Split (1)

train · 1.2B rows

text stringlengths 188 632k
The Idea in Brief Many managers mistakenly assume that leadership style is a function of personality rather than strategic choice. Instead of choosing the one style that suits their temperament, they should ask which style best addresses the demands of a particular situation. Research has shown that the most successful leaders have strengths in the following emotional intelligence competencies: self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skill. There are six basic styles of leadership; each makes use of the key components of emotional intelligence in different combinations. The best leaders don’t know just one style of leadership—they’re skilled at several, and have the flexibility to switch between styles as the circumstances dictate. The Idea in Practice Managers often fail to appreciate how profoundly the organizational climate can influence financial results. It can account for nearly a third of financial performance. Organizational climate, in turn, is influenced by leadership style—by the way that managers motivate direct reports, gather and use information, make decisions, manage change initiatives, and handle crises. There are six basic leadership styles. Each derives from different emotional intelligence competencies, works best in particular situations, and affects the organizational climate in different ways. 1. The coercive style. This “Do what I say” approach can be very effective in a turnaround situation, a natural disaster, or when working with problem employees. But in most situations, coercive leadership inhibits the organization’s flexibility and dampens employees’ motivation. 2. The authoritative style. An authoritative leader takes a “Come with me” approach: she states the overall goal but gives people the freedom to choose their own means of achieving it. This style works especially well when a business is adrift. It is less effective when the leader is working with a team of experts who are more experienced than he is. 3. The affiliative style. The hallmark of the affiliative leader is a “People come first” attitude. This style is particularly useful for building team harmony or increasing morale. But its exclusive focus on praise can allow poor performance to go uncorrected. Also, affiliative leaders rarely offer advice, which often leaves employees in a quandary. 4. The democratic style. This style’s impact on organizational climate is not as high as you might imagine. By giving workers a voice in decisions, democratic leaders build organizational flexibility and responsibility and help generate fresh ideas. But sometimes the price is endless meetings and confused employees who feel leaderless. 5. The pacesetting style. A leader who sets high performance standards and exemplifies them himself has a very positive impact on employees who are self-motivated and highly competent. But other employees tend to feel overwhelmed by such a leader’s demands for excellence—and to resent his tendency to take over a situation. 6. The coaching style. This style focuses more on personal development than on immediate work-related tasks. It works well when employees are already aware of their weaknesses and want to improve, but not when they are resistant to changing their ways. The more styles a leader has mastered, the better. In particular, being able to switch among the authoritative, affiliative, democratic, and coaching styles as conditions dictate creates the best organizational climate and optimizes business performance. Ask any group of businesspeople the question “What do effective leaders do?” and you’ll hear a sweep of answers. Leaders set strategy; they motivate; they create a mission; they build a culture. Then ask “What should leaders do?” If the group is seasoned, you’ll likely hear one response: the leader’s singular job is to get results. But how? The mystery of what leaders can and ought to do in order to spark the best performance from their people is age-old. In recent years, that mystery has spawned an entire cottage industry: literally thousands of “leadership experts” have made careers of testing and coaching executives, all in pursuit of creating businesspeople who can turn bold objectives—be they strategic, financial, organizational, or all three—into reality. Still, effective leadership eludes many people and organizations. One reason is that until recently, virtually no quantitative research has demonstrated which precise leadership behaviors yield positive results. Leadership experts proffer advice based on inference, experience, and instinct. Sometimes that advice is which precise leadership behaviors yield positive results. Leadership experts proffer advice based on inference, experience, and instinct. Sometimes that advice is right on target; sometimes it’s not. But new research by the consulting firm Hay/McBer, which draws on a random sample of 3,871 executives selected from a database of more than 20,000 executives worldwide, takes much of the mystery out of effective leadership. The research found six distinct leadership styles, each springing from different components of emotional intelligence. The styles, taken individually, appear to have a direct and unique impact on the working atmosphere of a company, division, or team, and in turn, on its financial performance. And perhaps most important, the research indicates that leaders with the best results do not rely on only one leadership style; they use most of them in a given week—seamlessly and in different measure—depending on the business situation. Imagine the styles, then, as the array of clubs in a golf pro’s bag. Over the course of a game, the pro picks and chooses clubs based on the demands of the shot. Sometimes he has to ponder his selection, but usually it is automatic. The pro senses the challenge ahead, swiftly pulls out the right tool, and elegantly puts it to work. That’s how high-impact leaders operate, too. Emotional intelligence—the ability to manage ourselves and our relationships effectively—consists of four fundamental capabilities: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and social skill. Each capability, in turn, is composed of specific sets of competencies. Below is a list of the capabilities and their corresponding traits. What are the six styles of leadership? None will shock workplace veterans. Indeed, each style, by name and brief description alone, will likely resonate with anyone who leads, is led, or as is the case with most of us, does both. Coercive leaders demand immediate compliance. Authoritative leaders mobilize people toward a vision. Affiliative leaders create emotional bonds and harmony. Democratic leaders build consensus through participation. Pacesetting leaders expect excellence and self-direction. And coaching leaders develop people for the future. Close your eyes and you can surely imagine a colleague who uses any one of these styles. You most likely use at least one yourself. What is new in this research, then, is its implications for action. First, it offers a fine-grained understanding of how different leadership styles affect performance and results. Second, it offers clear guidance on when a manager should switch between them. It also strongly suggests that switching flexibly is well advised. New, too, is the research’s finding that each leadership style springs from different components of emotional intelligence. Measuring Leadership’s Impact It has been more than a decade since research first linked aspects of emotional intelligence to business results. The late David McClelland, a noted Harvard University psychologist, found that leaders with strengths in a critical mass of six or more emotional intelligence competencies were far more effective than peers who lacked such strengths. For instance, when he analyzed the performance of division heads at a global food and beverage company, he found that among leaders with this critical mass of competence, 87% placed in the top third for annual salary bonuses based on their business performance. More telling, their divisions on average outperformed yearly revenue targets by 15% to 20%. Those executives who lacked emotional intelligence were rarely rated as outstanding in their annual performance reviews, and their divisions underperformed by an average of almost 20%. Our research set out to gain a more molecular view of the links among leadership and emotional intelligence, and climate and performance. A team of McClelland’s colleagues headed by Mary Fontaine and Ruth Jacobs from Hay/McBer studied data about or observed thousands of executives, noting specific behaviors and their impact on climate.1 How did each individual motivate direct reports? Manage change initiatives? Handle crises? It was in a later phase of the research that we identified which emotional intelligence capabilities drive the six leadership styles. How does he rate in terms of self-control and social skill? Does a leader show high or low levels of empathy? The team tested each executive’s immediate sphere of influence for its climate. “Climate” is not an amorphous term. First defined by psychologists George Litwin and Richard Stringer and later refined by McClelland and his colleagues, it refers to six key factors that influence an organization’s working environment: its flexibility—that is, how free employees feel to innovate unencumbered by red tape; their sense of responsibility to the organization; the level of standards that people set; the sense of accuracy about performance feedback and aptness of rewards; the clarity people have about mission and values; and finally, the level of commitment to a common purpose. Getting Molecular : The Impact of Leadership Styles on Drivers of Climate We found that all six leadership styles have a measurable effect on each aspect of climate. (For details, see the exhibit “Getting Molecular: The Impact of Leadership Styles on Drivers of Climate.”) Further, when we looked at the impact of climate on financial results—such as return on sales, revenue growth, efficiency, and profitability—we found a direct correlation between the two. Leaders who used styles that positively affected the climate had decidedly better financial results than those who did not. That is not to say that organizational climate is the only driver of performance. Economic conditions and competitive dynamics matter enormously. But our analysis strongly suggests that climate accounts for nearly a third of results. And that’s simply too much of an impact to ignore. The Styles in Detail Executives use six leadership styles, but only four of the six consistently have a positive effect on climate and results. Let’s look then at each style of leadership in detail. (For a summary of the material that follows, see the chart “The Six Leadership Styles at a Glance.”) The Coercive Style. The computer company was in crisis mode—its sales and profits were falling, its stock was losing value precipitously, and its shareholders were in an uproar. The board brought in a new CEO with a reputation as a turnaround artist. He set to work chopping jobs, selling off divisions, and making the tough decisions that should have been executed years before. The company was saved, at least in the short-term. From the start, though, the CEO created a reign of terror, bullying and demeaning his executives, roaring his displeasure at the slightest misstep. The company’s top echelons were decimated not just by his erratic firings but also by defections. The CEO’s direct reports, frightened by his tendency to blame the bearer of bad news, stopped bringing him any news at all. Morale was at an all-time low—a fact reflected in another downturn in the business after the short-term recovery. The CEO was eventually fired by the board of directors. It’s easy to understand why of all the leadership styles, the coercive one is the least effective in most situations. Consider what the style does to an organization’s climate. Flexibility is the hardest hit. The leader’s extreme top-down decision making kills new ideas on the vine. People feel so disrespected that they think, “I won’t even bring my ideas up—they’ll only be shot down.” Likewise, people’s sense of responsibility evaporates: unable to act on their own initiative, they lose their sense of ownership and feel little accountability for their performance. Some become so resentful they adopt the attitude, “I’m not going to help this bastard.” Coercive leadership also has a damaging effect on the rewards system. Most high-performing workers are motivated by more than money—they seek the satisfaction of work well done. The coercive style erodes such pride. And finally, the style undermines one of the leader’s prime tools—motivating people by showing them how their job fits into a grand, shared mission. Such a loss, measured in terms of diminished clarity and commitment, leaves people alienated from their own jobs, wondering, “How does any of this matter?” Given the impact of the coercive style, you might assume it should never be applied. Our research, however, uncovered a few occasions when it worked masterfully. Take the case of a division president who was brought in to change the direction of a food company that was losing money. His first act was to have the executive conference room demolished. To him, the room—with its long marble table that looked like “the deck of the Starship Enterprise”—symbolized the tradition-bound formality that was paralyzing the company. The destruction of the room, and the subsequent move to a smaller, more informal setting, sent a message no one could miss, and the division’s culture changed quickly in its wake. That said, the coercive style should be used only with extreme caution and in the few situations when it is absolutely imperative, such as during a turnaround or when a hostile takeover is looming. In those cases, the coercive style can break failed business habits and shock people into new ways of working. It is always appropriate during a genuine emergency, like in the aftermath of an earthquake or a fire. And it can work with problem employees with whom all else has failed. But if a leader relies solely on this style or continues to use it once the emergency passes, the long-term impact of his insensitivity to the morale and feelings of those he leads will be ruinous. The Authoritative Style. Tom was the vice president of marketing at a floundering national restaurant chain that specialized in pizza. Needless to say, the company’s poor performance troubled the senior managers, but they were at a loss for what to do. Every Monday, they met to review recent sales, struggling to come up with fixes. To Tom, the approach didn’t make sense. “We were always trying to figure out why our sales were down last week. We had the whole company looking backward instead of figuring out what we had to do tomorrow.” Tom saw an opportunity to change people’s way of thinking at an off-site strategy meeting. There, the conversation began with stale truisms: the company had to drive up shareholder wealth and increase return on assets. Tom believed those concepts didn’t have the power to inspire a restaurant manager to be innovative or to do better than a good-enough job. So Tom made a bold move. In the middle of a meeting, he made an impassioned plea for his colleagues to think from the customer’s perspective. Customers want convenience, he said. The company was not in the restaurant business, it was in the business of distributing high-quality, convenient-to-get pizza. That notion—and nothing else—should drive everything the company did. By the Same Author With his vibrant enthusiasm and clear vision—the hallmarks of the authoritative style—Tom filled a leadership vacuum at the company. Indeed, his concept became the core of the new mission statement. But this conceptual breakthrough was just the beginning. Tom made sure that the mission statement was built into the company’s strategic planning process as the designated driver of growth. And he ensured that the vision was articulated so that local restaurant managers understood they were the key to the company’s success and were free to find new ways to distribute pizza. Changes came quickly. Within weeks, many local managers started guaranteeing fast, new delivery times. Even better, they started to act like entrepreneurs, finding ingenious locations to open new branches: kiosks on busy street corners and in bus and train stations, even from carts in airports and hotel lobbies. Tom’s success was no fluke. Our research indicates that of the six leadership styles, the authoritative one is most effective, driving up every aspect of climate. Take clarity. The authoritative leader is a visionary; he motivates people by making clear to them how their work fits into a larger vision for the organization. People who work for such leaders understand that what they do matters and why. Authoritative leadership also maximizes commitment to the organization’s goals and strategy. By framing the individual tasks within a grand vision, the authoritative leader defines standards that revolve around that vision. When he gives performance feedback—whether positive or negative—the singular criterion is whether or not that performance furthers the vision. The standards for success are clear to all, as are the rewards. Finally, consider the style’s impact on flexibility. An authoritative leader states the end but generally gives people plenty of leeway to devise their own means. Authoritative leaders give people the freedom to innovate, experiment, and take calculated risks. An authoritative leader states the end but gives people their own means. Because of its positive impact, the authoritative style works well in almost any business situation. But it is particularly effective when a business is adrift. An authoritative leader charts a new course and sells his people on a fresh long-term vision. The authoritative style, powerful though it may be, will not work in every situation. The approach fails, for instance, when a leader is working with a team of experts or peers who are more experienced than he is; they may see the leader as pompous or out-of-touch. Another limitation: if a manager trying to be authoritative becomes overbearing, he can undermine the egalitarian spirit of an effective team. Yet even with such caveats, leaders would be wise to grab for the authoritative “club” more often than not. It may not guarantee a hole in one, but it certainly helps with the long drive. The Affiliative Style. If the coercive leader demands, “Do what I say,” and the authoritative urges, “Come with me,” the affiliative leader says, “People come first.” This leadership style revolves around people—its proponents value individuals and their emotions more than tasks and goals. The affiliative leader strives to keep employees happy and to create harmony among them. He manages by building strong emotional bonds and then reaping the benefits of such an approach, namely fierce loyalty. The style also has a markedly positive effect on communication. People who like one another a lot talk a lot. They share ideas; they share inspiration. And the style drives up flexibility; friends trust one another, allowing habitual innovation and risk taking. Flexibility also rises because the affiliative leader, like a parent who adjusts household rules for a maturing adolescent, doesn’t impose unnecessary strictures on how employees get their work done. They give people the freedom to do their job in the way they think is most effective. As for a sense of recognition and reward for work well done, the affiliative leader offers ample positive feedback. Such feedback has special potency in the workplace because it is all too rare: outside of an annual review, most people usually get no feedback on their day-to-day efforts—or only negative feedback. That makes the affiliative leader’s positive words all the more motivating. Finally, affiliative leaders are masters at building a sense of belonging. They are, for instance, likely to take their direct reports out for a meal or a drink, one-on-one, to see how they’re doing. They will bring in a cake to celebrate a group accomplishment. They are natural relationship builders. Joe Torre, the heart and soul of the New York Yankees, is a classic affiliative leader. During the 1999 World Series, Torre tended ably to the psyches of his players as they endured the emotional pressure cooker of a pennant race. All season long, he made a special point to praise Scott Brosius, whose father had died during the season, for staying committed even as he mourned. At the celebration party after the team’s final game, Torre specifically sought out right fielder Paul O’Neill. Although he had received the news of his father’s death that morning, O’Neill chose to play in the decisive game—and he burst into tears the moment it ended. Torre made a point of acknowledging O’Neill’s personal struggle, calling him a “warrior.” Torre also used the spotlight of the victory celebration to praise two players whose return the following year was threatened by contract disputes. In doing so, he sent a clear message to the team and to the club’s owner that he valued the players immensely—too much to lose them. Along with ministering to the emotions of his people, an affiliative leader may also tend to his own emotions openly. The year Torre’s brother was near death awaiting a heart transplant, he shared his worries with his players. He also spoke candidly with the team about his treatment for prostate cancer. The affiliative style’s generally positive impact makes it a good all-weather approach, but leaders should employ it particularly when trying to build team harmony, increase morale, improve communication, or repair broken trust. For instance, one executive in our study was hired to replace a ruthless team leader. The former leader had taken credit for his employees’ work and had attempted to pit them against one another. His efforts ultimately failed, but the team he left behind was suspicious and weary. The new executive managed to mend the situation by unstintingly showing emotional honesty and rebuilding ties. Several months in, her leadership had created a renewed sense of commitment and energy. Despite its benefits, the affiliative style should not be used alone. Its exclusive focus on praise can allow poor performance to go uncorrected; employees may perceive that mediocrity is tolerated. And because affiliative leaders rarely offer constructive advice on how to improve, employees must figure out how to do so on their own. When people need clear directives to navigate through complex challenges, the affiliative style leaves them rudderless. Indeed, if overly relied on, this style can actually steer a group to failure. Perhaps that is why many affiliative leaders, including Torre, use this style in close conjunction with the authoritative style. Authoritative leaders state a vision, set standards, and let people know how their work is furthering the group’s goals. Alternate that with the caring, nurturing approach of the affiliative leader, and you have a potent combination. The Democratic Style. Sister Mary ran a Catholic school system in a large metropolitan area. One of the schools—the only private school in an impoverished neighborhood—had been losing money for years, and the archdiocese could no longer afford to keep it open. When Sister Mary eventually got the order to shut it down, she didn’t just lock the doors. She called a meeting of all the teachers and staff at the school and explained to them the details of the financial crisis—the first time anyone working at the school had been included in the business side of the institution. She asked for their ideas on ways to keep the school open and on how to handle the closing, should it come to that. Sister Mary spent much of her time at the meeting just listening. She did the same at later meetings for school parents and for the community and during a successive series of meetings for the school’s teachers and staff. After two months of meetings, the consensus was clear: the school would have to close. A plan was made to transfer students to other schools in the Catholic system. The final outcome was no different than if Sister Mary had gone ahead and closed the school the day she was told to. But by allowing the school’s constituents to reach that decision collectively, Sister Mary received none of the backlash that would have accompanied such a move. People mourned the loss of the school, but they understood its inevitability. Virtually no one objected. Compare that with the experiences of a priest in our research who headed another Catholic school. He, too, was told to shut it down. And he did—by fiat. The result was disastrous: parents filed lawsuits, teachers and parents picketed, and local newspapers ran editorials attacking his decision. It took a year to resolve the disputes before he could finally go ahead and close the school. Sister Mary exemplifies the democratic style in action—and its benefits. By spending time getting people’s ideas and buy-in, a leader builds trust, respect, and commitment. By letting workers themselves have a say in decisions that affect their goals and how they do their work, the democratic leader drives up flexibility and responsibility. And by listening to employees’ concerns, the democratic leader learns what to do to keep morale high. Finally, because they have a say in setting their goals and the standards for evaluating success, people operating in a democratic system tend to be very realistic about what can and cannot be accomplished. However, the democratic style has its drawbacks, which is why its impact on climate is not as high as some of the other styles. One of its more exasperating consequences can be endless meetings where ideas are mulled over, consensus remains elusive, and the only visible result is scheduling more meetings. Some democratic leaders use the style to put off making crucial decisions, hoping that enough thrashing things out will eventually yield a blinding insight. In reality, their people end up feeling confused and leaderless. Such an approach can even escalate conflicts. When does the style work best? This approach is ideal when a leader is himself uncertain about the best direction to take and needs ideas and guidance from able employees. And even if a leader has a strong vision, the democratic style works well to generate fresh ideas for executing that vision. The democratic style, of course, makes much less sense when employees are not competent or informed enough to offer sound advice. And it almost goes without saying that building consensus is wrongheaded in times of crisis. Take the case of a CEO whose computer company was severely threatened by changes in the market. He always sought consensus about what to do. As competitors stole customers and customers’ needs changed, he kept appointing committees to consider the situation. When the market made a sudden shift because of a new technology, the CEO froze in his tracks. The board replaced him before he could appoint yet another task force to consider the situation. The new CEO, while occasionally democratic and affiliative, relied heavily on the authoritative style, especially in his first months. The Pacesetting Style. Like the coercive style, the pacesetting style has its place in the leader’s repertory, but it should be used sparingly. That’s not what we expected to find. After all, the hallmarks of the pacesetting style sound admirable. The leader sets extremely high performance standards and exemplifies them himself. He is obsessive about doing things better and faster, and he asks the same of everyone around him. He quickly pinpoints poor performers and demands more from them. If they don’t rise to the occasion, he replaces them with people who can. You would think such an approach would improve results, but it doesn’t. In fact, the pacesetting style destroys climate. Many employees feel overwhelmed by the pacesetter’s demands for excellence, and their morale drops. Guidelines for working may be clear in the leader’s head, but she does not state them clearly; she expects people to know what to do and even thinks, “If I have to tell you, you’re the wrong person for the job.” Work becomes not a matter of doing one’s best along a clear course so much as second-guessing what the leader wants. At the same time, people often feel that the pacesetter doesn’t trust them to work in their own way or to take initiative. Flexibility and responsibility evaporate; work becomes so task focused and routinized it’s boring. As for rewards, the pacesetter either gives no feedback on how people are doing or jumps in to take over when he thinks they’re lagging. And if the leader should leave, people feel directionless—they’re so used to “the expert” setting the rules. Finally, commitment dwindles under the regime of a pacesetting leader because people have no sense of how their personal efforts fit into the big picture. By the Same Author For an example of the pacesetting style, take the case of Sam, a biochemist in R&D at a large pharmaceutical company. Sam’s superb technical expertise made him an early star: he was the one everyone turned to when they needed help. Soon he was promoted to head of a team developing a new product. The other scientists on the team were as competent and self-motivated as Sam; his métier as team leader became offering himself as a model of how to do first-class scientific work under tremendous deadline pressure, pitching in when needed. His team completed its task in record time. But then came a new assignment: Sam was put in charge of R&D for his entire division. As his tasks expanded and he had to articulate a vision, coordinate projects, delegate responsibility, and help develop others, Sam began to slip. Not trusting that his subordinates were as capable as he was, he became a micromanager, obsessed with details and taking over for others when their performance slackened. Instead of trusting them to improve with guidance and development, Sam found himself working nights and weekends after stepping in to take over for the head of a floundering research team. Finally, his own boss suggested, to his relief, that he return to his old job as head of a product development team. Although Sam faltered, the pacesetting style isn’t always a disaster. The approach works well when all employees are self-motivated, highly competent, and need little direction or coordination—for example, it can work for leaders of highly skilled and self-motivated professionals, like R&D groups or legal teams. And, given a talented team to lead, pace-setting does exactly that: gets work done on time or even ahead of schedule. Yet like any leadership style, pacesetting should never be used by itself. The Coaching Style. A product unit at a global computer company had seen sales plummet from twice as much as its competitors to only half as much. So Lawrence, the president of the manufacturing division, decided to close the unit and reassign its people and products. Upon hearing the news, James, the head of the doomed unit, decided to go over his boss’s head and plead his case to the CEO. What did Lawrence do? Instead of blowing up at James, he sat down with his rebellious direct report and talked over not just the decision to close the division but also James’s future. He explained to James how moving to another division would help him develop new skills. It would make him a better leader and teach him more about the company’s business. Lawrence acted more like a counselor than a traditional boss. He listened to James’s concerns and hopes, and he shared his own. He said he believed James had grown stale in his current job; it was, after all, the only place he’d worked in the company. He predicted that James would blossom in a new role. The conversation then took a practical turn. James had not yet had his meeting with the CEO—the one he had impetuously demanded when he heard of his division’s closing. Knowing this—and also knowing that the CEO unwaveringly supported the closing—Lawrence took the time to coach James on how to present his case in that meeting. “You don’t get an audience with the CEO very often,” he noted, “let’s make sure you impress him with your thoughtfulness.” He advised James not to plead his personal case but to focus on the business unit: “If he thinks you’re in there for your own glory, he’ll throw you out faster than you walked through the door.” And he urged him to put his ideas in writing; the CEO always appreciated that. Lawrence’s reason for coaching instead of scolding? “James is a good guy, very talented and promising,” the executive explained to us, “and I don’t want this to derail his career. I want him to stay with the company, I want him to work out, I want him to learn, I want him to benefit and grow. Just because he screwed up doesn’t mean he’s terrible.” Lawrence’s actions illustrate the coaching style par excellence. Coaching leaders help employees identify their unique strengths and weaknesses and tie them to their personal and career aspirations. They encourage employees to establish long-term development goals and help them conceptualize a plan for attaining them. They make agreements with their employees about their role and responsibilities in enacting development plans, and they give plentiful instruction and feedback. Coaching leaders excel at delegating; they give employees challenging assignments, even if that means the tasks won’t be accomplished quickly. In other words, these leaders are willing to put up with short-term failure if it furthers long-term learning. Of the six styles, our research found that the coaching style is used least often. Many leaders told us they don’t have the time in this high-pressure economy for the slow and tedious work of teaching people and helping them grow. But after a first session, it takes little or no extra time. Leaders who ignore this style are passing up a powerful tool: its impact on climate and performance are markedly positive. Admittedly, there is a paradox in coaching’s positive effect on business performance because coaching focuses primarily on personal development, not on immediate work-related tasks. Even so, coaching improves results. The reason: it requires constant dialogue, and that dialogue has a way of pushing up every driver of climate. Take flexibility. When an employee knows his boss watches him and cares about what he does, he feels free to experiment. After all, he’s sure to get quick and constructive feedback. Similarly, the ongoing dialogue of coaching guarantees that people know what is expected of them and how their work fits into a larger vision or strategy. That affects responsibility and clarity. As for commitment, coaching helps there, too, because the style’s implicit message is, “I believe in you, I’m investing in you, and I expect your best efforts.” Employees very often rise to that challenge with their heart, mind, and soul. The coaching style works well in many business situations, but it is perhaps most effective when people on the receiving end are “up for it.” For instance, the coaching style works particularly well when employees are already aware of their weaknesses and would like to improve their performance. Similarly, the style works well when employees realize how cultivating new abilities can help them advance. In short, it works best with employees who want to be coached. By contrast, the coaching style makes little sense when employees, for whatever reason, are resistant to learning or changing their ways. And it flops if the leader lacks the expertise to help the employee along. The fact is, many managers are unfamiliar with or simply inept at coaching, particularly when it comes to giving ongoing performance feedback that motivates rather than creates fear or apathy. Some companies have realized the positive impact of the style and are trying to make it a core competence. At some companies, a significant portion of annual bonuses are tied to an executive’s development of his or her direct reports. But many organizations have yet to take full advantage of this leadership style. Although the coaching style may not scream “bottom-line results,” it delivers them. Leaders Need Many Styles Many studies, including this one, have shown that the more styles a leader exhibits, the better. Leaders who have mastered four or more—especially the authoritative, democratic, affiliative, and coaching styles—have the very best climate and business performance. And the most effective leaders switch flexibly among the leadership styles as needed. Although that may sound daunting, we witnessed it more often than you might guess, at both large corporations and tiny start-ups, by seasoned veterans who could explain exactly how and why they lead and by entrepreneurs who claim to lead by gut alone. Leaders who have mastered four or more—especially the authoritative, democratic, affiliative, and coaching styles—have the best climate and business performance. Such leaders don’t mechanically match their style to fit a checklist of situations—they are far more fluid. They are exquisitely sensitive to the impact they are having on others and seamlessly adjust their style to get the best results. These are leaders, for example, who can read in the first minutes of conversation that a talented but underperforming employee has been demoralized by an unsympathetic, do-it-the-way-I-tell-you manager and needs to be inspired through a reminder of why her work matters. Or that leader might choose to reenergize the employee by asking her about her dreams and aspirations and finding ways to make her job more challenging. Or that initial conversation might signal that the employee needs an ultimatum: improve or leave. For an example of fluid leadership in action, consider Joan, the general manager of a major division at a global food and beverage company. Joan was appointed to her job while the division was in a deep crisis. It had not made its profit targets for six years; in the most recent year, it had missed by $50 million. Morale among the top management team was miserable; mistrust and resentments were rampant. Joan’s directive from above was clear: turn the division around. Joan did so with a nimbleness in switching among leadership styles that is rare. From the start, she realized she had a short window to demonstrate effective leadership and to establish rapport and trust. She also knew that she urgently needed to be informed about what was not working, so her first task was to listen to key people. Her first week on the job she had lunch and dinner meetings with each member of the management team. Joan sought to get each person’s understanding of the current situation. But her focus was not so much on learning how each person diagnosed the problem as on getting to know each manager as a person. Here Joan employed the affiliative style: she explored their lives, dreams, and aspirations. She also stepped into the coaching role, looking for ways she could help the team members achieve what they wanted in their careers. For instance, one manager who had been getting feedback that he was a poor team player confided his worries to her. He thought he was a good team member, but he was plagued by persistent complaints. Recognizing that he was a talented executive and a valuable asset to the company, Joan made an agreement with him to point out (in private) when his actions undermined his goal of being seen as a team player. She followed the one-on-one conversations with a three-day off-site meeting. Her goal here was team building, so that everyone would own whatever solution for the business problems emerged. Her initial stance at the off-site meeting was that of a democratic leader. She encouraged everyone to express freely their frustrations and complaints. The next day, Joan had the group focus on solutions: each person made three specific proposals about what needed to be done. As Joan clustered the suggestions, a natural consensus emerged about priorities for the business, such as cutting costs. As the group came up with specific action plans, Joan got the commitment and buy-in she sought. With that vision in place, Joan shifted into the authoritative style, assigning accountability for each follow-up step to specific executives and holding them responsible for their accomplishment. For example, the division had been dropping prices on products without increasing its volume. One obvious solution was to raise prices, but the previous VP of sales had dithered and had let the problem fester. The new VP of sales now had responsibility to adjust the price points to fix the problem. Over the following months, Joan’s main stance was authoritative. She continually articulated the group’s new vision in a way that reminded each member of how his or her role was crucial to achieving these goals. And, especially during the first few weeks of the plan’s implementation, Joan felt that the urgency of the business crisis justified an occasional shift into the coercive style should someone fail to meet his or her responsibility. As she put it, “I had to be brutal about this follow-up and make sure this stuff happened. It was going to take discipline and focus.” The results? Every aspect of climate improved. People were innovating. They were talking about the division’s vision and crowing about their commitment to new, clear goals. The ultimate proof of Joan’s fluid leadership style is written in black ink: after only seven months, her division exceeded its yearly profit target by $5 million. Expanding Your Repertory Few leaders, of course, have all six styles in their repertory, and even fewer know when and how to use them. In fact, as we have brought the findings of our research into many organizations, the most common responses have been, “But I have only two of those!” and, “I can’t use all those styles. It wouldn’t be natural.” Such feelings are understandable, and in some cases, the antidote is relatively simple. The leader can build a team with members who employ styles she lacks. Take the case of a VP for manufacturing. She successfully ran a global factory system largely by using the affiliative style. She was on the road constantly, meeting with plant managers, attending to their pressing concerns, and letting them know how much she cared about them personally. She left the division’s strategy—extreme efficiency—to a trusted lieutenant with a keen understanding of technology, and she delegated its performance standards to a colleague who was adept at the authoritative approach. She also had a pacesetter on her team who always visited the plants with her. An alternative approach, and one I would recommend more, is for leaders to expand their own style repertories. To do so, leaders must first understand which emotional intelligence competencies underlie the leadership styles they are lacking. They can then work assiduously to increase their quotient of them. This article also appears in: For instance, an affiliative leader has strengths in three emotional intelligence competencies: in empathy, in building relationships, and in communication. Empathy—sensing how people are feeling in the moment—allows the affiliative leader to respond to employees in a way that is highly congruent with that person’s emotions, thus building rapport. The affiliative leader also displays a natural ease in forming new relationships, getting to know someone as a person, and cultivating a bond. Finally, the outstanding affiliative leader has mastered the art of interpersonal communication, particularly in saying just the right thing or making the apt symbolic gesture at just the right moment. So if you are primarily a pacesetting leader who wants to be able to use the affiliative style more often, you would need to improve your level of empathy and, perhaps, your skills at building relationships or communicating effectively. As another example, an authoritative leader who wants to add the democratic style to his repertory might need to work on the capabilities of collaboration and communication. Such advice about adding capabilities may seem simplistic—”Go change yourself”—but enhancing emotional intelligence is entirely possible with practice. (For more on how to improve emotional intelligence, see the sidebar “Growing Your Emotional Intelligence.”) Growing Your Emotional Intelligence More Science, Less Art Like parenthood, leadership will never be an exact science. But neither should it be a complete mystery to those who practice it. In recent years, research has helped parents understand the genetic, psychological, and behavioral components that affect their “job performance.” With our new research, leaders, too, can get a clearer picture of what it takes to lead effectively. And perhaps as important, they can see how they can make that happen. The business environment is continually changing, and a leader must respond in kind. Hour to hour, day to day, week to week, executives must play their leadership styles like a pro—using the right one at just the right time and in the right measure. The payoff is in the results. 1. Daniel Goleman consults with Hay/McBer on leadership development.
There are many aspects of application security and these cover processes, architecture, infrastructure, code, etc. The whole topic is extremely big and versatile and there are some books written to cover all its possible verges. I will touch just a small piece which is related to something which is in area of developer’s responsibility – code and application architecture. Also, I assume that that reader mostly works on web applications implemented on Java or similar platform. I disagree that creation of secure code is hard work; I would say it’s just a question of some knowledge and discipline. Here are several guidelines which developer has to follow to cover the most of application security vulnerabilities. Of course list is not complete and mostly covers just protection of customer’s data. Always hash user passwords The worst thing you can do is do not hash user passwords and store then as clear text. Less bad thing is to encode them, but it’s still naughty. You do not need to know your customers’ password, let you know, better you sleep. I can’t imagine scenario where application has to have an access to user passwords, but easily can imagine what would happen if someone will get an access to such treasure. Thus, user’s password must be hashed, preferably using salted hash and good hash function like SHA-2. And be always suspicious about websites, which are able to send you your password by mail. Always encrypt sensitive data If application operates with sensitive data, e.g. password for connecting to legacy backend systems or credit card numbers, that password mustn’t be in clear text and must be encrypted. The most of the data has to be encrypted just in storage, but some also on runtime. There is very small chance that someone will get an access to your memory dump, that chance is really-really small, but for very critical data it shouldn’t be ignored. Of course, encryption has to be done with proper cipher, AES should be fine. The only problem is that to encrypt something you need to have a secret, which has to be unencrypted and if attacker will get it, the whole system will be compromised. So that secret has to be protected properly, e.g. with help of HSM, or at least it has to be protected on OS level with proper permissions. Logging mustn’t have user-related or any other type of sensitive information. Examples can be credit card details, bank details, personal messages, etc. Be very careful with “toString” implementation of classes which contain sensitive information. Always keep in mind that logs can fall into somebody’s dirty hands. Always use strong ciphers and hashes There is no much sense to use hash or cipher if it can be easily compromised. Thus, application has to use the best available set. Another thing developer has to remember is the fact, that even the best things will become trash in the face of tomorrow. It means that must be a way to change algorithm in future. For instance, hashed password may have prefix with algorithm name at the beginning, so as soon new algorithm is available it can be used. Here is an example of such hash: Of course old passwords will remain the same, but it’s better than nothing. The similar principle applies to encrypted values with only difference that encrypted values can be recovered and re-encrypted. Acceptable choice of algorithms at this moment (05.2010) is SHA-2 for hashing and AES for symmetric cryptography. There are not many choices of asymmetric algorithms, RSA is the best known and wide used example. Apart from algorithm have a thought about hash/key size – bigger is better for security. Use Prepared Statement That’s just a must. Always use PreparedStatement or equivalent and never build SQL statement by concatenating arguments which with high probability will be cause of SQL injection problem. Let database driver think about that problem. Hide implementation details from the user It doesn’t matter who are your users, it can be another system or real person, you have to tell them as less as you can about your system. That knowledge can help attacker to recognize products you use or give some information how you system is build. All it can give some idea how application can be hacked. For example, printing exception stack trace into browser window, which is happening on some websites, provides almost all information about libraries, used products, architecture, etc. Validate user input Anything which comes externally must be validated. Any value has to have boundaries. The most convenient way to archive that is using regular expressions. This protects against XSS and related problems. Do not trust to anything and your own system is not exception. Before output any data to customer, it has to be shielded to remove any invalid characters. And again it can be base for XSS and related attacks. Re-create session after authentication It is possible that session id was compromised or used in session fixation attack. Thus, using the same session id after authentication will open the system to attacker, so it has to be re-generated. You should explicitly authorize uses on every layer; otherwise there is too much space for the holes in application. That is specifically important for web applications where sometimes all authorization is based on just URL principle, which is dangerous practice. Would be funny if someone will attack your system and you will not have any tracks of it. Therefore, developer has to have some sort of log for recoding activities performed by the system. That logs shouldn’t be confused with logs used for debugging and troubleshooting, latter contain debug information which help to developer to look for and fix bugs (although they can contain relevant information as well and can be used for tracking attacker actions as well). Auditing logs, on other hand, contain events raised on performing certain activities, e.g. login attempts, payments, etc. In conclusion, I would remind that it’s not complete list, there are much more things which you can do to protect your application. For ones who are interested in making their application more secure, I would recommend following links: - PCI DSS. This is more about payments and protecting card details, but do not forget that card details are just another piece of information. - Wikipedia application security page. Has lots of good links for further reading. - OWASP website. Lots of information about vulnerabilities and how to avoid them and about web application security in general. Related Articles : - 2011: The State of Software Security and Quality - Single Sign On for the cloud: SAML & OpenId - Securing GWT apps with Spring Security - Basic and Digest authentication for a RESTful Service with Spring Security 3.1, part 6 - Securing a RESTful Web Service with Spring Security 3.1, part 3 - Apache Shiro : Application Security Made Easy
Rubber O-rings, the most excellent sealing devices used in machinery designing. O-rings manufacturer produce o-rings by press, inject or even transfer methods of moulding. In order to seal appropriately, o-rings deform in their shape and acquire the area of the cavity preventing any air or liquid leakage. A compressive force acts on them that prevent the transfer of fluid between the regions. They serve long durability. O-rings are majorly used for machine designs because they are inexpensive, made easily, requires mounting to be reliable and simple. O-rings are manufactured using high-quality elastomers. The most efficient elastomers are Buna N and Nitrile. Thus, you can say that the performance of an o-ring depends on the material used in its production. O-rings prevent leakage until the motel metal’s pressure does not go above the o-ring stress contact. O-rings are useful in sealing high pressure until there is any mechanical failure. The o-rings are designed in such a way that there forms a point of contact between the sealing surface and the o-rings. The mating parts of o-ring are the major failures while it is extruded. The high local stress allows the o-ring to tolerate pressure that does not exceed the stress yielded of the surface of o-ring. The flexibility of o-rings leaves no space for chance of imperfection in the parts of the mould. O-rings are made of elastomers. These compounds are used in the manufacture of o-rings. Elastomers are a combination of both synthetic and natural material. They are formulated in such a way that they provide an extensive collection of physical properties. Elastomers are differently used for different sealing devices depending on their exposure to fluid, heat and pressure. Elastomers have excellent resistance property that allows them to work with aggressive chemicals also. Elastomers like Viton and Flurosilicone are the main items used to manufacture o-rings for aerospace and semiconductor devices. Another kind of elastomers that is neoprene which is used in o-rings provides excellent chemical stability and flexibility even in extreme temperatures. Neoprene O-rings are mostly found in petroleum, refrigeration and automotive applications. If you do not want high-quality o-rings, then you can surely take a look at Valley Seal Company. They provide excellent sealing solutions. They produce sealing products like o-rings, PTFE products, rubber moulded compounds and also elastomers. The static seals are categorised as static or radial depending on the direction in which the squeeze is applied in the o-ring section. Static axial seals are more comfortable to design when compared to static radial seals. As there is no extrusion gap and the steps to develop a static axial seal is not much, you can have more control over it. In case of outside pressure, the outer diameter of the groove acts as the central part, and in case of inward force, the inner width of the slot plays the significant role. This makes sure that the O-ring moves very little to seal the extrusion gap which prevents friction. The dynamic seals are applicable in reciprocating devices usually hydraulic or pneumatic piston or rod seals. The efficiency of the active seal is affected mainly due to environmental factors. The factors affecting are swelling in fluids, lubrication, the pressure generated, and thermal cycling. All these factors are interrelated, and it is essential to consider all of this in a dynamic sealing situation. Small diameter o-rings provide brilliant performances. To get more information about the various kinds of friction that occur in rotating devices you can take help of a Gallagher engineer. Rotatory seals operate well in oscillating or rotating parts to uphold lubricating fluids and prevent the water or mud to enter. These seals perform exceptionally well to maintain low friction and provide excellent resistance to damage.
A new Arduino open source robot called Apeiros has been developed and created by Abraham L. Howell, which he has designed to provide a low-cost open source robot project powered by Arduino which is fully expandable and can be used by hobbyists, students and teachers for research and education purposes. Apeiros has been built developing technology that was included in another robot developed by Howell called the Open-Robot which used a custom board of his own design. The Apeiros robot is fitted with wireless communication and can be controlled by an Android smartphone using a currently under development Android application that will be made available as a final release to backers once the app completes its beta development stage. Howell explains a little more about his latest Apeiros robot creation: “You can program Apeiros’ UNO32(TM) using the freely available Multi-Platform Integrated Development Environment (MPIDE). End-users can run the MPIDE on Windows(R), Linux(TM) and MAC(TM). The MPIDE makes it easy to develop programs or what are commonly referred to as sketches in the Arduino community. I have already developed and tested a library for Apeiros, so that end-users can quickly and easily design their own custom sketches. End-users can download and install the MPIDE & Apeiros library and be up and running with their robot in a matter of minutes. After compiling your sketch simply connect the USB cable and download it to your robot. Once the download is complete you disconnect the USB cable, turn your robot on and it will execute your program!” The Apeiros project is currently over on the Kickstarter crowd funding website looking to raise enough pledges to make the jump from concept to production. So if you think Apeiros is something you could benefit from, visit the Kickstarter website now to make a pledge and help Apeiros become a reality with pledge prices starting from just $110. Source: KickstarterFiled Under: DIY Projects, Geeky Stuff, Hardware, Top News
The record-breaking hurricane shocked all scientist who study storm surges and surpassed all expectations. The hurricane Patricia grew especially stronger before hitting Mexico’s coastline. Although it’s strength decreased before hitting land. The big question was what caused its record-breaking state? The problem is there is no single answer. The cause of the Hurricane Patricia was compared to the board game clue by Gabriel Vecchi, head of the climate variations and predictability group at the geophysical fluid dynamics laboratory of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Princeton, N.J. He stated “The key is to go and systematically figure out who was where and when, so we can exclude people or phenomena.” Furthermore he compared the board game to the hurricane by he stating that criminal suspects could work together as accomplices, and there could be a character not yet known. And, as in all mysteries, “You can have a twist ending.” The many factors being considered are; “The Blob” a warm water sector on the coast of North America, a the long-term process of Pacific Decadal Oscillation(cooling and heating phase) which is linked to El Nino, also climate change/global warming is affecting the ocean. The main point of this is that they are all occurring simultaneously. We must see this crisis as a “wake-up call,”. Dr.Bond “We have a real chance with this kind of event to see what’s going to happen, and show folks, ‘Hey, this is the consequence of messing around with the climate.’ ” It is very important for people to understand the cause of the Hurricane is rooted in human activity.
Katie Goodwin, our ASC Resource Manager, gives us the lowdown on Forest School. What is Forest School? Forest School is an inspirational initiative that offers all learners opportunities to achieve and develop confidence and self-esteem through hands-on learning experiences. Students are transported to a land of mud kitchens, shelter building, mud fights and fire circles, to name but a few. It allows students to initiate their own learning, become risk takers, problem solvers and collaborative learners. Who is it for? Our Y7 students have been the first to sample Forest School. Whilst many of these students have characteristics in common such as low attendance, Pupil Premium status and lack of attainment, many of these students face their own, very specific, difficulties such as: - excessive OCD - such slow processing skills in class, that speech is constantly repeated To put it into perspective, in the 12 ½ hours we have run Forest School, we have had no lesson refusal (normally have approx. 8 lesson refusals for 2 students on top of their alternative curriculum), no disengagement, no instances of non-verbal communication (one student didn’t speak for 2 ½ weeks at the beginning of term), no repetitive speech, little or no foot wiping or OCD tendencies, no refusal to work with someone and no aggression towards staff. What we have seen is interaction with new people, improved sensory needs, an improved ability to recall events and activities quickly, appropriate self-evaluation and recognising what they would like to learn next. What does the future hold? Moving forward, we are continuing with the sessions next term. For these students, the continuation of life and social skills is important, but the possibilities of how Forest School could be used for other students (and parents) is infinite: cross curricular planning could allow for more specific learning, which would lead to academic progress; it could be used as a tool to re-engage disengaged children and their parents; staff INSET days; an outdoor curriculum for all students and a reward for those who have worked hard, as well as life and social skills.
Bryn Mawr Classical Review 2011.01.07 Michael Beer, Taste or Taboo: Dietary Choices in Antiquity. Totnes: Prospect Books, 2009. Pp. 152. ISBN 9781903018637. $24.00 (pb). Reviewed by Jack Lennon, University of Nottingham (firstname.lastname@example.org) Follow this link to buy this book from Amazon and support BMCR Beer’s book offers a select series of case studies on key topics derived from his doctoral research on diet in ancient Mediterranean societies. Throughout the book Beer highlights examples of similarity and difference in Greek and Roman attitudes to foods and in those groups who ate or abstained from them. The central point, stressed throughout, is that food was a means of establishing identity within society or of labelling others as ‘outsiders’. Its presentation, consumption or restriction could reveal social class, gender, ethnicity or religion. How one responded to social customs could reveal qualities to be abhorred or emulated. Beer divides his subject into ‘actual practice and the realm of literature’,1 referring in particular to idealised attitudes towards certain foods or diets, such as the numerous links drawn in literature of gluttony with moral weakness. The introduction sets the scene with some notable parallels between ancient and modern attitudes to food in popular culture. Did the ancients share our concept of a size zero or a comparable ‘ideal form’, and was this linked to diet? The author discusses the presence of involuntary and voluntary dietary restrictions in antiquity. Involuntary restrictions might be environmental or economic, resulting from climate or location (soil conditions, distance from the coast, and costs of cultivation/storage/transport). Voluntary restrictions stemmed from social, religious or philosophical taboo, in some cases acting with such force as to blur the line with involuntary restriction. Chapter 1, “Diet in the Ancient World” offers a general overview of eating practices, stressing that for most people diet was not determined by choice but by necessity. The chief source of sustenance was either wheat or barley. The Greek climate made barley a more suitable staple, whereas Rome favoured wheat. The rejection of barley was subsequently taken up by Latin authors to express ‘separateness’ from Greece as well as to create a feeling of cultural superiority. Such divisions also appeared within the societies themselves. A number of basic foodstuffs including chickpeas, beans, lentils and pulses were available to all, but their presentation and context revealed the class divide. Foods imported from further afield possessed greater worth, indicating luxury and opulence. Meat was a rare extravagance for many and often available only at religious festivals. Beer raises some initial points about the variety of animals deemed suitable for eating while hinting ahead to the suspicion of vegetarians, whose rejection of meat set them apart from others. Beer stresses that any form of dietary restriction or rejection of cultural eating practices functioned not only as a means of self-representation but also as a way to stigmatise outsiders. Chapter 2, “Vegetarianism” begins by noting that adherents to vegetarianism would have been a very select minority. They might, through their refusal to participate in sacrificial meals, be viewed as impious. Since sacrifice offered an opportunity to enhance social interaction, such a rejection might also threaten the group’s cohesion. A series of references to Greek myths explores the place of meat within the ‘idyllic’ past. Beer jumps from Porphyry and Plato in discussing attitudes towards the treatment of animals in various contexts, and the effects this had on their consumption. The chief focus of the chapter is Pythagoras and his followers, and Beer summarises the biographies of the philosopher’s life and the conflicting views concerning his vegetarianism. Abstinence from meat and its connections with spiritual ‘purity’ are explored in relation to Pythagorean doctrine, although Beer suggests that not all Pythagoreans were required to observe a vegetarian diet. It was a life choice, but one that Roman authorities might equate with foreign religions, and so could be dangerous. This is demonstrated by the fair-weather vegetarianism of Seneca, who abandoned the diet in the wake of Tiberius’ religious persecutions. Chapter 3, “Beans” focuses on the taboos surrounding broad beans which appear in various forms across the ancient world. Once again the abstinence of the Pythagoreans is a major point of discussion. As with vegetarianism, abstinence is confined to a distinct minority, since references to cultivating and harvesting beans appear throughout agricultural manuals. Since beans were widely available, avoidance of them cannot have been a symbolic rejection of luxury. Various religious taboos are listed, along with the use of beans to exorcise/placate the spirits of the dead in the Lemuria. This is followed by an interesting biological discussion of the potentially harmful toxins within certain beans and the medical issues that may arise amongst those with a specific enzyme deficiency. However, Beer is careful to note the difficulties in attributing any form of taboo to such a condition. Chapter 4, “Fish” begins by examining cultural attitudes towards the sea itself. Beer rejects the assertion that there was a clear divide between ocean-loving Greeks and hydrophobic Romans. The sea appears to have been associated with unknown dangers, of which large fish were a factor. A cause of some anxiety was their consumption of human flesh. What follows is a slightly strained discussion of fish in Homer, where it could be argued that Beer reads too much into the scarcity of fish in the diet of Homeric heroes. In particular, Odysseus’ company’s resorting to theft of sacred oxen when starving, instead of fishing, does not suggest to me evidence that fish were abhorred, but rather that the oxen were more easily attainable (and more integral to the story). From here Beer outlines the problems with fish both as food and as sacrificial offerings in Homer, in which their nature as scavengers reappears as a potential explanation for their unsuitability. The lack of fish-sacrifices across the Graeco-Roman world is linked to the apparent ‘selfishness’ of eating fish, since fish were not shared with the gods (although no reference is made to the Piscatorii ludi, in which fish were offered to Vulcan).2 Much of this section concerns views from ‘outsiders’ on the superstitious practices of foreigners. The rest of the chapter deals with fish as a symbol of luxury and excess and with their potential as a corrupting influence. Fish represented a form of food that existed purely for pleasure and as such was the cause of some alarm. The connection with wealth made fish a status symbol, but, as ever, the type of fish one ate was the true indicator of class. Large, exotic fish were the prizes of the wealthy, while the poor ate smaller fish, sometimes taken from insanitary water sources. Chapter 5, “The Dietary Laws of the Jews” concentrates on the various restrictions observed by those Jews living outside of Judea, where their self-imposed dietary abstinence singled them out as different. Beer lists the various animals excluded from the Jewish diet along with certain specific requirements for animals listed in Deuteronomy and Leviticus. From here he explores attempts by ancient authors, particularly Philo Judaeus, to interpret the laws. Comparable examples of animal avoidance from Greek and Roman society are noted, but what marked the Jews out as different was their apparently unflinching dietary observance. Beer suggests that food played a key role in Jewish identity within the urban environment, where their clothes and language did not mark them out, but where their diet did. He also notes the existence of several subdivisions of Jews, each observing different taboos, not only on what they ate, but also with whom they ate. Abstention from pork remained the greatest cause of both curiosity and ridicule from non-Jewish observers. This hostility sometimes led to the association of Jews with other foreign groups who were perceived as subversive. Ultimately, Jewish dietary laws united those who followed them at the family or sect level and also excluded outsiders, potentially offending the sensibilities of the wider populace. Chapter 6, “Restrictions upon Alcohol” first justifies the place of alcohol as a foodstuff, albeit one whose nutritional content was minimal. Its role as a social aid is acknowledged in antiquity, and this acknowledgement is compared to modern attitudes, as is the anxiety over alcohol’s potential to damage social cohesion. A clear line is drawn between the status of wine in the Graeco-Roman world and other forms of alcohol amongst barbarian peoples. As with the production of wheat and barley, climate appears to have been a major factor in the cultivation of wine in Greece and Italy, and viniculture became a similar badge of cultural identity. From here Beer moves on to examine those who either refused to consume alcohol or whose access to alcohol was either controlled or otherwise entirely denied, such as women. ‘Self-regulation’ is a recurring theme, both within the Greek symposium and the Roman convivium, and there appears to have been a distinct disapproval of those whose excesses strayed beyond the boundaries of these events. Again, whom one shared a drink with mattered as much as what one drank. Chapter 7, “State Control of Food: Spartan Diet and Roman Sumptuary Laws” moves beyond self-control and uses these two examples to explore instances where government regulation of diet and lifestyle was deemed necessary in order to protect the status quo. Here, food existed as part of a wider category of luxury and exoticism. Beer deals with Sparta first, examining concerns about the invasion of foreign tastes and habits. He focuses on the structure of Spartan feasting as opposed to specific dietary regulations, arguing that the popular image of frugality is at least partly the construct of outsider commentators. Seating at meals was determined by social position, and the rich may have been permitted to go beyond the basic foods provided. In the case of Rome, Beer focuses on the various laws that attempted to restrain aristocratic excess and bring Rome back to an earlier, purer phase of its history. The laws in question span the period from the mid-Republic to the early Principate, and they clearly had little impact on anyone outside the aristocracy. The various causes for the laws are noted, and the expansion of Roman territory is linked with the slow descent into luxury. Thus, by keeping themselves perpetually ready for war, Romans eventually brought about the very state they wished to avoid. In the escalating political competition of the late Republic, food became an ideal way to display the extent of one’s influence and power. That sumptuary laws declined from Tiberius onwards is taken as a sign that wealth was no longer a threat when the supreme power centred on a single individual. The stigma attached to gluttony remained. Chapter 8, “Gluttony versus Abstinence: The Tyrant and the Saint” is much shorter, bringing together various theories from previous chapters. It focuses on Roman emperors whose moral shortcomings were made manifest through their diet. The gluttony of Claudius, Nero and Vitellius is symbolic of their ‘weakness’, which inevitably leads to further tyrannical behaviour. Conversely, abstemious rulers were thought to have greater control over their urges and thus to be able to avoid the temptations of tyranny. The infamous practice of purging in order to continue eating at banquets is described in terms of pushing the body beyond its natural ability. In the course of this work Beer addresses a number of heavily debated topics and provides a useful overview of some difficult material. The structure of some chapters is sometimes hard to follow, however, and the author moves back and forth between Greek and Latin examples and source material with some frequency. Without doubt the greatest omission is Petronius’ Satyricon, which does not appear in any of the discussions of luxuria. Despite these flaws, the author does manage to simplify a number of tricky subjects. This work will be of interest to scholars while remaining accessible to non-specialists. It employs a large number of primary sources, always offered in translation, and neatly summarises modern theories, making it a good starting point for those wishing to learn more about diet in antiquity. 1. p. 122. 2. Festus s.v. Piscatorii ludi; H.H. Scullard Festivals and Ceremonies of the Roman Republic (London, 1981), 148.
Miracle Weapon Microbiome. Small helpers - big effect Every human being is actually a huge residential community - with its microbiome. The microbiome is a mixture of millions of different microorganisms, mainly bacteria, which colonize every cavity of the human body and also cavort on the skin. Many of the beneficial co-inhabitants live in the gut. "We are only ten percent ourselves - the rest is a cluster of germs," says Peter Holzer, Professor of Experimental Neurogastroenterology at MedUni Graz. He is one of the top scientists from twelve institutions participating in the MyNewGut project, which the EU is funding with nine million euros. Research is being conducted into the effects the microbiome has on our mental and physical health. Peter Holzer, Valentin Schreyer (Sprecher), Michael Menzel (Sprecher) u.v.m.
Computer-Based Fire Fighter Training Project Through this project, the Fire Research Division at NIST is developing a computer based fire fighting training tool to improve training opportunities while lowering the cost and risk of death and injury. Two methods are being used to create a training tool. The first and simpler method is to use FDS and Smokeview to create animations of fire scenarios. These animations will be viewable in a standard DVD player. The DVD menus will be used to walk a fire fighter through a series of decisions. The second method is more interactive, and allows the trainee to “walk” through an FDS generated fire scene, using Smokeview, observing and making decisions. WHAT ARE FDS AND SMOKEVIEW? FDS is a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model of fire-driven fluid flow. The software solves numerically a form of the Navier-Stokes equations appropriate for low-speed, thermally-driven flow with an emphasis on smoke and heat transport from fires. Smokeview is a visualization program that is used to display the results of an FDS simulation. FDS and Smokeview are available for downloading at: http://fire.nist.gov/fds/ NIST FDS and Smokeview will be used as a basis for developing a virtual reality based fire fighting training tool. As a fire simulation unfolds, a series of natural break point will be encountered where the trainee will be asked questions such as: Should the window be opened? Should the door be closed? Should the hose stream be opened? The simulation will continue based on the answers provided. These questions will be designed to teach the trainee about tactics relevant to fire fighting such as the effect ventilation on fire spread. Since FDS cannot yet perform calculations in real time, simulations will be pre-computed for all possible question outcomes. Smokeview will be enhanced to be able to “jump” from one scenario to another according to the trainee’s responses. To do this, the Fire Research Division will take the results from countless live-fire experiments, then use the data from these experiments to simulate and visualize typical fire fighter training scenarios using fire modeling and visualization software (FDS and Smokeview), in order to create effective fire fighter training tools. This will all take place in three major phases: - Phase 1 – Create illustrations and animations using FDS and Smokeview illustrating basic fire and smoke flow behavior encountered when fire fighting. Door Closed Door Open Door Closed, Roof Vented Door Open, Roof Vented - Phase 2 – Create computerized training environments illustrating various venting strategies and suppression effectiveness for several building types (townhouse, ranch house, training tower) - Phase 3 – Allow the trainee to interact with the training environments created in Phase 2. WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT? Arguably, the most effective method for teaching fire fighters how to do their job is through live training evolutions. This, however, is expensive and particularly dangerous for the trainee. In particular, some fire situations that must be trained for are too large and dangerous to recreate in a training setting involving real fires. Environmental concerns are limiting the amount and kind of live fire training available in many areas of the country. Methods are then needed to allow fire fighters to gain valuable experience using virtual reality techniques already applied in other fields so that they may learn without the possibility of harming themselves or others. For more information, view the full description of the Computer-Based Fire Fighter Training Project underway at NIST. From NIST FIRE.gov: http://www.nist.gov/fire/training.cfm Leave a Reply You must be logged in to post a comment.
Ebola: Five Key Questions With a new outbreak reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in May 2018, the Ebola virus is again in the news; four years have passed since the emergence of a major epidemic in West Africa in 2014 that eventually killed over 11,000 people. Counting the current outbreak, DRC has experienced a total of 9 outbreaks of Ebola since 1976, including one just last year. The current outbreak is generating a growing international response, including funding and technical assistance from the World Health Organization (WHO) and other global health organizations. Ebola virus has a unique set of characteristics that determines its spread and how deadly it is. To better understand Ebola, we pose five key questions about Ebola and compare it to twelve other infectious diseases that represent public health challenges today. These different diseases vary in terms of how they are spread, how deadly they are, and whether there are vaccines, treatments, or cures to address them. 1. How is Ebola transmitted? How an infectious disease is transmitted – whether through direct contact with bodily fluids, through air, or other means, as well as whether human-to-human transmission is possible – is important for understanding how to prevent and track the disease. Ebola is transmitted only through direct contact with bodily fluids, as are HIV and Hepatitis C. Other diseases, such as measles and SARS, are transmitted through airborne means. Human- to-human transmission occurs for all of the diseases included in this profile except for malaria, which is transmitted by mosquitoes to humans. 2. Is asymptomatic transmission of Ebola possible? Some diseases can be transmitted only when symptoms are present (such as fever, coughing or lesions), while others can be transmitted even when a person does not yet have symptoms, known as being asymptomatic. Ebola is only transmitted when symptoms are present, in contrast to diseases such as HIV, influenza, and malaria which have symptomatic and asymptomatic transmission. 3. How long is Ebola’s incubation period? The incubation period of a disease is the time between initial infection and when symptoms first appear. Ebola’s incubation period of 2 to 21 days is fairly short compared to other infectious diseases such as HIV, which can have an incubation period of 10 years or even longer. It is also shorter than the incubation period for Tuberculosis and Hepatitis C. However, some other infectious diseases, such as SARS and influenza, have, on average, shorter incubation periods than Ebola. 4. Is there a vaccine, treatment, or cure for Ebola? Currently, there are no approved treatments for Ebola (other than highly experimental treatments, and treatments for its symptoms), and no cure at the moment. An Ebola vaccine, developed since the 2014 West Africa epidemic, is now available in limited quantities on an emergency use basis; WHO and DRC have agreed to use this vaccine in the effort to combat the current outbreak. Other diseases have treatments but no vaccine and no cure (such as HIV), while still others have vaccines and treatments (such as influenza). 5. How deadly is Ebola? Ebola is one of the most deadly infectious diseases we know of, causing death in approximately 50 percent of people who become infected (its estimated case-fatality rate). Still, case fatality rates can differ across different outbreaks, and for Ebola it has ranged from 25% to as high as 90% in previous outbreaks. Case fatality rates for other diseases are much lower, including those for seasonal influenza (less than 1%) and SARS (13-43%).
Olweus, D. (1991) Bully/Victim Problems among Schoolchildren: Basic Facts and Effects of a School Based Intervention Program. In: Pepler, D.J. and Rubin, K.H., Eds., The Development and Treatment of Childhood Aggression Hillsdale, Lawrence Erlbaum, NJ, 411-448. Reiter, S. (2008) Disability from a Humanistic Perspective: Towards a Better Quality of Life. Book Series: Health and Human Development, Nova Science Publishers, New York. Balin-Arcaro, C., Smith, J.D., Cunningham, C.E., Vaillancourt, T.and Rimas, H. (2012) Contextual Attributes of Indirect Bullying Situations that Influence Teachers’ Decisions to Intervene. Journal of School Violence, 11, 226-245. Evans, P. (2010) The Verbally Abusive Relationship: How to Recognize It and to Respond. Adams Media, Avon. Evans, P. (2012) Victory over Verbal Abuse: A Healing Guide to Renewing Your Spirit and Reclaiming Your Life. Adams Media, Avon. KarniVizer, N. (2014) Effectiveness of an Intervention on Verbal Violence among Students with Intellectual Disabilities. International Journal of Secondary Education, 3, 1-7. Lund, M., Blake, J.J., Ewing, H.K. and Banks, C.S. (2012) School Counselors’ and School Psychologists’ Bullying Prevention and Intervention Strategies: A Look into Real-World Practices. Journal of School Violence, 11, 246-265. Sherer, Y.C. and Nickerson, A. B. (2010) Anti-Bullying Practices in American Schools: Perspectives of School Psychologists. Psychology in the Schools, 47, 217-229. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/pits.20466 Bernes, B.K. and Bardick D.A. (2007) Conducting Adolescent Violence Risk Assessment: A Framework for School Counselors. Professional School Counseling, 419-427. http://dx.doi.org/10.5330/prsc.10.4.e43404402j07480u Craig, W.M. and Pepler, D.J. (2007) Understanding Bullying: From Research to Practice. Canadian Psychology, 48, 86- 93. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/cp2007010 Mitchell, D. (2008) What Really Works in Special and Inclusive Education. Using Evidence-Based Teaching Strategies. Book. Carter, B. and Spencer, V. (2006) The Fear Factor: Bulling and Students With Disabilities. International Journal of Special Education, 21, 11-23. Mclntyre, A. (2000) Constructing Meaning about Violence, School, and Community: Participatory Action Research with Urban Youth. The Urban Review, 32, 123-154. http://dx.doi.org/10.1023/A:1005181731698 Ozer, E. and Weinstien, R. (2004) Urban Adolescents’ Exposure to Community Violence: The Role of Support, School Safety, and Social Constraints in a School-Based Sample of Boys and Girls. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 33, 463-476. http://dx.doi.org/10.1207/s15374424jccp3303_4 Vaillancourt, T., McDougall, P., Hyrnel, S. and Sunderani, S. (2010) Respect of Fear? The Relationship between Power and Bulling Behavior. In: Jimerson, S.R., Swearer, S.M. and Espelage, D.L., Eds., Hand-Book of Bulling in Schools: An International Perspective, Routledge, New York, 211-222. Kaplan, I., Lewis, I. and Mumba, P. (2007) Picturing Global Educational Inclusion? Looking and Thinking across Students’ Photographs from the UK, Zambia and Indonesia. Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs, 7, 23-35. Karni, N. and Reiter, S. (2014) Organizational Conditions and School Culture fostering Inclusive Education in Arab Schools in Israel. International Journal of Developmental Disabilities, 60, 205-214 Karni, N., Reiter, S. and Bryen, D.N. (2011) Israeli Arab Teachers’ Attitudes Israeli Arab Teachers’ on Inclusion of Students with Disabilities. The British Journal of Developmental Disabilities, 57, 123-132. Wedell, K. (2008) Confusion about Inclusion: Patching up or System Change? British Journal of Special Education, 35, 128-143. Estell, D.B., Farmer, T.W., Irvin, M.J., Crowther, A., Akos, P. and Boudah, D.J. (2009) Students with Exceptionalities and the Peer Group Context of Bullying and Victimization in Late Elementary School. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 18,136-150. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10826-008-9214-1. Hoover, J.H. and Stenhjem, P. (2003) Bulling and Teasing of Youth with Disabilities: Creating Positive School Environments for Effective Inclusion. National Center on Secondary Education and Transition Issue Brief, 2, 1-5. Harley, D.A., Nowak, M.T., Gassaway, J.L. and Savage, A.T. (2002) Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender College Students with Disabilities: A Look at Multiple Cultural Minorities. Psychology in the Schools, 39, 525-538. Horner-Johnson, W. and Drum, E.C. (2006) Prevalence of Maltreatment of People with Intellectual Disabilities: A Review of Recently Published Research, Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities. Research Reviews, 12, 57-69. Pachankis, J.E. (2007) The Psychological Implications of Concealing a Stigma: A Cognitive-Affective-Behavioral Model. Psychological Bulletin, 133, 328-345. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.133.2.328
In this article, we’ll reveal everything! Their common point: they are both languages derived from another language: the C language. What kind of language is Java? Officially introduced in 1995 at SunWorld, Java is a programming language that was created by two of Sun Microsystems employees (James Gosling and Patrick Naughton). Java is now owned by Oracle, which bought Sun in 2009. Java is a language that must be compiled: it must go through the JVM (Java Virtual Machine) before being interpreted by the “machine”. Tying a variable consists of identifying the type of data that the variable contains: a string, an integer or comma number, a Boolean (data used to indicate a true or false state) etc. To cite a few examples, applications such as Netflix, Discord, Airbnb, Tesla, BBC or PayPal are coded in JS! Java on the other hand, is a programming language that was originally used for embedded applications. That is, devices that are not considered computers with limited resources (memory, hard disk), such as tablets, on-board computers, etc. Renowned for its reliability, it was also quickly used for server applications requiring high reliability – payment servers for example. Amazon, Facebook, eBay, or LinkedIn, as well as other big names have used or are still using Java. It is also considered the native language of Android mobile apps and offers many features and options, broader than other languages for this type of deployments. Note that another language has emerged for some time: TypeScript. Anyway, in programming languages as in languages, we can’t say one is better than the other, it all depends on what you have to say!
DS will be 10 months on the 24th, and he's just starting to crawl, but he only pushes with one foot, and pulls with one arm (same side of the body). A nurse friend of mine was over today, and said that's a bad sign, that he should be using both sides equally. They were 7 weeks early. Do babies learn to crawl only using one side of the body first, or should I be concerned? my daughter crawled using only one foot for the longest time. now shes running around everywhere. he dr. just giggled at the way she crawled and said each baby learns their own way.. my daughter will be 8 months tomorrow. she started pulling herself like that at 7 months, one arm and one leg...occasionally the other arm too. today she got on all fours and busted ass across the room :) i wouldnt worry yourself too much yet. its always a good idea to get things checked out if your worried but dont stress yourself about it yet. Thank ya'll. I was really excited to see him do it, until my friend told me something was wrong with him. I think he's perfectly fine, but you know how it is when people say things like that. i know how you feel. at my daughters 4 month check up the dr said one of her legs was longer than the other and she would have a limp. i was so worried thinking she will never get to play sports or do things she might want to...(even though my dad had one and was able to just fine) us mommies worry, thats what we are good at. her legs looked perfect to me and the dr hasnt brought it up again. sometimes i wonder why they dont keep their comments to themselves if they arent sure...or atleast reasure us that they could be wrong! Quoting gonzalez10:" i know how you feel. at my daughters 4 month check up the dr said one of her legs was longer than the ... [snip!] ... i wonder why they dont keep their comments to themselves if they arent sure...or atleast reasure us that they could be wrong!" At our 6 month check up the Pedi told us that if they weren't rolling over and sitting alone by their 9 month, that we'd have to be referred to specialists. 9 months appt came, and they were rolling, but not sitting alone (for longer than a few minutes yet), and he didn't mention anything at all about the specialists. He can use both arms to push up on, so it's not like he can't use it. doctors of all people should know babies develop at different paces. my daughter litterally JUST started sitting up before she started crawling and she JUST started crawling before she started standing. my son hardly crawled at all he just started walking at 10 months. my good friend in school had a son who didnt walk until almost 2 or talk. he is 7 now and completely caught up to all the other kids. my son is 3 and just now forming sentences, still very hard to understand. 6 months ago it was pure jibberish. every kid is different, yes there are some things that need to be checked out and could be cause for concern but man they should give the little guys a little time before jumping to conclusions. DD army crawled for like 3 months and would push with her toes on the floor and pull herself with her arms but wouldn't get on her knees for the life of her. lol. so i talked to the pedi and he said babies all have their own way of what is considered crawling and as long as they're trying to at least do it and moving then its fine and usually nothing to worry about. Just enjoy the moment congrats, keep a eye on it but try not to dwell on it. I know it is crazy our daughter was born at 34 weeks and 6 days on June 22nd so 10 months tomorrow and one of her sitters were telling me about a month ago that she should be more mobile for her age, then she added well mabie its because she is a preemie. It is so hard to get it out off your head though, she is all over the place now and just started crawling as well. Enjoy your boys! Quoting Mama Casey:" Just enjoy the moment congrats, keep a eye on it but try not to dwell on it. I know it is crazy our daughter ... [snip!] ... so hard to get it out off your head though, she is all over the place now and just started crawling as well. Enjoy your boys!" I tried not to. I constantly have to remind my friend that they were born at 33 weeks, not full term like her child. They'll be 10 months in 3 days. And now the other one has started, too, but he's using the opposite side of the body as his brother! So I'm sure it's nothing.
\| Lecture 11 Israeli Intelligence and the Yom Kippur War of 1973 The Yom Kippur War of October 1973 was a terrible surprise, which put Israel's security - and even survival - in jeopardy. By the end of the war, Israel had turned the tables and both Cairo and Damascus were under threat. But that did not diminish the sense of shock which shook the nation in the aftermath of the war. How could such a disaster have happened? Israel was supposed to be nearly "invincible", in the minds of many of her military and political leaders. That sense of confidence deflated quickly in the aftermath of the war. Much of the blame fell on the shoulders of the Intelligence community, which was blamed for not accurately assessing clear information that Egypt and Syria planned to go to war on October 6, 1973. Israel's victory in 1967 extended her borders to all of the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, the Golan Heights, and the Sinai Peninsula. Israel set up electronic eavesdropping and early warning stations in the Jordan Valley along the border with Jordan, on Mount Hermon in the Golan Heights, looking into Syria, and along the East Bank of the Suez Canal, which enabled Israel to observe Egyptian forces on the other side. By 1969, the Israeli Air Force was using drones to photograph and monitor Egyptian, Syrian, and later, Jordanian troops. By July of 1969, the Israeli Air Force was called on to engage in deep penetration bombing in the Nile Valley inside of Egypt in response to the continuance of Egypt's declared "War of Attrition." In response to the Israeli Air Force's (IAF) attacks, Egyptian President Nasser asked the Soviets for help in defending Egyptian air space. "The Soviets responded quickly, sending batteries of SAM's (Surface-to-Air), including the latest SAM-3s, with Soviet crews, and squadrons of MiG-21s, with Soviet pilots and ground crews." The Soviets used their MiGs to cover the Egyptian troops along the Suez Canal - as well as to move up their SAM batteries as close to the Israeli side as possible. At first Israel refrained from engaging the Soviet-piloted MIGs. That changed in July 1970, however - when in a clash, the IAF shot down 4 or 5 Soviet MiGs in a dogfight off of the Suez Canal. With the Soviets deeply involved in the defense of Egypt - even to the point of clashing with Israel - the Americans became concerned about a strategic conflagration and negotiated a cease-fire in the form of the Rogers Plan that went into effect on August 7, 1970. This plan called for a freeze of Egyptian and Israeli deployments as of August 7, 1970. The Egyptians broke that part of the agreement the next day, moving their Soviet anti-aircraft batteries close to the banks of the Suez Canal. The Soviets and Egyptians gambled that Israel would not respond so soon after the cease-fire went into effect - and they were right. Israel did nothing. This would have telling effect three years later, when Egyptian anti-aircraft batteries along the Suez Canal pounded the IAF in the first days of the October 1973 War. At the time, in the summer of 1970, however, when "Israel complained to Washington that the Egyptians had breached the agreement, Ray Cline, the head of the State Department intelligence unit…told the White house that the Israeli complaint was baseless. When Israeli Ambassador Yitzhak Rabin told his military attache, General Eli Zeira, what had happened, Zeira immediately asked Tel Aviv to send him a photographic interpreter and a set of aerial photographs showing the Egyptian deployment. These duly arrived in Washington and Zeira was summoned to the White House, where he laid out the evidence before President Nixon. Nixon, angry with Cline, then ordered the Pentagon to remove its veto on several categories of weapons the Israelis had asked for during the preceding months." By mid 1973 Israeli military intelligence was almost completely aware of Arab war plans. They knew that the Egyptian Second and Third Armies would attempt to cross the Suez Canal to a depth of about ten kilometers inside the Israeli side of Sinai. Following the infantry assault, Egyptian armored divisions would then attempt to cross the Suez Canal and advance all the way to the Mitla and Gidi Passes - strategic crossing-points for any army in the Sinai. Naval units and paratroopers would then attempt to capture Sharm el-Sheikh at the southern end of the Sinai. Aman (Israeli Military Intelligence) was also aware of many details of the Syrian war plan. But Israeli analysts did not believe the Arabs were serious about going to war. Even when all the signs indicated that the Arabs were prepared for war, Israeli analysts continued to believe they would not - almost until the day the war broke out. Why did this happen? In the late 1960s and early 1970s, a concept (or "conceptzia", as the Israelis called it) took hold that the Arabs were unwilling to go to war against Israel. The concept was based on the idea that the 1967 War was such an overwhelming victory that the Arabs would not be able to overcome Israel for the time being. Thus even when it appeared clear that the Arabs had aggressive intentions, Israeli analysts refused to believe that the Arabs would actually follow through with them. Part of the reason for Israeli complacency on the eve of the war was due to Arab political and military deception. Egyptian President Anwar Sadat (he had replaced Nasser after his death in 1970) frequently and publicly declared his intention to attack Israel. He called 1971 "the Year of Decision" - but 1971 came and went and Sadat did not attack. In 1972 he continued to make threats of his aggressive intentions towards Israel. By 1973 Sadat had become, in the minds of Israeli Intelligence, "a case of crying wolf." By September and October of 1973, when Egypt really was preparing for war, it was believed that he really was not, because there had been false alarms in the past. Egyptian ministers held talks expressing their peaceful intentions to Western Governments throughout much of 1973. Egyptian military deception was even more effective. Reports were given instructing cadets in military colleges to resume their courses on October 9, and officers were allowed to go on the pilgrimage to Mecca. "On 4 October the Egyptian media reported that 20,000 reservists had been demobilized. Immediately before the assault on the morning of 6 October, the Egyptians deployed special squads of troops along the canal; their task was to move about without helmets, weapons or shirts, and to swim, hang out fishing lines and eat oranges." All of these reports and actions were monitored by Aman - as they were intended to be - and they utterly fooled Israeli Military Intelligence. Even more than that, the Egyptians and Syrians were very careful about who knew of the impending war plans in advance of October 6. In Egypt, only President Sadat and his Minister of War, Ismail Ali, knew about the war plans before October 1. In Syria, no more than ten people - including President Assad, his Minister of War and Commander-in Chief, the Director of Operations, the director of Military Intelligence, the commander of the Air Force and the Commander of the Anti-Aircraft Defense networks - knew about the impending assault on Israel. "Egyptian army corps and divisional commanders, and equivalent General Staff officers, were told of the war on 1 October at a meeting of the Supreme Council of the Egyptian Armed Forces. Their Syrian counterparts learned of the war and D-Day at a similar meeting in Damascus. Brigade and battalion commanders in both armies learned of the imminent offensive only on 5 October or the following morning, on the actual day of the attack. The vast majority of Egyptian and Syrian officers and troops found out only an hour or two before the actual assault." Egyptian and Syrian leaders were so wary of Israel's Signals Interception capabilities that they "refrained completely from exchanging messages by telephone, radio-telephone or cables." Syria also engaged in political deception, but to a far lesser extent than Egypt. For example, "Radio Damascus announced on 4 October that President Assad would begin a nine-day tour of Syria's eastern provinces on 10 October." It appears that while the Egyptians engaged in deception, they didn't put much stock in completely fooling Israel's Intelligence services. "Egyptian intelligence in fact assessed that Israel would have a 'three-to-fifteen day concrete warning ' of the impending attack.'" They expected an Israeli counter-attack 6-8 hours after the start of the Egyptian assault, with 24 hours being the best-case scenario. The Egyptians were wrong about that; Israel was far slower to know about the attack than the Egyptians anticipated, and the Israeli counter-attack did not begin for a full two days after the beginning of the Egyptian assault (code-named "Operation Badr.") The date set for the Egyptian/Syrian assault, October 6, was chosen only on September 12, and perhaps as late as October 1 or 2. In any case, the final timing of the attack - 2 p.m. - was only chosen on October 3. "The Syrians preferred an assault at dawn (with the sun behind their back); the Egyptians preferred sunset. The compromise struck was 2 p.m." As early as April and May 1973, a full six months before the actual combined Egyptian/Syrian attack on the Sinai and Golan fronts, Israeli Intelligence had been picking up clear signals of Egypt's intentions for war. It was recognized that Sadat had the necessary divisions prepared to cross the Suez Canal, he had the bridging equipment to facilitate his army's crossing, and he had SAMs to protect his own divisional crossings from the penetrating raids of the Israeli Air Force. Military Intelligence (Aman) Chief Eli Zeira was most confident in expressing the view that the probability of war was low. Mossad Chief Zvi Zamir was less dismissive of Arab intentions, as were Chief of Staff David Elazar and Defense Minister Moshe Dayan. April and May passed without event, except for a small-scale mobilization of Israeli reserves. This mobilization had been costly, and in terms of actual need, as it turned out, not necessary at the time - except perhaps as a deterrence factor. In August 1973, the Syrians carried out a huge deployment of troops and weaponry along the Golan front, accompanied by "a tightly packed (Surface-to-Air) missile network, which covered the Golan skies as well as the air space above the Syrian divisions." Aman dismissed this deployment as a defensive one against Israeli air strikes. Again, nothing came of it. Military Intelligence's prognosis that war would not break out was correct in the spring and summer of 1973. Therefore, they were believed again in the fall, with catastrophic results. On April 7, 1967, two months before the outbreak of the Six-Day War of June 1967, Israel had shot down six Syrian planes to no Israeli losses in a dogfight above the Golan. On September 13, 1973, Israel shot down 12 Syrian aircraft to 1 Israeli loss when IAF jets were attacked during a reconnaissance mission over Syrian territory. This naturally reinforced the military belief that the Arabs would not attack due to Israel's once-again proven air capability. At the same time, Israel had not yet experienced the effectiveness of the Arab Surface-to Air missile defenses. A few days later, after the September 13 air battle, Aman Chief Eli Zeira argued that the Arabs would not contemplate even a war of attrition before the end of 1975. Egyptian build-ups continued to be explained away as a practice exercise without harmful intentions. But Syrian deployments were more worrying. Even after the battle of September 13, Syrian reinforcements were sent to the Golan accompanied by the cancellation of leaves as well as a simultaneous call-up of Syrian reserves accompanied by a state of alert. All of these developments were worrying, especially to Northern Command. But because "the concept" still held that Syria would not attack without Egypt, and Egypt was not planning to go to war, that meant that Syrian intentions could not really be aggressive in nature. This view held even after US Intelligence in late September sent an assessment that a combined Egyptian-Syrian attack was possible. Israel responded that it was not something to worry about. Nevertheless, Syrian deployments below the Golan Heights were worrying enough for Israel to send more infantry and tanks to the Golan at the end of September. These reinforcements, slight as they were, were to make all the difference between holding the line and utter defeat and an invasion of Northern Israel on the first day of the war. Even these reinforcements were not easy to authorize. Mossad Chief Zamir continued to express his concern over the Syrian build-up in contradistinction to Aman Chief Eli Zeira's tranquilizing assessment of the situation on October 3. "Zamir apparently tried to alert Golda Meir to the situation, but the prime minister told him to talk to Dayan." Dayan was influenced by his own optimistic assessments as well as those of Military Intelligence, and was slow to call up reserves. In the post-war research assessment of Israel's Intelligence failure, it emerged that only one of Aman's researchers refused to be swayed by "the concept." His name was Lieutenant Binyamin Siman-Tov, a junior Military Intelligence officer. He argued that the huge Egyptian deployments and exercises along the Suez Canal "seemed to be camouflage for a real canal-crossing assault." When his first assessment was ignored on October 1, he sent a more comprehensive one on October 3. Both were ignored by his superior, and Siman-Tov, low as he was in the rank of the IDF hierarchy, was to have no influence on the upper-level Intelligence assessments of Egyptian intentions. On October 4, however, Mossad Chief Zvi Zamir began getting more worried. That day, Soviet advisers and their families left both Egypt and Syria. Meanwhile, transport aircraft, apparently filled with military hardware, landed in Damascus on October 5. The night before, aerial photographs revealed that Egyptian and Syrian concentrations of tanks, infantry, and SAMs were at an unprecedented high. Aman "Research Department Officers later described the "'hammer-blow effect the photographs had on them.'" Yet little was done. Perhaps one of the most intriguing aspects of the failure of intelligence to properly assess information is the possibility that as early as September 25, 1973, 12 days before the outbreak of war, "prime minister Golda Meir received a personal warning of the impending Egyptian-Syrian assault from King Hussein of Jordan…" Jordan did send a token force to the Syrian side of the Golan Heights to show his concern for Arab solidarity, but he kept his own front with Israel completely quiet during the war. Israel was thus able to leave a skeleton force of a mere 28 tanks on the Jordan River boundary, enabling Israel's Army and Air Force to concentrate on the direct Syrian and Egyptian threats. Later, on October 5, 1973, at 2:30 a.m., Mossad Chief Zamir received a cable from a trusted source expressing that war was certain. No date or exact time was given, but the message was clear: war was certain. This agent had been described "by one senior Israeli as 'the best agent any country ever had in wartime, a miraculous source…'" The Mossad Bureau Chief, "the first Israeli official to actually see the cable and digest its shattering significance, said later: 'We'd never had anything like it.'" However, Zamir, despite his alarm, did not tell Prime Minister Golda Meir, Defense Minister Moshe Dayan, or Chief of Staff David Elazar about the message. He did inform Aman Chief Eli Zeira of the contents of the message, and expressed his certainty that war was imminent. Yet Zamir decided to go to Europe in order to personally meet the source at midnight on the night of October 5/6. Eli Zeira waited to hear from him before taking any action. At 3:45 a.m., on October 6, Zamir called Zeira over an open telephone line (due to the absence of a cipher clerk at an unknown Israeli embassy in Europe. There were no clerks available due to the Yom Kippur holiday) and informed Zeira war would come that day at sunset. Subsequent analysis revealed that the message was distorted en route to Israel's top military and political leaders, and instead of expressing the certainty that war would break out "in the afternoon hours" or "before sunset", it had become a definite "sunset." Sunset on October 6 was 5:20 p.m., but somehow the hour became fixed as 6 p.m. The source also asserted that the attack would be a combined and simultaneous one of Egyptian and Syrian forces. The attack did not begin at 6 p.m., however; it began at 1:55 p.m., and Israel was woefully unprepared. On the Golan Heights 1400 Syrian tanks and over 1000 artillery pieces faced 177 Israeli tanks and 50 artillery pieces - and only that number was there due to the last-minute partial call-up of reserves. The Egyptians crossed the Suez Canal, easily overcoming Israeli defenses, and established a bridgehead about ten kilometers into the Sinai. Israel fought a tenacious battle on the Golan and turned near-defeat on October 6 to a recapture of almost all of the Golan by the evening of October 7. But Syria's rapid advance towards the Sea of Galilee and Israel's northern settlements unleashed a fear that has been hard for Israel to ever forget. On the Sinai front, Egypt nearly had the Mitla and Gidi passes open to them before sufficient Israeli reserves arrived to defend Israel's southern borders. Military Intelligence had seriously underestimated the lethal effectiveness of the Soviet-made Sagger anti-tank missiles, which the Egyptian infantry used to devastating effect against Israeli armor, as well as the Surface-to-Air Missiles, which both the Egyptians and Syrians used to devastating effect against the Israeli Air Force. Intelligence did pick up on certain changes that had occurred on the battlefield during the war, but it was mainly the courage, ingenuity, and leadership of the armed forces on Israel's southern and northern fronts that enabled Israel to turn the tide of battle. Within two days, the tide had turned on the Golan front. It took more than a week, but by the middle of October Israel had turned the tide in the Sinai, pummeling Egyptian armor, and had crossed the Suez Canal to destroy Egypt's defenses from the rear. By late October, both Cairo and Damascus were exposed to an Israeli advance, and only dire Soviet threats and Superpower intervention put an end to the hostilities and certain and complete Egyptian and Syrian defeat. While the tide turned, the failure of Intelligence has never been forgotten in Israel. Many lessons were learned, and many people in the Intelligence community were fired. In 1982, during Israel's invasion of Lebanon, Intelligence was right up on Syrian defenses and destroyed them far more easily than was done in 1973. But the misconceptions and even hubris that dominated the thinking of Israel's military and political leaders at the time has been tempered by a far greater wariness of Arab intentions after the devastating surprise Egyptian-Syrian attack on October 6, 1973. 1). Ian Black and Benny Morris - Israel's Secret Wars: A History of Israel's Intelligence Services 2). Dennis Eisenberg, Uri Dan, and Eli Landau - The Mossad: Inside Stories 3). Dan Raviv and Yossi Melman - Every Spy a Prince: The Complete History of Israel's Intelligence Community. 4). Stewart Steven - The Spymasters of Israel
After bubbly cleaning fluids vanish down our channels, they are treated alongside sewage and other waste water at city treatment plants, at that point released into close-by conduits. Most fixings in synthetic cleaners separate into innocuous substances during treatment or soon a short time later. Others, in any case, don’t, compromising water quality or fish and other untamed life. In a May 2002 investigation of contaminants in stream water tests the nation over, the U.S. Topographical Survey found tireless cleanser metabolites in 69% of streams tried. Sixty-six percent contained disinfectants. The cleanser metabolites the USGS distinguished were individuals from a class of synthetic compounds called alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEs). Chimps, which incorporate nonylphenol ethoxylates and octylphenol ethoxylates, are surfactants, or “surface dynamic operators” that are critical to cleansers’ adequacy. They are added to some clothing cleansers, disinfectants, clothing stain removers, and citrus cleaner/degreasers. At the point when released in city waste water, nonylphenol ethoxylates and octylphenol ethoxylates separate into nonylphenol and octylphenol, which are progressively lethal and don’t promptly biodegrade in soil and water. Primates have been appeared to imitate the hormone estrogen, and their quality in water might hurt the propagation and survival of salmon and other fish. For instance, in Britain, analyst John Sumpter found that male fish presented to APEs in streams were delivering female egg-yolk proteins. Gorilla contamination might undermine fish in the U.S. also, for octylphenol and nonylphenol were the cleanser metabolites that the USGS recognized in 69% of streams tried here. Such pervasiveness may not look good for people, either: the APE p-nonylphenol has likewise caused estrogen-touchy bosom disease cells to multiply in test tubes. Another well known water toxin is phosphates, water-mellowing mineral added substances that were once generally utilized in clothing cleansers and different cleaners. At the point when phosphates enter conduits, they go about as a manure, bringing forth excess of green growth. This excess of amphibian vegetation in the end drains the water’s oxygen supply, executing off fish and different creatures. Albeit numerous states have prohibited phosphates from clothing cleansers and some different cleaners, they are as yet utilized in programmed dishwasher cleansers. Another ecological worry with cleaning product is that many use synthetic compounds that are oil based, adding to the consumption of this non-sustainable asset and expanding our country’s reliance on imported oil. The plastic containers used to bundle cleaning product represent another natural issue by adding to the hills of strong waste that must be landfilled, burned or, in insufficient cases, reused. Most cleaners are packaged in high-thickness polyethylene (HDPE, meant by the #2 inside the reusing triangle) or polyethylene terephthalate (PETE, #1) which are acknowledged for reusing in a developing number of networks. Be that as it may, some are packaged in polyvinyl chloride (PVC, #3). PVC, also called vinyl, is produced using malignant growth causing synthetic substances, for example, vinyl chloride, and it frames as a side-effect a powerful cancer-causing agent, dioxin, during creation and cremation. As a last affront, most sanitation offices don’t acknowledge PVC for reusing; under 1% of all PVC is reused every year. Family unit Cleaning Supplies What to search for A couple of sheltered, basic fixings like cleanser, water, heating soft drink, vinegar, lemon juice and borax, helped by some honest effort and a coarse wipe for scouring, can deal with most family unit cleaning needs. Furthermore, they can set aside you heaps of cash squandered on superfluous, particular cleaners! Hence, we’ve given plans to do-it-without anyone’s help cleaners under most item classifications (See Product Comparisons).
A closer view of the GOES-14 Visible (0.63 µm) images (below; also available as a large 85 Mbyte animated GIF) revealed the rapid motion of low-altitude clouds when gaps in the high-altitude clouds were present. Very strong winds were caused by the strong pressure gradient, with gusts as high as 72 mph, and a large Royal Caribbean cruise ship experienced some damage due to the winds (media report 1 \| media report 2). The corresponding GOES-14 Water Vapor (6.5 µm) images, which also extend further in time after dark, are available here.A comparison of 1-km resolution POES AVHRR Visible (0.86 µm) and Infrared (12.0 µm) images at 2202 UTC (below) displayed greater detail of the classic “cusp” signature of high clouds, indicative of an intensifying surface cyclone (VISIT lesson). At the time, wind gusts to 60 knots were seen at one the buoys off the coast of North Carolina. At 0137 UTC, a closed-off low level circulation center could be seen on a POES AVHRR Infrared (12.0 µm) image (below).Additional information on this storm can be found on the Satellite Liaison Blog.
Sigmund Freud defined an illusion as beliefs that are derrived from human wishes. “We call a belief an illusion when a wish-fullfillment is a prominent factor in its motivation, and in doing so we disregard its relations to reality” (Future of an Illusion, 38-40). Freud said that we tell ourselves that it would be nice if there were a God that is good to us. These ideas were very similar to those of Ludwig Feurbach, who said that religion is an outward projection of what is inside man. However, as Geisler points out, “We can tell ourselves that it would we wonderful if there were no hell or no final day of judgment at which we will be held accountable for all our deeds, but we shouldn’t fail to note that this is exactly what we naturally want to be true” (ST, 4:317) C. S. Lewis said: “There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, “Thy will be done” and those to whom God says, in the end, “Thy will be done.” All that are in Hell, choose it. Without that self-choice there could be no Hell. No soul that seriously and constantly desires joy will ever miss it. Those who seek find. To those who knock, it is opened.” (Great Divorce, 69) The one who refuses Godl ” has his wish–to live wholly in the self and to make the best of what he finds there. And wht he finds there is Hell.” (Problem of Pain, 111). “A damned soul is nearly nothing: it is shrunk, shut up in itself. Good beats upon the damned incessantly as sound waves beat on the ears of the deaf, but they cannot receive it. Their fists are clenched, their teeth are clenched, their eyes fast shut. First they will not, in the end they cannot, open their hands for gifts, or their moutns for food, or their eyes to see. (Great Divorce, 127) “I willingly believe that the damned are, in one sense, successful, rebels to the end; that the doors of hell are locked on the inside. I do not mean that the ghosts may not wish to come out of Hell . . . but the certainly do not will even the first preliminary stages of that self-abandonment through which alone the soul can reach any good. They enjoy forever the horrible freedom they have demanded, and are therefore self–enslaved. (Problem of Pain, 115-116) Geisler says that human dignity demands a Hell: “God created humans to be free, because He will not (cannot) force people into heaven against this freedom, human dignity demands a hell. Jesus cried out “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those who sent you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing.” He also said that “there are people who cannot stand to go to church one hour a week. What kind of a God would force people to go to church for all eternity?” Fredrich Nietzsche is often quoted as saying “Better to reign in Hell than serve in heaven.” In Sartre’s play, No Exit, the door to hell is opened in the middle of the play. No one leaves, for they are there willingly. Jesus speaks of Hell: “As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of His kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil.” (Matthew 13:40-41) “This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the firey furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 13:49-50) So what can we conclude? That Hell is a real place, a place that is dark, we are alone, and our bodies are burning forever. And tthe clear statement from both atheists and theists are that it is better to have free will and willingly be separated from God’s goodness forever, which is called Hell, than to be forced to be in God’s presence forever. Everyone who goes to Hell goes there willingly, and would have it no other way. Of course, you don’t have to go to Hell………there is a way out.
UNDP Climate Change Adaptation Bulletin Features Latin American Initiatives April 2013: The UN Development Programme (UNDP) has issued the March edition of its quarterly bulletin on climate change adaptation activities, featuring project work in Ecuador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Uruguay. The Climate Change Adaptation Bulletin provides an overview of the work of UNDP and the Global Environment Facility (GEF) to bring about policy and institutional change for climate change adaptation at the national, sub-national and community levels. The March issue, number 12 in the series, features stories from country-led adaptation initiatives in Latin America. The issue also features a project video from Fiji as part of the Pacific Adaptation to Climate Change (PACC) initiative, and announcements, including UNFCCC Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres' visit to UNDP Fiji and to a PACC Fiji project site. The quarterly publication includes updates on the status of ongoing projects, approvals of new projects, performance indicators, project impacts and results, and announcements. UNDP is a GEF implementing agency, supporting countries in addressing development, climate and ecosystem sustainability through assessment, programme and project formulation, mobilization of co-financing, management and evaluation. [Publication: UNDP Climate Change Adaptation Bulletin] [UNDP-GEF Website]
Patients on higher doses of opioid painkillers are more likely to accidentally overdose than those prescribed lower doses, a new study finds. Those who were prescribed more than 100 milligrams of painkillers a day overdosed more than people limited to 1 to 20 milligrams, researchers at the Department of Veterans Affairs in Ann Arbor, Mich., found. The trend stayed true whether the patient had acute pain, chronic pain, a substance abuse problem or cancer. White, middle-age men were statistically more likely to overdose. But the number of overdoses was relatively small. In the study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Assn. on Wednesday, researchers estimated that about 0.04% of patients actually overdosed, or about 1 in 2,500 people. Their findings were based on an analysis of about 155,000 patients who were prescribed opioid therapy for pain through the Veterans Health Administration in 2004 or 2005. The findings may seem obvious, but for patients living in constant pain, lowering the daily dose could be unbearable -- and doctors must constantly weigh the risks. The researchers say in their conclusion: “The risk of opioid overdose should continue to be evaluated relative to the need to reduce pain and suffering and be considered along with other risk factors.” And that’s the heart of it — how to balance pain control against risk of overdose. The FDA offers these three steps in its guide to the safe use of pain medicine: -Keep your doctor informed of any past history of substance abuse. -Follow directions carefully. Crushing or breaking pills changes the rate the medication is absorbed. The researchers mention that especially in cancer patients, pain can be unpredictable, and taking medicine when the pain hits might lead to overdose. -Reduce the risk of drug interactions. Don’t mix with alcohol, antihistamines, barbiturates, or benzodiazepines. Preventing accidental overdoses won’t be resolved soon. Neither will the need to control pain. A good next step, say the authors, would be more frequent follow-up visits—with urine drug tests—and a more detailed history of past substance use. But don’t necessarily lower the dose.
Format: paper and electronic, click "Buy this Book" for pricing options This book is a comprehensive guide to the natural history of the North Slope, the only arctic tundra in the United States. The first section provides detailed information on climate, geology, landforms, and ecology. The second provides a guide to the identification and natural history of the common animals and plants and a primer on the human prehistory of the region from the Pleistocene through the mid-twentieth century. The appendix provides the framework for a tour of the natural history features along the Dalton Highway, a road connecting the crest of the Brooks Range with Prudhoe Bay and the Arctic Ocean, and includes mile markers where travelers may safely pull off to view geologic formations, plants, birds, mammals, and fish. Featuring hundreds of illustrations that support the clear, authoritative text, Land of Extremes reveals the arctic tundra as an ecosystem teeming with life. This comprehensive account and guide to the biology and natural history of Alaska’s North Slope contains wonderful and authoritative detail of practically every animal and plant species, the geology, and the human history of a fascinating part of Earth…I have been visiting and doing research on the North Slope for twenty-five years, yet l learned something new on almost —Brian Barnes, Director, Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks Well researched and well written, without heavy use of scientific jargon, and beautifully illustrated with color photographs. This is far more than a standard guide to the area. . . . Highly recommended. Alexander Huryn is a freshwater ecologist and a committed field naturalist who has worked extensively in the Smoky Mountains, New Zealand, Panama, the Alaska Arctic, and Iceland. John Hobbie is a senior scholar at the Ecosystems Center, Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. He is a founding researcher of the Toolik Field Station in Alaska and former director of the Arctic Long-Term Ecological Research Project there. The University of Alaska Fairbanks is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer and educational institution and is a part of the University of Alaska system. UAF does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, national origin, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, physical or mental disability, marital status, changes in marital status, pregnancy or parenthood, genetic code or retaliation. This policy affects employment policies, as well as the delivery of educational services. Contact information, applicable laws, and complaint procedures are included on UAF's statement of non-discrimination.
A Brief History The Falkenberg family in Sweden is separated into three main branches (living today):Falkenberg af Trystorp (friherrlig=barons), Falkenberg af Bålby (grevlig=counts) and a branch which is noble without inheritable titles (adlig) also (due to adoption) called Falkenberg af Bålby.The numbers under the image of the Coat of Arm (eg. Falkenberg af Trystorp, friherrliga ätten nr 255) simply indicate in which order the titles have been registered at the House of Nobles.The Falkenberg af Trystorp line is descended from Conradt von Falkenberg (b. 1591) while the Falkenberg af Bålby line are offspring of his brother Melchior (b. 1597). The brothers came to Sweden from Livonia (Latvia) as young boys with their father Heindrich. The origin of the family is German from the region Mark Brandenburg, north of Berlin. In this region persons with the Falkenberg name are known from 1258, but it is not known how or if they are related to us. Our line starts with Diedrich von Falkenberg (1450).The von was dropped in the 17th century.The spelling of the name Falkenberg also varied in the early generations as you can see in the report. One line goes up to Charles the Great (Karolus Magnus or Charlemagne), coronated as Roman Emperor year 800.Other lines include Saints, Holy Roman Emperors, Byzantine Emperors, Grand Princes, Kings and Dukes.The family tree increases exponentially once it has reached into these Royal Houses since meticulous records have been kept for the nobility in Europe since the early Middle Ages.Any lines prior to Charlemagne (and there are some in the genealogies that we can claim descent from – one bloodline of particular interest shows descent from the Roman Emperor Claudius and through him to Octavian, or the Emperor Augustus) become increasingly dubious. The “Trystorp” coat of arms has a boat in the upper right corner.This is from the coat of arms of the family Bonde (the name actually means farmer or peasant, even if one member of this family once was king of Sweden). The chess-squares in silver (or white) and red are the old Falkenberg arms. It is common that the old coat of arms is simple.It had to be for practical usage as they were used for identification on the battlefield.Later, when only being used for decoration, it was popular to add new parts when receiving higher titles, and preferentially these parts were added from the coats of arms of more famous families if there was a relationship. This naturally went in and out of fashion.When the Bålby branch of the family were made counts in the 1770s,the king loved to play knight games, and thus the family retained only have the original shield.However, the number of helmets on the shield tells the rank; one - noble without title; two – barons; three – counts, which is the highest noble title in Sweden aside from royal titles. I am attempting to trace all descendants of Baron Gerhard Knut Alfrid Falkenberg in North America.Gerhard came to New York and later Quebec City as the Swedish-Norwegian Consul to British North America.He married Elizabeth Kimball, daughter of Mary Howard and Timothi Kimball "gentleman and land proprietor" of New York. I am also attempting to trace ancestors and descendants of George Millward McDougall or his father David McDougall.George McDougall was involved and in part responsible for the orderly settlement of the Canadian prairies and was one of the first settlers on the site that is now Edmonton.I would love to hear from any of his descendants. On my mother's side I am interested in the Woody line.I am also interested in the Labossiere family. Other names of interest (all names are of interest!) are: James Dean (shipbuilder partnered with a man name Gillespie) and his wife Annie Coffin of Montreal.
Tomatillo Plant Grubs The tomatillo (Physalis ixocarpa or Physalis philadelphica), also known as husk-tomato, is prized for the edible green or purple fruits it produces in husks that turn brown when the fruit is mature. A relative of the tomato, tomatillos have the same general cultural requirements as tomatoes and most other solanaceous crops. They also share a few grub-like pests, the tomato fruitworm and the three-lined potato beetle. Identifying the Tomato Fruitworm The adult of the tomato fruitworm (Helicoverpa zea), also known as the corn earworm, is a tan to brown moth with spotted or marked wings with a wingspan slightly larger than an inch. Larvae begin as whitish caterpillars with a black head and hairs before they become yellowish-green to nearly black with fine white lines and hairs growing out of black spots. Fruitworm eggs are laid singly on both leaf surfaces on the upper portion of the plant and begin white but darken just before larvae hatch. Larvae enter and feed on the fruit, leaving a watery internal cavity filled with feces and forcing fruit to ripen prematurely. Tomato Fruitworm Control Regular monitoring for eggs and larvae that have not yet entered fruit is important, as control is only effective before the larvae enter the tomatillo fruit where they are protected. Numerous beneficial fruitworm predators and parasites offer control of this pest. If the fruitworm's eggs turn black, they have been parasitized; where most of the eggs are black, chemical control is likely unnecessary. For chemical control, a spray of spinosad or Bacillus thuringiensis is applied so the material is present when eggs hatch. Where the pest could persist, repeat applications every five to seven days are warranted. Identifying the Three-lined Potato Beetle Both adults and larvae of teh three-lined potato beetle (Lema trilineata) can cause significant damage to tomatillo foliage when numbers are high. This pest chews irregular notches in leaf margins and holes in the central leaf area, sometimes consuming the entire leaf except for the mid-vein. Adults are 1/4 inch long, orange-yellow beetles with three black stripes. They lay yellow-orange eggs in clusters generally located along the vein on the undersides of leaves. Larvae tend to feed in groups, resemble slugs with legs and black heads and cover themselves with their own excrement. Three-lined Potato Beetle Control Removing nearby weeds that could harbor this pest, rotating crops between growing seasons and covering tomatillos with row covers or other netting can minimize the presence of this beetle. In small areas, hand-picking and destroying eggs, larvae and adults may provide adequate control. If warranted, thoroughly spraying the infested tomatillos with a product that contains insecticidal soap, carbaryl, neem oil, permethrin, bifenthrin or pyrethrin according to manufacturer instructions addresses three-lined potato beetles. The vegetable leafminer (Liriomyza trifolii) is the larvae of a small black and yellow fly. The adult lays an egg in the leaf surface that hatches into a yellow maggot with black hooks that feeds between the leaf surfaces, leaving a serpentine mine filled with black fecal matter. After about seven days of feeding the larva exits the leaf and drops to the ground to pupate, emerging as an adult in one to two weeks. Injured leaves drop prematurely and a heavily-infested tomatillo can suffer major leaf loss that can reduce fruit yield. The best leafminer control is achieved by conserving the population of natural leafminer predators and parasites by avoiding the use of broad-spectrum insecticides. - Purdue University: Tomatillo - University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources: Tomatillo Production in California - University of California Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program: Leafminers on Tomato - University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension: Three-Lined Potato Beetle - Utah State University Cooperative Extension: Small Fruits & Vegetables IPM Advisory - August 26, 2010 - University of California Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program: Tomato Fruitworm Angela Ryczkowski is a professional writer who has served as a greenhouse manager and certified wildland firefighter. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in urban and regional studies.
UN fears 11 typhoid cases in Syria are 'tip of the iceberg' The U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees warned Thursday that 11 typhoid cases among civilians from a besieged Palestinian refugee camp on the outskirts of the Syrian capital may be just "the tip of the iceberg." Medical teams from the U.N. Relief and Works Agency in Yalda, an area east of the Yarmouk camp hosting displaced Palestinian refugees and Syrian civilians, confirmed six typhoid cases on Tuesday and five cases on Wednesday. UNRWA said there were "credible reports" of a typhoid outbreak in the region with suspected cases in Yarmouk, Yalda and two other areas, Babila and Beit Sahem. UNRWA spokesman Christopher Gunness said the agency has not had access to Yarmouk since March 28 and has not gotten to other adjacent areas except Yalda. "We fear that the cases we are seeing are the tip of the iceberg, which is a source of grave concern, given that in contexts such as Yarmouk, typhoid can be a killer," Gunness told The Associated Press. "We cannot allow this contagion to go unaddressed." According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, typhoid is caused by the bacteria Salmonella typhi which is spread by eating contaminated food or drinking contaminated water. It is usually treated with antibiotics, but can be fatal in some cases without treatment. UNRWA Commissioner-General Pierre Krahenbuhl said in June that the Palestinian refugee population in Yarmouk dropped from 160,000 when the Syrian war began in 2011 to 18,000 before the Islamic State extremist group entered the camp in early April—and several thousand have fled since then. Gunness again urged full humanitarian access to Yarmouk "so that we can treat its embattled civilians, now threatened with a killer disease." "Who knows how many women, children, the elderly, the extremely vulnerable may be at death's door," he said. © 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
What is an urban tree canopy? From the USDA Forest Service: Urban Tree Canopy (UTC) refers to the layer of tree leaves, branches, and stems that provide tree coverage of the ground when viewed from above. Today, many communities are planting trees in an effort to become more sustainable and livable. Improving a city’s urban tree canopy can have numerous benefits, including reducing summer peak temperatures and air pollution, enhancing property values, providing wildlife habitat, providing aesthetic benefits, and improving social ties among neighbors. A robust tree canopy can also attract businesses and residents. San Diego needs a lot more trees, especially the type that provides a canopy. The difference is stark between older neighborhoods (think Golden Hill) vs newer suburban neighborhoods. The lack of trees is especially noticeable in my district (D5). Personally, I find places with tree canopies to be noticeably cooler during the summer. In places with urban heat islands, the tree canopy provides relief. I’ve linked the current Urban Forestry Program: 5 year plan. If you wanted to nerd out on ArcGis: View our tree canopy here. The City of San Diego added one Urban Forester within the past few years. That’s one person for a huge city with little funding allocated. When it comes to planting and maintaining trees in our region there are some key areas to address: - Workforce development to properly train folks how & when to plant trees - Community education on benefits of trees, cost, & frequency of watering - Funding and public-private partnerships to get it done. Tree San Diego and the City have relied heavily on CALFIRE grants to plant and water trees. We should do more as a City. There is a huge opportunity for jobs, reduction in energy use, and increased quality of life. The two biggest gaps I see are lack of watering comprehension and lack of trees planted on private property. Does planting more trees make neighborhoods more susceptible to fire? I thought this ought to be addressed. The short answer is: It does if they aren’t maintained and the trees fall on power lines. That is how many of the recent fires started up-and-down the state. So what should we do? Step 1: defensible space around all structures Step 2: maintain trees properly, and promptly remove dead or dying trees, which become fire fuel Step 3: Get rid of investor owned utilities Also, read this: Want to Fireproof your house? I will ensure the Urban Forestry program gets increased funding, staffing time, and effort. San Diego needs to generate a strong long-range plan to achieve stated goals. We should look at examples of places that have done it well: Sacramento has excellent programs of tree giveaways. They mastered planting trees and shifting community consciousness. We also have to look introspectively at our personal relationships with trees. As a kid, I thought it was odd that my dad grew trees and vegetables in our backyard, until I realized other Chinese families did this as well. There’s an established internal relationship with nature that my dad inherited from his childhood. I hope our tree culture and best practices become something worth passing down to future generations.
Wall Street Journal Article. April 18, 2013 By RUSSELL GOLD U.S. carbon-dioxide emissions have fallen dramatically in recent years, in large part because the country is making more electricity with natural gas instead of coal. Energy-related emissions of carbon dioxide, the greenhouse gas that is widely believed to contribute to global warming, have fallen 12% between 2005 and 2012 and are at their lowest level since 1994, according to a recent estimate by the Energy Information Administration, the statistical arm of the U.S. Energy Department. Natural gas emits half as much carbon dioxide as coal when used to make electricity, though the calculation fails to take into account the release of methane from natural-gas wells and pipelines, which also contributes to climate change. Few people predicted this drop in carbon emissions. “Everybody just figured that emissions were just going to continue to increase rapidly,” says Ted Nordhaus, chairman of the Breakthrough Institute, an energy and climate think tank based in Oakland, Calif. “Nobody was expecting the worst recession since the Great Depression, but also no one was really expecting this remarkable shift from coal to gas either.” Last year, 30% of power in the U.S. came from burning natural gas, up from 19% in 2005, driven by drilling technologies that have unlocked large and inexpensive new supplies of the fuel. More of this article is available here: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324763404578430751849503848.html?KEYWORDS=rise+in+US+gas+production
If someone or something is attacking you and you need help, you yell for help and hope someone hears you. You may also wave your hands and jump up and down or even run as fast as you can, all to save yourself and get help from somebody else. Some animals will also use some sort of warning of danger or call for help. Prairie dogs and meerkats will squeak out an alarm signal when threatened. Muskox will stamp their feet and snort and then form a protective circle to protect their young. Deer will stamp their feet and snort to warn off danger and signal others. Many species of monkeys will yell and scream to warn the rest of the troop that there is danger approaching. But what does a plant do when it is under attack? They don’t have brains to think about what to do, nor can they yell, wave their leaves, stomp their roots or get up and run away. Researchers in Europe have been studying plants and how they defend themselves by sending out chemical distress signals. One of the plants they studied is black mustard, which is in the same genus as cabbage. When the cabbage white butterflies land on the plant leaves and prepare to lay their eggs, the black mustard gives off a chemical distress signal. The chemical signal attracts two different species of parasitic wasps that just love butterfly eggs and caterpillars. As the plant continues to give off the chemical signal, other butterflies detect the warning and will avoid laying their eggs on the same plant. The researchers also discovered that the chemical distress signal is somewhat specific to that particular butterfly. When the cabbage moth landed on the same plant and began to lay their eggs, the plant did not send out the distress signal. Cabbage moth caterpillars do not cause as much damage to the plants as do the butterfly caterpillars and somehow the plant is able to tell the two apart before the eggs hatch into caterpillars. My question to evolutionists is how do the black mustard plants know the difference between the cabbage white butterflies and cabbage moths? I would also ask them how the plants knew they had to evolve the one chemical that would attract the right parasitic wasps that would protect them from the butterfly caterpillars. How many plants died evolving the wrong chemical signal before one of them finally got it right? The only explanation for such a plant defense mechanism is that they were created that way from the very beginning by our infinitely wise Creator God. He specifically designed the black mustard with the ability to identify the right predator, produce the right chemical to attract the right wasp that would destroy the eggs and caterpillars of the harmful butterflies. Isn’t our God absolutely marvelous? Plant Calls in Wasps to Kick Some Butterfly Butt Join Arkie the Archaeopteryx as he flies through an ancient jungle and meets many unique creatures that are also not missing links. This delightful adventure helps children look at the natural world through a biblical lens, giving glory to God. Hardback, 48 pages
Literature Essay Topics In this kind of essay you have to give not only information on a certain topic but also an argument with its advantages and disadvantages. The main idea of this essay is to persuade the reader to take your side. The topic has to contain an argument, adequate support with facts, statistics, and historical examples. You need to remember that your feelings can not be supported with any actual facts so donít build your essay around your attitudes towards a certain issue. On the writing stage in the beginning you have to present your topic. Include a brief explanation of the issue with some historical background and a thesis statement. In the argumentative essay statement of your position will make a thesis. In the body part present both of the controversial sides with some supporting evidence. Give the strongest evidence on your point of view to make your side stand out significantly. Conclusion is there for you to sum everything up and give your point of view once again but in different words. The main rules for this kind of essay are: use only true evidence, donít make it up; do not use emotional language; choose the topic that really matters to you, something you are interested in so you will put some effort in research and writing process; donít claim to be an expert if you are not really one; quote reliable sources. Using this easy guideline try to express your viewpoint and persuade the reader to take your side. This task is not easy but if you are able to get somebody convinced then you know how to write an argumentative essay. © 2005-2011, GoodEssayTopics.com
When you are assigned an essay or another type of writing assignment, you might feel completely overwhelmed. Fortunately, there are plenty of great writing strategies to help you get through your assignments in one piece and ensure that you write something that is engaging and worthy of a good grade. Having a wealth of great writing tips is helpful when essay writing, or any other form of academic writing, has been assigned to you. Fortunately, there are many writing strategies that can help you learn writing skills in college. The following 35 writing strategies cover how to get started, how to research, how to prepare for writing, how to write your paper, and how to finish it off. Take a look through these strategies to use in writing and pick and select the ones you feel will work the best for you. Whether you choose your topic, or a topic is assigned, your primary task is to know how to perform research properly to manage to gather relevant sources to craft a thorough and informative essay. The process might begin with you choosing of being assigned a topic. Your goal here is to collect as much appropriate information as possible. Here is a list of writing strategies to help you do that. - Whenever possible, choose a topic of your interest. In the case you are assigned a specific topic, you can still choose an interesting angle or an unusual perspective. - While this might not seem like one of the most obvious examples of writing strategies, always feel free to ask for help, don’t be afraid of asking. If you don’t think you know how to follow the requirements, you should ask your instructor. - Make good use of the internet. If your professor has provided any links as sources, then you should use them for sure and expand from there. Remember to use only credible sources. Not all guidelines, articles, and research found on the Internet are provided by writing professionals or experts in your subject matter. And remember that the Internet can be an incredible source of inspiration. The Muse can jump out from where you least expect it. Sometimes the social media sites, such as Pinterest or Reddit can be quite inspiring and useful. - Libraries are still very relevant when researching for an assignment. A library is an incredibly valuable place if you have to get a wide understanding of the subject. Start in the reference section and make use of general resources. Search the library’s catalog. Finally, take a trip to “the stacks” and browse the shelves in your subject area to see what titles are available. Owl Purdue also provides some great tips on how to conduct research. And now that you know how to research, you have to do move on to the next stage—do something with all those sources and information you have uncovered. Sometimes, getting started is the most challenging part of a writing assignment, especially when you have to pick your own topic. Knowing what is expected of you and having a good idea of what interests you are crucial. But that’s not all: Effective writing strategies include learning brainstorming techniques that will help you narrow down your essay topic and sift through the information your research has uncovered so you can identify only relevant and up to date information. Check out the following writing strategies for students that offer brainstorming techniques and teach you how to start organizing that information. - The first of the strategies helpful to master your writing skills is to use the free-writing technique. Take a pen and a piece of paper, relax, and just write down your stream of consciousness for a selected topic. It can be clumsy or grammatically incorrect, but who cares if it works for you and helps you to focus. Try to generate as many ideas relevant to your topic as possible. Never mind how good the ideas are. At this stage, the more ideas, the better. Write down even the silliest ideas coming to your head. Set a timer if you wish. When your time is over, carefully check what you have written and evaluate all the ideas. Choose only the best ideas to include in your assignment. - Try mind-mapping. In the middle of the sheet of paper, draw your question and use lines to connect that question to relevant ideas, words and images. These ideas, words, and images might branch out to other ideas. Write them all down and connect them to one another. In such a way, you will find out the trend in the ideas that will help direct you in researching and writing your paper. - Begin constructing paragraphs using the information and data from your research and brainstorming sessions. You can distribute the information you have chosen to use between paragraphs. Note how many paragraphs you will need and which points you will use in each. - Finally, you can come up with a topic sentence you will use for each paragraph. Topic sentences are handy when you want to save time because it provides you with a summary of what you wish to include in the paragraph. For more information on how to organize the information you have, check out what the Walden University has to say. Well, it is time for the main event. Stayed tuned for strategies that will help you better understand the act of writing. Yes, it is inevitable. You do have to begin writing now, but as long as you have done the previous steps well, including conducting thorough research and brainstorming extensively, you will be well organized and have plenty about which to write. But here’s the thing: Writing can still be a complicated process, even when you are organized and know the above writing techniques. For this reason, you need to have a good grasp of the following writing strategies to ensure you can write something that is intelligent, meaningful and expresses your views appropriately. - Use active voice whenever possible. Towson University gives a great description of active and passive voice in writing. Writing in the active voice demonstrates that there is a subject (someone or something) and that this subject is conduction the action expressed by the verb. The opposite is when the subject is being acted upon, which is the passive voice. Keep in mind that the active voice is much more potent and is the preferred voice. - Do not hide the doer of the action using these phrases—“there is” and “there are.” (For instance, you have to write “Three ways exist to tackle the problem” instead of writing “There are three ways to tackle the problem”.) - Do not confuse your readers by starting sentences with phrases like “It has been…,” like “It has been hypothesized that…” A reader cannot understand who has done the hypothesizing. Since it is obvious that a hypothesis must have an author, start your sentence with the author’s name and give the proper reference at the end of the sentence: “John Doe hypothesized that…(Doe, 2005)” - Avoid redundant words. You should delete any redundant words, such as “completely,” “extremely,” and “absolutely” in the majority of situations. - Make sure your writing is clear. The reader needs to understand all the points you have made. - Ensure your writing is concise. Avoid using general statements to make your readers think that there is more valuable information than there actually is; stick to the point. - Your writing must be precise. Your written work has to communicate the meaning you intend to get across to the reader. - Remember that accuracy is important. Be sure to double-check facts before using them. - Approach your writing with honesty. Good writing has to be free of prejudice and has to reference all sources of information. - Don’t edit while you are writing because you will interrupt the flow. You can save the editing until after you are finished writing your rough draft. - If you have difficulty writing the introduction, simply skip it. It is absolutely fine to start writing with the main part or the body of the essay and go back to the introduction when you are ready. - When teaching writing to struggling writers, the significant thing is the usage a variety of words when writing, so be sure to look up synonyms for words you find repetitive. It’s amazing how effective and inspiring a synonyms search can be. Look for synonyms in online dictionaries or choose the synonyms suggestion option in MS Word. Check out the University of New South Wales for more essay writing information. The writing will take care of itself, as long as you can focus. It is easy to lose focus when you are working. Either you are working and becoming tired and unable to concentrate, or you are procrastinating, finding other things to do than actually settling down to write. It is critical that you focus and be highly productive during your work time. How do you accomplish this? You must understand how your brain works, you need to minimize distractions, and you need to keep yourself motivated. These tips for struggling writers are some of the writing skills that are useful in college. They can help you stay focused. - Work with the rhythms of your brain. The human brain goes through a cycle called the ultradian cycle, which takes it through periods of active concentration and focus and then into periods during which it needs rest. Fast Company explains that the natural cycle is to work for 90 minutes and then rest your mind for 20 minutes. You will then be energized enough to work for another 90 minutes. If you take advantage of this natural cycle, you will always be working at peak efficiency, and you won’t lose focus and waste your time. - When you do take breaks during your writing time, doing some form of exercise is important. Stand up and do a couple of stretches or go for a walk. Sing, dance, wave your hands or even scream. It will help you wake up and complete your essay as soon as possible. - If you are working in a place with various distractions, then listening to music is a good idea. Music can help you reduce tension and concentrate. Make sure you don’t start singing because it can be very distracting. Choose tracks without lyrics or songs in another language. - Block out all potential distractions. If you don’t need to use the internet, then work offline. If you do need to have access to the internet to do research, then close any tabs related to your email and social media. Oh, and turn off your phone! All the Twitter updates and text messages can wait. Avoid drinking too much liquid because bathroom breaks can be very disruptive. Basically, avoid anything that could distract you during a work session. - Plan something fun to do for after you are done with your work. Sometimes, an immediate reward means a lot. Think of what you will do after you finish that essay because this will motivate you to write faster. Promise yourself that you will take a walk, eat a treat, or call a friend and your writing will move at lightening speed. Knowing that you have to complete your project by a certain time can be very motivating, but knowing you have something exciting to do when it’s done can be even more motivating. With this in mind, just get your work done and enjoy life! - Use the carrot and stick method to keep yourself motived through each work session. This approach is effective. Praise yourself if you start early and punish yourself if you fail to start on time. Be ruthless. Stick options include not using Facebook for a day or two or working out longer than one hour. Carrot options could be eating a nice treat or watching your favorite series or funny cat videos. - Think of the worst consequences of failing that essay and let these motivate you. What might happen if things go absolutely wrong? Will you fail the entire course? Will you have to drop out of college? - Compete with someone. Suggest to one or more classmates that you compete in writing your assignments to see who can get theirs done first. Of course, it’s not the most exciting game ever, but since you have to write the essay anyway, a little competitive spirit might just improve your time management. Now you are done writing, but there is still more to do… After the Writing You have finished writing, and it’s brilliant! Or is it? Just because you have finished writing, doesn’t mean your essay is done. You still have work to do because strategies for good writing include the following tips. - Proofread, proofread, proofread! Now is the best time to start proofreading the paper and editing it, making any changes that are necessary. When revising, the University of Pennsylvania recommends you begin with fixing the big things, like organization and content and then revise the details, such as spelling and grammar. - Formatting is a must. Chances are one of the conditions for submitting your assignment includes a precise style of formatting. Make sure that font and margins are correct. For help with formatting, check out this guide to formatting. - References are also required, so be sure you have inserted all the citations and references you have used while writing your paper. For help on how to include citations and references in your work, check out these articles on APA style and MLA style. If you are still unsure about the above writing strategies, you can always choose to write one or two practice essays. While this sounds like it’s a lot of extra work, doing so will help you sharpen your college level writing skills so that when you write your assignment, you will do a better job. Here are some activities for struggling writers that will help you write a practice essay. - Prepare several pieces of paper for writing your practice essays. - Surf the web to find practice essay topics. You may use any search engine and type in something like “topics for essays.” Choose a topic according to your grade level. - Use the five-paragraph essay structure for your practice essays. Bucks County Community College outlines the five-paragraph essay. - Keep in mind other important criteria of essay evaluation like content, grammar, and style. Writing assignments don’t have to be scary, but you have to have a grasp on good writing strategies. Just click on this video to see how stress-free it can be. If you are still struggling with writing when assigned an essay or another type of paper, then you can find more help with the University at Buffalo, Harvard College, and the Government of Ontario. You can also hire a custom writing company that knows how to help struggling writers. Regardless of how you produce your assignment, you will have a top-notch paper to hand in to your professor.
The United States, along with other governments, advocates, journalists, and girls, is sounding a rallying cry against early and forced marriage. That's a call that is now sounding in the Western Hemisphere as well, said U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues Catherine Russell. "This region," she said, "is behind others around the world in tackling this issue. Parts of the Americas are seeing an increase, not a decline, in early and forced marriage." Research indicates that this phenomenon does not end on its own. Early and forced marriage can perpetuate poverty and keep girls and any children they have from getting the education they need to succeed. The good news is that the region has laws on the books that address early and forced marriage in many countries, which makes it easier to take the next step and respond to these issues. Within the Western Hemisphere, the U.S. is working to get at some of the root causes by strengthening justice sectors, supporting survivors of gender-based violence, and raising awareness of women’s rights. The U.S. is working to increase access to education for girls and reaching out to people who have often been marginalized — including indigenous communities and people of African descent. In Brazil, which has the most child brides in the region, the United States is working with UNICEF to give girls the support they need to reach their full potential. Through this program, adolescent girls are meeting mentors from different professions. They’re learning about entrepreneurship and innovation. But more needs to be done. "We’ve seen time and again that when women and girls do better, countries do better as well" said Ambassador Russell. "That means our broader shared goals for the Western Hemisphere -- security, prosperity, and good governance — are deeply connected to the issues of child marriage and motherhood." In other words, it’s in our interest for laws around early marriage to be respected and implemented. It’s in our interest for girls to get the education they need to earn money and eventually invest it in their own children’s health and education. That’s why it’s critical, said Ambassador Russell, "that we answer the call to do better and do more to end early and forced marriage in the Americas.”
May I know which is correct? A. He threw a stone towards a monkey. B. He threw a stone to a monkey. Thanks. Both are correct, but mean different things. "He tossed a stone towards a monkey. Startled, the monkeys scattered and scampered into the trees." To throw toward something is to throw in the general direction of that something. It does not mean that the monkey is the target. If you want to give more purpose to the throw, you might say "He threw a stone at a monkey." This makes the monkey the target. "He threw a stone to a monkey. The monkey caught it and threw it back!" In this case, the monkey is the target, but the intent is different. "I threw the rock at John, hoping that it would hit him." "I threw the rock to John, hoping that he would catch it." "I threw the rock toward John, not realizing he was standing there." \|link comment\|\|answered Apr 21 '12 at 16:17 Jeff Pribyl Grammarly Fellow\| Hero of the day Person asked the most questions.
The 2010 edition of Assemblies of God Heritage magazine includes an article that will raise eyebrows — the story of John McConnell, Jr., the Pentecostal founder of Earth Day. McConnell’s parents were founding members of the Assemblies of God, and his grandfather identified with the Pentecostal movement at the Azusa Street Revival in Los Angeles in 1906. Forty years ago, McConnell established the first governmentally-recognized Earth Day on March 21, 1970. The United Nations adopted the holiday the following year and has been celebrating Earth Day on the March equinox since 1971. This original Earth Day was quickly eclipsed in prominence, however, by a second Earth Day (celebrated on April 22). The founder of the April observance, U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson, took the name Earth Day for his Environmental Teach-In, scheduled to be held on the 100th anniversary of communist leader Vladimir Lenin’s birthday. According to McConnell, a representative of Nelson approached him at a United Nations conference and asked McConnell to switch the original Earth Day to April 22. McConnell refused, because he believed the celebration should be on nature’s event. Furthermore, McConnell intended Earth Day to be a non-partisan event that would unite people from various backgrounds and foster peace. In contrast, Nelson’s purpose was a political protest against pollution – he viewed Earth Day as a means to force the environment on the national agenda by mass demonstration. McConnell states that Nelson “stole” the name Earth Day and used it for his own personal political agenda. McConnell contends that the April 22 observance is too politicized, which alienates many people, including Christians and conservatives. He maintains that the day should be celebrated on the March equinox. Significantly, he views Earth Day as an opportunity for Christians “to show the power of prayer, the validity of their charity and their practical concern for Earth’s life and people.” McConnell’s call is not for earth worship, but for responsible stewardship (which he prefers to call trusteeship) of the earth. McConnell also spearheaded two nationally-recognized peace movements: the Star of Hope (1957) and the Minute for Peace (1963-present). He also served as a leader in Meals for Millions (1961-1963), an organization that fed starving people. McConnell credits his Pentecostal background for his concern for peace, justice and care of earth. He wrote, “If there had been no Christian experience in my life there would be no Earth Day – or at least I would not have initiated it.” In a 2009 interview, McConnell stated, “I definitely still believe what my father taught and preached.” His father, J. S. McConnell, was an Assemblies of God pastor and evangelist from 1914 to 1928. According to McConnell, his father emphasized the teachings of Jesus above all else. McConnell’s story offers an intriguing example to Pentecostals from their own history of how one can love Jesus and care for creation; these two attitudes are not mutually exclusive. To read the entire article about John McConnell in the 2010 edition of Assemblies of God Heritage, click here. To watch an interview of McConnell discussing his Pentecostal background, click here. Posted by Darrin J. Rodgers John McConnell placed his collection of materials relating to his family and his faith at the Flower Pentecostal Heritage Center. He placed his collection of materials relating to his work with the environment, peace, and the poor at the Swarthmore College Peace Collection. Do you have Pentecostal historical materials that should be preserved? Please consider depositing these materials at the Flower Pentecostal Heritage Center (FPHC). The FPHC, located in the Assemblies of God national offices, is the largest Pentecostal archive in the world. We would like to preserve and make your treasures accessible to those who write the history books. Flower Pentecostal Heritage Center 1445 North Boonville Avenue Springfield, Missouri 65802 USA Phone: 417.862.1447 ext. 4400 Toll Free: 877.840.5200
Course Syllabus for "ME303: Thermal-Fluid Systems" Please note: this legacy course does not offer a certificate and may contain broken links and outdated information. Although archived, it is open for learning without registration or enrollment. Please consider contributing updates to this course on GitHub (you can also adopt, adapt, and distribute this course under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license). To find fully-supported, current courses, visit our Learn site. This course deals with the transfer of work, energy, and material via gases and liquids. These fluids may undergo changes in temperature, pressure, density, and chemical composition during the transfer process and may act on or be acted on by external systems. You must fully understand these processes if you are an engineer working to analyze, troubleshoot, or improve existing processes and/or innovate and design new ones. In your everyday life, you will likely encounter examples of the thermal-fluid systems we will study in this course. Consider the following scenarios: 1. Read this recent report by Gary Goettling for the Georgia Tech Alumni Association.* In it, Goettling describes a refrigeration system with no moving parts based on improvements to a patent filed by Einstein and Szilard in 1930. As an engineer, how would you go about evaluating this design for energy efficiency, safety, reliability, and manufacturing, operating, and installation costs? 2. Have you ever wondered how the level sensor on a retail gasoline dispenser automatically shuts off when the gasoline tank in an automobile is full? 3. Have you ever been tempted to share your opinion concerning the debates about global climate change? Global climate involves consideration of radiation, convection, and chemical change amongst many other factors. 4. Have you wondered how it is possible to estimate the composition and flow rate of a mixture of petroleum, water, and natural gas at a remote location five miles under the ocean surface. 5. Just how dirty do your air filters need to be in your domestic air handling system or on your motor vehicle for it to be economically advantageous to replace them? Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to: - Interpret and use scientific notation and engineering units for the description of fluid flow and energy transfer. - Interpret measurements of thermodynamic quantities for description of fluid flow and energy transfer. - Use concepts of continuum fluid dynamics to interpret physical situations. - Determine the interrelationship of variables in pumping and piping operations. - Analyze heat-exchanger performance and understand design considerations. - Apply thermodynamics to the analysis of energy conversion and cooling/heating situations. - Communicate technical information in written and graphical form. In order to take this course you must: √ Have access to a computer. √ Have continuous broadband Internet access. √ Have the ability/permission to install plug-ins or software (e.g., Adobe Reader or Flash). √ Have the ability to download and save files and documents to a computer. √ Have the ability to open Microsoft files and documents (.doc, .ppt, .xls, etc.). √ Be competent in the English language. √ Have read the Saylor Student Handbook. Welcome to ME303: Thermal-Fluid Systems. General information about this course and its requirements can be found below. Course Designer: Dr. Steve Requirements for Completion: In order to complete this course, you will need to work through each unit and all of its assigned material. All units build on previous units, so it will be important to progress through the course in the order presented. Note that you will only receive an official grade on your Final Exam. However, in order to adequately prepare for this exam, you will need to work through the assessments at the end of each unit in this course. In order to pass this course, you will need to earn a 70% or higher on the Final Exam. Your score on the exam will be tabulated as soon as you complete it. If you do not pass the exam, you may take it again. Time Commitment: This course should take you a total of approximately 114 hours to complete. Each unit includes a time advisory that lists the amount of time you are expected to spend on each subunit and assignment. These time advisories should help you plan your time accordingly. It may be useful to take a look at the time advisories before beginning this course in order to determine how much time you have over the next few weeks to complete each unit. Then, you can set goals for yourself. For example, Unit 1 should take you approximately 13 hours to complete. Perhaps you can sit down with your calendar and decide to complete the Introductory Review (a total of 3 hours) on Monday night, Subunit 1.1 (a total of 3 hours) on Tuesday and Subunit 1.2 (2 hours) on Wednesday night, etc. Table of Contents: You can find the course's units at the links below.
KARLSRUHE (CARLSRUHE):(Redirected from CARLSRUHE, GERMANY.) German city; capital of the grand duchy of Baden. Jews began to settle there soon after its foundation (1715) by Margrave Carl Wilhelm of Baden-Durlach; they were attracted by the numerous privileges granted by its founder to settlers, without discrimination as to creed. Official documents attest the presence of several Jewish families at Karlsruhe in 1717. A year later the city council addressed to the margrave a report in which a question was raised as to the proportion of municipal charges to be borne by the newly arrived Jews, who in that year formed an organized congregation, with Rabbi Nathan Uri Kohen of Metz at its head. A document dated 1726 gives the names of twenty-four Jews who had taken part in an election of municipal officers. As the city grew permission to settle there became less easily obtained by Jews, and the community developed more slowly. In 1750 there were seventy-five Jewish families in Karlsruhe; in that year Nathan Uri Kohen died, and was succeeded in the rabbinate by Jacob Nathanael Weil, who held the office until 1769. A memorable date in the annals of the Jews of Baden, especially memorable to the Jews of Karlsruhe, was the year 1783, when, by a decree issued by Margrave Carl Friedrich (1746-1811), the Jews ceased to be serfs, and consequently could settle wherever they pleased. The same decree freed them from the "Todfall" tax, paid to the clergy for each Jewish burial. In commemoration of these happy changes special prayers were prepared by the acting rabbi Jedidiah Tiah Weill, who, succeeding his father in 1770, held the office until 1805. In 1808 the government issued regulations concerning the administration of the spiritual affairs of the Jewish community, by which the chief rabbi of Karlsruhe became the spiritual head of the Jews of the country. The first chief rabbi was Asher Löw, who was nominated in 1809 and held the office until 1837. The community of Karlsruhe took a leading part in the long struggle for the emancipation of the Jews of Baden, which ended successfully in 1860: at that time the community numbered 1,062 persons. A new synagogue was erected in 1875; its services are liberal in tendency. Since the death of Asher Löw, the office of chief rabbi has been successively held by Elias Willstädter, Adolf Schwarz, and Meyer Appel. About 1870 the Orthodox members seceded and formed an Israelitische Religionsgesellschaft,with a roll of about one hundred families, the present (1904) rabbi of which is Sinai Schiffer. Karlsruhe has a population of 94,030, including about 2,300 Jews. - Fecht, Gesch. der Haupt und Residenz Stadt Karlsruhe, p. 47, and Index; - Weech, Badische Gesch. passim; - Leopold Löwenstein, Beiträge zur Gesch. der Juden in Deutschland, ii., passim. The first Hebrew book issued at Karlsruhe was printed in 1755 in Jacob Held's printing establishment; it was the chief work of Rabbi Nathanael Weil and was known as "Ḳorban Netanel." In 1757 the same establishment printed Hezekiah da Silva's commentary on the first part of the Shulḥan 'Aruk. After Held's death the privilege went to his young children, for whom Lotter conducted the business, issuing in 1763-77 several valuable works, including Jehiel Heilprin's historical work and two books by Jonathan Eybeschütz. When Lotter fled from his creditors in 1777, the court printer Michael Maklot, and Judah Löw Wormser, a printer employed formerly by Lotter, contended for the latter's privileges. After eighteen years the matter was decided in Wormser's favor, who printed chiefly ritual and Biblical works. The "Privileged Hebrew Printing-Press" was discontinued in 1793, but was afterward started again by an enlarged company, which continued printing until 1839. From 1814 David Raphael Marx conducted a second "privileged press," which in 1836 issued the Rosenfeld-Willstätter edition of the Bible. Since 1839 Marsch and Vogel have printed Hebrew books at Karlsruhe. - Biberfeld, in Zeit. für Hebr. Bibl. i-iii. (also published separately); - Seligmann, ib. v.
'Lousy' Study Shows Clothing 70,000 Years Old 12 minutes ago Add Science - Reuters to My Yahoo! By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Correspondent WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Adam and Eve may have put on fig leaves while still in the Garden of Eden but a study that looked at the most intimate of pests -- body lice -- suggests that humans started wearing clothes 70,000 years ago, scientists said on Monday. The genetic study of lice strongly suggests they -- and clothing -- arose soon after modern homo sapiens began moving out of Africa and into the cooler regions of Europe. Lice provide a unique insight into the development of clothing, according to the researchers, working in Germany. Only humans carry this particular species of louse, which lays its eggs in clothing. "It seems fairly obvious that the body louse arose when humans made frequent use of clothing," molecular anthropologist Mark Stoneking said in a telephone interview. Stoneking and colleagues Ralf Kittler and Manfred Kayser, all of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany, report their findings in this week's issue of the journal Current Biology. Experts are eager to know when people first started to wear clothes. But while stones, tools and other evidence of human behavior survive for millenniums, clothing does not. Stoneking, an American, thought of a way to figure it out when his son came home from school with a teacher's note. "It was one of those notices where they let parents know some kid in the classroom has come down with head lice," Stoneking said. "One of the points it made was that you only get head lice from other humans ... you can't get them from your dog, your cat, etc. And lice cannot survive more than 24 hours away from the human body," he added. "It occurred to me then that if that is really true, that the spread of human lice around the world would have been driven by humans." Three species of louse infect humans -- head lice, body lice and crabs or pubic lice. Experts agree that body lice are a subspecies of head lice and that body lice probably evolved when people started to wear clothing. Stoneking's team used a molecular clock to find out when body lice evolved. They looked at the DNA found in the mitochondria of cells. This DNA is inherited virtually intact from the mother, with any changes happening through mutation alone. The rate of mutation can be calculated, with a certain number of changes expected with each generation. By comparing the mitochondrial DNA of body lice to that of a cousin -- chimpanzee lice -- the researchers were able to date it back to around 70,000 years ago. This, Stoneking said, fits in with growing evidence that modern humans evolved in Africa and migrated out around 100,000 years ago. Stoneking is also starting to look at pubic lice, or crabs. He at first believed they might shed light on when humans lost their heavy body hair. "But I found out that entomologists and taxonomists pretty much are united in agreeing that human pubic lice are more related to gorilla lice than to head lice. I don't want to speculate on what our ancestors were up to get gorilla lice in the pubic area," Stoneking said. CCC Metro TLC
St. Louis is tucked in a bend of the Mississippi River, just south of the point at which the Illinois River joins the larger Mississippi, and where the Missouri River flows in from the west. Drainage patterns to the east, on the Illinois side, are highlighted with green vegetation. Meandering rivers in the verdant Ozark Plateau appear to the south and west. This true-color view from NASA's Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) was taken with the instrument's downward looking (nadir) camera on October 15, 2005. The urban areas of greater St. Louis show up as grey-white, including nearby Kirkwood, Webster Groves, Clayton, University City, Ferguson, St. Ann, St. Charles, and East St. Louis. The region is home to nearly three million people. MISR was built and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, DC. The Terra satellite is managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology.
Today, the House of Representatives will consider legislation to create a commission to study a proposal to build a National Women’s History Museum in Washington, D.C. The online exhibits for the group building the museum portray many wonderful stories of heroic women in medicine, law and politics. But the exhibits also highlight women such as Gloria Steinem and Betty Freidan – without giving the whole story on some of their more controversial views – and exclude other notable women. One online exhibit, for instance, gives a favorable depiction of Margaret Sanger, despite her leadership in the early movement to legalize elective abortion and her radical views on abortion. Why should that be concerning? I talked to March for Life president Jeanne Monahan about the museum and why Americans should be concerned that women such as Margaret Sanger may be highlighted in the exhibits. In what ways is Margaret Sanger linked to the early days of the abortion industry? Jeanne Monahan: Margaret Sanger was the founder of Planned Parenthood’s predecessor, the American Birth Control League.. Many ABCL founding directors were known eugenicists who were actively involved in the international eugenics movement. Sanger’s ultimate goal [was] . . . to do away with those she considered “unfit” through birth control. She [believed] the most urgent problem in our culture was to limit and discourage over-fertility of the mentally and physically defective. Do you think Margaret Sanger’s legacy has had any influence on the abortion industry today? Monahan: Absolutely. She’s the founder of Planned Parenthood, which is our nation’s largest abortion provider, and a player in the international abortion movement. Planned Parenthood is so proud of Margaret Sanger that on its own website, it states its mission has been very much the vision of Margaret Sanger, her views and her work. The organization’s highest honor is the Margaret Sanger Award. She is considered one of the movement’s greatest heroes. Recent proposals to create a new National Women’s History Museum on the National Mall include exhibits that portray Margaret Sanger in a favorable light, brushing over her more radical abortion views. What do you make of this? Monahan: It really breaks my heart that a museum that’s supposed to be about the history of women and the greatness of what it means to be a woman would uphold and put in front of everybody as a role model a woman who has been the pioneer of abortion. If you think about it, abortion is the most anti-woman thing someone could possibly choose. Mother Teresa [said] “abortion is profoundly anti-woman. Three-quarters of its victims are women – half the babies and all the mothers.” It’s a tremendous disservice to women that somebody like [Sanger] would be upheld as a role model. Let’s uphold the many amazing women who have made advances for us. But why are we upholding the founder of our nation’s largest abortion provider, when more than 3,000 children in our country are aborted every day? Who are some pro-life women that Americans should know about? Monahan: One of my heroes, a pro-life woman, is Dorothy Day. She had an abortion and then greatly regretted it. And then lived this tremendous life afterward and did whatever she could do help people live dignified lives. This woman came to know and live the dignity of the human person and then founded a movement – the Catholic Worker Movement – so other people would do that as well. There are countless stories of heroic moms. But I also read a story a few weeks ago that brought tears to my eyes. Her name was Elizabeth Joyce. She contracted cancer and could have chosen to have chemotherapy. But she was pregnant, and her child would have been lost. She took the heroic path and chose not to do that. She passed away shortly after her baby was born. She really [understood] that . . . the gift of self is at the heart of what it means to be a woman. There are many other amazing, pro-life women. [March for Life] founder Nelly Grey, Mildred Jeffers and Susan B. Anthony. Many of those women aren’t likely to be included in exhibits at the new National Women’s History Museum, considering the left-leaning composition of the museum’s board of directors and advisory council. Yet, the museum is seeking space alongside other national museums on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The bill before the House of Representatives today would create a commission to report on the costs of building and maintaining the museum, the governance structure of the museum and whether the museum should have space on the National Mall and be associated with the Smithsonian Institution, among other matters.
What are the factors and contexts preventing isiZulu First Additional Language from having an influence in private schools The study aims to investigate factors and contexts influencing Black parents’ first additional language choice in private schools. South Africa is a diverse country with diverse cultures. South Africa was a colonised country, and the colonisers came with their culture and indoctrination. The study intends to investigate the influence of historical, political, and cultural factors pertaining to the use of isiZulu in private schools. The literature review shows that historical, political, and cultural factors have an influence, however, the behaviour and actions taken by the language users are not given a lot of attention. This study intends to fill this gap. This study uses political economy as a guiding theory to explore all factors which create hindrances for isiZulu in private schools. Data was collected from ten participants who are parents at Curro Waterfall. This was analysed using discourse analysis to make sense of the data collected. The findings in this research suggest that parents love their indigenous languages. However, they are not prepared to take actions in support of these languages to ensure that African first additional language has an influence in private schools. In other words, parents are the main hindrance preventing isiZulu from having an influence in private schools. Based on the data collected, the study concludes by providing recommendations. A research report submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in African Languages and Linguistics to the Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, 2023 First additional language, Private school, Use of isiZulu
Have you ever wondered what makes organic farming different than conventional farming? Here at HQO Express, we are naturally passionate about all aspects of organic farming and would love to help you learn more. We believe in empowering consumers to make informed choices, and part of that is learning about what each label and process actually means. To this end, we are excited to showcase small "bites" of information where you can learn just a bit more about organic crops and how they work. To start, we love this brief overview from the Organic Trade Association: Organic agriculture, which is governed by strict government standards, requires that products bearing the organic label are produced without the use of toxic and persistent pesticides and synthetic nitrogen fertilizers, antibiotics, synthetic hormones, genetic engineering or other excluded practices, sewage sludge, or irradiation. GUIDED BY THESE AND OTHER STANDARDS, ORGANIC IS THE MOST HEAVILY REGULATED AND CLOSELY MONITORED PRODUCTION SYSTEM IN THE UNITED STATES. Organic farmers understand that what you put into the soil has a profound impact on what you get out of it. That is why they rely on such practices as hand weeding, mechanical control, mulches, cover crops, crop rotation and dense planting, rather than toxic and persistent pesticides, herbicides, and synthetic nitrogen fertilizers, to enrich the soil in which they grow their crops. They recognize that doing so provides plants with the nutrients they need to grow. Plus, it enables the absorption of major and micro-nutrients like Vitamin C, resulting in a higher nutrient content and often a better tasting crop. It all starts with practices to help build healthy soils, which nurture the plants and help decrease the incidence of plant disease. In order to earn organic certification, land must be handled without prohibited materials for at least three years. With certification, organic farmers must develop an organic operating farm plan, which is overseen by their certification agency with annual third-party inspections.
You do need to understand a bit about thebut once you've got that down, you can handle just about anything. For example, to read an EBCDIC tape on tape device /dev/rmt0 and convert it to ASCII, putting the output in file was_ibm : dd reads standard input and writes to standard output, but if you want to specify file or device names, you can use the fairly non-standard if= and of= options to specify the input file and output file, respectively. If you wanted to convert the other way, you could use this command: There's also a conv=ibm option, which uses a different ASCII to EBCDIC conversion table. According to the dd manual page, "The ASCII/EBCDIC conversion tables are taken from the 256 character standard in the CACM Nov, 1968. The ibm conversion, while less blessed as a standard, corresponds better to certain IBM print train conventions. There is no universal solution." One last thing to mention about dd : all options that refer to sizes expect counts in bytes, unless otherwise mentioned. However, you can use keyletters to indicate various types of multiplication: k means to multiply by 1024; b to multiply by 512 (a block); and w to multiply by 4 (word). You can also show an arbitrary multiplication by separating two numbers with an x .
This is your morning Open Thread. Pour your favorite beverage and review the past and comment on the future. Find the past “On This Day in History” here. February 6 is the 37th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. There are 328 days remaining until the end of the year (329 in leap years). On this day in 1952, Elizabeth II becomes the first Queen regnant of the United Kingdom and several other realms since Queen Victoria, upon the death of her father, George VI. At the exact moment of succession, she was in a treehouse at the Treetops Hotel in Kenya. Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary, born 21 April 1926) is the Queen regnant of 16 independent sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize, Antigua and Barbuda, and Saint Kitts and Nevis. In addition, as Head of the Commonwealth, she is the figurehead of the 54-member Commonwealth of Nations and, as the British monarch, she is the Supreme Governor of the Church of England. Elizabeth was educated privately at home. Her father, George VI, became King-Emperor of the British Empire in 1936. She began to undertake public duties during the Second World War, in which she served in the Auxiliary Territorial Service. After the war and Indian independence George VI’s title of Emperor of India was abandoned, and the evolution of the Empire into the Commonwealth accelerated. In 1947, Elizabeth made the first of many tours around the Commonwealth, and married Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. They have four children: Charles, Anne, Andrew, and Edward. In 1949, George VI became the first Head of the Commonwealth, a symbol of the free association of the independent countries comprising the Commonwealth of Nations. On his death in 1952, Elizabeth became Head of the Commonwealth, and constitutional monarch of seven independent Commonwealth countries: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan, and Ceylon. Her coronation in 1953 was the first to be televised. During her reign, which at 58 years is one of the longest for a British monarch, she became queen of 25 other countries within the Commonwealth as they gained independence. Between 1956 and 1992, half of her realms, including South Africa, Pakistan, and Ceylon (renamed Sri Lanka), became republics. In 1992, which Elizabeth termed her annus horribilis (“horrible year”), two of her sons separated from their wives, her daughter divorced, and a severe fire destroyed part of Windsor Castle. Revelations on the state of her eldest son Charles’s marriage continued, and he divorced in 1996. The following year, her former daughter-in-law Diana, Princess of Wales, died in a car crash in Paris. The media criticised the royal family for remaining in seclusion in the days before Diana’s funeral, but Elizabeth’s personal popularity rebounded once she had appeared in public and has since remained high. Her Silver and Golden Jubilees were celebrated in 1977 and 2002 respectively, and planning for her Diamond Jubilee in 2012 is underway. 1649 – The claimant King Charles II of England and Scotland is declared King of Great Britain, by the Parliament of Scotland. This move was not followed by the Parliament of England nor the Parliament of Ireland. 1685 – James II of England and VII of Scotland becomes King upon the death of his brother Charles II. 1778 – American Revolutionary War: In Paris the Treaty of Alliance and the Treaty of Amity and Commerce are signed by the United States and France signaling official recognition of the new republic. 1788 – Massachusetts becomes the sixth state to ratify the United States Constitution. 1806 – Battle of San Domingo British naval victory against the French in the Caribbean. 1815 – New Jersey grants the first American railroad charter to John Stevens. 1817 – The Argentinian San Martin crosses the Andes with an army in order to liberate Chile from Spanish rule. 1819 – Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles founds Singapore. 1820 – The first 86 African American immigrants sponsored by the American Colonization Society started a settlement in present-day Liberia. 1840 – Signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, establishing New Zealand as a British colony. 1843 – The first minstrel show in the United States, The Virginia Minstrels, opens (Bowery Amphitheatre in New York City). 1862 – American Civil War: Ulysses S. Grant gives the Union its first victory of the war, by capturing Fort Henry, Tennessee, known as the Battle of Fort Henry. 1899 – Spanish-American War: The Treaty of Paris, a peace treaty between the United States and Spain, is ratified by the United States Senate. 1900 – The international arbitration court at The Hague is created when the Netherlands’ Senate ratifies an 1899 peace conference decree. 1922 – The Washington Naval Treaty is signed in Washington, D.C., limiting the naval armaments of United States, Britain, Japan, France, and Italy. 1933 – The 20th Amendment to the United States Constitution, establishing the beginning and ending of the terms of the elected federal offices, goes into effect. 1934 – Far right leagues rally in front of the Palais Bourbon in an attempted coup against the French Third Republic, creating a political crisis in France. 1942 – World War II: The United Kingdom declares war on Thailand. 1951 – The Broker, a Pennsylvania Railroad passenger train derails near Woodbridge Township, New Jersey. The accident kills 85 people and injures over 500 more. The wreck is one of the worst rail disasters in American history. 1952 – Elizabeth II becomes the first Queen regnant of the United Kingdom and several other realms since Queen Victoria, upon the death of her father, George VI. At the exact moment of succession, she was in a treehouse at the Treetops Hotel in Kenya. 1958 – Eight Manchester United F.C. players are killed in the Munich air disaster. 1959 – Jack Kilby of Texas Instruments files the first patent for an integrated circuit. 1959 – At Cape Canaveral, Florida, the first successful test firing of a Titan intercontinental ballistic missile is accomplished. 1978 – The Blizzard of 1978, one of the worst Nor’easters in New England history, hit the region, with sustained winds of 65 mph and snowfall of 4″ an hour. 1987 – Justice Mary Gaudron is appointed to the High Court of Australia, the first woman to be appointed. 1989 – The Round Table Talks start in Poland, thus marking the beginning of overthrow of communism in Eastern Europe. 1998 – Washington National Airport is renamed Ronald Reagan National Airport. 2000 – Second Chechen War: Russia captures Grozny, Chechnya, forcing the separatist Chechen Republic of Ichkeria government into exile. * Christian Feast Day: * International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation (United Nations) * Ronald Reagan Day (California) * Sami National Day (Russia, Finland, Norway and Sweden)
Predynastic Period (3800 – 3200 BCE.) The predynastic period is the final stage of the Neolithic epoch, preceding the development of writing and the foundation of the state in the Dynastic epoch. Sedentary communities on the Nile’s banks and the rise of cultural centers define this period. Egyptians understood how to farm in the 6th millennium BCE, and they built grain storage silos. Furthermore, they created ceramics in a variety of styles to differentiate each stage of this time. The Egyptians built dwellings out of reeds and mud bricks and created tombs with funerary furnishings in the 5th millennium BCE. It was also around this time that the first evidence of keeping the corpses of the deceased surfaced. The Egyptians discovered and smelted minerals around the 4th millennium BCE, and developed the first known writing system in history, which was one of the predynastic period’s major achievements. The earliest political combines of Upper Egypt formed from aggregations of independent towns and urban centers between 4500 BCE and 4500 BCE and succeeded in creating numerous nomes with political and economic significance. The Egyptians then succeeded in uniting Upper and Lower Egypt under one governmental authority about 3600 BCE, building the first united state capital, and established a ruling hierarchy based on royal inheritance, which is known as the “Dynastic period.” Cultures of Naqada – NMEC The Naqada I culture was defined by its red pottery with white crossing designs and rhomboidal palettes, but the Naqada II culture had light-colored pottery with red decorations representing boats and human figures, and its palettes took numerous forms that ranged between boats, fish, and turtles. Naqada I (3800-3500 BCE) – Naqada II (3500-3200 BCE) This is one of the earliest types of hoes used to plowing agricultural land, particularly during the sowing season. 1st Dynasty (3100 – 2890 BCE) \| Hemaka Mastaba, Saqqara / Material: Wood Sickles were one of the most significant instruments used by the ancient Egyptians in agriculture; their blades were made of honed flint and were used for cutting and gathering crops. 1st Dynasty (3100 – 2890 BCE) / Hemaka Mastaba, Saqqara / Wood – Flint Silos were installed in households to store grains. They were inserted from the top and removed from the bottom when needed. This silo is thought to be one of the earliest examples from ancient Egypt. Ezbet Al-Walda, Helwan / 1st Dynasty / Pottery
editore: Elsevier - Health Sciences Division Offering unparalleled coverage of infectious diseases in children and adolescents, Feigin & Cherry's Textbook of Pediatric Infectious Diseases 8th Edition, continues to provide the information you need on epidemiology, public health, preventive medicine, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, treatment, and much more. This extensively revised edition by Drs. James Cherry, Gail J. Demmler-Harrison, Sheldon L. Kaplan, William J. Steinbach, and Peter J. Hotez, offers a brand-new full-color design, new color images, new guidelines, and new content, reflecting today's more aggressive infectious and resistant strains as well as emerging and re-emerging diseases Discusses infectious diseases according to organ system, as well as individually by microorganisms, placing emphasis on the clinical manifestations that may be related to the organism causing the disease. Provides detailed information regarding the best means to establish a diagnosis, explicit recommendations for therapy, and the most appropriate uses of diagnostic imaging. Features expanded information on infections in the compromised host; immunomodulating agents and their potential use in the treatment of infectious diseases; and Ebola virus. Contains hundreds of new color images throughout, as well as new guidelines, new resistance epidemiology, and new Global Health Milestones. Includes new chapters on Zika virus and Guillain-Barrï¿½ syndrome. Expert ConsultT eBook version included with purchase. This enhanced eBook experience allows you to search all of the text, figures, and references from the book on a variety of devices.
A healthy diet can't cure or treat lung cancer, but it may lower your risk of developing the disease and help manage your symptoms once you have it. Eating well can also improve the effectiveness of certain cancer treatments and guard against side effects, such as undesirable weight loss. Your dietary needs will probably change over time, according to the American Lung Association, so discuss your eating habits and related concerns with your doctor. Colorful Fruits and Veggies Antioxidants support your body's ability to fight and heal from disease. Low concentrations of certain antioxidants, including vitamins A and C, have been linked with an increased risk for lung cancer, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. When you have lung cancer, eating antioxidant-rich foods could help reduce symptoms. While most fruits and vegetables provide some amount of antioxidants, colorful varieties, such as tomatoes, berries, winter squash and bell peppers, are particularly rich. Fruits and vegetables also provide healthier sources of carbohydrates -- your body's main energy source -- than refined foods, such as candy and pastries. Hearty Whole Grains Whole grains provide carbohydrates and more nutrients, including antioxidants, than refined grains. In a study published in "Circulation" in 2008, the eating habits and instances of cancer, heart disease and death were analyzed in over 72,000 women for 18 years. Researchers found a strong link between a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains and a reduced risk for cancer, heart disease and mortality. A typical Western diet, rich in refined grains and unhealthy fats, was linked with heightened risks. Eating more foods rich in B vitamins and iron, such as whole grains, and avoiding refined foods, such as white bread, may also reduce lung cancer symptoms. Replace white and wheat breads with 100 percent whole-grain equivalents, and choose brown rice over instant or white. When purchasing bread, cereals and pasta, make sure whole grains, such as whole wheat, quinoa or oats, are listed as main ingredients. Nutritious Protein Sources Eating enough protein makes some cancer treatments more effective. The UMMC recommends eating quality protein sources, such as organic eggs, meat, dairy products and vegetable protein shakes, as part of an eating plan aimed at increasing muscle mass in order to prevent wasting, which can result from lung cancer treatment. Limit protein sources high in saturated fat, such as fatty steaks and fried chicken, which can increase inflammation -- choosing lean red meats, skinless poultry and fish instead. The omega-3 fats in oily fish, such as salmon, lower inflammation. Other nutritious protein sources include yogurt, beans and lentils. Nuts, seeds, avocados and vegetable oils provide valuable amounts of essential nutrients, including healthy fats. They also provide nutritious, calorie-dense options if your appetite is diminished, which commonly affects people with lung cancer tumors, reports the National Cancer Institute. Top sandwiches and crackers with avocado slices or nut butter for added nutrients and calories, and saute vegetables in olive oil. Avoid cooking oils at high temperatures, however, which can create carcinogens. Avocados are rich sources of fiber and disease-fighting antioxidants, including glutathione and vitamins C and E. Low-Fiber, Bland Foods as Needed The American Lung Association recommends bland foods as useful ways to meet your energy needs when eating enough is difficult. If you're experiencing nausea, abdominal pain or diarrhea, fiber-rich foods can make your symptoms worse. To minimize diarrhea, replace fiber-rich foods, such as whole grains, beans, lentils and raspberries, with lower-fiber alternatives, such as white bread, saltines and pudding. Other mild-tasting, easily digestible foods include soup broth, plain scrambled eggs and cooked or canned fruits without the peel -- such as applesauce. - University of Maryland Medical Center: Lung Cancer - Circulation: Dietary Patterns and Risk of Mortality From Cardiovascular Disease, Cancer, and All Causes in a Prospective Cohort of Women - Linus Pauling Institute: Two Faces of Inflammation - Kids Eat Right: A to Avocados - National Cancer Institute: Nutrition in Cancer Care - MedlinePlus: Bland Diet
The cost of language By Vahit Tursun Freedom… A sense which is inexplicable. Nevertheless, every person tries to describe it without comprehending it deeply. It is like fire, which may warm you or burn you depending on its use. It is like a fan, whose middle part only performs its air blowing function, but its two ends are useless. Similarly with freedom, on its one end lies deprivation which causes frustration and on the other end lies its overuse, which is disastrous. Plato says that “Too much freedom in a human being and the state turns into slavery.” By contrast, Epictetus rebels against his own God saying: “You can tether my legs, but not my faith. Not even Zeus can defeat me.” Thus, for thousands of years we come across the demand for freedom in oral and written speech, in history, poetry, philosophy, folk sayings and in the clatter of weapons. For me, freedom is a Natural gift, the more of which you share with others, the more of which you enjoy yourself. When you deprive others of it, the more you are also deprived of it. Humanitarianism, friendship and solidarity could prevail only under the condition of freedom. Even if freedom is caught and chained, each child that is born will come to the world in liberty, regardless. Similarly, like all children, we were born in our village being free. In a wonderful community on a mountain. A community that belongs to the small town of Katohori in Trabzond and which is called Otsena. Our mother tongue was not Turkish. We had Pontiac Greek as our native language. We used to call it Romeika. Romeika was for us a means of expression of our flirting, our solidarity and help, of our smile and our happiness. It was a path leading us to love and being in love. For the first time, while we were in primary school, we experienced the problem regarding our native tongue. Each teacher appointed to our school would ban our speaking in it. Sometimes they would scare us and beat us so that we would not employ it. He asked us to turn in the person who spoke Romeika, but we didn’t listen to him. We kept joking and playing, and making it up in our mother tongue. Little by little, we started wondering about our native language. We asked the grown-ups what language we were learning and speaking. We heard that the one that we were learning was called “Turktse” and the one we were speaking was called “Rumtze.” However, when we asked why we were learning a language other than the one we spoke, there was never a satisfactory answer. What was frequently recurring as an answer was, “You cannot become a human being with Romeika.” It is unknown if we were educated and became human beings or not, but finishing school, we got acquainted with Turkish. Pretending Like Chameleons As we were growing up, we started wondering about our mother tongue, and, generally more intensely. Why were we speaking Romeika in a country where everybody else spoke Turkish? More and more questions bothered us about what we were, who we were and who Each of us was trying to say something. Some said what they had heard from parents and grandparents and some reached their own conclusions. But every time this chapter was opened and closed, we reached the conclusion that we must be related to Romioi (Greeks) and of course, Greece. The most unanswered question which concerned us was: were we the grandchildren of Greeks, later turned into Muslims or the grandchildren of Turks who learned Romeika by Greeks? Our childhood was immersed in these queries and their unsatisfactory answers. We also experienced problems with our mother tongue when we went to foreign places. Every time we gathered and talked Romeika with our fellow villagers, the first question from those who realized we were speaking a foreign language was “What language are you speaking?” When we replied, “We are speaking Romeika,” we were stormed by other queries and various reactions. So, for the first time, we started feeling inferior due to the contact with foreigners. Every time Greeks were mentioned, the claim that “Greeks are cowards and our enemy” psychologically traumatized us. We got emotionally hurt at the thought that that claim might have been equally true for ourselves as well; for we spoke, if not the same, a dialect of the language that the Greeks spoke. By and by, we started hiding the truth and every time we were asked about our language, we said it was Lazika. For, when we claimed we came from the Black Sea, they got elated thinking we were Lazoi. The problems we encountered due to our mother tongue were complemented by the films we watched on TV. When we saw a film containing wars between Byzantine people and the Turks, or between Greeks and Turks, we got hurt. For when we viewed the tragicomic situation in which Greeks were presented, our thoughts brought us into the dilemma, in which we were asked to take sides: were we with the righteous, honest, hero-Turks, or with the incompetent warriors, perfidious, liars or “giaourithes” Greeks, as they were being portrayed in the film? Our mother tongue didn’t let us opt. It blocked us from choosing between Turks and Greeks. In this dilemma, we experienced psychological states which humanity has probably not yet encountered in its entire history. Watching the film, we supported the hero Turks on the one hand, but on the other, we were tormented by an inexplicable sense of guilt. To cover our emotional state, we tried to exhibit more happiness at the heroism of the Turks, flexing our facial muscles differently from the signals that our brain was sending. For that brilliant performance of ours, we could have been envied even by chameleons. As we have reached today, the Hellenic sounding population of Pontos, trapped between the love towards one’s mother tongue and a cursed identity, is unable to pull through. Several of our fellow citizens have started to teach Turkish to their children from the time the latter are born. Not to mention the racist words, slogans and nationalistic propagandas which have lately increased; those have nearly wiped out of history a whole people with a remarkably ancient civilization. Who will pay to history for this crime is unknown. and archaeology in Turkey Penetration of the Black Sea ANATOLIAN (PONTIC REGION) TRADITIONAL DANCES TRADITIONAL PONTIC DANCES ACCOMPANIED BY THE PONTIC LYRA
Learn how Visual Studio Code works with folders and collections of files, and uses intelligent tab management. - [Instructor] Now we'll see how VS Code…works with files and folders.…Make sure you have the exercise files folder…open in VS Code, in the Explorer view.…VS Code treats individual folders as projects,…and unlike some other development tools,…VS Code doesn't need to create a special project file…to keep track of things,…so you can just open a folder full of code…and some folders and just get started.…However, if you do happen to have a project file…such as package.json or project.json…or a Visual Studio project file,…then VS Code knows how to work with those…and provide additional features.… This list of files in the Explorer view…is called the sidebar.…I can show and hide it with Command + B…or Control + B on other platforms,…or I can just click on the Explorer icon.…It shows the current files and folders…in the open project,…and also shows the currently open editors…and right now there aren't any,…so let's click on the index.html file.…This will open an editor for that file.…You can have up to three editors for a file open… Joe Marini kicks off the course by taking you through the app's user interface, and showing how to work with its basic editing features. Next, Joe demonstrates how to customize VS Code by configuring preferences, setting your own keyboard shortcuts, and working with snippets. He also explains how to maximize your productivity by installing and managing extensions from the Visual Studio Marketplace. Plus, he discusses how VS Code works with folders and collections of files, helps you understand the IntelliSense feature, and dives into the app's advanced code editing features, such as automatic formatting. - Installing Visual Studio Code - The VS Code UI - Understand how VS Code works with built-in Git integration - Customizing VS Code - Configuring preferences - Setting keyboard shortcuts - Using extensions - Working with snippets - Using VS Code to edit different parts of the same file - Using multiple selections - Understanding how VS Code works with JSON files
Corporate and Wholesale Finance - 12BSP053 “Since 2007 to mid 2009, global financial markets and systems have been in the grip of the worst financial crisis since the depression era of the late 1920s. Major Banks in the U.S., the U.K. and Europe have collapsed and been bailed out by state aid”. (Valdez and Molyneux, 2010) Identify the main macroeconomic and microeconomic causes that resulted in the above-mentioned crisis and make an assessment of the success or otherwise of the actions taken by the U.K government to resolve the problem. By Alistair Walters – A913910 Five years on from the beginning of the worst financial crisis he world has seen we are still in a perils state of low or negative growth and low interest …show more content… Valdez and Molyneux (2010) state that it was the aforementioned factors, which “distorted the macroeconomic structure of the UK and US.” and ultimately led to its downfall. Micro Economic Factors Consumer inertia meant that most were not willing to change from their current banking provider believing that their money was safe and that changing was more trouble than it was worth. Actually their money was tied up in a complex system that even many of those entrusted to invest their money were unsure what truly went on. The inertia meant that banks were able to do almost what they pleased without the fear of consumer reprisal. Another important microeconomic factor was the high levels of corporate leverage in investment firms took on. In the continuous hunt for higher gains, investment managers sought a greater return on equity (ROE). The simplest way to do this was take on a greater level of debt to invest therefore reducing the debt to equity ratio and increasing ROE. This created “fragile institutions” in an “unstable financial system.” (BIS, 2009). Performance Incentives played an important role as traders and investors alike looked to take on higher risks as ROE was linked to bonuses and their pay packets. This meant that
Alcohol, among the various forms insults both physically and mentally, now turns out to potentially shrink the brain according to the studies. Heavy alcohol consumption leads to the shrinkage of the frontal lobe, which is the center for emotions, planning and other higher forms behaviour. This is particularly noted in the elderly. The investigators measured the frontal lobe volume in about 1400 individuals using MRI scan and found that the frontal lobe had shrunk in less than 8% of individuals between 30 and 40 years old, compared with nearly 16% of those in their 40s and 38% of those in their 50s. About 61% of people in their 60s had shrunken frontal lobes. Older individuals were nearly three times more likely to show brain shrinkage in this region than individuals in their 30s, Dr.Kubota said. The good news is that alcoholic brain damage is partly reversible. Individuals who give up the bottle can recover brain volume and boost blood flow. The researchers estimate that aging accounts for about 30% of brain shrinkage and heavy alcohol consumption for about 10%.
Bear sightings are up in the Berkshires. Do you know what to do if you encounter a bear? With the number of bear sightings in the Berkshires increasing we thought it would be a good idea to pass on some information from the National Park Service on what to do if you encounter a bear. First just seeing a bear is not a daily occurrence so it can be very exciting to see one. I have only seen one bear in my life and that was crossing the road near the Pittsfield airport last fall. According to the National Park Service (NPS) bear attacks are rare but they do occur in unique situations that can cause serious injury or death. The NPS says there is not a single strategy that will work in all situations but there are steps you can take. Below are some basic guidelines. Bears would be more likely not to engage with you if you keep your distance and try your best not to surprise or startle them. Stay clear away from any bear and especially cute cubs. A protective mother bear could and will go to great lengths to protect their young, as you would pull out all stops to protect your child. If you see a bear and you know that it sees you, the NPS says to identify yourself. Talk calmly so the bear knows that you are human and not potential prey. Speak in low tones and try to stay calm. Screaming or excited behavior on your part could send the situation spiraling out of control. Remain still and stand your ground while waving your arms slowly and keep talking to them. The more human-like and calm you are the less likely of a bear acting aggressively. A bear might stand on their hind legs to get a better look or smell. A standing bear is usually curious and not threating according to the NPS. If you are with a child pick them up immediately. Try to keep them calm and quiet. You should make yourself look as large as possible. If you are wearing a backpack do not drop or take it off. It could be a source of protection if you need it to be. If the bear is stationary and calm, move slowly and sideways so you never lose eye contact. Do not run! Bears are fast runners and like dogs will chase fleeing animals. If the bear follows you, stand your ground once again and continue to talk to it in a low tone. At some point it is likely to lose interest and move on. There are two species of bears. Brown bears, also known as grizzly bears, and black bears. Black bears are the only type of bear you will encounter in Massachusetts. They are the largest meat-eating mammal in New England. The NPS suggests that playing dead might be the right course of action when encountering an aggressive grizzly at close range, but playing dead is not advised when a black bear engages with you. Before any encounter try the tips, you read above. Slowly retreating to a safe place like a building or car if possible. If an approaching black bear gets aggressive the NPS says fight back using any object available. Focus your blows to the bear’s face and muzzle. If you have reached this stage the bear considers you a threat to her young or sees you as prey. The other prey (praying) might also be a good idea at this time. If you are walking in the woods or camping bear spay can be a great tool to defend yourself against an aggressive bear. You would use bear spray the same way you would use mace on an attacker. Bear spray and human mace are not the same. You should always buy EPA approved spray. Keep in mind it is not a repellent like bug spray. Do not apply it to yourself. Only use it in the direction of an aggressive bear. Other tips for avoiding an encounter with a bear… 1-Be a loud hiker 2-Give bears space 3-Respect a bear meal. Stay away from dead animals. 4-Keep your camp clean and never store your food in or around your tent where it is assessable. 5-Leave your dog home. Do not walk your dog in the woods or leave them in your yard unattended. You probably saw the video that went viral yesterday showing a teen pushing a bear off a wall on her property after her dogs aggressively approached the bear. All involved are lucky to still be alive. The video is a good indication of how quick a bear is and how aggressive they can be when provoked and in this case also protecting her cubs that were also on the wall. Watch the video here. Click this link for more helpful bear tips from the National Park Service.
Food Hygiene and Safety - reporting a food related issue to us If you need to contact us regarding a food related issue, you can use our online reporting system to inform the Environmental Health Food Team: Local Authorities work closely with the Food Standards Agency (FSA) who are responsible for food safety and food hygiene across the UK, to provide advice and to enforce food safety regulations. The FSA produces a wide range of publications for the public and the food industry, which can be viewed on their website FSA publications. The FSA also provide some excellent guidance to help small catering businesses such as restaurants, cafés and takeaways comply with food hygiene regulations in their food safety management pack, which has lots of useful information for the public and those working in the food industry. The FSA also provide guidance on starting a food business The FSA leads on the Government response to food incidents. It provides advice to businesses on how to report, respond to and prevent an incident, as well as carrying out monitoring and planning work. View the FSA advice here The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) also provides extensive information that is helpful in managing health and safety related to food and drink. You can access a selection of food hygiene and safety related information by selecting the item from the list of shortcuts below - The FSA website provides a range of information that includes enforcement, codes of practice, legislation and regulations. The FSA website provides General Food Law Regulation guidance for food businesses. - The following link provides information regarding food safety, traceability, product withdraw and recall - A broad selection of information relating to Health and Safety matters applicable to the food and drink related business, is available in the HSE document (pdf) A recipe for safety: Health and safety in food and drink manufacture. - Advice is available from the HSE concerning catering related skin problems and dermatitis - Guidance from the FSA is provided to help managers and staff prevent the spread of infection by advising which illnesses and symptoms staff should report and what managers should do in response. Food handlers: fitness to work - The FSA provide useful guidance on their website concerning Advice on keeping your hands, worktops and utensils clean in the kitchen and have created the Kitchen Check, a simple tool that helps you find out if your kitchen habits are putting you, or your family and friends, at risk of food poisoning. The FSA website provides on guidance on how the hygiene regulations affect food business operators (FBOs) - The HSE provides information concerning Ventilation of kitchens in catering establishments - The HSE provide some useful information on their website concerning risk assessment for food preparation and service and a downloadable PDF Example risk assessment for food preparation, cooking and service . - Most people don’t believe the food they cook at home can make them ill, but the meals you prepare for yourself, your family and friends can be a source of food poisoning. The FSA checklist can help you manage health risk in the kitchen Kitchen Check - Managing the risks associated with the transportation of food is of great importance. Click the following link for Council guidance on Transporting food in Vehicles and Containers - The FSA provides some excellent guidance in their questions and answers page on 'Catering advice for charity and community groups providing food', much of which applies to buffets and parties too - If you defrost any foods you must do this in a way that minimises the risk of harmful bacteria growing or toxins forming in the foods. While they are being defrosted, you must keep foods at a temperature that would not result in a risk to health. Where liquid coming from the defrosting food may present a risk to health (e.g. when defrosting raw meat) you must drain it off adequately and ensure it does not come into contact with other foods. Following defrosting, food must be handled in a way that minimises the risk of harmful bacteria growing or toxins forming (for example, keeping it in the fridge at a temperature of 5 degrees Celsius or colder). - The BBC Skilwaise website provides some excellent guidance in this pdf document Using storage temperatures on packed food - The FSA promotes the microbiological safety of food throughout the food chain. It is responsible for the strategy for reducing foodborne illness, promoting a hazard analysis-based approach to food safety management and providing guidance for producers, retailers, caterers and the general public. More information can be found on the FSA's webpage concerning food poisoning and the difference between 'Use by' and 'Best before' labels? - The FSA provide advice and guidance on Rules on keeping your water supply safe. - Some food may be kept hot for extended periods of time, perhaps whilst on sale, such as hot pies in a bakery, or during periods of service, such as food on a carvery. As food poisoning bacteria will grow quickly where food is only kept warm and not hot, it is important to ensure hot held foods are kept at a temperature to stop bacteria growing. Food business are required to comply with current food hygiene laws. By law, hot held foods must be kept at a temperature of 63 degrees Celsius or hotter. To ensure food is maintained safe and compliant with the law, you must make regular checks using a calibrated probe thermometer (ensure it has been wiped clean with a steriliser wipe between use). Alternatively, for hot held soups, custards, gravy etc check that the food is bubbling with steam coming off. - Cross contamination is one of the most common causes of food poisoning. It happens when harmful germs are spread onto food from other food, surfaces, hands or equipment. You can find out more about cross contamination on the FSE website. - Guidance for food businesses, which clarifies the steps that they need to take to control the risk of food becoming contaminated by E.coli O157 and what businesses should be doing to protect their customers, is available on the E.coli O157: control of cross-contamination page on the FSA website - The FSA provide what you need to know about the new allergen information rules (EU FIC) and the FSA's work on food allergy and intolerance, including research, labelling and guidance on their website. You can use the following link to the FSA website to find out more about allergies and intolerance to foods - This page on the FSA website provides information on the latest food related recall Food Alerts - You can use the Councils online reporting system to inform the Council of Food related complaints - When an Environmental Health inspector visits a business they will always provide identification when they arrive and will inform you of any hazards they have identified, advising you about how they can be managed. You can use the following link to find out more about the role of Environmental Health inspector and inspectors from the Health and Safety Executive - The Councils Environmental Health Service can provide guidance and information on all areas of food management and hygiene. See the contact details at the top of this page - Health protection advice concerning Infectious diseases (Including e.coli and Salmonella) is available on the Gov.UK health protection website Last Updated: 30 November 2017
On December 19, the medical journal Neurology published a new study out of Duke University wherein researchers were able to reverse years of cognitive impairment among people age 55+. Dr. James Blumenthal from the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Duke University Medical Center led the research team. They experimented with 160 seniors, with an average age of 65, who had some sort of cardiovascular risk factor, and who had cognitive impairment without dementia. What is Cognitive Impairment? Cognitive impairment is when a person has trouble remembering, learning new things, concentrating, or making decisions that affect everyday life. It ranges from mild to severe. In mild forms, people may notice a difference in their mental abilities but can still perform everyday activities. Ten to fifteen percent of people age 50+ have some level of cognitive impairment. As of now, there is no medical treatment.1 More than sixteen million people in the U.S. live with it. The CDC expects that number to skyrocket as the baby boomers age.2 Could the work of Dr. Blumenthal and colleagues help prevent this explosion of cognitive decline? What are Cardiovascular Risk Factors? This study only involved people with cardiovascular risk factors. These are conditions that would make heart attack, stroke, and other serious problems more likely. People in this study had conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, or high concentrations of fat in the blood. They may also have been smokers. Not only do these situations increase the risk of heart attack, they are also associated with starting and speeding up cognitive decline.3 For this reason, the treatment in the Duke University study may not be as effective for everyone. People who have risk factors and who already have cognitive decline without dementia may be more responsive to this treatment than others. How to Reverse Cognitive Impairment Here’s how to reverse years of progressive cognitive impairment for people age 55+: eat well and exercise. Numerous studies over the past several years have shown that people with better diets and better fitness think and remember better.3 But that didn’t necessarily mean if you were already losing your memory that exercise would get your memory back. What is different about the current study is that researchers took higher risk people who were already having problems, coached them in better diet, put them on an exercise plan, and waited to see if it made a difference. It did. It made a big difference in executive function. That’s people’s ability to manage time, switch tasks, pay attention, plan, organize, remember details, avoid saying or doing the wrong thing, multitask, and do things based on experience. Which Diet Improves Thinking and Memory? Dr. Blumenthal and colleagues specifically tested the DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension). Generally speaking, they recommended high consumption of fruits, vegetables, legumes, and nuts. They recommended low consumption of red meats and processed meats, and against over-consuming fats. In this study, reduced sodium intake also improved executive function. It’s worth noting that other studies have also connected the Mediterranean diet with slower cognitive decline, improved cognitive function, and decreased risk of dementia.4 However, these studies were only observational. They did not measure what happens when people change their behavior, as the current Duke study does. What’s the Best Way to Improve Memory and Thinking? The current study tells us that the best way to improve memory and thinking is a combination of aerobic exercise and the DASH diet. Of all the singular interventions, exercise had the largest effect. However, exercise plus diet had an even greater effect. Dr. Blumenthal and colleagues only used the DASH diet, but diets other than the DASH may be effective as well. - Blumenthal J, Smith P, Mabe S, et al. Lifestyle and neurocognition in older adults with cardiovascular risk factors and cognitive impairments. Neurology. December 2019; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1212/WNL.0000000000006784 - S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Cognitive Impairment: A Call for Action Now! February 2011. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/aging/pdf/cognitive_impairment/cogimp_poilicy_final.pdf - Blumenthal JA, Smith PJ, Mabe S, Hinderliter A, Welsh-Bohmer K, Browndyke JN, Lin PH, Kraus W, Doraiswamy PM, Burke J, Sherwood A. Lifestyle and neurocognition in older adults with cardiovascular risk factors and cognitive impairment. Psychosomatic Medicine. 2017 Jul 1;79(6):719-27. - van de Rest O, Berendsen AA, Haveman-Nies A, de Groot LC. Dietary patterns, cognitive decline, and dementia: a systematic review. Advances in Nutrition. 2015 Mar 5;6(2):154-68.
For any organization, hiring and training new employees is challenging which sometimes can make them feel neglected and lose motivation in learning key job aspects. New job environments are stressful for new employees who may be easily overwhelmed by many suggestions and information given. To motivate a new employee to focus on learning about his job, several techniques can be applied. Some include: Determining the needs of the new employees. It involves gathering the motivations and preferences of the new employees. Each employee has specific needs for the work environment and interests. Once the needs are identified, they can be acted upon if the overall motivation and productivity of the new employee decrease. Regularly, it engaging new employees during the training. By engaging new employees with the company and its goals, it can reduce the time they take to feel comfortable and expand their motivation in learning about their jobs via the training (Noe, 2010). Engaging new employees with the current skills gives them a chance for growth and development. Delegate meaningful duties to the new employees from the start. New employees given a task related to their job gives them a meaningful challenge which motivates them to learn about the job. The key is to give them a task they can handle and be motivated instead of being overwhelmed. Get new employees in front of the job. While it is risky to get new employees involved with the job from the start, the risks can be reduced. It is essential to make them to feel involved in the job as soon as possible. Giving the projects as soon as they start can help to build their confidence and motivation.
Ikaruga-cho is a town in Nara Prefecture. It’s most famous for Horyuji Temple, home of the world’s oldest wooden buildings. A 2001 study found that the tree used to craft the 5-story pagoda’s central pillar was felled in 594! Prince Regent Shotoku Taishi, the 6th- and 7th-century statesman and scholar, credited with solidifying Buddhism’s place in Japan, held residences in Ikaruga-cho. The temple also became Japan’s first World Heritage Site in 1993. Many of Japan’s regions and towns have their own specialty foods and Ikaruga-cho is no different. Tatsuta-age is Ikaruga-cho’s own version of fried chicken and is named after the Tatsuta River flowing through Ikaruga-cho. Before being breaded and deep-fried, the chicken (or sometimes fish) is marinated in soy sauce giving it a rich, delicious flavor. It’s sold at stores and restaurants throughout Ikaruga-cho. The Fukokuen restaurant is an excellent place for Tatsuta-age; they utilize the freshest local chicken complementing it with dishes made from other locally sourced ingredients. The Tatsuta-age set pictured here is just ¥1,480 without tax. Fukokuen is built into an authentic castle gate relocated to its present location from the former Yodo Castle in Kyoto. The dining area looks out on a stone-and-flower garden and the architecturally unique Fukokuen house that was once owned by a local baron, Harufusa Kitabatake. Historic Streets of the Nishi-sato and Tatsuta Districts Weather and time smiled on Ikaruga-cho, leaving many historic structures in its Nishi-sato and Tatsuta districts intact. Narrow stone and earthen streets allow visitors one of the most tantalizing glimpses into Japan’s storied past. When emperors and lords died, they were interred in tombs inside enormous earthen mounds known as kofun. The Fujinoki Tumulus, located just 400 meters west of Horyuji Temple, revealed gilt bronze ornaments, horse trappings, and a stone coffin containing the bodies of two individuals when it was excavated in 1985! The bodies are believed to be those of Prince Anahobe (Shotoku Taishi’s uncle) and Prince Yakabe. The tomb is open to the public twice a year during spring and autumn. Twin three-story Pagodas: Hokiji and Horinji Temples Hokiji Temple, one of the seven great temples to be founded by Shotoku Taishi, is among Ikaruga-cho’s World Heritage-listed sites. The temple boasts Japan’s oldest three-story pagoda (an 8th-century structure). Hokiji is also said to sit atop the ruins of one of Shotoku Taishi’s palaces. It’s located in the farmland about 1.5 kilometers to the northeast of Horyuji. Crowds are minimal and the sight of the historic pagoda rising above verdant rice paddies during spring and summer or the colorful cosmos flowers in autumn is spectacular. Entry to Hokiji Temple is ¥300 per person, junior-high-school age to adult, and ¥200 per child, elementary-school-age and younger. The “twin” of Hokiji’s three-story pagoda sits amid the grounds of Horinji Temple. The origins of Horinji remain unclear, but one popular theory is that it was founded by Shotoku Taishi’s son, Yamashiro no Oe no O, to pray for his father’s recovery from illness. The consecration of a Yakushinyorai Medicine Buddha as the temple’s principal focus of worship lends some credence to this theory. Horinji Temple fell into decline after Japan’s capital was moved from Nara to Kyoto in 794. By the Edo period, only the pagoda remained. In 1944, the pagoda was struck by lightning and burned to the ground. The current pagoda was rebuilt in 1975. Horinji’s greatest asset is its collection of Buddhist statues, art, and other artifacts documenting the evolution of Buddhist sculpture. Entry to Horinji Temple is ¥500 for adults, ¥400 for junior and high school students, and ¥200 for children, elementary-school-age and younger. Waikaru Buggy Tours Join a buggy tour with Waikaru and get the most out of your time in Ikaruga-cho. Waikaru is a tourist information and tour office. Climb behind the wheel of one of their 50cc landcruiser-esque buggies, and follow behind a guide through the streets of Ikaruga-cho. The tour covers most of the sites mentioned above and many other scenic spots. The fun and convenience of the buggy tour lasts about 2 hours. Up to five people can participate in a tour at a cost of ¥4,000 per person. Each participant must hold a valid International Driver's Permit. English-speaking guides are also available. Waikaru also offers a Tuk-tuk Experience (1-4 people, 2 hours duration ¥7,000 per vehicle with a driver provided by Waikaru, or ¥5,000 per vehicle without a Waikaru driver) and bicycle rentals ¥300 and up. Goshuin and Mokugyo at Kichidenji Temple Kichidenji Temple traces its history back to 987. It’s known as the “Temple of the Peaceful Death.” The temple’s quiet grounds, surrounded by bamboo groves, are home to a shoryo belfry (1774), a two-story treasure pagoda that is unique to Nara (1463), a traditional main hall (1859 reconstruction), and a pond. Once a year on the 1st of September the pond is the site of Kichidenji’s most important ritual, the Hojoe Ceremony, where a number of doves and fish are released as an expression of gratitude for health and prosperity. In addition to the historic structures, divine blessings, and colorful ceremonies, Kichidenji Temple offers two great experiences that visitors can enjoy year-round. Traveling around to Japan’s various temples and shrines and receiving a blessing in the form of artfully written kanji in a special “goshuin” book is a long-practiced and well-loved tradition. Make your own goshuin book following the guidance of one of Kichidenji’s monks. The process transcends language and provides participants with a unique souvenir and the temple’s blessing. A mokugyo is a wooden bell carved in the likeness of a fish. Join one of Kichidenji’s monks in a meditative prayer to the temple’s Amida Buddha and sound out the rhythm of a sutra on one of the mokugyo bells. In addition to its buggy tours and other services, Waikaru also operates a vacation home, the Ikaruga Biyori. The spacious four-bedroom (eight single beds) home can sleep up to ten people. It has all the amenities of home, including high-speed Wi-Fi internet, a full kitchen, A/C and heating; best of all, it’s conveniently located right behind the Waikaru office in central Ikaruga. One night during the week at Ikaruga Biyori is ¥10,700per night for two people. On Fridays, Saturdays, holidays (including the night before a holiday) the price is ¥19,000 per night for two people, and ¥24,000 per night for two people during major holidays such as New Years, Golden Week, and Obon. Each additional person is ¥7,000 a night. Ikaruga-cho is served by Horyuji Station on the JR Yamatoji Line. It is easily accessible by Yamatoji Rapid Service trains from Osaka. They depart from JR Namba and JR Osaka stations and serve many stops on the Osaka Loop Line. The train from Osaka Station costs ¥650 each way and takes about 40 minutes. From JR Namba the fare is ¥470 each way and the fastest service takes around 40 minutes. Local service trains can also bring visitors to Ikaruga-cho with a change to the rapid service at Tennoji or Kyuhoji stations. To reach Ikaruga-cho from Kyoto, board either a Nara Line Rapid or Local train and switch to a Yamatoji Line Train at Nara Station. The Rapid service completes the journey in 70 minutes and costs ¥990 each way.
These harmful substances are nature’s way of storing genetic plant material until it has a chance to grow into a plant. By doing so, they can remain potent for thousands of years! Given the right conditions – fertile soil, water, sunlight – all grains, as well as legumes and nuts, grow into sturdy plants. Un-Soaked Grains Can Lead to a Serious Net Loss of Minerals and Bone. Un-soaked, un-germinated grains present a real problem for human beings and are detrimental to good health. This is because the husk of a grain seed contains digestive enzyme inhibitors and phytic acid* which bind to proteins and key minerals in our digestive tract. Once bound, proper absorption of vital nutrients found in grains – especially calcium, copper, iron, and zinc – is blocked and unable to be assimilated. When ingested, phytic acid and inhibitors prevent the body’s own enzymes from working properly and prohibit proper absorption of nutrients and minerals. Consumed on a regular basis, un-soaked and un-germinated grain can irritate the digestive tract - potentially leading to a variety of health conditions, including leaky gut, IBS and food intolerances. Eat your grain...just make sure it’s soaked and sprouted or cooked! Enzyme inhibitors and toxic substances found in grains can be minimized, or eliminated, in as little 8-24 hours. We can achieve this by soaking grain in warm water with an acid (yogurt, whey, lemon juice). This simple step mimics Nature’s germination process, fooling the seed to sprout and activate its enzymes. Soaked seeds are full of good enzymes that can increase the availability of vitamins to our body and allow nutrients to be readily absorbed. Properly prepared grains are living, enzyme-rich foods that are naturally low in calories with significantly higher amounts of bio-available calcium, iron and zinc than un-soaked grains. For example, vitamin A content doubles; various B group vitamins are 5 – 10 times higher; and vitamin C increases! How’s that for nutrient-dense food? Properly prepared grains are living, enzyme-rich foods with an abundance of bio-available calcium, iron and zinc. Our modern way of preparing grains often overlook this crucial soaking and germinating step. Yet traditional civilizations have practiced it for thousands of years in various forms. Taking the necessary steps to minimize and eliminate grain’s harmful inhibitors and toxic substances, you can return this art of food preparation to your own kitchen! Click to learn how to prepare your grains healthfully. *Phytic acid is found in all grains, legumes, nuts and seeds and requires an acidified liquid to encourage the activity of phytase – an enzyme required to break down phytic acid. Fallon, S. (2001). Nourishing Traditions. Washington, DC: New Trends Publishing, Inc. Fallon, S. and Enig, M. (2000). Be Kind To Your Grains…And Your Grains Will Be Kind To You. The Weston A. Price Foundation. Retrieved from http://www.westonaprice.org/food-features/be-kind-to-your-grains Nagel, R. (2010). Living with Phytic Acid. The Weston A. Price Foundation. Retrieved from http://www.westonaprice.org/food-features/1893-living-with-phytic-acid.html Nourished Kitchen. (2009). Sprouted Grain: Benefits, Preparation and Recipes. Retrieved fromhttp://nourishedkitchen.com/sprouted-grain/ Passionate Homemaking (2008). Soaking Methods for the Dairy Intolerant. Retrieved from http://www.passionatehomemaking.com/2008/10/q-a-soaking-for-the-dairy-free.html
Immune restoration: repairing the damage ACRIA Update, Vol. 11, No. 1, Winter 2001/2002 The ability of Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) to suppress HIV replication, increase CD4 cell counts in the blood, and prevent or delay opportunistic infections is now well documented. Individual responses can vary, toxicities remain a problem and the best time to start HAART continues to be debated, but the overall trend of restored immunity and prevention of illness has come as a welcome surprise. Many researchers feared that the damage to the immune system caused by HIV would be irreversible, but HAART studies have contradicted this assumption. These studies paint a picture of immune restoration occurring in multiple phases — some fast and others slow and variable — ultimately leading to near-normal immune system function in many individuals. Research into immune restoration also provides a new opportunity to understand the mechanisms by which HIV damages the immune system, a necessary step for designing therapies that might speed immune recovery or help people whose immunity remains impaired despite HAART.
WHAT ARE ACADEMIES? There are 3 types of academy. Sponsored: These were established under the old Government and designed to support failing schools in challenging circumstances. They were given start up funding and would have a sponsor (like the Aldridge Foundation or the Woodard Foundation), who was supposed to put up some money but, in practice, rarely did. Some sponsors have been criticised for their views (for example the United Learning Trust that adopts a conservative Christian ethos). Some of the sponsored academies were rebuilt. Convertor: Under the current Government any school which is deemed to be already good or with outstanding features can convert to an academy. The school converting must set up an Academy Trust comprised of at least 3 governors. The Trust appoints new governors and a Funding Agreement with the Department for Education becomes the legal basis for the academy. Convertor academies do not need a sponsor but there are no guarantees that one may not be sought once the school has academy status and/or imposed if the Department for Education wishes. The school is run as a business and may declare a surplus. Many academy enthusiasts are now pushing for academies to be allowed to declare a profit too. Free Schools: Free Schools are academies too. Some have been very unsuccessful and been criticised for their performance and approach to education. A few have been forced to close only a few years after opening (eg: the Discovery New School in Crawley). All Academies: All Academies receive funding directly from the Department for Education, rather than the local authority, and the local authority has the funding deducted from its education budget in the case of sponsored and convertor academies. Academies can choose whether to give a contract to a commercial company, employ additional staff to carry out certain tasks or buy local authority services. This has a knock on effect on other schools in the area. There will be a tipping point at which, if enough schools opt out of local authority oversight, cuts will have to be made to the shared services which support all schools and the service they get will be poorer. All Academies employ staff directly and set their own terms and conditions of employment. Land and buildings are normally transferred to the Academy Trust. Assurances given by Academy Trusts about these things are not guarantees and can change at any point once a school becomes an academy. Head teachers often become ‘Chief Executives’ of academies and often see their pay increase. Academies can ‘opt out’ of the national curriculum and develop their own curriculum. THE BIGGER PICTURE – IMPACT ON STATE EDUCATION The Academies programme is an attack on the education system in this country. It is an attempt to destroy a democratic, planned, state education system and replace it with a two-tier, market driven collection of independent schools paid for out of tax-payers money, at the mercy of education companies driven by financial considerations. Currently most schools work as part of the Local Authority overseen by elected councillors. They are run by a head teacher working with a group of school governors, some of whom are appointed by the Local Authority, others are elected by parents or staff. Whatever its weaknesses, this system has many benefits: - It allows planning for all school places according to population developments and between and with all schools - It allows for co-ordinated teacher training and development and shared, Special Educational Needs support, Early Years teaching, and much more, - It means there is co-operation between schools over pupil admissions and exclusions, - Schools adhere to nationally agreed conditions for staff and to the national curriculum. - Governors and councillors are elected. Their decisions can be, and have been, challenged at elections. IMPORTANT FACTS ABOUT ACADEMIES – THE REASONS TO JUST SAY NO! 1. NO NEW MONEY. Academies get the same funding per pupil as any other school. The only difference is they receive money direct from the government to buy in a range of services. Hove Park needs to update and develop its building but to say this will happen as a result of becoming an academy is completely misleading. There is NO extra guaranteed money for new buildings. 2. NO EVIDENCE OF IMPROVED EDUCATIONAL STANDARDS. There is absolutely no evidence that if a school converts to an academy it will raise the level of educational achievement by students. An independent analysis of Department for Education statistics indicates that there is no evidence that converter academies perform better than non-academies in terms of GCSE results. There is nothing to directly benefit local children by becoming an academy 3. NO LOCAL AUTHORITY SAFETY NET. Academies take responsibility for a range of liabilities ranging from pensions to buildings maintenance. And if something goes wrong, for example a flood or a fire, they can no longer turn to the Local Authority for help. 4. EXPERIENCED STAFF MAY LEAVE. Academies can employ unqualified teachers and set their own pay, conditions and working hours for newly appointed teachers. This leads to a ‘two tier’ workforce and other problems. Assurances that this would not happen have already been compromised by Hove Park employing unqualified teachers. We are worried good teachers will leave and others will become demoralised 5. ACADEMIES ARE AN ATTACK ON DEMOCRACY. The democratically-elected Local Authority no longer has a say in the running of an academy. It is run by a charitable company called an academy trust. If a parent disagrees with a decision and cannot resolve the matter with the academy, they can no longer turn to the Local Authority. Effectively there is no local avenue of complaint. Academies are not accountable to the Local Authority, so they are not accountable to the public. Their governors are appointed, not elected. Academies are not covered by Freedom of Information legislation. 6. WHO WILL RUN THE ACADEMIES? New or existingacademy chains, and Edu-businesses are lining up to take over our schools. Who knows who will be running Hove Park in the future? – there will be absolutely no safeguarding for this once the current leaders move on. Already some quite dodgy characters are sniffing around – see our article on mr-robert-back for more on this. 7. FAIR ADMISSIONS PROCEDURES WOULD BE THREATENED. There is a wide diversity of practice regarding admission to academies. The complexity of these arrangements means there is a lack of transparency for parents and a destabilising effect on the capacity of schools to achieve a balance of abilities amongst pupil intakes. The current team may want to keep things as they are but where are the guarantees for the future? 8. POLICY IS CHANGING AT A NATIONAL LEVEL. Recent debate/concerns about schools in Birmingham is impacting on approaches by all political parties around the academisation of state schools. It would be very short-sighted for a decision to be made by a small group of people at Hove Park in the midst of this changing climate. Once a decision is made to become an academy there is no going back. WE SHOULD SAY NO BECAUSE THERE ARE MANY UNANSWERED QUESTIONS RESULTING FROM THE HOVE PARK CONSULTATION At the start of the process of considering becoming an academy, Hove Park parents/carers were told by the Chair that: “During the review we will be looking at all of the options for the school and one of these is becoming an academy”. In spite of many requests, parents have yet to see the research that was carried out by the Senior Leadership Team/Governing Body in this review and how and when alternative options were dismissed in favour of academy status. This work should have been done and properly presented to all parents/carers before a proposal for academy status was put forward. All the glossy brochures presented by the school do not give a clear reason as to why Hove Park School should become an academy at this time, or how academy status would directly benefit local communities including current and future pupils. There is no evidence that academy status would bring benefits or freedoms – only that there would be risks and uncertainties for the future if Hove Park becomes an academy.
"The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" is a fictional American novel written by Mark Twain and first published in the U.S. in 1885. It tells the story of young teen Huckleberry Finn, the primary protagonist, and his adventures along the Mississippi River just before the Civil War. The novel deals with conflicts that stem from racism, prejudice and social inequality. The rising action adds mystery and suspense but also supports strong themes about friendship and nonconformity. A Powerful Series of Events Twain creates a series of suspenseful events in the rising action. Pap, Huck's abusive alcoholic father, wants Huck's savings and kidnaps him from his legal guardians. Huck escapes, fakes his own death and heads out on a riverboat expedition with his friend Jim, a runaway slave. Huck and Jim build a strong friendship as they travel the Mississippi River. They meet a series of strangers, wrongdoers and con men, all from different socioeconomic backgrounds, and repeatedly save one another from danger, according to Publishers Review. Eventually, Jim is recaptured and taken to another farm to work as a slave. The climax occurs when Huck and his friend Tom Sawyer try to free Jim. The rising action helps establish the basic conflict in the story -- overcoming conventional racial prejudices. - Nisian Hughes/Photodisc/Getty Images
Religion is supposed to be about peace, but often it is about war. Some of the worst religious wars include Islamic Jihad, Christian Crusades, and Joshua’s Unholy War. I wish Mormons didn’t have anything to be ashamed of, but I’ve been reading The Mountain Meadows Massacre by Juanita Brooks. One of the things I didn’t realize about this shameful episode is the Utah War. It wasn’t much of a war, but it was one of the leading causes of this tragedy. In 1857, President Buchanon sent 5000 troops to Utah to put down a supposed rebellion in Utah. Exaggerated reports of rebellion had come to Washington, DC. The US had just finished the Mexican-American War in 1848, and Civil War rhetoric would boil over into war just 4 years later. There was a tremendous amount of war rhetoric leading up to this time throughout the country. The Mormons had been driven out of Missouri and Illinois, arriving in the Salt Lake Valley in 1847. Brigham Young publicly made many belligerent statements that they would not be driven again, but privately, he had no intention of engaging a war with the US government. He did his best to slow them down, sent Mormons to harass the US Army, but he had explicit instructions not to engage the US army. When the army finally arrived in the Salt Lake Valley, no shots were fired, and there was uneasy peace. Prior to the arrival of troops, the Mormons were training for war. The militias took part on military exercises, and supplies were tightened. They were instructed not to sell food to emigrants passing through. The Fancher and Baker companies were passing through Utah from Arkansas to California. Bad feelings ensued. The emigrants needed supplies, but the Mormons refused to sell to them–thinking they might need these supplies for the war effort with the US. There were unsubstiantiated rumors that the Fancher party poisoned a well which killed Indian cattle and other rumors that the Fanchers boasted of killing Joseph and Hyrum Smith. Obviously, this would create tensions in Southern Utah. Apostle Parley P Pratt had been recently killed in Arkansas, and the Fanchers apparently bragged about the killing, and threatened to come back with an army from California to take care of the Mormons. Supposedly they derisively named their oxen Brigham and Joseph. Militias were told that they may need to defend themselves for the oncoming US army, and if the army arrived sooner than expected. War fervor was very high. Brigham Young issued orders to make alliances with the Indians–they were often referred to as the “battle-axe of the Lord.” Apparently, the Fancher-Baker parties provoked enough anger among the Mormons, that it was decided to do something about them. The Mormons first tried to have the Indians attack the emigrants, but the Fancher party repelled both attacks, killing some Indians in the process. The Indians were furious, and said if the Mormons didn’t help them, the Indians would attack the Mormons. Indians outnumbered Mormons 4 to 1 in the area. John D. Lee, who was later executed for the massacre, says they knelt in prayer about what to do. From page 81, The discussions went on, [Lee] says, until at last the Mormons knelt in a circle amid the sage and asked God for guidance and strength to do the thing that was required, or to give them some sign that they might know what to do. [Quoting from Lee’s Confessions, page 232] ‘After prayer, Major Higbee said, “Here are the orders and handed me a paper from Haight. It was in substance that it was the orders of Haight to decoy the emigrants from their position, and kill them all that could talk. The order was in writing. Higbee handed it to me and I read it, and then dropped it to the ground, saying, “I cannot do this.” ….The order was signed by Haight, as commander of the troops at Cedar City. Haight told me the next day after the massacre, while on the Meadows, that he got his orders from Colonel Dame. I then left the council, and went away to myself, and bowed myself in prayer before God, and asked Him to overrule the decision of that Council. I shed many bitter tears, and my tortured soul was wrung nearly from my body by the great suffering. I will here say, calling upon Heaven, angels, and the spirits of just men to witness what I say, that if I could then have had a thousand worlds to command, I would have given them freely to save that company from death. While in bitter anguish, lamenting the sad condition of myself and others, Charles Hopkins, a man I had great confidence in, came to me from the Council, and tried to comfort me…. At the earnest solicitation of Brother Hopkins, I returned with him to the Council. When I got back, the Council again prayed for aid.’ [Brooks stops quoting Lee here.] Finally convinced that he was doing what had to be done, Lee accepted the decision and helped to make plans for the execution without further protest or weeping. It boggles my mind that they actually knelt in prayer before this horrific atrocity. Of course, religious fanaticism is common to Islam, Judiaism, Hinduism, and Christianity too, but that doesn’t make it right or justifiable. I was a bit encouraged that some Mormons did not want to participate. The emigrant men were marched single file with a Mormon escort. Sick, wounded, women, and children were loaded in wagons. Everyone knew that when “Halt” was shouted, the escorts were to shoot the men standing next to them. Higbee explains on page 90, Some say Clingensmith gave Order who was at head of company. One thing is Known by all Persons out there It was Major Lee’s Orders whoEver gave them. That was the signal for guns to fire. Lee said that those that are too big Cowards to help the Indians can Shoot in the air then Squat down So Indians can rush Past them and finish up their Savage work begun Many days Since. It is said Most of the Company were nervious and afraid of Indian Treachery and Kept their guns loaded for their Own Protection no doubt Each Individual knows more about that than any other Person Living and How they felt at that Particular Moment when Some Guns were fired and the Men Squated down and Indians Seemed to be there the Same Moment as they jumped out of the Brush, and rushed like a Howling tornado apast us. And the Hideous Deamon like yells of the Savages as they thirsting for blood rushed Past to Slay their helpless Victims it Seemed to chill the Blood in our veins. Brooks goes on to say, Higbee’s account closes with a plea that the truth of this should be told, so that men who had been deceived into going to the Meadows in the first place and forced to participate in the butchery after they got there might be cleared of responsibility. These men, he insisted, had been done a grave injustice. That some of the Mormons in the ranks did not approve of what was done is generally admitted. A legend is gold of young Tom Pierce, who refused to have anything to do with the affair and turned and walked away. When his own father, who was an officer, ordered him into the ranks and he still did not return, the father shot at him. The bullet grazed the side of Tom’s head, leaving a permanent scar just above his ear. The Mormon teaching of unquestioning obedience to authority, added to the strict military law then in force in the territory, would, in the eyes of their neighbors, relieve the men in the ranks of responsibility. For this reason, only a few went later into permanent hiding, and they were the men who had been in positions of command. Brooks says there are many conflicting witness accounts. Most witnesses tried to make themselves look good at the expense of others. Some people have discounted all of Lee’s testimony, but Brooks doesn’t believe all of Lee’s testimony should be discounted. She makes efforts to show how reliable it is. I’m impressed with Tom Pierce. I don’t know what I would have done with such a terrible choice, but I hope I would have followed his example. What do you make of this prayer before the massacre? Is killing in the name of God ever a good thing? What about Joshua and Jericho, Nephi and Laban, Abraham and Isaac, Elisha and Jezebel?
New turns a sea sponge into a solution New is bringing a sea change to the way we treat pancreatic cancer. It all began with the simple sea sponge, and the perseverance of Associate Professor Chris Scarlett from the School of Environmental and Life Sciences. Pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer death in Western societies. Nothing, apart from surgery in a small proportion of individuals, gives any hope of cure,” explains Chris. The five-year survival rate is very low—just 7%. And unfortunately, this survival rate has been stagnant since the 1970s. The cancer cells’ rapid proliferation through the bloodstream and ability to survive at a microscopic level in other organs makes molecular and cell biology studies difficult. With so few options for such a poor prognosis, Chris and his team were inspired to look in novel places for potential treatments. Specifically, the ocean floor, and biological compounds found in sea sponges. Why sea sponges? As it turns out, early cancer therapies were derived from a certain type of sea sponge. With thousands of species of sea sponge in the ocean, there’s a good chance one of them could unlock the key to a new therapeutic treatment. And with so few treatment options available to pancreatic cancer patients that was a chance Chris was willing to take. Chris’s work has taken him from the familiar shores of the Central Coast to Tasmania and the Bass Strait. He has found himself riding on ocean trawlers and salvaging hundreds of sea sponges, of all colors, shapes and sizes, from their nets. With his network of colleagues at the University of Newcastle and all over Australia, Chris searches for new and promising biological compounds. Currently, Chris is working with a team of PhD students on an exciting new breakthrough: the discovery of a protein associated with the aggressive spread of pancreatic cancers. By learning more about it, scientists may be able to more effectively treat patients suffering from pancreatic cancer. There is real potential that the targeting of this mechanism will improve outcomes for patients with this aggressive sub-type of pancreatic cancer.” Progress like this, and the promise it holds for patients around the world, are why Chris is so passionate about his work. Knowing that what we do has the potential to better somebody’s life gets me out of bed each morning, and I believe that in cancer research you can make real progress when you don’t lose sight of the big picture.” Associate Professor in the School of Environmental and Life Sciences I believe that in cancer research you can make real progress when you don’t lose sight of the big picture.
First World War: Accidental Explosions Around 600 people were killed in accidental explosions at explosives works during the First World War. Most loss of life can be attributed to the manufacture of the high explosive TNT and its derivative amatol. In British service this was a new explosive and the principal production hazard was thought to be fire. Factories were established in converted buildings in built-up areas. A decision that had devastating results when a TNT plant exploded at Ashton-under-Lyme, Greater Manchester, where 53 died, and later at Silvertown, east London, killing 69; in both incidents workers and local residents lost their lives. Explosions in purpose-built factories could be equally shattering: at Faversham, Kent, in April 1916, 108 were killed, only exceeded by an explosion at Chilwell, Nottingham, where there were 134 fatalities. Please click on the gallery images to enlarge.
Renal failure, also known as kidney failure, occurs when the kidneys can't perform their normal functions. It usually occurs in middle-aged and older people. The kidneys are two bean-shaped organs on either side of the spine in the lower back. Their main functions are to remove waste from the body and to balance the water and mineral content of the blood by filtering waste, minerals, and water. The waste and water combine to form urine. Anatomy of the Kidney Copyright © Nucleus Medical Media, Inc. End-stage renal disease (ESRD) refers to a permanent condition in which the kidneys are no longer able to filter waste from the blood. As the wastes build up, the tiny filters in the kidneys continue to lose their filtering ability. Although damage to the nephrons may occur suddenly after an injury or poisoning, many kidney diseases take years or decades to cause noticeable damage. ESRD is generally diagnosed when kidney function drops to 10% of normal. The two most common causes of ESRD are: —the nephrons are damaged by chronically high blood sugar levels that occur in poorly controlled diabetes - High blood pressure —causes damage to the blood vessels in the kidneys End-stage renal disease can lead to anemia, high blood pressure, bone disorders, heart failure, and mental confusion. Andrews PA. Renal Transplantation Brit Med J. Chronic kidney disease. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: http://www.ebscohost.com/dynamed. Updated April 22, 2013. Accessed July 2, 2013. End-stage renal disease. National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases website. Available at: Updated September 15, 2010. Accessed July 2, 2013. Yu HT. Progression of chronic renal failure. Arch Int Med. Last reviewed July 2013 by Adrienne Carmack, MD; Michael Woods, MD Please be aware that this information is provided to supplement the care provided by your physician. It is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. CALL YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IMMEDIATELY IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Copyright © EBSCO Publishing. All rights reserved.
10 Heroes of Robotic History It’s National Robotics Week, and we feel we owe a lot to those who’ve worked tirelessly over the past 2500 years or so (yeah, it goes back that far) in dreaming up, designing, building and programming mechanical marvels. The following is but a mere sample of what’s been accomplished in robotics, but it represents how far we’ve come. Here’s to the next 2500 years! Somewhere between 428 and 347 BC Archytas of Tarentum builds “the Pigeon”, a steam-propelled mechanical bird. Greek philosopher Aristotle dreams of automated, mechanical humans that will help us with work. He muses, “If every tool, when ordered, or even of its own accord, could do the work that befits it… then there would be no need either of apprentices for the master workers or of slaves for the lords.” Pierre Jaquet-Droz and son Henri-Louis Jaquet-Droz make automata for European royalty, including three dolls: one could write, one could draw, and one could play music. Nikola Tesla builds a remote controlled robot boat and shows it off at Madison Square Garden. Isaac Asimov writes a story about robots, and in doing so, pens a set of three laws for robots. Heinrich Ernst of MIT creates the MH-1, a computer-operated mechanical hand. Victor Scheinman, a student in Stanford Artificial Intelligence Lab (SAIL) creates the Stanford Arm. Shigeo Hirose of the Tokyo Institute of Technology creates the Soft Gripper. Dean Kamen founds FIRST Robotics competitions, and students worldwide get a shot at being engineering all-stars. David Barrett of MIT designs RoboTuna, to be used to study the way fish swim. Amy Leask is VP of Enable Education, and author of “According to Phil: A Young Thinker’s Guide to Robots”. She’s still waiting for the modern version of Rosie from The Jetsons to take over her housekeeping.
Goksel, Turkmen and Ozturkler, Harun (2012): The Comparison of the Recent Crises in Turkey in terms of Output Gap. Download (356kB) \| Preview The importance of output gap and its timely measure come from the fact that it can serve as a guide to macroeconomic policy design. The knowledge of the position of an economy in a cycle is invaluable information and it has an important role in formulation of monetary, fiscal, and income policies. In this paper, we measure potential GDP and output gap for the Turkish Economy for the period between 1998Q1 and 2011Q4, using production function approach. We analyze the crises and the boom periods in terms of output gap. We find that according to the length of downturn and recovery periods, the worst crisis is the 2001. However, when we compare the crises according to the magnitude, the biggest collapse occurs during 2008 crisis. After recovering from 2008 crisis, once again the actual real GDP remains higher than the potential GDP for 5 successive quarters. Moreover, in this period actual real GDP is back on its old trend suggesting that the recovery period is over for Turkey and the negative effects of 2008 global crisis are not permanent. \|Item Type:\|\|MPRA Paper\| \|Original Title:\|\|The Comparison of the Recent Crises in Turkey in terms of Output Gap\| \|Keywords:\|\|Crises, Output gap, Potential GDP, Production function approach, Turkey\| \|Subjects:\|\|E - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics > E3 - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles > E32 - Business Fluctuations ; Cycles\| \|Depositing User:\|\|turkmen goksel\| \|Date Deposited:\|\|22 Aug 2012 14:11\| \|Last Modified:\|\|28 Apr 2016 05:30\| Artus, J. R. 1977. “Measures of Potential Output in Manufacturing for Eight Industrial Countries, 1955-78.” IMF Staff Papers, Vol. 24, No. 1, pp. 1-35. Boratav, K. 2011. Türkiye İktisat Tarihi: 1908-2009. İmge Kitabevi, Ankara. Bukhari, S. ; H. A. S. Adnan; and S. U. Khan. 2008. “Estimating Output Gap for Pakistan Economy: Structural and Statistical Approaches.” State Bank of Pakistan, Working Paper Series, No. 24. Central Bank of Republic of Turkey. 1994. Statistical Data, Public Sector Borrowing Requirement, www.tcmb.gov.tr. Central Bank of Republic of Turkey. 1999-2011. Annual Reports 1998-2010, www.tcmb.gov.tr. Congdon, T. 2008. “Two Concepts of the Output Gap.” World Economics, Vol. 9, No.1, pp.147-175. Congressional Budget Office. 2001. “CBO’s Method for Estimating Potential Output: An Update.” http://www.cbo.gov. Dore, M. H. I. 1995. The Macro Dynamics of Business Cycles: A Comparative Evaluation. Blackwell Publishers, Massachusetts. Ekzen, N. 2009. Türkiye Kısa İktisat Tarihi. ODTÜ Yayıncılık, Ankara. Friedman, M. 1968. “The Role of Monetary Policy.” American Economic Review, Vol. 58 (March), pp. 1-17. Gerlach, P. 2011. “The Global Output Gap: Measurement Issues and Regional Disparities.” Bank of International Settlements Quarterly Review, June. Gollin, D. 2002. “Getting Income Shares Right.” Journal of Political Economy, Vol. 110, No. 2, pp. 458-474. Kazgan, G. 2008. Türkiye Ekonomisinde Krizler (1929-2001). İstanbul Bilgi Üniversitesi Yayınları, İstanbul. Lucas, R. E. Jr. 1972. Econometric Testing of the Natural Rate Hypothesis, in Otto Eckstein (ed.), The Econometrics of Price Determination Conference (Washington, D. C.: Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System), pp. 50–59. Okun, A. M. 1962. “Potential GNP: Its Measurement and Significance.” in Proceedings of the Business and Economic Statistics Section, American Statistical Association, Washington, D.C., pp. 98-103. Öniş, Z. 2010. “Crises and Transformation in Turkish Political Economy.” Turkish Policy Quarterly, Vol. 9, No. 3, pp. 45-61. Özatay, F. 2009. Finansal Krizler ve Türkiye. Doğan Kitabevi, İstanbul. Phillips, A. W. 1958. “The Relationship between Unemployment and the Rate of Change on Money Wage Rates in the United Kingdom, 1861-1957.” Economica, Vol. 25, No. 100, pp. 283-299. Plosser, C. I., and G. W. Schwert. 1979. “Potential GNP: Its Measurement and Significance.” Carnegie Rochester Conference Series on Public Policy, Vol.10, pp. 179-186. Razin, A. and P. Loungani. 2005 “Globalization and Inflation –Output Tradeoff.” NBER Working Paper Series 11641. Rodrik, D. 2012. “The Turkish Economy after the Global Financial Crisis.” Ekonomi-tek, Vol. 1, No.1, pp. 41-61. Simşek, H. A., and N. Simşek. 2011. “Has the Turkish Economy been Less Affected by the 2008 Global Crisis: A Macroeconomic Perspective.” Research Journal of International Studies, Vol. 2 (December), pp. 168-187. Taylor, J. B. 1993. “Discretion versus Policy Rules in Practice.”Carnegie-Rochester Conference Series on Public Policy, Elsevier Science Publishers, Amsterdam. pp. 195–214. Tokgöz, E. 2011. Türkiye’nin İktisadi Gelişme Tarihi (1914-2011). İmaj Yayınevi, Ankara. Yörükoğlu, M., and H. Atasoy. 2010 “The Effects of the Globa
- Pets and Animals» How to Build a Bird Cage If you are a handy do-it-yourselfer interested in building your own bird cage, there are a number of important elements that must be taken into consideration. For instance, how large it needs to be for your particular breed of bird or the number of birds you plan to house. For cages with bars, the size of your bird also dictates spacing between bars. For instance, Amazons and African Greys should have 5/8 to one inch between bars. Another thing to remember is that many breeds of bird chew, and some materials are toxic or may be a choking hazard. For the most part, if you don't know birds, I would suggest you buy a cage rather than build one. If you are knowledgeable about birds, and have the skills to build a cage, then it offers an opportunity to create a unique home for a bird you know. Where to Buy Materials Most materials for building a bird cage can be purchased at your local home improvement store and online sites like Custom Cages. This includes: - Dropping pans - Pan liners - Selection of different types of wire - Solid divider panels Plans for How to Build a Bird Cage The first step in building a bird cage is to have a plan. Because of the variables related to the type and size of cages, I'm including these helpful links for plans and how-tos for building bird cages to get you started: Window Frame Bird Cage: MarthaStewart.com provides steps for creating a bird cage using window frames, chicken wire, and plywood. If you use plywood in the construction of your birdcage, be sure to use untreated lumber because treated lumber contains a variety of chemical compounds dangerous to your bird. Canary Cage: Woodcrafter.net offers plans for a canary cage complete with pictures for assembly. Plans for a Finch Aviary: These plans offer blueprints and clear instructions for a finch aviary. Books to Help You Build a Bird Cage If you don't have a plan or blueprint for your cage, there are books available that offer plans and other information related to your bird's safety. The author of this book brings his years of experience to print with step-by-step instructions and how to build a bird cage as well as nest boxes and many other items. Illustrations, pictures and detailed diagrams are supplemented with a detailed materials list. This step-by-step guide includes instructions for how to build breeding cages for: - Parakeets and Finches - Quaker Parakeets Plans for nest boxes, carrying cages and hospital cages are also included. If you are a craftsman, but unfamiliar with birds, I would recommend caution if considering the idea of building a bird cage. Many birds are natural chewers and not all woods are bird-safe. For the most part, cages constructed of wood are not suitable even for smaller birds because the wood's porous surface is perfect for growing mold and bacteria. It isn't unusual for birds to learn to unscrew screws or find other unsuspected choking hazards. If you're sure you want to build, visit a bird fair and take time to study cages similar to the one you want to build. Talk with vendors about safety features and materials used. Do your research and both you and your bird will benefit.
The Distributional Implications of a Carbon Tax in Ireland We study the effects of carbon tax and revenue recycling across the income distribution in the Republic of Ireland. In absolute terms, a carbon tax of ?20/tCO2 would cost the poorest households less than ?3/week and the richest households more than ?4/week. A carbon tax is regressive, therefore. However, if the tax revenue is used to increase social benefits and tax credits, households across the income distribution can be made better off without exhausting the total carbon tax revenue. \|Date of creation:\|\|Jul 2008\| \|Contact details of provider:\|\| Postal: Whitaker Square, Sir John Rogerson's Quay, Dublin 2\| Phone: (353-1) 863 2000 Fax: (353-1) 863 2100 Web page: http://www.esri.ie More information through EDIRC References listed on IDEAS Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.: - James M. Poterba, 1991. "Is the Gasoline Tax Regressive?," NBER Chapters,in: Tax Policy and the Economy, Volume 5, pages 145-164 National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. - Poterba, J.M., 1990. "Is The Gasoline Tax Regressive?," Working papers 568, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Department of Economics. - James M. Poterba, 1991. "Is the Gasoline Tax Regressive?," NBER Working Papers 3578, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. - Tol, Richard S. J., 2007. "Irish Climate Change Policy for 2012: An Assessment," Quarterly Economic Commentary: Special Articles, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), vol. 2007(4-Winter), pages 104-117. - Anwar Shah & Bjorn Larsen, 2014. "Carbon taxes, the greenhouse effect, and developing countries," Annals of Economics and Finance, Society for AEF, vol. 15(1), pages 353-402, May. - Shah, Anwar & Larsen, Bjorn, 1992. "Carbon taxes, the greenhouse effect, and developing countries," Policy Research Working Paper Series 957, The World Bank. - Anwar Shah & Bjorn Larsen, 2008. "Carbon taxes, the greenhouse effect, and developing countries," CEMA Working Papers 583, China Economics and Management Academy, Central University of Finance and Economics. - Brannlund, Runar & Nordstrom, Jonas, 2004. "Carbon tax simulations using a household demand model," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 48(1), pages 211-233, February. - Brännlund, Runar & Nordström, Jonas, 1999. "Carbon Tax Simulations Using a Household Demand Model," Umeå Economic Studies 508, Umeå University, Department of Economics. - Lyons, Sean & Mayor, Karen & Tol, Richard S.J., 2009. "Convergence of consumption patterns during macroeconomic transition: A model of demand in Ireland and the OECD," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 26(3), pages 702-714, May. - Seán Lyons & Karen Mayor & Richard S.J. Tol, 2007. "Convergence of Consumption Patterns During Macroeconomic Transition: A Model of Demand in Ireland and the OECD," Papers WP205, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI). - Sean Lyons & Karen Mayor & Richard S.J. Tol, 2007. "Convergence Of Consumption Patterns During Macroeconomic Transition: A Model Of Demand In Ireland And The Oecd," Working Papers FNU-141, Research unit Sustainability and Global Change, Hamburg University, revised Aug 2007. - Wissema, Wiepke & Dellink, Rob, 2007. "AGE analysis of the impact of a carbon energy tax on the Irish economy," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 61(4), pages 671-683, March. - Wiepke Wissema & Rob Dellink, "undated". "CGE Analysis of the Impact of a Carbon Energy Tax on the Irish Economy," EcoMod2006 272100104, EcoMod. - Healy, John D. & Clinch, J. Peter, 2004. "Quantifying the severity of fuel poverty, its relationship with poor housing and reasons for non-investment in energy-saving measures in Ireland," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 32(2), pages 207-220, January. - Joe O'Doherty & Richard Tol, 2007. "An Environmental Input-Output Model for Ireland," The Economic and Social Review, Economic and Social Studies, vol. 38(2), pages 157-190. - Joe O'Doherty & Richard S.J. Tol, 2007. "An Environmental Input-Output Model for Ireland," Papers WP178, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI). - Oladosu, Gbadebo & Rose, Adam, 2007. "Income distribution impacts of climate change mitigation policy in the Susquehanna River Basin Economy," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 29(3), pages 520-544, May. - Callan, Tim & Nolan, Brian & Walsh, John R. & Whelan, Christopher T. & Maitre, Bertrand, 2008. "Tackling Low Income and Deprivation: Developing Effective Policies," Research Series, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), number RS1. - Arief Anshory Yusuf & Budy P. Resosudarmo, 2007. "On the Distributional Effect of Carbon Tax in Developing Countries: The Case of Indonesia," Working Papers in Economics and Development Studies (WoPEDS) 200705, Department of Economics, Padjadjaran University, revised Aug 2007. - Brannlund, Runar & Ghalwash, Tarek & Nordstrom, Jonas, 2007. "Increased energy efficiency and the rebound effect: Effects on consumption and emissions," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 29(1), pages 1-17, January. - Brännlund, Runar & Ghalwash, Tarek & Nordström, Jonas, 2004. "Increased Energy Efficiency and the Rebound Effect: Effects on consumption and emissions," Umeå Economic Studies 642, Umeå University, Department of Economics. - Thomas Conefrey & John D. Fitz Gerald & Laura Malaguzzi Valeri & Richard S.J. Tol, 2013. "The impact of a carbon tax on economic growth and carbon dioxide emissions in Ireland," Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 56(7), pages 934-952, September. - Thomas Conefrey & John FitzGerald & Laura Malaguzzi Valeri & Richard S. J. Tol, 2008. "The Impact of a Carbon Tax on Economic Growth and Carbon Dioxide Emissions in Ireland," Papers WP251, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI). - Safirova, Elena & Gillingham, Kenneth & Parry, Ian & Nelson, Peter & Harrington, Winston & Mason, David, 2004. "8. Welfare And Distributional Effects Of Road Pricing Schemes For Metropolitan Washington Dc," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 9(1), pages 179-206, January. - Parry, Ian & Harrington, Winston & Nelson, Per-Kristian & Safirova, Elena & Mason, Dave & Gillingham, Kenneth, 2003. "Welfare and Distributional Effects of Road Pricing Schemes for Metropolitan Washington, DC," Discussion Papers dp-03-57, Resources For the Future. - Welsch, Heinz, 2008. "Armington elasticities for energy policy modeling: Evidence from four European countries," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 30(5), pages 2252-2264, September. - O'Doherty, Joe & Lyons, Sean & Tol, Richard S.J., 2008. "Energy-using appliances and energy-saving features: Determinants of ownership in Ireland," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 85(7), pages 650-662, July. - Joe O'Doherty & Seán Lyons & Richard S. J. Tol, 2007. "Energy-Using Appliances and Energy-Saving Features: Determinants of Ownership in Ireland," Papers WP219, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI). - Kirk Hamilton & Grant Cameron, 1994. "Simulating the Distributional Effects of a Canadian Carbon Tax," Canadian Public Policy, University of Toronto Press, vol. 20(4), pages 385-399, December. - James Boyce & Matthew Riddle & Mark D. Brenner, 2005. "A Chinese Sky Trust? Distributional Impacts of Carbon charges and Revenue Recycling in China," Working Papers wp_brenner_riddle_boyce, Political Economy Research Institute, University of Massachusetts at Amherst. - Antonia Cornwell & John Creedy, 1996. "Carbon taxation, prices and inequality in Australia," Fiscal Studies, Institute for Fiscal Studies, vol. 17(3), pages 21-38, August. - Cornwell, A. & Creedy, J., 1995. "CArbon Taxation, Prices and Inequality in Australia," Department of Economics - Working Papers Series 481, The University of Melbourne. - Susan Scott, 1996. "Social Welfare Fuel Allowances...To Heat the Sky?," Papers WP074, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI). - Terry Barker & Jonathan Köhler, 1998. "Equity and ecotax reform in the EU: achieving a 10 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions using excise duties," Fiscal Studies, Institute for Fiscal Studies, vol. 19(4), pages 375-402, November. - Xavier Labandeira & José M. Labeaga, 1999. "Combining input-output analysis and micro-simulation to assess the effects of carbon taxation on Spanish households," Fiscal Studies, Institute for Fiscal Studies, vol. 20(3), pages 305-320, September. - Kerkhof, Annemarie C. & Moll, Henri C. & Drissen, Eric & Wilting, Harry C., 2008. "Taxation of multiple greenhouse gases and the effects on income distribution: A case study of the Netherlands," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 67(2), pages 318-326, September. - Scott, Susan & McCoy, Daniel, 1992. "Theoretical Considerations and Estimates of the Effects on Households," Book Chapters,in: FitzGerald, John (ed.), The Economic Effects of Carbon Taxes Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI). - Wier, Mette & Birr-Pedersen, Katja & Jacobsen, Henrik Klinge & Klok, Jacob, 2005. "Are CO2 taxes regressive? Evidence from the Danish experience," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 52(2), pages 239-251, January. - Jan van Heerden & Reyer Gerlagh & James Blignaut & Mark Horridge & Sebastiaan Hess & Ramos Mabugu & Margaret Mabugu, 2006. "Searching for Triple Dividends in South Africa: Fighting CO2 Pollution and Poverty while Promoting Growth," The Energy Journal, International Association for Energy Economics, vol. 0(Number 2), pages 113-142. - Gerry E. Boyle, 2004. "Hall-Roeger Tests of Market Power in Irish Manufacturing Industries," The Economic and Social Review, Economic and Social Studies, vol. 35(3), pages 289-304. - FitzGerald, John & McCoy, Daniel, 1992. "The Economic Effects of Carbon Taxes," Research Series, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), number PRS14. - Healy, John D. & Clinch, J. Peter, 2002. "Fuel poverty, thermal comfort and occupancy: results of a national household-survey in Ireland," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 73(3-4), pages 329-343, November. Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS) When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:esr:wpaper:wp250. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc. For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: (Sarah Burns) If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about. If references are entirely missing, you can add them using this form. If the full references list an item that is present in RePEc, but the system did not link to it, you can help with this form. If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation. Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.
The seafloor of the world oceans is largely unknown. Detailed measurements of the submarine topography are costly and require a lot of time. Satellite measurements provide a low-cost and fast mean of aquiring the nessaray data. However, the satellite-derived bathymetry is of less accuracy. To value the predicted bathymetry regarding the submarine geomorphology and for the bathymetric science, predicted bathymetry (ETOPO2v2c) is compared and correlated to satellite altimetry based gravity data and multibeam echo sounder data from the central Scotia Sea (Antarctica). This is achieved by transferring the raw data with interpolation methods into a raster to apply the statistical analysis “moving window”. The results show that compared to multibeam echo sounder data the predicted bathymetry is not sufficiently accurate to be applied in submarine geomorphology when considering the submarine slope angle. However, geological interpretation can be assited by comparing multibeam echo sounder data with predicted bathymetry. The correlation of gravity and multibeam echo sounder data provides a relative measure of submarine sediment thickness. Within the scope of this thesis the analyses and discussed topoics cannot be fully adressed, but need further comprehensive studies to support its findings to be applied in general bathymetry-related scientific work.
ERIC Number: ED420053 Record Type: RIE Publication Date: 1998 Reference Count: N/A Focus on Literacy, A to Z: A Reading Consultant's Handbook. Veatch, Angela, Ed. This handbook presents brief descriptions of various aspects of reading instruction and related lesson plans and class activities. Sections of the handbook discuss reading readiness, word recognition, word analysis; word meaning, comprehension, and content area reading. The handbook also offers brief biographies of Jeanne Chall, Theodore William Clymer, Dolores Durkin, William Holmes McGuffey, John Pikulski, Jeannette Veatch, and Noah Webster. Appendixes offer the Reluctant Readers Index, a Reading Hot List (a 15-item list of World Wide Websites on reading), a 16-item list of books and journals, a 13-item list of tests for reading consultants, and a chart listing readability levels for all Newbery Medal books. (RS) Publication Type: Guides - Classroom - Teacher Education Level: N/A Authoring Institution: N/A Identifiers: Historical Background Note: Exit Project, Curriculum and Supervision of Reading, Northeast Louisiana University. For the 1997 handbook, see ED 409 547.
Indian political pundits and election officials are probably extremely dismayed with the violence in Assam state, in the country’s northeast, which has blotted efforts for a peaceful national election. More than 40 persons have died in the attacks, almost all of them being Bengali-origin Muslims, in a sudden, ugly burst of killings in one of the eastern most states of the country and perpetrated on some of the poorest and most vulnerable communities in the state. There are a range of complex factors behind the eruption of violence in this slice of western Assam, part of an extremely diverse geographical and ethnographic region which abuts on four nations – Myanmar, Tibet/China, Bhutan and Bangladesh; barely four percent of its borders are with the Indian mainland. The communities comprise not less than 220 ethnic groups – large and small – and are barely three percent of India’s population of one billion plus. Many of these groups have roots in other parts of Southeast Asia and are the descendants of old migrations. Crucible of revolts The northeast region has been the crucible of revolts against the Indian state for more than 60 years, challenging the limits of democracy; governments have resorted to extreme measures to suppress uprisings. Ethnic relations between competing groups have been fragile with clashes over space and identity. There were several armed groups seeking various forms of autonomy or independence in Assam alone of which most are in a ceasefire mode or in negotiations to settle their grievances. Indeed, the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) in Assam, that wedge of land which has been at the heart of the recent violence and that of 2012, exemplifies the complexity of the issues, the challenges in handling them and how explosive such contestations over land, identity and mobilisation can be. The area has seen a series of riots, gun battles and killings over the past 20 years involving Bodos, local Muslims and other resident ethnic groups. Yet, till 1993, when the first attacks by rebels on civilian groups took place, there were hardly any communal riots. In the 2012 riots, police linked members of the Bodo ruling party to the extensive violence. The current parliamentary elections have created concern among Bodos that for the first time in 20 years, a Bodo may not win the local seat. This could have triggered part of the backlash, apart from the involvement of supporters of the ruling elite and an armed faction., The Bodos, the largest tribe in the plains of Assam, control this area and their leaders won special powers and privileges after a 2003 agreement with the federal government closed campaigns of armed and non-violent campaigns for separation. The Sixth Schedule of the constitution was invoked here, an affirmative set of laws asserting the primacy of local tribes over non-tribe groups in different parts of the northeast. That agreement rewarded the Bodoland Tigers Force, an armed group, with political power, which it has held for over 10 years, while also becoming a coalition partner to the Congress Party in Assam state. However, the 2003 agreement did not bring the anticipated peace; the conflict was sustained by another group wanting “independence” but was later brought into a peace process. A third faction has played spoiler and is accused by government of being directly involved in the recent killings. Throughout this period, the victims have largely been from what Indian officials euphemistically call the “minority” community – or Muslims. Another phrase is often used to target the Muslim groups here – they are described as “Bangladeshis”, playing into a deep fear in Assam and the northeast that illegal migration from neighbouring Bangladesh is swamping the region and changing its demographic profile. Independent scholars and researchers say that there has been migration from Bangladesh in the past and some still continues. However, they say that these figures are exaggerated to play up right-wing assertions and local apprehensions. Assam saw a powerful anti-immigrant movement in the 1980s that exploded into communal clashes, which left thousands dead. Muslims are over one third of the state’s population and play a key role in deciding the fate of more than 30 state assembly constituencies out of 126. However, the current parliamentary elections have created concern among Bodos that, for the first time in 20 years, a Bodo may not win the local seat. This could have triggered part of the backlash, apart from the involvement of supporters of the ruling elite and an armed faction. It is necessary to understand the origins of these concerns: the BTC districts throw up a contradiction to the concept and practice of democracy where majorities win elections and rule areas. Here, the physical majority is non-Bodo – including Muslims, Assamese, Bengali Hindus and tribal groups such as the Adivasis and Koch-Rajbongshis. However, under the Bodo accord, the levers of political power, including representation in the local council or assembly, access to funds and the force of weapons (the place is awash with illegal small arms which have never been surrendered by various “accordist” armed bands), are with the Bodos. As a result, the non-Bodo majority has increasingly felt marginalised and vulnerable. There have been not less than four major campaigns of bloodletting in the last 20 years (1993, 2008, 2012 and now) and tens of thousands remained unsettled and fearful in camps for the displaced. The assaults in 2012 saw perhaps the largest internal displacement in post-independence India with nearly half a million persons fleeing their homes after Bodo armed men attacked and burned villages; counter attacks by Muslims followed. Most victims of the riots of two years ago have reluctantly returned home, but some of them have been displaced again. While May 16 will decide the fate of India’s next government, the results in the Bodo areas may indicate if a majority there has peacefully decided to express their opposition to the politics of discrimination and violence. For long, there has been growing public displeasure at the politics of expediency and lack of accountability about the way governments have rushed through accords with armed groups. These factions have often waged brutal campaigns and yet been rewarded with greater power. A way forward can emerge only by bringing all political, ethnic and religious groups together in a dialogue that asserts peace and mutual respect. The sharing of power is crucial especially at the village level so that funds and political patronage are not limited to one group alone. A third would be to ensure controls on further encroachment on tribal lands. Finally, a relentless campaign is needed against the armed groups and the killers as well as a crackdown against the circulation of small arms. This is a difficult road to take but there are few alternatives. Otherwise, radicalisation could grow. In the heat and dust of the Indian elections, the issue is already vanishing from media headlines. If the approach outlined above is not taken, the problem is likely to be buried before being tragically resurrected. Sanjoy Hazarika is Director of the Centre for North East Studies and Policy Research at Jamiia Millia Islamia, New Delhi. He is a columnist, author, documentary filmmaker and activist.
55 items found for "" - Text messaging strategies to improve student attendance Outreach to families about their students’ attendance is vital to solving the problem of chronic absenteeism. However, many school districts are wondering about new ways to implement this outreach so that it is most effective, efficient, and low cost. Schools often utilize traditional methods such as letters and phone calls alerting families about absences, while some distribute emails. These methods of communication have not updated with our new age of technology and shift to mobile phone use. Furthermore, these avenues of communication have frequent roadblocks, as home addresses change, phone calls go straight to voicemail, and even emails are often ignored or go straight to spam. These outreach efforts are also time-consuming on the part of student support staff, as many administrators have to individually call, email, or send letters to a large number of families every day in order to stay on track with attendance interventions. The task is often too time-intensive for these staff members, leaving them with little time to focus on other work. On the other hand, families want to receive up-to-date reminders and notifications about their students’ attendance, but these messages from their schools all too commonly get lost and are not sent in the most readily accessible manner. A study by Dr. Peter Bergman from Columbia Teachers College revealed that 50% of families reported hearing from their school district about their student less than once every three months. This is significant because families can be instrumental in helping their students get back on track and in class. New technologies have revolutionized the ways in which schools can provide communications to their families and students. Text messages are one new format of communication that has proven to be effective, as our world is more mobile-centric than ever before. Many are favoring texts because the open rates for text messages are much higher than that of email or traditional mail. Sending out reminders and notifications about absences over text messages is one way to ensure that families receive the updates they need in a digestible and timely manner. With these ideas in mind, school districts are now utilizing text messaging technology to provide assistance to families. Some implement strategies where student support staff send out individualized messages themselves or others use automated messaging that sends out blast messages to family cell phones about school-wide information and notifications. While text messages provide a more accessible route to school information for families, non-automated text messaging can require more work on the part of school staff. On the other hand, automated messaging systems can also feel impersonal and generalized. The goal is to create messaging campaigns that save staff time while also delivering customized and individualized support for each family and student. However, there is new technology that automates messaging for schools while also providing the level of personalization that families appreciate. Artificially intelligent chatbots can send out personalized messages to families about their students’ attendance while requiring no additional effort on the part of support staff. Using AI, the bot can also respond to questions as they come in, leveraging two-way text messaging communication to elevate support and assistance for families as needed. Not only does the bot send out nudges about student absences, it can also direct families to district resources to help families and students in the areas where they need support. These resources are already provided by their school or district, but sending out information over text allows for an easier and more accessible route to assistance. Instead of having to email a teacher or call the main office, families can simply text the chatbot with a question and receive an automatic and helpful response. Customized knowledge bases arm the chatbot with information so that it can respond to questions as they come in, providing families with support over text messages and enabling staff members to spend their time on areas other than answering routine questions over email. Families are encouraged to reach out to the chatbot over text messages to ask for help with tasks such as resetting passwords or finding school schedules, questions that are commonly handled by overworked staff. Especially now with the challenges of remote or hybrid learning, providing an additional source of assistance can streamline the communications process and offload some of the burdens of support staff. The chatbot can send out messages updating families about where to access district learning information and return to school schedules. Leveraging AI Chatbot technology can increase communications outreach with families, ensuring that they get the help that they need, while at the same time reducing staff workloads. Artificial intelligence enables the bot to point families to the resources they need to support their students, but it also allows for more joy and human-like empathy to come across over its outreach. Making sure that each text message is regarded as an offering of support and guidance instead of a punitive notification can make families feel supported by the chatbot and the school district. This positivity and compassion increases the likelihood that messages are read and responded to, instead of ignored or marked as spam. Best practices and research also point to the importance of not messaging families too often and keeping every message timely and actionable. This reduces the number of opt outs or messages ignored and builds the reputation that each message from the chatbot is important and helpful. Specializing each message and making them personal to each student and family also prompts families to engage with the message instead of ignoring it. With chronic absenteeism rates on the rise throughout the country, utilizing new methods of communication that can automate messaging has the potential to improve attendance rates and help overworked staff. Implementing these methods of outreach and text messaging with families can help schools and districts improve communications and reduce chronic absenteeism at scale. AllHere’s AI Chatbot utilizes these best practices to increase correspondences between schools and families, reduce staff time, and improve attendance rates amongst students. - Reducing staff burden using AI Chatbot Did you know that you can reduce school staff burden by using an AI chatbot? Throughout every school district, there are front office administrators, school resource officers, guidance counselors, or teachers acting as the glue that makes the whole school work – fielding questions from parents, handling the logistics of the school day, and connecting students with resources or information so they can get through the year. Students and families vastly outnumber the number of school staff acting as resources and as any educator knows, the number of questions that the student body generates on a daily basis has no upper limit. With a shift from phone calls to emails, the volume of questions and time each response requires has gone up. The same shift in communicating with school via phone versus over email is similar to how people have shifted to texting as their primary mode of communication. The thought of providing a number that parents and students can text might seem like an invitation for chaos given the hundreds of text messages most people send in a given day. It would likely be a full-time position for multiple people to handle such an undertaking. The good news is that new artificial intelligence technology can turn texting chaos into a streamlined communication system for school administrations. By introducing basic automation with advanced conversational modeling, school systems can use an AI Chatbot to both automatically send messages regarding student participation (attendance) and respond to an unlimited number of student and parent questions, regarding an unlimited number of topics. There is a huge variety in the type of questions students and parents contact school staff regarding. Sometimes it is a simple question like “what time is school dismissal,” but other times questions will be more complex, for example “how does my son/daughter obtain a school-issued laptop.” While the first example would be a quick response of “3:15 pm” over the phone, it requires a staff member to answer the phone, provide an introduction, and field the question. The second example would be more time consuming and complicated. In most cases, an email will be more convenient for parents, but even more, time-consuming for staff members and a bit more of a wait between asking and receiving a response. For complex questions that take a few minutes to answer, the phone is lighting up with more questions to be answered as soon as the call ends. In both cases, an AI Chatbot would be more efficient. Frequently asked questions can be pre-populated into the system, while more complex questions are handled by the system’s learning capabilities. In the laptop example, an AI chatbot would take the term laptop and recognize that this was a technology question. From there it would begin providing information from what the system knows about technology resources – information like the webpage for registering for a school-issued device, where devices would be picked up, and more. As the chatbot provides information back to the “asker” it will prompt additional questions to ensure that the person is receiving the correct information. Typically, the chatbot is able to handle the entire interaction. In the event that the asker’s question has not been answered, the chatbot will then provide that information back to a school staff member and connect the two parties. The other way an AI Chatbot can help reduce the burden on school staff members is by following up with students and parents regarding school attendance. In most districts, considerable resources are put towards attendance related follow-up. Staff members are required to email and call families to communicate attendance expectations and any missed school days. An AI Chatbot allows districts to reach out regarding attendance via automated texts – ensuring that people are seeing important information and reducing the resources required to conduct such outreach. Chronic absenteeism is a growing concern for every educator. An AI chatbot can reduce absenteeism by establishing awareness and engaging students and families on their terms. Schools rely on school staff members as brand ambassadors, however, in many cases, this reliance becomes a burden to staff members and pulls them away from more impactful activities. An AI Chatbot allows schools to handle an unlimited number of questions, 24 hours a day, without requiring any resources beyond setting the system up and routine maintenance. Schools have an opportunity to reduce staff burden while updating their communication processes to meet the changing preferences of students and parents. If your district is interested in employing an AI chatbot to streamline communication, AllHere can help. AllHere AI Chatbot provides two-way text-based communication to schools, students, and families. Not only does the Chatbot reduce the reliance on staff members as resources, but it also improves overall attendance rates – a win-win for any district. - School attendance data highlights need for better intervention tools School attendance is a leading indicator for major outcomes in life. Chicago Public Schools determined that children who are chronically absent during the years between Pre-K and First Grade are less likely to read at grade level in Third Grade, likely as a result of early work developing letter recognition and pre-literacy skills. As early as 2012, the Annie E. Casey Foundation published findings that by the end of Third Grade, students who are not reading at grade level drop out of high school four times more than their peers who were reading at grade level. The outcomes of chronic absence continue to escalate each year beginning with early childhood. By middle school, 14% of students are chronically absent. The rate of chronic absence grows to 20% for high-school-aged students. A study of public school students in Utah found that any student chronically absent during high school was seven times more likely to drop out – even if it was just during a single school year. Sociology textbooks have been written about the impact that dropping out of school has on young people. Focussing on the “results” side of chronic absenteeism takes us only so far without understanding the drivers that keep students from attending school. School Districts hire attendance officers to try and manage some aspects of chronic absenteeism, like truancy, but in many ways this is also a reaction to, or result of, the problem. Face-to-face interventions with students are critical but accountability at home is what makes those interventions have an impact. Todd Rogers of Harvard Kennedy school found that parents of students who are chronically absent underestimate the number of days that their child has missed school by a factor of two – meaning they’re under the impression that half as many days were missed than were missed in actuality. To make matters worse, of those parents, only 28% recognize that their student missed more school days than their peers. Part of any intervention strategy is parental awareness. The challenge here is reaching parents in a way that will actually reach them. Chronic absence is a growing problem. Face-to-face interventions and parent-teacher conferences are not possible in many situations. Regardless of what is happening in the world, students cannot fall behind, just as business must go on. Like the corporate world shifting to virtual strategies, the world of education must focus on adapting. The reality of school attendance data highlights the need for better intervention tools. We must use every tool we have available to ensure that students make it to school each day. Text-messaging parents when their student does not show up for school is the first step we can take to reduce absence. This begins the process of addressing attendance in actuality – with real information about their student. Interventions do not matter if there is no accountability. Accountability can only be a factor once awareness has been established. - Communicate student attendance policies via text message Communicating student attendance policies via text message is an important step in reducing chronic absence. Attending school is one of the most important aspects of a young person’s life, but if getting students to class was simple we wouldn’t have the growing national problem of chronic absence. The routine of daily in-person class all but disappeared in 2019 for many districts – making the act of getting students to school an even more complex scenario. Students must manage hybrid schedules, learning portals, and virtual instruction, provided they have the space, discipline, and resources to do so. This leaves students, school districts, and parents in a precarious balance. Keeping parents and guardians engaged and informed is what makes that balance cohesive. Emails go “unread,” and calls can be missed, but one way of reaching out to families ensures that parents will be informed – text messaging. Text messages are a nearly universal way of communicating now. Doctors send appointment reminders, stores send order information, shippers update us where our packages are. So why aren’t schools leveraging the technology to make a huge difference in their attendance numbers? Last year, IES published Can Texting Parents Improve Attendance in Elementary School? (NCEE 2020-006, U.S. D.O.E.) to determine if using text messages made a difference in reducing chronic absence. It absolutely made a difference. Most parents aren’t “keeping score” of attendance, so reminders of their student’s missed days help them address any problems and keeps the importance of attendance top-of-mind. Texting can open the door to wider communication when two-way texting is enabled. Using an automated chatbot informed by AI requires less input from school officials and allows parents to get answers to frequently asked questions. By reaching students and families using methods that ensure awareness leads to engagement, and ensures that students are attending school as often as possible. Having attendance officers texting students and families is labor intensive. If your district does go the one-to-one texting route you will see attendance benefits but it will be at a cost – time and resources will need to be allocated every single day. This is where AllHere comes in. AllHere chatbot provides school districts with the ability to text students and families. It not only automates the outreach process, it can help students and families engage even further by soliciting responses and processing what is being communicated using Artificial Intelligence (“AI”). Text messaging using an automated chatbot informed by AI requires less input from school officials and allows parents to get answers to frequently asked questions. Districts can set up scripts for attendance, school events, or missed days. They can also use the system to understand what is keeping students from attending school. As an example, the chatbot texts a guardian that their student missed school. Once that text message is read, a follow-up message can be sent, “Is there anything we can do to help your student make it to school tomorrow?” The parent can respond that they do not have a computer at home. In this scenario, AllHere chatbot understands that there is a tech resource issue and can begin texting information about obtaining a school-issued laptop. The act of text messaging attendance information and communicating what attendance requirements look like benefits all students. Texting can open the door to wider communication when two-way texting is enabled. We have the opportunity to ensure that attendance is never not addressed because of a missed call or unread email. The IES has proven that texting works. AllHere Chatbot can help your district simplify the process. - 5 Ways to Address Chronic Absenteeism with AllHere 8 million students. That’s the number of students who miss 10% or more days from school, defined as missing 10 percent or more of the year, according to the USDOE. The numbers have been alarming, so it is even more concerning that they represent the pre-COVID years. COVID will likely dramatically increase the number of students already struggling with participation and attendance. The implications are profound but there are proven ways to alleviate this rapidly growing problem. Chronic absenteeism is linked to lower third grade reading proficiency, lower math and reading percentiles by middle school, and a 7x higher dropout rate in high school. There are also racial and ethnic disparities with regard to rates of chronic absenteeism. Compared to their white peers, Black students are 40 percent more likely to lose 10% of school or more, Hispanic students are 17 percent more likely, and American Indian and Pacific Islander students are over 50 percent more likely to lose three weeks of school or more. Approximately 800 school districts reported that more than 30 percent of their students were chronically absent in 2015-2016. There are many reasons that children are chronically absent – those factors include barriers (e.g., illness, lack of health, mental health, vision, or dental care), negative school experiences (bullying, suspensions and expulsions, struggling academically or socially), lack of engagement (lack of culturally relevant, engaging instruction, unwelcoming school climate), and misconceptions (e.g, absences are only a problem if they are unexcused; missing 2 days per month doesn’t affect learning). There are, also, many strategies for getting students to attend school regularly. But without data to understand why students are absent and the ability to engage and empower all of your families and students with accessible technology, supportive resources, and actionable information on a 24/7 basis, schools and districts cannot employ these strategies effectively. It can also be difficult to ascertain the reasons why students are chronically absent at the individual student, school, and district levels and connect the right student with just-in-time support at the right time. 5 Ways to Use AllHere to Address Chronic Absenteeism AllHere provides educators with a comprehensive way to foster student attendance with mobile messaging powered by AI. We develop chatbots that support families and students on the path to and through school. With interactive nudges and simultaneous proactive and reactive support that refresh attendance data daily, AllHere helps educators, teachers, interventionists, counselors, and administrators stay one step ahead and support students at scale with AI-powered assistance at their fingertips 24/7. Here’s how AllHere can help your school or district improve attendance. Quickly monitor student-level attendance trends. Counselors, teachers, social workers, administrators, and educators can easily log-in and view student-level trends for the percentage of students that are “on track” and “at risk” of attendance issues. By refreshing attendance data on a daily basis, AllHere provides a near real-time view into a student’s attendance patterns. Educators can drill down to see which individual students are facing issues with attendance. Help parents understand the importance of attendance. Get ahead of misunderstandings by proactively communicating why student attendance matters, and leverage our evidence-based text content and sequences to spark attendance for every child, everywhere. Break down the complexity of good attendance into small steps that are easy to achieve. Parents often are not clear on what constitutes meeting attendance requirements, especially if attendance is taken asynchronously or as a function of assignment completion or logins—but even a missed login and a missed assignment can turn into chronic absence over the course of a year. Break down the complexity of great attendance by proactively giving families tips and reminders that are: easy to do, accessible to everyone, developmentally aligned to their child or children, and give families an “I can do this!” feeling. Send families and students just-in-time tips on how to promote their attendance and engagement by creating strong student routines – like signing in at a certain time each day, submitting required coursework, or checking in with a teacher or a counselor so that they are counted as “here.” Provide helpful and personalized information, encouragement, and support to parents and students over a prolonged period of time. Parents often underestimate student absences, especially if they happen sporadically—but even two absences a month can turn into chronic absence over the course of a year. Keep parents up to date by sharing the total number of absences, whether as part of daily attendance notifications, separately, or both. And to help put this number in context, consider comparing their children’s attendance with other students in their grade, school, or district. Leverage conversational AI to save staff time and to reach and listen to as many parents and students as possible. Send campaigns to students to nudge them to success, find the right resources and information exactly when they need it – even at 1 am—and strengthen your student-staff relationships with more time to foucs on meaningful interactions using conversational AI. when they meet it, send interactive surveys and get a wider picture on the “why” behind absences. Conversational AI answers 85% of incoming messages in 2 seconds or less, and helps to guide students and families at each stage of their learning journey. Interested in seeing AllHere’s AI-powered text messaging intervention in action? Get in touch with our team to schedule a demo. #allhere #chronicabsence #texting - New Federally Funded Research Shows That Text Messaging Drives Attendance Up Chronic absence – defined as missing 10 percent or more of school days – is a nationwide problem. Those with poor attendance are more likely to face challenges later in school and in life. Text messaging as a way to improve student attendance has the strongest evidence base in the field. In a series of randomized controlled trials, the adaptive text messaging approach has been shown to increase student attendance and increase child learning by 2 to 3 months over the course of a school year (Bergman & Chan, 2019; IES, 2020). Our product extensions also draw on research from the broader field of text message-based engagement. We have been particularly inspired by these September 2020 findings by the Institute of Education Sciences, which is the independent, non-partisan statistics, research, and evaluation arm of the U.S. Department of Education, that support the AllHere approach. Two Key Findings Adaptive text messaging produces results. During the fall of the study year, families randomly assigned to one the text messaging groups received “basic” messaging, which consisted of low-cost, low-burden weekly reminders about the importance of attendance and same-day notifications when their children missed school. In the spring, messages were “adapted:” parents of students with few absences continued with the basic messaging, while the parents of the students who were frequently absent in the fall received additional intensified and personalized messaging. The study compared two approaches and found that the messaging lowered the chronic absence rate, with a larger reduction for students with a prior history of high absence. The two approaches to basic messaging were similarly effective at reducing chronic absence, but one approach to intensified messaging was better than the other for certain students. The basic messaging focused on either the benefits of attending school or the consequences of being absent – similar to what you would find in a mail-based attendance report. But for those who received intensified messaging and had a prior history of high absence, text messages reduced chronic absence rates more. The findings, which reinforce those in Dr. Peter Bergman’s pioneering randomized controlled trial about the impact of sending personalized text messages to families regarding student attendance, and are particularly exciting to us at AllHere, especially in an era where chronic absenteeism has risen to heights heretofore unseen in our nation’s history. A leader in applying educational research, AllHere is continuously evaluating and improving the program with multiple randomized controlled trials and ongoing evaluations that generate evidence of the AllHere approach reaching ESSA Tier 1 standards. View a PDF of essential studies to text messaging on the attendance and academic achievement of students below. Want to talk about the research? Feel free to reach out to us at firstname.lastname@example.org. Studies Leveraging Parents through Low-Cost Technology: The Impact of High-Frequency Information on Student Achievement Bergman, P. & Chan, E.W. (2019) We partnered a low-cost communication technology with school information systems to automate the gathering and provision of information on students’ academic progress to parents of middle and high school students. We sent weekly, automated alerts to parents about their child’s missed assignments, grades, and class absences. The alerts reduced course failures by 28%, increased class attendance by 12%, and increased student retention, though there was no impact on state test scores. There were larger effects for below-median GPA students and high school students. View PDF Can Texting Parents Improve Attendance in Elementary School? A Test of an Adaptive Messaging Strategy Heppen, J.B., Kurki, A., & Brown, S. (2020). Chronic absence is a nationwide problem, even among young students. This report presents findings from a study that tested four versions of an adaptive text messaging strategy to see which, if any, would reduce chronic absence and improve achievement among 26,000 elementary school students. All four versions of the adaptive text messaging strategy reduced chronic absence. - Urgency is needed to ensure all students are logging in and showing up Kids Missed Spring, Don’t Let them, Miss Fall By Carmen Williams of AllHere Education As former district administrators and as fellow educators, our team at AllHere Education is still reeling from the gargantuan shift that took place last March when Covid-19 hit with full force in the United States. Educators should feel proud of how they adapted to the situation and flexed their muscles in switching mid-stream, without warning or preparation, to 100% online learning. Having said that, we are now back-to-school and in full-swing with mostly remote or hybrid learning settings across the United States, and unfortunately, the news stories and social posts are beginning to appear showcasing the attendance challenges similar to last Spring, are cropping up again. In March, and now again in September, it’s estimated that 50% of students are not logging in or showing up to participate in their learning. As seen here with the King 5 News social post shared via FaceBook, parents in the tech-savvy Seattle, Washington area are already expressing their fears and frustrations that less than half of the 55,000 Seattle Public Schools have logged onto the district online systems since the soft start of classes a few weeks ago. We all know that if students aren’t there, they aren’t getting the optimal learning opportunity to ensure successful student outcomes, and showing up is just the first step. Like in Seattle, Edweek reports thousands of students are not showing up for remote learning and schools are scrambling for easy to implement and affordable solutions to address the attendance challenges in the short and long term. It might have been fine last Spring to accept a once in a lifetime scenario that excused mass absences, but to repeat the problem this Fall is inexcusable to say the least, especially when there are highly accessible and affordable solutions using technology platforms and artificial intelligence (AI) to scale attendance interventions and ensure the majority of students are logging on or showing up. With easy to use and intuitive mobile messaging powered by AI, evidence-based student participation and attendance interventions can be used to engage all students whether they are onsite and in a remote learning setting. Utilizing interactive nudges proven by behavioral science and randomized controlled trials, these highly personalized, one-to-one interactions “nudge” students to participate and engage. Always-there with individual support to help students and families find the right resources and information exactly when they need it, the AI Chatbot acts as an “attendance coach” or advisor answering 70% of incoming messages in 2 seconds or less and steering students to get logged in and online. There are minimal obstacles to implementing technology to manage attendance interventions at scale because it is easy to implement and incredibly affordable. At pennies per student, it remains one of the cheapest, quickest ways to get the return of improving student outcomes. Learn more about the AI Chatbot, the AllHere approach, or the science behind this exciting technology solution for managing attendance interventions at scale, or feel free to reach out to us directly at email@example.com. - Startup Fights Absenteeism In Remote, Hybrid and Onsite learning Schools and educators across the nation have been under enormous pressure to continue teaching amid the coronavirus pandemic. According to an Education Week research survey, 42% of teachers in May said student engagement was much lower than before the pandemic. CBSN, producer, Jean Song spoke with Joanna Smith, the CEO of Boston educational technology company AllHere, which is using artificial intelligence to improve engagement. View video here - The Future of Education Is Here and Why We Shifted Our Strategy By Joanna Smith CEO, AllHere Hi everyone! If anyone would have asked me, as a Black female founder of an education technology startup serving the K-12 market, whether I thought education would be conducted entirely remotely during my lifetime, my answer would have been a quick and solid no. As a former middle school math teacher in Boston, I might have even laughed! No one could have imagined what the shuttering of school doors amidst a pandemic would do to our education system, but it happened very quickly—nearly 1.6B students and teachers were forced online, worldwide. With that rapid disruption and instant transition, more than 90% of total enrolled educators and learners were thrown into the deep end of an online learning pool and told to sink or swim. In many cases, we collectively swam: in the U.S., an analysis of district continuity of learning plans covered contingencies ranging from meal distribution, hot spot purchasing to bridge the digital divide, and the rapid uptake of curricular and instructional content applications to provide students with opportunities to ensure that, although schools had closed, learning kept going. In other cases, however, we’ve sunk. Fewer than half of all students across the U.S. participated in online learning this spring, on average. Many districts leveraged police officers or human resource officers to personally visit parents, offering support, help, accountability, and reinforcement. Others turned to their teachers as a first line of support, having every educator call, Zoom, Google Hangout, letter, or carrier pigeon (ha!) each student and each family, every day. In these times, it is clear that Coronavirus has provided an enormous catalyst to accelerate the opportunity of the future to today. At AllHere, for example, before Coronavirus, we focused on the implementation of human-intensive (often face-to-face) interventions through a single platform to ensure that the right student received the right intervention at the right time. Since, however, we’ve shifted our strategy to build and launch an AI virtual assistant (or chatbot) that will be the first fully automated conversational tool for K-12 education through the student lifecycle. Our solution will combine behavioral science–nudges and guided support–with artificial intelligence and natural language understanding to strengthen the connection between educators and students. The virtual assistants will not only respond to student questions automatically, but also proactively guide students and families through complex learning participation processes, gather student data, send reminders, conduct student surveys, and connect students with human advisors. This will increase rates of learning participation during the COVID-19 crisis (and beyond) and facilitate student attendance and reduction of student learning losses, whether students are online or in-person. Before Coronavirus, chronic absenteeism was a problem but since, it’s grown exponentially, and to solve new this new challenge, in this new way, in this still-new world. Equity is absolutely at stake. When school returns this fall, there will likely be an increase in distance or remote learning, or blended in-class and remote learning, and with that, students of color and students whose families are facing economic challenges will need our collective support, more than ever. To ensure that every student, every day has the opportunity to be on track for success, the future of education needs you to strongly support the scaling of effective tools, technologies, and resources to each and every student who needs them, today. At AllHere, these technologies look like combining artificial intelligence, natural language processing, machine learning, and data analytics to create a new standard for supporting students at scale. The support looks like intentional deployment of intellectual and human capital–through mentoring, advisement, introductions to and engagement with critical distribution partners–to ensure that we, as a portfolio company, are generating both authentic impact and meaningful financial returns. In your role, with the assets (intellectual, human, financial, and otherwise!) what does that look like for you? Everyone can help. Look deep into your investment strategy and your thesis to find a way to participate–through mentoring, supporting, or otherwise directly supporting the growth of companies that resonate with what you think this new future of education will need to look like…and it’s more important than ever. If you haven’t heard already, the future of education is here. It needs you. And, it’s your duty, just as it is mine, to ensure that all students have a chance to participate in learning. No pandemic can overpower a literal railroad of people like this community that is committed to doing good, and on behalf of entrepreneurs on the frontlines of this, and other social issues everywhere, we extend gratitude to you. In service, Joanna - New Enhancements Featuring AI Chatbot and Streamlined Interface With the change to distance learning due to the pandemic, AllHere made the decision to quickly pivot and enhance our leading attendance interventions management platform with key features and functionality to support distance learning and hybrid school models. Key enhancements include: View a student’s profile Send text message to students Read text message replies from students Log a check-in, record a follow-up and record results for a check-in Click here to view the video link for a demo of each feature In addition to adding intervention strategies for remote learning, and an easier, more streamlined interface, we also added an integrated intelligent mobile messaging capability, including an AI Chatbot which acts as a virtual attendance interventions coach. (Read full product launch update here) In order to add this functionality in a matter of weeks, AllHere acquired the “EdNudge” technology and nudging science and techniques from Peter Berman, former owner and current Assitant Professor at Columbia University. These interactive nudges proven by behavioral science and randomized controlled trials by Professor Bergman, drive positive impact and offer zero effort for teachers. The AI Chatbot acts as a virtual attendance coach and can be proactive, when you need to be, sending campaigns to students to nudge them towards success, or poll them for information. Providing always-there individual support, the AI Chatbot helps students and families find the right resources and information exactly when they need it and can answer 85% of incoming messages in 2 seconds or less. Offering better one-on-one interactions, allowing you to strengthen your student-staff relationships with more time to focus on meaningful interactions. Scientifically proven to impact student outcomes (according to research by Dr. Peter Bergman of Teacher’s College, Columbia University) key takeaways include: Behavioral nudges and interactive campaigns to drive behavior Conversational interface to understand student needs on an individual level Analytics dashboard to drive insights and continuous improvement A Bot builder and trainer designed for those without a tech background How it works: Intelligent Conversational Platform for Student Attendance and Engagement Your AI assistant is your front line support Guide and support students while your team stays one step ahead Your bot responds in less than 2 seconds when it’s confident in an answer When the bot identifies a “priority” topic or doesn’t know the answer, questions are sent to the human team As humans answer new questions, your knowledge base grows, making the bot “smarter” Key highlights: 65-85% of inquiries can be handled before they hit your inbox, improving daily 2 second response time 16% of student inquiries are logged between 5 pm and 8 pm Other key Features: Accurate, automated response. Your bot will accurately answer students’ questions automatically even while you’re sleeping. Want to send a personalized message yourself? No problem, type it in and click send. Nudge and interactive campaign library, planner & builder – Choose from one of the evidence-based templates AllHere has built based on research it has developed. Plan it. Schedule it. Send it. Escalate student conversations based on priority topics. Manage your team’s workload by focusing on what matters. Send data from your SIS to AllHere to build rich student profiles for targeted, personalized, and two-way communication. And now for a limited time, we are offering this amazing, one of a kind technology for K-12 FREE for the summer so that you can reach and provide help where your students and families need it most. Learn more about our Free Trial or contact today at: firstname.lastname@example.org - All Students. All Here. Increase student engagement and decrease chronic absenteeism. AllHere Overview All Students Here - Attendance Matters: What needs to be done Each year, over 8 million students miss 18 or more days of school due to absences. When a student misses 10% of the school year, they are considered chronically absent. Being chronically absent is detrimental for students, schools, and communities alike. AllHere’s VP of Education Impact shares what we can do to reduce chronic absenteeism. The Impact For the 8 million students who are chronically absent, there is a myriad of negative implications. First and foremost, academic success is adversely impacted due to the multiple missed opportunities for classroom teaching and learning. Research shows chronically absent students are more likely to lack basic skills, perform lower on tests, have behavior challenges, and have a higher likelihood of not graduating from high school. Furthermore, chronic absenteeism subverts school performance initiatives and halt federal, state and district-wide educational reforms. In addition, communities suffer, because community resources can become strained given those who are absent from school opt-out of the available health and human service supports provided at schools. What needs to be done Many researchers and practitioners agree that reducing chronic absenteeism is complex, but it can be done. At the district level, we have to have attendance and chronic absenteeism practices and policies that are not punitive towards students and families but empowers schools to be innovative in discovering and meeting critical needs. At the school level, it involves a comprehensive approach to improving students’ and families’ educational experiences. These improvements can include: A positive school climate that welcomes and encourages students and their families. Simultaneously, ensuring that the school does not produce traumatic experiences. Strengthening the relational ties between students, families, and teachers. Greater communication and collaboration between the home and school is a benefit for everyone. Relevant instruction that encourages student engagement and achievement. Collaborating with community members and public and private institutions to leverage resources, services, and support for the school community. How we can do it Good attendance and effective chronic absenteeism practices and policies come from deep problem analysis of why students are missing school. With the found insight and evidence, it should be used to align with the appropriate evidence-based strategy with a direct and timely response to the student and family. Said another way, the right insight, with the right intervention, at the right time, with the right student. Use technology and innovation as a driver for change. Automated phone calls to students’ homes are no longer innovative, however, using technology to discover new insights to help students and families is. Discover the root causes of chronic absenteeism. No more guessing and using limited resources indiscriminately. Using technology to help discover the root causes. Use data analytics tools to discern trends and patterns to inform practice and policies. We have to closely track students’ progress, strategies and overall impact to make wise adjustments. Data analytics also helps to differentiate students and strategies through multi-tiered systems. This is an on-going process Include student and family voices to inform practice and policies. We have to be strategic and intentional in using their voice as a guide to understanding their challenges and employing new strategies. Employ cross-sector collaborative teams to help do the work. Single sector teams find themselves with limited resources to intervene. This practice is insufficient in addressing today’s complex challenges that impede attendance. Employing cross-sector teams from law, social services, family, higher education and business ensures that there are diverse ideas, resources, and access points to students and families. There are 8 million students missing school each year – the equivalent of the entire population of New York – who need our help, our action, and our leadership. I invite you to schedule a demo with the AllHere team to find out how we can partner together to get more students coming to school every day. In partnership, Dr. Aaron T. Jennings, MSW VP of Education Impact
From Middle English herth, herthe, from Old English heorþ, from Proto-West Germanic herþ, possibly from Proto-Indo-European kerh₃- (“heat; fire”). Cognate with West Frisian hurd, Dutch haard, German Herd, Swedish härd. - (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /hɑːθ/ - (General American) IPA(key): /hɑɹθ/ Audio (US) (file) - (obsolete, dialectal) IPA(key): /hɜːɹθ/, /hæθ/ - Rhymes: -ɑː(ɹ)θ hearth (plural hearths) - The place in a home where a fire is or was traditionally kept for home heating and for cooking, usually constituted by at least a hearthstone and often enclosed to varying degrees by any combination of reredos, fireplace, oven, smoke hood, or chimney. - A hearthstone, either as standalone or as the floor of an enclosed fireplace or oven. - cooking on an open hearth - 1907 August, Robert W[illiam] Chambers, chapter III, in The Younger Set, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC: - When the flames at last began to flicker and subside, his lids fluttered, then drooped ; but he had lost all reckoning of time when he opened them again to find Miss Erroll in furs kneeling on the hearth and heaping kindling on the coals, and her pretty little Alsatian maid beside her, laying a log across the andirons. - A fireplace: an open recess in a wall at the base of a chimney where a fire may be built. - The lowest part of a metallurgical furnace. - A brazier, chafing dish, or firebox. - (figurative) Home or family life. - (Germanic paganism) A household or group in some forms of the modern pagan faith Heathenry. - 1996, Vivianne Crowley, Thorsons principles of paganism, page 50: - Asatru is practised all over Northern Europe and also in North America. Like Druidry, it is organized into bodies with sub-groups, the hearths. - 2003 December 8, Robert J. Wallis, Shamans/neo-Shamans: Ecstasy, Alternative Archaeologies, and Contemporary Pagans, page 102: - Smaller localized groups known as 'hearths' meet regularly, and are comparable, in size and function, with a Wiccan 'Coven' or Druidic 'Grove'. - 2004 March 1, Peter Clarke, editor, Encyclopedia of New Religious Movements, Routledge, page 768: - Neopagan groups take many forms, from Wiccan covens to Druid groves, from Heathen hearths to magical lodges […] - The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations. - Jacob Poole (1867), William Barnes, editor, A Glossary, With some Pieces of Verse, of the old Dialect of the English Colony in the Baronies of Forth and Bargy, County of Wexford, Ireland, London: J. Russell Smith, page 45
Drugs, Devices & Supplements What is a cochlear implant? Toddler Hears Holidays for First Time A cochlear implant is a device that may restore some hearing for people with substantial sensorineural hearing loss. This is a type of hearing loss caused by problems in the inner ear. During surgery, the device is implanted or placed in the inner ear. Research indicates that cochlear implantation gives patients with severe to profound hearing loss access to sounds and speech (Firszt, et al., 2004; Geers, Nicholas, & Seedy, 2004). Also, the method has been found to improve quality of life. (Hawthorne et al., 2004). A cochlear implant is made up of internal and external parts. The receiver/stimulator is implanted in the temporal bone behind the ear, and the electrode array is placed in the cochlea of the inner ear. The device also includes the speech/sound processor, which is worn behind the ear. The sound processor converts speech and sounds into electrical energy. The implant directly stimulates the hearing nerve. How can you find out if you or your child is a candidate for cochlear implants? The process calls for many appointments and thorough testing by different types of specialists. You may be required to take any or all of the following steps: - Comprehensive audiologic diagnostic testing—These tests assess hearing loss and help to choose the best follow-up services and/or technology. - Audiological cochlear implant evaluation—Your current hearing aids will be checked to see how well they work and how well they allow you to function. - MRI and/or CT scan—These tests show the internal structures of the inner ear. - Medical and surgical consultations: The surgeon will meet with you before surgery to discuss instruction, the procedure, and what to expect after surgery in terms of healing and possible hearing outcomes. - Communication evaluation: Auditory, speech, and language skills and are evaluated. - Balance assessment: Testing is done to evaluate the vestibular (balance) system. The system is closely linked to the structures involved in hearing. - Psychology consultation: Goals, motivation, and family support are evaluated. Outcomes are discussed - Insurance consultation: Individual coverage is considered. The financial impact of the procedure is discussed. - Implant consultations: This series of meetings relates to choosing and becoming comfortable with the device. The meetings also review device programming, troubleshooting, and keeping track of progress. In general, cochlear implants are appropriate for: - adults with bilateral (both ears) moderate-to-profound sensorineural hearing loss - children ages 2 to 18 years with bilateral severe-to-profound sensorineural hearing loss - children younger than age 2 years with bilateral profound sensorineural hearing loss Cochlear implants may be suggested when hearing aids no longer allow the wearer to understand speech well. Audiologic assessment includes testing both with and without hearing aids. This will show the degree of benefit that a patient’s hearing aids are currently providing. There must be no medical or radiological contraindications. Other factors include motivation to participate fully in the (re)habilitation process, family support, and a clear understanding of the limitations of cochlear implants. What are the outcomes and benefits of cochlear implantation? Both adults and children can benefit from cochlear implants. The age of patients who have received these implants ranges from 8 months to over 90 years. However, cochlear implants do not restore normal hearing function. Performance varies based on a multitude of factors, including: - Duration of hearing loss - Consistent use of amplification prior to cochlear implantation - Cause of hearing loss - Age of hearing loss onset Success with a cochlear implant cannot be predicted. However, the following factors tend to suggest the likelihood of a good outcome: - Pre-implantation hearing system status - Exposure to sound (and especially speech) before loss of hearing - Shorter duration of hearing loss - Consistent use of amplification prior to implantation - High number of functioning hearing nerve fibers - Lack of anatomical complications - Consistent use of the cochlear implant - Daily use during all waking hours - Attending scheduled appointments - Participating in auditory therapy - Consistently developing and implementing strategies for listening and speaking (pediatrics) - Educational placement that emphasizes auditory skill and spoken language development - Realistic goals and sincere desire to be part of the (re)habilitation process How is a cochlear implant different from a hearing aid? A cochlear implant is very different from a hearing aid and is appropriate for individuals for whom hearing aids fail to provide benefit. A hearing aid makes sounds louder. Sound still travels through all the portions of the ear (outer ear, middle ear, inner ear) to the hearing nerve. A cochlear implant bypasses these structures and directly stimulates the hearing nerve with electrical energy. Because hearing aids amplify sounds and rely on the hearing system to convey the message, people with severe to profound hearing loss may be able to hear, but not understand speech well. The main objective of a cochlear implant is to improve speech understanding in quiet. Clarity with a cochlear implant is usually better than a hearing aid because the implant does not make sounds louder but delivers them to the hearing nerve. What can I expect with a cochlear implant? Nearly all people who get cochlear implants can detect sound, including speech, at comfortable levels. Most people can pick out everyday sounds such as car horns, doorbells, and birds singing. The majority of people with implants develop the ability to recognize and understand speech in quiet environments without visual cues. Some can use the telephone, appreciate music, and converse successfully. The best results are seen in patients who have had some language skills or who receive a cochlear implant shortly after losing their hearing. Some listening environments, such as those involving background noise or those without visual cues, such as talking on the telephone, are particularly hard. Auditory therapy and cochlear implant reprogramming may improve performance. However, success in these challenging environments varies greatly among recipients. The cochlear implant surgical procedure often can be performed as an outpatient surgery. In the time after surgery, an expert rehabilitation team works closely with each patient. Follow-up appointments will test sound detection and speech perception in quiet and in noise. This will allow the team to find out how well the implant is working and to create programming tips. Learning how to use new sound information requires time, experience, and practice. - National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. Health Info: Hearing, Ear Infections, and Deafness: Cochlear Implants. www.nidcd.nih.gov Accessed 6/24/2011 - Wilson, B, Dorman MF. Cochlear Implants: A remarkable past and a brilliant future. Hearing Research Aug. 2008. Vol. 242, Issues 1-2, p. 3-21. - American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Information for the Public: Hearing and Balance: Cochlear Implants www.asha.org Accessed 6/24/2011 © Copyright 1995-2016 The Cleveland Clinic Foundation. All rights reserved. Can't find the health information you’re looking for? This information is provided by the Cleveland Clinic and is not intended to replace the medical advice of your doctor or health care provider. Please consult your health care provider for advice about a specific medical condition. This document was last reviewed on: 10/10/2012…#4806
5G relies primarily on the bandwidth of the millimetre wave which is known to cause a painful burning sensation. It’s also been linked to eye and heart problems, suppressed immune function, genetic damage and fertility problems. The Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) admits no 5G safety studies have been conducted or funded by the agency or telecom industry, and that none are planned. The FCC has been captured by the telecom industry, which in turn has perfected the disinformation strategies employed by the tobacco industry before it. Persistent exposures to microwave frequencies like those from mobile or cell phones can cause mitochondrial dysfunction and nuclear DNA damage from free radicals produced from peroxynitrite. Excessive exposure to cell phones and Wi-Fi networks has been linked to chronic diseases such as cardiac arrhythmias, anxiety, depression, autism, Alzheimer’s and infertility. Let’s not lose touch…Your Government and Big Tech are actively trying to censor the information reported by The Exposé to serve their own needs. Subscribe now to make sure you receive the latest uncensored news in your inbox… This article was previously published on 5 June 2019, and has been updated with new information. Exposure to electromagnetic fields (“EMF”) and radiofrequency (“RF”) radiation is an ever-growing health risk in the modern world. The Cellular Phone Task Force website1 has a long list of governments and organisations that have issued warnings or banned wireless technologies of various kinds and under various circumstances, starting in 1993. Another long list of organisations representing doctors and scientists are also among them, including an appeal for protection from non-ionising EMF exposure by more than 230 international EMF scientists to the United Nations in 2015, which notes that:2 “Numerous recent scientific publications have shown that EMF affects living organisms at levels well below most international and national guidelines. Effects include increased cancer risk, cellular stress, increase in harmful free radicals, genetic damages, structural and functional changes of the reproductive system,3,4,5 learning and memory deficits, neurological disorders, and negative impacts on general well-being in humans. Damage goes well beyond the human race, as there is growing evidence of harmful effects to both plant and animal life.” A call for a moratorium on 5G specifically was issued in September 2017 by more than 180 scientists and doctors from 35 countries,6,7 “until potential hazards for human health and the environment have been fully investigated by scientists independent from industry,” noting that “RF-EMF has been proven to be harmful to humans and the environment,” and that “5G will substantially increase exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) on top of the 2G, 3G, 4G, Wi-Fi, etc. for telecommunications already in place.” In an article8 on the Environmental Health Trust’s website, Ronald Powell, PhD, a retired Harvard scientist of applied physics, notes “there is NO SAFE WAY to implement 5G in our communities; rather there are only ‘bad ways’ and ‘worse ways,'” and rather than argue about who should have control over its deployment, we should focus on preventing its employment altogether. Health Concerns Over 5G Abound Wall Street analyst Sunil Rajgopal also warned that mounting health concerns may delay the implementation of 5G.9 Some countries have already taken steps to slow 5G deployment due to health risks, Rajgopal notes. The question is, can it be stopped? 5G testing was halted in Brussels, Belgium,10 and Switzerland are delaying its 5G rollout to create a system to monitor radiation.11 Syracuse, New York, is also attempting to set up some safeguards and has “negotiated the right to conduct on-demand safety inspections of 5G antennas,” to allay public concerns.12 According to Forbes:13 “In New Hampshire, lawmakers are considering establishing a commission to study the health impacts of 5G networks. And Mill Valley, Calif., near San Francisco, last year banned new 5G wireless cells.” Many other areas, however, have chosen to trust the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) and the wireless industry trade association, CTIA, which has created a “Cell phone Health Facts” website citing research showing no risk. However, if you believe the FCC is assessing health risks, you’d be wrong. At a Senate commerce hearing (above), the FCC admitted that no 5G safety studies have been conducted or funded by the agency or the telecom industry and that none are planned.14,15 In a speech given at the National Press Club in June 2016, Tom Wheeler, former FCC chairman and prior head of the wireless industry lobbying group, made the agency’s stance clear when he said:16 “Stay out of the way of technological development. Unlike some countries, we do not believe we should spend the next couple of years studying … Turning innovators loose is far preferable to letting committees and regulators define the future. We won’t wait for the standards …” In light of the more than 2,000 studies showing a wide range of biological harm from EMFs, assurances from the FCC and the US Food and Drug Administration that wireless radiation exposures, including 5G, is safe, seem disingenuous at best. As noted in a Counterpunch article:17 “Telecom lobbyists assure us that guidelines already in place are adequate to protect the public. Those safety guidelines, however, are based on a 1996 study of how much a cell phone heated the head of an adult-sized plastic mannequin. This is problematic, for at least three reasons: 1. living organisms consist of highly complex and interdependent cells and tissue, not plastic. 2. those being exposed to radiofrequency radiation include foetuses, children, plants, and wildlife – not just adult male humans. 3. the frequencies used in the mannequin study were far lower than the exposures associated with 5G.” Even so, in 2022, substantial research on EMF safety has yet to be done. In fact, as of August 1, 2022, of more than 35,000 articles on EMFs, only seven have been medical or biological studies.18 However, “none of these studies modulated or pulsed the signal as required by 5G or used other features of 5G technology,” according to Joel M. Moskowitz, PhD, director for the Centre of Family and Community Health School of Public Health at UC Berkeley.19 What Level of EMF Can Humans Withstand? EMF exposure at many biological impacting frequencies, such as those that run cell phones and Wi-Fi, has increased about 1 quintillion times over the past 100 years.20,21 Unfortunately, EMF exposure is so widespread these days, that it’s virtually impossible to conduct controlled population studies anymore, as no population is truly unexposed or unaffected. This lack of a control group makes it very difficult to determine what the real-world effects are. That said, one controlled exposure study has been done, revealing it’s nowhere near as harmless as people think. At the beginning of the 20th century, there were two populations in the United States — rural and urban. Urban areas were by and large electrified, while rural areas were not electrified until around 1950. Dr. Sam Milham, an epidemiologist, painstakingly analysed mortality statistics between these two populations over time, clearly showing there was a wide difference in mortality from heart disease, cancer and diabetes between these two groups. Then, as rural areas became electrified, the two curves merged. Today, we not only live and work in electrified surroundings, but we’re also surrounded by microwaves from wireless technologies. Soon, 5G may be added to the mix, making exposures all the more complex and potentially harmful. As noted by Counterpunch:22 “5G radiofrequency (RF) radiation uses a ‘cocktail’ of three types of radiation, ranging from relatively low-energy radio waves, microwave radiation with far more energy, and millimetre waves with vastly more energy … The extremely high frequencies in 5G are where the biggest danger lies. While 4G frequencies go as high as 6 GHz, 5G exposes biological life to pulsed signals in the 30 GHz to 100 GHz range. The general public has never before been exposed to such high frequencies for long periods of time.” Health Concerns Linked to 5G Exposure The added concern 5G brings is the addition of the millimetre wave (“MMW”). This bandwidth, which runs from 30 gigahertz (GHz) to 300GHz,23 is known to penetrate up to 2 millimetres into human skin tissue,24,25 causing a burning sensation. This is precisely why MMW was chosen for use in crowd control weapons (Active Denial Systems) by the US Department of Defense.26 MMW is also used in so-called “naked body scanners” at airports.27 Research has shown sweat ducts in human skin act as receptors or antennae for 5G radiation, drawing the radiation into the body,28,29,30,31,32 thereby causing a rise in temperature. This in part helps explain the painful effect. As noted by Dr. Yael Stein — who has studied 5G MMW technology and its interaction with the human body — in a 2016 letter to the Federal Communications Commission:33 “Computer simulations have demonstrated that sweat glands concentrate sub-terahertz waves in human skin. Humans could sense these waves as heat. The use of sub-terahertz (millimetre wave) communications technology (cell phones, Wi-Fi, antennas) could cause humans to percept physical pain via nociceptors. Potentially, if 5G Wi-Fi is spread in the public domain we may expect more of the health effects currently seen with RF/ microwave frequencies including many more cases of hypersensitivity (“EHS”), as well as many new complaints of physical pain and a yet unknown variety of neurologic disturbances. It will be possible to show a causal relationship between G5 technology and these specific health effects. The affected individuals may be eligible for compensation.” MMW has also been linked to:34,35,36,37,38 - Eye problems such as lens opacity in rats, which is linked to the production of cataracts,39 and eye damage in rabbits40,41 - Impacted heart rate variability, an indicator of stress, in rats42,43,44 and heart rate changes (arrhythmias) in frogs45,46 - Suppressed immune function48 - Depressed growth and increased antibiotic resistance in bacteria49 As noted in a Gaia.com article:50 “Many scientists understand that the electromagnetic radiation leaking through the doors of our microwave ovens are carcinogenic, and therefore, can cause cancer. Most of these scientists also believe that these waves are mutagenic, meaning they change the DNA structure of living beings.51 The launch of 5G will be similar to turning on your microwave, opening its door, and leaving it on for the rest of your life. There’s good reason why hundreds of scientists are taking action against the wireless industry.” Understanding EMFs’ Mechanisms of Harm As explained by Martin Pall, PhD, Professor Emeritus of biochemistry and basic medical sciences at Washington State University, the primary danger of EMFs, in general, is that it causes excess oxidative stress that results in mitochondrial dysfunction. According to Pall’s research,52,53,54,55 radiofrequency microwave radiation such as that from your cell phone and wireless router activates the voltage-gated calcium channels (“VGCCs”) located in the outer membrane of your cells. According to Pall, VGCCs are 7.2 million times more sensitive to microwave radiation than the charged particles inside and outside our cells, which means the safety standards for this exposure are off by a factor of 7.2 million. Low-frequency microwave radiation opens your VGCCs, thereby allowing an abnormal influx of calcium ions into the cell, which in turn activates nitric oxide (NO) and superoxide which react nearly instantaneously to form peroxynitrite56 that then causes carbonate free radicals, which are one of the most damaging reactive nitrogen species known and thought to be a root cause for many of today’s chronic diseases. For an in-depth understanding of peroxynitrites and the harm they inflict, see “Nitric Oxide and Peroxynitrite in Health and Disease”57 — a 140-page free access paper with 1,500 references written by Dr. Pal Pacher, Joseph Beckman and Dr. Lucas Liaudet. One of its most significant hazards of peroxynitrite is that it damages DNA. The European REFLEX study published in 2004 revealed the nonthermal effects of 2G and 3G radiation are actually very similar to the effects of X-rays in terms of the genetic damage they cause.58 Your body has the capacity to repair that damage through a family of 17 different enzymes collectively called poly ADP ribose polymerases (PARP). However, while PARP work well, they require NAD+ for fuel and when they run out of NAD+ they stop repairing your DNA. This in turn can lead to premature cell death, since 100 to 150 NAD+ molecules are needed to repair a single DNA strand break. NAD+ is central to maintaining cellular and mitochondrial health, so the fact that PARP consumes NAD+ to counteract EMF damage is an important concern. Cancer Is Not the Primary Health Risk of EMF The voltage in your body appears to play a significant role in health and disease. Your body’s production of electricity allows your cells to communicate and perform basic biological functions necessary for your survival. However, your body is designed to operate at very specific levels and frequencies. It seems logical that being surrounded by man-made EMFs that are 1 quintillion times higher than the natural EMF environment of the Earth may interfere with your DNA’s ability to receive and transmit biological signals. While the controversy over EMF damage has centred around whether or not it can cause cancer, especially brain tumours, this actually isn’t your greatest concern. Since the damage is strongly linked to activation of your VGCCs, it stands to reason that areas where VGCCs are the densest would be most vulnerable to damage. As it happens, the highest density of VGCCs is found in your nervous system, your brain, the pacemaker in your heart and male testes. As a result, EMFs are likely to contribute to neurological and neuropsychiatric59 problems, heart and reproductive problems. This includes but is not limited to cardiac arrhythmias, anxiety, depression, autism, Alzheimer’s and infertility. Indeed, this is what researchers keep finding, and all of these health problems are far more prevalent and kill more people than brain cancer. What’s more, seeing how many are already struggling with electromagnetic hypersensitivity, saturating cities and suburban areas with MMW radiation will undoubtedly make the problem more widespread, and make life unbearable for those already feeling the effects of wireless radiation. Media Ploy to Detract From 5G Concerns: Blame the Russians In a Medium article,60 Devra Davis, PhD. — a well-respected and credentialed researcher on the dangers of cell phone radiation — highlights a media trend of writing off scientists who warn about 5G dangers by labelling them “untethered alarmists … linked to Russian propaganda.” “Could it be a coincidence that following on the heels of the NY Times story, the Wall Street Journal and the UK Telegraph have echoed the same smear of guilt by association,” she writes,61 adding: “These otherwise credible media sources ignore the substantial body of science pinpointing hazards of wireless radiation and 5G detailed in independent journalistic investigations that have appeared extensively in media throughout Europe and been covered by major networks … Could the failure to report these critical 5G issues and correct misleading information regarding health effects of wireless and 5G in the New York Times have anything to do with the their new joint venture with Verizon in 5G journalism, or the fact that the Times board of directors includes officials from Facebook, Verizon, Media Lab, and other stalwarts of the telecom industry, while Carlos Slim, head of some of the largest telecom firms in the world, has downsized and now owns just 15 per cent of its stock?” Davis also points out a clear difference between American and Russian scientific expertise with regard to EMF: “The history of research on the environmental and public health impacts of radio frequency microwave radiation (‘wireless radiation’) reveals some uneasy parallels with that of tobacco. In the 1950s and 1960s, scientists who showed the harmful impacts of tobacco found themselves struggling for serious attention and financial support. The validity of their views was only accepted after the toll of sickness and death had become undeniable. For health impacts from wireless radiation, a similar pattern is emerging. Each time a US government agency produced positive findings, research on health impacts was defunded. The Office of Naval Research, the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, the Department of Health, Education and Welfare, and the Environmental Protection Agency all once had vibrant research programs documenting dangers of wireless radiation. All found their programs scrapped, reflecting pressure from those who sought to suppress this work. Russia’s 50 years of research on electromagnetic radiation since the Cold War has led to their clear understanding that this exposure does have biological effects. The Russian National Committee on Non-Ionising Radiation Protection issued a 2011 Resolution62 recommending persons under 18 not use a cell phone.” Brain Cancer Risk Is Likely Real While heart disease, dementia and infertility overshadow the risk of brain cancer, the possibility of cancer still remains and may be a far more significant concern for young children who are growing up surrounded by wireless technologies than we realise. The fact is, we won’t know for sure whether in utero and early cell phone use will increase brain cancer rates until a decade or two from now when today’s youths have grown up. Mounting research suggests cell phone radiation certainly influences your risk, and there are a number of compelling anecdotal reports that are hard to ignore. In her article,63 Davis mentions Robert C. Kane, a senior telecom engineer “had willingly served as a guinea pig for Motorola and other companies developing new wireless technologies in the 1980s.” He developed a type of malignant brain cancer the National Toxicology Program later confirmed was a side effect of cell phone radiation exposure (see video above). The NTPs results were published in 2018. Before his death in 2002, Kane published the book, “Cell phone Radiation — Russian Roulette, “64 in which he stated that:65 “Never in human history has there been such a practice as we now encounter with the marketing and distributing of products hostile to the human biological system by an industry with foreknowledge of those effects.” FCC Is a Captured Agency That Cannot Be Trusted Davis also highlights another crucial problem, namely the fact that the FCC has been captured by the telecom industry, which in turn has perfected the disinformation strategies employed by the tobacco industry before it. She writes:66 “… [I]n 2015 a Harvard expose tracked the revolving door between the FCC and the telecom industry and concluded that the FCC is a captured agency and that ‘Consumer safety, health, and privacy, along with consumer wallets, have all been overlooked, sacrificed, or raided due to unchecked industry influence.'” The book in question is “Captured Agency: How the Federal Communications Commission Is Dominated by the Industries It Presumably Regulates,” written by investigative journalist Norm Alster.67 As just one example, before his role as FCC chairman, Wheeler headed up the CTIA, which is the lobbying group for the wireless industry, which explains his commentary on 5G and why the FCC doesn’t believe in studying its health risks and “won’t wait for the standards.” The book also shows how the telecom industry is manipulating public opinion by undermining the credibility of scientists that speak of dangers, cutting funds for research, publishing manipulated studies showing no harm and claiming “scientific consensus” of no harm when no such consensus actually exists. Naturally, the telecom industry also spends millions of dollars lobbying the FCC on issues that might impact its bottom line.68 5G Threatens Weather Prediction Interestingly, aside from potential health ramifications, a global 5G network will also threaten our ability to predict weather which, in addition to putting civilians at risk will also jeopardise the Navy.69 According to a paper70 in the journal Nature, widespread 5G coverage will prevent satellites from detecting changes in water vapour, which is how meteorologists predict weather changes and storms. Davis quotes71 Stephen English, a meteorologist at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts: “This is the first time we’ve seen a threat to what I’d call the crown jewels of our frequencies — the ones that we absolutely must defend come what may.” Alas, the FCC ignores such concerns and, according to Davis, “weather experts within the US government are being muzzled.” In a letter to the FCC, Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., urge the agency to rein in the expansion of wireless communications in the 24 GHz band for this reason.72 Educate Yourself About the Health Risks of 5G My book, “EMF*D: 5G, Wi-Fi & Cell Phones: Hidden Harms and How to Protect Yourself,” talks about EMF dangers, with a comprehensive resource on current technologies such as: - What EMFs (electromagnetic fields) actually are, where you find them in your daily life, and how they affect you - The toll that EMFs have been proven to take in conditions such as cancer, heart disease, and neuropsychiatric illnesses - Why you’ve been largely kept in the dark about this threat to your health - How you can actually repair the damage done by EMFs at a cellular level - Practical strategies to protect yourself and your loved ones from EMFs at home, at work, and out in the world You can also download a two-page 5G fact sheet73 from the Environmental Health Trust. On their website, you can also access a long list of published scientific studies showing cause for concern.74 To reduce your EMF exposure, read through the suggestions below and implement as many of them as possible. Additional guidance and solutions for mitigating electric and magnetic fields can also be found at the end of “Healthy Wiring Practices, “75 a document created by building biologist Oram Miller, whom I’ve interviewed on this topic. \|Night time remediation\| \|Use Stetzer or Greenwave filters to remove voltage transients from your electricity and use meters to confirm that they are in a safe range.\| \|Use a battery-powered alarm clock, ideally one without any light. I use a talking clock for the visually impaired.76\| \|Consider moving your baby’s bed into your room instead of using a wireless baby monitor. Alternatively, use a hard-wired monitor.\| \|If you must use Wi-Fi, shut it off when not in use, especially at night when you are sleeping. Ideally, work toward hardwiring your house so you can eliminate Wi-Fi altogether. It’s important to realise that if you have a Wi-Fi router, you have a cell phone tower inside your home. Ideally, you’d eliminate your Wi-Fi and simply use a wired Ethernet connection. If you absolutely must have a router, you can place it inside a shielded bag when not in use. You can find shielded items online, or make your own using Swiss Shield fabric. If you have a notebook without any Ethernet ports, a USB Ethernet adapter will allow you to connect to the internet with a wired connection.\| \|For more extensive shielding, you can consider painting your bedroom walls and ceiling with special shielding paint, which will block RF from outside sources, such as cell towers, smart meters and radio/TV towers. Windows can be covered with metal window screens or film. For your bed, consider a shielding bed canopy.\| \|Daytime strategies to reduce unnecessary EMF exposure\| \|To reduce EMF exposure during the daytime, consider using Stetzer filters to decrease the level of dirty electricity or electromagnetic interference being generated. You can also take these with you to work or when you travel. This may be the single best strategy to reduce the damage from EMF exposure since it appears that most of it is generated by the frequencies that the filters remove.\| \|Connect your desktop computer to the internet via a wired Ethernet connection and be sure to put your desktop in aeroplane mode. Also avoid wireless keyboards, trackballs, mice, game systems, printers and portable house phones. Opt for the wired versions.\| \|Avoid carrying your cell phone on your body unless in aeroplane mode and never sleep with it in your bedroom unless it is in aeroplane mode. Even in aeroplane mode, it can emit signals, which is why I put my phone in a Faraday bag.77 They are inexpensive and only $10 for two of them. I tested them and they are highly effective at blocking radiation.\| \|When using your cell phone, use the speaker phone and hold the phone at least 3 feet away from you. Seek to radically decrease your time on the cell phone. I typically use my cell phone less than 30 minutes a month, and mostly when travelling. Instead, use VoIP software phones that you can use while connected to the internet via a wired connection, or better yet, use a landline telephone.\| \|General household remediation\| \|If you still use a microwave oven, consider replacing it with a steam convection oven, which will heat your food as quickly and far more safely.\| \|Avoid using “smart” appliances and thermostats that depend on wireless signalling. This would include all new “smart” TVs. They are called smart because they emit a Wi-Fi signal and, unlike your computer, you cannot shut the Wi-Fi signal off. Consider using a large computer monitor as your TV instead, as they don’t emit Wi-Fi.\| \|Replace CFL bulbs with incandescent bulbs. Ideally, remove all fluorescent lights from your house. Not only do they emit unhealthy light, but more importantly, they will actually transfer current to your body just being close to the bulbs.\| \|Dimmer switches are another source of dirty electricity, so consider installing regular on/off switches rather than dimmer switches.\| \|Refuse smart meters as long as you can, or add a shield to an existing smart meter, some of which have been shown to reduce radiation by 98% to 99%.78\| Sources and References - 1 The Cellular Phone Task Force, Governments and Organisations that Ban or Warn Against Wireless Technology - 2 EMFScientist.org International Appeal to the UN May 11, 2015, updated January 1, 2019 - 3 Environ Int. 2014 Sep; 70C:106-112 - 4 Central European Journal of Urology 2014; 67(1): 65–71 - 5 Fertility and Sterility January 2012; 97(1): 39-45.e2 - 6 Scientists Warn of Potential Serious Health Effects of 5G, September 13, 2017 (PDF) - 7, 31, 50 Gaia.com May 14, 2019 - 8 EHtrust.org, 5G and Its Small Cell Towers Threaten Public Health - 9, 13 Fortune May 22, 2019 - 10 The Brussels Times. Radiation Concerns Halt Brussels 5G Development. March 31, 2019 - 11 Reuters April 17, 2019 - 12 Government Technology May 10, 2019 - 14 US Senate, Richard Blumenthal February 7, 2019 - 15, 17, 22 Counterpunch May 3, 2019 - 16 Prepared Remarks of FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler June 20, 2016 (PDF) - 18 EMF Portal August 1, 2022 - 19 Electromagnetic Radiation Safety. August 3, 2022 - 20 Electromagnetic Health January 11, 2014 - 21 Nourish Balance Thrive July 29, 2018 - 23, 34 Electric Sense May 12, 2017 - 24, 29, 33, 47 Environmental Health Trust, Letter to the FCC From Dr. Yael Stein MD in Opposition to 5G Spectrum Frontiers - 25 Telecom Power Grab, 5G Fact Sheet - 26 Environmental Health Trust 20 Facts About 5G Wireless - 27 Science.howstuffworks.com, Difference Between Backscatter Machines and MMW Scanners - 28 Phys Med Biol. 2011 Mar 7;56(5):1329-39 - 30 Principia-scientific.org April 2, 2019 - 32 Endoftheamericandream.com May 19, 2019 - 35 Eluxemagazine, Frightening Frequencies - 36 ElectricSense, The Dangers of 5G, May 30, 2018 (PDF) - 37, 43, 45 A 5G Wireless Future by Dr. Cindy Russell (PDF) - 38, 44, 46 References List to A 5G Wireless Future by Dr. Cindy Russell (PDF) - 39 Klin Oczna. 1994 Aug-Sep;96(8-9):257-9 - 40 Health Phys. 2009 Sep;97(3):212-8 - 41 Zhonghua Lao Dong Wei Sheng Zhi Ye Bing Za Zhi. 2003 Oct;21(5):346-9 - 42 Fiziol Zh SSSR Im I M Sechenova. 1992 Jan;78(1):35-41 - 48 Biofizika. 2002 Jan-Feb;47(1):71-7 - 49 Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology June 2016; 100(11): 4761-4771 - 51 Gaia.com December 3, 2018 - 52 Rev Environ Health. 2015;30(2):99-116 - 53 International Journal of Innovative Research in Engineering and Management, September 2015; 2(5) - 54 J Cell Mol Med. 2013 Aug;17(8):958-65 - 55 Current Chemical Biology 2016; 10(1): 74-82 - 56 American Journal of Physiology 1996 Nov;271(5 Pt 1):C1424-37 - 57 Physiol Rev. 2007 Jan; 87(1): 315–424 - 58 JRS.BV EU Reflex Study Shows DNA Damage - 59 Journal of Chemical Neuroanatomy September 2016; 75 Part B: 43-51 - 60, 61, 63, 65, 66, 71 Medium May 18, 2019 - 62 Resolution of Russian National Committee on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (PDF) - 64 Cell Phone Radiation — Russian Roulette (PDF) - 67 Ehtrust.org, Harvard Press Book on Telecom Industry Influence to the US FCC — Captured Agency by Norm Alster - 68 Opensecrets.org January 23, 2018 - 69, 72 ZDnet.com May 14, 2019 - 70 Nature April 26, 2019 - 73 Environmental Health Trust, 5G Fact Sheet (PDF) - 74 Environmental Health Trust, Published Scientific Research on 5G, Small Cells and Health - 75 Createhealthyhomes.com, Healthy Wiring Practices (PDF) - 76 Amazon.com Talking Clock - 77 Amazon.com Signal Blocking Bag - 78 The Global Healing Centre November 13, 2014 Subscribe now to make sure you receive the latest uncensored news in your inbox… Your Government & Big Tech organisations such as Google, Facebook, Twitter & PayPal are trying to silence & shut down The Expose. So we need your help to ensure we can continue to bring you the facts the mainstream refuse to… We’re not funded by the Government to publish lies & propaganda on their behalf like the mainstream media. Instead, we rely solely on our support. So please support us in our efforts to bring you honest, reliable, investigative journalism today. It’s secure, quick and easy…
Classes with a picture icon have images on the class detail page No skill required Basic Know basic stitches (knit, purl or single crochet, double crochet). Easy You should know the basics, how to increase and decrease, and have made at least one project. Intermediate You should have worked with a few stitch patterns and should be familiar wtih basic garment shaping. Advanced You should have made several garments in various stitch patters and should comfortable making minor changes to patterns. Advanced is fun and challenging for thinking knitters. Stacey has been bringing cuteness into the crochet-world with her adorable stuffed animals since 2008. She is the author of Cuddly Crochet and Crocheted Softies and has self-published over 100 irresistibly cute animal patterns through her website, FreshStitches. Stacey firmly believes that there's no 'right way' to crochet and enthusiastically experiments with a variety of techniques (even less-popular ones!) to achieve the desired finished product. This philosophy spills over into her teaching style: she encourages students to discover what works best for their own crocheting style for maximum crochet enjoyment! For more about Stacey, go to freshstitches.com STITCHES South 2013 Classes Back To STITCHES South 2013 Class List Friday 8:30 am - 11:30 am 836-3 Easy Make a Stuffed Animal Not only are stuffed animals cute and cuddly, theyâ€™re fantastic crochet projects because they donâ€™t take long to make and they donâ€™t need to fit anybody! Plus, once you know some basic techniques, you'll be able to tackle almost any animal pattern that's out there... what could be better? This class will cover selecting yarn and appropriate hook size, how to do a sorta-gauge swatch (no measuring required!), how to begin working in the round, a refresher on crochet pattern variations you may encounter, techniques for attaching pieces, child-safety, and tips for stuffing. We'll crochet a super-adorable ladybug, which will teach you the variety of basic techniques you'll need. By the end of this class, you'll not only have a cutie nearly done... but you'll be confidently trained in animal-making! Friday 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm 837-3 Easy Techniques for Crochet Colorwork Have you been befuddled by a project that requires you to use multiple colors of yarn? Should you carry the unused color across or start a new ball? Decisions, decisions! In this class, we'll investigate the advantages to various techniques for handling color changes: stranding, 'crocheting over', and intarsia. We'll also compare working in the round vs. working in rows. You'll learn to read color charts and get tips for keeping your color changes tidy.
Both NOAA and NASA state that 2015 was the hottest year on record. And both are fairly certain that manmade pollution is the major contributor to this situation. No matter what Senator Cruz may posit. Archive for Climate Change The move to adopt the agreement and the agreement itself are here; the agreement forms the “annex” in this document that is located at the end. Analysis and key points are available from The New York Times. Examining dozens of basins in the northern hemisphere that depend on snowmelt for water supplies, the authors of this article – The potential for snow to supply human water demand in the present and future – conclude that: “… that should greenhouse gas emissions continue along their recent trajectory… the risks of declines in snow resource potential exceed 67% in snow-sensitive basins, potentially impacting spring and summer water availability for nearly 2 billion people.” Among those areas to be adversely affected would be northern and central California and the Colorado basin area. If global warming continues as it does, this report – Carbon choices determine US cities committed to futures below sea level – published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, indicates that over 1100 coastal communities from Boston to Miami will face some kind of permanent flooding within the next few decades; in some cases, whole cities will have to be abandoned, among them New Orleans. The lists of threatened major cities are provided in tables (53- 56) accompanying this report. State scenarios (tables 57+) are also included; see how many people in New Jersey could be adversely affected. Depending on the conditions, well over one million people in the Garden State could be permanently displaced by 2100. This July 23, 2015 report from the DoD – National Security Implications of Climate-Related Risks and a Changing Climate – was issued in response to a Congressional inquiry on how global warming would affect combat readiness and what risk mitigations are necessary. (This request was embedded in the DoD appropriations bill, Senate Report 113-211) As this very recent report points out: “Global climate change will have wide-ranging implications for U.S. national security interests over the foreseeable future because it will aggravate existing problems—such as poverty, social tensions, environmental degradation, ineffectual leadership, and weak political institutions—that threaten domestic stability in a number of countries.”(3) Climate at a Glance from NOAA allows searching across several different data points for climatological factors dating back to 1895 for U.S. states, the nation as a whole, and for global territories. One can see how temperatures have fluctuated over time; each year’s result is available along with its ranking relative to other years’ recordings back to 1895. Highly instructive and a well-spring of data.
WEEKLY SCRIPTURE READING Torah Portion: Parashat Toldot (“Generations”) Shabbat: Nov. 26, 2022 / Kislev 2, 5783 Torah: Gen. 25:19-28:9 Prophets: Mal. 1:1-2:7 New Covenant: Rom. 9:1-31 TODAY’S PRAYER OF AGREEMENT “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength”. Deut. 6:4-5 Last week's Torah (Chayei Sarah) told how Abraham's faithful servant Eliezer sought a bride for Abraham's son Isaac from among Abraham's relatives living in Mesopotamia. In response to his prayer to the LORD, Eliezer was shown that Abraham's nephew's daughter Rebekah was chosen to be one of the great matriarchs of Israel. This week's reading (Toldot) continues the story by revealing that Isaac and Rebekah had been married for twenty years but were still without an heir to carry on the family line. Finally their prayers were answered and Rebekah conceived, though not without complications. When she inquired of the LORD about her travail, God told her that she was carrying twins that would be heads of two rival nations, but the younger child would in fact become the promised heir of the chosen people. When the day came for Rebekah to give birth, the first child came out "red and covered with hair," so they called his name Esau ("hairy"); then his brother came out with his hand grasping Esau's heel, so they named him Jacob ("supplanter," from the Hebrew root meaning "heel"). The Torah describes that Esau became a hunter, "a man of the field," while Jacob was ish tam yoshev ohalim, "a wholesome man, who lived in tents." Isaac favored Esau; but Rebekah, believing the promise of the LORD, favored Jacob... The portion then gives us a look at the spiritual life of the two boys. According to Jewish tradition, on the day of the funeral of their grandfather Abraham, Jacob was cooking lentil soup for Isaac, the traditional mourner's meal. Esau rushed in from a hunting expedition, exhausted and hungry. He then begged Jacob to give him some of "that red stuff" (i.e, ha'dom hazeh), but Jacob answered that he would give him some only if he would sell him his birthright. Esau agreed to the terms and discounted his birthright as being worth only a bowl of beans (on account of this incident, Esau was given the additional name of Edom ("red"). In this manner the Torah describes how Esau "spurned the birthright." Years later, when Isaac was old and blind, Jacob (with his mother Rebekah's help) tricked Isaac into conferring the blessing of the firstborn upon him, thereby making Jacob the heir of the family, and not Esau. When the ruse was discovered, however, Esau sought to kill his brother, and Jacob was forced to flee his home, never to see his mother again...
In Singapore, rainfall statistics since 1980 have shown an increasing trend in the frequency of heavy rainfall events. When designing the expansion of the Kallang River to cater for higher-intensity storms, PUB – Singapore’s National Water Agency – did not adopt the conventional approach of creating a bigger concrete drain. Instead, it worked with NParks to explore how the river could be blended with the picturesque park while carrying a higher flow of stormwater. This could also create more value for the park users. The Kallang River runs through Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park. Previously a concrete canal, it was transformed into a naturalized river with bioengineered river edges that meanders through the park so people can get closer to the water. PUB and NParks, the National Parks Board, worked together with consultants Ramboll Dreiseitl Studios and CH2M Hill Singapore on this innovative drainage improvement project to increase the capacity of the waterway yet providing a useable green space for the public to enjoy. Before (left) and after (right). Credits: Ramboll Studio Dreiseitl What does the project consist of? The redevelopment of the park was under the Active, Beautiful, Clean Waters (ABC Waters) Programme, which is a long-term strategic initiative to enhance the waterbodies and bring Singaporeans closer to water so that they can appreciate and cherish this precious resource. The overarching goal of the 76.7 million SGD ($56.3 million USD) project, part of ABC Waters Programme and carried out at Kallang River at Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park, was to enhance the drainage infrastructure within the built environment whilst bringing people closer to water. The project’s main focus was to increase the capacity of the river channel through bio-engineering to prevent the nearby roads from flooding during heavy rainstorms, and to provide a more natural and beautiful area for wildlife and citizens. PUB launched the ABC Waters Programme in 2006. By integrating the drains, canals, and reservoirs with the surrounding environment in a holistic way, the ABC Waters Programme aims to create beautiful and clean streams, rivers and lakes with enhanced public spaces for the community to enjoy. PUB worked closely with government agencies and consultants to develop watershed masterplans. PUB also solicited public feedback in workshops and outreach campaigns, involving the community, including through an ABC Waters Exhibition in 2007. Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park is one of the biggest and most popular parks in Singapore and has not had a major upgrading since it was built in 1988. At the same time, PUB also has plans to upgrade the Kallang River. Given this, NParks and PUB reviewed their individual development plans and the project became a joint collaboration between both agencies. Political leaders were supportive of the ABC Waters Programme from the onset. One such advocate was Dr. Yaacob Ibrahim, the Minister for Environment and Water Resources. The Programme also received support from the late Mr. Lee Kuan Yew, who was then Minister Mentor. Mr. Lee was impressed with the Programme and said that what is even more important is that everyone must help to keep our waters clean to make ABC Waters a success. Credits: American Society of Landscape Architects What is the innovation? Extensive research and new technologies: Extensive research was done to test this new technology of soil bio-engineering —10 strategies were tested over an 11-month period. This ensured that the park would function well as a floodplain, which was integral to the success of the project. In the end, a variety of plants and bedding materials were used to stabilize the riverbanks, and a variety of wetland plants were introduced for natural cleaning. The park also includes green roofs and bioswales, which slow down water and help remove coarse pollutants. Public engagement and education: This was an integral part of the project – getting people out into nature so they appreciate the need for climate adaptation. This project was a more intensive level of public engagement than PUB had ever attempted before, so the residents in the park area were involved already during the design phase of the project, to help them understand the value of the park. PUB also encouraged schools to encourage students to spend time in nature and help them understand the importance of the water management. Credits: American Society of Landscape Architects What were the barriers? And how they have been overcome? Bringing down institutional barriers: PUB and NParks, the two main agencies in charge of the project, had to adjust their goals: PUB, as the water agency, was concerned with creating an efficient stormwater conveyance channel, while NParks was focused on creating a quality living environment. Prior to the renovation of the park, the areas that each agency was responsible for were clearly demarcated. To integrate the waterway into the park, both agencies held many discussions to understand each other’s roles and responsibilities and establish common grounds and goals. This comprehensive process resulted in successfully renovating the park that includes extensive greenery and natural space, but also a new waterway that can retain even more stormwater. Community awareness: One of the first flooding events after a heavy rain – now a natural part of the park’s new function – resulted in online comments that the park had been flooded and destroyed. Some residents were unaware that the banks of the river were designed as part of the stormwater conveyance channel. Online articles swiftly corrected the misunderstanding. Sustainable construction: The development of Kallang River at Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park was done in a sensitive manner, with efforts taken to reduce tree cutting to the minimal. Concrete from the old canal was reused at various parts of the river and the new park, and trees assessed to be in poor condition were recycled as construction materials for the river embankment or as park furnishings. The original 2.7 km long drainage channel has been extended into a 3 km river. The land of the park is now being used in a much more effective way, and parts of the river have been widened to 5 times the original width. The park now also includes vegetated biotopes that cleanse the rainwater runoff before it enters the waterway. The transformed Kallang River at Bishan Ang Mo Kio Park is connected via the drainage network to Marina Reservoir in the city, allowing the water to drain away once the rain stops. The ABC Waters project at Kallang River at Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park has won many local and international awards. Some of these accolades include the ‘Landscape of the Year’ Award at World Architecture Festival 2012, the 2012 Waterfront Center Awards’ Environmental Award and more recently, the Honour Award at the 2016 American Society of Landscape Architects Professional Awards. Social: the park creates a more beautiful area for residents and visitors who can take advantage of the natural area that had replaced the concrete canal. Health: offers more space for recreational outdoor activities within Singapore. Economic: creates a more appealing area for businesses, and property values’ increase. Environmental: Biodiversity has increased by 30% in the park with regular sightings of otters, egrets, and more. Links to further information: - Key Impact - The bio-engineering works at Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park have enhanced the drainage infrastructure within the built environment whilst bringing people closer to water. - The project design phase ran between 2007 - 2010, whilst construction took place from 2009-2012 - Initial Investments - 76.7 million SGD ($56.3 million USD)
We must remove 100’s of billions of tons of CO2 from the atmosphere this century. Working with the ocean's natural mechanisms for removing carbon from our atmosphere could be one of the most scalable ways to address our climate crisis. Carbon to Sea is the leading initiative to evaluate whether ocean alkalinity enhancement can safely remove and store billions of tons of CO2. The promise of ocean-based carbon removal For billions of years, minerals on land have been washing into the ocean, creating slightly alkaline waters and drawing down CO2 from the atmosphere. Over time, this has created an enormous, permanent and harmless sink for atmospheric CO2, nearly 38 trillion tons of carbon. Accelerating this natural process is called Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement (OAE) and there are many different pathways, such as adding alkaline minerals to the ocean or removing acid from seawater via electrochemistry. How the Carbon to Sea Initiative works Carbon to Sea is a nonprofit initiative with a mission to evaluate OAE as a viable pathway to repair historic carbon pollution. We bring together the best scientists, engineers, field builders, and market shapers to systematically assess whether and how OAE can be a safe, scalable, and permanent CDR method, and to lay the groundwork for cost-effective and responsible deployment in the future. Carbon to Sea was created by Additional Ventures and launched in June, 2023. In our first wave of funding, we have selected exceptional grantees for our OAE Research and Technology Awards with the help of Ocean Visions, and started to build out a global network of field research sites. Subscribe to be notified about future opportunities. Carbon to Sea will take OAE from an exciting idea to a serious climate solution through five integrated tracks: Scientific approaches that systematically assess the conditions under which OAE can safely and permanently remove CO2 and market intelligence to advance sector knowledge. Targeted engineering cohorts to innovate alkalinity production, dispersal and measurement and support road-to-market strategy. Field Research Network Global network of field research sites, MRV systems and models, and decision-making tools such as technoeconomic assessments and lifecycle analysis. Advancing responsible regulatory frameworks and public funding for research and development. Convenings and knowledge-sharing to foster collaboration across disciplines and invite new entrants into the field of OAE. Guiding principles for responsible research and development We are pursuing this work to restore our climate for humans and all species on Earth. Understanding the community and environmental impact of OAE is core to our mission. Together with our grantees and field research partners, we are designing a gold standard process to engage stakeholders in our work and model, measure, and minimize the environmental footprint of real-world research. This process will be continuously updated with the help of partners around the world and published here on our website. We build a highly accountable sector by inviting and clarifying regulatory oversight in our work Coastal communities are empowered to understand and evaluate whether our research aligns with their climate goals All research results are published and summarized in clear language, no matter the outcome All materials are progressively tested in lab and mesocosm trials before they are used in the real world Our investments in high fidelity regional ocean modeling and observations help plan, measure and validate outcomes of field trials While field research supports global science priorities, it is accountable to local leaders, permit holders and decision-makers Credit: Ulf Riebesell/GEOMAR Mesocosm studies are an important stepping stone for investigating possible ecosystem impacts under close-to-natural conditions. The “giant test tubes” enclose natural communities from bacteria to small pelagic fish and follow the seasonal succession at their deployment site. Applying a gradient experimental design enables the identification of nonlinearities, thresholds and tipping points of the enclosed communities, thereby allowing to determine the safe operating space for different alkalinisation scenarios. Board of Directors We rely on trusted partners to bring our program to life and maintain operational excellence. In particular, we look to local expertise to gauge local interest and viability for field research, environmental assessment requirements, evaluation of policy and permitting processes. We also rely on external expert reviewers of our grant proposals and to ensure our team is abreast of the latest scientific and technical knowledge. We are supported by a diverse group of funders with deep experience in ocean conservation, climate and R&D. Our funders provide meaningful guidance to our program’s direction and are invited to join in the learning journey by participating in quarterly advisory meetings and in-person convenings. Science Advisory Board Commonly Asked Questions Why focus on Carbon Dioxide Removal? In addition to reducing emissions, we need to remove huge amounts of CO2 from the atmosphere. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), averting the most devastating impacts of climate change requires removing and permanently storing hundreds of billions of tons of atmospheric CO2 this century. But so far only a few tens of thousands of tons of CO2 have been permanently removed. What is the scope of your research? The scope of our funded research is broad, but generally addresses the questions of the safety, efficacy and scalability of OAE using different methodologies. What does OAE cost? In recent years, OAE has gained more attention as modeling and early laboratory work suggest it could permanently remove and store carbon for as little as $25-$160/ton. What is your stakeholder engagement strategy? To build a highly accountable sector that people can trust, we must seek authentic stakeholder input and incorporate their ideas in our work. We set a high bar at the program level for what quality engagement looks like (inclusive, transparent, accessible) and work with local orgs to help us understand what their communities need and want from our program. We work with a range of stakeholders in many different communities, each with unique interests in our program: scientists, funders, research institutes, local NGOs, fishers, startups and more. What are some examples of the types of projects Carbon to Sea funds? We fund projects ranging from fundamental research, to mesocosm experiments and prototype development. Examples include dissolution kinetics, dye trace studies, environmental impacts, and sensor and electrochemical membranes prototype development. How can research and engineering teams apply for your program? We plan to run additional RFP processes for engineering grants. Please keep an eye out for announcements. How is Carbon to Sea run and governed? Carbon to Sea is run by a small, nimble team and governed by a 3-member Advisory board for large-scale expenditures and big decisions. We also have a Science Advisory Board to provide technical and programmatic direction. Carbon to Sea is fiscally sponsored by the Windward Fund, a 501 (c)(3) public charity.
Learn To Touch Type Online For Free Learn To Touch-Type Online For Free Free resources for learning touch-typing Touch-typing is typing without using the sense of sight to find the keys. A person possessing touch-typing skills will know their location on the keyboard through muscle memory. It can improve any individual's typing speed and accuracy dramatically. None of the following sites require you to download or install anything. Learn the traditional touch type method. At GoodTyping.com, you can set up a free account so you can log in and keep track of which lessons you have completed, and track your progress. - Learn how to type correctly in just a few hours using all your fingers. - You will soon be typing faster than you ever imagined. - 27 guided lessons to learn step-by-step from the beginning. - Choose between 23 different keyboard layouts. (Learn to type in other languages!) Keybr.com is a web application that will help you learn touch typing with a new method. Their tutorial is based on these few principles: - No boring, repetitive exercises. Unlike most other typing tutors, keybr does not force you to repeat the same lessons over and over again. - Keybr uses sophisticated computer algorithm to generate typing lessons matching your skills. These lessons consists of random words generated from a subset of the current alphabet. The size of the subset and individual letter frequency is controlled by the algorithm to give you the best learning experience. - keybr measures time to type a key for every letter in that subset. This time is used to measure your learning progress. The more familiar you become with a key, the shorter time it takes to type it. - Once you familiarize yourself with the current subset of letters, the algorithm expands it, including more and more letters to it. - As soon as the algorithm includes new letters to the current subset, frequency of these letters is artificially boosted, so that the newly added letters will appear in every generated word in a lesson. - So at any time, you will by typing the letters you are least familiar with. Play games to practice typing skills! A fun way to improve your typing speed and accuracy. Key Words: how to type, type fast, improve typing skills, touch type
Benoit Lecomte successfully completed a Trans-Atlantic swim, a swim more than 3,700 miles, in 72 days in 1998. Lecomte immigrated to Texas from France when he was just 23 years old. However, when his father died of colon cancer in 1992, Lecomte became determined to do something to prevent the ignorance of the disease from taking the life of other people as well. Lecomte enlisted the help of the University of Texas Austin’s Human Performance Lab Director Edward Coyle to help him prepare for the enormous crossing. Lecomte trained to build his endurance, swimming and cycling 3-5 hours a day, six days a week for two years and underwent a series of long endurance swims that usually lasted up to 24 hours. One of these swims included 24 hours of non-stop swimming at Barton Springs covering the distance of 48.5 miles. This also helped fine-tune the equipment and nutritional regiment that Lecotme would need for the crossing. swimming from the shores of Cape Cod, Massachusetts towards Quiberon, France with only two sailors to guide him, Lecomte swam over 600 km (3, 736 nautical miles) in just 72 days. Using a large joined flipper that was attached to his feet and a swim suit that reduced the resistance in the water Lecomte went down in history as the first, and so far only, man in history to swim the Atlantic ocean. Lecomte is currently undergoing a project called swim For Liberty, which is designed to connect the two cities that were the most affected by the September 11, 2001 tragedy. The swim will begin in Washington D.C., follow along the Chesapeake River, stop of in Atlantic City for a memorial of the people who fell in Pennsylvania, then continue on to Liberty Island in New York.
Part Of: Machine Learning sequence Content Summary: 800 words, 8 min read Projection as Geometric Approximation If we have a vector and a line determined by vector , how do we find the point on the line that is closest to ? The closest point is at the intersection formed by a line through that is orthogonal to . If we think of as an approximation to , then the length of is the error of that approximation. This formula captures projection onto a vector. But what if you want to project to a higher dimensional surface? Imagine a plane, whose basis vectors are and . This plane can be described with a matrix, by mapping the basis vectors onto its column space: Suppose we want to project vector onto this plane. We can use the same orthogonality principle as before: Matrices like are self-transpositions. We have shown that such matrices are square symmetric, and thereby contain positive, real eigenvalues. We shall assume that the columns of are independent, and it thereby is invertible. The inverse thereby allows us to solve for : Since matrices are linear transformations (functions that operate on vectors), it is natural to express the problem in terms of a projection matrix , that accepts a vector , and outputs the approximating vector : By combining these two formula, we solve for : Thus, we have two perspectives on the same underlying formula: Linear Regression via Projection We have previously noted that machine learning attempts to approximate the shape of the data. Prediction functions include classification (discrete output) and regression (continuous output). Consider an example with three data points. Can we predict the price of the next item, given its size? For these data, a linear regression function will take the following form: We can thus interpret linear regression as an attempt to solve : In this example, we have more data than parameters (3 vs 2). In real-world problems, it is an extremely common predicament. It yields matrices with may more equations than unknowns. This means that has no solution (unless all data happen to fall on a straight line). If exact solutions are impossible, we can still hope for an approximating solution. Perhaps we can find a vector p that best approximates b. More formally, we desire some such that the error is minimized. Since projection is a form of approximation, we can use a projection matrix to construct our linear prediction function . A Worked Example The solution is to make the error as small as possible. Since can never leave the column space, choose the closest point to in that subspace. This point is the projection . Then the error vector has minimal length. To repeat, the best combination is the projection of b onto the column space. The error is perpendicular to that subspace. Therefore is in the left nullspace: We can use Guass-Jordan Elimination to compute the inversion: A useful intermediate quantity is as follows: We are now able to compute the parameters of our model, : These parameters generate a predictive function with the following structure: These values correspond with the line that best fits our original data! Part Of: Demystifying Language sequence Content Summary: 1200 words, 12 min read. The Structure of Reason Learning is the construction of beliefs from experience. Conversely, inference predicts experience given those beliefs. Reasoning refers to the linguistic production and evaluation of an argument. Learning and inference are ubiquitous across all animal species. But only one species are capable of reasoning: human beings. Argument can be understood by the lens of deductive logic. Logical syllogisms are a calculus that maps premises to conclusions. An argument is valid if the conclusions follow from the premises. An argument is sound if it is valid, and its premises are true. Premises can be evaluated directly via intuition. The relationship between argument structure and intuition parallels decision trees versus evaluative functions. Two Theories of Reason Why did reasoning evolve? What is its biological purpose? Consider the following theories: One way to adjudicate these rival theories is to examine domain gradients. Roughly, a biological mechanism performs optimally when situated in contexts for which they were originally designed. Our cravings for sugars and fats mislead us today, but encourage optimal foraging in the Pleistocene epoch. Reasoning is used in both individual and social contexts. But our theories disagree on which is the original domain. Thus, they generate opponent predictions as to which context will elicit the most robust performance. Here we see our first direct confirmation of the argumentative theory: in practice, people are terrible at reasoning in individual contexts. Their reasoning skills become vibrant only when placed in social contexts. It’s a bit like Kevin Malone doing mental math. 🙂 Structure of Argumentative Reason All languages ever discovered contain both nouns and verbs. This universal distinction reflects the brain’s perception-action dichotomy. Nouns express perceptual concepts, and verbs express action concepts. Recall that natural language has two processes: speech production & speech comprehension. These functions both accept nouns and verbs as arguments. Thus, we can express the cybernetics of language as follows: Argumentative reasoning is a social extension of the faculty of language. It consists of two processes: Persuasion and justification draw on perceptual and action concepts, respectively. Thus, the persuasion-justification distinction mirrors the noun-verb distinction, but at a higher level of abstraction. Here is our cybernetics of reasoning diagram. We return to phylogeny. Why did reasoning-as-argumentation evolve? For communication to persist, it must benefit both senders and receivers. But stability is often threatened by senders who seek to manipulate receivers. We know that humans are gullible by default. Nevertheless, our species does possess lie detection devices. The evolution of argumentative reason was shaped by a similar set of ecological pressures as that of language. Let me cover these hypotheses in another post. For now, it helps to think of belief as clothes, serving both pragmatic and social functions. A wide swathe of biases stems from persuasive arguments performing social rather than epistemic ends. This is not to say that truth is irrelevant to reasoning. It is simply not always the dominant factor. Persuasion processes involve arguments about beliefs. It has two subprocesses: argument production (listener persuasion) and argument evaluation (argument quality inspection). These two processes are locked in an evolutionary arms race, developing ever more sophisticated mechanisms to defeat the other. Argument production is responsible for the two most damning biases in the human repertoire. There is extensive evidence that we are subject to confirmation bias: the attentional habit to preferentially examine evidence that helps our case. We are also victim to motivated reasoning, which biases our judgments towards our self-interest. We often describe instances of motivated reasoning as hypocrisy. Consider the following example: There are two tasks one short & pleasant, the other long & unpleasant. Selectors are asked to select their task, knowing that the other task is giving to another participant (the Receiver). Once they are done with the task, each participant states how fair the Selector has been. It is then possible to compare the fairness ratings of Selectors versus those of the Receivers. Selectors rate their decisions as more fair than the Receivers, on the average. However, if participants are distracted when they asked their fairness judgments, the ratings were identical and showed no hint of hypocrisy. If reasoning were not the cause of motivated reasoning but the cure for it, the opposite would be expected. In contrast to production, argument evaluation involves two subprocesses: trust calibration and coherence checking. The ability to distrust malevolent informants has been shown to develop in stages between the ages of 3 and 6. Coherence checking is less self-serving than production mechanism. In fact, it is responsible for the phenomenon of truth wins. For example, in group puzzles the person whoever stumbles on the solution will successfully persuade her peers, regardless of her social standing. In practice, good arguments tend to be more persuasive than bad arguments. Justification processes involve reasons about behavior. This is not to be confused with motivations for behavior, which happen at the subconscious level. In fact, there is evidence to suggest that the reasons we acquire by introspection are not true. It has been consistently observed that attitudes based on reasons are much less predictive of future behaviors (and often not predictive at all) than were attitudes stated without recourse to reasons. The justification module produces reason-based choice; that is, we tend to choose behaviors that are easy to justify to our peers. Reason-based choice explains an impressive number of documented human biases. For example, The sunk cost fallacy is the tendency to continue an endeavor once an investment has been made. It doesn’t occur in children or non-human animals. If reasoning were not the cause of this phenomenon but the cure for it, the opposite would be expected. The disjunction effect, endowment effect, and decoy effect can similarly be explained in terms of reason-based choice. This is not to say that justification is insensitive to the truth. Better decisions are usually easier to justify. But when a more easily justifiable decision is not a good one, reasoning still drives us towards ease of justification. I was initially skeptical of the argumentative theory because it felt “fashionable” in precisely the wrong sense, underwritten by postmodern connotations of narrative-is-everything and epistemic nihilism. Another warning flag is that the theory draws from the field of social psychology, which has been quite vulnerable to the replication crisis. However, the evidential weight in favor of the argumentative theory has recently persuaded me. For a comphrehensive view of that evidence, see [MS11]. I no longer believe argumentative reason entails epistemic nihilism, and I predict its evidential basis will not erode substantially in coming decades. I am also attracted to the theory because it helps tie together several other theories into a comprehensive meta-theory: The Tripartite Mind. Let me sketch just one of example of this appeal. The heuristics and biases literature has uncovered a bewildering variety of errors, shortcuts, and idiosyncrasies in human cognition. Responses to this literature vary widely. But too many voices take such biases as “conceptual atoms”, or fundamental facts of the human brain. Neuroscience can and must identify the mechanisms underlying these phenomena. The argumentative theory is attractive in that it explains a wide swathe of the zoo. Reason is not a profoundly flawed general mechanism. Instead, it is an efficient linguistic device adapted to a certain type of social interaction. [MS11]. Mercer & Sperber (2011). Why do humans reason? Arguments for an argumentative theory. Part Of: Principles of Machine Learning sequence Content Summary: 500 words, 5 min read Data scientists are in the business of answering questions with data. To do this, data is fed into prediction functions, which learn from the data, and use this knowledge to produce inferences. Today we take an intuitive, non-mathematical look at two genres of prediction machine: regression and classification. Whereas these approaches may seem unrelated, we shall discover a deep symmetry lurking below the surface. Consider a supermarket that has made five purchases of sugar from its supplier in the past. We therefore have access to five data points: One of our competitors intends to buy 40kg of sugar. Can we predict the price they will pay? This question can be interpreted visually as follows: But there is another, more systematic way to interpret this request. We can differentiate training data (the five observations where we know the answer) versus test data (where we are given a subset of the relevant information, and asked to generate the rest): A regression prediction machine will for any hypothetical x-value, predicts the corresponding y-value. Sound familiar? This is just a function. There are in fact many possible regression functions, of varying complexity: Despite their simple appearance, each line represents a complete prediction machine. Each one can, for any order size, generate a corresponding prediction of the price of sugar. To illustrate classification, consider another example. Suppose we are an animal shelter, responsible for rescuing stray dogs and cats. We have saved two hundred animals; for each, we record their height, weight, and species: Suppose we are left a note that reads as follows: I will be dropping off a stray tomorrow that is 19 lbs and about a foot tall. A classification question might be: is this animal more likely to be a dog or a cat? Visually, we can interpret the challenge as follows: As before, we can understand this prediction problem as taking information gained from training data, to generate “missing” factors” from test data: To actually build a classification machine, we must specify a region-color map, such as the following: Indeed, the above solution is complete: we can produce a color (species) label for any new observation, based on whether it lies above or below our line. But other solutions exist. Consider, for example, a rather different kind of map: We could use either map to generate predictions. Which one is better? We will explore such questions next time. Comparing Prediction Methods Let’s compare our classification and regression models. In what sense are they the same? If you’re like me, it is hard to identify similarities. But insight is obtained when you compare the underlying schemas: Here we see that our regression example was 2D, but our classification example was 3D. It would be easier to compare these models if we removed a dimension from the classification example. With this simplification, we can directly compare regression and classification: Thus, the only real difference between regression and classification is whether the prediction (the dependent variable) is continuous or discrete. Until next time. Are Ethical Theories Incompatible? Last time, we introduced five major ethical theories: At first glance, we might consider these theories as rivals competing for the status of a ground for morality. However, when discussing these theories, one has a distinct sense that they are simple addressing different concerns. Perhaps these theories are compatible with one another. But it is hard to see how, because we lack a map of the major conceptual regions of normative ethics, and how they relate to one another. Let’s try to construct such a map. Identifying Morally Relevant Factors There are two major activities in the philosophical discourse about normative ethics: factorial analysis, and foundational theories. Factorial analysis involves getting clear on which variables affect in our moral judgments. This is the goal of moral thought experiments. By constructing maps from situations to moral judgment, we seek to understand situational factors that contribute to (and compete for control over) our final moral appraisals. We can discern four categories of factors which bear on moral judgments: Goodness of Outcome, General Constraints, Special Obligations, and Options. We might call these categories factorial genres. Here are some example factors from each genre. While conducting factorial analysis, we typically ask questions about: Constructing Foundational Theories A foundational mechanism is a conceptual apparatus designed to generate the right set of morally relevant factors. An example of such a theory is contractarianism, which roughly states that: Morally relevant factors are those which would be agreed to by a social community, if they were placed in an Original Position (imagine you are designing a social community from scratch), and subject to the Veil of Ignorance (you don’t know the details of what your particular role will be). Thus, our two philosophic activities relate as follows: These two activities are fueled by different sets of intuitions. Let us examine other accounts of foundational mechanisms. These claim that we should accept only morally relevant factors that… Localizing Ethical Theories in our Map We can now use this scheme to better understand the space of ethical theories. Proposition 1. Ethical theories can be decomposed into their foundational and factorial components. Three of our five ethical theories have the following decomposition: Proposition 2. Factorial pluralism is compatible with foundational monism. Certain flavors of consequentialists, deontologists, consequentialists insist on factorial monism, that only one kind of moral factor really matters. But as a descriptive matter, it seems that human morality is sensitive to many different kinds of factors. Outcome valence, action constraint, role-based obligations all seem to play in real moral decisions. Factorial monism has the unpleasant implication of demonstrating some of these factors as misguided. But philosophers are perfectly free to affirm factorial pluralism: that each intuition “genre” are prescriptively justified. Some examples of one foundational device generating a plurality of genres: Are ethical theories truly competitors? One might suspect that the answer is no. Ethical theories seem to address different concerns. We can give flesh to this intuition by analyzing the structure of ethical theories. They can be decomposed into two parts: factorial analysis, and foundational mechanisms. Most defenses of foundational mechanisms have them generating a single factorial genre. However, it is possible to endorse factorial pluralism. There is nothing incoherent in the view that e.g., both event outcome and general constraints bear on morality. This taxonomy allows us to contrast ethical theories in a new way. Utilitarianism can be seen as a theory about the normative factors, contractarianism is a foundational mechanism. Far from being rival views, one could in fact endorse both!
Of late there appears to be an inherent shift in peoples eating patterns – with sources of protein seemingly being at the forefront. The trend towards veganism and plant-based diets appears to be gaining momentum with no signs of subsiding. In Stockholm, EAT-Lancet presented the Planetary Health Plate – half of which should be filled with vegetables and fruits (note: starchy vegetables, like potatoes, are limited), while the other half should comprise of mainly whole-grains, plant-based proteins, unsaturated oils and modest amounts of animal-sourced protein. However, before we speed ahead with these advancements a number of other underpinning factors should be taken into consideration. 1. Protein Recommendations are dated. Most organizations have based protein recommendations on nitrogen studies, which were conducted several decades ago – typically around the 1970s. Novel isotope and amino acid oxidations studies now indicate that protein intakes guidelines could actually be higher in some populations. 2. Food-Based Dietary Guidelines (FBDG) vary widely. A recent publication in Advances in Nutrition evaluating 90 FBDG globally revealed that 74% included messages about ‘protein foods’. Of these 53% countries mentioned meat, poultry (29%), fish (58%), eggs (31%), legumes (41%), dairy (9%), nuts/seeds (8%), Kenya (insects). Given that many organisations are now compiling FBDG with a sustainability element consistency will be important. This could encompass plant-based proteins, alternative proteins and some animal proteins. Diversity is important and the categorization of protein groups needs to be carefully thought out so some sources are not overlooked. 3. The definition of ‘plant-based’ needs to be formally and consistently defined. The term ‘plant-based’ is being widely used yet has not yet been formally defined. Presently, this varies widely between organizations and scientific studies alike. Uniformity is needed given the rapid advancement of this sector and so that science is not misrepresented. 4. Protein quality has been redefined. Another new paper also published in Advances in Nutrition puts the case forward that the definition of ‘protein quality’ is in need of a modern update. Previously this definition has been based solely on an individual foods amino acid profile. The new pool for though is that other aspects should also be layered on top of this to give a larger picture of quality. Other quality markers include the proteins effects on health and the environment. New models have been compiled and applied to a range of foods with nuts and poultry coming out particularly well using such an approach. 5. Evidence on the value of ‘protein distribution’ is emerging. It seems that it’s not just the ‘amount’ of protein that we eat that could affect our health but also ‘when’ we eat this. A growing body of research suggests that further emphasis should be given to protein distribution i.e. promoting an even and balanced pattern of protein intake across the day as new evidence links this to optimal muscle protein synthesis. Dr Emma Derbyshire has recently co-authored a White Paper report entitled Protein Guidelines: Why The Time is Right for an Update. If you would like to receive a copy please e-mail: email@example.com Herforth A et al. (2019) A Global Review of Food-Based Dietary Guidelines. Adv Nutr [Epub ahead of print] Katz DL et al. (2019) Perspective: The Public Health Case for Modernizing the Definition of Protein Quality. Adv Nutr 2019. This work was supported by Marlow Foods. The content of the insight has been written independently.
NASA wants you to check out its flying saucer The US space agency is inviting the public to view a test of its Low Density Supersonic Decelerator, designed to land heavy payloads on Mars The vehicle, officially known as the Low Density Supersonic Decelerator (LDSD), measures 4.5 metres (15 feet) wide and weighs over three tons. Its innovative two-part braking system comprises a doughnut-shaped inflatable braking shield and a gigantic parachute. The inflatable brake shield, called the supersonic inflatable aerodynamic decelerator (SIAD-R), is designed to unfold and inflate to increase a spacecraft’s size and atmospheric drag. After slowing down under the brake shield, the vehicle is designed to deploy the 33.5-metre wide Supersonic Ring Sail Parachute, the largest parachute ever flown. The technology is not only being designed to enable heavy payloads to land on the surface of Mars, but also to allow landings at higher-altitude sites, giving access to much more of the planet's surface. Up to now, the one ton Curiosity rover has been the heaviest craft to land on Mars, employing a complex landing system including a supersonic parachute and a "sky crane" which lowered the rover onto the Martian surface. Current Mars landing techniques date back to NASA's Viking mission, which put twin landers on Mars in 1976. NASA is planning to land even bigger payloads, including vehicles, cargo, crew and human habitats. The agency is therefore developing the technology for a landing system which can place payloads of up to 40,000 kg on the surface of Mars, or other celestial bodies. NASA is looking to use atmospheric drag as a solution, in a bid to save rocket engines and fuel. Such payloads will require much larger drag devices to slow them down and those devices will need to be deployed at higher supersonic speeds to land safely. The LDSD had its first test flight in June 2014 when its was dropped from under a large helium balloon at 120,000 ft. The vehicle then fired its rocket motor, propelling it to 180,000 ft at a speed of Mach 4. During descent the vehicle's inflatable doughnut-shaped braking shield succeeded in slowing down the craft, but the second part of the landing system—the enormous parachute—failed to open properly, causing the vehicle to crash land in the Ocean. The next test flight is to be streamed live on March 31, from 1600 to 1700 UTC (9 am to 10 am PDT). During the hour-long interactive broadcast, LDSD team members will be available to answer questions from the public, while LDSD will undergo a "spin-table" test in preparation for shipment to Hawaii, where it will be flown into near-space from the Navy's Pacific Missile Range Facility on the island of Kauai in June. Testing will continue through 2015, with potential launch to Mars as early as 2020. Original story from Sen. © 2015 Sen TV Limited. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. For more space news visit Sen.com and follow @sen on Twitter.
Hematemesis is a fancy way of saying you are vomiting blood. Having blood in your vomit is not normal. Therefore, throwing up blood needs to be medically addressed right away. There are several causes for why you may vomit blood. Small blood vessel tears in your throat or esophagus due to forceful, continuous vomiting commonly results in blood in vomit. Vomiting due to severe stomach flu or too much alcohol are prominent producers of this variety of hematemesis. Other likely, or not so likely, causes for you to throw up blood, include: - liver disease - peptic ulcers - vomit vigorously - stomach cancer - mercury toxicity - alcoholic hepatitis - radiation exposure - prolonged vomiting - esophageal cancer - acute hepatic failure - chronic kidney failure - analgesic drug side effect - severe yellow fever infection - swallowed blood from prior nosebleed - taking blood thinners ~ warfarin, heparin Throwing up bright red blood tells you that the bleeding began just before you vomited. If your vomited blood is maroon, dark brown or texturally black, then that thrown up blood has been in your stomach for a while. Get in touch with your health care professional immediately if you notice blood in your vomit or begin vomiting blood. The cause for your throw up blood hematemesis can be a serious health issue.
There are few things that can make your home sweet home less sweet than the odor of a dead animal. Usually it starts small -- just a fleeting whiff of something rotten that come and goes with the air currents. And somtimes that's as bad as it gets before it goes away. Some very small animals, like mice, just don't have enough body mass for their carcasses to generate much of an odor before they dry up and the odor goes away. Larger animals, however, like rats, raccoons, opossums, and many others, can stink up your home for weeks, making it practically unbearable -- and unhealthful -- to live there. The stench of a dead animals is what most homeowners notice, and what makes them call us. But in many ways, dead animals in your home are as dangerous as living ones. Here's why. Parasites. While they're alive, animals pick up various parasites that live both outside and inside their bodies. When they die, those parasites need to find a new host; and some of them are perfectly willing to infest humans if they can't find one of their favored hosts. Bacteria. An animals's rotting corpse contains all sorts of harmful microorganisms and give off a lot of harmful fumes such as sulfur dioxide, methane, various long-branch hydrocarbons, and many others. Both the germs and the fumes are hazardous to human health. Fungi. There also are many fungal organisms that feed on animal carcasses or in their droppings, and some of these fungi are harmful to humans. If harmful spores get into the air in your home (for example, through the air-conditioning duct work), they can make you sick. At Rid-A-Critter, we spend a lot more time than we like removing dead animals from people's homes. A lot of times, these animals died there because old-fashioned exterminators treated pest problems using poisons, which caused the animals' deaths. Many times, they told the customer not to worry -- that the animals would "go outside to seek water." Of course, that's a lot of nonsense, as you've already learned if you're reading this page. Just like people, when animals start feeling sick, they go home. And if their home is your home, then that's where they'll go to die -- and stink. Whatever the reason, however, we can help. Our dead animal removal and odor-control services may include (depending on the situation): Although it's not the most glamorous work that we do, we approach dead animal removal with the same high degree of professionalism and pride as any other work that we do. So if you have a problem with dead animal odor in your home, please contact us for a no-obligation consultation. We look forward to hearing from you.
E28 Conceptual Object in version 7.1 - Beethoven’s “Ode an die Freude” (Ode to Joy) (E73) - the definition of “ontology” in the Oxford English Dictionary (E73) (Oxford University Press, 1988) - the knowledge about the victory at Marathon carried by the famous runner (E89) (Lagos & Karyanos, 2020) [explanation note: In the following examples we illustrate the distinction between a propositional object, its names and its encoded forms. The Maxwell equations are a good example, because they belong to the fundamental laws of physics and their mathematical content yields identical, unambiguous results regardless formulation and encoding] - ‘Maxwell equations’ [preferred subject access point from LCSH] (E41) (Ball, D., 1962) http://lccn.loc.gov/sh85082387 , as of 19 November 2012] explanation: This is only the name for the Maxwell equations as standardized by the Library of Congress and NOT the equations themselves. - ‘Equations, Maxwell’ [variant subject access point, from the same source] (E41) explanation: This is another name for the equation standardized by the Library of Congress and not the equations themselves - Maxwell's equations (E89) explanation: This is the propositional content of the equations proper, independent of any particular notation or mathematical formalism. - The encoding of Maxwells equations as in https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c4/Maxwell 's Equations.svg/500px-Maxwell'sEquations.svg.png (E73) explanation: This is one possible symbolic encoding of the propositional content of the equations.
PETITION: Millions of gallons of the dispersant, Corexit, have been released into the Gulf of Mexico in order to disperse the massive oil spill caused by the explosion and sinking of the BP Deepwater Horizon. The rationale behind the use of the dispersant is to keep oil from the sensitive wetlands and coastlines. However, by dispersing the oil throughout the water column, this practice is making it impossible to recover the dispersed oil at the surface while plumes of the dispersed oil remain at depth, entering the food chain at many levels where it will bioaccumulate as it moves up the food chain. Dispersing the oil means more of it will likely travel with prevailing currents to destinations downstream, including Cuba, Mexico, the Florida Keys, and the eastern seaboard of the United States. Corexit is one of the most toxic dispersants and one of the least effective on Louisiana crude oil. However, it is the mixture of Corexit and oil that represents an even greater threat as the toxic effects are magnified. Corexit, designed to break down lipid layers, facilitates the movement of toxic materials across the membranes of wildlife and human beings. The dispersant-oil mixture is killing marine wildlife, including dolphins, whales and fish, while also causing a range of serious human health effects to those who have been exposed. We, the undersigned, believe that the continued widespread use of dispersants, especially Corexit, represents an unprecedented, large-scale uncontrolled experiment on the Gulf of Mexico with potentially grave, decades-long consequences to the marine ecosystems and Gulf communities. We therefore call upon the Obama Administration, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, to immediately halt the use of chemical dispersants in the Gulf of Mexico. THANK YOU for signing the petition! The petition is now closed, but roughly 1,200 of you signed this petition and shared your outrage. Together we will help prevent such a reckless action from happening ever again. Here are the names and comments of just a few that signed the petition: This is devastating horrifc news about the cover up of the third oil well leaking and the use of the toxic chemical dispersants used. This is nothing short of biological warfare harming human, ocean, plant and animal life for decades to come. Helen Wilson, FL, Ninian Williams, WA, Not only do we know that chemical dispersants are dangerous to marine and wildlife, but humans as well; we also have safe and effective bioremediation products that are EPA-approved such as “oil digester” which can eliminate the need for both harmful chemicals as well as artificial mechanical devices which cannot safely clean sensitive areas such as estuaries and marshland. Please support us as a safe alternative to toxic and wasted chemical dispersants being used around the world. www.bioremediationinc.com I proudly show my bias because I know we can win this fight against deadly hydrocarbon release in our waterways. Karsten Moeller, Niedersachsen, Germany matt brinck, nc, corrupt old cronies in govt allowed the killing of mother nature for money you want to kill? then come do it man to man. bunch of greedy punks Karen Hayne, Florida, Please stop dispersing poison in the Gulf of Mexico. It is affecting many people & killing our marine life animals. The situation will take many years to correct. Don’t contribute more poisoning to the ecosystems which may end of being irreversible. brannon gore, ohio, Do you guys have any advice for skin lesion releif , from corexit desperant – I have been absolutley miserable for almost a year now with skin rashes and lepracy like lesions … Atholl Fraser, Fife, Scotland Mary Taylor, Fl, Katja Toivola, LA, Betty Harbison, Florida, I live in central Florida, the continued dangers of the gulf illegal spraying should not be ignored. diane fleischman, wash, god bless us all alison byers, FL, We have fled the area with all of us diagnosed with chemical pnuemonia and high level of VOC’s in our blood!!! It may be too late such karge amunts have already been released in to the water and atmosphere!!! Horrible! Carolyn Howland, Al, United States Paul Ringo, Louisiana, I lived on the gulf during and after and I have become sick from it. Stop now. Noelle Soren, AZ, cherie day, az, please stop the application of toxic dispersants to the gulf of mexico. they are causing far reaching health issues and death. Lindsay Vega, La, Molly Calcagno, Oregon, This needs to stop!No more “dispersants”!! I didn’t want to believe this was really happening, now I am deathly sick, with no medical options locally. Linda McIntyre, Alberta, Also the weather modification and chemtrail poisoning needs to STOP. Please stop the use of Corexit NOW! Brian Stevens, Ontario, desmond garza, ok, i hope we are not too late I wont waste my breath telling you how dangerous and wrong this is, you have known it all along. God has promised that he will ‘deal’ with those who destroy the Earth. You stupid evil bastards don’t have a clue what is in store for you. Dolores Peers, Florida, Mackenzie BrI have hundreds of mysterious unhealing burning itching sores all over my body, my thyro, AL`, I have hundreds of mysterious unhealing burning itching sores all over my body, my thyroid has just disintegrated, i have polysystic ovarie dusease and was told my ability to have children is highly unlikely, and several other medical issues. They have started since the oil spill but the major skin lesions started in the beginning of November 2010. After research, Alabama was under a chemtrail warning for Octomer 29, 2010. I am 28 years old. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE stop! You are killing us! Lori Bosarge, AL, Living with EPA,Coast Guard,NOAA and our elected officials who were all put in place to protect us from our enemies has let this country down. They have aloud greed of industrial power to take command over our country. What kind of human being thinks it’s okay to spray toxic chemicals on other human beings? Our little coastal community was quiet and peaceful. Not only did the gov. allow BP to pollute our waters, but also our land and air. If you think these toxin stops here, they don’t. They will continue to spread and contaminate our country. Dispersants, Corexit must not be used for any reason. Our coastal communities are suffering from symptoms of toxic exposure and can no longer be used as lab rats. Please keep this conversation alive with your local media and organizations. There are more of US citizens than there are of them. We do have rights and we need to step up and use our voices and work together to have this vile chemical band in this country. Thank you to all that support this petition.this petition. Theresa Goins, Al, Please stop the dispersants, it is making us really sick down here there has been enough damage to the ocean, stop putting more toxic substances in it, your greed is killing the planet! Jacqui Lattenstein, NT, Australia We do not own this planet, we are the care takers for our future generations, “care takers”. Please stop this toxocide of our childrens planet. This madness is effecting everything from our weather to birds, fish and humans. This is criminally insane behavior!!!! Ruby Linda hunter, BC, We have to stop poisoning our planet, we must treat it with loving care or it won’t be here to provide for us much longer….poison is poison and nothing can manifest itself as good unless it is good.They say history repeats itself…well we make history so if we don’t want bad repition we must change for the better for all! There is a saying..”if you don’t eat, you don’t shit, if you don’t shit you die”! We cannot eat poison and live….so we must start caring for our planet, our garden! Bill Connerty, Illinois, usa xxxxxxxx, Worcestershire, UK Obvious ecological warfare. gerard ciccone, ny, i don’t know why our government officials pretend that they are too busy to notice the horrible crimes that they themselves are a part of. Richard Tuma, , Czech Republic Please stop the madness in the gulf. Stop all use of dispersants in the Gulf. We owe that to the rest of the world and next generation of humans who will be affected by the current carrying this mess to waters elsewhere on the planet. Doug Pearson, Nayarit, Stop Killing our planet you greedy pigs! Please stop the madness in the gulf. 2 wrongs don’t make a right, they just kill more life. Stop all use of dispersants in the Gulf. We owe that to the rest of the world who will be affected by the current carrying this mess to waters elsewhere on the planet. Tammy Cromer-Campbell, TX, USA On 11/21/10 I was in Grand Isle, LA. I saw a boat that appeared to be a large white container with Corexit on the boat… Kathleen Escalera, Cochabamba, Bolivia jennifer harper, ny, Only an oil company could make a disaster of this magnitude WORSE! The spraying of dispersants should be illegal, there was no hearing or considerations given before BP took it upon themselves to inflict more harm on this planet. This is an outrage! We are all to be held responsible for each day this outrage continues. With knowledge comes responsibility. xxxxxxxx, , Portugal Aleksander Lindemann, Slovenia, SI Janine Boer, CA, Enough is enough! Stop putting more poison into the waters of the gulf. You are creating a condition of a malignant cancer that can spread to all waters of the earth. All are connected. Stop this insanity. Angela Marks, Alabama, Matthew Moriarty, VA, It is evident the sprayers will not stop polluting the Gulf unless forced to do so. We delude ourselves by believing there is a political or legal solution to this problem, since the politicians and the Courts are protecting the sprayers. In short the US government itself has proven its culpability in the poisoning of the Gulf. Millions of sick people will soon know their government has abandoned them. We must all ask: who is the enemy now? aaron meckling, alberta, thank you for being our voice sonya roberts, Essex, UK I am so deeply sorry for what these victims are suffering and appalled that this has been allowed to happen. It was totally avoidable and unnecessary. The use of the chemical dispersant has to stop now, because it is murder. Glenda Newsom, FL, Our own government is killing all on the Gulf Coast. They knew Corexit was outlawed in England and other countries and they knew what it would do to us and the environment but all they could think of was the dollar signs. BP refused to not use it because Nalco is their company and they make corexit. Thad Allen was suppose to be able to overrule BP and he wouldn’t do it, probably because the President wouldn’t let him. I am so angry and hurt over them ruining our beautiful beaches and our marine life that put so many families out of the fishing business and now they are wondering where their next meal for their children is coming from. They need to take BP and put them all on a island far away and spray them good with corexit every single day. There is a coming judgement for those who think that they are getting away with this. Jessica Mecellem, Il, Anandi Premlall, New York, United States Dispersants are no good for us or the ocean, please stop now! Annette Ochs, Berlin, Germany Lynn Sarch, New York, no more spraying, people are sick.They are killing the air,and the water,and everything.Enough already with the spraying.Crops,people,wildlife, jobs. Stop this spraying now. Gail Abbott, CT, Gary Sisco, Kentucky, Ellen Powell, VT, I have seen the videos and photographs. Oh my God! Stop this dispersant madness immediately! Brian Friesen, CA, Lynn Thelen, MI, connie olsen, pa, AMERICANS BETTER WAKE UP to a government which finds some citizens expendable. VOTE on Nov. 2 for constitutional candidates! Dolly Sue, Florida, The users of this chemical Corexit are murderers without a concience! I demand you ban it, Sec. 5-5a of the Feb 11,1994 Executive Order; Federal Actions To Address Environmental Justice In Minority Populations And Low-Income Populations! Robin Ritter, C, kerry Firkin, NSW, Australia Please you must stop this chemical spraying it is not good for the enviroment or the people who live in gulf thay have been through enough already Philip Restino, FL, Stop the spraying now ! American people need to turn off their television sets and wake up. Our “trusted friends” on TV have been lying to us and misleading us for years. Remember to always follow the money and consider who is signing your favorite “trusted friend” TV talking head’s paycheck. Support alternative media and your local community businesses. We have been sprayed for years with chemicals and now this new corexit plus other ingredients are harming people in the Gulf and all along the Atlantic Ocean. If this is genocide, the people responsible are not going to have much of a land or ocean left for themselves. They might find themselves sickened and have a sickened ocean and land once people are lost by genocide. How SICK ARE YOU PEOPLE ANYWAY????? Art Rosch, CA, USA Paul Grimm, Ohio, Carol Hiltner, Washington, Leah Mae Macrohon, , Philippines Find another alternative to this disaster..you can’t put off fire with fire.. Carsten Rasmussen, , Denmark jackie stemen, tx, criminal actions by our government and big corporation to what end I wonder? Patrick Prichard, Floirda, I live in Freeport Just East of Destin and feel I have been affected healthwise due to the spill/dispersant. Including respiratory,rashes, and severe eye symptoms. My boyfriend lives in Pensacola and he is also having symptoms, and we believe they are still spraying in Pensacola, many unexplained very latenight flights. THEY NEED TO STOP IT, BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE George Myers, New York, Once “Better Living Through Chemistry” was its proud motto. Now it has become it’s shame, using dispersants will and do harm. If worked in cleanup for EPA, they should stop this, as they have other contaminants. D. Thomas, Florida, TWO WRONGS DO NOT MAKE A RIGHT!!!!! Dispersants make the oil IMPOSSIBLE to collect. The dispersant merely spreads the oil throughout the water column- hidden but worse than before. BP/Corexit experiment failed! Talk about Volatile Organic Compounds – natural, yet toxic oil + BP’s toxic corexit = a Gulf full of poison. We now have sick water, sick ocean, sick fish, sick air and sick people. NEVER AGAIN ALLOW THE USE OF DISPERSANT- NEVER!!! I have lived on the Mississippi Gulf Coast my whole life. I am Deeply concerned for my health, as well as those of my family, friends, and the wildlife. Please STOP the Use of Chemical Dispersants in the Gulf of Mexico NOW!!! ehanno, france, france la nature doit reprendre ses droits Joan De Witt, Florida, Jane nye, IL, usa Hard to believe this would be an issue. It should never have been allowed in the first place. The only reason I can see using it is to hide the oil, lessoning The ammt. BP pays for fouling our magnificent Gulf.It is poison, as is written in the description & warnings in its paperwork from the lab that makes it. How was something of that nature even allowed to be put into a living place like the Gulf, with its people, birds & marine life. Once it is destroyed, its gone. Stop. Stop. Stop. I am afraid its too late already. Kera Mcclung, Texas,
Energy is the capacity of a body to work. Energy can exist in various forms which are mutually convertible. Since the energy is measured in terms of work, therefore, its units are same as that of work. Basically there are two types of energy namely potential energy and kinetic energy. The work done by a body by virtue of its motion is called its kinetic energy (KE). It is measured by the work it can do against an opposing force before it is brought to rest. Potential energy is the energy possessed by a body due to its position with respect to another body. The potential energy of body with respect to the earth is measured by amount of work in lifting it through a certain vertical height. Definition of conservation and transfer of energy Energy can neither be created nor be destroyed, it can only be converted from one form to another. In other words, the net energy in the universe always remains constant. This is called principal of conservation of energy. Transfer of energy can be referred to as when the energy gets converted from one form to another or from one body to another body we say that transfer of energy is taking place between bodies. Examples on conservation and transfer of energy 1) When a body is projected vertically upwards, its velocity goes on decreasing till the velocity is reduced to zero. The initial kinetic energy of the body decreases and it changes into potential energy such that at any instant the sum of the kinetic energy and potential energy is a constant. This constant is equal to the initial kinetic energy of the body comes to rest at the highest point. 2) When the bob of a simple pendulum is displaced from its equilibrium position and then it is released, then its initial potential energy changes into kinetic energy into the vertical position. As the bob travels to the other extreme position the kinetic energy changes into potential energy. These changes in energy continuously take place as the bob swings between the two extreme positions, such that the sum of the kinetic energy and potential energy is always the same.
Wealth is rising and African cities are mounting. Food is crucial for those flourishing cities and agriculture is the major contributor to most African economies. Still, farmers are poor. Instead of supporting their farmers, countries like Kenya choose to import food. Something needs to change, Simon Wachieni insists. A special report by Simon Wachieni Over 80% of the Kenyan population, especially those living in rural areas, derive their livelihoods mainly from agricultural related activities. Agriculture is the major contributor to the Kenyan economy, accounting for 25% of the gross domestic product (GDP). Growth of the national economy is therefore highly correlated to growth and development in agriculture. For what sounds like a major part of the national economy, you would expect these farmers to be relatively well off and financially secure. But they aren’t. In fact, they represent the majority of the poorest and hungriest people in the country. Kenya is one of the African countries which are highly food insecure, despite holding huge agricultural potential through vast natural resources. According to the UN’s Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), the continent imported 83 per cent of its food in 2013. ILO estimates that Africa imports close to US$50 billion worth of food every year, mostly to feed its rapidly expanding urban population. The ILO believes that this is equivalent to what Africa receives in official development aid. Why should this be the case? Kenya’s farming sector is predominantly small-scale, mainly in the high-potential areas. Production is carried out on farms averaging 0.2–3 hectares and accounts for 75% of the total agricultural output. A large proportion of the country, accounting for more than 80%, is semi-arid and arid with an annual rainfall average of 400 mm. Droughts are frequent and crops fail in one out of every three seasons. There has been very little effort to modernize the farming practice for the majority of the smallholder farms. Very little effort has been made to transit from rain–fed agriculture to irrigation. For instance, production on small-scale farms is only 50% of what commercial farms achieve. Commercial farms have the financial means to benefit from modern technology. However, technology transfer to smallholders has also been hampered by low or no access to knowledge and to extension services. The challenge of food production may worsen if the current trends are not reversed According to Egerton University’s Tegemeo Institute in Nairobi, there is a huge shortfall of public extension officers with a national tally of only 5,470 staff members. This ratio of officers to farmers stands at 1:1,500. This situation has hindered most farmers from keeping pace with changing technological advances. Migrate to cities The challenge of food production may worsen if the current trends are not reversed. The majority of farmers is also aging. However small scaled farmers are crucial for the production of food for the growing population, no efforts are made for them. Most Kenyan youth have shunned the farming practice, preferring to migrate to cities for search of alternative, but mostly non-existent jobs. The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that up to two-thirds of the young population is underutilized in developing economies – either unemployed or with irregular employment. Agriculture deserves a rightful place in the national economic development The trends need to reverse. Agriculture deserves a rightful place in the national economic development. Therefore there is need to find innovative ways of transferring the many existing farming technologies and innovations to the small holder farmers. Most research institutions and universities have no interest in those affairs; they are not their core business. Commercial innovators hardly focus on smallholder farmers due to the perception of inability to pay for the product. It is therefore greatly important to come up with alternative extension avenues to reach the smallholder farmers, as well as develop affordable and localizable innovations that will help them maximise their agricultural outputs. Besides that, there is need to think of better ways to entice the youth to start seeing farming as job and wealth creation alternative. © Simon Wachieni
It is summer in Florida, and the season comes with its own set of dangers and hazards on the road. Many families take long road trips and drivers may become drowsy, and construction is a serious concern during the summer. When a person is injured in a car accident, traumatic brain injuries are one of the most damaging things that can happen. They can differ in severity and may not show up immediately. In an accident, a brain injury can be caused by blunt force trauma or even a quick, hard movement back and forth. There is a long list of symptoms that should be watched for, as injuries can show up anywhere from days to weeks after a car accident. According to brainline.org, you should seek medical attention immediately if you have vomiting or nausea, clear fluid coming from the ears or nose, change in or loss of consciousness, seizures or convulsions, double vision or unequal dilation of the pupils. You may also notice weakness of the legs, face or arms, loss of balance or slurred speech if you have a brain injury. There are other symptoms of brain injuries that are common and should be monitored. Sensory problems such as a bad taste in the mouth, loss of taste or smell, ringing in ears, seeing stars or blurred vision. Any sensitivity to distractions, sounds or lights should be a concern. Those with brain injuries also deal with anxiety or depression, a lack of motivation or energy, problems with memory, mood swings or changes, headaches and loss of balance or dizziness. If you have been in an accident, no matter how severe, and you are concerned you have a brain injury, it is important to address it early. You may want to seek medical attention no matter how minor the accident seemed. This information is for educational purposes and should not be interpreted as legal advice.
Surname – ZAWODNY Meaning/Origin – The name ZAWODNY (hear it pronounced in Polish) is derived from the Polish word zawodny, meaning “unreliable” or “deceptive”. The root zawod- comes from the word zawieść, which means to disappoint or deceive. (Source: Polish Surnames: Origins and Meanings, Second Edition by William F. Hoffman and the University of Pittsburgh Online Polish-English Dictionary.) Countries of Origin – The surname ZAWODNY is Polish. Spelling Variations – Other names derived from the same root include ZAWODNIAK, ZAWODNIK, or ZAWODZIŃSKI. (Source: Polish Surnames: Origins and Meanings, Second Edition by William F. Hoffman) in the U.S., the name can be mis-spelled as ZAVODNY because of the way it is pronounced in Polish. The feminine version of the surname is ZAWODNA. Surname Maps – The following map illustrates the frequency of the ZAWODNY surname in Poland. There are only about 500 people with the surname ZAWODNY spread out over 67 different counties and cities. My immigrant ancestor with this name came from the area just to the right of the upper red concentration. SOURCE: Mojkrewni.pl “Mapa nazwisk” database, http://www.moikrewni.pl/mapa/kompletny/zawodny.html, accessed January 8, 2010. Famous Individuals with the Surname – Janusz Zawodny (b. 1921) is an author and historian. He found in the Polish Army during World War 2 and is well known for his books Death in the Forest: The Story of the Katyn Forest Massacre and Nothing But Honor: The Story of the Warsaw Uprising, 1944. My Family – My Zawodny family comes from the town of Dobrosołowo, Poland. My earliest ancestor so far with this name is Szymon Zawodny, likely born around 1820 and deceased by his son’s marriage in 1875. He married Katarzyna Ratajewska. My line of descent is as follows: Wawrzyniec (b. 1853 – d. 13 Dec 1917, Dobrosołowo) > Józef (b. 29 Jan 1880, Komorowo – d. 09 Jun 1944, Philadelphia, PA, USA) > daughter Marianna (b. 02 Aug 1907 – d. 30 Apr 1986 Philadelphia, PA). Marianna, my grandmother “Mae”, had several sisters and two brothers to carry on the family name. One brother changed the surname though – see my biography of Joseph Zawodny for more information. From the brother who did not change his name, there are male descendants today. My great-grandfather Joseph also had a brother, Stefan or Steve, who was born in 1882 and immigrated in 1903. My Research Challenges -I need to continue my research. Although I have death records for Wawrzyniec Zawodny and his wife Katarzyna (Marianska) and their marriage record, I do not have birth records for either. I only have their parents names from the marriage certificate. Also, I need to find more information on my great-grandfather’s brother Stefan since he “disappears” after his arrival to the U.S. Surname Message Boards – Ancestry has a very inactive message board. There are some other Zawodny families in the U.S. in Ohio, Wisconsin, Maryland, and Massachusetts. Links to other posts about my Zawodny family can be found here. This post is #5 of an ongoing series about surnames. To see all posts in the series, click here.
A team of University of Minnesota cardiothoracic transplant experts have performed the Midwest’s first “breathing lung” transplant, an innovative surgical approach that utilizes technology capable of keeping donated lungs warm and breathing during transportation, keeping them healthier prior to transplant. The double-lung procedure led by Gabriel Loor, M.D., assistant professor in the Medical School’s Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, was performed in the last week at University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview. The patient, a 51-year-old man from Minnesota, had been suffering from emphysema. He is currently doing well in his recovery. During traditional transplants donated lungs are removed, placed on ice for transportation and thawed at the transplantation site. In a breathing lung transplant, a TransMedics Organ Care System is used to pump blood and oxygen through donated lungs to keep them breathing during transport, essentially simulating conditions of the human body. At the same time, the machine allows for continuous monitoring of the organ, giving surgeons information about quality and how the lungs are faring in transit. “The breathing lung transplant approach is a totally different mentality on how we perform these procedures, allowing us to improve the function of donor lungs prior to transplant while getting unprecedented data about their condition,” said Loor. “Our hope is that by making this approach available here, we can increase our ability to transplant more donor lungs into the patients that need them, even at greater distances from our transplant center.”
About Project Euler What is Project Euler? Project Euler is a series of challenging mathematical/computer programming problems that will require more than just mathematical insights to solve. Although mathematics will help you arrive at elegant and efficient methods, the use of a computer and programming skills will be required to solve most problems. The motivation for starting Project Euler, and its continuation, is to provide a platform for the inquiring mind to delve into unfamiliar areas and learn new concepts in a fun and recreational context. Who are the problems aimed at? The intended audience include students for whom the basic curriculum is not feeding their hunger to learn, adults whose background was not primarily mathematics but had an interest in things mathematical, and professionals who want to keep their problem solving and mathematics on the cutting edge. Can anyone solve the problems? The problems range in difficulty and for many the experience is inductive chain learning. That is, by solving one problem it will expose you to a new concept that allows you to undertake a previously inaccessible problem. So the determined participant will slowly but surely work his/her way through every problem. However, as the problems are challenging then you may wish to view the Problems before registering. "Project Euler exists to encourage, challenge, and develop the skills and enjoyment of anyone with an interest in the fascinating world of mathematics."
Previously published in Plastics Engineering and posted with permission from the Society of Plastics Engineers. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately one and a half billion years of healthy lives are lost annually due to disease and injury, including preventable infectious diseases. These losses not only are devastating to the victims. They radically affect every aspect of social and economic life and the environment, particularly in developing countries. Instead of being productive and investing in the future, families must spend their resources on medical care and simply surviving, which can lead to poverty and its accompanying environmental degradation. Plus, the afflicted often become unproductive and unable to work. Innovations in health, medical, and safety tools—often made possible with plastics—help save countless lives, prevent diseases, and avoid injuries. These advances contribute to sustainability by reducing injuries, disease, and premature deaths, along with their associated societal, economic, and environmental impacts. While the developed world today may focus more on cutting edge advances, such as dissolvable plastic heart stents and prosthetics made with plastics on 3-D printers, in many developing areas, the focus remains simpler: survival, preventable diseases, mobility … In a previous article from Plastics Make it Possible, we took a look at how three fairly simple products engineered with plastics are helping millions of people in the developing world. These inexpensive products deliver medicine, help prevent malaria infections, and provide mobility. Here’s a look at three more. Prosthetics with a Little Help from Plastics More than 9 million people living in the developing world have lost a leg above the knee and do not have access to prosthetics. And due to accidents, violence, disease, and natural disasters in these regions, hundreds of thousands more become amputees each year. In 2008, one non-profit started doing something about it. D-Rev designs and delivers products to people living in the developing world on less than $4 per day. The non-profit worked with students at Stanford University who developed a knee joint using high strength plastics and stainless steel. The joint “works with standard prosthetic leg systems,” “withstands humid and wet climates, without rusting or swelling,” and weighs less than a pound, according to D-Rev. The joint is durable—an oil-filled nylon polymer self-lubricates with use—and it provides a 165-degree range of motion “enabling kneeling, squatting and biking.” Now in its third version, the “v3 ReMotion Knee” is in field trials and is expected to be mass-produced for worldwide scale. To deliver the knee joint, D-Rev partners with prosthetics providers worldwide and clinics around the world that are staffed with experts in prosthetics. D-Rev says the knee joint “gives patients a stable gait … and is designed with plastics” instead of less cost-effective materials often found in traditional devices. D-Rev reports that more than 6,000 amputees in 14 countries have been fitted with the ReMotion Knee. Plastic Storage Bags Help Poor Farmers Save Food in Africa Low-income farmers in West and Central Africa often rely heavily on cowpeas (typically called black eyed peas in the U.S.) for income and food. Cowpeas grow well in the soil of these regions and are a rich source of protein, calories, vitamins, and minerals. But weevils, a type of beetle, can destroy cowpeas in storage. A single weevil can quickly produce as many as 100 offspring, which can decimate the entire stored crop in a matter of months. So instead of storing cowpeas, farmers typically sell their crops at harvest when prices are low—and then need to buy cowpeas to eat later when prices typically are high. To help increase food and financial security for these farmers, researchers at Purdue University developed a simple and effective technology that uses three layers of plastic bags to protect the post-harvest peas: two inner polyethylene bags that are sealed and an outer nylon bag that provides additional protection. The plastic bags create an oxygen-starved atmosphere that causes weevils to die. According to University, the Purdue Improved Cowpea Storage (PICS): - is low cost, - eliminates the need for pesticides, - allows farmers to store cowpeas, and - ensures a supply of clean cowpeas for consumption and sale for many months following harvest. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation provided funding for the PICS project, which has “engaged millions of farmers in more than 30,000 villages in 10 countries in West and Central Africa.” According to Bill Gates, PICS “increases poor farm families’ incomes by over 25 percent.” The Gates Foundation is funding additional research by Purdue to determine if PICS (now dubbed Purdue Improved Crop Storage) can help control “storage insect pests of other crops including maize, sorghum, wheat, rice, peanut, common bean, hibiscus seed, mung bean, pigeon pea and bambara groundnut.” Purdue also is pursuing another opportunity in the regions: producing and distributing the plastic storage bags. The PICS staff is “working with local manufacturers to produce PICS bags and with entrepreneurs to distribute them throughout West and Central Africa.” Plastic “Wetsuit” Helps Save Mothers’ Lives The World Health Organization identifies postpartum hemorrhage—maternal bleeding following childbirth—as a major cause of death and disability, particularly in the developing world. According to the international non-profit PATH (originally Program for Appropriate Technology in Health), postpartum hemorrhage is the most common cause of deaths among new mothers, accounting for one quarter of all maternal deaths, the vast majority of these in developing countries. One of WHO’s recommended treatments for postpartum hemorrhage involves a device made with plastics that looks sort of like the bottom half of a wetsuit. PATH collaborated with a university, another global nonprofit focused on reproductive health, and a product supplier to develop an antishock garment that “evolved from a technology originally developed by NASA for use on the space station.” Made of lightweight neoprene (a versatile synthetic rubber invented by DuPont in 1931), the garment is made to wrap around a mother’s legs, pelvis, and abdomen and is then fastened tightly with hook and loop fasteners (typically called Velcro® and made from nylon and polyester). The garment applies pressure that forces blood to vital organs and helps prevent hypovolemic shock caused by blood loss. Once the garment was developed, the non-profit partnered with various groups and companies, from raw material providers to distributors, to make the life-saving device more affordable and readily available to health clinics. According to PATH, clinical trials “found a 50 percent decrease in deaths from severe obstetric hemorrhage when the antishock garment was used at primary care facilities. When fastened correctly, it can keep a mother alive until she can be transported to a facility with a higher level of care. Over the course of six years, the garment was successfully used on nearly 1,400 women in India and Nigeria by health providers.” These are just three examples among many that demonstrate how plastics, design, and engineering can contribute to sustainability … and make a world of difference in people’s lives.
Points de Vue: Which eye diseases and conditions are related to the chronic effects of light exposure? Dr. Sylvie Berthemy: It all depends on the segment of the eye you are talking about. Let’s start with the adnexa. Almost everyone has had eyelid erythema (sunburn) which can lead to the formation of an actinic keratosis. We could also mention UV radiation’s role as an aggravating risk factor in basal or squamous cell carcinoma or melanoma. People exposed short-term to high-intensity solar radiation without protection may get what is known as “snow blindness”. This condition, clinically known as acute photokeratitis and common in ski areas, is accompanied by pain, photophobia and tearing. In the work environment, among welders, it is commonly called “arc eye” or “welder’s flash”. It heals in three to four days with local vitamin treatment. In the long term, patients exposed to severe weather and dust more readily develop pinguecula or pterygium, which are conjunctival conditions usually located in the area of the medial palpebral fissure where the tissue is least protected by the eyelids. And we may encounter corneal degeneration or actinic or climatic droplet keratopathy, also called Bietti dystrophy, Labrador keratopathy (which affects 14% of the Inuit), elastic dystrophy, proteinaceous corneal degeneration or spheroidal corneal degeneration. When examined with a slit lamp, it resembles band shaped keratitis although, histologically, it is not the same. Despite the fact that ultraviolet radiation exposure appears to be the major aetiological factor, evidence of genetic origin has been demonstrated. Take the iris next. Melanoma is increasing in frequency (approximately 6.5/10 million). Three-quarters of cases develop on the bottom part of light-coloured irises, and UV exposure may be a contributing factor. However, the link has not been definitely established. As for the crystalline lens, the POLA study (evaluating age-related ocular pathologies) conducted on 2,600 inhabitants of Sète, France, showed that cataracts are three times more frequent and appear five to ten years earlier in people exposed to solar radiation (e.g. fishermen, guides, construction workers, etc.). And as far as the retina is concerned, virtually all practitioners have been consulted by patients suffering from photic retinal injury caused by staring at an eclipse. UV exposure could also be a risk factor in the aetiology of AMD (Age-Related Macular Degeneration). In practice, what are the most frequent clinical cases of these diseases? Pinguecula-type conjunctival lesions, UV keratitis and cataracts. What groups of patients are particularly at risk? Risk prevention is an integral part of our mission as medical doctors. Children, because their pupils are larger and their crystalline lenses more transparent; patients with a family history of retinal degeneration: too many patients still go outdoors without the protection of specific filtering lenses; patients with fair complexions and those who tend to be photophobic (with hypo-pigmented irises and choroids); people who work outside: gardeners, construction workers, farmers, fishermen, pilots, tour guides, etc.; those in contact with a source of radiation and heat: welders, glassmakers, users of UV therapy and researchers who work in contact with LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) – not to mention the length of time people spend in front of computer screens or other devices; those who have had cataract surgery, although implants increasingly have UV protective filters; people with hypermetropia, whose convex lens acts as a magnifying glass, concentrating rays on the retina; and the elderly, who have developed lipofuscin, a pigment found in the RPE (Retinal Pigment Epithelium), which is made up of molecular residue. Lipofuscin increases with age and is responsible for the photoreactivity of RPE, resulting in the production of free radicals that promote AMD. In the area of phototoxicity, are there any similarities between the eye and the skin? Yes, they are subject to the same aging factors, both through the Joule effect – more prosaically known as heat – which can burn cells (causing erythema and keratinization) and harm the retinal pigment epithelium, for example, and through the photochemical effect, which is responsible for producing free radicals by breaking down cellular membranes, denaturing proteins or even attacking the nucleus. We know, for example that melanin (a pigment found in skin, hair and eyes) absorbs the (epsilon) of wavelengths ranging from 300-700 nm (nanometres) and curbs harmful photochemical reactions by trapping unstable particles generated by these reactions which would otherwise cause the accumulation of retinal cellular debris, thus slowing down premature aging of the retina. But our stock of melanin decreases with age. In your opinion, at what age should we start talking about prevention? As early as possible! We need to educate parents of young children about the risks involved and their greater vulnerability. Asking patients about their professional and leisuretime activities – a practice that is all too often neglected – is a natural lead-in to prevention counselling. We also need to take into account pathologies that weaken the eyes, such as diabetes (which affects the retina), glaucoma (daily eye drops: the conjunctiva and cornea) and so on. What precautionary principles, recommendations and/or solutions should we prescribe to patients? We need to advise them to protect their eyes by wearing headgear with a visor; to wear filtering glasses, or specific protective eyewear designed for the workplace; and to consult their ophthalmologist on a regular basis if they are exposed to radiation on a regular basis. In families with a history of retinopathy in the broadest sense, we can recommend and prescribe transparent filtering lenses (Crizal ® Prevencia ®), and/or they should take advantage of a corrective lens prescription to add a filter. Depending on one’s own convictions and the patient’s sensitivity, we can extend this protection to everyone. Risk prevention is an integral part our mission as healthcare providers. Our counselling should also include diet and lifestyle recommendations for placing limits on tobacco and alcohol use, thus reducing oxidative stress and cell apoptosis. Lastly, by working with opticians, we can adjust our recommendations to fit the specific needs of various types of patients. In the coming years, what impact might preventive clinical practice (and the role of the ophthalmologist) have on the frequency of eye problems? One hopes that preventive clinical practice – which, I repeat, is an integral part of our role as medical doctors – will impact eye problems by decreasing their frequency ! Interviewed by Annie Rodriguez
Catalonia: one of the richest regions in Spain. it is the main contributor to the Spanish economy with nearly 19% of the country's GDP; Catalonia is also the second most populous region in Spain with a population of about 8 million. It is by far Spain’s top exporting region, with 25 percent of all goods produced there sold abroad last year. Several big companies have their headquarters in Catalonia's capital, Barcelona. Economic grievances are believed by many to be the main motivation behind the independence movement. To many locals, Catalonia is being dragged down economically by other regions. Catalonia's economy has reportedly grown by 2.8% in the second quarter of the year. Yet the financial outlook is tarnished by the ongoing tensions over its independence. Spain's economy ministry believes in a doomsday scenario for Catalonia after independence. Perhaps, this is the main reason why Catalan president Carles Puigdemont hesitated over declaring independence directly after the October referendum. At the moment, Catalonia's debt represents 35.4 percent of its GDP, which made it the third-most indebted region in Spain in the first quarter of 2017. Ratings agencies have given Catalonia a low, speculative grade, which means the region is not able to borrow directly on financial markets. So it depends on loans emitted by the Spanish state. The region could continue using the euro as its currency, but would not have a seat at the European Central Bank. The current crisis has already plunged the region’s economy into a period of uncertainty.
New research shows inland fisheries as rural nutrition hero Synthesizing new data and assessment methods is showing how freshwater fish is an invisible superhero in the global challenge to feed poor rural populations in many areas of the world. But there’s a problem: Invisibility is the wrong superpower. Researchers from Michigan State University and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations have pulled together the most recent data and innovative approaches to measuring and communicating the impact inland fisheries have on food security, sustainability and economies. Fish harvests from the world’s rivers, streams, floodplains, wetlands, lakes, inland seas, canals, reservoirs and even rice fields can seem like forgotten, poor relatives of the better documented global fisheries in the oceans. Yet in “A fresh look at inland fisheries and their role in food security and livelihoods” in the latest edition of Fish and Fisheries, scientists Abigail Bennett and Simon Funge-Smith, both members of MSU’s Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability, or CSIS, point out the power the world’s freshwater fisheries hold. Collating new assessments – for example modeling fish catch from household food consumption data, basin-level estimates and extrapolation from data-rich case studies – all reinforce the conclusion that inland fisheries catch is greater than current estimates, perhaps between 21-51%. Now enough data has been compiled to generate a global economic valuation of inland fisheries. The economic value of reported global inland catch is estimated at $24 billion. That’s approximately 24% of estimated first-sale value for marine fisheries even though total inland catch is only about 13% of marine catch. These new values suggest that the first landing prices of inland fish are higher than the average for marine fish, indicating their importance in local rural economies. “Inland fisheries are providing crucial micronutrients and animal source protein to sustain some 159 million people – sometimes the only protein accessible and affordable to them,” said Bennett, an assistant professor of fisheries at CSIS. “At the same time, as we’re worried food production systems are threatened by climate change, agricultural runoff, habitat alteration from hydropower development and other alternative uses of freshwater. We need to be looking more closely at the efficiency of inland fisheries in respect to land, water and energy use.” The paper explores the scope of freshwater fish, and the difficulties in getting accurate representation of impact. What is clear is those who depend on the operations – particularly women who are underrepresented both in fishing and post-harvest work like fish trade and processing – are at risk both in access to work, and health and safety risks. The paper outlines the known and unknown factors of inland fisheries, and the need to better quantify that which is currently compelling anecdotes. It also points out the tantalizing aspects of this sector of fishing – freshwater fish is one of the only accessible source of animal food to many of the poor, and it can be harvested fruitfully at a small scale, often without needing motor-powered boats and can have low-tech processing. Ninety-five percent of inland fisheries catch comes from developing countries, and 43% comes from low-income, food-insecure countries. “Even though inland fisheries catch equals 12% of global fish production (not accounting for underreporting), in particular places these catches are absolutely crucial to survival,” Funge-Smith said. “Improving assessment methods is key toward ending the vicious cycle in which data gaps lead to inland fisheries being undervalued in policy discussions, and lack of policy support undermines important data tracking systems.”
Ordained Minister’s Online Guide to Mentorship, Pastoring, Personal & Leadership Development By Michael Mooney Self-serving bias is the tendency to take the credit for accomplishments and to shift the blame for failures. I am sure all of us have seen this behavior take place in the world around us. It probably happens most often in the way parents see their own contributions to the lives of their children. When parents are at their child’s college graduation it is easy for them to think, "we must have done something right as parents". However, when parents are at their child’s graduation from rehab or release from jail, they usually do not reach the same conclusions. Like the old saying goes, "success needs no explanation and failure has none that works". In other words, when our children grow up accomplished we think that we somehow contributed to their levelheadedness. Yet if they grow up addicted to drugs and anything else that is shameful we have a tendency to say, "I just don’t know what is wrong with them". The Cost of Accepting the Praise Let us not get bogged down in the details of the previous example. If we do we will have forgotten that this is not a lecture in child raising, but rather a discussion of the self-serving bias. We are all guilty of this bias in one way or another. It is easy to take the credit when things are good. But if we are to be logically consistent, we must also accept the blame when things go bad. The only other alternative is to accept neither the credit or the blame, but this position is not without its problems. It seems best to accept neither the credit nor the blame in terms of people’s lives. Often people say things like, "the counselor really saved my life". If the counselor agrees, then they are also to blame next time the counseled fails. Therefore, it is best for people to accept responsibility for their own success and failures (including our children). This will prevent many instances of the self-serving bias. The results of falling into this biased trap are self deception and lack of respect from others. People will resent others who take all the credit for work to which they contributed. It is untruthful and unfair to steal the glory. Gal 5:26 MKJV (26) Let us not become glory-seeking, provoking one another, envying one another. The Value in Accepting the Responsibility It is easy to ignore responsibility when one is only an intermediate link in a chain of action. ~Stanley Milgram Blame shifting is a terrible from of ministry or leadership.“Nobody ever did, or ever will, escape the consequences of his choices" (Alfred A. Montapert). The apostle Paul says: 2Co 5:10 MKJV (10) For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive the things done through the body, according to that which he has done, whether good or bad. Since responsibility cannot be escaped, it makes perfect sense to start accepting it now! Doing so will transform leadership into strong pillars of their organizations, and people will desire to follow. Take your life in your own hands, and what happens? A terrible thing: no one to blame. ~Erica Jong For more on the subject, you may follow the below link: All rights reserved. Blog authored by Michael Mooney for: National Association of Christian Ministers (NACM) www.nacministers.com
Axcel is a male first name. There’s a good chance that a boy named Axcel in a medium-sized town will be unique. That’s because only a few babies a year are named Axcel in all of the US. Only about one in 100,000 boys is named Axcel by his parents. In the ranking of most common boys names in recent years, Axcel ranks at #5,011. That means there are 5,010 more common boys names, but there are also a few thousand that are even rarer. If you polled the whole US population – children, adults and seniors – you’d find less than one in 10,000 to be named Axcel. If you ever wanted to meet a boy or man named Axcel, you have limited options – because boys with this beautiful name are currently only living in California or Texas. However, we must admit that a given name is only included in a state’s official statistics if there are at least five people with that name living in that state – so it’s quite possible that there are still a few men and boys called Axcel living in one state or another. (If your name is Axcel and you live outside of California and Texas, we’d really appreciate it if you’d let us know so we can refine our statistics even further.) Which means – if you put this number in relation to the population of the USA – only one in 504,727 boys and men would turn around if you called out the name Axcel. So if your name is Axcel, it’s very likely that you won’t need a nickname in your peer group, because having the name Axcel already makes you quite special. Well, you might say, you probably figured that out yourself! But what you might not know is: The letter A is a very popular first letter for boys’ names. That’s because 9.0% of all common boys’ names in the US begin with this letter. Only the first letter J is more common for boys' names. With five letters, the name Axcel is comparatively short. In fact, 17.0% of all common first names in the US consist of exactly five letters. Only 7% of all first names are even shorter, while 75% have more than five letters. On average, first names in the US (not counting hyphenated names) are 6.5 letters long. There are no significant differences between boys' and girls' names. That means that if 9.0% of all boys' names start with an A, this initial letter occurs nearly three times as often as all other letters on average. And by the way: Of all the boys' names that start with an A, Anthony is the most common. If your name is Axcel and someone asks after your name, you can of course just tell them what it is. But sometimes that isn't so easy - what if it's too loud, and you don't understand them well? Or what if the other person is so far away that you can see them but not hear them? In these situations, you can communicate your name in so many other ways: you call spell it, sign it, or even use a flag to wave it... So that everyone really understands you when you have to spell the name Axcel, you can simply say: Braille is made up of dots, which the blind and visually impaired can feel to read words. Just use American Sign Language! These flags are used for maritime communication - each flag represents a letter. In the navy, sailors of two ships might wave flags to each other to send messages. A sailor holds two flags in specific positions to represent different letters. In Morse code, letters and other characters are represented only by a series of short and long tones. For example, a short tone followed by a long tone stands for the letter A. Axcel sounds like this:
Treating Infected Wounds: 5 Homeopathic Case Studies Deborah Frances, RN, ND Vis Medicatrix Naturae A Homeopathic & Herbal Case-Centered Perspective A 36-year-old white male reported to our clinic with acute cellulitis following a spider bite. The bright-red inflammation that covered much of his left forearm was hot to the touch; however, there were no signs of suppuration and symptoms had come on only a few hours after brushing a spider from his arm. Three doses of Belladonna 200C, 6 hours apart, was all that was needed to clear the symptoms. Most infected skin wounds involve gram-positive cocci. Staphylococcus aureus is the most common, although other pathogens, including Group A beta-hemolytic Streptococcus (GABHS), have been implicated in infections of the skin. Both S aureus and GABHS can cause cellulitis, abscess, impetigo, bacteremia, and septic shock. Both organisms are showing increasing rates of resistance to antibiotics. Certain types of GABHS – the same organism implicated in some cases of streptococcal pharyngitis – can result in post-infection complications. Rheumatic fever is now seen in less than 3% of patients following GABHS infection.1 Post-streptococcal acute glomerulonephritis is more common and can occur following Strep pharyngitis or skin infection. The incidence of acute nephritis is higher in children and occurs in 10-15% of patients infected with GABHS.1 Nearly all affected children heal without permanent renal damage, as do most adults.1 Interestingly, antibiotic therapy has little impact on the incidence of nephritis, though it is thought to be responsible for the decline of rheumatic fever.1 In over 25 years of treating streptococcal pharyngitis, impetigo, and skin wounds with homeopathy and herbs, I’ve witnessed only 1 case of post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis. That was an adult male with no prior symptoms of pharyngitis but whose pre-school daughter had been treated for GABHS pharyngitis a few weeks prior. His nephritis resolved quickly with naturopathic therapies. I have not seen a case of rheumatic fever, and I continue to treat GABHS infections with complete confidence using homeopathy and herbs. The homeopathic remedy Arnica montana is well known among naturopathic doctors for the initial treatment of almost any injury, but this simple remedy also helps prevent infection. By reducing the stagnation of blood and lymph at the site of an injury, Arnica enhances local circulation, thereby increasing transport of immune cells and healing nutrients to the area and preventing toxic waste accumulation. According to Boericke, Arnica can be used for “septic conditions and [is] prophylactic of pus infection.”2 When the wound does become infected, the correct homeopathic remedy combined with appropriate herbs and nutrients speeds rapid resolution. Fortunately, most infected wounds respond well to one of only a few common remedies, making remedy selection easier for the non-homeopath. Hepar calcarea sulphuricum (Hepar sulph) is the most commonly prescribed remedy for infected wounds in our clinic. Tissues surrounding the wound will be abnormally red and tender to touch, with actual or impending purulent discharge. Boericke recommends Hepar sulph for “abscesses… papules prone to suppurate and acne in youth,” adding that the “tendency to suppuration is most marked.”3 (Figure 2) Case Study 1 When a fellow equestrian showed me a jagged laceration incurred a few days earlier while working with rusty barbed wire, the prescription for Hepar sulph seemed clear. A close look at the 3-cm tear on her forearm revealed evidence of a purulent discharge, while adjacent tissues were red, slightly swollen, tender to palpation, and warmer than surrounding skin. I dispensed a vial of Hepar sulph 200C, with instructions to take it q 4 hours for a couple doses, then q 6 hours as needed. I also recommended regular rinses with Calendula succuss and the application of a drawing poultice of plantain once she got home from her ride. Erythema and tenderness began to subside within 45 min after the first dose of Hepar sulph, and the infection cleared completely with a few more doses. Calcarea sulphuricum and homeopathic Calendula repertorize strongly for suppurating wounds.4 Calc Sulph is a remedy to consider when purulent discharge has a yellowish color. If onset and progression of symptoms are subacute or chronic, Silicea is the first remedy to consider. It may also be of help when Hepar sulph seems indicated but does nothing. When infections threaten to become systemic, and symptoms of fever, chills, red streaking, or lymphadenopathy set in, Pyrogen will often cure the case. Clarke says, “Sepsis is the essence of the action of Pyrogen… wherever poisoning by bacterial products is going on, Pyrogen will be likely to do good.” He adds that Pyrogen has been used with good effect for puerperal fever, blood poisoning, diphtheria, and typhoid, and that Pyrogenium is “one of the germinal remedies of the materia medica. When once the idea of its essential action is grasped, an infinity of applications become apparent.”5 I have personally used this remedy with success in more serious cases of urinary cystitis, pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), and dental abscess, as well as infected wounds. The remedy has been useful so often that I think of it now as a polychrest for more serious infections. Case Study 2 I had occasion to call on Pyrogen myself after an injured cat sank her incisor deep into the tissues of my hand. Cats’ mouths are notorious for being rich reservoirs of pathogenic bacteria; to make matters worse, this was a closed puncture wound. When I arrived at my pharmacy several hours later, my hand was erythematous, hot, swollen, and starting to throb. Fever and shaking chills had set in, and there were already signs of streaking up my arm. Certain I’d end up in the hospital on IV antibiotics, I tried a dose of Pyrogen 10M. The result was dramatic. The fever, chills, and red streaking disappeared within 10 to 15 min. I continued the remedy at the 10M potency q 4 hr for a few doses, before dropping to q 6 to 8 hr. I also took high doses of Echinacea, vitamins A and C, and zinc in a tablet that included a few other herbs and nutrients in lower doses. Baptisia tinctoria was added to augment the actions of Echinacea, and I took 5 gtt of this tincture 8 times per day. I never needed the antibiotics. Case Study 3 I had used Pyrogen in several cases when a 59-year-old white male presented to our clinic complaining of a chronic red “rash” on his lower legs. The red discoloration that streaked and peppered his calves and shins was classic for a diagnosis of dermatitis due to poor circulation, but vascular tests performed by his doctors had all come up normal. The patient denied pain or itching, and there was no lymphadenopathy. Both extremities were of a normal temperature to the touch, with strong pedal pulses – 2 findings highly inconsistent with a diagnosis of vascular insufficiency. I sat back in my chair, as puzzled as any of my allopathic colleagues, and gazed at the eruption with consternation. Something about the dermatitis reminded me of previous cases of acute cellulitis that had responded well to Pyrogen. On a hunch, I prescribed Pyrogen 6C, to be taken QID. On follow-up 3 wk later, the patient reported significant amelioration of his symptoms. This was validated by PE, which revealed a 40-50% improvement in the dermatitis. The patient continued the remedy for a few more months, increasing to a 12C potency 10 wk into treatment. What was probably a case of chronic cellulitis was completely cleared in 6 to 8 mo and never recurred. Case Study 4 My cat, Jazz, had a 5-cm laceration on his side some years ago that became grossly infected. My initial prescription of Pyrogen did nothing, and although I quickly moved to the next remedy, the tissues were decomposing rapidly and the wound had enlarged to 7 cm. Purulent exudate discharging from the site was strong-smelling and horribly offensive. Homeopathic Anthracynum was miraculous. The offensive smell dissipated within 1-2 doses of a 10M potency, given q 4 hr, and the wound quickly began to turn around. Complete resolution took several days, but the infection cleared and the wound did heal. My cat’s wound brings to mind cases I saw years ago while working as a nurse in hospitals. Patients with disintegrating wounds emanating the same horrible stench of decomposing tissue that the cat’s wound had given off might well have been helped by a few doses of Anthracynum. Homeopathic Anthracynum is specific for boils, malignant ulcers, abscesses, and wounds with foul malodorous discharges, and is also useful for tissues with blue or black discoloration.6 Case Study 5 Dr Chris Chlebowski of Ashland, OR, reported a case of a 65-year-old woman with acute cellulitis of the lower extremity. Self-prescribed applications of black salve had produced a small ulcer that had become infected. Tissues around the ulcer were hot, swollen, and purple. Discomfort in the leg was ameliorated by elevating the extremity. Based on the discoloration and Vipera keynote of pain aggravated by allowing the affected limb to hang down,7,8 Dr Chlebowski prescribed Vipera 200C TID. He also packed the ulcer with a silver gel and gave a tincture of Echinacea, 30 gtt q 2 hr. The patient reported significant improvement within 24 hr, and the cellulitis cleared within a few days. When infection or cellulitis presents with bluish-black or purple discoloration of skin surrounding an infected wound, the homeopathic snake venoms should always be considered. Murphy’s homeopathic repertory lists Lachesis and Vipera under bluish, black, or gangrenous wounds, and Lachesis is included in the rubric for septic wounds.4 While homeopathy can be miraculous in its ability to stimulate healing, the addition of herbs and nutrients provides an essential foundation of nourishment. Many botanicals provide direct antimicrobial actions, as well as stimulate immune response. (Figure 2) Traditional use of Echinacea root for sepsis, gangrene, “blood poisoning,” and the bites of venomous snakes and insects9 places this herb high on the list for the botanical treatment of infected wounds. Echinacea can be dosed high and often in acute conditions, without concern for toxicity. Sixty gtt of tincture may be given q 2 hr while awake for the first couple of days, dropping to q 4 hr thereafter unless symptoms call for continued high doses. Echinacea has been highly efficacious in our clinic for the treatment of infected wounds, so I rely on it as my foundational herb in these cases. Clinical experience has shown that the addition of Baptisia tinctoria enhances the action of Echinacea in these cases. Specific indications for Baptisia include wounds with swollen tissues, dusky inflammation, fetid discharge, and sepsis. Unlike Echinacea, Baptisia is one of our low-dose botanicals and should be dosed judiciously to prevent toxicity: 45 gtt in divided doses over a 24-hr period is a safe maximum dose. Symptoms of overdose include severe vomiting, catharsis, ptyalism, and, eventually, respiratory arrest.9 Low doses of Baptisia may have a mild laxative effect, thereby enhancing elimination of toxins. Synergy of several antimicrobial alkaloids in berberine-containing plants, such as Hydrastis canadensis and Coptis chinensis, have been shown to be more effective than berberine alone. Efficacy of berberine is also dependent on the multi-drug resistance (MDR) pump inhibition of 5’-methoxyhydnocarpin-D (5’-MHC-D) that is present in these plants, confirming the wisdom of using whole-plant extracts.10-13 Andrographis paniculata has shown significant stimulation of specific and nonspecific immune functions, giving the plant a broad range of activity in treating infection.14 Other herbs, such as Allium sativa and Anemopsis californica, may also be effective against S aureus.15 In those rare instances when naturopathic therapies fail to clear infection, herbal and nutritional therapies should be continued, as studies indicate that the efficacy of antibiotics is enhanced when these therapies are combined.15 In the present era of ever-increasing microbial resistance to pharmaceuticals, naturopathic doctors hold a unique position in their ability to provide safe and effective therapies for the treatment of infection. - Beers MH, Porter RS, Jones TV, eds. The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy, 18th Whitehouse Station, NJ: Merck Research Laboratories; 2008:1442-1448. - Boericke W. Materia Medica with Repertory. 9th Santa Fe, NM: Boericke and Tafel, Inc; 1927:61. - Boericke W. Materia Medica with Repertory. 9th Santa Fe, NM: Boereike and Tafel, Inc; 1927:261-263. - Murphy R. Homeopathic Clinical Repertory. 3rd Blacksburg, VA: Lotus Health Institute; 2005:494-497. - Clarke JH. A Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica, Vol. III. New Delhi, India: Jain Publishers; 2005:931-937. - Clarke JH. A Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica, Vol I. New Delhi, India: Jain Publishers; 2005:118-119. - Clarke JH. A Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica, Vol III. New Delhi, India: Jain Publishers; 2005:1553-1556. - Boericke W. Materia Medica with Repertory. 9th Santa Fe, NM: Boericke and Tafel, Inc; 1927:543. - Felter H. The Eclectic Materia Medica, Pharmacology, and Therapeutics. Sandy, OR: Eclectic Medical Publications; 1985(Reprint):347. - Stermitz FR, Lorenz P, Tawara JN, et al. Synergy in a medicinal plant: antimicrobial action of berberine potentiated by 5’-methoxyhydnocarpin, a multidrug pump inhibitor. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2000;97(4):1433-1437. - Sternitz FR, Tawara-Matsuda J, Lorenz P, et al. 5’-Methoxyhydnocarpin-D and pheophorbide A: Berberis species components that potentiate berberine growth inhibition of resistant Staphylococcus aureus. J Nat Prod. 2000;63(8):1146-1149. - Lewis K. In search of natural substrates and inhibitors of MDR pumps. J Mol Microbiol Biotechnol. 2001;3(2):247-254. - Ball AR, Casadei G, Samosom S, et al. Conjugating berberine to a multidrug efflux pump inhibitor creates an effectual antimicrobial. ACS Chem Biol. 2006;1(9):594-600. - Sodhi V. Ayurvedic Herbs: The Comprehensive Resource for Ayurvedic Healing Solutions. Lithia Springs, GA: New Leaf Distributing Co Inc; 2014:25-39. - Snowden R, Harrington H, Morrill K, et al. A comparison of the anti-Staphylococcus aureus activity of extracts from commonly used medicinal plants. J Altern Complement Med. 2014;20(5):375-382. Image Copyright: <a href=’https://www.123rf.com/profile_13smile’>13smile / 123RF Stock Photo</a> Deborah Frances, RN, ND, practiced homeopathy and nutrition as a nurse before graduating from NCNM (now NUNM) in 1993. She practiced in rural OR for several years before returning to Portland to teach at NCNM. Dr Frances has been a popular lecturer at conferences across the country and has taught as adjunct faculty at both NCNM and Bastyr. She has also taught classes on herbal medicine, acute prescribing for NDs, dream work, and shamanic healing. She is strongly influenced by the traditional teachings of her Lakota ancestry. Dr Frances is the author of Practical Wisdom in Natural Healing, available at: drdeborahfrances.wordpress.com. She is currently on sabbatical while resurrecting out of Lyme disease.
After 13 months of collecting data, history’s largest Arctic research expedition returned with grim news. “We witnessed how the Arctic Ocean is dying,” mission leader Markus Rex told Agence-France Presse. “We saw this process right outside our windows, or when we walked on the brittle ice.” In September 2019, the research mission set sail on the German Alfred Wegener Institute’s Polarstern ship from Tromsø, Norway. For 13 months, about 300 scientists from 20 countries were on board at various times. Known as the MOSAiC Expedition — Multidisciplinary Drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate — the team followed in the footsteps of Fridtjof Nansen’s 1893-1896 journey. But instead of traveling aboard an old wooden sailing ship like Nansen’s Fram, MOSAiC traveled via the Polarstern, a highly modern icebreaker designed for research. The international scientists gathered information to better understand how the Arctic is weathering the climate crisis. Rex described this area as “the epicenter of climate change.” The crew hopes that the finding will help predict how heatwaves, storms, floods and fires will affect the Arctic’s future. The researchers brought back over 1,000 ice samples and 150 terabytes of data about subjects such as Arctic clouds, biology, atmosphere, and ocean physics. It will take years, or even decades, to analyze all this intel. “We went above and beyond the data collection we set out to do,” said Melinda Webster, a sea ice expert from the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. Unfortunately, the expedition’s initial impressions of the situation were severe. “At the North Pole itself, we found badly eroded, melted, thin and brittle ice,” said Rex. The researchers experienced smooth sailing in some areas previously covered with ice. Rex predicts that Arctic summers will soon be ice-free if the planet’s warming trend continues. The Polarstern’s Arctic voyage cost $177 million. Coronavirus upended the trip’s logistics, forcing scientists to end the mission earlier than planned. Image via Pixabay
An international multi-disciplinary research team led by Northwestern Medicine scientists has uncovered a new role for the protein toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) in the development of tissue fibrosis, or scarring. This finding, recently reported in the American Journal of Pathology, has implications for the treatment of scleroderma, a condition for which there currently is no effective treatment. TLR4 was previously implicated in inflammation, but its role in tissue fibrosis was unknown. Fibrosis is a hallmark of scleroderma and contributes to a range of common diseases including pulmonary fibrosis, kidney fibrosis, liver cirrhosis and radiation-induced scarring. "We found that when the gene for TLR4 was mutated in mice, the mice became resistant to experimental scleroderma," said the study's first author Swati Bhattacharyya, research assistant professor of rheumatology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. "Moreover, scleroderma patients showed abnormal TLR4 levels in fibrotic skin and lung tissue. This tells us we have found a therapeutic target." Scleroderma is a chronic autoimmune disease which causes progressive tightening of the skin and can lead to serious internal organ damage and, in some cases, death. Scleroderma affects an estimated 300,000 people in the U.S., most frequently young-to-middle-aged women. Its cause and pathogenesis are unknown. "The Northwestern research team continues to make fundamental discoveries that enhance our scientific understanding of scleroderma," said co-author John Varga, M.D., the John and Nancy Hughes Distinguished Professor of Rheumatology and professor of dermatology at Feinberg. "Careful dissection of the role of individual proteins in this disease enables us to make real progress toward novel treatments." Researchers from Northwestern, Boston University, the University of Pittsburgh and the University Medical Center Nijmegen, Netherlands contributed to the study, which relied on tissue samples from human scleroderma patients and mouse models. Agents that block TLR4 are already being developed for inflammation and sepsis in humans. Effective TLR4 inhibitor drugs may blunt and even possibly reverse the fibrosis in scleroderma, says Bhattacharyya. However, earlier attempts to develop therapeutics that block TLR4 have met with failure due to toxicity. "These results, while significant, are preliminary. We now know that TLR4 plays a role in scleroderma, but much research remains to be done to develop safe and effective drugs to inhibit this pathway," she says. The investigators are currently studying additional mouse models to better understand the role of TLR4 in fibrosis and are developing novel small molecules to selectively block TLR4 as a potential therapy. Explore further: New genetic path for scleroderma: Patient biopsies reveal potential new target for therapy