisions should be introduced to stop the flight of capital from East to West Pakistan. Furthermore, a separate Banking Reserve should be established, and separate fiscal and monetary policy be adopted for East Pakistan. 4.The power of taxation and revenue collection shall be vested in the federating units and the federal centre will have no such power on the issue. The federation will be entitled to a share in the state taxes to meet its expenditures. 5.There should be two separate accounts for the foreign exchange earnings of the two wings; the foreign exchange requirements of the federal government should be met by the two wings equally or in a ratio to be fixed; indigenous products should move free of duty between the two wings, and the Constitution should empower the units to establish trade links with foreign countries. 6.East Pakistan should have a separate militia or paramilitary force. 1966 March 24 President Ayub Khan burst out on those ‘six points demands’, they believed them as secessionist demands – the West Pakistani establishment and their military regime could not receive those as the demands of justice and honor of the East Pakistanis. Rather they evaluated it as the conspiracy of India and the Hindus of East Pakistan. But the East Pakistanis could not receive his talk of resorting to weapons and civil war, they judged it badly and almost all East Pakistanis resented his talks. Government of Pakistan lost its patience with Mujibur Rahman and arrested him on 18 April, released on bail, re-arrested on another charge and finally again released on bail. 1966 April 28 The left wing National Awami Party (NAP – Bhasani) gave considerable support; they admitted that Sheikh Mujib’s Six Points Program is necessary for further autonomy of East Pakistan. The Ayub government invented a strange allegation against a comparatively small number of Bengali civil servants, ex-military officers, military officers and politicians, who jointly planned to assassinate President Ayub Khan during his recent visit to East Pakistan. They also demanded that after the assassination, they would depose the Government with a coup aimed at establishing an independent state in East Pakistan. According to their invention, they foiled the conspiracy and subsequently arrested between 50 and 60 Bengalis. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was arrested again on the charge of the Agartala Conspiracy Case. This case turned the sentiments of the Bengalis of the East Pakistan against discrimination of the ruler class. They started to believe that the establishment of West Pakistan and their military regime would keep continuing the exploitation of the East Pakistanis in all fronts, they did not pay any honor to the Bengalis and by hook or crook, the West Pakistanis would dominate and keep the state power in their hands to suck East Pakistanis as usual. “…it evoked a totally unexpected Bengali reaction. While the prosecution wanted to dub Mujib a traitor, Bengalis made a hero out of him. The trial conferred such popularity on Mujib that would otherwise have taken him a lifetime to acquire.” — Siddiq Salik, in his book: ‘A Witness to Surrender’ The trial of the alleged Conspirators in East Pakistan ruined the image of the Government of Pakistan. The Government of Pakistan produced the accused 36 politicians, Bengali CSP Officers, army / ex-army Offices in the Trial, but it became farce when the prosecution witness broke down in the court and asserted that he had been tortured and threatened with death by military officers who wished him to testify falsely against the alleged conspirators. The economic report which was published in that time exposed the disparity between two provinces that widens, not lessen. So, the “Six Points” demands of Awami League got deep rooted status among the East Pakistanis again. 1969 January – February In the whole Pakistan, violence had been broken out between people demonstrating against Ayub Khan’s martial law regime and the police. To restore peace, the ‘Agartala Conspiracy Case’ had been dismissed and Sheikh Mujib had been released by the Government of Pakistan.In Dhaka, police opened fire on a procession against the rule of Ayub Khan, Asad (a student leader) and a high-school student Matiur Rahman had been killed. It created resentments among the Bengali people, gave rise to the Mass Uprising of 1969 (gono-abhyuththaan) in East Pakistan. 1969 February 15 The Army killed Sergeant Zahurul Haq, one of the 35 accused in the Agartala Conspiracy Case, while he was in the military custody at Dhaka Cantonment. This incident ignited the mass uprising in East Pakistan too. 1969 February 20 According to the CIA’s report, the popularity of Ayub khan was almost ‘zero’. His political party, the Pakistan Muslim League (PML) – never became an effective organization, it appeared to be virtually collapsed and they (CIA) started to believe that Pakistan was standing on the brink. 1969 March 13 Sheikh Mujib raised his demands again to establish the full regional autonomy in the round table conference to make the federation successful in East Pakistan. 1969 March 25 General Yahya Khan captured the power by a hidden coup in which Yahya forced Ayub Khan to hand over his powers and resign. 1969 March 31 General Yahya Khan immediately imposed the martial law in Pakistan. On the 31st March, he declared himself as the President of Pakistan. 1969 April 11 Roy Fox’s talked with Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on the issue of autonomy of East Pakistan. Mujib urged to realize the demand of the Bengali by the West Pakistani establishment and military regime to make the justifications between the two wings. He insisted that he would still want to stay in one Pakistan, but the West Pakistani establishment and military regime could not realize it. Even they tried to spoil the situation by making false propaganda against the Bengali leaders of East Pakistan. 1969 November 7 The Bengali accused the Government of Pakistan that it did nothing to try to narrow the disparity between the two provinces, which were increasingly countered by privately expressed West Pakistan views that the deficiencies on the East Pakistani side played the greater role in hampering development -the chronically unfavorable weather, inefficiencies in the public sector, absence of an adequate entrepreneurial class, lack of investors interest, etc. Thus, the resentment of the Bengalis over allegedly insufficient Government of Pakistan clashed with West Pakistani feelings that the demands of Bengali people were unreasonable. 1969 November 28 Yahya declared through his address to the nation that general election would be held in 1970. At a discussion meeting, Sheikh Mujib declared that from now on the East Pakistan would be called Bangla Desh. He added: “There was a time when all efforts were made to erase the word ‘Bangla’ from this land and its map. The existence of the word ‘Bangla’ was found nowhere except in the term ‘Bay of Bengal’. I, on behalf of Pakistan, announce today that this land will be called ‘Bangla Desh’ instead of ‘East Pakistan’.” 1969 December 8 From every corner of the East Pakistan, Sheikh Mujib’s demand to rename East Wing as Bangla Desh had been hailed. Among them, Chief of NAP, Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhasani supported this demand as genuine. He termed that the name of East Pakistan was forcibly imposed on the Bengali nation. 1970 Bhola Cyclone was a devastating tropical cyclone that struck East Pakistan (present-day Bangladesh) and India’s West Bengal on November 12, 1970. It remains the deadliest tropical cyclone ever recorded and one of the deadliest natural disasters. Up to 500,000 people lost their lives in the storm, primarily as a result of the storm surge that flooded much of the low-lying islands of the Ganges Delta. This cyclone was the sixth cyclonic storm of the 1970 North Indian Ocean cyclone season, and also the season’s strongest. The Pakistani government led by junta leader General Yahya Khan was criticized for its delayed handling of the relief operations following the storm, both by local political leaders in East Pakistan and in the international media. During the election that took place a month later, the opposition Awami League gained a landslide victory in the province, and continuing unrest between East Pakistan and the central government triggered the Bangladesh Liberation War, which led to widespread atrocities and eventually concluded with the creation of the country of Bangladesh. In 1970, Awami League, the largest East Pakistani political party, led by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, won a landslide victory in the national elections. The party won 167 out of the 169 seats allotted to East Pakistan, and thus a majority of the 313 seats in the National Assembly. This gave Awami League the constitutional right to form a government.The nearest contender was Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto of PPP, with a total of 81 seats in the National Assembly, and with a two-third majority from Sind. National Council Election 1970 The election was held on 7 December 1970. Total voters were 29,479,386 and the casting votes were 17,005,163 (57.68%), the valid casting votes were 16,454,278. After this election, Sheikh Mujib emerged as an undisputed leader of the Bengali people with 268 of the 279 seats in the East Pakistan Provincial Assembly going to the Awami League. However, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto of the Pakistan Peoples’ Party, refused to allow Mujib to become the Prime Minister of Pakistan. Instead, he proposed the idea of having two Prime Ministers, one for each wing. The proposal elicited outrage in the east wing, already chafing under the other constitutional innovation, the “one unit scheme”.