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Reassigning cells to fight infectionApril 26, 2013 in Medicine & Health / Immunology Just as a uniform helps distinguish a soldier from a police officer, scientists use proteins that immune cells wear on their surfaces to determine their job in the body. T cells, for example, that display the CD8 protein are classified as 'cytotoxic lymphocytes', which kill off cancerous or infected cells, whereas those displaying the CD4 protein are identified as 'helper' T cells that coordinate the immune response. Immunologists have previously viewed these roles as fixed endpoints in development, but research by Ichiro Taniuchi from the RIKEN Research Center for Allergy and Immunology in collaboration with Hilde Cheroutre of the La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology in California and colleagues now reveals that helper T cells retain opportunities for a 'career change'. Cheroutre had noticed that some helper T cells transplanted into immunodeficient recipients unexpectedly began expressing CD8. "This suggested reprogramming of cells from a helper fate into a cytotoxic lineage," says Taniuchi, whose research group studies ThPOK, a 'master' protein that coordinates helper T cell development and suppresses CD8 production. Teaming up to examine these enigmatic CD4+ cytotoxic lymphocytes (CTLs), the groups of Taniuchi and Cheroutre developed genetically modified mice having fluorescently labeled ThPOK-expressing cells, corresponding primarily to helper T cells. They also isolated unlabeled CD4-expressing cells from the intestine, and closer examination showed that these CD4-positive, ThPOK-negative cells now expressed CD8 and behaved like CTLs. The researchers followed up with a strategy called 'fate mapping', using genetically modified mice whose cells become fluorescently labeled if they express ThPOK at any point—even transiently—in their lifetime. These experiments showed that intestinal CD4+ CTLs begin as ThPOK-expressing helper cells, but switch to a CD8-expressing CTL fate when external factors cause these cells to inactivate ThPOK production via a genetic 'switch' called the 'ThPOK silencer'. "This demonstrates that CD4+ T cells retain unappreciated plasticity for CTL development," says Taniuchi. This flexibility appears to arise in response to infectious threats, as mice cultivated to be 'germ-free' do not develop CD4+ CTLs. The researchers subsequently determined that helper T cells must be properly exposed both to foreign antigens as well as an immune signaling factor called interleukin-15 to change roles. Although the intestinal wall is a particularly critical point of entry for pathogens, this mechanism may apply more generally as a means of rallying local defenses by retraining helper T cells in a crisis. "I believe other 'barrier sites' in the body may have these cells as well," says Taniuchi. Mucida, D. et al. Transcriptional reprogramming of mature CD4+ helper T cells generates distinct MHC class II–restricted cytotoxic T lymphocytes. Nature Immunology 14, 281–289 (2013). dx.doi.org/10.1038/ni.2523 Provided by RIKEN "Reassigning cells to fight infection" April 26, 2013 https://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-reassigning-cells-infection.html
Originally Published by: JEFF JOHNSTON DECEMBER 19TH, 2016 We all struggle with algae problems in our reef tanks. Algae are an essential part of the aquarium’s food chain and ecosystem. It’s impossible to eliminate algae from our reef tanks but we can take steps to keep algae under control. The idea is to maintain the right natural balance so algae cannot take over the aquarium. Here are 5 Ways to control reef algae which will tip your aquarium’s ecological balance away from algae growth and toward a beautiful reef aquarium with less maintenance and algae scraping. Table of Contents Always use RO/DI water in a reef aquarium Aquarists know water quality is important for maintaining a healthy reef aquarium. The water used to make seawater and for topping off the tank is just as important. Many tap water supplies naturally contain algae-promoting nutrients like phosphate and nitrate. Sometimes water treatment plants even add phosphate-containing chemicals to the water to prevent pipe corrosion. Even well water can be contaminated with fertilizers and agricultural run-off. Using this type of tap water in your aquarium encourages algae growth and may make it impossible to get algae growth under control! Filtering your tap water with a reverse osmosis deionized water system will strip out the nutrients and starve the algae. The Marine Depot KleanWater Economy RO/DI System will produce up to 100 gallons per day of nutrient-free water. Using purified water is one of the most important steps in reducing algae problems in a reef aquarium! Do not overfeed fish and corals The more you feed fish and corals the more you’re feeding the algae. Fish and corals foods contain protein, fats and carbohydrates. Uneaten food breaks down and releases nutrients into the water. Over feeding feeds the algae! The idea is to add just enough food for fish and coral health and growth. Feed small amounts several times a day. You may want to turn off the filter system when you feed. This reduces the amount of food that gets captured in the filter and makes it easier for marine life to feed. Target feeding your corals will also help put the food near the polyps and not into the filter or overflow. Instead of pouring coral food into the water, try using the V2O Aquarium Foods Wide Point Coral Feeder II. \|READ You’re Using The Wrong Test Kit: Why Aqua Medic’s Marine Lab Is Better Than ICP For Many Hobbyists\| Remove nutrients from the aquarium Did you know that protein skimmers can help reduce algae problems? Protein skimmers physically remove nutrient-rich organic substances and particulate matter before they decompose and release nutrients into the aquarium water. Phosphate-removing filter media is another way to limit nutrients in your tank. Granular ferric oxide (GFO) adsorbs phosphate from the aquarium water, starving the algae and causing it to die back. Replace the GFO every 2-3 months to keep the phosphate level low. AquaMaxx Phosphate Out is one of many brands of phosphate-removing filter media we offer for algae control. Maintain or upgrade aquarium lighting Old fluorescent light bulbs can cause algae problems. The quality and quantity of light gradually diminish, month after month, as the bulbs age. Nuisance algae, however, can thrive in poor quality, low light conditions. Replace your fluorescent light bulbs at least once a year. You might even consider switching over to LED fixtures. LED aquarium lighting lasts for years and is more efficient and produces less heat than conventional aquarium lights. Keep your aquarium clean The last tip for controlling algae in your reef aquarium is simple and low tech. It removes nutrients, dissolved organics, suspended particles and sludge. It also adds pH buffers, calcium, magnesium and essential trace elements. You guessed it: it’s a water change! Making partial water changes, especially with RO/DI filtered water, instantly removes nitrate, phosphate, organics and sludge and replenishes the aquarium with clear, clean saltwater. Use the opportunity to siphon out debris from around the live rock, too. The Aqueon Siphon Vacuum Gravel Cleaner has a narrow siphon tube that is perfect for clearing in tight spaces, like behind live rock. Conclusion: 5 Ways to control Algae in Reef Aquariums If you’ve won the war on algae in your reef aquarium, what advice would you give to a new hobbyist? Which products or practices have you found to be the most effective in controlling nuisance algae? Let us know in the comments below! - Green Mandarin Dragonet: Diet \| Breeding \| Size \| Cost \|Guide - Firefish Goby: Diet \| Size \| Care \| Lifespan \| Cost - Cleaner Wrasse: Diet \| Size \| Breeding \| Sexing \| Cost - Best Cleanup Crew For a Reef Tank \| Algae \| Substrate \| Scavengers - Where Does the Mandarin Fish Live? I have been working in the tropical fish industry for over 30 years now and I’m still learning. Everyday is a school day in this hobby. In my spare time I play golf very badly!
There’s no easy way to put it: The internet is having a midlife crisis. From a pandemic spread of misinformation and hate speech to Supreme Court cases weighing the responsibility of search engines and social media platforms in monitoring user content to the significant gaps in access that make up the “digital divide”—the internet’s freedom of connectivity and information is plagued by real and mounting challenges. So, how do we address those challenges, and who is responsible? Ahead of the conference, Blake Reid, clinical professor of law specializing in technology policy and telecom and disability law, offers a deeper look at how the state of the internet came to be, and how possible solutions could alter the internet we know today. How did the commercial internet come to be? Tracing the Internet’s full history is complicated, but the commercial Internet that we know today started to flourish in the early-to-mid 1990s. One way to think about the rise of the commercial internet is to look at the breakup of AT&T. AT&T was not a phone company, they were the phone company. Anything you wanted to do on the phone network, you had to ask AT&T for permission. The rise of the commercial internet was, in part, a response to that—the design of a network that shifted power away from the network’s operators, allowing anyone to build applications without having to ask first. We sometimes call this the notion of “permissionless innovation.” What did permissionless innovation provide? On the one hand, permissionless innovation is arguably responsible for a lot of society-changing phenomena that didn't exist 25 years ago: You can search for any content via ubiquitous search engines, have a wide array of products shipped to your door from nearly any manufacturer via e-commerce platforms and communicate with anyone in the world through social media and messaging platforms. However, we weren’t prepared for how to deal with the unintended consequences of unleashing these applications on the world. Where did it go wrong? One thing that many early internet pioneers missed was the possibility that power would accumulate in the hands of the internet’s new crop of application providers. Where we used to be concerned about the concentration of power in the phone company, which provided the network, we now see a similar concentration of power in the companies that use the network. At the same time, we are starting to see eroding trust in these companies because of data breaches, privacy violations, accessibility issues, the proliferation of hate speech and a wide range of other issues. We also see eroding trust in the government, at least in the U.S., to be able to step in and do something about it. The technology has changed radically, but the concentration of power and the problems that poses for competition, protecting consumers and users, healthy discourse and the future of democracy has led us back to the same set of problems—or arguably worse problems—than we had before the internet. What role has social media played? On the internet, attention is a commodity. And social networks are built on keeping people on the platform by directing them to content that captures their attention, which can in turn be monetized. That gets the flywheel going—spurring people to post more engaging content to get other people to pay attention to it and engage. And, it turns out, one good way to do that is with content that makes people angry and disagreeable via conspiracy theories, dis- and misinformation and other kinds of controversial and salacious content. How could the government step in? It's a hard question. We want to leverage technology for social good and social benefit, but who do we trust to set the rules about getting things to go in the right direction? On the flip side of internet companies, distrust of government intervention and political dysfunction makes public oversight a challenge. Supreme Court cases questioning the protection of internet platforms under Section 230 of the Communications Act may give the government more latitude to step in. But even then, the First Amendment substantially limits the extent to which the government can step in and regulate platforms, at least in the U.S. And what about companies, what could they do? One debate we’ll be hosting at the Silicon Flatirons annual conference is whether you would rather have five tech giants or 500 startup companies. While giant tech companies cause a lot of problems, they do some things well and have designed some important systems that are hard to replicate at smaller scale. The question is: Do we double down on a world where we try to regulate those companies and try to come up with ways to constrain the problematic aspects of their power, or do we try to enable a world where competition and innovation sweeps those companies away, and we enter new era of how the underlying communication, commerce and democracy happens on these platforms? There are not easy answers to these questions, and I expect our debaters will have a lot of compelling arguments in both directions. This sounds daunting. Any silver lining? I don't think there's a strong case that the internet as a whole is harming people to such a great extent that people would be better off without internet access. There are certainly substantial social harms and unintended consequences of the internet—many of which some people thought internet-based technology would solve, not make worse. But the internet has become a cornerstone of modern society for better and for worse, and many believe it should be ubiquitously available for everyone. We need to find ways to address and overcome these challenges to make it a safe and equitable place for everyone.
Smartphone batteries used to determine weather conditions Smartphone batteries contain tiny temperature sensors, designed to keep the phone from overheating. While those sensors do measure the heat generated within the phone, their readings are also affected by the temperature of the phone’s external environment. With that in mind, British app developer OpenSignal has created a system that allows multiple users’ phones to provide real-time, location-specific weather reports. The system is based around the company's existing OpenSignal app, which was designed to collect data sent voluntarily from users’ Android phones in order to create maps of Wi-Fi access points and phone coverage. That app can also provide phone temperatures. When a sampling of London-based users’ phone temperatures was compared to local weather temperatures for the same time period, a correlation between the two sets of numbers became apparent – although the temperatures weren’t the same, they did go up and down by the same amount. The OpenSignal team then went on to analyze readings and weather reports from users in Los Angeles, Paris, Mexico City, Moscow, Rome, San Paulo and Buenos Aires. The same correlation popped up. Once the consistent difference between the phone and weather temperatures was compensated for, it was found that the phone temperatures could be used to determine the weather temperatures within an accuracy range of 1.5ºC (2.7ºF). Of course, some phones might be running particularly hot, due to the task they’re performing or the place that they’re being kept. By incorporating the data from thousands of users at once, however, the overall numbers still end up meshing with the ambient temperature. As more users get on board and the database increases in size, the accuracy should further improve. The company has now launched the spin-off WeatherSignal app, for use in phones equipped with air temperature, humidity and pressure sensors. Ultimately, it is hoped that the app could be used in a crowd-sourced weather forecasting system, which would provide real-time weather information for areas as specific as a given city block. It could perhaps even be combined with the CitiSense app/device, that provides localized crowd-sourced air quality readings. A paper on the research was published today in the journal Geophysical Research Letters. Source: American Geophysical Union
TROPANE ALKALOIDS: Are You Prepared? Tropane Alkaloids are substances that occur naturally in plants such as mandrake, henbane, deadly nightshade, Jimson weed and Erythroxylaceae. They can act as anticholinergics or stimulants, and while they are medically useful, in food, they can add an unknown exposure to toxins causing a wide range of issues from cardiac disorders to central nervous system disturbances. According to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), contamination of human food with tropane alkaloids is most likely with herbal teas, blue or blackberries, edible flours, buckwheat, sorghum, millet, maize, legume vegetables (without pods), pulses, oilseeds (soybean and linseed). The EU is cracking down on TA with strict requirements especially in infant, toddler and kid snacks. According to Daniel Cook, poison expert with the USDA, contamination from seeds and or other plant parts can contaminate the sorghum seeds resulting in tropane alkaloid content. Contamination can happen at the seed level, which is why Nu Life grows its sorghum to a strict Identity Preserved program, where even seed variety is controlled, removing the risk of tropane alkaloids. Contamination is also the cause of other issues with sorghum such as soy or gluten. While price is often the focus with ingredients, it’s also important to know the who is growing them, especially if exporting. “The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price are forgotten” – Benjamin Franklin Chinese Buyers Find Tight U.S. Sorghum Supply After Trade Spat CHICAGO (Reuters) – Chinese grain merchants seeking to resume purchases of U.S. sorghum after an anti-dumping probe by Beijing that had halted trade between the world’s biggest buyer and seller of the grain are now finding supplies tight, according to dealers. Read more here. Consumers Say; ‘Sustainable’ Worth Extra Cost Just like water, soil is a finite resource on this planet, and soil health is quickly at the forefront of sustainability discussions. Protecting and regenerating soil is a hallmark principle of Regenerative Agriculture, which is a system of farming principles and practices that increase biodiversity, enriches soils, improves watersheds, and enhances ecosystem services. It was identified as a 2018 trend by New Hope Network in their 2018 Next Forecast report, and products are now hitting the market. Annie’s is taking sustainability one step further with the launch of two products that are made using ingredients produced with regenerative agriculture methods. Nielsen research found that 66% of consumers are willing to pay more for sustainable products and that a company’s commitment to sustainability can sway product purchases for 45% of consumers. Nu-Life has been using several regenerative agriculture practices such as no-till and dry land farming since the early 90s. Sorghum Syrup: Ready to Ship! Sorghum syrup is now available for sampling in multiple DEs. Use it in applications from cereal and bars to brewing and baking. Made from burgundy sorghum grain, it is a value-added, nutritive sweetener that is fully traceable and sustainable, with none of the baggage of brown rice syrup and HFCS. Whole Grain Sorghum Ball Texture: crispy, slightly crunchy, with a toothsome mouthfeel and good bowl life. Applications: Cereal, bars, confections; anywhere texture is needed but moisture migration is a challenge. Smashed Sorghum Flakes Texture: crisp, melty texture, soft center, and quick dissolve. Light and airy. Like a rice crispy but whole grain! Applications: Salad kits to add crunch, bars to lower bulk density, granola to reduce weight and any other application where soft, tender, whole grain is needed. Heat Stable GF Pasta Gluten Free Whole Grain Pasta is now capable of withstanding heat abuse and retort. Unlike rice/corn pasta that turns to glue and falls apart in meal kits and soups, whole grain sorghum pasta holds up to heat abuse while retaining texture and bite. This pasta comes individually quick frozen (IQF) for convenience and ease of use. One quick shake in a hot pan or dip in sauce and it’s ready to use. Or, use it in a soup or meal kit for pasta that won’t’ fall apart when heated. Is It Possible? Extending Shelf Life With a Clean Label With sorghum flour, it is. Adding waxy sorghum flour to a formula can significantly improve next day texture in gluten-free bread and wheat-based baked goods, in addition to providing additional days of shelf life. Waxy sorghum flour is best at low levels of 5-25% in conjunction with sorghum flour, so treat this flour as a functional ingredient that can help you achieve your product quality goals while labeling cleanly as “sorghum flour”. SmartFRY sorghum flour continues to impress. From the Kansas State Food Science Institute: “Sorghum tempura yielded a lower fat content, higher moisture content, and darker color than the control samples.
Low cost latrines constructed by the Chars Livelihoods Programme (CLP) in Bangladesh performed well in their first real flood test. After the July 2012 floods, which also hit the CLP programme area in the districts of Jamalpur and Kurigram on the northern Jamuna, only 14% of the low cost latrines were destroyed or unusable. During the flooding, recipients continued to have access to sanitation. Households in CLP districts are raised on earthen plinths 60 cm above the highest known flood level. The Programme ensures access to clean water and sanitation by also raising water points and installing latrines on plinths. By June 2012, the programme had installed 15,000 low cost sanitary latrines – the target is 50,000. CLP provides a concrete slab (with plastic pan and water-seal) and a cash subsidy. Households dig the pit and provide the latrine superstructure. For households on a raised plinth, the cash component is Tk 450 (US$ 5.60), while for all other households this increases to Tk 650 (US$ 8.10), to cover the cost of raising the latrine on its own plinth. During the flood, 15% of the households reported that their latrine had been eroded and 17% that their latrine was submerged. After the flood had receded – 54% of the latrines were intact whilst 32% had a weakened structure but were still usable; 10% were unusable and 4% had been fully destroyed. These results were similar for latrines situated on raised homesteads and stand alone latrines raised outside the homestead. Regarding latrine use during the floods, 77% of households reported using their own latrine and 20% using another household’s latrine. Source: Kenward, S.; Cordier, L.; Islam, R., 2012. A study to assess the performance of CLP raised plinths, low cost latrines and access to clean water during the July 2012 flood. Bogra, Bangladesh, Chars Livelihoods Programme (CLP). Available at: bit.ly/1DaJVhD For more on raised latrines see: - Morshed, G. and Sobhan, A., 2010. The search for appropriate latrine solutions for flood-prone areas of Bangladesh. In: Waterlines, vol. 29, no. 3, p. 236-245 : photogr., 3 tab. DOI: 10.3362/1756-3488.2010.024 - Parry-Jones, S., 2003. Low-cost sanitation in areas with a high groundwater table. (WELL factsheet). [online] Loughborough, UK: Water, Engineering and Development Centre, Loughborough University of Technology. Available at: bit.ly/1DaKg43 - Emergency sanitation project: raised latrine
Neon Tetras get sick with many of the same conditions that other fish suffer from. Some are contagious and some are life-threatening if not caught early, but there are also others that your fish can live with for the rest of its long and happy life – even if they are stuck swimming upside down! Despite the name, Neon Tetra Disease is not exclusively found in Neon Tetras, but if you have a disease named after you it’s easy to assume that any illness in a Neon is NTD. Read on to find out what to look for when diagnosing a sick fish and how to treat the illness once you know what it is. What does Neon Tetra Disease look like? Neon Tetra disease comes with symptoms such as lumps along the body and a curved spine, which result in a lack of swimming. The earliest signs are fading colors, and infected fish no longer swimming with the rest of the school, becoming restless and swimming in odd patterns. When the fish’s color begins to fade it may only be in a specific area of its body rather than all over, so make sure you look closely before dismissing this symptom. The lumps you may be seeing are cysts which develop as the disease takes hold. After the initial stage, where the fish swims erratically away from other members of the school, an infected fish finds it difficult to swim and settles in one area for longer periods. This is because the cysts start to deform the muscles, making it hard for the fish to swim. This is what causes the characteristic curved spine in advanced cases of NTD. Eventually infection sets in, which causes fin rot and bloat and it becomes unlikely that the animal will survive. How to treat Neon Tetra Disease If your fish has Neon Tetra Disease, it must be removed from the tank immediately to avoid infecting other tankmates. As there is no known cure or treatment, most fish are euthanized either by being placed in a freezing bag of water, or by adding clove oil mixed with warm water to the container where the fish is being kept. What does Ich look like on a Tetra? Ich appears as white spots on the skin and/or fins. Ich is a parasite that burrows into the skin, so the fish’s immune system grows the white spots as a protective layer over the wound, so Ich spots look raised rather than a simple discoloration of the skin. How do you treat white spots/Ich on Neon Tetras? Once you’ve tested the water in your tank for any unusual parameters, you’ll need to slowly increase the temperature of your aquarium to around 86°F (30°C) to speed up the life cycle of the parasite. Once done, you can choose from a number of Ich medications. The reason for the temperature change is that the parasite is resistant to medication in egg form. The single parasite removes itself from your fish and settles on the aquarium floor. Once there it creates a protective shell around itself and multiplies into thousands before breaking free and looking for another fish to infect. At higher temperatures this process occurs more quickly and increases the likelihood of the parasite encountering the medicine, breaking the life cycle. Take care not to raise the temperature too quickly though, as fish are sensitive to sudden changes. FishLab have a great article which explains the behavior of the Ich parasite and the treatment of freshwater fish in more detail, which you can find here. Note that if your fish is suffering from Neon Tetra Disease, white spots won’t be one of the symptoms. The cysts seen in fish with NTD are larger and grow under the surface, whereas like any other fish, a Neon Tetra with Ich will grow white spots externally. Cotton Mouth (Columnaris) Cotton Mouth is a common name for a fungal infection that commonly grows on the mouth, but can also appear in other areas. It is caused by a fungus that enters the body as the fish eats, which is why it affects the mouth. Because the cysts that appear in fish with Neon Tetra Disease also commonly grow on the mouth, NTD and Cotton Mouth are often confused, but these cysts are more ball-like whereas Cotton Mouth looks furry. Also known as Cotton Wool Disease, the fungus can grow to the point where it prevents the fish from eating, causing them to starve to death. What causes Cottonmouth in Neon Tetras? Cottonmouth is caused by a bacteria called Flavobacterium Columnare which thrives in poor water conditions and at high temperatures. It enters through the gills or the mouth, or through any open wounds on the skin of the infected fish. A tank with a high bioload and high temperature is the perfect breeding ground for Columnaris. So, if your fish prefer high temperatures, it’s vital that the tank isn’t over-stocked and that regular water changes are done to maintain good water quality. How do you treat a Cottonmouth Neon Tetra? Daily water changes and treatment with aquarium salt and antifungal medicines can get rid of Cotton Mouth. It’s also important to quarantine the fish in a hospital tank as fungal infections are very contagious. Bear in mind that snails are particularly sensitive to aquarium salt and will likely die if they come into direct contact, so make sure you move the affected fish to a hospital before treating the condition, especially if you have snails. Antifungal medications usually advise to remove any activated carbon from your filter media as the medication can cause a chemical reaction which is harmful to your fish. Therefore it’s wise to give your fish a medicated bath and treat the tank itself with regular water changes and slowly lower the water temperature to make it harder for Columnaris to survive in your aquarium. Why does my Neon Tetra have red gills? In fish including Neon Tetra, red gills are a sign of irritation caused by toxins in the water. These toxins are many and varied, but ammonia is very common and causes burns on the sensitive gills of the fish, which appear red and inflamed. How to treat ammonia burns on fish Regular water changes is the natural treatment for ammonia burns. Change 50% of the tank water daily and treat with a dechlorinator such as Seachem Prime to ensure healthy water conditions for your fish. Make sure you test your water regularly to check for ammonia and other harmful chemicals. Why are my Neon Tetra’s eyes bulging? A Neon Tetra’s eyes bulging is usually caused by a bacterial infection called exophthalmia but commonly known as Pop Eye. It is caused either by poor water quality or by introducing an infected fish to the tank, which then passes on the condition. How do you treat Popeye? The first step to treating Popeye in fish is to improve the water conditions. No amount of chemical treatments will work for long in poor quality water, so perform daily water changes of around 50% and treat the new water with a dechlorinator. From there, medicines such as API Melafix will help your fish recover when included in the new water during your daily changes. Aquarium salt can be combined with the medicine to give your fish an even better chance of recovery. What does Fin Rot look like on Neon Tetras? Fin rot in fish such as Neon Tetras starts out as a simple fading of the color in the fin which is easily missed. However, as the condition worsens bits of the fin will fall away, leaving the fin and the surrounding tissue misshapen and inflamed. As with any open wound, this can lead to secondary infection including Cotton Wool Disease (see Cottonmouth above) and it’s important that the disease is treated quickly to avoid further complications for your fish. How do you treat Fin Rot in Neon Tetras? To help your Neon Tetra recover from fin rot the water quality needs to be good, so perform daily 50% water changes and treat the new water with a dechlorinator, as tap water contains harmful chemicals. Then add antibiotics to the new water to help fight the disease. Treatments such as API Fin & Body Cure will help your fish recover and promote the growth of good bacteria in the tank to keep your fish healthy in the long term. You can help too by keeping up with regular water changes (10-20% of the water twice weekly is a good guide) and removing any uneaten food rather than letting it rot in the tank. Not over-feeding in the first place is the best way to prevent this, so only feed what your fish can eat in two minutes. Two smaller feeds per day is better than one big one! Will Neon Tetra fins grow back? The good news is that fish including Neon Tetras will regrow fins that have been damaged by nipping or fin rot. Only when there has been significant damage to the fins and the surrounding tissue could the damage be permanent, but this doesn’t mean your fish will die. In good water conditions, fin regrowth should take around 1-4 weeks but if 8 weeks pass without recovery, consider another round of treatment. If you still don’t see the fins regrowing it probably means the damage was too great and the fins won’t grow back at all. There are a number of reasons your Neon Tetra might have a swollen belly, some of which are good news (if you want to breed your fish!) but others can be a very bad sign. If your Neon is pregnant (or ‘gravid’), she can look huge as they carry hundreds of eggs at once. Of course, your fish could also simply have eaten too much, so keep your eyes open and watch to see if the bloating reduces when your fish haven’t recently been fed! There are things to be careful about if you notice your Neon Tetra is bloated. Check the food you’re using is appropriate for them and isn’t causing them to get constipated, which can happen when overfeeding with Bloodworm, for example. More worryingly, bloat is a sign of advanced Neon Tetra Disease. Read the section above on NTD if you think this may be the cause of your Neon Tetra’s swollen belly, as this is extremely serious. Swim Bladder Disease The swim bladder is a pocket of gas that your fish uses to control its swimming and prevent it from floating to the surface or sinking to the bottom of the tank. When infected, the fish can swim nose down or even upside down, or float around the aquarium in unusual ways due to loss of control of their buoyancy. How do you treat Swim Bladder in Neon Tetras? Swim Bladder Disease is often caused by overfeeding in which case fasting is the best cure, or if poor water quality is suspected then daily water changes and parameter testing is the best approach. Antibiotic treatments in the new water will also help. In an infected Neon Tetra, Swim Bladder Disease can be treated by not feeding the fish for 2-3 days. However there are many possible causes outside of overfeeding so perform daily 50% water changes for a week, and treat the new water with an antibiotic such as API Melafix and some aquarium salt. It can be difficult to tell Dropsy apart from Swim Bladder Disease as obvious signs are similar for each illness. With Dropsy, the fish’s belly will be swollen (just like Swim Bladder) and you’ll notice your Neon Tetra becoming lethargic rather than being its usual active self. A tell-tale sign of Dropsy is when the scales start to come loose and even fall away, while the fish’s eyes can become sunken or start to bulge. Finally, the fish will have difficulty swimming the right way up and may even start to swim upside down. The scales extending out and swimming upside down are signs of advanced Dropsy and by this stage it’s often kinder to euthanize the fish as it’s usually too late to treat. The good news is that Dropsy isn’t contagious so even if you lose one fish, you don’t need to worry about the others catching the disease, but they can develop the same symptoms if the underlying cause isn’t corrected. Dropsy is caused by a bacteria which affects fish that are stressed by overcrowded tanks with poor water quality, so prevention is much easier than cure. Always make sure your tank is the right size to accommodate the number of fish you want to stock, and perform regular water changes to maintain good water quality. How do you treat Dropsy in Neon Tetras? In an infected Neon Tetra, Dropsy can be treated by quarantining the fish and giving them a salt bath with antibiotics. Once the symptoms clear the Neon can be returned to the tank, but make sure the water quality is improved and the tank isn’t over-stocked. API Melafix is a good choice for treating a wide variety of bacterial infections, including Dropsy. How do you know if a Neon Tetra is dying? If your Neon Tetra stops swimming with the rest of the school, stays at the surface or the bottom of the tank, or if it looks different (including discoloration, white spots, lumps or a mis-shapen spine), these can be signs of serious illnesses that can lead to the fish dying. Why are my Neon Tetras dying? Most illnesses that lead to Neon Tetras and other fish dying are the result of parasites or bacterial infections that thrive in poor water quality. The best way to prevent this is to avoid over-stocking the tank and keep water quality high with regular water changes. What are the symptoms of Neon Tetra Disease? Early symptoms of Neon Tetra Disease include fading colors in one area of the fish’s skin and unusual swimming patterns. As the disease develops you’ll notice a bloated belly and lumps under the skin (cysts) and as these cysts attack the muscles, a misshapen spine. Will Ich go away on its own? Some saltwater fish have natural defenses to help them fight off Ich, but in a home aquarium the only way to be sure is to treat the water with a specific antibiotic that breaks the parasite’s life cycle and kills it before it can infect other fish. Is Cottonmouth in fish contagious? Cottonmouth or Cotton Wool Disease is highly contagious and often leads to death due to the fish being unable to eat. For this reason, any fish contracting the disease should be quarantined and treated immediately. How long does Popeye last in fish? Popeye treatment can be fast acting if caught early but can also last for months, and while the swelling will eventually go away the disease can do permanent damage to the fish’s eye. What are the symptoms of Fin Rot? As the name suggests, Fin Rot symptoms include an initial discoloration of the fin and surrounding tissue, before parts of the fin actually start to fall away. There is also the danger of secondary infection as the condition causes open wounds. How long does it take for Fin Rot to heal? In severe cases the tissue damage caused by Fin Rot can be permanent but often the fins grow back within a week or two if treated early enough. If the symptoms persist for 8 weeks or more, the fish will need continued treatment and may not recover. Does Swim Bladder go away? Swim Bladder Disease is treatable and most of the time the fish recovers completely, but even if this isn’t the case for your fish they can still live a long and happy life, even though their swimming is affected – they may even swim upside down for life! Should I euthanize my fish with Swim Bladder? Swim Bladder Disease alone is not a good reason to euthanize an otherwise healthy fish, as they can live long and happy lives even if they no longer swim the right way up. Swim Bladder is not contagious so there is no danger to other fish in the tank. Is Dropsy contagious? Dropsy is not contagious but any fish in the same aquarium can also develop the illness if the underlying cause is not treated. Usually this is poor water quality caused by over-stocking the tank and inadequate water changes, which allows the bacteria to infect the stressed fish. Can a fish survive Dropsy? A fish can survive Dropsy if caught and treated early enough but if the scales start to extend and fall away, this is a sign that the disease is at an advanced stage and it’s often too late, so the kindest option is to euthanize the fish. What causes Dropsy in Tetras? Dropsy is caused when the bacteria commonly found in tank water infect fish whose immune system is weakened by stress. This stress is usually due to poor water quality, which is in turn caused by over-stocking or infrequent water changes. Can overfeeding cause Dropsy? Overfeeding can cause Dropsy in that leftover food starts to decompose in the tank, releasing ammonia into the water. Fish become stressed, which weakens their immune system and allows bacteria to infect them, leading to Dropsy. Most of the illnesses described above can be avoided by maintaining good water quality, so always test your parameters regularly and perform the appropriate water changes at least once per week. If you notice any of the symptoms described above, move the fish immediately to a properly-cycled hospital/quarantine tank and use the necessary medication to treat your fish. Only return them to the main tank when you’re sure any water quality issues have been addressed and your fish’s symptoms are gone. We are sorry that this post was not useful for you! Let us improve this post! Tell us how we can improve this post?
A study produced by two geneticists Mark Stoeckle from New York’s Rockefeller University and David Thaler from Switzerland’s University of Baler concluded that 90% of animals came into existence at the same time as humans and relatively recently. This conclusion seriously challenges the theory of evolution that requires millions of years for animals to slowly evolve, with man being the climax of the evolutionary cycle. In their study published in the Human Evolution journal, the two geneticists examined the “DNA barcodes” of 100,000 species of animals stored in GenBank, a genetic data base operated by the American government. Based on this study, the two concluded that animals appeared at the same time as humans about 100,000 to 200,000 years ago. Though there may be some dispute on the dating, their study nevertheless confirms the Biblical account that says humans and animals were created at the same time on the fifth day. In an interview with Christian Headlines, Ken Ham founder of the creationist organization Answers in Genesis suggested the age numbers were inflated by evolutionary assumptions, but said the study nevertheless challenges the foundational beliefs of evolutionary theory. The two geneticists were also well aware of the waves their conclusions would cause in evolutionary circles. Thaler stated almost apologetically: “This conclusion is very surprising and I fought against it as hard as I could.” It was kind of a puzzling remark because why would you fight against the science, just because it disagreed with strongly held positions on how humans supposedly evolved? But their conclusion is also supported by the fossil record, that shows the sudden appearance of animals with no evolutionary trail behind them as they gradually evolved from simpler to more complex life forms. This trail is not only expected, but demanded by evolutionary theory. Referred to as the Cambridge Explosion, it is a problem that evolutionists have never successfully dealt with. Writing for American Scientist, authors Osorio, Bacon and Whitington discussed the problematic Cambrian Explosion in their article “The Evolution of Anthropod Nervous Systems” stating: “As Darwin noted in the Origin of Species, the abrupt emergence of arthropods in the fossil record during the Cambrian presents a problem for evolutionary biology. There are no obvious simpler or intermediate forms—either living or in the fossil record—that show convincingly how modern arthropods evolved from worm-like ancestors. Consequently there has been a wealth of speculation and contention.” There is more. Last year scientists found ancient human footprints embedded in sedimentary sand in Crete. From every analysis these were human foot prints, but there was one major problem. They were embedded in rock that was older than the animals that humans supposedly evolved from. The National Post wryly pointed out the problem writing, “human ancestors may have existed in Crete at the same time as they evolved in Africa.” There are so many recent discoveries challenging the basic tenets of evolution, some scientists are now suggesting we need a better explanation of how humans and animal life came into existence. - Scripture affirmed: 90 percent of animals formed recently along side humans, new study shows: Christian Headlines - Genetic study: Human souls are 6,000 years old: Breaking Israel News - Ancient footprints in Crete challenge theory of human evolution — but what actually made them: National Post - Who or what made the Laetoli footprints: ICR.org - The Thinkers: Pitt anthropologist thinks Darwin’s theory needs to evolve on some points: Pittsburgh Post Gazette - The Cambrian Explosion: Falsification of Darwinian Evolution: Apologetics Press - Massive Genetic Study Reveals 90 Percent Of Earth’s Animals Appeared At The Same Time: Tech Times
Traktati i Paqes në Moskë (1940) Traktati i Paqes në Moskë (1940) u neneshkrua nga Finlanda dhe nga Bashkimi Sovjetik ne 12 mars 1940, dhe ratifikimet u kembyen ne 21 mars. It marked the end of the 105-day Winter War. The treaty ceded parts of Finland to the Soviet Union. However, it preserved Finland's independence, ending the Soviet attempt to annex the country. The treaty was signed by Vyacheslav Molotov, Andrey Zhdanov and Aleksandr Vasilevsky for Soviet Union, and Risto Ryti, Juho Kusti Paasikivi, Rudolf Walden and Väinö Voionmaa for Finland. Sfondi[redakto \| redakto tekstin burimor] The Finnish government received the first tentative peace conditions from the Soviet Union (through Stockholm) on 29 January. Until then, the Red Army had fought to occupy all of Finland. By this point, the Soviet government was prepared to temper its claims. The demands were that Finland cede the Karelian Isthmus, including the city of Viipuri, and Finland's shore of Lake Ladoga. The Hanko Peninsula was to be leased to the Soviet Union for 30 years. Finland rejected these demands and intensified their pleas to Sweden, France and the United Kingdom for military support by regular troops. Although Finland in the long run had no chance against a country fifty times its size,[citim i duhur] the reports from the front still held out hope for Finland anticipating a League of Nations intervention. Positive signals, however inconstant, from France and Britain, and more realistic expectations of troops from Sweden, for which plans and preparations had been made all through the 1930s, were further reasons for Finland not to rush into peace negotiations. (See Foreign Support for a detailed account.) In February 1940, Finland's Commander-in-Chief marshal Mannerheim expressed his pessimism about the military situation, prompting the government to start peace negotiations on 29 February, the same day the Red Army commenced an attack against Viipuri (now Vyborg). Harsh peace[redakto \| redakto tekstin burimor] On 6 March, a Finnish delegation led by Prime Minister Risto Ryti travelled to Moscow. During the negotiations, the Red Army broke through the Finnish defence lines around Tali and were close to surrounding Viipuri. The Peace Agreement was signed on the evening of 12 March, Moscow time, i.e. 1 hour on March 13, Finnish time. The protocol appended to the treaty stipulated that the fighting should be ended at noon, Leningrad time (11:00 Finnish time), and the fighting continued until that time. Finland was forced to cede nearly all of Finnish Karelia (with Finland's industrial center, including Vyborg/Viipuri, Finland's second largest city, Kakisalmi, Sortavala, and Suojarvi and the whole of Viipuri bay with its islands; in total, nearly 10% of the territory), even though large parts were still held by Finland's army. Military troops and remaining civilians were hastily evacuated to inside the new border. 422,000 Karelians, 12% of Finland's population, lost their homes. Interestingly, there was also an area that the Russians captured during the war, which remained in Finnish hands according to the Peace Treaty: Petsamo. However, the peace treaty also stipulated that Finland would grant free passage for Soviet civilians through Petsamo to Norway. Finland also had to cede a part of the Salla area, the Finnish part of the Kalastajansaarento (Rybachi) peninsula in the Barents Sea, and in the Gulf of Finland the islands of Suursaari, Tytärsaari, Lavansaari (now Moshchny Island о. Мощный), Peninsaari (now Maly Island, о. Малый) and Seiskari. Finally, the Hanko Peninsula was leased to the Soviet Union as a naval base for 30 years at an annual rent of 8 million marks. Contrary to common belief, the Soviet troop transfer rights by railway to the Hanko base were not granted in the peace treaty, but they were demanded first on 9 July, after Sweden had acknowledged railway transit of Wehrmacht troops to occupied Norway. Additional demands were that any equipment and installation on the ceded territories were to be handed over. Thus Finland had to hand over 75 locomotives, 2,000 railroad cars, a number of cars, trucks and ships. The Enso industrial area, which was clearly on the Finnish side of the border, as it was drawn in the peace treaty, was also soon added to the Finnish losses of territory and equipments. The new border was not arbitrary from the Soviet viewpoint. - Before the war, Finland had been a leading producer of high quality pulp, which was an important raw material for explosives. Including the Enso factories, the Soviet Union captured 80% of Finland's production capacity. - Finland had to cede 1/3 of her built hydroelectric power, mainly in the form of hydroelectric power plants in River Vuoksi, which was badly needed in Leningrad where the industry suffered a 20% shortage of electricity. - The location of the new border was consistent with the Soviet defence doctrine, which envisioned taking the fight onto enemy soil through counter attacks and pre-emptive strikes. Under this doctrine, the ideal border should not allow the enemy to have natural defensible barriers; so instead of running through natural border locations like the Bay of Viipuri or the swamp region at the isthmus between Lake Saimaa and Lake Ladoga, the new border ran on the western side of those. But those positions were also very easy to encircle for an offensive enemy of the Red Army, which was soon to be shown. The Finns were shocked by the harsh peace terms. It seemed as if more territory was lost in the peace than in the war, and the loss was in many ways some of the highest valued parts of Finland: - Large parts of the most populated southern region of remaining Finland had been connected to the world via the Saimaa Canal system, that now was severed at Vyborg where it connects to the Gulf of Finland. - The southern part of the lost area was Finland's industrial heart. - Karelia is considered the heart and origin of the Finnish culture. Before the Winter War, the Soviet sovereignty over the main part of Karelia, and Stalinist atrocities there, had been a major source of grief for many Finns. Under the terms of the treaty, the rest of Karelia was also lost. This started the Karelian question. Sympathy from the world opinion seemed to have been of little worth. A certain bitter disappointment became a common feature of the Finns' view of other nations, not the least of Swedes, who had offered plenty of sympathy but did not fulfill their obligations of military support for Finland. For better or for worse, the harsh terms made the Finns inclined to seek support from Nazis, and made many Finns regard revenge as justified. In the end, this might have been a necessary condition for Finland's survival in the World War. Only a year later, in June 1941, hostilities resumed in the Continuation War. Shih edhe[redakto \| redakto tekstin burimor] Burime[redakto \| redakto tekstin burimor] - ^ First published in English as Finland - Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Treaty of Peace. Signed at Moscow, 12 March 1940; ratifications exchanged, 21 March 1940. The American Journal of International Law 34 (3), Supplement: Official Documents. (July 1940), 127-131. - ^ Protocol appended to the treaty of peace concluded between Finland and The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics on 12 March 1940 - ^ Степаков, Виктор, Евгений Балашов. В «Новых районах»: Из истории освоения карельского перешейка, 1940-1941, 1944-1950. Saint Petersburg: Нордмедиздат, 2001. p. 5 - Text of the Moscow Peace Treaty - Protocol appended to the treaty of peace concluded between Finland and The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics on 12 March 1940
More than two decades after Apartheid socio-economic inequality still persists in South Africa. The increased youth unemployment has developed in a national crisis impacting on the social and economic welfare of people – the Northern Cape Province and specifically the Namaqualand Constituency, is no exception. Solving this unemployment crisis lies in coordinating attractive legislative and economic conditions, together with partnerships between private businesses ( incentivizes the private sector to implement skills development programmes) and the non-profit sector and implementing skills development programmes with the focus on the youth via government initiatives. By creating innovation hubs unemployed youth can obtain marketable skills to support them in finding employment or to motivate them to take the initiative to create their own employment in which they can utilize these skills. Digital migration offers hope for developing countries like South Africa by creating the possibility for systemic change and to improve the situation through opportunities of economic development, improvement in governance and ultimately better service delivery. The paper will evaluate the empowering possibilities of skills development of unemployed youth in Namaqualand through digital migration. 2. RESEARCH CONTEXT: BACKGROUND South Africa is amidst the 4th Industrial Revolution- a technological revolution shifting from digitization (the Third Industrial Revolution) to innovation based on combinations of technologies, but the country still has a long way to go, lagging behind the rest of the world in terms of providing affordable and reliable access to telecommunications and the internet. According to the South African government “This ecosystem of digital networks, services, applications, content and devices, will be firmly integrated into the economic and social fabric of the country. Together, these broadband elements provide an enabling platform for economic enterprise, active citizenship and social engagement and innovation. It will connect public administration to the active citizen; promote economic growth, development and competitiveness; drive the creation of decent work; underpin nation-building and strengthen social cohesion; and support local, national and regional integration.” (National Development Plan 2030 Our Future-make it work; 2012 : p.189) The uneven distribution of access to ICT`s, however, separates individuals who are able to access computers and the internet from those who have no opportunity to do so, benefiting those provided with information to grasp opportunities created by this platform. Closing the digital exclusion to inclusively provide every member of a society with an equal opportunity to benefit from digital development, also in Namaqualand in the Northern Cape, should be the goal. Barriers are the high costs of data and lack of infrastructure. Access to the internet does not only mean being in possession of the device that can connect to the internet, but also having the opportunity to acquire the skills and expertise to be able to use the internet. South African television is currently broadcasted in an analogue format. Digital Terrestrial Television (or Transmission) refers to the terrestrial, or land-based, broadcasting of digital television /data, rather than analogue waveforms. With digital migration the analogue format is replaced with the digital format, resulting in more efficient bandwidth usage freeing up more spectrum, providing a higher quality signal. Conversion will contribute in making broadband internet accessible to the entire country as freed-up spectrum can be used for non-broadcasting services like mobile services, wireless broadband and satellite /terrestrial services. Not having access to information technologies creates economic and social disadvantages. Unemployed youth can benefit positively from the opportunities created by digital migration through the accessibility of broadband internet. The focus of this study will be to evaluate the impact DTT roll out and digital migration has on the unemployed youth in Namaqualand, often excluded from the online world due to their socio-economic conditions, focusing on the rural NamaKhoi Municipal area. Government in has a responsibility to challenge the bridge of digital divide. It should create an environment/infrastructure to make ICT available whereby young entrepreneurs can be empowered with requisite skills that will enable them to actively participate in an inclusive digital society where people can benefit from opportunities offered by digital migration. 3. THE RESEARCH PROBLEM South Africa ranked relatively low in the Networked Readiness Index (NRI) Report 2015 -75th out of the 143 countries in terms of capacity to prepare for, use and leverage ICTs. Affordability landed the country in 107th place and the general state of ICT readiness in 102nd place- an indication that government will have to make a continuous effort to address the digital divide. (http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Global_IT_Report_2015.pdf) To ensure ICT transformation benefits everyone, also those in rural areas, policy makers and governments need to understand the role ICT plays in growth, competitiveness, socio-economic development and the progress towards knowledge-based societies. Policies should adapt to support ICT investments and growth. The research will evaluate South Africa`s regulatory and business environment as well as ICT readiness—as measured by ICT affordability, skills and infrastructure. It will determine if DTT in its current form is inclusive. As a developing country, digital migration can create opportunities in South Africa to enhance skills and employability for young people in disadvantage rural areas like in the NamaKhoi municipal area, residing within the greater Namakwa District Municipal area. The impact and challenges of digital migration nationally, but also in the Northern Cape and the selected municipal area will therefore be explored, as well as how rural areas, like the NamaKhoi municipal area is affected by digital migration. The evaluation will determine if government awareness programmes creates the enabling frameworks to encourage innovation and opportunity, also if the unemployed youth is informed properly to enable them to make informed choices and explore the possible opportunities as a result of digital migration. With continuous urbanisation, rural areas hold the key to growing the economy, especially if new technologies can be adopted with support of government. Basic ICT skills knowledge is important to participate in an inclusive digital society. According to Buchanan et al.( 2010); Bhorat and Jacobs (2010); Kraak (2009); Kelly and Lewis (2003) and Rupasingha et al. (2000) rural skills development forms an integral part of a broader system, which includes economic, social and political factors and deserves to be conceptualised as such. Digital migration further creates an opportunity for the development of local software and content, as well as infrastructure to meet the needs for digital migration. Spectrum wil come available with the switch to digital broadcasting and the demand for local content once the DTT roll out is implemented, will be huge. National Government should have structures in place to address services and applications and these institutional directives will be investigated, including whether government has developed an e-governance approach in building digital and IT skills. The evaluation will determine the relevance of the DTT role out and digital migration on unemployed youth in the NamaKhoi municipal area and if there is social relevance. Figure 1 illustrates a non-alignment with social cohesion – this will be explored. 4. AIM OF THE STUDY The aim of the study is to investigate governments approach to create opportunities for unemployed youth in the NamaKhoi municipal area, within the digital environment through awareness programmes, accessibility (infrastructure) and skills development and to establish a clearer relation between government and the people. The study will contribute to the broader literature of the DTT programme within the context of South Africa as a developing country and the effectiveness of digital migration in a rural context such as the NamaKhoi municipal area. The impact of the DTT roll out in terms of opportunities like skills development to empower unemployed youth through expanding trade, creating jobs and increasing access to public services, while also promoting social and economic inclusion will be evaluated. 5. RESEARCH OBJECTIVES The objectives of the study is to: •Determine the impact of DTT roll-out (digital migration) in creating opportunities for unemployed youth in the NamaKhoi Municipality, within the broader Namaqualand District Municipality in the Northern Cape Province, South Africa. •Explore government commitment to integrating rural communities against the NDP goals of sustainable and inclusive growth by 2030 in rural areas supported by skills development to empower unemployed youth within an inclusive digital environment; •Explore whether the South African legislative, policy and regulatory environment is adequate and conducive to support an inclusive society, especially in relation to ICT skills development. •Evaluate findings of the research in the NamaKhoi Municipality; Northern Cape. 6. RESEARCH QUESTIONS 1.To what extent has DDT been rolled out in NamaKhoi Municipality? 2.Is the concept “digital divide” applicable in the NamaKhoi Municipality? 3.Is there an interrelation between SKA and DTT programmes of national government and if so, how has it impacted the NamaKhoi Municipality? 4.Are there DTT skills development programmes set up by government to support DTT rollout in NamaKhoi Municipality? To what extent do the youth of in NamaKhoi Municipality know about these programmes? 5.What is the role of local government in the rollout of the DTT programme in NamaKhoi Municipality? 6.Are there DTT programmes in place to support e-government? To what extent are the youth of in NamaKhoi Municipality integrated into these programmes? 7.Are there adequate legislative, policy and regulatory support to ensure successful integration of youth in the implementation of the DTT programme in NamaKhoi Municipality? 7. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY The study will contribute to the broader literature of the DTT programme roll out within the context of South Africa as a developing country. The Government DTT programme will be studied with reference to the effectiveness of the roll out in the rural NamaKhoi municipal area in the Northern Cape and the implications / impact on unemployed youth (skills development, employment prospects etc.) and how digital migration can contribute to empowering unemployed youth through expanding trade, creating jobs and increasing access to public services while promoting social and economic inclusion. 8. LITERATURE REVIEW Technology has become the driving force of change in the modern world. It has altered our economic structures and the ways we communicate. It has even changed how we relate to one another. Examine how technology — even in small amounts — is helping developing nations and communities overcome convention and tradition to take leaps forward. This opening spiel of the documentary “Virtual Villages: Technology and the Developing World” aired by CNN in June 2000, today still refers. Potential markets in this mentioned study showed dramatic results because of the introduction of information and communication technology to the poor and displays how the same impact can be created in rural areas through government support of the ICT sector and skills development, like in the NamaKhoi Municipal area (Figure 1), a B category municipality, within the Namakwa District Municipality (Northern Cape) to enhance lives. (Source: Municipal Demarcation Board. (2018). Shapefiles. online Available at: http://www.demarcation.org.za/site/shapefiles/ Accessed 16 May 2018.) 8.2DTT / Digital Migration Digital migration is a process of moving (migrating) from the use of analogue forms of broadcasting to digital ones. Analogue broadcasting limits the availability of radio / broadcasting frequency spectrum. According to an article by PPM Attorneys (2015), “on terrestrial networks, 6 or more services can multiplexed in the bandwidth provided for a single analogue service” – the digital dividend created by refers to the electromagnetic spectrum freed up by migration. This spectrum can be used for other wireless services like cellular cell phones, satellite television, GPS units, wireless keyboards, headphones and Bluetooth and other devices. The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) to which South Africa is an affiliate, recommended an international deadline of June 2015 for Africa and Europe to migrate to digital broadcasting. Broadcasters, who were still transmitting their broadcasting signal after this switch off date, using the analogue technology, would no longer be protected from harmful interference of their broadcasting services- resulting in picture distortions and degradation to black TV images. South Africa `s status will be evaluated in this research. In SA in order for people to have access to service offerings from DTT they will be required to have set-top boxes. Households depending on social grants and those with an income below R3500 would benefit from a commitment by the South African government to supply 5.2 million free STBs to convert digital broadcasting signals on analogue TV sets. Bridging the digital divide requires making internet accessible for the poorest people through adequate infrastructure and services. Another definition of poverty sees it as “being deprived of information needed to participate in wider society, at the local, national and global level” (Harris, 2004). The research will explore whether unemployment and poverty impact on the NamaKhoi population, more specifically on the unemployed youth, with regards to accessibility to ICT. Also if this area benefits from spectrum freed up by DTT/digital migration. 8.2.1Advantages of digital migration “Digital technologies have fundamentally reshaped our lives by expanding the base of information, reducing the costs for information sharing, transmission and acquiring, and bringing innovation that lead to the greater connectivity among people, businesses and governments.” (World Bank, 2016). DTT is important to reduce the digital divide and will ensure that all of the population have access to a variety of television and radio services and move towards the modern information society. To get wide adoption, DTT must offer quality content, affordable equipment and reliable signal access. The research will determine whether the government has done enough with regards to consumer education and awareness and has created for public support and liaised with stakeholders, especially in the NamaKhoi Municipality. It will evaluate if the advantages of ICT have an impact on unemployed youth in the said area. 184.108.40.206 Advantages of DTT for South Africa, is: •that broadcasters and operators can offer new services and generate new revenue •clearer and sharper pictures (enhanced picture quality) and content quality (in support of education, health, poverty eradication, crime prevention and rural development) •offers a wide screen format •and multiple language offerings per channel (can cater for South Africa’s pluralistic society – all benefitting from the different languages and cultures) •allows for the transmission of a greater number of channels than traditional analogue •freeing up the frequency spectrum and increase the amount of data that can be transmitted • freeing spectrum, will create an opportunity for content development • make spectrum for internet available – important to be digital inclusive •manufacturer benefit from increased receiver sale – development of hardware and software 8.3 ICT, Digital Divide and Development in (rural) South Africa ICT has the potential to raise global income levels and improve the quality of life for populations around the world, changing the way people live, work and relates to one another, create opportunities like “products-as-services, the sharing (collaborative) economy, and digital services and digital exports”. (Naude; 2017) According to Idowu ; Awodele (2010:30), ICT may include the use of computers, mobile phones, e-business or commerce, video-conferencing and the internet. “Globally, revenue from Internet advertising exceeded that from TV advertising for the first time in 2016.” (E and M outlook: 2017 – 2021; p.14) According to the World Economic Forum (2014), each additional 10% of internet penetration can also lead to a 1.2% increase in per capita GDP growth in emerging economies. Internet penetration in South Africa in the past few years, particularly with regards to mobile access and use, has flourished. (Lewis, 2005; Kreutzer, 2009; Longe et al., 2009; Insight Africa, 2012) That is why, according to Dr Kingsley Makhubela, the chief executive of Brand South Africa, both the public and private sector in South Africa are investing in the development of skills and human resources to harness these opportunities. He reflects that it is only in this way that the true potential of integrating technologies into development policies, especially in health, education, agriculture and other important measures of economic progress, will be fully realized. It is thus important to explore if rural areas, specifically those like in the Namakwa District Municipality (Northern Cape), benefit from ICT development and if not, what the reasons are and how can it be addresses to empower young unemployed people. o8.3.2 Digital Divide A previous Minister in the South African Presidency, Trevor Manuel stated, “The truth of the matter is that inequality will grow because ICT does not wait until the laggards are ready.” (Jansen, 2014) Internet has a clear potential for improved quality of life and social inclusion among users (Oyedemi, 2015; Kelly, Kennedy ; Britton, McGuire ; Law, 2016). “Young men and women today face increasing uncertainty in their hopes of undergoing a satisfactory entry to the labour market, and this uncertainty and disillusionment can, in turn, have damaging effects on individuals, communities, economies and society at large. Unemployed or underemployed youth are less able to contribute effectively to national development and have fewer opportunities to exercise their rights as citizens. They have less to spend as consumers, less to invest as savers and often have no “voice” to bring about change in their lives and communities.” ILO (KILM 2014) According to Nagamani and Veni (2016) information has become the principal determinant of the progress of nations, communities and individuals. Access to digital technologies brings more choices and provides opportunities that were previously out of reach to the poor and disadvantaged. Due to its impact on society and on economic development (Alam ; Imran, 2015; Harris, 2015), the digital divide is still recognised as an important research topic (Srinuan, ; Bohlin, 2011). ICT distribution is SA is uneven because of demographical, socio-economic and cultural factors such as ethnicity, income, education, language and gender. This digital divide separates individuals who are able to access computers and the internet from those who have no opportunity to do so. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (Mwim and Kritzinger, 2016) have defined the term digital divide as the “gap between individuals, households, businesses and geographic areas at different socio-economic levels with regard both to their opportunities to access ICTs and to their use of the Internet for a wide variety of activities” as well as gaps between developed and developing nations. Research shows also that the Internet has a tremendous effect on the way human beings resolve their educational, social and economic desires (Harris, 2015), therefor it is important to close the digital gap. The term digital divide is also defined in this research as an inequality in access to ICT device and the Internet that exist between countries, individuals, households, businesses and geographic areas at different socio-economic levels (OECD, 2001; Srinuan and Bohlin; Mwim and Kritzinger, 2016). In observing the IDP of the municipality an understanding will achieved on the poverty situation in the area of study, also the age and gender most affected within the group- unemployed youth. 8.3.3 Development in (rural) South Africa Humans can only be capacitated in an environment where people have access to (affordable) information and where skills development takes place. The DTT roll out /digital migration in SA creates this opportunity for government to include skills development and specifically digital skills development for the unemployed youth to support capacity building throughout the value chain. The National Development Plan (NDP; 2012) states “no political democracy can survive and flourish if the mass of our people remain in poverty, without land, without tangible prospects for a better life…attacking poverty and deprivation must therefore be the first priority of a democratic government”. “ICT is not a panacea for rural development problems, but it has the potential to help the rural poor to leaping some of the traditional barriers to development, by improving access to information, expanding the market base, enhancing employment opportunities and making government services work better.” (Swanson ; Rajalathi, 2010) Castells and Himanen (2014; p.269) reflect as follow on the relationship between informational and human development namely “the challenges of global change require an intellectual renewal able to associate human development with informational innovation and… with the needs of the network society theory.” Digital migration resulted in a shift towards developing “human skills infrastructure” (Cukier, Smarz ; Grant, 2011, p. 1) frequently referred to as electronic skills (e-skills). According to Baker et al. (2003) and Chavula (2010) the internet is an essential mechanism for transforming various aspects of human life, for instance in the medical, social and economic spheres. At the IDC Directions 2018 event, Mark Walker, associate vice-president for Sub-Saharan Africa said that “compared with high growth economies globally, South Africa would need to significantly increase investment in both technology itself, and importantly, training and skills, to utilise the technology investment to maximum effect.” (https://www.itweb.co.za/content) Of concern is the country’s relatively low ICTs ranking in the Networked Readiness Index (NRI) Report 2015 -75th out of the 143 countries, which contributes to the increasing awareness in South Africa that ICT should be used more widely (Bilbao-Osorio et al., 2014; Gillwald, Moyo & Stork, 2012). The Department of Communication and the e-Skills Institute (2010) concludes, however, that providing access to ICT to people, without the necessary and appropriate skills to be able to use it, has proved to be a largely ineffective means of inclusion. According to Weiss (2011) and Oyedemi (2015) information offered by the internet plays a vital role in social equality, human development and successful socio-economic improvement of any community. ICT in rural areas include community radios, like Radio NFM98.1 in the town of Okiep (NamaKhoi Municipality) which will participate in the research to evaluate the impact of the community radio on awareness, educational value, as well as the impact of digital migration on the radio station in terms of digitizing and effectiveness to interact with the communities. Furthermore community televisions, participatory video, internet services like ICT hubs in libraries where communities have access to internet – all contribute to including community members in an inclusive digital environment; useful for the illiterate. Not only does radio and TV enhance national identity, but it also provides an outlet for domestic media content. It informs the public about important news and information – important in rural areas where the population is spread over vast areas and in times of emergencies. The research will try to establish how relevant ICT is in the NamaKhoi municipal area, also with regards to e-governance and if it is actively implemented and useful to the communities. Namaqualand is a well-known tourist destination. Tourism and small scale farming are ways of making a living for many, especially after the downscaling of mining activities like the OCC copper mining (Okiep-ward 6, Nababeep- ward 9), De Beers mine at Koingnaas and Kleinzee (most workers in the NamaKhoi municipal area were from Komaggas (ward 8) and Steinkopft (Ward 2 and 3) – ICT can benefit the community in developing and growing these business opportunities and establishing SME`s to challenge unemployment. Therefor the Tourism Office will be included in the research to see if DTT actually do impact or can impact on youth development in the sector and how skills development can contribute to better the lives of young people. The Internet has the capacity to have a tremendous transformational impact on society and commerce (Kelly, Kennedy, Britton, McGuire and Law 2016). Ismail et al. (2011) reveals that SME`s in South Africa invest in general use ICT technologies like the internet, bulk SMS, VoIP, organisational websites and intranets. Awareness was identified as one of the underlying factors affecting the level of the Internet non-use in developing communities (Ting, 2016). Other factors that may impact on the Internet usage and connectivity in rural areas include language, access and skill. The barriers to ICT usage in the NamaKhoi Municipality will be explored. Various studies reflects on the benefits of the internet in society, skills and awareness (Helsper and Reisdorf, 2013; Zillien and Hargittai, 2009; Wei and Hindman, 2011; Van Deursen and Van Dijk, 2014; Ting, 2016). It can, however, not be seen as a stand-alone – in this regard the EDP and IDP of the municipality is a guide line to get a background on the population and to see what needs of the community are addressed or needs to be prioritized. The research will analyse the information presented by these documents to get a clear understanding of the background of the NamaKhoi Municipality and circumstances for this research area. The local government needs to consult with communities to determine what local activities need be supported by ICT`s, also to get support for any training or actions involved initiatives. 8.4. Interrelation between SKA and DTT President Ramaphosa in an article in ITWeb (February 2018) reflects on the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) radio telescope in the Karoo (Northern Cape) -“Our SKA project where our scientists and our young people are just excelling beyond any imaginable limit is already demonstrating to all and sundry across the world that South Africa and South Africans are well attuned to innovation and technology. The research will explore if there is any relevance between the DTT/digital migration and the SKA project and how, if the SKA project impact on the rural area of NamaKhoi. 8.5 Adequate legislative, policy and regulatory support Azari (2009) and Pick (2008) present results that show that technology utilization can be influenced by policies that promote an open society, investment in ICTs and improved general and technology-focused education. A country needs a favourable business environment, strong human capital and good governances to observe the positive impacts of ICT as emphasized by the World Bank (2016). By taking advantage of benefits that ICT`s have to offer, the growth potential of the country can be accelerated. ICT is a tool for driving socio?economic development such as poverty reduction. While Wim Naudé, the Dean of the Maastricht School of Management, argues that the 4IR offers opportunities for “new forms of manufacturing that would trigger a period of valuable growth”, SA needs, however, to coordinate attractive legislative and economic conditions, together with partnerships between private businesses ( incentivizes the private sector to implement skills development programmes) and the non-profit sector to help address socio-economic inequality that still persists in South Africa after more than two decades of the Apartheid era. The research will explore if there are adequate legislative, policy and regulatory support to ensure successful integration of youth in the implementation of the DTT programme in NamaKhoi Municipality. 9. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY 9.1 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY The general approach to the research design will be a Qualitative Study that seeks to understand the impact of the rollout of DTT/digital migration in the rural NamaKhoi Municipality on the unemployed youth. Grounded theory is a systematic methodology which operates inductively (analysis and development of theories happens after you have collected the data). This social science research collects non-numerical data. As it involves collecting and analysing of data it is said that the theory is “grounded” in actual data. This data will be interpreted and evaluated to understand social life through the study of the targeted population, in this case the unemployed youth. Qualitative research allows the researcher access to the respondents’ experiences from their own perspectives and experiences. This will be achieved through interviews and focus groups in order to get a better understanding. “Interviews are, therefore, most appropriate where little is already known about the study phenomenon or where detailed insights are required from individual participants…” (Silverman; 2000) Questionnaires will also be used in this research. The literature review gives an overview of relevant resources, books and scholarly articles on the topic that were studied by the researcher relevant to a the area of research and an evaluation of these works in relation to the research problem that is being investigated. This non-empirical study will focus on life / people’s experiences (the unemployed youth in the NamaKhoi Municipality) and with the data gathered and analysed the researcher will be able to construct a theory to explain her findings. 9.2 SAMPLING STRATEGY Polit and Hungler (1999:37) refer to the population as an aggregate or totality of all the objects, subjects or members that conform to a set of specifications. The targeted population in this qualitative research will be unemployed youth and how they are impacted by DTT rollout /digital migration in the NamaKhoi Municipality, Northern Cape, as this is the criteria put out by the researcher. The sample for this research will be from the accessible population in the NamaKhoi Municipality. The sample frame will be including unemployed youth (15-35), with the sample size 8-10 people. A random selection process will be followed in order to ensure that each individual in the population has the same chance of being selected for the sample. The researcher will make use of community radio to select random and willing participants – a probability sample method. The impact of the roll out of DTT / digital migration on the local community radio station as well as Tourism Office will also be included in the evaluation. Target groups will thus be: oUnemployed youth (15-35) oThe community radio in Namaqualand, Northern Cape oTourism Office -Namaqualand Municipality Target Group The findings of the survey data will provide evidence whether there is a lack of awareness of the benefits of the internet in this rural area, contributing to a digital divide- “a generation gap between those who master and do not master digital technology, or “the difference between those who know and those who do not know how to act in a digital environment” (Aarsand 2007:235,236) This will have social and economic implications, therefor the inclusion of the community radio station and Tourism Office, because both can contribute to close the digital divide gap. Access to internet enables information sharing, connectivity and participation in the economy. The area is a popular tourism destination and there are opportunities for unemployed youth to create small enterprises. They can link with the tourism office if they have access to internet and have the necessary skills. There are also prospects for content development in the local creative sector-not only to benefit local tourism, but also the local community radio station, creating employment opportunities. There has been much recent focus on the role of the cultural industries, or cultural sector, in local and regional economic development (Sacco et al., 2014). It is further important to establish the radio`s contribution to create awareness, inform communities and educate them in line with the government who support community radios through the Media Diversity Development Agency and if government support the community radio and used this medium to create awareness of the roll out of DTT in the communities. In the information age we live, the lack of awareness of internet benefits among the participants in developing communities, such as in the NamaKhoi Municipality will have implications on how human activities are carried. It will be determined if the participants unemployment / poverty status influence their perception of awareness benefits and the use of the Internet. 9.3 DATA COLLECTION INSTRUMENTS In this research the researcher will make use of community radio to select random and willing participants – a probability sample method. A program on the local community radio station NFM98.1 on the roll out of DTT/ digital migration, before the end of June, will give the opportunity to invite prospective participants to send their number and names to the radio station. Participants will be informed that the information will be used confidentially. The criteria for these participants are that they need to be unemployed, in the age group 15-35 and live in the NamaKhoi Municipality. The researcher will apply the interview format using semi-structured interviews / focus group and the researcher will be engaging a small group of participants. The intention with this conversation is that it will be designed to generate data relevant to the research question. Focus groups can contain anywhere from 5 to 15 participants. The interview combined with a questionnaire will consist of several key questions that will help to define the areas to be explored. The questionnaire will have some open-ended questions to ensure that the youth get the opportunity to voice their opinion and elaborate on personal experience. It will provide participants with some guidance on what to talk about, which many might find helpful and will allows the interviewer or interviewee to diverge in order to pursue an idea or response in more detail. Study details will be given to respondents before interviews take place to put them at ease. Ethical principles like confidentiality and anonymity will be emphasized. Kvale (1996) states that” the fundamental purpose of the research interview is to listen attentively to what respondents have to say, in order to acquire more knowledge about the study topic.” According to Silverman (2000) there are a variety of methods of data collection in qualitative research, including observations, textual or visual analysis (e.g. from books or videos) and interviews (individual or group).The literature review in this research design also includes examining various texts, relevant books, journals, legislation and publications, to provide a clear understanding of thoughts and discussions/feedback on the topic. The choice of the province and community were based on the following reasons: oGovernment started the DTT roll out/digital migration in the Northern Cape oThe SKA project, the world’s largest radio telescope, with eventually over a square kilometre (one million square metres) of data collecting area, is in the Northen Cape and it is important to know how this might impact on the DTT roll out /digital migration, if. oNamaKhoi Municipality is in a rural area and (youth) unemployment is a serious problem, therefor it is important to establish if the youth have access to the internet and realise the opportunities it is able to create. oIt is also important to explore the barriers that exist for these young people being unemployed in a rural area and if government creates an environment that empower them, like through skills development. oNo previous studies of this sort has previously been conducted in the NamaKhoi Municipality and because of the location of the municipality it bears potential for economic growth through tourism, small farmingg and other probabilities that can be created by access to internet that will enable an environment for economic growth and employment. 9.4 DATA ANALYSIS The process of examining, transforming, arranging and summarizing raw data in a specific way to generate useful information from it is called data analysis- it is the activity of making sense of, interpreting and theorizing data that signifies a search for general statements among categories of data. (Schwandt, 2007:6) Analysing Qualitative data is to offer an explanation or interpretation to descriptive information. Tuckman and Harper (2012:387) state that a qualitative study involves an inseparable relationship between data collection and data analysis in order to build a coherent interpretation of data. Qualitative methods use words (concepts, terms, symbols, etc.) to construct a framework for communicating the essence of what the data reveal… (Sesay, 2011:74). Qualitative research is a more subjective form of research and the analysis relies on the researchers’ impressions therefor it must be systematic and transparent to ensure that it is reliable as it often investigates people’s experiences, meanings and relationships, also their knowledge and understanding of a given issue or programme, like the DTT roll out / digital migration process. There are two ways of analysing qualitative data. One way is to examine the findings with a pre-defined framework, which reflects the aims of the study, objectives and interests and allows the researcher to focus on particular answers and abandon the rest- the ‘framework analysis’ (Pope et al 2000) The second approach takes an exploratory perspective, encouraging the researcher to consider and code all the data, allowing for new interpretations – the thematic network analysis (Attride-Stirling, 2001). ?If the study is qualitative- refer to the specific type of analysis that will be used (for example, content analysis, thematic analysis, narrative analysis, grounded theory, and so forth). Also describe how the data will data be transcribed. “Do not take the risk. Pilot test first.” (Van Teijlingen ; Hundley, 2001:2). A pilot study in social science research can refer to so-called feasibility studies which are “small scale versions, or trial runs, done in preparation for the major study” (Polit et al., 2001: 467). According to Baker (1994: 182-3) it can also be the pre-testing or ‘trying out’ of a particular research instrument. It follows after the researcher has a clear vision of the research topic, questions, techniques and methods. Some have argued that in qualitative approaches separate pilot studies are not necessary (Holloway; 1997: 121). It is however, important to conduct a pilot study because it may identify potential practical/logistical problems in following the proposed research procedure. For this qualitative research study 1-2 people will be doing the pilot study on the interview questions to develop and test the research instruments and collect primary data. The pilot subjects will conduct the questionnaire in exactly the same way as it will be administered in the main study and be asked for feedback to see if they experienced any difficulties and to identify ambiguities and difficult questions-the questionnaire will be tested for validity and reliability. Participants in the pilot study`s non-verbal behaviour may give important information about any embarrassment or discomfort experienced concerning the content or wording in a questionnaire. Furthermore the researcher will be able to measure the time to see whether the time allocation for the research questionnaire is appropriate. Doing a pilot study helps the researcher determine what resources are needed for the planned research and to assess the feasibility of a (full-scale) study/survey, although completing a pilot study successfully is not a guarantee of the success of the full-scale survey. A pilot study gives the researcher an opportunity to design a research protocol that is realistic and workable. It also assists the researcher to assess if the sampling frame and technique are effective. It is argued that”an essential feature of a pilot study is that the data are not used to test a hypothesis or included with data from the actual study when the results are reported” (Peat et al. 2002: 57) The pilot study will be done in order to see if there are potential problems that can arise from the research questionnaire. 10. ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS Ethical considerations in research are important as ethics help to determine the difference between acceptable and unacceptable behaviors. They are the norms or standards for conduct that distinguish between right and wrong. The sample selection will be done by inviting prospective participants via a radio talk show to forward their names and numbers to the radio. A letter was already written to the radio station which confirmed that all is in order for the planned programme. Participants will be made aware of the purpose of the project so that they can make informed decisions on whether they want to participateand that their information will be kept confidential. They also have the opportunity to decide for themselves whether they want to participate or not – A discussion on the following aspects should be considered: ?Ensuring participants have given informed consent; ?Ensuring no harm comes to participants; ?Ensuring confidentiality and anonymity; and ?Ensuring that permission is obtained. When discussing the ethical considerations, it is important that you state how these considerations will be maintained in the current study. starting point in considering ethical concerns is the four principles of Tom Beauchamp and Jim Childress (1983): Autonomy; respect the rights of the individual Beneficience; doing good Non-maleficience; not doing harm Justice; particularly equity Consider carefully the context in which you will be working, the aim of your research and how sensitive the topic might be. Might the questions that you will be asking be traumatising or might they make your respondent(s) uncomfortable/fearful Remember that asking a person to talk about experiences that were frightening, humiliating and painful can cause or increase anxiety. It may not only create distress during an interview, but may also emerge after2. It is therefore very important that you take care in how you ask a question and where you choose to ask questions. Two key ethical issues that should be considered in any project are consent and Everyone who participates in your study should have freely consented to participation, without being coerced or unfairly pressurised. This means they should be well-informed about what participation entails, and reassured that declining will not affect any services they receive. While written consent may in some situations frighten the individuals you are talking to, you should at the very least obtain verbal consent. It is not always easy or even possible to measure the dangers of a certain context to a given population, let alone to individuals. It is therefore essential to protect the identity of the person from whom you gather information. If collected, the identity of the participants must be protected at all times and not be left lying around in notebooks or un-protected
People from all walks of life use heroin every day. Unfortunately, the United States is in an opioid crisis, including heroin distribution, use, and overdose. While studies show that regular heroin users tend to be in their 30s or older, teens frequently experiment with illicit drugs, including heroin. Like other opiates and opioids, heroin is incredibly difficult to stop taking without drug abuse treatment. If your son or a teenage boy in your life needs drug abuse treatment for heroin or other drugs, call Foothills at Red Oak Recovery today. Our holistic programs help adolescent boys struggling with addiction and mental health disorders in North Carolina. Call 866.300.5275 to learn more about our holistic drug abuse treatment programs. What Is Heroin? Heroin is an illicit street drug derived from opium. Initially developed in the 1800s from the opium poppy, heroin was used in hospitals. Today, however, other opioids have taken their place medicinally and remain legal under prescriptions like Vicodin and OxyContin. Unfortunately, all opioids and opiates are addictive and incredibly difficult to stop taking without professional help. Heroin is also semi-synthetic, meaning it can be hard to know what drug makers combine with heroin, making it more dangerous. When heroin enters the bloodstream, it immediately blocks pain receptors in the brain. It also releases a rush of dopamine, causing a euphoric feeling. This combination of effects can make heroin highly addictive. Someone can build up a tolerance to opioids quickly, so the more often they take heroin, the more heroin they will need to achieve the same effect. Signs and Symptoms of Heroin Use in Teens If you’re worried your son is using heroin, you’re not alone. Because of its painkilling and euphoric effects, heroin is a popular choice for those that want to self-medicate for emotional, physical, and psychological pain. It allows teens to check out or disassociate from complicated feelings, stress, and social problems. Heroin is most often smoked or injected. Signs of heroin use include: - Mood swings and erratic behavior - Disturbed sleep - Profuse sweating - Track marks from injection - Changes in grades and social habits - New friend groups - Changes in eating habits Heroin changes a person’s brain. When someone stops using heroin cold turkey, they will experience dope sickness, which is similar to the symptoms of an intense flu. This withdrawal can cause delusions, self-harm, and reckless behavior. The safest way to detox and recover from heroin is with a drug abuse treatment program. Attempting to stop using heroin or other opioids at home often leads to relapse and overdose. Start Holistic Heroin Treatment for Your Teen Today in North Carolina If your son is showing signs of heroin use, they may be using heroin as a form of self-soothing for deeper wounds. A dual diagnosis treatment program can help. At Foothills at Red Oak Recovery, adolescent boys learn how to build resilience, disconnect from social pressures, and heal. Our programs for teenage boys focus on holistic and evidence-based therapies for transformational healing. We use dual diagnosis treatment to help uncover, treat, and manage co-occurring disorders alongside substance abuse, process addiction, and disordered eating. Clients at Foothills at Red Oak Recovery love our equine-assisted therapy and wilderness therapy programs, as well as our robust family therapy program. We know that reconnecting with loved ones, improving communication, and treating addiction and mental health together can help adolescent boys thrive. Call Now to Start Heroin Treatment for Teenage Boys at Foothills at Red Oak Recovery Don’t let heroin or other opioids control your son’s life. Call Foothills at Red Oak Recovery today at 866.300.5275 to learn about the benefits of drug abuse treatment at our adolescent addiction treatment program now.
What is viewport meta tag? What is viewport meta tag? Enter viewport meta tag To mitigate this problem of virtual viewport on narrow screen devices, Apple introduced the “viewport meta tag” in Safari iOS to let web developers control the viewport’s size and scale. Many other mobile browsers now support this tag, although it is not part of any web standard. What is viewport size? The browser viewport is the size of the rectangle that a web page fills on your screen (or screens!). It’s basically the size of the browser window, less the toolbars and scrollbars. It’s the bit of the screen you’re actually using to show the webpage. Does Google use keywords for SEO? At least for Google’s web search results currently (September 2009), the answer is no. Google doesn’t use the “keywords” meta tag in our web search ranking. Can Meta keywords be two words? Meta Keywords Tag Tips: you can repeat any word an unlimited amount of time as long as each time it is part of a different phrase. notice how I split keywords into two words in the example keyword tag above because the words to not appear on the page. Are meta tags still used? Meta-keywords are dead. Do not use them. The keywords meta tag was really designed in 1995 for very archaic old search engines and some could argue that the rise of Google was actually because of older search engines relying too much on this tag. Why is meta tag used in HTML? The <meta> tag defines metadata about an HTML document. Metadata is used by browsers (how to display content or reload page), search engines (keywords), and other web services. What does body mean in HTML? Definition and Usage The <body> tag defines the document’s body. The <body> element contains all the contents of an HTML document, such as headings, paragraphs, images, hyperlinks, tables, lists, etc. How long can Meta titles be? Meta descriptions can be any length, but Google generally truncates snippets to ~155–160 characters. It’s best to keep meta descriptions long enough that they’re sufficiently descriptive, so we recommend descriptions between 50–160 characters. What is meant by UTF-8? UTF-8 is a variable-width character encoding used for electronic communication. Defined by the Unicode Standard, the name is derived from Unicode (or Universal Coded Character Set) Transformation Format – 8-bit. How do I add a meta viewport tag? How to add a viewport meta tag # - width=device-width sets the width of the viewport to the width of the device. - initial-scale=1 sets the initial zoom level when the user visits the page. What is a meta? Meta can be used as an acronym for “most effective tactics available,” and calling something “meta” means that it’s an effective way to achieve the goal of the game, whether it’s to beat other players or beat the game itself. Are SEO keywords important? SEO keywords range from single words to complex phrases and are used to inform website content to increase relevant organic search traffic. When effectively researched and optimized, keywords act as a conduit to connect your target audience with your website. What is a meta title tag? The meta title refers to the title of a HTML document that is displayed both in Search Engine result snippets as well as the page’s tab in browsers. Alternative descriptions include “title tag” or “page title”. Adding a title to the page’s HTML is done so within the of the document, using the <title> tag. What is meta name generator? You used the so called meta name generator tag, also known as the formatter tag, to add the name of the program you used to create your website. Now, most people don’t want anybody to know with which tool or program they created their website and therefor they remove this tag from their site. What is viewport height? Viewport Height (vh). This unit is based on the height of the viewport. If the viewport height is smaller than the width, the value of 1vmin will be equal to 1% of the viewport height. Similarly, if the viewport width is smaller than the height, the value of 1vmin will be equal to 1% of the viewport width. How do you write a good title for SEO? 5 Tips for Writing Title Tags - Write unique titles for every page. Every page on your website is unique and your title tags should reflect that. - Pay attention to length. - Use your target keyword (but don’t overdo it). - Be descriptive of what’s on the page. - Make a (brief) case for what’s on the page. How do I create a meta tag? Meta tags have to be placed in the so called HEAD part in the source of the website. We start very simple by adding the most important tags, a title and a description….Start Simple - Step 1 – Adjust the title in the source – HTML Title Tag. - Step 2 – Add a relevant description – meta description tag. What is the meaning of meta charset UTF 8 in HTML? Definition and Usage The charset attribute specifies the character encoding for the HTML document. The HTML5 specification encourages web developers to use the UTF-8 character set, which covers almost all of the characters and symbols in the world! What is title tag in HTML? The HTML Title element ( <title> ) defines the document’s title that is shown in a browser’s title bar or a page’s tab. It only contains text; tags within the element are ignored. What is name viewport? The viewport is the user’s visible area of a web page. The viewport varies with the device, and will be smaller on a mobile phone than on a computer screen. Before tablets and mobile phones, web pages were designed only for computer screens, and it was common for web pages to have a static design and a fixed size. What is a viewport Autocad? Layout viewports are objects that display views of model space. You create, scale, and place them in paper space on a layout. On each layout, you can create one or more layout viewports. Each layout viewport is like a closed circuit TV monitor of a view of the model at a scale and orientation that you specify. Can I add meta tags in the body? META tags are only allowed within HEAD (just like, say, TITLE) so by putting it into a BODY, you’re essentially creating an invalid markup. Which is the correct way to tag an image? Using the tag. The element is the most straight-forward way of displaying a static image on a page. You should normally use it whenever an image is actually a part of the content (as opposed to using an image as part of a page’s design). What is a good SEO title? The full title shows up on a mobile search. Those examples should prove that there’s not always a hard rule for length, but 55-60 characters is a good target. Try to fit in the most important keywords at the beginning of the title tag. That is the part that search engines are least likely to chop off. What is the ideal length of a title tag? How many characters are in a title? Google typically displays the first 50–60 characters of a title tag. If you keep your titles under 60 characters, our research suggests that you can expect about 90% of your titles to display properly. Does Google use meta keywords? Yes, they do, but not all Meta tags can help you in 2021. In my experience, if you want to rank high in Google in 2021 then you also need to focus on high-quality content and user satisfaction. (See below: There are a few tags, we can call them the bad Meta tags and we should simply ignore them.) What is the advantage of putting all of your important keywords in the meta keywords tag? The importance of meta tags is that the search engines read them in order to compare if these keywords and the description are related to the visible content.
Tiniest Marine Life Spread BP Oil into Food Chain March 21, 2012 Oil rig in Gulf of Mexico. Image: James Pierson, Univ. of Maryland Center for Environmental Science Tiny drifting animals in the ocean, zooplankton are useful to track oil-derived pollution. They serve as food for baby fish and shrimp and act as conduits for the movement of oil contamination and pollutants into the food chain. The study confirms that not only did oil affect the ecosystem in the Gulf during the blowout, but it was still entering the food web after the well was capped. Oil, which is a complex mixture of hydrocarbons and other chemicals, contains polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which can be used to fingerprint oil and determine its provenance. The researchers were able to identify the signature unique to the Deep Water Horizon well in the Gulf of Mexico. “Our research helped to determine a ‘fingerprint’ of the Deepwater Horizon spill—something that other researchers interested the spill may be able to use,” says Siddhartha Mitra of Eastern Carolina Univ. “Furthermore, our work demonstrated that zooplankton in the Northern Gulf of Mexico accumulated toxic compounds derived from the Macondo well.” The team’s research indicates that the fingerprint of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill could be found in some zooplankton in the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem at low levels, as much as a month after the leaking wellhead was capped. In addition, the extent of the contamination seemed to be patchy. Some zooplankton at certain locations far removed from the spill showed evidence of contamination, whereas zooplankton in other locations, sometimes near the spill, showed lower indications of exposure to the oil-derived pollutants. "Traces of oil in the zooplankton prove that they had contact with the oil and the likelihood that oil compounds may be working their way up the food chain,” says Michael Roman of the Univ. of Maryland Center for Environmental Science. The study was led by East Carolina Univ. with researchers from the Univ. of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Oregon State Univ., Georgia Institute of Technology and U.S. Geological Survey. The paper, “Macondo-1 well oil-derived polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in mesozooplankton from the northern Gulf of Mexico,” was published in Geographical Research Letters. Source: Univ. of Maryland Center for Environmental Science
We may soon be able to make pain-free animals, according to New Scientist. The study they reported on finds that people not enthused by creating such creatures for scientific research, which is interesting. Robin Hanson guessed prior to seeing the article that this was because endorsing pain free animals would require thinking that farmed animals now were in more pain than wild animals, which people don’t think. However it turns out that vegetarians and animal welfare advocates were much more opposed to the idea than others in the study, so another explanation is needed. Robert Wiblin suggested to me that vegetarians are mostly in favor of animals not being used, as well as not being hurt, so they don’t want to support pain-free use, as that is supporting use. He made this comparison: Currently children are being sexually abused. The technology now exists to put them under anaesthetic so that they don’t experience the immediate pain of sexual abuse. Should we put children under anaesthetic to sexually abuse them? A glance at the comments on other sites reporting the possibility of painless meat suggests vegetarians cite this along with a lot of different reasons for disapproval. And sure enough it seems mainly meat eaters who say eliminating pain would make them feel better about eating meat. The reasons vegetarians (and others) give for not liking the idea, or for not being more interested in pain-free meat, include: - The animals would harm themselves without knowing - Eating animals is bad for environmental or health reasons - Killing is always wrong - Animals have complex social lives and are sad when their family are killed, regardless of pain - Animals are living things [?!] - There are other forms of unpleasantness, such as psychological torture - How can we tell they don’t feel pain? - We will treat them worse if we think they can’t feel it, and we might be wrong - There are better solutions, such as not eating meat - It’s weird, freaky, disrespectful - It’s selfish and unnecessary for humans to do this to animals Many reasonable reasons. The fascinating thing though is that vegetarians seem to consistently oppose the idea, yet not share reasons. Three (not mutually exclusive) explanations: - Vegetarians care more about animals in general, so care about lots of related concerns. - Once you have an opinion, you collect a multitude of reasons to have it. When I was a vegetarian I thought meat eating was bad for the environment, bad for people who need food, bad for me, maybe even bad for animals. This means when a group of people lose one reason to hold a shared belief they all have other reasons to put forward, but not necessarily the same ones. - There’s some single reason vegetarians are especially motivated to oppose pain-free meat, so they each look for a reason to oppose it, and come across different ones, as there are many. I’m interested by 3 because the situation reminds me of a pattern in similar cases I have noticed before. It goes like this. Some people make personal sacrifices, supposedly toward solving problems that don’t threaten them personally. They sort recycling, buy free range eggs, buy fair trade, campaign for wealth redistribution etc. Their actions are seen as virtuous. They see those who don’t join them as uncaring and immoral. A more efficient solution to the problem is suggested. It does not require personal sacrifice. People who have not previously sacrificed support it. Those who have previously sacrificed object on grounds that it is an excuse for people to get out of making the sacrifice. The supposed instrumental action, as the visible sign of caring, has become virtuous in its own right. Solving the problem effectively is an attack on the moral people – an attempt to undermine their dream of a future where everybody longs to be very informed on the social and environmental effects of their consumption choices or to sort their recycling really well. Some examples of this sentiment: - A downside to recreating extinct species with cloning is that it will let people bother even less about stopping extinctions. - A recycling system where items are automatically and efficiently sorted at the plant rather than individually in homes would be worse because then people would be ignorant about the effort it takes to recycle. - Modern food systems lamentably make people lazy and ignorant of where their food comes from. - Making cars efficient just lets people be lazy and drive them more, rather than using real solutions like bikes. - The internet’s ready availability and general knowledge allows people to be ignorant and not bother learning facts. In these cases, having solved a problem a better way should mean that efforts to solve it via personal sacrifice can be lessened. This would be a good thing if we wanted to solve the problem, and didn’t want to sacrifice. We would rejoice at progress allowing ever more ignorance and laziness on a given issue. But often we instead regret the end of an opportunity to show compassion and commitment. Especially when we were the compassionate, committed ones. Is vegetarian opposition to preventing animal pain an example of this kind of motivation? Vegetarianism is a big personal effort, a moral issue, a cause of feelings of moral superiority, and a feature of identity which binds people together. It looks like other issues where people readily claim fear of an end to virtuous efforts. How should we distinguish between this and the other explanations?
Prompted by a question from Brian Cox, on Twitter, I wrote a post outlining the history of Galileo’s engagement with heliocentricity and the Catholic Church giving it the sub-title “A Rough Guide”. This post in turn provoked a series of question and answers on Twitter between myself and my #histsci soul-sister Dr Rebekah “Becky” Higgitt, which I developed into a post on the role played by the observations of the phases of Venus in the gradual acceptance of heliocentricity; a second post to which I added the sub-title “A Rough Guide”. I have now decided to go with the flow and produce a series of posts dealing one by one with the various things that contributed to the gradual transition from a geocentric to a heliocentric astronomy during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, each post bearing the sub-title “A Rough Guide”. The aim is to demonstrate that this transition was not a simple question of the one is right and the other wrong, as it is unfortunately all too often presented today, particularly by those of a gnu atheist persuasion, but that within the context of the times the various factors involved often required subtle and careful interpretation and were not the clear cut evidence that hindsight seems to make them now. For example, I hope I have already achieved this in the post on the phases of Venus. To make it easier for readers to put the whole series together and to form, for themselves, the big picture, I have added a new separate page to the Renaissance Mathematicus, which will contain a list of all the posts, with links. Suggestions, from readers, for topics to be dealt with in this series are welcome; I already have a list of eight, the first of which will be posted some time next week.
This procedure, developed by Dr. Rudolf Marx, uses the display of an ideal respiration curve to help the client acquire an efficient and correct style of breathing. The program first analyses the client’s breathing pattern. It uses this to calculate an ideal respiration curve, allocating 30% of the time to inhalation, 60% to exhalation and 10% to a pause in breathing. Heart rate, blood pressure and muscle tone increase during inhalation and decrease during exhalation. When the exhalation phase is emphasized, as it is in the ideal curve, there is a reduction in the effect of the sympathetic nervous system and hence in the general level of activity. The client attempts to match his breathing to the curve. To improve the effectiveness of training the properties of the curve can be modified, for example with regard to frequency, steepness and the percentage contributions of inhalation and exhalation. After at the most five training sessions the client is usually able to reproduce the more beneficial breathing pattern, even without feedback. The chart shows that breathing (blue) has changed to fit the displayed ideal respiration curve. The rise in hand temperature (red) and the fall in skin conductance (yellow) demonstrate the relaxing effect of the breathing exercises. Another good indicator of relaxation is the extent of the link between heart rate and breathing (respiratory sinus arrhythmia - RSA). RSA involves the pulse rate (orange) increasing during inhalation and decreasing during exhalation.
American Association for the Advancement of Science Prehistoric 'rodent' may have set the stage for life in trees, herbivorous diets The 160 million-year-old fossil of an extinct rodent-like creature from China is helping to explain how multituberculates - the most evolutionarily successful and long-lived mammalian lineage in the fossil record - achieved their dominance. This fossil find - the oldest ancestor in the multituberculate family tree - represents a newly discovered species known as Rugosodon eurasiaticus. The nearly complete skeleton provides critical insights into the traits that helped such multituberculates thrive in their day. For example, the fossil reveals teeth that were adapted to gnawing plants and animals alike, as well as ankle joints that were highly adept at rotation. In light of these findings, researchers suggest that R. eurasiaticus paved the way for later plant-eating and tree-dwelling mammals. Chong-Xi Yuan from the Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences in Beijing, China, along with Chinese and American colleagues, report their analysis of the fossil in the 16 August issue of Science. The multituberculates flourished during the Cretaceous era, which ended over 60 million years ago. Much like today's rodents, they filled an extremely wide variety of niches - below the ground, on the ground and in the trees - and this new fossil, which resembles a small rat or a chipmunk, possessed many of the adaptations that subsequent species came to rely upon, the researchers say. “The later multituberculates of the Cretaceous [era] and the Paleocene [epoch] are extremely functionally diverse: Some could jump, some could burrow, others could climb trees and many more lived on the ground,” explained Zhe-Xi Luo, a co-author of the Science report. “The tree-climbing multituberculates and the jumping multituberculates had the most interesting ankle bones, capable of 'hyper-back-rotation' of the hind feet.” “What is surprising about this discovery is that these ankle features were already present in Rugosodon - a land-dwelling mammal,” he said. (Such highly mobile ankle joints are normally associated with the foot functions of animals that are exclusively tree-dwellers - those that navigate uneven surfaces.) Additionally, R. eurasiaticus could eat many different types of food, according to the researchers. The fossil - particularly its dentition, which reveals teeth designed for shearing plant matter - confirms a 2012 analysis of tooth types that suggested multituberculates consumed an animal-dominated diet for much of their existence, later diversifying to a plant-dominated one. Multituberculates arose in the Jurassic period and went extinct in the Oligocene epoch, occupying a diverse range of habitats for more than 100 million years before they were out-competed by more modern rodents. By the end of their run on the planet, multituberculates had evolved complex teeth that allowed them to enjoy vegetarian diets and unique locomotive skills that enabled them to traverse treetops. Both adaptations helped them to become dominant among their contemporaries. The fossilized R. eurasiaticus that Yuan and his team unearthed was preserved in lake sediments, suggesting that the creature may have lived on the shores. However, the researchers say that the ankle joints of this early multituberculate were already highly mobile and its teeth were already oriented for an omnivorous diet. Based on their findings, the researchers suggest that such adaptations must have arisen very early in the evolution of the order, setting the stage for the major diversification of rodent-like mammals that ensued. The discovery of R. eurasiaticus also extends the distribution of certain multituberculates from Europe to Asia during the Late Jurassic period, the researchers say. “This new fossil from eastern China is very similar to the Late Jurassic fossil teeth of multituberculates from Portugal in western Europe,” explained Dr. Luo. “This suggests that Rugosodon and its closely related multituberculates had a broad paleogreographic distribution and dispersals back-and-forth across the entire Eurasian continent.” The report by Yuan et al. was supported by the Ministry of Land Resources and the Ministry of Science and technology of China; the Scientific Commission of Beijing; the Beijing Museum of Natural History; the National Science Foundation; Carnegie Museum; and the University of Chicago. The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is the world's largest general scientific society, and publisher of the journal, Science as well as Science Translational Medicine and Science Signaling. AAAS was founded in 1848, and includes some 261 affiliated societies and academies of science, serving 10 million individuals. Science has the largest paid circulation of any peer-reviewed general science journal in the world, with an estimated total readership of 1 million. The non-profit AAAS is open to all and fulfills its mission to “advance science and serve society” through initiatives in science policy; international programs; science education; and more.
Clearly, the Greeks are a source of much that we esteem in our own culture: democracy, philosophy, tragedy, epic and lyric poetry, history-writing, our aesthetic sensibilities, ideals of athletic competition, and more. But what is it about Hellenic culture that has made generations of influential scholars and writers view it as the essential starting point for understanding the art and reflection that define the West? This series of 24 lectures by an accomplished Greek scholar and teacher traces the complex web of links between the present and its Mediterranean origins, taking you from the Late Bronze Age up to the time of Philip II of Macedon and his son Alexander the Great. It's an intellectual journey that lets you see ancient Greek civilization in the light shed by the newest and best research and criticism, expanding your understanding of history, literature, art, philosophy, religion, and more. With a special focus on the two crucial centuries from 600-400 B.C.-the era of the Persian and Peloponnesian wars and of classical Athens as described in the histories of Herodotus and Thucydides and the philosophic dialogues of Plato-you'll come to understand how the uniquely "Greek" identity was forged, and how it gave root to so much of what we consider vital about our own present day. Just as important, you'll learn how the differences between our own modern values and beliefs and those of the Hellenic world-including slavery and the exclusion of women from public life-do not imply a lack of relevance to our own times but can instead teach us as just much as our affinities. PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio. Sie erhalten in Kürze eine E-Mail mit den Details zu Ihrer Bestellung Bestellnummer: Öffnen Sie Ihre Bibliothek, um diesen Titel anzuhören.
Ask a Question Notify Me On Question Update Email this Question Flowering Pear trees. I have some mature "Chanticleer" flowering pears. For the last 2 years, the new foliage has emerged with curled leaves and a white, cottony substance. This condition seems to lessen with the hot weather, but the foliage doesn't seem to totally look healthy like when the trees were younger. What is it and can it be treated? Rate This FAQ Difficult to diagnose with just that description. It could be powdery mildew from infected buds that infects newly emerging leaves. Here is a description from PNW Online Plant Disease Management. Go to http://plant-disease.ippc.orst.edu/disease.cfm?RecordID=806 and see if this is what you have. We also have Plant Pest Diagnostic Ask a Master Gardener clinics in Salt Lake County every Monday from 1 to 4pm for the months of June, July and August in our USU Training Room, 2001 South State RM S1008. You can bring in photos or samples of your plants and have volunteer Master Gardeners help advise you. Submit Your Suggestion Other Questions In This Topic - My lawn has distinct areas that are brown next to healthy areas. The brown areas are covered in small holes. - Someone told me not to use cherry tomatoes in my spaghetti sauce due to inadequate acidity. If I pressure can the sauce and it also includes zucchini, onion, eggplant and fresh herbs, could it not also include some quantity of cherry tomatoes as part of the mix? I like to use up excess veggies in my sauce. - I have a Bartlett pear tree that has black spots on the leaves and holes chewed on some leaves and a few curled up leaves. Could you tell me what to spray for these problems? - We want to grow aspen and scrub oak on our property. Can we transplant, if so how and when? Or do we need to grow from seeds? How often to water if we grow from seeds? - Hi, I have a lot of two year hybrid poplars that we've planted for a wind break and the leaves near the trunks are beginning to turn yellow. I've read that this can be because of lack of water or too much water or not enough fertilizer. It's July and we water them every day because of the 90+ temps. Any suggestions? - Can I grow bitter melon, gourds, thai chili peppers, hmong cucumbers, peas, green peas, sugar snap peas, and lemon grass in Clinton? When should I plant them? - Hi, I just recently bought a house in Taylorsville in a older neighborhood. I have noticed some clover that is sort of a deep purplish color coming up all through my yard. What is it and how can I get rid of it? - We tilled our garden and planted peas and lettuce about three weeks ago. Nothing has come up yet. We were talking to our neighbor yesterday, and he told us that about 30-40 years ago, in a fit of vexation, the former owner spread an industrial strength soil sterilizing chemical on the area in which we planted our garden. He further explained that weeds have only started to grow in that area in the past 5-10 years. This information has caused my wife to give up on trying to cultivate this area. Should we give up? What can we do to amend the soil in this area?
UNFCCC expert meeting on adaptation for small island developing States ends with calls for increased support for adaptation planning and implementation Experts gathering at a UN-sponsored meeting on adaptation for small island developing States (SIDS) in the Cook Islands have called for establishing a special work programme for SIDS to ensure comprehensive support The expert meeting, which took place in Rarotonga from February 26 to 28, was organized by the Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and was hosted by the Environment Service of the Cook Islands. Its focus was on the Pacific and Indian Ocean SIDS. Participants included experts from SIDS, developed countries, international organizations and At the opening of the meeting the Minister for Environment of the Cook Islands, Kete Ioane, pointed out that past and recent evidence indicated that SIDS were particularly vulnerable to the adverse impacts of “The people in the Cook Islands, like elsewhere in the South Pacific, have witnessed changes such as the increasing salinization of ground water and more frequent flooding. These observations are in line with the latest report from the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change,” he said. The first installment of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Fourth Assessment concludes that sea levels are expected to rise between 28 to 43 cm and that cyclones will become more intense. “Planning for climate change and adapting now is vital for SIDS to save human lives and livelihoods,” he said. Hazards such as tropical cyclones and sea level rise cause more damage to already fragile economies, thereby reversing years of development efforts. In the Pacific islands region, cyclones accounted for 76 per cent of reported disasters from 1950 to 2004, with the average costs relating to damage caused per cyclone standing at USD 75.7 million. For example, the 2004 cyclone Heta resulted in damages estimated at eight times Niue’s GDP. Niue is an island nation in the South Pacific Ocean located 2,400 Kilometers northeast of New Zealand. The meeting offered participating experts the opportunity to exchange information on assessing the impacts of climate change and on their countries’ vulnerability to this change. The experts also identified areas where further action could be taken to address the adverse effects of climate change, including through planning and implementing concrete adaptation measures in the areas of water resources, health, coastal zones and natural ecosystems. In the small island state of Kiribati, adaptation measures for water resources such as water conservation trough better pipes, water catchment and storage in tanks as well as the protection of ground water are currently implemented under the Kiribati Adaptation Program. Other SIDS in the region have been identifying adaptation measures through their National Adaptation Programmes of Action (NAPAs). Samoa, for example, seeks to promote the cultivation and consumption of those crops that would be less affected by and more immune to extreme events. In addition, participants discussed opportunities for disaster risk management and reduction, including through establishing risk transfer schemes, including insurance. Vanuatu, for example, is currently mainstreaming disaster risk management in its national development planning through developing a national action plan to ensure that its communities are well prepared to all hazards, minimizing their vulnerability and increasing resilience. Furthermore, available opportunities for collaboration within and outside SIDS were discussed and participants elaborated on how adaptation measures can be supported in the SIDS’ overall efforts to achieve sustainable development. In conclusion, experts recommended to increase financial and institutional support for adaptation through establishing a process to help SIDS develop prioritized adaptation plans through stakeholder-driven assessment, akin to the “National Adaptation Programme of Action” (NAPA) initiative for the least developed countries. They also recommended granting prioritized funding for SIDS under the GEF and its funds. Experts also agreed to enhance their regional cooperation using relevant technical agencies in the Caribbean and the Pacific, as well as forthcoming agencies in the Indian Ocean. This expert meeting on adaptation follows the first part of the expert meeting on adaptation for SIDS in the Caribbean and Atlantic Ocean region, which took place in Kingston, Jamaica, from February 5 to 7, 2007. The SIDS meetings form part of a series of regional adaptation events mandated by the annual Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC. The first workshop was held in Peru in April 2006 for the Latin American region. The second workshop was held in Ghana in September 2006 for the African region. In April, a workshop for the Asian region will be organized in China. The results of all these events will feed into the UN-sponsored negotiations on what future action is necessary to advance adaptation in developing countries. On the occasion of the release of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Fourth Assessment on Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability in Brussels (6 April 2007), UNFCCC will present more findings of its four regional workshops on adaptation.
Our Special Education Coordinator supplied this link to the Top Ten Best Apps For Education. The following is an email from a teacher who could not attend the meeting, but wanted to share how he uses the iPad in his classroom. All of my books – The children use books for multiple purposes throughout the day. First, it is part of their Daily Five language arts center. It helps them build fluency in reading and also expression. I try to get the books that highlight the words in phrases so that as they listen they can follow along. Second, they use books on the IPad to read. I turn off the volume and they are able to read it themselves. Finally it is a different way to allow the chilren to experience books. Story Buddy – This app allows kids to write their own story. They can illustrate it and it can be saved in IBooks Fridgit – This is a virtual magnetic board. I use it with a child on the autism spectrum. He builds words with the different magnetic letters. Also, for speech development he adds the pictures and then we say them together. Alphabet Race – Writing the letters in the right direction. A train shows the correct path on how to form the letter. Park Math – Very simple developmental math that includes addition, subtraction and equivalent amounts SumsStack – Number Sense App that you have to move the dice around to try to make the correct amount on each of the three towers Clock Master – adust the hands on the clock to show the correct time Counting Coins – Math the value, make the total, how many cents, show values Good Math – 3 levels and it is a mix of addition subtraction and multiplication 100 numbers – this is a scramble of numbers 0 -100 and you have to click on them in order for them to disappear Find Sums – Number Sense app that uses a 10 frame as a basis of addition. It also can be switched to do part-part-whole. Word Families – goes through all of the word families. It gives about 5 per family. Sight Words – Trace the sight word and it also tells it to you when you click on it. ABCD – Mix of all letters and you have to try to get drag them around the screen to get them in order. Writing Pad – I use this with a child on the autism spectrum as a way of writing his words. Drawing Pad – Any tool or color imaginable this app has. It is really neat. I let the students illustrate their writing on it. I also will let them have it during a read aloud and they will be able to draw their “mental images” which is a comprehension strategy we practiced. Shrek Karting – This is just like Mario Kart for the Wii. I use it with kids that need gross/fine motor deveopment because it allows them to practice crossing the midline and making connections from their brain to gross and fine motor movements. (It is also fun to play!)
On December 11, 2013, the South Dakota Department of Agriculture implemented new, stricter regulations on raw milk that has already forced at least one small dairy to stop selling the food. After the new regulations were announced but before they went into effect, the owner of Black Hills Milk in Belle Fourche made her own announcement: the dairy would stop selling raw milk because the new regulations, including one that sets the maximum coliform level at 10 parts per milliliter, would make it too difficult to continue. Dawn Habeck, co-owner of Black Hills Milk, explained: “The coliform level increases every minute after the milk comes from the cow’s udder. [It] only drops after it’s pasteurized. So the rule basically makes it impossible to sell raw milk.” Gena Parkhurst, Secretary of the Black Hills chapter of Dakota Rural Action, argues that coliform is a naturally occurring bacteria in raw milk that can be beneficial for human health, and points out that maximum levels of coliform vary widely between states. “The [new] rules are burdensome, confusing and basically anti-business,” Parkhurst says. “We’re supposed to be the most business-friendly state, so why is the department being so hard on raw milk producers?” Katie Konda, a policy analyst for the South Dakota Department of Agriculture, says that the new coliform level is not unattainable and raw milk producers in nine other states meet the same requirements. Read more about the dairies’ struggle to adjust to the new regulations here. The Campaign for Real Milk is a project of the nutrition education non-profit, The Weston A. Price Foundation. Donate to help fund research into the benefits of nutrient dense foods. http://www.westonaprice.org/lab
What is special about Red Fort? What is special about Red Fort? The Red Fort (well-known for its breathtaking architecture) is compact with a multitude of palaces used once by a number of Mughal rulers. Rang Mahal, one of the most remarkable palaces in the fort, literally means “palace of colours”. This palace was used by consorts of emperors and their maids. What is Red Fort made of? Red Fort Architecture Its massive, 2.5-km-long enclosing walls are made of red sandstone and that’s where the monument got its name from. A few parts of the fort are also made of red stone while the remaining structure is built using marble. How would you describe Red Fort? The Red Fort (Lal Qila) is a monument built in 1638 that rises 33 meters (108 ft) above Old Delhi. It was built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan. It is made of red stone and marble. It was built on the right bank of the Yamuna River. Why was red fort built? The Red Fort Complex was built as the palace fort of Shahjahanabad – the new capital of the fifth Mughal Emperor of India, Shah Jahan. The Red Fort is considered to represent the zenith of Mughal creativity which, under the Shah Jahan, was brought to a new level of refinement. What is the Red Fort used for today? Red Fort, also called Lal Qalʿah, also spelled Lal Kila or Lal Qila, Mughal fort in Old Delhi, India. It was built by Shah Jahān in the mid-17th century and remains a major tourist attraction. The fort was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2007. What happens in Red Fort? It is a monument of national significance; every year on India’s Independence Day (15 August), the Prime Minister of India hoists the country’s flag at the Red Fort and delivers a nationally broadcast speech from its ramparts. Who made Red Fort and why? Emperor Shah Jahan commissioned construction of the Red Fort on 12 May 1638, when he decided to shift his capital from Agra to Delhi. Originally red and white, Shah Jahan’s favourite colours, its design is credited to architect Ustad Ahmad Lahori, who also constructed the Taj Mahal. Why red fort is made of red sandstone? The Red Fort is built of red sandstone which was mined from the quarries in Rajasthan. In fact, many of the monuments built by the Mughals used red sandstone as the basic building block. Fatehpur Sikri, the city built by the Mughal emperor, Akbar, has many buildings made with this material. Why Red Fort is important? It has a great history as it was the main residence of Mughal emperors for nearly 200 years (until 1857). The red fort is the center of Delhi and it houses a large number of museums. Historically, it marked an important era, the shift, and concentration of power to Delhi. It was built in 1648 by Shahjahan. What is the Colour of Red Fort? “In building the Red Fort, Shah Jahan continued the red-white contrast used by Akbar to such great effect at Humayun’s Tomb, with red sandstone providing the fortifications and enclosures and white marble used for prominent structures,” says architect Ratish Nanda. Who is owner of Red Fort? \|Owner\|\|Mughal Empire (1638–1771) Maratha Empire (1771–1803) Sikh Misl (1783-1783) British India (1803–1947) Government of India (1947–present)\| \|UNESCO World Heritage Site\| \|Official name\|\|Red Fort Complex\| Who was the founder of the Red Fort? Red Fort. Written By: Red Fort, also called Lal Qalʿah, also spelled Lal Kila or Lal Qila, Mughal fort in Old Delhi, India. It was built by Shah Jahān in the mid-17th century and remains a major tourist attraction. The fort was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2007. Who was the Mughal emperor who built the Red Fort? For other uses, see Lal Qila (disambiguation). The Red Fort is a historic fort in the city of Delhi (in Old Delhi) in India that served as the main residence of the Mughal Emperors. Emperor Shah Jahan commissioned construction of the Red Fort on 12 May 1638, when he decided to shift his capital from Agra to Delhi. When was the Red Fort in Delhi built? Red Fort in Delhi was constructed by Shah Jahan in 1639. The fort was under the Mughals for 200 years. There are many monuments inside the fort which include mosque, palaces, halls, gates, and others. As the fort is built by using red sandstone so it is called Red Fort or Lal Qila. When was the Red Fort declared a World Heritage Site? Every year on India’s Independence Day (15 August), the Prime Minister hoists the Indian tricolour flag at the fort’s main gate and delivers a nationally broadcast speech from its ramparts . The Red Fort was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007 as part of the Red Fort Complex.
Calendars are the basic source of information about periods and time in which we are living. These are used as a record which contains information about date and days appear during a whole year. These calendars are changing day by day. The first calendar was created by the Roman and it consists of ten months in a yearly calendar, later January and February are added to it. The calendar which we are using these days is known as the Gregorian calendar. This calendar is designed with twelve months with a particular number of days in each month. There are lots of events and holidays occur during the month is mentioned in the calendar. Free July 2019 Calendar The July month of 2019 calendar consists of thirty-one day in a month. This month is named after a great roman personality, Julius Caesar. The weather of this month is different in both hemisphere, Northern hemisphere experience rain in some places whereas southern hemisphere is experiencing spring during this month. Calendar for July 2019 is provided here with the download button, you can save the images of calendars and use it later when you need it. Printable August 2019 Calendar According to the modern Gregorian calendar, August appears on the eighth position in a year. The month is known as weed monthly because there are so many crops are harvested in this month. In the northerner hemisphere, this month is considered as the month of rain, the monsoon is on their peak during this month. This month is the best month to travel because this is the month of summer vacations. September 2019 Printable Calendar September month of 2019 calendar considered as the month of events national holidays. This the tenth month of the annual calendar of 2019, the total number of days in August is thirty. The month of September consists of an event like teachers’ day. This is the last month of the summer, the sun starts shifting toward the southern hemisphere during this month. This is the month of different kinds of flower. The calendars of 2019 September are available here with beautiful images, you can download this if required. Free July & August & September 2019 Calendar The calendar of July, August and September 2019 calendars are provided here with different samples and format. This the calendar of three combined months. There are lots of important dates for these months are written here. The holidays of this month is shown here with the help of different holiday calendar of 2019. The weekly and monthly calendar with beautiful images is created here with saving buttons. These calendars will save you time and make it comfortable to download these images for future use. Download July & August & September 2019 Printable Calendar Printable calendars are the calendars which could be customized easily. This is the latest version of the calendar used in 2019. This calendar consists of so many unique characteristics. This available on the digital platform with beautiful images. The landscape calendars, blank calendars, Pdf calendars and so many more calendars are created using these printable calendars. There are so many editing options are given in this calendar. If you want to create a printable calendar of 2019, should follow these steps written below. - Download the printable calendar of 2019 - After saving this file in your device - Go to Ms word file and open it in ms word - Edit option will show here, after pressing it you can edit the image of the printable calendar. - After these steps, you would have your printable calendar July, August And September 2019 Calendar The calendar of July, August, and September is provided here for different types of uses of the calendar. You can see holidays within these months of 2019. You can save weekly and monthly images of 2019 June, July and September month.
Ambient Occlusion and Indirect Lighting Global illumination is a very popular method for lighting three dimensional scenes. Unfortunately, most of the methods are very slow and requires lots of ressources. Ambient Occlusion is a method for simulating global illumination, while keeping a respectable ratio between results and computing times. For Blender: 2.50 Alpha 2 and better 1. Different kinds of illumination The key of photorealistic renders rely on simulating convincingly the lighting of a given scene. This tutorial should be very helpful to people trying to achieve photorealistic results. An humble attempt to such an usage is showcased there: The case of Raytracing The renderer can only figure out if a pixel is lit or shadowed. If it is shadowed, the pixel will be rendered pitch black ; if it is lit, the color of the object will be displayed according to any self-shadowing and to the shader of the surface. In case there are multiple light sources, there are higher chances that a shadowed area will be at least partially lit by a secondary light source, resulting in light shadows instead of pitch black shadows. This is the primary way of illumination for Blender ; it does the trick, but it is not strikingly realist. (left image, below). - And in real life? Careful observation of our environment will show that pitch black shadows are quite rare ; this is because real light rays are not stopped on the surface of the first object met. For each ray of light, when it would hit a surface, the renderer would have to calculate the bouncing direction and the new energy available after it has hit the obstacle (lighting the surface costs energy) ; then the ray hits another surface, spends part of its energy to light it, and so on, surface after surface, until depletion of the energy of each single light ray. It may last forever, but this is actually why light seems to "fill" the entire volume of a given room, lighting even the areas that are not directly lit by the original light source. Global illumination is just that: inter-reflections of light from an object to another. - Ambient Occlusion: Instead of letting a ray of light bouncing forever (or until an arbitrary energy threshold is reached) which will drive to never ending or very long renders, Ambient Occlusion is a specific algorithm that tries to simplify and simulate "how much" a given pixel is occluded by a close surface, by "sampling" its environment. The more close are surfaces to the given pixel, the more it will be shadowed. Blender uses two kinds of algorithms: the first one actually shoots extra rays from the given pixel in search for nearby obstacles (Ambient Occlusion, or AO), the second one will identify occluded areas in the virtual space based on a radius around each vertex of any objects (Approximate Ambient Occlusion, or AAO). The AO method produces noisy but realistic results, while the second is cleaner but, being more approximative, quicker to render (middle image, below). - Indirect Lighting: Each time a raylight hits a surface, it looses part of its energy in order to light it, but its color is also effected by the reflected surface color. Thus, a white raylight hitting a red surface will turn slightly pink-red after the bounce. If it reaches a white nearby surface, the surface will not show as pure white, but slightly redish instead. As a consequence, careful observation will show that surfaces are very faintly colored by light interactions from nearby objects ; this subtile color bleeding is caused by Indirect Lighting. The AAO algorithm of Blender can simulate color bleeding through actual Indirect Lighting (right image, below). - Ambient Occlusion: There are other ways to fake a global illumination, like Radiosity, path tracing, Metropolis light transport, photon mapping, and image based lighting. The following tutorial is all about Ambient Occlusion, Approximate Ambient Occlusion and Indirect Lighting. How to use them in order to get quite realistic renders for your scenes. What about other GI options in Blender? Radiosity was supported until Blender 2.49 but is now deprecated and has been removed from Blender 2.50 Alpha 2. It is replaced by Indirect Lighting which is more flexible and easier to use in production. IBL is supported through the combination of raytraced AO and an HDR image loaded in the World menu as World texture. 2.1 Enabling raytracing As well as anything related to raytracing with Blender, because of the supplementary calculus time required by your computer, raytracing is only an option that you should feel free to activate and deactivate. This is done by the mean of the Render menu. The Shading panel shows two options labeled Ray Tracing and Shadows you will have to activate in order to use ambient occlusions in your pictures. 2.2 Global illumination modes Three panels in the World menu controls the lighting effects. Ambient Occlusion, Environment Lighting and Indirect Lighting could be used independently of each other, or alltogether. 2.2.1 Ambient Occlusion Because it simulates the occlusion from objects to others, this is fundamentally a non-physical effect. The occlusion is stored in a specific pass, and its intensity is controlled by the Factor parameter. There are two Blend Modes: - Multiply: this is the defaut option, it multiplies the occlusion pass with direct lighting (would produce richer exposed surfaces) - Add: it adds the occlusion pass to direct lighting (would enhance shadowed areas) 2.2.2 Environment lighting Environment lighting tends to light globally your scenes, according to the exposure of the pixel to any virtual bouncing rays of light. By default, the behavior is of "Add" type, but there is no control for it ; instead, you can use negative Energy values. By default, the Environment Color of light is White. But there are two variants available: - Sky Color: takes samples of color from the World and taints the scene accordingly - Sky Texture: takes samples of color from the texture assigned to the World and taints the scene accordingly 2.2.3 Indirect lighting It is at the moment and is an approximative way to simulate color bleeding. Once again, there is no Blend Mode control existing, and it is assumed that Indirect Lighting is always "Add". - Factor: specify how much Indirect Lighting is added ; a value of 1.0 is physically more correct (middle image below), but you can increase or decrease this value for artistic purposes, or for highlighting the color bleeding if it is too subtile (right image, below). - Bounces: sets the number of bounces allowed for indirect lighting to occur. Higher values than the default 1 will takes more time to compute, but as color bleeding will occur between many colored objects, complex and rich shading will be produced by higher values, at the price of longer computation times. 2. Gather mode 2.1 Raytrace (for AO) For each pixel, an array of rays is cast is order to sample the close environment. If an obstacle is reached, then the pixel is considered as occluded. If no obstacle is met, then it is considered as lit. The actual light intensity seen by the pixel is the mean of the occluded/lit information returned by all the rays. The more rays return "occluded" information, the more dark the pixel will appear. Unfortunately, if the number of samples cast from the pixel is not high enough, two neighbouring pixels may provide slightly different occlusion information. By nature, the visual result over an entire image is a noisy result, that could only be overcome by increasing the number of sample rays. Of course, the more samples needed, the longer the render takes. - Sampling method: there you can set the method for generating the shadow samples. QMC stands for Quasi Monte-Carlo, a statistic method to produce random sampling with low variance, e.g., even distribution of the samples. Constant Jittered suggest a distribution against a fixed grid. With an equal number of samples, any QMC method will deliver images less noisy than Constant Jittered. - Constant QMC: the samples are very evenly distributed, resulting in clean sample patterns - Adaptive QMC: the number of samples can be adjusted, with more samples distributed where required - generally speaking the best option - Constant Jittered: the samples are distributed according to a fix grid - Samples: Amount of ray samples. Higher values give smoother results and longer rendering times - Attenuation: the Distance parameters sets the length of rays cast, e.g., how far away faces continue to contribute to the occlusion effect of a given pixel Because of its very nature, shading using the Raytraced AO method tends toward unveiling faces of your objects, even if these faces are theoretically smoothed using the Smooth shading mode (see the key Object Tools panel). If you witness this phenomenon, you'd probably want to decrease the value of the Bias parameter. 2.2 Approximate (for AAO) As explained in this article, this method has been developped specifically to be rendered fast and noise free. As a matter of simplification, each vertex in the scene is considered as a disk. And the more there are disks occluding a point, then the more this point will be considered shadowed. As there may be a lot of disks one behind the other, over-occlusion could unfortunately occur, but running multiple passes would help to get rid of this unwanted result. Because an occluding disk is set at each vertex of the objects, AAO would be effective only with meshes dense enough in respect of the dimensions of the scene. For quick and dirty work, you can set a Subdivision Surface modifier, set to Simple subdivision algorithm. But this will add unnecessary details on some locations, and impair the rendering performances ; for better results, it is most probably better to smartly use the Loop Cut feature () in order to add details where strictly needed. - Passes: number of preprocessing passes to reduce over-occlusion ; shadow depth is more reliable with at least one preprocessing pass. Higher values may help but will lead to increased render times - Error: low values are slower and higher quality - Pixel Cache: Cache AO values in pixels and interpolate over neighbouring pixels for speedup - Correction: Ad-hoc correction for over-occlusion due to the approximation Article written on January the 16th, 2005. Updated on July the 10th, 2010 for Blender 2.50 Alpha 2. Comments re-initialized.
Mentor Text:Which Famous Musician Who Died at the Age of 27 are you? A BuzzFeed Quiz by Eirean Bradley - Poetic form - Social commentary - Presenting research Background: I decided to use popular culture as the anchor for the Lit course I’m currently teaching. It’s been going quite well. In my prep work for the course, I searched online for as much pop culture related poetry as I could find. I found this poem, which I’ve already used as the basis for a Poetry and Image Pairing, or a PIP, as we call them in class. However, it had gone into my folder for other purposes as well, a possible mentor text. I like using mentor texts that are a bit different, and thereby may engage my writers. This piece, based around the ubiquitous BuzzFeed quiz caught my attention, as it allows us to not only play with poetry, but to mess around with something that they’ve no doubt seen online. There’s a nice bit of subversion of this inspiration in the poem that would be a wonderful thing for our writers to pick up on, and use in their writing. How we might use this text: Poetic Form – Does anyone else find the teaching of stanza creation challenging when working with burgeoning poets? Perhaps the standard answer that there is no standard length for stanzas in poetry isn’t enough for them. I love that much of this poem gives them a model for creating stanzas by focusing on different topics. Many stanzas are simply stating who the survey taker is not. Some give more information, and explanation, while a few simply state it. There are a couple of stanzas that go on to another stanza expanding on the idea as well. We could look at, and discuss why these choices were made, what they emphasize in the mentor text. This discussion could prove beneficial when they move to their own pieces. There’s also a pretty clear shift, when the “survey” switches to a list of “results.” It is made clear in a shift in language, from a series of “you are not”s to lines that start with phrases like “you are” and “you will.” These statements, jammed together as they are in a stanza give a visual sense of that shift as well. All in all, this would be a decent mentor text for looking at creating a shift in a poem. I also really like that there is a variety in the presentation of the things “you are not.” I know I mentioned it briefly already, but it would merit discussion as to why Bradley made the choices that were made. Why were some artists not given any explanation? Is it a concession to an audience who may not know the names? Is it that the poet decided that the level of fame dictates the breadth of focus? If we were writing our own pieces following this model, what material that we’re covering would be given these shorter straws? Theme – Bradley’s poem has a couple of thematic elements within it. I’ll talk about the commentary on our society later, but the idea of something connecting the possible results in the quiz is obvious. Pulling together enough ideas and material to write one of these quizzes could be challenging – would it not remain so in writing a poem? To pull those pieces together, that connective tissue, in this case, the notion of the 27 Club, pulls things together. There is also a bit of categorization happening in this piece too, as we are told of a few glamorously dead individuals don’t make the list of the 27 club. In doing this, we can establish our theme by identifying elements that challenge the theme. We could also look at this poetry as a rumination on the nature of celebrity. Why do we hold artists lost young, such as Joplin, Morrison and Cobain in such esteem? In fact, when we look at the iconic nature of celebrity, how many of the most glamorous stars we fetishize are dead? Social Commentary – This is tied closely to the notion of theme. In fact, one could consider the social commentary in this piece a theme itself. However, I feel it’s important to highlight what this poem has to say about our modern society. Without expressly saying it, Bradley wonderfully skewers our obsession with celebrity. Like many BuzzFeed quizzes, the one in the play can be used as a tool for the quiz taker to connect, and compare themselves with a celebrity, albeit a dead one. Our society does seem to add an extra bit of glamourization of those deaths though, particularly because of the fact that the artists in question died so young, often in the prime of their career. It is not explicitly stated, which is one of the things we find challenging when analyzing a poem such as this – no clear thesis statement to be found! It would be interesting to discuss how this works, how this poem comments on an aspect of society without putting it right out there. If we wanted to encourage our writers to embed this kind of commentary in a poem, this would be a strong mentor text. An interesting piece of commentary can also be found in the longer “results” stanza. This is largely a list of first world problems that we, the living non-celebrity have to face. Collecting this list in a poem serves to present that list for consideration. Though I know that it’s problematic for some, I love that there’s an f-bomb dropped here. It gives us a chance to discuss the usage of such words, particularly as it used here, to present a simple thing, which for many is a frustrating first world problem. That word drops some anger and frustration into the description of a common task that many dislike. Presenting research – To write this piece, you’d have to have a decent knowledge of the subject of your “quiz.” There would need to be some nuances there, some consideration of who they are, in this case, and what they represent. I know we had to do some research to identify a person in the image I paired this poem with. Instead of writing us that essay, could a student not demonstrate their research, and learning, by presenting it in this kind of poem? Perhaps they are using it as a method to discuss the characters they’ve come across in their reading. Perhaps they’ve done our traditional research work, but instead of churning out an essay that is too often a Wikipedia entry with some bells and whistles. The critical decisions they’d make to craft this kind of poem would give us a good demonstration of their learning. They would highlight key arguments, feature counterargument, and expand upon both. though there is no clear thesis per se, a core idea is expressed. Collecting and curating poetry for my classroom has become a focus in my work the last couple of years. I’ve been collecting pieces that are interesting to use as fodder for analysis, as well as to inspire our writers. I’ve made it a point to strengthen the connection to poetry in my classes, both as students who are looking to figure out how to read and interpret it, and as writers, who grow as poets. This piece allows for both of those things. What challenges do you face as you try to teach the writing of poetry? How do you use poetry to express other learning in your class? Which movie teacher are you?
October 28, 2016 In 2015, 3.5% of U.S. adults were current e-cigarette users. Among adult e-cigarette users overall, 58.8% also were current cigarette smokers, 29.8% were former cigarette smokers, and 11.4% had never been cigarette smokers. Among current e-cigarette users aged 45 years or older, 98.7% were either current or former cigarette smokers, and 1.3% had never been cigarette smokers. In contrast, among current e-cigarette users aged 18–24 years, 40% had never been cigarette smokers. October 28, 2015 Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are battery-powered products that typically deliver nicotine in the form of an aerosol. E-cigarettes have been marketed as both a smoking cessation tool and an alternative to conventional cigarettes. Results from several studies suggest recent rapid increases in e-cigarette use. In light of ongoing declines in conventional cigarette smoking prevalence, it is important to understand the extent to which e-cigarettes are being used among U.S. adults, both overall and by conventional cigarette smoking status. A new NCHS report provides the first estimates of e-cigarette use among U.S. adults from a nationally representative household interview survey, by selected demographic and cigarette smoking characteristics. Key Findings from the Report: - In 2014, 12.6% of adults had ever tried an e-cigarette even one time, with use differing by sex, age, and race and Hispanic or Latino origin. - About 3.7% of adults currently used e-cigarettes, with use differing by age and race and Hispanic or Latino origin. - Current cigarette smokers and former smokers who quit smoking within the past year were more likely to use e-cigarettes than former smokers who quit smoking more than 1 year ago and those who had never smoked. - Among current cigarette smokers who had tried to quit smoking in the past year, more than one-half had ever tried an e-cigarette and 20.3% were current e-cigarette users. - Among adults who had never smoked cigarettes, 3.2% had ever tried an e-cigarette. Ever having used an e-cigarette was highest among never smokers aged 18–24 (9.7%) and declined with age.
Olmsted Power Plant (one of the first power plants in America) (Near the mouth of Provo Canyon) In 1830 Michael Faraday of England discovered that when a coil of wire was moved near a magnet, the magnet induced a current of electricity in the wire. Faraday’s experiments resulted in the dynamo which generates electricity. Anxious to capitalize on this exciting new power source, investors throughout the world began to develop and build these dynamo machines. Installation of the electric lines began which would transform the world from a labor-intensive planet to one in which electrical energy could multiply the efforts of people by thousands of times. One of the early leaders in that effort in the United States was the Telluride Power Company. They selected a site at 1600 East 800 North, alongside the Provo River, to build one of the first power plants in America. Their Olmsted Power Plant became operational in 1904, supplying surrounding areas up to fifty miles away with electric power. One of the unique features of the Olmsted Power Plant was that it used some of the most knowledgeable engineers in the country to establish on-the-job training programs for its employees. At the time, Olmsted offered one of only two competent training programs in electrical engineering in the entire United States, with the other one offered at Ohio State University. In 1912, with less than 1,000 residents living on the Orem Bench, poles were erected to carry electric wires which were supplied with power generated at the Olmsted Power Plant. Also in 1912, Utah Power and Light Company purchased the Telluride Power Company, which included the Olmsted Power Plant. This plant is still a fully-operational power plant. Also on the property are a few Craftsman-style residences, the 1937 “Home of Ideas” (a model home built to showcase the future of electricity use), and a large building constructed for educational use.
Shingles is caused by the Varicella zoster virus, which is the same virus that causes chickenpox. Shingles can happen in children who’ve previously had chickenpox. After an episode of chickenpox, the Varicella zoster virus ‘sleeps’ in the nerve cells. The virus can ‘wake up’ and cause shingles in children who: - are run down after illness - have an underlying condition affecting their immune systems - are taking medication affecting their immune systems. You can’t ‘catch’ shingles. But if your child hasn’t been immunised against chickenpox or hasn’t had chickenpox before, he can catch chickenpox from someone with shingles. Shingles rarely affects children under three years of age. Shingles appears as a rash of small red lumps, which then form fluid-filled blisters. The blisters cluster together on a single patch of skin. New lumps form over the first few days, then the blisters crust over. The rash occurs on the upper body more often than on the face, legs or arms. The rash isn’t usually itchy, but it can be very painful. Shingles can occasionally affect the outside lining of the eye. Your child’s eye might become red and sore, and she might have tiny ulcers around her eye. Your child won’t usually feel ill or have a fever. If your child has shingles, try to make sure that everybody who comes into contact with him during this time has been immunised against chickenpox or has had chickenpox before. Does your child need to see a doctor about shingles? You should take your child to your GP if: - the rash is on your child’s face or around her eye - you’re not sure whether the rash is shingles - your child gets the rash and suffers from a chronic illness or is taking medications that affect her immune system - the rash doesn’t clear up in 10-14 days - the rash looks infected - your child has a fever or is unwell. Children with shingles usually just need treatment to relieve symptoms like pain and itch. Paracetamol might help relieve mild pain. Avoid applying creams or lotions to the rash. If your child has scratched the rash and broken the skin, make sure to wash the area well. If shingles is diagnosed within 72 hours of the rash starting, your GP might be able to prescribe an antiviral drug. This can reduce some pain associated with shingles. If your child’s shingles rash is completely covered, he can go to school but he shouldn’t swim or play contact sports for seven days after the rash appears. If the rash can’t be covered, your child should stay at home until the rash has scabbed over. Prevention of shingles As part of the Australian National Immunisation Program (NIP), your child will get free immunisation against the Varicella zoster virus at 18 months old (if your child hasn’t had chickenpox) or in year 7 of secondary school (if she hasn’t had a chickenpox immunisation or infection). If you have shingles and are caring for a child, make sure to keep your rash covered to reduce the risk of passing the virus on. Newborn babies and people with low immunity should avoid contact with anyone with shingles.
Half-timbering technique was a popular method to build houses in medieval and early modern times in Northern Europe (Denmark, England, Scotland, Germany / Prussia, parts of France and Switzerland). Houses were constructed by first installing timber frames. The space between polls and planks was later filled in with other building materials like stone, bricks, etc. In medieval cities to provide more housing space in houses built alongside narrow streets, many houses were constructed with overhangs of upper floors over the ground floor (called jetties). The streets of historic towns in Northern France are a mixture of different architecture styles, sometimes well-preserved from the past, occasionally rebuilt after fires or war damage. On pictures above you can see three main characteristics: grey sandstone bricks, slate roofs that sometimes cover also part of facades at upper floors and half-timbered walls with timber frames painted mostly in blue, red and green.
The drought in California is heading into its fourth year with no end in sight. The situation has gotten so bad, experts say it’s the area’s worst drought in 1,200 years. Even President Obama gave reference to drought conditions in his recent State of the Union Speech. Winter months have dumped much needed rainfall in the state, but 98 percent of California remains in drought, with 32 percent in extreme drought conditions. And it would take a whole lot of rain to ease the pain. It’s estimated that California would need some 11 trillion gallons of water to eliminate the drought conditions. As surface and groundwater supplies dry up, the lack of rainfall is taking an economic toll. Last year, more than 99 percent of California’s $43 billion agricultural sector experienced severe, extreme, or exceptional drought. That translated into costing the state’s agriculture sector around $1.5 billion in losses from unplowed fields, dead livestock, worker layoffs, and rising costs of water. While December and January’s rainfall brought some hope, the outlook remains bleak, said Scott Rawlins, director of regulatory and government affairs at Wilbur-Ellis, a distributor and marketer of agriculture products. “Going into 2015 I think things are better because of the recent rains, but we’re a long way from being out of the woods on the drought,” Rawlins said. “We had half a million acres of unplanted crops because of the drought, and with California producing so much of the nation’s fruits and vegetables, I think we’ll face shortages of those products,” Rawlins explained. Where are the higher prices? California farmers produce half of the nation’s fruits and vegetables, and most of its high-value crops such as broccoli, tomatoes and artichokes. So it would seem logical that as the drought bakes the Golden State, food prices would naturally rise as hundreds of thousands of farm acres lay fallow. But imports of fruits and vegetables along with the nation’s agriculture industry have helped American consumers mostly dodge the higher food prices, said James Booker, professor and department chairperson of economics at Siena College. “The U.S. is a geographically diverse nation, with different producing regions frequently experiencing very different weather conditions,” Booker explained. “Coupled with our food supply being increasingly globalized, these two factors continue to work to limit impacts of weather and rainfall on total food production and costs.” “Food inflation was around historical averages for 2014, coming in at 2.25 percent to 3.25 percent,” said Umar Sheikh, a food industry expert from Euler Hermes, a provider of trade credit insurance. “Some specific items, such as beef and pork, saw considerably higher prices, though that was largely due to disease in pigs in other parts of the country and a very low cattle population across the nation,” Sheikh added. However, the global interplay of agriculture works both ways. A study from Canada’s province of British Columbia said the drought in California could have pushed up prices of fruits and vegetables there by 34 percent by the end of 2014 due to lower supplies imported from the state. There could be more shortages with rising prices ahead as nearly 25 percent of California’s $5 billion rice crop for 2014 is likely lost due to lack of water, say experts. And one of California’s signature products, wine, will see price increases in the coming months said Rowan Gormley, founder of California based NakedWine, an online wine retailer. “The scarcity of water will likely push up prices for wines, especially some of the cheaper ones,” Gormley said. Combating the Drought There’s no shortage of misery for many California residents. Moisture reductions have led to mandatory limits in several counties on watering lawns, washing cars, available drinking water and fights over who owns groundwater supplies in the state’s messy water right laws. Farmers and residents have seen their water bills go up. And the unemployment in the state’s agriculture industry has forced many local towns to the financial edge, say experts. “Parts of California, like the Central Valley, Low Desert, and Central Coast, have already been impacted, with more people needing welfare, food banks, and other support,” said Milt McGiffen, a crop specialist at the University of California, Riverside. “We are already seeing more government programs and charities reaching out to help, “ McGiffen said. Some farmers have said if the state doesn’t get rain this year, they could be forced out of business. There are even reports of water theft through the diversion of water sources or out and out pumping of water from fire hydrants. Meanwhile, conservation efforts to reduce water usage have had limited affect. To beef them up, the state imposed a 20 percent reduction usage goal by 2020. In 2014, the U.S. Department of Agriculture began a program to provide up to $100 million in livestock disaster assistance, and an additional $10 million for water conservation. And last November, California voters approved a $7.2 billion dollar bond issue to fund various state water projects over the next decade. But more could be done now, said Jeff Lipton, marketing director for California based WaterSmart, a software company that develops water monitoring solutions. “People chronically underestimate their water consumption by a factor of at least two,” said Lipton. “This leads people to undervalue changes in behavior that can have a dramatic impact on water-use efficiency.” What Lies Ahead Beyond conservation, most experts say it’s a matter of hoping for the best and praying for rain. But droughts are nothing new to California and other parts of the Southwest United States, and more are likely to come after this one ends. Solving the ongoing crisis then becomes one of thinking ahead, said UCR’s McGiffen. “The real 900-pound gorilla in the room is population growth,” McGiffen said. “As long as we keep increasing population and do not come up with a big breakthrough to produce more water, the problem will get worse.”
One of the most memorable cases was the KGB's Gray Wolves operation in the 1960s and 1970s. The goal of the operation was to prevent Baltic emigre and Jewish communities, who supported dissidents in the Soviet Union, from uniting against the Soviet regime. To do so, the KGB, via contacts inside the Baltic communities, disseminated documents related to the deportation of the Baltic population during the occupation of those regions by the Red Army in 1939. The documents came from the archives of the KGB's secret-police predecessor, the NKVD. In the documents, the KGB emphasized the Jewish names among the NKVD officers who took part in the deportations in order to stir up anti-Semitic sentiments. At the same time, KGB "helpers" within Jewish communities in the West disseminated Nazi documents from archives captured by the Soviet Army that contained the names of Baltic collaborators who had taken part in the Holocaust. However, along with authentic documents, the KGB also included forged files with the names of Baltic anticommunist activists it wanted to compromise. A KGB officer in charge of the operation reported to his superiors in Moscow that as a result of the "active measures, both Baltic and Jewish communities have significantly reduced their anti-Soviet activities as they are busy with mutual accusations and settling accounts," according to KGB documents in the possession of Western researchers. Whatever Happened To Pamyat? Another example was the notorious anti-Semitic group Pamyat, which was led by professional actor and monarchist Dmitry Vasiliev and appeared on the Soviet political scene in the late 1980s. A collection of black-shirted, bearded men, Pamyat was modeled on the pre-revolutionary anti-Semitic Union of Russian People. Pamyat's activity coincided with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev's stalling reforms and low approval rating. In the 1990s, some KGB officers suggested that Pamyat was the brainchild of high-ranking KGB officials. Its purported goal was to show the frightening alternative to socialist reform. Despite its notorious image, Pamyat quietly evaporated from the political scene. Some observers have noted that the Kremlin today seems to have similar uses for the rising tide of racist attacks. Many reports about racial incidents and hate crimes routinely come from Kremlin-controlled or Kremlin-aligned media. Police often stress the "racial" nature of violent crimes against foreigners, even before any investigation is under way. The Antifascist Pact In February, the pro-Kremlin Unified Russia party and 11 other parties signed a so-called antifascist pact. Among the parties that signed on were the right-wing Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR), the Union of Rightist Forces, and other political associations that usually support Putin. Yabloko, the Communist Party, and Motherland refused to sign the document saying they "do not want to participate in such a farce," and pointing out that the LDPR is well known for its xenophobic rhetoric. In March, the pro-Putin youth movement Nashi once again proclaimed itself "antifascist" and labeled its political adversaries as "fascists." Elections Coming Up Analyst Ruslan Saidov wrote in forum.msk.ru in March that the presidential administration wants to play an antifascism card in the 2008 presidential election, just as in previous election cycles it came out against the Communists. Saidov wrote that the Kremlin's second goal is to use the "radical threat of nationalism" as a bogeyman to deflect criticism of it by the liberal intelligentsia. A third goal, according to Saidov, is to depict the Kremlin's political opponents as "racists" and "extremists." In the last half year, the Kremlin has spoken out against small radical youth groups, such as the National-Bolshevik Party, the nationalist Motherland party, and even, at one point, the liberal Yabloko. Saidov wrote that initially the authorities wanted to "personify the fascist threat" by focusing on LDPR leader and Deputy Duma Speaker Vladimir Zhirinovsky. Another goal, which Saidov did not mention in his article, could be to use the rising tide of racism or fascism to improve the Kremlin's image abroad by presenting Putin's administration as the only protection against these threats.
What is RavenFS? Raven File System (RavenFS) is a distributed virtual file system integrated with RavenDB to provide first class support for binary data. Since RavenDB 3.0 it has been a recommended way to store your binary files, instead of using the deprecated attachment mechanism. It was designed to handle very large files (multiple GBs) efficiently at API and storage layers level by minimizing the amount of duplicated data between the files. It has a built-in file indexing support that allows you to search files by their associated metadata (such as size of a file, a modification date or custom metadata defined by user). RavenFS is a replicated and highly available system. It provides an optimized file synchronization mechanism, which ensures that only differences between the files are transferred over the network to synchronize it between configured nodes. This lets you update very large files and replicate only the changes - everything is transparent for the user, all you need is to specify destination nodes. An essential item that you will work with is a file. Besides binary data that makes up the file's content, each one has associated metadata. There are two kinds of metadata: - the first one is provided by the system and internally used by it (for instance: - the second one is defined by the user and can contain any information under a custom key. As already mentioned, metadata is available for searching. You can find more details about how the files are stored internally in the Files article. A configuration item is for keeping non-binary data as a collection of key/value properties stored under a unique name. Note that the configuration can be completely unrelated to your files but it can hold additional information, important for your application. It is also used internally by RavenFS to store some configuration settings (i.e. Raven/Synchronization/Destinations keeps addresses of the synchronization destination nodes). Files are indexed by default. It allows you to execute queries against the metadata of existing files. Under the hood, just like in RavenDB, Lucene search engine is used. This allows you to make an efficient search by using the file name, size and metadata. Synchronization between RavenFS nodes works out of the box. The only thing you need to do is to provide a list of the destination file systems. Once one of the following happens, then it will automatically start to synchronize an affected file: - new file uploaded, - file content changed, - file metadata changed. - file renamed, - file deleted. The synchronization task also runs periodically to handle failures and restart scenarios. Each of the operations above is related to a different kind of synchronization work, which is determined by the server in order to minimize the amount of transferred data across the network. For example, if you change the file name alone, there is no need to send the file's content. The destination file system simply needs to know what is the new name of the file. To get more details about implemented synchronization solutions click here. You can easily manage your files by using HTML5 application studio. Databases as well as file systems are handled by the same application accessible under RavenDB server url.
There may be a statue of Christopher Columbus next to an Astoria subway station in Queens, but some ambitious historians are promoting arguments that could lead some to think that such a statue is better placed on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. Claims that Columbus was of Jewish origins have been circulating for years now, mostly from a handful of professors and history buffs. A recent article by Rivka Shpak Lissak on the Web site OMedia.org poses new evidence that Columbus was of Marrano heritage, meaning that his family descended from Sephardic Jews who practiced their religion in secret during and after the Spanish Inquisition. The article suggests in part that Columbus’s Jewish identity is affirmed by several factors: His crew included Jews, he referenced the Inquisition in his journal and his signature contained Jewish symbols. Those claims, however, have been met with researched assertions that Columbus was a Christian who lived during a time when learned European men viewed Jewish literacy as a sign of erudition. Findings in a DNA test performed by University of Granada forensic geneticist José Lorente at Columbus’s gravesite in Seville, Spain, proved that Columbus was surely Caucasian. Lorente did not find any evidence that Columbus was of Jewish descent. Consuela Varela, a historian at Spain’s Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas, has stated that Columbus refused to baptize his slaves not because of his faith but because Spanish law forbade the enslavement of Christians. In any case, the claim that Columbus was a Jew is a popular one. Browsing the Internet in search of answers will bring Web surfers to antisemitic sites as well as to sites that are Jewish run, each putting its own spin on the story. What we do know for a fact is that New Jersey contains more Columbus statues than any other state. Now that might make him Jewish.
- What We Do - Global Goals - Agriculture and Food Security - Democracy, Human Rights and Governance - Economic Growth and Trade - Ending Extreme Poverty - Environment and Global Climate Change - Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment - Global Health - Water and Sanitation - Working in Crises and Conflict - Disaster Assistance - Political Transition Initiatives - Conflict Mitigation and Prevention - Countering Violent Extremism - Disaster Risk Reduction - Peacebuilding and Reconciliation - Providing Safe & Secure Environments for Development - Recovering From Crisis - Tech Challenge for Atrocity Prevention - U.S. Global Development Lab November 12, 2013 Numbers At A Glance To The Philippines For Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda To Date In FY2014: On November 12, the first shipment of emergency relief commodities from USAID’s Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA) arrived in the Philippines. Distribution of the supplies will begin on November 13, with the assistance of the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). The international community is mounting a robust response to the disaster. However, logistical challenges, such as damaged roads, debris, and downed trees and power lines, continue to hamper relief efforts. The U.S. Government (USG) is providing $20 million in immediate humanitarian assistance to benefit typhoon-affected populations, including the provision of emergency shelter, food assistance, relief commodities, and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) support. On November 12, the NDRRMC reported that Typhoon Yolanda/Haiyan had caused at least 1,798 deaths, affected an estimated 6.9 million people, and damaged or destroyed approximately 149,015 houses, as well as public infrastructure and agricultural land, across 41 provinces in the Philippines. The GPH and humanitarian partners expect the confirmed death toll and damage reports to increase in the coming days as transportation and communications systems are restored and as more information becomes available. However, while estimates of the death toll had reached as high as 10,000 in recent international media reports, GPH President Benigno Aquino remarked on November 12 that the final toll will likely be approximately 2,000 to 2,500 deaths. On November 11, the USAID Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) leader and DoD Pacific Command (PACOM) staff conducted aerial assessments of heavily affected Tacloban city, Leyte Province, and neighboring affected areas, reporting the typhoon had damaged or destroyed up to 80 percent of homes and public infrastructure in assessed areas. Meanwhile, the DART deputy leader accompanied a GPH clearing crew to areas of Eastern Samar Province for the first overland assessment since the typhoon made landfall and observed catastrophic damage to an estimated 15 rural communities in the area. - On November 11, GPH authorities declared a state of national calamity due to the effects of the typhoon. International media report widespread looting in Tacloban, and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) deployed an additional 500 to 800 soldiers to the city to augment local authorities’ security operations and deter unrest. Soldiers killed two armed insurgents during an attack on an aid convoy en route to Tacloban city on November 12. The GPH has also deployed armored vehicles, established checkpoints, and imposed a curfew to help restore law and order as relief operations ramp up in the city. - Although international assistance has begun to arrive in the Philippines, logistical challenges, such as damaged roads, debris, and downed trees and power lines, are hampering relief efforts and impeding life-saving assistance from reaching populations in need. A lack of electricity in Tacloban has made landing planes carrying relief commodities impossible at night, according to international media. U.S. GOVERNMENT (USG) RESPONSE - The first USAID/OFDA shipment of emergency relief commodities—comprising 10,080 hygiene kits and 1,000 rolls of plastic sheeting—arrived in Manila and cleared customs on November 12. USAID/OFDA logistics staff are coordinating the transport of supplies from the warehouse to the AFP air base, where the commodities will be loaded onto U.S. military airplanes. DoD is scheduled to transport the hygiene kits and plastic sheeting to Tacloban on November 13 for onward distribution by humanitarian partners on the ground. A second identical USAID/OFDAprocured shipment is tentatively scheduled to arrive in Manila on November 14. - On November 11, USAID/OFDA committed $750,000 to the U.N. Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to support WASH cluster coordination and direct support for typhoon-affected populations, particularly women and children. - DoD continues to work in cooperation with GPH officials to provide immediate disaster relief. PACOM has transported a number of personnel working on emergency relief efforts to Tacloban via military aircraft, including staff from the GPH Department of Social Welfare and Development, the U.N. World Food Program (WFP), and members of the Emergency Telecommunications (ETC) Cluster—the coordinating body for ETC activities in the Philippines. - A USAID/FFP airlift carrying 55 metric tons (MT) of emergency food products from Miami, Florida—capable of feeding 20,000 children under five years of age and 15,000 adults for five days—is due to arrive in Cebu Province on November 13. The food will be distributed by WFP and will target vulnerable populations in most-affected communities. - The DART continues to conduct initial damage assessments in affected areas of the Philippines and has established an Emergency Operations Center at USAID/Philippines, located at the U.S. Embassy in Manila. The DART is liaising with other humanitarian and government actors in the country and will recommend appropriate response options based on assessment findings, while the Washington, D.C.-based Response Management Team (RMT) is coordinating the USG humanitarian response, programing relief activities, and providing support to the DART. Additional USAID/OFDA staff in Bangkok, Thailand; Honolulu, Hawaii; and Washington, D.C., remain in frequent contact with the DART and humanitarian partners to monitor humanitarian conditions and coordinate relief efforts. OTHER HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE - Despite logistical challenges, the international community is rushing to provide life-saving assistance to people in need in the Philippines. On November 10, Japan deployed a 25-member medical team to the Philippines to provide assistance in the wake of the typhoon. On November 11, Canada sent a team of 200 people to assess humanitarian needs and assist with the disaster response, according to a government official. The Government of Norway has announced $3.3 million in humanitarian assistance for the Philippines, while the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has pledged $10 million in aid and development programs. The U.K. increased its funding for the typhoon response to nearly $16 million. Additionally, several European countries, including Sweden, Belgium, France, Germany, and the U.K., are providing assistance in the form of shelter kits, water purification units, and communications equipment. - WFP is transporting 44 MT of high energy biscuits to Manila for subsequent airlift to Tacloban city. WFP is also deploying mobile storage units, pre-fabricated offices, and generators from the U.N. Humanitarian Response Depot in Malaysia to allow aid workers to establish operational hubs at the Tacloban and Cebu airports. In addition, WFP information technology equipment, including digital radios, is en route from Dubai, UAE. - On November 12, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies released an emergency appeal for nearly $79 million, requesting cash, in-kind donations, and services to meet the needs of 100,000 families—or 500,000 people—for 18 months. Funding will support the distribution of emergency food assistance and increase access to safe drinking water and shelter. - Also on November 12, the U.N. released a Humanitarian Action Plan for Typhoon Yolanda/Haiyan, requesting $301 million for the response, including approximately $76 million for food assistance, $46 million for shelter, $31 million for livelihoods, $22 million for WASH activities, and $21.5 million for health. Last updated: November 18, 2013
For a fuller version of this discussion, download this PDF. Invest in Your Introduction When they begin to read your paper, readers are trying to understand a complex text that is new to them. They want to know what it's about, to understand its background or context, and to see its goals or purpose. An explicit and detailed overview will help you show the richness and complexity of your work and set up the reader's expectations for your paper. When should you write the introduction? You do not need to write your introduction first. Some writers write the introduction in the middle of the drafting process once they see the larger direction of the paper; others write the introduction last, once they know the exact content of their work. Try different approaches to see which one is best for you, but always check your introduction before you turn in your final draft to be sure it matches the paper you actually wrote. How can you start drafting an introduction? Depending on the discipline you're writing in, an introduction can engage readers in many ways: - Ask a question - Identify a debate - Give a comparison - Explain a situation - Describe a problem - Quote an authority - Cite an example - Set up an intellectual problem - Offer a hypothesis What should your introduction promise? Introductions represent a promise the writer makes to the reader. Your introduction should announce your paper's topic and purpose, situate that purpose in relation to what you've discussed in your course or what has already been published on that topic, and offer your readers a preview of how you will satisfy that purpose. To address a topic. One of the important functions of an introduction is to announce what you are writing about to your readers. To present a claim, finding, or argument. You will often read them toward the end of an introduction: the thesis statement (which could also be a purpose statement or question). This is a promise that your paper is going to make a point, not just cover a topic. To participate in a conversation. If you are writing for an instructor, this promise might mean suggesting that your paper will touch on the main topic of the course. If you are writing as a scholar, this promise might meaning explaining how your research will fill an important gap in the existing research. To excite and engage your reader's intellectual curiosity. An introduction should seek to engage readers so that they will become invested in your writing. In some contexts this means finding a way to persuade a reader who is reading 60 papers on the same topic that yours is worth paying special attention to. In other contexts this means helping a reader already committed to your work to recognize what unusual or exciting question your paper will address. Undergraduate history essay Notice that this introduction begins by situating the paper in the context of larger conversations about British attitudes towards French politics and ends by promising a specific argument that the rest of the paper will support. In 1789, Britain's eyes were fixed on France's turbulent political arena. In just a few decades, France's once-formidable divine-right monarchy had been reduced to a state of relative powerlessness by frequent warfare, burgeoning social unrest, and a pressing financial crisis from the nation's incessant militarism and the court's lavish expenditures. As France's sociopolitical scene intensified, noteworthy events found their way onto London stages with a flourish of historicity, drama, and hyperbole. These plays, consequently, provide a revealing lens for examining Britain's response to and interpretation of the initial events of the French Revolution. In particular, John Dent's The Triumph of Liberty, performed in 1790, and The Royal Fugitives, staged in 1791, offer intriguing samples of British sentiment surrounding the Storming of the Bastille and Louis XVI's flight to Varennes. Despite their decidedly French subject matter, the plays' intense professions of British nationalism and their inclusion of Englishmen in leading roles suggest that Britain celebrated the rise of liberty and democracy in France, but refused to honor the role of French citizens in promoting these virtues. Instead, the plays seem to interpret French radicalism as the product of an undercurrent of democratic sentiment initiated by Britain, thereby allowing Britain to take credit for such favorable circumstances as the fall of the Bastille and Louis XVI's recapture. Used with permission of the author. From Mounting methodologies to measure EUV reticle nonflatness by UW–Madison graduate student Venkata Siva Battula et al. (2009). Notice that, in an engineering paper, an introduction presents a research question or problem. Meeting the image placement (IP) requirements in the sub-30-nm regime may be one of the most difficult challenges facing the semiconductor industry. For Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography (EUVL), all sources of IP error must be either minimized, compensated for, or completely eliminated. One potential source of error is the nonflatness of the EUVL mask during exposure scanning. With nontelecentric illumination of the mask, any nonflatness of the patterned surface of the reticle will induce IP errors on the device wafer. To address this issue, SEMI Standard P37 has established the flatness specifications for the EUVL mask substrate. The goal of this study was to identify the most accurate procedures for measuring and subsequently describing the nonflatness of the substrate. From UW–Madison Law Professor Andrew B. Coan's Judicial Capacity and the Substance of Constitutional Law (2012). Notice how the introduction leads the reader through a series of logical steps that describe the current conversation about the topic, and how the last sentence ends by promising (by implication) to fill an important gap in that conversation. Start with a very basic premise: courts can decide only a small fraction of the constitutional issues generated by the American government. By now, this is something of a commonplace among constitutional theorists. But it is a commonplace of a peculiar sort. It receives frequent lip service but is almost never taken really seriously. Advocates for more expansive constitutional protections routinely brush aside, or outright ignore, the judiciary's limited capacity. Opponents of such protections routinely write as if "government by judiciary" were a real and worrisome possibility. Meanwhile, there has been very little work exploring why the judiciary has such limited capacity or how we should expect this limitation to affect the substance of its constitutional decisions.
Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2013, ISBN: 9780199670550; 624pp.; Price: £25.00 Scott Polar Research Institute Date accessed: 5 February, 2016 The title of this book, Antarctica: a Biography, might cause some initial confusion but this is rectified by the publisher’s puff on the front inside flap of the dust jacket where it is described as ‘the first major international history of this forbidding continent’. However, the title does serve the author’s purpose in prompting the reader to consider not only the discovery and geography of the Antarctic (the continent and the peri-Antarctic islands), but also the explorers who made the discoveries and the political machinations of their governments over these uninhabited territories. Following the author’s preface, the book is divided chronologically into 21 chapters (ranging from the 1770s to 2012). The periods of each chapter vary in length according to the extent of activities within each particular period. Each chapter is subtitled with a short quotation relevant to its content, and although the popular expression ‘The Heroic Era’ is not used it is covered in chapters six to eight. There is a short epilogue followed by 63 pages of endnotes by chapter, seven pages of a select bibliography and an index of 21 pages. In the preface, the author explains how he came to write the book as a result of writing a previous book where the Antarctic kept impinging on the research. He also acknowledges individuals and organizations that provided help and encouragement. Chapter one covers the 1770s, the author’s chosen starting period, dealing principally with the voyages of Captain James Cook. It is always arguable where to begin a history but, in this case, Cook’s first voyage (1768–71), to observe the transit of Venus from the Pacific Ocean, seems appropriate. Other voyages that had sailed in search of the fabled southern continent are mentioned but Cook’s secret instructions, after completing the science, were to search for the ‘mythical Great South Land’ and claim it for Britain. The vivid imaginations of 18th-century cartographers and others had described a land of agriculture and minerals with a population of some 50 million. Cook did not sight Antarctica in either his first or second voyage (1772–5) but he did circumnavigate the continent twice and crossed the Antarctic Circle (66° 33'S) for the first time. He also charted the island of South Georgia and discovered the South Sandwich Islands, claiming the former for Britain. However, he did speculate that there must be a landmass farther south from which the huge icebergs he encountered would have originated. The next chapter covers the period 1780-1820, beginning with Cook’s third voyage on which he was tragically killed by natives on Hawaii in 1779. The slaughter of fur seals on South Georgia, prompted by Cook’s accounts of his previous voyages, is mentioned only in respect of the Russian Bellingshausen’s arrival at that island. The Tsar had despatched two ships, Vostok and Mirny, under Bellinghausen’s command to check Cook’s discoveries, search for the southern continent and to counter British territorial aspirations in the region. On 19 February 1819 William Smith from Britain sighted the South Shetland Islands. Bellingshausen crossed the Antarctic Circle on 27 January 1820 and sighted the coast of Antarctica the following day. Meanwhile Smith had returned with Edward Bransfield RN to chart his discovery before turning south and sighting the coast of the Antarctic Peninsula on 30 January 1820. Despite attempts at secrecy, news of Smith’s discovery, not just of the islands but the thousands of fur seals there, had leaked and American and other British sealers descended on the islands. After a maintenance stay in Australia, Bellingshausen returned to the Ross Sea and sailed eastward around the continent to sight and name first Peter I øy and then Alexander Island. Unlike the British, who landed and made territorial claims, Bellingshausen simply named his discoveries. Chapter three deals with the uncontrolled predation of the fur seals on the South Shetland Islands, which effectively annihilated the population and led sealers to begin to search for new sealing grounds. Undoubtedly new coasts were found but secrecy for commercial reasons and the loss of so many ships’ logs mean that outstanding records are few. Nevertheless some major discoveries were made, notably James Weddell reaching 74°S in the Weddell Sea. Britain and France were preparing expeditions to explore and carry out research in the region while the young United States was eventually persuaded to send an expedition to explore and chart the seas frequented by its sealers. The scene was set for the next major period of discovery. The Frenchman Dumont d’Urville, the American Charles Wilkes and the Briton James Clark Ross dominate the next chapter, detailing the years 1839–43. Both d’Urville and Wilkes sailed along stretches of the Antarctic coast south of Australia between about 150°E and 105°E but d’Urville landed on some islands at 140°E to claim the land for France that he named ‘Terre Adélie’ after his wife. Wilkes’ course lay farther north and although he sighted the appearance of land he was unable to disembark. However, he did suppose that the ice cliffs were the northern edge of a continent that he termed Antarctica. Ross wanted to reach the South Magnetic Pole (he had already reached the North Magnetic Pole), but his observations indicated it was on land that he could not reach. Nevertheless he discovered Victoria Land and reached Ross Island, setting a new farthest south record. Ross also explored around the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula and discovered James Ross Island. Chapter five covers the period up to 1895. While d’Urville was fêted and honoured on his return to France, Ross received less acclamation in Britain, and in the United States Wilkes was court marshalled for lying about seeing land and doing so before d’Urville! Their reports stimulated some unsuccessful whaling ventures to the Southern Ocean but there was little other activity apart from the Challenger expedition in 1872. During this period Britain was more concerned with the search for the North-west Passage. Chapters six to eight, as mentioned above, cover ‘The Heroic Era’. The author shows how the ambitions and prejudices of Sir Clements Markham, President of the Royal Geographical Society, influenced the course of Antarctic exploration, not always for the best. The expeditions of De Gerlache (Belgium), Borchgrevink (UK), Scott (UK), Drygalski (Germany), Nordenskjöld (Sweden), Charcot (France) and Bruce (UK) are briefly described. Science was the underlying driver but inevitably national prestige was an important carrot for fundraising. The importance of sovereignty and territorial claims was beginning to emerge. Whaling was now a well-established industry with shore stations in South Georgia and the South Shetland Islands. The development of the explosive harpoon, the use of faster catchers and better processing led to a profitable industry. The lease of land by the Falkland Islands government to the whalers at Grytviken, South Georgia, accelerated sovereignty questions. The British government issued ‘Letters Patent’ in 1908 to substantiate British claims in the Antarctic against Argentine and Chilean claims. Charcot returned to the Antarctic Peninsula with a scientific expedition in 1908. Shackleton reached within 100 geographical miles (180 km) of the South Pole in 1908 while Cook and Peary claimed to have reached the North Pole in 1908 and 1909 respectively. Amundsen redirected his Arctic expedition south to reach the South Pole on 14 December 1911, followed by Scott on 17 January 1912. Chapter eight deals at length with Douglas Mawson’s Australasian Antarctic expedition, perhaps inevitably as the author is Australian. However, he does uncover the different versions of Mawson’s epic journey, each adapted to suit his immediate needs and audience. Filchner’s Deutschland and Shackleton’s Endurance expeditions to the Weddell Sea and Nobu Shirase’s Kainan-maru expedition from Japan to the Ross Sea are briefly referred to, with the Antarctic politics of the time being blended in with the stories. Chapter nine turns to the post-war period, dominated by territorial questions and the determination of Leo Amery, a British government minister, to claim the entire continent for Britain, except for the irritating French claim to Terre Adélie. Whaling, predominantly Norwegian, continued and the British government, by licensing the whalers, was adding support its territorial claims. A grandiose British expedition to the Antarctic Peninsula planned by John Lachlan Cope was eventually reduced to two men spending a winter in an abandoned water-boat converted into a hut at Waterboat Point in Paradise Harbour. Richard Byrd (USA), Hubert Wilkins (Britain/Australia) and Lincoln Ellsworth (USA) were all making pioneering aircraft flights in the Arctic and it was inevitable that this technique of exploration would soon be transferred to the Antarctic. The complications this would cause for Antarctic sovereignty are discussed in chapter ten, particularly those between Britain and Norway as the latter claimed Peter I øy and Bouvetøya and considered claiming the unclaimed sector (20°W – 50°E) between the British and Australian claims. Chapter 11 turns to Byrd’s first Antarctic expedition, to the Ross Ice Shelf, which used aircraft to photograph vast previously unseen swathes of the continent, and on which he made the first flight to the vicinity of the South Pole. He was keen to claim territory and put ground parties into the newly discovered mountains to bolster any claim by actual knowledge of the area. He also ensured that photographs included the coastline to link the coast to the interior. He named the unclaimed region Marie Byrd Land to forestall any claims that might be made by Wilkins overflying the same region from the Antarctic Peninsula. Byrd also made extensive use of radio to inform his media sponsors, and hence the rest of the world, of his discoveries. At the same time, Mawson was in competition with the Norwegians to chart and claim the coast south of Australia and the Indian Ocean. The next chapter covers Mawson’s return to Antarctica for a second season on Discovery to consolidate the Australian (British Empire) claims although Norway had already agreed not to claim any territory within the Australian area of interest. Both the Norwegian and Australian claims had an economic basis: Norwegian whalers wanted to avoid paying licence fees and royalties to hunt in British-claimed areas while Australia would have liked those revenues and also hoped for a mineral bonanza on the continent. Territorial concerns continue to predominate in chapters 13 and 14. In November 1935 Lincoln Ellsworth flew from the northern end of the Antarctic Peninsula, across Marie Byrd Land to a point 25 km from Byrd’s old Little America station, claiming the area 80°W–120°W for the United States. Byrd returned to Little America a few days after Ellsworth’s departure. His expedition made further flights and ground surveys and Byrd himself spent a winter alone 160 km south of the station. The appointment of a US postmaster to issue US stamps on mail franked at Little America alarmed the British and New Zealand governments who thought this might be used to establish sovereignty in the Ross Dependency. Meanwhile the British Graham Land Expedition (1934–7) showed that the Antarctic Peninsula was part of the Antarctic mainland and not an archipelago. The business of claiming territory was exercising politicians, particularly in the United States and Australia, as the whaling fleets of Norway, Japan and Germany continued to harvest the Southern Ocean. Ellsworth and Wilkins were, in effect, being used as pawns by their governments to explore and claim territory but not to reveal their intentions to each other. Then it would be for government lawyers to use their reports to the best advantage. Promises were made and broken, and the book reveals this to have been a very cloak-and-dagger tale! Chapters 15 and 16 deal with the Antarctic during the Second World War. Growing national posturing, particularly by Germany, over territorial claims in Antarctica, prompting President Roosevelt to propose a United States Antarctic Service expedition to claim large parts, if not all, of the continent. Byrd cancelled his planned private expedition to be leader of the governmental expedition. Its preparation, funding, aims and execution are presented as a fascinating tale of inter-departmental rivalries, secrecy and misleading of the national press. In the event, the expedition, with no formal scientific programme, achieved very little and certainly not the planned geographical exploration on which to base a major land grab. Events in Europe quickly gained priority for the American government. The results of the US Antarctic Service expedition to East Base and West Base were published too little and too late to substantiate the proposed American claims. Meanwhile Argentina took advantage of Britain’s pre-occupation with the Second World War to make claims in the South Shetland Islands and the Antarctic Peninsula. Britain was slow to respond but, in 1944, established small bases at Deception Island and Port Lockroy, each with a post office and a scientific programme, under the guise of monitoring enemy activity. The British ‘expedition’ was code-named ‘Operation Tabarin’. All traces of the Argentine claims were removed or obliterated. Once the war was over, as chapter 17 shows, Operation Tabarin became the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey (FIDS) that continued to man its Antarctic bases and to establish more. FIDS was now a civilian operation although many of the personnel were ex-military. Argentina and Chile began taking steps to counter the British claims, and those of each other, over the Antarctic Peninsula region. The United States meanwhile launched ‘Operation Highjump’ to bolster US claims by overflying huge swathes of the continent and to provide cold-weather experience to counter the perceived threat of hostilities with the Soviet Union in the Arctic. Again, despite taking thousands of air photographs, the cartographers were unable to make meaningful maps because there was no ground control. Australia and New Zealand were also concerned that their claims would be jeopardized by the US activities. Australians were unable to land on the continent, although the government arranged to annex Heard and Macquarie islands, and still no New Zealander had visited the Ross Dependency. In chapter 18 the author discusses the Ronne Antarctic Research Expedition (1947–8), which re-occupied Byrd’s East Base on Stonington Island alongside FIDS Base E and, in joint ventures with the British, did extensive mapping by combining air photography and the all-important ground control. Australian, New Zealand and further US expeditions failed to materialize. The Soviet Union, not wishing to be left behind, began looking at Bellingshausen’s expedition and considered claiming territory seen by him, largely within the Falkland Islands Dependencies. However, suggestions for international governance of the Antarctic were being made although there was fierce opposition in many quarters. Whaling was resumed but was theoretically controlled by the International Whaling Commission. Then, for several nations, the Korean War diverted attention from the Antarctic. The following chapter turns to the early years of the Cold War. Tension was rising in the overlapping claims on the Antarctic Peninsula. In February 1952, RRS John Biscoe arrived at Hope Bay to rebuild Base D that had been burned to the ground and was met by a hail of bullets from the Argentine base Esperanza. The British retreated but the Governor of the Falkland Islands returned with a detachment of Royal Marines aboard HMS Burghead Bay to secure a landing. An apology was received from Juan Perón, President of Argentina, but the tension remained. Meanwhile, Britain was preparing maps with British names and was in communication with Norway, Australia, France and New Zealand, and with the Americans to reach agreement over names proposed by the Ronne Antarctic Research Expedition. The British government also supported Vivian Fuchs’s proposed Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition (1955–8) as a means of consolidating the territorial claims of Britain and New Zealand. The International Geophysical Year (IGY) of 1957–8 was looming and would provide a scientific raison d’être for Antarctic exploration. Chapter 20 begins with the death of Admiral Byrd on 11 March 1957, which closed a chapter in the United States’ exploration of Antarctica. He went south for the last time in the 1955–6 season as the United States prepared for the IGY. Twelve nations took part in the IGY. Science was undoubtedly the foundation for the IGY but the claimant states were worried that occupation of foreign bases within their territories would undermine their claims. This was a particular concern for Australia (Soviet bases) and New Zealand (American bases). The Americans wanted access to the entire continent, as did the Soviets, and made efforts to advise the Soviets that, wherever they went, the United States had already been there. The international Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) was established in 1958 and proposed to coordinate mapping in Antarctica that Australia saw as potentially threatening its claim. The American Secretary of State, John Foster Dulles, was keen to keep the Soviets out of Antarctica. Early in 1958, the US wanted to invite the 12 IGY nations to a conference on the Antarctic to develop a diplomatic solution. Innumerable meetings took place between all of these nations, many of them in secret between sympathetic nations, others also in secret to bring dissenters on board. The conference eventually began in Washington on 15 October 1959 but it took six weeks of debate until the text of the Antarctic Treaty was agreed on 1 December 1959. The final chapter brings the story up to date. The entry into force of the Antarctic Treaty on 23 June 1961 placed the territorial claims of the adherent states in abeyance, with no activities being able to enhance or detract from those claims. Nevertheless, many Treaty Parties were concerned to ensure that their activities, especially mapping, naming features, operating post offices and issuing Antarctic stamps, would consolidate their claims should they ever be challenged. The more bizarre of these activities were the efforts by Argentina and Chile to ensure babies were born in their respective Antarctic territories. Environmentalists began to exert pressure on national governments and their Treaty delegations to protect the Antarctic from commercial exploitation, and this led to the abandonment of the Convention for the Regulation of Antarctic Mineral Resource Activities, and the development of the Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources and the Protocol on Environmental Protection. In his epilogue, the author briefly recalls pertinent topics and points out that new nations, environmental and scientific groups, tourism and resource companies with all their different interests and activities, mean that Antarctica’s ownership will be difficult to resolve. The principal theme of the book is the ownership of the Antarctic. It dwells on national politics and international diplomacy concerning territorial claims and the establishment of sovereignty. It provides a fascinating insight to the reasons why explorers went to Antarctica and the ways in which governments chose to interpret and use their explorations. As one might expect, governments were frequently somewhat economical with the truth while also quite prepared to embellish the truth to meet their requirements. The same can also be said of some of the explorers! Many of the famous, as well as the less well-known expeditions, are given little coverage and this is largely in relation to the territorial and sovereignty arguments. This is a deliberately chosen approach, and it works well, although readers seeking tales of expeditionary heroism should look elsewhere. Perhaps the most interesting aspects of the book are where it deals with the internal activities of national governments as they sought to make the most capital from the material to hand. In this respect, the accounts of the United States, British and Australian governments’ efforts to make and bolster their territorial claims are the most extensive. The author has delved deep into archives to tease out the interdepartmental rivalries and portray the leading characters who were instrumental in developing Antarctic policy. Foremost among the latter must be the American Richard Byrd who was forever seeking personal glory and power. It would be interesting to learn more of the internal wrangling that must have taken place within Argentina, Chile and the Soviet Union. Personally, I should have found a chronology very useful, listing the major events described in the book, particularly the various expeditions. This would have provided a ready reference as to who may have seen what and when in the later chapters, where the priorities of different claims are discussed. By any yardstick the Antarctic Treaty has been very successful. Perhaps more than anything else it has kept the peace in Antarctica for more than 50 years. It has protected the Antarctic environment through the Environmental Protocol, and the Commission on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources has done much to conserve stocks of fish and krill. Any exploration and exploitation of mineral and hydrocarbon resources have been effectively postponed for at least another 35 years. The Treaty is not perfect but there is a general determination among the Treaty Parties to make it work. It has also provided blueprints for aspects of the Law of the Sea and the Outer Space Treaty. It would have been good to have read more of these successes in the book. The 16 pages of plates show 31 black-and-white photographs. These pictures range from explorers’ portraits to contemporary newspaper articles. Together they illustrate examples of most of the topics discussed in the text. Inevitably the historic photographs are monochromes but some modern colour photographs would have been good, particularly those showing the landscape of the Antarctic to give the reader a better idea of its always-spectacular appearance. Contrary to what many people may think (and this has been used as a book title), the Antarctic is not simply a ‘white desert’. However, I suspect that the publishers had a strong opinion on this. Many books about the Antarctic suffer from a paucity or a complete absence of maps. The endpapers of this book show two historical maps. The front endpaper is ‘A New Map of the World’, dated 1703, and marking the positions of the South Pole and the Antarctic Circle but absolutely nothing else. This was, of course, the state of knowledge at the time and made no concessions to the customary technique of allowing the cartographer’s imagination to fill the blank spaces. The rear endpaper is a German map of the Antarctic region, c1910, which shows the state of knowledge at that time. This is obviously of historical interest and demonstrates graphically how little was known just 100 years ago. What is missing is a modern map of the Antarctic as it really is. Any reader unfamiliar with Antarctic geography will need a good reference map to hand, preferably on a large scale, to locate many, if not all, of the place-names mentioned in the text. This may not be the fault of the author as experience has shown that many publishers either do not recognize the importance of maps or consider that their inclusion in unnecessarily expensive. Either way, it is a serious lacuna for the book. To write the history of an entire continent in a single volume is a bold undertaking, (reviewing the book has also been a considerable challenge!) even for Antarctica, with no indigenous population and unseen until less than 200 years ago. David Day has done remarkably well. The text is well-written, informative and very readable. At £25.00 the book is very good value and provides an excellent and concise introduction to the history of the Antarctic NB. On page 123, in a quote describing Bruce’s departure from the Antarctic, there is an unfortunate error in recording a ‘bargee’ rather than a burgee hanging from the mizzenmast. It conjures an image of an unfortunate junior seaman receiving the ultimate punishment! The quote, which is absolutely correct, is from Peter Speak’s, The Log of the Scotia Expedition, 1902–04. I suspect that the error arose in transcribing the hand written logbook where a ‘u’ was possibly mistaken for an ‘a’. The author is happy to accept this review.
As discussed in our previous blog entries, water scarcity and failing infrastructure are important sustainability concerns. If you look around, you may notice areas where our infrastructure needs replacement or repair, but so few communities can afford the overwhelming costs. The EPA believes that green infrastructure offers a resilient and affordable solution. Green infrastructure uses vegetation, soils, and natural processes to manage water and create healthier urban environments. Offering highly scalable options, green infrastructure includes anything along the lines of harvesting rainwater, permeable pavement, green roofs, and land conservation. Following suit with the definition of sustainability, these applications aim to mimic or incorporate nature harmoniously. A prime local example is the Rose F. Kennedy Greenway that sits above Boston’s infamous Big Dig I-93 tunnel. Prior to the Big Dig, this area was a dark, barren, hazard-ridden wasted space. But now, there consists a mile-long path connecting several parks and neighborhoods resulting in a green infrastructure including public open space, storm water management, composting, and reduced costs of water and electricity. This project came together during the new construction of the Big Dig. Would such a green infrastructure project be as effective amidst failing infrastructure? Is green infrastructure a step in the right direction for sustainability? Is it a fair trade to pour “green” into infrastructure projects in order to reap the return in environmentally-friendly “green”?
Notes Contributed by : Amish Gurung Explain about Identifier and Variable. How identifier and variable is different? List down the points. Identifier: The name we use to call a particular entity in a program, which is not a keyword, is called identifier. i. - Identifier is used to name a variable, function, class, structure, union, etc. ii. It is created to give - It is created to give unique name to an entity. - All identifiers are not variable. Variable: The name given to a distinct memory location which contains a value which may be modified while program gets executed is variable. - A variable is used to name a memory location, which holds a value. - Allots a unique name to a particular memory location. - All variables names are identifiers. What is Algorithm and flowchart? What is pseudo-code? Why pseudo code is used? Algorithm: An algorithm is a well-defined procedure that allows a computer to solve a program. It is step-by-step solution to a program. Flowchart: Flowchart is a graphical representation of the sequential steps in an algorithm. Pseudo code: It is a method to represent algorithm. Pseudo code is not an actual programming language. It uses short phrases to write code for programs before you actually create it in specified languages. Pseudo code is for programmers own convenience and thus no standard syntax are followed. Difference between Procedure and Function. Explain about the types of passing parameters type. - a function returns a value whereas a procedure may or may not return a value or may return more than one value using the output parameters. - Functions are normally used for computations whereas procedures are normally used for executing business logic. - Procedure is a bundle of code, it does not have return type whereas function have return type. - Procedure accepts input or output parameters but function only accepts input parameters. Passing parameters type: By value ( byVal ): the actual value is passed into the procedure. By reference ( byRef ): the address of the variable is passed into the procedure. What is an array? List down its advantages and disadvantages. Also, explain about the types of an array. Array: An array is the combination of homogeneous elements with consecutive index number and successive memory locations. The values of an array are called elements of that array. Advantages of array: - Microprocessor takes time to search values stored on dispersed location but due to array values become is sequence, so searching process of microprocessor become fast. - It is used to represent multiple data items of same type by using single identifier name. - It can be used to implement other data structure like linked lists, stacks, queues, trees, etc. Disadvantage of an array: The elements of an array are stored in consecutive memory locations. So, insertion and deletions are very difficult and time consuming. Types of an array: - One dimensional array ( 1D ) : It represents and store data in linear form. One dimensional array is a structured collection of component that can be accessed individually by specifying the position of a component with a single index value. One subscript is needed to represent each element in 1D array. - Two dimensional array ( 2D ) : It represents and store data in matrix form. Two dimensional array is a structured collection of component that can be accessed individually by specifying the position of a component with two index value. Two subscripts are needed to represent each element in 2D array. What is step-wise refinement, top-down design and structure chart? Explain with appropriate figures about the diagrams used in structure chat. Step-wise refinement: A way of developing a computer program by first describing general functions, then breaking each function down into details which are refined in successive steps until the whole program is fully defined is step-wise refinement. Top-down design: An approach in which design begins by specifying complex pieces and then dividing them into successively smaller pieces is top-down design. Structure chart: A structure chart is a chart which shows the breakdown of a system to its lowest manageable parts. They are used in structured programming to arrange program module into a tree. Each module is represented by a box, which contains the module’s name. The tree structure visualizes the relationships between modules, showing data transfer between modules with using arrows. Diagram used in structure chart: Data being passed from module to module that needs to be processed. Check data sent to process to stop or start process. It represents a programming modules. Example of structure diagram: Programming language: Visual Basic Dim num1, count, total As Integer num1 = startMsg() count = 0 total = 0 While num1 > 0 checkNumber(count, total, num1) : num1 = num1 – 1 Sub checkNumber(ByRef c, ByRef t, ByVal n) If n Mod 3 = 0 Then c = divBy3(c) t = add(n, t) Return x + 1 Function add(n, t) Return (n + t) Console.WriteLine(“program strated, enter your number”) : Return Console.ReadLine() Console.WriteLine(“checkNumber AddressOf howManyThrees: ” & n) What is meant by black-box testing, white-box testing and stub testing? Differentiate between black-box and white-box testing. Black-box testing: In this method the internal structure design or implementation of the item being tested is not known to the tester. Tester is mainly concerned with validation of output rather than how the output is produced. In short, black-box testing is comparing expected value with actual results when program runs. White-box testing: In this method the internal structure design or implementation of the item being tested is known to the tester. Tester validates the internal structure of the item under consideration along with the output. In short, white-box testing is testing every path through the program code. In IDE setting breakpoints, stepping and subroutine parameter checking are the features that provides to carry out white box testing. Stub testing: When you develop a user interface, you may wish to test it before you have implemented all the facilities. You can write a ‘stub’ for each procedure. The procedure body only contains an output statement to acknowledge that the call was made. Difference between Black-box and White-box testing: \|Black-box testing\|\|White-box testing\| \|(i) In this testing method, internal structure, design and implementation of the data item being tested is not known to the tester. (ii) Normally independent software tester’s are responsible for doing black-box testing. (iii) Programming Implementation and knowledge is not required. (iv) It means functional test or external test. \|(i) In this testing method, the internal structure, design and implementation of the data item being tested is known to the tester (ii) Normally software developers are responsible for doing white-box testing. (iii) Programming Implementation and knowledge is not required. (iv) It means structural test or interior test. Define each of the types of an error in a program: syntax error, logic error and run-time error. Syntax error: ( an error in which a program statement does not follow the rules of the language.) Syntax errors are errors in the grammar of the program language. That is, the rules of the language have been broken. Common errors are typing errors, such as Selct for Select. Other errors are more subtle, for example: (i) an If statement without a matching End If statement (ii) a For statement without a matching Next statement (iii) an opening parenthesis without a closing parenthesis: (a + b. Most syntax errors are spotted by the programmer before an attempt to run the code. Some program editors help with this. For example, the Visual Basic.NET editor underlines any variable in the code which has not been declared. Similarly, it highlights declared variables which have not been used in the code. Syntax errors are finally picked up during the syntax analysis stage of the program’s translation. In the case of an interpreter, the error is reported as soon as it is found. A compiler reports all errors found in the complete program in its error report. You should be aware that some editors can report syntax errors while the code is being entered. It is still the syntax analyzer that spots the error. If an examination question asks when a syntax error is found, the answer is “during the syntax analysis stage of the program’s translation”. Often the analyser reports program statements that are not correctly formed. For example, the following statement reports an error: For Index 1 To 20 The correct Visual Basic syntax is: For Index = 1 To 20 A similar example is a call to a function that requires two parameters in the function header; an error is reported if the programmer only provides one parameter. Similarly, the programmer may provide the parameter but it is of the wrong data type. Logic error: ( an error in the logic of the solution that causes program not to behave as intended.) A logic error occurs when the programmer makes a mistake in their logic for some part of the program. Suppose a programmer wants the first 10 positive integers to be output and creates the following algorithm: FOR Count = 0 TO 10 This algorithm has no grammatical errors but it does not produce the correct result. It produces the integers 0 to 10 not 1 to 10. This type of error can only be found by thorough testing. The programmer care carefully check the code by reading it or can attempt to run the program. Another common error is to use the wrong arithmetic symbol, e.g. a+b instead of a-b, or to put parentheses in the wrong place, such as (a+b-c)d instead of (a+b)-cd. These errors should be identified during testing and are all a mistake in the logic of the programmer. Run-time error: ( an error that cause program execution to crash or freeze. ) Run-time errors occur during the execution (running) of the program. A typical error is to have an expression, such as (a+b)/(c-d), used in the program but c is equal to d, resulting in an attempted division by zero. The problem is that this error may be undetected for a considerable time because the equality of c and d rarely happens. However, it could be disastrous when it does. It is a good idea to test the denominator before division to ensure that this error doesn’t crash the program. Instead, the programmer “traps” the error and displays an error message, as seen in the following code: Dim A, B, C, D As Integer Dim Denominator As Single A = InputBox(“A …”) B = InputBox(“B …”) C = InputBox(“C …”) D = InputBox(“D …”) If C <> D Then Denominator = C – D Console.writeline (“Answer is … ” & Denominator) Console.writeline (“Denominator is Zero”) What is Dry-run and trace table? Explain about the debugging features of the programming environment: breakpoint and stepping. Dry-run: The process of checking the execution of an algorithm or program by recording variable values in a trace table. Trace table: A table with a column for each variable that records their changing value. Debugging features of the programming environment: Breakpoint and Stepping Breakpoint: It is a signal that tells the debugger to temporarily suspend execution of your program at a certain point. A point where the program can be halted to see if the program works at this point. Stepping: When your program is in break mode – that is, the program has paused at a breakpoint – you can control how execution continues or Executes one statement at a time and then pauses to see the effect of each statement. What is an Integrated Development Environment ( IDE )? Describe some of the features provides by IDE. Integrated Development Environment ( IDE ): It is a software application that provides comprehensive facilities to computer programmers for software development. An IDE normally consist of source code editor, build automation tools and a debugger. Features of Integrated Development Environment ( IDE ): i. Pretty printing: pretty print refers to the presentation of the program code typed into an editor. It includes indentation, color – coding of keywords and comments. ii. Context – sensitive prompts: this features displays hints or a choice of keywords and available identifiers appropriate at the current insertion point of the program code. iii. Dynamic syntax check: When a line has been typed, some editor perform syntax check and alert the programmer to errors. iv. Expanding and collapsing code blocks: When working on program code consisting of many lines of code, it saves excessive scrolling if you can collapse blocks of statements. Explain about the programming constructs. Assignment statement: Code that gives a value to a variable or constant. Example: MyAge ← 4, in pseudo code, assigns the value 4 to the variable MyAge. Sequence statement: programming statements are executed consequently, as they appear in the program. Selection statement: any program statement in which a decision is made. • IF Statement • SELECT Statement Iteration/Repetition: control structure in which a block of code is repeated a number of times. • FOR Loop: It is count controlled loop where there is no condition. • Do Loop: In this loop condition is given at the end of statement. • WHILE Loop: In this loop condition is given at the start of statement. Explain or differentiate: post-condition and pre-condition loop. Post-condition Loop: It executes the statements within loop at least once. When the condition is encountered, it is evaluated. As long as condition evaluates to False the statements within loop are executed again. When then condition evaluates to True, execution will go to the next statement after the loop. Pre-condition Loop: It evaluates the condition before the statements within the loop are executed. Pre-condition loops will execute the statements within the loop as long as the condition evaluates to True. When the condition evaluates to False, execution will go to the next statement after the loop. What is Transferable Skill? Why Programming in a high-level language is a transferable skill? Transferable Skills: Ability to define a specific problem in a particular situation, understand and expand the learns of broad generality that can be applied in other in other situation or field, and develop the use cases that solve the specific problem in such a way as the tool developed can be applied to the broader case. Programming in a high-level language is a transferable skill: i. Similar syntax – Assignment, variable, data types – Common operators, Symbols for functions ii. Control structures – Iteration – Selection – Layout, format (e.g. indentation ) iii. Modular features – Procedures , Functions List down differences and similarities between Built-in function and user-defined function. - Built-in functions are made available by the programming language i.e., already in the system - Built-in functions are ready made and tested - User-defined functions can be modified whereas built-in cannot be modified - User defined functions can be designed to meet the user’s requirements - User-defined functions can only be used in the program or module - They have an identifier name - They return a value - They have none, one or more arguments - Both perform a specific task - Both represent re-usable code - Both are ‘called’ Where source code is written? And what produces object code? Text Editor creates or modifies the source code using the text editor. Compiler translates the source code and produces the object code. A compiler takes a program written in a high-level language (called the source program, which is made up of source code) and translates it into an equivalent program in machine code (called the object program or object file, which is made up of object code). Once this is done, the machine code version can be loaded into the machine and executed without any further involvement of the compiler What is constant variable? Explain its benefit in a program? Constant variable: In computer programming, a constant is a value that cannot be altered by the program during normal execution. One benefit of using constants is that its value will not change accidentally. It makes our program easier to modify. What is corrective maintenance and adaptive maintenance? Corrective maintenance: (Correcting identified errors) Corrective maintenance is a maintenance task or operation done in order to identify, isolate or separate and rectify a particular fault. This is performed in order to restore the failed machine, equipment or system to an operational condition. Corrective maintenance is necessary when a fault or bug is found in the operation of the new system. These are software bugs which were not picked up at the formal testing stage. A technician or the original programmers will be needed to correct the error. Adaptive maintenance: The action of making amendments to a program to enhance functionality or in response to specification changes. Adaptive maintenance is necessary when conditions change from those that existed when the original system was created. This may be because of a change in the law (tax rates may change, for example) or the hardware may be changed, so that changes need to be made to the software for it to remain functional. What is Rogue value? Explain with an example. Rogue value: A specific value, outside the generally expected range, which is used to terminate a list of data items. Consider the following simple program: Program to print number from 1 to 8 ( both inclusive ) : Dim i As Integer = 1 i = i + 1 Loop Until i = 9 ‘Here 9 is rogue value which is used to terminate the loop. Difference between a parameter and an argument. Parameters are temporary variable names within functions. The argument can be thought of as the value that is assigned to that temporary variable. Within the function, parameters act as placeholders for the argument it is passed. For instance, let’s consider following simple function to cube a number. Function Cube (byVal number as integer) as integer ‘number’ here is the parameter for the function ‘cube’. This means that anywhere we see ‘number’ within the function will act as a placeholder until number is passed an argument. To pass an argument to a function is do something like, cube(3), which will call ‘cube’ function and would assign the value 3 ( pass the argument 3 ) to the parameter ‘number’. Now whatever you see the parameter ‘number’ within the function, it will act like a variable with the value of 3. So, it will return 3 cubed which is 27. - Cambridge International AS and A level Computing Course book (Chris Leadbetter, Roger Blackford and Tony Piper) - Cambridge International AS and A level Computer Science Course book (Sylvia Langfield and Dave Duddell) - Wikipedia, Yahoo, Stackoverflow and many other random websites. - Cambridge International computer science (9608) past papers.
School Nature Walks 4th Grade School Nature Walks Since 1988, the Friends of Madera Canyon has worked with local schools to bring students to Madera Canyon where they can experience, observe, and learn about the nature of the canyon. The Friends Education Director coordinates the 4th Grade Nature Walks program, contacting participating 4th grade teachers to schedule walks in the spring and fall. Friends docent volunteers, well-versed in subjects of Madera Canyon/Sky Island natural history such as ecology, zoology, botany, geology, and archeology, lead students around the Proctor Accessible Nature Loop Trail in small groups. The main objective of the nature walks is for students to discover their own powers of observation to become “field naturalists” exploring along the trail through the four plant communities that flank intermittently-flowing Madera Creek. Additionally, there are two presentation stations on the trail. At White House Station, students learn about the historic White House ruin and relevant canyon history. At the Matate Station, students learn about the Native American presence in Madera Canyon, grind mesquite beans in a real bedrock mortar with a stone mano, and taste mesquite flour cookies. Every student receives a compass to take home and receives instruction on how to use it. Many of the students participating in the 4th Grade Nature Walk Program have limited or no opportunity to spend time “in the woods.” This program provides an important opportunity for these children to actually experience nature first-hand. All participating teachers are provided with the award-winning teaching manual, Madera Canyon: Web of Life, which contains chapters on canyon natural history with student activities. Pre-walk activities help prepare students for their nature walk; post–walk activities reinforce information and concepts learned on the nature walk. Classroom preparation beforehand, using trained docents to encourage and facilitate field exploration and post-walk reinforcement make the nature walks a valuable learning experience for these children. Six area elementary schools annually participate in the program: Continental School, Great Expectations Academy, Sopori School, San Cayetano Elementary, Peña Blanca Elementary and Mountain View Elementary. Though the spring and fall school schedule is currently full, the Education Director can arrange special nature walks for individual classes, groups, and organizations. In 2008 additional nature walks were held for a local Montessori school, two home-school collectives, and a Cub Scout troop. In just over 20 years, the 4th Grade Nature Walk Program has introduced more than 6,000 local students to the nature of Madera Canyon. Comments about the 4th Grade Nature Walks program: “My class and I had a most enjoyable visit with all of you in the canyon. The students talked a lot about the things they did and what they were told. They especially shared what they learned about the plants, animals and surroundings within the canyon, I believe they learned a lot and will remember their experiences. We very much appreciate your enthusiasm and helpfulness with our students. Many of our children may not have the opportunity to visit the canyon until they are much older. In the classroom, we stressed their part in the canyon and how to care for it. It is important that they share this with their family members so that the canyon will remain healthy for many years to come.” Mrs. Bracamonte, San Cayetano School Delicious mesquite cookies North of Mountain View Mrs. Titcomb & Mountain View 4th Grade “Thank you so much for taking us on the nature hike. I really enjoyed seeing all the plants, what they did, and what the animals ate, where they lived and all the stuff they did. The thing I found most interesting was the White House ruins. The Morales family was so interesting. Another thing I liked was the cottontail rabbit and the rhyolite rock. It was so nice of you to give us those compasses. It was definitely one of the best field trips I have been on in a long time.” Sofia, Continental 4th Grade “Thank you for letting my class go to Madera Canyon. My favorite part was when you were saying the names of trees and flowers. My favorite tree was the Sycamore. I learned that the Alligator Juniper has its bark like an Alligator’s body. I hope my family and I can go sometime. I had a lot of fun. Thank you for the compass. I liked it.” Aliah, Mountain View 4th Grade
Designing and manufacturing nickel-containing materials and products have evolved over many decades in tandem with greater knowledge of material science and innovations in design and manufacture. Overall production and material efficiency have advanced considerably in response to the need for more sustainable solutions to society's needs. For every application there will be an optimum material selection and nickel content that can help improve sustainability. The Nickel Institute therefore believes it is important to have appropriate technical information and support to enable optimal choice. The following links provide more detailed information on an application-specific basis: Nickel is already a positive contributor to overall eco-efficiency but it can contribute more through better use of appropriate materials. In this context, the key sustainability challenges are: - To increase the durability/longevity of products and their economical function - To better match the appropriate material to the anticipated life cycle of the product - To decrease the premature failure of products and systems through better material selection - To decrease the incidence of nickel allergy in the general population through avoidance of the use of nickel in skin contact applications - To decrease the dispersion/loss of nickel at the end-of-life of products while increasing the recovery and recycling of nickel
29/08/2005 - Analysis Norway, long time dominated by the Labour Party (DNA), has been governed for four years now by a rightwing government coalition rallying the Liberal Party (V), the Conservative Party (H) and Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik's Popular Christian Party (KrF). The former had already undertaken the role of Prime Minister from September 1997 to March 2000 before his government (comprising the Centre Party (SP), the Liberal Party and his own party) was overthrown after an internal dispute over the project to build a gas powered power station that was deemed to pollute too much. Although the leftwing opposition comes out ahead in terms of voting intentions in the polls it is still not certain of winning an absolute majority in the general elections that will be held on 12th September next. The populists of the Progress Party, the kingdom's second political party might very well beat them once again. The Political System The Storting (the only Chamber in Parliament) has 169 members elected for a four year period by proportional vote according to the modified method of Saint Lagüe. After the elections the Storting divides into two chambers, the Odelsting and the Lagting that, depending on the agenda, meet separately or together. The kingdom is divided into 19 constituencies electing between four and fifteen representatives according to their size and number of inhabitants. The one hundred and fifty seven seats in the Storting are constituency seats. There are also 19 compensatory seats (one per constituency) distributed between the political parties who are under represented in the constituencies, i.e. those with the greatest remainder. A party must win at least 4% of the vote nationally in order to be able to participate in the distribution of the compensatory seats. Voters have the right to modify the order of the candidates on the electoral lists. However a candidate has to be chosen by more than half of the votes in order for this preference to influence the distribution of seats, since the order of the candidates is decided upon by the party and remains decisive. The Storting has a specific feature that makes it unique in Europe: it cannot be dissolved. Three times (in 1986, 1989 and 2000) the disagreement between the liberal parties led to the resignation of the governments in power who were then replaced by minority social democrat governments. At present eight political parties are represented in the Storting: - The Labour Party (DNA), led by Jens Stoltenberg, is the leading opposition party. With fifty thousand members it is the kingdom's leading party. The social democrats dominated political life from the end of the Second World War and the beginning of the 1980's; - The Conservative Party (H) is a member of the government coalition chaired by the Minister for Communal Affairs, Erna Solberg ; - The Progress Party (FrP), led by Carl Hagen, is a populist party, the kingdom's second most important (the leading one in three counties in the West of the country, Rogaland, Hordaland and More og Romsdal). Although it provides Kjell Magne Bondevik's policy with parliamentary support, the Progress Party does not belong to the government; - The Popular Christian Party (KrF), led by Dagfinn Hoybraten, is Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik's party; - The Socialist Left Party (SV), whose chairperson Kristin Halvorsen positions herself to the left of the Labour Party; - The Centre Party (Sp), chaired by the Cultural Affairs Minister, Aslaug Haga, belongs to the leftwing opposition; - The Liberal Party (V), whose chairman Lars Sponheim is the present Agriculture minister, belongs to the government coalition; - The Coastal Party (KYST) is a party that represents the interests of the fishing community. The Stakes of this Election In April and May the political parties held their annual congresses to present their programmes and align their ranks for the electoral campaign. On 2nd and 3rd April the Socialist Left Party met in Kristianland. The party highlighted the project to reform pensions believing that the one presented by the government discriminated against those with low wages and women. In their programme the socialists are requesting that the State share in partially privatised companies – like for example Hydro, Statoil and Telenor- be higher. They would like to develop a European policy more actively and are planning to create a Minister for European Affairs. "Norway is too servile with regard to the European Union," declared its chairperson Kristin Halvorsen who believes that the country must take better care of its own interests. Finally the Socialist Left Party pointed out its extreme opposition to drilling for oil and gas in the Barents Sea, a major point of discord with the Labour Party and the Centre Party. The main event at the Labour Party congress (DNA) on 9th and 10th April was the alignment of the Social Democrats with the Norwegian Confederation of Unions (LO). Gerd-Liv Valla, chairperson of the union was elected to the central committee of the Labour Party along with Jan Davidsen, chairman of the Fagforbundet union. Although the latter has three hundred thousand members the Norwegian Confederation of Unions comprises 850,000 members i.e. 40% of the kingdom's working population. For the upcoming general elections it granted a record subsidy to the Labour party (13.3 million kroner, i.e. 1.6 million euro) and will also give 1.63 million kroner to the Socialist Left Party (i.e. 186,000 euro). Together with the chairperson of the Socialist Left Party, Kristin Halvorsen the Labour leader Jens Stoltenberg gave a speech at the national congress of the Norwegian Confederation of Unions that was held between 7th and 12th May in Oslo– this was a first in the history of the LO. Gerd-Liv Valla maintained that half of her members would vote for the Labour Party versus a quarter during the elections on 10th September 2001. She said that she wanted a minister from a future leftwing government to come from the ranks of her union. Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik heavily criticised the union's return to the central committee of the main opposition party. During the congress Labour Party leader Jens Stoltenberg invited the Socialist Left Party and the Centre Party to form a government coalition with the DNA after the general elections of 12th September next. He maintained that a leftwing government would release additional funds for the poorest; Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik answered this by pointing out that in the budget the positions held by Labour and the government were very close (the social democrat party came to an agreement with the rightwing coalition on the budget last year); he warned the DNA against any excessive expenditure policy. Finally in his speech Jens Stoltenberg pointed to his pro-European position saying however that he would return to the party's congress to talk about this subject. According to the polls the Labour Party has the greatest number of voters against Norway's accession to the Union (33% in 2005 and 27.3% in 2004). A week later the Liberal Party (V) met in Molde and committed itself to a reduction in taxes, the maintenance of a strong public sector and the strengthening of education (increase in the number of private schools) and the legalisation of marriage between homosexuals including their right to adoption. The Liberals also voted in favour (by a narrow majority) against Norway's entry into the European Union. Their chairman, Agriculture Minister Lars Sponheim said "51% against and 49% in favour". The Popular Christian Party (KrF) held its congress between 22nd and 24th April in Tonsberg. Declaring itself the ‘party of values', the Prime Minister's party laid emphasis on the family (increase in family benefits for parents of children that did not attend nursery, an increase in parental leave to nine weeks, construction of new nurseries and the strengthening of existing structures) and religion (strengthening of religious instruction, increase in the number of private schools and the restriction of the right to abortion). The Prime Minister highlighted his government's successes: strong economic growth, drop in unemployment and taxes and the improvement in the education sector. For several years Norway – mainly thanks to its oil reserves and that it manages with the greatest care- is the country with the highest standard of living in the world according to the ranking published by the UN Programme for Development. The country has also experienced continuous growth and the level of unemployment is below 4% of the working population (3.9% at the end of July 2005). "We are on the right road but we still have much to do," concluded the Prime Minister. During this congress, Kjell Magne Bondevik announced that his party still had not taken a stance on the European issue and that it would not take one for the next year. He stressed that not being a European Union member enabled Norway to choose its policy but it was a disadvantage for the country not to be able to influence the decisions that were affecting it to an ever increasing degree. Under the banner "Progress always" the Conservative Party (H) held its congress between 13th and 15th May. Its chairperson Erna Solberg, the present Minister for Communal Affairs laid emphasis on individual freedom and promised to launch a campaign in favour of Norway's entry into the European Union. Maintaining once again her desire to reduce taxes and to strengthen the sector of education, she decided to continue her co-operation with the Popular Christian Party and the Liberal Party. In Alesund between 20th and 22nd May Carl Hagen presented his party (FrP) as a merger of left and right, supporting both solidarity and the freedom of choice. He hoped for a stricter policy in the fight against crime and a more severe immigration policy. The Progress Party would like to limit the number of "non-Western immigrant" entries to one thousand people per year. He committed himself to another reduction in taxes, for the privatisation of several national companies (post, railways, etc.), to greater choice in terms of education and better care for the elderly. The Electoral Campaign The parties of the government coalition present themselves as the representatives of freedom (their slogan is "the Freedom of Choice") placing the individual at the heart of their policy contrary to the leftwing parties who favour "State centralisation" according to the words employed by the chairman of the Liberal Party, Lars Sponheim. During a press conference in Stavern the Prime Minister presented his government's programme: strengthening of research that should comprise 3% of the GDP by 2010; increase the fight against crime; increase loans for education, nurseries and family allowance; improvement in the protection of the environment. Kjell Magne Bondevik said on 20th July in an interview with the newspaper Dagsavisen, that his personal political future depended on the results of the general elections to come maintaining that his party would not hang on to the ministerial seats if the balance between the three parties of the government coalition collapsed on 12th September. The presentation of a list of one hundred and fifty-five points mid July on which the leaders of the three opposition parties shared the same points of view was not enough to convince the parties of the government coalition to stop highlighting the stream of discord between the various partners lying to the left. Hence the vice president of the Conservative Party and member of the parliamentary commission for Foreign Affairs, Inge Lonning, gave a detailed account of the disagreements in terms of foreign policy between the Labour Party and the Socialist Left Party. These two parties are fighting for Norway to withdraw from NATO and the European Economic Area (EEA) and favour the country's entry into the European Union contrary to the social democrat party. Inge Lonning asked for a "clarification of the leftwing coalition's foreign policy," thereby incurring the anger of Jens Stoltenberg who indicated that the parties on the left "had agreed on a foreign policy a long time ago basing themselves on membership of NATO and the EEA." The Conservative Party, via its president Erna Solberg, and the minister for Foreign Affairs Jan Peters, maintains that a leftwing government would endanger the foreign policy undertaken by Norway and would undermine the country's position within NATO. Another debate at the heart of the campaign is the potential co-operation between the parties who are members of the present government and the Progress Party. For several months now Carl Hagen has said that it was intolerable for government coalition parties to receive the support of his party without granting the latter its rightful place. "The Progress Party is not demanding ministerial portfolios nor secretaries of States but real political influence. Conservative voters are of the same opinion. Are they wrong?" This was the question asked by Siv Jensen vice president of the "populist" party to the president of the Conservative Party, Erna Solberg on 14th May last. Opinion polls show that those who vote for the right are not as unanimous as the leaders of the political parties in refusing the entry of the Progress Party into government. On 20th June last Carl Hagen said that he would not support another government led by Kjell Magne Bondevik. "A vote for the Progress Party in the autumn is above all support for the party's policy and it is also support for a non-socialist government without Kjell Magne Bondevik as Prime Minister," he wrote on 29th June last in the newspaper Dagens Naeringsliv. The populist leader believes that Dagfinn Hoybraten, the present president of the Popular Christian Party and Social Affairs Minister is the only true candidate for the position of Prime Minister. "It is the coalition parties who will decide on the candidate for this position and not Carl Hagen," answered the Prime Minister. In an interview in the daily Dagsavisen Kjell Magne Bondevik has maintained again that he was prepared to ally himself with the Labour leader Jens Stoltenberg if Carl Hagen contributed towards the fall of the present government coalition. On 14th June the Prime Minister insisted on saying that he preferred to co-operate with the Labour Party rather than bring the Progress Party into government. "My main adversary is Jens Stoltenberg and not Carl Hagen," he did however say in an interview in the daily VG. "The Popular Christian Party is a party of the centre and we have to maintain our freedom to seek out agreements both with the right and the left," declared the Prime Minister during his party's congress on 21st April. Lars Sponheim the president of the Liberal Party also excluded any other government coalition apart from the existing one due to the presence of Carl Hagen if the right wins the general elections. He did however say that the situation might develop when Siv Jensen took over the leadership of the "populist" party in 2006. The Labour Party that dominated Norwegian political life for a long time is now part of the opposition and is in the lead in the polls – its leader Jens Stoltenberg is the Norwegians' favourite for the position of Prime Minister, (38% of the electorate say they are in favour versus 12.4% for Erna Solberg and 10.5% for Kjell Magne Bondevik). According to the same poll undertaken by MMI between 15th and 19th August for radio NRK and the daily Dagbladet, the three leftwing parties are due to win 53.4% together i.e. 96 seats in the Storting versus 25.9% for the present government coalition (41 MP's). The Progress Party is due to win 16.9% of the vote but would become the kingdom's second most popular party. However nothing has yet been decided simply because of the condition set by the Progress Party demanding the departure of the Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik in order to support a rightwing coalition in Parliament. The results of the elections will depend on the Progress Party's result and that of the Liberal Party (at present forecast to win slightly more than 3% of the vote according to the polls) and its ability to achieve the 4% suffrage mark nationally that will enable it and the present government coalition to win a greater number of seats. On 12th September the Norwegians will also elect council representatives in 434 constituencies. Reminder of the Norwegian general election results on 10th September 2001. Participation rate: 74.5% Source Embassy of Norway in France
Budgeting is an essential part of a healthy financial life. It allows you to create a spending plan for your money to ensure you always have enough for the things that are truly important to you. Rather than being restrictive, these 20 budgeting tips help you form a clear picture of your spending money and can help you discover extra income that you can use more efficiently. People who budget successfully can set themselves up to get out of debt faster, achieve their savings goals over time and practice smart spending. The best part is that it only takes a few easy tweaks to your money routine to implement good budgeting habits. Naturally, there are some things that are worth doing every day. We stay physically healthy by taking care of our hygiene and staying active. So why is it so hard to exercise this same kind of daily care to strengthen our financial foundation? Read on to learn about quick and simple things you can do every day to stick to your budget. - Create your budget before the month begins - Practice budgeting to zero - Use the right tools - Establish needs versus wants - Keep bills and receipts organized - Prioritize debt repayment - Don’t forget to factor in fun - Save first, then spend - Start contributing to retirement now - Split your direct deposit - Expect the unexpected - Plan for large purchases - Include a contingency category - Adjust your budget monthly - Outline specific, realistic goals - Observe a no-spend day - Don’t be too hard on yourself - Try cash-only budgeting - Budget for your financial situation - Be flexible 1. Create your budget before the month begins To stay on top of your budget, plan ahead. A week before a new month starts, sit down and plan your next month’s activities and expenses. For instance, you may have a road trip or vet appointment one month but not the next. Once you’ve planned your month, set a realistic budget. 2. Practice budgeting to zero Budgeting to zero means tracking every dollar you earn and giving it a place in your budget until you don’t have a single dollar to spare. Let’s say, for example, you earn $4,000 a month. After budgeting your savings contributions, investments, fixed expenses and any additional spending, you should have no money left over. Budgeting to zero can show you where your money is going and give every dollar you earn a purpose. 3. Use the right tools Set yourself up with the right tools to ensure success from the beginning. Track your money with a budgeting app or use apps to keep track of money spent on shopping or healthcare costs. Powerful budgeting tools can help you track where your money goes, push you to prioritize your goals and bills and alert you if you spent too much on one category. 4. Establish needs versus wants “Needs” are anything crucial for your basic physical, mental and financial well-being — think food, rent and debt repayment. These should always be factored into your budget and can be found in Credit Karma’s budget calculator. Consider the 50/20/30 rule, which allocates approximately 50% of your income to essential items, 20% to savings or debt and 30% to non-essential items that will enhance your lifestyle. 5. Keep bills and receipts organized Keep your bills and receipts organized in case you need to refer back to a bill to dispute it. This may also come in handy for tax purposes. You can choose to file documents physically via hanging files or expandable folders. If you opt for physical filing, sort your documents by account or by month, depending on what works for you. If you receive your bills and receipts mostly via email, you may want to file everything electronically. 6. Prioritize debt repayment If you’re able, prioritizing debt payments may save you money on interest and reduce financial stress. It’s important to keep your debt down because it affects credit utilization. In general, it’s best to keep your credit utilization at less than 30% of your limit. 7. Don’t forget to factor in fun Part of an ironclad budget is planning for fun in addition to everything else. When you put money aside for nonessential activities, you ensure there’s enough to enjoy without the risk of overspending. Whether it’s a weekend getaway, a night out with friends or a special treat, setting aside a small amount of money each month is a great way to stay on top of your finances and avoid sacrificing fun for financial freedom. 8. Save first, then spend Think of saving as a fixed expense and factor it into your budget accordingly. According to billionaire Warren Buffett, it’s essential to prioritize your savings, and he recommends automating contributions to avoid temptation. 9. Start contributing to retirement now You’ve likely heard it before, but we’ll say it again: It’s never too early to start saving for retirement. If possible, consider maxing out your employer’s retirement matching program. Starting early can ensure that you don’t put extra strain on your budget further down the line as you attempt to catch up. 10. Split your direct deposit If you have direct deposit through your employer, consider setting it up so that a certain percentage of your income goes straight into your savings account. This way, automation does the work for you. 11. Expect the unexpected Sometimes, all the planning in the world can’t prepare us for unexpected expenses. Things like car repairs or trips to the emergency room are impossible to predict. That’s why it’s crucial to factor an emergency fund into your budget. For starters, aim to save the smallest amount that will make you feel taken care of in an emergency. After that, experts typically recommend securing three to six months of expenses so you’re at peace in the event of an emergency. 12. Plan for large purchases If you’re considering purchasing an expensive item like a new laptop or TV, the key is planning ahead. Decide a date that you want to make the purchase, and divide the price by the number of days you have. For example, if you want to purchase a $1,500 computer in 300 days, you just need to save $5 per day. This keeps you from charging the item to a credit card, potentially putting you in serious debt and causing you to pay interest charges until you can pay the balance off. 13. Include a contingency category Sometimes an expense won’t fit perfectly into your budget categories. That’s where having a contingency comes in handy. Here’s the catch: Ensure you’re not using it as an excuse to overspend in any of your other categories. If you find you’re consistently going over budget in food, shopping or any other area, consider modifying your budget instead of funneling it into your contingency. 14. Adjust your budget monthly Your needs will change, and a budget shouldn’t be set in stone. Consider re-assessing your budget monthly to get a pulse on how well you’ve been sticking to it. If you notice you’re consistently overspending in one category and under-spending in another, even out your budget to make it more achievable. 15. Outline specific, realistic goals Remember that the most easily achievable goals are SMART — specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and timely. Instead of saying, “This year, I want to save more,” try, “I want to have $1,000 saved for an emergency fund by December 31.” 16. Observe a no-spend day Designate one day per week when you don’t spend any money aside from what’s absolutely necessary. This is an easy way to make sure weekly spending stays within your budget range. If you’re having a hard time putting money away, consider a whole no-spend month. The idea is to go a whole month spending money only on the bare necessities and putting all the extra cash into savings. 17. Don’t be too hard on yourself Getting used to a new budgeting routine may take a few months to make perfect. Your budget may not be perfect the first or the second time around. Be kind to yourself and your budgeting lifestyle as you settle into your new routine. Focus on making daily decisions with your budgeting goals in mind to help establish new habits. Sticking to the plan will help you get the most out of your income and give you peace of mind that every dollar in your checking account is going to a specific purpose. 18. Try cash-only budgeting Cash-only budgeting involves only using cash for all purchases and tracking spending on a regular basis. This budgeting method makes it easier to see how much money you have left to spend and make sure you stick to your budget. Additionally, cash-only budgeting allows you to make conscious decisions about your spending since it forces you to pay attention to where your money is going. 19. Budget for your financial situation For an effective budget that works long term, you’ll want to consider your financial situation. Hopeful budgeting — planning expenses based on possible income — can cause you to incur debt instead of savings. On the other hand, outlining a budget that ignores part of your income could lead you to waste money or overlook wealth-building opportunities like investing. Set realistic goals for yourself, including savings, paying off debt and investing in your future. Factor in unexpected expenses, like car repairs or medical bills to ensure that you are prepared for those costs before deciding how to organize your funds. 20. Be flexible Life is unpredictable, and sometimes our financial situation can change drastically. When budgeting, it’s important to have a plan and stick to it but also be prepared to make changes when necessary. This can mean cutting back on some expenses, finding ways to save money or being open to new ideas and opportunities that can help you save money. Being flexible with a budget can help you stay on track and confidently build a solid financial foundation.
38 Pages Posted: 16 Nov 2016 Last revised: 9 Aug 2017 Date Written: November 15, 2016 Using a unique data set we link the race of police officers who kill suspects with the race of those who are killed across the United States. We have data on a total of 2,699 fatal police killings for the years 2013 to 2015. This is 1,333 more killings by police than is provided by the FBI data on justifiable police homicides. When either the violent crime rate or the demographics of a city are accounted for, we find that white police officers are not significantly more likely to kill a black suspect. For the estimates where we know the race of the officer who killed the suspect, the ratio of the rate that blacks are killed by black versus white officers is large — ranging from 3 to 5 times larger. However, because the media may under report the officer’s race when black officers are involved, other results that account for the fact that a disproportionate number of the unknown race officers may be more reliable. They indicate no statistically significant difference between killings of black suspects by black and white officers. Our panel data analysis that looks at killings at the police department level confirms this. These findings are inconsistent with taste-based racial discrimination against blacks by white police officers. Our estimates examining the killings of white and Hispanic suspects found no differences with respect to the races of police officers. If the police are engaged in discrimination, such discriminatory behavior should also be more difficult when body or other cameras are recording their actions. We find no evidence that body cameras affect either the number of police killings or the racial composition of those killings. Keywords: discrimination, police use of force, racial bias JEL Classification: K42, J71 Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation Lott, John R. and Moody, Carlisle E., Do White Police Officers Unfairly Target Black Suspects? (November 15, 2016). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2870189 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2870189
Due to the assistance from the electric motor, it is understandable why people are sceptical about using an e-bike for fitness. These bikes are regarded as a way to climb hills easier or allow you to turn up to work without being hot and sweaty. However, electric bikes are a great way to become fitter or to maintain your current fitness level. You Can Work Up A Sweat On An E-Bike When you ride an electric bike, you can choose how much assistance the motor gives you. If you want to put in less effort, you simply select a higher assistance mode. Alternatively, if you want a workout, choose less assistance, so you need to work harder. You need to put more effort into the pedals to maintain your speed with lower assistance levels. Even with an electric bike, pedalling increases your heart rate, as you can still pedal just as hard as you can with a regular bike. The difference is that the motor allows you to accelerate faster, take on steeper climbs, and ride further. You Can Build Fitness On An E-Bike According To Science Brigham Young University in Utah, USA, performed a study on using an electric bike for fitness training. They monitored a group of experienced cyclists on both regular mountain bikes and electric mountain bikes on a planned route. When their data was analysed, they reached 94% of their average heart rate on the electric mountain bikes. Therefore, the experiment's conclusion determined that you can get a great cardiovascular workout on an electric bike. Improve Fitness While Commuting On An E-Bike Brigham Young University conducted another study that focussed on the health benefits of commuting on an electric bike. The study highlighted that people who commute on an electric bike experience most of the health benefits of riding a regular bike. Electric Bikes Are Great For Our Mental Health Commuting on an electric bike isn't just great for your body. It is also excellent for your mental health. After a while, your fitness improves, which goes a long way to improve your self-esteem. In addition to this, spending time outdoors, rather than being cooped up in a car or on public transport, makes you happier. This is because being exposed to more sunlight makes up for the soul-crushing atmosphere of spending all day under artificial light. When you ride an electric bike to work every morning, you experience less stress, making it a better start to your day. You don't have to contend with traffic or a cramped bus. Therefore, you can begin your day with energy, which will make you more productive. You can also experience the mental health benefits on your ride home. Riding an electric bike home is an excellent way to destress and unwind. Your ride home could be the time that you intensify your exercise for the day. You can put extra effort into the pedals, as you won't be too bothered about getting sweaty on the way home. Using a lower assistance level, you can build up your heart rate for an excellent workout. Alternatively, you could choose the long way home, so you get more time in the saddle. If you ride an electric mountain bike, you can find a more exciting route back home. Your route will be longer, giving you more exercise, and fun allowing you to improve your mood even more. Electric Bikes Improve Your Fitness In Your Free Time Lots of people ride their bikes during leisure time for fitness. But, you can improve your fitness by heading out on an electric bike at the weekends. One of the main advantages of riding an electric bike is that you can ride for longer before you feel tired. The assistance from the motor can make your ride less intense. Still, there is a significant relationship between the duration of your ride and improving your fitness. You can experience many aerobic benefits from riding an electric bike for long periods of time. Therefore, you don't have to go out for short, intense rides to improve your fitness (although these have their benefits too). Riding an electric bike can keep you exercising for longer, so you may be able to spend all day in the saddle. On the contrary, you may only be able to last a few hours on a regular bike before you feel like you want to go home. Electric Bikes Allow Your To Continue An Active Lifestyle As we age, it is more important to stay active. Cycling is one of the best ways for older people to maintain an active lifestyle. However, depending on their situation, the individual may find starting to pedal too challenging. However, electric bikes are the perfect solution for staying active in your old age. The assistance from the motor reduces the effort needed to set off on a ride. Some electric bikes even have throttles, allowing you to build up momentum before you start pedalling. Riding any kind of bike increases the blood flow to your brain, which staves off conditions such as Parkinson's disease. Therefore, an electric bike not only keeps your body working but your mind too. Great For Rehabilitation If you have an injury, an electric bike is an excellent way of gently exercising it as part of your rehabilitation. For example, if you have an injured knee, you can ride an electric bike for low impact exercise. It will keep the joint moving while exercising the necessary muscles. In addition to this, an electric bike with a throttle allows you to ride without pedalling like a moped. Therefore, if your injury feels aggravated, you can still get home. Also, the throttle will enable you to stay independent while you recover. However, if you do have an injury, make sure you get advice from a health specialist. This way, you will know that an electric bike will help your specific issue. With this information, you know know that riding an electric bike isn't cheating. In fact, these bikes are an excellent way of building fitness, creating independence and rehabilitating injuries. Even though the electric motor can be sued to make life easier. You can still benefit from an intense workout when you need it.
What's the issue? We have taken a decision that we will conduct a qualitative data collection, but which method do we want to choose? Do we want to observe a particular group or site for a long period in order to discover how meanings, representations, and behaviour come about? Or a group discussing where participants share and compare their experience would be better? Perhaps we are dealing with specific and sensitive issues and we would rather conduct in-depth interviews? Focus groups can be used to examine children's preferences in the context of their peer-related activities, thus uncovering meanings and feelings, specific topics that children of the same age talk about and, more specifically, how they communicate about their media and internet interests and experiences. Often, media use and content is selected, assigned significance and interpreted through social interaction within groups. The dynamics of children's peer groups can be at least partly captured and reproduced within focus groups. Since focus groups are based on social interaction, the context within which that interaction takes place is of the utmost importance. Focus groups can be conducted in informal peer group settings, and in classroom situations, as well as at home. The location of the research matters to children (and, no doubt, to adults), and should be familiar to the child. In this particular sense, focus groups are more similar to "natural groups" (that is, pre-existing social groups - such as friends, class mates, families, etc.) than to "artificial groups" (usually assembled by marketing researchers) include people who don't know each other necessarily (and actually are not supposed to). In-depth interviews can be used as part of a mixed method research strategy (e.g. as complementary method to a survey); the same may be assumed about focus groups. Each one, however, can be used as a research method in its own right. Either way, interviews and focus groups must follow certain basic rules. In fact, researchers have developed a range of techniques and several strategies for working with groups of children and young people. These include using visual retrieval aids for recall, asking 'wh' questions (who/what/when/where/why) rather than yes/no questions, and open-ended rather than closed questions, and explaining that 'I don't know' is an acceptable reply (to reduce response biases). See Lobe et al (2007). In a focus group design social interaction between participants is the core issue. The researcher is asked to encourage and observe discussions between individuals. Being able to collect the information you need while observing interaction among participants is an obvious benefit of conducting a focus group. As general rule, in-depth interviews are best when you are interested in individual information, regarding several topics of interest that can be attained only through an informal conversation alone with the child informant. On the other hand, focus groups are best when you want to consider not only children's own accounts of reality but the way they negotiate these accounts with others, therefore showing divergence or convergence between their views. Observation may be a part of other methods (e.g. occurring during focus groups) or be employed as an independent or alternative method. Participant observation of children's playing falls into this last category. It may also be part of an experimental design, based on systematic observation. When researching very young children, this last procedure may prove to be particularly adequate, since other methods could be rejected by children or simply be inappropriate for certain ages. Questions to consider Any research interaction with children should allow sufficient time for 'warming-up' and developing a rapport with the children. Besides that it is important to arrange for more than one meeting in order to gain the trust of the child informant. Furthermore, the research process should be varied as children's concentration span calls for variety in approaches (mixing methods, shifting focus, introducing varied materials). Often, media use and content is selected, assigned significance and interpreted through social interaction within groups. The dynamics of children's peer groups can be at least partly captured and reproduced within focus groups. Several basic strategies have been noticed by authors who have worked with children in focus groups (Morgan, Gibbs, Maxwell, & Britten, 2002): care in the recruitment and composition of the group (4-5 children is probably best, as is separating boys and girls for older children); achieving a balance of power that enables spontaneous contributions; setting the scene to encourage informality and participation, specifying ground rules, structured warm-up activities; managing space and time by breaking up the session, varying the activities, arranging the space; accessing children's meanings through appropriate prompts and probing; use of an alternative personality (e.g. a stuffed toy or cartoon character to take the place of the interviewer); pen and paper exercises, especially for drawing or for producing a shared image; role-playing scenarios with dolls, toys or the children themselves; observing the group dynamics, tensions and sensitive moments (Irwin & Johnson, 2005; Lewis, 1992). Pitfalls to avoid As regards the role assigned to children in an interview, it is important to treat them as active participants, rather than mere respondents, giving them the opportunity to explain their responses in the interviewing process. Children must not get the feeling that they have to give the "right" answers. Interviews, individual or collective, are the result of a given social process, which means they are not simply "neutral" conversations between two or more individuals. In this sense, all information is the result of a particular social relation between interviewer and interviewee. The context in which the interview takes place, the roles that are assigned to participants, the individual characteristics of participants (both interviewer and interviewee) - all these influence the kind of relation established and nature of the information gathered. Although focus groups add to in-depth interviews the possibility of observing group dynamics, they could be restrictive if we intend to explore certain topics related to single individuals. This is particularly the case when one is dealing with children or young people. Be aware of the number of participants of focus groups. Having more participants will not make the data more generalisable. Morgan, D. & Krueger, R.A (Eds.), (1998). The Focus Group Kit. London: Sage. Greene, S., & Hogan, D. (2005). Researching children's experiences: methods and approaches. London: Sage. Hennessy, E., & Heary, C. (2005). Exploring Children's Views Through Focus Groups In S. Greene & D. Hogan (Eds.), Researching children's experience (pp. 236-252). London: Sage. A researcher's experience: in-depth interviews and focus groups from a research project on children and the internet Focus groups or in-depth interviews seem to me the most appropriate methods for investigations with children, despite the advantages and disadvantages of each method. If the first allows us to understand how they relate to each other, it also shows who dominates the group. I can testify that, in some focus groups, there was always someone who enjoyed being the leader, answering all the questions, even the ones which hadn't been addressed to her/him. This situation can be particularly embarrassing if the rest of the group is too shy, since it can be really difficult to understand the opinions of the rest of the group. Focus groups can also be an obstacle to talking about private subjects, such as sex or any other sensitive themes. It is a fact that in-depth interviews could be a solution for this case; however, one should remember that this kind of interview is much more intimate and the researcher has to prepare her/himself much better, so that the approach can be accepted well by the children. According to my experience, I would say that in-depth interviews work better with teenagers and adults, while for younger children they can be quite embarrassing. (Cátia Candeias, Portugal) A researcher's experience: observation of focus groups from a study on children's reading of animation As regards observation, I noticed that the children taking part in the group discussions were easily distracted by my activities, and even stopped talking when I stood up. This was possibly due to the classroom context where the children are usually requested to follow the teacher's instructions and to behave accordingly - i.e. not to speak unless asked to. (Sofia Leitão, Portugal) A researcher's experience: focus group on IPTV and broadband internet among teenagers and young adults Natural groups are one of the most appropriate methods to investigate children and their media uses. One of their main advantages is the opportunity for the researcher to observe social interaction in its natural setting and, as far as children's use of online technologies are concerned, observe how practices of use are defined, negotiated and shaped within social networks and peer relations. In contrast, focus groups organized through recruitment agencies can introduce a significant bias, since many recruitment agencies now make use of "professional focus groupers", that is people (even teenagers and younger children) who are used to joining several focus groups per year, and who also sometimes specialize in talking about certain topics (such as media consumption). So what is supposed to be a group of people who have never attended a focus group at least in the last 6 months and who have never met before, turns out to be a group of acquaintances who share this "second job". In a specific research project conducted by EU Kids Online members, both the researcher and the recorder clearly recognized one of the interviewee as being a girl who was interviewed a few months before. On each occasion the girl claimed to have different broadband providers (the main competitors on the Italian market) and when the researcher asked for further information she seemed to be confused). (Giovanna Mascheroni, Italy). Example of bad practice: Natural groups on mobile phone uses and internet practices The main disadvantage of natural groups comes from the fact that the group observed is characterized by established relationships, certain roles and relations of power within the group that the researcher has to identify and bear in mind. Another side effect of the study of pre-existing social networks is the fact that they tend to share a common experience expressed in terms that are largely taken for granted and unfamiliar to the researcher. This aspect, though, may be peculiar with all focus groups on children, since they tend to speak their "own" language and perceive the researcher (independently of her age, in/formal look, etc) as a stranger, too odd to understand what they are speaking about. This was the case of one research project where the group was comprised of two boys and two girls all aged 14 and 15, two of whom had been boy- and girlfriend. The two kept on flirting during the interview, much to the great disappointment of the other girl who was seemingly jealous of her friend. The interview was somewhat hard to manage, especially when the group was asked to tell and show what kind of texts and MMS they used to exchange, since most of this was related to the previous "affair" between. (Giovanna Mascheroni, Italy).
THE SECOND TEMPLE PERIOD In the Sumptuous Residences of Nobles and Priests In the Second Temple period, the rich people of Jerusalem lived on the western hill, or the upper city as it was called at the time-the present Jewish quarter in the old city. The view of the Temple must have been superb, as the homes themselves must have been, with mosaics on the floors, frescoes on the walls and fine furnishings. A large number of stone vessels have been found in the remains of these vast residences, and in simpler homes as well. This has to do with the strict observance of ritual purity demanded by the Torah. For unlike pottery, wood or metal containers, stone ones could not be contaminated. At this time, many workshops in Jerusalem produced stone furniture, ossuaries and dishes. Representation of the Menorah This piece of incised plaster illustrated below bears the oldest known representation of the menorah, the seven-armed candelabrum that stood in the Second Temple in King Herod's day. It was found during archaeological digs in what is now the Jewish quarter of the old city of Jerusalem. This image was actually made when the menorah was still in the Temple-and thus by someone who had seen the menorah-perhaps one of the priests.
Comets played an important role in the revolution of astronomy and cosmology that occurred between 1500 and 1700. In the earlier Aristotelian geocentric cosmological scheme, the universe was divided into two regions with very different characteristics. The heavens, which reached from the sphere of the Moon to that of the fixed stars, were perfect and unchanging; motion there was exclusively circular. Below the Moon was the world of corruption and change. The Earth was the center of the universe, the natural place of all heavy bodies (bodies in which the element earth predominated). Around it were arranged in successive spherical shells the elements of water, air, and fire. The sphere of fire reached up to the sphere of the Moon, the first heavenly sphere. Although there are references in Aristotle that some of the imperfection of the sublunary region may have rubbed off on the Moon, basically the divide between the heavenly and sublunary regions was absolute. If the heavens were perfect and unchanging, then no change could occur in them. Any phenomenon that involved change was, therefore, by definition a sublunary one. Whereas heavenly bodies moved around the Earth in never ending circles, repeating their patterns over and over, comets came and went. They appeared suddenly, moved across the constellations for a brief period of time, and then disappeared. There was no regularity, no pattern to their appearances and motions. They were therefore considered changing appearances and therefore by definition their location was "below" the Moon. (It is to be noted here that this is true only in western cosmology after Aristotle. In the cosmologies of other cultures, comets were defined differently.) The Aristotelian cosmology was dominant in the Islamic world and in Christian Europe. We find no coherent record of comets in the astronomical annals of these cultures (as we do, for instance in China). Comets were, of course, observed, and they are mentioned in chronicles and other non-astronomical documents. They were considered omens, bad omens, and since there was always a major disaster (plague, war, flood, fire, etc.) that happened shortly after a comet had been seen, there was no easy way to prove this notion wrong. The first recorded efforts to study the paths of comets across the heavens as an astronomical exercise occurred in Florence in the fifteenth century, about a century before the birth of Galileo. By the early sixteenth century, astronomers were observing and measuring the positions of all comets, and in the 1530s Peter Apian in Germany discovered that the tail of a comet always points away from the Sun. His discovery was illustrated in a tract written in German, meant for popular consumption. Among the philosophers (and cosmology was a part of philosophy) there was as yet no doubt that comets were sublunary phenomena. But practicing astronomers, that is those who observed the positions of heavenly bodies and calculated their positions, increasingly began to measure the positions of comets. If they were below the Moon, then their parallax could be no less than the Moon's, about 1° (the horizontal parallax, which is the angle subtended at the Moon by the Earth's radius). Why did not a few carefully executed measurements settle this issue quickly? First, there was in Europe no great tradition of making accurate, or even regular, astronomical observations before about 1500. For that reason, measuring instruments were primitive, not even taking advantage of the capabilities of existing technology. They were simple, hand-held, wooden instruments--little more than roughly calibrated sticks--and their accuracy was perhaps at best 1/4°, usually perhaps 1/2°. There was little accuracy and even less consistency in the measurements of individual astronomers. When it came to comparing the measurements of practitioners in places all over Europe, the situation became hopeless. The results were parallaxes ranging from 10° to negative values. Second, astronomers and others who practiced the mathematical sciences dealt only with positions and motions. These were accidental properties of bodies and could tell you nothing about their essences. A mathematician could tell you where the apple was and he could describe its motion if it fell. But this information could not tell you what made this body an apple and why it fell. These were questions that belonged to philosophy. It was therefore not at all obvious that the measurements of the astronomers could turn an obviously changing cometary phenomenon into a perfect and immutable heavenly body. By the time Galileo was beginning to turn his attention to the study of mathematics, the science of astronomy was changing. Copernicus's De Revolutionibus (1543) had been around for a generation, and there were other cosmological theories as well that challenged the existing cosmology. When in 1577 a huge comet appeared whose tail spread in a great arc across the sky, observers all over Europe, Tycho Brahe among them, made measurements of its changing positions. The resulting literature was huge, and if the verdict was by no means unanimous, it was clear that the opinion that comets were heavenly bodies had become respectable in learned circles. The rising authority of Tycho Brahe, based on his noble birth and his miraculous instruments, gave added impetus to the change of opinion. Over the next two generations the perfection of the heavens was abandoned, as were the crystalline spheres of which they were supposedly composed. But placing comets in the heavens raised new questions. What were their paths? What was their nature? Through much of the seventeenth century the debate ranged. in his Assayer of 1623 Galileo argued that comets were optical phenomena and that therefore one could not measure their parallaxes. In this opinion he was not followed by others. It was argued that comets moved in straight lines or parabolic arcs. Descartes argued that comets were bodies that traveled from one solar system to another. The mechanical philosophy of the second half of the seventeenth century had a great bearing on this debate, as we can see in Isaac Newton's conclusions. In his Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy of 1687, Newton argued that all matter attracts all other matter. If comets are made of matter, then they are attracted to the Sun just as the planets are. Given rectilinear inertia and a centrally directed force, the moving body's path must be a conic section. Edmond Halley took this notion and drew up a table of the parameters of the twenty-odd brightest comets that had been seen over the previous several centuries. He pointed out that the parameters of the comets of 1533, 1607 and 1682 were the same and concluded that this was a periodic comet. He predicted its return in 1758. In that year (Halley had died in 1742) the comet appeared as predicted and has been called Halley's Comet ever since. By the beginning of the eighteenth century, then, comets had been brought under the category of phenomena that obey natural laws. But these laws were those of the new physics and astronomy, not those of Aristotelian physics and Ptolemaic cosmology. Sources: The standard treatment of the comet of 1577 is C. Doris Hellman, The Comet of 1577: Its Place in the History of Astronomy (New York: AMS Press, 1971. For considerations of earlier comets see Jane L. Jervis, Cometary Theory in Fifteenth-Century Europe (Wroclaw: Ossolineum, The Polish Academy of Sciences Press, 1985). See also Victor E. Thoren, "The Comet of 1577 and Tycho Brahe's System of the World," Archives Internationales d'Histoire des Sciences , 29 (1979):53-67. Several good books on comets and their history were published for the 1985/6 appearance of Halley's comet. I recommend Robert D. Chapman and John C. Brandt, The Comet Book: A Guide for the Return of Halley's Comet (Boston and Portola Valley: Jones and Bartlett, 1984), and Carl Sagan and Ann Druyan, Comet (New York: Random House, 1985). ©1995 Al Van Helden
Key points from article : Researchers discovered how a particular light-sensitive gene mediates the effect of light on mood. Period 1 (Per1) is one of the clock genes, which play key roles in the functioning of the body’s circadian rhythm. Light-mediated induction of Per1 gene expression happens during the dark phase, regardless of whether animals are diurnal/nocturnal. Examined the downstream effects of increased activity of Per1 in the lateral habenula on two other regions of the brain. It inhibits or activates to keep the balance between the VTA and the nucleus accumbens to make a nice dosing of the dopamine. “If you put light to this lateral habenula, you basically influence the balancer...and thereby influence indirectly mood,” - Urs Albrecht, Coauthor. Light therapy is commonly used for seasonal affective disorder, it can also be effective for nonseasonal depression. Light is safe, easy to administer, and nearly free, and it has a significant effect on the brain Study by University of Fribourg published in PLOS Genetics.
Remember to set your clocks FORWARD an hour on Sunday (3/10)! We’ll gain an extra hour of sunlight but we’ll lose an hour of sleep, so be sure to rest up. Daylight Saving Time (DST) 2019 in California will begin at 2:00 a.m. on Sunday, March 10th and will end at 2:00 a.m. on Sunday, November 3rd. “Spring forward” and “fall back” are a few of the sayings used to remember which way to set your clock: - You set your clock forward one hour in the spring when DST starts (= we lose 1 hour) - You set your clock back one hour when DST ends in the fall (= we regain 1 hour). Take a look here to see the reason(s) why we change our clocks, the controversy, and the history behind it all: timeanddate.com
The classical Marxist theories of imperialism – of which Lenin’s is the most well known – were developed in a specific and very important context; that of World War I. It is difficult to overestimate the impact of that event. The world had seen nothing like it in terms of the industrial-scale carnage which repeatedly saw tens of thousands of people killed in single days of particular battles, nor in the use of poison gases, nor the horrors of trench warfare. The political impact was possibly as monumental as the humanitarian one. The victory of the Russian Revolution and the formation of the world’s first workers’ government occurred precisely in the context of this war. Other revolutions that resulted from the turmoil of the war included the overthrow of the Kaiser in Germany. The war resulted in the international socialist movement becoming irrevocably split. The Second International of socialist parties had failed in its mission to unite the workers of the world when its various national sections joined the war efforts of their respective ruling classes. In response Lenin’s Russian Bolsheviks succeeded in establishing a Third International: a grouping of revolutionary parties dedicated to opposing imperialist war and replicating the success of the Bolshevik revolution in their own countries. The question of war was the key issue of the day. All of the theoretical treatises on imperialism by Lenin, Bukharin, Luxemburg and their contemporaries attempted to explain the causes and meaning of the war. Moreover they were about political outlook. The key question was whether capitalism (assuming it was to survive) was destined to inflict further wars on humanity, or whether some realignment of the capitalist system could enable further wars to be averted. This was one of the major concrete ways that the question of reform or revolution was being posed in this era. On this question Lenin was adamant. Capitalism had reached a stage of development which he termed imperialism, in which predatory wars between the great powers were inevitable. These powers would keep fighting to redivide the world. The political conviction on which this theory rests was that the working classes must “transform the imperialist war into a civil war”. The curse of mass slaughter could only be ended by the working class taking power and introducing socialism. Anyone familiar with Lenin’s writings on imperialism would know that they had a particular polemical target: Karl Kautsky. Lenin had previously revered Kautsky as the foremost theorist of orthodox Marxism. Lenin now endlessly decried Kautsky as a renegade for failing publically to oppose the war. Lenin considered this to be a crucial duty of all socialists in the belligerent countries. Lenin sought to dismantle Kautsky’s theory of “ultra-imperialism”. This theory held that wars like the “great war” only benefitted a minority of the capitalist class (ship builders, arms manufacturers, etc.), and that war was disadvantageous both to the popular masses and to the majority of capitalists whose international trade was disrupted. Therefore it would be possible for the capitalists of different countries to unite in a lasting agreement to exploit the workers of the world without sending them to war. Lenin rejected this theory as “reactionary and utopian” for trying to con workers into believing in the possibility of a peaceful capitalism. In doing so he rejected the class collaborationist orientation that underpinned such a world view, whereby the workers’ movement would ally itself with the supposedly “peaceful” sectors of capital. Lenin instead sought to direct popular anger about the war towards the overthrow of the capitalist class. I am sure many people find it amusing that Marxist writers so frequently demand that their own views on topics are identical in essence to those of great revolutionary leaders; and especially those of Lenin. Sam King’s article in Marxist Left Review 8 presents itself as a faithful retelling and application of Lenin’s theory. This article, in part, will seek to demonstrate why this is not the case. A major reason why I think Sam fails in this regard is that he appears to be writing for a different purpose than that of Lenin. Sam’s theory involves deciding which powerful states are and are not imperialist. Lenin had no such purpose. He never tried to distinguish between powerful states in this way. Lenin developed a theory of imperialism that included a range of economic components, including the domination of finance capital, the importance of the export of capital and – Sam’s concept of choice – monopoly. These were dynamics of the system that Lenin considered to be indicative of capitalism in its imperialism phase. However, Lenin never demanded that any particular country’s economy must conform to this list before its military and geopolitical actions could be classified as imperialist. As Louis Proyect has put it: Lenin’s 1914 pamphlet is a guide to understanding a system, not a handbook on classifying countries. For much of the past ten years or so, I have seen arguments…on how to classify apartheid South Africa (or even post-apartheid) or Israel. Are they imperialist? Sub-imperialist? Lenin never intended to provide some kind of birdwatcher’s guide for such classifications, however. Lenin’s pamphlet was written for a specific time and place, not a universally applicable textbook. Sam’s focus appears to be challenging the understanding of many currents on the left, and others in society, that China is an emerging imperialist power. Sam takes particular aim at the International Socialist Tendency (IST), although they are far from alone in this analysis. The key contention of Sam’s article is that China cannot be considered imperialist according to Lenin’s thesis because China is not the home of multinational corporations (MNCs) which are monopolistic. More specifically, he argues that although some of the largest corporations in the world are Chinese, these companies generally do not possess important technology patents. Therefore Chinese companies are not able to extract “super-profits” by exploiting the labour of (other) low-wage economies by outsourcing bulk production, or by extracting technology rents. Sam’s article contains insightful and useful explanations of how MNCs based in high-wage economies can continually become richer even though manufacturing has declined – often massively – in their home countries. But this does not mean that China is not imperialist according to Lenin’s theory or in general. Of course the international division of labour described by Sam was not central to Lenin’s theory because it did not exist then. In order to develop an interpretation of Lenin’s theory by which today’s China could not be considered imperialist, Sam tries to develop two dichotomies: one between the economic and the politico-military dimensions of imperialism, and the other between imperialism as a competition between powerful states or as something done to third world countries. I consider that Lenin’s theory involves all of these propositions, and that they are integrated rather than dichotomous. For Sam however, imperialism is primarily an economic process in which poor countries are exploited by rich countries, and that war and competition between different powers are not central and should not be emphasised. To quote Sam: Lenin’s theory of imperialism revolves primarily around the systematic exploitation of the poor economies by monopoly capital based principally in the rich economies. Within Lenin’s framework, inter-imperialist wars are secondary to exploitation of the poor economies, as these wars are ultimately about redrawing the terms and conditions of that exploitation. Throughout his essay Sam takes Lenin’s terms “oppressor” and “oppressed” and substitutes for them the concepts of first and third world countries. This is not a meaningless terminological “update”, as it conveys meanings that were not part of Lenin’s definition. For instance Russia was an oppressor in Poland, a fact that Lenin regularly emphasised, but Poland was on the whole more industrially advanced than Russia. More crucially, there is nothing in Lenin to suggest that a nation must have a high per capita GDP or a high standard of living for its population in order to be imperialist, to be an oppressor; “backward” Russia in the early twentieth century will again suffice as an example. As per the quote above, Sam treats imperialism as an economic relationship in which military and political power are merely a pale reflection. This will not do. For Marxists including Lenin, imperialism was a process with an economic basis, and can be considered as having an economic dimension. That is to say, Marxists recognise that imperialism did not emerge as a series of battles between states without regard to any economic processes, and it is not conducted without regard to economic exploitation. But imperialism is also really about what it says it’s about: empires. That is, it involves powerful states and their military forces, as well as their corporations. This should all be pretty obvious, not just because the term itself connotes it, but because of the context for the development of the theory, which I discussed at the start of this article. The debates over imperialism in Lenin’s time were fundamentally about the battles between the great powers. They were about war: explaining the present one and what to do to stop the next one. Thus it makes little sense for Sam to accuse other Leninists of misinterpreting Lenin because of “an overemphasis on inter-imperialist competition…and the clashes between great powers”. After all, it would have been difficult to overemphasise such things in 1916 when world events were emphasising them so stridently. If Lenin had not given much importance to “inter-imperialist competition…and the clashes between great powers” then his work would have lacked relevance in its own time, let alone ours. Much of the content of Lenin’s pamphlet focuses on economic questions, but not because Lenin viewed the economic dimensions of imperialism as more important than the political or military ones. The fact that it does not pay more attention to the latter questions was something for which Lenin was apologetic, as it was a product of the legal situation in which he was writing. As Lenin explains in his April 1917 preface: This pamphlet was written with an eye to the tsarist censorship. Hence, I was not only forced to confine myself strictly to an exclusively theoretical, specifically economic analysis of facts, but to formulate the few necessary observations on politics with extreme caution, by hints, in an allegorical language – in that accursed Aesopian language – to which tsarism compelled all revolutionaries to have recourse whenever they took up the pen to write a “legal” work. When Lenin wrote a preface for Bukharin’s work Imperialism and World Economy (which Lenin viewed favourably, unlike Sam), he wrote: Every one interested in not only the economics but in any sphere of present-day social life must acquaint himself with the facts relating to this problem [i.e. imperialism], as presented by the author [Bukharin] in such detail on the basis of the latest available data. Needless to say that there can be no concrete historical analysis of the present war, if that analysis does not have for its basis a full understanding of the nature of imperialism, both from its economic and political aspects… Without such an understanding it is impossible to speak of forming a correct view on the war. Here I think we get a real picture of the balance that Lenin places between the economic and the politico-military dimensions of imperialism. Imperialism involves an economic dimension without which we cannot understand the political dimension, which in turn makes it impossible to understand the war. It is not that one is of real consequence and the other not, but that they cannot be understood in isolation. As for whether imperialism is the exploitation of the weak by the strong nations or whether it is about competition between the strong nations – again, it’s both. Sam has provided quotes where Lenin discusses how a handful of nations exploit the rest of the world. But he omits the following quote: An essential feature of imperialism is the rivalry between several Great Powers in the striving for hegemony, i.e. for the conquest of territory, not so much directly for themselves as to weaken the adversary and undermine his hegemony. Neither myself nor Chris Harman, nor the other IST writers Sam criticised, are making this up. This is an essential feature of imperialism in Lenin’s words. Not something less significant than anything else, but another essential feature. Some might conclude that Sam and I are merely choosing to emphasise different parts of Lenin’s writing. It is not uncommon for different people to read the same text and to take different messages from it. Quite often it is simply a subjective matter with no real way of telling who is right and who is wrong. This is not one of those occasions. There is a very clear way of verifying whether Sam is right or wrong. That is to see whether his assertions about what Lenin’s theory means fit with what Lenin said about the political issues of the day. In particular, Lenin’s attitude to Russia’s involvement in World War I demonstrates why Sam is simply wrong. For if Lenin’s book really does teach that only countries that possess technological monopolies to exploit foreign workers can be imperialist, regardless of how much military capacity and other geopolitical might they possess, then Lenin would not have considered Russia in World War I to be imperialist. The same would also be true for Japan and other countries. The fact is well established: Lenin stridently believed that Russia was imperialist, that its war effort was imperialist, that it was one of the great powers etc. This was the case, for Lenin, both under the Tsar and also under bourgeois rule after February 1917. And this was despite Russia not having developed any of the key technologies of the day. It imported technologies such as electrical systems, industrial machinery and so on from western Europe, from where it also imported much of its capital. With this fact Sam’s thesis that China is not imperialist in the “Leninist” sense is dead. China does not have to meet the specific economic criteria that Sam demands in order to be considered imperialist. Lenin’s theory was not about classifying which powerful states were or were not imperialist. He considered all were. If Lenin had used the criteria Sam uses to determine that China is not imperialist, then Lenin would have also considered Russia during World War I not to be imperialist, nor the Japanese state which had defeated it in the 1904-5 war. Lenin held firmly contrary views and thus Sam’s attempt to present the notion of Chinese imperialism as inherently “un-Leninist” is false. So far in this essay I have focused on what I consider to be Sam’s errors in interpreting Lenin, and on the resulting falsity of Sam’s attempts to portray his ideas as steadfastly in-line with Lenin, and the ideas he is critiquing as fundamentally un-Leninist. However, this is not to say that we should assume that the contemporary analysis of imperialism that most closely resembles Lenin’s views is necessarily the most correct. There is no reason to treat Lenin’s text in a biblical way. It was written by a mortal, and it was written at a certain time in the history of capitalism. The statement “many things have changed since Lenin’s time” might be banal, but that is because its truth should be obvious. What is of the most enduring importance in Lenin’s work on imperialism is his political approach to it. He was intransigently against imperialism, he understood that the geopolitical machinations of the imperialist epoch, including wars unleashed by the powerful states, must be opposed, especially by the socialists in the belligerent exploiter countries, that “the main enemy is at home”, and that revolutionary parties needed to be built that practised precisely this intransigent anti-imperialism. I would argue most stridently for Lenin’s political approach to imperialism, and that these principles are essentially timeless. And I am sure that Sam would agree. As for any other theoretical statement or prediction of Lenin, not to mention outstanding contemporaries like Bukharin, these definitely contain insights into both the history of imperialism and its contemporary form. Many of Lenin’s predictions were proven correct. For instance, his belief that any peace declared under capitalism would merely be a prelude to the next war was dramatically proven correct with the carnage of World War II. Other parts of Lenin’s thesis do not describe imperialism today. For instance, number 3 on Sam’s list of Lenin’s “five principal features characterising imperialism at the beginning of the twentieth century” was “the exceptional importance of export of capital as opposed to the export of commodities”. As Sam acknowledges, this cannot serve as a major part of the theory of imperialism, because many countries, including China and small economies like Bolivia export capital today, and as Sam points out, many MNCs are opting to outsource bulk production to the lower-wage economies rather than export capital there. Sam introduced an additional theory to assist him in transforming Lenin’s view into his own; the theory of unequal exchange between the third world and the first world. Whereas Sam writes that “Lenin does not specifically articulate the concept of unequal exchange in his book on imperialism”, he would have been more correct to write that he did not articulate it all. The theorist of unequal exchange that Sam does cite is the late Belgian Trotskyist, Ernest Mandel, whose thesis on the topic was published in 1972, towards the end of the long post-war boom, and hence before the onset of neoliberalism and the outsourcing craze. While Mandel wrote after the collapse of the colonial empires of Lenin’s time, he developed his notion of unequal exchange to refer to a somewhat different economic process than that described by Sam in relation to today’s world. This is shown when Mandel chides Arghiri Emmanuel and Samir Amin for being “incapable of showing why countries with high wages undergo industrialization while underdeveloped nations possess relatively little industry”. While this was a reasonable objection at the time, this particular concern no longer fits contemporary capitalism whereby growth in industrial output is centred in low wage economies. Ultimately, the task of evaluating the economic validity of the theory of “unequal exchange” would require the gathering of vast amounts of empirical data, establishing mathematical equations and so forth. I have neither the time nor expertise do this, Sam has not done this work either and Mandel is no longer around to help. Thus it will suffice to distil the conclusion that Sam draws from the unequal exchange concept: that the relative economic position of every country in the world system (with perhaps a few minor exceptions) will remain basically static. There are many ways in which Sam seems unwilling to recognise the magnitude of changes to the world system since World War I. The most important changes have been 1) the process of decolonisation which since World War II has brought political independence to most countries of the world, 2) the emergence of ruling classes in a number of the former colonies whose members are among the richest capitalists in the world, and 3) the onset of the nuclear (and before that, the atomic) age which has made total war between major powers less likely as this poses the risk of nuclear Armageddon. For Sam not much has changed: the world is divided into exploiter and exploited nations with the division almost exactly as it was at the end of the nineteenth century. Back then it was [t]he US, Germany and then Japan, along with a small number of other First World states – Western Europe, Russia, Canada, Australia and New Zealand – [who] positioned themselves on top or close to it just before the music stopped. A roll call of imperialist nations today contains largely the same names as 100 years ago. We would need only to add bits of nations: half of Korea, small pieces of historical China: Taiwan and the port city of Hong Kong, plus the port city state of Singapore as well as the non-national apartheid state of Israel. The list itself is as interesting as the expression “the music stopped”. For one thing it reads more like a list of states that Sam finds distasteful for being rich rather than a list of states which exercise power internationally. Perhaps this relates to another debate regarding the theory of a labour aristocracy. It does not seem appropriate to explore this topic here, as Sam does not raise it in his article. I will leave it to others to fully explore the humorous side of the inclusion of New Zealand’s sheep-romancing, hobbit economy, but a comparison with China does seem in order. China is the world’s second largest economy, with some already suggesting it has overtaken the US to become the largest. It is home to at least three corporations that each record annual revenues much larger than New Zealand’s GDP. Regarding military capacity, while China is certainly not as well resourced as the US (no one else comes close either, least of all New Zealand), it is the case that China has nuclear weapons, the most troops, the second most submarines and tanks and third most military aircraft in the world. It is also the world’s third largest arms exporter after Russia and the US. It has a permanent seat on the UN Security Council. Moreover, it is surely anyone’s guess as to what vital technologies New Zealand’s corporations have developed (and I don’t believe Australia’s corporations have achieved much more). Sam’s theoretical framework does not seem well-suited to this reality because it would appear that no matter how big the Chinese economy gets, how massive its major firms become, how many billionaires it generates, how much capital its major banks control, how much military might it develops, or however much it may impinge upon the right of other nations, China will remain a victim of imperialism, and not an imperialist power. All of this could only change if it starts engineering and designing (and not just manufacturing) whatever replaces today’s phones, tablets, computers and auto-safety features. Only then will it join the imperial ranks of much smaller economies, and much less powerful states like New Zealand and Belgium. Sam’s assertion that the world is divided cleanly between exploiter and exploited nations today just as it was a century ago also does not match reality. Large “third world” or “emerging” economies like Brazil, Saudi Arabia or India cannot be considered as having the same relationship to the world system as Haiti, Burma or Cambodia. This is not to say that capital based in the first world cannot exploit labour in the sizeable third-world or “emerging” economies. It does. But that fact does not prevent the capitals of these countries from growing into finance capitals of an important global magnitude, nor does it mean that these ruling classes are irrelevant when it comes to trade negotiations, let alone that they cannot become military powers. Some data will further illuminate this point. On the Forbes billionaires list, even before we reach the richest Australian, Gina Rinehart, at US$15.6bn, we find Jack Ma from China with US$21bn, Robin Li from China with US$16.1bn, Dilip Shanghvi from India with US$17.9bn, Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Alsaud of Saudi Arabia with US$21.5bn, Jorge Paulo Lehmann from Brazil with US$21.6bn, Mukesh Ambani from India with US$21.8bn, Aliko Dangote from Nigeria with US$23bn, and Carlos Slim Helu and family from Mexico with US$78.7bn. The list certainly shows that the economic power of the established imperialist nations has not at all evaporated: the US has by far the most billionaires, including 12 of the richest 15 people in the world. Nevertheless, there are numerous third world capitalists who are significant by world standards. The same is demonstrated when we look at lists of the largest corporations in the world. There are various ways to measure the largest companies, such as by revenue, by market capitalisation and so on. The Forbes 2000 claims to be “a comprehensive list of the world’s largest, most powerful public companies, as measured by revenues, profits, assets and market value”. One could debate whether its measurements are the most relevant, but it is interesting to note that it gives the top three spots to Chinese companies, and five out of the top ten (with the other five based in the US). On another measure, three of the top ten corporations by revenue are headquartered in Beijing. Fortune’s Global 500 2014 has China with three out of the top ten. Political independence, which became the norm for the third world after World War II, has proven in most cases to be much more than a mere change in terminology. Local capitalist classes have been able to grow, to dominate (i.e. monopolise) entire sectors of their respective national economies and to wield political influence in their own countries. These states are the political property of the national ruling class and are not merely the plaything of foreign powers. Some of the richest people and biggest corporations in the world now belong to these former colonies. This simply was not and could not be the case under the colonial system that existed in Lenin’s time. Many decades after the collapse of the colonial empires, the world is a much more variegated place than in Lenin’s day. There are certainly many states with small economies that are simply exploited by imperialism, such as Bangladesh and El Salvador. There are powerful oppressor states which possess political, military and economic advantages that enable them to manipulate and exploit these countries; the US being the most obvious, along with France, the UK etc. But if all that exists are these two categories, then where does one put not only China, but also Brazil? Having gained independence in 1822, Latin America’s largest nation is today the seventh largest economy in the world, accounting for roughly three percent of global GDP, and has a higher military spending than either Israel or Australia. It has maintained a higher level of protected local industry than is typical in this era of neoliberal globalisation. Its unwillingness to accede to the terms proposed by the Bush Jnr. administration saw the scuttling of the free trade area of the Americas agreement. It is a country of some weight in the world system. It would likewise be unwise to place India or Turkey or Malaysia in the same basket as Senegal. And if New Zealand is imperialist, how can you leave Saudi Arabia off the list when it has a population of 30 million and is the nineteenth largest economy in the world, making it a bigger economy than Switzerland? What of Qatar, with a population of just two million and the highest per capita GDP in the world and a bigger economy than New Zealand? Or the United Arab Emirates, with a population of 9.3 million and a per capita GDP similar to Italy’s and an economy twice the size of New Zealand’s? Why does Sam leave Ireland off his list of transformed countries? It was once Europe’s most underdeveloped, impoverished backwater, with an “unequal exchange” with Britain if ever there was use for the term. Today it has a substantially higher per capita GDP than Britain, whether measured nominally or by purchase power parity. As the Proyect quote earlier revealed, South Africa is another country that does not neatly fit into the oppressor or oppressed camp. The fact that today there are many countries that have had independence for well over half a century (longer in the case of most of Latin America), that some of these countries are home to some of the richest individuals and the biggest corporations are not minor changes. It is simply untenable to suggest that “the music stopped”. This position confounds not only empirical reality, but also Lenin’s expectations. In his polemic against Kautsky he writes that, although Kautsky is correct that alliances between different imperialist powers are conceivable, the nature of the system will ensure they cannot last. Lenin writes: Let us assume that these imperialist countries form alliances against one another in order to protect or enlarge their possessions, their interests and their spheres of influence in these Asiatic states; these alliances will be “inter-imperialist”, or “ultra-imperialist” alliances. Let us assume that all the imperialist countries conclude an alliance for the “peaceful” division of these parts of Asia; this alliance would be an alliance of “internationally united finance capital”. There are actual examples of alliances of this kind in the history of the twentieth century – the attitude of the powers to China, for instance. We ask, is it “conceivable”, assuming that the capitalist system remains intact – and this is precisely the assumption that Kautsky does make – that such alliances would be more than temporary, that they would eliminate friction, conflicts and struggle in every possible form? The question has only to be presented clearly for any other than a negative answer to be impossible. This is because the only conceivable basis under capitalism for the division of spheres of influence, interests, colonies, etc., is a calculation of the strength of those participating, their general economic, financial, military strength, etc. And the strength of these participants in the division does not change to an equal degree, for the even development of different undertakings, trusts, branches of industry, or countries is impossible under capitalism. Half a century ago Germany was a miserable, insignificant country, if her capitalist strength is compared with that of the Britain of that time; Japan compared with Russia in the same way. Is it “conceivable” that in ten or twenty years’ time the relative strength of the imperialist powers will have remained unchanged? It is out of the question. It is inconceivable that the relative strength of imperialist powers will remain unchanged for even one or two decades. We should expect that economies that were once insignificant will become powers. This is not the silence of stopped music. Even more problematic for Sam is this: “the only conceivable basis under capitalism for the division of spheres of influence, interests, colonies, etc., is a calculation of the strength of those participating, their general economic, financial, military strength, etc.”. So rather than imperialism just being the exploitation of poor countries by wealthy countries, we find that it is indeed (also) a contest between powers testing their relative strength. Lenin mentions their “general economic strength”, not specifically their possession of technology patents, their financial strength, and their “military strength, etc.” It seems that the imperialist countries are those capitalist countries that possess a decent assortment of general economic strength (industrial capacity), financial strength (money) and military strength and possibly other forms of strength (etc.). Sam may well retort that my response to him does not present a full-fledged alternative theory and description of imperialism. It is true the present work is not that ambitious, but for sake of clarity and fairness I will have a go at a working definition: Imperialism refers to the form that international relations take in a capitalist world system. Within this system the different states always possess significantly different amounts of power based chiefly on the relative size and advancement of their economies and militaries. States attempt to improve their economic and military advantages over rivals by means that can include direct conflict, proxy conflict and also through forming alliances. This competitive state system reflects the competitive nature of the capitalist economic system of which it is part. The giant corporations that dominate the global economy have come to rely on the states in which they are based to guarantee their interests internationally, including ensuring favourable conditions for investment, access to markets, access to important raw materials such as oil, protection of overseas investments, etc. Likewise these states depend on the health of these giant companies to ensure economic and social stability at home. Since neither the economic, military and strategic position of various powers can remain stable indefinitely, international conflict in inevitable. Imperialism means the inevitability of arms races, of wars and occupations, as well as economic violence perpetrated by powerful nations and their corporations against the working class and poor of the weaker nations (as well as the working class and poor of their own countries). Readers can feel free to quibble or expand or edit as they see fit, but it gives you a picture of what I consider imperialism to be. It is not the rehashing of a definition given by an important revolutionary during debates from nearly a century ago, but a definition given by an unimportant one who has read their works, read about their times and also about the world since then and is trying to sum up a complex concept. This definition talks about power: military and strategic power. I would have been happy to have worked in the term “geopolitical power” too if it would have suited. We have to talk about power if we are talking about imperialism. Why is it that the term imperialism made such a resurgence in usage in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks? When Bush said “you’re with us or you’re with the terrorists” and began invading Afghanistan, there was a marked shift in public discourse away from post-nation state globalisation towards a discussion of imperialism. Sam may dismiss these voices as “liberals” or whatever, but clearly the term evokes a certain meaning for people well beyond the IST. Moreover, if we were to use Sam’s definition, it makes no sense that we so often hear and read about imperialist war or imperialist occupations, because we really should be hearing about Apple’s new imperialist iPhone features or Bosch’s imperialist electronic stability program for passenger vehicles. Have all of us who use the term in this way really misinterpreted it so sharply, even people like myself and the editors of Monthly Review who swear to have read Lenin at least twice? This is not simply a matter of linguistics. For a definition of imperialism to be useful it must account for the ongoing prevalence of military arms build-ups and of war. Can Sam’s theory do that? If imperialism is simply an economic system in which all of the poor countries are coerced into a relationship of exploitation with all of the rich countries by their own lack of technological patents, wherein lies the need for extra-economic violence? Why invade Iraq since it lacks the technology of Halliburton or its French competitor (or co-imperialist?) Technip. This imperialism wins all the time by the technologically-advanced nature of its designs; it shouldn’t need shock and awe campaigns or regime changes. In the little that he does write about anything military, Sam suggests that “[w]ithin Lenin’s framework, inter-imperialist wars are secondary to exploitation of the poor economies, as these wars are ultimately about redrawing the terms and conditions of that exploitation.” I would prefer to say that they both happen under imperialism, but not to rank them, because stating that the people of Iraq have been primarily exploited and secondarily victimised by US aggression is dubious. The war of 1991, the sanctions and frequent bombings, the 2003 war and subsequent occupations have yet to increase the amount of surplus extracted by US capital from Iraq, but it has caused literally millions of deaths and unimaginable misery. The more general point is that at times Sam’s rendering of imperialism sometimes makes it seem as if the capitalists of all the rich, first world countries are harmoniously extracting wealth from the third world, with conflict as a minor afterthought. While I absolutely do not mean to suggest that Sam’s theory shares the dubious politics of post-1914 Kautsky, I cannot help but notice a certain similarity in the theories: both seem to depict a system of exploitation in which the conflicting interests of major powers do not necessarily result in regular mass bloodshed. Alas, I fear that twenty-first century militarism is more damaging than that. Sam’s treatment of writers from the International Socialist Tendency, particularly Chris Harman, involves frustrating misrepresentations of their actual writings. One can criticise or agree with Harman and/or the IST all one wants, but misrepresention cannot lead to clarification. I will quote Harman’s article at length, not because I consider the content to be so enlightening, but to show how he has been misrepresented. Writing in the immediate aftermath of Bush’s 2003 invasion of Iraq (and clearly before the occupation turned into a quagmire) Harman is replying in part to a comment by Bernard Cassen of the campaign group for financial system reform, ATTAC, who responded to the rise of the anti-war movement by saying that “whether war breaks out or not, B-52s and special forces will not alter poverty in Brazil or hunger in Argentina.” Remarking on the “dilemma” facing US imperialism, Harman stated the following, with the parts quoted by Sam in bold: US imperialism looked immensely strong in the aftermath of the Iraq war. But none of its central problems have been solved. Its victory will frighten other governments in the Third World to jump to its orders. It will be that much easier for the IMF to impose its will on countries whose rulers might otherwise be tempted to cave in to opposition from their own people. That is why it was completely wrong for Bernard Cassen of ATTAC France to counterpose opposition to war to opposition to the measures that harm the world’s poor. But the increased exploitation and impoverishment of much of the Third World will not overcome the pressures on profitability and the competitiveness of US capitalism. The fundamental fact that permitted decolonisation without economic disaster for the advanced capitalisms half a century ago remains unchanged. Most investment from advanced capitalist countries is directed to other advanced capitalist countries and the small minority of newly industrialised countries for the simple reason that that is where most profit is to be obtained. Most of the Third World, including nearly all of Africa and much of Latin America outside Brazil and Mexico, is of diminishing economic importance for the dynamic of the system as a whole. Profits and interest payments from such regions are the lettering on the icing on the cake for world capital, not even a slice of the cake itself. What is objectionable in Sam’s rendering of Harman is that he cuts out the bit that makes it clear that Harman does indeed consider that US imperialism acts to increase the exploitation and impoverishment of the third world, because Sam wants to suggest that only real Leninists like himself see this. Sam tells us that “[f]ocusing on national oppression and exploitation for Harman ‘deflects attention from the central dynamics of the world system’.” But Harman is not saying that, he is saying the opposite. If you read the lengthy quote above, Harman is arguing precisely that Bernard Cassan is wrong to criticise people for focusing on the national oppression of Iraq; as Harman sees it, this is not a distraction from the other problems of the system, because war, national oppression, exploitation and impoverishment are integrated, mutually reinforcing aspects of the same brutal system. Sam continues: Thus Harman’s view (against Lenin) that the Third World is not systematically exploited, that it is not a “most important location of accumulation”, serves as a theoretical justification for his political hostility to Third World nationalism. We have dealt sufficiently with the “Harman says the third world isn’t exploited” myth. And I am not holding out on the reader regarding “political hostility to third world nationalism”: Sam literally makes not a single further comment explaining what that means. I am sure that Sam is not suggesting that the IST rejects Lenin’s theses on the right of nations to self-determination. Moreover, there is a big difference between, on the one hand, rejecting the politics of third world nationalism in favour of a class-based socialist perspective, and on the other, rejecting movements inspired in whole or in part by third world nationalism. I would argue that it makes complete sense to do the former and not the latter. Socialist Alternative emerged from expulsions from the official IST group in Australia in 1995. During the campaign against Israel’s war on Lebanon in December 2006, we published a pamphlet Nationalism and Revolution in the Arab World, a collection of articles by Sandra Bloodworth, editor of this journal. These articles were first published in the early 1990s while she was a member of the official Australian IST group. These articles provide a good example of how socialists from the tradition being dismissed by Sam were clearly able to recognise the galvanising effect and revolutionary possibilities brought forth by a third world (in this case Arab) nationalist sentiment, while asserting the need for distinctly socialist politics. After discussing the region-wide wave of protest in defence of Iraq against the US-led coalition in the 1991 Gulf War, Sandra wrote: The upheavals illustrated the depth of pan-Arab sentiment, and its mobilising power. But they also drew out the contradictions and limitations of Arab nationalism. It is important to understand both these elements, because socialists seek both to link up with the aspirations of the mass of Arab people and to break them from their illusions in their rulers. The task of revolutionary socialists is to join with the masses when they fight for national liberation in order to win them to a class outlook, build up their class organisations and win them to the struggle for socialism. Today that means we support the movement fuelled by Arab nationalism. Given the right circumstances, it could be the underpinning for social revolution in the region to overthrow not just imperialist domination, but local tyrants as well. That said, Marxists do not support such a movement uncritically. For instance, we did not support the wave of anti-US protests because we have any political sympathy for Saddam Hussein. On the contrary, we were among his most determined opponents long before the US invasion of the Gulf in 1990. Neither do we endorse the politics of the Palestine Liberation Organisation even though they are genuine anti-imperialist fighters. We support national struggles in so far as they come into conflict with the major capitalist powers. But we argue for a socialist strategy to win the struggle.” The reference to the PLO, other than dating the article somewhat, also further underlines the importance of maintaining a critical view of nationalist politics and arguing for a “socialist strategy to win the struggle”, in light of the Fatah-led PLO ceasing to perform a genuine anti-imperialist role in the succeeding years. How exactly suggesting that the third world is not a “most important location of accumulation” provides a “theoretical justification” for “political hostility to third world nationalism” is unclear. The actual justification for a class-based socialist politics rather than a nationalist one lies in the conflicting interests of the ruling class of each nation and the working class. If one wants an example of why this matters, South Africa provides a clear one. There, following the victory in defeating apartheid, the nationalist ANC (in alliance with the South African Communist Party and the COSATU union federation) has seen a transition to a form of capitalism that is inclusive of a black political and business elite, but where poverty has increased and the wealth gap between black and whites has actually increased. Sam ends his response to Harman by announcing that “[w]hatever the truth of Harman’s position on the unimportance of exploitation of the poor countries for imperialism, it cannot be said to have anything in common with Lenin.” Why? Harman is saying that the US will bully smaller countries into accepting trade deals that further impoverish them, but there are weaknesses in the US economy that simply cannot be resolved by squeezing more value out of tiny economies like Haiti or Mali. I would say that this may or may not be true, but to assert that such an analysis is or isn’t Leninist is asinine rhetoric. This is firstly because Lenin, perhaps unsurprisingly, did not leave any firm predictions of how the US economy will be faring in the early twenty-first century, or its options for resolving any underlying problems. Secondly, Lenin never suggested that the exploitation of poorer countries inoculated the imperialist countries against economic crises. Therefore Harman is either right or wrong, but not inherently un-Leninist as Sam would have it. As stated earlier, neither Lenin nor any other of the classical Marxist theorists of imperialism ever attempted to demonstrate that any of the powers in their day were non-imperialist. It was simply not part of their theoretical mission to demonstrate how a state with a significant economy and military might would not be imperialist. This particular theoretical goal only emerged for any Marxist due to the emergence of the USSR as a major world power by the end of World War II. Under Stalin the USSR had experienced significant industrialisation, which centred on military development. In 1931, Stalin had stated that the USSR was “fifty or a hundred years behind the advanced countries. We must make up this gap in ten years. Either we do it or they will crush us.” The test of its preparedness for military battle was World War II, in which the USSR emerged as a victor, in alliance with the US and the UK. Stalin, Churchill and Roosevelt famously carved up the world between them at the Yalta conference. To see the USSR as simply a victim of imperialism as it clearly was in its early years was now a difficult task. Indeed, a case could be put that under Stalin, the imperial status of the previous Russian empire had been restored. After all, the Tsar’s “prison-house of nations” was now almost fully intact. Moreover, the USSR was granted a sphere of influence over what became known as the Eastern Bloc countries. How these societies were to be understood was probably the main issue that divided socialists into various competing tendencies or internationals in the succeeding decades. The various debates do not warrant rehashing here for a few reasons: they are complex debates and would consume many pages, they have been dealt with at great length in many other places, and finally because they are not of strict relevance for our understanding of imperialism today or into the foreseeable future. This is because the societies that were previously understood as “really existing socialism”, “bureaucratic state capitalism”, “deformed or degenerated workers’ states” or what-have-you largely ceased to exist more than two decades ago. There are exceptions that could be debated, such as Cuba or Vietnam or North Korea, but however one views the class nature of any of these countries, I am sure neither Sam nor myself consider any of these states to be an imperialist power. All of which leaves China. China is still ruled by its Communist Party, still has a red flag, a “socialism with Chinese characteristics” rhetoric and so forth. But given the nature of its economic transformation since the 1980s no one much considers it to be any but a capitalist society. The Australian political tradition from which Sam originates decided this to be the case most emphatically back in the 1990s. This is important to understand, otherwise the present debate may unnecessarily revert into one about the class nature of the USSR, or of Hungary in 1956, or worse still, who loves Cuba the most. As enthralling as those debates often are, these are not the lines of theoretical and political demarcation relating to the present debate. We all (save for a select few hyper-deluded Stalinists) understand that China today is capitalist. Debates around whether the USSR in its superpower phase was imperialist were complicated by debates about whether it was capitalist. If we understood imperialism as a phase of capitalism or as an inherent feature of capitalism, then it could be argued that it was wrong to see the USSR as imperialist if it was not capitalist. Of course it was argued by others that its economic nature was a form of capitalism and its seemingly imperialist behaviour was evidence of this. The point was that there was at least a logic to describing a non-capitalist power as something other than imperialist in Lenin’s terms. If we all acknowledge that China today is capitalist, we see that these debates of old do not determine the present debate. It is not only Marxists operating within the IST, or who hold its view that the former “really existing socialisms” were state capitalist, who today recognise China as an emerging imperialist power. For instance, writers from the Fourth International, which viewed these historical systems as degenerated workers’ states, write about China as an emerging imperialist power. Pierre Rousset “is a member of the leadership of the Fourth International particularly involved in solidarity with Asia [and] a member of the NPA [New Anticapitalist Party] in France”. Writing in International Viewpoint, he argued that China is not an “emerging country” but a power that has emerged. It is not a “sub-imperialism” ensuring order in its own region, but an imperialism “in formation”. The new Chinese bourgeoisie is aiming to play in the big league. To fit his thesis Sam attempts to downplay Chinese economic and military power. In my view Sam does not lie or present falsehoods about China here. The information he provides is true enough, and indeed he is right to point to the real limitations to China’s economic and military strength. For instance, there are many ways in which China simply cannot match the United States as a global power. Yet the problem with Sam’s discussion of China is that it is stubbornly one-sided. He is determined to only present the limitations and not the strengths. I have already spelled out some of China’s strengths as a military power, and also discussed the scale of its growing economy. A few more quick points should suffice to demonstrate why Sam’s depiction is too one-sided. Sam points out that China’s acquisitions of overseas MNCs has not progressed all that far. But he does not point out the exceptions, namely the food industry. Since 2010 China’s Bright Food has bought a majority holding in New Zealand’s largest dairy company Synlait, and even bigger food companies in Australia, the UK and Israel. In 2013, the biggest ever Chinese acquisition of a US business occurred when the WH Group bought Smithfield, the world’s largest pork producer. China’s next major area of strategic interest, in Rousset’s estimation, was to “ensure secure channels of intercontinental communication by buying ports and airports, investing in merchant shipping and gradually deploying its military fleet on the occasion, particularly, of operations against piracy on the high seas”. In June 2014 Chinese Premier Li Keqiang was in Greece overseeing the signing of a US$5bn deal for China to increase its stake in the Piraeus port, including exports and shipbuilding. The BBC reported that China also showed an interest in buying railways and building an airport in Crete, [and] is eager to take a majority stake in the Piraeus port. A Chinese company already runs two piers at the port. Greece is keen to attract foreign investment to reduce its national debt and high unemployment rate. As the largest exporter in the world, China has proven capable of influencing the developments in the maritime industry, as when it blocked the link-up between the world leaders in maritime transport, Maersk (Danish), MSC (Swiss-Italian) and CMA-CGM (French). As for China extending itself as a geopolitical – and not just economic – power, the evidence is emerging. Of course there are some necessary caveats: China’s power is still in its early phases, the success of its development remains to be seen, and that the US still has innumerable geopolitical advantages over China and all other contenders (especially its global military bases system). But developments in the South China Seas are something of a portent. As Rousset noted: Against Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and the Philippines, Taiwan and Japan, Beijing [took] possession of or demands the entirety of the Paracel and Spratly Islands, the Scarborough Reef, the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands; and it is extending its own territorial waters to [the] point of leaving virtually nothing for the other countries of Southeast Asia. Points of military friction have emerged to the west with Vietnam and to the east with Japan. While Sam found reasons to dismiss the significance of the enormous financial assets possessed by China’s banking monopolies, the Chinese state is increasingly using its financial reserves to influence international developments. China is presently attempting to establish a new US$50bn international infrastructure bank, which it will predominantly fund with contributions from South Africa, Brazil, Russia, and India. This bank aims to rival the US-dominated World Bank and the Japanese controlled Asia Development Bank. Suffice it to say, China’s capitalist class has in fact risen considerably since the state leadership began integrating into the world economy some three decades ago. Sam’s assertion that his own views of imperialism are in essence those of Lenin is not accurate. Sam wants to use Lenin to define powers that lack technological monopolies (China in particular) as non-imperialist, but this cannot accord with Lenin’s view that Russia in World War I was imperialist. Lenin’s book was not concerned to provide a mechanism for declaring that certain capitalist powers were not imperialist. Instead it is correct, and in accordance with Lenin, to view all capitalist powers (countries with sizeable militaries and economies) as part of imperialism. While exploitation of the poorer countries by capitals based in the wealthier countries is a feature of capitalist imperialism, we cannot understand imperialism unless we see it as a system of competition between the powerful states. The rivalries between contending powers involves diplomatic, economic and military forms, with the latter being an indispensable part of the destructive nature of this system. As an emerging economic and military superpower, China is now a player in this terrifying game. Bloodworth, Sandra 2006, “Nationalism, Revolution and the Arab World”, http://socialismandarabrevolution.wordpress.com/2014/07/29/8/. Bramble, Tom 2012, “Is there a labour aristocracy is Australia?”, Marxist Left Review, 4, Winter. Harman, Chris 2003, “Analysing Imperialism”, International Socialism, 2, 99, Summer. King, Sam 2014, “Lenin’s theory of imperialism: a defence of its relevance in the 21st century”, Marxist Left Review, 8, Winter. Lenin 1915, introduction to N. I. Bukharin, Imperialism and World Economy, www.marxists.org/archive/bukharin/works/1917/imperial/ intro.htm. Lenin 1916, Imperialism: the highest stage of capitalism, www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1916/imp-hsc/. Lenin 1918a, preface to Imperialism: the highest stage of capitalism, www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1916/imp-hsc/pref01.htm. Lenin 1918b, The Proletarian Revolution and the Renegade Kautsky, www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1918/prrk/. Mandel, Ernest 1975, Late Capitalism, New Left Books. Rousset, Pierre 2014 “Chinese ambitions – An imperialism in formation”, International Viewpoint, http://www.internationalviewpoint.org/spip. php?article3468, 22 July. Stalin, J.V. 1939, The History of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (Bolsheviks), chapter 11, www.marxists.org/reference/archive/stalin/ works/1939/x01/ch11.htm. Sweezy, Paul M., Harry Magdoff, John Bellamy Foster and Robert W. McChesney, “US military bases and empire”, Monthly Review, March 2002. See for instance Lenin 1918b. King 2014. Louis Proyect, “Is Russia imperialist: a reply to Roger Annis and Sam Williams”, http://louisproyect.org/2014/06/22/is-russia-imperialist-a-reply-to-roger-annis-and-sam-williams/, 22 June 2014. King 2014, p74. Lenin 1918a. Lenin 1915. Lenin 1916, my emphasis. Mandel 1975, p352. The “logic” of Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD) is not an argument against unilateral disarmament, but it is a factor in explaining the changed way in which inter-imperialist rivalries are pursued post-1945. King 2014, p108. See for example Bramble 2012. Forbes, “The World’s Billionaires”, www.forbes.com/billionaires, 2014. Forbes, “The World’s Billionaires”. Fortune, “Global 500 2014”, http://fortune.com/global500/, 2014. Lenin 1916. This was noted in Sweezy et al, 2002. King 2014, p74. Quoted in Harman 2003. Harman 2003. King 2014, p95. Bloodworth 2006, my emphases. King 2014, p80. Stalin 1939. There are exceptions to the pattern of being sensible. Readers can Google for some if they wish. Doug Lorimer, “The class nature of the Chinese state”, http://links.org.au/ node/2773, 1999; and Democratic Socialist Party 1999, “Theses on the class nature of the People’s Republic of China”, http://links.org.au/node/176, 1999. See www.internationalviewpoint.org/spip.php?auteur52. Rousset 2014. Rousset 2014. BBC News, “China and Greece sign deals worth $5bn during Li visit”, www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-27960661, 21 June 2014. For further information see David Crouch, “Maersk forms new alliance with MSC after Chinese setback”, Financial Times, 10 July 2014. Rousset 2014. Nick Beams, “US and China clash over infrastructure bank”, World Socialist Web Site, www.wsws.org/en/articles/2014/10/27/bank-o27.html, 27 October 2014.
Pet owners are not real happy with the findings in a research paper that will be released in the February 2011 issue of The Journal of the Centers for Disease Control Emerging Infectious Diseases. According to the article titled “Zoonoses in the Bedroom”, written by Bruno B. Chomel, DVM, PhD; and Ben Sun, DVM, MPVM, it is possible that sleeping with pets may carry some serious health risks. Browsing: pet disease There are many dog diseases in the world. The number of dog diseases are large, just like the number of human diseases. Proper care, treatment, and detection can prevent a lot of grief and complications. Here are the top 10 dog diseases (not in any order of seriousness) and what you can do to detect them: Right now in Mexico, thousands and thousands of dogs and cats roam the streets seeking food and shelter, most dealing with serious disease, starvation, heat exhaustion and eventually, death. In the past in San Felipe, if strays were caught they were electrocuted. Now, because of ZAPP, if caught strays are euthanized, it must be by sedation. To further address the issue, ZAPP has officially opened a new facility in Mexico that has an open door policy. Officials that used to take strays straight to their death, now drop the animals at the ZAPP door where they receive treatment and more. If you are a smoker and love your dog, there is one VERY important thing you can do to save Toto’s life and yours too: quit smoking. A growing body of research – including the Surgeon General’s Report – shows there are no safe levels of exposure to secondhand smoke – for humans and for animals. An estimated 50,000 Americans lose their lives to secondhand smoke (“SHS”) annually and 4 million youth (16 percent) are exposed to secondhand smoke in their homes. A number of studies have indicated that animals, too, face health risks when exposed to the toxins in secondhand smoke, from respiratory problems to allergies and even cancer. It is estimated that currently more than 1 million dogs in the United States are infected with heartworms. This potentially fatal disease has been found in dogs native to all 50 states. Even as diagnostic methods advance, preventive therapies improve and disease awareness increases among veterinary professionals and pet owners, heartworm continues to present a serious threat to dogs’ health. The American Heartworm Society (AHS) has released new canine heartworm guidelines for 2010. These guidelines are considered the official veterinary industry perspective for epidemiology, diagnosis and treatment of the disease and include some notable differences from previous versions. Heartworm disease affects many animals, even some humans. The worm itself is known as Dirofilario Immitus and can grow up to 14 inches in length. Because heartworms can’t spread from animal to animal, mosquitoes play the role of transmitter. It only takes one mosquito bite for your cat to contract heartworms. Mosquitoes will bite a heartworm-infected animal and carry microscopic versions of the heartworm, microfilarie, to another animal. When the mosquito bites the second animal, the heartworm microfilaria is transferred and begins to travel through the blood stream and makes its way to the tissues of the heart. It takes between 70 and 90 for the microfilariae to make it through the animal’s body to get to the heart which is where it thrives. If both male and female worms are present, they will begin to reproduce up to six months after the initial bite. November is National Pet Cancer Awareness Month. SACRAMENTO, Calif., Nov. 4 /PRNewswire/ — Cancer in pets is more common than you think. It is the number one natural cause of death in geriatric cats and dogs and accounts for nearly 50 percent of pet deaths each year. Some breeds are especially susceptible to cancer. Although the leading cause of death in older cats and dogs, cancer also is When Jack Stephens, DVM, founder, and president of Pets Best Insurance, was diagnosed with throat cancer, he received emotional support from his small dog, Spanky. Recognizing that cancer now claims the lives of one in every two dogs and cats who are 10 years or older, this cancer survivor set out to find a way to assist companion animals diagnosed with this disease. Mark Kittleson has gone a long way from his childhood, raising dairy cattle, to raising cats at the University of California-Davis. His scientific research as a veterinary cardiologist, however, may help future generations of cats live longer, healthier lives. Kittleson co-authored a study, along with researchers from The Ohio State University and Baylor College of Medicine, that identified a gene mutation that was responsible for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a disease New testing, offering a faster and more accurate diagnosis of a highly contagious dog flu has been developed by researchers at the University of California. Based on polymerase chain reaction, or PCR, technology, this new test can provide results in as little as 24-48 hours, claims researcher Christian Leutenegger, who was the creator of this test at UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. Using the current testing techniques available
AFTER HE SURRENDERED the demoralized remains of the Army of Northern Virginia to Ulysses S. Grant on April 9, 1865, Robert E. Lee stayed at Appomattox until the last of his troops had given up their arms and been paroled on April 12. Even then, Lee did not race the hundred miles home to Richmond. Along the way he spent one final evening at the camp of his top commander, Lieutenant General James Longstreet, and another night at his brother’s farm, where out of habit or solidarity with his dispersing army he slept outside in his tent. As he went he took in the war’s destruction, from burned-out farmhouses to downed bridges to animal carcasses in the road. His army had destroyed the two bridges over the James River into Richmond, so when Lee finally reached the former capital of the Confederacy on the afternoon of April 15, he crossed a pontoon bridge put up by his recent enemy. With him were two of his three sons, some aides, black servants, and a seriously wounded Confederate officer. Two wagons accompanied this party, one of which bore an old quilt as a makeshift cover where the canvas had worn away. It had rained that morning, and both Lee and his beloved horse, Traveller, were spattered with mud. They first passed through the part of Richmond that burned when the Confederates had fled, the streets bisecting piles of charred rubble. When they reached beyond the fire line, word spread that Lee was back, and the people came out to greet him. As Douglas Southall Freeman puts it in his biography, “Along a ride of less than a mile to the residence at 707 East Franklin Street the crowd grew thicker with each block. Cheers broke out, in which the Federals joined heartily.” Lee acknowledged these displays of affection and respect by doffing his muddy hat. When he arrived at the rented brick house where Mrs. Lee was living, he had trouble getting down from Traveller, overcome either by the emotion of the moment or the weariness of the years of war. One woman who looked on felt that his body simply would not do what he asked of it. Once dismounted, Lee struggled through the well-wishers who surrounded him, shaking hands, and then entered the house and his new life as a civilian. THE PHOTOGRAPHER MATHEW BRADY had been in Richmond for several days, making nearly 60 photographs of the ruined city. He got wind of Lee’s return and asked an old acquaintance, Confederate colonel Robert Ould, to appeal to the general to have his photograph taken. Ould, who had been a district attorney in Washington before the war and become the chief Confederate officer in charge of prisoner exchange, had been given something like diplomatic immunity by Grant. Brady said in a newspaper interview late in life that both Ould and Mrs. Lee had helped him persuade the general to submit to the camera, although as Brady put it, “It was supposed that after his defeat it would be preposterous to ask him to sit.” But, Brady continued, “I thought that to be the time for the historical picture.” Apparently Lee, or perhaps Mrs. Lee, agreed, because it was arranged that Brady could come to the house and make his pictures. The next day, Easter Sunday, Brady took six photographs in all: four of Lee alone and two of him with his aide, Colonel Walter Taylor, and his oldest son, Major General Custis Lee, who had been captured only three days before the surrender. Brady posed the officers beneath the overhang of the back porch, on the basement level, because the light was best there. LEE’S YOUNGEST SON, ROB, would write years later of his father: “I believe there were none of the little things in life so irksome to him as having his picture taken in any way.” But Lee had a fine sense of history, for instance wearing for his surrender his best uniform and a dark red silk sash—Grant says in his memoirs that “General Lee was dressed in a full uniform which was entirely new, and was wearing a sword of considerable value.” However much Lee disliked posing, on this Sunday morning he once again put on a clean uniform and wore well-shined black shoes, but he left aside the sash and the sword and the boots. Charles Bracelen Flood in his book Lee: The Last Years points out that this uniform also had “no braid on the sleeves.” Lee was acutely aware of his power to set an example for the South and had urged his former troops to swallow their anger and return home to rebuild their lives. Grant wrote in his memoirs that at Appomattox he had “suggested to General Lee that there was not a man in the Confederacy whose influence with the soldiery and the whole people was as great as his.” In the wake of Lincoln’s death the day before, and the charges that the South was responsible, Lee might also have chosen to pose in the domestic setting of his home—a leader still in his uniform, but sans sash, braid, sword, and boots, visibly morphing into a civilian—as a symbol of stability and responsibility in very dangerous and uncertain hours. Lee was already a beloved figure, and not only in the South, as those applauding Union soldiers on the streets of Richmond attest. “The people of Virginia and of the entire South were continually giving evidence of their intense love for General Lee,” Rob Lee wrote. “From all nations, even from the Northern States, came to him marks of admiration and respect.” But these photographs—in which the physically and morally exhausted general, grizzled at age 58, summons the strength of his unusual personal dignity for Brady’s camera, showing no trace of the humiliation of defeat but only a self-possessed seriousness—gave the South a hero to cling to in those dark days after the war, and for decades to come. One photograph in particular became iconic. In it, the hatless general’s head is squarely centered in front of the crossed rails of a panel door, suggesting Christ on the cross to those for whom Lee would become a powerful symbol of the martyred South. Brady’s images of Lee were widely distributed—Brady said later he sold them by the thousands—and even Mrs. Lee kept a store on hand for the many people who asked her for signed photographs of her husband. Rob Lee quotes a November 1865 letter from his father, then living in Lexington, Virginia, where he had taken up the presidency of Washington College, to his mother, who had not yet joined him there, saying that he had dutifully signed and returned a batch of photographs she had sent to him. In his years as president of the college he would sign thousands of card photographs for students to raise money for their organizations. Who but Brady could have pulled off this photographic and journalistic coup? He said he had known Lee “since the Mexican war when [Lee] was upon Gen. Scott’s staff,” so “my request was not as from an intruder.” Brady had also quite likely met Lee in the 1850s, when the future general spent three years as superintendent of West Point. And Brady or his studio had taken portraits of every American general who had mattered at all, including many who had served with Lee in the U.S. Army before the Civil War. Finally there was Brady’s own reputation as a portraitist, upon which Lee could rely. The general chose well, because these images match their subject for dignity and seriousness, for a rich sense of the suffering Lee had overcome to place himself before the camera, and for a firm eye on the historical importance of what showed upside down as Brady or his operator peered through the lens in his last act as a wartime photographer. Robert Wilson is the editor of The American Scholar. This story is adapted from his new book, Mathew Brady: Portraits of a Nation (Bloomsbury).
While digital therapeutics started gaining traction in the last few years, the pandemic unveiled the pitfalls and shortcomings in the health care infrastructure. Patients, now more than ever, require more seamless and accessible health care services. Given the demand in access to health care and treatment, stakeholders are investing more of their time and interest into digital therapeutics. Below are the major benefits of Digital Therapeutics. Greater Access to Health Care Services There are always capacity limits when it comes to meeting a physician or medical professional in person. Oftentimes, seeing a specialized health care professional can take weeks and months. This is even more prevalent for individuals living in rural areas who have a harder time accessing the health services they need. Death rates were higher among those living in rural areas in comparison to those living in urban settings for the same seven diseases. However, with the utilization of digital therapeutics, patients can still receive medical treatment and services from remote areas. Since the majority of people own a mobile device, they can receive medical assistance from anywhere. For example, many companies developed apps and websites to treat diabetes with tailored, and data-driven medical guidance. The app accurately monitors blood glucose levels and provide patients with treatment as well. Beyond access, many digital therapeutics are offered in multiple languages to make sure anyone with English as a second language can still make use of the technology. Tailored and Data-driven No two patients are ever the same – this also directly applies to health conditions. Digital therapeutics utilizes AI and other data sources to provide the most accurate and beneficial health measures to ensure patients receive treatment and prevention measures suited for them. Alternatively, some mental health-focused digital therapeutics utilize well-supported research to develop effective video-based games and apps to provide optimal treatment. Medical professionals can then use treatment progression to provide further therapeutics to patients. Regardless, patients will receive the best treatment plan when digital therapeutics are combined with other forms of medical therapy. Like any pharmaceutical product or medication, digital therapeutics are also subject to intensive clinical trials and journal reviews to ensure they deliver optimal treatment. The software must also comply with the patient code of ethics and undergoes risk-based assessment. As such, this ensures that these therapeutics have a low-risk and beneficial outcome. With digitalized solutions in the picture, the number of creative treatments pharmaceutical companies and medical professionals can provide is limitless. A variety of digital therapeutics are administered as apps, online software, VR apps, and so much more. As such, patients can easily access medical services right from their mobile devices. Additionally, newer forms of technology allow for more accurate reading and follow-up on patients. For example, The Breezhaler is a recently EU approved health device created by Novartis. The sensor attached to the inhaler tracks the amount of inhaled medication and monitors when the patient utilizes the device. From here, healthcare providers can monitor when the patient’s record. This provides them with accurate data tracking and avoids having patients self-monitor when they use the inhaler. Technology in this situation makes life easier for the patient and streamlines the process for healthcare professionals.
Some of the diverse subjects that have been researched in the Local Studies card catalogue this week include air wrecks, monetary equivalents, the surname ‘Lomas’ and Florence Nightingale. In particular though, this week, burial locations have been a frequent feature of research requests, so we thought this subject was well past its expiration date (if you’ll forgive the pun) for a mention. In many cultures, the idea of being able to visit the physical location of a place of rest is reassuring for friends and relatives. Here’s how to make a start on searching. Burial Registers (found in parish registers) record information relating to the date of burial and the person buried rather than the location of the grave. Unlike civil cemeteries, it is unusual for churches to deposit grave registers at the Record Office, usually because they are not created in the first instance. For some Derbyshire churchyards, groups of volunteers have created transcripts of the headstones and plaques in the church. These transcripts are known as Memorial Inscriptions, and include information only about those graves where the headstone/plaque was extant and legible at the time the transcripts were created usually, most were created in the 1990s and later. The Memorial Inscriptions do not include information about unmarked graves or graves where the headstone is no longer visible or legible. They do also sometimes contain a very useful background to the cemetery or churchyard, and in particular these are a regular feature of the The Derbyshire Ancestral Research Group transcripts. There may also be a graveyard plan. Cemetery Records can be tricky and a little time consuming to search as the indexes, although alphabetical, are not usually alphabetical after the initial letter. For example, as shown above, under the ‘Hs’ you are very likely to find ‘Hewitt’ after ‘Hill.’ If the name you require is found in the Index, there will usually be a reference (normally a number and folio reference). You then need to make a note of this in order to then search the Burial and/or Grave Register to find more details about the location. As with all records, the information provided varies from Cemetery to Cemetery. Of course it is always worth searching our online catalogue for any information regarding graveyard plans or burials as you never know what you might unearth!
Qualitative vs. Quantitative Drug Testing Sometimes billing for drug testing can become pretty confusing. Here are some basics: Drug testing codes in the Pathology and Laboratory chapter of the CPT® code book are defined as either qualitative or quantitative. A qualitative test tells you if a particular substance (analyte) is present in the specimen. A quantitative test tells you how much (the quantity) of an analyte is present. After the presence of an analyte has been established (which may involve a second, confirmatory test), the amount of the analyte present in the sample then may be measured. For example, you could test for the presence of alcohol in the blood (qualitative), and/or may test for the actual blood alcohol level (quantitative). CPT® lists the drugs/drug classes that may be assayed under the “Drug Testing” subhead. These include alcohols, amphetamines, barbiturates, methadones, opiates, and others. As described above, if the presence of a drug/drug class is confirmed by qualitative screening, a quantitative screen may follow. The most common mechanism by which drug screens are performed is known as chromatography, which involves passing a mixture that’s dissolved in a mobile phase through to a stationary phase. This process isolates different molecules by type, after which each type can identified and measured. When chromatography is used to identify multiple drug classes simultaneously, the appropriate code is 80100 Drug screen, qualitative; multiple drug classes chromatographic method, each procedure. Per CPT® instructions, count each combination of stationary and mobile phase as one procedure. “For example,” CPT® guidelines continue, “if the detection of three drugs by chromatography requires one stationary phase with three mobile phases, use 80100 three times [once for each of the mobile phases]. However, if multiple drugs can be detected using a single analysis (e.g., one stationary phase with one mobile phase), use 80100 only once.” Codes for quantitative testing are more specific to the type of drug being measured. For example, quantitative testing for amphetamines is reported 82145 Amphetamine or methamphetamine, while the same testing for phencyclidine is reported 83992 Phencyclidine (PCP). You can find a quick and easy reference guide for drug testing codes—both quantitative and qualitative—by drug type, in the Pathology and Laboratory chapter Table of Contents.
The study, published in Oncotarget, was led by Irfan Rahman, Ph.D. professor of Environmental Medicine at the UR School of Medicine and Dentistry, and is the first scientific study to address e-cigarettes and their detrimental effect on oral health on cellular and molecular levels. Electronic cigarettes continue to grow in popularity among younger adults and current and former smokers because they are often perceived as a healthier alternative to conventional cigarettes. Previously, scientists thought that the chemicals found in cigarette smoke were the culprits behind adverse health effects, but a growing body of scientific data, including this study, suggests otherwise. “We showed that when the vapors from an e-cigarette are burned, it causes cells to release inflammatory proteins, which in turn aggravate stress within cells, resulting in damage that could lead to various oral diseases,” explained Rahman, who last year published a study about the damaging effects of e-cigarette vapors and flavorings on lung cells and an earlier study on the pollution effects. “How much and how often someone is smoking e-cigarettes will determine the extent of damage to the gums and oral cavity.” The study, which exposed 3-D human, non-smoker gum tissue to the vapors of e-cigarettes, also found that the flavoring chemicals play a role in damaging cells in the mouth. “We learned that the flavorings-some more than others — made the damage to the cells even worse,” added Fawad Javed, a post-doctoral resident at Eastman Institute for Oral Health, part of the UR Medical Center, who contributed to the study. “It’s important to remember that e-cigarettes contain nicotine, which is known to contribute to gum disease.” Most e-cigarettes contain a battery, a heating device, and a cartridge to hold liquid, which typically contains nicotine, flavorings, and other chemicals. The battery-powered device heats the liquid in the cartridge into an aerosol that the user inhales. “More research, including long term and comparative studies, are needed to better understand the health effects of e-cigarettes,” added Rahman, who would like to see manufacturers disclose all the materials and chemicals used, so consumers can become more educated about potential dangers.
Sniff study suggests humans can distinguish more than 1 trillion scents The human sense of smell does not get the respect it deserves, new research suggests. In an experiment led by Andreas Keller, of Rockefeller’s Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Behavior, researchers tested volunteers’ ability to distinguish between complex mixtures of scents. Based on the sensitivity of these people’s noses and brains, the team calculated the human sense of smell can detect more than 1 trillion odor mixtures, far more discrete stimuli than previous smell studies have estimated. The existing generally accepted number is just 10,000, says Leslie Vosshall, Robin Chemers Neustein Professor and head of the laboratory. “Everyone in the field had the general sense that this number was ludicrously small, but Andreas was the first to put the number to a real scientific test,” Vosshall says. In fact, even 1 trillion may be understating it, says Keller. “The message here is that we have more sensitivity in our sense of smell than for which we give ourselves credit. We just don’t pay attention to it and don’t use it in everyday life,” he says. The quality of an odor has multiple dimensions, because the odors we encounter in real life are composed of complex mixes of molecules. For instance, the characteristic scent of rose has 275 components, but only a small percentage of those dominate the perceived smell. That makes odor much more difficult to study than vision and hearing, which require us to detect variations in a single dimension. For comparison, researchers estimate the number of colors we can distinguish at between 2.3 and 7.5 million and audible tones at about 340,000. To overcome this complexity, Keller combined odors and asked volunteers whether they could distinguish between mixtures with some components in common. “Our trick is we use mixtures of odor molecules, and we use the percentage of overlap between two mixtures to measure the sensitivity of a person’s sense of smell,” Keller says. To create his mixtures, Keller drew upon 128 odor molecules responsible for scents such as orange, anise and spearmint. He mixed these in combinations of 10, 20 and 30 with different proportions of components in common. The volunteers received three vials, two of which contained identical mixes, and they were asked to pick out the odd one. This approach was inspired by previous work at the Weizmann Institute in Israel, in which researchers combined odors at similar intensities to create neutral smelling “olfactory white.” In that experiment and in Keller’s study, the researchers were interested in the perception of odor qualities, such as fishy, floral or musky — not their intensity. But since intensity can interfere with the perceived qualities, both had to account for it. The results, published this week in Science, show that while individual volunteers’ performance varied greatly, on average they could tell the difference between mixtures containing as much as 51 percent of the same components. Once the mixes shared more than half of their components, fewer volunteers could tell the difference between them. This was true for mixes of 10, 20 and 30 odors. By analyzing the data, the researchers could calculate the total number of distinguishable mixtures. “It turns out that the resolution of the olfactory system is not extraordinary – you need to change a fair fraction of the components before the change can be reliably detected by more than 50 percent of the subjects,” says collaborator Marcelo O. Magnasco, head of the Laboratory of Mathematical Physics at Rockefeller. “However, because the number of combinations is quite literally astronomical, even after accounting for this limitation the total number of distinguishable odor combinations is quite large.” The 1 trillion estimate is almost certainly too low, the researchers say, because there are many, many more odor molecules in the real world that can be mixed in many more ways. Keller theorizes that our ancestors had much more use and appreciation for our sense of smell than we do. Humans’ upright posture lifted our noses far from the ground where most smells originate, and more recently, conveniences such as refrigerators and daily showers, have effectively limited odors in the modern world. “This could explain our attitude that smell is unimportant, compared to hearing and vision,” he says. Nevertheless, the sense of smell remains closely linked to human behavior, and studying it can tell us a lot about how our brains process complex information. The results of this study are a step toward an elusive quantitative science of odor perception that can help drive further research, Keller says. \|Science 343, 1370–1372 (March 21, 2014) Humans can discriminate more than 1 trillion olfactory stimuli C. Bushdid, M. O. Magnasco, L. B. Vosshall and A. Keller
Creativity and the brain : an investigation of the neural correlates of creative thinking Kreativitaet und das Gehirn : eine Untersuchung der neuronalen Korrelate kreativen Denkens Bitte beziehen Sie sich beim Zitieren dieses Dokumentes immer auf folgende Freie Schlagwörter (Deutsch): Kreativitaet , kognitive Neurowissenschaften , fMRT , ERP Freie Schlagwörter (Englisch): creativity , cognitive neurosciences , fMRI , ERP Abteilung fuer Klinische Psychologie und Psychotherapie Tag der mündlichen Prüfung: Kurzfassung auf Englisch: Creativity is a complex construct involving several different mental operations. Neurophysiological studies on creativity have seldom fully considered this fact and have instead approached creativity as a single entity. Furthermore, most neurophysiological studies of creativity face methodological problems. The present studies follow a novel approach to investigate the neural underpinnings of creativity by focusing on one creative mental operation, namely conceptual expansion. Conceptual expansion refers to the ability to widen the conceptual structures of acquired concepts, a vital process in the formation of new ideas. This process can happen as a result of “active” contemplation, such as when individuals generate something novel or as a result of “passive” induction, such as when individuals try to comprehend and integrate something novel that they have not encountered before. Avoiding drawbacks from previous neurophysiological studies, the new approach introduced in the present work borrows from psycholinguistic research on novel metaphor processing to generate a passive conceptual expansion task. Two studies using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and event related potentials (ERP) were carried out, assessing participants’ brain activity while they read novel metaphoric, senseless and literal sentences. Participants’ responses regarding the unusualness and appropriateness (the two defining characteristics of creativity) of the sentences served to categorize each trial into three subject-determined conditions: creative (high unusual and high appropriate), nonsensical (high unusual and low appropriate), and literal (low usual and low appropriate). Sentences regarded as “creative” were of special interest because they are thought to induce conceptual expansion passively in participants. The results of the fMRI study pointed to the involvement of a fronto-temporal network in the processing of conceptual expansion. Activations in the anterior inferior frontal gyrus and the frontopolar regions in the processing of both novel and appropriate stimuli reflect an increased effort to retrieve semantic information and greater semantic selection and integration demands from temporal lobe areas where semantic information is stored. The findings of the ERP study revealed an N400 modulation with regard to the unusual and appropriate (creative) as well as the unusual and inappropriate stimuli (senseless), again reflecting greater effort for semantic retrieval and integration. Together, such findings allow us to move closer to the finer mechanisms underlying creative thinking which is imperative in order to truly understand what creative thinking entails. Veröffentlichungsvertrag für Publikationen ohne Print on Demand
The U.S. Patent System is supposed to represent a bargain between inventors and the public. In theory, it is simple: in exchange for dedicating a novel invention to society, along with a clear explanation of how to practice that invention, a patent applicant gets a 20-year monopoly. But, lately, we’ve watched as the system appears to fall apart, harming innovation, the very thing it was designed to foster. Many factors contribute to the problems we’ve seen with the patent system, but perhaps none so much as the rise of the patent troll. To be sure, the patent troll problem is not a new one (remember the infamous RIM v NTP case?), but recently, we’ve followed a troubling new trend: more and more small developers and companies targeted by trolls. What is a patent troll? A patent troll uses patents as legal weapons, instead of actually creating any new products or coming up with new ideas. Instead, trolls are in the business of litigation (or even just threatening litigation). They often buy up patents cheaply from companies down on their luck who are looking to monetize what resources they have left, such as patents. Unfortunately, the Patent Office has a habit of issuing patents for ideas that are neither new nor revolutionary, and these patents can be very broad, covering everyday or commonsense types of computing – things that should never have been patented in the first place. Armed with these overbroad and vague patents, the troll will then send out threatening letters to those they argue infringe their patent(s). These letters threaten legal action unless the alleged infringer agrees to pay a licensing fee, which can often range to the tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of dollars. Many who receive infringement letters will choose to pay the licensing fee, even if they believe the patent is bogus or their product did not infringe. That’s because patent litigation is extremely expensive — often millions of dollars per suit — and can take years of court battles. It’s faster and easier for companies to settle. In particular, we’ve watched with dismay as Lodsys, a company that neither makes nor sells a product, targets small app developers, claiming the use of in-app purchasing technology (usually provided by Apple or Google) infringes Lodsys’ patents. It’s impossible to know how many app developers Lodsys has actually threatened, but we do know that it has sued at least 11. Apple has moved to intervene in that suit, claiming that the license it took from the patents’ former owner covers its app developer’s uses of that technology, and Google has filed a Notice of Reexamination with the Patent Office challenging the validity of Lodsys’ patents. But Apple’s and Google’s actions — while noteworthy — will take years to reach resolution. In the meantime, app developers are faced with an unenviable choice: either take a license from Lodsys or live with the fear that they could be the next party facing a lawsuit. Trolling Effects (EFF's online database of patent demand letters) EFF’s Virtual Boot Camp (video)
The Relationship Between Liberty and Democracy Lemar Alexander Farhad In 2005, I was the deputy officer in charge of provisional and national elections in Iraq. This was Iraq’s first democratic elections. It was a monumental time in Iraq’s history as a state. It was also America’s first flirtation with exporting Jeffersonian values to the Middle East. The U.S. government violently replaced a secular, authoritarian, and brutal regime with a democratic one. Yet, the results following the elections, and now, ten years later, have been very disappointing. It is as if the American intervention, with its staggering loss of lives and hundreds of billions of dollars expended, has never happened. Iraq is ostensibly a democratic country, but like many other countries’ is one that is authoritarian, corrupt, and religiously biased. Why didn’t democracy yield a better outcome? The question lies within the question I have chosen for this article. In this article, I will argue that there is direct relationship between liberty and democracy. In order to have democracy, a state must value individual liberty and subscribe to liberal values. Fareed Zakaria, in his essay, “A Brief History of Human Liberty,” argues that Christianity paved the way for the concepts of liberty to become entrenched in society, and thus liberty started in the West, and came before the concept of democracy. [i] He points out that although democracy was created in ancient Greece, the Greeks did not leave behind any viable democratic institutions to influence Europe.[ii] I do partially agree that the notion of liberty does trace its origins to Christianity. By contrast, I contend that liberalism traces its roots back to the European Enlightenment movement, which, was anti religion and against the Roman Catholic Church. Emmanuel Kant advocated the exercise of universal peace. The European Enlightenment ideas paved the way for the French Revolution. The concept of liberty, fraternity, and equality became mainstream political thought. These concepts soon made their way into the American Constitution. Zakaria maintains that, “America’s path to liberal democracy was exceptional.” [iii] Woodrow Wilson was influenced by liberal beliefs long after the founding fathers. His foreign policy was heavily partial to liberalism; as Wilson himself was deeply affected by Kant’s ideas. Zakaria in his essay, “The Rise of Illiberal Democracy,” contends, liberalism is about individual rights. Western states combined the concept of liberalism and the rule of law to develop constitutional liberalism, which holds individual rights, property rights, freedom of religion, freedom of speech, equality, separation of church and state, and government of checks and balances, almost sacrosanct.[iv] Phillip C. Schimmter and Terry Lynn Karl in their essay, “What Democracy Is…And Is Not,” contend that democracy comes in several forms, and that a state’s socioeconomic condition, institutions, and policies determine the form of democracy being practiced.[v] They define democracy as a modern system of governance where the rulers are held accountable by its citizens. The authors add that like all other forms of governance, democracies depend upon the leaders who hold positions of authority.[vi] Schimmter and Karl conclude by saying that final aspect of democracy is a state held free and fair elections.[vii] It has been widely noted that that liberal democracies yield better economic markets and quality of life, than non-liberal democracies. Examples of liberal democracies are the United States, Canada, Australia, Norway, Denmark, and Germany. Central Asia remains plagued by political stagnation and repression, rampant corruption, widespread poverty and widening socio-economic inequalities. - John D. Negroponte, (former) Director of National Intelligence[viii] The Soviets attempted to create a political society based on communist ideology. In reality, the Soviet Union relied on local actors to govern ethnically and linguistically diverse regions. As the Soviet Union began to collapse, political leaders and communist strongmen became the new ruling elite in the former Soviet republics. Most former Soviet states, especially those in Central Asia and the Caucuses are not liberal democracies. In this essay, I will argue that the reason most former Soviet states have not transitioned into liberal democracies is due to the totalitarian Soviet background shared by the elites who now govern these states. The notion of individual and collective liberalism has not yet manifested itself in these societies. Former Soviet Strongmen Leaders such Islam Karimov, Imam Ali Rahmon, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, and Nursultan Nazarbayev have been labeled as Central Asian strongmen, or rather as dictators. Juan J. Linz and Alfred Stepan, in their essay, “Modern Nondemocratic Regimes”, espouse that when a regime has removed political, economic, and social diversity, while only promoting a system of unitary politics and institutions associated with the regime’s mission, these regimes become totalitarian in nature.[ix] Many of these states may not be truly totalitarian; however, they are authoritarian. The cast of former Soviet strongmen run political parties and dominate political and economic life. Guriev and Triesman, in their essay, “The New Dictators Rule by Velvet Fist,” state, “The new dictatorships preserve a pocket of democratic opposition to simulate competition. Elections prove the boss’s popularity. In Kazakhstan, President Nazarbayev was re-elected with 97.7 percent of the vote.”[x] The rationale behind their unwillingness to change is rather simple. The countries in which they preside were all given independence in the early 1990s. These leaders are products of the former Soviet regime, and only know and understand one system. Most of the countries in Central Asia and the Caucasus lack cultures that promote entrepreneurship, trust, and innovation. They are poor and have weak government, political and civic institutions. Through my own travel in Georgia, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan, I have seen how mismanaged many of the government institutions are. These societies may not be able to handle overnight transition to true democracies. Most countries that attempted to transition from totalitarian type regimes to democracy have been dismal failures. Iraq and Afghanistan, two countries that had two different types of regimes prior to U.S. military operations, have suffered due to their governments’ inability to properly manage democratic governance. Both Iraq and Afghanistan have democracies, yet they are illiberal. Perhaps this is due to the fundamental concept of liberalism that is missing in their respective societies. Such is also the case for many of the former Soviet Republics. Stability and Security vs Democracy Former Soviet states are a direct product of the Soviet communism with an authoritative twist. The elites who took power were from the old guard, and were indoctrinated into a system of unitary governance. Many of these countries lack properly functioning government institutions. As a result, the governments over the years have done little to bolster education, and economic diversity. These societies have yet to fully grasp the concept of individual liberty and liberalism. Thus, they have not pressured their governments for change. These governments have promised their people stability, and many have delivered it. In an unstable world, many of the people living in these countries are content with stability, even at the cost of democracy. As Fareed Zakaria presents in his essay, “The Rise of Illiberal Democracy,” not all democracies are liberal. Illiberal democracies are on the rise in many parts of the world, from Pakistan to Malaysia, to Russia, and beyond. Governments that have not invested in liberal values may have a democratic structure, but they are considered illiberal democracies. For, true democracy is more than a method of electing political leadership and approving laws and budgets through an elected, legislature. The spirit of liberal democracy lies in the notion that the ultimate sovereignty in a state belongs to the people who, in complete freedom, build and democratically elect a government to serve them. It has been demonstrated in many states that there is a strong correlation between liberty and democracy. In order to have democracy as it is defined and practiced in the west, governments and societies must have liberty first. Liberal democracies are founded on the principles of liberty, absolute sovereignty of the people, and the rule of law. As my experiences in Iraq in 2005 have proven to me, without this relationship between liberty and democracy, you will have illiberal democracies. Perhaps, before exporting and championing for Jeffersonian democracy, we should have considered the relationship with liberty and democracy. [i]Fareed Zakaria, “A Brief History of Human Liberty,” in Essential Readings in Comparative Politics, 4th ed., ed. Patrick H. O’Neil and Ronald Rogowski (New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 2013), 188-89. [ii] Ibid., 189. [iii] Ibid., 198. [iv] Fareed Zakaria, “The Rise of Illiberal Democracies,” Foreign Affairs, (1997), 26. [v] Phillipe C. Schimitter and Terry Lynn Karl, “What Democracy Is…And Is Not,” in Essential Readings in Comparative Politics, 4th ed., ed. Patrick H. O’Neil and Ronald Rogowski (New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 2013), 204. [vi] Ibid., 204. [vii] Ibid., 205. [viii] John D. Negroponte, “Annual Threat Assessment of the Director of National Intelligence,” testimony, Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Washington, D.C., February 2, 2006. [ix] Juan Linz and Alfred Stephan, “Modern Non Democratic Regimes,” in Essential Readings in Comparative Politics, 4th ed., ed. Patrick H. O’Neil and Ronald Rogowski (New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 2013), 268. [x] Sergei Guriev and Daniel Triesman, The New Dictators Rule by Velvet Fist. The Opinion Pages , The New York Times, 2015.
Figure 1: Atmospheric 14CO2 Concentrations Expressed in F14C The graph includes annual averages from 1940 to 1954 of samples harvested from a Douglas Fir on the Olympic Peninsula (Stuiver et al. 1998b), monthly averages for the mid-latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere (Hua and Barbetti 2004), and approximately biweekly sampling of sites in Europe (Levin and Kromer 2004). Traditionally, 14C data are reported as 13C fractionation corrected and 14C decay corrected (Δ14C), following the dominant convention of Stuiver and Polach (1977). Established for reporting radiocarbon data in chronological and geophysical studies, this convention was not developed to deal with postbomb data, but it is the most common, pending the adoption of the proposed standard F14C nomenclature for postbomb data (Reimer et al. 2004). Fraction modern (FM) and percent modern carbon (pMC) are sometimes used to report data, but they are not defined consistently in the literature. F14C is essentially fraction modern carbon with a 13C fractionation correction, where modern carbon (F14C = 1) represents a two-decade average of the atmospheric 14C level recorded in tree rings prior to the Industrial Revolution.
Efficient decluttering methods are essential for a family juggling a hectic routine with kids. This article delves into strategies that not only simplify but revolutionize decluttering for families. By embracing organized living, families can ease stress, save time, and foster a harmonious home. Why Efficient Decluttering Matters Understanding the significance of decluttering helps establish its impact. Clutter directly affects mental well-being and productivity. Uncluttered spaces lead to a clearer mindset and a more relaxed environment, especially for busy families. Benefits of Organizing for a Busy Family Organizing benefits extend beyond cleanliness. It streamlines daily tasks, enhances efficiency, and reduces the time spent searching for misplaced items. An organized space contributes to a smoother family life amidst chaos. Understanding the Psychology of Clutter Delving into the psychological aspects of clutter helps comprehend its impact on mental health. Learning about attachment to items and the emotional weight they carry aids in letting go and decluttering effectively. Quick Decluttering Tips Small but effective tips pave the way for a clutter-free home. Quick strategies such as the one-in, one-out rule, 15-minute daily declutter sessions, and creating a donation bin simplify the decluttering process for busy families. Efficient Decluttering Methods for Common Areas Strategies tailored for high-traffic zones like the living room, kitchen, and play areas. Utilizing storage solutions, organizing daily essentials, and implementing regular clean-up routines maintain order in these spaces. Creative Storage Solutions Innovative storage ideas offer space-maximizing options for a family home. Utilizing under-bed storage, wall-mounted organizers, and multifunctional furniture helps declutter without sacrificing style or comfort. Involving Kids in Decluttering Engaging kids in decluttering instills responsibility and organizational skills. Methods like playful organization games and personalized spaces encourage children to participate actively in maintaining a clutter-free environment. Maintaining Order in a Hectic Schedule Striking a balance between a busy schedule and decluttering can be challenging. Implementing routines, delegating tasks, and utilizing time-saving decluttering methods can simplify the process. Overcoming Challenges in Decluttering Addressing challenges like sentimental attachment, time constraints, and indecision is crucial. Understanding and overcoming these hurdles ensure successful and long-lasting decluttering results. Sustainable Practices in Decluttering Incorporating eco-friendly practices in decluttering contributes to a healthier environment. Reusing, recycling, and responsible disposal methods play a significant role in reducing waste. Creating a Calm Environment for the Family A serene and clutter-free space fosters a peaceful atmosphere for the family. Incorporating mindful habits and creating designated calm areas enhance the overall well-being of each family member. Efficient decluttering methods are pivotal for families navigating a hectic lifestyle. Implementing these strategies not only creates an organized living space but also cultivates a sense of harmony and calm within the family. How do I start decluttering with kids around? Start by involving them – make it a game or assign them age-appropriate tasks. This encourages their participation and helps instill the importance of organization. What’s the best way to organize toys in a family room? Consider labeled bins or storage units to categorize toys. Rotating toys can keep the space fresh and prevent overwhelming clutter. Is decluttering a one-time task or an ongoing process? Decluttering is an ongoing process. Regular maintenance helps prevent clutter from piling up again. How can I let go of sentimental items while decluttering? Take photos of sentimental items and keep a few representative pieces. Remember, the memories are not in the items themselves. What are the benefits of involving the whole family in decluttering? Involving the family fosters responsibility and teaches essential organizational skills. It also helps in creating a more cohesive and organized living space. Can decluttering help in reducing stress for busy families? Absolutely. A clutter-free, organized space can reduce stress and create a more calming environment for everyone in the family.
With the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) making significant gains over the past week, including advancing closer to Baghdad, U.S. President Barack Obama is reportedly considering whether to deploy U.S. air power to assist Iraq's armed forces. But what would such an intervention mean in practical terms? And how effective an option would it be? GPS speaks with Karl P. Mueller, associate director of the Strategy, Doctrine, and Resources program at RAND Arroyo Center and a senior political scientist at the RAND Corporation. The views expressed are his own. Could U.S. air power be used to intervene in Iraq at low risk to U.S. aircraft and personnel? Yes. Numerous U.S. aircraft are already located in the region, particularly in Qatar and on the aircraft carrier USS George H. W. Bush, which moved into the Persian Gulf over the weekend. Additional aircraft could be deployed quickly, and there are many nearby land bases from which U.S. or partner aircraft could operate if permission were granted by the host nations. The 2011 air campaign over Libya faced little in the way of air defenses, suffering only one aircraft lost (to a mechanical failure) and no casualties among the intervening forces. Air defense threats from ISIS would likely be even weaker. However, it would be naïve to intervene with the expectation that there would be no losses of aircraft or personnel at all, and were any aircrew to fall into the hands of the insurgents, the results could be expected to be grisly. The financial implications of an aerial intervention would be modest because most of the forces needed are already assigned to the theater. The Libya operation cost the United States and its allies less than $3 billion over eight months, an amount that pales in comparison with the bills for the current ground war in Afghanistan. So, would it look like the Libyan intervention? In strategic terms, intervening in Iraq would have more in common with the U.S. role in South Vietnam in the early 1970s or in contemporary Afghanistan, or the recent French intervention in Mali, than with the operations against Gadhafi’s regime in Libya or the former Taliban government in Afghanistan because in this case, the United States would be attacking an insurgency rather than supporting one. Tactically, on the other hand, the specific missions that would be involved in an Iraq intervention would indeed resemble those of the air campaign in Libya. Western air power proved very effective at stopping Gadhafi’s forces from advancing on rebel strongholds and crushing the uprising before it became viable; coalition air power then mauled the regime’s military forces to make rebel victory possible. However, bombing did not, as some had optimistically hoped, coerce Gadhafi into surrendering or abdicating. In Iraq it would presumably play similar roles. How might U.S. air power be used in Iraq? The first job of air power in Iraq would be to help stem the advancing tide of ISIS, mainly by striking their forces advancing toward Baghdad or other cities not already under their control, along with other targets that underpin ISIS’s ability to fight. Once that was accomplished, air reconnaissance and strikes could be used to support counteroffensives by Iraqi security forces – or other troops – to roll back the insurgents’ recent gains. In the face of U.S. air power, ISIS forces would need to disperse or conceal themselves to reduce their vulnerability to air attack, which would impede their ability to fight against their enemies on the ground. As experience in Libya and other recent conflicts have shown, finding and identifying targets is the fundamental challenge in such situations – once they are located, bombing them is comparatively simple. This is particularly true with enemies such as ISIS and their allies, whose irregular forces tend to present ambiguous rather than easily recognizable targets. Even small numbers of Western advisers serving as liaisons between air power targeteers and friendly forces on the ground would prove invaluable, and indeed may be essential in a case such as Iraq, where local forces’ calls for fire may not be entirely trustworthy. Would the use of U.S. air power cause a lot of civilian casualties? The popular impression that the deployment of airpower automatically makes conflicts more deadly for civilians is a myth. Large-scale, indiscriminate bombing can certainly kill large numbers of noncombatants, but the United States hasn’t conducted such attacks in more than 40 years. In Libya, every bomb dropped by coalition aircraft was precision-guided, and the civilian death toll may have been as low as one per hundred bombs used. It is ground war that is generally most deadly to bystanders, and civil wars tend to be especially bloody. Nevertheless, air strikes would certainly kill some Iraqi civilians. Moreover, limiting civilian casualties when operating in heavily populated areas, especially cities, requires great care, which in turn constrains the use of air power against enemies there. An adversary that mingles with the populace presents serious target-identification problems, even when using precision weapons with small warheads. It’s likely that U.S. aircraft operating over Iraq would often have to hold fire instead of striking targets in urban areas. Would air power alone be enough to achieve U.S. objectives in Iraq? The military success of any air power intervention in Iraq depends very much on the ground forces fighting against ISIS. Bombing could do a great deal to give Iraqi security forces the upper hand, and it might also provide an important psychological boost to their willingness to stand and fight, which has often been less than impressive. But if they were ultimately unable or unwilling to make effective use of that advantage, such an intervention would be a wasted effort. (Conversely, if the Iraqis can defeat ISIS without such help, there would be little reason to consider intervening.) And of course, even if ISIS were defeated with the help of Western air power, whether the outcome would ultimately be a strategic success for the United States hinges on what comes next in Iraq. Air power is a potent instrument for changing the course of wars, but as experience in Libya shows, shaping what happens in the wake of the conflict means building influence on the ground and devoting sustained effort to the often difficult problems of postwar stabilization.
Bacterial infections of the leptomeninges and subarachnoid space, frequently involving the cerebral cortex, cranial nerves, cerebral blood vessels, spinal cord and nerve roots; causative organism varies with age and clinical status (eg, postoperative, immunodeficient, posttraumatic states); clinical manifestations include the acute onset of fever, stiff neck, altered mentation, seizures, and focal neurologic deficits; death may occur within 24 hours of disease onset; pathologic features include a purulent exudate in the subarachnoid space, and diffuse inflammation of neural and vascular structures. Bacterial infections of the leptomeninges and subarachnoid space, frequently involving the cerebral cortex, cranial nerves, cerebral blood vessels, spinal cord, and nerve roots. Bacterial infections of the nervous system caused by haemophilus organisms, and marked by prominent inflammation of the meninges. Haemophilus influenzae type b is the most common causative organism. The condition primarily affects children under 6 years of age but may occur in adults. Clinical manifestations include fever; nuchal rigidity; photophobia; seizures; hearing loss, sensorineural; coma; and cerebrovascular thrombosis. The organism tends to enter the central nervous system following infections of adjacent structures, including the middle ear (see also otitis media), sinuses, and pharynx. (from menkes, textbook of child neurology, 5th ed, pp396-7)
This is something that is preached over and over and it’s usually a measure to prevent drinking and driving. The theory (not a fact) is that it takes far longer for alcohol to leave the human body than it takes to consume it, if a person drinks more than one ounce per hour. I don’t know who came up with that theory, but there’s no real scientific evidence backing it up. In the past, you’ve probably seen or heard of people drinking cups and cups of coffee in attempts to “sober up”. The belief was that the caffeine in the coffee would reverse the effects of the alcohol; caffeine is a stimulant while alcohol is a depressant. It doesn’t work that way. The simplest way to reverse the effects of alcohol is to get the alcohol out of your system as quickly as possible. Drinking a lot of non-alcoholic beverages while inebriated (without drinking any more alcoholic beverages) as quickly as possible will flush the alcohol from the system. The “coffee trick” is nothing more than a misguided attempt at this procedure. Of course coffee will work - and so will plain water. The hangover the next day is usually caused by being in a dehydrated condition, as a result of alcohol consumption, and going to sleep in that condition. Flooding the body with non-alcoholic beverages will remove the condition, if practiced before sleeping, and will do more to help avoid a hangover than anything else. I’m not making any of this up. I spent 20 years on active duty in the military and drank more than my fair share of alcoholic beverages in the first five of them. It was during this period that I learned what worked and what didn’t. During the remaining years of active service, I taught a few others how to do what I learned and I have no doubt it prevented some health problems as well as some DUI tickets. There were some studies conducted during the last decade that you should find interesting if you’re both a coffee drinker and a consumer of alcoholic beverages. Cirrhosis is the irreversible scarring of the liver that hurts the organ’s ability to filter toxins from the blood. Cirrhosis is caused by more than just alcohol abuse, but alcohol abuse gets the most attention. Other causes include Hepatitis C and inherited diseases. What the studies found is that the likelihood of cirrhosis was reduced by 22 percent for each cup of coffee consumed per day, capped at about 88 percent for four cups of coffee per day. These statistics were measured for the heaviest alcohol drinkers as well as the lightest. If this isn’t enough to convince you to get your daily dose of coffee, if you’re an alcoholic beverage consumer, then I suppose nothing will. Here are a couple of relevant articles to back up my information:
EARTH DAY COUNTDOWN - Make the Earth Friendly for Pets, Too This Earth Day, it’s important to consider the environment not only for its impact on Mother Nature and our human health, but our favorite furry companions as well. In the first study of its kind, Environmental Working Group (EWG) has found that companion cats and dogs are polluted with even higher levels of many of the same synthetic industrial chemicals that researchers have recently found in people, including newborns. Here are some excerpts from their recent news release: The 20 dogs and 40 cats EWG studied were contaminated with 48 of 70 industrial chemicals tested. Average levels of many chemicals were substantially higher in pets than is typical for people, with 2.4 times higher levels of stain-and grease-proof coatings (perfluorochemicals) in dogs, 23 times more fire retardants (PBDEs) in cats, and more than 5 times the amounts of mercury, compared to average levels in people found in national studies conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and EWG. “Like humans, pets are also exposed to toxic chemicals on a daily basis, and as this investigation found, are contaminated at higher levels,” said Jane Houlihan, VP for Research at EWG. “The presence of chemicals in dogs and cats sounds a cautionary warning for the present and future health of children as well. This study demonstrating the chemical body burden of dogs and cats is a wake-up call for stronger safety standards from industrial chemical exposures that will protect all members of our families, including our pets.” "This study shows that our pets are susceptible to the absorption of potentially harmful chemicals from our environment just as we are. Perhaps even more troubling is that these chemicals have been found in higher levels in pets than in humans, implying potential harmful consequences for their health and well being and the need for further study," said Dr. John Billeter, DVM, the veterinarian who conducted the animal tests. Just as children ingest pollutants in tap water, play on lawns with pesticide residues, or breathe in an array of indoor air contaminants, so do their pets. But with their compressed lifespans, developing and aging seven or more times faster than children, pets also develop health problems much more rapidly. Pets, like infants and toddlers, have limited diets and play close to the floor, often licking the ground as well as their paws, greatly increasing both their exposures to chemicals and the resulting health risks. Under current federal law, chemical companies do not have to prove chemicals are safe before they are used in products, including pet toys and other products for our companion animals. For pets as for people, the result is a body burden of complex mixtures of industrial chemicals never tested for safety. Health problems in pets span high rates of cancer in dogs and skyrocketing incidence of hyperthyroidism in cats. Genetic changes can't explain the increases in certain health problems among pets, leaving scientists to believe that chemical exposures play a significant role. View the complete research at EWG.
Once and for all, do cell phones cause cancer? The World Health Organization has released a report [PDF] on the connections between cell phone use and cancer. It concluded that cell phones are a "possible" carcinogen, and there was much out-freaking. But what does this really mean? It does not, it turns out, mean that cell phones definitely or even likely cause cancer. It would be more accurate to say that the report says cell phones do not definitely NOT cause cancer. The majority of studies still show no causal link between cell phone use and cancer, writes science blogger extraordinaire Ed Yong. All studies have limitations, which is why scientists (but not their PR people) tend to hedge about conclusions until there's an evolution-level preponderance of evidence. (If you see a scientific paper that doesn't recommend more research at the end, you probably shouldn't trust it.) So far, the WHO isn't ruling out the connection, but only one study has demonstrated it with any statistical significance. And importantly, Yong points out, nobody knows exactly how cell phones would go about causing cancer in the first place. The International Agency for Research into Cancer has five levels of cancer risk. Cell phones are in group 2B, which means there is "limited" evidence from human studies and "less than sufficient" evidence from animal studies that the thing might be a carcinogen in humans. The only lower-risk categories are group 3 (not classifiable, usually because there's not enough data) and group 4 (probably doesn't cause cancer). There's only one entry in group 4. Other things that have been reported to be linked to cancer include Tylenol, alcohol, insufficient alcohol, baldness, soda, blood pressure medication, breast implants, soy, energy-saving light bulbs, food dyes, sunscreen, antibiotics, long ring fingers, oral sex, and in fact most of the rest of universe. Is the WHO Saying Cell Phones Cause Cancer? , Mother Jones.
Photo: Liesel Elliott (Flickr) Have you ever strained a muscle or sprained an ankle? Today we discus one of the simplest medical technologies — ice. Have you ever wondered why you’re supposed to ice injuries? Well, the reason is that cold temperatures cause blood vessels in the injured area to constrict. This translates to less blood flow, which, in its turn, means less swelling. Ice also helps reduce muscle spasms and dulls pain by numbing your nerves. The R.I.C.E. Method As helpful as ice is, though, you don’t want to overuse it because the cold can actually damage skin. Instead, follow the RICE method: Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation. After resting the injured area, apply ice for about half an hour. Then let the injury warm up while applying pressure. Finally, elevate to help fluids drain. Follow these quick and easy steps, and you’ll be up and running in no time! (Speaking of running, read up on how to avoid runner’s knee.)
The Ecovila, located on the coast of São Paulo, is the first residential structure in Brazil to install solar panels that follow the motion of the sun. The solar system, along with two wind turbines, will provide enough energy for lighting and water pumping to support the entire village consisting of 58 houses. The system installed has the capacity to capture 350,000 liters of rainwater, and the design of the village boasts cross ventilation, 15 square meters of green area per resident, and an organic garden. The article above was submitted to us by an Inhabitat reader. Want to see your story on Inhabitat? Send us a tip by following this link. Remember to follow our instructions carefully to boost your chances of being chosen for publishing!
Tea has been a beloved beverage for centuries, captivating people with its diverse flavors and numerous health benefits. One type of tea that stands out is Adeni Tea. Originating from the fertile lands of Aden in Yemen, Adeni Tea has gained recognition for its unique taste and therapeutic properties. In this article, we will delve into the secrets behind Adeni Tea, explore its health benefits, and unravel the art of brewing this exquisite beverage. The Origins of Adeni Tea Adeni Tea can be traced back to the ancient city of Aden in Yemen’s southern area. The excellent climate and fertile soil of Aden make it ideal for growing tea plants. The region’s rich history and cultural influences have contributed to Adeni Tea’s specific features, which distinguish it from other tea varietals. The Secrets Behind Adeni Tea Climate and Soil: Aden’s warm and humid climate, coupled with its unique coastal positioning, provides an ideal environment for tea cultivation. The combination of sea breezes, high temperatures, and moderate rainfall contributes to the exceptional flavor and aroma of Adeni Tea. Techniques of Cultivation and Harvesting: Adeni Tea is delicately farmed following ancient methods passed down through generations. To achieve optimal quality, farmers meticulously choose the best tea leaves and use manual plucking techniques. The hand-picked leaves are thoroughly sorted, ensuring that only the best leaves are used for processing. Processing Methods: The processing of Adeni Tea involves withering, rolling, oxidation, and drying. The leaves are spread out to wither, allowing them to lose moisture gradually. After withering, the leaves are rolled to release essential oils and initiate oxidation. This step enhances the flavors and colors of the tea. The leaves are then left to oxidize for a specific period before being dried, resulting in the unique characteristics of Adeni Tea. Health Benefits of Adeni Tea Adeni Tea offers a multitude of health benefits, making it a wise choice for tea enthusiasts seeking a wholesome and refreshing beverage. Here are some of its remarkable advantages: Antioxidant Properties: Adeni Tea is rich in antioxidants that help combat free radicals in the body. These antioxidants play a crucial role in reducing oxidative stress, protecting cells from damage, and promoting overall well-being. Immune System Booster: The natural ingredients included in Adeni Tea serve to improve the immune system, allowing it to fight off diseases and illnesses. This tea can help you have a stronger and more resilient immune system if you drink it on a regular basis. Aids Digestion: Adeni Tea has been known to aid digestion and soothe digestive discomfort. It can alleviate symptoms such as bloating, cramping, and indigestion, promoting a healthy digestive system. Supports Heart Health: The flavonoids present in Adeni Tea have been associated with cardiovascular benefits. Regular consumption may help lower the risk of heart disease, reduce cholesterol levels, and support a healthy heart. Enhances Mental Alertness: Adeni Tea contains natural stimulants, including caffeine, which can help improve mental alertness and concentration. It provides a gentle and sustained energy boost, making it an excellent alternative to coffee. Image From Tarasmulticulturaltable Brewing Techniques for Adeni Tea To fully appreciate the exquisite flavors and aromas of Adeni Tea, it is essential to master the art of brewing. Here are some key techniques to consider: Choosing the Right Tea Leaves: Select high-quality Adeni Tea leaves that are fresh and intact. Look for leaves that are tightly rolled and have a rich, dark color. Water Temperature and Steeping Time: For Adeni Tea, heat water to roughly 185°F (85°C). Steep the tea leaves for 3-4 minutes to allow the flavors to infuse properly. Adjust the steeping time to your liking for a stronger or milder flavor. Tea-to-Water Ratio: Use approximately 1 teaspoon of Adeni Tea leaves per 8 ounces (240 ml) of water. Adjust the amount according to the desired strength. Infusion Methods: Adeni Tea can be brewed using various methods such as a teapot, teacup, or infuser. Experiment with different techniques to find the one that suits your taste preferences. Adeni Tea is a treasure from the southern lands of Yemen, celebrated for its unique flavor profile and health benefits. Its secrets lie within the favorable climate, meticulous cultivation techniques, and careful processing methods. Whether you seek a revitalizing beverage or a natural boost for your well-being, Adeni Tea offers an exquisite experience that should not be missed. Is Adeni Tea caffeinated? Yes, Adeni Tea contains caffeine, but in moderate amounts compared to coffee. Can Adeni Tea be consumed with milk? Adeni Tea is traditionally enjoyed without milk, as it allows the delicate flavors to shine. However, personal preferences can vary. Are there any side effects of consuming Adeni Tea? Adeni Tea is generally safe for consumption. However, individuals with caffeine sensitivity or specific health conditions should exercise moderation. Can Adeni Tea be served iced? Yes, Adeni Tea can be brewed and served over ice for a refreshing cold beverage. Where can I purchase authentic Adeni Tea? Authentic Adeni Tea can be obtained from specialty tea stores, online retailers, or directly from reputable suppliers.
Yellow fever, and other diseases believed to be brought to the state by ships engaged in trade with tropical areas, influenced the policy making of local governments. County boards of health and city governments felt tremendous strain because of the financial and logistical demands of confronting outbreaks, always on their own with the help of citizen volunteers in the early stages, until federal authorities and state assistance arrived. In this telegram from Enterprise, Florida, to Governor Edward Perry, officials in Volusia County express both the deadliness of the yellow fever outbreak of 1888 and the extreme measures local authorities are pursuing to contain the spread. In confirming two deaths and 12 cases, the writer also states that the site of the infection has been placed inside an armed cordon to prevent further spreading, while the location has been relayed to federal authorities. Officials from the County Boards of Health of Putnam, St. Johns, Lake, Marion, Volusia, Orange, and Clay counties wrote Governor Perry as the yellow fever outbreak of 1888 intensified. The officials asked the governor to place quarantine cordons around places already infected, such as Jacksonville, and to institute all of the Marine Hospital Service's recommendations for containment. Fearing the possibility of vagrants and “tramps” entering affected areas and traveling at will, spreading the infection as they went, the officials informed the governor of the perceived need to control the movement of that “class of people.” A greater statewide effort would, in their opinion, communicate to outsiders that the whole state was not infected and would help take the burden off of the counties for controlling the spread of the disease and maintaining civic order. This letter to Governor Perry, signed simply as “Refugee,” describes the dire conditions in Millcove, Florida, during the 1888 outbreak while drawing attention to what the writer believes are inappropriate actions by local officials that will lead to further spread of the disease, such as conducting school in infected buildings. The writer has left Jacksonville to avoid infection, only to find that it has already spread “desolation and gloom” to the surrounding communities, and feels compelled to now appeal to higher “health authorities.” The writer believes yellow fever came with the other refugees from Jacksonville, who brought the disease to what normally was a healthier place.
How is cancer treated? There are several different types of cancer treatment. Some are used to treat cancer in a particular (local) area of the body. These are called local treatments. They include surgery and radiotherapy. Other treatments can treat cancer in more than one part of the body at a time. These are called systemic treatments. Chemotherapy, hormonal therapy and biological therapy generally work in this way. The main types of treatment for cancer are described here. It’s quite common for a combination of treatments to be used. An operation to remove the tumour is the main treatment for many types of cancer. Surgery is most likely to be used if the cancer is only in one area of the body and has not spread. It can sometimes be used to remove a cancer that has spread to another area of the body, but this is less common. Radiotherapy uses high energy x-rays to destroy cancer cells. The radiation is targeted at the area affected by cancer so that it does as little harm as possible to normal cells. One of the most common side effects is tiredness. Other side effects depend on the part of the body being treated. Chemotherapy uses anti-cancer (cytotoxic) drugs to destroy cancer cells. There are more than 50 different chemotherapy drugs. Sometimes treatment is with just one chemotherapy drug but often two or more drugs are given together. This is known as combination chemotherapy. The type of chemotherapy treatment you are given depends on the type of cancer you have. Chemotherapy can cause various side effects depending on which drug (or combination of drugs) is used. However, there are many ways of preventing or reducing the side effects of chemotherapy. Hormones are natural substances made by the body that control the growth and activity of certain cells. Some cancers depend on particular hormones in order to grow. Hormonal therapies reduce the levels of these hormones in the body or block the hormones from reaching cancer cells. This shrinks the cancer and stops it growing. Biological therapies work in various ways to destroy cancer cells. They can: stimulate the body’s defences (immune system) to attack the cancer attach to particular types of cells (including cancer cells) in the body so that they die interfere with a cancer’s ability to grow stop a tumour from making its own blood supply so it can’t get the oxygen and nutrients it needs. Some biological therapies will do just one of these things while others may use two or more of these methods to attack the cancer. Biological therapies can be given different names according to how they work. Some of the main types of biological therapies used to treat cancer are monoclonal antibodies, cancer growth inhibitors and angiogenesis inhibitors. Research is trying to discover whether other types of biological therapy such as vaccines and gene therapy can be used to treat cancer. This type of research is in the very early stages. We have more information on cancer treatments and also on clinical trials.
The history of hairpin legs starts with them being invented by Henry P. Glass in 1941. Hairpin legs were a true war-time invention; their design limited the amount of material needed while keeping the strength of traditional legs. A true form meets function story. Glass talked about the history of his hairpin legs in an interview: [Russel Wright] liked my work and when, in 1941, he launched his campaign "American-Way," he honored me with an important assignment, to design a complete line of wrought iron furniture. I created a rather startling group of tables, chairs, sofas, etc., which commanded immediate and favorable attention in the trade press, particularly Home Furnishings Daily. Its editor-in-chief, Alfred Auerbach, coined the name "Hairpin Group" because of the shape of the steel wire legs. It was a great success, mainly in the media. I don't know how much of this furniture was actually sold in stores. It certainly created a trend. Countless furniture pieces of all kinds were put on hairpin legs for several years. Samples of this group are in the collection of several museums, such as the College for Applied Arts in Vienna and the Art Institute of Chicago.So, the first time hairpin legs were used on furniture was in 1941 as part of a Russel Wright American-Way collection. Although, some sources have the "Hairpin Group" being released in 1942. I wouldn't blame anyone for being off by a year in a live interview. There's also a good chance that Glass designed the hairpin legs in 1941 and the "Hairpin Group" wasn't released to the public till 1942. And that release was indeed limited, as Glass hinted. Most American-Way products were produced in limited numbers. It's hard to say if this was by design in order to create a limited collection or if it was because of limited materials due to the war. The American-Way "Hairpin Group" was manufactured by Molla, Inc, a New York-based company that way know for high-quality patio furniture. They used removable sailcloth covers for the chair covers and a type of metal that wouldn't oxidize in the salty outdoor air that blows across coastal patios. Glass designed two separate American-Way collections that featured hairpin legs. One, which I believe to be the original "Hairpin Group," featured five different tables, three types of chairs and a settee. I can't find any info about what was included in the second collection. It was probably a similar lineup, as all original hairpin furniture was patio furniture. However, there is a sketch of a hairpin leg lounge chair from Glass, which I believe is part of the second collection. It's interesting to note that the arms of the original "Hairpin Group" also had the hairpin leg form. Where as the second line seems to have moved to a full cloth arm. You can see some other sketches of hairpin leg furniture in this video about Henry P. Glass' designs (at the :53 mark): As Glass mentioned in his interview, there is indeed an example of the American-Way hairpin leg chair in the Art Institute of Chicago's collection, but they don't have an image of it online and it's not currently on display. They do have it listed as being made of cast iron with the dimensions of 34.25" x 18.75" x 19". However, I was able to track down a color photo of an original hairpin leg chair here. Though Henry P. Glass has 52 patents in his name, the hairpin leg isn't one of them. In fact, he wasn't even created as the designer of "Hairpin Group" till many years after its release. But, Glass was right to say that "countless furniture pieces of all kinds were put on hairpin legs." Since their creation in 1941, Knoll and Eames have used hairpin legs and their use on mid-century furniture is so prolific that they're probably the most recognizable leg among mid-century modern furniture fans. In tracking down the history of hairpin legs, I found out a lot of interesting info on Henry P. Glass. This isn't going to be the last time you see his name on this blog.
You’ve read one of your four complimentary articles for this month. You can read four articles free per month. To have complete access to the thousands of philosophy articles on this site, please SUBSCRIBE! Anja Steinbauer introduces the life and ideas of Immanuel Kant, the merry sage of Königsberg, who died 200 years ago. “Have the courage to use your own reason!”, (in Latin sapere aude!) is the battle cry of the Enlightenment. It was articulated by Immanuel Kant in his famous article ‘What is Enlightenment?’ (1784). Obstacles that can stand in our way in achieving ‘maturity’, i.e. thinking for ourselves, are manifold and have to do with: the self, politics and society, as well as culture. These are problems that concern academics as much as anyone else: In a letter to his sovereign Kant declared freely that he believed Rousseau to be correct in saying that rulers only tolerate those intellectuals who are happy to simply “adorn our chains with flowers” – as many do. The greatest difficulty lies in motivating people to shake off immaturity: “It is so easy not to be of age. If I have a book which understands for me, a pastor who has a conscience for me, a physician who decides my diet, and so forth, I need not trouble myself. I need not think, if only I can pay – others will easily undertake the irksome work for me.” Heinrich Heine once said sarcastically that “the history of Immanuel Kant’s life is hard to describe, because he had neither a life nor history.” In many ways, Immanuel Kant seems to have been exactly what you’d expect a German professor to be like, a parody of himself, so to speak: pedantic, punctual, rigid. All of these are true of him, but clichés are just clichés and not real people. There is a bit more to the ‘Chinaman of Königsberg’, as Nietzsche cynically called him. Who was this man who could be driven to despair by a chair in his flat being out of place? If you had rung his doorbell in Koenigsberg it would almost certainly have been his old servant Lampe who would have answered the door for you. If you had then made it into the inner sanctuary of the house, you might have been disappointed to find that the great thinker, of whom Coleridge said that his words had gripped him with “a giant’s fist”, was in fact a small and very slight person, puny even, and of fragile health. However, his lively blue eyes might have betrayed something of his great wit and sense of fun, which made him very popular, especially with women. Apart from being a famous philosopher he seems to have been a bit of a party animal, and was an all-the-rage regular at social events in Koenigsberg. He loved playing pool and talking with friends. One of these friends reports that the old philosopher was an early riser: he had instructed Lampe to wake him at five. This is an early start by anybody’s standards, and so Kant would often be reluctant to get up, but had to since he had given Lampe strict orders not to let him oversleep by even a minute, no matter how much he’d beg him. Kant would then spend some time writing until his early morning lectures. One must not imagine Kant as a leisurely scholar with lots of time on his hands for navel-gazing and beautiful thoughts. He was a full-time lecturer, with a schedule of twenty hours of class contact a week. However, Kant was very happy with his post which it had taken him so long to acquire. His career path is not unfamiliar to academics seeking tenure today: After years as a private tutor to rich kids and then as an hourly paid lecturer, Kant, fourth of the nine children of the saddler Cant, was finally given a chair of philosophy at the age of forty-seven. He could not afford the luxury of specialising in only one field, such as philosophy, but was required to lecture on natural law, mechanics, mineralogy, physics, mathematics and geography. The image that many people have of him as a sour-faced, boring little man stands in stark contrast to the reports of his contemporaries who proclaim him to have been an inspiring and witty speaker, with a natural sense of humour. After the morning lectures, Kant had an elaborate luncheon for which he was joined by many friends. This was his only meal of the day. After a long conversation Kant went for his afternoon walk along the river followed by his servant carrying an umbrella in case it might rain. Then Kant spent some more time studying before retiring at exactly ten o’clock. Even going to bed involved a special ritual: Kant had a special technique for rolling himself up completely in the sheets so that they fitted tightly around him. In this cocoon he would sleep. Kant could get very upset if well-meaning acquaintances disturbed his routines. Accepting on one occasion an invitation to an outing into the country, Kant got very nervous when he realised that he would be home later than his usual bedtime, and when he was finally delivered to his doorstep just a few minutes after ten, he was shaken with worry and disgruntlement, making it at once one of his principles never to go on such a tour again. This is just one example of many rules by which Kant led his life. If he was convinced to the value of a particular maxim he would adhere to it without exception. Examples of this concern ethics as well as the practicalities of everyday living, and extend even to considerations about health. Kant had very strong views on health, and he would adjust his lifestyle accordingly, even if it caused him displeasure. An example is Kant’s love of coffee: he adored the taste and smell of it but persistently resisted drinking it (making do with extremely dilute tea instead), because he was convinced that the oil of coffee beans was unhealthy. Kant even wrote a little book about the subject of physical wellbeing, detailing for instance how one must not sleep too much because he believed that each person had a certain measure of sleep allotted to them, and if all of it was used up too soon it meant an early death. Kant published widely, on a large number of subjects, including science, resulting for instance in the Kant-Laplace theory, or the ‘nebular hypothesis’ concerning the origin of the solar system. In philosophy, his interests were also manifold, and since Kant was very widely read so were the influences on his thought. Famously, he declared in the Critique of Pure Reason that David Hume had awoken him from his “dogmatic slumber”. Another important influence was Jean-Jacques Rousseau, whose Emile fascinated Kant so much that he even gave up his daily walks for a few days. So what does Kant want to do in his philosophising? Kant himself declares: “it is metaphysics which it is my fate to be in love with” because on it rests “the true and enduring welfare of humanity.” Therefore we cannot be indifferent to it. There are three respects in which metaphysics is important to Kant: Is there something in human beings that transcends their contingent existence? Is the world a realm of pure causality, or is there the possibility of uncaused acts? Is there anything on which the world is ultimately based? These considerations lead Kant to ask the questions which he believes metaphysics cannot avoid: the questions of immortality, freedom and God. It is no secret that these questions are difficult to answer, and Kant acknowledges that there has been much “tapping in the dark” by philosophers who have tried to find answers. Therefore, we cannot simply begin by straightforwardly answering these questions, but there is a lot of philosophical preparation that has to be carefully worked out beforehand: Why is metaphysics so elusive, what makes it so? This is the question to which Kant dedicates the Critique of Pure Reason. Finally Kant discovers that there cannot be any certain answers. His approach is that of ‘transcendental’ philosophy, i.e. the enquiry into the conditions necessary for the possibility of something, such as knowledge or morality. What has to be in place for us to be able to acquire knowledge, or to make moral judgements? Kant believes critique to be the true task of his era, including criticism of religion and legislation. Kant extends this approach to his own philosophical tradition, Rationalism, which he significantly calls ‘dogmatism’, as well as Empiricism, which he calls ‘scepticism’. The Critique of Pure Reason reveals that both approaches have merit but need to be put in perspective: We need experience to acquire knowledge but process the information experience gives us through human faculties. No matter how hard we try, we are therefore never going to know what the world is like per se but only how it presents itself from a human perspective. The idea that our minds shape our world rather than vice versa was a significant reversal of what had previously been assumed – a ‘Copernican revolution’. Kant’s 856-page tour de force went unnoticed for a few years before it became clear what an epochal work he had produced. Kant’s contemporaries, such as Fichte, seem to have grasped the enormity of the Critique’s importance. However, this does not mean that it was welcomed by all with open arms: Mendelson called Kant an “all-mincer”, and Herder believed it was a book full of innumerable fictions, which would lead to the “ruin of young minds.” Schopenhauer, not usually known as a thinker full of happy praise for anyone or anything, held it to be “the most important book ever written in Europe”. Believe it or not, the Critique of Pure Reason, despite its many virtues so dry a book that it is not usually seen as easily exiting any passions, made emotions flare up on a few occasions: One philosophy student at the time said to another that Kant’s book was so difficult to understand, that the other would have to study it for another thirty years before understanding any of it. He must have hit a nerve, since the other student was so enraged that he challenged the insulter to a duel – the continuation of a philosophical argument by other means… My old philosophy professor who was once asked which book he would recommend as an introduction to philosophy, answered “Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason”. On the one had this is obviously absurd: trying to read a book like this without a good deal of philosophical training is like going on an Arctic expedition in jeans, t-shirt and flip-flops. On the other hand this is quite sensible: what Kant can definitely teach us is – how to think philosophically. As we have seen, Kant posits the human being as caught up in an insoluble tension: Wanting to know and yet by our very nature being unable to know. This is the dilemma which we see portrayed in Goethe’s Faust. Faust seeks knowledge with such passion that his insight that true human knowledge is impossible distresses him to the degree of contemplating suicide (and ultimately entering into a contract with the devil). It was a tension that the Idealist philosophers of the 19th century could not bear, hence for instance Hegel’s hope of overcoming in history by means of the dialectic. Kant, however, tells us that we have to live with this conflict, it is the human condition. Another conflict that makes us human is the conflict between culture and nature, between our rational insight into the moral law and our natural desire to act in our self-interest. As human beings we have to constantly check and correct our own behaviour. Kant faced the same problem Plato had faced. Why had the Sophists been so successful? Was it because people were too stupid to see through them? Plato might have thought so. But Kant didn’t. The Sophists had been successful because they met with the expectations that people had, with the wishes they wanted fulfilled. Kant admits that as an academic he was tempted to be sceptical about the abilities of “ordinary” human beings, but reading Rousseau had taught him very powerfully that morality was not the exclusive field of expertise of philosophers but that there could not be any experts in this area: Human beings act morally quite independently of philosophers philosophising about it. What moral philosophy can do is help us achieve clarity about what motivates us in our moral behaviour and can give us reasons and confidence. This is what the critical method is designed to do in the field of ethics. Reason, common to all human beings, must be properly controlled: Reason itself is not an unqualified good but must be employed critically to lead to moral principles. One of his main arguments in Kant’s Religion within the Boundaries of Mere Reason is that people can understand the moral law without the aid of organised religion. It is simply redundant as a moral aid. He goes even further: There is an inherent tension between morality and religion because there is a danger that people may act morally not because it is the right thing to do but because their religion prescribes it. This would take away the value of a good act: Kant is convinced that we can do the right thing for the wrong reasons, which would be devoid of moral merit. Achieving desirable outcomes is not enough; moral merit lies in the right intentions that are freely willed. Freedom is the necessary ground for the existence of the moral law. In his Critique of Practical Reason (and no, the slimmer Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals is not going to give you the full picture on Kant’s ethics), Kant elaborates on his ideas about how moral judgements can be made. A maxim, a moral belief, must stand the test of the ‘categorical imperative’ before it can become a moral law. Moral laws, thus believes Kant, are not contingent, they are not ‘hypothetical’ imperatives, but universal principles, ‘categorical’ imperatives. Pure reason fails in the area of knowledge but comes into its own in the area of moral judgements. We can rationally figure out what to do by identifying the principle that lies behind a proposed course of action: What do I commit myself to by doing x? Next, we need to find out whether the principle can be a categorical imperative by asking ourselves if we could will it to be a universal law, as unbreakable as a natural law. The categorical imperative is strongly bound up with a belief in the dignity of the human individual. It would be absurd to deny that all human beings are moral lawgivers, and as such merit our respect. It is therefore rational to treat them accordingly, i.e. never to simply use others for our own ends but to respect that they too have ends. Kant once said that in philosophy we are interested in three great questions: “What can I know?”, “What should I do?” and “What may I hope?” These three, however, can be subsumed under one great question: “What is a human being?” If making a contribution to this project is the aim of all philosophising, we must go further than talking only about knowledge and ethics. Kant therefore writes a third Critique, the Critique of Judgement, concerned with the areas of aesthetics and religion. After all, the question of the human being would be very inadequately answered if we didn’t for instance examine the fact that we can appreciate things from an aesthetic point of view. Kant’s critical philosophy is not opposed to system-building, and the three Critiques constitute a system of a kind. What has Kant ever done for us? Let’s see… In the case of many thinkers of the past we’d now have to try so hard to find good reasons for reading them today, the strain might make the veins stand out on our foreheads. In the case of Kant there is so much to say, it’s hard to make a choice of what to mention. Apart from his enduring groundbreaking contributions to the philosophical fields of epistemology, ethics and aesthetics, Kant demonstrates that there are definite limits to what philosophy can do, and so asks us to give up on a number of pet projects, such as attempts to prove the existence of God. Kant’s short but important essay on ‘Perpetual Peace’ acquires more and new relevance in the light of events today and continues to inspire many contemporary thinkers. Kant’s thought contributes in important respects to our globalised world: it paved the way for our contemporary understanding of human rights, the United Nations and human freedom. The Enlightenment philosopher Immanuel Kant makes it very clear that he believes his age to be one of enlightenment, where a process of emancipation has become possible, but not an enlightened age. Two hundred years further on – where are we now? © Dr Anja Steinbauer 2005
WIC Nutrition Program News FDA Looks for Answers on Arsenic in Rice The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) monitors hundreds of foods and beverages that make up the average American diet. The agency looks for substances that could be harmful to consumers, including industrial chemicals, heavy metals, pesticide residues and radiation contamination. Those dietary staples include rice and rice products, foods that FDA has specifically tested for the presence of inorganic arsenic, a chemical that under some circumstances has been associated with long-term health effects. The agency has analyzed nearly 200 samples of rice and rice products and is collecting about 1,000 more. Since rice is processed into many products, these samples include rice products such as cereals, rice beverages and rice cakes. Arsenic levels can vary greatly from sample to sample, even within the same product. FDA’s testing of the initial samples found these average levels of inorganic arsenic in micrograms (one millionth of a gram): Rice (other than Basmati rice): 6.7 per 1 cup (cooked) Rice cakes: 5.4 per 2 cakes Rice beverages: 3.8 per 240 ml (some samples not tested for inorganic arsenic) Rice cereals: 3.5 per 1 cup Basmati rice: 3.5 per 1 cup cooked Based on data and scientific literature available now, FDA is not recommending that consumers change their consumption of rice and rice products at this time, but that people eat a balanced diet containing a wide variety of grains. Data collection is the critical first step in assessing long-term health risks and minimizing those risks. “We understand that consumers are concerned about this matter. FDA is committed to ensuring that we understand the extent to which substances such as arsenic are present in our foods, what risks they may pose, whether these risks can be minimized, and to sharing what we know,” says FDA Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg, M.D. Once FDA has completed its analysis of about 1,200 rice products, the agency will analyze these results and determine whether or not to issue additional recommendations. - Monday - Friday 8am-5pm - Voice: (207) 287-3991 In-state Toll Free: TTY: Maine relay 711 Fax: (207) 287-3993 - Mailing address: 11 State House Station Augusta, ME 04333 Phone Number to your Local WIC Clinic East Wilton 207-645-3764 Presque Isle 207-768-3026 - Recalls, Market Withdrawals, & Safety Alerts - Produce Safety - FDA Looks for Answers on Arsenic in Rice - Dole Fresh Vegetables Announces Precautionary Recall of Limited Number of Salads - Keeping Your Food and Water Safe during Floods, Hurricanes, and Power Outages - Constituent Updates - Bumble Bee Foods Voluntary Recall on 5-Ounce Chunk Light Tuna Products Due to Loose Seals - Townsend Farms Voluntarily Recalls
The ALICE experiment is devoted to the study of nuclear matter under extreme conditions of temperature and density. It is specially designed to test the fundamental theory of the strong interaction, Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD), which predicts the existence of this new state of matter, the quark-gluon plasma (QGP). There are still some open question concerning the formation of our Universe. The ordinary matte of our Universe is composed of atoms formed by a nucleus, itself made of protons and neutrons, surrounded by a cloud of electrons. Protons and neutrons are themselves composed of quarks, which are to our current knowledge the elementary constituents of matter. Just after the Big Bang, during the first micro seconds of the creation of the Universe, its temperature was higher than 2000 billion degrees (about 100 000 times hotter than the centre of the Sun), the Universe was in a state of deconfined quarks and gluons: the quark-gluon plasma (QGP). Why and how did hadrons (compounds of elementary particles) form? What are the properties of the QGP? Can we reproduce the early Universe? Those are questions ALICE tries to answer. Ultra-relativistic heavy-ion collisions at the LHC To recreate the conditions for the formation of the QGP, heavy ions are accelerated by the LHC at CERN near Geneva close to the speed of Light before making them to collide. ALICE is one of the four big experiments of the LHC placed at one of the crossing points of the LHC beams. ALICE was designed to reconstruct the thousands of particles created by the collision with to study the QGP created therein. The ALICE detector ALICE counts more than a thousand physicists and engineers, from 132 institutes in 36 different counties. ALICE is composed of 18 sub-detectors extending over a length of about 26 m and a height of 16 m, weighting over 10 000 tonnes. They are regrouped in a central part and a forward one called the muon spectrometer. Among the different observables of the QGP, heavy resonances or quarkonia are particularly interesting. Quarkonia are rare and heavy particles composed of a pair quark and anti-quark, charm or beauty for the J/psi and Upsilon family, respectively. Quarkonia are produced at the early stage of the collision, even before the creation of the QGP, and thus experience the full evolution of the QGP that they have traversed. IRFU is particularly interested in the study of the production of quarkonia, which can be measured by its decay into a µ+µ- pair reconstructed by the ALICE muons spectrometer. The muon spectrometer The IRFU is thus involved in the realization of the ALICE muon spectrometer. The IRFU contributed to the design and the realization of the 5 tracking stations. The IRFU was in charge of: Upgrade of the muon spectrometer The make the most of the luminosity upgrade of the LHC foreseen for 2018 the electronics and read-out system of the muon spectrometer must be upgraded. The Muon Forward Tracker (MFT) To extend the physics program of the ALICE muon spectrometer a silicon pixel tracker will be placed between the crossing point of the LHC beams and the muon spectrometer. Alberto BALDISSERI: Coordinator of the ALICE muon spectrometer Hervé BOREL: Coordinator of the muon spectrometer upgrade Fabienne ORSINI: Technical coordinator of the MFT Last update : 12/11 2013 (2239)
\|Siege of the Acropolis\| \|Part of the Greek War of Independence\| "The Siege of Athens in 1827", painting by Panagiotis Zografos \|Greek irregulars\|\|Ottoman Empire\| \|Commanders and leaders\| \|Reşid Mehmed Pasha\| The Siege of the Acropolis in 1826–1827 during the Greek War of Independence involved the siege of the Acropolis of Athens, the last fortress still held by the Greek rebels in Central Greece, by the forces of the Ottoman Empire. Following the fall of Missolonghi in western Greece, Athens and the Acropolis remained the only strongholds in Greek hands in mainland Greece outside the Peloponnese. Consequently, after his victory at Missolonghi, the Ottoman commander-in-chief, Reşid Mehmed Pasha, turned against Athens. The siege began in August 1826, and followed closely the experience of Missolonghi: the Ottomans set up a very close blockade and bombarded the hill, while the besieged harassed them with frequent night sorties and mining, utilizing the expertise of Konstantinos Chormivitis, who had already distinguished himself in Missolonghi. The Beleaguered Greeks were resupplied and reinforced by small detachments sent through the Ottoman lines by the main Greek army, under Georgios Karaiskakis, which had established itself around Eleusis, Piraeus and Phaleron to the south of Athens. The Greeks launched various attacks against the Ottoman army's rear and its supply lines, most notably the victory at the Battle of Arachova in November ; this strategy was altered in favour of direct attacks on the Ottoman army, resulting in the Battle of Kamatero in February. The command was transferred from Karaiskakis to the British general Richard Church in April. The Ottoman victory at Phaleron (Analatos) on 24 April (Julian) 1827 ended any possibility for relief, and the Acropolis garrison surrendered a month later. \|This page uses Creative Commons Licensed content from Wikipedia (view authors).\|
\|A beautifully enhanced image of the planet Jupiter showing a swirling cloud layer of ammonia crystals\| \|A magnificent bronze statue believed to be Zeus hurling a lightning bolt dating from 460 BC at the National Archaeological Museum in Athens\| \|Lightning captured on Jupiter by the NASA spacecraft New Horizons\| Jupiter is the Roman incarnation of the Greek God Zeus. He is a God of the sky, lightning, thunder, and justice. He is often depicted clutching a lightning bolt ready to hurl it Earthward. Lightning is a phenomenon that could easily inspire divine explanation. \|Jupiter depicted in a ceiling painting I photographed in the Louvre in Paris\| The Eagle is associated with Zeus, and Bald Eagles land here in the tallest trees from time to time. I love hearing their distinctive cry and have seen them soaring overhead while I work on the labyrinth. I have heard that with the building of new homes on the island that trees traditionally used as nesting sites by eagles year after year have recently been cut down. There is great wealth on Bainbridge and lots with views of the water are increasingly more rare, so the impact of new building on less accessible sites tends to be greater. Our natural systems are being impacted at an alarming rate. \|200 AD Roman floor mosaic depicting Zeus as an Eagle, snatching Ganymedes. Museum of Archaeology, Thessaloniki\| This winter I visited several islands in Greece, including Crete and Naxos. Both islands are mountainous, and I climbed up to caves on each that are related in mythology to the life of Zeus. The cave of Ideon Andron on Mt. Ida, south of the city of Rethymno on the island of Crete, is according to legend one of two possible birthplaces of the baby Zeus. \|The Ideon Andron Cave, one of the mythical birthplaces of Zeus, on Mt. Ida, Crete\| \|8th Century BC Bronze drum depicting Zeus and Kouretes, from the Ideon Andron, Museum of Archaeology, Herakion, Crete\| Zeus, in retribution for his father having eaten his siblings, dethroned Cronus and caused him to vomit up the family. Afterwards he became the supreme deity to whom all others worshiped. Zeus was a ladies man, and had a jealous wife, the Goddess Hera. He sired many children with Goddesses and mortal women, many of whom were cursed and put to great tests by Hera. The list is stellar. Athena was born when Zeus's skull was split to relieve the worst of headaches after he had swallowed Athena's Mother, Metis. The twins Apollo and Artemis (Diana), were birthed by Leto on the island of Delos after a curse from Hera that made it impossible for her to give birth in any other terrestrial place. A tryst with Maia produced Hermes. Hera had six children with Zeus, including Ares (Mars), Hephaestus, and Hebe. Mnemosyn, the Goddess of Memory gave birth to the 12 Muses. One of Jupiter's Moons is named for the Muse Aoide. Dionysos fetus was stitched up in Zeus leg after his Mother, Semele was incinerated when she made Zeus promise her a boon, and she asked to see him in his divine form. He attempted in vail to minimize his appearance to spare her, but he had promised with an oath made on the River Styx and was committed to fulfill it. All in all he sired more than 40 divine offspring and a large number of mortals, including the mighty Heracles (Hercules). \|Lighting bolts I made and left outside the entrance to Zas Cave, Naxos, Greece\| Zeus had many rolls and aspects as a God. He was the King of the divine pantheon that resided on Mount Olympus. He continued to be the King of Gods in Rome as Jupiter, and the most important oaths of honor were made in his temple. The Jupiter Temple at Baalbak in Lebanon was the largest temple in the entire Roman empire, with some of the largest known blocks of stone ever hewn, weighing 60 tons and more. \|The Jupiter Temple at Baalbek, Lebanon, the largest in the Roman Empire\| \|Me standing on the World's 2nd largest known hewn stone at Baalbek, Lebanon\| \|What remains of the great Temple of the Olympian Zeus, Athens, Greece\| \|The Labyrinth as it looked on my return on March 23rd\| Today I had a visit from a lovely woman named Angie, for whom I dedicated the first of a series of simple 'lightning bolts', that I am incorporating in to this circuit as a symbol of Zeus, the God of lightning and thunder and storms. In return I asked her to go and turn the prayer wheel and send an intention out in to the World. \|Angie visits the Labyrinth\| \|Angie's Lightning bolt (they tend to be very subtle when made of beach rock)\| My good friends Trish and Thane from Portland came by on their way back from Anacortes to see the project. I love that friends find their way to this rather remote location in their travels to see what I am up to. I made a special lightning bolt to commemorate their visit. \|Friends from Portland visiting the project\| \|Turning from the 6th circuit to the 5th at the Northern cardinal point\| \|A lightning bolt made from stone shards I collected on Mt. Zas on the island of Naxos, Greece\| I worked my way around to where the 5th circuit turns and runs straight to the center of the Labyrinth. A section of the path in line with the entrance path parallels the one leading to the center, which represents the sun. These straight paths are made of yellow stones since they are aligned with the east, and yellow is the color for the east in Native American medicine wheel diagrams. \|The paths turn towards the center in the East\| The next day was epic for its rainbows. They lasted for at least an hour, arching across the sound while I gathered another 400 pounds or so of rock. The tide is out in the afternoon so I am gathering what I need to make my way through each band of color during that time. \|A brilliant full spectrum rainbow\| \|The day's pickings\| \|Ava, Lori, and Farrell\| \|Barb and her sweet dogs\| \|The Jupiter Circuit, the 5th\| \|Subtle zig zags of stone honor the God of Lightning and Thunder\| Thanks for reading, Jeffrey \|With the Jupiter circuit complete, there are four circuits and the center remaining to be built\| \|Jupiter seen from one of its poles, taken by the Juno Spacecraft in July, 2016\|
The Cretan poet of Erotokritos It is not known as to when exactly the Cretan poet, Vitsentzos Kornaros, was born, but the researchers of his major work: namely the "Erotokritos", conclude that Vitsentzos Kornaros was born in Sitia, Crete and died after 1677. There are some arguments about his origins because of his name, Vitsentzos. Some claim that he was Venetian but this view is not proven. It may be the case that his name developed due to the prevalence of various Venetian names caused by the length of the period of the Venetian rule. A second and perhaps more serious argument is that the work of Vitsentzos Kornaros, particularly "Erotokritos", includes many elements from the Cretan main genre that only a writer deeply infused with the tradition and sources of the Cretan grandeur, (so only one that was born and bred in Crete,) could have created such a great work. The epic drama "Erotokritos", is considered as one of the masterpieces of world literature. It consists of 10,010 verses with Cretan idiomatic phrases. Parts of this work became traditional songs and poetry of the Cretan people and is recited at celebrations. The works have also been adapted to the stage and the fact that the drama "Erotokritos" lends itself to different genres of performing arts is testament to the value of the work that even today, where and when played, it touches the public. The story tells of true love, friendship, courage and patriotism and for this reason is still popular throughout Greece. There is not however, any evidence that the second work that is attributed to Vitsentzos Kornaros is really his. It is the religious drama "The Sacrifice of Abraham," with subjects taken from the Old Testament, which describes the sacrifice of Isaac by his father Abraham..
The Baby Boom generation is retiring in droves (up to 10,000 each day), and many of these newly-minted retirees are on the move. But where are they moving to? The criteria are as varied as the retirees, and include housing, climate, and family. But as research by Headwaters Economics and others has shown, boomers are also moving to places with protected public lands. Protected federal lands (such as Wilderness or National Parks) not only preserve unique landscapes and natural resources, but have the potential to attract in-migrants such as baby boomers, which in turn help support a robust local economy. This chart shows the difference in migration rates between counties with low and high levels of protected public lands during the past 40 years for three different age groups: all seniors 55 and older, those 55-64 or “pre-retirees”, and retirees aged 65-74. [These patterns also hold for each decade.] The difference in migration is greatest for pre-retirees, who are likely to be active and enjoy outdoor recreation on these lands. The difference in net migration is smaller for older retirees, but is still significantly higher in counties with high protected public lands. Migrating baby boomers provide a unique economic stimulus, bringing along with them an influx of retirement and investment income. This income can then boost other parts of the economy, including the health care and retail sectors. This analysis uses estimates of county-level net migration, the difference between in-migration and out-migration, by decade from 1970-2010. The estimates are based on U.S. Census counts, and account for births, deaths, and aging during the decade. Net migration rate is the number of additional residents in a given age group due solely to migration between 1970 and 2010, divided by the total number of residents in that same group in 2010. Fuguitt, Glenn V., Calvin L. Beale, and Paul R. Voss. County-Specific Net Migration Estimates, 1980-1990 [United States]. ICPSR26761-v1. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2010-04-02. U.S. Geological Survey, Gap Analysis Program. 2012. Protected Areas Database of the United States (PADUS) version 1.3. Voss, Paul R., Scott McNiven, Roger B. Hammer, Kenneth M. Johnson, and Glenn V. Fuguitt.County-Specific Net Migration by Five-Year Age Groups, Hispanic Origin, Race, and Sex, 1990-2000: [United States]. ICPSR04171-v1. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2005-05-23. Voss, Paul, Richelle Winkler, Cheng Cheng, Kenneth Johnson, and Katherine Curtis. County-Specific Net Migration by Five-Year Age Groups, Hispanic Origin, Race and Sex: 2000-2010. ICPSR34638-v1. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2013-09-05. White, Michael J., Peter Mueser, and Joseph P. Tierney. Net Migration of the Population of the United States by Age, Race and Sex, 1970-1980. ICPSR08697-v1. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 1987.
3D printing, also called additive manufacturing, “is going to change every aspect of our lives,” said Hod Lipson, associate professor, Cornell University. 3D printing technologies can build with stainless steel and titanium, plastics (where 3D printing began), paper, and other materials, including living tissues (still in development), such as printing a new heart valve, spinal disc, or a custom fit piece of tissue replacement for accident victims. 3D printers use automation and controls, although they could integrate more. Many machines do not have feedback devices, so do not provide closed-loop control. Increasing speed and accuracy of future generations of machines will benefit from additional automation. Lipson, author of the recent book, “Fabricated: The New World of 3D fi Inside 3D Printing Conference & Expo in Chicago, the second of a three-part series of conferences on the topic in 2013. Additive manufacturing, subject of a Control Engineering October 2013 article, also may bring huge changes to manufacturing and assembly. The topic has broad appeal with Chicago conference participants from 16 countries and registrants from 35 U.S. states, across many industries. 3D printing changes everything Whether disruptive or merely an evolution, 3D printing will create far-reaching changes, economically, socially, and to various business models, Lipson said. An example of supply chain disruption, for example, might be when (perhaps within 20 years) a customer selects a future smartphone design, download it, then print it at a local store, eliminating traditional manufacturing, assembly, and logistics. 3D printers doing additive manufacturing now in selective applications displace CNC machines that remove materials to form a part. Computer numerical control (CNC) machines are heavy users of automation and controls, and 3D printers, to increase accuracy and speed, will need to use more. At present, 3D printing is especially useful for the design and prototype stage of products, but increasingly is used for creating custom end products, and small production runs, from one to a few thousand. Huge material savings can result. Imagine a large block of titanium used for an aerospace part; perhaps 85% of a block is cut away. Forming just the 15% that is needed could save a lot in time and materials. Scott Crump, chairman and chief innovation officer, Stratasys Ltd., one of the largest 3D machine companies, co-founded the business 25 years ago with his wife Linda, in their garage. “Now some products can be designed in computer-aided design (CAD) software, press the print button, and get the finished part out.” Further, digital part manufacturing produces completed end-user assemblies. “In 1988, 3D printers didn’t exist,” said Crump. “We made the first for the relatively low cost of $12,000. It made a toy froggy for my 2-year old daughter from thin beads from a glue gun. In 1992, it was an automated glue gun. After formal engineering for the first commercial product, in 1994, we made the first 3D printer.” Today 3D printing is making a difference in peoples’ lives. A 3D printed exoskeleton allows a previously crippled girl to play by counter balancing gravity with rubber bands. Stratasys makes 22 models of 3D printers with more than 120 output materials. More than 30,000 are installed, including 55% of all commercial 3D printers, according to Wohlers Associates numbers. 3D printing market impact grows Crump cited a McKinsey Global Institute report from May that said 3D printing could generate an economic impact of $230 billion to $550 billion per year by 2025 in certain applications, the largest from consumer uses, followed by direct manufacturing and use of 3D printing to create tools and molds. Neither stated today’s economic impact. The MGI report did note a 90% drop in home 3D printer prices in just four years and said additive manufacturing revenue increased four-fold in the past 10 years, citing revenue growth to $200-$600 billion by 2025. Stratasys has grown with the industry, Crump said, with more than 1,200 employees, more than 8,000 customers, and more than 550 patents. In 2012, the company had about $350 million revenue with almost $60 million profit, and 12 offices, 260 resellers, and about 1000 direct sales persons globally. The company offers two 3D technologies in three series of printers. “3D technologies provide an idea engine to advance the design power of prototyping and provide production without a production line,” Crump said. President Obama has touted 3D manufacturing as one way to advance manufacturing growth, and GE has talked about 3D to make jet engines. Delta Airlines currently uses 3D printing to make spare parts. “Anyone who makes anything can now use 3D printing,” Crump said. Other uses include automotive, manufacturing jigs and fixtures, medical, consumer, architectural, industrial, and for education. Mass customization is affordable without tooling or setup. Think again, because manufacturing is not changing slowly; 3D printing is turning our understanding of manufacturing and industry upside down. Additive manufacturing can be the automated factory of the future, Crump said. “We churn out thousands of parts and assemblies daily with a couple of operators. It is clean, efficient, and flexible. We can be making a toy in the morning and an airplane part in the afternoon. We work 24/7, in three shifts, providing instant online quotes and quick turns.” With Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) technology, “the only limit is your imagination. These machines move manufacturing onto the desktop. The process is clean and easy to use, and offers many prices, resins, plastics, and metals.” They are even being used by artists and fashion designers. “Welcome to a 3D world. We’re passionate about the value of that.” Bre Pettis, CEO of MakerBot Industries, helped make 3D printing affordable and accessible. Sharing reflections on the next industrial revolution, he said that MakerBot users are changing the world. He also noted, without presenting details, “Scott and I just inked a deal to join forces.” The deal, announced June 19, 2013, merges MakerBot into a Stratasys subsidiary in a stock-for-stock transaction worth up to $604 million, depending on performance, and expected to be completed during third-quarter 2013, “subject to regulatory approvals and other conditions customary for such transactions,” the companies’ statement said. MakerBot reported first-quarter 2013 revenue of $11.5 million, compared to $15.7 million for all of 2012. Pettis said, “When you fix and make things, chemicals are released in your brain that make you happy,” although, he added, seemingly with personal knowledge, “Never put a random button on a cocktail-mixing robot.” On MakerBot’s Thingiverse.com site, creators share their work and get recognized. There are 80,000 designs there, half added in the last 90 days. What they’ve made The MakerBot Customizer allows those who do know SolidWorks or AutoCAD to design their own iPhone case. Also, there is the Duplo brick to Brio track adapter, an obvious need for those who like a hands-on toy train experience. Users of MakerBots include: - the NASA Jet Propulsion Lab, which has used them on a spacecraft heat shield prototype design. An inventor who lost his fingers decided to make new ones. The resulting Robohand, developed quickly from revision to revision, allowing collaborative work, gives injured children dexterity again. Kids grow out of $20,000 customized prosthetics like sneakers. This design eliminated hardware, has easier cable installation, and allows printing of a larger size as needed; $5 of plastic is used. - A set designer once took days to create layouts with cardboard, glue, and knives. Now it is done overnight. - An educator allows children to print model houses, place them along a model river, and let the water run to demonstrate erosion. - A father and daughter about to vacation at an expensive amusement park saved the day by creating custom orthotics for her shoes, allowing the 41.5-in. child to stand 42 in. tall and ride all the rides. - A music lover built a harpsichord made from MakerBot pieces. - Parents are using 3D scanning to scan and make copies of precious Play-Doh art projects soon to get crusty and fall apart. Pettis, Crump question each other about 3D design, small business Pettis asked Crump about the early versions of the Stratasys machines. “We had obstacles in explaining the early machines to people,” Crump replied. “I would go into a mechanical engineering office. They understood what I was saying, but at that time it was not the accepted norm to do all design in the computer. I had a lot of really short meetings.” Crump said that while the passion remains, in the early days, it was all passion about building the machines, as opposed to building the company. “My wife reminded me of the need to make money.” Crump, addressing Pettis, noted, “Your early kit had a frame of wood. That was genius. We did same thing. With Formica. It sold for $250,000. Interestingly enough, wood burns. And there’s a heating element in box. ABS plastic is fuel. The original models did smoke a few rooms. No one died or went to jail. It was not disaster, but there was definitely a learning curve involved.” Crump asked, “Why did you offer your first machines as kits?” “Part of it,” Pettis replied, “was that we didn’t have manufacturing capabilities. We were three guys with a laser cutter and a dream. If we were engineers, we’d still be on the prototype. The kit included the box, a board, a sandwich bag of components, silver solder, and instructions explaining how to burn the board in a toaster oven. The first 200 MakerBot buyers were pioneers. We figured if customers could put it together and it breaks, they’ll know how to fix it. When we started sending fully assembled machines, some early customers said they wanted to put them together themselves.” Pettis continued, explaining that it took awhile to get used to the manufacturing world. “We found the stepper motors we wanted to buy. Placed our order, wanted to buy more, and were told that we bought them all. We didn’t think that was possible. To complicate things, they had a 6-week lead time. And they were going on a 6-week vacation.” “Any advice for other start-up companies?” Crump asked. “Yes,” Pettis said. “If you run a small business, I recommend getting to this point as quickly as possible. Hire professionals who know what they’re doing and have done it before. That way, you can more easily get to the point of shipping hundreds per day, instead of 20 a month.” Powered by ContentStream®.
Q - Can you point out the major differences between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Churches? A – Thanks for your question! Now, some Orthodox do not like Catholics at all and others are much more open. But, the Catholic Church views the Orthodox as a “sister” Church and we should remember this. Pope John Paul II said that he looked forward to the day when the “Church can breathe with both lungs”, in referring to the Catholic and Orthodox uniting again. The differences between Orthodox and Catholic start and end with authority. The Orthodox do not believe that the Pope has any special authority over the other Patriarchs and (leaders of the Orthodox churches) Bishops. He is merely another Bishop with the same authority as the rest. Other issues include: - The Orthodox (for the most part) reject the Immaculate Conception of Mary. - There is a slight difference, although many believe it to be blown out of proportion (including me), about the spiration of the Holy Spirit. Was it from both Father and Son or the Father alone? - The liturgies (worship) are different in style and somewhat in emphasis. - Orthodox allow contraceptive use in marriage. - Orthodox allow divorce and remarriage. Pray for Christian Unity!
This report demonstrates how the 2014 implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare, had a promising start in providing health insurance for all Americans. All racial groups experienced substantial increases in their health insurance coverage. Before the ACA was enacted, people of color were much more likely to be uninsured than Whites. Obamacare has reduced these disparities and has essentially eliminated the difference between the uninsured rates of Asian Americans and Whites and of Black and White children. Yet evidence from Massachusetts’ health insurance reform—a model for the Affordable Care Act—suggests that Obamacare is not going to completely eliminate racial and ethnic inequalities in health insurance coverage. Only a more extensive expansion of government-sponsored health insurance is likely to achieve that goal.
Send the link below via email or IMCopy Present to your audienceStart remote presentation - Invited audience members will follow you as you navigate and present - People invited to a presentation do not need a Prezi account - This link expires 10 minutes after you close the presentation - A maximum of 30 users can follow your presentation - Learn more about this feature in our knowledge base article Do you really want to delete this prezi? Neither you, nor the coeditors you shared it with will be able to recover it again. Make your likes visible on Facebook? You can change this under Settings & Account at any time. Technology Prezi: Teresa Meza/6th Grade/Science Transcript of Technology Prezi: Teresa Meza/6th Grade/Science Important concepts of chapter 11 and 12 SC.6.E.6.1 Describe and give examples of ways in which Earth's surface is built up and torn down by physical and chemical weathering, erosion, and deposition. - Prosser & Trigwell, 1997 read it...Apply it! 3 4 6 7 17 18 19 20 21 WARNING WARNING... STUDENT DISCLAIMER FOLLOWS!! In this Prezi you will be reviewing the important concepts from Chapter 11 on weathering and Chapter 12 pertaining to erosion and deposition. This presentation does not include all of the content that you will be tested on, so be sure to study both chapters thoroughly so you are fully prepared for the assessment. As we learned, tiny moss plants, earthworms, and even oxygen in the air can effect solid rock. It is important to remember that the surface process that works to break down rock is known as the common process called weathering. Keep in mind that even the smallest change in surface compositions weaken and breakdown rock. Who would have thought that such things, like a tiny worm, could have such an impact on the earth around us! Where have you seen pieces of rock that could have been broken down by weathering? As we read and also observed in the lab, two very important concepts to study are the components of mechanical and chemical weathering. Mechanical and& Chemical Weathering In More Detail! mechanical weathering: chemical weathering: Science/6th Grade/Teresa Meza SOIL EROSION Soil erodes when it is moved from the place where it formed. Erosion occurs as water flows over Earth's surface or when wind picks up and transports Under normal conditions, a balance between soil production and soil erosion often is maintained. Remember that this means: soil forms at about the same rate as it erodes. Causes of soil erosion: Preventing Soil Erosion: * Manage crops * REduce Erosion on Slopes examples--contour farming and terracing * Reduce erosion of exposed soil Water Erosion Deposition water forms a number of systems. Streams, rivers, and the ocean form surface systems, while groundwater forms a separate system. These systems interact with rocks and soil, producing erosion and deposition. water erosion is the combination of natural processes that wears away surface materials and moves them from one place to another. Types of water erosion: Rill and Gully erosion Surface water erosion is: --Rainwater that does not soak into the ground, but is pulled down the slope by gravity; this is runoff --steepness of slope, number and type of plants effect surface water erosion *be sure to look closer at how runoff affects the different water systems and the ages of streams and their distinguishing characteristics. Groundwater = water that soaks into the ground REMEMBER--- Some rocks have connected spaces called pores. Rocks are can be either permeable or impermeable and these factors influence groundwater. Definition of Deposition: Dropping of sediments that occurs when an agent of erosion loses its energy and can no longer carry its load. What are some examples of Deposition that you can think of?? This occurs when rocks are broken apart by physical processes. This means that the overall chemical makeup of the rock stays that same. Examples: growing plants, burrowing animals, and expanding ice Occurs when chemical processes dissolve or alter the minerals in rocks or change them into different minerals. This type of weathering occurs at or near the Earth's surface and changes the chemical composition of the rock, which can weaken the rock. Now it's your turn! I strongly suggest that you go back through the chapters and reveiw the material. Another great study tool is to assess your knowledge through the chapter reviews and section checks. Remember that you can never study too much!!
Send the link below via email or IMCopy Present to your audienceStart remote presentation - Invited audience members will follow you as you navigate and present - People invited to a presentation do not need a Prezi account - This link expires 10 minutes after you close the presentation - A maximum of 30 users can follow your presentation - Learn more about this feature in our knowledge base article Do you really want to delete this prezi? Neither you, nor the coeditors you shared it with will be able to recover it again. Make your likes visible on Facebook? You can change this under Settings & Account at any time. American Hip-Hop VS. Japanese Hip-Hop Transcript of American Hip-Hop VS. Japanese Hip-Hop October 11, 2012 ENC1101 American Hip-Hop VS. Japanese Hip-Hop American Hip-hop is a music genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted. American Hip-Hop is also a subculture music that originated in African American communities during the 1970's in New York City, specifically within the Bronx. Hip-Hop can be characterized by the four elements of rapping, DJing, hip-hop dance, and graffiti. What is American and Japanese Hip-Hop? Japan was introduced to hip-hop in the fall of 1983 in the movie "Wild Style". Street musicians began to break dance in Yoyogi Park, including DJ Kush who has become a world-reowned DJ after arising from the Yoyogi Park Scene. In 1986 an all hip-hop club opened in Shibuya and hip-hop in Japan began to grow in the late 1980's and early 1990's. Since 2000 hiphop in Japan Has grown and diversified. American and Japanese hip-hop music both have meanings to every song that is played. Both music genres express their feelings and emotions about their selves because they feel that it is the only way that they can open up and express their selves. Most people think that the music that both genres write about is bad because of all the profanity language that is used in the music. But really, the profanity is used out of anger or depression. Both of the genres also have the same hip-hop symbol which is used in most dances. The Meaning of Hip-Hop Music The only difference about American and Japanese hip-hop is that they both speak a different language and write very different. When Japanese people began to associate it doesn't sound nothing similar to American English. The writing is the same. When Japanese people begin writing, to americans, its like they are drawing and to the japaneses when americans write, its like scribble scrabble to them. Differences ''Languages" Pictures and Videos Japanese Hip-Hop generally tends to be most directly influenced by old school hip-hop, taking from the era's catchy beats, dance culture, and overall fun and carefree nature and incorporating it into their music. Hip-Hop in Japan also stands as one of the most commercially viable mainstream music genres in Japan. Japanese hip hop is said to have begun when Hiroshi Fujiwara returned to Japan and started playing hip-hop records in the early 1980's. アメリカと日本のヒップホップとは何ですか？アメリカと日本のヒップホップとは何ですか？アメリカと日本のヒップホップとは何ですか？アメリカと日本のヒップホップとは何ですか？アメリカと日本のヒップホップとは何ですか？アメリカと日本のヒップホップとは何ですか？History of American and Japanese Hip-Hop That You Should Know In the 1970's an underground urban movement known as "hip-hop" began to develop in South Bronx area of New York City focusing on emceeing, break beats, and house parties. Young Black Americans coming out of the civil rights movement have used hip-hop culture in the 1980's and 1990's to show the limitations of the movement. Hip-Hop gave young African Americans a voice to let their issues be heard. Similarities
Send the link below via email or IMCopy Present to your audienceStart remote presentation - Invited audience members will follow you as you navigate and present - People invited to a presentation do not need a Prezi account - This link expires 10 minutes after you close the presentation - A maximum of 30 users can follow your presentation - Learn more about this feature in our knowledge base article Do you really want to delete this prezi? Neither you, nor the coeditors you shared it with will be able to recover it again. Make your likes visible on Facebook? You can change this under Settings & Account at any time. Theories of Crime and Deviance Transcript of Theories of Crime and Deviance Sociology of Crime and Deviance The Origins of Theory Perform the Hedonistic Calculus for the Following Behaviours Consensus vs. Conflict Branches of Criminology Theory Trait Theory - Psychological/Biological Speeding to a job interview Cheating on your partner Partying instead of studying for your SOCI 1016 Test The work of Cesare Beccaria Early Responses to Crime believed that criminal behavior can be understood in the context of free will and a hedonistic calculus - ie. human beings are pleasure seeking and attempt to gain pleasure and avoid pain. Crime occurs when an individual perceives that the pleasure from a crime outweighs the potential/likely pains of punishment. As such, to deter individuals from crime, punishment must be certain, severe and swift. Positivism - The Scientific Method Positivism - Studying Crime Scientifically Durkheim -Social Factors as causes of crime Opposing biological or psychological origins, Durkheim believed that crime was the result of societal or cultural forces. He claimed that the rapid transition from rural (mechanical) society, to modern (organic) society disrupts its natural balance and creates norm/role confusion. Resulting from rapid structural changes is anomie – unclear norms and standards emerge as a function of a breakdown in social solidarity. In a healthy society, citizens know what goals are appropriate and how they are supposed to attain them. The opposite is true of an unhealthy society. During an economic recession, people do not reduce their "wants", during economic growth, people's desires continue to grow - both conditions produce stress. In an unhealthy society, there is a state of confusion about the legitimacy of various social goals and how to get them. Additionally, social institutions, which once provided consistent messages about appropriate standards are rendered unable to regulate and limit social needs = crime occurs. During the middle ages, people who violated norms or religious practices were believed to be witches or possessed by demons. Those convicted of crimes suffered harsh physical penalties including maiming or execution By 1700's - social philosophers argued for more rational punishment that is balance and proportional to the offence. Cheating on an assignment 1. Human behaviour is a function of external forces beyond individual control - ie. wealth, class, personal attributes such as brain structure or biological make up 2. Positivism relies on scientific methods of study The Earliest Studies.... Lavater - studied facial features of offenders Phrenologists studied the shape of the skull, concluding that bumps and shape were linked to crime. Early 1800's studies were done on the mind - Pinel - the psychopathic personality Lombroso - studied the cadavers of executed offenders in order determine scientifically, how they differed from non-offenders. He concluded that offenders were biologically different from non-offenders as a function of inherited criminal traits. Such features included huge jaws, canine-like teeth etc. Strict biological determinism is not taken seriously, but recent work has linked crime to biological traits, particularly when interacting with social factors The Chicago School - Structural Explanations Process Theories (Socialization.) Biological, Psychological, Sociological Theories Chicago sociologists during the 1920's, used a macro approach to study crime, used an ecological approach, more commonly used to study plant life, focused on how certain neighbourhood conditions - such as poverty levels, transience, urbanization, influenced crime rates. Densely populated, transitional zones were racked with unemployment, poverty and transience - conditions unsuitable for prosocial human development - similar to tomatoes planted in snow. They were 'natural' areas for crime because critical social institutions (which play a significant role in boundary setting and social control, such as family, schools, church, had become undone and could not perform these functions. Crime was not a function of personal traits, but rather, was a reaction to inadequate environments. Highlighted here was one's relationship to and the quality of the environment. 1940's - researched the linked between the individual and their relationship to important social processes - like family, peers, schools. - highlighting the role that inadequate socialization plays in crime. Biological and Psychological theories differ from sociological theories because the former focus on the conduct of individuals - which is linked to individual traits (biological or psychological), the latter focuses on behaviour at the micro (individual), meso (group) and macro (societal) level Unlike trait theories, sociological theories explain behaviour as a process involving one's relationship with their environment. Example: Vincent Li - biological explanations would focus on physiological explanations for his behaviour such as chromosomal defects, biochemical imbalances, brain disorders etc. Psychological explanations would focus on personality deficits such as psychopathology, psychosis, Anti-social personality disorder etc. Sociological theories examine micro - such as learning theroies, meso examine groups of individuals and how they can influence behaviour - delinquent gangs for example, and macro- age, gender, socio-economic status etc. and tries to explain large social patterns (ie. why males commit crime more often than females). Conflict Theories, envision crime and deviance as social constructions According to conflict theory - definitions of crime are social constructions - created and legislated by and for the powerful, benefiting them at the expense of powerless Certain segments of society have more power than others to create and enforce laws - which transform other segments into "deviants" or "criminals". Example: What type of punishment would be given to an offender who vandalizes downtown Belleville - smashing signs, lighting garbage cans on fire? Example: a corporation knowingly dumping toxic waste into the Bay of Quinte While the latter causes far more damage, environmental laws are ineffective, not nearly as rigorously enforced as street crime and punishments are lenient Consensus, Conflict, Interactionist Views of Crime Crimes are behaviours that all members of society consider to be reprehensible. Criminal law, therefore, represents consensus and reflects the values, beliefs and opinions of society's majority. ie. Murder, Sexual Assault, Robbery etc. The law is politicized in that it is created by and for powerful groups and therefore, reflects there interests most, and often ad the expense of the powerless. Powerful groups use the law to advance their own interests and protect themselves from the have-nots. ie. why street theft is punished harshly, but white collar crime rarely results in a jail sentence. What gets defined as criminal, is a matter and process controlled and decided by those with power. It does not reflect a consensus. Interactionist Definitions of Crime The definition of crime reflects the interests of people or groups who hold social power - and use it to influence the definition of crime. Behaviour is outlawed when it offends those with enough social, economic or political power to make the law conform to their interests. Law reflects the interests of 'moral crusaders", who use their influence to shape law to fit their needs. Eg. laws against drugs, prostitution, gambling? What are some others? What are the potential functions of robbery? How does the prosecution of robbery promote social cohesion and solidarity? What pro-crime forces might operate in a neighbourhood racked with poverty, unemployment, broken social institutions? What pro-crime forces might a child who has negative peers and attends an inadequate school be exposed to? Opportunities for crime are everywhere - what role does early childhood socialization play in stopping preventing theft? Learning Activity: Using the offence - Theft Over $5000, explain why any one of the perspectives alone are insufficient to explain all types of Theft. Gomme, I. (2007) The Shadow Line. 4th ed. Nelson Siegel, L, Brown. and Hoffman (2013) CRIM. Nelson LO 1: Discuss the basic premise of popular branches of criminological theory LO 2: Differentiate between sociological and psychological, biological theories of crime. LO 3: Discuss the Conflict, Consensus and Interactionist View of crime •Traced to the work of Quetelet and Durkheim and used social statistics to investigate the influence of social factors on crime. •This method found a strong link between age and crime and gender and crime = young males. •Season, climate, population composition, alcohol consumption and poverty were also related to crime. •Durkheim believed the criminality was the result of cultural or societal factors as opposed to being rooted in the individual. Durkheim considered crime to be inevitable and even necessary because it served the function of reinforcing social limits Crime is functional because it: integrates society - punishing wrong doers promotes cohesion and solidarity. Reaffirms boundaries between what is 'good' and 'bad' behaviour. Rewards and therefore motivates "good" behaviour. It also has the potential to create social change - via disobeying laws for a worthy cause
The Sigmund Freud Museum in Vienna, Austria: history Museum - Country: Austria - City: Vienna - Address: Berggasse 19 In Vienna is a Museum of world-famous researcher of human psychology Sigmund Freud. The building the Museum is housed in the apartment where lived and worked famous master of psychological analysis. With the help of the exhibits you can learn about the history of the teachings of the distinguished citizen of Vienna. The building is located in the heart Alsergrund on Berggasse 19. A great psychologist settled here immediately after the construction of the house in 1891. In 1938, Sigmund Freud left Vienna during its occupation by Nazi Germany, and was forced to live in the British capital. Primarily, this was due to the Jewish roots of famous scientist. In the house on Berggasse he spent forty-seven years. In these rooms he wrote the most significant works and the building is internally filled with an extraordinary spirit of ideas, many of which are inherently innovative in our time. The Sigmund Freud Museum in dignity occupies a special place in the list of attractions of the Austrian capital. You only need to come to Vienna and find a comfortable place to stay, and then with the help of the Internet and guides, you will find this home is sophisticated wisdom and knowledge of human nature. Things reminiscent of Freud In the room of the Sigmund Freud Museum often hosts a variety of exhibitions that presents works of modern art, the emergence of which in one way or another influenced by methods of psychological analysis of the famous scientist. The Museum is one of the greatest libraries of publications dedicated to research in the field of psychology. In addition to the unique collection of books, there is a research Institute under the supervision of a special Fund, named in honor of the great scientist. Exhibition at the Museum enable visitors to consider the things which at one time belonged to Sigmund Freud or have been associated with him. Here you can see the room where visitors waited for their turn at the reception to an outstanding psychologist. It is also known that Freud for a long time collected a unique collection of Antiques, some of which are exhibited in the Museum for everyone to see. In the Museum archives holds a variety of photographs, paintings, drawings and sculpted figures, which in life was owned by a scientist. Notepad Freud exhibit at the Sigmund Freud Museum, ViennaCard with the text – the exhibit at the Sigmund Freud Museum, Vienna The building of the Sigmund Freud Museum began to receive visitors in 1971. On its opening was attended by the daughter of a scholar of Anna Freud. In 1996, the Museum building expanded to accommodate new exhibitions and specialist events. Very good 🙂 visitors of our website know that, long ago, we published an article about the Sigmund Freud Museum in St. Petersburg. Do not be lazy to read this article.
An Electrophysiology Study (EPS) is a test that allows us to take a detailed look at the electrical impulses and pathways inside your heart. By carrying out an EPS, we can work out whether these impulses are causing your heart to beat abnormally (an arrhythmia), and where in the heart those abnormalities are originating. There are four separate chambers in your heart: two upper “atria” and two lower “ventricles”. Your heart can generate electrical charges inside these chambers, prompting them to contract and pump blood around your body. A healthy heart usually beats around 60 to 100 times per minute, at a regular and even pace. The timing of these beats is controlled by the “sinus node”, a patch of cells in one of your atria. Certain medical conditions or events (such as heart attacks and high blood pressure) can produce scarring in the heart tissue, which can disrupt the electrical impulses and cause the natural pacemakers to malfunction. You can read more about arrhythmia in our Heart Rhythm Problems section. There are a number of reasons why we might recommend you for an EPS. These include: - diagnosis: if we suspect you have a heart rhythm problem, or you’re experiencing common arrhythmia symptoms (such as palpitation or fainting), and we want to see what’s going on - finding out precisely where in your heart the arrhythmia is coming from - determining whether we can use a procedure called ablation to treat the abnormal impulses - seeing whether you would benefit from a device to restore natural rhythm to your heart, such as a pacemaker or an internal defibrillator (ICD) - understanding whether a known heart condition puts you at risk of developing a serious heart problem, such as sudden cardiac death We may also ask you to do an electrocardiogram test (ECG) alongside your Electrophysiology Study. An ECG also measures electrical impulses, but in less detail than an EPS. Once we’ve confirmed an arrhythmia and located its source, we can work out how urgently you need to be treated. Rhythm problems that are coming from the atria are not usually life-threatening, but can be more serious if they originate in the ventricles. In either case, the EPS will help us to put together a comprehensive treatment plan for you. This could be a course of medication or a surgical procedure to target the specific area of cells that is causing the problem (an ablation, which is sometimes performed during the same EPS procedure). Or we may recommend that you have a special monitoring device fitted in your chest, such as a loop recorder, pacemaker or an ICD. Electrophysiology Studies work by inserting one or more catheters (fine tubes) into one of your veins, usually in the groin or chest areas; this tube is gently directed through your vein so it runs up to your heart. We then introduce some tiny wires into the tube, possibly using an x-ray device (fluoroscopy) to guide them into position. Once in place, small electrical impulses are passed down the wires to specific areas of your heart. These impulses allow us to detect and record the natural electrical activity that’s happening in your heart (this is known as “cardiac mapping”). We can also stimulate extra beats in your heart in order to detect where the abnormal rhythm is coming from. (We can restore your heart’s natural rhythm using the same procedure.) In some cases we can introduce certain medicines into the catheter to slow or speed up your heart as part of the test. Electrophysiology Studies generally take between one and two hours to complete. Although an EPS can be done under general anaesthetic, most are performed with a local anaesthetic. This means you will be awake during the procedure, and you may feel some pressure where the tubes are inserted, but you won’t feel any pain. We can also arrange for you to receive sedation during the EPS, if you feel this would be helpful. If we are using the electrical signals to produce extra beats in your heart, you may experience a racing sensation in your chest, or faintness / slight dizziness, but we can restore your heart to its natural rhythm within seconds if we need to. We will also be monitoring various vital signs during the test, such as your heartbeat, blood pressure and oxygen level. When you first come to see us, we’ll ask you about the medication you’re currently taking. It may be necessary to temporarily stop taking this medication in preparation for your Electrophysiology Study, but you should only do this in consultation with us – we will discuss this with you in detail before the test. On the day of the procedure, you’ll need to avoid eating and drinking for six hours beforehand. You will also need to arrange for someone to drive you to your appointment and collect you at the end. Once the procedure has finished, we’ll take you back to the ward to rest – usually for one to two hours. The clinical team will monitor you and make sure you’re comfortable. We’ll then come and discuss the test results with you (if you were given a sedative, we’ll wait until the effects have worn off), and the next steps for your treatment. You will be given instructions about how and when to take any current or new medication. Most people are able to go home the same day as their EPS, though in some cases we may ask you stay overnight. Over the following day or two, you may feel some mild soreness where the catheter was inserted.
Tooth transplantation is a fascinating surgical procedure. Most transplanted teeth are wisdom teeth. If it is necessary to remove several teeth in one sitting, the gap can then be filled by replacing an own tooth. If a side tooth has to be extracted as shown on the x-ray images he gap can then be filled with another tooth, e.g. a wisdom tooth. After removing the damaged tooth that is beyond saving, the other tooth is gently extracted and then transferred into the gap within the same sitting. In some cases, a subsequent splinting or a root canal treatment may be necessary. A transplanted tooth can last for a long period of time.
Ibn Tulun Mosque, Cairo’s oldest surviving mosque, and the Mosque of Muhammad Ali Islam was introduced into Egypt by Amr ibn el-As in 639 AD and Egypt changed forever after that. Islam is based on the recitations of the Prophet Muhammad who was born in 570 AD in Mecca, Arabia. At the age of 40 he received the word of God through Gabriel, the archangel and for 22 years, thereafter, he recited his revelations to his followers. Islam rests on the Quran (el-Quran means the recitation). In the quest of spreading this message, the converted Arab armies led by his followers in Baghdad, conquered the Byzantine and Persian empires. If there is time to see only one mosque in Cairo, it has to be the Ibn Tulun Mosque. Built in the 9th Century by Ahmed ibn Tulun, it is the oldest surviving mosque in Cairo. The edifice is impressive both for its large scale and minimalist classical lines. The vast courtyard is covered with pebbles, the pointed arches made of brickwork and stucco, and the spiral minaret seems to have been borrowed out of a fairytale. A 2-kilometer long wooden frieze inscribed by one-fifteenth of the Quran runs below the ceiling. Continue reading → Cairo, the largest city in Africa and the Middle East since the 13th Century, is the meeting point not only of past and present but East and West. Five thousand years of history blend harmoniously into each other in this large metropolitan, cosmopolitan, historical, yet modern city. Cairo’s most famous and priceless treasure is the Egyptian Museum in the heart of the city. Founded by the French archaeologist Auguste Mariette in 1858, it contains some of the world’s most extraordinary antiques. At least two days are needed to get a grasp of the masterpieces which range from across the millennia: the Old Kingdom (2686-2160 BC), Middle Kingdom (2040-1640 BC), New Kingdom (1550-1080 BC), the Amarna Period and the subsequent Ptolemaic and Roman periods. Continue reading → Fairytale Qaytbay Fort, built from the stones of the legendary Pharos Lighthouse Alexandria, ancient capital of culture and learning Built by Alexander the Great in 332 BC, Alexandria was intended to be the port which would link the old worlds of Egypt, Babylon, Persia, and Greece. Following Alexander’s death, Alexandria became a world city under the rule of the Ptolemies, the dynasty founded by his Greek General, Ptolemy. The Ptolemies used their resources to develop knowledge, art and culture and establish the city as a centre for science, religious thought and literature. It was within the complex of libraries, parks and halls of the fabled Mouseion that stood in the centre of the city that Euclid wrote his ‘Elements’, Eratosthenes calculated the circumference of the earth, Herophilus pioneered the study of anatomy, and the ‘Julian’ calendar, based on the ancient Egyptian solar calendar, was devised. Continue reading → Initially a modest shrine dating back to the 12th Dynasty (1991–1778 BC), Karnak surpasses every other pharaonic temple in scale with over 100 acres dedicated to the Egyptian gods. As the empire expanded and gratitude towards Amon deepened, successive pharaohs right down to the time of the Greeks, added pylons, courts, shrines and statues to the magnificent temple complex. Continue reading → “Never did a city receive so many offerings in gold, silver, ivory, colossal statues, and in obelisks made of a single stone.” ~ Diodorus Siculus (60 BC) The ancient Egyptians knew it as Waset, the Greeks named it the hundred-gated Thebes and the Arabs called it Al-Uqsor, the Palaces, a name which has been corrupted to what we know the city as today, Luxor. Capital of the New Kingdom for 500 glorious years, and spiritual centre for much longer, Luxor contains the crowning achievements of Egyptian civilisation. Its temples and tombs are amongst the most extraordinary monuments ever built through time. The East Bank of the Nile, like elsewhere throughout the valley was the site for temples and prosperity. The West Bank signified death, burial grounds and tombs. Continue reading → Surrounded by the Nile River and granite boulders, the Temple of Isis at Philae was the last functioning temple of the ancient Egyptian religion and closed down in 551 AD. Built over a period of 700 years by Ptolemaic and Roman rulers who wanted to identify themselves with the Osiris and Isis cult, the temple is a magnificent blend of Egyptian and Graeco-Roman architecture. Continue reading →
Innovative urban design The design of public spaces can have a huge impact on actual and perceived safety. Good design takes a holistic approach that promotes liveability and community participation, taking into consideration the ongoing engagement, activation and management that is necessary to ensure a safe, welcoming and inclusive community space. Further information on preventing crime through urban design can be found on the crime prevention website. This resource contains some national and international examples of innovative design that aim to activate spaces and encourage prosocial use of public space. These are provided as a source of inspiration rather than an indication of the types of projects that will be funded through the Community Crime Prevention Program.
Wind monitoring can be relevant for a plethora of reasons: keeping festivals safe, tracking industrial odour, doing research on a construction site or monitoring airflow in between buildings. Measuring wind at several different spots is no easy task. Most weather stations offer only one wind sensor for wind measurement and building your own sensor system from scratch is expensive and difficult. We'll discuss an easy and affordable system that allows extensive wind direction and wind speed monitoring. Why you should monitor wind speed or measure the direction of wind Wind speed monitoring and wind direction measurement add some real value when you want to determine the dominant direction in which the air flows and how fast. These measurements can be relevant for safety reasons, environmental regulations, research or pure data collection. Wind speed is measured by an anemometer, wind direction by a wind vane. All-in-one weather sensors usually contain both of these sensors. Monitoring air flow between buildings Sometimes because of construction errors, heavy winds may be registered between buildings. Just as annoying are currents of air flowing inside a building, causing doors to slam or paperwork to blow around. Wind & current monitoring could therefore help you out with determining what causes the problem. This phenomenon is often attributed to a door or window that is left open, but a more complex architectural matter might be the cause. In this case, you need sensor data to find out when and where the wind is blowing. Wind measurement for a wind turbine The most obvious goal of measuring wind at different heights is when you're planning to install your own wind turbine. On farms or industrial companies, the advantages of generating your own energy are numerous. As a farmer or plant manager you want to determine the best spot to locate your turbine in order to optimise the return. It is recommended to gather sensor data during a period of time through remote wind monitoring so you can make the right decision. Wind speed monitoring for festivals In 2011 a Belgian festival suffered a great loss at the hands of a local storm. Ever since, rules and regulations surrounding tents, stages and other tall constructions at festivals, have been made more strict. Mandatory wind monitoring is a direct consequence of the 2011 tragedy. Many festivals use local weather stations with remote wind monitoring for their wind speed measurement. Read more about how Lokerse Feesten and Sunrise Festival use weather sensors for monitoring at their site. Measure the direction of wind on a construction site Cranes and scaffolding can be badly damaged by storms. A construction site is not safe to work on in rough weather. Heavy machinery should be prepared to be wind-safe, cranes need to be able to swing freely and banners should be removed from scaffolding. A local weather station for wind speed measurement can even send out alarm notifications that warn you when a gentle breeze turns into a raging storm. Read more about a weather station to keep cranes and scaffolding safe. Wind & current monitoring to conduct research prior to the construction of large buildings When constructing large buildings, it can be important to see if a specific location is subject to a certain weather pattern. Let's take a skyscraper for example, prior to construction it would be wise to monitor whether the specific location suffers from strong winds during a particular season. Wind direction measurement for factories and industry Monitoring wind direction can help you take the right decision in case something goes wrong in your factory. Certain factories cause smell and sound during their production process. When something goes wrong these smells or sounds may escape the industrial chimneys and cause a nuisance in the neighbourhoods surrounding the industrial site. Accurate wind direction measurement gives you the opportunity to warn your neighbours about the incident. Wind monitoring with Reporter Reporter is our plug & play sensor module that's perfect for remote wind monitoring and measuring. The device is able to measure anywhere as it's autonomous and mobile. You can set your measurement interval between every 30 seconds or every two hours. Through cellular data Reporter sends its data to the cloud in real-time. Here you can view your data whenever you want. No WiFi in the middle of nowhere for wind measurement? No problem! Reporter has its own connection. Power too is accounted for as Reporter is able to fully operate on solar power alone. A small, but powerful solar panel charges Reporter during the day and the internal battery powers Reporter all through the night. Measurements continue 24/7 and you can trust Reporter to keep an eye out for you. One of Reporter’s key features is the built-in alarm system. In the cloud platform (Crodeon Dashboard) you're able to set alarm thresholds for whatever you're measuring. For example, you can set an alarm when wind speed measurement exceeds 40km/h. Whenever such a threshold has been exceeded, you will receive an alarm notification on your phone or email. How to connect multiple different wind sensors to one Reporter Most weather stations that are commercially available connect only one wind sensor. This means in order to get multiple measurements for wind & current monitoring for instance, you would need several of these fully equipped stations. This can get expensive quickly. That's where our technology comes in. Reporter has up to four universal M12 connectors, that fit any of the sensors from our shop. This also means you can connect up to four of the same wind speed monitoring sensors at the same time. Essentially this is a Crodeon weather station plus three extra all-in-one weather sensors. Getting the hardware connected is a piece of cake. Each sensor comes with a waterproof M12 cable suited for outdoor use. All sensors are powered either by grid or solar power, making wind tracking possible even in remote areas. For this demo project we connected three all-in-one weather sensors to one Reporter. This meant we were measuring wind speed, peak speed and direction three times, but also temperature, humidity and rain. How to access wind measurement data in the cloud Sensor data is transferred using 2G or 4G to the cloud, where you can access it on the Crodeon Dashboard. Nothing special here. The Dashboard allowed us to configure the measurement interval and alarm thresholds. When we wanted to dive deep into the data collected by the wind monitoring, we used the Excel export. We also offer a Rest API to integrate the wind-measuring data into your own platform. Many companies already have some kind of data platform and prefer to have all data in one app. You can call the API every minute without issue. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions about wind tracking or how to measure the direction of wind. Don’t hesitate to contact us if you need assistance with your own sensor projects. FAQ about remote wind monitoring How do you monitor wind? Wind monitoring is done using wind sensors (wind vane & anemometer). When you buy an all-in-one weather sensor, both of these sensors are included. The Crodeon weather station streams this data to a cloud platform in real-time. How do I check my wind data? The Crodeon weather station sends its data to a cloud platform in real-time. Here you can watch your live data or dive deeper into your historic measurements. Historical data can be downloaded and imported into Excel. How do you find the wind direction of a location? A weather station will measure the direction of wind through its wind vane. A weather sensor has to be calibrated using the North arrow on the top. The wind direction measurement will be sent to the cloud platform where you can watch all your live data.
Dr Ross Monaghan from AgResearch at Invermay is concerned about nutrients from the soil affecting waterways and causing water pollution. This includes excessive levels of nitrogen in groundwater and in surface water (where eutrophication may occur in the latter). Nitrogen – a nutrient One of the nutrients Ross is researching is nitrogen. Nitrogen is important for all life and encourages the fast and healthy growth of plants. Animals also need nitrogen for healthy growth. They get their nitrogen from the plants they eat. Agricultural pastures and crops need nitrogen from the soil to be healthy. Soils deficient in nitrogen are replenished with nitrogen derived from clover fixation, fertilisers or effluent. Too much nitrogen The problem arises when there is more nitrogen in the soil than can be used by the available vegetation or converted by bacteria to atmospheric nitrogen (N2). The excess nitrogen compounds are leached from the soil (through rain) and/or are transported by surface run-off into waterways. Once in the waterways, the nitrogen compounds can get into groundwater or into streams, lakes and estuaries. Excessive nitrogen (nitrate (NO3) in drinking water can be harmful for animals and humans – particularly babies. Excessive nitrate in water can also cause an abundance of aquatic plant or algal growth. These plants can choke waterways, killing off other plants and organisms. As the plants (or algae) die, they use up oxygen from the water, also killing off other organisms that need oxygen to live. This process is called eutrophication. Ross’s research involves exploring ways to manage the risk of nitrogen leaching from the soil into waterways. One aspect of this involves interfering with the nitrogen cycle to slow down the production of nitrate that has the potential to be harmful. In the nitrogen cycle, nitrogen from the atmosphere enters the soil-plant system via fixation by legumes. Special bacteria attached to the roots of the legume plants process this nitrogen to form ammonium. Other bacteria in the soil are capable of converting ammonium (NH4) to unstable nitrite (NO2) and then to more stable nitrate (NO3) that can be readily taken up by plants. This is known as nitrification. Ross is researching a product that prevents the oxidation from ammonium to nitrate, preventing nitrification from taking place. The product – referred to as a nitrification inhibitor – inhibits or blocks the enzymes in the bacteria from converting ammonium to nitrite and nitrate. Consequently, much less mobile nitrogen (nitrate) is produced. Ammonium has a tendency to stick to soil and is less mobile than nitrate so is less likely to leach into waterways. Nitrification inhibitors can be sprayed on or applied as a granular product. However, it seems that the inhibitors work better in some places than others. Research is showing rainfall, temperature and microbial activity all have an effect on the inhibitors. The inhibitors work more efficiently in the cooler South Island where there is often less rainfall and less microbial action because of lower temperatures. Warmer weather, higher rainfall and microbial activity tend to break down inhibitors more quickly so they need to be applied more frequently. Ross and the scientists at AgResearch have found that urine patches left by cows (and sheep to a lesser extent) contain concentrated amounts of nitrogen. Ross has targeted urine patches in his research – applying nitrogen inhibitors to these areas in particular. There is some controversy concerning the application of inhibitors. Some people question the addition of chemicals to the soil. There is also the question of interfering with nature – the nitrogen cycle. However, the question the scientists ask is which is the bigger problem? Some parts of New Zealand have pollution problems. Years of intense farming have contributed to this. Scientists are working to remedy the situation, and nitrogen inhibitors are one way farmers can reduce nitrogen losses to the environment. Nature of science Intensified farming has impacted negatively on the natural way in which nutrients like nitrogen cycle through a given ecosystem. Imaginative thinking, often of the ‘outside of the square’ variety, has enabled scientists to develop ways of mitigating the heavy nitrogen load that often accompanies intensive farming. There has been some controversy about the use of inhibitors, particularly one called dicyandiamide (DCD). In this news article, people’s concerns about its presence in milk products are discussed.
Emergency planning exercises An exercise is a simulation of an emergency situation. Exercises have 3 main purposes: to validate plans (validation) to develop staff competencies and give them practice in carrying out their roles in the plans (training) to test well-established procedures (testing) Why it is important to hold emergency planning exercises Planning for emergencies cannot be considered reliable until it is exercised and has proved to be workable, especially since false confidence may be placed in the integrity of a written plan. Generally, participants in exercises should have an awareness of their roles and be reasonably comfortable with them, before they are subject to the stresses of an exercise. Exercising is not to catch people out. It tests procedures, not people. If staff are under-prepared, they may blame the plan, when they should blame their lack of preparation and training. An important aim of an exercise should be to make people feel more comfortable in their roles and to build morale
I love music! I enjoyed playing various musical instruments and singing in the choir throughout middle and high school. Some of my favorite childhood memories center around music- singing along to the “Oldies” with my parents on car trips from New Jersey to Florida every Easter, trying to tape my favorite songs off the radio as a teenager, buying my first CD, and planning out all the CD’s that would go into my 6-disc changer (fancy!) in my first car before a long road trip. There are certain songs that can place me back to a very specific time and place just within the first few notes. Music is powerful. It can change someone’s mood – try not to smile while blasting your favorite song and singing at the top of your lungs in your car! Music can also be a powerful instructional tool in the classroom. Music can support transitions between activities, can act as a tool for classroom management, can be used as text for close readings or figurative language analysis, can support making personal connections with students, and face it, it’s fun! 😉 I don’t think that we spend enough time supporting teachers with the use of music. One of the strongest teachers I ever had the privilege of working with, used strategies from Quantum Learning, including music, to motivate, encourage, support, and push her Kindergarten students to the highest levels of rigor I’ve ever seen in a Kinder class! Her students knew, by the opening notes of a specific song, when it was time to “clean up” or “put away Language and take out Math” or “line up for recess”. We spend so much time teaching our students the ins and outs of language; music is also a language that bridges communication gaps and enhances understanding. I recently tweeted out about the lyrics to a song being perfect for an educational lesson: I think the lyrics to Sara Bareilles’ song Brave would make a great close reading text! — Amy (@DirectorAmy) June 21, 2013 I often sit in my car, singing along to my latest favorite song, analyzing the lyrics. Some songs have such strong messages (girl power! redemption! forgiveness! joy!) that I would just love to listen to students discussing the content. I truly believe that the lyrics of songs (appropriate to students’ age level, of course) can become excellent sources of text for our students to analyze. It would also be powerful to ask students to bring in their favorite (or original!) lyrics as examples of whatever is being studied in class (figurative language, unconventional punctuation, writer’s craft). Music can even serve as a mentor text for young writers experimenting with their voice and craft! - What are you listening to these days? - How do you use music in your classroom/ How have you seen music used as an instructional tool? - Check out #IamBraveenough on twitter to see the power lyrics can have on many! “You can be amazing You can turn a phrase into a weapon or a drug You can be the outcast Or be the backlash of somebody’s lack of love Or you can start speaking up Nothing’s gonna hurt you the way that words do But I wonder what would happen if you Say what you wanna say And let the words fall out Honestly I wanna see you be brave” – Lyrics to Brave by Sara BareillesRead more at http://brave.sarabareilles.com/ Another post about my love of music:
I'm breastfeeding my baby. Does he still need to be immunized? Yes, your baby needs all of the recommended vaccines even when the mother is breastfeeding. Breastfeeding supplies your child with the best possible nutrition and even some antibodies from the mother. However, it will not protect him from infectious illnesses the way that immunizations do. Serious diseases such as polio, whooping cough, tetanus, and diphtheria are best prevented with vaccines. Your baby’s immune system will make its own antibodies and stimulate the blood cells to be ready to fight these illnesses.
And yet there is a basic, foundational difference — one that points us to what is of inestimable value in Indic traditions; to the priceless pearl that we should preserve, the one that these heedless secularists and the rapacious aggressives do not realise they are pushing Hindus, Buddhists and others to discard. This basic difference is as follows. When a tradition has the following elements, as each of the three Middle Eastern traditions has, as do the secular traditions of the West — Nazism, Marxism-Leninism — it will invariably be exclusivist, intolerant and aggressive, and it will invariably deploy all means — from propaganda to money to violence: • Reality is simple; • It has been revealed to one man; • He has put it in one Book; • That Book is inerrant as well as exhaustive: so that whatever is in it is true, that it is true for all time; and that whatever is not in it or is contrary to what is in it, is false or useless or worse; • But the Book is difficult to understand; hence, you need a guide, an intermediary, a monitor: in a word, the Church, the ulema, or the Party; • The Book covers, the intermediary must cover every aspect of life: there is no distinction between the private and the public sphere, between the Secular and the Religious, between the State and the Church. These doctrines are totalitarian — in both senses: they insist on governing the totality of life — the Roman Catholic Church’s minatory insistence against contraception, for instance, and the reams and reams of fatwas that deal with even more intimate matters; they are also totalitarian in the sense that what they prescribe on any aspect just must be obeyed; • The test of piety is adherence to that Book and to the prescriptions of that intermediary — in every sphere of life; • It is the duty of that intermediary, indeed of every believer to ensure that all come to accept and adhere to The Message — there is only one Message; • As the Message is the ‘Truth, the whole Truth and nothing but the Truth,’ as there is no truth beside it, those who do not accept the Message are cussed; worse, they are thwarting the Will of Allah, or its equivalent — the march of History in Marxism-Leninism; • Hence, it is the duty of every believer, and even more so of that intermediary to use all means to make them accept the Message, and if, even after being offered the opportunity to accept it, they refuse, to vanquish them all together. When these elements are present, the tradition will have one singular objective: dominance. It will become an ideology of power, a dogma that rationalises everything in the pursuit of hegemony. The dogma will necessarily gravitate to, among other things, violence. Contrast those elements with propositions that are central to the Indic traditions: • Reality is multilayered complexity: both in the sense that there are layers within layers of it, and in the sense of each element mingling into others: the Buddhist master Thich Nhat Hanh refers to the latter as ‘inter-being’; • It has not been revealed exclusively to one person: several have glimpsed it; • They have put down approximate descriptions of that reality as well as hints of how to glimpse it in some books: these are travel guides; • Perceiving that Truth is an overwhelming, incomparable experience; it is the one joy that lasts. This life gives each of us a unique opportunity to bathe in that effulgence. If we don’t, the loss will be ours — but that is about it: the Truth is not affected; the guides are not falsified; • It is not just the Book or some singular great figure who can teach us; everything, every event, every relationship can be a teacher guiding us to glimpse the Truth — indeed, our object should be to make everything teach us. The essential points are three: different ways will suit different persons; second, the individual is the one who has to strive — as ‘an island unto himself’; third, the striving, the search is an inner-directed one. It has nothing to do with the state or power or dominance over nature or man; • In pursuing this inner-directed search, indeed in leading one’s life, the test is not adherence to any of these travel guides, nor obedience to any intermediary, but darshan — the traveller’s own experience: do not mistake the finger pointing to the moon — that is, my teaching — for the moon, the reality, the Buddha counsels. Every single element in these traditions guides and pulls the believer in the direction that is the exact opposite of the Middle Eastern traditions. Reality is multilayered, hence no description of it is final: tolerance follows as an article of faith. The search is to be an inner-directed one: where, then, is there a case for converting some dar ul harb into some dar ul Islam? The touchstone is not that I am adhering to what some book says or what some person, howsoever worthy, prescribed. The touchstone is my own experience. The consequence of even this single article is immense and radical. The Gita is set in a battlefield. At the end, Arjuna declares that all his doubts are settled. He goes into gory battle. Yet Gandhiji derived non-violence from it. The orthodox berated him. Where do you get the authority to advance such a notion, they demanded. Gandhiji’s answer? From here, his heart. What is written in this book, he says in Anashakti Yoga, is the result of thirty years’ unremitting effort to live the Gita in my life. When Mansur speaks to his experience, he is executed. Within Islam, the Sufis were a beleaguered sect . . . Putting belief into practice It is entirely possible, of course, to be earnest about one’s religious beliefs, practices, rituals and not turn to violence or to converting others through allurements or violence. Indeed, we can go further and say that in all traditions, the majority of people in their practice, in their day-to-day life are like each other: each of them has a hard enough time getting through her or his daily struggles to spare time and effort to forcing or even inducing others or even persuading others to his particular way. But when the religion insists that the object is to convert, to ‘harvest souls’ for Jesus, when it declares that all of dar ul harb must be converted into the dar ul Islam; when the religion is a doctrine of dominance, being earnest about one’s religion comes to include as an essential element that the believer assist in spreading that religion, and that he use all means to do so. If a believer does not do so, he is deficient in his belief. That is why in the hadis, we find the Prophet repeatedly enumerating the boons that accrue to the martyr and his relatives from jihad, from killing and being killed in the cause of Islam. The pre-eminent rewards, of course, accrue to the one who joins in the fighting himself, the Prophet declares in scores of hadis. But even the one who does not do so directly, will be rewarded for every bit of assistance that he gives for the establishment, defence and spread of Islam, the Prophet declares. When a man keeps a horse for the purpose of jihad, ‘tying it with a long tether on a meadow or in a garden... whatever it eats from the area of the meadow or the garden where it is tied will be counted as good deeds for his benefit, and if it should break its rope and jump over one or two hillocks then all its dung and its footmarks will be written as good deeds for him; and if it passes by a river and drinks water from it even though he had no intention of watering it, even then he will get the rewards for its drinking.’ And again, even more generally, ‘If somebody keeps a horse in Allah’s Cause motivated by his belief in His Promise, then he will be rewarded on the Day of Resurrection for what the horse has eaten or drunk and for its dung and urine.’ [Sahih al-Bukhari, 52.44, 49, 105; similarly, Muwatta’ Imam Malik, 951, Mishkat al-Masabih, Book XVIII, Volume II, p. 822. The hadis compilations as well as books on shariah are filled with scores and scores of such exhortations and promises.] By contrast ‘the one who died but did not fight in the way of Allah,’ the Prophet declares, ‘nor did he express any desire (or determination) for jihad, died the death of a hypocrite.’ [Sahih Muslim, 4696.] Again, the Prophet declares, ‘He who dies without having fought or having felt fighting (against the infidels) to be his duty will die guilty of a kind of hypocrisy.’ And yet again, ‘He who does not join the warlike expedition (jihad), or equip a warrior, or look well after a warrior’s family when he is away, will be smitten by Allah with a sudden calamity.’ Hence, commands the Prophet, ‘Use your property, your persons and your tongues in striving against the polytheists.’ [Sunan Abu Dawud, 2496-98.] Such commands follow ineluctably from the propositions that I listed above. We shut this fact out by two blindfolds. We judge a faith by looking at ‘people like us’ — most of the ones we know are ‘persons like us’, they do not live by such commands, but it is precisely because they are ‘like us’ that they are in our social circle. Unfortunately, the outcome is determined, not by the millions who lead ordinary lives, lives like ours, but by microscopic minorities: to say, ‘But the majority of Muslims did not want Partition’ may be true but is little consolation — that did not save the country from being partitioned. Similarly, to say ‘But millions are living peacefully today, they have not the slightest intention of setting off for jihad’ is true but equally little consolation: the ones who take the propositions seriously and thereby heed the hadis, are the ones who are determining the direction that events are taking. And the direction that Islam itself is taking. Once they enter the stage, the extremists come to set the standard of fidelity and piety within a community. The tradition metamorphoses in no time: look at the change that has swept Islam in Southeast Asia in just fifteen years. Second, we often lull ourselves with the thought, ‘But so what if someone wears the scarf or burqa? If they want to send their children to madrasas, what business is it of ours?’ But there is a technology to all this. The ones steering a community make a point of starting with a completely innocuous demand, by inducing believers to adhere to a practice that does not inconvenience non-believers in any way. The headscarf, for instance, or the new piety-statement in lands as far apart as Egypt and Pakistan, the zebibah — the dark, calloused bump that registers on the forehead when it is repeatedly struck or rubbed on the ground during prayers. [For our own neighbourhood, observe the visitors from Pakistan; for Egypt, see, for instance, Michael Slackman, ‘Mark of piety as plain as a bump on the head,’ IHT, December 13, 2007.] Non-believers are not inconvenienced by such signs, and yet the practices go far. They become a device for making the adherent realise that she is not the same as the others, and to make her or him announce that she is not one of the others. Simultaneously, the marks drill into others that the adherents have come to look upon themselves as separate. When the non-believers in turn start treating them as separate, that they are doing so becomes a grievance. And thus another argument is acquired for transiting from separateness to separatism. Hence, all who are apprehensive of a Hindu reaction should: • Get to know the non-Indic traditions; • Shed denial — from denial of what the basic texts of the non-Indic traditions say to denial of the demographic aggression in the Northeast; • Most important of all, work to ensure a completely fair and an absolutely firm state; and an even-handed discourse. For their part, the Hindus cannot recline back, confident that the reaction will take care of the current pressures. They too have much to do. In particular, they must • Awaken to the fact that the danger does not come just from violence and money; it comes as much from the purposive use of the electoral system; • And so, they must organise themselves for this challenge as much as for others; • For this, they must vault over internal divisions, in particular the curse of caste; • Be alert not just to assault by others, but also to perversions from within: the commercialisation of the tradition; its becoming a commerce with deities — ‘Please get me this contract, and I will . . .’; its becoming ostentatious religiosity; persons setting themselves up as the guardians of the tradition, and then using the perch for self-aggrandisement . . . • Get to know the tradition; and live it.
Minority Rights Group International (MRG) Deputy Director, Claire Thomas, writes this opinion piece for the Thomson Reuters News Foundation.+ LEARN MORE Kasaians mostly live in Kasai in south-central Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) but a few remain in Katanga, which during Mobutu’s rule was called Shaba. Most of those who migrated to Katanga from the late nineteenth century, after the discovery of rich mineral deposits, were forced to return to Kasai in the 1990s. The Kasai region of south-central DRC attracted Christian missionaries at least twenty years before the southern province of Katanga. When copper was discovered in Katanga in the late nineteenth century mineworkers were recruited from outside the region, particularly from areas such as Kasai where education and acculturation to colonial practices were more advanced. Economic opportunities continued to attract migrants from Kasai to Katanga even after the discovery of diamonds in Kasai; many Kasaians adopted local languages and many have lived in Katanga for several generations. Most are of Luba origin, from Kasai Oriental. Estimates of their numbers before the expulsions range from 500,000 to 1,000,000 people, comprising over a third of the population of mining towns such as Likasi and Kolwezi, as well as of the regional capital Lubumbashi. Kasaians attracted resentment from Katangans as a result of their educational and economic advantages, but coexistence had generally been peaceful. Violence against Kasaians in Katanga began soon after the election of Étienne Tshisekedi, himself a Kasaian of Luba origin, as prime minister in 1992. Highly inflammatory speeches denigrating Kasaians were made by leading pro-Mobutu politicians, including the governor of Shaba (as Katanga was known at the time). In a prolonged campaign of harassment and violence, around 6,000 people were killed and up to 400,000 were forced to flee to Kasai, overcrowding its cities and often facing unemployment or destitution. Mobutu’s departure in 1997 brought little relief for Katanga province or the Kasaian population there. Laurent Kabila, who came from the northern part of Katanga, established Mai-Mai militias in an effort to fend off Rwandan forces and their local allies, as well as to target civilian Banyamulenge (Congolese Tutsi) who were suspected of being pro-Rwandan. Many of the militias were tied to Kabila’s inner circle in Kinshasa and were used to controlling southern Katanga and the revenue from the area’s rich deposits of copper and cobalt. In the scramble for control over natural resources, the Mai-Mai have targeted each other and come into conflict with the army. Kabila had difficulties making regular payments to his forces and his army became dependant on stealing local resources. Civilians in southern Katanga, especially Kasaians of Luba origin, have suffered immensely amid the violence, and many have been killed or displaced. Eruptions of violence continued after Laurent Kabila’s assassination in January 2001 and throughout Joseph Kabila’s transitional government. After November 2004 around 150,000 Katangans, many of Kasai-Luba origin, have been displaced by fighting among Mai-Mai militias and the army. Subsequently, further bouts of violence have led to displacement on a massive scale. By early 2014, the UN reported that 400,000 people had been displaced in just a few months, noting that most of the attacks on villages came from Mai-Mai forces. Tragically, the conflict and displacement in Kasai region itself escalated drastically, especially in 2016. In the background was a decision by the government to divide up the region into five provinces, weakening local rule and creating tensions. A Luba traditional chieftain, Jean-Pierre Mpandi was killed by government security forces in September 2016. The authorities had refused to recognise officially his hereditary Bajila Kasanga chieftaincy (‘Kamuina Nsapu’) in Kasai-Central; protests by Mpandi and his followers escalated into violence leading to his killing. His followers rallied under the Kamuina Nsapu name, seeking both revenge and greater local rule. While local groups under that banner had differing aims, their attacks led to an increasingly steep cycle of violence as villages created local self-defence militias. The conflict quickly gained an ethnic dimension, since Mpandi was Luba and many of those belonging to the Kamuina Nsapu were as well. Luba and the closely related Lulua civilians were targeted by security forces on the assumption that they were supporting the insurgency. Deep-seated prejudices added to the violence, as Luba and Lulua were seen as not originally from southern Kasai region – a grim repetition of the inflammatory combination of politics and negative stereotypes that drove the fighting and mass displacement in neighbouring Katanga, where Luba were also resented for not being from the area. By July 2017, UNICEF was warning that Kasai region was witnessing one of the ‘world’s worst displacement crises’ for children. Of the more than 1.4 million displaced by then, 850,000 were children. Towards the end of the year, there were some hopeful signs after government forces strengthened their control over the region. By the end of October 2017, over 710,000 people had returned, and 762,000 people remained displaced. However, optimism was limited by the fact that returnees often found their homes in ruins and faced little if any infrastructure to support their efforts to resume their livelihoods. The key issue facing Kasaians is the massive displacement their region has witnessed during recent years. While people have been returning in large numbers, government forces continue to meet resistance from armed militias, and fighting continues to occur. In February 2018, for example, tensions and violence led to the displacement of 11,000 people in Mweka Territory. The conflict in Kasai region also led to 35,000 people crossing the border and becoming refugees in Angola. Some have tried to return, and in February 2018 UNHCR reported that over 500 had been forced back by the Angolan authorities. Returnees have often found their homes in ruins or have not been able to go back to their areas of origin due to continued tensions; returning refugees risk ending up as internally displaced. Meanwhile, UNHCR and other agencies struggle to get the funding needed for a major reconstruction programme. In neighbouring Katanga, local and migrant communities, as well as communities of distinct ethnic origins, continue to have to compete for resources, jobs and influence. While the mining industry continues to attract migration, particularly from Kasai, declining employment in the sector has fed ethnic tensions. Updated June 2018 Minorities and indigenous peoples in
Plenty of evidence indicates that the recognition of familiar faces depends largely on structures on the right side of the brain's outer layer, or cortex. However, the brain appears to take a sharp left turn in fostering the ability to identify one's own face. That, at least, is the implication of experiments conducted with a so-called split-brain patient. To curb the spread of severe epileptic seizures at age 25, the now-48-year-old man had submitted to a surgical severing of nerve fibers connecting one side of his cortex to the other. If confirmed in studies of people with intact brains, the new investigation indicates that left-brain networks assume primary responsibility for memories and knowledge about oneself, including the key visual distinction between "me" and "others," says a team of neuroscientists led by David J. Turk of Dartmouth College in Hanover, N.H. Personal recognition allows for other types of complex thought, such as empathy and introspection, the s